An oil lamp illuminates the simple wooden house.

For those seeking a high-end dining experience, here are two dishes to accompany your drinks: one plate of crispy peanuts and the other of crispy small fish.

Wu Shashen gave a thumbs up, "Old Gao, the snacks you made to go with your drinks are really good."

Old Gao waved his hand modestly, "I just sprinkled some salt on it. If you like it, eat more."

"Come on, let's drink."

Wu Shashen poured wine for Lao Gao.

The little dumpling picked up the crispy fried fish and tossed it to the golden horn wagging its tail beside her.

Crunch, crunch.

Golden Horn ate with great relish.

Autumn Leaves chuckled and said, “Master Qin, last autumn, your junior sister came to Qiufeng Tower. She challenged me, and her skill with talismans was astonishing. We stopped short of a decisive battle. I originally wanted to keep her as a guest at Qiufeng Tower, but she had to rush to Jiangling City, so I invited her to have a bowl of wontons at the dock in Huainan City. Afterward, she took a boat and left Huainan City.”

Upon hearing the news about his junior sister, Qin Luo shook his head and sighed softly. He felt somewhat guilty. "My junior sister encountered a bottleneck in her cultivation. She wanted to seek enlightenment in the mortal world. As her senior brother, I should have helped her, but in the end, I chose to let her face it alone."

"Master Qin, don't blame yourself. When the little fairy went to Jiangling City, she asked me to tell you that if I ever go to Longhu Temple, she is doing very well." Qiu Luoye said earnestly.

The little dumpling ate the small fish and muttered, "Ziyue hasn't come back for so long, I miss her so much."

Golden Horn nodded in agreement.

Wu Shashen raised an eyebrow and said, "Lord, you came all this way not just to beat me up, right?"

Autumn Leaves smiled and waved his hand, “When I was young, my dream was to travel far and wide with a sword. Later, my dream drifted further and further away from me. It was Master Qin who helped me rediscover the feeling of my youth. Later, I met a little fairy who wanted to travel the mortal world and had some insights. I handed over the Autumn Wind Pavilion to my disciple Chen Xu and wanted to be a young man who chases the wind again. I plan to travel all the way north and stop by the Purple Cloud Mountains to see you.”

"What are your plans, Brother Wu?"

Qiu Luoye asked.

Wu Shashen held a bowl of wine and thought for a moment. "What I want most is to avenge the tiger demon, but unfortunately the tiger demon was killed by the Lord. Now I plan to stay in the Purple Cloud Mountains and teach the younger generation how to strengthen their bodies."

Autumn Leaves looked at Old Gao, "Grandpa, thank you for your hospitality. I'd like to offer you a toast."

Old Gao picked up the bowl with both hands, his face beaming with joy. "Master Qiu, if you have time, stay and enjoy yourself for a couple more days. There are many fun places in the Purple Cloud Mountains."

"OK!"

Autumn leaves fall, and he picks up the bowl and drinks it all in one gulp.

Wu Shashen rubbed his hands together. “Master, if you have some free time, why don’t you go to Mirror Lake Academy and share your sword-fighting experience with the younger generation? They all admire you.”

Qin Luo nodded, "That's a good idea. The younger generation still wants to know how you killed the tiger demon."

Am I that famous?

"It was all thanks to Lao Wu's help in promoting it for you."

"Hahaha."

"no problem."

Qin Luo and the others chatted and laughed, while Xiao Tuanzi and Jin Jiao quietly took care of eating and drinking.

...

In the blink of an eye.

Autumn has quietly passed.

At dusk, on Purple Cloud Peak, Qin Luo sat alone atop the mountain, meditating and cultivating. A chill swept over him, and he opened his eyes, watching the falling snowflakes. He couldn't help but murmur, "Time really flies."

As winter sets in, darkness falls even faster. On his way back from Ziyun Peak, Qin Luo encountered Dong Jisheng cutting down trees in the mountains. He laughed and called out, "Old Dong, it's so late, aren't you going home yet?"

"Immortal Master, I'll be right back."

Dong Jisheng laughed loudly.

Qin Luo approached and joked, "Old Dong, you look more like an immortal than I do."

People often encounter Dong Jisheng in the mountains and mistake him for a deity. Dong Jisheng replies with a smile, "Master, it's all thanks to you. Because of your breathing method, I can live younger and younger."

Qin Luo shook his head slightly, "Elder Dong, I have taught many people breathing techniques and health-preserving boxing, but you have the best results. Perhaps you have a natural talent for cultivation, or maybe you have already attained enlightenment."

Dong Jisheng put away his axe and waved his hands repeatedly. "Immortal Master, I don't even know what enlightenment is. I just want to live a good life. I haven't thought about enlightenment. I want to read more books so I can tell stories to the children in the village. The Great Protector even lent me a lot of storybooks. There are many stories in them. Every time I go to the mountains to chop firewood, the children in the village will wait for me at the village entrance to tell me stories. The children in our village are so well-behaved."

Seeing that Dong Jisheng had chopped a lot of firewood, Qin Luo smiled and said, "Old Dong, you'll definitely have to make two trips to chop so much firewood. I'll carry two bundles for you."

"No, no, that won't do."

Dong Jisheng quickly waved his hand and said earnestly, "Immortal Master, I will come to choose tomorrow."

Qin Luo smiled and said, "Mr. Dong, we've known each other for so many years, I can help with this little thing, and I happen to be free anyway."

Dong Jisheng pulled a handful of fruit from his pocket and grinned, "Immortal Master, I can't let you help me for nothing, please accept these fruits."

These were fruits that Dong Jisheng had picked up while chopping firewood in the mountains. Some were shriveled, some were broken, and they didn't look very appetizing, but Qin Luo accepted them with a smile.

Qin Luo carried a bundle of firewood on his back and another bundle in each hand, while Dong Jisheng carried a bundle of firewood on his back and two bundles on his shoulder. Together they walked toward Dongjia Village.

“Immortal Master, there’s something I need to tell you. The Great Protector delivers coal every winter, but I’m not used to it, so I go up the mountain to chop firewood.”

"I know."

Dong Jisheng thought it was Qin Luo who had sent the coal via Xiao Tuanzi, and he explained to him to avoid misunderstanding.

Every winter, Xiongshan is in charge of mining coal, and Xiaotuanzi is in charge of selling it; this has been going on for many years.

Xiao Tuanzi mainly sold coal at low prices, earning just enough for them to drink. The rest of the coal was given away, such as to Jinghu Academy, Elder Dong, and some people in financial difficulty. Qin Luo never inquired about these matters.

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