Hermit in the Mountains

Upon hearing the words "First-Grade Nourishing Essence Minor Elixir," Zhang Yuanfu and his son's first thought was, "Why such a complicated name?" "It has a grade, and it's called a minor elixir; does that mean there's a major elixir above that?"

Zhang Dafu was somewhat tempted; he wondered what a Peiyuan Pill, costing tens of thousands of yuan, would taste like.

His eyes held a mixture of anticipation and worry. "Mr. Gu, is it really harmless to the human body?"

"It's harmless, I've tried it!" Gu Changsheng replied firmly.

He casually handed Zhang Yuanfu the small elixir, his eyes encouraging, "A first-grade Qi-cultivating small elixir, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you should take it."

Zhang Dafu stretched out his right hand, picked up the pill, and sniffed it. There was no smell of poisonous herbs.

Thinking that at worst he would just get a stomachache, he opened his mouth without hesitation and slowly put the pill in and bit down.

A cool breeze rushed into his brain through his mouth and nose, and Zhang Dafu made a comfortable nasal sound.

"Um-"

Zhang Yuanfu did not stop his son from tasting the pills. He had dealt with Chinese herbal medicine all his life, and after smelling the pills, he was basically certain that they were not poisonous. He was just wondering what the side effects Gu Changsheng mentioned were.

After savoring the aroma of the pill, Zhang Dafu swallowed it with a quick movement of his throat. Suddenly, he strained his throat, picked up his father's teacup, and drank it down, flushing the pill into his stomach.

Seeing this, Gu Changsheng smiled without saying a word, picked up his teacup with his right hand, finished his tea, stood up and patted Zhang Dafu on the shoulder, "Brother Zhang, your courage is commendable. I'll let you try any new elixirs for free in the future."

After saying that, he turned to Zhang Yuanfu and said goodbye, "Old Zhang, I'm going to buy some things first. I'll come back in about two or three hours when the medicine takes effect."

Zhang Yuanfu nodded, got up and saw Gu Changsheng out. "Alright, let's check the effects of the pills."

They all knew that talking more was useless; waiting for the pills to work would be more effective than a thousand words.

As Gu Changsheng walked out of the Fushoutang entrance, he stopped and turned back to Zhang Dafu, offering a word of advice: "Brother Zhang, don't go too far in the next two or three hours. Pack plenty of toilet paper in your pockets."

He paused, his eyes darting around, "The shop has spices; you can pack some in your pocket."

"I'm leaving now, see you later!" He waved and turned to leave in a long stride.

Watching Gu Changsheng's figure disappear around the street corner, Zhang Dafu asked, "Dad, Mr. Gu asked me to prepare tissues. Will the pills cause diarrhea as a side effect?"

"It's harmless, but it has side effects. Prepare tissues and spices. What else could it be but diarrhea?" Zhang Yuanfu smiled and shook his head as he watched the figure disappear around the street corner.

He became increasingly curious about the effects of the new Peiyuan Pill that Gu Changsheng had brought. It couldn't be that it had no effect, otherwise Gu Changsheng wouldn't be so confident.

Gu Changsheng's instructions to his son not to go too far and to prepare tissues and spices indicate that these things are useful.

The side effect Gu Changsheng mentioned is probably diarrhea, but not just simple diarrhea. It should be similar to a detoxification function in traditional Chinese medicine, with the excreted substance having a very strong smell.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yuanfu unconsciously took a step back from his son, stroked his beard and pondered for a moment, "Dafu, you should stay home for the next few hours. Call me if anything happens. I'll keep an eye on the shop."

He was afraid that his son would have diarrhea in front of him or in the store; just thinking about the scene made him unable to bear it.

Seeing the disdain in his father's eyes, Zhang Dafu thought to himself, "Damn it!" He was being disliked by his beloved father.

"Alright, thank you for taking charge of the pharmacy."

Zhang Dafu went back to the shop to tidy up, then left the pharmacy with the keys.

Seeing his son leave, Zhang Yuanfu's unease seemed to disappear, and he began to enjoy his tea with a clear conscience.

Meanwhile, Gu Changsheng wandered around the ancient city for several kilometers, secretly observing the pedestrians and energy fields around him.

He found no spiritual energy in the people he met or in the places he went; all he found was worldly energy, also known as acquired turbid energy.

[Acquired negative energy: the vast secular energy field formed by the five grains and miscellaneous foods we consume, the seven emotions and six desires arising from our thoughts, and the emotions of all sentient beings.]

[Primordial Pure Qi: The spiritual energy of heaven and earth, the essence of the sun and moon, and the energy of mountains and rivers.]

This time, Gu Changsheng was not as sensitive as before when he entered the bustling city. With the improvement of his cultivation, he was able to accept such a chaotic energy field and a place devoid of spiritual energy.

He could say he wasn't opposed to it, but he still didn't really like staying in the city; it was too noisy, and his ears were filled with frequencies that ordinary people couldn't hear.

The mountains and fields are the most comfortable place to be, where you can listen to the sounds of nature: the sound of flowing water like pearls falling onto a jade plate, the melodious and free chirping of insects and birds, the unrestrained breeze, the eternal sunrise and sunset, the majestic and undulating mountain ranges, and the vibrant vegetation.

The former is like being in a noisy factory, while the latter is like being in a quiet courtyard.

Gu Changsheng strolled through the ancient city, stopping and starting as he observed people rushing about in the mortal world day after day for a few taels of silver.

He arrived at his destination without realizing it. The street was bustling with pedestrians in twos and threes, much more so than the street where Fushoutang was located.

He walked towards the far end of the street, where a clothing store came into view.

A wooden plaque hangs above the entrance, with three simple and elegant characters engraved on it: "Lingjin Pavilion". Wind chimes hang on both sides of the entrance, making a crisp and melodious sound when the breeze blows through them.

This clothing store, named "Lingjinge," was discovered by Gu Changsheng while browsing Douyin (TikTok).

The videos the other party sent were all related to clothing manufacturing, from silkworm breeding, silk production, cloth weaving, garment making, to embroidery.

He noticed that the clothes made by the other party were of good quality, purely handmade, close to nature, and could also be customized.

He was just about to change his clothes and planned to have several robes made as everyday wear.

He always has long hair, and it looks a bit odd when he wears modern clothes like T-shirts and shirts, but his practice clothes are a little better.

Furthermore, he has already cultivated immortality, which makes him look even more elegant in a long robe.

In the future, when he goes out, wearing a long robe, long hair, a bamboo hat, and carrying a wooden sword, others will only think that he is playing a character in a movie or TV series. This outfit will fit perfectly in the Tang Dynasty Never Sleeping City of Chang'an.

Gu Changsheng stepped across the threshold, and the wind chimes jingled once, causing the people inside to look up at the sound.

"Welcome to Lingjinge. Sir, are you looking to buy clothes or have them custom-made?"

A woman's voice reached Gu Changsheng's ears. He looked in the direction of the voice and saw a woman in front of him.

The woman appeared to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. She wore a light blue robe, her jet-black hair was half-tied up, and a hairpin was inserted into her hair to hold it in place. Her skin was like solidified cream, and her figure was graceful, just like a lady from a noble family.

Gu Changsheng remained calm and explained his purpose: "Hello boss, I've seen your videos on Douyin. I live outside Chang'an City. I happened to be in the city today and thought I'd stop by to have some clothes made."

"Are the fabrics for the clothes in your store all made from silk spun by silkworms you raise yourself?"

Mu Lingjin curiously sized up the newcomer. Gu Changsheng had a smile on his face, wearing a bamboo hat, a long robe, and sandals, which looked rather strange.

She didn't see any strange looks in Gu Changsheng's eyes. The moment he entered, he asked what raw materials the clothes were made of, clearly indicating that he was there to have clothes made.

"Some of the fabrics in the store are sourced from outside, while the fabrics made from silk at home are more expensive, with a complete garment costing tens of thousands of yuan."

Gu Changsheng didn't care about the price; he just wanted something handmade and made of all-natural fabrics. "Price isn't an issue. May I take a look at the fabric first?"

"Okay." Mu Lingjin took out the fabric she made herself from the wooden cabinet and placed it on the cabinet surface. "This is the fabric we made at home."

Gu Changsheng ran his right hand across the fabric; it felt smooth and silky. Suddenly, his fingers paused as he detected a familiar scent emanating from the fabric.