Chapter 313: Coaxing Two Children to Pick More Fruit, Eating and Taking While Acting Shamelessly

Seeing the Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi so forthcoming, Fang Longye naturally chuckled.

It was no wonder he felt this way~

Not to mention, this Ginseng Fruit was produced by an Innate Spiritual Root, and for him, it held no small benefit.

Just the fact that he had come to Wuzhuang Guan was enough; if he couldn't even eat a Ginseng Fruit, how regrettable that would be~

After Zhenyuanzi agreed, he did not decline, immediately instructing Qingfeng and Mingyue to go to the location of the Spiritual Root and knock down a few Ginseng Fruits.

Out of curiosity, Fang Longye proposed that he would like to follow Qingfeng and Mingyue to the Ginseng Fruit Tree to broaden his horizons.

To this, the Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi naturally did not mind and agreed, letting him follow the two Daoist children toward where the Innate Spiritual Root was located.

However, the two Daoist children, Qingfeng and Mingyue, did not lead Fang Longye directly to the place where the Ginseng Fruit Tree stood.

Instead, they took several turns and arrived at a Daoist room.

This Daoist room was bright and clean, with flowers arranged in a silver vase on the desk; the sparse branches and leaves were elegant and archaic, as aloof as a crane, possessing quite a refined style.

"The Golden Striking Pestle?"

Fang Longye swept his gaze and saw a strip of red gold hanging on the window lattice, two feet long and as thick as a finger; at the bottom was a garlic-shaped head; at the top was an eye, tied with a green velvet cord.

Looking closer,

its surface was covered in coiled patterns, shining brilliantly.

As soon as one approached, it would chime without any wind.

"It seems this is the so-called Golden Striking Pestle!" Fang Longye associated it with the description in the original *Journey to the West* and thought to himself.

Qingfeng stepped forward and took this object into his hand, while Mingyue took a cinnabar tray from a cabinet to the side and lined the bottom of the tray with a silk handkerchief.

They then left the Daoist room, signaling for Fang Longye to follow.

This display was naturally the standard procedure for harvesting Ginseng Fruit.

As far as he knew, this Ginseng Fruit had its own divine properties: it falls upon meeting metal, withers upon meeting wood, dissolves upon meeting water, scorches upon meeting fire, and sinks into the earth upon meeting soil.

When knocking it down, one must use a metal implement to get it. Furthermore, after it is knocked down, one must use a tray lined with a silk handkerchief.

It could be said that it was exactly the same as the description in the original *Journey to the West* from his past life.

Following in the footsteps of Qingfeng and Mingyue, they went straight to a garden and pushed the door open to enter.

They saw only lush green before their eyes, and mysterious sounds in their ears.

Amidst ten thousand rays of auspicious light and a thousand streaks of colorful radiance, a large tree was rooted there, its branches and leaves densely spread out.

It was truly verdant and lush, with dark, dense green leaves.

This large tree stood over a thousand feet tall, with a circumference of seventy or eighty feet at the roots, and its leaves resembled banana leaves, green and verdant.

Immeasurable halos of light swayed, and in a trance, they seemed to fall to the ground, scattering golden yellow everywhere.

It was none other than the unique specialty of Wuzhuang Guan—the Ginseng Fruit Tree.

A rich fragrance, likely coming from the Ginseng Fruits, could be smelled even from far away.

Taking a whiff, one felt instantly refreshed and relaxed.

"Giggle~"

"Giggle~"

"Giggle~"

Crisp children's laughter leaped into his ears.

The wind blew, shaking the Ginseng Fruit Tree and causing the twenty or so large and small Ginseng Fruits hanging on it to sway.

The small human figures inside had all four limbs, vivid facial features, and were lifelike, as if carved from powder and jade, seemingly wearing smiles.

Their hands and feet moved, their heads bobbed, innocent and pure.

"Ginseng Fruit~"

Fang Longye's eyes were bright as he gazed at the Ginseng Fruit Tree before him, unable to help but marvel in his heart at the mystery of creation.

It was worthy of being an Innate Spiritual Root produced when Chaos was first divided, the Primordial was first determined, and Heaven and Earth had not yet opened.

Its incredible appearance was revealed without doubt.

This Ginseng Fruit was famous; in a certain sense, it was even rarer than the Flat Peaches in the hands of the Queen Mother of the West.

After all, the Ginseng Fruit flowers every three thousand years, bears fruit every three thousand years, and takes another three thousand years to ripen; it takes ten thousand years just to be ready to eat.

In these ten thousand years, it only produces thirty fruits.

Moreover, it is recorded in the classics that Ginseng Fruit cannot be kept for long; if kept for too long, the spiritual essence within the fruit will dissipate, and it will become an ordinary fruit.

This is what the original *Journey to the West* says: "If left for too long, it stiffens and is no longer fit to eat."

"Dragon Lord,"

As Daoist children, Qingfeng still had some childish habits; he held the Golden Striking Pestle, came under the fruit tree, pointed at the Ginseng Fruits, and began to show off.

"This treasure of our Wuzhuang Guan is no less than the Flat Peaches of the Queen Mother of the West."

"It is more than just 'no less'; it far exceeds the Flat Peaches. I estimate that only Innate rare treasures like the Ren Water Flat Peach could compare to it."

Mingyue also chimed in, looking as if he took pride in it.

"It flowers every three thousand years, bears fruit every three thousand years, and takes another three thousand years to ripen. It takes ten thousand years to produce only thirty."

"Those with affinity, by just smelling it, will live for three hundred and sixty years; by eating one, they will live for forty-seven thousand years."

Mingyue held the cinnabar tray, shaking his head triumphantly.

"That's right," Qingfeng took over, saying, "And this Ginseng Fruit contains more than just one kind of heavenly mystery. Besides the inherent Earth Dao, it also contains the Innate Great Dao of the Inversion of the Five Elements."

He shook the Golden Striking Pestle in his hand and said, "Therefore, it falls upon meeting metal, withers upon meeting wood, dissolves upon meeting water, scorches upon meeting fire, and sinks into the earth upon meeting soil. When knocking it down, one must use a metal implement to get it."

"After it is knocked down, one must use a tray lined with a silk handkerchief. If it touches any wooden implement, it will wither, and eating it will have no effect."

Mingyue snatched the conversation back and said to Fang Longye, "Do you guess how this Ginseng Fruit should be eaten?"

He then asked and answered himself, "There is a trick to eating it~ One must use porcelain, dissolve it in clear water to consume it; it scorches upon meeting fire and becomes useless."

After explaining, he looked at Fang Longye with a boastful air and said, "Dragon Lord, you tell me, can our fruit be considered a rare treasure?"

Qingfeng chimed in, "And that's not all! Let me tell you,..."

The two of them went back and forth like a crosstalk act, one playing the straight man and the other the comic, enjoying themselves immensely.

They completely forgot the purpose of this trip.

It left Fang Longye between laughter and tears, secretly thinking it was no wonder that in the original story, these two child attendants, Qingfeng and Mingyue, were able to berate Sun Wukong and his group so viciously.

They even angered Sun Wukong so much that he ran over and uprooted the Ginseng Fruit Tree.

Although there were likely other schemes involved in that.

But their little mouths were clacking away like machine guns, never-ending.

Ten mouths wouldn't be enough to keep up with them.

I'm afraid they are quite effective—you don't even need to respond to what they say; just lending an ear and putting on a listening expression is enough.

"Enough!"

Fang Longye waved his hand and reached out to flick each of them on the forehead.

"Ouch!" "Ouch!"

"Dragon Lord, what are you doing?"

Fang Longye withdrew his hand and scolded with a smile, "Were you two reincarnated as gossiping women? You just keep talking and talking, don't you? Hurry up and knock down the fruit for me~"

"If you delay too long, let's see how your master punishes you!"

Qingfeng and Mingyue both made faces and giggled, "Dragon Lord, who are you trying to scare! Master has always been kind; he wouldn't punish us over such a small matter~" Though they said that, the two little attendants didn't delay any further and began picking the Ginseng Fruit.

Qingfeng climbed up the tree and used the Golden Striking Pestle to knock the fruit, while Mingyue stood below with a cinnabar tray to catch them; very quickly, four fruits were knocked down.

"Don't stop~ knock down two more!"

Seeing that Qingfeng was about to come down after knocking down four Ginseng Fruits, Fang Longye couldn't help but speak up.

Qingfeng couldn't help but roll his eyes and say, "Dragon Lord, you are exactly like the Second Master; it's not your own property, so you don't feel the heartache, right~"

Mingyue also started grumbling, saying, "How precious is this fruit? We don't even get to eat it usually. It was only recently, when the garden opened, that everyone ate two together. Now that we've knocked down four for you, are you still not satisfied?"

These two little attendants now vaguely knew that Fang Longye had a close relationship with their Wuzhuang Guan, so there wasn't so much formality in their speech.

Treating guests is naturally different from treating one's own people, so they naturally started complaining.

Fang Longye insisted, "Knock down two more~ who is four enough for? If other great beings next door see this, they'll think we can't afford to eat! Hurry up~"

Seeing Qingfeng still hesitating, Fang Longye tempted them, saying, "There are still twenty-four on the tree! What are you afraid of? Besides, if we knock down more, in case we can't finish them, maybe I can let you taste some~"

Upon hearing this, Qingfeng and Mingyue's eyes lit up, and they were clearly tempted.

"It's a deal, you have to save a portion for us."

Qingfeng raised the Golden Striking Pestle and confirmed.

Although Mingyue didn't speak, he also widened his innocent, naive eyes and stared straight at Fang Longye.

"Rest assured, go out and ask around; I, Dragon Lord Yuanlong, have always been fair to young and old alike!"

Fang Longye looked at the two and vowed solemnly.

After knocking down two more Ginseng Fruits,

Qingfeng and Mingyue held the fruits and returned with Fang Longye to where Zhenyuanzi was.

But as soon as they met, before Qingfeng and Mingyue could place the fruits on the table, Zhenyuanzi swung the Whisk in his hand and flicked it onto Fang Longye.

He scolded with a smile, "I'll hit you, you shameless little rascal, actually deceiving even the little attendants!"

The implication was naturally clear.

"Ah~"

Qingfeng and Mingyue cried out in unison.

They looked at Fang Longye simultaneously, their eyes full of disbelief, as well as the resentment and grievance of being deceived.

Facing their innocent gazes of "You actually lied to us," Fang Longye appeared completely oblivious, showing not a hint of guilt.

He reached out and lifted the cinnabar tray from Qingfeng and Mingyue's hands, placing it on the table.

He directly summoned the Two Instruments Divine Gourd, unceremoniously put away two Ginseng Fruits, and said with a grin, "Senior, I am giving them a lesson! Teaching them to overcome their inner greed and not to trust others lightly."

He himself had a whole household to support! Qingli, Jinghuan, Ao Ying,... and Long Xuan from the Dongting Dragon Palace.

Even a wealthy landlord has no surplus grain!

How could he care about others~

Besides, Qingfeng and Mingyue stay at Wuzhuang Guan; would they ever be short of Ginseng Fruit? "You have so many twisted arguments!"

Zhenyuanzi scolded with a smile, "No wonder you could form a bond with that fellow Hongyun. You look exactly like a rascal carved from the same mold!"

Immediately after, he took out a Jade Box that looked like it was crafted from green jade and tossed it to Fang Longye.

"Use this to store them!" Zhenyuanzi said, "These Ginseng Fruits don't keep well. Although your gourd is already quite good, it cannot compare to my specially made box in this regard."

"However, even I cannot preserve this fruit for too long. This box can only ensure the Ginseng Fruit does not lose its spiritual energy within a thousand years."

If it weren't for this, there would be no need to knock the Ginseng Fruit only when ready to eat. He would have long since stored up a pile of Ginseng Fruits just like the Queen Mother of the West stores Flat Peaches.

Subsequently, he glanced at his two useless attendants and said irritably, "Alright, go down! I won't punish you this time, but remember this lesson for next time!"

Hearing this, Qingfeng and Mingyue breathed a sigh of relief.

The two little attendants glared at Fang Longye with full resentment; they would never deal with this guy again!

Afterwards, they bowed to Zhenyuanzi.

And then they retreated.

Facing their resentment and speechlessness, Fang Longye naturally didn't take it to heart.

He took two Ginseng Fruit out of the Two Instruments Divine Gourd and placed them into the box after opening it. After sealing it, he happily put it away.

"By the way! May I ask where Senior Hongyun is? Why haven't I seen him?"

Fang Longye did not touch the Ginseng Fruit on the table, but instead asked this question.

Zhenyuanzi could not help but roll his eyes and said unpleasantly, "You remember now? What were you doing earlier?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Longye gave a sheepish smile and lowered his head in embarrassment.

This caused Yang Chan, who was to the side, to cover her mouth and giggle. This guy could actually feel embarrassed? "Eat the fruit!"

While taking out three small plain white cups, Zhenyuanzi smiled and said, "That fellow Hongyun is currently in seclusion! You won't be able to see him for a short while."

Fang Longye was lost in thought.

He soon came back to his senses, and seeing that Zhenyuanzi and Yang Chan had already begun, he was no longer reserved and started to enjoy the Ginseng Fruit.

Following Zhenyuanzi's method, he picked up a Ginseng Fruit and dropped it into the small plain white cup.

This small plain white cup looked tiny, but it contained a universe within; as the Ginseng Fruit approached, the mouth of the cup glowed with a faint light and drew it inside.

It was easy and effortless.

He waved his hand, conjured a pool of clear water, and poured it into the small cup to dissolve the Ginseng Fruit. In an instant, a fragrant scent assailed his nostrils, making his mouth water.

He picked up the small plain white cup and drank the spiritual liquid that the Ginseng Fruit had transformed into in one gulp.

For a moment, the fragrance lingered on his lips and teeth.

However, at this moment, Fang Longye could hardly care about the taste of the Ginseng Fruit, as a profound power was coursing through him from top to bottom, circulating throughout his entire body.

It brought about an indescribable transformation.

He could not help but manifest the celebratory clouds above his head, from which layers of light emerged, like smoke and clouds, with the sun and moon at the center, evolving with incredible vitality.

Taiji, Two Instruments, Three Talents, Four Symbols, Five Elements, Six Harmonies, Seven Stars, Eight Trigrams, Nine Palaces, Ten Earths... the ultimate principles of heaven and earth were all contained within.

Seeing this, Zhenyuanzi smiled slightly.

He set down the small plain white cup in his hand, and a clear, bright light suddenly erupted from the top of his head, lifting up an Innate Spiritual Treasure in the shape of a book.

It was golden and yellow, suffused with boundless radiance, and the aura of an Innate Spiritual Treasure was exposed without a doubt.

He then began to speak of the theory of the Five Elements.

Yes, the theory of the Five Elements. Although he was the Ancestor of Earth Immortals, it was not as if he did not understand the path of the Five Elements.

The path of the Five Elements, as one of the most fundamental Great Daos between heaven and earth, naturally possessed profound mysteries that every cultivator would touch upon and gain insights into.

There were no exceptions.

What's more, having reached his level, he was proficient in all Dharma, and there was almost no law or principle he did not know.

How could he not be proficient in the path of the Five Elements? Although there was naturally a gap compared to Kong Xuan, who specialized in the path of the Five Elements, that was merely the difference between seeing a ridge from the side or a peak from the front.

Therefore, every word he spoke pointed directly to the fundamentals, with profound meaning in concise language.

It could be said that every word was a pearl of wisdom, his speech shining with brilliance, forming hexagonal shapes, large and small, flowing freely, with a grand atmosphere that covered the sky and earth.

It left Fang Longye and Yang Chan both listening in a trance, unconsciously comparing it to what they had learned themselves.

Above their crowns, Clear Qi condensed into a dark green, like mist passing over water.

From time to time, they had moments of sudden enlightenment, and expressions of joy could not help but appear on their faces.

(End of this chapter)