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Chapter 200: The News Spreads
🕑 Added 2024-09-16 04:43:32 +0000 UTCJiang Youfu, who was deep in cultivation, was so immersed in his training that he didn’t even notice being carried out. It wasn’t until Lin Xiao brought him outside the cultivation chamber, where the spiritual energy suddenly thinned out, that Jiang Youfu regained his senses. He then realized he had somehow been moved from the cultivation chamber to the main hall of the sect.
"Brother Xiao?" Jiang Youfu was surprised to see Lin Xiao in front of him.
Lin Xiao sat down across from him and said, "Come on, Youfu, it's been a while since we had a good chat. Let's catch up."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Youfu’s face lit up with joy, and he nodded enthusiastically, causing the flesh on his cheeks to jiggle. "Sure, sure! Brother Xiao, I've discovered something amazing while cooking recently!"
Excitedly, Jiang Youfu scooted closer to Lin Xiao and continued, "I found that when I use those spiritual plants and the spiritual fish you brought back to cook, not only do the dishes contain gentle spiritual energy that can be absorbed, but they also help to clear and nourish the meridians!"
Lin Xiao was surprised and impressed by this revelation. "That's incredible, Youfu! This could be your path forward. Keep experimenting. If you need any ingredients from the sect, just ask. I’ve already spoken to Tuozi about it. And by the way, don’t just keep all the food to yourself and the sect members—take some home for your family too, especially your grandmother. She’s getting older and should have good things to eat. Oh, and here, I have some Vitality-Enhancing Pills. I meant to give these to you earlier but got too busy. Give one to your family members, but make sure they don’t take too many at once; their bodies might not be able to handle it."
As he spoke, Lin Xiao retrieved a small pouch from his personal storage, which he had prepared for Jiang Youfu, and handed it over.
Jiang Youfu accepted the pouch with a big grin, "Thanks, Brother Xiao! My grandmother has been struggling with the summer heat recently, so this will be perfect. I’ll take it home tonight."
Seeing that Jiang Youfu hadn’t changed a bit, Lin Xiao felt relieved. Although he had been swamped with responsibilities lately, he was glad that his friendships hadn’t suffered. It gave him a strong sense of reassurance.
He didn’t want to lose his friends just because he had become the sect leader. Despite what others might say about the cold, ruthless path of cultivation, Lin Xiao didn’t believe it had to be that way. He was determined to prove that cultivating with a warm heart could lead to greatness too.
"Youfu, I’ll be going into seclusion soon, so we won’t be able to hang out for a while. But keep up your cultivation—we’ve got plenty of time ahead of us."
Jiang Youfu nodded earnestly, still smiling. "Don’t worry, Brother Xiao. I’m having a great time in the sect. Lately, I’ve even been cooking with Shenshen, and I’ve tried out a lot of new dishes—it’s been so much fun."
While the Lingxian Sect on the mountain was undergoing rapid changes, the villagers at the foot of the mountain began noticing some unusual happenings.
The children who attended school at the private academy had all mentioned that a large number of peach blossom trees had suddenly appeared at the base of the mountain, extending all the way up to the middle of the northern slope.
The adults didn’t believe them, thinking the children were making things up. After all, no one had seen anyone hauling peach tree saplings into the village recently—how could it be true?
Some people dismissed the kids’ stories, brushing them off as nonsense. However, a few skeptical individuals decided to take a look when they went out for a stroll.
To their surprise, the kids were telling the truth!
A winding path of peach blossoms stretched up the mountain, and those who saw it were all struck by an unspoken agreement not to step onto the path. Who knew what kind of mysterious force was at play? What if it was some kind of trick by a mountain spirit, trying to lure them in and eat them?
Despite their fears, the sight lingered in their minds, and when they returned home, they couldn’t help but share what they had seen with their families. This set off a chain of gossip, and in less than a day, the news had spread throughout the village.
Some people began to connect this with how the Lin family had been frequently visiting the northern slope of the mountain in recent months. They also recalled how Sun Yigao had insisted on setting up his academy nearby. Could there be something more going on?
A few villagers even remembered that Lin Xiao had once announced the founding of a sect and the recruitment of disciples. Others noticed that the Lin family had been spending less time working in the fields lately. At first, they assumed it was just a coincidence, but as more people discussed it, they realized it wasn’t just a matter of timing— the Lin family really had been spending less time farming. Yet, despite this, their fields were flourishing, outgrowing all the others in the village!
As the villagers pieced things together, they realized something extraordinary might be happening.
With this growing suspicion, the villagers couldn’t stop talking about it whenever they had a chance. Some of the more gossip-loving women even braved the scorching sun to visit their families in other villages, eagerly sharing these stories.
Before long, the Lin family’s reputation had spread across the neighboring villages, and people began to speculate that they might have truly produced a real immortal.
Recently, a few scholars and poets who admired Sun Yigao for his academic achievements came to visit the academy. After hearing the villagers’ stories, they also made their way to the mountain path near the academy.
Some of them had visited more than once, and upon seeing the path lined with peach blossoms, they were filled with curiosity. The peach blossom trees didn’t seem freshly planted but looked as if they had always been there.
Driven by curiosity, some of them took a step onto the path.
However, many others were too afraid to venture onto the suddenly-appeared path of peach blossoms.
Those who didn’t enter watched as those who did suddenly stopped in their tracks after just a few steps, their eyes going blank, as if they were in a trance.
This frightened the more timid observers, and one of them shouted in panic, "This must be some sort of magic! There’s a monster here!"
With that cry, many people turned and fled in fear.
The companions of the entranced individuals hesitated for a moment. Some, feeling brave and concerned, reached out to pull their friends back. But as soon as they did, they, too, took a couple of steps forward and became just as dazed.
Seeing this, the remaining onlookers didn’t dare try to help anymore and decided to head back to the county town for reinforcements.
By the time they returned with help, they found that their previously entranced companions were now standing calmly at the base of the mountain path. They were gazing up the peach blossom road with expressions of longing, their eyes seemingly trying to see something further up the mountain.
Strangely, their rescuers noticed that these companions seemed different. It wasn’t clear if it was just their imagination, but they couldn’t shake the feeling that their friends’ expressions had changed. They appeared less restless, with a newfound determination shining in their eyes.
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