Chapter 37: Xiao Tian
\n\u201cUncle Xue, do you believe in immortals?\u201d
\nZhi Hua, about to leave, suddenly remembered her recent experiences and hesitantly asked.
\n\u201cPerhaps. Why?\u201d
\n\u201cI… had something happen lately…\u201d She almost mentioned the scrolls but stopped herself. Uncle Xue might\u2019ve painted them himself, and the events were too bizarre. No one would believe her\u2014they\u2019d think she was cursed. Besides, Zuo Meng\u2019s shop had sold many scrolls. Yu Linglong, Headmaster of Suzhou\u2019s underground, bought over ten. If there were issues, someone would\u2019ve complained by now. The scroll only startled her without real harm.
\n\u201cTwo people came to Suzhou. They flew and released sword energy. Are they immortals?\u201d
\n\u201cShort flight doesn\u2019t require immortality. Experts with strong lightness skills can do it. Sword energy? Anyone with enough inner strength or Sword Techniques can manage.\u201d
\nUncle Xue was just an ordinary person.
\nShe shouldn\u2019t pull him into immortal matters.
\nRecalling the \u201cimmortal methods\u201d she\u2019d learned lately, Zhi Hua grew more determined to protect him. At most, he\u2019d once been part of the martial world\u2014why else would he know about lightness skills? But even martial artists weren\u2019t immortals. His seclusion must be to hide from old enemies. In her mind, Zuo Meng became a retired legend hiding in Suzhou as a humble scroll seller.
\nHis shop once sold kingfishers and pets, but he\u2019d given them all away to avoid the hassle.
\n\u201cUncle Xue, if immortals exist, do they live in the sky?\u201d
\n\u201cMaybe.\u201d
\nZuo Meng guessed her recent encounters had overwhelmed her. With no one else to talk to, she\u2019d come to him.
\n\u201cGo home early.\u201d
\n\u201cOh! I almost forgot!\u201d
\nThe Little Girl hurried off.
\nAfter she left, Zuo Meng had barely sat down when another visitor arrived.
\n\u201cMr. Xue, you\u2019re back?\u201d
\n\u201cNot long ago.\u201d
\nHe remembered Luo San from the Black Forest\u2014a subordinate of Yu Linglong.
\n\u201cGood you\u2019re here. I\u2019d miss your masterpieces otherwise.\u201d
\nYu Linglong smiled, chin resting on her hand.
\n\u201cSince you\u2019ve been away, I brought gifts.\u201d She offered an ornate box.
\n\u201cSpring tea from the south. I hope you like it.\u201d
\nZuo Meng took it without hesitation. He\u2019d saved Luo San in the Black Forest with a breath of energy\u2014this tea was fair exchange.
\n\u201cHave you heard of the immortal battle in the Eastern District?\u201d
\nYu Linglong sat across from him. \u201cA sword immortal sought revenge but was blocked by a Taoist priest. The target fled, so the sword immortal fought the priest outside the city… They say it\u2019s tied to Master Jie Ming, the traitor from Cold Mountain Temple.\u201d
\nZuo Meng listened silently, saying little.
\n\u201cThank you for your hospitality, sir. I always enjoy our chats,\u201d Yu Linglong said as she stood to say goodbye.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s your tea; I just boiled water,\u201d Zuo Meng replied as he got up to see her out. This woman was an old friend; regardless of her background, she behaved properly in his shop.
\n\u201cMy apologies for the disturbance.\u201d
\n\u201cNo need.\u201d
\nAfter Yu Linglong left, Zuo Meng grabbed the door plank and shut the entrance. The money from Master Zhu\u2019s deal would cover his expenses for now. He\u2019d keep the shop open half-heartedly\u2014fewer visitors meant fewer problems.
\nWoof! Woof!
\nReturning home, Zuo Meng found a small puppy dumped at his doorstep. The tiny creature barked fiercely, its babyish growls more amusing than intimidating.
\n\u201cI\u2019ll name you Xiao Tian Dog.\u201d
\nZuo Meng grinned at his own joke.
\nHe scooped up the puppy by the scruff, handling it like a ragdoll.
\n\u201cFeisty little thing. Let\u2019s give you a purpose\u2014guard my house from now on.\u201d
\nRemembering how the golden silhouette had reshaped reality through laws, Zuo Meng channeled True Essence to his fingertip and pressed it against the puppy\u2019s belly. Foundation Establishment energy flowed as warmth through the animal\u2019s body\u2014the demon awakening method he\u2019d witnessed when slaying that bear demon in the Black Forest.
\nWhen Zuo Meng set the puppy down moments later, it didn\u2019t bark. Instead, it nuzzled his legs with a wagging tail, eyes gleaming with newfound intelligence. Demon energy pulsed beneath its fur.
\n\u201cSo this is enlightenment through touch.\u201d
\nViewing the change through a creator\u2019s lens, Zuo Meng grasped the technique\u2019s essence instantly.
\n\u201cGo watch over Zhi Hua. Return if trouble arises.\u201d The demon puppy yipped in understanding before vanishing down the alley with the girl\u2019s mental image fresh in its mind.
\nZhi Hua had barely settled home when visitors arrived.
\n\u201cDaughter! Prepare to greet Master Zhu with me!\u201d A woman resembling her closely barged in, dragging her toward the door.
\n\u201cI refuse to marry him!\u201d
\nZhi Hua shook free. Zuo Meng\u2019s words about choosing her own path echoed in her ears.
\nDislike meant refusal.
\n\u201cThis nonsense again?!\u201d
\nMadam Zhi panicked. Had her daughter objected earlier, they could\u2019ve avoided this embarrassment before guests.
\n\u201cFix your clothes! You\u2019re attending this meeting whether you like it!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chapter 37: Xiao Tian \u201cUncle Xue, do you believe in immortals?\u201d Zhi Hua, about to leave, suddenly remembered her recent experiences and hesitantly asked. \u201cPerhaps. Why?\u201d \u201cI… had something happen lately…\u201d She almost mentioned the scrolls but stopped herself. Uncle Xue might\u2019ve painted them himself, and the events were too bizarre. No one would believe her\u2014they\u2019d think she was cursed. Besides, Zuo Meng\u2019s shop\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-1416","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\/1416","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=1416"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_chapter\/1416\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1416"},{"taxonomy":"fcn_genre","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_genre?post=1416"},{"taxonomy":"fcn_fandom","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_fandom?post=1416"},{"taxonomy":"fcn_character","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_character?post=1416"},{"taxonomy":"fcn_content_warning","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_content_warning?post=1416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}