Poor Taoist Qiu Chuji

Chapter 399 Trampling Time Underfoot

Aban beside him was still chattering away, seemingly with an endless supply of things to say, but to be honest, Qiu Chuji didn't find it annoying at all.

Although he didn't really want to pay attention to it, the naive and lively nature of this shallow understanding of the world made him feel as if he himself was coming alive.

At this moment, Qiu Chuji himself did not realize that he was showing a tendency to 'transform into the Dao'.

Just as doctors who stand in front of the operating table for a long time gradually become indifferent to the life and death of others, traders who stir up storms in the stock market will feel that money is just a string of numbers, and politicians who wield enormous power will regard human lives as bargaining chips to achieve their goals... When Qiu Chuji got used to the nonchalance that time gave him, then countless years later, he was just a part of this long river of time, completely obliterating himself.

Aban's shallowness and chatter were just right for Qiu Chuji at this moment.

Just like how Rick always has to have Morty by his side.

As A-Ban continued to make a racket, the world in Qiu Chuji's eyes became more vibrant.

Qiu Chuji turned to look at Aban, suddenly not wanting to look at it, knowing it would die so palely in a few years... at most a few decades.

This was not out of any emotion, but because Qiu Chuji saw in Aban traces of stabilizing his own state.

If civilization cannot serve as an anchor for a fixed direction, then what about the friends you truly make with your heart?
Even though it will eventually die.

But there isn't just one way for an existence to achieve immortality.

Is it possible to embed feelings for 'friends' into the trajectory and progress of civilization, and then cherish that civilization, to step into time and break the curse?
Qiu Chuji didn't know, but he could give it a try!
Anyway, he has plenty of time.

“Mossy Forest!” Qiu Chuji turned to Aban and said.

"Ah? What did you say?"

“Yes! The Moss Forest! Do you want to go? I just said that delicious ‘Gaga’ worms can grow there. They have very tough skin, but their flesh is very tender. You’ll definitely like them. Also, the moss there glows silver in the evening. It’s very beautiful!” Aban didn’t mind repeating what he had said before.

"Alright! Let's go then!" Qiu Chuji stood up.

Aban hesitated, "Going... is fine! But I still have an exploration mission; the Mossy Forest is a bit further north."

"And now is not the best time to eat 'gaga worms'. You have to wait until summer, when the gaga worms have eaten their fill and grown plump fat, then they will be even more delicious."

Qiu Chuji smiled and said, "I know another way to eat insects. We extract oil from some oily plants, then fry the 'gaga insects' in the oil until they are crispy and fragrant!"

"Then we'll find some spices, mix them all together... the neighbor's kids will be drooling!"

Aban didn't fully understand, but it instinctively began to swallow its saliva.

"Oh well!"

"We can continue flying north for a while."

"I must say, this is really not a good idea. It's already autumn, and the north is about to get extremely cold."

“You have to listen to me! I have experience, I can plan a perfect route, along the way... we can pass through several forests and lakes that are relatively rich in resources, and you are big enough to hunt...”

Ah Ban has perfectly convinced himself and has begun to plan his roadmap.

And so they set off, heading north, crossing mountains and valleys, witnessing the desolate autumn valleys and tasting the sour wild fruits.

Before winter arrived, the man and the bird finally reached the mossy forest.

It is quite fitting that Aban calls this place a moss forest.

Because this forest is not only home to ancient pine and birch trees, but also a world of moss.

The setting sun cast its last rays across the distant lake, reflecting a hazy silver light onto the moss floating on the water.

A dark green carpet climbs up from the shoreline, wrapping the cracked bark of each old birch tree.

When Qiu Chuji stepped barefoot onto the bluish-gray moss, the humus layer made a sound like a sigh as it collapsed.

Seven steps away, a gray squirrel darted past, its claws lifting up fallen leaves to reveal ochre-red moss, like a scabbed wound suddenly oozing blood.

As the north wind swept through the treetops, hundreds of yellow leaves fell in a flurry, but before they touched the moss carpet, they were frozen in the damp air, hovering in mid-air like solidified amber.

"It's truly beautiful! This trip was definitely worthwhile!" Qiu Chuji exclaimed.

He had long since become numb to natural scenery. Except for the occasional gazing at the starry sky, when the deep starry sky would still give him a slight sense of intoxication, the landscapes of the world could no longer move his soul.

But... having a travel companion makes all the difference; sharing itself is a joyful thing.

"Yes! Yes!"

“I’ve always known that it’s a pity that A-Guang, A-Mao, Cuicui, Lanhua… they can’t fly far, and they’re also a bit afraid of the cold, so they’ve never wanted to come here with me.”

"I've always planned to find a big bird that can fly very, very far, and ask it to help me take all my friends on a long journey to the Mossy Forest." As he said this, Aban kept looking at Qiu Chuji.

Although Qiu Chuji never flew very far each time, his speed was by no means slow, barely meeting A-Ban's needs.

Qiu Chuji pretended not to understand A-Ban's hint.

As my fingers brushed against the fallen log, moss spores clung to my fingertips, emitting a metallic, metallic odor.

A spruce tree, struck by lightning, lies across the stream, its cross-section now covered in a fuzzy green coat, resembling the bulging spine of a sleeping giant.

Deep inside the tree hollow, I touched the cold, stagnant water. The fragmented sky reflected on the water's surface was torn into a spiderweb by fine moss.

The birch forest on the opposite bank turned leaden gray in the mist, and the moss on the tree trunks condensed into copper-green patches... As darkness gradually fell, the magnificence and wonder of the moss forest also faded.

The cries of some wild animals made Aban instinctively fly up to the treetop.

It wasn't afraid at all.

This is in the north, and winter is approaching, so snakes are no longer active.

As long as it stands on the treetop, what can threaten it?
When the rotting birch trunk was split open, long, thin, plump worms with red heads and white bodies were found.

Qiu Chuji built the stove and then found a stone with a groove, which he placed on the makeshift stove.

The oil plants collected along the way had already been pressed to extract oil. Now, the vegetable oil was poured into the groove, and after the oil was heated up a bit, all the collected 'gaga worms' were poured into the oil. Then, they were immediately stir-fried continuously with twigs.

The aroma burst forth instantly, and A-Ban flew down from the treetop, circling the pot anxiously.

It had never smelled such a fragrance before.

It was as if an instinct had burst forth from the deepest part of my body.

It wants to eat!

After all the 'gaga worms' were fried until golden brown and fragrant, Qiu Chuji used chopsticks made from wooden sticks to scoop them up and place them on a large expanse of pine needles.

Then A-Ban immediately flew down and, without any regard for politeness, immediately started to bite.

"Hiss~ It's so hot... Good! Delicious!" A-Ban was unusually quiet, because every extra word he uttered meant he would eat less. Qiu Chuji also ate two... but he didn't actually find them that delicious.

It's just fried insects; he got tired of eating them a long time ago.

But seeing Ah Ban's ravenous eating habits, he also sped up his chopsticks.

Dozens of 'gaga insects' were wiped out in one fell swoop. Aban lay on the branch that was leaning against him, his two wings drooping, his belly bulging, with an expression that said he was content with his life and had no regrets about dying.

"What a pity... that everyone can't taste such delicious food!" A-Ban sighed as he looked at the stars above and the occasional ray of aurora in the distance.

"What's there to regret?"

"I'll teach you how to do it, and you'll have a chance to make it for the other birds!" Qiu Chuji shoveled out the charcoal ash from the bottom of the stove, spread it evenly, then placed a layer of wooden sticks on top, and then lay down.

The mossy forest is located near the far north, and it is already late autumn. There are already signs of snow and ice covering the ground. There are basically no snakes, insects, rodents and ants disturbing the sleep on the ground. Therefore, Qiu Chuji's 'simple' shelter only needs to provide a little bit of warmth.

Actually, he didn't really need to do this. After all, with his physical condition, he didn't have even a tiny bit of supernatural energy. No matter how cold the air in nature was, it wouldn't make him catch a cold. But doing this would probably make it more ceremonial.

"Really? Really? Is it possible?" A-Ban sat up excitedly, his bright eyes looking at Qiu Chuji lying under the tree.

“Of course it’s true!” Qiu Chuji said.

Since he intends to make Aban a part of the bird race's civilization, he needs to take some concrete actions.

For example, making Aban the 'God of Food' of the bird tribe, bringing more types of food to the bird tribe, as well as more cooking methods and techniques.

Don't underestimate the importance of eating. Although it may not seem as solemn as the heroes who emerge in war, it is actually closely related to the existence of life.

Emperor Yan Shennong... wasn't he in charge of things related to food?
Then, for almost the entire night, A-Ban talked to Qiu Chuji about how to improve the fried 'Gaga Bug' to make the process simpler and safer.

After all, some of the operations are still quite difficult for birds.

Those strong and powerful birds of prey are unlikely to become 'cooks'; they have a more important responsibility of guarding.

Qiu Chuji and Aban played in the mossy forest for four days, and Qiu Chuji also taught Aban many simple cooking techniques.

After that, they returned to the south together.

After all, winter is coming soon. Even if Aban isn't that afraid of the cold, it's still just a bird, and the cold north could still freeze it to death.

The man and the bird returned even faster than they had come.

Upon returning to the forest where Qiu Chuji had originally meditated, he stopped and bid farewell to Aban.

"Are you really not coming back with me?"

"You are very strong, and although you don't fly very far, you are very fast. Besides... you also know so many amazing cooking techniques!"

“If you return to your tribe, you will be very popular!” Aban’s tone was strong and full of certainty.

Qiu Chuji shook his head. He was already a little tired of following A-Ban on this trip.

So, he plans to get a good night's sleep.

"OK then!"

"I should go back now, otherwise my friends will worry!"

"But I'll come back to play with you again!"

"Thank you for teaching me cooking techniques. My friends will definitely be very happy after they taste the dishes you taught them."

Aban flies a few meters away, then turns back to say a word or two. Even when it has flown hundreds of meters away, you can still see it turning back from time to time to shout at Qiu Chuji... It's not afraid of crashing into a tree.

After seeing A-Ban off, Qiu Chuji loosened his muscles and bones, and practiced the "Eight Vajra Skill" twice in a long time to improve his blood circulation. Then, Qiu Chuji found a hole, blocked most of the entrance, leaving only an air hole, and lay down.

Once asleep, I forgot about time.

The leaves in the forest turned green and then yellow, then yellow and then green again; I don't know how much time has passed.

When Qiu Chuji woke up again, the animal skin on his body had already rotted away and crumbled into dust with a light tap, falling to the ground.

Pushing aside the rocks that had long been sealed off by vines and mud, and breaking many thick tree roots, Qiu Chuji finally crawled out of the cave that had sunk into the ground.

The sun was shining brightly outside, so Qiu Chuji found some large leaves and wove them into clothes to temporarily cover himself.

Then he noticed that there were flocks of birds overhead, flying north in formation.

The lead bird even had a wreath on its head, highlighting its special status as the leader.

"Two thousand eight hundred and fifty-four years ago, our bird clan's sage, Aban, discovered the earliest cooking method for 'Gaga Insects' in the mossy forests of the far north. This led to our rich culinary culture and the great evolution of birds as a whole," the lead bird explained as it flew.

The other birds that followed it seemed to have known all along and weren't very interested in these things.

One of the birds, with white feathers and a blue head, spoke up: "Teacher! The Friendship Forest is just below!"

"Some archaeological experts say that the recipes left by Aban record that the Friendship Forest is where the culinary journey begins."

"Moreover, it left its most amazing recipe in the Friendship Forest."

The lead bird responded, "That's a possibility, but experts have investigated and found that the insects in Friendship Forest don't taste very good, and they don't have any distinctive berries or spices, so that possibility has been ruled out."

"Some birds have also searched for the legendary ultimate recipe here, but... none of them have found it."

"Perhaps this is just a beautiful legend about this forest!"

Qiu Chuji looked up at the birds soaring by, and thought of Aban again... More than two thousand years have passed, and Aban's bones must have rotted away long ago.

There was no sense of loss or regret, just a little bit of...strangeness!
Qiu Chuji searched the forest, and soon after, he found a rough box carved from stone under the roots of a large tree. Inside, there were patterns and simple bird-like characters carved on stone slabs.

"Big guy... I don't know your name yet, so I'll just call you Big Guy!"

"This is a new dish that I developed on my own. You can learn it by looking at the picture. Consider it my treat to a meal!"

"Remember to eat well!" That was the last thing A-Ban left on the stone slab.

Qiu Chuji's fingertips touched the cold stone slab, and he suddenly smiled with relief.

He remembers Aban at the other end of time, and Aban misses him in the past. So how can time truly sever anything?
The moment the thought arose, the golden light in my heart burst forth completely, then permeated my entire body and soul.

No need to struggle, no need to exert effort.

Qiu Chuji deftly pulled out his other foot from the long river of time.

It turns out... he had always been standing on the other side, but a small part of him was still lingering there, unable to let go of his attachment.

The world turned upside down, and in the myriad realms, another immortal Golden Immortal was added!
(End of this chapter)