The Unruly Immortals

Twilight fell, and on a winding forest path, Li Huowang walked silently, heading toward the destination given to him by An Ci Nunnery—the endless mountain range that lay at the end of this path.

His search led him to believe that the Ao Jing Sect had made their home within these mountains.

Ever since he had fully awakened at Qingfeng Taoist Temple, he had been living among other people; now suddenly being alone, he felt somewhat uneasy.

"It's so quiet," murmured Li Huowang as he looked around the sparse woods, noticing that the land seemed to become more barren the further he went.

The silence all around gradually calmed his increasingly restless heart.

Raising both hands, he stretched vigorously before letting out a sigh and lifting his right foot to continue on.

As he marched on, night fell. Li Huowang pulled out a glowstone from his bosom, the light aiding his continued journey forward.

However, he soon put away the glowstone because the moon had risen—clear skies and a big moon tonight.

The bright moonlight clearly illuminated the path through the woods.

Bathed in the pristine moonlight, Li Huowang continued on alone; he had walked all day, and his legs were swollen from the effort.

"If I survive this, I need to learn how to ride a horse," Li Huowang thought to himself.

He walked until the full moon hung high in the sky, finally overcome by exhaustion. He leaned against a tree, took out a hard Mantou, and began to chew, planning to eat a little then go to sleep.

Suddenly, Li Huowang's chewing ceased. His eyes fixed intently on a spot in the darkness—he sensed something.

Not just pain and taste, but Li Huowang's other senses had also gradually surpassed those of ordinary people. For example, he could clearly feel that he was being watched by something. "Who's there!" he called out.

Following his words, a yellow figure timidly emerged from the forest.

It was a large country dog with white feet and a yellow coat. It was in bad shape, missing much of its fur, ticks hanging from its body, and so emaciated that its ribs were clearly visible.

"A dog?" Li Huowang looked around the desolate area; it didn't seem like a place where a dog would be.

The dog's eyes fixated on the Mantou in Li Huowang's hand, its tongue repeatedly licking its lips, and it surprisingly began to wag its tail at him.

"I don't care what you've turned from, get lost!"

Li Huowang frowned and tapped his hand on the Great Thousand Record.

Real dog or not, he just wanted to continue on his way and avoid any complications.

The dog timidly backed away a few steps, but it still didn't give up, its drooping tail wagging even more diligently now.

The Copper Taoist Bell shook violently, and the piercing sound of the bell rang out instantaneously, frightening the dog into a frenzied run.

Watching the dog run into the forest, Li Huowang was about to put away the Taoist Bell when his facial expression suddenly froze. "Damn it! Why does this have to happen now!"

In the pitch-dark forest, the dog with drooping ears cautiously peered out from beneath the leaves, only to witness an unfathomable scene.

The person sitting under the tree wore a kindly smile, tilting his head upward to talk to the bright full moon above.

"Dad, you've come too? Yeah, I know, I'm fine, I'm really fine."

"Right, I know. You two aren't illusions; you're not. My mind was a bit muddled before, but now I... can tell them apart."

After lingering nearby for a long while, and seeing that the other showed no hostility toward it, the dog turned its gaze to the half-rolled Mantou on the ground.

It snuck up tentatively, mouth opening to grab the Mantou, but the words of the Taoist in front of it scared it back once again.

"Mom, I don't want to eat oranges, don't untie them. It's better with both hands tied up."

"Right, did you exchange that gold for money? Have all the debts been repaid? Oh, that's good."

"Mom, you have more white hair, go dye it, didn't you used to like getting your hair permed?" Li Huowang, with a faint smile, raised his hand and reached towards the moon hanging in the sky.

"Ah, don't keep asking, that gold is clean, did you also sell the Jade Pendant? You didn't? Why not?"

The stray dog cautiously wandered around twice more, and, realizing that it had not been noticed, cautiously moved forward again, quickly grabbing the Mantou and running off.

Due to extreme hunger, the dog rushed into the forest and ate so hastily that it almost choked.

Once it caught its breath, it returned to the roadside, gazing longingly in that direction.

The dog's keen sense of smell made it aware that there was still food in the other's bundle, even meat!

"Sell that Jade Pendant and buy our house back, having our own house is what makes a home."

"There's no need, really no need to leave money for my treatment, just find a place and chain me up with an iron chain."

"Mom, I'm not talking nonsense, hey, don't cry, I'm not sick right now."

"Woof~" The stray dog cocked its head at the quirky Li Huowang, completely unable to understand what he was doing.

Again approaching with caution and vigilance, it began to crouch in front of Li Huowang, wagging its tail incessantly. "Woof woof~"

Just then, the dog noticed that it had suddenly caught Huowang's attention, and wagged its tail even more enthusiastically.

"Hehe, who gave you this cloth doll? It's so ugly, looks just like a dog, dog... Wait!! There's something wrong! That dog is still here!"

Li Huowang, who had been calm a moment ago, suddenly stood up with a twisted expression and hysterically yelled at the dog: "I told you to get lost! Are you looking to die?"

The stray dog, terrified, darted into the forest.

When the timid creature cautiously poked its head out of the forest again, it saw Huowang, wearing a guilty expression, talking to the moon in the sky once more.

"Mom, don't be afraid, this has nothing to do with you, I'm not sick. It's just that there's some business to attend to over there."

"I really am not sick, why don't you all leave for now, come to visit me next time. I need to deal with some things over there."

"Good, I know, there's nothing over there, yes, that's right, it's all hallucinations, I will actively cooperate with the doctor's treatment."

"Woof~" The stray dog barked at the red-cloaked Taoist.

Li Huowang instantly became alert, his eyes unfocused as he looked around, "No, there's some noise."

He slowly drew his Longsword, warily scanning his surroundings.

His face full of guard, followed by an increasing restlessness.

"I can't explain! I can't explain at all! You all leave first, just go!!"

Li Huowang's anxious cries carried far and wide.

Li Huowang did not sleep at all that night, attempting in every other way to remain vigilant within his hallucinations against potential threats in reality.

But when the hallucinations gradually faded, he found his method had not been effective.

He was standing in the middle of a small river, holding the stray dog from last night, which was affectionately licking his chin.

Quite a few things must have happened last night that he was unaware of.

"Ah... looks like I really can't do without someone by my side," Li Huowang said, holding the dog and walking towards the shore.