Don't farm, cultivate immortality!

"I will return to Yidu with the imperial decree in one or two months at the shortest, and you must not delay!"

"Your subordinate obeys!"

After giving these instructions, the prefect turned to look at Zhuang Xing.

"It was thanks to you, Daoist Zhuang, that we found the wheat seeds. I wonder if Daoist Zhuang would be willing to come to the capital with me?"

"Although I have this intention, I am still somewhat worried about my family, so I will not travel with the Prefect." Zhuang Xing bowed.

It wasn't that he didn't want to go, but the capital was just too far away.

Even though he was the prefect of Yidu, he didn't need to be accompanied and protected by Qing Sui, a disciple of Xuanqing Temple. Bai Yu would also take care of things like wheat and stone mills.

The prefect took him there, probably just to get him to receive the reward and to build a good relationship with him.

However, he did not show the wheat to the prefect for the sake of a reward. If there were a reward, it would come to him sooner or later. If not, it didn't matter. In this kind of winter, he still wanted to go home to his family.

It's just the capital city; he has a long life ahead of him, and he'll have his chance to go there sooner or later.

“In that case, I will not insist,” the prefect said. “I will certainly report the matter here to the Emperor truthfully.”

"May Your Excellency have a safe journey."

"That black horse is destined to be with Daoist Zhuang Xing, so let it follow him. It is a descendant of the famous horse Jueying and is only two years old this year. It was a gift from a friend to me last year for my birthday. However, I am just a local official and do not ride horses often. The horse that follows me is kept in the garden all year round and cannot run freely, so it has been covered in dust."

"Taoist priest, please don't refuse. Having such a horse will make traveling much more convenient. If you find it inconvenient to keep it, you can have the officials take care of it for you."

"Well... then I thank you for your kindness, Prefect."

Zhuang Xing did like riding that black horse. The horses at Xuanqing Temple were kept in the stables and were for the common use of the disciples on the mountain. They were not personal property. Zhuang Xing was quite willing to have his own horse.

The main reason was that it got along well with Zhuang Xing. Moreover, it was all black except for its four white hooves, making it very majestic. It also knew to lower its body so that Zhuang Xing could get on easily. After riding it for several days, Zhuang Xing naturally grew to like it.

"Very well," the prefect said. "Then we shall part here. See you again when I return from the capital!"

As he spoke, the prefect ordered his officers to bring over the horse.

With the help of the officials, Bai Yu and his three companions mounted their horses and became passengers.

They took away twenty catties of wheat and dug up twenty wheat seedlings.

The golden wheat was more valuable than gold at that moment, and those twenty unassuming wheat seedlings became priceless treasures.

After giving his instructions, the prefect and his officers rode away.

Amidst the sound of horses' hooves, snowflakes fell, and their figures disappeared into the snow.

The four officials who remained were stationed in the bamboo huts to guard the wheat seeds.

They stood meticulously, holding their knives like statues.

Although the village chief was not very knowledgeable, he knew that this matter was extremely important, so he went to each household to remind the villagers not to talk nonsense or do anything reckless these days.

This matter involves the Emperor, and in his mind, if they're not careful, everyone could lose their heads.

As for the children who used to grow wheat, they have become "wheat cultivation experts." Before the prefect left, he specifically asked the village chief to take good care of them, and the village chief sent them quilts, chickens, and ducks.

After seeing off the prefect and his officials, Zhuang Xing finally had time to go home and visit his family.

He led the black horse that the prefect had given him; since it was his own horse, there was no reason for him to let someone else take care of it.

"From now on, you'll be following me. Let me give you a name."

"How about I call you Wuzhui? Snow-Treading Wuzhui, you must accompany me to travel all over the beautiful landscapes of the country in the future."

Zhuang Xing stroked the neck of the black horse to warm it up.

The black horse neighed and nuzzled Zhuang Xing's hand, as if in response.

Speaking of which, Wuzhui was shorter than the other horses in the group. Zhuang Xing thought it was because it was a small horse by nature, and that the prefect had prepared a small horse for him because he was still young. He never expected that Wuzhui was only two years old.

Ordinary warhorses need to be trained until they are two years old, they can be saddled at three years old, and they are considered fully mature at five years old.

Wuzhui is only two years old, yet he's already so intelligent; is he a descendant of the famous horse Jueying...?

It must have something different about it than ordinary horses. The prefect gave him the black horse, isn't that a fine horse given to a hero?

He could tell that the prefect wanted to befriend him. As expected of a seasoned official, the prefect knew how to please him. He quite liked the gift.

Leading the black horse to the front of the house, the village chief was still knocking on the doors of each household not far away, but had already passed Zhuang Xing's house.

Zhuang Xing looked towards his doorway and saw that the bamboo that had been cut down had all grown back. Although it wasn't as tall as before, it was still quite lush.

His father and mother seemed to have heard from the village chief that he was back, and they were already standing at the door waiting for him.

"Son, the village chief said the prefect has arrived. Is there something wrong?" Father frowned.

"Could some powerful demon be causing trouble nearby...?" Mother clutched her chest.

The village chief didn't explain things clearly, and both parents looked worried and distressed.

"It's cold outside, let's go back inside and I'll talk to Father and Mother." Zhuang Xing looked at the falling snow. "Please don't worry, although it is indeed something important, it's not dangerous."

"Oh, right, this is Wuzhui, a horse given to me by the prefect." Zhuang Xing stroked Wuzhui's mane.

"A horse gifted by the prefect?"

The mother looked at the black horse beside Zhuang Xing. Knowing that someone was watching it, the black horse raised its head and puffed out its chest, striking a pose.

He's someone who likes to show off.

Mother stepped back a little. Although the black horse was not large, Mother seemed to be not good at handling horses.

Zhuang Xing smiled and led Wuzhui into the courtyard.

It was snowing that day, and it was very cold outside, but there wasn't a shelter in the yard to keep the black horse warm and protected from the snow.

"I'm sorry to trouble you for a while." Zhuang Xing hugged Wuzhui. "You stay outside for a while. I'll come out and make the shed for you after I've explained things to my parents."

Chapter 130 Hungry... Food... (Two-part summary)

Zhuang Xing didn't tie a rope to Wu Zhui. He didn't tie it during the days they were traveling. But when it was time to rest at night, Wu Zhui would come to Zhuang Xing's side and curl up, letting him keep it warm.

Back inside, Zhuang Xing recounted the whole story to his parents.

Because of the snow disaster and the wheat harvest, he will have to stay at home for a while until the prefect sends someone to call him back. He will probably stay here until the Taoist priest Qingxuzi comes back to call him.

Such cold, snowy weather might cause some monsters to behave abnormally. Although there are old hunters in the village, it's definitely safer to stay at home by myself.

After his parents learned the reason, their tense mood relaxed, and they were happy that Zhuang Xing had returned home. They even made his bed for him.

My father's wheat harvest was bountiful, and there was plenty of flour in the house. My mother, without any instruction, learned how to make steamed buns.

Unfortunately, without yeast, the steamed buns were not very fluffy.

Given limited resources, the brokerage firm didn't hesitate to accept whatever they wanted.

He took a bite of his steamed bun and went outside, intending to build a shelter for his horse, Wuzhui, to protect it from the snow and wind.

He took his sword and went outside, cut some bamboo and wood, and with his father's help, built a simple thatched shed against the wall. To keep the black horse warm, Zhuang Xing piled his old clothes and dry grass into the shed and weighed it down with bricks and stones he had brought to prevent it from being blown down by the wind.

It took an afternoon to finish making a small stable.

This shed must be quite simple compared to the stables where Wuzhui was kept by the prefect. It seems that following me has allowed the little horse to go from luxury to frugality.

However, the horse didn't seem to care. It lay contentedly in the shed, chewing on hay. There was still plenty of straw from the autumn harvest at home, and it wasn't picky at all.

Zhuang Xing moved a stool over, sat down next to the horse, patted its head, and fed it a piece of steamed bun. The horse affectionately rubbed against Zhuang Xing's face.

The man and the horse grew much closer.

"Mother, Wuzhui is very obedient, would you like to pet it?"

At Zhuang Xing's urging, Mother closed her eyes and, as if summoning immense courage, tentatively reached out her hand.

When she touched the black horse, she trembled.

Zhuang Xing held down Wuzhui from the side, while his mother squinted and watched. Only when she saw that Wuzhui did not make any unusual movements did she dare to breathe.

Zhuang Xing smiled. He hadn't expected his mother to have such a girlish side. She was usually very efficient at killing chickens, but she was quite unaccustomed to killing animals of such a large size.

Before dinner, Zhuang Xing went to see his younger sister again.

My little sister will be two years old soon. Because of the cold weather, she sleeps in her crib in the afternoon, but when she gets up to eat, she is still as energetic as before.

"I'm hungry... I need food..."

Before Zhuang Xing returned, the little sister learned to speak.

However, my little sister can't call her father or mother; she can only say three phrases: "hungry," "food," and "pee-pee."

Her mother put her shoes on and put her on the ground. She mumbled in a childish voice and stumbled around the house.

She seemed to still remember Zhuang Xing. The moment she saw him, the petite girl raised her head, poked her chin with her finger, tilted her head with a cute expression, and let out two soft "woo-woo-woo" sounds.

Then, it suddenly opened its short arms and ran towards Zhuang Xing.

Because she wasn't very good at walking, she tripped over her own feet. Luckily, Zhuang Xing caught her in time, but the next second, the little girl bit Zhuang Xing's finger.

Although it didn't cause Zhuang Xing any harm, judging from her strained expression, she bit very hard. Zhuang Xing picked her up and tickled her until she let go.

The little sister has a special obsession with her brother's fingers, but fingers are not something to eat. Zhuang Xing wanted to teach her a lesson, but the two-year-old child only takes other people's words as nonsense. No matter what Zhuang Xing said, if he wasn't careful, she would accurately bite Zhuang Xing's finger and not let go.

Zhuang Xing had no choice but to educate his younger sister later.

You must tell her properly when the time comes that fingers are not something you can eat.

Until then... we just have to bear with it...

Aside from her habit of biting her fingers, the little girl is quite adorable, with a soft face, bright eyes, and a weight and height that's just right for one arm to hold. Zhuang Xing really enjoys the feeling of holding her in his arms.

Even during meals, Zhuang Xing was holding her.

She had already been weaned and usually ate millet porridge. Zhuang Xing scooped the porridge into her mouth with a wooden spoon. She hesitated between the hot porridge and her brother's fingers, but in the end, hunger overcame the temptation of the fingers and she successfully let go of her mouth while eating.

However, once she had eaten her fill, she immediately resorted to her old trick, as if she felt that if she didn't bite now, she wouldn't be able to bite again. She stubbornly bit Zhuang Xing and refused to let go at all.

Perhaps because it was warm in her brother's arms, the little sister bit her finger and fell asleep, making peaceful breathing sounds. Zhuang Xing wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, carried her to his original bed, and covered her with a blanket.

The next morning, Wuzhui emerged energetically from the thatched hut and stood at the door of Zhuangxing's house.

Upon seeing Zhuang Xing, it sniffed.

It seems to want to go out for a run.

Wuzhui was only two years old. Even in the world of horses, two years old is not considered an adult horse. It was just a child, a young and spirited foal. Zhuang Xing felt that it might follow him because it thought that as long as it followed this man, it could play outside to its heart's content.