Chapter 138: Fertile Fields Stay Within the Family

Gu Ning’an smiled. “Even if I said I wasn’t tempted, you wouldn’t believe me, so why ask further?”

Hearing this, the Bat God lowered his head and remained silent for a long time before speaking: “May I let my disciple carry this out?”

“Him? Is there any need?” Gu Ning’an replied calmly.

The Bat God forced a smile. “I only ask that you grant him the time of one incense stick…”

Gu Ning’an nodded. “Daoist Qingyuan, take the time of one incense stick to decide. If you cannot bring yourself to do it, I will take care of it for you.”

Daoist Qingyuan stood frozen, looking at his master, now neither human nor ghost. He couldn’t help but ask, “Master, to have your lifetime of reputation ruined in an instant—was it worth it?”

The Bat God chuckled. “It was worth it. At least your master got to see sights as a god that he could never see as a man…”

“Hurry and kill me. Dying by your hand is far better than dying at the hands of someone else.”

“If you kill me, it would even be considered a good deed. Perhaps the heavens will remember it and grant you some karmic merit!”

“Fertile fields stay within the family—don’t waste time!”

Daoist Qingyuan was silent for a long while. Just as he was about to pick up the peachwood sword, a voice suddenly came from outside the main hall: “May I ask if Daoist Mingde is here?”

They turned toward the sound and saw a hunched old man leaning on a cane at the doorway, squinting into the hall.

Mingde was the Daoist name of Qingyuan’s master when he was alive.

Daoist Qingyuan flicked his fingers, casting a simple illusion to conceal his master’s figure. Even if someone had come to see his master, in his current state, it was not a sight fit for others to witness.

Perhaps the visitor gave him an excuse to delay his “decision.” Qingyuan hurried over to greet the hunched old man at the door.

“Elder, Daoist Mingde is my master. What brings you to see him?”

The old man smiled and took a bundle off his back, handing it over. “Is your master here? I’ve come to deliver some cured meat to him.”

“Cured meat?” Qingyuan looked at the heavy bundle in his hands and replied, “My master has gone on a long journey. I’ll pass it on to him for you.”

“Good, good!” The old man stretched his back with a smile. “Then pass on a message for me as well.”

“Tell him, thank you for saving my son by the cliffside all those years ago. My son is now married and has had a big, healthy grandson.”

Qingyuan was stunned for a moment before replying, “Understood. Elder, shall I escort you back?”

The old man waved his hand with a smile and slowly turned to leave. “No need. If I could come here myself, I can walk back myself too…”

Before long, the old man’s figure disappeared beyond the temple gates.

Qingyuan returned to the Bat God with the heavy bundle. “Master, this is for you. Do you remember that old man? Why would he bring you cured meat?”

The Bat God looked up at the beams of the hall, as if lost in memory. “I remember now. That old man’s son was once driven to the edge of a cliff by a tiger. I saved him back then.”

“At the time, I was in a hurry to another place to exorcise evil. I left only the name of Sanwu Temple and my Daoist title before departing.”

“Before I left, he mentioned wanting to bring me some cured meat as thanks.”

“The place where I met him was in Huazhou.”

“Huazhou! That’s nearly a thousand miles from here!” Qingyuan’s eyes widened. “At his pace, wouldn’t that take him over half a year?”

Standing nearby, Gu Ning’an calculated with his fingers and interjected, “By my calculation, it took exactly nine months and fifteen days. This cured meat was salted last New Year’s.”

Neither of the two seemed surprised that Gu Ning’an could perform such calculations. The Bat God smiled faintly. “It seems there are still people who remember me…”

Gu Ning’an smiled and asked, “Between this cured meat and the incense offerings, which do you prefer?”

The Bat God sniffed, catching the rich aroma of the cured meat, and smiled. “The cured meat. This time, I’ll choose the cured meat.”

Daoist Qingyuan turned to Gu Ning’an, clasped his hands, and bowed. “Mr. Gu, may I let my master taste this cured meat?”

Before Gu Ning’an could respond, the Bat God immediately reprimanded, “That cured meat was for Daoist Mingde. I am the Bat God—I can’t eat it and mustn’t.”

“Hurry up and kill me. After I die, take the cured meat to my grave… and don’t forget to bring good wine. Cured meat with wine… tsk, tsk, tsk!”

“Just thinking about it makes my mouth water!”

“But…” Daoist Qingyuan still hesitated.

Gu Ning’an interjected, “Daoist Qingyuan, there are only ten breaths left until the incense burns out. If you don’t act by then, I will.”

“Qingyuan! Stop hesitating like a coward!”

“Hurry up and do it! If I die at someone else’s hands, you’ll be unfilial!”

“Do it now! I’m the Bat God, not Daoist Mingde anymore!”

Under the Bat God’s constant urging, Daoist Qingyuan gritted his teeth and plunged the peachwood sword into his master’s chest.

Normally, Qingyuan would not have been able to kill the Bat God. However, with the Bat God’s cultivation and powers sealed by Gu Ning’an, the peachwood sword—naturally imbued with exorcising properties—easily ended his life.

The Bat God’s soul shattered and dispersed into a white mist, drifting away with the wind.

Amid the fading mist, Daoist Qingyuan faintly heard Daoist Mingde’s final words: “You’ve improved. You let go more easily than I ever could… Remember to bring me the cured meat—don’t delay…”

“This matter is settled. I’ll take my leave,” Gu Ning’an said, snapping Qingyuan back to his senses. When he turned toward the voice, Gu Ning’an was already at the temple gate.

Seeing this, Daoist Qingyuan quickly called out, “Mr. Gu, won’t you stay for a vegetarian meal?”

“No need. Go deliver the cured meat to your master,” Gu Ning’an replied as he walked out of the temple. His figure soon disappeared into the mountain mist.

Hearing this, Daoist Qingyuan bowed deeply toward the direction Gu Ning’an had left. A wisp of Worldly Qi flashed briefly before him.

The moonlight bathed the silent mountain forest, where the occasional rustling of birds taking flight broke the stillness.

In a clearing, Gu Ning’an sat cross-legged by a campfire.

Over the fire hung a fan-shaped palm leaf, curled into a makeshift bowl. Floating within the leaf bowl were several halved fresh mushrooms.

Gu Ning’an had found these plump mushrooms under the shade of a tree. Thinking they looked quite “juicy,” he decided to make use of local ingredients and cook a pot of mushroom soup.

As the soup boiled, a rich, earthy aroma wafted through the air.

Seeing that the soup was ready, Gu Ning’an, unafraid of the heat, pinched the edges of the palm leaf and lifted it off the fire.

He used a spoon made from leaves to ladle some soup, blew on it gently, and eagerly brought it to his lips.

The soup, made with nothing but fresh mushrooms, was incredibly rich and sweet, leaving behind a lingering, unique fragrance.

While the soup was still warm, Gu Ning’an finished both the broth and mushrooms in one go.

Feeling full and satisfied, he was about to find a large tree to sleep under when the Hongchen Sword behind him suddenly let out a resonant hum!

Gu Ning’an drew the Hongchen Sword, and on its blade were twenty intertwining strands of Worldly Qi.

Among them, one strand flickered erratically, appearing somewhat “restless.”

Gu Ning’an lightly touched the sword, and that agitated strand of Worldly Qi followed the flow of his energy, coiling around his fingertip.