Don't farm, cultivate immortality!

Page 173

"Sister, have you eaten or slept in the main hall these past three days?" Zhuang Xing asked.

Yan Huai'an shook his head and said, "No."

Although Yinglong circulated his internal energy for her, the cold energy had been accumulating in her body for a long time. To remove it, she could not be distracted for even a moment. For the past three days, she had been sitting on the futon in meditation without sleep or rest, gradually removing the deep-rooted cold energy without damaging her meridians.

"Then, sister, drink some water and eat some dried meat to fill your stomach before going to bed to rest."

Zhuang Xing untied his bag, took out strips of dried meat, and handed them over.

"Hmm." Yan Huai'an took the dried meat, chewed it carefully, took out the water bag from his waist, drank a couple of sips of water, and swallowed the dried meat.

This was the last bit of food they had. Although Zhuang Xing had been eating very sparingly these past two days, they hadn't gone hunting for four days before coming to this snow mountain.

They spent another three days in the Taoist temple without any food, and now they were completely out of supplies.

If we're going to stay in this temple for a few more days, we'll have to find a way to get some food.

Zhuang Xing first escorted Yan Huai'an into the house to rest. The heroine was very familiar with this place, and she found a room that seemed to be the side room where she used to sleep.

Pushing open the door, Zhuang Xing saw that the room was very clean, and the bedding and pillows were neatly arranged.

Someone had cleaned the room very well, and there was even a burning glass lamp inside. The glass lamp seemed to be a magical artifact, emitting a gentle warmth. This room was much warmer than the room where Zhuang Xing slept.

Seeing that Yan Huai'an was sitting on the bed, looking exhausted, Zhuang Xing decided not to disturb him any further.

He quietly closed the door, intending to ask the young girl if there was any rice or grain in the temple so he could borrow some to eat.

He wanted to use the kitchen to cook some hot porridge for Yan Huai'an.

If there's no rice, that's fine; we'll eat whatever we have.

If there's nothing there, then we'll have to go outside and look for it.

Yes, there should be. Even snake spirits that transform into dragons need to eat.

Before we even reached the main hall, we saw boys and girls coming out of it.

"Little Taoist priest, is there anything else you need?" the girl asked.

"I'd like to borrow some rice from you, senior, and also use your cooking pots and pans," Zhuang Xing said.

"Oh, you're out of food, aren't you?" The girl suddenly realized. "I haven't seen anyone in so long, I'd forgotten. People need to eat every day. Little White, do we have any rice left?"

“They’re long gone. We can go without food for two or three months after eating a cow or sheep, so what do we need rice for?” the boy said. “I remember Taoists eat meat too, little Taoist, come with me to get some meat. There’s plenty of meat, enough to eat.”

"Then thank you very much, senior." Zhuang Xing cupped his hands in thanks.

"No need to thank me." The boy beckoned, "Come with me."

"Okay." Zhuang Xing followed.

The boy led him to a cave behind the kitchen.

The cave was bitterly cold, and ice had formed everywhere.

Zhuang Xing saw five or six cattle and sheep frozen there, all of them still with their hair intact, covered with a thin layer of frost. One of the sheep even had a piece of tender grass in its mouth, as if it had been frozen while eating grass, without any time to react.

"Little Taoist priest, how is your skill?" the boy asked.

"I've done some research on it," Zhuang Xing said.

"Then make me some cooked food too," the boy said. "It's been quite a few years since I've had cooked food."

"What would you like to eat, senior?" Zhuang Xing asked.

"Do whatever you like, just do what you're good at," the boy said.

"Then, may I have half a sheep?" Zhuang Xing said.

"Half a sheep isn't enough. Take a whole one if you want. You can choose one."

"Then... let's take this one." Zhuang Xing selected the sheep that was grazing and patted its head.

It's cold, perfect for eating mutton. Since we don't have rice, we might as well just cook a pot of mutton soup.

“Okay.” The boy nodded, stretched out his thin little arm, picked up the lamb leg, and dragged the lamb from the hole to the kitchen without changing his expression.

Zhuang Xing followed behind the boy. The kitchen was clean, without a speck of dust.

“People used to live here.” The boy reached out and slowly melted the ice on the sheep. “Before our ancestors sealed off this mountain, many people came to become their disciples. But later, our ancestors got tired of it and drove everyone off the mountain.”

"Back then, there was a chef who was quite skilled. I really liked his chicken soup. It's a pity he died young, and I haven't had any hot soup since."

"Oh, by the way, do you need any other seasonings? I'll go get them for you."

"I'd like some more salt," Zhuang Xing said. "Do you have any wine, scallions, or ginger?"

"I have salt and wine, as for scallions and ginger, I'll go out and look for them, I might be able to find some."

"Thank you for your trouble, senior."

"Of course."

The boy went out, and all the ice on the sheep melted away.

The sheep froze to death cleanly and efficiently; there wasn't a single wound on its body, not even a drop of blood.

Zhuang Xing quickly processed the sheep. This was his first time killing a sheep, but he had slain many demons before and had done his fair share of dismembering and dissecting. He had also cooked for himself when he was on the mountain and had killed chickens, ducks and fish, so he was not unfamiliar with the process. Although the sheep had been frozen, after it thawed, the meat was as fresh as if it had just been killed.

A short while later, the boy returned from outside. He had found everything Zhuang Xing had asked for; the scallions and ginger were still fresh, covered in dirt. It was unclear whether he had gone outside the snow-capped mountains to search for them.

People used to live at the foot of this mountain, so finding these two items is understandable.

With the boy's help, Zhuang Xing cleaned the sheep thoroughly and prepared several dishes.

Besides mutton soup, he also made roasted mutton and stir-fried mutton. The mutton was fatty and had plenty of oil.

The boy tasted it and said, "Your cooking skills are quite good, little Taoist."

As they were eating, the young girl peeked in from outside the kitchen.

The two of them drank most of the mutton soup, and also ate the roasted lamb leg and ribs, as well as the stir-fried mutton with scallions, all of which were completely gone.

Fortunately, they were sensible enough to leave enough mutton soup for Zhuang Xing and Yan Huai'an.

"It's been a long time since I've had cooked food, so having some now and then is quite enjoyable," the boy said, patting his belly. "Don't you think so, Xiaoqing?"

The girl looked up at him, then continued to gnaw on the grilled ribs in her hand.

They seemed too lazy to even speak, and just wanted to eat a few more bites.

...

Two days later.

Snowflakes drifted down, and the world was shrouded in a pale white mist; everything in sight was white.

Zhuang Xing followed behind the girl, walking under the eaves of the red wood and green tiles, towards the main hall.

"Our ancestors said that the Yin-Yang Stone was truly excellent, a real treasure. They only offered you a piece of the heartwood of a hundred-year-old locust tree and a quackery in exchange, which is a disservice to you."

“My ancestors never liked taking things from others for free, so I called you here.”

"If you have any requests, you can speak to your ancestors. Whether you want wealth, magic, a divine weapon, or a precious inner armor, your ancestors will compensate you with the value of the Yin-Yang Stone."

"Then I shall respectfully accept your offer," Zhuang Xing replied.

With such a good opportunity, he naturally had no reason to refuse.

He actually felt regretful for not being able to have a conversation with the owner of the snow mountain, and he was very much looking forward to this opportunity.

Before long, the maiden led him to the palace gate, where the Yinglong in the painting was waiting for him.

Chapter 239 Questions and Answers in the Palace

“Ancestor, I have brought the Taoist priest with me,” the girl said.

"Come in."

Zhuang Xing followed the young girl into the hall and bowed.

"Greetings, senior."

"Young man, you may have heard from Xiaoqing why I summoned you here."

"I've heard of it."

"Speak, what do you desire? Magical treasures and weapons, Taoist arts and mystical methods—I've collected quite a few of these scattered around, and perhaps some of them will suit your taste."

"This junior is actually most interested in mysterious things, but I am still young. Although I have read some miscellaneous books, I do not know whether many things are true or false, and I have never seen them with my own eyes. I wonder if I could ask the senior for some advice?"

"If I told you that after you've asked me for advice, I would close the door and see you out, would you be willing?"

"If you can answer my question, I would be happy to."

"Your mind is pure. Fine, let's see what you can find out. Go ahead and ask. If I know the answer, I will tell you. Don't hold back. Just treat this as casual conversation. I will still compensate you for the Yin-Yang Stone."

"Your senior has a vast capacity for knowledge."

"Go ahead and ask."

Zhuang Xing thought for a moment about what to ask first.

Asking the Immortals?

Ask the Buddha?

Ask the gods?

Can one seek immortality?

Does the universe possess a great Dao?

He wanted to ask all of these questions, but before that, what first came to his mind was the old letter he had seen in the emperor's study.

What lies beyond the world he inhabits?

What's the scenery like there?

What is it now?