At the peak of Little River Peak, a figure gradually appeared, ghostly and elusive.
If Old Li and Li Yuan were to witness this scene, they would surely faint from fright.
Because this figure was none other than Chen Xun.
Standing atop the mountain, Chen Xun gazed into the distance, taking in the vast spring landscape.
Below, Little River Town was entirely within Chen Xun's view.
Due to the considerable height of Little River Peak, the town appeared pitifully small when viewed from above.
After taking in the scenery for a moment, Chen Xun sat cross-legged, waved his hand, and an ancient zither appeared, resting across his knees.
As Chen Xun's fingers gently plucked the strings, a soft and melodious tune echoed at the peak of Little River Peak.
The beautiful melody attracted many birds and butterflies, which danced around Chen Xun, some even daring to perch directly on his shoulder.
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Unfortunately, no one was there to witness this scene.
At a certain moment, Chen Xun suddenly stopped playing, pressing his palms lightly on the strings, and the music abruptly ceased.
The birds and butterflies were reluctant to leave, circling around Chen Xun several times before finally flying away, disappointed.
"Listening to celestial music, my ears are momentarily enlightened. What a fine tune."
Suddenly, a deep, resonant voice of a middle-aged man rang out.
A middle-aged man in a plain brocade robe descended from the sky, standing ten meters behind Chen Xun.
The man had a head of black and white hair flowing over his shoulders, a square face, and sharp eyes that, combined with his imposing physique, gave him an air of authority.
Chen Xun, however, showed no surprise at the sudden appearance of the middle-aged man; he had sensed his presence while playing the zither.
The middle-aged man was slightly surprised to see Chen Xun still sitting calmly, then stepped forward to stand beside him. Noticing Chen Xun's lack of reaction, his surprise grew.
Because at this distance, it was already quite unsafe, yet Chen Xun remained as steady as a mountain, without the slightest hint of vigilance...
After pondering for a moment, he spoke.
"I am Nangong Yao, passing through this place. Upon hearing the celestial music, I couldn't help but seek it out. If I have disturbed you, please forgive me."
Nangong Yao turned slightly, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect towards Chen Xun.
As Nangong Yao spoke, he glanced at the wooden sword behind Chen Xun, his curiosity piqued.
Chen Xun lightly flicked his sleeve, put away the zither, stood up, and turned to Nangong Yao with a smile, "This place doesn't belong to me alone, so how could you disturb me?"
Nangong Yao paused, then laughed.
Interesting, truly interesting.
It had been a long time since he had encountered such an intriguing person.
Who would have thought he'd meet one in such a remote corner?
Nangong Yao couldn't help but ask, "May I know your esteemed name?"
Chen Xun shook his head with a smile, "A chance encounter, no need to mention it."
As he finished speaking, a mountain breeze blew by, and Chen Xun vanished like grains of sand.
Nangong Yao's pupils contracted as he watched this scene, secretly astonished!
A master!
It took Nangong Yao a while to recover, and he couldn't help but quickly scan the surroundings, but the figure was nowhere to be seen.
His breath quickened, and while feeling a sense of fear, he also felt a sense of loss.
The scene just now felt like a dream, but he knew it had truly happened.
"Who would have thought that I, Nangong Yao, would be fortunate enough to meet a master in such a remote place... What a pity, I didn't get to know that senior's name."
Nangong Yao shook his head bitterly, muttering to himself.
That senior, at a glance, was a powerful being beyond worldly concerns, someone he had never heard of in Northern Profound.
He must not be from Northern Profound, likely wandering here from another region.
But it's also possible he's from Northern Profound, after all, in the vast Northern Profound, there are countless cultivators, and it's normal for some powerful beings to hide among the mundane or in various corners.
However, those are extremely rare, as the vast majority of cultivators also pursue fame and fortune...
In Nangong Yao's view, those who see through the mundane and do not pursue fame and fortune are the true cultivators.
Nangong Yao scanned the surroundings once more, sighed lightly, and flew away.
***
Meanwhile.
Chen Xun was carrying the corpse of a black tiger down the mountain.
This black tiger was the very one that had attempted to attack him and Old Li.
The black tiger was enormous, requiring five or six strong men to lift it, let alone on the rugged mountain path.
Yet Chen Xun carried it effortlessly. Upon closer inspection, the black tiger wasn't actually being carried by Chen Xun but was floating...
Chen Xun swiftly reached the outskirts of Little River Town with the black tiger's corpse.
To avoid causing panic, Chen Xun set the black tiger down, went into town to find a cart, and placed the black tiger on it to pull into Little River Town.
Imagine, if Chen Xun, who appeared to be a frail scholar, casually carried a large black tiger into town, wouldn't it scare the townspeople to death?
Even so, Chen Xun's method of bringing the black tiger into town quickly attracted a crowd of townspeople!
The townspeople surrounded Chen Xun tightly, each one staring in shock at the beast's corpse on the cart!
A black tiger?!
Oh my!
Even some hunters were utterly shocked!
They knew that even they would avoid the black tiger at all costs!
This creature was the ruler of Little River Peak, incredibly fast, and even with a bow and arrow, it was hard to hit!
"Oh heavens, I once caught a glimpse of the black tiger from afar when I was on Little River Peak, and it scared me so much I rolled and crawled my way off the peak. Luckily, the black tiger didn't chase me, or else..."
"Chen, Chen Xun, you didn't kill this black tiger, did you?"
"How could that be? Look at Chen Xun, with his thin arms and legs, not even enough to fill the black tiger's teeth!"
"..."
The townspeople chattered, their words filled with shock and disbelief.
"Damn, this black tiger must be worth a fortune!"
"Indeed."
Most of the townspeople were green with envy.
Chen Xun chuckled, "Of course, I didn't kill it. I don't have that kind of ability. I went up Little River Peak to enjoy the scenery today and was attacked by the black tiger. Luckily, an immortal suddenly appeared and saved me, or else I wouldn't have survived."
Upon hearing this, the townspeople were even more astonished!
Oh my, what? An immortal?
Chen Xun was actually fortunate enough to encounter an immortal?
The townspeople, of course, knew of the existence of immortals, but they were extremely rare, only having heard from the elders about seeing immortals flying across the sky.
In recent years, they hadn't seen any, and who would have thought Chen Xun did.
This was truly a great fortune!
After the initial shock, the townspeople looked at the black tiger and couldn't help but marvel.
Wasn't it a great fortune?
Look, look, it's obvious that after the immortal killed the black tiger, they gifted it to Chen Xun.
Chen Xun was truly lucky.
"Please make way, I need to sell this black tiger."
Chen Xun said with a smile and pulled the cart away.
But many townspeople, eager to see the spectacle, followed Chen Xun.
Some townspeople watched Chen Xun's departing figure, their eyes turning red with envy, jealousy, and regret.
Everyone knew that Chen Xun was now part of Old Li's family, and once Chen Xun sold the black tiger, Old Li's family would be rich!
It's no exaggeration to say that selling this black tiger would instantly elevate Old Li's family in Little River Town!
If only they had taken Chen Xun in back then...
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