Sizzle!
In a clearing in the Hidden Valley, a fire burned beneath a roast chicken. Its skin had turned golden-brown, and beads of fat dripped into the flames, sizzling as the aroma of chicken filled the air.
"Cluck, cluck!"
Beside the fire, an enormous white sable scratched at its ears, seeming unable to wait any longer.
"Don't rush! It's not ready yet!"
Fang Yuan carefully turned the branch, occasionally sprinkling on a little salt and pepper.
Ever since their last trade, he and the white sable had gone from strangers to familiar companions, gradually growing closer.
Especially after drinking the Heart-Questioning Tea brewed with the Sitting-Forgetting Tea Ceremony—and then stubbornly trying a few raw leaves—the white sable had lost nearly all interest in the Heart-Questioning Tea Tree. All it wanted was for Fang Yuan to brew tea for it every day.
In return, it naturally brought plenty of that Spiritual Fertilizer.
More often, though, it would hunt a few pheasants or wild rabbits and bring them over to curry favor.
Fang Yuan wasn't stingy, so he roasted the meat and gave half to the white sable.
Poor fellow had always eaten raw flesh and drunk blood. How could it have ever tasted cooked food? Add in the seasonings and the grilling techniques Fang Yuan had learned in his dreams, and the white sable was instantly hooked.
By now, every time Fang Yuan opened his door, he found small animals laid out in front of it. He certainly never had to worry about running short of meat.
"Here! It's ready!"
Fang Yuan tore the roast chicken in half and handed one piece to the white sable. The sable was delighted, using both paws and mouth to devour it in a whirlwind, polishing it off in moments before licking its whiskers, still unsatisfied.
"You eat fast..."
Fang Yuan was speechless. He took a bite of the chicken wing in his hand. "Mmm... this tastes great!"
The roast chicken was not only wonderfully fragrant, but incredibly tender. Since it came from the depths of the mountains, where the birds fed on pine nuts, hazelnuts, and the like, the meat naturally carried a hint of the forest's fresh aroma. Even with his amateur cooking skills, Fang Yuan had made something delicious.
"Want some more?"
He glanced at the white sable, which was staring at the chicken with longing, and smiled as he tossed it a drumstick. The sable caught it and happily began to gnaw.
"Don't just eat meat. It's not nutritious..."
Fang Yuan brought out Jade Crystal Rice and some side dishes, then dug in. The white sable watched enviously and begged for a bowl of its own. Fang Yuan had no idea how its belly, smaller than his, could possibly fit so much food.
Once they had eaten their fill, Fang Yuan took advantage of the sable's meal to creep up and stroke its back.
It felt wonderful. Its soft, sleek fur was smoother than the finest silk, and he couldn't help getting a little addicted to the sensation. He was even more delighted to realize that the Spiritual Beast had more or less accepted him.
"Such a mighty and fierce sable would make a perfect guardian of the valley if I could tame it. Then let's see who would dare come snooping around!"
Fang Yuan had not forgotten for a moment that he still had a mysterious enemy out in the world.
"Nothing cuts the grease like tea..."
Once they had finished the roast chicken, Fang Yuan smiled and went inside to fetch the teapot.
At the sight of it, the white sable's eyes lit up.
To the sable, roast chicken merely satisfied its appetite, but this spiritual tea could greatly sharpen its mind. It was something it needed to survive.
The clear stream of tea poured into the cups, releasing an astonishing fragrance.
After completing the whole process, Fang Yuan's eyes were clear and his worldly desires had faded away. Even the white sable across from him sat solemnly, legs folded beneath it, as if it had gained some insight.
"Please!"
Fang Yuan poured the tea into cups and handed one to the white sable.
Man and beast sat facing each other, slowly savoring their tea and enjoying the moment.
"Hmm... the sable's mind is pure. It seems to have grasped something of Master's Sitting-Forgetting Tea Ceremony..."
As Fang Yuan watched, joy suddenly welled up inside him.
It was just like the time when Heart-Questioning Hermit had seen him grasp the Way of Sitting-Forgetting.
"Passing the Torch! This is the true meaning of Civilization Legacy..."
Fang Yuan sighed inwardly. Then he seemed to sense a muddled, curious feeling nearby. He turned his head and met the white sable's dazed eyes.
"I can actually sense what the white sable is thinking?"
He suddenly came to his senses, only to find that he could no longer enter that mysterious state.
"If I could stay in that state more often, maybe one day I'd be able to talk to you directly!"
Fang Yuan stroked the white sable's head and sighed.
Unfortunately, he was still a long way from reaching a state that seemed almost like a divine art.
"Come on! Let's fertilize the tea tree!"
After thinking for a moment, Fang Yuan stood up and clapped his hands. "It's lucky you brought that Spiritual Fertilizer. Otherwise, the Heart-Questioning Tea Tree wouldn't produce nearly enough for the two of us to use up like this..."
He went over to the tea tree, opened a cloth pouch, and scattered the Spiritual Fertilizer, grain by grain.
Beside him, the sable loosened the soil with its paws. Man and beast worked together with surprising ease and understanding.
If any outsider had seen this scene, who knew how many eyes would have popped out of their sockets.
"White sable, how about I give you a name?"
"Cluck, cluck?"
"Hmm, I remember there was a legendary sable in the world of my dreams. It was a mighty divine beast from Enfeoffment of Gods, shaped like a white mouse. When it unleashed its powers, it grew as huge as a white elephant, with flying wings sprouting from its flanks. It bared its claws and fangs, wielded the merciless powers of wind and fire, and devoured all mankind. It was called the 'Flower Fox Ferret.' How about I call you that?"
Fang Yuan ignored the sable's glossy white fur and named it anyway.
"Cluck, cluck?!"
"Hmm, since you're not objecting, I'll take that as agreement. Flower Fox Ferret! Ha ha!"
Fang Yuan was immensely pleased with himself, his smile bright.
Outside the Hidden Valley.
"Uncle Lin, the expert you mentioned is here?"
The Zhou Wenxin siblings, whom Fang Yuan had met once before, were trudging through the Mountain Forest with several burly servants and Steward Lin.
Zhou Wenxin, especially, was a young lady of a wealthy family who had never lifted a finger to do housework. Now, with no path visible ahead or behind, she was practically on the verge of tears.
"Ah... I told you earlier, little sister, you could have stayed home and waited for news. Why did you insist on trekking over the mountains with us?"
Second Brother Zhou tried to persuade her.
"I just wanted to do my filial duty for Father..."
Zhou Wenxin was already regretting it, but she pouted and refused to admit it.
"Heh heh... My two dear young friends, we're almost at the Hidden Valley!"
Steward Lin's face was ruddy. He wasn't even out of breath, and he smiled as he spoke. "As for Heart-Questioning Hermit, he was a true expert... Unfortunately, you've come too late. He has already passed away, leaving only my young friend Fang Xian behind. He inherited some of his medical skills, and while he might not be able to bring the dead back to life, he's still quite capable..."
In truth, Steward Lin wasn't very confident in Fang Yuan's medical skills.
But he knew that Heart-Questioning Hermit and his disciple were both skilled at cultivation, and that they lived deep in the mountains. They ought to have stored away quite a few medicinal ingredients that had grown for many years; perhaps they even had some rare treasures.
If he swallowed his pride, he ought to be able to obtain one or two plants and build a connection with the Zhou family.
'Lei Yue has just joined the Gui Ling Sect. I ought to help her forge as many good connections as possible!'
Steward Lin naturally had his own considerations.
Otherwise, given his current relationship with Fang Yuan, meeting again would only be awkward. Why would he have come back eagerly to knock on his door?
"What? He only has one disciple?"
Zhou Wenxin's face flushed red, and she was about to blow up when the young man beside her stopped her. "Uncle Lin went to all this trouble out of goodwill. Don't we know what kind of person he is? Don't be impulsive!"
He turned to Steward Lin and apologized. "My little sister was rude. Please don't take offense, Uncle Lin!"
"Heh heh... Your little sister is so innocent and lively. I rather envy you!"
Steward Lin responded with a hearty laugh, but privately he was relieved that none of his own daughters were like Zhou Wenxin. Otherwise, his household would truly have been in turmoil.
As they spoke, the group arrived outside the Hidden Valley.
"My young friend!"
Steward Lin had been around the martial world for years. He wasn't embarrassed in the slightest, and his robust voice carried far.
"Hm? Steward Lin? Why is he back again?"
Fang Yuan, who was weeding the Crimson Jade Rice Field, looked up, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. "I'll go take a look. Flower Fox Ferret, hide! And remember, don't sneak any rice seedlings!"
The Flower Fox Ferret was far too mysterious. Fang Yuan planned to keep it hidden as a trump card, so he naturally didn't want anyone else to see it.
"Cluck, cluck!"
The white sable raised its head and glanced toward the valley entrance. A hint of disdain seemed to flash in its clever eyes. It climbed to its feet languidly, turned into the Plantation, and disappeared from sight.
Fang Yuan waited until the Flower Fox Ferret had vanished completely before straightening his clothes and going to the valley entrance. "Uncle Lin! May I ask what brings you here this time?"
"My young friend, I've brought two guests to meet you. Let me introduce you. This is..."
Steward Lin's smile made him look like a statue of Maitreya Buddha, but the next instant, Zhou Wenxin's sharp voice rang out. "You little thief!"
"Little thief?!"
Steward Lin and Second Brother Zhou were both stunned.
"Second Brother, him! It's him... He's the one who humiliated me!"
Zhou Wenxin's face turned red as she fumbled over her words, furious.
"Miss!"
Fang Yuan frowned. He naturally recognized this willful young lady.
But her choice of words was far too suggestive, wasn't it? Heaven knew he hadn't so much as touched a single one of her fingers. How could that count as 'humiliating' her?
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and seize him!"
Seeing Steward Lin and Second Brother Zhou still standing there in a daze, Zhou Wenxin exploded again.
"Yes, Miss!"
The burly servants beside her immediately stepped forward with hostile expressions.
"Wait! There may be some misunderstanding here."
Steward Lin stepped between them, speaking without so much as a change in expression. "I've watched my young friend grow up. He's certainly not the sort of lecherous scoundrel you're making him out to be!"
"You're... the young man who sold the Red Ginseng that day?"
Second Brother Zhou looked Fang Yuan over and recognized him too.
He had known about what happened that day and had later investigated it carefully. The result had been laughable.
But in all fairness, Fang Yuan was not to blame.
"Heh heh... There may well have been some misunderstanding..."
Seeing Steward Lin speak up like that, Second Brother Zhou hurriedly chimed in. "Exactly! Exactly!"
As her elder brother, he naturally had to cut his sister some slack. But they had come this time to ask a favor, so he could only muddle through and smooth things over.
Before you continue