Chapter 52: The Eerie Plants

Xu Chen carefully took inventory of all the plants growing in the entire Medicine Garden and discovered a total of over thirty plants of eight different species; he did not recognize a single one. Among them, two looked like saplings, while the others resembled herbs or vines.

In order to figure out what these things were once they grew up, Xu Chen spent half an hour clearing away all the withered herbs in the medicine field, exposing enough growth space for the new plants.

In the end, all that remained in the entire Medicine Garden was one dead Soul Returning Wood and some sparse, strangely colored vines and weeds.

After finishing, Xu Chen jumped into the pool under the waterfall to scrub his body clean, while Xiao Huli ran back and forth inside the Medicine Garden; it didn't even want its favorite Soul Bead, just circling these strange plants and sniffing them, full of curiosity.

"Xiaobai, let's go!"

Xu Chen put on his clothes and called out. Xiaobai ran out of the Medicine Garden reluctantly, squatting in front of Xu Chen with a face full of expectation, waiting to be tucked into his chest. Xu Chen, however, gently flicked its head with his finger and said, "We're home now, walk yourself; it's not far down there!"

"Wu ya..."

Xiao Huli let out a reluctant cry, then held its little tail high and hopped along behind Xu Chen as he walked down the mountain.

Xu Chen had walked this small path countless times over the past five years; he could almost walk it with his eyes closed without taking a single wrong step.

Having been gone for only a month, the path was already beginning to be covered in vines.

The surrounding mountains and fields were lush and green, birds chirped, and a large number of small beasts like squirrels, weasels, tortoises, and rabbits scurried and roamed through the trees. The entire world was filled with a vibrant, primitive atmosphere, as if it were a different lifetime from the bustling mortal world at the foot of the mountain.

Xiao Huli was interested in everything; as it ran, it chased wild birds and snakes or insects between the rocks and trees, occasionally even bringing a bug over to show off its prowess.

Xu Chen, however, felt as calm as water, with no more agitation or depression in his heart.

He felt as if he were a part of this great mountain; as long as he walked in these quiet, lonely, yet vibrant mountains and fields, he felt his soul become exceptionally peaceful and calm, and he no longer wanted to think about anything in the mortal world.

It had only been a short hour since he returned to the mountain.

He felt that the things that happened at the foot of the mountain seemed already very, very far away.

Even that life-and-death struggle seemed to have no more emotional impact; apart from clear memories, there was no longer any panic or fear.

The dilapidated little wooden hut was still there, standing alone, nestled among the green bamboo and vegetation.

In the open space in front of the house, the medicine hoe, basket, and manure shovel he had tossed aside when he left were still in their original places. On the rock where he used to sun Xiao Huli, there was still a wrinkled piece of animal hide, and a broken pottery bowl lay to the side.

Everything was as it had been, as if time had frozen here.

If he hadn't returned, this place might have stayed the same for ten or a hundred years, until it was swallowed by wild grass and vines, finally returning to nature.

"Alright, we're home!"

Xu Chen sat down on the rock with a thud.

Xiao Huli let out a "wu ya" and jumped onto his lap, tucking its little tail in and sitting on his knees. Its little head looked around, full of curiosity about this environment; it seemed to recognize it, yet it also seemed not to.

After all, it had only stayed here for three days.

But there was a faint, familiar aura and scent here.

Xu Chen gently stroked Xiao Huli's fur a few times, then placed it on the ground and said:

"From now on, this is the home for the two of us. Go play, but don't run too far. I'm going to tidy up the house, and I still need to get some food later."

Xiao Huli seemed to understand; it raised its little tail and quickly burrowed into the nearby bamboo forest.

Xu Chen also stood up, gathered the manure shovel, basket, and medicine hoe from the ground, and placed them under the eaves of the wooden hut. Then he pushed open the door, and with a few rustling sounds, several wild birds flew out from the half-open window.

Xu Chen's face twitched immediately.

Apparently, he had been in such a hurry when he left that he had forgotten to close the window.

Not only was the room a mess, but wind and rain had blown in through the window, soaking the bedding on the bed, and the room was filled with a musty, rotting smell.

But what left him most speechless was that the lid of the pottery jar used for storing rice had been pried open by something; the half-jar of millet inside was completely gone, some seemed to be scattered on the floor, and there was also quite a bit of bird droppings.

As for the crude stove, it was covered everywhere with the footprints and traces of various snakes, rats, insects, and even monkeys. On the rafters, he even saw a snake skin as thick as an arm, stretching across the entire roof.

This life was impossible to live!

Although Xu Chen was not lazy and usually kept the hut reasonably tidy, this wooden hut was indeed quite dilapidated. After being ravaged by birds and wild beasts for a month, it looked like it could no longer be lived in properly.

However, after a while, Xu Chen took off his Daoist robe, rolled up his sleeves, and began to clean.

With a clatter and a cloud of dust, a large amount of broken pots, pans, and bedding and clothes were tossed by him into the open space outside, and then he used a broom to sweep the inside and outside of the hut.

Xu Chen was busy moving in and out of the room with a clanging sound. Xiao Huli didn't know when it had run back in, jumping around the room and occasionally helping by using its mouth to carry fruit pits and trash from the floor to the outside. The human and the pet were completely absorbed, full of energy.

Just as Xu Chen was busy tidying up his wooden hut, an Escape Light arrived rapidly from Zhaoyang Peak and landed in front of the hut in the blink of an eye.

Two women jumped off the Flying Sword; one was Seventh Senior Sister Qu Mei, and the other was Thirteenth Senior Sister Zhao Xuan.

Looking at the pile of junk scattered all over the ground and hearing the clattering sounds of cleaning inside the room, the two senior sisters looked at each other and then walked into the hut together, only to be almost knocked over by the musty smell and dust inside.

"Why have the two senior sisters come?" Xu Chen, covered in dust from head to toe, hurried out to greet them.

Seventh Senior Sister frowned and said, "You are a cultivator after all, do you still need to clean like this? A Clear Wind Spell would solve it!"

Xu Chen laughed dryly and rubbed his hands, saying, "I'm just used to cleaning this way. The room was ruined by monkeys and birds; I'm afraid it won't be clean if I'm not careful."

Seventh Senior Sister said helplessly, "Suit yourself. I know you must be out of rice, so I specifically brought you some rice and flour."

As she spoke, Seventh Senior Sister lightly grabbed the air with her hand, and a bag of rice and a bag of flour were set down one after another.

Xu Chen said in surprise, "Since when does Seventh Senior Sister have a Storage Bag?"

Seventh Senior Sister blushed immediately. Zhao Xuan said from the side, "I lent my Storage Bag to Seventh Senior Sister for a while; I don't need it for my recovery anyway."

Xu Chen understood then. Remembering what Jiu Shixiong had just said, a slight stinging pain pierced his heart, but he still smiled and said, "Seventh Senior Sister's ability to 'eat the rich' has become even stronger; you were even able to borrow Thirteenth Senior Sister's Storage Bag. I admire you, I admire you."

Seventh Senior Sister's willow-leaf eyebrows stood up, and she said angrily, "What do you mean 'eat the rich'? I just borrowed it for a few days; naturally, I will return it to Junior Sister once she has recovered."

Zhao Xuan turned her head and saw Xiao Huli diligently dragging a wooden stick outside. She said with a face full of pleasant surprise, "Xiaobai is quite capable; it even knows how to help with housework."

Xu Chen said proudly, "That's right, Xiaobai is a Spirit Beast with ancient bloodlines; in the future, it might even grow into an Immortal Beast."

"Pfft, you aren't afraid of blowing yourself up with such tall talk? Look, your quilt is also unusable. I'll go back and get you some more bedding!"

Seventh Senior Sister curled her lip, and after speaking, she released her Flying Sword and soared away.

Zhao Xuan looked around the wooden hut and said softly, "Junior Brother, this house is too dilapidated. Why don't you come back to Zhaoyang Peak to live?"

Xu Chen shook his head and said, "Forget it, I'm used to living here; it's quite quiet and comfortable alone."

Zhao Xuan seemed a bit dejected. She nodded and said, "That's true, I'm also used to living alone. The senior brothers and sisters have all returned this time, and it's actually a bit hard to get used to the noise."

Xu Chen smiled and said, "You'll get used to it; sometimes it's lively when there are many people. By the way, Senior Sister, let me take you to see the Medicine Garden; you will definitely be interested."

Zhao Xuan said in surprise, "Haven't the medicinal herbs in the Medicine Garden all withered and died? What else is there to see!"

Xu Chen acted mysterious and said, "You'll know once you go see for yourself. Let's go, I'll take you!"

As he spoke, Xu Chen released his Flying Sword, put his arms around Zhao Xuan, and leaped onto it; then, turning into a streak of light, he bypassed half the mountain peak and arrived at the Medicine Garden in an instant.

"Senior Sister, stand steady!"

Flying with his arms around Zhao Xuan was a method Xu Chen was already very familiar with; ever since that fierce battle that night where Zhao Xuan was severely injured, Xu Chen had been the one carrying her during their flights all the way back to the mountain. Although Jiu Shixiong seemed to have recovered well during his recuperation, in reality, his Meridians were severely damaged, and he was completely unable to carry anyone.

Having spent the whole journey hiding and dodging like thieves, naturally, none of the three had any other thoughts, but today, Zhao Xuan felt her body go somewhat weak; Xu Chen's strong arms were wrapped around her waist, with one hand pressing tightly against her ribs, and this sensation caused her to suddenly lose her composure.

However, Xu Chen only assumed that Zhao Xuan had not yet recovered from her severe injuries and that her body was weak, so he couldn't help but offer a reminder, then retracted the sword and landed; but immediately after, Zhao Xuan stumbled, and Xu Chen could only quickly steady her again.

Zhao Xuan was in a daze for a moment and quickly gathered her thoughts to stand steady, feeling only her heartbeat accelerate and her face burning; she could only turn her head to look around, pretending to observe the Medicine Garden, and said, "The medicinal herbs in this Medicine Garden have all withered, there's nothing here; what did you bring me here to see?"

Xu Chen pointed to the sparse, low-growing wild grasses of various colors growing around the Soul Returning Wood and said, "Senior Sister, what's wrong with you today? You seem restless. Look at these things that have grown out."

Only then did Zhao Xuan notice that in the bare medicine field that Xu Chen had cleared, some strange plants had indeed grown; most were very small, with the tallest being no more than half a foot, but the colors of their stems and leaves were bizarre, as if the colors were disordered, with mottled spots and twisted stripes, appearing extremely strange.

"Eh, these really are strange wild grasses!"

Zhao Xuan instantly became interested as well and crouched down to examine a plant, which happened to be the same wild grass that looked like a three-headed monster snake that Xu Chen had discovered for the first time.

There were over thirty strange plants in the entire Medicine Garden, but this one was the strangest of them all; while the others also had odd colors, at least they still looked like plants, whereas this one was practically like a monster.

Seeing this grass, Xu Chen was instantly reminded of the piece of Blood-Sucking Demon Vine he had snatched from the hands of the Taoist in black from the Ziyang Sect.

These two things perhaps had similarities; both were demonic and strange, and incredibly eerie.