I am a wandering immortal in the mortal realm.

"Heh, you've got some nerve, daring to follow me. Aren't you afraid I'll chop you in half with one sword?" Shen Yuan heard the commotion behind him, turned around, raised his long sword, and threatened menacingly.

"Woof!"

The takin was indeed frightened, let out a soft cry, and dared not move.

Seeing Shen Yuan walk further and further away, he paced back and forth for a moment, then jogged after him.

Seeing this, Shen Yuan shook his head and let it follow without saying anything more.

He had seen it on Douyin (TikTok); although the name "takin" includes "cow," it is actually a type of sheep.

Sheep are animals with a strong sense of curiosity, and there have even been instances of them lining up to be electrocuted out of curiosity.

Therefore, Shen Yuan subconsciously regarded the takin's behavior at this moment as a manifestation of curiosity.

I picked up the earthenware pot from the ground; because it had been licked by a takin, I had to wash it first.

Fortunately, there is a small pond behind the Taoist temple, which was probably dug by one of the elders of Yiyuan Temple. It brought in fresh water from the mountain, saving him the trouble of fetching water from all over the place.

As Shen Yuan washed the pottery jar, the takin cautiously moved closer to him, licking water from the pond's slits while its eyes remained fixed on the jar in his hand.

Shen Yuan was amused by its sneaky behavior and couldn't help but tease it: "What are you looking at? Admiring your own masterpiece? If you're really a fairy, then transform and wash this jar clean!"

"Woof!"

The takin let out a strange cry, suddenly shook its head, and flicked the water droplets from its mouth, which splashed all over the Taoist priest.

"Woof!"

After splashing water, it grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, seemingly very happy because it had pranked the Taoist priest.

"Hey, you stupid fool who never learns from his mistakes!" Shen Yuan wiped the water droplets from his face, drew his longsword from his waist, and shouted, "Take this!"

The takin's face instantly cracked, and it took off running towards the Taoist temple, barking all the while.

That Taoist priest is shameless! I clearly didn't bump into him; the water splashed on me by itself, yet he still wants to chop me up!

The more excited he was just moments before, the more disheveled he became. Shen Yuan, carrying the pottery jar, burst into laughter behind him.

A gentle, warm breeze rustled the trees, carrying with it the earthy fragrance of rain-soaked soil.

Shen Yuan inhaled the fragrance, gazed ahead, and strode forward. For the first time in this unfamiliar world, he felt a rare tranquility, which also took away much of his initial bewilderment...

……

Millet is not rice, but foxtail millet.

In this low-productivity society, few people can achieve rice freedom.

Even in this fertile land of Jiangnan, the staple food of most ordinary people is still millet and soybeans.

As a poor and unfortunate Taoist priest with a tragic fate, no one would provide him with rice. He was only able to receive three dou of millet thanks to the efficient and honest administration of the Dezhou Prefecture.

Opening the rice bag and looking at the golden millet, Shen Yuan used to be somewhat resistant.

As a rice lover, I eat millet occasionally as a healthy supplement, but if I were to eat it as a staple food every day, I would get a bit tired of it.

But at this moment, I was so hungry that I had fewer other thoughts, but I kept one thought in mind—to earn money to eat rice, and I had to have braised pork with it.

This is so relatable!

Just thinking about it made Shen Yuan's mouth water.

"Little Zheng, whether I can enjoy fragrant rice in the future depends on how hard you put into promoting it!"

He silently prayed a few times, then used a bamboo tube to scoop half a tube of millet from the rice bag and slowly poured it into the earthenware jar.

The rice rustled against the bottom of the jar, making a ticklish sound that was quite enticing.

This is probably the sound that working people today would love to hear the most!

A slight noise suddenly came from the doorway. Shen Yuan turned his head and saw a huge bull's head poking in through the door.

With an honest face and wet, bulging eyes, he stared unblinkingly at Shen Yuan. He looked just like a village auntie who loved to watch the excitement, leaning against the doorway eating sunflower seeds as she visited someone's neighbor.

Shen Yuan chuckled, speechless, and said, "Why do you always follow me around? Are you looking for trouble?"

"Woof!"

"Woof!"

The takin bellowed twice in response, followed by its signature bull-like nod, though its eyes remained fixed on the pottery jar in Shen Yuan's hand.

Although the Taoist's sword was terrifying, the porridge in the jar was even more delicious, surpassing all the wild fruits from the mountain.

Shen Yuan finally understood and said irritably, "So stealing one can wasn't enough for you, you're planning to have another one, huh?"

"Woof!"

"Woof!"

Shen Yuan: "..."

Shen Yuan sighed softly. He had no choice but to scoop in another half bucket of food when faced with such a shameless person.

He tied the rice bag tightly with a rope.

After all, with this simpleton eyeing him like a hawk, and the Taoist temple with all four gates wide open, he might end up being completely robbed without even realizing it.

"This is a one-time thing, and there won't be a next time!" Shen Yuan carried the jar out the door and headed towards the kitchen, saying as he went, "I'm not rich either. See this Taoist temple?"

The takin followed closely behind Shen Yuan, glancing around in the direction he was pointing, not understanding why the other was pointing at its lair.

The Taoist priest's voice continued, "I need to save money to properly renovate this temple. Otherwise, if no worshippers come, we won't have any income, and sooner or later we'll be running out of money!"

"So, in order to increase revenue and reduce expenditure, we must eat food sparingly. Today, we've become friends through a misunderstanding, so I'll treat you to a meal. But as for me to support you every day, I'm sorry, I can't afford that!"

Shen Yuan placed the earthenware pot on the mud stove he had set up, turned to look at the takin, and said earnestly, "When the porridge is cooked, I'll give you a portion. After you finish eating, you can leave, understand? If the Taoist temple ever makes money again, come back and I'll treat you to a proper meal."

"Woof!"

"Woof!"

Whether it understood or not, the takin responded twice, then stomped its hooves and nodded repeatedly to urge it on.

"Oh!"

Shen Yuan shook his head, ignored it, and went out to gather firewood.

But when they got to the woodpile, they realized something was wrong.

It turned out that the rain earlier had blown in with the wind, soaking all the dry firewood that had been collected.

In modern times, this would be no big deal; a lighter and a piece of solid fuel would solve the problem completely.

But that won't work now; the original body only had two flints and a fire starter in its inventory.

Both of these require dry lint to start a fire.

Dry firewood is fine, but if the firewood is wet, it's practically impossible for Shen Yuan, a modern person, to start a fire.

As expected, Shen Yuan struck the flint and steel with a "crackling" sound, sparks flew up one after another, but only the tinder caught fire, and the wet wood showed no sign of igniting.

When the flint got tired, they switched to a tinderbox, but the result was the same.

"...Heavens above, could you please give me a lighter?"

Shen Yuan was on the verge of tears, experiencing for the first time the generational gap between industrial and agricultural civilizations.

He was about to collapse from hunger when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a takin that had somehow appeared and was staring at the grain in the earthenware jar like a curious child.

"Go! Go! Go!"

Shen Yuanzheng was in a bad mood and pushed the bull's head away. He felt that it was furry and couldn't help but stroke it.

"Stupid ox, it looks like we're not going to get any food. We didn't check the almanac before we left home today, which offended the Kitchen God. Even a clever cook can't cook without fire!" Shen Yuan said dejectedly.

Then the bull-headed creature came closer again.

Shen Yuan glanced at it indifferently, and seeing the white mist reappear at its nostrils, he gripped the wooden sword at his waist tightly, saying warily, "What are you doing? You can't blame me for not being able to start a fire? Dare to defy me and I'll chop you to pieces!"

In the past, the takin might have been scared away, but this time it only trembled slightly before continuing to stare at the pottery jar and woodpile in front of it, its eyes gleaming as if deep in thought.

Seeing this, Shen Yuan felt inexplicably relieved, thinking that this ox was also a glutton, not even afraid of death for food.

The man and the ox were in the same boat, sharing a similar plight. He was just thinking of comforting the other when he suddenly heard a "poof" sound.

A wisp of scorching smoke almost grazed his face. Before Shen Yuan could react, the damp firewood under the earthenware pot had already burst into flames.

Shen Yuan was terrified and retreated abruptly, gripping his sword tightly in his right hand and staring intently at the takin in front of him.

The ox, however, seemed utterly exhausted, lying wearily on the ground with its eyelids slightly raised, as if to say with a hint of smugness, "Taoist, you're no good either!"

Shen Yuan took a deep breath, found a spot a little away from the takin, and sat down. His eyes were filled with fear and a hint of confusion, and his thoughts drifted uncontrollably away—

What kind of world is this... exactly?

……

Meanwhile, chaos erupted at the Zheng family's house in town.

The brother and sister returned home in the rain, only to be caught red-handed by their mother. She was furious and, after they changed into dry clothes, grabbed a feather duster and started beating them.

She cursed, "You two living ancestors, how dare you run up the mountain without even saying hello! If you're so powerful, why don't you just chew me up and swallow me whole? It would be better than living in constant fear and being driven to death by you!"

Zheng Baozhu, always quick-witted, saw the situation was turning against her and immediately sacrificed her own interests to save herself. She offered up the Solomon's Seal and said with a forced smile, "Mother, I saw how hard you've been working these past few days for my eldest brother's wedding, going to the embroidery shop to work and the theater to sell cakes. I felt sorry for you, so I thought I'd go with my fourth brother to the mountains to collect herbs to sell and give you a break."

Zheng's mother, who had been fierce, softened upon hearing these words, and could no longer swing the feather duster in her hand.

She had four sons and one daughter in her life, and she inevitably favored her youngest daughter. She remembered how pitiful she looked when she first came back, soaking wet, like a sparrow that had fallen into the river.

Unable to resist, she pulled him into a tight embrace, saying tenderly, "My child, your elder brother's marriage is something your parents will handle. How can you ask your younger sister to step in? If something happens, wouldn't that be putting your parents' hearts on the line?"

Zheng Baojuan also sidled up cheekily, reminding her, "Mother, Mother, I'm here too!"

Then, he stammered, "Mother, considering how hard your son has worked, could you give me twenty coins for pocket money after I sell the polygonatum?"

"I'll let you play around! I'll let you play around!"

"Slap! Slap!"

The anger that Zheng's mother had just simmered within her flared up again, and she gave Zheng Baojuan a sound beating.

"You wretched monkey, you're always causing trouble, and you even dared to bring your sister up the mountain! You've really gone too far! I'll beat you to death today!"

"Mother! Mother! Your son was wrong, your son doesn't want the allowance anymore!" Zheng Baojuan jumped onto the table, leaping left and right to dodge his mother's beatings, shouting to Zheng Baozhu, "Little sister, tell me quickly, I did it all for you..."

Zheng Baozhu rolled her eyes. Her fourth brother was always courting death and never learned his lesson.

However, this time it was indeed an undeserved disaster, so he quickly grabbed Zheng's mother, gently comforted her, and changed the subject by talking about Shen Yuan.

"Oh, from what you've said, this Master Shen seems to be a truly accomplished Taoist!" Mother Zheng exclaimed in surprise, clearly intrigued.

Zheng Baozhu pouted and said, "What do you mean by 'similar'? She is!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Mother Zheng replied with a smile, then added, "Since you praise that Taoist Shen as one of the most outstanding people in the world, then my daughter and I will go to offer incense at his temple in a while. Speaking of which, I even met the former abbot of Yiyuan Temple when I first married into this family!"

"Really!"

Zheng Baozhu's eyes lit up, and she was about to ask more questions so that she could have something to talk about with Shen Yuan in the future, when suddenly a firecracker went off outside.

The three were quite surprised and were about to go out to take a look when they saw a middle-aged man enter the house first.

"father!"

"father!"

The brother and sister each called out.

Seeing the sorrow on the other person's face, Zheng's mother seemed to guess what was going on and quickly stepped forward to ask, "Husband, what's going on outside...?"

Father Zheng nodded, sighed softly, and said sorrowfully, "It's a funeral cannon, Brother Zhuang... is gone!"

"Sigh!" Mother Zheng also sighed softly.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became heavy, and even Zheng Baojuan was unusually well-behaved.

Only Zheng Baozhu's eyes darted around—the Taoist priest's business opportunity had arrived!