civilwarnovels Chapter 536: Suffering a Mute Defeat
Chapter 536: Suffering a Mute Defeat
“Master, Master!”“Master?”
The disciples following behind Daoist Priest Wuwei saw that their master hadn’t spoken a word the whole journey, and they all were puzzled.
The journey had been delayed because it was nighttime, and with Daoist Wuwei acting so strangely, the disciples felt a bit scared.
“I’ll go report to the temple leader!”
One disciple rushed ahead back to Qingxian Taoist Temple.
The Young Taoist guarding the temple hall door saw the Senior Brother coming and quickly called out, “Hey, hey, Senior Brother, you can’t go in!”
“Little Xufeng, step aside quickly. I, the Senior Brother, have something important to report.”
“No!”
The Young Taoist blocked the door and said, “The temple leader is deep in understanding the Daoist Arts. No one can barge in right now.”
The Senior Brother paused when he heard this.
“When did this start?”
“Last night.”
The Senior Brother frowned, not knowing what to do for the moment.
Just then, the door behind him suddenly swung open.
The Young Taoist was startled and then called out, “Temple leader!”
That Senior Brother stepped forward quickly and said, “Report, temple leader. Master went down the mountain to perform Arcane Spells. On the way back, he seemed to have lost his wits. I don’t know what’s going on, but I fear Master has suffered a dark spell. That’s why I came to ask for your help.”
Xuanchengzi paused upon hearing this, “A dark spell?”
He raised a hand and made a calculation but got no result. His expression suddenly turned serious.
“Where is Wuwei now?”
“Master is on his way back to the mountain.”
“Lead the way!”
That disciple took the temple leader down the mountain in a hurry.
The Young Taoist stood stunned but didn’t follow. After watching for so long, he couldn’t hold on any longer and went back to his quarters.
Xuanchengzi came down the mountain and saw Daoist Wuwei on the path, looking as if he had lost his soul spirit.
The disciples behind him bowed respectfully.
“Temple leader!” “Greetings to the temple leader!”
Xuanchengzi raised a hand to quiet them, then walked up to Daoist Wuwei.
He called him several times.
“Brother disciple, brother disciple?”
Daoist Wuwei didn’t react. His eyes were empty.
“Wuwei!”
Xuanchengzi frowned, then lifted two fingers to swipe over his eyes. Suddenly, he understood.
He waved his sleeve, and a Golden Light flew out, landing on Daoist Wuwei’s forehead.
Daoist Wuwei jolted all over.
In an instant, his eyes turned clear again.
“Master woke up!”
“Master!”
The disciples gathered around.
Xuanchengzi sighed and said, “Brother disciple, someone has clouded your soul spirit!”
Daoist Wuwei’s eyes widened suddenly, as he remembered what happened before.
Just as he tried to speak, he found he couldn’t make a sound when he opened his mouth.
Not even a gasp came out.
Daoist Wuwei quickly pointed to his own mouth, looking very frantic.
“Brother disciple?”
Xuanchengzi paused and felt something was wrong.
“Open your mouth!”
Daoist Wuwei hurried and opened his mouth.
Xuanchengzi looked; with his Dharma Eye, he saw a Golden Light spell seal in Daoist Wuwei’s throat.
He raised a hand to try to break it, but after a few Arcane Spells, nothing happened at all.
Instead, Daoist Wuwei grabbed his throat tightly, his face full of pain.
Xuanchengzi sensed trouble, so he said, “Head back to the Taoist Temple first!”
Xuanchengzi hurried back with Daoist Wuwei to the Taoist Temple.
After entering the temple hall, they shut the door firmly and barred anyone from entering.
“Brother disciple, write down what happened.”
Xuanchengzi brought a pen and paper, placing them on the table.
Daoist Wuwei then wrote out the previous events clearly.
Once Xuanchengzi took it and read through it, he frowned right away.
After that, Xuanchengzi checked the spell seal in Daoist Wuwei’s throat again and again. He still had no idea how to handle it.
“This spell seal can only be undone by the caster. If we force it open, brother disciple, you might not survive.”
“You must have met a true master this time…”
Daoist Wuwei felt a sudden dread after hearing this and turned anxious. He picked up the pen and wrote.
[Senior Brother, I can’t be mute forever.]
Xuanchengzi opened his mouth slightly. He had seen from the writing that Daoist Wuwei was boiling with anger, but he truly knew his brother disciple’s nature. Much of it was likely untrue.
Also, the person who cast the spell didn’t want to kill Wuwei. It seemed more like a small lesson, so Wuwei probably had done something wrong.
Xuanchengzi asked another question, “What did the person look like?”
[He seemed young, wearing a Blue Robe. His boots were also blue, with a speck of white on them.]
“Brother disciple, clothes aren’t enough to find this person. We need his face.”
Daoist Wuwei fell silent for a moment, thinking hard for a long time. Finally, he scratched his head wildly.
Forgot!
Totally forgot!
Xuanchengzi suddenly stopped and muttered under his breath, “Blue Robe…”
If it was a Blue Robe, it reminded him of someone.
He paused and said, “Brother disciple.”
Daoist Wuwei looked up at his Senior Brother.
“You know… how that person calls himself?”
After Daoist Wuwei finished writing those two characters, Xuanchengzi completely deflated.
Seeing this, Daoist Wuwei paused in surprise.
He quickly picked up his brush and wrote:
[Save me, Senior Brother.]
“Junior Brother…”
Xuanchengzi sighed: “This time, I fear even I am powerless…”
This silent loss… they would have to bear it.
Daoist Wuwei stood frozen, feeling completely helpless.
Once Xuanchengzi learned who it was, he felt even more helpless inside.
Just last night, he had received guidance from that great man. After a day of secluded contemplation, he hadn’t even had a chance to thank him. Then he emerged to learn his own junior brother had offended that very person.
What a mess!
Xuanchengzi sighed, then spoke again: “But Junior Brother, you don’t need to worry too much. Tomorrow, I’ll go down the mountain. If I can find that great man, I’ll plead mercy for you. Maybe there’s still a chance.”
Daoist Wuwei, finally snapping out of his daze, grabbed his brush:
[You know this person, Senior Brother?]
Xuanchengzi said: “Only just met him. This great man… has ties to our master from the past. Perhaps, remembering that old friendship, he might show mercy.”
Suddenly, Daoist Wuwei remembered something. He scribbled frantically:
[When he cast his spell on me, he mentioned Master. He said it was only a slight punishment, out of respect for Master’s face.]
Seeing this, Xuanchengzi paused. He looked at his junior brother, defeated.
Seeing his Senior Brother’s expression, Daoist Wuwei understood instantly. This time…
He was well and truly in big trouble!
He quickly wrote:
[Is there no other way?]
Xuanchengzi shook his head. He had nothing more to say.
Daoist Wuwei slumped to the ground instantly. Utter panic seized him.
Unable to speak! How would he manage from now on?
But it was too late for regrets.
Yu Hongjin stood in front of the wine stall.
“Boss, my father sent me to buy wine. Two jugs, please. Here’s the money.”
She placed the coins on the stall counter.
Li Lao’er, the wine seller, glanced at them and started in surprise.
“Where’s the grown-up with you?”
Yu Hongjin’s eyes darted. “My father’s over there buying me a Candied Hawthorn.”
Li Lao’er looked around. With so many people, he couldn’t tell. Seeing the little girl acting so normally, his worry eased.
“What a sensible little girl! So young and already buying wine for your daddy.”
Yu Hongjin smiled sweetly.
Li Lao’er watched her and suddenly paused. “Hmm…”
Yu Hongjin blinked, puzzled.
Li Lao’er said, “Do I… know you from somewhere?”
Yu Hongjin froze, then blinked innocently. “Probably not? This is my first time meeting you, sir.”
Li Lao’er frowned.
He vaguely remembered a time when a young girl, around this age, came to his wine shop to buy liquor.
Exactly when that was… he really couldn’t recall.