Two o’clock in the afternoon.
Ye Qiu and the other three arrived at Kunlun Mountain.
They met Master Chongxu in a stone hut.
In just one month since they last saw him, Master Chongxu looked like a different person. His face was sallow, his muscles wasted, and his eyes deeply sunken, resembling someone malnourished.
“Senior, how did you end up like this?” Ye Qiu asked in surprise.
Longbrow Immortal said, “Old bull-nose, don’t tell me you haven’t eaten for a month?”
“I ate,” Master Chongxu said weakly. “One meal.”
Although cultivators of his level could go without food for a short time without issue, eating only once in a month and not collapsing was a miracle.
“Bull-nose, what’s going on?” Longbrow Immortal said. “Are you practising fasting?”
Practising, my foot!
Master Chongxu glared at Longbrow Immortal. “It’s all your fault.”
“What did I do?” Longbrow Immortal was baffled.
Master Chongxu said, “When you were on the mountain, you ate three meals a day, always with wine and meat. Since you left, I haven’t had any meat.”
“Aren’t there plenty of wild animals on the mountain?” Longbrow Immortal said.
“I caught over a dozen rabbits, but I don’t know how to cook,” Master Chongxu said. “Back at Wudang Mountain, the disciples always prepared and brought meals to my room. When I came here, you glutton were eating lavish meals every day, but I’ve never cooked.”
Everyone was stunned.
Longbrow Immortal burst out laughing. “Tsk tsk tsk, a sect leader who can’t cook and has been starving all this time. That’s hilarious.”
“You’re still laughing? It’s your fault,” Master Chongxu said. “You dog, why don’t you stay here with me instead of going to the cultivation world?”
“What’s the fun in staying with an old geezer like you? I’m going to the cultivation world to see beautiful ladies. Fairy Hundred Flowers said that as long as you’ve got the skills, you can take hundreds of concubines there,” Longbrow Immortal said. “Who knows, when I return, I might bring back hundreds of gorgeous ladies.”
“Shameless!” Master Chongxu cursed.
“But since we’re both from the Daoist sect, if you really starved to death, I’d feel guilty. It’s still early, so I’ll teach you how to roast meat,” Longbrow Immortal said. “Any rabbits left?”
“They’re frozen in ice over there,” Master Chongxu pointed to a corner.
Longbrow Immortal went to the corner, kicked away the ice and snow, and found over a dozen plump wild rabbits frozen underneath.
“Good grief, you caught so many rabbits and still let yourself waste away. What a weirdo.”
Longbrow Immortal picked up two rabbits and said, “Little rascal, you lot rest for a bit.”
“Today, I’ll make a rabbit hotpot and roast a rabbit to show you my culinary skills.”
“Bull-nose, come help me. I’ll teach you how to roast a rabbit.”
The two old men got to work.
Fairy Hundred Flowers frowned slightly, displeased. “At a time like this, he’s wasting time. I really want to smack him.”
“Let him be. There’s no rush,” Ye Qiu said, knowing that despite Longbrow Immortal’s cheerful facade, he was reluctant to leave the mortal world.
“By the way, how long did it take you to come from the cultivation world to the mortal world last time?” Ye Qiu asked.
Fairy Hundred Flowers said, “It was quick. I accidentally stumbled into an array pattern and ended up in the mortal world.”
Ye Qiu nodded, understanding, and said, “We’ll set off after we eat.”
Fairy Hundred Flowers said, “The problem now is we haven’t found the entrance to the cultivation world.”
Ye Qiu said, “The old man will handle it.”
“You really believe he can find the entrance to the cultivation world?” Fairy Hundred Flowers clearly didn’t trust Longbrow Immortal.
Ye Qiu smiled. “The old man may seem unreliable and loves to talk nonsense, but he’s dependable when it comes to serious matters.”
“He and I aren’t ordinary friends. We’ve been through life and death together.”
“Let’s put it this way: if we face a life-or-death crisis and only one of us can survive, he’d give me the chance to live, and I’d do the same for him without hesitation.”
“This trip to the cultivation world is unpredictable, so we must stay united and look out for each other.”
Fairy Hundred Flowers understood that Ye Qiu was expressing his deep trust in Longbrow Immortal.
At the same time, he was subtly reminding her to treat Longbrow Immortal better.
Ye Qiu changed the subject. “By the way, before we boarded the plane, I saw Sister Lin whispering to you. What did you talk about?”
Fairy Hundred Flowers blushed at the question, her face turning slightly red. She said haughtily, “I’m not telling you.”
Fine, don’t tell me. You think I didn’t hear?
Ye Qiu chuckled twice.
“What are you laughing at?” Fairy Hundred Flowers felt uneasy, wondering if he’d overheard her conversation with Sister Lin.
“Nothing,” Ye Qiu quickly changed the topic. “I’m going to help the old man roast the rabbit.”
With that, he slipped into the stone hut.
Green Radish asked curiously, “Palace Master, what did Sister Lin say to you?”
Fairy Hundred Flowers said sternly, “Kids don’t need to know.”
“I’m not a kid anymore,” Green Radish said, puffing out her chest deliberately. She glanced at Fairy Hundred Flowers and muttered, “I’m even bigger than the Palace Master.”
“You little brat, looking for a beating?” Fairy Hundred Flowers glared at Green Radish and instructed, “When we get to the cultivation world, keep a close eye on Ye Qiu.”
“Why?” Green Radish tilted her head, puzzled. “Palace Master, don’t you trust Young Master Ye?”
“Of course I trust him,” Fairy Hundred Flowers said. “I’m just worried he’ll attract trouble.”
“Wherever he goes, women fall for him. I’m concerned that in the cultivation world, a bunch of stunning women will lose their hearts to him.”
“So, you need to watch him closely and make sure he doesn’t get too close to other women.”
Green Radish asked, “Palace Master, I’ll watch Young Master Ye, but what about you?”
“I’ll watch him too,” Fairy Hundred Flowers said.
Green Radish’s eyes flickered. “Palace Master, you don’t want Young Master Ye getting too close to other women. Could it be that you like him too?”
Fairy Hundred Flowers’ face turned bright red, and she snapped, “What nonsense are you talking about?”
Green Radish said, “Then why are you keeping such a close eye on him?”
“It’s all Sister Lin’s instructions,” Fairy Hundred Flowers thought to herself, Sister Lin, please take the blame for me this time!
Five o’clock in the afternoon.
Everyone was well-fed and satisfied.
They began searching for the entrance to the cultivation world.
Longbrow Immortal lived up to expectations. In just half an hour, he found the entrance in front of a mountain peak.
“Snap!”
Longbrow Immortal channelled his dragon energy, pressing a palm against the stone wall. Instantly, a glowing door appeared on the wall.
