Chapter 46 – Greeting Gifts
Liu Zhiqian held the onion, his eyes narrowed into slits. “From my land, only a small portion of the seedlings can bloom successfully. By the time they flower and bear fruit, only half of that will remain. The fragrance of the immature fruit attracts those herb-eating beasts. Even if I guard them day and night, I’ll only end up with three or four mature fruits. And how could there be such a rare specimen?”
“I heard that Junior Brother Meng has two ancestral Mu Ge. They’re of average quality, but he won’t part with them. He even said that if I marry, he’ll give them to me, which is just nonsense.”
“Junior Xia, if you’re willing to sell me this Mu Ge, then the ruined land is nothing. I can give you some pills to help you improve your cultivation, how about that?”
Afraid that Xia Yi might underestimate his pills, Liu Zhiqian hurriedly added, “Every pill I refine takes considerable effort and days of work to create, and in the cultivation world, they’re highly sought after.”
Xia Yi smiled and said to Liu Zhiqian, “Elder Liu, don’t be polite. You can take this onion.”
“Onion?”
“I call it onion; Mu Ge is too cumbersome.”
“Junior Yi, you’re quite amusing, haha.”
After saying this, Xia Yi had 179 bring out a pile of onions, holding them in his arms.
The stack was too high, and one tumbled down, rolling to his feet, which he kicked lightly.
Seeing this, Liu Zhiqian’s brow twitched, and he quickly picked it up, carefully blowing off the dust.
“This is your spiritual compensation.” Xia Yi placed the entire pile of onions into Liu Zhiqian’s arms.
Liu Zhiqian hurriedly caught them, exclaiming, “Slow down, slow down! Don’t scrape the skin off.”
But isn’t it just skin beneath the skin?
Xia Yi thought for a moment, then had 179 bring out a few radishes as well, handing them to Liu Zhiqian. “I’ve come here several times, and though you’ve treated me well, I haven’t given you anything in thanks. These celestial fruits are my small token of gratitude.”
Looking at the Mu Ge and celestial fruits in his hands, Liu Zhiqian’s face flushed crimson, his throat emitting a series of sounds, caught between disbelief and emotion.
Just as Xia Yi worried he might faint like Cheng Ming, Liu Zhiqian exhaled heavily and managed to compose himself.
Then Xia Yi started giving gifts to the other senior brothers present.
One radish and one onion for each person.
“Come on, just a small gift to show my respect. Don’t think too much of it.”
Who would complain? Who could ever turn their nose up at celestial fruits and Mu Ge?
These disciples of Qishan had only heard of these names; in their lives, they couldn’t even dream of seeing one, let alone getting their hands on one. Just having the chance to lay their eyes on them was enough to boast about for years.
Now, not only could they see and touch them, but they could also possess them. They could admire them anytime, and even take a bite, leaving them with a sense of surrealism.
“Senior Brother, is this real?” One junior disciple carefully examined the onion and radish, asking the senior brother beside him.
The senior brother looked just as bewildered. “How would I know? Do you think I’ve seen one before? But if the elder says it’s real, then it is.”
Some disciples were already getting emotional, wiping away tears. “I’ll take it home as an offering. During the holidays, I want my parents to see it too.”
Meanwhile, Liu Zhiqian had recovered from the shock of the Mu Ge and celestial fruits, putting away the pile of onions and radishes and adjusting his attire.
Seeing Liu Zhiqian about to speak, Xia Yi quickly raised his hand to stop him. “Don’t ask, don’t ask anything. Just accept it; it came from a legitimate source.”
Liu Zhiqian opened his mouth but ended up closing it again.
If he wasn’t asking, then so be it; the fruits he had received were real.
A gift from heaven; thank you, Celestial Master.
Standing in front of Gu Wenzhu, he smiled and nodded. “Little Gu really resembles Celestial Master Cang Yi; no wonder Fourth Junior Brother mistook him. But resemblance aside, the differences are quite large.”
Celestial Master Cang Yi has an ethereal demeanor and graceful poise, a stark contrast to an ordinary mortal.
Xia Yi stood in front of Gu Wenzhu as well, nodding in agreement. “Right, it’s just a resemblance; the differences are indeed vast.”
“My Brother Zhu is so heroic and full of youthful energy; how could that Cang Yi possibly compare?”
“Let’s go; you two head back to the sect first.” Liu Zhiqian leaped onto his gourd, turning to Xia Yi and the others. “I still have some matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave. Thank you, Xiao Xia, for your generosity in giving the spiritual fruits to me and my disciples. If there’s a chance, I’ll be sure to express my gratitude.”
After saying this, he urged the gourd beneath him and ascended into the sky. The other disciples also thanked the two of them profusely before departing on their magical tools.
Meanwhile, Gu Wenzhu was still in a standoff with Qilin. Each time Qilin tried to approach him affectionately, he would ward it off with his hoe, issuing loud shouts.
Qilin, puzzled, wagged its tail even more vigorously, sending dirt flying from the freshly tilled ground Gu Wenzhu had prepared.
“Xiao Yi, what is this creature you just rode in on?” Gu Wenzhu asked Xia Yi, still keeping the hoe defensively in front of him.
Xia Yi shot him an annoyed glance and walked toward Qilin. Seeing this, Gu Wenzhu quickly reached out to grab him, but Xia Yi suddenly called out to the creature with a smile, “Qilin, good son, come here to Daddy.”
Instantly, Qilin trotted over to Xia Yi, licking his hand and affectionately rubbing against him.
What a familiar scene.
Gu Wenzhu suddenly had a realization; he recalled that just as Xia Yi had been transported away, he too had jumped into the light swirl, and out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to have seen a dark shadow rush in as well.
Could that shadow have been his dog? It came along and transformed into this form?
With this thought, Gu Wenzhu hesitantly asked Xia Yi, “Qilin? Is this our Qilin?”
“Yep, that’s it.” Xia Yi scratched Qilin’s chin, encouraging it to tilt its head for better scratching. “You never liked it; it just has an extra horn now, and you didn’t recognize it.”
He then cast a sidelong glance at the hoe in Gu Wenzhu’s hands. “And you even wanted to hit it.”
Gu Wenzhu quickly lowered the hoe and began examining Qilin closely. “…It’s not just an extra horn, is it?”
“You talk as if you know what a Qilin looks like. Who was it that was scared and ran around the mountains when they first saw it?” 179 scoffed. “I really don’t understand what’s going on with you all. Qilin hasn’t changed; it’s just a different world, and everyone acts like they’re blind.”
“This really opened my eyes. Everything I’ve seen these past few days, I’ve only heard about in stories told by the elders; I never imagined it would be real.” Gu Wenzhu gazed at the figures in the distance, feeling truly shocked.
Xia Yi pursed his lips, wanting to say it wasn’t a big deal since he had magical tools too. But recalling the gourd’s endurance, he didn’t dare pull it out.
“Brother Zhu, how did you suddenly snatch those swords from them? I didn’t see it at the time.” Xia Yi suddenly recalled the two moves Gu Wenzhu had displayed earlier and couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity.
Hearing Xia Yi mention that scene, Gu Wenzhu’s expression darkened, hinting at some underlying anger.
Noticing Xia Yi waiting expectantly for an answer, he tried to suppress his irritation and began to recall.
“I can’t really say. It was just that when I thought about stopping those swords, their movements seemed to slow down in my eyes.” Gu Wenzhu replied matter-of-factly and then fell silent, clearly unwilling to discuss the matter further.
Seeing his demeanor, Xia Yi didn’t press on. Instead, he gently bumped his forehead against Gu Wenzhu’s, eliciting a more relaxed expression on Gu Wenzhu’s face, revealing a hint of tenderness.
“Let’s go, take me to see your room at Qishan Sect.” Gu Wenzhu gently brushed aside a strand of hair that had fallen across Xia Yi’s cheek, speaking softly.
Xia Yi pursed his lips and took Gu Wenzhu’s hand. “Let’s not ride Qilin; let’s walk back.”
“Okay.” Gu Wenzhu always complied with him.
As they followed the small path beside the herb fields towards the mountain gate, Xia Yi pointed out various things to Gu Wenzhu, while Qilin dashed ahead, playfully chasing after small rabbits and creatures.
The enchanting sights of the celestial realm left Gu Wenzhu in awe. Xia Yi knew the scenery was beautiful, but he had been preoccupied with thoughts of how to return, so he hadn’t really appreciated it until now.
With Gu Wenzhu by his side, he felt free to take in the sights around him.
Towering peaks loomed overhead, clear streams babbled underfoot, and strange rocks lay scattered in the waters.
Floating islands in the sky were veiled by a thin mist, appearing hazy and elusive among the drifting clouds, sometimes far and sometimes near, as if they were barely there.
Crane-like birds flew overhead, resembling strokes of light ink against the blue sky.
The two were lost in the breathtaking scenery, falling into silence, their fingers intertwined as they walked along the mountain path.
Suddenly, a strange sound broke the tranquility.
It sounded like someone rhythmically striking the ground with a stick.
Xia Yi stopped and turned to look, wondering why there were still Qishan disciples around when they had just taken off. He hadn’t seen anyone earlier; where did this sound come from?
To his surprise, as he looked back down the path, he saw nothing, and the herb fields on either side were also empty. Only two brightly-colored unknown birds chirped as they flew overhead.
“What’s wrong?” Gu Wenzhu noticed him pausing and turned back to look as well.
“It’s nothing; I just thought I heard someone behind us.” Xia Yi turned back, taking Gu Wenzhu’s hand again as they continued forward.
A gentle breeze brushed against them, carrying the scent of fresh grass.
In high spirits, Xia Yi swung their clasped hands playfully, smiling at Gu Wenzhu, revealing his small tiger teeth, with his clear eyes sparkling like scattered sunlight.
Gu Wenzhu’s sharp, deep features softened as he ruffled Xia Yi’s hair. “Are you this happy just to see me?”
Xia Yi nodded earnestly and lifted their joined hands, rubbing his cheek against the back of Gu Wenzhu’s hand. “I’m just happy.”
Gu Wenzhu’s breath caught, and he felt as if he could barely keep walking. He gently pulled Xia Yi close, placing a kiss on his fluffy hair. “I’m happy too.”
“Pat pat pat.” As the two continued on their way, that strange sound suddenly rang out again.
This time, Gu Wenzhu heard it too and turned around in confusion, but the area behind them was still empty.
He cautiously turned back and walked a short distance, scanning his surroundings.
However, aside from the wind rustling through the herbs, resembling waves of wheat stretching into the distance, he saw nothing else.
“179, what was following us just now?” Xia Yi could only ask the system at this point.
After a long pause, the system’s voice finally responded, tinged with a sobbing sound, “I wasn’t paying attention just now.”
“What’s wrong with you?” This was the first time Xia Yi had heard such an emotional fluctuation from 179, prompting him to quickly ask, “Is something the matter?”
If 179 was about to cry, it must be something significant.
“Is your control room about to lose power?” Xia Yi asked, his expression grave.
“No, it’s the technical system; it’s finally been found.” 179 choked up a few times, overwhelmed with excitement.
Xia Yi knew that the technical system had been missing for a long time, which had troubled 179 greatly. Hearing this news made him very happy. “Really? Where was it found?”
“A colleague saw him on TV.”
“On TV? Did he become an actor?” Xia Yi exclaimed, “Your technical system is impressive; after dealing with a pyramid scheme, it’s now a star.”
“No, not an actor. It was a news segment. The latest episode just aired, covering how several local departments teamed up to dismantle some illegal coal mines and rescued many people.” 179’s emotions were still not settled, “The colleague saw that among those rescued, he was one of them.”
“He was sitting on a bench in the police station, eating instant noodles like there was no tomorrow.” 179 was on the verge of tears, “There were also two empty boxes next to him.”
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