Under One Person: The Taoist Priest Descends the Mountain

"I'll do it, I'll do it." Cheng Mo rolled up his sleeves.

He emptied all the miscellaneous firewood from the stove and piled it aside.

Then, select a few pine branches of suitable thickness from the woodpile, split them into thinner strips with a wood-chopping knife, and cross them at the bottom of the stove to form a loose grid.

Then, he grabbed a handful of dry grass stored in the corner, crumpled it into a fluffy ball, stuffed it into the gap under the wooden frame, took out a match from his pocket, struck it with a "snap," and brought it close to the ball of dry grass.

As the flames leaped up, Cheng Mo calmly added a few thinner pieces of wood. The flames spread along the wood and gradually grew stronger. Only then did he arrange the firewood, from thin to thick, on the gradually burning fire, leaving enough gaps for air circulation.

Soon, a steady and intense flame rose from the stove, illuminating the entire kitchen brightly and warmly.

Xia He watched in disbelief: "Wait, little Taoist priest, how come you know everything? This makes me look so stupid."

Cheng Mo patted the dust off his hands: "You've always been dull."

Xia He nodded blankly, "You're right this time." Then, realizing what she meant, she urged, "Quick, put the pot on and pour in the water! I want to take a good bath today~~"

"You're taking a bath right in the pot?"

"Do you think I'm a hot pig? I'm not stupid, I'm just dumb! There's a big bathtub over there, just boil the water and pour it in." Xia He pointed to a wooden tub about half a person's height in the corner.

Cheng Mo: "...Understood."

Xia He watched the fire slowly heat up, then suddenly nudged Cheng Mo: "Go and slice up that wild boar and roast it. I'll watch the fire."

And so, Cheng Mo was banished from his loyal kitchen and sent to the small courtyard in front of the house. There, he rebuilt a simple earthen barbecue stove and, by the moonlight and the firelight from inside the house, began to process the large wild boar.

Deboning, slicing, skewering...

While he was busy here, Xia He ran back and forth between the kitchen and the bathroom. After a while, she went into the bathroom and wouldn't come out.

A bamboo pipe extended from the bathroom wall, and Xia He's voice, carrying the scent of steam, drifted out: "Little Mozi, remember to heat water for your sister."

Cheng Mo didn't even look up: "Hey, you really know how to enjoy yourself."

Xia He's humming came from the bathroom, which quickly turned into intermittent humming.

Listening to the sounds of rushing water and singing next door, Cheng Mo suddenly felt something was off...

Even though a beautiful woman was taking a naked bath right there behind a door, I remained calm and didn't feel the slightest urge to peep.

This is nothing like a boy this age.

Oh, right, I'm mentally in my thirties or forties, so I'm definitely not a little boy anymore.

But logically speaking, a man of this age shouldn't be so celibate...

Cheng Mo decided that once things were settled here, he would go and find a reliable traditional Chinese medicine doctor to check his health.

For now, let's focus on the barbecue.

The rich aroma of roasted meat wafted on the night breeze, permeating the entire Biyou Village.

Ding Zihuan and Qiu Rang were the first to follow the scent, and other villagers were also gradually drawn by the aroma and gathered in front of the hut.

Xia He... couldn't resist the allure of the fragrance any longer, so she quickly dried herself, got dressed, and ran out.

"Don't rush, don't rush, everyone gets some." While Cheng Mo was grilling, Xia He busied herself distributing the meat to everyone.

In just one night, the entire village of Biyou had completely accepted Cheng Mo and Xia He, and even wished they would stay longer. Several shameless villagers even said they would bring ingredients to eat together the next day.

Qiu Rang and Ding Zihuan also had the same idea, but they knew that Cheng Mo and the sect leader had important business to attend to, so they declined on their behalf, saying that Cheng Mo had to help Ma Xianhong for a few days.

When the villagers heard that it was the village chief's important business, they wisely stopped bothering him.

In Biyou Village, the village chief's research is the most important thing.

Even after the pork was finished being shared, the aroma lingered, and the crowd dispersed, satisfied.

Cheng Mo was about to take a shower when Xia He suddenly pulled a small wild boar out of his backpack: "Hehe, Little Mo, roast this one too. The big wild boar meat is really too tough, the little pig is much tastier."

Cheng Mo: "...What did you use to pretend you were a pig?"

Xia He stuck out her tongue: "Your backpack."

Cheng Mo snatched the backpack, peeked inside, and almost tripped over by the strange smell: "Oh my god! You'd better take this and wash it right now!"

"Then I'll go wash the bag, and you roast the pig?" Xia He bargained.

Cheng Mo flatly refused: "Don't even think about it, let's talk about it tomorrow!"

Xia He let out an "Oh," and immediately deflated, carrying her dirty backpack, she walked dejectedly towards the stream.

"Remember to wash my clothes too," Cheng Mo called out.

Xia He replied sullenly, "I know."

Cheng Mo turned around and went to take a shower.

Xia He secretly turned around and saw that Cheng Mo was nowhere to be seen. She immediately stomped her foot in anger: "You stingy guy!"

When Xia He returned after washing the food, Cheng Mo was already asleep.

Xia He muttered to herself, "That little Taoist priest is really careless." She crawled into her own bed, deciding that she couldn't sleep too soundly and had to stay alert.

As a result, within two minutes of lying down, my breathing became deep and even.

In another room, Cheng Mo, half-asleep, listened to the sound breathing of the girl sleeping soundly next door and muttered to himself, "This girl is too careless. I need to find an opportunity to train her."

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Cheng Mo woke Xia He up.

The two began practicing their martial arts in the courtyard behind the cabin, bathed in the morning light and the crisp mountain air.

First comes the gentle and flowing Eight-Section Brocade exercise, which regulates the three jiaos and loosens the muscles and bones. After one round, when the breathing is slightly calmer, the Vajra Exercise follows.

Hands placed on the top of the head benefit the three jiaos (upper, middle, and lower body); hands and feet placed forward and backward strengthen the kidneys and lower back…

Just as the second repetition of the Vajra Kung Fu was beginning, Ma Xianhong's voice came from outside the courtyard gate: "Brother Cheng, are you up yet...?"

Before he could finish speaking, he heard a whooshing sound coming from the backyard.

Curious, Ma Xianhong walked around the house and saw the two people practicing their martial arts.

After watching for less than a minute, Ma Xianhong was certain that this was an extremely authentic Taoist internal alchemy foundation-building technique, upright and grand, and also containing a natural rhythm.

After watching for a while, Ma Xianhong's expression turned strange.

Cheng Mo's movements were clearly more skilled and precise, but there was no fluctuation of Qi around him, as calm as a deep pool of water.

In contrast, Xia He, though slightly less skilled, had layers of pink Qi surging around her as she circulated her technique, forming a protective membrane as thin as a cicada's wing. It was somewhat similar to the Golden Light Mantra that he had heard his elders mention, but the color, thickness, and even the meaning were completely different.

Ma Xianhong thought to himself: Could the old Taoist priest who taught Brother Tuan be from the Longhu Mountain lineage?

The old Taoist priest passed on his skills to Brother Cheng with the intention of taking him as a disciple, but unfortunately Brother Cheng was not fortunate enough to receive them. Instead, Brother Cheng passed on the skills to Miss Xia...

Hey, isn't this just another form of "education for all"?

Brother Cheng and I are truly destined to meet; we've found the right person this time. The Body Refining Furnace should be able to be further improved.

In the courtyard, Cheng Mo wasn't worried that Ma Xianhong would learn it. He only practiced the movements, without the corresponding breathing methods and Qi circulation routes, which would at most improve his health.

Even assuming, hypothetically, that Ma Xianhong is a genius and could actually learn it...

That's fine too. At worst, I can find a way to bring the magical artifacts back to the Taoist temple and add some depth to it.

After completing the Vajra Kung Fu twice, Cheng Mo and Xia He slowly finished their practice and exhaled a long breath.

Cheng Mo turned around, cupped his hands in greeting to Ma Xianhong, and said with a smile, "Brother Ma, please wait a moment. I'll go wash up and come right away."

Ma Xianhong smiled and nodded: "Brother Cheng, please go ahead."