“Let me see! I’ve never seen what a lingzhi horse looks like!”
Shen Ying’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the basket, “Don’t worry, the ground is full of old peach tree roots. Even if you keep it outside the courtyard, it couldn’t escape Peach Blossom Ridge.”
“Good to know,” Lu Zheng smiled.
Legends told of injured people meeting lingzhi spirits or horses, who kindly offered a piece of their lingzhi to heal them, leaving them healthier than before.
So, as long as the lingzhi horse’s core remained intact, it could provide lingzhi indefinitely, recovering if properly cared for.
Lu Zheng hadn’t considered this before, partly because he never thought he’d catch one, didn’t know how to raise it, and certainly didn’t expect it could communicate simply.
He felt reluctant to harm it.
But he wasn’t kind enough to let it go, as not only he but his modern-world family needed its lingzhi for health. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Naturally, he couldn’t raise it in the modern world.
Knowing the lingzhi horse seemed to move only on soil, and that Peach Blossom Ridge was Shen Ying’s domain, he came to ask.
“Rest assured, it can’t escape Peach Blossom Ridge. The old peach tree roots are dense, absorbing moonlight essence and spiritual energy, enough for the lingzhi horse to grow and recover. You can take a small piece every few months.”
The lingzhi horse trembled, unsure whether to be relieved it wouldn’t die or mourn its fate as a long-term lingzhi supplier.
Entering the courtyard, Lu Zheng set the basket down, lifted the cover, and pulled out an iron cage.
The lingzhi horse lay inside, looking listless.
Before coming to Peach Blossom Ridge, Lu Zheng had swapped his gear: the canvas backpack for a bamboo basket, the nylon net for a simple iron cage.
Seeing the adorable creature, Shen Ying’s eyes curved into crescents.
Lu Zheng asked, “Shall I open the cage?”
Shen Ying nodded eagerly, “Yes!”
He opened it, and the previously listless lingzhi horse shot out like a blur.
But…
“Chirp chirp!”
“Pain! Pain!”
It barely reached the courtyard gate before crashing into an invisible barrier and bouncing back.
“Buzz!”
The jade seal in Lu Zheng’s mind quivered, strands of luck light flowing in.
Thirty-four strands!
This was for trapping the lingzhi horse, altering its future luck.
Lu Zheng stayed calm but was inwardly shocked, “A lingzhi horse can give me luck? And so much at once?”
“Little one, you can’t escape. Come to big sister~”
Shen Ying approached with a warm smile.
The lingzhi horse trembled, too scared to dodge, standing stiff as Shen Ying picked it up and cradled it.
Then, as if to curry favour, it nuzzled her, causing a ripple.
“Gulp—”
Lu Zheng swallowed hard.
“Heehee—”
Shen Ying shot him a teasing glance, secretly delighted and proud.
Holding the lingzhi horse, she returned to Lu Zheng’s side, curious, “Lingzhi horses are alert and swift, naturally sensing creatures to avoid them, and move like the wind. How did you catch it?”
Lu Zheng blinked, recalling the scene, and suddenly understood.
He’d wondered why it was so easy to catch, feeling the creature was dumber than legends suggested.
The truth was…
When he travelled to the modern world, the lingzhi horse thought no one was there and sped up to its maximum.
When he returned, he appeared out of nowhere in front of it.
And then, it was doomed…
It didn’t lose to him but to the jade seal in his mind.
Fair loss.
Grinning, Lu Zheng said, “Of course, it’s because this young master is wise, mighty, and supremely skilled. A mere lingzhi horse? Caught with ease, like flipping my hand.”
Shen Ying’s eyes twinkled, and she didn’t press further, holding the lingzhi horse in one arm and linking the other with Lu Zheng, heading to the manor’s front hall.
“You’ve been in the mountains for days. I’ll have Uncle An make something tasty. Eat first.”
…
“The Peach Blossom Shrine in the grove is nearly complete,” Shen Ying said, serving Lu Zheng some greens, “When you return, tell the county office not to assign a shrine keeper. Just have them send incense and paper offerings regularly. Uncle An and Uncle Qian have little to do and can tend to visitors.”
Lu Zheng nodded, “Alright.”
“On the shrine’s opening day, you must come, Lu Lang~”
“No problem!”
Lu Zheng nodded, then remembered the spring water, “Oh, I collected some mountain spring water. The lingzhi horse got caught because of it.”
“Oh?”
Lu Zheng set down his chopsticks and pulled a gourd from the basket at his feet.
The gourd, a decorative craft item bought in the modern world, was stylish and held liquids well.
Uncorking it, a clear fragrance wafted out.
“Chirp chirp chirp!”
“Water! Water!”
The lingzhi horse, resting in Shen Ying’s arms, squirmed.
Shen Ying perked up, “What a lovely scent. What kind of water is this?”
Lu Zheng handed her the gourd, recounting the mountain events.
“It’s good water. I was worried about a powerful monster guarding it, so I didn’t climb higher. I plan to take some to White Cloud Temple for Master to see if he’s interested.”
Hearing Lu Zheng planned to drag Daoist Mingzhang into it, Shen Ying couldn’t help but laugh, “Most people offer treasures to their master as tribute. You’re pulling yours along to find them!”
Lu Zheng tilted his chin toward the gourd, “Isn’t this a treasure for Master?”
Shen Ying raised the gourd, sipped lightly.
“Gulp—”
Her lips parted, her jade-white throat moved, and the water went down.
The sweet, crisp water made her feel lighter, her inner energy surging with vitality.
“Fine spring water!” Shen Ying’s eyes sparkled.
“Chirp chirp!”
“Water! Water!”
Shen Ying smiled, pouring a small cup of water and holding it to the lingzhi horse’s mouth.
“Slurp slurp—”
Then, with a steady smile, her hand moved like a blade, slicing a small piece from the lingzhi on its back.
“Chirp chirp!”
“Tasty! Tasty!”
The lingzhi horse, focused on drinking, only furrowed its brow, not even glancing back.
Shen Ying handed the palm-sized piece of lingzhi to Lu Zheng, smiling, “With this water, the lingzhi horse can recover faster.”
