Put away your magical powers now!.

Chapter 249 [Old Wang Next Door]

Chapter 243 [Old Wang Next Door]

That evening, Chen Yan took out the fruit seed that had already been cut open again, cut off a piece the size of a fingernail, and ate it.

This time, the sea of ​​consciousness expanded as if a raging storm had been unleashed once again.

As the surging, pure primordial power nourished Chen Yan's consciousness, his primordial spirit continued to expand.

It wasn't until late at night that this rapid expansion gradually slowed down.

Chen Yan was drenched in sweat. His sea of ​​consciousness was being torn apart by its constant expansion, and then rapidly repaired under the nourishment of pure primal power. How to describe this feeling of pain and pleasure...

It's like there are two people standing next to you.

One is Ma Dong-seok, wielding a spiked club and beating you up like crazy. The other is a goddess, gently giving you a handjob.

You just want to go, don't you...

·
After Chen Yan's breathing gradually calmed down, the sticky feeling on his body made him very uncomfortable.

I couldn't help but get up. Although I tried using a cleansing spell, I still felt uncomfortable—perhaps it was psychological.

Chen Yan simply got up, pushed open the door, and walked out.

At night, the courtyard is exceptionally quiet. Standing at the gate and looking down, you can see the buildings and halls of the outer gate standing tall, with twinkling lights among them.

Looking up, the inner sect's immortal mountain appeared to be only the size of a palm in mid-air, with heavy mist and rain falling down.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Yan simply walked to the east corner of the courtyard.

This is a well. Chen Yan checked it when he moved in today. The well wasn't abandoned, and the water inside looked clear.

He took a bucket out of his storage jade pendant, filled it with water, and then, in the courtyard under the cover of night, took off his outer clothes, shirtless, and washed himself.

After drying myself off, I stood in the night breeze for a while before the sticky feeling disappeared.

Just then, Chen Yan suddenly felt a stirring in his heart. As if sensing something in his divine sense, he abruptly turned his head to look in one direction of the courtyard wall.

But after watching for a while and finding nothing, he slowly withdrew his gaze and spiritual sense.

I have a feeling... like someone was secretly watching me just now?

Chen Yan even went over, jumped onto the courtyard wall, and carefully looked around, but still found nothing.

Is it my own illusion?

I glanced back at the west wing; the room was dark inside, and the door was tightly shut.

The tomb keeper neighbor hasn't returned yet, but the butler from the artifact hall said during the day that the tomb keeper is usually not around.

However, since he was a senior outer disciple and this place was a neglected and unpopular spot, the sect didn't bother with it anymore.

Chen Yan returned to his room and got into bed.

Perhaps due to the great nourishment from the fruit seeds, the newly generated divine consciousness was too vast, and Chen Yan had expended a lot of energy controlling it just now.

Before long, he actually fell asleep.

·
When Chen Yan woke up, the first thing he smelled was a strong fragrance.

It's the aroma of meat fat released after cooking and heating, mixed with the smell of grains.

Then he heard the sound of people moving around in the yard outside the door.

Chen Yan suddenly jumped up from the clothes, frowning and concentrating.

How soundly am I sleeping?

How could they not have noticed anything happening outside?!

He quickly put on the outer disciple's robe, lit a fire, and pushed open the door.

·
In the courtyard, a fire had already been lit on the open-air stove by the left wall.

A large pot was simmering on top, visibly steaming.

The gurgling, churning sound made Chen Yan raise an eyebrow instinctively.

The fragrance you smell in your nose naturally comes from there.

There was no one in the courtyard, but the door to the west wing across the street was open.

Just as Chen Yan was squinting and observing, a figure walked out from the door of the west wing.

His clothes were filthy, and his apricot-yellow outer disciple robe looked like it hadn't been washed in ages—though the yellow had gradually turned black.

An old man of medium build, with withered skin, slowly walked out the door.

Her sparse hair was simply tied into a bun and secured with a stick.

On his feet were a pair of dirty straw sandals, covered with black and green grass juice and stains.

When he came out, he was carrying a large bowl with a wooden spoon inside.

The old man looked up at Chen Yan, nodded to him, his cloudy eyes seemingly calm, and then slowly walked over.

He gave a one-handed salute, his lazy tone and hoarse voice asking, "Junior brother, you're new to living here, aren't you?"

"...Greetings, Senior Brother." Chen Yan smiled and returned the greeting with both hands: "I am Zhao Shanhe, a disciple of the Weapon Refining Hall."

"Hmm... the Weapon Forging Hall." The old man thought for a moment, "I knew a friend who worked there, named He..."

As he spoke, he seemed to chuckle and shook his head, saying, "Forget it, let's not talk about it anymore... I'm just getting old and my mind is senile. He's been dead for three or four years."

"I haven't asked how to address you yet, senior brother?" Chen Yan asked politely.

"Just call me... Old Wang."

Okay, you old bastard.

Chen Yan couldn't help but twitch his lips: "Senior brother, let's talk about the king instead of the king."

The old man then looked at Chen Yan seriously, a smile appearing in his eyes: "Junior brother is quite the expert. Interesting."

He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "I only got back before dawn. I brought some game and cooked a pot of porridge. Since you just got up, Junior Brother, you probably haven't eaten yet. Why don't you have a bowl with me?"

He spoke casually, his tone carrying a sense of everyday conversation.

However, Chen Yan did not resist this atmosphere; on the contrary, he felt a sense of closeness to it.

but……

Monks don't eat breakfast.

After Chen Yan arrived at the Heavenly Demon Yin Yang Joyful Union Sect, he stayed in the courtyard where the outer disciples were to be trained. The sect only delivered meals once a day.

As for cultivators, the higher their cultivation level, the less they need to eat.

As one's cultivation level and realm increase, the degree of physical transformation also increases. Furthermore, by circulating and integrating vital energy into the body daily, the nourishment provided by this vital energy can replenish all the energy the body needs.

Only cultivators with slightly lower cultivation levels, who are unable to replenish all the energy in their bodies with their vital energy, need to eat a little each day.

Even the prospective disciples of the outer academy only need to eat one meal a day.

For advanced cultivators, eating is not for energy needs at all; it's purely for satisfying their cravings.

Chen Yan thought about it. It was a kind invitation, and they would be neighbors in the future, so it wouldn't be polite to refuse.

"Thank you, Brother Wang."

Chen Yan smiled, casually took out a white porcelain bowl from his storage jade pendant, and followed Old Wang to the stove.

Old Wang glanced at the white porcelain bowl in Chen Yan's hand and smiled, "Your bowl is quite nice."

Chen Yan immediately understood, and casually took out another stack of bowls from the jade pendant: "I have quite a few of these things. I'll just put them in the yard from now on, and everyone can use them together."

Old Wang laughed heartily, went over and lifted the pot lid, and immediately a fragrant aroma wafted out.

Chen Yan wasn't hungry, but upon smelling this aroma, he couldn't help but swallow hard.

After stirring the pot a couple of times with the spoon, Old Wang turned to Chen Yan and said with a smile, "Bring the bowl over here."

After saying that, he scooped up a spoonful and poured it into Chen Yan's bowl.

Chen Yan squinted at the bowl of porridge and saw several pieces of meat floating in it. They were clearly not cut with a knife, but rather pieces or chunks of meat torn by hand.

Furthermore, the blood was not completely drained during slaughter, so the cooked meat pieces have a slightly dark color.

And porridge is not made by cooking rice.

Each grain was perfectly round, and they looked a bit like Job's tears. I cooked a whole pot of them.

Chen Yan picked it up and took a sip, tasting the flavor. This stuff wasn't as hard as Job's tears; it had a soft and glutinous texture.

"I found a patch of wild 'yuanbao grass' while I was wandering in the mountains. I saw that the 'yuanbao' seeds inside were already mature, so I picked some and brought them back."

Unfortunately, there wasn't much wild *Gnaphalium affine* in the mountains; it took me two days to collect just one bagful.

Old Wang casually said this, then filled his own bowl, and lazily squatted down in front of Chen Yan, holding the bowl with both hands, turning the rim of the bowl, and drinking it sip by sip.

Chen Yan found the meat porridge to be sweet and delicious, especially the hand-shredded meat slices, which were tender yet firm, not dry at all, but rather had a slightly chewy texture, and became more and more fragrant the more you chewed them...

Whether it's the ingot-shaped filling or the sliced ​​meat, you can feel the abundant vitality in every bite.

Chen Yan ate with gusto, finishing a bowl in no time, and couldn't help but ask, "Senior brother, what kind of meat is this?"

Old Wang chuckled, lowered his voice, and deliberately looked back at the direction of the courtyard gate before turning back to Chen Yan and chuckling softly. "There are spirit cranes raised by the inner sect on the immortal mountain. Occasionally, they will land on the ground and frolic in the mountains. Some of the wild and mischievous ones will stay in the mountains for several days and like to mate with ordinary birds in the mountains."

Well... I saw it, and when I was craving something sweet, I took the opportunity to call..."

Good guy!
Crane meat!

Chen Yan's face stiffened involuntarily.

"Junior brother, don't tell anyone! You ate some of this meat too." Old Wang chuckled, a hint of cunning in his old eyes.

"..."

Chen Yan glared at the old man, but then fiercely picked up the bowl: "No, I'll get another bowl!"

"Ha! Junior brother is indeed a remarkable person." Old Wang generously handed over the spoon: "Don't worry, there are hundreds of spirit cranes raised in the inner sect of the Immortal Mountain. They are all free-range. If one or two are missing, no one will ask about it."

Then he whispered, "This spirit crane is the offspring of a Fiery Bird, and it is born with the fire attribute."

"We live in this damp, gloomy place. Eating some crane meat can dispel the dampness and is good for our health."

Chen Yan didn't speak, but just drank the sweet meat porridge in big gulps.

However, I had already formed some judgment about this neighbor, Senior Brother Wang.

A seasoned veteran who just coasts along in the sect.

If one's cultivation and talent are insufficient, and one's future is bleak, then one might as well just drift through life.

Chen Yan thought for a moment and then smiled and said, "I can't just drink my senior brother's porridge for nothing."

After saying that, he took out a piece of dried meat from the beast of the Beast Clan that he had been waiting for in Badlands from his storage jade pendant.

It weighed about five or six pounds and was handed to Senior Brother Wang.

"This is considered a return gift, and it also has a fiery yang nature, which can dispel cold and dampness."

Old Wang took the dried meat, examined it closely, and when he looked at Chen Yan again, there was a hint of a smile in his eyes.

"Junior brother, you're quite extraordinary. This is meat from a beast hunted in the territory of the Ferocious Beast Clan, isn't it? Have you been to the Badlands Mountain?"

Chen Yan smiled and said, "I spent some time at Xueya Pass before."

Old Wang nodded: "Junior brother seems to be a ruthless person."

He stared at the dried game meat for a moment, then shook his head and said, "This is good stuff. I'll find some seasonings later, then slice this dried meat and steam a pot of it. It'll be perfect with rice cooked with Yuanbao grains!"

After saying that, he smiled and said, "If you're not leaving these next few days, you can wait. I brewed a vat of wine with some Qingling fruit that I picked from the mountains last year. It's not quite ready yet, but it will be ready to drink in about ten or fifteen days."

Then, we'll steam the meat and serve it with wine!

Chen Yan nodded and smiled, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Senior Brother."

"No need to bother you. I've been here for decades, and this courtyard is practically deserted except for me. Hmm... a couple of people did move in a few years ago, but they were all restless. They were always busy practicing their cultivation, thinking only of increasing their power, or going out on errands to earn merit, advance their rank, and get into other promising branches..."

Sigh, if you ask me, what's the point of cultivating immortality? In the end, it's all for nothing.

What's the point of living for thousands of years if you can't be happy?

Chen Yan, however, was still concerned with his "new disciple" persona and said politely, "Cultivation naturally involves cultivating the Heavenly Dao. We cultivators are all devoted to the Dao, hoping that one day we can comprehend the Heavenly Dao, understand its principles, and thus..."

As he spoke, Old Wang sighed, "The Way of Heaven... the Way of Heaven is so easy to fathom. Even if one could understand the Way of Heaven, what then..."

After saying that, he waved his hand and said, "Well, if you want to practice, Junior Brother, you might as well go to the training room in the outer sect. The spiritual energy there is much more abundant than here. The humidity in this courtyard is too high. If your attributes clash, it might not be good to practice here."

"Thank you for your guidance, senior brother." Chen Yan smiled politely.

Old Wang then stood up and said, "I'll treat you to the porridge, but you can clean up the dishes. Let's be fair, okay?"

"Okay!" Chen Yan nodded in agreement.

For a cultivator, washing pots and pans is simply a matter of performing a cleaning spell.

After Chen Yan finished doing all that, he saw that Lao Wang had already returned to his room, so he took out a bag, walked to the corner, and brought over the flower pots.

He inspected each plant one by one, pulling out the dead ones and throwing them away in a pile. He cleared out empty flowerpots and took out some seedlings from his bag to plant. With a small shovel in his hand, he planted the seedlings and patted the soil, looking quite engrossed in his work.

"Senior brother, I'm going out for a bit."

Chen Yan greeted him, but Lao Wang didn't say anything and just waved his hand.

·
Chen Yan went out and went directly to the Jing'an Hall of the outer sect. After reporting to Elder Qian, he went to find Elder Qian and told him his purpose.

Elder Qian had a good attitude towards Chen Yan. After listening, he slowly said, "The matter of the Gu family's cargo ship being intercepted has been explained in principle. The Gu family sent people and questioned you. This matter is no longer related to you."

You wanted to leave the sect to travel, and we could have let you go.

But you just caught that Donghai thief yourself, and you have some connection with him. The Gu family will probably question you, so you can't just leave immediately..."

Elder Qian paused for a moment, then said, "When we sent people to inquire yesterday, we already reported that you had been captured and taken to the East China Sea, and they didn't say anything."

However, since the Gu family is currently residing within the inner sect of the Immortal Mountain, we shouldn't bother them with such a trivial matter.

"Just wait patiently for a few more days. When the opportunity arises, I will ask the Gu family. If there's nothing wrong, they will let you go."

Well, Chen Yan sighed inwardly.

So, by capturing Donghai, he's only brought trouble upon himself.

If it weren't for the East China Sea, I might have been able to leave after asking for permission.

He realized that Elder Qian wasn't deliberately making things difficult for him.

It was actually a rigid class system.

People who come from Gujia are benefactors.

He himself was a low-ranking disciple in the sect, and an outer disciple at that.

Their social statuses are worlds apart. To outsiders, my trivial matter is hardly worthy of disturbing such an important person.

A low-ranking disciple, just wait and see.

If someone wants to ask a question and the person is not there, then the sect will be disrespectful to the Gu family.

As for myself, a mere low-ranking outer disciple—how much can I possibly do?

Chen Yan thought for a moment and realized that if he really wanted to leave, he could ask someone to plead with Nangong Sheng, and maybe he could leave that way.

However, that would seem too deliberate.

Since you have many secrets and other people's attention isn't focused on you right now, it's best to keep a low profile.

Thinking of this, he thanked Elder Qian and left.

For the next few days, Chen Yan stayed in his small courtyard every day.

He meditates and cultivates himself, and occasionally eats wild game cooked by Lao Wang.

The crane that Old Wang brought back took the two of them four days to finish eating.

Then we ate several meals of dried meat from hunted animals.

This guy is a good cook; his food tastes pretty good.

However, while Chen Yan meditated and cultivated his vital energy in his room every day, Old Wang never cultivated. He either cooked or moved his flowerpots and plants around in the yard.

Or, he'll just swing his arms and go for a stroll.

Five days passed in a row, and Chen Yan didn't cultivate for even a minute like him!

Finally, on the sixth day, Chen Yan was sitting inside the house circulating vital energy when he heard a sound coming from outside.

Zhao Wuji stood in the courtyard and shouted, "Junior Brother Shanhe!"

Chen Yan pushed open the door and came out, only to see Zhao Wuji looking anxious: "Junior brother, come with me quickly, the Gu family wants to question you."

As he spoke, he sighed, "Junior brother, the place you've been assigned to live is too far away. How about I ask a senior brother from the Artifact Hall to help you find a better place to stay?"

Chen Yan smiled and politely declined, "This place is very nice, with plenty of food and drink, and the scenery is also quite beautiful, so I won't trouble you, Senior Brother."

Zhao Wuji sighed, "Whatever, whatever! Come with me now, don't keep the Gu family's esteemed guests waiting."

In the courtyard, Old Wang had moved a stool and was sitting in front of his house. There were several pieces of wood in front of him, and he was carefully carving something with a carving knife in his hand.

Just as Chen Yan was about to leave, Old Wang suddenly smiled, raised his hand, and threw something out in front of Chen Yan.

Chen Yan reached out and took it; it was a small wooden carving, no bigger than a thumb, carved in the shape of a sword.

Chen Yan couldn't help but smile: "Senior Brother Wang, are you treating me like a child and giving me a toy?"

“I found some yanggan wood in the mountains and carved a little trinket for you. You can carry it with you; this fiery trinket can ward off dampness.”

Chen Yan laughed heartily, casually shoved it into his pocket, and left with Zhao Wuji.

Zhao Wuji ignored Lao Wang completely from beginning to end. Only after they came out did he whisper to Chen Yan, "You and this senior brother who guards the tomb seem to get along quite well?"

"Ah."

"That's strange. This person has a strange reputation and personality; he's not someone you can easily get along with."

·
After Chen Yan left, Old Wang sat on the stool and looked up at the sky. His face, which looked like dried tree bark, gradually lost its expression. He looked up at the sky, shook his head, and sighed.

"Little brat, where did you learn such a tiny transformation technique? You're showing it off in public. If someone sees through it and arrests you, I'll lose a neighbor to amuse myself with..."

·
(End of this chapter)