Chapter 58: Post-Competition Storm (Part 2)
He looked carefully at the man, about sixty years old, but his appearance was so strange that it was hard to believe. All he saw was that under the tattered kasaya, a Taoist robe was exposed. On top of his head, from the middle to the side, the left side was bald, with a row of scars on his forehead, and the right side had half black and half white hair tied into a Taoist bun. An old face, a pair of small eyes narrowed into a slit, staring at Lu Yun with an eerie expression. In addition, this person's neck was also hanging a mysterious iron ring full of strange patterns, looking quite incongruous and ridiculous.
That strange person looked at Lu Yun and let out a strange cry, saying: "Not simple, rarely seen. My old monster has lived for hundreds of years, but I've never seen anyone stranger than you. Hehe, interesting. Who would have thought that after not moving around for so long, tonight I'd encounter something strange while passing by? Haha, little kid, where are you from? How can one person's body hide multiple techniques? That's a major taboo for cultivators, being messy and unrefined, never achieving greatness. Haha, who would have thought that today I'd actually meet someone like me, with multiple techniques combined in one body? It's really great, what a coincidence, what a coincidence."
Lu Yun heard this, and his eyes were misty, but from the outside, nothing could be seen. However, in his heart, he was extremely shocked. This is the second person to see that he has several techniques since he left the sect. The first person was Xiao Tian, and unexpectedly, it's been less than a month since he left him, and tonight, someone else saw the secret he had hidden again.
While watching this strange man, Lu Yun's mental wave quickly analyzed the aura around his body. However, every time the mental wave approached his body, it would be repelled by a strange and mysterious power emanating from him, which was quite astonishing. At this moment, Lu Yun realized that this strange man also knew how to hide his own aura, making it very difficult for others to uncover his secrets.
Seeing a hint of surprise in the stranger's eyes, Lu Yun understood that his investigation into the other's aura had already been discovered. Slightly surprised, Lu Yun spoke up: "I came from the mountain and am heading out of the mountain, what about you? What should I call you? You look like both a Buddhist monk and a Taoist hermit, yet are quite eccentric. I'm afraid there aren't many people like that in the world."
The strange man looked at Lu Yun, his mouth splitting into a smile as he said: "You little brat have some skills, actually understanding how to use spiritual power to explore the secrets of my old home. Hehe, unfortunately, my old self is not so easily seen through by people. You say you came from the mountain and are going out of the mountain, hehe, interesting. My old self is just the opposite, I came from outside the mountain and want to go into the mountain, hehe, it seems like we two really have fate. As for my attire, hehe, what do you think? Is it not unparalleled in the world, unique in all the land?" After finishing speaking, he looked at Lu Yun with a self-satisfied expression, still smiling.
Lu Yun looked at him, understanding that such a strange person often had something different from ordinary people. As long as he grasped their character, it was easy to get along with them. With a calm smile, Lu Yun nodded in agreement: "Your outfit is truly one-of-a-kind, rarely seen in the world. At first glance, one can tell that you're not an ordinary person. I'm Lu Yun from Yi Garden, and where are you from? Which famous mountain or river, which immortal sect?"
The figure spun around, and the strange man circled Lu Yun once before laughing: "Lu Yun, this name is quite pleasant to say. You claim you're from Yi Garden, but I don't think that's entirely true. Your body has the aura of Yi Garden's cultivation, but it also carries a strong Buddhist and Confucian aura, as well as a hint of something very strange, though not too obvious. Hehe, this is quite interesting. My old self had thought it was impressive to combine the techniques of three schools into one, but I didn't expect to meet someone even more formidable than myself tonight. Truly, the world is vast and full of wonders."
Lu Yun's face remained calm, but his heart skipped a beat. He didn't expect this strange person's gaze to be so piercing, able to see through almost half of his cultivation in just one glance. It was truly not simple. With a bland smile, Lu Yun asked: "You still haven't told me about your background and which three families' techniques you're proficient in. Since we've met today, why don't we become friends despite our age difference? In the future, if I have any matters, I can also ask for your help. If there are happy events or fun things to do, I will definitely not forget about you. You've cultivated for so many years, and time must have passed very arduously. Why don't you tell me about it?"
The strange man's face lit up with joy upon hearing the words, but immediately sank again, as if Lu Yun's last sentence had touched something in his heart. Looking at Lu Yun, the strange man suddenly moved closer by a yard, staring straight into his eyes. Lu Yun's expression remained calm, smiling as he looked back at him, without a hint of surprise or panic.
The strange man nodded slightly and chuckled, "How interesting. I didn't expect to meet a young man who's willing to befriend an old freak like me here. Since that's the case, this old freak will make friends with you. From now on, just call me Buddha Sacred Dao Immortal, heh heh, not many people know this name. Let's have a good chat here for now, I still have some business to attend to later. I'd like to ask, what kind of techniques have you learned? Why is the aura around you so strange? You don't seem quite Buddhist, nor do you seem Taoist... three parts of you seem demonic, truly bizarre."
With a faint smile, Lu Yun said in a soft voice: "Your name is the strange one, Buddha Saint Dao Immortal. It sounds like a general term and doesn't sound like a person's name at all. As for me, I just learned some Buddhist dharma, some Taoist techniques, and some sword techniques from the Yi Garden, so that's how it is. And you, who are both Buddhist and Taoist, what other door do you have?"
The strange man smiled mysteriously and said, "My name will be known to you in the future when the opportunity arises. As for how many techniques I have cultivated, haha, that's a secret. Although we are friends, there are some secrets that cannot be revealed, unless you are my disciple, unfortunately, you are not, so I must keep it confidential. However, looking at our friendship, I can reveal a little bit - I possess the techniques of both Buddhism and Taoism, and at the same time, I am also proficient in the demonic arts of the demon gate, haha, that's a rare good thing in the world. But it can't be let those pseudo-heroes who kill demons and eliminate evil every day hear about it, they would be helpless against me, but listening to them all day long is annoying. I dislike being with those so-called heroes who have nothing better to do than to wield their swords and roam around eliminating demons. They are all arrogant and look down on others, not at all like cultivators. They have gone astray and completely forgotten the true meaning of cultivation. Never mind, let's talk about you instead, I'm very curious about you."
Lu Yun couldn't help but burst out laughing, never expecting him to scold everyone in the six courtyards with one breath. Looking at him calmly, Lu Yun said softly: "I don't have anything good to say either, every day is just cultivation and more cultivation, until now I haven't even really gone out to play in the world. Having been in Yi Garden for two years, I've learned almost everything, perhaps next step, I'll choose to leave." After finishing speaking, Lu Yun gazed at the night sky, thinking about his own path forward, whether to stay in Yi Garden or leave it.
