Transformation (IV)
"Jin Wu is, after all, a mortal cat with limited physique. He can't handle the sudden influx of too much spiritual energy that he can't refine in time."
"So, what should we do now?"
He Shu suddenly froze in place, and the color faded from his face. He didn't expect that his love for Jin Wu would almost lead to a disaster and make him the culprit who hurt Jin Wu.
He felt both guilty and afraid, lowered his head helplessly, and awkwardly withdrew his hand that was stroking Jin Wu.
"Of course, I just need to feed it less of those 'good things' in the future."
Seeing how devastated he looked, Chengguan softened his tone, walked forward, patted Heshu's tense shoulders, and said comfortingly:
"It's just a minor problem caused by the stagnation of spiritual energy due to the weakness of the body. Donor, there's no need to worry or blame yourself so much. Just be more careful in the future."
He took the opportunity to poke Jin Wu's little face, which was nodding like a chicken pecking at rice because of sleepiness, and said in a relaxed tone:
"Besides, the little fellow has survived this ordeal safely... In fact, it was all thanks to this magical peach tree that helped him at the critical moment. If not, his life wouldn't be in danger, but he would have suffered more."
Chengguan said this, turning his head and looking at the peach petals falling in the mountain breeze again. His eyes involuntarily became softer.
"If there's no one to guide the spiritual energy that can't circulate in time, it will rush recklessly through its delicate meridians. There are only two possible consequences: either the spiritual power gets out of control, causing the little creature to wreak havoc like a lit firecracker, or, as you see now, its body is forcibly pushed by the vast spiritual energy, causing it to transform prematurely."
"Once the excess spiritual energy is exhausted, it will naturally return to its original form. However, it will be weak for a while. If you take good care of it, it will slowly recover and it will be fine."
"So that's how it is... That's good, that's good..."
When He Shu heard this, his heart, which had been hanging in the air, finally settled down and he breathed a long sigh of relief, but a lingering sense of apology still hung between his brows.
He looked at Jin Wu, who had closed her eyes in Qingshan's arms and whose breathing had become even and long. He leaned close to her ear and whispered a promise:
"Don't worry, I will prepare sumptuous meals for you every day to nourish your body."
After saying that, he also raised his eyes and looked with complicated eyes at the peach tree that had been standing silently but contained endless secrets.
Qingshan saw it and asked at the right time:
"Master, you just mentioned that it was this spiritual peach that helped Jin Wu. I'm sorry to ask, but does that mean... a new tree spirit has been born within this peach tree? And is this newborn spirit... possibly... related to Chun Fei?"
"Well..."
Chengguan chuckled, and his protruding round belly trembled with the laughter.
He didn't answer immediately, but lowered his head slightly, his fingers unconsciously twirling the cloth bag at his waist, as if he was considering his words, or as if he was sensing something. After a moment, he raised his head and looked at the two of them with clear eyes:
"This wood is formed from the core of the Immortal Peach, and it naturally contains a trace of immortal spiritual roots. Now, it is nourished by the essence of the sun and moon, the spiritual energy of the earth, and combined with... the remaining original aura of the Peach Immortal who dissipated here, it is not impossible for it to be re-infused with new spirituality."
He changed the subject.
"As for whether this newborn spirit carries the lingering thoughts and memories of the Peach Fairy, or is it a continuation of some kind of causal relationship... This is a mystery of heaven and earth, involving the mysteries of soul reincarnation, and I dare not make any rash judgments."
Chengguan slowly shook his head, his eyes filled with a kind of detached and carefree attitude:
"However, since the spirit of this tree has shown signs of maturation and has helped Jin Wu, it must be a good connection. Whether it is true or not, and how deep the connection is, it is for you to decide for yourself."
After he finished speaking, without waiting for the two to respond, he flicked the sleeves of his homespun shirt and turned around as if to leave.
"Now that the matter here is settled, I will leave first..."
He seemed to suddenly remember something, stopped again, turned around and added:
"Oh, right! If you two have anything else to ask me in the future, you don't have to bother going to Dingyun Temple. Just find a spot within the boundaries of Luzhu Mountain, stomp your feet, summon your strength, and shout, 'Old Landlord, please come quickly!' I will sense you and appear to meet you."
"Hey... Master Chengguan, please stay—"
He Shu was just about to catch up and ask a few more questions about how long Jin Wu's condition would last and when he would be able to stabilize, but the chubby figure flashed before his eyes. Just as suddenly as when he came, it disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye. It was unknown whether it turned into green smoke and dissipated, or simply shrank into an inch and escaped back into the deep earth.
"Why are you leaving so hastily..."
He stopped helplessly, scratched his head, and muttered:
"I still want to ask more clarification... He has the same temper as that old mandrill who left without saying goodbye... He clearly said before that he didn't want to stay alone in the empty mountains and insisted on staying in the human world..."
Qingshan held the sleeping Jin Wu in his arms and followed slowly, his voice gentle:
"Abbot Chengguan originally followed his master into this mortal world. Now that his master has returned to heaven... the abbot remains alone in this mortal realm, perhaps feeling that his old friends have departed. While the mortal world is beautiful, it lacks the company of a kindred spirit, leading to a sense of loneliness and boredom. So, he chose to retreat to the mountains, tucked away within the earth's veins, to quietly protect this landscape, seeking peace and tranquility."
"That's true."
He Shu nodded, looking in the direction where Cheng Guan disappeared, with a hint of emotion in his tone.
"According to the human calendar, Abbot Chengguan is indeed quite old. As a mortal, he has lived a long life, yet he has always presented himself as a mortal monk. There must be a reasonable explanation. Xuantongzi at least has the guise of 'cultivating Taoism for immortality' to use, but the abbot does not."
He paused, his eyes slowly sweeping across the familiar courtyard. The peach trees in the courtyard stood quietly, and the flowers were still in bloom, but it seemed as if, without him noticing, it had become a little more spacious and quiet than before.
An inexplicable sense of loss crept into his heart. He lowered his eyes and kicked a small stone that had fallen beside him with his toes. His voice unconsciously sank, and he subconsciously muttered:
"Xuan Tongzi has returned to heaven, Chengguan has retreated underground, and Sang Li has taken Cang Jue back to Youtan Mansion... Somehow, it feels like from now on, there will only be the two of us left in this vast Luzhu Mountain..."
Before he finished speaking, he realized that he had said something wrong. He secretly glanced at Qingshan, coughed twice, and asked:
"Qingshan...you said this matter of the spiritual peach, should we tell Heqi first?"
Qingshan rocked his arms gently, and Jin Wu, who was sleeping soundly in his arms, was smacking her lips and sleeping soundly.
He shook his head slightly, his voice so soft that it was almost a whisper:
"Let's wait a little longer. Right now, these are just our guesses. If we rashly tell her and she finds out in the end that this tree spirit isn't Fairy Chun Fei... wouldn't that be a false alarm?"
After hearing this, He Shu sighed softly, leaned his body weight against Qingshan's strong arms, and rubbed his shoulder in dependence:
"You're right, Qingshan... I didn't think it through enough. Heqi cares so much about Chunfei, it would be inappropriate to cause her further trouble because of this incident."
The two men discussed in low voices and were about to turn around and walk back into the house when they heard a slightly staggering sound of footsteps on the path behind them, accompanied by a kind and elderly question, breaking the silence of the mountain:
"Xiao He—are you home? This afternoon, many villagers who came back from the forest said they saw you wandering around. Is Jin Wu missing again? Is everything okay?"
He Shu heard the voice and quickly turned around, with a warm and humble smile on his face, and walked quickly to greet him:
"Grandma Zhou, you have trouble walking, so why did you come up the mountain? If you have anything to say, let Brother Zhou tell us, and we'll go down to see you!"
As he spoke, he naturally reached out to support the person and continued to explain in a relaxed manner.
"Thank you, Grandma, for your concern! It's nothing serious. It's just that troublesome little Jin Wu. For some reason, he sneaked off to the old forest on the top of the mountain to have some fun early this morning. I had to look for him for a long time before I finally caught him from a tree branch! Now he's locked up in his little den. Let's see if he dares to run around again!"
"Oh, I'm glad I found it. I'm glad I found it."
The worry on Grandma Zhou's face disappeared, and her wrinkled hands gently patted the back of Heshu's hand, and she advised lovingly:
"Kittens are playful and mischievous by nature, just like little kids. Don't punish it too harshly. Just lock it up for a while so it knows it's wrong."
Qingshan also took two steps forward, holding the child, nodded slightly, and greeted warmly:
"Good afternoon, grandma."
Grandma Zhou responded with a smile, her eyes naturally falling on the baby who was sleeping soundly in Qingshan's arms.
"Hey, this kid is..."
Her eyes suddenly showed fondness, and she couldn't help asking.
He Shu was afraid that she would recognize the Five Poison Pockets, so he quickly took a half step to the side, unnoticedly standing between Qingshan and Grandma Zhou, and rushed to answer, his tone carrying just the right amount of familiarity and helplessness:
"Ah, it's a relative's child. We're asked to take care of him for two days."
"Oh my, your relatives really know how to raise children. Look at this fat boy, he's so strong!"
Fortunately, Grandma Zhou didn't think too much about it. She looked up at the sky and asked with concern:
"It's already past noon. Have you eaten yet? I've been looking for Jin Wu all morning, so I'm sure you haven't seen her yet. Come on, stop busying yourself and go to grandma's house. She just happened to have steamed buns and stewed vegetables this morning. Let's have a meal together."
"Oh! Now that you mention it, I really feel like I'm starving!"
He Shu touched his belly exaggeratedly and was about to agree readily when a flash of white light suddenly flashed through his mind -
There is also a yuzu, lily and pork rib soup stewing on the stove to nourish Qingshan!
His face suddenly changed, he cried out in shock, and without caring about anyone else, he rushed to the kitchen in panic, his voice filled with grief and indignation:
"It's over, it's over! My soup—"
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