Chapter 22

Lin Ling had only just nodded, wanting to ask where this so-called Dragon Vein was, when the white-headed bird flapped its wings and flew away.

Even from behind, it was obvious that it was in a terrible hurry, as though afraid all the good spots would be taken.

After thinking it over, Lin Ling told Shi Changyuan about it, focusing on the so-called Dragon Vein. "So, if I can't go to Kunlun Mountain, I might go somewhere called the Dragon Vein instead."

Shi Changyuan's gaze darkened, but his tone remained unchanged, as though he were merely asking casually, "Do you have to leave?"

Lin Ling hesitated for a while before stammering, "I... we all have to go into the mountains and wilderness to cultivate."

"Don't worry, I'll find a way to write to you."

The poorly educated Little Mushroom made this promise with absolute conviction.

Shi Changyuan did not believe him.

After Lin Ling and Shi Changyuan returned to the Imperial Study, Lin Ling was clearly distracted. Even when he was given his favorite food, he found it tasteless.

After drifting about in a daze for several days, Lin Ling finally met Old Turtle, who had just awakened from hibernation.

Little Mushroom looked at the wisest Old Turtle and told him about what had been troubling him.

"Hm, you're asking whether the Dragon Vein is cold?" Old Turtle slowly raised his head. "Little Mushroom, what you're obviously worried about isn't the temperature of the Dragon Vein."

The wisest Old Turtle answered a different question.

"You can't bear to leave."

Old Turtle's words struck straight through Lin Ling's skull.

Lin Ling's eyes lit up, and he hurried to the Imperial Kitchen, serving Grandpa Turtle wine and food as he humbly asked, "Then... then what should I do?"

"What should you do?" Old Turtle happily ate and drank. "Leave if you want to leave, stay if you want to stay. What's so difficult about that?"

"Besides, most people who go out to cultivate have human forms, which makes traveling the world much more convenient."

"You already have a human form, but your cultivation is still rather shallow. People can easily see through you, and your cultivation is not enough to suppress your original nature. It's like how you still have to hibernate even after becoming human."

In other words, this mushroom spirit had become sentient and taken human form through a fortunate coincidence, but he merely possessed a human form. He could not be considered a great demon yet, and he would still get bullied when he should be bullied.

Old Turtle finally understood why this mushroom spirit was so conflicted. But having eaten his food, he could hardly refuse to help.

"How about this? I'll think of a compromise for you."

"Your cultivation isn't sufficient yet, and you still need to hibernate. Why not cultivate at the Dragon Vein during spring, summer, and autumn, then return to the palace for winter and have that emperor help you through it?" Old Turtle sighed. "The conditions outside truly can't compare to the palace."

Upon hearing this idea, the gloom in Lin Ling's heart was instantly swept away. It was like the clouds had parted to reveal the sun!

"Okay! Thank you, Grandpa Turtle!"

Mushroom skipped back to his own quarters, humming a little tune as he packed his belongings.

He needed to hurry and claim a good spot. That way, when winter came next year, he could hopefully avoid hibernating and spend the entire winter with Shi Changyuan!

No, he could return in the middle of autumn and leave again in the middle of spring. Shi Changyuan had said it himself—the roads were difficult to travel in freezing weather.

He also wondered whether improving his cultivation could shorten the time he needed to sleep. Shi Changyuan sometimes only needed to rest for two and a half hours. Mushroom wanted to keep him company, but he could not manage it QAQ.

Lin Ling's plans were perfect, and he could barely wait to tell Shi Changyuan. But Shi Changyuan was probably still at court.

Lin Ling wandered around his room, wrote a letter, and gave it to Qiu Fu to pass on to Shi Changyuan.

When Qiu Fu saw Lin Ling packing his things, he was horrified. Stumbling all the way to the Golden Luan Hall, he tremblingly handed Shi Changyuan the farewell letter Young Master Lin had written.

Shi Changyuan held the letter, his expression darkening. Before he could even open it, court had ended, and he hurried toward Li'an Hall, where Lin Ling lived. Pushing open the door, he saw that Lin Ling had already packed his luggage.

"Oh, why did you get here so quickly?" Lin Ling asked in surprise. "Perfect—I was just planning to set off right away."

Shi Changyuan stood in the doorway with a livid face, first sweeping his gaze around the room.

The wind chimes by the window, the pinwheels in the room, the scented sachets... all those miscellaneous little trinkets he had bought—Lin Ling had not taken a single one with him!

Shi Changyuan's expression grew even uglier, and he could not help asking, "You're not taking these?"

Following Shi Changyuan's gaze, Lin Ling shook his head.

He had originally wanted to take everything, but then he thought about it. Since he would be returning in winter anyway, this room would definitely still be his!

If Shi Changyuan cleared out his room, he would be angry.

Shi Changyuan's hand clenched inside his sleeve, and he was almost beside himself with rage.

Was Lin Ling cutting away everything connected to him?

Was this mushroom planning to cultivate the Ruthless Dao?!

Shi Changyuan seemed to want to say something more, but he had already tried every possible method these past few days. He had tried to use Mushroom's curiosity, Great Li's prosperity, rare treasures, and the finest delicacies to make him reluctant to leave.

But now, it seemed...

Lin Ling was not reluctant at all, leaving Shi Changyuan with almost no options.

Shi Changyuan's fingertips brushed the porcelain bottle hidden in his sleeve—the one the old Daoist had imbued with a spell.

If he wanted to, Lin Ling would never leave this room again.

Shi Changyuan remained silent for so long that Lin Ling began looking at him in confusion. In the end, he still yielded.

"I'll take you there." Shi Changyuan spoke those words with extraordinary difficulty.

Shi Changyuan had investigated it. The so-called Dragon Vein was the ring-shaped mountain not far from the palace, encircling the imperial city at its center.

Though it was not far away, traveling by carriage still took a full three days. The farther inward one went, the more remote and desolate it became. Only an ancient, backward village at the foot of the mountain connected it to the outside world, and there were no more than twenty people in total.

Afraid of disturbing the villagers, Shi Changyuan stopped the carriage on a mountain road some distance away.

"This is far enough!" The carriage ride had left Lin Ling's back aching, and he hurriedly climbed down.