Chapter 155: Manifestation

Zheng Fa and the other two arrived in Jingcheng around nine at night.

By the time they reached the nursing home, it was nearly midnight.

With night already fallen, the three decided to stay overnight in a village at the mountain's base.

This village, close to Jingcheng, still had some tourists from the city, so there were a few guesthouses—or rural homestays—here.

Zheng Fa and the others picked the one that looked the most well-decorated.

Early the next morning, Zheng Fa and the other two woke up and prepared to leave.

The guesthouse owner was already up, fiddling with a selfie stick in the courtyard out front, seemingly searching for the right angle.

"You're up?"

The owner, a man in his early thirties, greeted them as they came downstairs.

"Yeah, what are you doing, boss?"

Zheng Fa asked, curious about his actions.

"Oh, this? I'm setting up a livestream background!" the owner explained.

"Livestream?"

"Come on, it's just online promotion—our place is too obscure," the owner said. "Look, from here, I can film my house and also Hongshan behind me."

"Hongshan?"

Zheng Fa glanced at the small hill behind him—the nursing home was built right there.

"Yeah, everyone in our village calls it Hongshan. It's sort of a local attraction," the owner said casually.

Zheng Fa thought for a moment and decided not to leave just yet. After all, he'd likely be cultivating here for a long time; learning about the local area was useful.

"What's your surname, boss?"

The owner glanced at him, then at the old man and Tang Lingwumin behind him, seeming puzzled why Zheng Fa appeared to be the leader of the trio.

"No need for formalities—my surname is Mu."

"Are you a local?"

"Yes, I grew up here," Mu said, eyeing Zheng Fa suspiciously, as if his questions were odd: "I used to work in the city, but when I couldn't make it there, I came back."

Zheng Fa looked around the guesthouse.

A two-story building, modernly decorated.

Clearly styled in European minimalism—the trend of recent years.

Probably not cheap.

"Boss, saying you 'couldn't make it' is modest—you must've returned in glory."

The owner hurriedly waved his hand, though a hint of pride crept onto his face.

"Boss, what's the history behind Hongshan?"

Beside him, Tang Lingwumin asked with perfect timing.

After Zheng Fa had praised him.

And now pursued by this beautiful young girl, the owner's enthusiasm clearly rose.

"Hongshan? Only a local like me would know this," he said with a touch of mystery. "Walk up the mountain, go to the back side—you'll find a temple. Inside, they worship Hongshan Niangniang."

"..."

Zheng Fa and the other two exchanged glances—they had no idea about this.

"Hongshan Niangniang?"

"Yes, legend says, hundreds of years ago, a rainbow suddenly fell onto this mountain, and a fairy descended from the heavens. She healed the sick, helped the suffering, and eased the villagers' troubles," the owner said, his delivery polished: "Then the legend of Hongshan Niangniang was born, and the mountain got its name—I tell you, that temple is incredibly efficacious!"

"Efficacious my ass!"

Before Zheng Fa could respond, an elderly woman's voice scolded.

An old woman, around seventy or eighty, stepped out of the guesthouse.

The owner sighed helplessly. "Nai! That's just a village legend!"

"You keep promoting this nonsense online! It's all fake!" the old woman snapped. "When we tore down the temple decades ago, no god struck us down!"

"But… it's a historical anecdote, an old attraction! I'm just trying to draw customers!"

"Old my ass! If it weren't for that Wang kid getting rich and claiming the mountain's feng shui was strong, they'd never have rebuilt the temple—this temple's younger than your son!"

"..."

…

Zheng Fa and the other two bid farewell to the visibly withdrawn Mu, then headed up the mountain.

First, they visited the nursing home.

The main building was nearly complete.

Entering the gate, they walked along a path of white stone slabs: to the right, a cluster of transplanted forest; to the left, a spring fed from the mountain.

Behind the bamboo grove stood the nursing home's main structure: a three-story building shaped like the Chinese character Pin.

The wings were single-story; only the center rose to three stories.

The building's style leaned classical, but its walls were white and its roof tiles blue-green, standing amid the mountain's lush greenery and white clouds—serene and harmonious.

Beyond the building lay a large open space.

Zheng Fa intended to test spiritual plant cultivation here; so far, only weeds had been cleared and the ground leveled—no decorations yet.

Past the open space, they reached their own reserved residence.

It was a two-story building, situated much higher than the rest, overlooking the entire nursing home.

From the outside, the structure seemed embedded into the mountainside, blending seamlessly with the terrain—hard to spot from a distance.

This was Tang Lingwumin's design.

As they walked, she explained: "My first priority for our living space was privacy."

Zheng Fa nodded.

They often engaged in superstitious practices—best not to draw attention.

"Built here, we're farthest from everyone else. In a couple days, when my mom's trees arrive, I'll plant them around the perimeter—no one, not even with binoculars, will see what we're doing."

"All the windows are floor-to-ceiling—not just for better light, but because the view downhill from here is the most beautiful."

Zheng Fa stepped inside and looked out the window.

The mountain scenery stretched out clearly before him.

"Also, all the furniture, appliances, and decorations—I picked them randomly at the last minute… if you're unhappy with anything, I'll get someone to replace it!"

Tang Lingwumin added.

Zheng Fa turned to look at her; she watched him with slight anxiety.

He turned back to the interior.

From outside, the building looked rustic, even unremarkable.

Inside, however, it was exquisitely finished.

Zheng Fa had never lived in a fine modern home, but he could tell: the furniture, appliances, and layout all bore Tang Lingwumin's careful thought—far from random.

Luxury and intention were obvious at a glance…

"I'm very satisfied."

Zheng Fa gave a slight nod.

He'd never been one to care much for material things.

Besides, he could feel Tang Lingwumin's thoughtfulness.

"No other requests?"

Tang Lingwumin smiled faintly, as if relieved, yet still uncertain, pressing gently.

Zheng Fa shook his head.

"I do!"

Beside them, the old man suddenly spoke.

"Huh?"

Tang Lingwumin looked at him, puzzled.

"My room needs to be far away from you two!" the old man glared at them, clearly disgusted.

…

After inspecting the nursing home, Zheng Fa began his main purpose for coming to Jingcheng—practicing Lingshan Fa.

He stood on the open ground.

Eyes closed, he recalled the Sect Master's notes on Lingshan Fa.

Hongshan's terrain matched the Turtle-Snake Spiritual Vein described by the Sect Master—according to the Treatise on Spiritual Veins, the nursing home sat precisely atop the turtle's back.

Zheng Fa opened his eyes and began walking slowly across the ground.

His steps were erratic, yet followed a hidden rhythm, growing faster and faster.

The old man and Tang Lingwumin beside him grew dizzy; soon, they could no longer make out his form.

Gradually, Zheng Fa's robes seemed to carry starlight, which, with each step, transformed into streams of radiant light.

Even though it was summer and the sun still blazed overhead, the glow around Zheng Fa was dazzling to the old man and Tang Lingwumin.

Suddenly, Zheng Fa stopped.

With a flick of his right hand, two Qiling Fu talismans shot into the sky.

One flew toward the mountain's highest point—the peak of the "turtle's back."

One flew toward a slightly shorter peak—the place known as the "Snake's Head."

As the two spirit talismans shot forth, the specks of starlight surrounding Zheng Fa also chased after them toward the two locations—in the eyes of the two old men, the talismans looked like tiny kites.

The starlight resembled two faint, nearly invisible threads linking Zheng Fa to the two talismans.

The two talismans flew at incredible speed, invisible to the naked human eye.

But in Zheng Fa's sight, as soon as the talismans reached their targets, they shattered instantly, dissolving into scattered specks of light that sank into the mountain's body.

Zheng Fa suddenly felt as if he and the Hongshan Mountain beneath his feet had become one.

The spiritual power within his dantian suddenly boiled like water, transforming into clouds and mist that surged outward from his body.

……

Below the mountain, in the guesthouse Zheng Fa had just left that morning.

Master Mu was live-streaming to promote his guesthouse.

"Yes, yes, two days and one night for only 198! Three days and two nights as low as 248!"

"Only ten deals available! Once they're gone, they're gone!"

"What's fun here? Our mountains and clear waters, home-cooked farm dishes, climbing hills—it's perfect!"

"Let me tell you, our Hongshan Mountain has a legend…"

He recounted the same legend he had told Zheng Fa earlier.

The livestream had few viewers to begin with, and now all were typing "boring" and "don't believe it."

He wasn't discouraged, and began talking about the village's farm dishes instead.

"Streamer! Streamer! Look back!"

Suddenly, one viewer said.

"Look back?"

Master Mu looked confused.

"It's a miracle! Lady Hongshan has manifested!"

Master Mu turned around and saw a rainbow bridge spanning between the mountains—clear and beautiful.

"It hasn't rained these past two days…"

Master Mu muttered, then saw something even more astonishing—

Above Hongshan Mountain, a vast flock of birds suddenly took flight, swirling in groups around the peak and the rainbow bridge.

Birdsong echoed throughout the mountains, sounding joyous.

Master Mu couldn't help stepping forward a few paces to get a better look.

Then he saw his grandmother inside the house, kneeling before the incense altar, mumbling to herself.

"Grandma?"

"Lady, I didn't mean to offend you…"

"Grandma?"

"Don't strike me—strike that old Wang man! He was the ringleader back then!" His grandmother paid him no mind: "Don't be fooled by him—even though he built her temple, his grandson Doggy earned his money with a corrupt heart—don't you dare be tricked!"

"…"