Don't farm, cultivate immortality!

"Maybe," Zhuang Xing said with a smile.

"Speaking of which, I still don't know where you came from." The boy looked up. "Little Taoist priest, where did you come from?"

"It comes from Xuanqing Temple on Qingxuan Mountain," Zhuang Xing said.

“Xuanqing Temple? I’ve never heard of that before.” The boy murmured. “Before the mountain was closed off, some famous Taoists came here to learn Taoist arts, but it seems that their temples are no longer there.”

"Is your Taoist temple far from here? Maybe I'll come and find you someday when I'm craving something sweet."

"Sister Yan and I traveled from Xuanqing Temple to here, which took about a month," Zhuang Xing said. "If you come, senior, I will certainly treat you well, but... if you go out in this form, I'm afraid it will frighten the people."

“Just go outside and hide the tail,” the boy said. “Isn’t that what we did when people lived in the mountains before?”

"That's the younger generation worrying too much," Zhuang Xing said.

"Haha, we've known each other for a while now, so there's no need for such formalities as senior or junior," the boy said. "You can call me by my name directly. My name isn't as complicated as yours. Actually, my clan uses scent to distinguish familiar guests, and we only got our names after we learned to speak."

"You can call me Xiaobai, or just Bai. Little Taoist, what's your name?"

"Then I will not stand on ceremony. My name is Zhuang Xing, that's all. May I address you as Mr. Bai?"

"Either is fine," the boy said.

Chapter 241 See you again if fate allows.

Two pheasants were cooked into stir-fried chicken in the pot. Zhuang Xing picked up a small piece to taste the cooking time. Wild pheasants grow up in the mountains and exercise frequently, so their meat is much firmer than that of domestic chickens. It is mostly lean meat, which is chewy but not dry.

Even a skilled cook can't make a meal without rice. This snow-capped mountain is isolated from the world, and Zhuang Xing has already used all his skills to cook this chicken into this state.

Such delicious wild game, if only we had some rock sugar to caramelize it, then added some fermented soybean paste for flavor, and stewed it with some potatoes, lettuce, and sweet potato starch, that would be a real treat.

Unfortunately, there wasn't any. Even if you went outside, the only thing you could find was a single lettuce.

Before the chicken was even plated, the boy couldn't wait to pick up his chopsticks and start eating.

The boy only stopped when his mouth was stuffed full, and then chewed on the side.

As Zhuang Xing scooped the chicken up and put it into a porcelain dish, the boy swallowed the meat in his mouth in one gulp, and then picked up a piece of leg meat.

When children eat meat, they don't spit out the bones; they chew the meat and bones together and swallow it.

The girl used to eat meat here a couple of days ago, but she's not here today.

The boy was right; he had probably really eaten too much the past two days. Today, he wolfed down half a plate of chicken and patted his belly.

"Oh dear, there's really no more room here."

"How about I learn from you people and only eat a little bit each day? That way I can enjoy delicious food every day!"

"It's really troublesome to have to cook every day. It was much better when there were people on the mountain. There was a cook to prepare the food, and I just had to eat."

The boy muttered to himself, yawned, and stretched.

"Never mind, I'm full and just want to sleep. I'll just go lie down in the cave."

"Little Taoist priest, I won't see you off. If I still want to move around after I wake up another day, I'll go outside to find you."

"When will Mr. Bai arrive?" Zhuang Xing asked.

"I don't know, maybe a year or two," the boy said lazily. "My ancestor slept for four hundred years and hasn't woken up yet, but I certainly won't sleep for four hundred years. If I wake up and remember, I'll come looking for you. I don't know if I'll know the way or not, so I'll probably just wander around and ask around. If I can't find you, I'll come back."

“Xuanqing Temple is quite well-known in this area. If Mr. Bai has found someone, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find him.” Zhuang Xing was thinking about this question very seriously. “There is an inn at the foot of my family’s Taoist temple. If Mr. Bai wants to come, just give my name at the counter of that inn. I will definitely keep an eye out and ask my senior brothers and sisters to inform them for me.”

"Alright, alright." The boy's footsteps faded into the distance. "Take care, we'll meet again someday."

...

When Zhuang Xing brought the fried chicken to Yan Huai'an's room, he heard voices coming from inside.

That was the voice of a young girl; she had somehow arrived at Yan Huai'an's house.

"Xiaobai is right. I'm not you, so I don't know what you're thinking."

"Since you're leaving anyway, these things are useless here, so take them with you."

Zhuang Xing had just arrived at the door when he saw the girl come out of the side room.

"Take care, senior!"

The girl did not respond and quickly left.

...

After filling his stomach in the heroine's house, Zhuang Xing cleaned the stove and tidied up the room where he slept, and then came to the gate of the Taoist temple.

No one came to see him off, but Zhuang Xing still turned back to bow and say goodbye before heading down the mountain with the female knight.

"Xiao An, once we're out of this snow mountain, you absolutely mustn't crawl out of the locust tree during the day," Zhuang Xing said to the locust tree he was holding. "It's late summer and early autumn outside, and the sun is quite strong; it might scorch your soul."

"Understood, Brother Zhuangxing." Xiao An's voice came from the locust tree.

"Yes, I will use my magic to heal you tonight. You should rest well, and we'll think of something else when we get back," Zhuang Xing said.

The two followed the path they had come from and descended the mountain.

I walked through the snow, past the ruins and abandoned pavilions.

Although this place is desolate, it is indeed undisturbed and a good place to sleep.

I wonder what it was like back when it was so lively?

It must be because the incense is very popular and there is a constant stream of worshippers.

Yinglong found life boring, while Zhuangxing found it interesting everywhere.

If he finds anything interesting in the future, he would be happy to share it with Yinglong. The world is so big, can one person really see it all?

He simply didn't believe it.

...

Half a month later.

A gust of autumn wind blew by, scattering the fallen and withered leaves.

Zhuang walked along the forest path, peeking out.

Smoke drifted into the sky, and in the distance, one could see some earthen houses. Beside the houses were fields divided into squares, and shirtless men were working in the fields. It was harvest season, and haystacks were piled up in the fields. Oxen grazed, and waterwheels creaked and turned by the stream.

After walking for half a month, we finally emerged from the mountains and saw signs of human habitation.

They did not return to Xuanqing Temple by the way they came. It would take a month to see people if they went that way, but this way they could return to the human world in half a month. Although the road was longer, it was much easier to travel, and they would not have to sleep in the wild every day.

Everything has been resolved. Going back a couple of days later isn't a big problem. It's better to travel through the villages and inhabited areas; that way, it will be safer.

Zhuang Xing felt that since the female warrior had just gotten rid of the cold, she should rest more in the near future.

Upon reaching the village, Zhuang Xing stopped on the small bridge next to the waterwheel.

Zhuang Xing called out to an old man carrying a basket on his back and asked him for directions.

However, the old man was getting on in years and seemed to be hard of hearing, so Zhuang Xing had to speak louder.

"Does the old gentleman know which direction Xuanqing Temple is located in?"

"Xuanqing Temple?"

"Yes, Xuanqing Temple."

"Xuanqing Temple..."

The old man spoke unclearly, looked up at the Taoist priest in front of him, and suddenly opened his eyes wide, as if he had only then seen clearly the Taoist robe Zhuang Xing was wearing and the sword at his waist.

"Take it easy." Seeing that the old man was about to lose his balance, Zhuang Xing went forward to support him.

"It's been many years since I've seen the Taoist priest..." The old man's hands trembled slightly. "Has another man-eating monster appeared in this area?"

"Don't panic, sir. Although I am a Taoist priest from Xuanqing Temple, I did not come here to slay demons. I just couldn't find my way and came to ask for directions," Zhuang Xing said.

"Oh, asking for directions..." The old man seemed much more energetic.

He squinted and looked around, scratched his head, twirled his finger a little, and pointed in a direction uncertainly.

"It seems to be this way... I saw the Taoist priest come from this road that year."

Seeing the old man's appearance, Zhuang Xing knew he had to ask someone else.

Before asking for directions, he helped the old man across the somewhat narrow stone bridge.

"Thank you for pointing the way, sir."

Seeing the old man heading home where his children were there to greet him, Zhuang Xing then went to ask someone else for directions.

Chapter 242 Still Haven't Decided Where to Go

In the field, a farmer pondered for a moment, then pointed in a direction.

“Xuanqing Temple… I don’t know that. I only know which way the official road is, and which way to go to get to the road. You can ask the officials at the post station, maybe they can tell you the location.”

"Does your uncle know how to get to Yidu?" Zhuang Xing asked.

"Who doesn't know Yidu?" the farmer said, patting his chest. "Just go up the main road and head west, and you'll get there."

"Thank you for showing me the way, Uncle." Zhuang Xing cupped his hands in thanks.

Now that he knows how to get to Yidu, he no longer needs anyone to give him directions; he can calculate his approximate location himself.

It's clear which way to go.

However, after eating wild fruits and drinking dew every day in the mountains, occasionally hunting small animals and catching a couple of fresh fish to make dried meat, Zhuang Xing finally arrived at a human village. He wanted to buy some rice, flour and beans and have a hot meal.

Zhuang Xing had brought money with him before he left home, but he traveled along deserted roads and encountered no one, so he couldn't do business. He didn't spend a single penny of the money in his bundle.

Monks have a rule that they should not handle money in their hands, but only carry a bowl to beg for alms. Taoists do not have such a rule, so he counted out one hundred and fifty copper coins, intending to buy two liters of rice from the farmer.

This price is slightly higher than the market price. Even in the Yidu market, a liter of rice only costs sixty coins. However, that was the price a few years ago. These days, all the prefectures and counties are promoting wheat, and fewer people are growing rice, so the price is slightly higher than before.

But it won't rise much higher; it'll only go up to seventy coins at most.

Without middlemen taking a cut, farmers can still make a considerable profit if they are willing to sell their rice to the rice mill.

However, the farmer said, "Taoist priest, you're from Xuanqing Temple, right? I've heard that Xuanqing Temple is very powerful. How about I exchange some rice for a few talismans to ward off evil spirits?"

“If my uncles want talismans, I will give them to them. Our Taoist sect has never charged for these kinds of yellow talismans,” Zhuang Xing said.