Chapter 34

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As Tao Taigong spoke with a smile, the two Divine Generals turned to look. By this time, the moon had already set, and the sun was rising. The winter sunlight, always carrying a hint of coldness, filtered through the snow-dusted mountains. The young man in the blue robe lifted his hand to push aside the pine branches, still carrying the divine aura from having traversed dozens of miles through the earth.

The spiritual beasts immediately recognized this youth.

Especially the little deer, which hopped and bounced over to him, rubbing against his leg.

The two Divine Generals exchanged a glance, doubt flickering in their eyes. They both quickly noticed that the boy before them did not possess a high level of cultivation.

Yet, the divine aura of an Earth Deity surrounding him was unmistakably genuine. It couldn’t be faked. They stepped forward to bow in respect, addressing him as “Mountain God”.

Qi Wuhuo returned the gesture politely and asked: “And you two are…?”

The two Divine Generals were startled and quickly stepped aside, not daring to accept his courtesy.

Tao Taigong stroked his beard with a chuckle and explained: “These two are Wu Luning and Kang Linchang. They were military generals from two hundred years ago, buried here after their deaths. Due to the rich concentration of Primordial Qi and Essence in this place, they were summoned to serve as Divine Generals, connected to the Earth Veins. They have protected this land for over a century, regulating the flow of the Earth’s Veins energy and driving away demons and evil spirits. Only in times of great crisis would the Mountain God personally intervene.”

After introducing them one by one, Tao Taigong pulled Qi Wuhuo aside and looked him over carefully, sighing in admiration:

“So, he really did pass the position on to you.”

“Now you and I will have more chances to meet.”

“But with your nature, I doubt you’ll stay here for long.”

The old man shook his head and sighed, looking at the token on the young man’s waist, recalling his words: ‘I wish never to be liberated’, and felt a deep sense of emotion.

Watching the Mountain God disappear along his path, and thinking of the blue-robed youth before him, Tao Taigong couldn’t help but imagine that in a few years, Qi Wuhuo might also depart in such a free-spirited manner. How carefree and unrestrained! Compared to that, though he had gained five hundred years of life, he felt as if he were merely hiding away in one place. What he had considered a life of leisure and freedom might, in the eyes of true cultivators, be no different from being a skeleton entombed in the earth. This thought filled him with a sense of melancholy.

For a moment, he even felt a strong urge to pursue the Dao himself.

But the thought of how difficult and long the path to the Dao truly was made that idea circle around in his mind for a moment before he pushed it back down.

Enough. Enough.

Do not seek the Dao.

What if I die on the road?

Better to live safely for five hundred years.

The old man suppressed those fleeting memories of his youth spent cultivating and, stroking his beard, smiled as he explained the duties of the Mountain God to Qi Wuhuo. They strolled leisurely until they reached the edge of the mountain, where Tao Taigong pointed to the town below and said:

“The Mountain God’s seal allows you to perceive the flow of the Earth’s Veins. Here on Helian Mountain, you control all of this. However, even in other places, you can travel through the earth’s veins and use the Earth Escape technique.”

“Why not give it a try?”

Qi Wuhuo glanced toward his distant home, shook his head, and politely declined with a smile: “I’d prefer to walk down the mountain.”

After bidding farewell to the three Earth Deities and playfully rubbing the heads of the spiritual beasts behind him, he said: “Oh, there’s one more thing.”

The two Divine Generals of Helian Mountain stood respectfully behind him and replied:

“Mountain God, please give your command.”

Qi Wuhuo responded: “I’ve just received my friend’s seal and taken on the position of Mountain God. There are many things I’m not yet accustomed to, so I may need the assistance of you two generals.”

The two Divine Generals bowed and said: “We are honored to serve.”

“It is our duty!”

Qi Wuhuo could sense that the spiritual beasts were simply happy that no ill-natured individual had become the new Mountain God. However, the two Divine Generals were a bit uncertain about whether he was truly capable of bearing the responsibilities of the Mountain God’s position. But such doubts were to be expected. Qi Wuhuo said:

“I’ve just become the Mountain God, and in the next few days, I plan to give my first lecture on the Dao. I hope you two will join me at that time.”

He had often engaged in casual conversations with the Earth Deities about the Five Arts of Daoism and had gained both [Record of Ascension to Immortality] from Tantai Xuan and the Mountain God’s cultivation journals.

Though not yet transcendent, explaining the basics of cultivation to the spiritual beasts of the mountain was not something beyond Qi Wuhuo’s ability.

The two Divine Generals hesitated briefly, seeing his young age, and inwardly, they harbored some degree of dismissiveness and skepticism.

However, outwardly, they remained highly respectful and bowed, saying: “Yes!”

Qi Wuhuo gave a slight nod in return, exchanged a few more pleasantries with Tao Taigong and the other Earth Deities, and then waved farewell to the spiritual beasts. Turning, he walked down the mountain path, light-footed and graceful, while the birds and beasts bid him farewell from afar.

Shen Hongxue, standing behind Tao Taigong, commented: “Strange. He can use the Earth Escape technique, so why doesn’t he?”

Tao Taigong responded: “What do you know?”

“That’s exactly what makes him so remarkable…”

The elder sighed.

Shen Hongxue asked, confused: ” In what way is he remarkable?”

Tao Taigong said: ‘What’s remarkable is…’

The old man paused, as if organizing his thoughts, and finally said: “He understands the difference between the Dao and techniques. The Mountain God’s escape method is just an external skill, but he still remembers that he is human.”

“He understands his true nature and doesn’t become burdened by divine abilities.”

“Truly impressive.”

Shen Hongxue remained puzzled but noticed that Luo Yizhen also nodded.

Silent, he felt that he couldn’t afford to lose face here.

He nodded in agreement: “Indeed, that’s true.”

The three stood with their hands behind their backs, along with the Divine Generals and the other spiritual beasts, watching the young man walk down the mountain. All nodded in unison:

“Remarkable indeed!”

Qi Wuhuo glanced back at the Mountain Gods bidding him farewell, and seeing them nodding, he was utterly confused.

He shook his head and continued down the mountain, picking up firewood along the way. Unlike before, when he had to bend down to gather the sticks, he now only needed to form a simple hand seal to summon a gust of wind, quickly collecting a bundle. Tying it together with some rope, he reached into his pocket for the pine nuts he had gathered earlier and opened his hand for a squirrel to land on.

The squirrel gifted him several winter fruits. Qi Wuhuo wiped one on his clothes, took a bite, and found the frozen fruit crisp and sweet.

“I’ll save one for the old sir to eat.”

“Walking down the mountain means I can collect firewood, and it’ll be easier to buy some meat too.”

The blue-robed youth thought to himself.

If his Earth Escape technique wasn’t fully mastered, suddenly appearing out of nowhere would likely frighten people.

While buying meat, the burly butcher casually added a little extra to Qi Wuhuo’s order. Then, wrapping the meat in a dried lotus leaf, he tossed it to him, saying: “Take it, kid. Looks like you’ve been earning some money lately, huh? Haha, finally able to afford some meat!”

Qi Wuhuo smiled and said: “It was Teacher Su who gave me some money.”

The butcher suddenly understood: “Ah, Teacher Su, huh? Haha, he’s a good man.”

As Qi Wuhuo was about to leave, the butcher suddenly called out: “Hey, kid.”

“Have you had some sort of conflict with those people in silk clothes? They’ve been saying you’re rude lately, and it’s making a lot of folks think they should keep their distance from you.”

The butcher stared at him: “What’s going on? You haven’t done anything shady, have you?”

Qi Wuhuo replied calmly: “I haven’t done anything wrong to anyone.”

The butcher grinned: “That’s good. Haha! If you can hold your head high and face the heavens, and bow your head without shame to your ancestors, then nothing else matters. If people distance themselves from you because of this, they’re not worth your time. To hell with them! You grew up in this town and drank its water, so you’re one of us. I’ll be watching you, kid. Don’t go astray.”

“Here—”

The butcher tossed over a lotus leaf-wrapped bundle.

Inside was some minced prime meat.

“The new year’s coming soon. This is for you—eat some meat.”

“You’re young, gotta stay strong.”

“How can you study on an empty stomach?”

Qi Wuhuo was taken aback for a moment, then cupped his hands and said: “Many thanks, Uncle Zhang.”

The butcher, busy with new customers, just waved him off with a laugh and cussed:

“Get outta here, with your fancy talk!”

Qi Wuhuo laughed and bade farewell, following the road back. The old man was still sitting, drinking tea. When he saw the blue-robed youth approach with a smile, he stroked his beard and greeted him. The young man pulled out a bundle, revealing several winter fruits—imperfect in shape, with signs of insect bites. The old man smiled and asked: “Where’d you get these?”

Qi Wuhuo answered: “They’re a gift from my squirrel friends from the mountain.”

The old man laughed heartily, took one, wiped it clean, and bit into it. “Sweet indeed.”

“Mmm, indeed, these fruits are sweet. It’s funny how the ones that don’t look so good are always left until the end.”

“If you’re lucky and they don’t rot when winter snow falls and freezes them, the taste becomes even better.”

Qi Wuhuo pointed to the bundle and said: “Uncle Zhang, the butcher next door, gave me some meat today. We could try making buns. I’ve heard of dumplings and wontons, but I’ve never had them, so I’m not sure how to make them. But steamed buns—I’ve had those before.”

The old man looked at Qi Wuhuo.

After he arrived, the young man seemed to be more enthusiastic about cooking.

Eating alone and eating with someone else—there seemed to be a world of difference.

The old man sighed softly, finishing the fruit. Then, unexpectedly, he said: “However, I’ll be leaving soon.”

Qi Wuhuo’s movements paused for a moment.

The old man stroked his beard, lowered his gaze, and smiled: “I’ve spent my days wandering the world. There’s no telling where I’ll end up next. The fate between us has run its course.”

“By my calculations, it’s about time for me to go. Still, according to my nature, I should give you a small gift before I leave.”

The old man glanced at the fruit and, with a smile, beckoned Qi Wuhuo over. “Come here.”

“I’ll ask you a question.”

“Let’s see what you can take from me.”