Anyone who can appear in this Ruyi Tower must have something wrong with him!
There were countless martial arts masters and dignitaries out there who wanted to enter Ruyi Tower to get a glimpse of the world but were unable to get in. But this hunchbacked old man in front of him could enter the building unhindered?
Just an old man sweeping the floor?
I’m afraid it’s not that simple!
Lin Jiangnian narrowed his eyes. Although he didn't know Lin Hengzhong very well, he had learned a little from the fragments of information the woman in red and the servants in the mansion had said.
While Lin Hengzhong wasn't exactly a suspicious person, he was certainly no pushover. A foreign king who could destroy numerous kingdoms and conquer the world couldn't be considered a good person.
This Ruyi Tower was the culmination of his efforts, housing the priceless treasures he had plundered from across the land over the years. How could such an important place be left to an ordinary person guarding the tower and sweeping the floor?
This hunchbacked old man in front of me, even if he is not a peerless master, is definitely not a simple person!
Most of them have extraordinary origins!
With his mind made up, Lin Jiangnian's thoughts gradually became active. After a brief thought, he slowly approached the old man and said, "Senior?"
The old man who was sweeping the floor with his head down seemed to realize something. He turned around and saw Lin Jiangnian, and seemed to be slightly startled: "It's you?"
"It's me!"
Lin Jiangnian nodded, a smile on his face: "Senior, we meet again!"
The old man shook his head slightly: "I can't be called a senior..."
After saying that, he turned around and was about to continue sweeping the floor.
"senior!"
Lin Jiangnian called out to him.
The old man paused: "Anything else?"
Lin Jiangnian nodded slightly, looking the old man up and down before him, and said, "I would like to have a good chat with you, Senior. I wonder if you could... do me the honor of meeting me?"
The old man sighed: "What is there to talk about with a decadent old man like me?"
Lin Jiangnian said, "Since we can meet here, it must be fate!"
"Furthermore, Senior, you must have been here for quite some time. I have some questions that I would like to ask you to answer... Would you be willing to answer them?"
The old man looked up at Lin Jiangnian, and after a moment of silence, he nodded: "Since you, a young man, are willing to pay attention to an old man like me, then fine..."
"It's been a while since someone has talked to an old man like me."
As he spoke, the old man swept away the last bit of dust on the ground, put down the broom, and walked behind the bookshelf.
Behind the bookshelf, near the window, stood an old, dark table. On the table lay a half-opened book, a lamp, and a half-lit pot of wine.
The old man walked slowly to the table and sat down, "Sit down."
Lin Jiangnian didn't hesitate to walk up and sit down opposite the old man, looking up at him.
The old man pounded his waist and sighed, "I'm old, I can't do it anymore!"
He now looked like an old man on his deathbed, old and weak, with no sign of being a hidden master at all.
Disguised?
But... isn't this disguise a little too similar?
Lin Jiangnian remained calm and asked tentatively, "Senior, how old are you this year?"
The old man sighed: "I can't remember clearly, probably over 60 years old."
Over sixty?
"Senior is still strong and healthy, I can't tell!"
Lin Jiang laughed and asked, "How long have you been in Ruyi Tower?"
"About twenty years."
Twenty years?
Lin Jiangnian was shocked.
Can you stay in this Ruyi Tower for more than 20 years?
Doesn’t this mean that the old man in front of us has lived from middle age to old age?
"Senior, you haven't been out for more than 20 years?"
"No."
"Why don't you go out, senior?"
"Why do you want to go out?"
“…”
The old man's cloudy eyes were very calm, and he just sighed: "I am an old man, I don't know where to go if I leave here. Instead of this, I might as well stay here and have peace and quiet!"
The more they talked, the more Lin Jiangnian felt that this old man was not simple. He glanced at the half-opened book on the table and could vaguely see some of the content...
What surprised Lin Jiangnian was that the book was not a martial arts secret manual, nor a book on political strategy or military strategist, but rather... a philosophical thought on self-cultivation?
"Senior, you have been in this Ruyi Tower for over twenty years. You must be very familiar with this place, right?"
Lin Jiangnian came back to his senses and spoke again.
The old man thought for a moment and nodded slightly: "It seems quite familiar... I wonder what you want to ask?"
"I've been idle lately and have been somewhat interested in martial arts and poisons, so I wanted to ask you, Senior..."
Lin Jiangnian looked at him and asked tentatively, "Senior, do you know what are the most powerful martial arts and poisons in the world?"
Martial arts is just a cover. Lin Jiangnian’s real purpose is to try to get any clues about the poison from the old man in front of him.
The old man was slightly startled. After looking at Lin Jiangnian, he shook his head gently. "How can there be any martial arts that are the most powerful in this world? There has been no distinction between high and low in martial arts since ancient times. It's just people who are high and low... If you want to learn martial arts, there are all kinds of martial arts in Ruyi Tower. It depends on what you like... As for the poison you mentioned..."
The old man sighed softly and pointed to the book on the shelf next to Lin Jiangnian: "You can look for it!"
Lin Jiangnian turned around and took out a book from the bookshelf next to him, a book that recorded all the poisonous substances in the world.
Lin Jiangnian had seen this book yesterday. After glancing at its contents, he calmly asked, "This book says that there was a Gu poison in the territory of the fallen Miao nation. Is this poison considered unique in the world?"
"Maybe..."
The old man nodded slightly.
"Senior, do you know this poison?"
“Not really.”
"If I want to learn poison, could you give me some pointers?"
The old man looked at Lin Jiangnian and shook his head gently: "I can't teach you."
"Why?"
"The most difficult part of poisoning a Gu isn't the injection, but the cultivation... Whether or not the Gu can be cultivated is the most crucial step in creating a poison!"
"The art of raising Gu is almost extinct, and it's not easy to learn. Furthermore, this poison is too overbearing and violates the laws of nature..."
At this point, the old man seemed to have thought of something and sighed softly: "Anyone who raises Gu will most likely suffer backlash."
"Backlash?"
Lin Jiangnian's eyes fixed: "What do you mean?"
The old man narrowed his eyes, as if recalling something. After a while, he slowly said, "In the Miao borderland, there used to be a religion that cultivated Gu worms. Rumor has it that Gu worms are extremely difficult to cultivate and are too rare. The person who cultivates Gu worms must feed them with their own blood until they resonate with the worms in some way, and only then is it considered successful..."
"Therefore, once the Gu worm is damaged, the person who raises it will definitely suffer a backlash and severe damage. Of course, in addition to this, there is also an even more mysterious love Gu..."
"Love Gu?"
Hearing this name, Lin Jiangnian asked, "What kind of poison is this?"
"This poison is too mysterious, and very little information has been circulated. We only know that it is the treasure of the Miaojiang Gu Cult, but it has been lost for nearly a hundred years. This Gu worm is extremely difficult to refine and cultivate, and as for what its use is..."
The old man sighed softly, "It's rumored that those who are infected with the love insect will gradually develop feelings for the person who cast it. Furthermore, it's rumored that once the insect is cast, the fate of the person who casts it and the person who is infected are bound together. If one person dies, the other cannot survive... That's why it's called a love insect."
At this point, the old man shook his head again: "However, the love Gu has been lost for nearly a hundred years. There is no way to verify whether it is true or not. It is just a rumor..."
“…”
Lin Jiangnian was silent.
I didn't get any antidote from the old man in front of me, but I did have a general understanding of the poison.
The more I understand, the more frightened I become!
This poison is indeed too terrifying and overbearing, and it will damage one's virtue!
Why would a good girl play with poison for no reason?
Lin Jiang sighed and looked up at the old man in front of him. From the previous exchange, he was more and more certain that the old man in front of him was not simple.
Thinking of this, Lin Jiangnian's heart moved: "Oh, right, I haven't asked for your name yet..."
Just as Lin Jiangnian was about to inquire about the origin of this senior's name and go back to investigate carefully, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him.
“Da, da…”
In the quiet attic, soft footsteps stepped on the attic wooden boards, making a slight sound.
Very light.
Like a woman's steps.
Lin Jiangnian subconsciously turned around and saw a familiar figure.
Zhiyuan, dressed in a purple long skirt, slowly appeared in the attic.
"Why are you here?"
Lin Jiangnian frowned and became alert.
"Your Highness."
Zhiyuan walked slowly closer, looked at Lin Jiangnian with her cold and beautiful eyes, and spoke softly.
Then he raised his eyes and looked at the old man opposite Lin Jiangnian.
Then, she lowered her eyes and spoke in a slightly respectful tone, "Master."
"master?!"
Lin Jiangnian was suddenly shocked.
“…”
There will be another chapter later!