Chapter 23: Snake Gate lineage

While talking, Xiaoding led me and my master forward.

Naturally, I followed Xiaoding forward without a care in the world, but at this time, Master’s face became serious and he called out to me in a low voice: “Chengyi.”

I was stunned and stopped, not knowing what my master meant at this time.

But the master solemnly bowed to Xiaoding and said, “This snake medicine was given to me by your grandfather when he was alive. It is the most precious snake medicine in your lineage! It can help you escape in times of crisis, and if he is nearby, he will definitely come to your rescue, no matter what, and live and die together. Is this what Grandpa said back then?”

Faced with my master’s words, Xiaoding was a little anxious and said to my master, “Grandpa Jiang, can’t we wait until we leave first?”

I don’t quite understand my master. The situation is already very urgent, so why is he being so ‘slow’ at this time? Master is supposed to be a very decisive person.

But my master’s expression was very serious. He stood there and said, “It’s not a big deal to wait a few more minutes. What I want to say is that your grandfather and I have experienced life and death together. This is a promise that belongs to our previous generation. My husband and I are in a difficult situation. Here, naturally, we need your help. This favor may only require you to help us delay a little, point out a clear path where we can hide, and not fulfill your grandfather’s promise to me. You know, these pursuers are no ordinary people. This is a big problem. If you can’t handle it, don’t force yourself. I can’t let my old friend down.

I suddenly understood what my master meant. He didn’t want to drag Ding into this, but he had no choice but to ask Ding for help. He didn’t want to drag Ding into this deeper.

I can understand my master’s feelings. Just like me and my generation of friends, we can sacrifice for each other without any burden! However, when it comes to our next generation, no one can do it.

So, thinking about it, I also stopped.

After hearing these words, Xiaoding, who could not refuse, grabbed my arm and that of the master, and then forced us to take a step forward. He did not say anything heroic, but just one sentence: “This is after all my territory, how can I allow my grandfather’s friends to be here, and if there is a problem with their safety? After you have walked out of this area, I am indeed powerless, but the Snake Sect is on its own territory…”

At this point, Xiaoding stopped talking. He was proud, but he was not too arrogant, so he could not say some things.

At this point, the master sighed and did not struggle anymore. After all, being a mother hen was not the master’s nature, but as an elder, he once again solemnly bowed to Xiaoding.

Xiao Ding quickly helped his master up and said, “I didn’t react in time before. How can I accept another bow from Grandpa Jiang at this time? Grandpa Jiang will scold me to death in his dreams. Let’s go.”

At this point, I was a little dazed, as if I had seen the shadow of the old Ding in the little Ding in front of me. It turns out that the essence of a person’s bones does not change.

The master was familiar with the road before, but after entering the canyon, he was unfamiliar with the road. Instead, Xiaoding led us along the way. He didn’t look down at the road, but he led us along the way very smoothly, as if there was a small path of flagstones under our feet.

There was a slight rustling sound in my ears. I believe there are many snakes hidden here. As for what kind of snakes they are, I don’t think I would be interested in seeing them. After all, even if I’m not afraid, snakes are still a scary thing.

Along the way, the master was talking to Xiaoding about some of the old Wu’s past. I was puzzled before, why is it that the old Wu and Xiaoding are not the same name, but are grandfather and grandson.

Later, I learned that the inheritance of the Snake Sect is somewhat similar to that of Xiao Daxiao’s family. It is generally based on blood ties. Xiaoding is not actually named Ding, but has a very well-hidden name, Wu Tian Ding!

Because Old Master Wu always wanted the Snake Sect to grow and prosper, he wished there were more people in the family, but strangely, they were few and far between. Not everyone was suitable for the Snake Sect’s heritage, so by the time it came to Ding’s generation, there was only one remaining descendant.

“Since you moved to this mountain to settle down, I still come to visit you often. I’m familiar with the road, but this is the first time I’ve walked into the valley with my eyes open.” The master couldn’t help but sigh as he talked about the past.

No wonder that after arriving in the valley, the master was “blind.” It turned out that the only thing he was familiar with was the road.

“Yes, this dense forest was originally the holy land of our Snake Sect… Anyway, when the mountain guard here left, there had to be a new one to take his place. My second uncle guarded here before, then my grandfather, and now it’s just me. I set the rules, so it’s not a problem.” Ding was easygoing and seemed to have no great sense of caution, almost telling me things that outsiders didn’t know.

I was curious, but I asked, “In the past, did the master have to walk into this valley blindfolded? Is this valley really a sacred place?”

“This valley is not, but it hides a secret passage. Generally, we of the Snake Sect do not want to come out into the world, so naturally we have to keep secrets. Besides, before, it was the second master who set the rules here, so how could we go against them?” Xiaoding said calmly.

“There is a secret passage, but my master and I have this thing on our bodies.” As he spoke, I opened my clothes and stared at a nail in a prominent acupoint. The cold metallic luster was so obvious in the moonlight that Xiaoding saw it at a glance.

“So what?” Xiaoding raised his eyebrows in puzzlement and asked.

Master said, “Thanks to Chengyi’s reminder, I just remembered this. There is a secret door on this nail. Those pursuers can find our location through this nail. Isn’t that exposing the secret of your Snake Sect? Although I don’t know what you have been guarding in these mountains for generations, I think it must be a great secret. Never mind, Xiaoding, you…”

But at this moment, Xiaoding waved his hand, indicating that my master should calm down. He smiled and said, “If Grandpa Jiang is worried about this, there is really no need. Although the Snake Sect is sparsely populated, it does not tolerate slight insults. And how could there be no precautions for the secret passageway?”

“Are you saying that…?” Master seemed to have remembered something, raising his eyebrows slightly, but he wasn’t sure.

“My Snake Sect has always been on good terms with some Taoist sects. Grandpa Jiang, do you remember one of them called the Mingyang Sect?” Ding talked as if it were just a casual conversation, taking us far away from the topic.

Yes, in fact, because when I was young, my master didn’t want me to enter this “world of grudges and hatred,” believing that all the miscellaneous affairs should be ended in his generation, so he told me very little about the various forces and even less about the secrets. Therefore, I had never heard of this Mingyang Gate, so I thought that Xiaoding was talking about something far away.

But my master obviously didn’t think so. He exclaimed in surprise, “Mingyang Sect? You mean the one that was never seen or heard of, but was once very famous and glorious in the Daoist tradition? Later, because of the harsh conditions for choosing disciples, it led to a scarcity of people, and in the end the sect declined?”

“That’s the lineage. My Snake Sect is fortunate that some of the ancestors in the previous generations were good friends with the people of the Mingyang Sect.” Xiao Ding smiled a little happily, and it was clear that he was proud of the Snake Sect at all times.

“Getting along with them? That’s not easy! And they…” The master seemed to have remembered something, and then slapped his head and said, “And they are famous for their various formations! A more profound formation heritage than my old Li Yiming heritage. Could it be that your secret passage is guarded by their formations?”

“That’s what I mean! Grandpa Jiang, do you think that the secret door these people left on the nail will expose our secret passage?” Xiao Ding said with a smile.

At this time, we had already reached the central area of the canyon. Not only was it overgrown with weeds, but it was also full of rocks, making it look like a rocky forest. In the absence of lighting, it was even more dazzling.

I couldn’t help but look back at the mountain we came down from. The pursuers had not yet caught up, so it seemed that there was still plenty of time. Xiaoding’s words also made me feel at ease, because in the Taoist tradition of magic, this method of tracking has been passed down for countless generations.

As a protective formation, the first thing to guard against is this kind of tracking formation. If the formation school that the master so highly recommends cannot even prevent such a small hidden door from being tracked, that would really be a ridiculous thing.

No wonder Xiaoding was so calm. With his low-key personality, he would have said that we would not be allowed to have any accidents in the territory of Snake Gate.

In this way, my master and I completely put our minds at ease, feeling that we had finally been freed from the most dangerous predicament. But Xiaoding had already led us into the forest of rocks… As we walked, he held us tightly, following his steps.

I sensitively discovered that this forest of rocks was also an arrangement of magic formations… After 78,000 twists and turns, Xiaoding led us to a place where we were stuck behind two stone pillars, in front of an inconspicuous mountain wall.