Hermit in the Mountains

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuanfu snapped out of his daze, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "This old man greets the senior."

Gu Changsheng pointed to the water glass on the table, "I don't have any good tea to offer you, Elder Zhang, on this mountain. I only have a glass of warm water to quench your thirst. Please don't mind."

"Not at all, not at all. A cup of warm water from you, senior, is better than fine tea." Zhang Yuanfu waved his hand, picked up the cup with both hands, and drank it all in one gulp.

After Gu Changsheng poured water for Zhang Yuanfu and Yang Dashan, he suddenly blurted out a sentence.

Do you two believe that there are real cultivators in this world, like the immortal cultivators in folk tales who can fly on swords and live forever?

As soon as they finished speaking, Zhang Yuanfu and Yang Dashan looked at each other, pondering Gu Changsheng's question.

If someone had asked this question in the past, they would have assumed the person was mentally ill or had gone mad from wanting to cultivate immortality.

But now that Gu Changsheng had asked this question, the answer that popped into their minds was, "Could Gu Changsheng be a cultivator?"

Seeing that the two had not answered for a long time, Gu Changsheng was not unhappy. He could leave a seed of doubt in their minds and skip the question to move on to the next topic.

"Actually, the reason I called you two here today is to ask if you're interested in participating in the experiment I'm going to do."

"Brother Gu, what kind of experiment are you going to do?" Yang Dashan scratched his head, looking puzzled. One minute it's cultivating immortality, the next it's an experiment. He was getting a headache.

When Zhang Yuanfu heard Yang Dashan ask the question that had been bothering him, he didn't ask any questions himself, but instead looked at Gu Changsheng and waited for an answer.

Gu Changsheng remained calm and casually explained the contents of his experiment: "My experiment is to have you take the elixir I've refined and test whether practicing the cultivation method I've deduced is effective."

"The function and efficacy of the elixir are unknown; it may be toxic, may have other side effects, or it may temper the body."

"Whether this technique can be practiced is also unknown. When you practice it, you may experience qi imbalances, disordered qi and blood, and mental disturbances caused by the impact of unknown energies on your mind."

"The risk is very high; anything can happen, and the worst-case scenario could be... death."

The last word, "death," was spoken with great emphasis, and Zhang Yuanfu and Yang Dashan both felt a chill from it.

"I am willing." Zhang Yuanfu's eyes lit up, and with a determined heart, he made his choice.

He's practically a dead man, what's there to be afraid of?

Success will propel you to new heights, embarking on the legendary path of cultivation.

Failure could cost you your life.

Even if he fails in the end and loses his life, there will still be some connection to the family line. If Gu Changsheng succeeds in the future, he might be able to give the Zhang family an opportunity, which is worth the gamble.

Yang Dashan was conflicted. On one hand, he was worried about what would happen to his wife, his daughter and son who were still in school if something happened to him. On the other hand, he witnessed the changes in Gu Changsheng, the changes in the mountain peak, and the transformation of the three ordinary pets into their current extraordinary forms.

On one side is blood ties and family, and on the other is an unknown opportunity for cultivation.

He had known Gu Changsheng for half a year and knew his personality well. This might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; if he missed it, it would be gone forever.

Gu Changsheng probably gave him a chance because he had been busy for the past six months.

Gu Changsheng remained calm and expressionless. Seeing Yang Dashan's conflicted expression and inability to make a decision, he said, "Yang Dashan can go back and think it over carefully. Just give me your answer when you bring Xiaoshan over tomorrow."

When Gu Changsheng gave him time to think, Yang Dashan breathed a sigh of relief. However, upon further reflection, he realized that giving an answer on the spot and giving an answer tomorrow were both answers, but the meaning of the answer would be different.

Zhang Yuanfu, who was going up the mountain for the first time, agreed to participate in the experiment without hesitation. He had known Gu Changsheng for half a year and often went up the mountain to meet him. His relationship with Gu Changsheng should be deeper than Zhang Yuanfu's. He also had to consider tomorrow and how Gu Changsheng would see and think.

He is honest, but that doesn't mean he's stupid.

Having figured out the pros and cons, Yang Dashan's conflicted expression disappeared, replaced by a resolute look. "Boss Gu, I'll participate in the experiment too."

When Gu Changsheng heard Yang Dashan make his decision, a hint of relief flashed in his eyes. If the other party had not had the courage to burn his bridges and the decisiveness to act, he would have at most paid attention to him in the future and given him a few spiritual pills to settle the karmic debt.

Cultivating immortality is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind. A hesitant and indecisive personality will likely not get you far.

Those who follow the natural order become humans, those who go against it become immortals.

"Have you two thought this through? Once the experiment begins, there's no going back or quitting."

"Life and death are preordained, wealth and honor are determined by Heaven."

"We've thought it through!" Zhang Yuanfu and Yang Dashan said in unison.

"A very wise decision!" After praising it, Gu Changsheng took out two dark brown wooden shells from his left sleeve with his right hand.

He extended his right hand, controlling his fingers, "For the first experiment, one person will take one pill; the efficacy and function are unknown."

"Are you ready?"

Upon seeing the familiar wooden shell, Zhang Yuanfu did not hesitate at all. He took the shell with both hands, broke it open, and poured the pill inside into his mouth with fluid movements. He then picked up the water cup on the table and drank it down in one gulp.

His throat bobbed, and the pill went down his throat into his stomach.

Seeing this, Yang Dashan was not to be outdone. Without saying a word, he took the wooden shell, broke it open, and put it in his mouth.

He chewed the pills twice, the sweet, fragrant aroma filling his nostrils. He then picked up the water glass on the table and drank it down, washing the pills out of his mouth.

Seeing that the two of them didn't ask any questions, Gu Changsheng swallowed the unknown pill without hesitation. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and his eyes closed slightly.

He wanted to make them both uneasy and tormented by the unknown, to see if they would be unable to resist asking questions.

He needs meticulous experimenters, not gossipy women who ask endless questions.

Seeing Gu Changsheng close his eyes to rest, Zhang Yuanfu followed suit, closing his eyes, clearing his mind, and no longer thinking about taking the unknown pills. He silently recited the family's traditional health-preserving meditation method.

Yang Dashan followed suit, sitting cross-legged on the cushion and closing his eyes.

Unbeknownst to the two, Gu Changsheng's divine sense was truly observing the changes within their bodies.

It's impossible for an accident to happen. Gu Changsheng gave the two of them the "First-Grade Nourishing Essence Pill," which might have some side effects, but there's no danger to their lives.

Previously, he had only tested the two men's character and courage; he wouldn't risk their lives to test the drug.

He himself is the perfect test subject for the elixir, able to clearly perceive the effects of the medicine and its influence on the body. If the medicine causes damage to the physical body, he can forcibly expel the medicinal properties from the body.

He refined the elixir himself, and he had a basic understanding of its efficacy.

If it were for making poison pills, I certainly wouldn't take them myself. There are plenty of people who would experience the power of poison pills, so why would I use a close friend as a guinea pig?

The genuine elixir worked quickly, and changes began to appear in Zhang Yuanfu and Yang Dashan's bodies.

Their stomachs started rumbling, "Gurgle, gurgle..."