I am a wandering immortal in the mortal realm.

"Brother Ox! Brother Ox!"

By the time Shen Yuan carried a large bag of things from Linquan Town to Yiyuan Temple, the sky had almost completely darkened.

If it weren't for the body's exceptional stamina, anyone else would probably have collapsed halfway through the journey.

Even so, Shen Yuan was exhausted. That's why he called for the takin not far from the Taoist temple.

The temple was pitch black at this moment, without any lights or human presence. But Shen Yuan had a feeling that the takin was inside the temple.

Sure enough, not long after Shen Yuan's call ended, a long, strange cry rang out from the temple.

"Woof!"

It fluttered in the secluded valley, startling birds into flight.

Then came the dull thud of footsteps.

A colossal figure trudged along in the deep twilight, even with a hint of excitement.

Shen Yuan was overjoyed. Even though he had only been away for a day, he inexplicably missed the silly ox!

"Woof!"

The takin reached Shen Yuan's side and let out another loud howl.

Perhaps because it had little social interaction and didn't know how to express its emotions, after calling out, it obediently half-lay down at my feet. Only occasionally did its ears twitch, chasing away the buzzing, annoying mountain mosquitoes.

"Haha, Brother Ox, while I was away, did you secretly do anything bad?"

"Woof!"

Shen Yuan couldn't resist stroking the takin's fluffy head, took the iron pot from his back, hung it on its horns, and said with a smile, "Not bad, not bad. In recognition of your performance, I'll cook you porridge later..."

"Woof!"

The takin's eyes brightened, and its ears twitched even faster.

Shen Yuan said with no small amount of pride, "I made some money this time and bought two jars of pickled vegetables. The shopkeeper said it's a recipe I learned in the capital. It'll be incredibly delicious with porridge later. I'll share some with you, so be sure to give it a try!"

"Woof!" the takin barked even louder.

"Oh, right!"

Shen Yuan seemed to have thought of something, and took out a packet of sweets from his bundle, took one out and put it in his mouth.

Although it doesn't have the aroma of freshly fried food, it has a sweet taste that is rare in this era.

The takin was practically drooling.

Shen Yuan chuckled, "I know you're a foodie, so I'll share half of this bag of sweets with you as a reward for your hard work guarding the temple!"

Having said that, he tossed a fruit into the air as if teasing a dog, hoping the other person would jump up like a puppy.

Unexpectedly, the takin's bright black eyes, which were fixed on the trajectory of the falling fruit, suddenly tilted its head to the left.

Before Shen Yuan could understand the takin's intentions, it opened its mouth and the fruit seemed to be thrown into its mouth on its own initiative, landing steadily inside.

Without the slightest unnecessary movement, a perfect anticipation!

Shen Yuan's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but sincerely praise, "Amazing, Brother Niu! No wonder you've been able to hold the deserted temple all by yourself for so many years."

I really don't know how much they held back in that battle the day before yesterday!

Shen Yuan sighed inwardly.

"Woof!" the takin howled happily.

The oily aroma of the confectionery once again gave it a taste experience different from porridge, making it irresistible to start nodding and swaying its head.

Following the Taoist priest was definitely the right decision; luckily, I stubbornly stayed that day.

It's a pity the fruit was too small; it was gone in just a few bites, unlike the satisfying feeling of drinking porridge.

So it had no choice but to turn its head away and continue staring intently at the oil paper package in the Taoist's hand.

Seeing that it was practically eating them one after another, Shen Yuan was speechless and said helplessly, "Brother Ox, are you eating ginseng fruit like Pigsy from Journey to the West? At this rate, even if I, a Taoist priest, worked 996 every day, I still couldn't afford to feed you!"

After saying that, he chuckled and said, "Luckily, I, the Taoist priest, was wise enough not to feed you back then, otherwise... you would have suffered terribly!"

As Shen Yuan spoke, he took two more sweets from the oil paper package and tossed them over. Then he put the bundle on its back, said "Let's go," and strode towards the temple.

The takin chewed on its fruit, barked once more, and trotted after it.

……

Upon entering the Taoist temple, the Taoist priest first scanned the area around the main hall to make sure the takin hadn't caused any damage before he felt relieved.

Then I went to the backyard and found that not only had the weeds been completely cleared away, but even some of the ruins on the ground seemed to have been cleaned up.

Although the work was not done carefully, and could even be described as somewhat rough, it saved Shen Yuan a lot of trouble.

What a pleasant surprise!

No need to guess, it must be the work of a takin!

"Are you really not able to understand human language, or are you just pretending to be confused?" Shen Yuan glanced at the takin and said with a smile.

He thought to himself, "It seems that Brother Niu is gradually becoming more human-like. This is a good start."

"Woof!"

The takin let out a triumphant howl, as if to say: See? Cows aren't just for show!

Shen Yuan laughed heartily, and the last trace of resentment he had brought from the foot of the mountain vanished instantly.

He patted the ox's head and said, "Brother Ox, you've suffered, so I, the Taoist priest, can't be stingy. I'll make sure to give you an extra spoonful of the pickles later!"

"Woof!"

……

Shen Yuan didn't talk much. As it got dark, he lit an oil lamp and went to the kitchen to scoop rice to cook porridge.

He happened to have bought an iron wok, as well as oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. After washing them up a bit, he planned to cook another meat dish.

Although we ate meat at the farm, they prefer it boiled here, which gives it a gamey, slightly gamey taste.

After taking a bite, Shen Yuan refused to touch it again, which made Zheng Baozhu think he was a vegetarian, so she kept putting vegetables into his bowl.

After everything was finished, it was just past 7 PM. The man and the ox still sat on the ground, sharing porridge.

Shen Yuan took a bite of the pickled vegetables, and they were indeed fragrant and sour.

In this era, there are no pre-cooked meals, and the ingredients are all-natural. He always felt that the dishes, in terms of both taste and aroma, were purer than in his previous life.

"Come, come, Brother Niu, don't be shy!"

He picked up a piece of pickled vegetables with his chopsticks and put it into the takin bowl. The other person simply rolled his tongue around and swallowed it.

Shen Yuan shook his head: "A cow chewing on a peony, tsk tsk tsk..." After saying that, he also picked up a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth.

Today there are more side dishes, so it's no longer the bland, watery porridge of the past. This porridge finally has some flavor.

One person and one ox, they were extremely content.

By the time everything was tidied up, the moon was high in the sky.

In the dead of night, with no phone to play with, Shen Yuan leaned against the takin and looked at the moon through the broken eaves of the main hall.

The mountains were bitterly cold, but the ox's body was as warm as a furnace. Shen Yuan thought that if this guy didn't snore, he would be a pretty good sleeping partner.

The moon wasn't very bright tonight; it was shrouded in mist and clouds, making it appear hazy. Shen Yuan stared at it intently, suddenly remembering what had happened during the day.

"Brother Niu, why do you think people in this world are divided into different classes?"

"Woof!"

"Brother Niu, do you know what? Today I was mistaken for a beggar coming to someone's door to beg for money."

"Woof!"

Shen Yuan chuckled softly: "So Brother Niu is truly the best. When hungry, he eats grass; when idle, he lies down; when tired, he sleeps soundly. He doesn't need to concern himself with worldly affairs. If he has any worries, he can simply retreat to the mountains, letting the tall buildings rise and fall, the world clamor, he remains untrodden. How carefree he is!"

"Woof!"

"Forget it, I can't explain it to you. Just sleep! Just sleep!"

Shen Yuan said something and then fell silent. In the quiet hall, only the heavy breathing of the takin could be heard.

Time seemed to stand still, the night filled with an intoxicating tranquility that calmed even the heart.

Shen Yuan felt his eyelids getting heavy, and this time, he fell asleep in front of the ox...

……

Nothing happened in the following days either.

Aside from a few curious townspeople who came to visit Yiyuan Temple and were personally received by Shen Yuan, he spent most of his time cleaning the temple with the takin.

If financial resources are insufficient, then manpower must be used to make up for it.

In just five days, the Taoist temple was tidied up and put together. After arranging the various items that had been purchased, it was instantly filled with a sense of life.

Shen Yuan was overjoyed. After being turned away by the Jade Emperor Palace last time, his desire to revitalize the Yiyuan Temple had become even stronger.

But before that, he had one more thing to do—the day of the Zhuang family's funeral had arrived.

"Brother Niu, it's another trouble for you to guard the Taoist temple this time!"

The Taoist priest gave some instructions, then picked up his wooden sword, carried his bundle, and descended the mountain in a simple manner.

When they arrived at the dealer's office, since they had dealt with each other before, they didn't stand on ceremony and got straight to the point.

Shen Yuan directed the men to prepare Zhuang's father's body for burial.

The weather wasn't too cold, and the body, having been left for seven days, already smelled of decay. The skin on its face was darkening, and its features were grotesque. Shen Yuan took a quick glance; it was truly horrifying.

However, the laborers responsible for preparing the body were all experienced in the trade, and they completed the task without changing their expressions.

But Shen Yuan was truly startled when he saw Zhuang Ping.

In just five days, this person has probably lost more than ten pounds. His cheekbones are prominent, his eye sockets are sunken, his hair is grayish, and even his eyes are bloodshot.

"Your own father died, and you're really that heartbroken?"

Shen Yuan looked at his three older sisters with some confusion.

They found that, apart from being mentally exhausted, none of them were as thin as Zhuang Ping.

However, this was their family matter, so he didn't ask too many questions. Once the encoffining was complete, he immediately began the ritual.

Light incense and candles, burn talismans and paper money, and chant the Rebirth Mantra... Then, step on the steps of the Gang, hold water in your mouth and spray it onto the long sword in your hand, then aim at the tile in front of the coffin and chop it down.

With a loud bang, the tile shattered.

This is called "broken tile". If the tile breaks, it proves that the deceased did not die unjustly.

At this point, the process has come to an end.

Upon seeing this, the pallbearers immediately closed the coffin lid and then used an axe to drive in the coffin nails one by one.

The mourning hall was filled with weeping, and some people tried to rush onto the coffin but were pulled back by those around them.

Only one person was unusually quiet, his eyes open but seemingly lost in thought.

It was Zhuang Ping, the deceased's son.

Shen Yuan frowned. It was time for the other party to smash the basin, and then they could carry the coffin away.

But Zhuang Ping didn't move an inch.

Shen Yuan couldn't help but strike him with his sword.

Zhuang Ping then realized what was happening and belatedly raised the earthenware basin filled with paper ash in front of him high.

Then, right under everyone's noses, an accident happened!

That pot... it didn't break!