How can you ascend to heaven when you are a star?

Chapter 472 Immortals?

Inside the supermarket.

Zhang Fude craned his neck to look into the kitchen. Even though he was in his own home, it felt like he was sneaking around.

He looked at it for a while and then looked away, pacing back and forth in front of the cashier with a frown, but before long he couldn't help but look over there again.

"I've tasted them all. Only those two are fairy peaches; the rest are just ordinary peaches," Li Xiuwen said in a low voice, afraid of being overheard.

In front of her was a peach gift box that Zhang Wen had just taken out. The remaining six peaches looked intact, but in fact, a layer of fine fuzz had been scraped off each one. Her purpose in doing this was simple: to check if there were any immortal peaches inside.

"That's it?" Zhang Fude was slightly taken aback and asked in confusion, "Was it just a coincidence?"

"What a coincidence! It's not like buying a lottery ticket. I'd rather believe aliens have appeared on Earth than believe that fairy peaches can grow on Earth." Li Xiuwen rolled her eyes.

"Do you think Zhang Wen knows?" Zhang Fude asked again.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuwen fell silent this time.

If we knew, where did these peaches come from? But if we didn't know, how did these two peaches end up in the fruit gift box?

Moreover, the other party 'casually' picked out two peaches, and she would never believe it was just a coincidence.

"Ring ring ring!"

Just as the two were in silence, the cell phone suddenly rang.

Zhang Fude took out his phone, checked the caller ID, and quickly walked out of the supermarket to answer the call.

"So, did you find it?"

"I found it."

Next, the person on the other end of the microphone started talking about the jobs Zhang Wen had done after graduation, from handing out flyers to delivering food, from reselling tickets to taking special training courses, in such detail that it couldn't be more specific. They even found out exactly where he worked part-time on a certain day of a certain month.

Zhang Fude listened very attentively. At first, his expression was calm, but as he listened, his brows furrowed and his eyes showed disbelief.

The call lasted for several minutes before the person on the other end finished recounting Zhang Wen's entire experience, and then the call ended there.

Zhang Fude hung up the phone, took a deep breath, and then quickly returned to the supermarket. He whispered to his wife, "We've found out. Everything was normal in Zhang Wen's first year after graduation. The change happened in the second year, which was last year. He suddenly started selling something called 'Life Essence' to some wealthy people in Beijing. It's said to not only strengthen the body, protect the liver and stomach, but also calm the nerves, help with sleep, and have anti-aging and beautifying effects."

"Life Essence?" Li Xiuwen frowned slightly. Why did this name sound like a health product sold in street health classes that specifically tricks the elderly into buying it?

Is this person really going to do that?
That's a really unethical thing to do.

"How effective is the 'Life Essence' he sells?" Li Xiuwen asked.

"It's said to be very effective and popular with the wealthy. It's already being sold for ten million a bottle, and there's a purchase limit; it's not something you can just buy if you have money," Zhang Fude said, glancing towards the kitchen before asking, "Do you think this life essence might be related to the immortal peach?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuwen narrowed her eyes. The effects of the immortal peach were extremely powerful; it could even prolong life and enhance physical fitness for immortals, let alone mortals.

She just ate one, and now she feels warm all over.

"If the life essence is really made from immortal peaches, then where did he get the immortal peaches from?" Li Xiuwen asked, voicing her doubts.

The reason why the Immortal Peach is called the Immortal Peach is because it grows in the Immortal Realm. It does not exist in the Human Realm, nor is it possible for such a treasure to grow.

"I don't know." Zhang Fude shook his head, then suddenly thought of something and leaned closer to ask, "Do you think it's possible that some passing immortal found him and kindly gave him some immortal peaches?"

“Impossible. This isn’t helping him; it’s harming him. You know the rules of the Immortal Realm: cheaters will be unable to ascend, and those who assist cheaters will also enter the Six Paths of Reincarnation and undergo the test of life and death again. Who would be so foolish as to do something like this?” Li Xiuwen said.

Zhang Fude thought about it and felt that his wife made sense, but how should he explain Xiantao?

"Uncle, Aunt, dinner is ready."

Zhang Wen's voice suddenly came from the kitchen.

Li Xiuwen was startled and quickly said loudly, "I understand."

Zhang Fude hurriedly pulled down the supermarket's roller shutter door, exchanged a glance with Li Xiuwen, and the two quickly adjusted their expressions, adopting the gentle demeanor of elders towards younger generations, before heading towards the small kitchen in the inner room.

In the kitchen, the table was already covered with food: steamed lobster, stir-fried crab, fried meatballs, and pre-made Buddha Jumps Over the Wall... It looked so appetizing.

Zhang Wenzheng was wiping the stove while wearing an apron. When he saw the two of them come in, he smiled and took off his apron. "Uncle and Aunt, please sit down and eat while it's hot."

Li Xiuwen sat down first, her eyes lingering on Zhang Wen's face. "Zhang Wen, you must have suffered a lot of injustices these past two years working hard outside, right?"

"No, everything is fine," Zhang Wen said with a smile.

"By the way, you just said you work at an entertainment company? There's a songwriter named Zhang Wen, could it be you?" Li Xiuwen pretended to be surprised.

"Yes, it really is me." Zhang Wen brought the last dish to the table and then sat down opposite his uncle and aunt.

"Is it really you? When did you learn to write songs? How come your uncle and I never knew?" Li Xiuwen continued to ask.

"I studied under Xie An for a while, and then I met a benefactor who started teaching trainees at an entertainment company. From then on, I tried writing songs, and unexpectedly, I became famous," Zhang Wen said casually.

As for the blessings bestowed by the ancestors and the star deity, he didn't say a word.

This is his secret, and he won't say a word about it, not even to Gao Yue and Bai Lu, let alone to these two people in front of him.

If it gets leaked, won't people treat him like a monster, arrest him, and dissect him for research?

Li Xiuwen placed a meatball in Zhang Wen's bowl and said gently, "Then you should thank this benefactor for giving you the opportunity to showcase your talents. What does he do?"

After saying all that, this last sentence is the key point.

Zhang Fude pretended to eat, but his ears were perked up, listening carefully, thinking that this important person might be related to the peach.

Zhang Wen didn't take it seriously and said while eating, "She's my student's aunt and also a celebrity agent."

Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment flashed in Li Xiuwen's eyes, clearly indicating that she was not satisfied with the answer.

Even celebrities, let alone their agents, can't get their hands on Xiantao peaches.

It seems the peaches weren't given by this benefactor.

Could it be that they're overthinking it?
Zhang Fude didn't think he was overthinking things. On the contrary, he felt that Zhang Wen wasn't telling the truth. These days, what young people tell the truth?
They even lied to their own parents, let alone their uncles and aunts.

"Zhang Wen, you've really made something of yourself now." Zhang Fude got up, took out a bottle of baijiu and a glass from a cabinet, poured some, and handed it to him. "Here, it's New Year's. I wish you all the best in the future."

"Uncle, I brought back some liquor, let's drink that!" Zhang Wen stood up and went to get the liquor.

"No need, Uncle is used to drinking this wine, other wines give him a headache." Zhang Fude quickly stopped him, and forced the wine glass on him. Then he poured himself a glass, clinked glasses with his, and downed it in one gulp.

The movements were executed in one smooth motion, incredibly fast.

Seeing that the other person had drunk, Zhang Wen naturally couldn't refuse, so he tilted his head back and drank it all up.

Zhang Fude stared intently at the glass of wine, and when he saw it all gone, a smile flashed in his eyes.

This drink has been spiked, just to make the other person drink it under the table. Isn't there a saying? "Truth comes out when one is drunk."

After finishing his drink, Zhang Wen looked at the glass, smacked his lips, and said, "This wine..."

Zhang Fude was startled, and his heart immediately tightened.

Could it be that it was tasted? That shouldn't be the case. I just cast a little spell on the wine. I didn't add salt or sugar. How could it be tasted?
"W-what's wrong? Doesn't it taste good?" Zhang Fude forced a smile.

"No, it tastes pretty good," Zhang Wen said with a smile.

Zhang Fude breathed a sigh of relief and quickly poured another glass, saying, "If you like it, drink more. Let's drink until we're completely drunk today."

After speaking, he stared intently at the person opposite him.

Why isn't it falling?

That cup of wine, which was blessed with magic, would knock out even an elephant within five seconds, let alone a person.

But now, almost fifty seconds have passed, and the other person is still sitting there eating.

Has the magic failed?
"Come on, let's have another drink." Zhang Fude raised his glass again. "Wishing you a speedy marriage."

"Thank you, Uncle." Zhang Wen put down his chopsticks and picked up his wine glass.

"when!"

As the wine glasses clinked, Zhang Fude cast another small spell, this time using twice the power of the previous one, just to be on the safe side.

Seeing that the other person had drunk the wine, he silently counted in his mind.

"One, two, three, four, five..."

"28, 29, 30..."

Zhang Fude was completely dumbfounded.

what's the situation?
I used magic, so why isn't it working?
He put down his chopsticks, hid his right hand under the table, made a hand seal with his fingers, and finally pointed to the opposite side, thinking to himself: Pour it for me!
"Auntie, didn't my eldest brother and sister come back this year?" Zhang Wen asked with concern. The eldest brother and sister he mentioned were the couple's son and daughter.

"They didn't come back. They don't celebrate the Spring Festival there, and they don't have a holiday," Li Xiuwen said nonchalantly.

When do your older brother and sister plan to return to China?

"I don't know. They plan to come back after completing their doctoral studies, which will probably take another two or three years."

"..."

Zhang Fude was on the verge of a breakdown as he watched Zhang Wen eat and chat.

Holy crap!

Even if my status was low before, I was still a ghost immortal, a top-tier existence in the human realm. But now, without magic, what kind of ghost immortal am I?

Zhang Fude gritted his teeth and, unwilling to give up, cast a spell on his wine glass, five times the power.

He wanted to see just how weak his magic really was.

With that thought in mind, he picked up his wine glass and drank.

The enchanted liquor flowed down his throat and into his stomach.

Zhang Fude pursed his lips, then suddenly felt a wave of dizziness and his upper body slumped straight onto the dining table.

In his last moments before he regained consciousness, only two words echoed in his mind: Holy shit!
"boom!"

Zhang Fude's head slammed directly into the casserole dish containing Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, splashing the broth all over the table.

Li Xiuwen, who was standing nearby, was startled and quickly reached out to help him, pulling her husband's head out of the pot.

She had obviously seen her husband add something to Zhang Wen's drink, but shouldn't it have been Zhang Wen who collapsed? How did it bounce back?
"Uncle, what's wrong?" Zhang Wen quickly stood up, picked up a towel from behind him, and walked around the dining table to his uncle's side.

Just as I was about to wipe it, my aunt snatched the towel away.

"It's alright, it's alright, he probably just had too much to drink." Li Xiuwen explained while wiping her husband's face, "Your uncle doesn't usually drink much, but he was happy to see you come back today, so he couldn't control himself."

After saying that, she made a hand seal with her other hand and quietly pressed it on her husband's back.

Zhang Fude, who had been hanging his head, took a deep breath, straightened up, and looked puzzled.

Upon seeing this, Li Xiuwen immediately complained, "If you can't drink, then drink slowly. Why are you drinking so fast? Look at you, you're already drunk."

Reminded by his wife, Zhang Fude instantly recalled what had happened earlier and said apologetically, "Zhang Wen, I'm sorry you had to laugh at me. I overestimated myself. Let's drink slowly later."

"Uncle, I think we should stop drinking. Are you really alright? Should we call 120?" Zhang Wen asked with concern.

"No need, I'm really fine. Besides, it's New Year's Eve, so let's not trouble the doctors and nurses," Zhang Fude said, shaking his head.

If word gets out that he, a dignified ghost immortal, has fallen victim to his own magic, wouldn't he be laughed at by the other immortals?

"Zhang Wen, listen to your uncle, you'll be fine once the effects of the alcohol wear off," Li Xiuwen advised.

"Oh." Zhang Wen returned to his seat.

After that, none of the three drank alcohol; they continued chatting about everyday things over the food.

Perhaps because we hadn't seen each other for so long, the meal lasted for more than two hours.

"Uncle, Aunt, let me clean up." Zhang Wen took the initiative to take over the task of cleaning up the dishes.

"Thank you for your help again. I'll go get you something nice to eat while watching the Spring Festival Gala tonight," Li Xiuwen said, then winked at her husband.

The two left the kitchen and went to the supermarket in front.

Li Xiuwen glanced at the kitchen and, seeing that Zhang Wen hadn't followed, immediately pulled her husband to a corner, frowning as she asked, "How did you fall down just now?"

He's a ghost immortal, after all. He shouldn't be so weak that he'd collapse after just three cups of baijiu, right?

"I wanted to test if my magic worked, so I cast a little spell on the wine. As a result, I passed out after drinking it. It seems my magic works quite well." Zhang Fude explained, then laughed happily.

what?
Li Xiuwen was completely stunned.

Whether it works or not, use it on others; what's the point of using it on yourself?

Seeing the look of concern in his wife's eyes for the mentally challenged man, Zhang Fude suddenly remembered his business. He immediately stopped smiling and said in a low voice, "I just tried to cast a spell on Zhang Wen, but for some reason, it didn't work at all."

"What?" Li Xiuwen was shocked, her eyes filled with surprise, and she asked in disbelief, "No, really?"

"Really, otherwise why would I practice on myself?" Zhang Fude said with a wry smile, while feeling fortunate that there weren't many people in the house. All the neighbors who had come to play mahjong had left, otherwise he would have been laughed at.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuwen unconsciously swallowed. "Unless he possesses a magical artifact, he can only withstand your spell..."

"You mean, there really is a deity helping him?" Zhang Fude's eyes widened in shock. Which brilliant person didn't want to be a deity and wanted to experience the six realms of reincarnation?

are you crazy?
Li Xiuwen's expression was solemn.

This Zhang Wen is indeed problematic.

……

(End of this chapter)