The Immortal Descended the Mountain

Gao Yunyi descended the mountain.

He was not a true immortal, so he did not need to withdraw from the mortal world and cultivate in seclusion.

Although he liked being alone, that did not mean he was willing to live like a savage deep in the mountains and forests.

Besides, he needed to complete quests to level up, and the beasts deep in the mountains and forests could not give him quests.

Outside the valley,

there was a village.

Gao Yunyi decided to spend the night there.

He did not want to be mistaken for a wandering ghost again. Although it cost him nothing, it was bad luck.

As soon as he entered the village,

he drew the villagers' attention.

It could not be helped. He was so handsome that he was the center of attention wherever he went.

The villagers had never seen a man with such looks and bearing, and they were immediately struck by his celestial appearance.

Yet they only dared to watch from afar, not approach.

In the end, the village head was a little bolder than the rest and carefully walked up to Gao Yunyi.

"I am the head of East Creek Village. May I ask what brings you here, young master?"

The village head seemed to have studied for a few years. Seeing Gao Yunyi dressed like a scholar, he used rather literary language to ask why he had come.

"A place to stay for the night."

Gao Yunyi's answer was brief and to the point.

The village head was a little surprised.

East Creek Village was not near an official road and lay in a remote area. Outsiders hardly ever came here, much less stayed overnight.

It was the first time anyone had ever asked him for lodging, and a graceful, dignified scholar at that.

He had little education, and those were already the best words he could think of to describe the man before him.

Although he found it strange, the village head did not refuse.

Whether in looks or bearing, the man before him was not someone a mere village head like him could afford to offend.

"Outsiders do not usually come to the village, so there is no spare house available at short notice. If you do not mind, young master, how about spending the night at my home?" the village head asked.

"All right."

Gao Yunyi nodded in agreement. He had no particular requirements for a place to stay.

A splendid palace gleaming with gold and jade would do, and so would a dilapidated thatched hut with wind whistling through it.

For those were not the things he sought.

Hearing the young master before him agree to his suggestion, the village head breathed a sigh of relief.

"This way, young master."

Following the village head deeper into the village, Gao Yunyi soon arrived at a house and courtyard with earthen walls and a tiled roof.

The place was simple, yet it was already the best house in the village. The other villagers all lived in houses with earthen walls and thatched roofs.

The village head stole a glance at Gao Yunyi. Only after seeing no sign of disdain on his face did he finally put his heart back in his belly.

There was a millstone and a chicken coop in the courtyard, and an elderly woman with graying hair was feeding the chickens.

When she saw Gao Yunyi enter, a look of obvious astonishment appeared on her face.

Then she became timid and fearful, standing there awkwardly, too uneasy to say a word.

"She is a country woman who does not know proper manners. Please do not take offense, young master."

The village head spoke with an embarrassed look on his face.

Gao Yunyi paid it no mind and followed the village head straight into the house.

The furnishings inside were even more shabby. Though it was not quite a house with nothing but four bare walls, it was not far off. There were only a few wooden chairs, a table, and some farming tools piled in a corner.

"My son and daughter-in-law run a small business in the county town and are away from home all year round. Only my humble wife, my grandson, and I live here now."

As the village head led Gao Yunyi into a room, he said,

"This is the room my son and daughter-in-law use. You can rest here tonight, young master. When my grandson comes back from school, I will have him sleep with us tonight."

Gao Yunyi looked around the room. Apart from a bed built of brick and stone, a coarse, stiff quilt, and a wooden chest with peeling paint, there was nothing else.

Even the village head's home was like this, let alone those of the other villagers. It truly was a poor village.

A gleaming white object suddenly appeared in Gao Yunyi's hand. Then, under the village head's disbelieving gaze, Gao Yunyi quietly placed it in his hand.

"This..."

Looking at the silver ingot in his hand, the village head nearly went weak at the knees.

Ten taels of silver could cover his entire family's needs for five years. His son and daughter-in-law could not earn that much even after years of hard work away from home.

What he had welcomed back was no scholar, but a god of wealth!

"No... no..."

The village head could barely speak, and the silver ingot felt hot in his hand.

Heavens! It was the first time he had ever seen such a large silver ingot. It nearly scared him to death.

"This is already the smallest piece of silver I have on me."

At Gao Yunyi's words, the village head fell silent.

"I'm giving it to you, so take it."

With that, Gao Yunyi gave the village head no chance to refuse. He walked over to the bed and sat down without the slightest sign of disdain.

The village head stood there in a daze, holding the silver ingot in both hands.

He could neither put it down nor accept it, his face full of struggle and indecision.

After quite a while, he seemed to reach some difficult decision and carefully tucked the silver ingot into his robes.

"Then I will shamelessly accept it. Please rest for a while, young master. I will go prepare your dinner."

Thinking of how he still had not scraped together enough for his grandson's tuition next year, the village head ultimately accepted the huge sum, though his heart was full of unease.

"Mm."

Gao Yunyi gave a faint response, then closed his eyes to rest.

The village head gently closed the door. After stepping outside, he lowered his voice and called to his wife.

"Hurry and slaughter that old hen for soup."

The elderly woman in the courtyard had yet to recover from her astonishment. Hearing this, she was startled and immediately grew anxious.

"Th-that's our laying hen! We're counting on her eggs to nourish our grandson."

"What does a woman like you know? If I tell you to kill her, then kill her."

The village head did not dare reveal the silver ingot tucked inside his robes. He knew his wife too well; she was a gossip.

If he told her now, he could guarantee that everyone in the village would know before the night was over.

Do not display your wealth or flaunt your riches. That was a principle handed down since ancient times.

Even as the village head, he would still draw the resentment of those green with envy.

Hearing her husband say so, the elderly woman did not dare argue further. After all, her husband was not only the village head, but also the head of their household.

Though she was unwilling, she could only do as he said.

Otherwise, if her husband lost his temper, he really would beat her.

The elderly woman could only put down the winnowing basket in her hands, enter the chicken coop, and catch the old laying hen.

Then she carried the clucking, flapping hen to the kitchen. As she deftly slit its throat and drained its blood, she wiped away tears of distress.

"Such a fine old hen. How could we kill her? What will my grandson do from now on?"

The sun sank behind the western mountains, and evening had arrived.

A child wearing a grayish-brown long gown and carrying a cloth satchel entered the courtyard. Though the gown had been mended in several places, it had been washed very clean.

The child was about six or seven. Though his looks were ordinary, his eyes were very bright.

Upon entering the courtyard, the child smelled a rich aroma of meat, and he could not stop his mouth from watering.

But before he could speak, an elderly woman ran out of the kitchen and swept him into a tight embrace, wailing as tears streamed down her face.

"Oh... my precious grandson... it's all your heartless grandfather's fault... what will you do from now on...?"