Chapter 65

Returning to the Daoist shrine, it was already dusk.

“Younger brother, you’re finally back! You don’t know—since that day you cooked for us, Father hasn’t enjoyed a single meal since you left!”

“Don’t just talk about Father—I can’t stop thinking about it either! I’ve been waiting for you two to return these past two days!”

“What did you buy, younger brother? Did you get flour?”

“Too bad Sixth Brother already cooked tonight—otherwise we could’ve had that porridge noodles your cooking!”

“What if we just… pour it out?”

“Get lost! Don’t waste food—and Younger Brother walked all day. Can’t he rest a bit?” Sixth Brother said. “My cooking’s almost ready too!”

The shrine wasn’t as quiet as Lin Jue had imagined.

But after walking all the way back up the mountain, he was tired—and now, he finally felt a sense of relief.

Even the little fox relaxed, lowering her upper body and stretching out a long yawn.

“Father, while we were shopping in Yixian, we encountered something strange—we must report it to you,” Seventh Brother said. “It may require your judgment.”

“Tell me over dinner.”

The table was still set beneath the pine tree in the courtyard.

Dinner was prepared by Sixth Brother.

Clearly, Sixth Brother had consciously imitated Lin Jue’s methods: he used salted pork, mushrooms, and dried bamboo shoots to make broth—but since the shrine had no flour, and they couldn’t make noodles anyway, he simply boiled the broth and poured it over sticky rice to satisfy everyone’s cravings.

The rice was overly sticky, and the broth was off.

The salted pork was sliced evenly, but hadn’t been pan-fried first, dulling its freshness. Maybe Sixth Brother didn’t know salted pork needed soaking—or didn’t know how long to soak it, so he skipped it entirely—or soaked it too briefly, leaving the meat too salty. He used chicken fungus, but mixed in other wild mushrooms, and the dried bamboo shoots weren’t rehydrated properly.

The salted pork was already salty, yet he added extra salt.

All basic, common mistakes.

Still, it was passable for soaking rice.

Lin Jue lowered his head and began eating.

The flavor wasn’t right, but the ingredients together weren’t easily unpleasant.

Much better than what they’d eaten before.

“When we arrived in Yixian yesterday, it wasn’t late—we bought some things, then happened to meet Younger Brother’s fellow villager. They looked gloomy, as if haunted by some demon or ghost. We asked and learned that recently, thieves stealing silver have been terrorizing Yixian…”

Seventh Brother spoke while eating, recounting the whole story.

When finished, he handed over the remaining silver.

“The rat spirit was right—usually, unless there’s some other reason, spirits rarely form groups. And a whole pack of rats—even if they’ve cultivated—even if they don’t aim to become gods, human gold and silver hold little use. And if they do aim to become gods, these stolen coins won’t help them much—not even for themselves. I believe what he said: behind him, there must be other spirits or demonic cultivators lurking in Yixian.” Seventh Brother told Yunhe Daoist. “I can’t decide—what should we do, Father?”

“Sigh…”

Yunhe Daoist frowned.

His health had been worsening—now he had to worry about this? It was too much for him.

“As cultivators of spirit methods, handling such matters is inconvenient.” Yunhe Daoist said. “Tomorrow, Xuan Yi will notify Qiyun Mountain. Let them report it to the deities—let the deities investigate. If the people of the county come here again, we’ll descend and catch the spirits.”

“Yes…”

Second Brother agreed.

Seventh Brother had no objection.

As they spoke, the meal was nearly finished.

“These past two days, I cooked—so it doesn’t count as Younger Brother’s turn. You start tomorrow. And you still owe me several days.” Sixth Brother, tidying the table, insisted.

“Of course.”

Lin Jue nodded and smiled, then went to the bamboo baskets unloaded from the donkey to put things away.

The first thing he pulled out was a jar of wine.

Just then, Third Brother walked over, wiping his mouth.

“Third Brother.”

“What?”

“I know you love wine. Today in town, passing a tavern, I bought you a jar.”

“Oh! Wucheng rice wine!”

Third Brother took the wine and immediately recognized it.

The sweet, intoxicating aroma of glutinous rice was intoxicating.

“Third Brother, you’ve got a sharp nose!”

“Thank you, Younger Brother.”

“In a few days, I’ll kill two chickens, cook some good dishes, and finish this jar.” Lin Jue told him, then added sincerely, “When I saw your ‘bean soldiers’ in Xiaochuan Village, I thought they were incredible. When you have time, tell me the essentials of this technique.”

“I told you before—learning mine is better. You insisted on following Second Brother to learn pill-making. It’s all just time and grinding. Isn’t my bean soldiers far more interesting than his?”

“Maybe…”

Lin Jue chatted with him a moment longer, then turned away.

He continued moving the rice, flour, soy sauce, vinegar, ham, and salted pork into the kitchen. Seeing Sixth Brother and Younger Sister washing dishes, he went to help.

But as he washed, suddenly a voice came from behind:

“You went to Yixian to catch rats—why didn’t you take me? I’m the best at catching rats!”

The voice was unfamiliar yet vaguely familiar—muffled, oddly like a dog’s bark.

Lin Jue instantly turned.

There stood the shrine’s slender hound at the doorway, looking up at him, eyes bright and alert.

“You can talk?”

No wonder the voice was unfamiliar.

He’d never heard this hound speak before.

No wonder it sounded familiar.

The tone was just too similar.

“I’m the shrine’s dog. Of course I understand cultivation. Isn’t it normal for me to speak?”

“True enough.”

Lin Jue nodded.

This dog had hidden himself well.

Then he saw his own little fox enter, look up at him, and ask softly but seriously: “Master, may I go outside and fight with the cat?”

“?”

How could she speak too?

Lin Jue was startled.

He turned again—and saw Sixth Brother staring at him in shock, while Younger Sister was already reaching out to catch the moon.

Suddenly, he felt dizzy.

Bad! The mushrooms are poisonous!

Luckily, Lin Jue was practicing the ingestion method. Realizing this, he immediately calmed his mind, circulating the ingestion technique within his body to neutralize and disperse the poison, while also using his cultivation stillness method to purge the illusions.

When he opened his eyes again, everything returned to normal.

The shrine’s dog had merely wandered to the doorway and sat down watching them. His own little fox sat quietly beside him, licking her paw like a cat.

Only Younger Sister still reached for the moon before the lamp.

Lin Jue walked over silently, grabbed her arm, pulled her out, and found Fifth Brother.

“Brother, the mushrooms are poisonous.”

Lin Jue pointed at Younger Sister.

Then he turned and returned to his room. While the poison still lingered, he immediately resumed practicing the ingestion method.

Lin Jue wasn’t surprised.

He’d actually considered this possibility.

Just that the odds were low.

Plus, since he’d been training the “ingestion” method recently, he’d developed some resistance to toxins—and he needed occasional poison to strengthen his toxin tolerance. His only concern had been Younger Sister, who hadn’t learned the technique. But since becoming a road laborer, she’d eaten like a starving ghost—he hadn’t had time to warn her before she’d already devoured it.

Knowing Fifth Brother was nearby, he said nothing.

One could only say Sixth Brother’s cooking was impressive.

All poisons in the world arise from yin-yang cold-heat imbalances. By resisting with specific spiritual power and harmonizing with yin-yang principles, they can naturally be neutralized.

When Lin Jue opened his eyes again, not much time had passed.

He rose to leave—just as Fifth Brother appeared.

“Huh? You’re awake so soon!”

“Awake.”

“Fifth Brother’s still treating Younger Sister. I came to check on you first.”

“Aren’t you Fifth Brother?”

“Oh, testing you. Looks like you’re truly awake.” Fifth Brother stared at him. “Your ingestion method has clearly matured—you’re truly a cultivation genius.”

“...”

Lin Jue nearly doubted his own existence.

After regaining his composure, he only asked:

“Where’s Younger Sister?”

She never learned the method of ingesting, but I cast a spell on her—it won’t harm her body, though she won’t wake until tomorrow.

Good, that’s all that matters.

Lin Jue exhaled in relief, then asked uneasily: “Did I behave improperly?”

“Not at all. When you came to find me, you were perfectly normal—even when Sixth Brother told you, you only spoke a few words to your fox and the temple’s dog. Brother, not only have you mastered the ingestion method, but your mind is unusually sharp and resolute.”

“What about Sister?”

“She’s far stronger than you. She nearly beat up several brothers, calling them water spirits and making them taste her ‘Ji Shi’ technique.”

“Where is she now?”

“She seems to have ascended already—she’s serving as the Heavenly Old Man now.”

“Huh?”

Lin Jue perked up immediately and said seriously: “Brother, I’ll go see her first!”

At night, the Daoist passed through the courtyard.

The fox ran closely behind him.

Arriving at Younger Sister’s room, he saw her lying on the bed, gesturing to the air with her hand, murmuring:

“I don’t even know how I became a immortal… sigh, being an immortal isn’t that impressive after all… don’t bother with formalities…”

Lin Jue had felt slightly embarrassed about poisoning himself and speaking seriously to the dog and fox in front of Sixth Brother and Younger Sister, but seeing this, he instantly felt better.

The temple can’t do without Younger Sister.

…

The next morning, in the mountains.

Autumn had just arrived; the human world’s climate hadn’t yet shifted, but the wild fruits in the mountains ripened first.

There were many kinds of wild fruits—mainly peaches, plums, apricots, pears, and kiwifruit. Though called wild, most were likely planted or grown from discarded pits by the mountain Daoists, taking centuries to form this vast, secluded orchard. The peaches, plums, and apricots were already gone, picked by Younger Sister and Lin Jue; the ripe ones now were pears and kiwifruit.

Younger Sister stood beneath a kiwifruit tree, its branches tangled with others and shrubs, heavy with fruit, many fallen to the ground, fermenting into a rich, sweet fragrance.

Lin Jue stood beside her, holding his Daoist robe like a sack.

Younger Sister picked the fruit.

The little fox stood on the ground, chewing, then picked up another fruit from the ground after finishing.

It seemed Younger Sister had fully recovered—aside from being quiet and withdrawn, the poison had no effect on her.

“That’s enough, Sister.”

“Huh? Enough, Brother?”

Younger Sister imitated his words, changing only the tone.

“Enough, enough,” Lin Jue said. “We’re not monkeys—eating too many fruits won’t feel good.”

“I need to build roads. I get hungry fast by noon.”

Younger Sister picked a few more, then returned, placing them all into Lin Jue’s robe.

These kiwifruits were small, about the size of a pigeon’s egg, but when fully ripe, their skin was thin and soft—just a light squeeze made it peel off, revealing nothing but flesh, quite satisfying to eat.

Lin Jue couldn’t help looking up, gazing at the entire mountain.

How many wild fruits grew here.

No wonder Younger Sister always brought back fruit every evening after repairing roads.

“Sister, take more. I’ll take less.”

“Alright!”

Younger Sister obediently agreed, using one hand to hold up her robe as a sack, the other reaching out to grab, saying as she picked: “This mountain is so peaceful—just us, and endless fruit. Living here, we’d never have to worry about hunger!”

“Fruit isn’t always available…”

“But we can grow crops!”

“That’s true.”

“I wish we could live here forever.”

“…”

After dividing the fruit, a few steps down lay the mountain path.

The two walked together along the path.

One went to repair roads in the mountains.

One went to the summit to cultivate.

Younger Sister kept talking, eating constantly, spitting out skins, silent otherwise.

Lin Jue thought she was quiet because she felt ashamed after doing strange things from eating mushrooms the night before, but when he glanced over, he saw her spitting skins while deeply lost in thought.

Her serious little face was oddly charming.

“Brother, say—pfft—what do we become in the end, cultivating here in the mountains?”

“Huh? Why ask that?”

“It just came to mind.”

Was it because she spent half the night as a god?

Lin Jue thought so, and replied: “In the end? Naturally, we become true immortals—free and eternally alive.”

“But Master Wangji said even Daoists who become ‘Zhenren’ are rare. Most Daoists achieve nothing, only becoming a Daoist with some magical power—pfft. Even Master Wangji and our Master can hardly be called Zhenren.” Younger Sister continued eating kiwifruit as she spoke; the fruit’s fuzzy skin stuck to her lips and made her want to spit immediately.

“Isn’t that like people below the mountain studying? Most can’t even pass the scholar exam, yet most scholars don’t study just to become a scholar, right?”

“Then why did you come to cultivate?”

The girl turned her head, looking at him with sincere curiosity.

“Why are you asking this again?”

“I woke up this morning thinking: if I cultivate here on the mountain, what will I look like when I’m old? If I can’t become an immortal, the best I can hope for is to be like Master Wangji or our Master.” Younger Sister paused. “But even that’s better than before. I’d have power, and not fear demons.”

“Is it because of the mushrooms?”

“!”

Younger Sister instantly turned, staring at him seriously: “Brother, don’t say that!”

“…”

“Answer me, Brother.”

“Me? I naturally wish to become a true immortal—free and eternally alive.”

“That’s hard…”

“Still, I must cultivate.”

“Why?”

The girl was like a question machine.

Lin Jue thought carefully before answering: “Because everything else is too boring.”

“Is being an official boring too?”

“Compared to this, yes.”

“Compared to this?”

“Just the freedom alone surpasses much of the mortal world. ‘I roam heaven and earth—what joy could be greater?’” Lin Jue paused. “If you attain the path of eternal life, you can’t imagine what world you’ll see a thousand years from now—that’s what’s truly interesting.”

“I don’t understand.”

“…” Lin Jue’s eyes shimmered with memory. “There are things even more interesting than this.”

“What about taking many beautiful concubines as wives?”

“Same.”

“What about eating meat and drinking wine every day?”

“Same.”

“What about Seventh Brother going to brothels to listen to songs and music?” The girl blinked, curious.

“Huh? You know about that too?”

“I’m not that stupid.”

“Haha, true.”

“Then what is interesting?”

Younger Sister grew puzzled—this exceeded her imagination and understanding.

“In my heart.”

Lin Jue smiled, and answered only thus.