Chapter 167

Wang Feiyin didn't stop his son from doing business, but he kept muttering: "Don't always think about making money—find time to cultivate. Look at you, how old are you now? You can only fast for half a day. Why not fast for ten days or even a month straight?"

Wang Cong: "Dad, that'd be too hard on the body. You'd starve to death."

"I can do it. Why can't you? It's because your cultivation isn't solid—you're lazy."

Just thinking of returning to Mount Sanqing and hearing the villagers tell him that Wang Cong and his junior brother had been eating at roadside stalls for half a month straight made his heart ache.

The villagers even rubbed salt into his wound: "You're treating the kids too cruelly—only one meal a day? I heard Cong'er say they can't eat after noon because they're fasting. You, Er Ya, when you were young, did your parents ever let you go hungry? Our village hasn't had a family eating just one meal a day in decades."

"Exactly. You're treating them too cruelly."

Wang Feiyin knew full well his son and Tao Yanbai weren't fasting—they just ate one meal a day. True fasting meant going without food for at least a full day.

They ate precisely around noon. Was that fasting?

This was pure laziness!

There was plenty of grain and vegetables on the mountain. They even kept chickens. How could they possibly be short of food?

But he couldn't say it to the enthusiastic villagers.

The moment he called the kids lazy, they'd unload a whole basket of retorts—because compared to the kids' outward behavior, he, as their elder, was even lazier.

So he took it out on them: they weren't even lazy properly.

"If you ate only once every ten days or a month, the villagers would truly believe you were fasting—and praise your high cultivation and diligence. But eating once a day and fasting half the day? Everyone will say you're lazy."

Wang Cong corrected him: "The villagers haven't said we're lazy."

Wang Feiyin sighed: "No, they said I'm mistreating you."

Wang Cong lowered his head guiltily and quickly changed the subject: "Dad, go see the Mountain God Temple. My junior brother and I cleaned it up real nice."

Tao Yanbai nodded vigorously: "Lately, lots of pilgrims have come. Everyone says our Mountain God Temple is incredibly efficacious. Oh, and many people come asking for medical help—we've treated them all."

Wang Feiyin: "Did you charge them?"

Tao Yanbai shook his head: "Master said, if they come to the temple seeking help, we don't charge. For those who looked poor, I even gave them free medicine."

Wang Feiyin nodded approvingly: "When people come to your temple seeking aid, what you receive is their incense and faith. So no one seeking medical help at the Mountain God Temple or the Daoist shrine should be charged."

Tao Yanbai replied: "They all bring us eggs, so we've collected a lot of eggs."

Wang Feiyin sighed: "You've got eggs, yet you'd rather starve than boil two and eat them? How lazy are you?"

Tao Yanbai lowered his head, glancing guiltily at Wang Cong. He should've never mentioned the eggs—now his senior brother was getting scolded too.

Actually, they weren't lazy about boiling eggs—they were lazy about washing the pot afterward. Two eggs just weren't worth the effort.

Sigh, if Sister Miaohe were here, she'd be super diligent.

Wang Feiyin watched Wang Cong organize the caravan and sighed: "If only you put half as much effort into cultivation as you do into making money."

Wang Cong pretended not to hear. He cultivated hard too—just making money was more fun.

"Dad, I'm leaving."

Wang Feiyin waved him off: "Go, go, go. Study hard. If you fail this time, you'll get beaten with a cane if you retake it in three years. If you still fail, I'll leave the shrine to your junior brother and sister."

Wang Cong didn't care. He bowed to his father and hurried onto the cart, taking Tao Yanbai with him.

Good. This time, Tao Yanbai was coming along to Guangxin Prefecture—first to look after Wang Cong during the exam, second to gain experience.

Their master stayed at Long Hushan making money to support the sisters. Wang Cong had nothing to do on Mount Sanqing—he'd learned nearly everything he needed. Now he just needed practice.

Wang Feiyin watched them leave, shook his head. This kid of his acted so old and weary—just like who?

Crossing the bridge, passing by the Wang family's stall, Wang Feiyin paused, then went in and ordered a bowl of noodles. Fine. The kids weren't home—he'd fast too.

While Wang Feiyin fasted, Pan Yun was sorting through the inventory in her Spirit Realm, discovering three chickens left uneaten.

Though these ingredients wouldn't spoil in the Spirit Realm, they didn't taste fresh—they just weren't as good as freshly slaughtered meat.

Pan Yun thought for a moment, then asked Cheng Lingzi for half a bucket of mud, mixed in salt, scallions, ginger, and garlic, washed the lotus leaves wrapping the chickens clean, rewrapped them in the mud, and buried them in the charcoal pile to roast.

Cheng Lingzi had already turned to leave, but seeing this, he crouched down to watch.

They chatted idly. An hour later, the sunset painted the cave in crimson, and the clay-wrapped chickens were done. Pan Yun pushed one toward him.

This time, Cheng Lingzi didn't refuse—because soon, Pan Yun would leave. The judgment scroll said she was confined until Xushih. If it said Xushih, it meant Xushih—not a moment earlier, not a moment later.

Cheng Lingzi picked up his still-hot clay-wrapped chicken and asked: "Who are the other two for?"

Pan Yun: "I'm eating one too, you know."

"You're eating two?"

Pan Yun: "One's for an apology."

"Oh~~" Cheng Lingzi said: "You've admitted your mistake?"

Pan Yun stared at him blankly, then nodded: "I admit my mistake."

She shouldn't have thrown things from high up. Shouldn't have tossed stones randomly.

Cheng Lingzi smiled, took his chicken, and left: "You've less than an hour. Get ready to leave."

Pan Yun shook her head, tucked away the still-hot chicken. The biggest one was for her, Seeing Miao Zhen, and Miaohe—they'd eat it together.

The Academy's cafeteria was mediocre. Clay-wrapped chicken was a luxury. They'd love it.

Pan Yun felt delighted, grabbed the second chicken with a stick, hurried into the inner chamber, and shouted down: "Hey! Sorry I threw rocks at you earlier—I've brought you a gift!"

No response.

Pan Yun didn't care. She touched the scalding chicken, hissed softly, judged the distance, weighed it in her hand, then hurled it instantly.

The chicken arced beautifully through the air and landed. After ten breaths, a heavy thud echoed.

The thing lying below lifted its head in fury, roared upward—then realized this time, the object falling was different from last time.

A rich aroma filled the small space—a long-missed scent.

He sniffed, found the fallen object in the dark, touched it—it was hot.

He fell silent for a moment, carefully peeled it open with his nails. The intense fragrance rushed into his nose. Without hesitation, he smashed the mud, shoved the meat into his mouth.

Moments later, he devoured every scrap of meat, began gnawing the bones, muttering: "I hope she gets punished on Si Guo Cliff every single day."

Pan Yun had no idea someone below the cliff was cursing her; after dropping the items, she felt their grudge was settled, so she clapped her hands and went to collect them.

She put all the things she brought into the Spirit Realm space, then waited for someone to come and take her out.

At the hour of Xu, a bamboo basket descended from the mountaintop.

Pan Yun stared silently at the basket for a long while, then pulled it in and climbed in shakily, muttering to herself: "What's wrong with him using his flying sword to carry me for a while?" Pan Xiaohei mewed at her.

Pan Yun opened her arms, and Pan Xiaohei leapt up straight into them.

Pan Yun tugged the rope, and the people on the cliff began hauling the basket upward.

The four senior sisters who came to escort her down the mountain were the same ones.

Going down the mountain also required formalities.

Cheng Lingzi signed her name, and Pan Yun was allowed to descend.

She placed the black cat on her shoulder, bowed to Cheng Lingzi, and said, "Senior Brother Cheng Lingzi, I'll come visit you often when I have time."

Cheng Lingzi smiled faintly. "Don't bother. Si Guo Cliff isn't exactly a pleasant place."

"I'm not here to be confined. I just came to see you."

"I think you'll end up coming here often to be confined."

!. Read

Pan Yun didn't believe it. "I'm very well-behaved."

Cheng Lingzi snorted. Every year, students at the Academy get punished with confinement on Si Guo Cliff, but he'd never met anyone more troublesome than Pan Yun.

He waved his hand. "Go, go. Until we meet again—I hope it takes longer next time."

The four senior sisters took Pan Yun down the mountain, and they were noticeably more courteous to her.

Pan Yun keenly sensed their attitude had changed because of Cheng Lingzi.

Because when they pulled her up, they hadn't changed at all—it was only after Cheng Lingzi finished speaking with her that the four of them slowly shifted.

It seems Cheng Lingzi is a very powerful figure in the Academy.

Pan Yun felt she now had another escape route, and happily descended the mountain.

Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He had been waiting below for a long time; as soon as they saw her, they sprinted forward. "Little Master Shu—"

"Miao Zhen, Miao He—"

The three embraced, and for once, Pan Yun's heart stirred with emotion. So this was how it felt to reunite with friends after a long separation?

Seeing how excited they were, Pan Yun decided to join the children in jumping; she hugged their shoulders, and the three spun in place, bouncing up and down, then happily returned to Fengqi Courtyard.

The four senior sisters behind them: …

They didn't even bother to say goodbye.

Pan Yun only remembered far down the path: "I forgot to say goodbye to the four senior sisters."

Miao He: "It's not something good. Not saying goodbye is better."

Miao Zhen looked at her shoulder. "By the way, where's Xiaohei?"

"Huh? Where's Xiaohei?" Pan Yun only then realized the black cat perched on her shoulder was gone.

"Mew—" Pan Xiaohei turned back from ahead, its face lined with exasperation. "Can't you be any more blind?"

Pan Yun pretended not to hear. Miao Zhen had already rushed forward and picked it up, stroking it. "Xiaohei, these forty-five days must have been so hard on you."

Pan Yun: "It wasn't hard at all—it ate, slept, woke up, ate again. The one who suffered was me."

"Did someone bully Little Master Shu on the mountain?"

"Not exactly…" Pan Yun carefully explained the situation on Si Guo Cliff. "If you ever accidentally end up on Si Guo Cliff, I'll prepare supplies for you—better than what Senior Brother gave me this time."

Pan Yun paused. "Huh," she said. "Senior Brother's supplies were actually very thorough—like he'd lived on Si Guo Cliff for a long time."

"You heard it from Fourth Master, right? Fourth Master once entered Si Guo Cliff."

"Does Fourth Sister look like someone who'd use a bucket to draw water?"

Miao Zhen looked troubled. "Little Master Shu, maybe Fourth Master gave you the rope not to draw water, but to escape when you wanted to leave?"

Pan Yun froze. She forced a defense. "It was only a month and a half—I wouldn't have run away, would I?"

The three exchanged glances and whispered among themselves: "Could Fourth Master (Fourth Sister) have done something like this before?"

Pan Yun changed the subject. "When did Senior Brother and the others return to the mountain?"

Miao Zhen immediately explained. Pan Yun learned that Tao Ji and Master Xuanmiao hadn't returned—they stayed at Long Hushan to earn money for their bath soaks.

Pan Yun stared in disbelief. "Then where are Third Brother and Fourth Sister now?"

"Five days ago, after the last bucket of medicinal decoction was delivered, Fourth Master went down the mountain to find Third Master," Miao Zhen said, glancing at Miao He. "Third Master was treating patients below the mountain when he was forcibly taken to Changzhou to attend a case."

Pan Yun: "Who could forcibly take Third Brother away? Did he learn his martial arts for nothing?"

Miao He: "I don't think it was exactly force—it was more like coercion with incentives. I heard they offered five hundred taels in consultation fees alone, plus meals, lodging, and travel expenses."

Pan Yun gasped. "That's way too much!"

"Yes, too much. Fourth Master worried Master might fail to cure someone, or say something offensive and cause big trouble, so as soon as the physical strengthening decoction was done, Fourth Master immediately went down to find Master," Miao He said. "Fourth Master told us to take good care of Little Master Shu."

"I'm your elder—I should be taking care of you," Pan Yun waved her hand. "Come on, I brought delicious food down from the mountain."

Miao Zhen and Miao He were curious. "Can there be delicious food on Si Guo Cliff? Isn't it supposed to be austere up there?"

"They were austere. I wasn't."

Back at Fengqi Courtyard, Pan Yun pulled out the beggar's chicken—the mud was still warm, let alone the chicken inside.

As soon as she cracked open the clay, the aroma burst out, rushing straight into their noses. Miao Zhen and Miao He couldn't help but swallow hard, their eyes sparkling. "So fragrant~~"

After breaking open the clay, Pan Yun said: "Eat."

All three reached out at once—grabbing drumsticks, wings—and tore the chicken apart in seconds.

From inside the room, occasional exclamations of delight echoed, mingling with the rich aroma—anyone could guess what they were doing.

Zhang Weiyi stood still, holding a large food box, unsure whether to enter or retreat.

Xue Hua glanced at him and said, "Everything's ready; just send it in."

Deng Ziyu added, "They're several years younger than us; though we're senior and junior disciples, they're still young—probably won't have much to say to us. Treat them like younger sisters, give them the food, and let them eat it themselves."

Zhang Weiyi thought for a moment, then nodded and stepped forward to knock on the door.

(End of Chapter)