The two immortals and one rat quickly arrived at their destination—the very place that had left the little rat lingering in utter delight.
Yuan Heng looked toward Tongtian, a smile spreading across her lips. “Please feel free to take whatever you need, Fellow Daoist. If there's anything not found here, you can take Duobao around the island to search for it.”
Tongtian nodded. “Then I shall offer my thanks, Fellow Daoist.”
After a moment's thought, he retrieved the pills Taiqing had given him. “These pills were refined by my eldest brother. Please accept them as a meeting gift from me, Fellow Daoist.”
Why give a meeting gift only now instead of when we first met?
Could it be that he forgot?
Yuan Heng took them without standing on ceremony. “Then please extend my gratitude to Fellow Daoist Taiqing once you return.”
“I won't disturb you any further. Fellow Daoist, Little Duobao, please make yourselves at home.”
With that, Yuan Heng gave a slight nod and took her leave first.
Staying here with nothing to talk about is way too awkward. I'd better get out of here.
Looking at the opulent herb garden before them, Tongtian and Duobao both went silent: “...”
Fellow Daoist / Senior sure is easygoing and uninhibited.
Most of the precious materials Taiqing required were available right in the herb garden, leaving only a few rare stalks that needed Duobao's help to find.
Thus, the master and disciple spent three full days immersed in the forests of Fangzhang Island before finally gathering all the required herbs.
Duobao felt that this was truly exhausting for a rat~ Fangzhang Island was really big, wuu wuu wuu.
When they returned to Yuan Heng's small palace, Yuan Heng was nonchalantly using Three-Light Divine Water with lavish extravagance to water her garden, while Ling Nü followed by her side, attentively attending to her.
Tongtian descended on a cloud while holding Duobao. Hearing the commotion, Yuan Heng turned around. “You've returned, Fellow Daoist. Did everything go smoothly?”
Tongtian nodded. “Mhm... Thank you for your generosity, Fellow Daoist. Now that our business here is finished, I shall take my leave.”
Yuan Heng set down her water ladle and waved her hand at Tongtian. “Well then... goodbye, Fellow Daoist?”
Goodbye?
They certainly would see each other again—they were bound to meet when the lectures at Purple Heaven Palace resumed.
However, Tongtian still hadn't figured out the answer to the question Yuan Heng had posed earlier. “By the way, Fellow Daoist, regarding the question you asked me before... once I find the answer, I will return to let you know.”
He couldn't figure it out, but once he went back and asked his eldest brother and second brother, they would surely understand the meaning behind it.
Hehe, I really am a clever little genius.
Yuan Heng raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected Fellow Daoist Tongtian to actually take it so seriously.
She let out a soft laugh. “Alright then, I shall await Fellow Daoist's well-considered answer.”
“Mhm...”
Tongtian rode his cloud away with Duobao, quickly vanishing from sight.
Yuan Heng stood still for a moment, watching the direction in which they had departed.
She looked down at little Ling Nü, who didn't even reach her knees. “Little one, what if I enlighten another living creature to keep you company?”
The entire Fangzhang Island had only her and Ling Nü; it was indeed a bit too quiet.
Ling Nü's eyes sparkled. “Yes, yes! What kind of creature does Daojun wish to enlighten?”
Seeing her attendant's eager little eyes, Yuan Heng feigned thoughtfulness for a moment. “Hmm... let me give it some thought.”
Little Ling Nü looked at the contemplative Yuan Heng, her lips moving as if she hesitated to speak, not daring to utter a word even after a long moment.
Yuan Heng gently tapped her head. “Oh, you... Since I'm picking a companion for you, naturally I should choose someone you get along with.”
“Didn't you tell me before that there's a white deer in the forest that gets along well with you? Go bring it here.”
Overjoyed at the sudden good news, Ling Nü couldn't help dancing with glee. “Really...? Thank you, Daojun!”
The little deer can be enlightened by Daojun too~
“Ling Nü will go fetch the little deer right away~”
Yuan Heng nodded gently, and little Ling Nü dashed off as fast as her legs could carry her, full of joy.
Ah, youth is wonderful~ So full of energy, running off at full tilt.
Before long, Ling Nü brought back a white deer that was about as tall as her. Possessing innate spirituality, the deer bowed its head in greeting to Yuan Heng, letting out a joyful, clear cry.
All living things have spirituality; truly, the saying does not lie.
The corners of Yuan Heng's lips curled up as she raised her hand to enlighten it. It turned out to be a young boy... with white hair, delicate facial features, and two pairs of tiny deer antlers subtly hidden amidst his hair.
Another cute little fellow.
Yuan Heng put her clever mind to work and suddenly struck upon a great idea. “From now on, you shall be named Susu...”
Meanwhile, Tongtian sped through the sky with Duobao, practically burning with desire to know the true answer to the question Fellow Daoist Yuan Heng had asked him.
However, so focused on traveling was he that he failed to notice Duobao sticking his little rat head out from his collar. Under the whipping gale, the rat's fur was rapidly blown into a chaotic mess.
Duobao: ...The wind is so strong, and this rat is so cold.
The journey back to Mount Kunlun took significantly less time than their trip there.
Probably because Tongtian didn't stop along the way to 'play the righteous hero'~
In just a little over two months, they had returned to Mount Kunlun.
When Tongtian returned to Mount Kunlun, Taiqing and Yuqing were sitting at a stone table sipping tea, looking as though they had anticipated his return today and were specifically waiting for him.
“You're back... Come, sit.”
Yuanshi gestured for him to sit down at the stone table and poured him a cup of tea. “Did your trip go smoothly?”
Tongtian's face beamed with pride. “Of course it went smoothly! I am Tongtian of the Three Pure Ones. Repairing a mere array was as easy as turning my palm~”
As he spoke, he set Duobao on the table. Though as polite as ever, the rat—now sporting an explosive bedhead—bowed respectfully to his two martial uncles. Seeing them nod, he sprinted off at lightning speed to find a corner and groom himself.
Wuu wuu wuu, this rat doesn't want to live anymore! Second Martial Uncle already dislikes me, and now I look so unseemly... Wuu wuu, a rat's life is truly hard~
Seeing him run off, Tongtian scratched his head in confusion. “What's Duobao in such a rush for?”
Taiqing & Yuqing: “...”
Forget it. The master is unreliable, so we can't blame Duobao.
Taiqing spoke up, starting the topic and ignoring his airheaded younger brother. “Have all the herbs been gathered?”
Tongtian nodded and waved his hand, presenting all the precious materials from the list. “Eldest Brother, they are all here.”
Thinking back to the spectacular sight of Yuan Heng's garden, Tongtian couldn't help smacking his lips even now. Fellow Daoist Yuan Heng was truly wealthy.
Taiqing nodded, waving his sleeve to store them all away.
Tongtian continued chatting with his elder brothers. “Though... Eldest Brother, Second Brother, you definitely won't guess who reaped the greatest harvest on this trip—it was actually Duobao!”
Tongtian glanced over at the rat grooming himself in a nearby corner, his face wearing a triumphant brag. “Fellow Daoist Yuan Heng has great taste, just like me~ She took a liking to Duobao the moment she laid eyes on him.”
Yuanshi, knowing Tongtian said this specifically for his benefit: “...”
Great, Third Brother is probably going to be boastfully rampant for a while again.
“She even let the White Lotus of World Cleansing purify the karmic hindrance he previously incurred... I reckon that by taking a trip with Fellow Daoist Yuan Heng, he obtained quite a few opportunities.”
Hehe~
Good Duobao, let Master take a look~
Tongtian's mischievous gaze fell upon Duobao in the distance. The little rat instantly shivered as a sense of foreboding hit him, turning his head only to behold his master's familiar, grinning face.
Duobao: ( ´ﾟωﾟ)?
“Duobao~ Fellow Daoist Yuan Heng gave you quite a few gifts, didn't she? Come, let Master take a look~”
And so, with Duobao looking like he was on the verge of tears, Tongtian picked up the rat and gave him a vigorous shake.
Right after, a rain of heavenly materials and earthly treasures began falling from the rat's body.
Huangzhong Plums, Qinghe Cross-Pears, Nine-Vein Spirit-Returning Ganoderma, Glowing Dew Grass, Calamity-Cleansing Azure Angelica, Huiwen Jade Marrow Fruits, Jinshuo Ancient Oak Acorns...
There were so many that it surpassed even the list of materials Taiqing had handed to Tongtian.
Tongtian's old face flushed red. Though he had previously known Fellow Daoist Yuan Heng had gifted Duobao 'a tiny bit' of stuff, he never expected it to be this much... This, this, this—if anyone else saw this, they'd think Tongtian had brought his disciple over to leech off someone else!
Held upside down by one leg in Tongtian's hand, Duobao wore a look of pure innocence.
This, this, this... was all because Senior thought I was cute and gave them to me!
Senior was being so kind, how could a rat possibly have the heart to refuse~?
Rate on N.U.
