When He Zhizhou woke up, the sky was already beginning to brighten.

The rain from last night had finally ceased, and through the gaps between the rolling hills, a faint fish-belly white color was revealed. The misty mountains, moistened by the rain, appeared even greener and more vibrant. A bird’s cry shattered the silence, bringing a hint of dawn.

The Vajra shield in the clear sky was like a massive umbrella, radiating a visible Buddhist light that enveloped everyone present.

Many cultivators had yet to awaken, lying or sitting in various places to rest. Apart from them, only two people were awake and sitting side by side, seemingly discussing something.

They were Mingkong and Xu Ye.

He Zhizhou moved closer to listen.

Mingkong spoke in a low voice, “Changyue Peak is the deepest part of Xiaochongshan . Going further, you reach the endless deep sea. Perhaps it’s because of this unique terrain that it has given birth to the precious-grade spirit plant, the Silver Silk herb.”

Xu Ye nodded in understanding. “So, everyone has come here for the silver silk herb. Unexpectedly, the Black Bird guarding this place didn’t allow them to take it. Therefore, the Little Master set up this Vajra Shield to ensure safety.”

He had made adequate preparations before coming to Xiaochongshan, so he naturally knew about Changyue Peak.

The Silver Silk herb, like the Sky Heart herb, was a rare and precious-grade spiritual treasure. Although many knew it grew on Changyue Peak, for some reason, a massive Black Bird had always hovered above the peak, preventing any cultivators from getting close. So, even after all these years, the silver silk herb remained uncollected.

“Spirit-grade plants possess spiritual energy. The Black Bird’s reason for guarding the Silver Silk herb might be to absorb its spiritual energy for cultivation,” Mingkong said with lowered eyebrows and a few strands of crimson sunlight falling on his long eyelashes.

“Its strength is unfathomable. I’m afraid that even if we join forces, it would be difficult to defeat it.”

In fact, Master, you only know one technique: Vajra Shield. Even if we join forces with you, it seems to be no different from fighting alone!!.

He Zhizhou scratched his disheveled hair and, with sleepy eyes, interjected, “So what are we going to do later? Are we going to stay here all the time and wait for the secret realm to automatically send us out when it closes?”

Xu Ye looked at him with a complex expression and said, “The Black Bird has exceptionally keen hearing and a sense of smell. It can even sense the spiritual energy within all living things. The moment we step outside, it will immediately detect us. However, Little Master Mingkong told me…”

Mingkong exchanged a glance with him and smiled gently. “Actually, there’s something I didn’t tell you. My spiritual power is limited, and this Vajra shield can only support us for a maximum of two hours.”

He Zhizhou took a sharp breath and exclaimed, “So you mean, after two hours, we’ll become Black Bird’s charcoal-roasted skewers?”

“If it were only to protect one person, the Vajra shield could have lasted much longer.”

Xu Ye, standing nearby, furrowed his brows. “But Little Master Mingkong shared it with us, significantly increasing the burden on his spiritual power. That’s why he can’t hold out for too long.”

In other words, Mingkong had the opportunity to protect himself alone but willingly gave up the chance of survival for the unfamiliar cultivators around him.

He Zhizhou initially thought this guy was just an unreliable young monk, but upon hearing this, his heart couldn’t help but tremble. “We can’t do that! Are you planning to act out ‘No One Survived’ for real?”

“I told you earlier that killing is useless; compassion is essential.’ I practice the Vajra shield technique to benefit the world, save people, and prevent killing. Now, if I can offer all of you a glimmer of hope, I have fulfilled my ‘Buddhist Way’,” Mingkong said, shaking his head and smiling.

“Enduring suffering and working hard, dedicating oneself to a great purpose, with an unwavering heart and moving forward, life and death hold no power over me.”

Xu Ye, perplexed, asked, “Little Master, what does that last sentence mean?”

Mingkong’s smile froze on his face.

Mingkong: “I had some cabbage for dinner yesterday, and it tasted quite good. Are you all hungry?”

He actually changed the subject directly! The transition was way too abrupt!

He Zhizhou finally understood that this person, although he appeared to be a cultured youth, was completely clueless about Buddhist scriptures. When he occasionally quoted them, he was just picking up some sentences he remembered without understanding their true meaning.

Three seconds ago, he thought Mingkong was somewhat cool. How foolish he was!

“This won’t work.”

Xu Ye tightened his grip on the longsword at his waist, his brow furrowed. “I’ve already made a plan. When the Vajra shield breaks, I’ll rush out first to divert the Black Bird’s full attention. You can use the opportunity to escape, and don’t worry about me.”

He then took a deep breath and handed something to He Zhizhou.

Surprisingly, it was a folded piece of white paper with extravagant calligraphy on the outer layer that read “The Tenth Draft of My Farewell Letter.”

Below there is a line of small characters that also look like a dog crawling:

‘Senior Sister Su, don’t be sad. Although I am dead, I will always be by your side. If you look behind you when you are lonely in the middle of the night, you may be able to see my shadow accompanying you.’

He Zhizhou:…

When this passage is translated, isn’t it like saying, “Even if I become a ghost, I won’t let you go”? My friend, how much do you hate this senior sister Su for telling her a ghost story even before you die?

He Zhizhou didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He received the farewell letter with a complicated expression and then heard Mingkong saying, “You two don’t need to be so pessimistic. One cannot attain Buddhahood under favorable conditions. Until the very end, no one knows if they might encounter new opportunities.”

Xu Ye was startled. “Opportunities?”

The young monk lifted his long lashes, and his black eyes glistened in the morning sunlight, reflecting a white figure in the distance. “Isn’t that it?”

Two sword cultivators next to him simultaneously raised their heads, both expressing extreme surprise at the same time. He Zhizhou called out softly, “Ning Ning!”

In the distance, a shining sword light was approaching, even more dazzling than the sunrise that divided day and night.

A young girl jumped down from the sword and, upon seeing the two of them, was slightly taken aback. “Why are you here? Didn’t we agree to meet at the river where we ate fish before?”

“I’m not afraid of heights…”

No, something’s not right.

He Zhizhou stopped talking abruptly and looked up at the sky in reflex.

The Black Bird’s sense of smell and perception far exceeded that of humans. When he and Xu Ye first arrived here, it detected their presence.

Now that Ning Ning had arrived without any precautions and it was daytime, that monstrous bird would definitely sense them immediately.

Xu Ye seemed to have thought the same thing, and he immediately lowered his voice and said, “Be careful! There’s a man-eating Black Bird here, and it has probably already detected your presence!”

Ning Ning raised her head, gazing at the sky all around.

In her line of sight, there was only the chaotic dawn sky, where the clouds were drifting leisurely. Even the wind had not yet awakened. The surroundings were so quiet that it seemed as if time had stopped, with no sign of anything unusual.

“Did you bring precious-grade spirit plants with you?”

Mingkong did not show any signs of confusion. Instead, he smiled calmly. After seeing the nod from Ning Ning, he explained in a calm tone, “The Black Bird has a keen sense of smell and strong perception. The reason it can sense our presence from a distance is that it detects the spiritual energy within each cultivator.”

He paused, giving He Zhizhou some time to think. “And spirit-grade plants emit a more concentrated aura than cultivators, completely masking their own aura. To the distant Black Bird, this cultivator is no different from the surrounding plants.”

He Zhizhou suddenly realized, “Lucky attire!”

Xu Ye breathed a sigh of relief. “Why did you come here? What about the Ancient Forest?”

He felt guilty about being taken away by He Zhizhou when he was injured. Seeing Ning Ning safe and sound now, he could finally relax.

“The Ancient Forest’s ten thousand-year-old Dragon Blood Trees were affected by demonic energy, but it has been dealt with by Pei Ji.”

Ning Ning summarized it briefly: “However, he forcibly broke open his sea of consciousness to unleash his potential, and his current situation is very bad. Senior Sister Su Qinghan said that the Silver Silk herb here can save him.”

“Sister Su?” Xu Ye excitedly grinned, “You met her? Where is she now? Isn’t she here with you?”

Ning Ning shook her head. “She’s taking care of Pei Ji.”

Recalling the situation in the Ancient Forest, Ning Ning’s gaze dimmed involuntarily. At that time, her eyes were obscured by demonic energy. She could only hear the howling winds and the sword cries like dragon roars around her. The intense, rusty scent was everywhere, akin to a sea of blood. At the moment when the demonic energy disappeared from her sight, her eardrums were nearly pierced by a sharp wail.

As the wail sounded, the horrifying crimson color gradually dissipated from the Ancient Forest, fading into a familiar and light green hue. The blood mist receded little by little, and every wrinkle on the Dragon Blood Tree’s trunk split open like trumpets, oozing a constant flow of viscous tree sap and staining the entire tree bright red. The vine tendrils, once ferocious, lost their strength, and disciples entangled in them fell to the ground one by one.

In the immediate vicinity of the Dragon Blood Tree, just a stone’s throw away, Pei Ji, dressed in black, stood with his head down, almost becoming a blood-covered figure.

It was likely that all his internal organs had been shaken, and his meridians were severely damaged. The reason he could stand upright with his back straight was the long sword thrust into the demonic core.

Ning Ning couldn’t understand why Pei Ji had covered her eyes.

But according to Senior Sister Su, fortunately, she didn’t see the scene at that time; otherwise, she would have had nightmares for several days in a row.

Like, the tree trunk’s face suddenly turned into an angry expression; the blood mist and vines in the entire forest surged toward Pei Ji; Pei Ji’s eyes and mouth were bleeding; and his expression was extremely terrifying.

In any case, this inexplicable anomaly that had nothing to do with the original story had finally been resolved. However, as the one who resolved it, Pei Ji’s condition was truly not optimistic—

In addition to severe internal injuries, his body had been flooded with demonic energy immediately after. It had occupied the majority of his body.

The spiritual energy in the bodies of cultivators of the righteous path was pure, and Pei Ji was no exception.

But unfortunately, this type of spiritual energy is completely incompatible with demonic energy. The two clashed within his body, causing excruciating pain that felt like blood vessels and bones were being torn apart and shattered bit by bit. An ordinary person probably wouldn’t be able to endure even a moment of it.

However, Pei Ji managed to grit his teeth, and with a pale face, he endured the excruciating pain. When Ning Ning approached him cautiously, he even hoarsely and slightly tremblingly said, “Don’t mind me; move away.”

Only heaven knew how much effort it took for him to utter this sentence, regardless of whether it was a friendly or unfriendly remark. It made it impossible for people to get angry.

The Sky Heart Herb in Ning Ning’s hand could heal injuries and detoxify, but it had no effect on demonic energy. After pondering for a while, Su Qinghan told her that if she could find the naturally occurring Silver Silk herb with pure spiritual energy, it might be possible to reverse the situation.

So, after some discussion, Su Qinghan stayed in the forest to take care of Pei Ji, while Ning Ning went alone to Changyue Peak to try to find traces of the Silver Silk herb.

“If you have the Sky Heart herb and possess a certain level of concealment ability, maybe you can really obtain the Silver Silk herb,” Mingkong said after hearing the whole story, nodding and smiling. “To save fellow disciples by putting oneself in such a dangerous situation, if I were a little deer in the mountains, I would definitely come back to life because of this deeply moving friendship.”

He Zhizhou shot him a blank look.

This guy shouldn’t be a Buddhist practitioner; he should be called Schrödinger’s deer, dying and reviving endlessly, over and over again.

This quantum monk is indeed quite sophisticated.

As everyone chatted, Mingkong suddenly moved his fingertip and lowered his voice, saying, “The Black Bird is coming soon. Ning Ning, you must hide well—here’s a map of Changyue Peak with the location of the spirit plant marked. Take it.”

Ning Ning nodded, thanked him, and took the map, then swiftly moved to a thicket on the other side.

As Mingkong had mentioned, the Black Bird arrived gracefully. It saw that the Vajra Shield was still in place and let out a slightly disappointed low hum.

It was originally intended to take a look and then leave. Unexpectedly, it seemed to sense something unusual. Its orange-colored pupils suddenly contracted, and it shook its dazzling tail of flames behind it.

Then it sniffed the air with its nose and slowly moved its paw to the right.

Directly in the direction where Ning Ning was hiding.

Their group was struggling to protect themselves, and if the Black Bird discovered Ning Ning, it would be all over for her. He Zhizhou’s heart leaped into his throat, and he belatedly realized—

That’s right.

Because she had given two leaves to someone else, Ning Ning’s Sky Heart herb… was only half left!

With only two leaves remaining, it’s aura was naturally not as strong as before, and it couldn’t completely conceal her spiritual energy. Seeing the Black Bird slowly striding toward the thicket where she was, He Zhizhou took a deep breath and shouted loudly, “Wait!”

The Black Bird coldly turned its head to glance at him, but in an instant, it averted its gaze again and continued forward.

For a powerful spiritual beast like it, ordinary Golden Core stage cultivators and the plants on the ground were no different. If someone walking on the road was brushed by wildflowers on the ankle, they probably wouldn’t bother paying attention.

He Zhizhou felt the pressure, and in order to attract its attention, he steeled himself and raised his voice even louder, shouting, “Don’t go! In fact, I am from the Xuanxu Sword Sect… Ummm…, Tian Xianzi!”

Seeing the Black Bird pause its steps, He Zhizhou hurriedly pressed on, “I suffered significant injuries and a great loss in my cultivation during the battle between immortals and demons. Now, I’ve almost recovered my strength, and once I fully recover, I can dominate the world of cultivation. As long as you don’t harm us, I’ll record a great achievement for you, and in the future, I’ll reward you with countless treasures!”

Tian Xianzi, watching from outside the mystic mirror, choked on his osmanthus cake and rolled his eyes.

This statement was truly outrageous, and the Black Bird had never heard of the “I, Qin Shihuang, will rain money” routine. Upon hearing this, it lowered its head and carefully assessed He Zhizhou.

Although it was within the mystical realm, it had also heard of Tian Xianzi’s name and deeds. The young man in front of him had a similar aura, but there was still some doubt. It quickly sneered, “Impudent child, do you have any evidence?”

He Zhizhou thought for a moment and pulled out his patched-up bag, saying, “This is my bag, which I’ve used for five years.”

Then he lifted his clothes, revealing a section that should have been a belt, but it was actually a smooth vine wrapped around his waist. “This is my belt, used for half a year.”

Finally, he opened the bag, and inside, there were a few clumsily embroidered words: “Hold on, don’t die of poverty.”

Qu Feiqing, who was sitting outside the mystic mirror, couldn’t help but burst into laughter, and soon, the laughter spread throughout the room, filling the air with joy.

“Nonsense! Is that really me?”

Tian Xianzi suddenly stood up from his chair. “Do I look like this?”

He was indignant and had never expected the Black Bird in the mystical realm to have such a surprised tone. “You are truly Tian Xianzi!”

Tian Xianzi:…

The Black Bird was still expressing its surprise, and He Zhizhou exchanged a glance with Ning Ning hidden in the thicket, indicating that she should quickly find the spirit plant and leave it to him to delay. After a brief hesitation, the young girl nodded and disappeared.

After spending so much time in this world, He Zhizhou never forgot that he was once an actor, a thespian who loved to embellish his own performances. Due to his striking appearance, all the roles he received were romantic ones.

He also understood that what could instantly capture a woman’s attention was a romantic performance.

He had been lurking for so long, and finally, he had a chance to show what professionalism meant and what 21st-century wisdom was all about.

Ning Ning, you can rest assured! This bird is not going to leave this place!

“I came here this time to search for spirit herbs to treat my old illness. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to meet you here.”

He Zhizhou transmitted his voice secretly, and Mingkong removed the Vajra Shield from his body. With trembling legs, he slowly approached and continued, “Do you need a reason to like someone? Do you? Do you? Do you?”

This was a quote from “A Chinese Odyssey.”

The plot was too absurd, and a look of confusion appeared on the Black Bird’s face.

However, He Zhizhou continued to approach it, saying, “At least once in a lifetime, you should forget yourself for someone, without expecting a result, without expecting companionship, without expecting to have had someone, and even without expecting you to love me. Just hoping that in the most beautiful years of my life, I can meet you.”

This was from “The Notebook.”

“Snap out of it.”

The Black Bird was finally stabilized by him and stopped its attempt to leave. It said, “You are human, and I am a monster. Our paths are different.”

He Zhizhou chuckled softly, and his deep, mellow voice sounded particularly enticing.

Both inside and outside the mystic mirror, everyone heard him say, “What if I, Tian Xianzi, would like this?”

Finally, someone couldn’t hold back their laughter, and it rang out like a rooster crowing.

Tian Xianzi stiffened.

His fist tightened.

In their conversation, the Black Bird’s eyes flickered, and it gently flapped its wings.

After a gust of wind, the originally massive bird suddenly disappeared. In its place stood a young woman dressed in red, with exquisite beauty.

“I never thought the renowned Elder Tian Xianzi would be like this. You’re quite a pretty boy.”

She smiled nonchalantly, extended her index finger, and lifted He Zhizhou’s fair chin. “I’ve been alone for many years, and I happen to like children. These days, I was thinking of having a new child… Since Elder Tian Xianzi is interested, why don’t we give it a try?”

He Zhizhou thought, It’s great; he’s still a handsome boy at the moment.

He just hoped that things wouldn’t take a turn for the worse in the end and that he wouldn’t end up as a handsome male corpse.

“Want a child?”

Seeing the woman getting closer and closer, He Zhizhou’s smile became increasingly forced, and alarm bells were ringing in his mind. But following the “self-discipline of an actor,” he continued with his lines, “That’s easily achievable! How about… I fulfill your wish right now?”

Even Black Bird was taken aback this time. “Right now?”

“Right now?!”

Meixiu, who was woken up by He Zhizhou turned ashen and looked at this man, who was famous all over the place, with a newfound sense of awe.

What kind of sin had he committed?

He woke up only to see He Zhizhou, a disciple of the Xuanxu Sword Sect, declaring his love passionately to the big bird, and now he even wanted to…

Heavens, why were the disciples of the Xuanxu Sword Sect like this?

The rest of the people were all shocked, except for Xu Ye, who hesitated and furrowed his brow.

Ever since He Zhizhou claimed to be Elder Tian Xianzi, he had wanted to ask—the mystic mirror was a new addition this year, and Senior Brother He, doesn’t he know that the elders will use the Mystic Mirror to monitor the situation in the secret realm, right? !?!

Outside the mystic mirror, there was a female cultivator whose face had turned red, and she averted her gaze. “Indeed, it’s the Xuanxu Sword Sect, truly among the best.”

Others were left dumbfounded. “To delay time, he’s actually willing to make such a bold move. It’s something beyond what ordinary people can do! I admire him; I really do!”

After a moment, no one spoke again.

Inside and outside the mystic mirror, dozens of pairs of eyes were staring at the man and the monster, who were getting closer.

They saw He Zhizhou suddenly hug the woman in red.

Then they all exclaimed, “Wow!” and opened their mouths with their voices so high-pitched it could pop a balloon.

“Mommy!”

After a pause, his voice became louder: “Xianxian is hungry; Xianxian wants to eat. Hmm.”

The Black Bird: …

The expression on Black Bird’s face could no longer be described as “bizarre.” If it had to be described, it should be “colorfully black.”

Tian Xianzi: …

Tian Xianzi’s expression made people think of when he was swindled out of a hundred thousand spirit stones, and he was so poor he resorted to eating watermelon rinds, pumpkin rinds, and orange peels.

“Elder Tian Xianzi.”

Qu Feiqing laughed until she could hardly breathe, leaning on the armrest of her chair. “Can’t the people of your Xuanxu Sword Sect have a little less drama, just like you have less money?”

As she said this, she heard others say, “Quick, look, the Black Bird has transformed into its bird form and is flying away!”

“Could it be that this little friend He, relying on his unique talent, actually managed to disgust away a high-level spirit beast.”

“It seems this bird doesn’t like fried food. Tsk, tsk.”…….(T/N: He zhizhou act is truly grease and nauseating…hahha) 😛

“Wait.”

Only He Xiaochen, the Sect Master of the Liuming Mountain, concealed his expression, and he leaned forward slightly, trying to get a clearer view of the image in the mirror. “Judging from the Black Bird’s trajectory, it seems it intends to head toward the location of the spirit plant, doesn’t it? Wouldn’t that mean… it’s about to run into Ning Ning directly?”

(T/N:Schrödinger’s deer came from the words Schrödinger’s cat; the author just changed it into deer…Schrödinger’s cat is a thought experiment about quantum physics. Erwin Schrödinger suggested it in 1935, in reaction to the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum physics. Schrödinger stated that if you placed a cat and something that could kill the cat (a radioactive atom) in a box and sealed it, you would not know if the cat was dead or alive until you opened the box, so that until the box was opened, the cat was (in a sense) both “dead and alive”. This is used to represent how scientific theory works. No one knows if any scientific theory is right or wrong until said theory can be tested and proved.)

(T/N: This word is from a telecommunications scam. 

“Hello, I am Qin Shihuang. In reality, I haven’t died, and I have 100 tons of gold in Xi’an. I now need 2,000 RMB to unfreeze my gold in Xi’an. You can send it to me via WeChat or Alipay. The account is my phone number! Once you transfer it, I will lead an army to resurrect tomorrow, and you can command three armies!”

In summary, “I, Qin Shihuang, make it rain with money!” is a phrase used to mock various scammers.)

(T/N: “The Notebook” is a romance film directed by Nick Cassavetes and starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. The film was released in the United States on June 25, 2004. The film is adapted from the novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. It tells the story of a pair of childhood sweethearts who reunite after World War II. This unforgettable story is narrated in the notebook of an old man who visits patients in a nursing home every day. As the story unfolded, it became clear that the old lady lying on the hospital bed was the heroine in the story, and the storyteller was the one who proposed. )