Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 24 Zhiwei's Physique

Chen Ye pushed open the creaking wooden door of Granny Li's house, and the snow on his raincoat fell onto the threshold.

Inside the house, it's warm as spring.

The crackling pine branches in the stove provided warmth, and the rising steam from the room washed over us, melting the ice crystals on our eyelashes into mist.

"Yuanyuan, don't run away!"

Qingjun was riding on the back of the black dog, pulling its ears, when she saw her master covered in icicles and with a wolf carcass hanging behind him. She was so frightened that she rolled off the dog's back.

The little girl hurriedly straightened her clothes, and the smile on her face vanished instantly.

"Waaah—" Yuan Yuan sobbed, baring her teeth.

The harmonious scene was instantly ruined by himself...

Its predecessor was truly hated by both men and dogs.

Chen Ye was chuckling to himself when he suddenly noticed that Yuan Yuan's ears had been pulled and the hairs were falling out.

He frowned and said, "Qingjun, don't play with Yuanyuan so roughly. It's not good to anger it."

He hadn't realized that his little apprentice, so small, could be so ruthless.

"Qingjun knows..." the girl said weakly, clutching the hem of her clothes.

Seeing his young apprentice's timid appearance, Chen Ye wondered if he was being paranoid.

That child wouldn't have the guts.

Perhaps it's just that Yuan Yuan is shedding fur.

He dragged the gray wolf he was carrying inside. The beast's frozen, bloody skull was scalded by the fire, causing it to bleed again and leaving a dark red trail on the ground.

"You just went wolf hunting in the Three Thousand Mountains?"

Hearing the commotion, Granny Li came out of the kitchen carrying fire tongs.

The old man looked surprised.

This drunkard actually dares to go hunting in the Three Thousand Mountains?
Chen Ye put down the wolf carcass: "Thank you for taking care of me, Mother-in-law, the other day. This wolf isn't worth much, but it's a small token of my appreciation. Thank you for your trouble, Mother-in-law. I'll take the children home later."

The wolf corpse was too heavy; although his agility technique was only partially mastered, he still couldn't carry it for long.

Why not go with the flow and do someone a favor?

Granny Li's cloudy eyes kept scrutinizing Chen Ye: "You bastard, have you really turned over a new leaf?"

She used her tongs to pry open the wolf carcass's jaw and reveal its sharp white teeth.

This is a common gray wind wolf found in the Three Thousand Mountains. A whole one can be sold for fifty spirit sands in the market.

The old man turned around and pulled two dusty objects from the depths of the wicker basket; the stiffened woolen fabric gleamed with a layer of silver frost in the firelight.
"The skin I peeled last year is a bit rougher, but it's still better than a cloth garment! Put it on the girl, I won't take advantage of you!"

Upon closer inspection, Chen Ye realized that these were a padded jacket and scarf made of rabbit fur.

It must have been made by Granny Li herself. She usually earns some spiritual sand by tanning animal hides and making clothes at home.

Chen Ye's face lit up with joy. After thanking him, he hurriedly draped the scarf over his disciple's neck, tying it tightly around his neck.

In no time, the two girls were wrapped up into bulging balls, with only their bright eyes showing.

Chen Ye's heart almost melted at how adorable Qingjun was; he couldn't resist pinching her delicate nose.

"Say goodbye to your mother-in-law."

Qingjun pursed her lips, which were hidden under her scarf, and said in a clear voice, "Goodbye, Grandma!"

Without hesitation, Zhiwei followed suit: "Goodbye, Mother-in-law."

The old woman couldn't help but smile and repeatedly said "good."

Even the way she looked at Chen Ye became gentler.

The old woman hadn't shown such a gentle look in her eyes when she delivered the wolf carcass before.

The three of them had just stepped out the door when
The north wind then swept in snowflakes, instantly obscuring the outlines of the three masters and disciples.

……

The snow on the road was ankle-deep.

All I could see were swirling snowflakes.

Chen Ye had his two apprentices walk ahead to prevent them from getting lost.

His breath condensed on the tips of his beard, quickly forming tiny ice crystals.

Is the winter in this world this harsh?
Chen Ye clicked his tongue in amazement.

In my hazy memories of my predecessor, it seems that winters have become increasingly difficult in recent years.

The journey is not long.

Soon, a corner of the dilapidated house appeared in the snow.

Not to mention Chen Ye, even the two girls couldn't help but quicken their pace.

This dilapidated house that brought them countless torments.

At this time, it was the only shelter in the wind and snow.

Chen Ye's neighbor's house was wide open, and the house was empty.

He hadn't seen Zhang Laodao's shadow these past few days.

"Could this old man have fled to avoid punishment...?"

Chen Ye muttered to himself, his fingertips swirling with the aura of metal.

Ding!
Proficiency increased by one!

He felt a little better and, finding a bit of humor in his mind, mentally provided voiceovers for the control panel.

The elixir ointment is indeed worth a few spirit stones, but it's just a small amount of money, so it's no big deal if you lose it.

Fortunately, my disciple wasn't in the house at the time.

As long as everyone is alright!
There was no stove like in Granny Li's house, and it felt even cooler inside than outside.

Chen Ye used the same trick again, digging a pit in the center of the house and relighting a pile of firewood. The roaring fire immediately dispelled the coolness.

Qingjun curled up on the bench, her soaked cloth shoes placed by the fire pit to dry, wisps of white steam rising from them.

The rabbit fur coat was placed on her lap.

She comfortably crossed her little feet, clearly enjoying herself. Chen Ye couldn't help but glance at his little apprentice's feet again.

Her feet weren't rough at all, just too thin.

But this phenomenon is very strange.

Qingjun used to wear tattered straw sandals and didn't get enough nutrition on a daily basis.

How can someone have such good skin?
The little girl glanced at her master quickly, looking somewhat nervous.

Seeing this, Chen Ye's gaze fell on Zhiwei.

Zhiwei's appearance is normal.

The eldest girl wasn't as outgoing as Qingjun; she sat quietly by the fire, warming her hands.

Her hands were slightly rough, and her fingertips were cracked from years of picking out flint.

And he also had frostbite on his ears.

Despite her pitiful appearance, Zhiwei is actually a disciple with a special constitution.

He possesses the ancient immortal body—the Immaculate Glazed Body.

The Immaculate Glass Body is extremely special, and it is said to have been transformed from the Pure Blue Lotus at the beginning of chaos.

It will gradually cause them to lose their emotions and desires, until their humanity is completely lost.

But at the same time, they shed their mortal form and transcend the mundane.

With each shedding of a mortal body, one must experience the suffering of encountering those one hates, being separated from those one loves, not getting what one desires, and facing what one does not want.

Only after enduring all worldly tribulations can one sever ties with earthly life and ascend to immortality.

At that time, his hair will be as black as ink and his eyes as cold as a deep pool, and he will be untouched by the myriad causes and effects of the world.

These four sufferings subtly correspond to Lu Zhiwei's storyline in the game.

Being forced to associate with people you hate.

Needless to say, this refers to Zhiwei and its predecessor.

Separation from loved ones, being separated from those you love.

This corresponds to the original storyline where Zhiwei was forced to separate from Qingjun.

As for the later desires that cannot be fulfilled and the undesirable circumstances, these were not reflected in the plot.

Strange... Did I miss something in the plot?
"Zhiwei, take off your shoes. It's uncomfortable to wear wet shoes," Chen Ye said suddenly, stopping his thoughts.

The black, furry ball of fur recoiled as if electrocuted, its slender ankles turning bluish-white in the firelight.

Even though she was freezing, her voice remained calm: "No need."

It's definitely uncomfortable.

But that's exactly what she likes...

Only when these uncomfortable sensations occur can she feel her own existence.

Lu Zhiwei genuinely disliked Chen Ye's gentleness.

She was clearly so numb that she had lost all awareness of life.

But ironically... he started to act hypocritically.

"You kid."

Chen Ye sighed helplessly; this child had been abnormal since he was a child.

Perhaps Zhiwei doesn't understand yet, but in fact, her flawless glass body is gradually causing her to lose the same emotions as ordinary people.

In the game's storyline, this future goddess often ascends the Execution Platform, willingly enduring the pain of being struck by lightning and having her bones and tendons pulled out.

She once admitted that these pains were less than one ten-thousandth of what she had suffered under her predecessor's rule when she was a child.

But Chen Ye felt that it was only because her immaculate glass body had awakened and she had transcended the mortal realm that she could not feel pain.

With him here, why should Zhiwei suffer these pains for no reason?

Her current Zhiwei constitution hasn't awakened at all; she feels pain and hunger just like any other child...

Chen Ye rummaged through the newly bought storage cabinet and pulled out a piece of coarse cloth.
Without saying a word, he stepped forward, grabbed Zhiwei's small feet, and helped her take off her cloth shoes.

What appeared before Chen Ye was a pair of pale, slender feet, as cold as ice.

Chen Ye snorted, "You're already like this, why don't you hurry up and warm your feet?"

Amidst the rustling of fabric, the older girl's eyelashes trembled violently beneath her bangs, like a startled butterfly.

She stared blankly as Chen Ye wiped her feet.

Chen Ye actually washed her feet?

She was especially touched when Chen Ye brought over a basin of hot water and carefully washed her.

The older girl looked pale and somewhat uneasy.

I feel uneasy about my master's gentleness.

She bit her lip: "Master, Zhiwei can do it herself."

"Hmph, didn't you say you didn't need it before? Now it's too late to regret it!"

Chen Ye then channeled spiritual energy into his disciple to invigorate his blood and qi.

Zhiwei's feet were so pale, like a corpse.

Qingjun's soles at least had a faint pinkish hue, but hers were bluish-white.

Fortunately, as I massaged it, my blood and energy flowed more smoothly, and my skin gained a healthy red hue.

He breathed warm air and rubbed his five icy toes: "Zhiwei's toes are freezing like little carrots."

Zhiwei gripped the hem of her clothes tightly and silently turned her head away.

Master, this is getting more and more outrageous!
"Mmm, you smell so nice after the bath. That's more comfortable."

Chen Ye held his apprentice's little feet, feeling a great sense of accomplishment.

He took out a fluffy slipper and personally helped his eldest apprentice put it on.

"Master, Qingjun also wants to wash her feet..."

The little apprentice looked on with envy; washing feet looked so comfortable.
(End of this chapter)