Chapter 42
Inside the winter melon house, it was warm, quiet, and had a faint, sweet scent of fresh produce.
As soon as Xia Yi stood inside, the door of the winter melon silently closed, sealing tightly without letting in a sliver of light.
In the pitch darkness, Xia Yi asked the system, “179, what now? Isn’t there some kind of control system?”
“Now it’s all up to you. You’ll control it with your mind. Try it—just think about taking off,” 179 said.
Xia Yi forced himself to calm down, suppressing his excitement. After steadying his emotions, he silently thought, “Take off.”
Immediately, he felt a floating sensation, and the ground beneath him trembled slightly, signaling that the winter melon flying car had lifted off.
“I look so cool right now, 179,” Xia Yi’s heart raced. Someone who hadn’t even passed their driving test was now flying a vehicle!
But after rising a few dozen meters, a big problem dawned on Xia Yi.
It was completely dark outside—how was he supposed to navigate?
Am I just flying blindly? Where I end up depends on pure luck?
“179, how am I supposed to fly if I can’t see outside?” Xia Yi’s heart began to panic, and the winter melon flying car started to shake, wobbling from side to side.
As he lost his balance and lurched to one side, his panic only deepened. He reached out, trying to grab something to steady himself.
With his movements, the winter melon flying car became uncontrollable, bobbing up and down in the air before tilting dangerously towards the ground on the left.
“Ahhh! Master, quick, make it go right! We’re about to hit a mountain!” 179 screamed, sensing the outside world.
“Up! Up! There’s a tree ahead!” 179’s mechanical voice cracked with panic.
“Stop going up! We’re in the clouds! Go lower, but don’t crash!”
179 watched in horror as the winter melon performed all kinds of dangerous stunts. “Master, don’t panic. Stop it and stabilize in mid-air!”
Xia Yi had already fallen to the floor of the winter melon flying car, rolling around in confusion.
The winter melon’s jade-like exterior was as hard as it looked, and every impact made Xia Yi dizzy and sore.
He heard 179’s urgent cries and forced himself to calm down. He took deep breaths, murmuring to himself, “Stay calm. I’m not panicking. My instructor is right next to me, with their foot on the brake.”
Finally, the winter melon stopped its wild movements and hovered steadily in mid-air, gently swaying. Both Xia Yi and 179 let out long sighs of relief.
“What do I do now? I still can’t see outside,” Xia Yi asked in a hushed voice, trying to remain as calm as possible, as if speaking too loudly would make the winter melon go crazy again.
“Master, I did suggest using a bamboo section! You insisted on locking yourself inside,” 179 wailed. “If you were on a bamboo, you’d have a full 360-degree view!”
“Bamboo is not an option, ever. I’d rather crash into a mountain inside this winter melon than fly around standing on a slippery piece of bamboo,” Xia Yi wiped the sweat from his forehead. “You have no idea how terrifying it is to be afraid of heights.”
“Master, you can use your mind to create a window in the treasure,” 179 finally remembered. “I mentioned before that the treasure and you are connected. You can make a window wherever you want.”
“Really? Let me try.” In the dark, Xia Yi focused his thoughts.
Suddenly, a faint light began to filter through the wall of the winter melon, and the outline of the mountains outside became visible.
Gradually, one side of the winter melon became transparent like glass.
“It really works! I can open a window,” Xia Yi exhaled in relief. “Now I can see outside.”
The window was a bit too large, though—more like a full-length floor-to-ceiling window.
Feeling a bit nervous about the height, Xia Yi took a quick glance outside and immediately shrank the window down, creating a smaller one.
He even added a bay window and some safety bars underneath the window frame to give himself a sense of security.
Hmm, this is great. Very satisfying, very intelligent.
“This is amazing, like Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage! No, it’s even better,” Xia Yi happily leaned on the windowsill, completely satisfied.
Because he was already at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, even though it was night, he could see everything clearly.
Looking down, he saw his yard, and there was the Qilin, sitting on the steps, watching him. He smiled and waved, “Good boy. Next time, Daddy will take you flying.”
The Qilin, surprisingly, seemed to see him and wagged its tail.
It felt like they were communicating telepathically.
“Master, when are you going to visit Liu Sixian?” 179 reminded Xia Yi.
“No rush, let me fly a few more laps first,” Xia Yi said, controlling the winter melon to soar higher. “I need to get familiar with my vehicle and master all the flying techniques.”
“Up, up, up,” Xia Yi mentally commanded the winter melon.
The oval-shaped green winter melon rose through layers of clouds and stopped above them.
The sky above was a vast dome dotted with stars, so close they seemed within reach, silently twinkling. A meteor streaked across, like a silver fish slipping into the sea.
In the distance, floating islands appeared to be part of the starry sky, breathtaking and beautiful.
Xia Yi leaned against the windowsill, lost in thought. If Zhu-ge were here, I’d take him flying too. I want to share all these beautiful things with him.
After a while, Xia Yi softly said to the system, “Alright, let’s go. One more lap and then we’ll head to Liu Sixian’s place.”
With that, he piloted the winter melon flying car, freely soaring through the clouds.
“179, this feels amazing!” Xia Yi sped up, flying through the clouds and over mountain peaks. “I finally understand why Superman flies around the Earth for no reason!”
“Faster, faster! Fly towards the floating island ahead.”
“Hahaha, just like that! Amazing! Now, hit the brakes hard.”
Perfect!
Xia Yi was gradually mastering the techniques of piloting the flying car, and controlling it became increasingly natural.
“Head for that cloud, hit the brakes inside it, then do a dive and a sharp turn.”
The winter melon flying car received Xia Yi’s command and shot towards a nearby cloud at full speed.
Xia Yi leaned against the bay window, comfortably directing the winter melon flying car.
Suddenly, he felt the vehicle jolt a few times, and a soft glow spread across the melon’s surface.
What’s happening? Did we hit some turbulence?
Before Xia Yi had time to ask 179, he felt the ground beneath his feet disappear, and he was no longer standing on solid ground.
At the same time, the walls around him vanished, and a cold gust of wind rushed into his mouth and nose.
Wind howled in his ears as clouds rushed past at high speed.
“Ahh!” Xia Yi let out a heart-wrenching scream as his mind went blank. “179, what’s happening?!”
The massive winter melon flying car had suddenly disappeared, transforming back into an ordinary winter melon.
And Xia Yi was now riding on top of that round, green-skinned winter melon.
“Master, the secret potion was only applied once, so its effect wasn’t strong enough!” 179 screamed as well. “When the time ran out, the winter melon returned to its original form.”
Tears streamed from Xia Yi’s eyes, and just as he opened his mouth to scream again, a mouthful of cold air rushed in.
Though the winter melon had returned to its original shape, it was still following Xia Yi’s initial commands. It flew full-speed into the cloud, executing a stylish emergency stop.
“Master, squeeze your legs tight!” 179 shrieked as Xia Yi swayed and almost toppled off the melon. “It’s just the appearance that’s changed—it can still fly. Don’t panic!”
“I’m squeezing! I’m squeezing!” Xia Yi used all his strength to grip the winter melon tightly with his legs, making sure to stay stuck to it.
The winter melon completed its emergency stop and began executing the next command: a dive.
“I’m going to die. I’m really going to die, killed by this deranged winter melon. Brother Zhu, see you in the next life,” Xia Yi thought, closing his eyes as he felt the terrifying sensation of falling.
“Master, hold on tight!” 179 was still screaming, wishing it could burst out of Xia Yi’s brain and help him cling onto the melon.
“All my strength is in my lower body already! What else do you want me to do?!” Xia Yi’s tears scattered in the wind.
Now, riding the winter melon was like riding a missile hurtling towards the ground. As the earth drew closer and closer, Xia Yi felt as if his soul had left his body, his mind going completely blank.
Just as he closed his eyes, bracing for the bone-shattering impact, the winter melon suddenly came to a stop.
Feeling everything still, and with no crash or collision as he had imagined, Xia Yi cautiously opened his eyes.
Looking around, he found himself hovering just a few feet above the ground, surrounded by a bamboo forest. He had clearly returned to the area near Wangzhu Courtyard.
“Master, you’re still alive,” 179 said, its voice cracking with relief, as if it had narrowly escaped death itself.
Xia Yi’s face was as pale as a sheet, his eyes blank, with a single tear slipping down his cheek.
He moved his numb legs, preparing to jump down.
But just then, the winter melon moved again—yes, it moved!
Without delay, it accelerated, making a sharp right turn, speeding along the path close to the ground.
“Master, there’s still a right turn command left…” 179 wailed, practically in tears. “Squeeze tight…”
Xia Yi was now too stunned to even scream. He clenched his lips tightly, his face ashen, clinging to the winter melon.
The winter melon sped through the Qishan Sect, weaving through bamboo groves, flower fields, and past a pond of koi fish.
Several children, sweeping the courtyard, suddenly felt a gust of wind as a shadow zipped past, scattering the leaves they had just swept up.
“Did someone just fly by?” one of the children stopped, staring ahead in confusion.
“I thought I was seeing things, but you saw it too?” another child asked, looking in the same direction. “It looked like someone was riding… a ball?”
The other children chimed in, “Our senior brothers are always so creative. Their magical treasures never fail to amaze us.”
They all nodded in agreement.
When the winter melon finally quieted down, Xia Yi had no idea how he made it back to Wangzhu Courtyard.
Along the way, disciples from the Qishan Sect greeted him, and he responded mechanically, his head nodding as he aimlessly walked back.
Upon returning to the courtyard, the Qilin ran up to him joyfully. Xia Yi simply reached out to pat its head, then went inside and collapsed onto the bed.
“Junior Brother Xia, are you there?” someone called loudly from the courtyard.
“I’m here.” Could it be that Liu Sixian knew he had arrived and sent someone to fetch him? Xia Yi forced himself to respond, his voice hoarse, “Come in.”
After two knocks on the door, a tall man named Qing Xiu entered, carrying a tray. “Junior Brother Xia, since you didn’t come to dinner, I brought some food for you.”
As he spoke, he placed the tray on the table. “There’s a new rule in the sect that everyone must have three meals a day.”
Xia Yi knew about this, so he nodded and thanked Qing Xiu.
Qing Xiu waved his hand, saying it was nothing, and then turned to leave. Xia Yi, still trembling, forced himself to stand and saw him to the courtyard gate.
Watching him disappear into the bamboo grove, Xia Yi turned and closed the door.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. “179, he didn’t see the Qilin, did he?”
“No, the Qilin was very obedient. It hid before Qing Xiu came in,” the system replied.
“Such a thoughtful boy,” Xia Yi sighed in relief and called out, “Son, come here! It’s time to eat.”
Out of nowhere, the Qilin appeared in front of him, startling Xia Yi.
“In the future, don’t appear so suddenly and silently, got it? Daddy can’t handle even the slightest bit of shock anymore,” Xia Yi scolded.
The qilin licked Xia Yi’s hand.
Back in the room, Xia Yi glanced at the dishes on the tray and instantly lost his appetite—winter melon stew with pork ribs, braised winter melon, winter melon cakes.
No desire to eat.
Just looking at it made him upset.
He gave it all to the Qilin.
“Master, once the winter melon regains some of its magic power, we still have to go meet Liu Sixian,” 179 reminded, seeing how lazy Xia Yi was acting.
“I’m not riding that thing again,” Xia Yi shook his head furiously. “Even if you hook it up to a charging station, I’m never getting on it again.”
“But you can’t go on like this. Look outside—without a magical tool, you can’t take a single step,” 179 reminded Xia Yi that they were living on a floating island.
“I’ll just stay in. I’m not going anywhere,” Xia Yi replied, preparing to lie down on the bed. “I’ll stay in until I return to my own world.”
“Xiao Xia, Xiao Xia!” At that moment, someone called from the courtyard. Judging by the voice, it sounded like Liu Sixian. Xia Yi quickly went out to greet him.
“Ah, Xiao Xia, why didn’t you come find me after arriving?” Liu Sixian had just retracted his gourd-shaped magical tool from the sky and greeted Xia Yi with a warm smile. “I only heard from a disciple that you were here, so I rushed over to check. And it really is you.”
“I’ve been busy with this magical tool,” Xia Yi pointed at the winter melon on the table. “I was testing it earlier, still getting familiar with it.”
Liu Sixian glanced at the winter melon, about to say something, but then his eyes froze as he stared at the corner of the courtyard.
Following his gaze, Xia Yi saw the Qilin standing there nonchalantly licking its glowing hooves.
Uh oh, Xia Yi panicked. If Liu Sixian saw the Qilin like this, would he think it was a monster and try to exterminate it?
Aren’t cultivators supposed to dedicate their lives to slaying demons and banishing evil?
Xia Yi was quickly thinking of a solution when Liu Sixian pointed at the qilin and happily exclaimed, “You brought the qilin with you? Great! Haha, now our Qishan Sect has a Qilin too!”
He walked over to the Qilin, circling it and inspecting it closely. “As expected of a divine beast, even though it’s been fed leftovers, it still looks so majestic.”
Then he turned to Xia Yi. “It’s said that the Demon Lord Jie Chang also has a Qilin, though I’ve never had the chance to see it.”
After some thought, Liu Sixian sighed, “They say his Qilin is fed with immortal pills and rare fruits, never touching any mortal food.”
Xia Yi was now confused. Wait, does he mean that the ‘Qilin’ he’s talking about is different from what I’m thinking? Is he referring to a species, not a name?
“Wait, so when you saw it at my place, did it look like this?” Xia Yi asked Liu Sixian.
“Of course, it looked exactly like this.”
“With horns and glowing hooves?” Xia Yi could hardly believe it.
“Well, how else should it look? Like a dog?” Liu Sixian asked, puzzled.
He then found his own answer amusing and chuckled.
Xia Yi stood there dumbfounded. “179, what did the Qilin you saw in the farming world look like?”
“A dog,” 179 answered confidently.
Xia Yi let out a long sigh. “I guess it’s just these cultivators—they don’t think a Qilin is a dog.”
“It’s totally normal for a dog to look like this. And our Qilin looks way better than the village dogs, with its glowing hooves and horns on its forehead. Even if the village dogs were running together, I could pick out the Qilin at a glance,” 179 said proudly.
Xia Yi: …
“By the way, I came to ask you something,” Liu Sixian said, interrupting Xia Yi’s thoughts.
He straightened up and asked seriously, “Our Junior Brother Tianquan, also known as Cheng Ming, mentioned that after returning from Taoyuan, he saw Immortal Lord Cang Yi at your place. Is that true?”
Xia Yi quickly waved his hands. “It’s a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. My brother Zhu just looks a lot like your Immortal Lord Cang Yi, but they’re not the same person. Little Ming—Cheng Ming—just mistook him.”
“I thought as much. After all these years, Tianquan still can’t tell me apart from Sect Master Tianxuan,” Liu Sixian nodded knowingly. “It’s been over twenty years since we last saw the Immortal Lord, so when Tianquan mentioned it, I had my doubts, but I couldn’t help verifying it.”
“However, recently on the main island’s Jade Shuo Peak, some disciples reported seeing the Immortal Lord Cang Yi’s music pavilion at night. We’re not sure if it’s true, but based on their descriptions, it’s highly likely that it was the pavilion. Whether it was a barrier left by the Immortal Lord or an illusion before he went on his travels, we can’t say,” Liu Sixian added, a bit wistfully.
“Our sect master and several disciples were captured by people from the Demon Realm. We’ve allied with other sects to attack the Demon Realm several times, but we haven’t been able to rescue them. Instead, we’ve suffered heavy losses and will need a long time to recover. Right now, we’re hoping to find Immortal Lord Cang Yi soon, so he can take charge of the situation.”
Xia Yi thought for a moment and then recounted his recent encounter with Cang Yi to Liu Sixian.
Your Immortal Lord is aware of your situation. But from his attitude, it’s hard to tell if he’ll bother saving all his disciples, so I wouldn’t get your hopes up.
Liu Sixian was shocked after hearing this. “So it turns out that disciple’s account was true—you really did meet Immortal Lord Cang Yi that night. But why, after all this time, has the Immortal Lord not appeared?”
Xia Yi shook his head. “I have no idea.”
“By the way, how is Junior Brother Meng doing?” Liu Sixian suddenly thought of Meng Wanzi and furrowed his brow slightly. “I’m not worried about much, but I am concerned that his fastidious and aloof nature won’t be able to handle living among mortals in Taoyuan, where he might feel out of place.”
“He’s doing great. Master Meng settled into a courtyard and decorated it nicely. He’s also adapted well to village life,” Xia Yi replied.
Too bad I didn’t have a camera to capture Meng Wanzi in his thick cotton jacket, hands in his pockets, squatting on a field ridge chatting with Uncle Wang about the harvest.
“Carrying a bamboo basket and holding a dung fork to pick up cow dung doesn’t look bad either.”
“Then I’m relieved,” Liu Sixian sighed in relief.
He then bowed to Xia Yi with deep gratitude and said, “To be honest, we owe it to you, Xiao Xia, for helping us out in Taoyuan. As long as this formation isn’t removed, our disciples can be teleported there at any time. In Taoyuan, they lose their powers and can’t even bring gold or silver with them. Last time, Tianquan was well-prepared, but when he was transported, he only managed to take a staff and a bowl, leaving a pile of treasure behind. Sigh…”
Xia Yi quickly returned the gesture and said, “Elder Tianji, there’s no need to be so polite. I’m practically half a disciple of Qishan, so I’m just doing what I can.”
“Then feel free to stay here at Qishan. This Wangzhu Courtyard is yours. Whether you want to cultivate or just relax, it’s entirely up to you. I’ll also assign a few young servants to take care of your needs,” Liu Sixian offered.
“No need, no need,” Xia Yi waved his hands hastily, refusing the offer. “Just some occasional cleaning of the room and courtyard will be enough. I don’t need anyone waiting on me.”
The thought of making those young boys, who looked about eleven or twelve, do chores while he lay around snacking on melon seeds made him uncomfortable.
Seeing that it was late, Liu Sixian didn’t stay long. After saying his goodbyes, he left on his gourd. Xia Yi returned to bed, collapsed on it, and sighed heavily.
He couldn’t help but wonder how brother Zhu was doing. Was he panicking and organizing the whole village to search for him?
Probably not. After all, he’d already given him a heads-up before, and brother Zhu had watched him slowly disappear with his own eyes.
Still, Xia Yi worried that brother Zhu might not be able to rest until he’d searched everywhere.
Sigh… On what should have been a perfect wedding night, the groom vanished. Poor bride, left all alone.
Restless, Xia Yi tossed and turned in bed. The Qilin lay beside the bed in a nest made of blankets, half-closing its golden eyes and gazing at him gently.
“Forget it, let’s sleep. Thinking about it won’t help, and who knows how long it’ll take to go back this time.” Xia Yi reached out to rub the Qilin’s big head before tucking himself into the blanket.
When he woke up the next morning, daylight was already pouring in. Xia Yi’s first instinct was to glance around the room, but the first thing he saw was the Qilin’s large, horned head right by the bed.
“Sigh, still not back,” Xia Yi groaned and closed his eyes again, feeling dejected.
“Master, since you’ve got nothing else to do, why don’t we study the magical tool?” 179 chimed in, getting restless again.
“Not in the mood,” Xia Yi replied, lying flat on the bed.
“No pain, no gain. Success doesn’t come easy for anyone.”
“Aren’t you supposed to have a morning meeting every day? You don’t want to be late,” Xia Yi said, trying to get the system to stop talking.
“We haven’t had a morning meeting in a long time,” 179’s voice was quiet for a moment. “The technical system went off for further studies and then went missing.”
“How long has it been missing?”
“Since the time Cheng Ming crossed over.”
Xia Yi turned over nonchalantly. “Don’t worry. Once we bust a few scam hideouts, the technical system will come back on its own.”
“This isn’t a scam, it’s a real disappearance,” 179 explained. “As long as there’s an internet connection or an electrical appliance with power, we can track the technical system, but we can’t catch any signal from it.”
“Relax, it’s a system that’s weathered many storms. It’ll be fine.”
“I hope so,” 179 muttered, sounding a bit downcast.
Seeing the system in a low mood, Xia Yi sat up in bed. “Alright, let’s go study the magical tool.”
“I’ll enlarge it, and you can time how long it stays in that form,” Xia Yi placed the winter melon in the middle of the courtyard and focused.
The winter melon glowed with a soft green light and suddenly expanded, sitting in the courtyard like a small green pavilion.
Xia Yi stroked his chin. “179, you time it and see how long it takes to return to its original form.” With that, he headed to the washroom to freshen up.
When he emerged, he glanced at the courtyard. The giant winter melon still stood there.
“179, keep an eye on it. I’m going to eat breakfast,” Xia Yi said, heading to the dining room and uncovering a food tray on the table.
Not bad—there were seven or eight different kinds of snacks and a pot of steaming porridge.
A young servant had delivered the meal earlier, likely using some sort of spell, as it had stayed warm despite sitting out.
Xia Yi slowly savored the hearty breakfast, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and returned to the courtyard.
“179, what’s going on with the winter melon? It’s still not back to normal,” Xia Yi asked in surprise.
It just sat there in the middle of the courtyard like it was dead, but as soon as it was in the sky, it would immediately start draining power.
“I think it’s like a cellphone. When it’s just sitting here, it’s in standby mode, so it doesn’t use much power. But when it takes off, it’s like running a bunch of apps, draining power quickly,” 179 analyzed.
“Master, why don’t we test it by taking it up in the air?”
Test what? I don’t dare. From now on, this winter melon is just going to be my tent.
Xia Yi mentally shrunk the winter melon into a small jade carving and tucked it into his sleeve.
“So, Master, since we’re already in the cultivation world, let’s start cultivating,” the system, ever diligent, suggested. It seemed like it couldn’t stand not working for even a day.
“What should I cultivate for? Am I supposed to settle down here? I don’t want to cultivate; I want to go home.” Xia Yi hugged the Qilin beside him, stroking its large head, feeling sorrowful. “I want to go back and continue my wedding night.”
“I don’t want to do anything. I’ll just wait quietly to go home.”
The system was silent for a while before speaking again. “Master, how about we go for a stroll, check out the scenery of these mystical mountains and waters? It’ll be good for you. Staying cooped up in the courtyard all the time isn’t good.”
“I don’t want to.”
“How about we feed the cranes, or maybe play with the koi for a while?”
“Not interested.”
“We could watch the young disciples train? Oh, and there are many senior and junior sisters training too. They’re all at Tengxiu Peak, and when they cultivate, they look as graceful as celestial beings, with such elegant postures,” 179 hinted suggestively.
“What are you implying?” Xia Yi glared with suspicion. “Now that brother Zhu’s not here, you’re trying to tempt me to go look at girls?”
179 suddenly felt a little ashamed. After being told off like that, it really did seem like it was acting like one of those troublemaking friends encouraging mischief.
“But since you’ve already suggested it, fine, I’ll reluctantly go take a look,” Xia Yi said, quickly heading toward the courtyard gate.
“Xiao Yi!” Just as he stepped outside, a familiar voice called out to him with excitement. “Hahaha, it really is you!”
It was Cheng Ming.
“Xiao Ming.” Seeing a familiar face here made Xia Yi feel just as emotional.
“I’ve been thinking about you all this time! I’m so happy to see you’ve been sent here too,” Cheng Ming said, laughing as he approached. “I came looking for you as soon as I got the news last night.”
“You came by last night? I must have been asleep and didn’t hear you.” Xia Yi felt a little embarrassed, knowing that Cheng Ming had come to see him but was probably left standing outside the gate.
Cheng Ming looked slightly embarrassed too. “Well, not exactly. I flew around in the sky for half the night and couldn’t find the way to Wang Zhu Court. Somehow, I ended up back where I started. This morning, I had to get a servant boy to guide me here.”
He had nearly forgotten about Cheng Ming’s terrible sense of direction.
Cheng Ming threw an arm around Xia Yi’s shoulders warmly. “It’s no easy task coming here. I have to show you around and let you see the beauty of Qishan. By the way, where were you headed?”
Not wanting to admit he was going to Tengxiu Peak to watch the senior sisters train, Xia Yi simply said, “I was just wandering around.”
“Wandering around won’t do. I’ll take you somewhere good.” Cheng Ming lowered his voice and said with a mischievous glint, “Tengxiu Peak has stunning scenery. You’ll know when you see it.”
He was about to summon his magic tool when he remembered something. “Wait, didn’t you say the Qilin came too?” He began scanning the area.
The Qilin was lurking sneakily in the courtyard, only its head peeking out as it watched them. Upon seeing its buddy, it couldn’t help but let out a low growl.
“The Qilin really is here!” Cheng Ming said, delighted. “Come on, Qilin, let’s go play.”
At first, Xia Yi had worried that people would mistake the Qilin for a monster, but seeing how relaxed Liu Siqian and Cheng Ming were around it, he felt at ease. “Come on, son, let’s go together.”
The Qilin trotted out, its tail—like an iron whip—swishing with excitement, leaving deep grooves and tiny sparks as it scratched across the stone path.
With a few cracks, the stone tiles shattered.
“Alright, alright, stop wagging your tail. That’s called property damage,” Xia Yi scolded quickly.
Cheng Ming spread his hand out, revealing a small iron plate with a tiny spoon on it. With a flick, the plate expanded in mid-air, turning into something that resembled a mattress.
“Is that your magic tool?” Xia Yi asked, his eyes lighting up as he stared at the mattress.
“Yep, it’s a compass.” Cheng Ming jumped up lightly, his bulky frame somehow agile as he landed gracefully on top.
“This magic tool is awesome,” Xia Yi said, patting it, then, suspiciously, “It doesn’t fly upright, does it?”
“No, flying upright is something you younger folk like. I’m too old for that kind of thrill.”
Good, good. Relieved, Xia Yi eagerly climbed onto the “mattress.” “Let’s go explore. No matter where you go, I’ll remember the way back. I’ve got a great sense of direction.”
Once aboard, he called out to the Qilin, “Son, come on up.”
“The Qilin can follow us,” Cheng Ming said. No sooner had he spoken than the mattress lifted smoothly into the air.
“Wait, you expect it to just run along after—” Xia Yi’s words trailed off as he watched the Qilin’s four hooves light up with a dazzling silver glow, like cold flames, and it suddenly soared into the air, flying alongside them.
“179, am I seeing things? The Qilin’s flying! It’s flying!” Xia Yi muttered in disbelief.
“Host, this is my first time seeing a flying dog too,” 179 said, equally shocked.
It’s not a dog! You already figured out it looked different from the regular dogs back in the farming world, yet you still think it’s a dog?
My Qilin is a real Qilin, alright. Too bad there’s no Baidu here to research its noble lineage properly.
“The really gluttonous ones aren’t Qilin, right?”
“That’s a Taotie.”
“The ones that get blown up by fireworks on New Year’s—wait, no, that’s not it.”
Xia Yi sighed, feeling a bit proud as he stroked the Qilin’s head. Even a random dog I raised has turned into a divine beast. What kind of blessed person am I? Heh.
Cheng Ming’s magic tool really was something. It was much better than all those strange and weird flying devices he’d ridden before. As Cheng Ming slightly shifted direction, the spoon in the middle of the mattress turned as well.
“The compass always points south, right?” Xia Yi asked.
“Yep.” Cheng Ming stood with his hands behind his back, his robes billowing gracefully. His eyes were focused and wise as he gazed ahead, not looking like a man with no sense of direction at all.
“Then why do you still get lost?”
“Because I never know which direction I need to go,” Cheng Ming answered matter-of-factly.
Just as Xia Yi was about to respond, Cheng Ming suddenly said in a tense voice, “Duck.”
Oh no, have we run into enemies? Demons? Xia Yi’s heart skipped a beat as he obediently lowered his head.
“Step back two paces and look up,” Cheng Ming’s voice came again. Xia Yi quickly crawled back two steps and looked up, scanning the surroundings.
Nothing seemed wrong. No enemies, just floating clouds.
“I made a sharp turn just now. The spoon almost hit your head, haha.” Cheng Ming chuckled, then barked again, “Duck!”
The iron plate whirled, casting a shadow. The giant spoon loomed large above Xia Yi’s head.
He immediately ducked down again as the spoon barely skimmed past.
Now I understand why this mattress is so big, and why Cheng Ming insists on standing on the edge.
“I’m lying flat on this iron plate, too scared to lift my head. How could I possibly remember the way?”
Xia Yi tentatively lifted his head. “Stop turning, let me stand up first.” He said, slowly and shakily getting up from the iron plate.
“Yeah, stand up. When the plate turns and the spoon handle comes your way, just jump to avoid it. You have to pay attention to the route, or we won’t be able to find our way back.”
Xia Yi looked outside the iron plate and felt dizzy.
It’s hard enough just to stand steadily. And you want me to jump back and forth at ten thousand meters up?
“Qilin, my boy, come over and let Dad hold onto you.”
The Qilin obediently flew over and landed on the iron plate next to Xia Yi, letting him tightly hug its neck.
“Careful, I’m turning now,” Cheng Ming loudly warned.
You, with your terrible sense of direction, are turning? Why not just go straight, acting like you know the way?
“One, two, three! Son, jump!”
“And jump again!”
The Qilin jumped along with Xia Yi.
Thankfully, soon a beautiful, green mountain peak towering into the clouds appeared before them. Cheng Ming cheerfully announced, “We’ve arrived at Tengxiu Peak.”
The iron plate slowly descended, stopping at the foot of the mountain.
“I might forget other routes, but I remember the way to Tengxiu Peak very clearly.” After saying that, Cheng Ming realized his slip of the tongue and sneaked a glance at Xia Yi. Seeing no reaction, he quickly explained, “Mainly because the scenery here is so nice, so I come often.”
Haha, no need to explain—I already know what’s going on.
As they made their way up the mountain path, Cheng Ming enthusiastically pointed out various trees and fruits to Xia Yi.
After a while, he stopped and sighed regretfully. “It’s a shame I never got to taste the Tianling Fruit before I was brought here.”
Xia Yi felt full of sympathy.
He had watched as Cheng Ming carefully tended to that patch of radishes, pouring his whole heart into the task.
It was more like taking care of a newborn than farming.
But just as the radishes were harvested, Cheng Ming got whisked away.
“179, didn’t I ask you to store those radishes in the system’s space? Can you still get them out?”
“Of course, Host. I am a cultivation system after all,” 179 replied.
“Then bring a few out, so Xiao Ming can have them and cheer up. He can make radish soup with pork ribs,” Xia Yi suggested.
“Got it.”
As soon as 179 finished speaking, Xia Yi suddenly felt something heavy in his hands.
Are these my radishes? Xia Yi looked down at the items.
They were shaped like radishes, but much smaller, looking more like ginseng. The skin was a transparent red, smooth and glossy, glowing faintly like jade in the sunlight.
Cheng Ming saw them too and his eyes locked onto the radishes. Excitedly, he shouted, “Tianling Fruit! Xiao Yi, you brought Tianling Fruit too!”
Well, this is strange. Their Qilin isn’t seen as a dog, so it actually became a Qilin. Now these radishes have transformed into what Cheng Ming calls Tianling Fruit.
Xia Yi wanted to ask 179, but doubted he’d get a satisfactory answer.
Sure enough, 179 responded with confusion, “Aren’t radishes supposed to look like this? Red and glowing. Sure, they look different from the others, but that’s because our radishes are just better.”
Cheng Ming carefully took the so-called Tianling Fruit from Xia Yi, cradling it like a treasure, his eyes narrowing with joy. “What a precious item, what a treasure.”
Seeing him act that way, Xia Yi figured Cheng Ming might not even cook it in pork rib soup, so he asked, “How do you plan to eat the Tianling Fruit?”
“Eat it? Of course, you shave off a thin slice to dissolve under your tongue. The rest is stored in a jade box and sealed with magic.” With a wave of his hand, the Tianling Fruit vanished, likely stored in some kind of ring space.
In cultivation novels, such items are common. Every seemingly ordinary ring either contains a vast space or houses an old mentor.
“Xiao Ming, what if you suddenly had hundreds of pounds of Tianling Fruit? How would you eat it?” Xia Yi asked.
Cheng Ming shot him a reproachful look. “Tianling Fruit isn’t radishes. You can’t measure it by weight.” After a pause, he added, “Though if you harvested Tianling Fruit in Taoyuan, you’d probably have around a hundred roots, so maybe it could be measured by weight.”
A hundred roots? You’ve clearly never seen the yield from my three acres of land.
“Xiao Ming, from now on, you can eat Tianling Fruit as much as you like. Have it every meal—make soup, braise it, whatever you want.” As he said this, Xia Yi dramatically waved his hand, secretly signaling 179 to bring out more Tianling Fruit.
Suddenly, a pile of Tianling Fruit appeared in front of Cheng Ming, glowing red and dazzlingly bright, blinding his wide eyes.
“You put in effort for these too, so they’re rightfully yours,” Xia Yi declared generously, feeling the same satisfaction as a wealthy person saying, “See that yacht over there? It’s yours,” enjoying the thrill of giving something extravagant.
Then he pulled one out and handed it to the Qilin. “Here, son, you eat too.” The Qilin bit into it with a happy howl, gnawing contentedly.
Cheng Ming’s throat made a few gurgling noises before he rolled his eyes and fainted.
—
