One person: Senior brother Zhang Zhiwei, the Celestial Master begged me to descend the mountain.

On the back of Longhu Mountain, in front of a dilapidated woodshed that has stood for many years.

The last rays of the setting sun shone on the bamboo reclining chair in the courtyard, which had been passed down for generations, and it creaked and groaned.

Zhang Taichu lay there, his face covered by a tattered palm-leaf fan, rising and falling rhythmically with his breathing.

My stomach promptly emitted a series of rumbling protest sounds.

"slow."

"Too slow."

A disgruntled grumble came from beneath the palm-leaf fan:

"Are young people these days so clumsy on their feet?"

"If you don't come soon, I'm going to gnaw this chair down."

Before he could finish speaking...

A series of hurried footsteps, accompanied by heavy breathing, came from outside the courtyard gate.

Immediately afterwards, the two figures appeared as two whirlwinds, rushing into the courtyard one after the other.

"Here it comes!"

"Grandpa! Dear Grandpa! Your chicken is here!"

Leading the charge was none other than Zhang Chulan, whose entire body was radiating golden light.

To get ahead, this guy put in all his effort, turning the golden light spell even brighter than during the competition.

He slid to his knees, stopping with perfect precision beside the bamboo recliner, raising the steaming lotus leaf chicken bag high in his arms:

"Fresh out of the oven! I've been protecting it with my Qi, it's absolutely piping hot!"

Wang Ye, who followed closely behind, wasn't quite as exhausted, but he was still incredibly tired.

He carried two bottles of iced cola that were still dripping with water droplets, walked quickly forward, and hurriedly unscrewed the caps. The hissing sound of the bubbles was soothing to the ear.

"Master, a Coke, iced."

Wang handed over the cola, and casually wiped the ice water off the bottle neck with his sleeve.

Zhang Taichu ripped the fan off his face, and his previously half-dead eyes suddenly flashed with a dazzling light the moment he saw the roast chicken and cola.

"Well, at least you two have a conscience."

Zhang Taichu sat up, and without any ceremony, took the roast chicken with his left hand and the cola with his right.

Tear open the lotus leaf.

A rich aroma of meat instantly filled the courtyard.

It was a unique aroma that blended the fragrance of lotus leaves, the scent of earth, and the aroma of burnt oil.

Click.

Zhang Taichu tore off a plump chicken leg and took a big bite.

Golden grease dripped down the corners of his mouth.

Glug glug—Ha!

Another big gulp of ice-cold cola went down my throat.

Zhang Taichu let out a long, satisfied sigh, then slumped back into the recliner, his eyes comfortably narrowing into slits.

"That feels good."

"This is the kind of life a human being should live."

Seeing Zhang Taichu's blissful expression, the two people beside him finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhang Chulan's eyes darted around, and he immediately stepped forward, his face full of a fawning smile, his hands expertly resting on Zhang Taichu's calves.

"Grandpa, please eat. Your grandson will loosen your legs for you."

"Let me tell you, this technique of mine is a family heirloom, and it's a cure for all kinds of fatigue and aches."

As Zhang Chulan pressed the button, he looked up to observe Zhang Taichu's expression:

"Is this pressure okay? Should we go for a harder one?"

"Hmm... a little to the left, yes, yes, that's it."

Zhang Taichu, with chicken in his mouth, mumbled instructions:

"Go down a bit... Hey, not bad, kid. You've got some skills. It's a shame you're not opening a massage parlor."

"Hehe, you flatter me."

Zhang Chulan looked flattered and surprised.

"If you like it, I'll come and massage you every day from now on!"

"Let alone massaging your legs, even serving you tea and water, making the bed, or even emptying your chamber pot—just say the word, and I, Zhang Chulan, will do it without hesitation!"

Wang, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth as he listened.

Although he also wanted to curry favor with powerful figures, he simply couldn't bring himself to do something so unscrupulous.

That's the difference.

Wang sighed, silently took out a freshly opened pack of Zhonghua cigarettes from his pocket, took one out, and handed it over at just the right moment.

"Master, would you like one? A cigarette after a meal is better than being a living god."

"Oh, so sensible."

Zhang Taichu took the cigarette.

Before he could even look for fire, Zhang Chulan's hand had already reached out, with a faint cluster of golden lightning emanating from his fingertips.

Snapped.

It's on fire.

Zhang Taichu took a deep breath, exhaled a long smoke ring, and looked at the two young people in front of him who were serving him like they were their own father. A half-smile appeared on his lips.

"Alright, stop busying yourself."

"Those who offer unsolicited favors are either treacherous or thieves."

Zhang Taichu shook the chicken bone in his hand:

"Tell me, what do you want?"

"Do you want the cultivation technique, or do you want some guidance?"

Zhang Chulan and Wang Ye exchanged a glance.

"that……"

Zhang Chulan was about to speak and express his loyalty.

Sudden.

A faint voice suddenly rang out behind them.

"On your body..."

"It smells."

The sound was particularly eerie in the quiet courtyard.

Zhang Chulan was so startled that his hand trembled, and he almost plucked out Zhang Taichu's leg hair.

Everyone turned around.

Suddenly, Feng Baobao appeared, having somehow followed them over.

She hugged her knees with both hands, and her usually dull and lifeless eyes were now fixed on Zhang Taichu.

It was like some kind of wild animal that had caught a whiff of something extremely dangerous, yet also extremely familiar.

"Sister Bao'er?"

Zhang Chulan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and chuckled dryly:

"What did you say?"

"You must smell like me. I just ate beggar's chicken, that's the smell of meat."

"It doesn't smell like meat."

Feng Baobao shook her head.

She continued to stare at Zhang Taichu, her gaze unwavering, as if trying to see through his physical body to the soul hidden within.

She slowly raised her hand, pointed at Zhang Taichu, and then pointed to the gradually darkening void around her.

"Although I don't know the reason, I'm sure it's the taste of time."

"It has stopped."

"It's very heavy."

Feng Baobao tilted her head, and a rare hint of confusion appeared on her usually expressionless face:

"Heavier than mine."

Clang.

Wang Ye lost his grip on the cola bottle, and it fell to the ground.

Black liquid gushed out and spread across the bluestone slab.

But at that moment, nobody paid any attention to the bottle of Coke.

Wang Ye's face turned deathly pale instantly.

As a successor of Feng Hou Qi Men, and as a victim who had just experienced being crushed by the rules of time, he was extremely sensitive to these words.

The taste of time?

Heavier than Bao'er?

Wang Ye subconsciously looked at Feng Baobao, then at Zhang Taichu on the recliner.

Although he didn't know Feng Baobao's specific background, he could sense that this seemingly dull girl had a strange aura about her, like a stagnant pool of water, without a source or an end.

And now, she says that Zhang Taichu's smell is even stronger than hers?

the other side.

Zhang Chulan was already drenched in sweat.

He knew Feng Baobao's background better than anyone else.

She lives forever, her beauty remains eternal; time has no effect on Bao'er.

This is a living miracle, and also a huge taboo.

But now...

Bao'er actually said that the stagnant smell emanating from this man was even stronger than hers?!

What does that mean?

Does this mean that this guy will live longer than Bao'er?

Or is he... the end of time himself?

The air in the courtyard seemed to freeze for a moment.

Even the cicadas chirping in the trees have disappeared without a trace.

An indescribable sense of oppression enveloped everyone's heart.

Zhang Chulan felt like his heart was about to jump out of his throat.

He was terrified that the man would suddenly turn on him and kill him the next second because his secret had been exposed.

This is a monster that can even ignore the Eight Extraordinary Techniques!

If they really started fighting, their meager skills wouldn't even be enough to fill someone's teeth!

"Master... um... Sister Bao'er isn't quite right in the head, she often talks nonsense..."

Zhang Chulan stammered as he tried to explain, his legs trembling.

however.

Zhang Taichu, sitting on the recliner, did not seem angry.

He slowly and methodically gnawed away at the last piece of meat, then casually flicked it away.

call out.

The chicken bone traced a beautiful parabola in the air and landed with perfect precision in the trash can five meters away.

It made a soft thud.

Zhang Taichu licked the oil off his fingers, then sat up straight somewhat lazily.

He turned his head and looked at Feng Baobao, who was squatting on the ground.

There was no murderous intent in those eyes, nor the anger of being exposed.

Instead, it carries a touch of pity and a gentle sense of vicissitude.

"come over."

Zhang Taichu waved.

Feng Baobao blinked and obediently moved closer.

Zhang Taichu stretched out his hand, which was covered in grease from just finishing a chicken leg, and placed it directly on Feng Baobao's smooth, long hair.

I gave it a couple of hard squeezes.

Well……

Feng Baobao didn't dodge, letting him ruffle her hair into a mess.

"Little brat."

Zhang Taichu's voice was very soft, so soft that it seemed it might be blown away by the evening breeze at any moment:

"Your nose is quite sensitive."

He withdrew his hand, looked at the oil stains remaining on his palm, and then glanced at Feng Baobao's eyes, which were as pure as white paper.

"This world..."

"Living too long is not a good thing."

Zhang Taichu sighed and lay back down in the chair.

Admit it!

This guy has implicitly admitted it!

Zhang Chulan got goosebumps all over, but a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders.

Since they're willing to talk, it means they don't consider them outsiders, or rather, they don't see them as a threat.

"Alright."

Zhang Taichu waved his hand, interrupting everyone's chaotic thoughts.

He stuffed the remaining bottle of Coke into his coat pocket and dismissed them.

"Having eaten and drunk my fill, this humble Taoist priest is now going to sleep."

"You guys, go find somewhere cool to stay."

"Don't stand there, you're in the way."

Seeing that Zhang Taichu was starting to chase them away, Zhang Chulan and Wang Ye didn't dare to stay any longer.

The atmosphere here is so intense right now, it's suffocating.

"Alright! You can rest now, sir!"

"We'll be leaving now! We'll come back to pay our respects tomorrow!"

Zhang Chulan grabbed the still somewhat dazed Feng Baobao, gave Wang Ye a wink, and the three of them bowed to Zhang Taichu before fleeing the courtyard as if escaping.

Only after walking quite a distance did Wang Ye dare to look back at the woodshed hidden in the night.

"Zhang Chulan..."

Wang Ye's voice sounded somewhat unsteady:

"It seems like we've really latched onto an incredible patron this time."

"nonsense."

Zhang Chulan wiped away his sweat, but the glint in his eyes grew ever brighter:

"That's not a thigh..."

"This is a pillar reaching to the heavens!"

……

A small courtyard with a woodshed.

After the group left, the place returned to silence.

As night deepened, the chirping of insects rose and fell in the mountains and forests.

Zhang Taichu remained lying on the bamboo chair, gently rocking back and forth.

He didn't sleep.

Those eyes slightly opened in the darkness, looking at the pitch-black forest shadows at the foot of Longhu Mountain.

A faint, mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"A bunch of ignorant insects."

Zhang Taichu picked up the cola beside him, took a sip, and his voice was as cold as the night wind in the mountains:

"They've all climbed in."