The Unruly Immortals

"Clip-clop, clip-clop" the black donkey's hooves continuously struck the hard road, continually producing a crisp sound.

The expressions of the others, somewhat panicked, followed the donkey cart, jogging along the way.

As they walked, they occasionally looked back, as if fearing something might catch up to them.

"Brother Li, why are we in such a hurry to leave the pass?" Dog Wa, wiping sweat from his forehead, asked.

"If Zhengde Temple has been able to stay in such a bustling area for so long and still be so crowded, you tell me why we need to leave the pass?" Li Huowang's face was ominously grim.

Hearing Li Huowang's rhetorical question, Xiao Man with his black furry body spoke up, "Since Zhengde Temple can coexist peacefully for so long in the same city as the Imperial Palace, that already says something. No matter if the rulers of the Capital City are in cahoots, or infiltrated by them, we can't trust the local government here."

Li Huowang nodded.

It would be conceivable for someone ordinary like him to be deceived, but he couldn't believe that every layer of power in such a large country could be fooled. There must be some shady deal they didn't want exposed.

"Anyway, we've had enough of this place, and we've given all our last words to Zhao Wu. We were going to leave the pass next anyway."

"Swish" Li Huowang spread a map out on the donkey cart.

A map that couldn't be bought anywhere else, finally found in the Capital City, even if still very crude.

Li Huowang's fingertips slowly slid across the map, tracing their intended route of travel.

Across the three nations of Siqi, Shu, and Qingqiu, their ultimate destination was Bai Lingmiao's hometown, Liang State.

"Hmm, going to our place is good. There aren't such terrifying monks there; the monks in our place are very kind," she said.

Hearing Bai Lingmiao's words, Li Huowang looked up at her briefly, then turned his attention back to the map.

To put it bluntly, he didn't trust anyone right now. He couldn't judge whether the monks Bai Lingmiao spoke of were truly kind-hearted or if it was just another deception.

As mere mortals, they were too passive in the face of such inscrutable beings.

So they kept walking until the sky began to darken, only stopping to rest when they really couldn't walk anymore.

Li Huowang watched the campfire in front of him, feeling anxious. They were moving too slowly.

Truth be told, he wasn't short on silver. If it came down to it, he could just pawn the Jade Pendant, which should be enough for each person to have a horse.

But the problem was, none of them knew how to ride.

"We can't keep going like this. We can't take the main roads anymore; it's too easy to be followed. After eating, we need to cut through the forest," he said.

"Brother Li, I put a lot of lard in the noodles for energy, considering we'll be on the move," Dog Wa said.

A steaming bowl of noodles was placed in front of Li Huowang, with bits of meat floating up and down in it.

Sitting quietly beside him and watching Li Huowang devour the noodles, Bai Lingmiao rested her head on her knees and said, "Since those monks at Zhengde Temple aren't good, what will you do about your mission, Brother Li? Do you have to find a monk? What about a nun?"

Li Huowang forcefully swallowed the noodles in his mouth, then, holding the bowl, gently blew on it before slurping a big gulp of noodle soup.

"No worries, it's a minor trouble. Compared to being chased by those monks, this issue is nothing."

Since the monks had deceived him, he had to question everything they had said before.

Maybe they couldn't solve the problem with Master Danyang at all, or perhaps Master Danyang wasn't as they had described.

The Master Danyang, who might or might not exist, could be dealt with later.

"Are the noodles not enough? If not, I'll get you more; there's still in the pot," Dog Wa offered.

Li Huowang shook his head and handed the bowl to Bai Lingmiao, then stood up and walked over to the fool, tiptoeing to pat his bald head. "Come, stop eating, follow me to the forest to water."

"Oh..."

In the small forest, Li Huowang and the big fool stood side by side, fertilizing the trees in front of them.

Turning his head then glancing back at the bonfire behind him, Li Huowang whispered some instructions to him.

As night fell, Zhengde Temple also began to close for the evening.

All the monks started their evening classes one after another, and the entire temple was filled with the rise and fall of chanting.

In his right hand, Jiandun twirled Buddha Beads while his left fist trailed behind him as he walked at an unhurried pace within the temple.

He soon arrived at the Hall of the Five Buddhas and saw the abbot, who was intently threading Buddha Beads.

"Abbot, I just went to check and discovered that Benefactor Xuan Yang has left."

Abbot Xinhui, sitting cross-legged on the cushion, raised the Buddha Beads out of the water and suspended them in the air to inspect them.

After a moment, he put the Buddha Beads from the water on the ground and picked up an infant from a cradle beside him.

"Ah, poor thing. If we hadn't found you early, you would have been drowned by your father," he said, gently soothing the baby girl.

"Abbot, Benefactor Xuan Yang has left."

"This old monk is not deaf yet, there's no need to speak so loudly; be careful not to disturb the child," he chided.

"Dada dada~" The sound of wooden fish being struck started to echo around, solemnifying the entire Hall of the Five Buddhas.

Xinhui carefully placed the child on the floor and gently wrapped the newly made Buddha Beads around her.

Then, accompanied by the sound of wooden fish, Xinhui began to chant in a low voice, not Buddhist scriptures, but something else.

"The moon hides the jade rabbit~the sun hides the crow~naturally the serpent and turtle~entwine to create a tie~"

As the chanting resonated, the Buddha Beads around the infant's body seemed to come to life and began to tighten.

"Entwined to create a tie, life becomes resilient, and in the midst of fire, a golden lotus is planted~"

Xinhui formed the lotus seal with his hands and suddenly pointed sharply at the blurry flesh of the child.

The crying gradually turned into laughter, and the laughter grew louder and louder, so loud that even the five enormous Buddha statues within the hall seemed to smile.

"To assemble the Five Elements in reverse use~when the work is done, one follows to become Buddha or immortal~."

The sound of the wooden fish slowly diminished, and the sharp-eyed Jiandun quickly stepped forward, lifting a vase that had already been prepared to Xinhui's side.

With Xinhui's manipulation, a girl exactly like the one Master Danyang had made in his room came into being.

After it was all done, Xinhui, still seated cross-legged, picked up a thread and started stringing the Buddha Beads again.

"Since he has left, you should go and bring him back."

"Yes, your disciple obeys."

"Be careful. Although that boy knows nothing of everything, his potential should not be underestimated."

"Master Danyang, that thief, I won't speak of other things, but his luck is indeed not bad. Who knows where he found such a rare Xinsu."