Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 76 Qi Replenishing Pill

That night, Jiang Yi took his eldest son and moved into the new house at the foot of the mountain.

The daughter was still being led by the wife and left in the old house.

Firstly, this area has abundant spiritual energy, and it would be a real shame to leave it empty;

Secondly, it sets an example: a new house may be nice, but not everyone can live in it.

You have to develop your own confidence through practice.

The night breeze was gentle, the starlight was not very bright, and the mountains were quiet.

Jiang Yi lay supine on the bed, feeling as if his limbs and bones were sinking into a warm spring.

The tatami mat beneath me was surprisingly warm, as if it held a wisp of spring air, slowly seeping into my bones.

Outside the window, the row of small spirit tree saplings stood quietly, their leaves shimmering in the night, looking as if they were fast asleep, or as if they were quietly breathing.

Jiang Yi closed his eyes, but his mind remained awake.

Imagine these saplings growing into towering trees, their branches laden with fruit, and layers of spiritual energy flowing into the house.

By then, even a casual breath will nourish your blood and energy.

The thought itself made me laugh.

A slight smile curved her lips; she didn't feel it was too early, but rather at ease.

With a calm mind, the warm comfort of the tatami mat, and the gentle night breeze, I slowly exhaled and drifted off to sleep, nourished by the tranquility and spiritual energy of this place.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, a few light footsteps could be heard outside the courtyard, gently treading on the still dewy bluestone slabs.

The Liu family's son has arrived.

He carried two delicate porcelain bottles in one hand and a bamboo basket in the other.

The fruits in the basket were round and plump, with translucent skin. Even before you got close, their fragrance wafted over, like a gentle breeze carrying a delicate aroma.

Upon seeing Jiang Yi, he respectfully addressed him as "Uncle Jiang".

Upon seeing Jiang Ming emerge from the house, he immediately bowed deeply and called out, "Chief."

His demeanor was neither humble nor arrogant, and his voice was neither too loud nor too soft.

Jiang Yi nodded to himself inwardly. Although the boy was young, he was well-mannered and had a good demeanor.

With a smile, he took the porcelain bottle, exchanged few pleasantries, and turned to descend the mountain.

The old house was still quiet, with a small ball of fur on the kang (a heated brick bed), and bulging quilts under the blankets.

Jiang Yi reached out and lifted Jiang Xi out of the bed.

The little girl was sleeping soundly when she was suddenly pulled off the kang (a heated brick bed). Her eyes weren't even fully open yet, and she was whimpering and mumbling incoherently:

"It's not even dawn yet..."

Despite saying that, there was no commotion at their feet, and they were obediently led away.

When they arrived at the new house, the young man from the Liu family saw her, smiled, said nothing, and handed her the basket of fruit.

The fruits are uniform in size and bright in color, as if they were picked out long ago.

Jiang Xi's eyes lit up instantly, and her sleepiness vanished immediately.

He took the basket, squatted under the eaves, and picked out the fruits one by one, looking very serious with a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth.

Jiang Yi stood to the side, twisted his fingers to remove the stopper from the porcelain bottle, and whispered, "Open your mouth."

The little girl was still picking fruit from the basket, muttering, "I'm not hungry," but her mouth was already open.

The pill melted instantly upon entering the mouth, and a warm, soothing sensation flowed through the meridians, like spring water thawing and slowly circulating, bringing comfort wherever it passed.

Jiang Yi gently pressed his fingertips against her wrist to check her pulse and breath.

Sure enough, the previous stagnation had greatly eased, and although it was not yet completely unobstructed, it was still possible to refine the spiritual energy from the ground.

He nodded and casually instructed, "Practice is practice, but don't rush it; your health is the most important thing."

The two younger ones obediently responded and went off to warm up.

Jiang Yi straightened his cuffs, patted his clothes, and turned to leave the courtyard.

I had asked the carpenter to make a few tables and chairs, and now it's time to pick them up.

By the time he carried the old elm table back to the courtyard, the sun was already high in the sky. The bright light made the tiles in the courtyard gleam and the fruit seedlings shimmer like gold.

The courtyard was very quiet, and the eldest son was nowhere to be seen.

Only Jiang Xi remained, squatting at the entrance of the new house, holding the fruit basket in her small hands, staring at the few remaining fruits inside, her expression resentful, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

The young man from the Liu family was still there, standing in a proper horse stance, his posture upright and his breathing steady.

But his eyes kept wandering, glancing over there every now and then.

His expression was somewhat conflicted, as if he wanted to say something but swallowed it back.

He could only keep a straight face, adopting an attitude of "I am a person of asceticism, and I have no interest in fruition."

Jiang Yi glanced at it and immediately understood most of it, and couldn't help but chuckle softly.

He lowered his head and patted the little girl's head, lightly tapping her forehead with his fingertips, saying with a mix of coaxing and laughter, "I'll buy you a sugar figurine later."

The little girl had intended to keep a straight face and act indifferent, but the corners of her mouth turned up first. She pouted, but ultimately couldn't hold back and mumbled a reply:
"Then I'll take two!"

Jiang Yi nodded and said happily, "Okay, one of us will eat, and the other will hold onto it to annoy him."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xi's eyebrows and eyes lit up with joy, and she stopped making a fuss.

Jiang Yi carried the table into the house, placed it against the wall, and then went down the mountain path.

Back at the old house, after breakfast, he took out the small, clean white porcelain bottle, weighed it on his fingers, and then reached out to take Liu Xiulian's hand:
"Let's go, let's go up the mountain together."

Unexpectedly, as soon as he grasped her hand, she pulled away slightly and said in a low voice, "That pill is precious, so we should prioritize Xi'er."

Jiang Yi stopped in his tracks, looking at her with a gentle expression, but with an unusual seriousness in his eyes.

"We're a family living together, not just the two of us helping the kids."

As he spoke, he held up the porcelain bottle as if it were a small, worthless bottle, saying, "This little thing isn't so bad that our family can't afford it."

His tone was not harsh, but it left no room for argument.

He paused slightly, then slowly continued, "The land where the Illusionary Yin Grass grows has become a vital energy vein. The saplings of the spirit trees at the foot of the mountain have also taken root."

"A hundred or so seedlings, each one looking very vigorous. Once they bloom and bear fruit, we won't be short of these few pills."

As he spoke, he opened the porcelain bottle, took out a pill, and gently placed it to her lips.

Liu Xiulian originally intended to reply that spiritual fruits take ten or eight years to ripen, and right now they still have to get through the current hurdle.

But when you look up at his expression, his voice is calm, and his eyes are serene.

After a moment of stunned silence, she finally stopped struggling, opened her mouth slightly, and swallowed the pill.

Jiang Yi smiled slightly, said nothing more, and simply reached out to take her hand again.

Spring light falls from the branches; the mountain path is not steep, and we walk slowly and steadily.

The two walked side by side, as if they had been walking for many years, yet it also seemed like they had just begun.

From that day on, the boy from the Liu family came every morning.

With footsteps as light as a cat, he entered the courtyard silently, and in a flash, he was under the eaves.

Without calling out to anyone, he found an open space, stood up and squatted down, and entered the stance.

When the sun dips below the corner of the house and the smoke from the stove begins to rise, he pats his sleeves, politely bids farewell, and never says another word.

I've never come empty-handed.

Or perhaps a few mountain fruits, glistening with morning dew;
Or a few homemade sugar cakes from the village, their sweet aroma sure to win over any little girl.

The two younger ones were already familiar with each other, and spending so much time together day and night, one as steadfast as a pine tree and the other breathing like the wind, they grew closer and closer despite each pursuing their own path.

However, that little girl Jiang Xi hasn't changed her temper.

The title of "vice gang leader" still lingered in his mind every day, and he even became more diligent in regulating his breathing and internal energy.

Nourished by the spiritual energy of this land and aided by elixirs, his breathing became smoother and smoother with each practice, his breath became longer and more abundant, and his energy also increased.

Her once chubby little face now has a healthy glow.

His eyes and brows shone brightly, looking like a mountain spring after the rain, clear and refreshing, yet with a touch of stubbornness.

(End of this chapter)