Elder Shen returned to the peak with a desolate expression, listlessly bowing to the middle-aged cultivator who sent him back. He pushed away the child who wanted to support him, entered the half-collapsed temple, and said nothing.
The middle-aged cultivator felt a pang of sympathy upon seeing him so dispirited.
He glanced around; the peak was enveloped in a somber air. For hundreds of years, no one had tended to it, leading to rampant weeds, scattered tiles, and broken debris everywhere, presenting a scene of utter desolation.
He sighed. Had Senior Brother Ying Ya not ordered him to guard Elder Shen until the token talisman arrived, he wouldn't have stayed here for a moment longer.
He looked again at the sky. There had been no sword duels yet, and staying here was boring, so he sought a place to meditate alone.
