Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 233 Planting Peach Trees by Hugging a Thigh

Pei Zhao's request was indeed a bit too much.

However, considering that it was indeed understandable and it was another gold card, Zhang Chengdao nodded and asked Ye Shuyun to take him on a trip there and back when she had time.

Improper use of teleportation arrays can easily lead to accidents, and in severe cases, even death.

Of course, for ease of management, Zhang Chengdao also handed over the draft of the "Regulations on the Management and Use of Teleportation Arrays" to Lord Song, and asked him to quickly compile a set of standard rules and regulations to open the teleportation arrays in Chang'an City to a limited extent first—for example, allowing officials to use them at public expense when they have urgent reports to report to, so that they can come to the White Stone Immortal Sect to report, without having to wait for the court meeting every 7 days.

Pei Zhao was very grateful for this and privately expressed his gratitude to Ye Shuyun repeatedly. After retrieving the medicine, he even invited her to dinner, but she politely declined.

Ye Shuyun also greatly admired Pei Zhao: "The spiritual energy here in Chang'an City is thin. You are truly exceptional in your ability to draw spiritual energy into your body under such circumstances. If you are interested, you might as well try it when the Immortal Sect holds the Immortal Fate Conference next time. If you can enter the sect, you will become fellow disciples. Why be so distant? Cultivation will be much easier."

"To be honest, Immortal Master, that is exactly what I intend to do," Pei Zhao said, cupping his hands. "However, my wife is frail and relies heavily on my care. I'm afraid it will be difficult for her to stay at White Stone Mountain to cultivate immortality. Alas."

Before he could finish speaking, his spoiled little daughter chimed in, revealing her father's shortcomings: "Big brother, Mommy's not weak at all! She beat you until you cried the other day!"

Pei Zhao's face darkened, and he argued, "Ah Da was just showing respect to Madam, not being beaten to tears! Ah Da is a dignified eight-foot-tall man, a fifth-rank martial artist, how could he be beaten by your mother, a sixth-rank one?"

As she spoke, she reached out and pushed the little girl with the cotton-padded jacket into the house: "Go away, go away, adults are talking, children shouldn't interrupt!"

"Ah Da! How embarrassing!"

Pei Xiaoman rubbed her chubby, caterpillar-like fingers on her cheeks, then ran into the house with a grin: "Mother—"

Pei Zhao could only awkwardly bow to Ye Shuyun again: "Ahem, please forgive my rudeness, Immortal Master."

Ye Shuyun smiled slightly and said, "Hehehe, your loving relationship as a couple is truly enviable, and your daughter is so genuine and lively. There's no need to laugh at us!"

"Hehehe, you flatter me, you flatter me..."

After exchanging many polite words, Ye Shuyun took her leave.

Then, Pei Zhao carefully picked up the bowl of "miracle medicine" and went to Madam Yang's bedside.

Madam Yang had already woken up, but she was still a little weak. When she saw the "miracle medicine" in Pei Zhao's hand, she couldn't help but roll her eyes and said, "Doctors don't know much about us martial artists. You yourself are a martial artist, don't you know anything? It's just a matter of damaged Qi and meridians. It will be fine after some recuperation. Why do you need to ask for 'miracle medicine'?"

Pei Zhao quickly replied, "It's not expensive. With a diagnosis from the Eastern physician, it only costs two strings of cash. Madam, please don't worry!"

Although Pei Zhao was born into the Pei family of Jincheng and Madam Yang was also a member of the Yang family, it is clear from the fact that the two of them went to the Taiyue Sword Sect to make a living from a young age that they really had no family wealth. In fact, Madam Yang was an orphan of the Yang family, and the wealth left by her parents had long been divided up by the Yang family, who simply sent her to the Taiyue Sword Sect to settle things.

If it weren't for the fact that their marriage was arranged by Qu Zhiweng, the head of the Taiyue Sword Sect, Madam Yang would probably have been sold into marriage by her clan again.

Madam Yang didn't say anything more, but readily accepted the "elixir" and drank it all in one gulp.

The so-called "miracle medicine" is actually Ge Gen Tang (葛根汤).

Chang Ping'an's vital energy, which had been damaged for many years, was restored after drinking a bowl of [Kudzu Root Soup], let alone Madam Yang's minor injury.

In a short while, Madam Yang felt as if she were soaking in a hot spring, feeling warm and comfortable. Her true energy channels grew stronger and stronger, even becoming much thicker than before, with surging and abundant true energy within them.

She simply sat up in meditation on the bed, slowly regulating her internal energy. After a while, she slowly exhaled, opened her eyes, and met Pei Zhao's expectant face. She immediately felt both amused and touched.

"As expected of a 'miracle drug,' I am fully recovered."

Then she pressed on, "From what that immortal master said, you seem to be favored by the sect leader?"

Pei Zhao recalled the gentle advice given by the white-haired sect leader in the magnificent hall, and his doubts outweighed his pride.

However, he confidently replied, "Probably so. After all, I am the first official in the court to cultivate Qi into the body, so I should indeed be noticed by the sect leader."

Madam Yang asked again, "If that's the case, then is it possible for you to join a celestial sect?"

Pei Zhao nodded and said, "The sect leader did mention that I have a deep affinity for immortality. Perhaps I can try to break through the trial formation at the next Immortal Affinity Conference."

“If you have the chance, you should still give it a try,” Madam Yang sighed softly. “I’ve come to understand that the world is about to change, and our Zhou Kingdom will change the fastest and the biggest.”

Pei Zhao almost jumped up instinctively, then quickly spat a few times to correct him, "Pah! What Zhou Kingdom! We are now the White Stone Immortal Sect! Under the rule of immortals and gods! What kingdom are you talking about?"

Madam Yang smiled and continued, "If Immortal Baishi were truly a deity, he wouldn't care about such things. Besides, looking at all the officials in the court, they're all complete fools; none of them are as shrewd as the gentleman before me."

Pei Zhao blushed at these words and whispered, "We're an old married couple, what are you saying! The child is still here!"

As he spoke, Pei Zhao turned to look at Pei Xiaoman with some embarrassment, only to find that the old servant had already taken his daughter to play in the yard.

No wonder, the old servant is always clever. He must have noticed that his wife's tone was off, so he hurriedly avoided the situation and even took Xiaoman away.

Madam Yang smiled gently and continued, "What I mean is, these officials in the court probably can't see that they're all about to lose their official hats! With the establishment of the 'White Stone Immortal Dao University,' where will ordinary people be employed as officials and clerks in the future? Even martial artists will probably have no chance anymore! But I wonder if cultivating immortality is as the 'White Stone Immortal Dao Book' says, that everyone can cultivate it. If that's really the case, how come none of these officials saw it, while you, a Hanlin scholar, came out on top and caught the sect leader's eye?" Pei Zhao had naturally thought of all this long ago, otherwise he wouldn't have devoted himself to cultivating immortality whenever he had free time. Now, hearing his wife say this, he felt very moved.

Although his wife was born an orphan, she had always been strong-willed; otherwise, she wouldn't have beaten him to a pulp the moment he showed his talent upon entering the house...

Well, in short, his wife's insight was unmatched even by those high-ranking officials in the court, just as he found the likes of Wang Yanqing laughable.

Even if you flatter someone, what if all the officials in the court become cultivators in the future, while those sycophantic ministers who only know how to fawn over their superiors are ignorant of the Dao of Immortality? How will they conduct themselves then?
Overjoyed, Pei Zhao couldn't help but emphasize, "Madam, could you please say that I am a genius and was the first to draw qi into my body?"

Madam Yang rolled her eyes again: "You were only slightly better than me back then, how come you have the nerve to brag like this? I know you too well!"

“Even a little bit stronger is still stronger!” Pei Zhao said, then his eyes suddenly lit up: “That’s right, Madam! I’ve observed that there are quite a few female disciples in the immortal sects, which shows that the immortal path does not distinguish between birth and social status, nor does it treat men and women lightly… Why don’t you join me in cultivating the immortal path? Perhaps in the future we can even serve as officials together in the court!”

Although Madam Yang was somewhat tempted, she still refused, saying, "If I wanted to go, I would have gone long ago! Why would I wait until now?"

This is not her boasting. Apart from the Southern Chu Kingdom, which suppressed martial artists to the point that there were almost no women in the court, in both the Zhou and Xiao Kingdoms, as long as one's martial arts rank is high, there is no distinction between men and women!
A martial artist with the cultivation level of sixth rank like Madam Yang, even if she can't become a general, would be more than qualified to be a lieutenant general.

However, Madam Yang was born into the Yang family, and initially, she feared that the Yang family would suppress her, an orphan, and that she would not be able to serve as a general properly, so she gradually gave up her ambitions. Now, because the Yang family had also joined the Li family in the rebellion in Guanzhong, Madam Yang and Pei Zhao were both as careful as possible, afraid that their backgrounds would be investigated. How could they dare to dream of any official position?
After all, they had been husband and wife for many years, so Pei Zhao knew exactly what Madam Yang was thinking. He immediately comforted her, saying, "When I met the sect leader today, he didn't mention the Pei family at all. Perhaps he doesn't care about such things at all. Just as we predicted before, the uprising in Guanzhong is nothing but a mantis trying to stop a chariot, and it's not worth worrying about! So even if you were born into the Yang family, it doesn't matter. As long as you achieve success in your cultivation of immortality, I think the sect leader won't hold it against you!"

At this point, he even brought up Madam Yang's lifeline: "Sigh, even if we don't think about ourselves, we have to think about Xiaoman. If we are both cultivators and have both boarded the big ship of the Immortal Sect, Xiaoman's future will be limitless!"

Upon hearing the mention of Xiaoman, Madam Yang immediately deflated and stopped dwelling on issues like the Yang family and the Pei family. She finally nodded and said, "Alright, since that's the case, then tonight you will teach me how to cultivate immortality!"

Seeing that his wife had agreed, Pei Zhao was overjoyed. He then carefully took out two peach pits from his pocket and said, "I secretly got these from the immortal masters of the White Stone Immortal Sect. It is said that if they can be planted, they will become 'immortal peach trees'! Not only will the fruit they bear be 'immortal peaches', but they can also gather spiritual energy in our courtyard, making the cultivation of immortality twice as effective!"

Madam Yang frowned slightly: "Such a precious item? How could I let you get it so easily? Wouldn't that be against the rules?"

"No, no, I saw those immortals throw the peach pits directly into the valley after they finished eating the 'immortal peaches'. If it were something truly precious, how could they dispose of it so casually?"

Pei Zhao replied, "Besides, I specifically asked that little immortal Ye, and he said that the 'immortal peaches' in the Immortal Sect have always been sold without restriction, and the sect leader is actually happy to see everyone taking various 'immortal seeds' and 'immortal tree seedlings' to plant. It's just that the spiritual energy concentration in other places is too low to grow them successfully, so it hasn't been promoted..."

"Moreover, during the morning court session this morning, the sect leader mentioned promoting the cultivation of spirit-infused grains so that everyone under the White Stone Immortal Sect's rule could grow them. From this, we can get a glimpse into the sect leader's attitude!"

Upon hearing that there was no taboo against it, Madam Yang felt relieved and instead asked, "Since they are difficult to grow, then these two will also be difficult to grow, right?"

Pei Zhao was just waiting for this question, and hurriedly and happily took credit, saying, "It's alright. The teleportation array in Chang'an City is now open. I'll try to go to Baishi Mountain more often. Immortal Ye said that although plants won't survive if they don't have enough spiritual energy, they can be watered with spiritual water regularly. And the Heavenly Pool in Baishi Mountain is the largest spiritual water lake. I can go there every now and then to scoop some water to water them, and they will naturally survive! I even brought a bamboo tube with me this time!"

As he spoke, he began to imagine with anticipation: "Let's plant them in the open space in front of this window, one here, one there. When the peach blossoms are in full bloom, it will look beautiful..."

Pei Zhao was the kind of person who acted on his thoughts immediately. Upon hearing this, he stepped out of the house, only managing to say, "I'll plant them first!"
Unfortunately, Pei Zhao was a scholar.

Of course, he can also be considered a martial artist, after all, he used to be a fifth-rank martial artist.

In short, he wasn't a farmer and didn't know how to plant trees at all. He just dug two holes in the ground based on his intuition, buried two peach pits in them, and that was it.

Just as they were about to pour the spiritual water from the bamboo tube, the old servant of the house happened to stroll over with Pei Xiaoman. Seeing Pei Zhao's disheveled appearance with his hands covered in mud, the old servant was very curious: "Master, what are you doing?"

Pei Zhao casually replied, "Isn't it just planting two peach trees?"

Looking at the soil that Pei Zhao had trampled flat, the old servant felt a sense of foreboding: "Didn't the master buy any saplings?"

Pei Zhao lowered his voice and whispered while holding the bamboo tube, "This is a 'fairy peach tree.' We're lucky to get two peach pits, let alone a sapling!"

When the old servant heard that it was a "fairy peach tree," he was first startled, but then he saw the way his master planted it and felt a great sense of unease. He couldn't help but ask, "If the master is using a peach pit to plant it... has the peach pit been cracked open?"

Upon hearing this, Pei Zhao was dumbfounded: "Knock...knock on the peach pit!?"

"If you plant it directly, it might sprout, but it might not."

“These peach pits are hard. If you don’t break the shell, it will take one or two months just to wait for them to sprout. Often, seven or eight out of ten won’t sprout,” the old servant muttered. “Although I’ve never grown peach trees, I have grown apricot trees. Most of the time, you have to crack open the shells of these hard ones. But you have to be careful when you crack them. If you damage the kernel inside, it’s better not to crack them at all!”

The old servant had been serving Pei Zhao and Madam Yang for nearly ten years, and had almost always regarded them as elders looking after younger generations. When he thought about the two precious "immortal peach seeds" that Pei Zhao had buried in the soil, he sighed even more, "And Master, you've tamped the soil so firmly that it's all clumped together. I'm afraid it will suffocate the seeds, making it even harder for them to sprout... Alas, Master, you mustn't ruin these immortal seeds!"

"This... this is how it's planted..."

The question of how to plant peach trees was indeed outside Pei Zhao's knowledge. Upon hearing the old servant's explanation, he quickly squatted down again, dug up the soil that he had painstakingly compacted, carefully pulled out the two peach pits, and earnestly asked, "Please, Grandma, teach me how to plant this peach tree..."

"I can't accept your 'please', Master!" the old servant waved his hand and said, "Actually, it's not difficult. We just need to break through the outer shell..."

As he spoke, the old servant took the two peach pits and examined them carefully.

"If the patriarch trusts me, I will give it a try..."

……

(End of this chapter)