Recovery (Part 3)
He Shu woke up in a familiar room again. After regaining his memory, he sat up, got out of bed and walked around the room, but he didn't see the person he wanted to see.
Brother Qingshan and Xuan Daozi were not there, and he felt heavy all over, not as refreshed as he was last time after fainting. His limbs were weak and his chest was stuffy.
After knocking his still aching head, he opened the door in confusion. Just as he was about to go out to find out what was going on, he was blocked by a fat monk who suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Hey, little donor, where are you going?"
The monk in front of me was short and fat, like a Maitreya Buddha who was relaxed in the sun.
There was a smile on her round face, and two fleshy bags under her eyes squeezed her already small eyes into two slits. When she spoke, the corners of her mouth were raised high, and even her voice had a hint of warmth.
"Who are you?"
He Shu took a step back warily and asked with a frown.
"I am the abbot of Dingyun Temple, Chengguan, and an old friend of Taoist Master Xuantongzi."
The fat monk put his hands together in greeting, his knuckles were round and short, almost submerged in his plump palms.
"Chengguan..."
He Shu repeated in a low voice and glanced at the smiling monk in front of him. He was wearing a purple cassock with dark monk's patterns on the collar and cuffs. The ordination scars on his head were evenly distributed and reflected the light brown. He didn't look like he was lying.
He relaxed, followed Chengguan back to the house, and sat on the low table by the window.
"Master, was it Brother Qingshan who sent me up here? Where are the others? Why isn't Taoist Master Xuantongzi here?"
"Qingshan got caught in the rain when he sent you up the mountain. He felt unwell and has been taken home by his parents. As for Xuantongzi..."
"I'm not sure either. He hasn't come back since he went to Qingshan's house a few days ago."
"Why, little donor, do you have something to ask them?"
"Well, nothing much..."
He Shu heard that Li Qingshan, who had not recovered from the cold, had contracted a new illness because of him, so he bit his lower lip in frustration and lowered his head.
"I just want to ask Qingshan how his illness is going. Is it serious?"
"Oh, don't worry, young benefactor. Our doctor has examined Qingshan. He just got caught in the rain and has a slight fever. He's weak to begin with, so his condition is more serious than others, but his life is not in danger."
"Really? That would be great..."
Although He Shu was still a little worried and wanted to visit Li Qingshan, he had to return to the Ninth Heaven now and could no longer stay in the human world.
"By the way, host, how long have I been unconscious?"
"It's been almost a day, yesterday afternoon..."
"It's over, it's too late to return to Heaven!"
He Shu screamed, and he immediately stood up and rushed out.
"Hey, little donor——"
In a flash, he saw a fat figure blocking the door silently. He Shu noticed something was wrong. He should have expected it. How could Xuan Tongzi's old friend be an ordinary person?
"If there's anything later..."
"Young donor, are you in such a hurry to go back and bring bad luck upon yourself? The Heavenly Court has been quite unstable lately..."
"Host!"
"I really have something urgent to do. If I don't go back now, I'll be struck by lightning!"
The pain from the last accidental lightning strike was still etched in his soul. He Shu tried to cast a spell to push Cheng Guan away, but he was blocked by him with a simple move:
"Ah, you're just like what Xuan Tongzi said, so impulsive. Why don't you listen to what I have to say?"
"This Heavenly Palace, you can't go back even if you want to."
This nonsensical sentence made He Shu dizzy and confused. He didn't understand what was going on:
"Why?"
Chengguan chuckled, slowly pushed him back to his seat, and continued:
"Well, recently a little cat demon used some unknown method to break into the Ninth Heaven and turned the Heavenly Palace upside down. The commotion was no less than that of the monkey back then..."
"She's incredible! She's extremely skilled at hiding and stole the Nine Transformations Golden Pill. What's even more troublesome is that she has an accomplice of immortal messengers to help her..."
Cat demon...
After calming down, He Shu couldn't help but think of the arrogant cat demon from before. Could it be that she took his identity token just to go to the Heavenly Palace to steal immortal objects...
But how could she, a newly transformed monster, have the ability to ascend to heaven and evade the pursuit of heavenly soldiers?
Could it be the powerful tree demon beside her? Could it be that she actually has such extraordinary abilities?
"The Heavenly Court is furious and has placed nine layers of restrictions on the South Heaven Gate. It is now completely sealed, and no one can enter or leave."
etc……
Immortal Servant Companions...
Could it be him, He Shu?
"That accomplice..."
He Shu's Adam's apple rolled and he let out a stiff laugh.
"Did you find out the name?"
His fingertips unconsciously twisted his sleeves, cold sweat instantly broke out on his palms, and he barely squeezed out a few unclear words, his voice tense.
"It seems to be the immortal envoy from Luzhu Mountain. Xuan Daozi didn't return because of this matter."
The immortal servant of Luzhu Mountain?
These words exploded in his ears like thunder, and his mind went blank in an instant. He Shu was completely confused, and the last bit of luck was shattered.
He didn't expect that after being beaten up, he would have to take the blame for others. A chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. He felt powerless and afraid, and he felt that he had no way to defend himself.
The cat demon used his token to sneak into the heaven, and during this period he happened to be stranded in the human world and lost contact... Everything pointed to him!
Logically speaking, Brother Qingshan and Xuan Daozi could still testify for him, but one of them was a mortal, and the other's whereabouts were elusive, making them completely unrecognizable...
The injustice and panic were like ice water poured over He Shu's head, instantly drowning him.
"In short, this little benefactor from Heaven will definitely not be able to return for a few days. At least he has to wait until the cat demon is caught. From now on, why not rest here with us?"
"You look so pale, you must be feeling unwell. Go back to bed."
He Shu was in a daze and was pushed back onto the bed like a puppet. He could hear Chengguan chattering about what he had seen and heard yesterday and what he had eaten at noon, but he could not hear a word he said.
"I've been talking so much that I forgot to ask, little donor, are you hungry?"
His fingertips dug deep into the fabric in his palm, and suddenly he felt a hard object in his arms - it was the calming sachet that Brother Qingshan had given him.
As if he could smell that familiar bitter medicinal fragrance again, He Shu barely managed to struggle out a trace of clarity from the turbulent waves.
"No……"
"Little donor, even if you are an immortal who has come to the mortal world, you can't stop eating. The immortal energy here is thin, and fasting may deplete your vitality and be of no benefit to your body."
"Immortal..."
"Is the host also an immortal, like Xuantongzi, a mountain god, or something else?"
An unintentional sentence was like a small stone thrown into He Shu's chaotic thoughts, temporarily distracting him from the tangled thoughts in his mind.
He stared blankly at the fat monk who stood up, rubbing his stomach. The chaotic thoughts in his mind gradually stopped. It was a foregone conclusion that he could not return to heaven. There was no point in worrying about it...
But on second thought, this dilemma didn't seem to be entirely a bad thing. At least he didn't have to leave without saying goodbye and let Brother Qingshan misunderstand that he was heartless.
Thinking of Li Qingshan, the anxiety in He Shu's heart was replaced by a secret sense of relief and concern.
There’s a saying in the world that goes, “Things will work out when the time comes.” Well, let’s just leave it that way for now.
"I'm not some mountain god, I'm just in charge of the water and soil within a hundred miles..."
"Hey, little donor, please don't change the subject!"
"Can't I eat it?"
He Shu nodded helplessly, thinking that no wonder this monk could look so plump even though he ate vegetarian food.
After getting the permission, Chengguan happily ran out to instruct the boy sweeping the floor outside the door. He seemed to love chatting and started talking non-stop as soon as he returned to the house.
This time, He Shu was in a good mood to listen, and he nodded and agreed from time to time.
Chengguan stopped talking only after the boy brought the food for them. He drank a sip of tea and walked to the bed to help Heshu get out.
"Host, I just have a headache, not a broken bone. I can walk on my own."
"Hey, I'm kind-hearted, why aren't you happy?"
Chengguan grabbed Heshu's arm without saying anything, and half-supported and half-pulled him to sit at the square table in the middle of the room.
He and Xuan Tongzi are indeed good friends. Their personalities are a perfect match. They are both eccentric old naughty boys.
He Shu pondered silently in his heart and sat down. The glossy spring bamboo shoots on the table exuded a refreshing fragrance, which made him very hungry. Unfortunately, he had no taste for them. He looked up and saw the person opposite him eating like a whirlwind, and couldn't help asking:
"Master, why don't you just be a good land god? Why do you come to the temple and become a monk? Are all the gods in your area so strange that they have to live among humans?"
"Young benefactor, you are wrong. How can this be called strange? It is simply that Xuan Daozi and I share the same ideals."
Chengguan picked up a handful of bamboo shoots and chewed them carefully. After swallowing them with a lingering feeling, he replied:
"Nowadays, all the demons and monsters want to become immortals. Anyone with some spiritual intelligence in the mountains has gone into seclusion to practice, leaving us two old men alone to guard the empty mountains. That's why we came to live in a place with people."
"It's so nice to be bustling with activity. My dear benefactor, you know how deserted the Heavenly Palace is. Now this Luzhu Mountain is no less so!"
"I don't know what's so good about becoming an immortal. I would rather..."
He Shu subconsciously took over the conversation, but suddenly stopped.
"That's right, what's so good about becoming an immortal?"
Chengguan put down his chopsticks, the smile on his face gradually faded, and his tone was filled with a subtle trace of pity.
"Plants and trees become spirits hoping to ascend to heaven, while mortals cultivate to seek immortality... But if we give up the fragrance of fresh mud after rain and the smiles of old friends under the lamp, what good is this immortal bone?"
Heshu didn't reply for a long while, and Chengguan's emotions slowly dissipated into the twilight.
He looked out the window at the direction of Chaisang City at the foot of the mountain, and the unfinished words "I would rather..." rolled on the tip of his tongue, but he finally swallowed them back.
What would he prefer?
I would rather stay in this mundane world like this, but be closer to death.
The sky was getting darker and darker, and He Shu could no longer suppress his worry about Li Qingshan. After finishing his meal, he was in a hurry to attend the evening recitation. As soon as his figure disappeared from the courtyard gate, he immediately got out of bed and rushed towards Chaisang City like a wisp of smoke.
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