Hermit in the Mountains

Gu Changsheng's ears suddenly twitched. Without opening his eyes, he said softly, "Dashan, you two go to the restroom together."

He added, "Get rid of the smell before you come back."

"Okay!!!" Yang Dashan quickly got up, took Zhang Yuanfu away from the wooden house, and rushed towards the cliff several hundred meters away.

The two walked in a particularly strange manner, their legs tucked together and turned outwards as they jogged away.

Gu Changsheng had the two of them take the pills in the wooden cabin, firstly to see how well they absorbed the pills, and secondly because two new toilets had been built on the edge of the cliff, where they could also take showers.

He basically fasts, which means he basically doesn't need to go to the toilet, but he won't be the only one on the mountain in the future, and others won't have his ability to fast.

Since the villagers also needed to use the toilet during the tree planting season, a large new toilet was built and moved to a location several hundred meters away, separated by a sandalwood forest and a lavender planting area, to ensure that the air around the wooden house would not be polluted.

An hour later, when Zhang Yuanfu and Yang Dashan appeared at the wooden house, both of them were beaming.

"Thank you so much for bestowing the pill, senior. I am deeply grateful." Zhang Yuanfu could not hide his joy as he stood at the door and clasped his hands in thanks.

After taking the elixir, it felt as if a stone that had been pressing on his body had been removed, leaving him feeling relaxed and in a good mood.

Similar to the ancient texts describing the cleansing of essence and marrow, his previously weak qi and blood, and pulse, were now powerful and vigorous, and his bodily functions seemed to have recovered to those of a fifty-year-old.

After he finished detoxifying and cleared the odor from his body, he noticed a warm current flowing around his navel. He could control this warm current to move through his meridians if he concentrated.

Unfortunately, the warmth eventually disappeared from his meridians, but he felt that the warmth had not truly disappeared, but rather merged into his body.

He only knew that he had won the bet, and he also understood why the pills he had taken before were called Lesser Spirit Pills.

The pills I took today are the real elixir, the true elixir of immortality.

Yang Dashan, who was standing to the side, quickly expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Boss Gu."

"Come in and sit down. I have something to tell you to do," Gu Changsheng said calmly.

Zhang Yuanfu, his white hair still damp and with a faint odor, clasped his hands in a fist and replied, "Senior, I am tainted by filth, so I will not enter your sanctuary of cultivation."

"This old man is at the door, listening to your esteemed words."

After saying that, Zhang Yuanfu naturally sat cross-legged on the floor by the door.

Having lived most of his life, Zhang Yuanfu knew a lot and witnessed Gu Changsheng's abilities. He respected Gu Changsheng even more, and he showed him respect in his words and actions.

Always keep in mind the proper order of respect and hierarchy.

Yang Dashan quietly pulled his raised right foot back and sat down at the door like Zhang Yuanfu.

Seeing how respectful Zhang Yuanfu was, he followed suit and stopped being as casual as before.

After taking the elixir today, Gu Changsheng was no longer the "Young Master Gu" or "Boss Gu" he used to talk about, but a mysterious and unpredictable master.

Despite being almost forty, he loved watching "Journey to the West" when he was a child. His village is near Zhongnan Mountain, and he often sees short videos on Douyin (TikTok) about spiritual practice and the revival of spiritual energy in Zhongnan Mountain.

The video will explain the differences between spiritual practitioners and ordinary mortals to some extent.

What about the distinction between immortals and mortals, what about the ant realm, what about the little friend realm, the fellow Daoist realm, and the senior realm?

Gu Changsheng had long witnessed Zhang Yuanfu's change in attitude and could understand why it was so rapid. After all, the other party was seventy years old and must have heard about some legendary cultivation secrets and taboos.

The more you know, the more cautious and fearful you become. Gu Changsheng deeply understands this principle. He can sense that the legendary "causal line" exists, so he deliberately reduces his interactions with others, especially his close friendships, to minimize unnecessary causal relationships.

It's not that he's afraid of cause and effect, but that some causes and effects are not worth getting involved in. He doesn't care about cause and effect when it comes to people and things that are beneficial to him.

Everything has a cause and an effect; this is the relationship between cause and effect, and no one can escape the law of cause and effect.

Gu Changsheng noticed that Yang Dashan also exhibited that sense of hierarchy, whereas before it was just a feeling of respect.

The difference between immortals and mortals is not just a difference in life form, lifespan, and strength, but also a subconscious humility that every living being adopts when they think of the word "immortal".

Gu Changsheng gained a deeper understanding of the phrase "the difference between immortals and mortals." The path of cultivation is lonely, and he needs to maintain a pure heart that yearns for the Dao at all times. Everything he experiences is a test of his Dao heart.

He stopped forcing the two to come inside and let things take their course. Similar things would only happen more often in the future. If he couldn't accept the change in his status and kept focusing on such trivial matters, his Dao heart would forever remain at the mortal level.

Gu Changsheng used his divine sense to cut away the distracting thoughts in his mind, regaining his composure and calmly saying, "Testing pills and testing cultivation techniques are not available every day. You still need to complete other tasks."

"Please speak, senior!" Zhang Yuanfu reacted quickly and hurriedly asked what the mission was.

The more he does, the more important he becomes in Gu Changsheng's heart, and the greater the chance he will receive an opportunity bestowed by Gu Changsheng.

"Zhang Yuanfu, from today onwards, you will be in charge of intelligence gathering and resource exchange with outsiders."

"The focus is on information related to spiritual practice, such as special events occurring in various regions, rumors about spiritual cultivation, and official movements."

"Notify me immediately if you discover any information about mutated plants or animals."

Finally, Gu Changsheng instructed, "I will provide you with small spirit pills from time to time. As for how to build an intelligence network, you can figure it out yourself. I only care about the results and not the process."

"Yes, senior, I will keep it in mind and will not let you down!" Zhang Yuanfu replied solemnly, clasping his hands and bowing.

After he finished speaking, a picture of a courtyard he had passed on his way into the village popped into his mind. "Senior, there is something I would like to tell you."

"What is it?"

"The Li family of Qin Medicine Group is inquiring about your situation..." Zhang Yuanfu told Li Jianguo that he was recuperating in Xiahe Village, and that he and Li Jianguo were friends.

She revealed everything about buying "wild ginseng," frequently calling him to ask if he had any new "wild ginseng," trying to find out how to contact the person selling "wild ginseng," and the increased frequency of Li Anlan's appearances at Fushoutang.

"Senior, given the Li family's connections in Qin Province, they have likely already thoroughly investigated your background. We urge you to be aware and prepare accordingly!"

"Li Anlan has already contacted me, but I've been making excuses and haven't met with her. This matter can't be left unresolved." Gu Changsheng thought for a moment, "When you go back later, go see your old friend. You should know what to do."

"My only request is that you do not disturb me or disclose my information."

An idea quickly formed in Zhang Yuanfu's mind: "Senior, with the Li family's strength, they will find out sooner or later that the Little Spirit Pill came from you. Why not strike first?"

"I plan to tell Li Jianguo about the effects of the Peiyuan Xiaoling Pill. This pill is very useful for regulating his body. I will arrange a cooperation with the Li family and use their connections and power as an outer layer of protection to better safeguard your identity information."

"What kind of support do you need?" Gu Changsheng thought Zhang Yuanfu's plan was feasible after listening to it.