Both Decided to Play It Safe (Thanks to "Scottish Muffin Man" for the Alliance Leader!)

A monastic room was where a Daoist priest lived and cultivated.

Chen Du lay on his bed with his eyes open. The room was so dark he couldn't see his hand in front of his face, and his thoughts had long since wandered who knew where.

A yao was living in the Daoist temple.

Yao really did exist in this world.

It was just like a dream.

Even though he had long since confirmed that the world had indeed undergone some strange change, when a yao actually appeared before him and spoke of immortals and mighty cultivators, the shock was still all too immediate.

He had even considered calling the police.

Not only had he considered it, it had been his first thought.

He had also wondered whether he should leave first.

But there were simply too many things he couldn't be sure of.

He couldn't be sure whether the yao could hear him making a call from across the courtyard, whether the police would take him for a lunatic, whether they could do anything about her, or whether it would send his life in a direction he neither liked nor could control.

Those things alone had left him unable to make up his mind. He felt that even if he did call the police, he should wait for a safer opportunity, and even if he did leave, he should get through tonight and wait until daybreak. Otherwise, leaving in the middle of the night would look exactly like running away.

And he had an even more important consideration-

The fortune of cultivation, magic and divine powers!

Ascending to immortality, living forever without aging!

Here lay the ultimate dream of everyone throughout the ages.

It really did exist!

Now that spiritual qi was reviving and yao were appearing in the world, even cats were about to become spirits. Since he had already seen spiritual energy, could he use this opportunity to set foot on the path of cultivation too?

Chen Du had grown up in the Earth Sage Temple and knew something about cultivation in ancient times.

Orthodox cultivation in ancient times had centered on Buddhism and Daoism, each with its own branches. There had also been many sorcerers, shamans, and folk ritual traditions, each with its own methods of cultivation. Some folk traditions had relied on Buddhism and Daoism for their existence, riding on their coattails for a few benefits and a little convenience.

By now, only two orthodox Daoist schools remained: the Talisman School and the Elixir Cauldron School. The Earth Sage Temple belonged to neither, so it could only be considered a folk ritual tradition. It was registered as a site of folk belief, but had no certificate of registration as a venue for religious activities. Strictly speaking, it was not a legitimate Daoist temple, only a folk ritual altar.

It had only been preserved because it had some history and was considered a historical relic.

It was said that in ancient times, the Earth Sage Temple's inheritance had leaned toward sorcery. It did not practice the dual cultivation of nature and life, study ritual ceremonies or talismans, or possess orthodox cultivation methods for either of those two traditions. Instead, it cultivated spiritual qi and magic.

There were no longer any records of how to cultivate spiritual qi.

As for magic, some had been passed down by word of mouth, but for one thing, they had passed through too many generations and become badly distorted. For another, most differed little from folk remedies and tricks, useful only for fooling people.

Chen Du had tried them long ago. None had worked.

Since the yao outside had become a spirit, then according to the ancient texts, she must have absorbed the spiritual qi of heaven and earth and breathed in the essence of the sun and moon. Would she have a method of cultivating spiritual qi suitable for humans?

And if she did, how was he to get it from her?

Though the wind and rain were fierce and the thunder unceasing, Chen Du did not dare make a sound while they were in the same Daoist temple.

She closed her eyes and opened them again, and more than four hundred years had passed.

Yunzhi, too, could see nothing but darkness, and her thoughts would not stop churning.

That Daoist Master Cat had brought her to this guest room just now, and everything in it felt strange and bewildering to her.

Daoist Master Cat had jumped up to open the door, and as soon as it opened, she had noticed how unusual the lock was. Later, Daoist Master Cat had jumped up again to turn on the "light," and she had finally understood how the light that had given her such a fright in the other room had been lit. The bright lamps in the heavenly immortals' palaces described in ancient writings were probably just like this.

She had tilted her head back and stared at the light for a long time, until her neck ached and her eyes blurred. Only then had she worked up the courage to imitate Daoist Master Cat and press the switch.

She had been startled when it went off, and startled again when it came on.

Afraid the immortal master would blame her, she had not dared play with it much.

The bedding was equally soft and comfortable.

Truth be told, although she was a yao, she had stayed in many places during her decades of traveling the world. Leaving aside the days she had slept in the wilderness or sheltered in tree hollows, she had stayed in chicken-feather inns, thatched inns, travelers' inns, carriage inns, guesthouses, and taverns, and had spent nights in quite a few Daoist temples and Buddhist monasteries. At first, she had needed to work up her courage, but later she learned there were very few true cultivators in the world. Once she grew used to it, she was no longer afraid. The vast majority of those places had not been as comfortable as this Daoist temple's guest room.

More than four hundred years had passed. She really had no idea what dynasty ruled the human world below the mountain now, who sat upon the throne, who held the realm, or what the mortal world had become.

Her magic power had not yet recovered.

Surely some general wouldn't catch and slaughter her as soon as she came down the mountain?

Her heart was full of anxiety and uncertainty.

A faint fragrance reached her nose, seemingly from the spiritual tree in the courtyard.

This truly was a grotto-heaven and blessed land!

It suddenly occurred to her that this Daoist master seemed to have a good temper. She had trespassed into the place where he cultivated in peace, yet not only had he refrained from punishing her, he had barely even blamed her. Even when she had shamelessly begged him for protection afterward, he had not heartlessly refused and driven her out to her death.

She wondered when this Daoist master had begun cultivating.

After all, spiritual qi had only just begun to revive.

Could he have lived all the way from the Great Ming too?

At that thought, she couldn't help wondering whether the immortal master would agree if she shamelessly asked to stay here and cultivate in shelter for a while, until her magic power recovered.

If he agreed, she would have someone to rely on, and he could also give her some guidance in cultivation. That would be wonderful.

No, no!

She couldn't even be sure she would get out of here safely tomorrow morning. Thinking about those things was far too unrealistic.

Getting down the mountain and staying alive was more important.

The woman shook her head repeatedly.

Though the wind and rain were fierce and the thunder unceasing, she too did not dare make a sound while they were in the same Daoist temple.

By early morning, the wind and rain had ceased, and the thunder and lightning were nowhere to be found.

The mountain was still. When Chen Du woke, all he could hear was birdsong outside the Daoist temple and the sound of a broom scraping the ground, both echoing through the quiet.

Then he felt something digging into him.

He reached out and felt it. It was that seal again.

Chen Du had distinctly put it in the drawer last night.

He looked up to see his cat crouching beside the bed and watching him, its eyes wide and round.

"You again!"

Chen Du patted it on the head and began packing.

He had thought about it for a long time last night and still felt that getting a cultivation method from this yao was too unrealistic. He also had no idea whether she was good or evil, so he resolved to play it safe for now.

His life came first!

He couldn't possibly give up the Daoist temple.

The abundant spiritual qi here was secondary. The main thing was that the temple had an inheritance. His own master had been so reluctant to part with it that, even for the old man's sake, Chen Du couldn't easily give it up.

But with a yao haunting the place, it wasn't safe after all, so he decided to find an excuse to go down the mountain this morning and stay away for a few days.

At the very least, he needed to calm down for a couple of days before deciding. Experience told him that decisions made after cooling his head were more reliable. If he wanted to come back then, he would find a way to return and see whether the woman had left, and come back once she was gone. If he didn't want to come back, he would look for a way to cultivate outside and return once he found one and had attained a certain level of cultivation. Then he wouldn't have to be afraid.

As it happened, he had already planned to go down the mountain. A few days ago, he had agreed to help someone check a gravesite's feng shui.

This was an important source of income for the Daoist temple.

After packing, he simply carried his bundle outside.

He had thought this through too-

Bringing the bundle out where the yao could see it would let her know in advance that he was going down the mountain. He would leave openly, so she wouldn't grow suspicious if she discovered him sneaking away.

When he came out, the female yao from last night was in the courtyard, sweeping fallen leaves from the ground with a broom made of spotted bamboo.

The woman wore the same clothes, but he could see her more clearly in daylight, and her graceful figure and stunning looks were all the more striking. Even in this age of more advanced skincare and cosmetic procedures, she did not look like a mortal. She looked as though she had stepped out of an electronic device with photo-editing and beautifying features, so beautiful it was unreal.

"You're awake, Immortal Master?"

When the woman noticed him, she immediately turned and bowed.

"Mm."

Chen Du nodded.

"Oh? Are you going out, Immortal Master?" The woman noticed the bundle on his back and found its appearance rather unusual.

"Mm. I arranged to meet an old friend, so I'm going over to see him today. Besides, last night was the Awakening of Insects. Heaven and earth may be changing, so I need to go out and take a look." Chen Du nodded calmly and glanced around.

Sure enough, quite a few leaves had fallen last night.

The little tree seemed to have grown quite a bit again, and its fruit had also grown to the size of soybeans.

He really was a little reluctant to leave it.

"I see."

The woman also glanced at the treasured tree in the courtyard.

Chen Du took another look at it.

He had also considered the matter of this tree-

Although the tree was certainly extraordinary, spiritual qi had only just begun to revive, so it probably wasn't very likely to be the greatest treasure under heaven.

And Chen Du truly had no way to take it with him.

There was a benefit to leaving it here:

He knew she was a yao and knew this was a treasured tree, yet he could still leave it behind without worry and go down the mountain to visit a friend. That would make him seem all the more composed and magnanimous.

The yao would be even less inclined to stop him rashly.

On the other hand, if the yao really did harbor ill intentions and stole the tree or picked its fruit, she would very likely run far away out of guilt and fear. After all, even the master and disciples in Journey to the West had known they were in trouble and wanted to flee after damaging the ginseng fruit tree. That would actually make him safer for the time being.

"I have no breakfast to give you. Once you've finished sweeping the ground, go down the mountain."

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare! It was already an immense kindness for you to let me shelter here from danger, Immortal Master. How could I dare ask you to grant me a meal as well?" The woman bowed repeatedly and looked at Chen Du, seeming about to speak but stopping herself. In the end, she could only lower her head and resume swinging the broom.

"Swish, swish..."

The fallen leaves and the treasured tree's tiny petals were swept into a pile.

Soon, she smelled an unusual fragrance.

She supposed it was the immortal master's breakfast.

She had seen no sign of a cooking fire, so she didn't know where the breakfast had come from. Moreover, the immortal master's breakfast smelled rich and deeply enticing. She didn't know what it was, but it was surely no ordinary thing.

Could he have conjured it with magic?

The woman kept sweeping.

She swept very carefully, making sure every spot was spotless. As she worked, she naturally noticed the courtyard floor. Looking at its white-marble color and its perfectly smooth surface without a single seam, she couldn't help wondering what it was made of.

As a result, she was naturally slow. Chen Du had already finished his instant noodles, but she still hadn't finished sweeping the courtyard.

This yao probably really did have something else in mind.

Chen Du understood inwardly.

But the problem was, if this yao really did have ill intentions, there was nothing he could do to stop her.

Besides, he had to go down the mountain frequently anyway, whether to perform rituals, buy supplies, or collect deliveries. He was the only person at the Daoist temple now, and he couldn't stay on the mountain guarding it all the time.

On closer thought, if the yao stole something while he was present and he failed to notice at all, she might easily come to look down on him.

If he wasn't on the mountain when she stole something, he would at least have his absence as an excuse.

Thinking this way felt a little humiliating.

But life was precious. As long as the green mountains remained, there would be no shortage of firewood. He would stick to the original plan.

"Why haven't you finished sweeping yet?"

"I'm nearly done!"

Startled, the female yao immediately sped up. "May I ask, Immortal Master, do you still want this dust and rubbish?"

"What would I want it for?"

"Well..."

Again, the woman seemed about to speak but stopped herself, her tongue stumbling. Finally, she said, "I don't know where to throw it."

"Dump it in that bin by the wall."

"Yes..."

The woman soon finished sweeping. After thanking him again, she reluctantly walked out of the Daoist temple and drifted away.

Chen Du also put on his bag, which contained only a few important things. He then took the cat, locked the Daoist temple's door, and likewise went down the mountain.

The roads belonged to humans; the mountain forests belonged to yao.

The woman was walking through the mountain forest.

But the farther she went, the more reluctant she was to leave and the more she regretted it. Several times she stopped, and several times she started walking again. She also frequently rose on tiptoe and craned her neck to watch for the Daoist master's figure.

The mountain road wound back and forth and was often blocked from view. Most of the time she couldn't see him, and even when she could, she couldn't see all of him.

When the woman did see the Daoist, she could only see him from the shoulders up. She didn't know what kind of mount he was riding, only that it was neither donkey, horse, nor ox, neither dragon nor phoenix nor cloud. Yet he rode it very steadily, gliding down the mountain along a path that likewise resembled white marble and had no seams.

She gritted her teeth, seemingly having made a decision.

She was patient, however, and waited a while longer. Only after the Daoist had gone far away did she summon her courage and quietly turn back toward the Daoist temple.

Everything was going as Chen Du had anticipated.