Chapter 35: Return to the Little Shop
\n\u201cThis bear demon isn\u2019t half bad.\u201d
\nZuo Meng had two reasons for killing the beast: to rescue people and to eat. His provisions had run out days ago during his time in the Black Forest, forcing him to hunt wild animals daily. As for the poisonous insects Jie Nian\u2019s group feared? They kept their distance. After his breakthrough, Zuo Meng\u2019s body had transcended ordinary people. Now a Foundation Establishment Immortal Cultivator, he radiated an aura that repelled lesser creatures. His absorption of ancient energy during advancement only amplified his terrifying presence.
\nThe girl and the newly awakened monk Jie Nian exchanged wry smiles as they stared at Zuo Meng.
\n\u201cSo it\u2019s Benefactor Xue. Your great deed won\u2019t be forgotten\u2014expect repayment.\u201d
\n\u201cNo need for formalities between acquaintances. Where\u2019s your junior brother?\u201d Though Zuo Meng recognized Jie Nian, he better remembered Jie Ming\u2014the scholarly young monk radiating fortune\u2019s glow. Pretending ignorance of Jie Ming\u2019s fate, he asked anyway.
\n\u201cMy junior brother…\u201d
\nJie Nian\u2019s voice trailed off.
\n\u201cEat.\u201d Zuo Meng threw two slabs of roasted meat at them. The massive bear provided more than enough, and he hated waste. The girl wolfed down her portion, grease smearing her face as all pretense of ladylike manners vanished. Jie Nian placed his share aside, murmuring a Buddhist chant.
\n\u201cAmitabha.\u201d
\nBuddhist rules flooded Zuo Meng\u2019s thoughts\u2014the three poisons, five precepts, ten virtues. Whether Cold Mountain Temple followed these didn\u2019t matter. What impressed him was the monk\u2019s unyielding principles in this forsaken place.
\n\u201cSince you abstain from meat, try these wild berries.\u201d Zuo Meng respected conviction, whether in monks or daoists.
\nJie Nian nodded. \u201cMy thanks, Benefactor Xue.\u201d
\nZuo Meng waved off the gratitude. Empty pleasantries annoyed him.
\nFootsteps approached moments later. Luo San and Jiang Luoyan stumbled into view, their eyes widening at the scene.
\n\u201cMaster! Miss Li! You\u2019re alive!\u201d Jiang Luoyan chirped, shameless as ever. Luo San\u2019s gaze locked onto the bear carcass, then Zuo Meng.
\n*A master cultivator.*
\nTheir escape had ended when another demon blocked their path, forcing retreat. Now these \u201cburdens\u201d stood unharmed\u2014even airborne.
\n\u201cWho\u2019s your \u2018Little Sister Li\u2019?\u201d The girl\u2019s cheeks flushed crimson. Li Yuanyuan\u2014Suzhou governor\u2019s daughter\u2014had joined Jiang Luoyan seeking heroic tales, only to watch her idol flee danger. Her fantasy lay shattered.
\n\u201cThe young don\u2019t grasp the world\u2019s cruelty.\u201d Jiang Luoyan turned to Zuo Meng. \u201cAnd this hero is…?\u201d
\nZuo Meng ignored her, tossing aside a bone. \u201cLeaving soon, monk. Need a lift?\u201d
\n\u201cGratitude, Benefactor Xue.\u201d Since becoming Cold Mountain Temple\u2019s top disciple after Jie Ming\u2019s betrayal, Jie Nian embraced his role\u2019s responsibilities\u2014including dietary restrictions he\u2019d once ignored.
\nTrue Essence surged as Zuo Meng lifted Jie Nian and Li Yuanyuan skyward.
\n\u201cSenior! Wait!\u201d Luo San blurted, desperate. \u201cMy employer\u2019s Yu Linglong!\u201d
\nZuo Meng hovered beyond the forest, sunlight warming his face. \u201cSurvival\u2019s your concern.\u201d He flicked energy into Luo San\u2019s dagger. Jiang Luoyan received nothing.
\n\u201cAre you a god?\u201d Li Yuanyuan gaped at their flight.
\n\u201cNot yet.\u201d Zuo Meng\u2019s shaky control barely prevented embarrassment\u2014a lesson he\u2019d apply later in the real world.
\nBy afternoon, Zuo Meng\u2019s little shop reopened on Suzhou\u2019s bluestone street. Neighbors greeted him without prying about exams or absences. This unspoken acceptance was why he returned. The world\u2019s transformation had begun; his role now was patience.
\nLet the crop grow.
\nThen reap.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chapter 35: Return to the Little Shop \u201cThis bear demon isn\u2019t half bad.\u201d Zuo Meng had two reasons for killing the beast: to rescue people and to eat. His provisions had run out days ago during his time in the Black Forest, forcing him to hunt wild animals daily. As for the poisonous insects Jie Nian\u2019s group feared? They kept their distance. After his\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[3],"tags":[],"fcn_genre":[],"fcn_fandom":[],"fcn_character":[],"fcn_content_warning":[],"class_list":["post-1414","fcn_chapter","type-fcn_chapter","status-publish","hentry","category-dreaming-to-become-a-creator"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_chapter\/1414","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/fcn_chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1414"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_chapter\/1414\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1414"},{"taxonomy":"fcn_genre","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_genre?post=1414"},{"taxonomy":"fcn_fandom","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_fandom?post=1414"},{"taxonomy":"fcn_character","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_character?post=1414"},{"taxonomy":"fcn_content_warning","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_content_warning?post=1414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}