Chapter 40: The White-Robed Man’s Hint

When he said this, the man in the white robe still had a heartwarming smile on his face, but I always felt that the sentence was directed at me alone. Was it a warning that I would definitely break the rules?

I was helpless, but there was nothing I could do. Who would not be wary of someone who was obviously pretending to be someone else?

I thought to myself, I’m really bold. There are so many great people in the city, and since the host can see through my disguise, other great people may not be able to, but where can I care about so much? It’s more important to find my brother and sister first!

I was thinking about my own thoughts, while the man in white was busy assigning rooms. He seemed to have full trust in everyone, and for those who said they knew the place, he generally let those people go to their own rooms.

After the monk and Su Lao said goodbye to me and went to their rooms, I was the only one left without a room.

“Let’s go. I know this is your first time in the city, or your first time in the cave,” the man in white said, still smiling, as he walked up to me.

This statement was simple, but it made me jump. Did he see through me?

The white-robed man didn’t seem to have any intention of explaining, and walked straight in a certain direction. I had no choice but to follow. He didn’t explain, but I would ask, “How do you know I’m here for the first time?”

The white-robed man did not turn around, but his voice was gentle, like the spring breeze in March: “I am average or gifted in terms of my practice. But I have a special talent, which is that I never forget a person I have seen. To be more precise, it is not just their appearance that I remember, but also their aura. I will remember them after just one encounter.”

When he said the last sentence, the white-robed man stopped walking and turned to look at me. His face was still smiling, but it felt more distant than the indifferent face of the receptionist, because it was even more opaque and could not be approached.

I looked at him, not knowing what to say for a moment. Of course, I didn’t believe in his words that his cultivation was only so-so.

The white-robed man just smiled and added, “For so many years, I have been responsible for receiving guests in the cave, so I feel a little strange about you.”

After saying this, the white-robed man walked straight ahead again, and I could only follow him again. But at this time, I no longer felt helpless, but a vague but exciting thought appeared in my mind.

I wasn’t sure what would happen if I spoke up, but I had to try, so I called out to the man in the white robe.

He turned with a smile, but there was a hint of confusion in his eyes.

“I…” I hesitated for a moment, but then decided to blurt it out: “I want you to help me?”

“We don’t get involved in any of the guests’ activities, and we don’t care about the relationships between the guests, or about their grievances. We are not responsible for anything other than the rules. Please forgive me for not being able to help you in any way.” The white-robed man’s refusal was very gentle, leaving no room for temper, but also leaving no hope. He didn’t even let me say what I wanted to help with.

This person is just like I feel, although he seems gentle, he is even more indifferent than an indifferent person.

In fact, I had only heard about his ability, and although it was a bit rude to ask him to help me find my fellow students, the consequences were unpredictable, but it wasn’t too difficult. At least I could be sure that they were not in the cave area.

After being rejected, the man in white and I walked in silence. He walked ahead, and I followed behind. I don’t know how many turns we made, but we still hadn’t reached my place of residence.

But I didn’t care where I lived, even if they gave me a broken house.

In fact, the ‘scenery’ along the street distracted me. The houses on both sides turned out to be various shops, selling all kinds of things. Coupled with the quaint architecture, it gave me a feeling of dreaming back to the Tang and Song dynasties, which were the most desirable eras in China.

But it’s not quite the same, because in addition to medicinal herbs, most of the goods sold in these shops are things that cultivators need. Would a normal Tang and Song Dynasty market sell these things?

But no matter what, walking among them, I have a feeling that I have already left the present world.

“Actually, if you can pay a certain fee or price, you can also temporarily own such a shop. This will make it easier for you to buy and sell things or collect information. These shops are open every day from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. They are very lively at that time. If you are interested, you can also come and have a look.” The man in white turned around and saw that I was interested in the shops on the street. He explained to me.

“Can people in the tent area also rent a shop?” I asked. If that’s the case, I’ll have to take a good look around. Maybe they’ll rent a shop?

“They can’t. They have their own trading area. VIPs can go down to their trading area, and they can also pay a certain fee to come up, but they can’t rent the shops here. In fact, the specific rules are explained in detail in a booklet in your room.” The white-robed man usually answers my questions in detail, but in fact he doesn’t give me a chance to ask the next question.

During the conversation, my room was quickly reached. The location was not bad, as it was behind one of the commercial streets and I could see the three huge statues from the front. So it was considered a “prime location” here? Since he was on guard against me, why treat me so well? I couldn’t understand it.

The man in white pushed open the door to my room, and I followed him in. The entire room was simply furnished, but it was antique, just like the exterior of the house, full of Tang and Song Dynasty style. The bed, chairs, screens… everything was done to the extreme in the details, completely imitating that era.

Could it be that the Snow Mountain lineage has existed since the Tang and Song dynasties? I doubted, but obviously I couldn’t ask.

While I was taking a look at the room, the man in white had already reached the door. I thought that according to his personality, he would not say another word to me, but I didn’t expect that he, who had just reached the door, would suddenly stop and still look at me with that same smile.

“Is there something else?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

“If I were you, I would probably go out less, unless it was an emergency,” the white-robed man said to me inexplicably.

I narrowed my eyes and asked, “Why?”

“The Great Market is a grand event in the world of cultivators. Generally, after three days, the number of cultivators who come here will reach a peak. It is not an exaggeration to think that there will be 100,000 people. With so many people, it is meaningless to disguise yourself when you go out.” The smile on the white-robed man’s face seemed to be even more sincere.

I was amazed. A hundred thousand people? But compared to the population of the planet, a hundred thousand people seemed like a very small number. Even if this was not the entire population of cultivators, it was still a representative number. It seemed that cultivators had indeed been declining in recent years.

However, at the same time, I also understood the meaning of the white-robed man’s words. He was indeed kindly reminding me, and there was a hidden meaning in his words.

I am not a fool, so I directly asked, “What is the special situation?”

The white-robed man tilted his head slightly, and said in a rather naive way, “It depends on the person. If you are looking for someone, you must not miss tomorrow. Tomorrow will be the fourth day, and the number of people here has reached a peak. According to the rules, a fish-leaping-over-the-dragon gate meeting will be held. Of course, the specific rules are explained in the booklet on the bedside table.”

After saying this, the white-robed man was about to leave, but how could I just let him leave like that?

“Why are you helping me?” I asked loudly. I knew that he was helping me in disguise, and this matter was in any case a little ‘strange’.

“If you think I am being kind, why do you have to know the reason? If you need a reason, it’s simple. You are here in disguise, obviously to avoid something, but we have been at peace for too long and will not allow anything outside the rules to happen. That’s it.” The white-robed man’s answer was watertight.

“But why did you remind me to find someone?” I felt that I was asking a very stupid question, but I had to ask it. If the Snow Mountain Sect really wanted to help me, my situation would change.

“Are you looking for someone? Oh, I just found out.” The white-robed man looked innocent, and then a smile appeared on his face, but no matter how I looked at it this time, I felt a bit shifty.

He left, and I stood in the room, feeling a bit dazed. I always felt that I was really ‘lucky’ to have encountered such strange people and things. After being bored for nearly a minute, I remembered to go and look at the rules on the bedside table.