Chapter 9 Elixir 1 A little girl can actually eat so much…
In the depths of Huiling Mountain, three outstanding young people are heading deeper into the mountains.
"I told my senior brother to take me with him, but he wouldn't. Now look what happened, all the treasures fell into the river, and we didn't get anything good from this trip down the mountain."
Zuo Qiuxu muttered to himself as he used his sword to cut down the weeds blocking his path.
Zuo Qiuxu was used to his senior brother always encountering strange things, but who would have thought that on his way back from successfully exorcising the demon, Shen Du would slip and fall into the river in mid-air, losing everything he was carrying.
As for why he doesn't use storage bags, it's because in the past, Chen Du would put all his things in storage bags, which would cause him to lose all his possessions if he lost the storage bags. Later, he simply stopped carrying storage bags, hoping to be able to keep one or two items.
Thinking of his senior's bizarrely unlucky constitution, Zuo Qiuxu sighed.
The Jade Cloud Sect is the largest sect in the Eastern Region, with tens of thousands of disciples. Although they are highly respected immortals in the mortal realm, they are actually just outer disciples within the sect.
Although they are all quite talented, there are countless people with outstanding talent. Without external help, they would all perish along the way sooner or later.
Immortality is beyond human reach; which high-level cultivator didn't accumulate it through resources such as spirit stones, pills, and magical artifacts?
If someone takes two fewer pills than others, they will likely be outdone in the next competition. Once they lose, the sect's resources will decrease, and with fewer resources, their cultivation progress will slow down. This cycle continues, and many disciples gradually fade into obscurity in round after round of competitions, disappearing without a trace.
In major sects, the competition among disciples is always fierce and ruthless.
Shen Du is already one of the best among the outer disciples and a powerful sword cultivator. If he can successfully form his core, he will be able to enter the inner sect, where he will naturally enjoy endless resources and his path to immortality will be smoother.
However, forming the core is a major hurdle, and countless wealthy cultivators have failed even with all the resources they have prepared. It is even more difficult for a disciple like Shen Du, who has no family support and a meager background.
The Xuan Yue Sword was the best thing Shen Du possessed.
Zuo Qiuxu knew that since Shen Du began cultivating immortality, he had never relied on external forces, but had reached his current level by relying solely on himself and his sword. He was very proud to have such a senior brother, but he also knew the dangers of forming the core, and could not help but worry about his senior brother.
Thinking of this, Zuo Qiuxu's face was full of worry, but Chen Du, who was standing next to him, did not seem to care at all, so he couldn't help but complain.
"Over the years, whatever Senior Brother has acquired, whether he's training in secret realms or taking on missions, has been lost for all sorts of inexplicable reasons. If we had kept it with us in time, we might have been able to preserve some of it. Senior Brother, next time..."
"Alright, if you really go, who knows if you'll come back unscathed." Seeing him start nagging, Xiang Yuquan frowned and said, "Besides, Senior Brother Shen is exorcising demons to protect those mortals, not for the treasures in the cave."
"Yes! None of you care, it's my greed that's the problem!"
Zuo Qiuxu grew anxious, "Do you think I'm after my senior brother's things? He's about to form his core, but he probably doesn't even have enough spirit stones to rent a spiritual vein!"
Shen Du, who had been listening silently, saw Zuo Qiuxu turn his head away with a somewhat aggrieved look on his face, and said softly, "Actually, there wasn't much in that monster's nest, so it's not a big deal if it's lost. Don't be angry, I'll be more careful next time."
With the Core Formation stage imminent, he naturally understood his junior brother's worries.
The demon did indeed have little wealth, but Shen Du unexpectedly discovered a tattered scroll that appeared to be a map of a secret realm. However, the scroll was lost in the river, so there was no need to mention it to Zuo Qiuxu.
Xiang Yuquan also apologized, saying, "That's not what I meant."
Zuo Qiuxu's temper flared up quickly but subsided just as fast. Hearing this, he felt a little embarrassed and was about to speak when he saw Chen Du suddenly stop and raise his hand to shield himself and Xiang Yuquan from the back.
Shen Du remained silent, his dark eyes gazing quietly at the seven-leaf lingzhi mushroom emitting a faint purple light not far away, its leaves shimmering with light as they opened and closed.
Zuo Qiuxu looked on in surprise, “Strange… Yesterday, my senior brother Xiang and I clearly didn’t find the Seven-Leaf Lingzhi here. Could there be more than one in this mountain?”
Shen Du raised his hand and released a beam of spiritual light, instantly revealing the full extent of the barrier covering the Seven-Leaf Lingzhi, which was indeed gradually dissipating.
Upon seeing the barrier, Xiang Yuquan's eyes widened slightly. "It's actually the same plant! It can even move through the mountains..."
Chen Du glanced at his feet. "This mountain is shrouded in clouds and mist, and the soil is damp, which is indeed suitable for the growth of the Seven-Leaf Lingzhi. However, the spiritual energy is thin, and there are no snakes to inhabit it. It should not be able to produce a seventh-grade spiritual herb."
"So what exactly is this Ganoderma lucidum...?"
Zuo Qiuxu was completely baffled.
"Perhaps it was transplanted specifically for someone. With the barrier protecting it, it could grow normally. However, the barrier has now dissipated, probably because the owner was seriously injured and could not maintain it."
The change in position was not due to the Seven-Leaf Lingzhi moving on its own, but rather the influence of the barrier, as if it were searching for its master.
The thought flashed through his mind, and Shen Du sat down to meditate on the spot, saying, "Protect me, I will repair the barrier."
Upon hearing this, Zuoqiu Xu hesitated and said, "In that case, why don't we..."
A seventh-tier spiritual medicine that can remove pill poison! If I bring it back to the sect, I can definitely exchange it for a lot of resources.
Xiang Yuquan glanced at him and said, "Don't even think about it. It's useless to pick it now. We might as well wait three years and see. If the original owner is seriously injured and dies, we might have a chance to take him away."
"Too."
The three were casting spells deep in the mountains, while Xu Xing was busy at home in the back mountains of Xiahe Village.
Xu Xing, who had caught quite a few fish in the past two days, planned to dry them and store them as dried fish. However, she didn't have much salt, so she could only dry them as much as possible, hoping to store them for a longer period of time.
She cleaned the fish, threaded them onto ropes, speared them with tree branches, and hung them one by one on the bamboo pole used for drying clothes.
"Xu Xing, let me help you."
The speaker was a boy of about twelve or thirteen years old. He was fair-skinned and very likable, and he was helping Xu Xing hang fish with a shy smile.
It was Zhao Desheng's grandson, Zhao Jia.
Xu Xing's eyes lit up. Zhao Jia had been inviting her to the village chief's house for meals for the past two days. This was a rare opportunity to eat her fill, and she was really looking forward to it. Now, seeing Zhao Jia made her eyes sparkle.
"Are you ready for dinner? I'm coming..."
"Forehead……"
Zhao Jia looked away awkwardly, "We...we've already eaten at home."
The Zhao family had indeed treated Xu Xing to a few meals, but they hadn't expected that a little girl like Xu Xing could eat so much; her appetite was almost on par with that of Zhao Bo, a martial artist!
Zhao Desheng's large family had not separated, and his married sons ate together. They were all farmers, and since Xu Xing, who had no relatives or friends, ate there often, some people naturally became dissatisfied.
"oh……"
Disappointed that he wouldn't get a free meal today, Xu Xing turned away and continued drying the fish.
When Zhao Jia first came to the back mountain to invite Xu Xing to dinner, Xu Xing initially refused. However, Wang Lianhua heard about this and came to persuade him.
She said that during those years, Xu Zhen never charged for medical treatment in the village, and several families even moved to Xiahe Village specifically for this reason. Xu Zhen helped the village a lot.
In recent years, a young girl from Xuhang has had such a hard life. Some families in need have helped her a few times, but Zhao Desheng, as the village head, has ignored it. Wang Lianhua didn't say anything, but she felt that the Zhao family was heartless.
They hadn't paid any attention to Xu Xing for two years, but now that he had gained the favor of the immortal, they were trying to win him over.
Wang Lianhua also knew that once the immortal was gone, Xu Xing's life would return to what it was before. Now, he could eat as much as he could. She told Xu Xing to accept the village chief's gifts without feeling guilty and not to worry about anything when he was invited to eat. He should just eat as much as he wanted.
It's just a few bites of food; how much can a little girl eat? How can that possibly repay Dr. Xu Zhen's kindness to the village?
With Wang Lianhua's reminder, Xu Xing happily went to eat, unaware that he had been eating for several days and almost caused a family conflict in the Zhao family.
Several uncles were unhappy that Xu Xing ate too much, so Zhao Jia didn't dare invite her to her house for dinner this time, but she still had to ask about the things she needed to know.
Remembering his grandfather's instructions, he suppressed his impatience and asked again, "Have the immortals not come out yet?"
Xu Xing shook his head and glanced at the deep mountains behind the house. The three cultivators had been in the mountains for three days and there had been no movement from them.
Zhao Jia paused, then her expression suddenly fell. "Actually, I'm really envious of you..."
Xu Xing looked at him, puzzled. What did he envy about her? Was he envious that she was always hungry?
Sensing the confusion in Xu Xing's eyes, Zhao Jia's expression grew even more pitiful. "Although your father has passed away, you are now favored by the immortal, so your future is naturally limitless, while I don't even have the talent of a martial artist..."
It must be said that the Zhao family members are quite good-looking. Zhao Bo has thick eyebrows and big eyes, and Zhao Jia is also handsome with gentle features.
Xu Xing didn't know what Zhao Jia was trying to say. Those three cultivators were just passing by; how could they possibly take her away?
After drying the fish, she went back inside to cook.
Seeing that she remained silent like a block of wood, Zhao Jia, being just a child, immediately became anxious, "Wait! Did the immortal give you anything? I..."
"Miss Xu—"
A cold voice suddenly sounded behind him. Xu Xing turned around and saw that it was indeed the three cultivators.
Xiang Yuquan glanced at Zhao Jia. He had seen this child at the village chief's house that day and knew what was going on. He said coldly, "Please tell the village chief that the demon has been eliminated. We will be leaving now."
"However, the mountain is filled with demonic energy, which can be quite cumbersome. It's best for mortals to stay away from it."
Zhao Jia stammered, "Yes, yes..."
Xu Xing said, "I'm sorry to have troubled you immortal masters. I was just about to prepare lunch. Why don't you eat before you leave?"
She knew there were no monsters in the mountains; the few immortals who were passing by had only stayed a few more days because they couldn't bear to see the innocent mortals of Xiahe Village suffer.
Zuo Qiuxu was still thinking about the noodles he had eaten that day, and upon hearing this, he excitedly replied, "Great..."
"No, I have important matters to attend to at the gate and cannot stay any longer."
Shen Du had already taken off on his sword. Before leaving, his gaze fell on a few withered hemostatic herbs by the door. "Hemostatic herbs shouldn't be exposed to the sun for too long. They should be brought back in."
"Ah! Thank you for the reminder, Immortal Master!"
Xu Xing quickly put away the hemostatic herb; she still planned to experiment with medical techniques, and she couldn't let it get damaged by the sun.
"Farewell."
The three of them rose into the air, transformed into three streaks of light, and quickly disappeared above Xiahe Village.
Riding the wind on a sword, the posture was truly elegant.
"A person who can cultivate immortality must be very powerful..."
"After cultivating immortality, I'll definitely be able to eat my fill every day..."
Two voices rang out simultaneously.
Zhao Jia frowned and glanced at Xu Xing. Eating his fill every day? Not to mention that immortals abstain from grains and can cultivate immortality, who would care about mortal appetites?
This person only thinks about eating; he's really hopeless.
Seeing that the immortal left so decisively, without showing any particular interest in Xu Xing, Zhao Jia decided to stop trying to please the fool. His father and grandfather were really overthinking things; how could an immortal possibly be interested in Xu Xing?
Unwilling to spend another second with Xu Xing, Zhao Jia hurriedly ran back to the village to tell his family the news.
Xu Xing shrugged regretfully; it seemed she wouldn't be able to freeload at the village chief's house anymore.
What a pity.
A note from the author:
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While writing about drying salted fish, I suddenly thought of...
I wonder which is saltier, Xu Xu's or the salted fish she dried?
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