Dao Qi Wu Zang Guan Guan: I became a Daoist Master in the 1990s

Chapter 26 Homecoming
"Asleep? You woke up at the village entrance?"

"He even changed into Taoist robes?"

The villagers looked at each other in bewilderment, and the murmurs grew louder.

"Five days! You slept for five days?" Some people didn't believe it.

"A deity! It must be an old deity from the mountains!"

An old man with white hair and beard slapped his thigh excitedly, "A college student is cultured, he's a reincarnation of the God of Literature! He's been chosen by the old immortal and taken as his apprentice! This is a divine destiny! A divine destiny indeed!"

"Yes, yes, yes! I've always said there are immortals on Immortal Mountain! But you didn't believe me!"

A woman chimed in, "That old woman from the next village, Wang, only fell while gathering herbs one year, and when she woke up she could see things again, right? This college student must be the same!"

"This Taoist robe is the proof given by the gods!"

The more they talked, the more mysterious it became, and the more they looked at Qi Yun with awe and curiosity.

Zhao Xinmin wiped his face, not caring about the details anymore; as long as the person was back alive, that was all that mattered. He pulled Qi Yun along and headed home, saying, "It's good that you're back! It's good that you're back!"

"Don't say anything more, just go home! Change your clothes and eat something! Look at your face, you've lost so much weight!"

As he walked, he shouted to the people next to him, "Shuanzi! Go to the township and call! Tell the government that the person has been found! Found! Safe and sound!"

Qi Yun was escorted back to the Zhao family courtyard by the crowd.

Zhao Xinmin's wife, a pretty girl from the county town, was both surprised and delighted to see Qi Yun, and quickly went to boil water.

Under the curious yet awe-inspiring gazes of the crowd, Qi Yun changed into Zhao Xinmin's slightly worn Zhongshan suit and cloth shoes.

Zhao Xinmin carefully folded and put away the blue Taoist robe, as if it were some kind of sacred object.

The food was served.

Qi Yun had just eaten a big meal and wasn't hungry at all, but everyone looked at his thin face, which had become so thin in just a few days, and assumed that he must be starving, so they prepared an extremely lavish feast for him!
As a result, Qi Yun could only force herself to eat a little bit.

This only made everyone think he was extraordinary.

He's gotten so thin and barely eats; he's practically becoming an immortal!
Qi Yun forced himself to eat, listening to the villagers around the table, chattering about stories of "divine intervention" and "college students having a predestined connection with the gods." They would occasionally ask him a question or two, but he would just shake his head blankly or vaguely reply, "I don't know" or "I can't remember."

Zhao Xinmin sat beside Qi Yun, watching her eat, his expression complex.

Does he believe in ghosts and gods? He didn't used to.

But how do you explain Qi Yun's disappearance for five days and five nights, and his miraculous reappearance at the village entrance wearing a Taoist robe?

His last bit of conviction was completely shaken.

Shenxian Mountain, it seems there really are immortals there!
The next morning, Qi Yun took his leave.

Zhao Xinmin refused to listen and insisted that he rest for a few more days. In the end, Qi Yun insisted and had no choice but to personally take him to the county town to catch the bus.

He borrowed the oxcart from Old Wang next door and harnessed his old ox.

Before leaving, the courtyard became lively again.

The villagers, carrying baskets and bundles, surged forward:

"College student! Bring some mountain produce! Homegrown dried mushrooms!"

"These are freshly dug wild yams; they're great for making soup!"

"Here you go, a few red-shelled eggs, to eat on the way!"

"My wife just made these corn pancakes, they're still warm!"

Looking at the simple, honest faces before him and the local products that, though not expensive, were full of heartfelt sentiment, Qi Yun quickly declined, saying, "Thank you, thank you everyone! Really, it's not necessary! I'm traveling, I can't carry that much..."

"Oh, take it! Don't mention it!"

Without a word, the old village chief shoved a package of cured meat wrapped in oiled paper into Qi Yun's old canvas bag, saying, "You're a distinguished guest in our village! This little bit is nothing!"

"Exactly! Let's soak up some divine energy!" Several women laughed as they loaded eggs and pancakes onto the oxcart.

Zhao Xinmin's wife, blushing, quietly slipped a still-warm boiled egg wrapped in a handkerchief into Qi Yun's hand.

In the end, Qi Yun's canvas bag was bulging, and the oxcart was piled with several bags of mushrooms, yams, and flatbreads.

The oxcart creaked out of the village and slowly made its way along the dirt road.

The old ox walked steadily, and the bell around its neck made a monotonous and long "ding-dong" sound.

Zhao Xinmin sat on the carriage shaft to drive, while Qi Yun sat on the back of the carriage.

On both sides of the road are harvested rice paddies, with neat rows of stubble and large patches of bare brown soil.

In the distance, rolling mountains appear in varying shades of blue in the morning mist, like frozen waves. The air is crisp and carries the scent of earth and vegetation.

Several tits hopped among the roadside bushes, chirping sweetly.

After walking in silence for a while, Zhao Xinmin turned back and looked at Qi Yun, his eyes still filled with lingering fear and deep confusion: "Old Qi... if this had happened before, I would never have believed it even if you beat me to death."

But it...it really happened to you.

He sighed, "Shenxian Mountain...it must really have immortals."

These past few days, I've come to believe it.

He paused, still unwilling to give up, and asked in a low voice, "You...you really can't remember anything at all? When you were asleep, there was nothing...nothing special?"

Qi Yun looked at the undulating mountains in the distance, shook his head, and said in a calm but firm tone: "Really not."

I was so tired that I took a nap, and when I woke up I was there.

"This outfit... I'm baffled by it too." He patted the Zhongshan suit he was wearing.

Zhao Xinmin stared at him for a few moments, then finally sighed helplessly and cracked his whip: "Oh well! The man is back, that's better than anything!"
You have no idea, if anything were to happen to you, I would be devastated for the rest of my life.

He spoke sincerely, "What are your plans when you go back? Have you found a job yet? My job as a civil servant may not pay much, but it's stable..."

Qi Yun leaned against the side of the cart, feeling the oxcart's bumps: "I haven't decided yet, let's go back and see first."

The mountain road was winding, and the oxcart moved slowly.

As the sun rose higher, it dispelled the morning mist, illuminating the fields and distant mountains clearly. The tinkling of bells accompanied the panting of the old ox as they made their way along.

When we arrived at the dilapidated long-distance bus station in the county town, dust was flying everywhere.

Zhao Xinmin helped Qi Yun load the things onto the car and stuff them under the seats.

The whistle for departure rang out sharply.

"Old Qi, be careful on the road! Let me know when you get home!"

Zhao Xinmin stood outside the car window, waving his hand vigorously and shouting loudly.

His face was covered in road dust, his hair was ruffled by the wind, and he stood in the swirling dust, his figure appearing somewhat frail.

"I understand! You should go back soon too! You haven't had a good time these past few days, go and rest. Thanks, Xinmin!"

Qi Yun leaned out of the car window and waved vigorously.

The old long-distance bus, belching black smoke, started up with a creaking sound and slowly pulled away from the station.

Qi Yun leaned against the dusty car window, watching Zhao Xinmin's figure grow smaller and smaller in the swirling dust until it became a blurry dot and disappeared from sight.

The wheels rolled over the bumpy dirt road, carrying him home, and also towards an uncertain future.

The mist over the Immortal Mountain seemed to have dissipated, yet it seemed to have cast an even deeper shadow in his heart.

That neatly folded blue Taoist robe, like a silent brand, remained in Qi Yun's bag, and was also imprinted on his bizarre experience.

I wonder if there will ever be a day when I can wear it again!
(End of this chapter)