Doing good with intent

Fang Zelin could not quite see through the man before him.

He also thought that if he could befriend this man with a bowl of spirit rice, perhaps he would have someone to offer him a little guidance on his path of cultivation in the future.

After all, Fang Zelin was still an unaffiliated cultivator, and did not know very much about cultivation.

Making the acquaintance of some mighty cultivators would be no bad thing.

With that thought, Fang Zelin took a bowl of spirit rice from beside him and handed it to the man.

After accepting the spirit rice, the young man wearing a jade crown gave Fang Zelin a somewhat surprised look.

He had not expected the man before him to be so generous.

He could tell, at any rate, that this spiritual food was extraordinary.

With such rich Spiritual Qi within it, it was certainly no ordinary thing.

But seeing how generous Fang Zelin was, he did not stand on ceremony. Given his status, he ought to be able to repay this bowl of spirit rice in the future anyway.

With that thought, he too took a pair of jade chopsticks and began savoring it slowly.

The next moment, as its fragrance filled his mouth, even he could not help being startled.

"When I heard you all say earlier that even delicacies from the mountains and seas could not compare, I thought it was a little exaggerated. Only now that I have tasted it do I realize that your descriptions were rather restrained."

The man's face was full of admiration.

Fang Zelin smiled at his words, unable to help feeling a little moved.

From the looks of it, spirit rice really was quite rare.

Otherwise, so many people would certainly not have found it so delicious.

The group sat down and slowly savored the spirit rice in their bowls.

The small patch of spirit grain had actually yielded quite a lot of spirit rice, but divided among so many people, there was not much to go around.

Thus, everyone ate extremely slowly.

Fang Zelin looked at the young man beside him and was just about to ask about his background when another splash came from the distant riverbank.

Zhang Weichu and the others paused at the sound.

What was going on? Why were there so many visitors today?

At that thought, they all immediately looked toward the sound.

But when they saw who had come, they were all taken aback.

A figure walked out of the water, droplets dripping constantly from his body onto the ground. His face was pale, and there was even a trace of venomous resentment in his eyes.

After coming ashore, he headed straight toward Fang Zelin.

Everyone frowned at the sight.

He Chenyi's fingers moved. Should this water ghost try anything, he could blast him straight back.

The young man in the jade crown also set down his bowl and chopsticks, sensing that this water ghost seemed to have come with ill intent.

"Why?"

Ordinarily, the water ghost would have kept his distance at the sight of He Chenyi.

Now, however, even though he had noticed He Chenyi's movement, he still gritted his teeth and questioned Fang Zelin.

Fang Zelin frowned at his words, but he already knew what the ghost was asking.

"He only spent one month saving people who fell into the water, while I spent three months! For three whole months, I kept saving people who fell into the water."

"Why? Why did it take him only one month to earn the City God's favor and become an underworld official instead of a water ghost, while I spent three months and am still suffering the torment of drowning in the water?"

The water ghost stared at Fang Zelin, his eyes full of venomous resentment.

If not for this business of Fang Zelin's, he would have drowned that substitute long ago!

Fang Zelin looked at the water ghost before him without any change in his expression.

Back when he had first heard what the ghost was doing, he had known that he would very likely fail.

Now, the ghost had merely confirmed it.

Hearing this, the young man and the white deer beside him immediately looked curiously toward Fang Zelin.

The white deer had already heard about this from Zhang Weichu earlier.

It knew the broad outline.

The young man in the jade crown, however, found it quite novel.

A water ghost could become an underworld official too?

Why was it that, when two water ghosts did the same thing, one could become an underworld official while the other could not?

At that thought, everyone turned their eyes toward Fang Zelin, wanting an explanation to satisfy their curiosity.

Under everyone's gaze, Fang Zelin pondered briefly, and then a saying suddenly flashed through his mind.

He could not help offering a word of counsel. "Simply do good deeds, and do not ask what lies ahead."

"What mattered most in Zhang Weichu becoming an underworld official was his character. He did not save people for his own sake. What he cultivated was his character."

"As for you, you saved people so that you could become an underworld official. Naturally, the difference between the two is as vast as heaven and earth."

Fang Zelin did not speak loudly, but given who his listeners were, they naturally heard every word with perfect clarity.

The white deer and the young man in the jade crown immediately felt a measure of understanding dawn on them.

The water ghost opposite him, however, looked as though he had been struck by lightning.

Thinking back on what Zhang Weichu had done, he truly had not done good with deliberate intent.

With that comparison, the higher and lower were immediately clear.

And the reason I could not become an underworld official was that my character was lacking, and I harbored selfish motives?

If I had been like Zhang Weichu before, would things be different now?

At that thought, he stood rooted to the spot, looking utterly lost.

Seeing him like this, Fang Zelin shook his head.

After everyone had finished sharing the spirit rice, Fang Zelin glanced at the spirit grain beside him.

Judging by how full of vitality it looked, it would probably be able to produce spirit rice again.

After asking He Chenyi to help tend it, Fang Zelin prepared to leave.

He had tasted the spirit rice, and eating a bowl had indeed increased his cultivation a little.

But Fang Zelin cared more about his future cultivation, so he intended to go out and look for other cultivators.

That way, he could gain a clearer understanding of the path of cultivation.

Besides, even now, he still knew nothing about spells and the like. He needed to learn those too.

Hiding here to cultivate in seclusion was rather like building a cart behind closed doors.

"Where are you going, sir?"

Seeing Fang Zelin ask He Chenyi to help tend the spirit field and then look ready to set off on a long journey, the white deer immediately gave a start.

It had still been hoping to grow closer to Fang Zelin and have him offer it more guidance on cultivation.

If Fang Zelin left now, how would it find him in the future?

At the white deer's question, Fang Zelin was momentarily at a loss.

But after only a moment, he smiled faintly. "Off to wander the four corners of the world!"

Since he was going to seek traces of immortals, he naturally had to wander far and wide. How else could he find them?

"By the way, I have yet to learn who you are."

At this thought, Fang Zelin's heart stirred, and he wanted to ask the young man in the jade crown about his identity.

Perhaps he knew where traces of immortals could be found?