Wild

Looking at the few silver ingots in Bai Lingmiao's hand, Li Huowang reached into his pocket and placed a piece of silver on top.

Before Li Huowang could speak, Bai Lingmiao quickly interjected, "That gold bracelet has already been melted down. I saw it melt with my own eyes. It can't be redeemed."

Seeing Li Huowang standing there dumbfounded, Bai Lingmiao smiled triumphantly, feeling like she had won. She held the silver in her hands and stuffed it into his arms.

"Don't worry, that bracelet was originally for my mother to protect herself, not some family heirloom."

Seeing that Bai Lingmiao had said this much, Li Huowang didn't insist anymore. He carefully counted the silver and put it away. "Once everything is settled, I'll buy you an even bigger one."

"Okay! I'll be waiting!" Bai Lingmiao nodded with a smile.

Just then, the door suddenly opened, and Gouwa walked in from outside. He was stunned when he saw the two men and women squatting in the corner, and then he was about to walk out. "Wrong room, I'm really sorry, I'll go out now."

Bai Lingmiao blushed, buried her head, rushed to the door, pushed him away, and ran away.

Gouwa walked in with a grin, "Senior Brother Li, although Junior Sister Bai is all white, when it comes to marrying a wife, appearance is not important, personality is what matters. Don't dislike her."

Li Huowang was too lazy to talk nonsense with him. "Stop talking nonsense, wash up and go to sleep. It's not easy to have a bed to sleep in."

In a daze, Li Huowang found himself in an old forest. There was a faint light source ahead. Puzzled, he used his sword to cut through the branches and hurried towards the firelight ahead.

When he got closer, Li Huowang found that Bai Lingmiao and the others were following his mother and Yang Na, roasting Dried Sweet Potato around a bonfire.

Looking at this warm scene, he breathed a sigh of relief and was about to walk towards it.

However, suddenly the world changed drastically. Li Huowang found that Danyangzi, who was hundreds of feet tall, had three heads, and was covered in feathers, stood there like a mountain.

"Hahaha, child, you've done a good job, you've brought the Medicinal Guide."

The terrifying Danyangzi laughed loudly, raised the stone pillar in his hand, which was longer than his height, and slammed it down on the bonfire pile under his feet.

"Wait!!" Li Huowang, covered in cold sweat, suddenly sat up. After taking a few deep breaths, he realized that everything just now was just a dream.

"Senior Brother Li, are you awake? I specially bought you Biǎnshí, eat it while it's hot." Gouwa, who was watching the excitement, retracted his head from outside the window.

"What time is it now?" Li Huowang sat down at the table, covering his aching head, and found that the Biǎnshí he was talking about was similar to wontons.

"It's just past Chen time, it's okay to sleep in, anyway, we don't have to hurry today."

He picked up a ceramic spoon and stuffed the wontons into his mouth in big gulps. After a few bites, he finished them. "Who said we have nothing to do today? Let's go, let's buy the things we need for the journey."

Then the dream just now flashed through his mind, and Li Huowang said again, "I'll take others to buy those things, you go ask Lu Zhuangyuan when we can leave, the sooner the better, if he can't leave, then we'll leave early."

Li Huowang still had silver left from buying the Donkey Cart, plus the silver that Bai Lingmiao gave him, so he could replenish some necessities.

At the very least, quilts and mats were needed, so he wouldn't have to huddle by the bonfire at night, with his back burning and his chest cold.

In addition, he could buy a pot, so he could eat something hot on the road, instead of just eating dry food every day.

There were so many scattered things that one Donkey Cart was not enough. When he met Lu Zhuangyuan at the city gate, there was already another Donkey Cart.

"Hey, little Daoist priest is capable. Along the way, his belongings are getting more and more. I estimate that if you walk for another half a year or a year, you will probably be rolling in money." Lu Zhuangyuan, who was on the road, did not forget to continue flattering him.

"Lu Ban Master, is Jianye far from West Capital City?" Li Huowang asked, looking at the wide dirt road in front of him.

The road was wider and there were more people. There were not only him and Lu Zhuangyuan's group on the road, but also many people carrying bags and rushing on the road together, all of whom seemed to be going to West Capital City.

"Not far, it will take another ten days or so." Lu Zhuangyuan didn't know what happy thing he thought of, and his face bloomed with a smile.

Li Huowang nodded and continued to ask, "Regarding the Monk Temple you mentioned, besides their reputation for granting children, what else do you know?"

"Hey, a Monk Temple is just a Monk Temple, what's so different about it? Aren't all Monk Temples filled with a bunch of old monks leading a group of young monks in vegetarian meals and chanting Buddhist scriptures?"

Li Huowang sighed softly. It seemed he would have to inquire about this matter himself. Common folk like Lu Zhuangyuan lived their lives in a daze and had no concept of such things.

"Little Daoist priest, look, there's a monk up ahead. See that one peeing under the tree? Instead of asking me, why don't you ask him? He might be a monk from that Monk Temple."

"Oh?" Li Huowang looked up and saw a bald monk standing by the roadside.

As he approached, he saw the figure in tattered monk robes shake and turn around.

However, when he saw the man's face, Li Huowang frowned.

He looked more like an Old Beggar who had shaved his head than a monk. He was as wretched as could be, his monk robes covered in patches and holes.

"Amitabha, do you need something?" The dirty old man grinned, revealing his yellow teeth with not a single front tooth.

"You are... a monk?"

"Yes, I am a monk!" The Old Beggar held up a string of prayer beads made of Fruit Pits around his neck, speaking with some conviction.

"May I ask, Master, which temple are you a high monk of?" Li Huowang's voice was hesitant.

"I don't have a temple. I'm heading north to find one. I heard there are many Monk Temples there, and they even provide meals. I plan to go there and become a monk."

Hearing this, Li Huowang had a guess in his mind. He nodded noncommittally and turned to return to his group.

But even though Li Huowang didn't want to pay attention to this Old Beggar pretending to be a monk, the Old Beggar stuck to him like glue.

"Are you also looking for a Monk Temple? Then let's go together. But aren't you a Daoist priest? Daoist priests shouldn't believe in Buddha, right?"

Is this guy pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger? Li Huowang thought, becoming more vigilant. He slapped the Donkey Cart's rump and led the others to walk faster, ignoring the Old Beggar completely.

But if he didn't pay attention, someone else would. The simple-minded fool didn't sense anything was wrong.

"You didn't bring any food, you'll starve to death!"

"How could I starve? Look, there's everything in the forest, wild fruits, wild mushrooms, wild vegetables."

"I... I've also eaten wild fruits! I also..."

"Fool, don't talk to him!"

"Oh."

After no one paid attention to him, the Old Beggar left on his own, feeling bored. Li Huowang, who had been secretly clutching his Daoist bell, breathed a sigh of relief.

Whether the Old Beggar was truly foolish or pretending, in this strange place, it was always best to be wary of others.

They walked along the dirt road for an hour, the sun hanging directly overhead. Seeing that many people had already started squatting down to munch on Dried Sweet Potato, Li Huowang told the others to do the same.

Although he was starting to feel anxious, it was safer to have more people around.

Freshly bought white steamed buns were handed to everyone, and they ate their midday meal with a few jars of pickled vegetables.

Taking Bai Lingmiao's water gourd, Li Huowang tilted his head back and took a sip. He looked back and suddenly realized someone was missing. "Huh? Where's Fool?"

"He went into the forest to pee just now. Why hasn't he come back yet? Could it be that he started pooping halfway through? Hey!! Fool!! Are you in there!!"

As Gouwa shouted towards the roadside woods, the simple-minded fool poked his big, honest head out from within. His mouth was stuffed full, as if he were chewing on something.

"What are you eating?" Li Huowang asked, puzzled.

"Wild... wild... wild white rice from the woods, no... no... no money!" the fool said, before shrinking back into the woods again.