8mi Chapter 397: Even the Heavens Wanted to Take It Away
Chapter 397: Even the Heavens Wanted to Take It Away
The two martens appeared in front of Qi Wen without any concern, exposing their backs to him while focusing mainly on the water tank, indicating that they had already become familiar with the people from Cloud Mountain Temple.There were fish in the streams of Yun Mountain, but the largest fish were only as long as a palm and are very thin. Two small martens were “giants” to those fish.
But now, the three fish in the tank had heads that were unbelievably big, almost like monsters in the water. The two little martens stared blankly at them, vaguely recalling how they had once taken away half a very large fish outside the Taoist temple.
“Be careful not to fall in, you and the fish might end up eating each other!”
Taoist Qingsong warned the martens before hurrying out of the kitchen; after all, the guests were still outside.
Seeing Qi Xuan and Qi Wen come out one after the other, Ji Yuan glanced in the directio of the water tank in the kitchens, looking at the little martens, and asked with a smile.
“Have you gotten to know these two little guys?”
Qin Zizhou stroked his beard and spoke.
“Indeed. The two little martens have already developed spiritual intelligence and have a desire to follow the Tao. After I explained things to them, it was easy to get them into Cloud Mountain Temple to cultivate. Once they refine their horizontal bones, they can be considered disciples of Cloud Mountain Temple.”
The Old Dragon looked at the two little martens and knew that the opportunity for them to cultivate stemmed from a simple discussion between him and Ji Yuan at Cloud Mountain Temple years ago.
“They are quite lucky! They have no idea how few cultivators in the world have as much good fortune as them. If they lack the desire to pursue the Tao, they would truly have deserved to be struck by lightning!”
The Old Dragon’s words were loaded with meaning. Qi Xuan and Qi Wen only understood that the path to immortality was rare; Qin Zizhou understood some of what he was insinuating, but not thoroughly. Only Ji Yuan knew what the Old Dragon meant.
“Oh, by the way, Mr. Ji, Mr. Yin, and Master Qin, how do you plan to eat this fish?”
Ji Yuan had been craving some delicious meat ever since he had stayed at Daliang Monastery. Hearing Taoist Qingsong’s question, he couldn’t help but think of the fish head he had made before, which, combined with ingredients from the mountains, had a salty and spicy flavor.
“Naturally, I would like the Taoist’s secret fish head recipe. I specially had the yaksha of the Tongtian River find these three big fish. Cut them in half to get the fish heads, all their essence is there!”
Now that Qi Xuan and Qi Wen had embarked on their own path to cultivation, he no longer needed to be reserved when speaking of supernatural matters in front of them.
Taoist Qingsong clapped his hands, relieved to hear it was his specialty. He was actually worried about being asked to cook dishes from famous restaurants, so he replied loudly.
“Mr. Ji, rest assured, the kitchen has plenty of ingredients. We guarantee that you’ll eat until you’re sweating and you’re stuffed, but you still won’t be able to stop!”
“Haha, excellent, excellent. Master Taoist, please go and prepare it!”
Taoist Qingsong nodded repeatedly and called out to Qi Wen.
“Qi Wen, chop the fish!”
“Okay!”
Ji Yuan and the Old Dragon had no need for Qi Wen and Qi Xuan to entertain them; they simply dragged out some stools and a small table from inside the temple.
The tea leaves on the table had been picked, dried, and roasted by the two Taoist priests themselves in the mountains, and the water had been freshly boiled from the mountain springs. However, there were no dried fruits or pastries.
“If only we had brought some tea and snacks from the Tongtian River’s Underwater Palace! We are supposed to be cultivators with some skill, yet we don’t even have a single melon seed!”
Ji Yuan sighed. The Old Dragon was amused at his expression.
“Who told you to come over in such a hurry?”
Qin Zizhou picked up the teacup, gently blew on the tea foam and steam, and took a sip of hot tea.
“Our Cloud Mountain Temple isn’t exactly a place of great religious activity. Few people come to worship throughout the year. Even if someone were to come out of curiosity, they would find no statues of gods, no large cauldrons, no wishing pool, and no bronze bell. They could only worship the heavens and stars. How could you expect them to pray for children, wealth, or marriage? Forget it. They probably wouldn’t return a second time. So those exquisite pastries are not for our temple!”
Ji Yuan thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled.
“Ah, I’ve got another trick up my sleeve!”
As he spoke, he took out a packet of dried leaves from his sleeve, and carefully unwrapped it little by little, revealing shriveled, reddish-purple berries inside.
“Goji berries?”
Qin Zizhou, having practiced medicine for nearly a century in his previous life, naturally recognized what it was at a glance, and immediately informed the Old Dragon as he was still puzzled.
“Indeed, Lord Qin has a discerning eye; this is a handful of top-quality dried wild goji berries!”
Ji Yuan picked one up, popped it in his mouth, and chewed it. It tasted sweet, with a slight sour note. He reached out and gestured for them to help themselves.
“Please, both of you, have some food!”
This had originally been a gift from Lu Shan Jun; he never expected it would be used as a tea snack now.
The so-called leisurely mood was all about a state of mind. Even for the Old Dragon, in this kind of atmosphere, a cup of coarse tea and a handful of goji berries could foster a deep connection to the moment.
The three chatted over tea, still discussing Cloud Mountain Temple. This time, the Old Dragon was also present. They briefly touched on what Ji Yuan and Qin Zizhou had discussed last time, before finally reaching the crucial point: the fundamental methods of cultivation at Cloud Mountain Temple were largely complete.
“So, Mr. Ji’s ‘Wondrous Methods of Heaven and Earth’ is nearing completion?”
Ji Yuan nodded, took out the scroll, unfurled a section, and placed it on the table, revealing the characters “Transformation of Heaven and Earth.”
“After some ups and downs, the first half of ‘The Transformation of Heaven and Earth’ is complete.”
“This is no small matter; this book is envied by the Heavens themselves.”
The Old Dragon couldn’t help but say, pointing to the sky. Qin Zizhou nodded solemnly and then said:
“In that case, this method cannot be easily passed on. Even if there are to be more cultivators in Cloud Mountain Temple in the future, no matter how few their number, there will always be those whose external face hides what truly lies in their heart!”
“Haha, that is true in principle, but reality may not be so simple. Lord Qin, you’ll understand once you read through this book yourself!”
The Old Dragon shook his head and stroked his beard, smiling meaningfully. It was no wonder that Ji Yuan sometimes liked to act profound, he reflected: it did feel quite good.
Qin Zizhou, unsuspecting, picked up the scroll from the table and began to read it.
At this moment, when the Old Dragon observed Qin Zizhou from an outsider’s perspective, he immediately noticed something different. He saw that as Qin Zizhou was reading the scroll, a faint mist of light actually enveloped the area around him as he read, something he himself had not noticed as he had read it. Perhaps he had been too engrossed.
After a long while, Qin Zizhou finally let out a long breath and nodded.
“Indeed, Mr. Ji’s wondrous method is truly comprehensive!”
From the kitchen of Cloud Mountain Temple, the sounds of pots and pans and boiling oil could be heard, and the aroma of spicy dishes gradually spread.
“The seasoning and cooking method of Master Qingsong’s secret fish head recipe must also be passed down. It is also a treasure of Cloud Mountain Temple!”
“Yes, yes, yes, another treasure of Cloud Mountain Temple!”
“Hahahaha…”
The three of them burst into laughter at the same time. Even the Old Dragon, who had been alone in his house just hours before, was now in an extremely cheerful mood.
In the temple kitchen, Taoist Qingsong listened to the hearty laughter outside with a smile on his face.
“Master, Mr. Ji and the others seem quite happy. What are they laughing about?”
“Regardless, it’s definitely something. By the way, stoke the fire a bit. These fish heads are too big; if the fire isn’t strong enough, they might be half-cooked!”
“Master, don’t worry!”
As Qi Wen assured him, he broke off pieces of firewood and carefully placed them into the stove, while also picking up a small marten that had gotten too close, and tossed it a little further away.1
“Don’t look into the stove, or you’ll singe your fur!”
“Squeak…”
The gray marten squeaked a couple of times, then ran out of the kitchen and dashed out of the Taoist temple’s gate.
…
In the evening, a large table for eight people was carried out in the courtyard of Cloud Mountain Temple. On the table were some vegetarian dishes whose ingredients had been grown in Cloud Mountain Temple itself, and of course, a large pot.
Because the three fish heads were so large, weighing dozens of catties in total, even the large pot, which could feed more than a dozen people, was straining to hold them. It was truly a matter of skill that Taoist Qingsong had been able to cook them well, and it had taken a lot of his physical and mental energy.
The aroma wafting from the pot filled Cloud Mountain Temple. Ji Yuan, Ying Hong, and Qin Zizhou sat on three sides of the table, while Taoist Qingsong and Taoist Qingyuan sat on the other side. Two small gray martens sat a little further away, holding plates of fresh, de-scaled fish meat.
Because there was an entire iron pot of fish heads, accompanied by meat and broth soup, the dish had retained heat quite well. Everyone ate happily. Ji Yuan also brought out the fine wine from the white jade jug for everyone to enjoy. Even the two little martens were given a small cup, but after drinking it, the two little creatures immediately laid down.
This scene reminded Taoist Qingsong of that time when Mr. Ji had gotten him drunk without any explanation.
After several rounds of drinks and dishes, most of the fish head soup had been eaten. Qi Xuan and Qi Wen were already so full they could only rub their stomachs, while Ji Yuan and the other two kept eating, occasionally scooping up another bowl of soup with a ladle.
Seeing that Qi Xuan and Qi Wen could only watch helplessly, Ji Yuan smiled and said:
“This is another advantage of cultivating immortality; you won’t get full after just a little bit of delicious food, haha!”
After cleaning up all the dishes on the table and drinking a few more cups of wine, Ji Yuan once again took out “The Transformation of Heaven and Earth” from his sleeve and handed it to Taoist Qingsong.
“Master Qingsong, this is the ‘Transformation of Heaven and Earth’ that I myself have deduced. It is the first half of the ‘Wondrous Methods of Heaven and Earth.’ This method is extremely profound. I hope Cloud Mountain Temple will cherish this method and be cautious in finding a successor. Of course, there is no need to be too reserved. As long as they conform to the original Taoist principles of Cloud Mountain Temple, it’s fine.”
Taoist Qingsong straightened himself, endured his bloated stomach, and solemnly accepted the scroll with both hands, looking as if he wanted to open it but dared not open it immediately.
“Take a look if you want. This item will be the foundation of Cloud Mountain Temple’s cultivation in the future. There’s no need to be so polite.”
Ji Yuan saw through his thoughts and told him.
“Yes!”
Qi Xuan responded and eagerly unfurled the scroll. Qi Wen also came over to take a look, but the two of them were frozen in place as soon as they looked at it, their eyes drawn into the scroll, becoming somewhat hazy and dazed.
“Wow, I didn’t realize these two Taoist priests had such talent!”
The Old Dragon couldn’t help but say with a hint of surprise, while Qin Zizhou stroked his beard and smiled.
“Mr. Ji specifically created this based on the Taoist methods of visualization. If these two didn’t have this level of comprehension, then Mr. Ji’s efforts would have been in vain!”
“Hmm!”
The Old Dragon nodded, acknowledging this statement.
Fortunately, this time the two Taoists did not sit for several days while observing the scroll. When they came to their senses, only a quarter of an hour had passed. However, their dazed and astonished expressions fully demonstrated the impact they had experienced during the process.
After regaining his senses, Qi Wen couldn’t help but ask a question.
“Mr. Ji, are all cultivation methods this miraculous? Our ‘Transformation of Heaven and Earth’ must be considered one of the most powerful cultivation methods among all the immortal sects, right?”
“Well… other sects…”
Ji Yuan was a little unsure how to answer. Although he was very confident in his “Wondrous Methods of Heaven and Earth,” he hadn’t seen any other sects’ methods, and he simply couldn’t compare it to the “Yuhuai Qi Guiding Technique.”
“Hmph…”
The Old Dragon chuckled, narrowing his eyes at the scroll in Qi Xuan’s hand.
“If Mr. Ji won’t boast, let me tell you. Let me put it this way: when this method was first completed, even the heavens wanted to take it away!”
This was absolutely true, with no exaggeration!
T/n: all I can imagine is Qi Wen the marten with a lout “YEET” XD