Yuan Zhong didn’t want to carry out that order. He was fed up with it all.
Leaving it all behind wasn’t such a bad idea. No matter where he went, without his left hand, Elder Ding Xu wouldn’t dare push him too far.
As for Ji Tan Yin… Yuan Zhong glanced around at the rolling green mountains and the brilliant sunshine. She had likely given up chasing him by now.
Who exactly is she? The Heavenly Book held no answers, and even the ice couldn’t contain her. What started as suspicion had slowly turned into curiosity. Was she, like Fu Jiuyun, some ancient ghost?
Yuan Zhong flew aimlessly on his Jile Bird, a faint sense of regret creeping into his heart. If Ji Tan Yin were here, chasing him while he ran, it might actually be somewhat amusing.
The thought crossed his mind, but he quickly pushed it away, refusing to dwell on it any longer.
By August, the weather in Yandu was already crisp and cool with the arrival of autumn. Yandu, the capital of the northern nation of Chenshang, though not as grand as the city of Gaodu in Tianyuan, was a place where humans, demons, and immortals mingled more than anywhere else.
The Kingdom of Chenshang was a land of steep mountains and rugged terrain, surrounded by towering peaks as far as the eye could see. Many immortals had carved out caves in these mountains, transforming them into heavenly sanctuaries. The mountains were home to countless rare spiritual herbs, precious birds, and wild beasts. Even the famous Xin Xie Manor, renowned for raising spiritual creatures, had a branch in Yandu. So, when Yuan Zhong landed in front of an inn in Yandu on the back of his magnificent and noble Jile Bird, the innkeeper didn’t even bat an eye, remaining perfectly calm.
“This esteemed immortal, we are currently running a promotion. If you book a top-tier Xian room, the daily rate is one tael of silver. Stay for three days, and we’ll waive the fee for one day, so you’ll only pay two taels. If you stay for ten days or more, the discounts just keep getting better. We also have first-tier and second-tier Xian rooms with similar discounts. Please feel free to choose as you see fit.” The innkeeper handed him an intricately crafted brochure, listing various rooms from Xian-tier to Yao-tier, all of which were dazzling in their variety.
Yuan Zhong instinctively reached for his money pouch—empty! He painfully recalled how, on that night when he was trying to escape Ji Tan Yin, he had thrown all his silver at her mechanical bird.
He searched through his robes for a long time, checked his sleeves, and even looked through his hair, eventually removing his shoes to see if there was anything hidden there. But there was nothing he could sell. Finally, with a calm demeanor, he straightened his clothes and, under the innkeeper's disdainful gaze, led his Jile Bird away.
So, this was what it felt like to be a penniless Grand Monk. He had never experienced such a day. Should he, like those low-level immortals and minor demons, resort to trickery by turning leaves and grass into silver to deceive mortals?
The more he thought about it, the more viable the idea seemed. It was nearly lunchtime, and the delicious aromas of various street foods filled the air, awakening his hunger. He felt his stomach growl. Right across the street, a small shop was selling dumplings, and the aroma of beef broth was almost sinful. Yuan Zhong, without hesitation, plucked two feathers from the Jile Bird. Under the bird’s resentful and disdainful gaze, he transformed the feathers into silver.
“Boss, two bowls of dumplings, please,” Yuan Zhong said confidently, handing the silver to the old, seemingly half-blind shopkeeper.
The old man chuckled, pulled out a small copper-framed glass mirror from his chest, and inspected the silver closely. Then, with a sudden burst of anger, he threw the silver back at Yuan Zhong and roared, “Shame on you, immortal! Turning bird feathers into silver to cheat an old man like me!”
Yuan Zhong was stunned. Since when had mortals become so clever? How had he spotted the fake silver? And what kind of magical tool was that little mirror?
“He looks so young, yet he’s doing such dishonest things…” muttered one passerby.
“With such a beautiful mount, you’d think he was some noble immortal, but here he is, cheating like that…” grumbled another.
“Last time, there was a monkey demon trying to trick people with fake silver made from monkey hair. Ah, times have changed—people aren't what they used to be!” sighed a third bystander.
Yuan Zhong kept a blank face as he led the Jile Bird away, slowly and silently.
The world was vast, yet here he was, without even the silver to buy a bowl of dumplings—how pitiful and downtrodden!
At the next street corner, he quietly wiped a tear from the poor, hungry Jile Bird’s eye.
Just then, he felt a gentle tug on the hem of his robe. Yuan Zhong turned to see a large yellow dog staring eagerly at him. By the dog’s paw sat a small cloth pouch, stuffed with something inside.
Yuan Zhong looked at the dog, then at the pouch, and back at the dog. Suddenly, he realized something was off about the dog.
He grasped the dog’s paw, but instead of feeling warm animal fur, he found the texture to be mechanical—was this a mechanical dog?! It was crafted so lifelike!
Then the pouch… Could it be?
Yuan Zhong hastily opened the cloth pouch, and inside were five silver ingots, not one missing. They were the very ingots he had thrown at the mechanical bird that night.
He looked up quickly, scanning the surroundings, and glimpsed a corner of Ji Tan Yin’s blue robe disappearing into a distant alley. She was hiding behind a tree at the alley's entrance, peeking out with just her eyes showing, one moment looking at him and the next at the silver in his hand.
In the end, he hadn’t managed to escape her. Had she been following him from the shadows all this time?
Yuan Zhong held the silver in his hand, and for some reason, he just wanted to laugh—and indeed, he did laugh.
Slowly, he walked over to where Tan Yin was hiding. As he approached, he laughed and sighed, then said, “...Alright. Want to get some dumplings?”
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