Ziyue sat on the stove helping to stoke the fire, while Su Rong used a spatula to stir-fry snails with chopped houttuynia cordata, chili peppers, and ginger slices, filling the room with a delicious aroma.

"It smells so good."

"Little Yue'er, take more back with you when you go back to Longhu Temple later."

Okay.

Su Rong poured the stir-fried snails into a wooden basin. "Xiao Yue'er, take these back to the Taoist temple."

Zi Mu took out the freshly brewed medicinal wine. "Little Yue'er, take this jar of wine to Longhu Temple for your senior brother to drink."

Okay.

Ziyue carried the wooden basin out the door, saying, "Father, Mother, please take care of yourselves. Zifeng, be good at home."

Zi Mu and the others nodded with smiles.

"Little Whirlwind!"

"Purple Moon called out softly."

A gentle breeze lifted her up.

Purple Moon vanished into the night in the blink of an eye.

"Sister is amazing!"

Zi Feng watched intently.

Zi Mu and Su Rong nodded in agreement.

...

night.

The moonlight was bright and clear.

Qin Luo and Jin Yan were cultivating in the backyard.

"Senior brother, I'm back!"

Ziyue returned to the Taoist temple carrying a bowl of stir-fried snails. "Senior brother, these are stir-fried snails made by my mother."

Qin Luo and Jin Yan opened their eyes.

"It smells so good."

Qin Luo couldn't help but praise him.

Ziyue took out the sharpened bamboo skewers, smiled, and said, "It's so delicious to pick out the meat with bamboo skewers."

Qin Luo picked up a bamboo skewer and extracted the meat from the snail. Although there wasn't much meat, it was chewy. "This tastes pretty good."

Jin Yan imitated Qin Luo's way of eating snails.

"Junior brother, is it delicious?"

"tasty."

Seeing that Qin Luo and the others enjoyed eating it, Zi Yue opened her bright eyes and said, "Senior brother, I'll go to the river to collect snails in the future. I often watch my mother stir-fry snails, and I can make them too."

Qin Luo smiled slightly and said softly, "Junior Sister, I'm leaving Longhu Temple tomorrow to attend the Dao Discussion Conference in the capital. It may be a long time before I return."

"ah!"

Zi Yue looked dejected.

Qin Luo said with a smile, "Junior Sister, what gift do you want? Senior Brother will bring it back for you."

Ziyue thought for a moment and said softly, "I want two skewers of candied hawthorn. I haven't had candied hawthorn in a long time."

"Junior brother, is there anything you want?"

I want to eat a banana.

"arrange!"

Qin Luo nodded with a smile.

Jin Yan said with a smile, "Junior Sister, Master supports Senior Brother in building the academy at Mirror Lake."

"Really!"

Zi Yue was overjoyed. "Senior brother, can my younger brother study at Mirror Lake Academy in the future?"

Qin Luo nodded, "Of course, the academy doesn't charge any fees. Auntie is a good cook. If she's willing, she can cook at Jinghu Academy, and Longhu Temple will pay her wages."

Zi Yue blinked. "Senior brother, my dad can smash stones and move bricks. Is there any use for his skills?"

"Yes, the academy is short-staffed in many positions. If Uncle is willing, he can manage the academy's security."

"My dad is no good."

“My dad can go and clean the house.”

"It depends on your uncle's wishes."

While they were chatting, Zhang Fulong followed the smell to the backyard. He clenched his fist and coughed, "Cough cough."

"Master, come and eat some snails."

Qin Luo shouted enthusiastically.

Zhang Fulong didn't stand on ceremony. He ate the snail meat and nodded repeatedly, "This is much more fragrant than meat porridge."

Zi Yue took out the medicinal wine she brought from home and said crisply, "Senior brother, this is wine brewed by my father."

Jin Yan took four bowls from the kitchen.

Qin Luo poured out two bowls of wine, then took out a golden gourd and poured out two bowls of dew. They ate and drank as they went.

Under the bright moonlight.

The peach blossoms in the courtyard were fluttering in the breeze.

Zi Yue looked at Qin Luo with reluctance, "Senior brother, when will you be able to come back?"

After careful consideration, Qin Luo shook his head. "I don't know. It will probably take one or two months, or maybe longer."

Having a rare opportunity to travel far away, Qin Luo didn't plan to rush. He wanted to see the scenery along the way and perhaps even meet some interesting friends.

Zhang Fulong reminded him, "Good disciple, if you have money, you can go to Linjiang Town to take a boat, travel by water through Jiuyang County and Jiangling County, and then take the official road to the capital."

"Um."

Qin Luo nodded.

Ziyue immediately returned to her room and took out a bag of money. "Senior brother, take this money and spend it on the way."

"Thank you, junior sister!"

Qin Luo did not refuse his junior sister's kindness.

Late at night, a large basin of snails was devoured. Zhang Fulong, his face flushed from drinking, rubbed his eyes, looking puzzled, "Are you two glowing?"

Ziyue and Jinyan drank a lot of dew, and their bodies glowed with a rosy light. Qin Luo nodded, "Master, you are not mistaken."

"No, I must have drunk too much." Zhang Fulong shook his head and got up to leave the backyard.

Jin Yan cleaned the backyard spotlessly, and Zi Yue poured the snail shells into Jin Jiao's stone bowl.

Crunch, crunch.

Golden Horn ate with great relish.

...

The next day, early morning.

Qin Luo got up very early. The Taoist temple was quiet. He left the temple alone and met Zhao Qing'er, who had just arrived at the porridge shop, when he came to the foot of Luoxia Peak.

“Miss Zhao, I am heading to the capital. Mirror Lake Academy is basically completed. I will need your help with the rest of the work. There is a girl named Linglong at the academy who will assist you.”

"Immortal Master, may you have a safe journey!"

Zhao Qing'er watched him leave.

As Qin Luo passed by Baitou Peak, he saw a fiery red figure. "Little dumpling, come with me."

Hearing Qin Luo's call, the little dumpling descended from the sky, landing on Qin Luo's shoulder. Its round body, with feathers as red as a sunset, and a tuft of hair on its head swaying from side to side, tilted its head and asked, "Boss, where are we going?"

"To the capital!"

"My bird life is about to be complete!"

The little sparrow held its head high and stood tall. After returning from the capital, it would be considered a worldly little sparrow.

Qin Luo knew that the little dumpling liked to cause trouble, so he kept it with him to prevent it from causing trouble in the mountains.

The man and the bird headed towards the capital.

...

Happy National Day to everyone!

I've been a bit busy lately...