You Can Ride Me!

Qingfeng and Mingyue entered carrying six lifelike, infant-shaped fruits with skin as smooth as congealed cream on a pill tray. Their strange fragrance instantly filled the entire hall.

Big White's drool immediately poured out, while the Kui Ox's eyes widened and its breathing quickened.

Zhenyuanzi personally distributed the fruits among them.

Chen Song and Hong Yun received two each, while Big White and the Kui Ox received one each.

"Awoo!" Big White swallowed its Ginseng Fruit in one bite without even chewing, then looked eagerly at the one in Chen Song's hand. "Elder Brother... woof..."

Chen Song shot it an annoyed look, first thanked Zhenyuanzi, then leisurely ate his own Ginseng Fruit. Today's Ginseng Fruit seemed even tastier than the ones Hong Yun had given him before.

Seeing it could get nothing from Chen Song, Big White turned its little gaze toward the Kui Ox. The Kui Ox promptly curled the fruit into its mouth and slowly chewed, savoring the surging energy within until it comfortably narrowed its bovine eyes.

Fine, fine. It was his dog, after all. Chen Song tossed the other one to Big White. Quick-eyed and quick-pawed, Big White stood upright and caught the Ginseng Fruit with both front paws. It imitated Chen Song and ate it bite by bite, wearing an expression on its dog face—

It was obviously enjoying itself immensely.

Who was Hong Yun?

He and Zhenyuanzi had been best friends for life! Even after this old good guy, Hong Yun, was plotted against and killed, Zhenyuanzi never forgot to avenge him. So Hong Yun was no stranger to Ginseng Fruit. He quickly finished both, then licked his lips with lingering desire and began glancing toward Chen Song.

Zhenyuanzi smiled. Noticing Hong Yun's gaze, he turned to Chen Song and asked, "Little Friend Chen Song, ever since the last lecture at the Purple Cloud Palace, Fellow Daoist Hong Yun has never forgotten those... interesting games you played with the ancestral witches there..."

His words were tactful, but there was a trace of curiosity in his eyes. Hong Yun awkwardly coughed and withdrew his gaze.

He had been wondering how to bring it up with Chen Song.

But once Zhenyuanzi opened his mouth, the lofty image Hong Yun had maintained all along the journey completely vanished.

Chen Song secretly laughed. Just as expected! This old fellow Hong Yun couldn't hold it in any longer! But Senior Zhenyuanzi, you really spoil him!

Chen Song stuffed the last bit of fruit in his hand into his mouth, wearing an expression that said, "You've finally asked the right question." He pulled out the mahjong set made from Five-Needle Pine Wood from his sleeve and dumped it onto the table with a clatter.

"Senior Zhenyuanzi! I call this thing 'mahjong.' You can also call it 'Ma Diao.' It is an excellent game invented by this junior to sharpen the mind, cultivate one's temperament, and promote fellowship among fellow Daoists! The rules are simple, and the fun is endless!"

He began explaining at great length—"Pung," "Kong," "Hu," "Pure Color," "One Dragon"... Zhenyuanzi was left utterly bewildered, while Qingfeng and Mingyue beside him curiously craned their necks to look.

Hong Yun winked and gestured wildly from the side, frantically hinting, "Yes, yes, yes! It's incredibly fun! Much better than sitting around cultivating all day!"

After finishing their fruits, Big White and the Kui Ox also gathered around. Though they could not understand it, that did not stop them from finding the colorful little stone tiles quite entertaining.

After explaining the rules, Chen Song warmly invited them, "Senior, all talk and no action is worthless. Why don't we set up a table right now?"

Zhenyuanzi looked at the mahjong tiles, then at the expectant Hong Yun and the eager Chen Song. After pondering for a moment, he ultimately could not suppress his curiosity. Stroking his beard, he smiled. "Since that is the case... this Daoist shall humbly accept and experience this 'mind-sharpening' item of yours."

"Great!" Chen Song was overjoyed and immediately began arranging the tiles.

Thus, an utterly peculiar scene appeared:

Within the solemn and majestic main hall of Wuzhuang Temple, Zhenyuanzi, ancestor of the Earth Immortals; Hong Yun, the great good guy of the primordial world; Chen Song, first disciple of the Three Pure Ones; and... a white Samoyed dog noisily insisting that it wanted to join the table too, three people and one dog sat around a table and began... playing mahjong!

"Pung!"

"Two Bamboo!"

"Woof, Hu! Elder Brother, you owe me a Ginseng Fruit!"

Big White stood upright, smugly slapped one front paw onto the table, then deftly swept the other paw across the tiles and pushed down the hand before it. Its dog face was full of a showy expression that said, "Hurry up and praise me for being clever."

Zhenyuanzi looked at Big White's utterly chaotic hand, then at the Big Four Happiness he was about to complete.

The hand stroking his beard trembled slightly. After a long while, he could only smile helplessly. "Little Friend Chen Song, your companion... truly has... profound good fortune." He genuinely could not find any other words to describe such a blind-cat-catching-a-dead-mouse Hu.

Hong Yun laughed so hard that he rocked back and forth, pointing at Big White. "Hahahaha! This stupid dog! It can't even recognize all the tiles, yet it managed to Hu! Hahaha!"

Chen Song covered his face. He simply could not bear to look. He seriously suspected that Big White had secretly switched tiles with its dog paws just now—or perhaps the Heavenly Dao had simply gone blind and favored this foolish dog.

"It doesn't count, it doesn't count! You stupid dog must have cheated!" Chen Song tried to renege on the bet.

"Woof woof woof! Elder Brother, you're trying to welch! Lord Hong Yun and Immortal Zhenyuanzi can testify! It's written in black and white... no, carved onto the wooden tiles! Are you trying to be a deadbeat?"

Big White immediately refused to accept this. It bounced and jumped around Chen Song, its drool nearly spraying onto his face.

Hong Yun delighted in watching the man and dog bicker. He even pulled out some melon seeds from his pocket to crack while remembering to share some with Zhenyuanzi beside him.

In the end, Chen Song still cheated, stuffing pine nuts into Big White's dog mouth.

The three people and one dog continued playing mahjong and cracking melon seeds. Chen Song occasionally even gave Big White a kick. Only after everyone had had their fill of fun did Chen Song prepare to leave. After all, he had set out this time under the pretext of leaving the mountain to travel.

What was the point of hanging around here playing mahjong with others all the time?

Besides, since he had already decided to send the Kui Ox back to serve as Third Martial Uncle's mount, he could not play favorites, could he? His own Master needed one too, didn't he?

As for Second Martial Uncle? Didn't he dislike furry, horned creatures and those born damp or from eggs? Then Second Martial Uncle could suffer a little first!

Chen Song remembered that his Master's mount was supposed to be the Green Ox, a Single-Horned Kui? Kui? Didn't that mean rhinoceros? Could Master's mount be a rhinoceros?

Chen Song shook his head and cast aside those jumbled thoughts. He should ask Hong Yun instead. This fellow had traveled through the primordial world more often, so he might have seen one.

Having made up his mind, he stretched and cupped his hands toward the still-unsatisfied Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun. "Seniors, this junior has disturbed you for quite some time. It is time for me to continue my travels."

Hong Yun cracked his last melon seed and said indistinctly, "Leaving already? Not playing a few more rounds? I haven't even used my 'flowering after a Kong' yet!"

Zhenyuanzi was more open-minded. Stroking his beard, he smiled. "Since Little Friend has important matters to attend to, this Daoist should not force you to stay. If you have time in the future, simply come visit often." He rather enjoyed this lively atmosphere.

Chen Song thanked him, then leaned close to Hong Yun and lowered his voice. "Senior Hong Yun, you have seen and experienced much. This junior wishes to ask you about something."

"Oh? Go ahead." Hong Yun grew interested.

"While traveling through the primordial world, have you ever seen a... well... probably green ox? Maybe one with a single horn? The kind with tremendous strength? Its name should be the Single-Horned Kui, right?" Chen Song gestured as he tried to describe the image of the Grand Supreme Elder Lord's mount from his memories.

"Single-Horned Kui? A green ox? One horn?" Hong Yun rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it... I do seem to have some impression..."

Big White, who had been wrestling with the last few pine nuts, instantly perked up its ears and raised its head warily. "Woof? Elder Brother, are you looking for a new mount? Is this dog not soft enough, or not fast enough?" As it spoke, it vigorously shook its fluffy white fur, trying to prove its worth.

The Kui Ox also pricked up its ears and said in a muffled voice, "Young Master, do you think this old ox's speed is lacking? Or am I unable to serve as Senior Tongtian's mount?" Its front hoof uneasily scraped the ground.

"Go, go, it has nothing to do with you two!" Chen Song waved his hand impatiently. "I'm finding one for my Master! As the foremost of the Three Pure Ones, he can't always fly himself or ride me when he goes out, can he? That would be so embarrassing!"

"Woof, Elder Brother! He can ride me! How about this dog becoming your Master's mount?" The moment Big White heard it was Elder Brother's Master, wasn't that its own proper and legitimate grandmaster?

"Little Friend Chen Song, the Single-Horned Kui you mentioned should be the Holy Water Buffalo, right?" Zhenyuanzi, who had overheard Chen Song "secretly" asking Hong Yun about some "green ox," spoke up from the side.

(There should be more later?)

(Family by the coast, a typhoon is coming. Stay safe!)