After they laid Master down, his snoring grew much quieter, but he was still fast asleep. Mr. Li looked at him with a trace of guilt. He shook his head and sighed. "You two have really worked hard!
"You've been running around with an old man like me.
"When this trouble is over, I'll make it up to you both.
"I promise you'll be satisfied."
Xu Feng said nothing.
It wasn't his place to answer. He wasn't the one in charge of the Earth God Shrine.
Master would have to discuss that with Mr. Li himself.
Xu Feng only needed to listen and tell Master later.
After saying this, Mr. Li glanced at Xu Feng again. "Boy, why don't you get some sleep too?
"I'll wake you both tonight."
"I'm fine, Grandpa Li," Xu Feng said. "I'm not tired!"
Mr. Li looked him up and down and knew the boy wasn't lying.
He truly wasn't tired.
He was full of energy and vitality.
But for all that vitality, something was still amiss.
It was out of balance.
Of the three treasures—essence, energy, and spirit—spirit was meant to govern. But this young man's essence was too vigorous and his energy too sluggish. His spirit sat between them, trapped as essence and energy formed a furnace around it.
For now, no problem was apparent.
But if it continued,
it would harm him.
So Mr. Li beckoned Xu Feng outside to avoid disturbing Master's sleep. Xu Feng followed him out, and Mr. Li asked, "Have you eaten?"
"Yes," Xu Feng said.
"Then do you have any strength left? If you do, come walk with me. Let's climb the mountain. It'll loosen up your limbs."
"Okay."
Xu Feng accompanied Mr. Li along a country path. An eerie, oppressive air hung over all of Third