The Girl's Observations and Probing

Early morning.

Chen Du thought again about what had happened the night before, but he still felt it was only human nature.

With spiritual energy recovering and talents awakening, anyone would want to uncover the truth and find a way to cultivate.

Seven months ago, he had searched the surrounding area and all over the internet, only to find nothing. He had been lost for a long time afterward.

More remarkably, the girl had never once revealed the location of the Daoist temple or any specific information about him.

For now, he would see what she intended to do.

Chen Du entered the study and sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion.

Twelve Essence Platforms! Their flames burned fiercely!

The three-pearl fruit really was a good thing.

But compared with the vast amount of spiritual power gained from each spirit fruit he ate, the guidance and qi-refining method he had worked out himself was far too inefficient.

Beside him, a little figure sat on the floor, holding a large sheet of paper and gnawing away at it as though it were a pancake.

"Is this book a spell too?"

"That's right. It's called 'Rotten Grass Becomes Fireflies.' There are two ways to practice it: you can use it as a trick to perform on streets and in alleys, or in palace halls and grand courtyards; or you can cultivate venomous bees and vicious insects to unleash on your enemies. And I can taste that the author must have been very fond of this spell."

"Rotten Grass Becomes Fireflies."

He still hadn't drawn a spiritual cultivation method in one go.

Chen Du was a little disappointed.

"But you can actually taste what the author was feeling and what he liked at the time?"

"Of course!"

The little figure spoke as though it were obvious:

"Even when ordinary scholars put brush to paper, their emotions and preferences are often hidden in every stroke and between the lines. When they're happy, their strokes dance; when they're dejected, their strokes have no strength. In letters home, state correspondence, elegies, or words of love, the tears that fall on the paper each have their own flavor. Let alone when a truly learned person writes and their feelings sink deep into the paper. Never mind me-even a mortal who has studied calligraphy in depth can catch a glimpse of them."

"Draft of a Requiem for My Nephew, and Letter to My Wife."

At those words, Chen Du immediately recalled the two manuscripts.

One grew ever more cursive as it went on, full of revisions and corrections, grief and indignation leaping from the page, the writing a vessel for the Dao. The other grew ever smaller, as if afraid there wasn't enough room to say everything, lamenting only that the paper was too short, never expecting the feelings to run so deep.

"If someone like me savored them carefully, never mind emotions and preferences-I could even taste a little of the insights the writer had when putting brush to paper. At worst, I might not understand them. If you need it, Immortal Master, I'll mark down the writer's hesitations and preferences from now on."

"Then what was the writer thinking when he wrote that line in Model Sayings, the one the patriarch deliberately left about there being no immortals in the world?"

"He paused. It seems he deliberately left it there, or someone else told him to."

"Go on eating."

Chen Du paused, then asked casually, "Do you know the greatest number of Essence Platforms or Essence Fires anyone had in ancient times?"

"Essence Platforms and Essence Fires?"

The little figure took a bite, then stopped to think.

"Martial artists had the most Essence Platforms. It's said that in the Shang dynasty, there was a great general named Yachang who possessed over three hundred Essence Platforms and had nearly become a saint in the flesh. An old book in the temple recorded that a warlike deity once descended from the heavens, and Yachang cut off one of his hands. Later, Yachang was ordered to fashion the arm into a ritual vessel and carry it with him, to show that the human emperor's might was no weaker than the Heavenly Emperor's."

"Is that book still here?"

"It's been gone for ages. Even if it were still here, I ate that page." The little figure scratched its head regretfully. "What a pity. That book was made from the finest wood pulp and had soaked up an immortal's spiritual energy. It seemed someone had eaten a flaky pastry while reading it, too, and gotten oil and salt on it. It tasted wonderful."

From the sound of it, even if the book hadn't been lost, the little figure had found and eaten it in the past month.

"Over three hundred..."

Over three hundred was enough to nearly become a saint in the flesh!

Chen Du didn't ask him about the more than one thousand Essence Platforms. He simply said, "Write down from memory the essence-gathering methods you know."

"All right! Does that mean I can eat a little less today?"

"..."

Chen Du was, after all, a Daoist cultivator. Seeing this, he truly couldn't bear it. "You don't need to push yourself too hard for speed. A reasonable pace will do."

He rose and went outside.

As soon as he reached the courtyard, he saw Yunzhi sweeping the ground and yawning.

"Morning. Didn't you sleep well?"

"Immortal Master, Yunzhi spent the whole night studying the Greater Earth Evasion you passed down to me, sensing the mysteries of the great Dao of the five elements. I became so absorbed that I didn't notice it was already broad daylight."

"Make sure you rest. A reasonable pace will do."

"Yes..."

Chen Du had only taken a couple of steps when he saw the girl from yesterday push open a door and come out, dark circles under both eyes. He asked a question he already knew the answer to:

"Didn't you sleep well either, benefactor? Was it hard to get used to sleeping in the mountains?"

"I had some things on my mind and stayed up thinking." The girl spoke truthfully and bowed to him, making a surprisingly proper ziwu hand seal. "As it happens, Daoist priest, I'd like to stay here another night. How much is it?"

Her face was largely expressionless, and her tone was very calm.

"We didn't charge originally, but more people have been coming lately, so it's fifty yuan a night, for the temple's upkeep and living expenses. Breakfast is included."

"How do I pay?"

"Just drop it in the donation box. You can also scan the code."

"All right."

"Thank you, benefactor. You don't seem very old?"

"Eighteen."

"Eighteen?" Chen Du was puzzled. "It's only spring, and it isn't the weekend. Why aren't you in school?"

"I finished the college entrance exam last year. I applied to start school a year later so I could work and earn some tuition."

"Don't you have family to support you?"

"Not anymore."

"Forgive me." Chen Du sighed. "But you can apply for financial aid. It wouldn't be good to put off your studies."

"I did. That's what I lived on through middle and high school. I was afraid it wouldn't be enough for college, and I started school young, so it won't be too late if I work for a year." As she spoke, the girl showed him the payment screen on her phone. "I've scanned it."

"Thank you, benefactor."

"Thank you, Daoist priest. I'd like lunch."

"All right."

"Oh, right, right, Daoist priest..."

The girl's calm tone suddenly became a little flustered.

"Is there something else?"

Chen Du turned to look at the girl and asked gently.

"I'm very interested in plants, and I noticed this tree is very unusual. Its leaves are actually round. Could I, could I ask you what kind of tree it is, Daoist priest? Where is it native to?" The girl did her utmost to keep her face expressionless, but she was clearly not very accustomed to it.

"Oh, I'm not sure either. It grew here on its own. There was a flower bed here before, but it had scallions and garlic shoots growing in it," Chen Du said truthfully, then offered a suggestion. "You could try asking Doubao."

"All right."

Chen Du watched her raise her phone and begin asking.

"Doubao, Doubao, what kind of tree is this?"

"Judging by this tree, it's a cypress."

"This obviously isn't a cypress."

"Oh dear, I got that wrong. It's a saxaul tree, which grows in desert regions."

"This isn't a desert."

"Oh dear, I was wrong again. It's a round-leaved eucalyptus, also called a silver dollar tree, which grows on the Northern Kuru Continent."

"This isn't the Southern Jambu Continent."

The girl was visibly blushing and flustered.

"It's all right, go ahead and look it up." Chen Du was gentle, however, and spoke truthfully again. "You can let me know when you find out. I'm curious too."

"..."

Only after she saw him leave did the girl breathe a sigh of relief.

The person she suspected of being a cultivation senior, whom she was secretly observing, had suddenly appeared right in front of her and watched her make a fool of herself. The pressure was simply too great.

It was better now that he had gone farther away.

She wasn't comfortable being too close to people to begin with. Besides, she still had to secretly observe and analyze whether he had a talent and whether he had begun cultivating. Such observations were better made from the shadows.

She looked down and saw a black-and-white cat squatting by her feet, licking a paw while eyeing her sidelong.

For the rest of the day, she stayed at the Daoist temple. Sometimes she pretended to sit and play on her phone, and sometimes she pretended to take pictures, but she was actually observing Chen Du and Yunzhi.

She saw Yunzhi spend the whole day doing chores. After sweeping, she washed clothes; after washing clothes, she stripped and changed the sheets and duvet covers, then washed them and hung them out to dry. Then she went to cook, and after lunch she received the worshippers and tourists who came in the afternoon.

Despite her outstanding looks and figure, so beautiful she hardly seemed mortal, she did these chores without a single complaint. She was even diligent enough to be called a model worker.

The Daoist priest sometimes helped out, while at other times he sat by the main gate, playing lessons on moral education on his phone as he admired the peach blossoms outside, seemingly absorbed in listening.

The cat stayed openly by her side.

The day soon passed.

"Cough, cough, cough! That's strong! Xixi, how did it go today?"

"I observed them for another whole day and didn't see anything conclusive, but I have a faint intuition that the people here can at least see spiritual energy. As for whether they've begun cultivating, I'm not sure."

"What about their character?"

"I haven't determined that either. He just speaks very gently."

The girl standing in the western position said. After a pause, she spoke with some helplessness:

"But I have to go down the mountain tomorrow. I'll come back another time."

"Hm? Why?"

"Why wait until next time? Seize the opportunity. Time is pressing."

Bei and Nan both grew anxious for her when they heard this.

"They charge for staying here, and I've used up my savings," the girl said honestly.

"Alas, a single penny can stump a hero. If we knew each other better, you could just give me your phone number and I'd transfer you some money," said Bei, who was older.

"From Xixi's description, the place should be fairly remote. Most places rich in spiritual energy in ancient times were also in places seldom visited by people. As far as I know, accommodation in places like that usually falls into two extremes. One has very basic conditions and low prices; the other goes for the secluded mountain guesthouse, niche check-in spot approach. It's surprisingly expensive, and hard to get to as well. Xixi must have gone to the latter."

The girl said nothing.

"But I'll say it again: I don't think there are any cultivation experts around yet. Still, if you really do run into one and they're of good character, it's a rare opportunity, so make the most of it." Nan continued, "One of you found your incense burner, and the other bought yours, so you don't know. We may have an important mission."

"I'll do my best."

"How about this? Like when we mailed books to each other last time, find a place you trust, and I'll send you some cash or gold. You can get a courier to pick it up?" Bei suggested.

"My advice is, as long as you're sure he's of good character, just go straight up to him and take out those three books of ours. Tell him you got a Daoist scripture and can't understand it, and ask him for guidance. If he really knows how to cultivate, he'll definitely be able to read it and explain it to you. You'll find out in one go."

Nan said with a helpless look:

"A lot of young people these days are just too thin-skinned, too introverted. Actually, from what I've seen, most big shots in every field like being teachers. As long as you ask them respectfully and sincerely, they'll be very happy to explain things to you."

"I'll observe some more."

The girl's tone was calm and firm.