Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 780 The Ghostly Immortal (Part 2)

"Although Shang Huaitong misunderstood the artistic conception, he actually used half of the 'Ghost Immortal' style. I still remember that feeling of being surrounded by spider webs everywhere, in my heart and lungs, it was disgusting."

It was only just past 5 PM, but under the gloomy rain, the sky was already quite dark. The two walked upstream along the stream, slowly searching for a place to settle down.

Pei Ye leaned on his long cane: "But that is actually one of the true meanings of 'The Immortal', namely 'omnipresent'... But where does the word 'immortal' come from?"

He sighed softly, and the rain intensified, the stream gushing faster, the branches and leaves overhead pattering.

Zhongnan Mountain has been a place of seclusion and seeking immortality since ancient times. It is adjacent to the capital, and the seclusion here may be a case of feigned reluctance, but the legends of seeking immortality have been numerous since ancient times.

However, the mountain didn't give the boy any mysterious hints. It looked no different from other mountains, though there were occasional sounds of squirrels, pheasants, and other small creatures disturbing the surrounding area.

“Let’s catch one and roast it, Miss Ming,” Pei Ye said, looking at the white-clad woman walking ahead.

"How can this taste good?" Ming Qitian didn't turn around.

“That’s true.” Pei Ye thought for a moment, “Without spices and seasonings, wild game will just smell fishy when roasted.”

“But fish don’t,” he added.

"Then let's catch some fish to eat later," Ming Qitian said.

"Alright." Pei Ye switched the walking stick to his other hand. "Miss Ming, why have you been silent all this time? Where do you think the meaning of 'The Immortal' comes from?"

“I don’t know either,” Ming Qitian said. “Didn’t I point out everything I saw to you?”

"I would like to ask Miss Ming for advice."

"Search for its meaning, search for its meaning. If we can figure it out from our minds, we won't need to go into the mountains." Ming Qitian stretched out his palm to feel the cool drizzle. "Perhaps we haven't seen its true form yet."

"real body?"

“Yes. If a thing’s amazing quality is easily discovered, it wouldn’t be enough to become such a unique and isolated sword technique,” ​​the woman said. “It is precisely because everyone thinks that this short-lived and fragile fungus is nothing special that only the sword maker discovered its deep-seated essence that such a sword technique has existed for thousands of years.”

"……rational."

"Yes. Now that we have obtained this sword of intent, it is only a matter of time before we go back to seek its true meaning. Let's think about it and see."

Pei Ye tilted his head back and muttered to himself, "It's all me...it's all me..."

The mountain was even more slippery in the rainy night. To avoid possible flash floods, the two tried their best to climb uphill. When the rain was so fine that it was almost imperceptible, they finally emerged from the dense forest. A cool mountain breeze rushed towards them, blowing their wet and heavy clothes.

Looking up, the mountains are high and the moon is small. Beyond the cover of a few branches and leaves, there is a cold, clear blue sky with only a few stars.

Pei Ye climbed onto a high rock and suddenly looked back as if awakened. He saw the distant capital city like a vast sea of ​​lights, sprawling across the land. He and the white-clad figure beside him seemed like two fish emerging from the water.

"So beautiful," Pei Ye said, stunned.

“Hmm. I’ve climbed many mountains since leaving the sect, but this is the first time I’ve seen such a sight.” Ming Qitian also looked back into the distance from under the rock.

Having spent the last few days practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard, seeing such beautiful scenery today after climbing Zhongnan Mountain truly made the trip worthwhile.

Pei Ye turned his head and saw that outside the woods was a beautiful place with shallow grass and stone ground. Further ahead was a sizable pool of water that was almost the same color as the sky.

The two threw down their walking sticks by the rock, took off their straw hats, and their tied-up hair was already soaked. Pei Ye hung the two straw hats on a nearby tree branch to dry, turned around and found the dead tree they had just seen, cut a few dry branches, peeled off the wet bark, squatted down and fiddled with it for a while, then carefully covered it with his hand and started a fire in the open space.

“Before I had any true qi, I would make a fire on the mountain,” Pei Ye said with a smile, blowing air through the smoke while avoiding it. “—Why is there aconite root next to this rock?”

Ming Qitian stood by the stone, letting her wet hair fall loose. She was clearly more uncomfortable with her wet clothes and dusty boots, but she didn't seem bothered. She just did it somewhat awkwardly.

"Why did Miss Ming suddenly decide to climb the mountain without using her inner energy?" Pei Ye patted the dust off her hands. The torch illuminated the area around her, making the surroundings even darker, as if a small world had been created.

“Because I’ve never climbed like this before. Last time in Kongtong, you carried me on your back,” Ming Qitian said. “Sometimes when I see the beautiful mountains and rivers from the sky, and I see woodcutters, herbalists, and tourists in the mountains, I think I should climb like this once too.”

"I've really made a mess of myself," she said.

"Because it's raining." Pei Ye smiled, picking up the bamboo pole she had chopped that afternoon. "Miss Ming, you keep an eye on the fire, I'll go cast a couple of times."

"No hook, no line, how do you fish?"

“My clothes are made of very strong silk, and as for the fishhook…” Pei Ye thought for a moment, then said somewhat embarrassedly, “Is Miss Ming’s hairpin expensive?”

Ming Qitian handed him her small hairpin. Pei Ye first used his sword to cut off a section, then sat cross-legged on the stone and tapped the tip of the hairpin little by little with a pebble. Slowly, a curved shape appeared.

Ming Qitian sat to the side watching: "Did you often make your own fishhooks before?"

“Yes. Making fishing rods is one of my specialties,” Pei Ye said with a smile. “Before I was seventeen, I used it to roam freely in Fenghuai Mountain. It’s just that I have no use for it now—except for making one for the little princess in the palace last month.”

After adjusting the shape a bit more, Pei Ye tied it to the fishing line and gave it a shake: "That's it!"

"that's it?"

"Isn't this a rod, a hook, and a line?" Pei Ye laughed. "Miss Ming, you don't know this. Fishing is 30% about the person and 70% about the weather. If the heavens decide not to give us fish today, even if I have the best fishing rod, I'll still go hungry."

"Then let's go together. Maybe I'll get a reward instead of you."

"Haha, okay."

Pei Ye had always fished alone, his only fishing companion being a seven-year-old child from the palace the previous month. Of course, he would much rather sit with Miss Ming.

The two sat cross-legged on a rock under the bright moon. Pei Ye taught the woman how to bait the hook and how to lure fish. Ming Qitian held the fishing rod and did everything according to the boy's instructions.

Most of the time she was the teacher, but Pei Ye found that she might be the best student in the world, making every step precise and appropriate. After that, the two of them watched the fishing line that was not moving in the water together.

After a long while, there was no movement. Ming Qitian looked at the boy beside her.

“This happens 99% of the time, it’s quite normal,” Pei Ye said.

So the two of them quietly watched the water again.

After about an hour, Pei Ye came to the conclusion: "There are no fish in this pool."

Ming Qitian smiled, pulled the fishing rod back, and said softly, "I knew I shouldn't have lent you the hairpin."

"..."

Pei Ye scratched his head sheepishly: "The fish isn't very fresh, so let's just have some grilled mushrooms and bamboo shoots instead."

The rain had stopped, and the fire in front of the stone was now burning brightly. Pei Ye sat down on the stone and took out the mountain goods he had collected along the way from his satchel.

Then he went to the other side, simply stuck his fishing rod into the ground, cut down two long branches, and tied them into a "door"-shaped frame. He took off his coat, shoes, and socks and put them on it to dry.

Ming Qitian also took off her clothes and boots, and Pei Ye helped her hang them by the fire. The two sat on the stone, wearing only light clothing in the night, and felt refreshed by the cool breeze.

Although there were many kinds of mushrooms, only a few tasted good after grilling. However, they could still fill their stomachs when they were hungry. The two of them skewered the mushrooms with a small stick and slowly grilled them, taking a long time to eat a bite while watching the wind blowing through the pine forest and the high moon.

“We originally went into the mountains to look for ground aconite, but what we want most now is not those black stalks that are everywhere, but this big fleshy mushroom.” Pei Ye held up the wooden skewer. “It’s so fresh and juicy, one more would be perfect.” He looked down at the ground aconite by the stone. The initial surprise had completely disappeared. They had seen nearly a hundred of these medicinal mushrooms in a day, and they could sell them for several hundred coins if they picked them all.

However, he paused for a moment after saying this: "Then tell me, why is Aconitum carmichaelii everywhere, but this umbrella mushroom is so hard to find?"

Ming Qitian thought for a moment: "Perhaps the insects, fish and hairy creatures in the mountains also find this mushroom delicious, and therefore eat more of it."

“Hmm…that makes sense.” Pei Ye looked down at the black stalk under the stone. It had been soaked by the rain and was limp against the stone. It might not even be usable if picked and sold. “But Miss Ming, you see…it is actually much more fragile than this big meat mushroom.”

Pei Ye chewed on the crisp, chewy flesh of the mushroom: "This fleshy mushroom has a tight, hard cap, a thick and tough skin that won't break in the rain or the wind. It should have an easier life than the ground aconite."

"So, just as there are more grasses than flowers in the mountains, perhaps there are more 'seeds' of the ground aconite."

Pei Ye nodded: "That's what I think too—the aconite we saw today can be found almost anywhere, even in the cracks of rocks. It's all in all sorts of hidden and dark places. I think it's probably because its 'seeds' have flown all over the mountain, so that it can grow in any suitable environment."

“But this is too incredible.” Pei Ye looked at the night sky and pondered, “Since we only found less than a hundred after climbing for a whole day, and since we only saw a few scattered figures of it in the darkest places, how could it have spread its ‘seeds’ all over such a large Zhongnan Mountain?”

Ming Qitian was quiet for a while, then shook her head.

Once the rain stopped, all sorts of sounds from the mountains returned. Pei Ye didn't think much of it. After finishing a few strings of bamboo shoots and mushrooms, he lay back on his large blue stone and closed his eyes.

"Miss Ming, I'll definitely catch you a fish to eat tomorrow."

"Then we need to find a pond with fish."

"There will be fish in this pond tomorrow."

Pei Ye finished speaking in a low voice and then fell silent.

Ming Qitian looked down at the boy and saw that his breathing had become even, his forehead was flat and his eyebrows were relaxed, and his face looked very relaxed.

Pei Ye fell asleep.

After seven days of seclusion with Miss Ming to practice swordsmanship, his mind had gradually relaxed, but his body was tired. Now, after a day of climbing the mountain with his true energy, all that fatigue was released and turned into a peaceful sleep.

Pei Ye completely immersed herself in the mountains; the birdsong, the dripping water, and the sound of the wind all sank into her dream along with her consciousness.

In the darkness, at some unknown moment, Pei Ye felt as if he heard some faint stretching sounds.

It was so faint and subtle, not even as soft as the friction of two strands of hair when the wind blows, but it was indeed captured by the boy's keen senses, because it was a completely unique and silent sound, unlike the feng shui stone forest or the insects, fish, and feathers.

It sprouted, extended, spread, expanded... Pei Ye felt as if it had swum into his dream, where it spun its threads and wove them into a net.

This dream reminded him of the Golden Autumn Martial Arts Competition, and he suddenly opened his eyes.

It was the darkest time of the night, and dawn was approaching. The fire in front of the stone had already dimmed considerably, but the woman, sitting on the stone, still couldn't fall asleep.

"What's wrong?" She turned around.

"I think I dreamt about something," Pei Ye said, lying on the rock in a daze.

"what?"

"...It's nothing, I guess I've been thinking about 'The Fairy Tale' all the time, and what I think about during the day, I dream about at night." Pei Ye's mind cleared up a bit, and he sat up by propping himself up on a rock. At this moment, he noticed that the woman had also taken off her stockings, and a glimpse of fair skin that made his heart tremble was just covered by her skirt. He subconsciously turned his head and looked down, but what he saw made him pause in surprise.

The old, decaying small aconite plant by the stone was broken and turned to pieces overnight.

But beneath it, another patch of fresh ground aconite sprouted, stretching out its moist and weak stems, seemingly not yet adapted to the outside world, trembling slightly in the wind.

Pei Ye was stunned for a long time.

He suddenly realized that he had misunderstood something.

This rocky area is far from the mountains and forests, and Pei Ye thought that the small aconite plant under the rock was a coincidence.

Once it dies, this place may never be here again for a long time.

But after a rain, they sprout up in abundance, then perhaps most of them die, leaving only one or two in the end.

How come there are so many "seeds" here?

Unless it's not a seed.

Pei Ye thought of a mind-numbing possibility. He bent down and pulled up a small, unremarkable grass from the ground a foot away from the patch of ground lichen.

There were no signs of fungal growth around it.

But when Pei Ye held it up to his eyes, he saw that it was wrapped with fresh and fragile gossamer threads.

He stood up, took two more steps forward, pulled up a tall, deep-rooted blade of grass, and saw the gossamer threads again at the end of the rootstock, which was several feet deep.

Pei Ye paused for a moment, then stopped trying to draw the sword. He turned around, sat down cross-legged on the rock, placed the sword across his lap, and then raised his finger to hook a wisp of dark blue fire and cast it onto the sword.

Then the fire flowed down from the sword like a waterfall, falling onto the newly sprouted groundnut.

The fire was quieter and harmless than the others, and even finer and more delicate. Pei Ye closed his eyes, and the fire began to spread along the threads of the medicinal fungus.

Then Pei Ye became even more silent, as if he had merged with the mountain beneath his feet.

The thin, weak roots, just a few inches apart, were either broken or decayed, as if they would die at the slightest breeze.

But if you go deeper, you'll find that the unbroken threads are spreading outwards and into the depths.

One blade of grass, one tree, covered the entire meadow where they made their home... and then it never stopped.

Ten zhang, one hundred zhang, one thousand zhang.

From the grassland to the forest, and even to the bottom of the pool, and all the way to the depths of the mountain, back to the path they came from... Ninety percent of the threads were cut off or rotted away, but the remaining connections were never severed. From here to the first aconite they found, countless threads connected underground.

So delicate, so serene, yet so vast. Even a galloping horse cannot escape its range.

It doesn't have many aconite roots; it's just a single life.

Year after year, only its outer layer dies, and it constantly regenerates from its own body. Of course, there's no need for the "seed" to drift anywhere, because its tendrils already exist beneath every inch of soil.

Pei Ye used all his Chi Fire but still couldn't figure out its full form, but he knew what the "Youxian" recorded.

No one has seen it, but everything that is seen is actually it.

Omnipresent and immortal.

An immortal from the earth.

Pei Ye gently tapped his sword, causing the fuse to tremble. It seemed as if the pulse of the entire Zhongnan Mountains was resonating through his sword.

(End of this chapter)