You've only been cultivating for a few years, and you're already talking about cultivating

The pickled fish was very fragrant.

The white fish slices tumble in the red oil, the sourness of the pickled cabbage, the spiciness of the dogwood, and the numbing sensation of the Sichuan peppercorns all blend together, making your mouth water just from the smell.

Manager Zhou picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth, chewed it, and his expression was somewhat subtle.

"Hmm... how should I put it..."

He smacked his lips and picked up another piece of food with his chopsticks.

"The fish is a bit dry."

The other men nearby nodded in agreement.

The fish was too big.

The backs of those two blackfish were taller than a person, and they must have lived for who knows how long. Naturally, their flesh was not as tender as those small fish that weighed three to five pounds.

Although the fish meat is dry, it's so delicious!

Qi Fei was very generous with the seasonings when making sauerkraut fish, using up half of the caravan's seasonings in one go.

Now the aroma of all the seasonings has seeped into the fish. Although it's a bit tough, the more you chew, the more flavorful it becomes, and you can't stop eating it.

"Delicious!" A waiter, his mouth greasy, gave a thumbs up.

"It's fucking delicious!" Another one, who couldn't even speak clearly, had his mouth stuffed full.

Steward Zhou served another bowl of blackfish soup.

The soup was milky white, thick like rice porridge, with a layer of golden oil floating on top. He blew on it and carefully took a sip.

"Phew!"

He let out a long breath, his eyes narrowing.

"This is the real good stuff!" He held the bowl, taking bite after bite, reluctant to put it down.

Snakehead fish soup is a highly nutritious food, especially from old snakehead fish that have lived for hundreds of years; the essence in the soup is even more abundant than the fish meat.

After finishing a bowl, I felt warm all over, and the fatigue from fighting at night seemed to have dissipated a lot.

After finishing one bowl, Steward Zhou poured himself another, reminiscing as he drank.

"Brother Qi, you know, on this trip, we've encountered a snake demon, a river god, and now a celestial master like yourself, and we're even eating such a huge fish..."

He shook his head, finding it hard to believe even himself.

"I've never seen so many strange things in my entire life."

Qi Fei smiled, picked up a piece of fish, and chewed it slowly.

By the time they had eaten and drunk their fill, it was already dawn.

The sun rose in the east, shining on the Ruyin River, making its surface shimmer. The two enormous black fish on the riverbank were even more conspicuous in the sunlight.

People from the surrounding villages gradually gathered around.

Some people looked at the two large fish from afar, their faces filled with horror, and knelt down with a thud.

"A dragon! It's a dragon!"

"The river god has appeared! The river god has appeared!"

They knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly while muttering incantations.

Many more people crowded around, staring longingly at the remaining fish, but dared not approach.

Qi Fei glanced at Steward Zhou.

Manager Zhou understood, stood up, and called out loudly, "Come, come! Don't be shy! There's so much fish we can't possibly finish it all, everyone come and have a taste!"

He and a few of his men began to butcher the two large black fish.

With knives and axes, pieces of fish were cut off and distributed to the onlookers.

Some people accepted the fish and meat, expressing their gratitude profusely, and took it home. Others took it and immediately started a fire to roast and eat it.

Soon, the aroma of grilled fish filled the riverbank.

The aroma was so strong that it permeated the entire riverbank, making one's mouth water just from the smell.

Qi Fei walked up to a caravan that was grilling fish, squatted down, and asked, "Is it good?"

The caravan leader was devouring the grilled fish, nodding repeatedly, "Delicious! Delicious! I've never eaten such a big fish in my life!"

Thousands of miles away, in the mountains near Linjiagou.

The Jujube Master was squatting in front of a child, and asked the same question: "Is it delicious?"

He had a thin face, three long wisps of beard, and a slightly pale complexion; he looked very amiable.

Just now, he picked a large jujube from the tree next to him and handed it to the child.

The dates were bright red, about the size of an egg, and emitted a sweet aroma.

The child didn't immediately reach out to take it. He stared wide-eyed at the jujube tree in front of him, his face filled with disbelief.

Just now, he witnessed the old Taoist priest stick the unremarkable wooden staff in his hand into the ground, and the staff seemed to come alive, taking root, sprouting, branching out, and growing leaves, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into a lush jujube tree.

The jujube tree blossomed, the flowers fell, and then it bore fruit.

The dates turned from green to red, from hard to soft, hanging heavily on the branches, bending them down.

The whole process took no more than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

The child rubbed his eyes, then rubbed them again, to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Eat up," the old Taoist priest said with a smile, handing the dates forward.

The child then came to his senses, took the date, and carefully took a bite.

The dates are very sweet and delicious.

"Is it delicious?" asked the Jujube Master.

"Delicious!" The child's eyes lit up, and he finished the date in a few bites, gazing longingly at the bright red fruits on the tree.

Daoist Zao smiled and nodded.

The child rushed over, stood on tiptoe, picked one after another, stuffing his mouth full.

The Taoist priest squatted to the side, looking at the child who was covered in black.

The child's clothes were tattered and patched in several places, and the soles of his straw sandals were worn through, with his toes sticking out and covered in mud.

But the strangest thing was the shadow on his body.

That was his own shadow, clinging tightly to him, as if glued to him.

"Are you an immortal?" the child asked indistinctly as he ate.

Daoist Zao paused for a moment, then smiled.

"Immortals?" He shook his head, a hint of self-mockery in his voice. "They're just fools chasing after the path to immortality."

The child didn't understand what he meant, but he didn't care.

All he knew was that the dates the Taoist priest conjured were incredibly delicious, better than any date tree in the village.

He ate several, and his stomach was so full that he couldn't eat anymore.

But as he looked at the bright red dates on the tree, his eyes darted around, and suddenly an idea popped into his head.

"Immortal, Immortal!" He clutched his stomach, gazing longingly at the Jujube Taoist. "Can I take some home?"

"Of course," Daoist Zao nodded with a smile.

The child was overjoyed. He quickly took off his tattered jacket, spread it on the ground, and started picking up dates from it one by one.

He picked up a large, heavy bag, hugged it tightly, and beamed with joy.

"Thank you, Immortal!" He bowed to the Date Master while holding the bag of dates, then skipped and hopped down the mountain.

Daoist Zao stood there, watching the small, dark figure grow smaller and smaller until it disappeared into the mountains and forests.

The forest was quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.

Daoist Zao sighed softly.

The sigh lingered in the mountains and forests, never fading away.

By the time the child got home, it was almost dark.

Clutching the bag of dates, he ran excitedly into the yard, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Dad! Mom! I met a fairy! The fairy gave me so many dates!"

He put the bag of dates on the ground, and the bright red fruits rolled all over the ground.

To his surprise, his parents didn't believe him at all. Instead, they scolded him, saying that his playfulness was affecting his prayers that day.

Then, his parents led him to kneel in front of the portrait, muttering incantations.

The painting depicted a blurry, indistinct shadow, indistinct and unclear. It was a portrait of the god of shadows.

"Nothing exists as a master, only the Shadow God..."

"The Shadow God is merciful, relieving calamities and bringing salvation..."

"Believe in the Shadow God, the only Shadow God..."

The child drifted off to sleep amidst the prayers.

He had a dream.

In his dream, he turned into a tree.

A jujube tree.