Under One Person: The Taoist Priest Descends the Mountain

Xia He picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of goose meat, and put it in her mouth. After just one bite, she squinted her eyes and exclaimed, "Delicious!"

Cheng Mo also picked up a piece, chewed it, and said, "Hmm, it tastes good."

The two buried themselves in their food.

Cheng Mo ate very quickly, his chopsticks flying as he put one piece after another into his mouth.

Xia He ate happily at first, but after twenty minutes, she put down her chopsticks, rubbing her stomach, and said, "I can't take it anymore, I'm full."

She looked at the half-eaten goose meat and side dishes left in the pot, winked at Cheng Mo, and said, "It's up to you now, little Taoist priest."

Cheng Mo didn't stand on ceremony either, picking up a piece of goose meat and stuffing it into his mouth: "Watch me."

Just kidding, his cultivation level must have been greatly depleted.

Before he had no Qi sensation, his body automatically absorbed natural Qi to replenish itself, and his food needs were not much different from those of a normal person. Now that he can sense and use his own Qi, he can temporarily block the absorption of natural Qi and rely on food to replenish his energy.

That would require eating a whole cow!

Cheng Mo ate one bite after another, enjoying goose meat, potatoes, wide rice noodles, frozen tofu, hazel mushrooms, and sauerkraut without hesitation. He picked up a cornbread from the side of the pot, broke it into pieces, dipped it in the broth, and put it in his mouth.

The proprietress came out of the kitchen and was stunned by the scene.

Is this child's stomach a bottomless pit?

Another half hour later.

Cheng Mo put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth: "I'm full."

The pot was completely clean, with hardly any broth left.

The proprietress opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word for a long time.

Cheng Mo stood up and said to the proprietress, "Check, please."

The proprietress snapped out of her daze and quickly gave a number.

Xia He patted her stomach, paid the bill, and smiled broadly, "Boss lady, the food here is really delicious!"

Cheng Mo pulled her away from the restaurant.

Since then, the restaurant has been associated with the legend of a competitive eater, attracting countless competitive eaters to challenge the record, but none have been able to surpass it.

On the way back, Xia He linked arms with Cheng Mo, rested her head on his shoulder, and said softly, "Little Taoist priest."

"Um?"

"I never imagined you'd go hungry all this time because of me."

Cheng Mo turned to look at her: "What the hell?"

Xia He's eyes sparkled: "I think a monthly allowance of 100,000 might not be enough for your food."

She suddenly raised her head, her eyes resolute: "But it's alright, little Taoist priest, I'll earn more money to support you in the future!"

Cheng Mo was silent for two seconds: "...Don't you know I can control the digestion and absorption of natural energy? Just now I was simply using food to replace natural energy."

Xia He was stunned: "Huh?"

Xia He stared at him, her eyes filled with disbelief: "This thing can actually be controlled?"

Cheng Mo nodded: "I can also control my metabolism, but it just speeds up the digestion and absorption of food."

Xia He opened her mouth, but after a long pause, she managed to utter, "...Little Taoist, they're right, you are a monster."

Cheng Mo took a bite out of it.

Xia He instantly softened.

For a long time, the lips are divided.

Cheng Mo looked at her: "Am I still a monster?"

Xia He nodded, her eyes glazed over: "A monster who loves to eat."

Cheng Mo: "..."

……

It was past 10 p.m.

The two disguised themselves slightly and returned to the vicinity of Shihua Hall.

I found an inconspicuous corner to squat in and waited for almost two hours before the lights in the hall finally went out.

After a while, Deng Youcai came out carrying a small bag, looked around, and walked in one direction.

Cheng Mo and Xia He followed.

This wasn't the first time they'd followed someone, and with Xu Xiang serving as a cautionary tale, they understood the tricks of the trade even better.

Maintain distance, stay hidden, and use the shadows of vehicles and buildings along the street.

Deng Youcai walked slowly, occasionally stopping to smoke a cigarette and look around.

Cheng Mo and Xia He weren't in a hurry, so they just kept it going.

Deng Youcai entered an old residential area, stopped in front of the building, looked up and counted the floors, spat on his hand, and began to climb the stairs.

Cheng Mo and Xia He waited for him to stop on the fifth floor before entering the building and slowly walking up the stairs.

The stairwell was dark, with no lights.

Xia He whispered, "I never thought we'd have to take the stairs one day."

Cheng Mo replied, "What are you saying? Why would you climb over the wall when you're back home?"

Xia He snorted: "You're the best at arguing."

The two stopped at the corner between the fourth and fifth floors and listened intently.

From a room on the fifth floor, the faint sound of a man cursing could be heard. Latest plot update: Click to follow.

"...You good-for-nothing! You've lived off your family since you were little, and it's only natural that the house should go to me after our parents died. Now that I'm in trouble, what's wrong with asking you for a favor? If you want me to get married, then get married! Why are you being so picky? Who do you think you are?"

"After raising you for so many years, shouldn't I get something in return? You're just a waste of money; I should have thrown you away in the first place!"

"Don't play dead with me! I'm telling you, this isn't up to you!"

Xia He clenched her fists as she listened from outside.

It's been so long since I left this afternoon, and this guy is still cursing?

Inside the room, the man seemed to have finished cursing; his voice softened, and he began to mutter to himself.

"Since things are already like this, she's mentally unstable, and no one wants to marry her anyway. Why not turn her into a prostitute? Maybe some rich guys will like that kind of thing and give her a thousand or eight hundred a time. It's much more cost-effective than getting married."

Xia He's eyes widened in surprise.

Xia He's eyes widened in surprise.

Is this even human language?

That's his own sister!

She was about to make a move—

Bang!

Clang!

The window was suddenly blown open by the wind, and a cold draft rushed in, making people shiver.

A sudden gust of cold wind swept into the room, causing the curtains to flutter loudly.

The lights in the room began to flicker, sometimes on, sometimes off.

The man shuddered and turned to look out the window.

A figure stood outside the window.

The figure stood in the air outside the window, back to the moonlight, its face obscured, its dark eyes staring straight at him.

"ah--!"

The man screamed, stumbled backward, and knocked over a chair.

The lights dimmed again.

When the lights came on again, the figure had already entered the room and was standing by the window.

The lights went out again.

When the light came on again, the figure was standing in the room, less than two meters away from the man.

The man's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, trembling and unable to speak.

The lights dimmed more and more frequently, and their flashes became shorter and shorter.

With each light that illuminated the room, the figure drew closer.

The last time the light came on, that pale face was right in front of him, less than a foot away.

The man finally broke down, struggled to his feet, and turned to run away.

"A ghost!!!"

He flung open the door, rushed into the stairwell, and scrambled down the stairs, shouting as he ran, "A ghost! A ghost! Don't look for me, go find her, go find her!"

Cheng Mo and Xia He hid on the top of the stairs, watching the man rush downstairs. The sound carried all the way down, waking up the people in the building.

A window opened, and someone poked their head out, yelling, "What are you yelling about in the middle of the night! Are you crazy?!"

"What's with the wailing?! Can't a person get any sleep?!"

"I'll call the police again!"

The man's voice faded into the distance, eventually disappearing completely.

The lights in the room were restored to normal.

The cold wind stopped, and the curtains were drawn.

Deng Youcai climbed in through the window, dusted himself off, and walked over to Xiaolin to check on her condition.

This time it's really confirmed—it's possession by a malevolent spirit.

Deng Youcai sighed, picked her up, and carried her out carefully.

Cheng Mo and Xia He waited for him to come out and then continued to follow behind.

Deng Youcai carried Xiaolin all the way back to Shihuatang.

The two gods were already waiting in the temple.

Deng Youcai placed Xiaolin on the prayer mat and said to the two gods, "Prepare to open the altar."

The two gods nodded and began making arrangements.

Offerings were placed on the altar: roast chicken, fruit, and steamed buns, all arranged neatly.

Incense sticks were placed in the incense burner, and candles were lit on the candlesticks.

Deng Youcai put on his religious robes, picked up the King Wen Drum, and stood in front of the incense table.

The two gods picked up the drum and stood to the side.

Deng Youcai took a deep breath and began to beat the drum and sing a divine tune.

dong dong dong -- dong dong dong --

"Ah—the sun rises over the mountains and brightens the sky, push open the cloud gate and open the door."

Carriages and horses run on the main roads, while pedestrians and animals roam the side roads.

Nine out of ten doors were unlocked, and one door was still open.

The door was open and closed, waiting for the old immortal to descend the altar...

As the lyrics were sung, the incense on the altar shot straight upwards, gathering in a clump on the roof of the hall, where it lingered for a long time.

Deng Youcai's voice grew louder and more urgent.

The drumbeats of the two gods grew increasingly dense, booming like a torrential downpour.

Suddenly, Deng Youcai's body trembled, his eyes became deep and aged, no longer resembling a twenty-year-old.