Guy made no stops along the way this time.
In just half a day, he reached the foot of Spirit Mountain.
From a distance, he saw several new rows of neat houses at the base of the mountain. The settlement had expanded considerably since he left.
The crops in the fields were thriving, and several newly dug channels carried clear mountain water to every section.
The changes to Spirit Mountain were plain to see.
As Guy appeared on the road leading to the mountain, three figures hurried toward him.
They were Moyochi En, Kakuzu, and Kagero.
"Venerable One! You're back!"
Moyochi En hurried forward, his face alight with excitement, and bowed.
Kakuzu and Kagero nodded in greeting as well.
Guy raised an eyebrow at the way Moyochi En had addressed him.
"Venerable One?"
Moyochi En quickly explained.
"The Poison-Avoidance Protector started calling you that. I thought it suited you perfectly, so I followed his lead."
"Everyone on Spirit Mountain calls you the Venerable One now."
Guy nodded slightly.
"That works."
Guy set Sand Wukong and Yota down from his shoulders and introduced the two children.
"This is Sand Wukong. I brought him back from the Land of Wind. He can control sand."
He patted Yota on the shoulder.
"And this is Yota, a prodigy of the Fūu Clan."
Moyochi En's eyes lit up.
He knew the Fūu Clan had been the goal of Guy's trip.
That ability could mean a great deal for Spirit Mountain's agricultural development.
Kakuzu looked the two children up and down. Neither reached his waist, and he clicked his tongue in amazement.
"You brought back quite a haul this trip, Venerable One."
Kagero gave the children a gentle smile.
The two children grew nervous under the scrutiny of the four adults.
They hid behind Guy's legs,