Chapter 51 A Short Stay in Lishan
"Is Senior Brother a cultivator from the East?" Yaochi asked one question after another.
Chang Hao patted Yaochi's head and threw the question back at her: "What do you think?"
Yaochi frowned, deep in thought, and finally concluded, "It shouldn't be, right?"
Chang Hao smiled without saying a word. Yaochi would understand sooner or later that background was not important; what mattered was that he was the senior brother.
"Senior brother, look, that mountain in front of us is so beautiful. It's different from other mountains and looks particularly elegant." Yaochi racked her brains but couldn't come up with any words of praise.
“That’s Lishan.” Chang Hao saw that Lishan was well-organized, with plum blossoms that had been planted years ago still blooming, pine trees standing tall and majestic, and tea trees exuding a fresh and leisurely atmosphere, which added to the refreshing feeling.
"Greetings, Mountain Lord..." Duobao led the creatures of Lishan, who had taken human form over thousands of years, to greet him.
"Greetings, Mountain Lord..." Shuying, Yunsong, Jingzhu, and Sirong knelt down and bowed. Out of the corner of their eyes, they couldn't help but glance at Chang Hao. They never expected that the Mountain Lord would be such a handsome, gentle, and elegant venerable person, who made them feel awe and reverence.
Shuying, Yunsong, Jinzhu, Sirongnaimei, Song, Zhu, and Bingcan transformed themselves, and thanks to the protection of the Lishan boundary stone, they were able to transform without any waves and survive over the years.
Upon first encountering the powerful being who had protected them for thousands of years, they realized that their hearts were filled with romantic feelings. They quickly recited the Sutra of Tranquility, feeling uneasy, fearing that a momentary loss of composure would be discovered by the mountain lord and they would be expelled from Lishan.
"Who are they?" Chang Hao's gaze lingered on the bamboo for a moment. This bamboo was indeed extraordinary. He couldn't tell whether these were beings that had taken human form from Lishan or creatures that Duobao had taken in.
"Shuying, Yunsong, Sirong, and Jingzhu took human form in Lishan a thousand years ago. They are the best among the four clans in Lishan. Duobao dared not make decisions on his own. He only allowed them to patrol Lishan and manage their clans. He did not allow them to enter the Zixu Hall." Duobao introduced the four one by one under pressure, ignoring the many pleading eyes.
Chang Hao: "Let's keep things as they are for now. I'll give you a set of mountain rules later. If you can't follow them, then you can leave the mountain on your own. Let's part ways amicably."
Duobao followed closely behind Chang Hao, glancing occasionally at the little girl his mountain lord was leading, silently speculating about their relationship.
"Senior brother, those ladies outside are so beautiful. Can Yaochi play with them?"
Chang Hao leaned back on the cloud couch, pondering which courtyard to designate for Yaochi. Upon hearing this, he glanced at Yaochi and saw the deep longing hidden within her. After a moment's thought, he agreed to Yaochi's suggestion. Yaochi needed to learn to handle interpersonal relationships on her own. If she kept cultivating, she would only increase her cultivation level but not her brain.
"Go, but don't get hurt," Chang Hao said confidently, knowing he could protect Yaochi on his own turf. "Duobao, take Yaochi with you and show her around Lishan."
Duobao beamed with joy, "No problem, leave it to Duobao."
"Little Mountain Master, come with Duobao." Duobao spoke in the gentlest tone he had ever used, almost like whispering.
"Your name is Duobao?" Yaochi sized up Duobao. "When did you start following my senior brother?"
"It's been over four thousand years," Duobao said, trying to make himself look good. "It's an old man who's been by your mountain lord's side for a long time."
Yaochi understood. More than four thousand years had passed, and she had been in human form for almost four thousand years, which was not long before she gave a sermon at Zixiao Palace.
"Young Mountain Lord, who is your master?" Duobao wanted to know more about the Mountain Lord, since the steward was clueless when asked.
“We don’t have a master.” Yaochi knew clearly that Hongjun was not her master, and even this title of “senior brother” was something she had to beg for. Yaochi lacked a sense of security the most, and she was afraid that Changhao would abandon her sooner or later.
Duobao's smile froze. Without a master, where would a senior brother come from?
The clever Duobao quickly figured out the connection between Yaochi and Changhao. He sighed to the heavens, thinking how lucky Yaochi was. After four thousand years, her cultivation was almost at the Taiyi Golden Immortal level. It was clear that she had been well taken care of by Changhao.
He has struggled for many years, and although he is the number one treasure-hunting rat in the world, he is only at the peak of Taiyi. How come Yaochi has such good fortune?
"Sparse shadows, cloud pines..." Duobao called out from afar.
"What are you yelling about, you useless bastard Duobao? We told you to say nice things, where are the nice things? You drank so much of our nectar, spit it all out!" Yun Song's voice preceded his arrival. "And what about your..." fairy robes... When Yao Chi was spotted next to Duobao, she fell silent for a moment, staring at Duobao's chubby figure, and became even more furious.
Yaochi stared at Yunsong, lost in thought. Yunsong's cultivation was far inferior to Duobao's, so why did he dare to be so brash?
"Yun Song, this is the mountain lord's junior sister. She wants to visit Lishan. We'll show her around, have some good food, and do some fun things." Duo Bao never intended to give this cushy job to the four sisters; he was hoping to achieve his goal indirectly.
"You can rest assured that you've entrusted the person to me. Go and attend to your business." Shuying subtly urged Duobao to leave.
Duobao remained unmoved. He was joking; even without an opportunity, he would force himself to seize it. Whether he could stay in Lishan after his release from prison was another matter entirely.
Yaochi's gaze was drawn to Shuying's attire. "What is that made of, sister? It's so exquisite."
Jingzhu glanced at Si Rong and continued, "The narrow-sleeved Taoist robe worn by the young mountain master is extraordinary, with a dazzling light all over. I was standing to the side and could smell its refreshing aura. It swept away the dazed feeling in my mind and made me feel refreshed."
"Yes, we're wearing ordinary clothes, just silk that I spun in my spare time and dyed with various flower petals. Its beauty lies in its vibrant colors and novel designs." Si Rong didn't have anything particularly impressive to offer, so the silk she spun herself was barely presentable.
“Little Mountain Master, our sister’s cave is not far away. Shall we help you dress up?” Yun Song and Si Rong exchanged a glance and decided to use their best skills. “Little Mountain Master is so lively and clever. She must be the most adorable child in the world.”
Lishan is such a good place. Its mountain lord is a rare and powerful figure. He is not troublesome, unlike the mountain lord next door who forces the creatures on the mountain to offer treasures at regular intervals.
Duobao made a big mistake and was caught red-handed, but he was only punished by being made to guard the mountain. He was not harshly punished or abused, and was told that he could not leave Lishan.
Yaochi glanced down at her clothes, unable to believe that her senior brother had casually given her such nice things to squander. It turned out that her senior brother was so good to her.
Yaochi felt a sense of security, like a rootless duckweed that had found its home.
"This is the morning dew collected by my sisters. We only take the dew that appears when the purple aura rises in the east, and then process it. It's nothing rare. Little Mountain Master, please have a taste, just to sweeten your mouth." Jingzhu has her own purple bamboo forest, and this morning dew is all collected from that forest. It's not as insignificant as Jingzhu makes it out to be. Even if it were given to the Three Pure Ones, it would be a nice gift.
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