Just as Senior Brother Niu was about to speak, he heard footsteps coming from not far outside the mountain gate. A figure appeared there at some point and was walking towards this side.
Everyone was surprised and looked over there, Shen Luo was no exception.
I saw a young man dressed in Spring and Autumn costume and a bamboo hat, walking slowly towards the mountain gate step by step in a very regular manner on the stone steps.
The man had black hair and a thin body, with his face mostly hidden by a bamboo hat. The half of his face that was revealed still showed his handsomeness, with a vague aura of being otherworldly.
"Who is this?" someone whispered nearby.
"Why are you wearing the clothes of our Chunqiu Temple? They look strange..." another person also said hesitantly.
"Could it be him?" Shen Luo had a guess in his mind, but he didn't say it out loud.
"That's Gu Hualing, Junior Brother Gu." Senior Brother Niu has been guarding the mountain gate for many years, so he naturally recognized the man and gave the answer with a slightly changed expression.
"Ancient Spirit?"
Everyone, including Shen Luo, was surprised when they heard the name.
He is one of the three inner disciples who is as famous as Ding Hua and Bai Xiaotian. He is also the most mysterious among the disciples. It is said that he has been practicing in seclusion for many years and rarely appears in the mountains.
His teacher was none other than Uncle Wang, who was of the same generation as Taoist Master Luo Fengyang.
Shen Luo has been in the mountain for more than two years. Although he has never seen him, he has heard Bai Xiaotian mention him many times. At least in Bai Xiaotian's eyes, this person is more worthy of attention than Ding Hua.
"It was rumored earlier that the temple had allowed him to go down the mountain alone to exorcise demons. I didn't expect it to be true." An older disciple couldn't help but sigh.
“Alone… Senior Brother Ding has never gone down the mountain alone, but he actually…” said another disciple.
Everyone was whispering, but when they saw that person approaching, they stopped talking and bowed respectfully, saying:
"Hello, Senior Brother Gu..."
"Junior Brother Gu..."
Gu Hualing stopped, lifted the hat on his head, revealing a face that made women jealous, and bowed to everyone.
"All of you brothers and sisters have gathered at the mountain gate to welcome me. This makes me feel a little guilty." He had a gentle smile on his face, as if he was joking.
When everyone saw him, they were filled with awe and envy, as well as jealousy and shame, and no one answered for a moment.
"Ahem... Junior Brother Gu, this is your first time walking down the mountain. What did you gain?" Senior Brother Niu was a little more familiar with him. After coughing lightly, he asked with a smile.
"Killing a yellow rat that has just regained consciousness is not a big gain." Gu Hualing patted the backpack on his back and said with a smile.
When the others heard this, they were all shocked. The first time they went down the mountain, they were not going to deal with any evil creatures, but to deal with spiritual monsters!
Shen Luo couldn't help but look at him a few more times.
"Junior Brother Gu is indeed brave and courageous. I admire you so much." Senior Brother Niu praised sincerely.
The others then reacted and immediately followed suit, flattering him one by one.
"Thank you for your praise, fellow disciples. As long as you practice diligently, no matter how fast or slow your progress is, as long as you persevere, you will definitely achieve something in the future. Now I have to go back to Master to report my itinerary, so I won't say much to you." Gu Hualing bowed slightly to everyone, his courtesy was very considerate and appropriate.