I've already become an immortal lord, and only now is the spiritual energy reviving?

As dusk settles in Jiping Town, the town is bustling with activity.

The area in front of the "Zui Xian Ju" restaurant is bustling with traffic, and the aroma of wine and meat wafts out through the window cracks.

As Ou Yeheng walked into the lobby of the restaurant and headed upstairs to a private room, a mountain of flesh suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Waiter! This is what you call braised pork knuckle? It's not even enough to fill a tooth gap in Grandpa's mouth! Bring me three more, no, five more!"

A burly, rough-faced man with a face full of scars roared from the counter, spitting everywhere.

Two companions were standing beside him.

A gray-clad man wearing a straw hat, obscuring his face, and a tall, slender, and sallow-faced, down-on-his-luck scholar.

It was none other than the Iron-Maned Demon King, Juexin, and Xu Sixing, who had disguised themselves and descended the mountain.

"Shut up, don't cause trouble."

Xu Sixing helplessly tugged at the sleeve of the Iron-Maned Demon King and cursed in a low voice:

"What were your instructions before you left? This is mortal territory; do you want to drag us down with you?"

"I...I'm just hungry."

The Iron-Maned Demon King grunted twice and reluctantly moved away.

As he moved, his thick shoulder unfortunately bumped right into Ou Yeheng.

"Thump!"

A muffled thud.

"what?"

"Whoa!"

Two soft exclamations rang out simultaneously.

The Iron-Mane Demon King stared wide-eyed at the unremarkable young blacksmith before him.

He had sealed his demonic power, but his body was still a genuine demonic form, yet he couldn't even defeat a mere Qi Refining youth.

Ou Yeheng also frowned slightly.

The impact felt extremely strange, like hitting a heavy, solid lump of iron covered with pigskin.

Juexin, who had been silent all along, suddenly looked up, stared at Ou Yeheng for a few more moments, and seemed to be deep in thought.

"I'm sorry, my relative isn't very bright and offended the little brother."

Xu Sixing quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands in a smile, and stood silently in front of Tie Zong.

Ou Yeheng was an honest man. Seeing that the other party was polite, he didn't make a fuss and returned the greeting with clasped hands: "It's alright, please pass."

Only after his figure disappeared around the corner of the stairs did Xu Sixing let out a long breath and glare fiercely at Tie Zong:

"What are you looking at! He's just an outer disciple who specializes in blacksmithing, but he's a bit too strong."

"If the patrolling soldiers discover anything amiss, we'll all be in jail tonight!"

"Old...Old Pig knows he was wrong."

......

Upstairs in a private room, people clinked glasses and exchanged toasts.

Ou Yeheng took his seat in the main position.

Opposite her stood Zhang Lingyuan, dressed in a bright red gown, her beauty captivating.

As for those surrounding the table, they were the parents of both sides.

Zhang Lingyuan's father, Zhang Baicao, was a seasoned veteran; after a few cups of rice wine, his tongue started to swell.

The reverence for the "immortal master's" daughter was diluted by the alcohol, and a hidden longing in his heart could no longer be suppressed.

His eyes were red as he held his wine glass.

"Heng-ge'er, let me speak from the bottom of my heart. Our two families have known each other for decades, we know each other inside and out. Now you've both made something of yourselves, even joined the immortal sect..."

Zhang Baicao let out a hiccup, his voice suddenly rising in pitch:

"You and Lingyuan have been playing together in the mud since you were little. If... if you could become related by marriage, you'd have someone to look after you on the mountain, wouldn't you?"

"If you succeed, your father and I can rest in peace even in the afterlife!"

The room fell silent instantly upon hearing this.

Zhang Lingyuan dropped the half-peeled shrimp into the bowl with a "plop," her face turning red all the way to her ears.

Ou Yeheng's father, Ou Ye Tiezhu, stood frozen in mid-air, holding a wine pot, unsure whether to look at it or put it down, his honest face showing his unease.

Entering the immortal realm means severing ties with the mortal world. Although everyone may not understand the details of this rule, they all know how powerful it is.

Ordinary parents who arbitrarily matchmake their children may anger them...

"cough."

Ou Yeheng put down his chopsticks, his expression unchanged, and helped the swaying Zhang Baicao.

"Uncle Zhang, you've had too much to drink. Your health is important."

He refilled the teacups of the four elders, speaking with sincerity and candor:

"I understand what you mean, Uncle, but in my heart, Lingyuan is like my own sister."

His gaze was clear as he looked directly at Zhang Baicao, then glanced at Zhang Lingyuan, who remained silent with her head down.

"If anyone bullies her on the mountain, I will protect her with my life. If she lacks anything, I will do everything in my power to get it for her."

"This bond of growing up together is stronger than any marriage alliance."

"besides."

Ou Yeheng turned to his parents.

"Lingyuan and I are seeking the path to immortality. The road ahead is long. Some things are meant to be done naturally. Forcing things will only disturb our peace of mind."

In his speech, he didn't utter a single "no," yet he clearly drew the line without offending the elders.

Zhang Lingyuan breathed a sigh of relief, but a strange sense of loss flashed through her mind.

She immediately smiled, took her mother's arm, and said coquettishly:

"That's right! Dad, you're worrying too much! We call each other 'fellow Daoists' on the mountain, why would we think about these romantic entanglements every day?"

"Look at Elder Qingyan, that's what you call ethereal and otherworldly!"

"Yes, yes, yes! It's all a matter of the immortals!"

Ou Ye Tiezhu quickly tried to smooth things over.

"Come on, Brother Baicao, let's drink! Don't cause trouble for the children!"

......

As night deepened, the banquet ended.

The elders went back to the shop first, leaving the two of them to walk side by side on the way home.

The streets were wide and clean, with soft glows from the ever-burning lamps on both sides, and the soldiers patrolling at night stood tall and proud.

"The moon is so round tonight."

Zhang Lingyuan walked with her hands behind her back, stepping through the cracks in the bluestone slabs, her skirt fluttering in the wind.

Ou Yeheng followed half a step behind her, his steps extremely steady.

"Um."

Ou Yeheng responded in a muffled voice.

"The road is also in good condition. It was just renovated, and the ground underneath is paved with waste slag that the weapon-refining workshop didn't want. It won't break even after hundreds of years."

"Tsk, Ou Yeheng."

Zhang Lingyuan stopped abruptly, turned around, and looked at him with a disappointed expression:

"Did you get brain-dead from being in the furnace? I'm admiring the moon with you, and you're talking to me about paving roads?"

Ou Yeheng scratched his head innocently: "Road construction is a big deal! Only when the road is open can our family business thrive..."

"Shut up!"

Zhang Lingyuan glared at him irritably.

The two walked in silence for a while.

Suddenly, Zhang Lingyuan took a few steps closer, ignoring the passersby on the street, and brought her face close to his, asking with a hint of alcohol in her breath:

"Hey, you, Woody, at the dinner table just now, when you said you treated me like your own sister, were you really telling the truth?"

Ou Yeheng leaned back subconsciously, but she grabbed his sleeve.

Looking into those bright, sparkling eyes, he nodded and said earnestly:

"Of course it's true, Lingyuan. The path of cultivation isn't easy; we must help each other..."

"Stop! Stop with the bureaucratic talk!"

Zhang Lingyuan interrupted impatiently, a sly glint in her eyes:

"Then let me ask you this: since you don't like my type, what kind of partner would you like to find in the future? Don't tell me you want to be a monk!"

Ou Yeheng was stunned.

This question was indeed beyond his area of ​​expertise.

For the past ten years, he has thought of nothing but fire and iron.

He frowned and pondered for a long time, several figures flashing through his mind, before finally summarizing with a serious expression:

"If we're truly talking about spiritual companionship..."

"First of all, he is physically strong and has great strength."

"As you know, I do manual labor. If I can't lift an 800-pound metal hammer, even if you help me pump the bellows, I'll be exhausted in half an hour."

"Secondly, you have to be able to endure loneliness and stay with me for three days and three nights in a furnace chamber with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Celsius, staring at a piece of iron..."

The more he listened, the more sense it made; Ou Yeheng's eyes were practically shining.

"A fire elemental root would be even better! Combined, our fire control techniques will definitely improve by leaps and bounds!"

As Zhang Lingyuan listened, her initial slight anticipation turned into shock at seeing someone act like an idiot.

Strong?

A bellows?

And she still has to stay with him in the fire pit and be a waiting-for-husband stone?

"Ou Yeheng!!!"

Zhang Lingyuan laughed in anger and shoved him back two steps.

"Go live with your anvil! Or you could worship your sledgehammer as your wife!"

"You deserve to be a bachelor your whole life!"

After yelling, she stomped her foot angrily, turned around and ran away without looking back.

Ou Yeheng was pushed around inexplicably and stood by the roadside looking completely bewildered.

"I'm telling the absolute truth. Since we're cultivation partners, what else can we do besides refining weapons and cultivating together?"

He opened his mouth as if to shout, but didn't know what to shout.

Suddenly, his gaze swept over an inconspicuous viewing pond by the roadside.

Among a few broad green leaves, a flower bud splits open and trembles gently in the moonlight.

"Spirit Kite!"

Ou Yeheng, suddenly inspired, raised his voice exceptionally loud this time:

"Look! The night-blooming cereus is blooming!"

The sulking figure in the distance paused noticeably for a moment.

After hesitating for a few seconds, curiosity finally prevailed.

Zhang Lingyuan reluctantly shuffled back, muttering to herself:

"Where? If you dare lie to me, I'll put you in the furnace and refine you!"

Ou Yeheng did not argue, but pointed to the edge of the pool.

In the stillness of the night, the epiphyllum slowly bloomed, just as the legend had said.

The pure white petals unfurl outwards, revealing tender yellow stamens, and a faint, cool fragrance spreads.

Even if it's just a fleeting moment of beauty, it seems exceptionally moving in this bustling town.

Zhang Lingyuan was so captivated by the sight that her anger had largely subsided.

She crouched down, wanting to touch it but not daring to, afraid of disturbing the fragile creature.

"Brother Ouye, look..."

"Even though it only ran for a short while, it ran very diligently."

Ou Yeheng stood behind her, the moonlight shining on Zhang Lingyuan's profile, outlining her soft features.

Compared to flowers, this scene before me seems even more precious.

"Um."

He responded in a muffled voice:

"Worth the drive...it was definitely worth it."

Zhang Lingyuan turned around and met Ou Yeheng's unusually focused gaze.

Gone was the usual rigidity; her pupils reflected a small moon and her shadow.

My cheeks felt hot for no reason.

"What are you looking at, you idiot!"

Zhang Lingyuan jumped up in a panic and shouted:

"You big idiot!"

After shouting, she ran home like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, lifting her skirt as if fleeing for her life.

"Remember the time to return to the mountain tomorrow! Don't oversleep!"

From afar, her somewhat flustered voice could be heard giving her instructions.

The epiphyllum has reached its peak and is now fading, just like the myriad aspects of life, fleeting and ephemeral.

Ou Yeheng did not move.

Beneath his eyes, deep within a layer of seemingly eternally unyielding ashes, a tender, gentle affection was revealed, one that even he himself was unaware of.

"So be it, I'm stupid."

He chuckled softly, bent down to pick up a fallen petal, and carefully tucked it into the booklet in his pocket.

Close the book.

Come back home.