Meeting the white deer again

"When it ripens, you must come over and show your support."

Fang Zelin smiled at that as well.

Zhang Weichu had always said that Fang Zelin had done him a kindness.

But in Fang Zelin's eyes, the other man had also done him a kindness. If not for that volume on Qi Refining,

Fang Zelin would not even have found the threshold yet.

Besides, over these past few days, Fang Zelin had constantly been asking Zhang Weichu about the outside world.

For instance, where there were traces of immortals and the like.

After all, once the spirit rice ripened, Fang Zelin intended to head out in search of immortals.

Yet even now, Fang Zelin still did not know where his next stop would be.

He felt rather helpless about this.

What he learned from Zhang Weichu was that the latter did not know where any traces of immortals could be found.

Or rather, one hardly ever heard any news of immortals at all, as though they had vanished without a trace.

Fang Zelin felt quite helpless upon hearing this.

If that were the case, he would have no way to plan his next journey.

"Of course I will!"

Seeing that Fang Zelin wanted him to come and taste the spirit rice he had grown, Zhang Weichu readily agreed.

Fang Zelin smiled broadly at this and glanced at the spirit rice beside them.

He estimated that it should not take much longer to ripen.

"By the way, things have been quite lively outside lately. Those people from foreign lands have all taken to practicing martial arts, and they often start fighting right out in the streets."

Since Fang Zelin had to tend his spirit field, he had hardly gone out.

Every time Zhang Weichu visited, he would briefly tell Fang Zelin about the situation in the county.

Hearing Zhang Weichu mention this, Fang Zelin's mouth twitched.

After taking up martial arts, the players had all become brimming with confidence, and repeated bans had failed to stop their street bouts.

However, the county magistrate later deployed the bailiffs, and only then did the players rein themselves in somewhat, though they moved their bouts outside instead.

He had heard that some players had even begun forming gangs and such.

Besides that, Anzi County actually had a few small local gangs of its own.

But after getting into disputes with the players, they had been wiped out in just over ten days.

The players all felt that they could not die and acted with extreme boldness.

The local gang members of Anzi County had never seen people like this, so they had collapsed extremely quickly.

He had heard that the players' gangs were now beginning to fight over territory on Wangqing Mountain.

There were medicinal herbs on Wangqing Mountain. If they could take control of them, money would follow.

Fang Zelin had heard about these things. Now, listening to Zhang Weichu, he remained unruffled.

"Just let them do as they please."

Hearing this, Zhang Weichu merely assumed that, as an immortal cultivator, Fang Zelin would not interfere in mortal affairs.

Just as he himself, an underworld official, would not interfere in the affairs of the living.

Holding his black oil-paper umbrella, Zhang Weichu sat down beside him and was just about to say something when his expression suddenly shifted, and he looked toward the distant water.

Fang Zelin could not help looking up as well.

The next moment, the man and the ghost saw a white deer in the distance, treading across the water toward them.

The white elk walked over the water with a piece of lingzhi held in its mouth.

There was a hint of apprehension in the elk's eyes. It had spent a great deal of effort obtaining this half-piece of lingzhi, and it did not know whether the gentleman would find it worthy.

As Yingping Peak drew closer and closer, the white deer grew terribly nervous.

It had spent quite some time searching for the gentleman before hearing that he was here.

Now that Yingping Peak was almost within reach, it grew increasingly nervous.

After walking across the water for a while, the white deer spotted a little house in front of Yingping Peak from afar, with two figures standing before it.

On taking a closer look, it saw that Fang Zelin was indeed among them!

At this sight, delight immediately filled the white deer's heart, and it hurried over across the water.

"That deer demon again?"

Watching the deer demon approach over the water, Zhang Weichu immediately frowned.

Although he had not encountered this deer demon when he previously went to Wangqing Mountain,

he had heard about it afterward: white all over, with something of a divine grace.

Thus, he recognized it at first sight.

After all, it was hardly likely that there were two white deer demons at the foot of Wangqing Mountain.

The white deer now noticed Zhang Weichu beside Fang Zelin, but it no longer paid this underworld official much mind.

After receiving Fang Zelin's guidance, its cultivation had advanced considerably during this time, and now it could even walk on water.

It felt no fear whatsoever toward this underworld official before it.

At the sight of the white deer, Fang Zelin's heart gave a twitch as well.

Their last encounter had ended with what could be considered a friendly discussion before they parted.

As for the spirit rice, the deer had given it to him willingly. Surely it had not changed its mind?

He had been growing this spirit rice for so long now. Had it come running back to demand its return?

Watching the white deer approach over the water, Fang Zelin felt somewhat nervous.

While Fang Zelin watched it nervously, the white deer finally came up to him, stepping through splashes of water.

Lowering its head slightly, it placed the lingzhi from its mouth on the ground.

"Sir, I have no way to repay your great kindness, so I specially sought out a little something to present to you."

As it spoke, the white deer nudged the lingzhi toward Fang Zelin.

Hearing this, Fang Zelin immediately relaxed. Good, as long as it had not changed its mind and come to demand the spirit rice back.

After all, he had been growing this spirit rice for so long, and it was almost ripe. He had not even tasted it yet.

Still, hearing the white deer's words, Fang Zelin could not help lowering his head to glance at the lingzhi.

Was this a spiritual treasure? Something like the spirit rice?

At this thought, Fang Zelin grew excited and instinctively swept his gaze over it.

Then Fang Zelin frowned. This lingzhi... contained no spiritual power.

He had cultivated for so long, after all. He could tell at a glance whether something contained Spiritual Qi.

Just like the spirit rice beside him.

From the very beginning, Fang Zelin had been able to sense a faint trace of spiritual power within it.

This lingzhi looked quite large, yet it contained no spiritual power.

Ever since setting down the lingzhi, the white deer had been watching Fang Zelin.

It noticed the slight furrow in his brow.

As expected, did the gentleman not particularly like such mundane things?

At this thought, the white deer's heart immediately filled with apprehension.

It truly could not find anything good, yet it especially wanted to come and see Fang Zelin.

Otherwise, it would not have been so hasty.

Spiritual treasures were simply too difficult to find.

Thinking of this, the white deer immediately became deeply hesitant.

"Although it isn't a spiritual treasure, a lingzhi this large could still increase a martial artist's Qi Force considerably if they ate it."

"If sold, it could fetch quite a bit of silver."

Fang Zelin looked over the lingzhi and confirmed that it indeed contained no Spiritual Qi.