A New Member of the Family Arrives

At six in the morning, Lin Fan woke up right on time.

The rented apartment was still cramped, but with a few more statues and sketches, it no longer felt quite so confining. The "Breath Soil" on the windowsill still gave off a faint Dao rhythm, and the statue of Nüwa in the corner seemed almost alive. The morning light spilled over it, and a soft glow shimmered across its surface.

Lin Fan got up quietly and was just about to begin his daily cultivation of the Supreme Clarity Heart-Cleansing Mantra when a sharp crash came from the kitchen.

His heart lurched, and he hurried over to investigate.

At the kitchen doorway, a stranger was crouched on the floor, frantically picking up the pieces of a broken bowl.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."

He looked to be in his early twenties, with a slender build. He wore an old T-shirt and sweatpants that clearly didn't fit, and his hair was a mess. A hint of youthful innocence and panic showed on his face.

Lin Fan froze. "Who are you?!"

The young man looked up, revealing a handsome but rather disheveled face. His eyes were full of apology. "I-I don't know either... I woke up here... in your kitchen... It smelled so good... I couldn't help coming in to take a look..."

Lin Fan furrowed his brow. A sweep of his divine sense revealed that the man carried a trace of... Primordial Era aura?!

"Your Majesty, Senior Tongtian, something's happened!" Lin Fan hurried back inside to wake the two Saints.

Nüwa was already awake. She looked at the young man and paused, then a flicker of understanding appeared in her eyes.

"This person... carries innate wood spirit energy?"

Tongtian also walked over at a leisurely pace. He swept the man with his divine sense and snorted. "Another fragment of a true spirit. A survivor of the Primordial Era."

Lin Fan was startled. "Another one?! Then he's..."

Nüwa said softly, "If my guess is right, he should be... Jumang."

"Jumang?!" Lin Fan cried. "The Wood Ancestral Witch?!"

Tongtian nodded, his tone indifferent. "One of the Twelve Ancestral Witches. He governs spring's renewal and the flourishing and withering of plants. He stood alongside Gong Gong as one of the ancient gods of the Primordial Era."

Lin Fan's head rang. He nearly lost his balance.

Another one of the old-timers?!

Jumang, one of the Ancestral Witches, ruler of wood.

In the Primordial Era, he governed the growth of all things, the return of spring, and the revival of withered trees. He was the embodiment of nature's power. Alongside Zhurong, the God of Fire, and Gong Gong, the God of Water, he was considered the gentlest of the Twelve Ancestral Witches.

But now, he looked like a lost child, crouching by the kitchen door with half a slice of toast still clutched in his hand.

"I... I really don't remember anything," Jumang said quietly. "I only remember... the sky collapsing, the earth splitting apart, and then falling into a stretch of darkness... When I woke up again, I smelled something delicious... It was your congee."

Lin Fan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "You woke up because you smelled my millet congee?"

Nüwa smiled warmly. "A wood spirit body is drawn to the flavors of nature. The millet congee you made was what stirred his consciousness."

Lin Fan held his forehead. "Does that mean I'll have to make congee every day from now on?"

Tongtian said calmly, "If you want him to recover his memories sooner, then go along with his nature."

After some reassurance and explanation, Jumang finally accepted the reality that he had "strayed into another world."

He was gentle and well-spoken, a sharp contrast to the fiery Gong Gong. When he learned that Nüwa and Tongtian were there too, his eyes filled with tears of joy, and he knelt down to pay his respects.

"This humble one, Jumang, pays his respects to Her Majesty Nüwa and Master Tongtian."

Nüwa quickly helped him up. "Brother Jumang, there's no need for such formalities. We've all ended up stranded in this world. We should treat one another as comrades."

Tongtian nodded as well. "Your awakening is a stroke of fortune for Lin Fan, and a blessing of your own."

Jumang looked at Lin Fan, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Young friend Lin Fan, I'll never forget the kindness you've shown in giving me a new life."

Lin Fan hurriedly waved his hands. "No, no, please don't kneel. I can't accept that..."

Jumang's arrival brought a touch of spring to the little apartment.

He had a natural affinity with nature. Even if he merely stood on the balcony, the potted plants indoors grew at a visible rate. The pothos put out new shoots, the spider plants bloomed, and even the few scallions Lin Fan had planted grew taller than a person.

Nüwa smiled. "With him here, the house is full of vitality. That will benefit our cultivation too."

Jumang was happy to help. Though his divine power had yet to return, his control over the Dao of plants and trees remained. Lin Fan bought a few nearly dead potted plants, and Jumang touched them lightly with his fingertips. In moments, they were lush and green.

An idea struck Lin Fan. "Senior Jumang, since you can awaken the vitality of plants, could you also... improve the quality of ingredients?"

Jumang smiled. "We can give it a try."

Lin Fan bought a pile of ordinary vegetables. Jumang nourished them with wood spirit energy, and in moments, they gave off a faint fragrance and looked bright and fresh, as if they had just been picked from the mountains.

Lin Fan stir-fried a plate of greens. They were tender and juicy, with a fresh fragrance that lingered in his mouth. They tasted even better than the delicacies at a five-star hotel!

He was so excited he nearly cried. "This... This is way too delicious!"

Nüwa tried a bite and nodded slightly. "The natural flavor of the plants has been brought out completely. Brother Jumang's power is truly extraordinary."

Tongtian tried a bite too. His expression remained unchanged, but he quietly helped himself to another mouthful.

Jumang's awakening also caught the authorities' attention.

Chen Jing sat in the monitoring room, watching the gentle-looking young man interact with plants on the screen. Her brow furrowed.

Target Five (codename: Green Spirit): newly appeared male individual, estimated age 20–25, identity unknown, suspected ability to "control plants." Lives with Targets Two, Three, and Four; suspected survivor of the Primordial Era.

Energy fluctuations are mild and non-aggressive, but the individual possesses an extremely powerful ability to disrupt life-field readings.

Recommendation: Continue monitoring. Do not approach for now.

She rubbed her forehead and murmured, "Just how many people can Lin Fan's place hold?"

Jumang's arrival also changed the rhythm of Lin Fan's daily life.

He no longer needed to go out to buy vegetables every day. He only had to bring home a batch of ordinary produce, and Jumang could nourish it with wood spirit energy and multiply its quality several times over. He even set up a "spirit vegetable garden" on the balcony, planting everyday vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. Watered with spiritual energy each day, they grew quickly and well.

Nüwa also began using herbs grown by Jumang to try making simple "spirit meals." They had no miraculous effects, but could calm the mind, nourish the vital energy, and help Lin Fan with his cultivation.

Tongtian was quite interested in Jumang's wood spirit energy. The two occasionally discussed the Dao. Though one was the supreme sword cultivator and the other an Ancestral Witch of nature, their ideas differed, yet they still felt a mutual kinship.

Watching the harmony in the apartment, Lin Fan was filled with emotion.

This home is starting to look more and more like a "den of immortals."

One morning, Lin Fan was watering the plants on the balcony when a commotion rose from downstairs.

He leaned over to look and saw several uniformed staff gathered around the residential complex's landscaped greenery, pointing at it and murmuring among themselves.

"Strange. How did these trees grow so much overnight?"

"This rose was withering yesterday. How is it blooming today?"

"Why is this lawn so green it looks fake?"

Lin Fan's heart skipped a beat. He hurried back inside. "Senior Jumang! Did you 'lend a hand' again?"

Jumang looked completely innocent. "I only felt sorry for them, so I helped a little..."

Lin Fan held his forehead. "Your 'little' help is about to turn the whole residential complex into a botanical garden!"

Nüwa chuckled. "Plants have spirits. Brother Jumang is merely following nature's course."

Tongtian said calmly, "It's nothing to worry about. If the living things of this world can gain a chance at life, that is a good deed."

Lin Fan had no choice. He could only decide to set some boundaries on Senior Jumang's "activities" from now on, lest they attract any more attention from the outside world.

Jumang's arrival also gave Lin Fan new hopes for the future.

He was no longer just an ordinary person passively accepting the Saints' protection. He was gradually becoming the central link in this little "Primordial family."

He began taking the initiative to plan their daily lives, arrange meals, coordinate everyone's routines, and even keep track of each Saint's preferences and habits.

Nüwa liked peace and quiet and enjoyed painting insects and flowers, so he bought her better brushes and paints.

Tongtian loved swords and instant noodles, so he stocked up on every flavor and even secretly bought a tea set, hoping to get him to try the "way of tea."

Gong Gong was strong and liked meat, so every week Lin Fan arranged a "barbecue day" and let him feast to his heart's content.

Jumang loved nature, so Lin Fan set up a "spirit plant corner" on the balcony where he could talk with the plants every day.

He was no longer a wage slave crushed by the weight of life. He was a true guardian of a home.

Late one quiet night, Lin Fan sat alone by his bed, opened his diary, and wrote down what he had learned that day:

[Day 44. Senior Jumang woke up, and our family gained another member.]

[He is gentle, humble, and close to nature—a sharp contrast to Senior Gong Gong's fiery temperament.]

[I'm beginning to understand that the so-called "great figures of the Primordial Era" aren't all aloof, untouchable deities.]

[They have feelings and preferences, and they have their own moments of weakness and confusion.]

[And I, Lin Fan, an ordinary mortal, have somehow become their "family."]

[This isn't a dream. It's the reality I've protected with my own hands.]

[The road ahead may still be difficult, but I'm not afraid.]

[Because I'm not alone anymore.]

He closed the diary and looked out the window.

Stars dotted the night sky, as if they too were watching over the little rented apartment.

Inside, Nüwa sat quietly painting, Tongtian sipped hot tea, Gong Gong snored like thunder, and Jumang gently stroked the plants.

Everything was peaceful and beautiful.

Lin Fan smiled softly and murmured, "Welcome home, Senior Jumang."