Chapter 32: Departure

Thinking about this, I couldn’t help but feel a little dazed. When I came to my senses, I saw that Xiaoding was already talking to my master, apologizing helplessly or something, while the little snake was like nothing had happened, clinging to Xiaoding’s shoulder with innocent eyes.

Seeing that I had come to my senses, Xiaoding smiled at me and said, “Sanwa, you’re almost done washing, right? I’ve finished cooking, let’s go eat.”

When he mentioned dinner, my stomach started to growl uncontrollably, and the little snake became even more excited. It had been pretending to be fine and innocent, but now it kept rubbing against Ding’s cheeks. Ding looked at me and my master sheepishly and said, “Okay, okay… today you can go to my place and play. Just control yourself and don’t burn down the house.”

The little snake seemed very happy.

At that moment, I suddenly felt that Xiaoding’s life here didn’t seem so lonely, and judging by my own situation, it seemed that my perspective was a bit narrow.

Soon, my master and I changed our clothes and followed Xiaoding all the way out of the woods.

On the way, Ding talked a lot, telling us about the “boring old man,” saying that it was a kind snake, the old ancestor responsible for protecting Xiao Teng during this period of time, but the most boring old ancestor, who could lie in one place for many years without moving if it wasn’t necessary.

Actually, I was curious about what these snakes ate in their daily lives.

But these snakes should be at the level of “snake spirits,” right? Anyway, every ancestor I’ve seen should be more powerful than the snake spirits I saw in the bamboo forest and in front of the Hungry Ghost Tomb… And since that snake could remain motionless for so long, as if hibernating, these ancestors should be similar, right?

At the level of a snake spirit, it may already be a realm where “eating air” is the main focus, and food is not as important.

Thinking about this, I feel a little ashamed. If my master and I were to practice in a pure and single-minded way, we might be able to reach the realm of qi-eating and fasting.

But it seems that we have taken another path, the path of the world, which emphasizes technique. Many hermits in the circle think that this is a detour, and has deviated from the main path of the cultivator.

In fact, this is not the case. Cultivation is not about being free from karma or the secular world, but about strengthening the body and focusing on cultivating qi.

On the other hand, entering the world is to accumulate merit and shoulder moral obligations, which is also a righteous path. It is just like Master Hongren suddenly attaining enlightenment one day!

I am ashamed to think that although snakes are also a kind of spiritual being, they are not as easy to cultivate as humans. Not only that, snakes have to overcome many obstacles and cannot relax at any time… And I am so busy that I can’t even guarantee morning and evening classes. Am I too lazy?

In the midst of my rambling thoughts, we had already reached the wooden house in the holy land. Before even entering the house, I could already feel the aroma wafting in the air, and I couldn’t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.

I have to say that this day in the holy land was very beautiful, and in such a wild mountain, I didn’t expect to be able to eat the ultimate delicacy.

Like this pot of soup, it was made from the blind fish and unknown mushrooms, and it was so delicious that just one sip of the soup made people feel happy… The master commented that only food full of spiritual energy can be made simply and simply, and can trigger people’s happiness.

It sounds like a very profound thing, but I don’t care about these theories. I think as long as it tastes good, it’s to my liking.

I had been curious about the blind fish for a long time, so after finishing the bowl of soup, I couldn’t wait to pick up a chopstick and put a piece of blind fish in the bowl. I took a sip, and the fish meat slid into my mouth… It was not spiny, and there was no trace of fishy smell. Instead, it had a special kind of deliciousness that I couldn’t describe. There was also a faint trace of sweetness, and without chewing, I felt that the tender fish meat seemed to have turned into water, and it slid down my throat like that.

Then, the lingering aftertaste exploded in my mouth, and the taste was indescribable. I was so happy that I almost cried.

Just like Ru Xue, whose cooking skills were praised by many people, Xiaoding’s cooking is so rough, but Ru Xue can’t make food with such a taste with her skillful hands.

So, the flavor of the ingredients themselves is actually the most important thing to some extent, but as the master who kept talking while eating said, in this world, ingredients that are full of vitality and have the ultimate flavor are becoming increasingly rare, and they can’t even be found everywhere. I’m afraid that this kind of good fortune also requires many lifetimes of cultivation.

Yes, I naturally cherish the meal I have eaten after cultivating for many lifetimes. Moreover, in addition to the blind fish, the mushrooms and blind shrimp were also superbly delicious.

Because of these precious ingredients, I and the food finally even ate up Ding’s big pot of dried mushrooms and a big plate of bacon.

Among them, the little snake was also busy. Ding would feed it from time to time, including blind fish, blind shrimp and mushrooms, a small amount of other things, such as bacon, etc. No matter how eager the snake was, Ding would never give it to it.

In addition to these, I saw Ding feeding the snake with some processed things. I couldn’t tell what they were at the time, but Master looked at them with a twitching face and a look of concern.

It wasn’t until later that I realized that what Ding was feeding the snake was something that could now be called a treasure of heaven and earth. It was just ground into a powder, mixed with some dried meat powder that the snake liked to eat, and then mixed with eggs to make it look like this.

Well, in the new era, in addition to dog food and cat food, there is also Ding’s special snake food. But those dog and cat foods are really weak compared to Ding’s snake food.

After the meal, the master could not help but ask Xiaoding, “Is Xiaoteng a snake?”

Xiao Ding said directly, “Yes, Xiao Teng is a snake, and it is also the sacred snake that we have guarded for generations. We are eager for it to become a dragon under the protection of our snake clan, and this is also the greatest wish of our snake clan.”

My master and I had already guessed this, but when we actually learned about it, we were so shocked that we couldn’t speak. After all, there is a difference between guessing and actually confirming.

So, in a casual chat later, I couldn’t help but ask my master, “Master, are the records in the Classic of Mountains and Seas all true?”

“At least some of it is true? I don’t know. You know, there is a period of history in China that is a mystery and has not been recognized. It began with the legendary Xia dynasty… The era of Yan and Huang before the Xia dynasty is even more unproven, but so many classics have been passed down. In my Taoist records, it was a time of great magic… all kinds of wonders emerged. In fact, if the mythical snake really existed, I would be thrilled. Because I have already begun to yearn for that time of great magic.” This is what my master said in reply.

And I, too, yearned for that era.

The most irreplaceable thing in life is time. In this isolated and beautiful sanctuary, time seems to pass more quickly. When the dreamlike green fluorescent fungus in this sanctuary lights up again, it is also time for me and my master to leave.

“I’ll see you off,” said Ding, his eyes brimming with emotion, but his words were simple. He held a small cloth bag in his hand, which contained the fourteen nails that I and my master had pulled out.

Master said that even trash can be used, and these 14 nails will bring some safety to me and him.

“Mmm.” The master was silent, and I simply nodded in agreement.

Farewells will always come, and those of us who often have to face them have long known how to handle them at this moment.

There was some silence along the way, and Xiaoding took us through another secret passage… This secret passage was also one of the underground passages, but it was not comparable to the one where the ancestors stayed. However, there were still all kinds of strange snakes in it, which was worthy of being the holy land of the Snake Sect.

But these snakes are not spiritual, so when Xiaoding took us through this secret passage, he was also very careful. He never let go of his bamboo flute and prepared some powdered medicine, which he occasionally sprinkled. I guess he used some of the Snake Gate’s snake-repelling methods.

This time, we also walked in the secret passage for more than two hours. When we came out of the secret passage, we saw a crescent moon in the sky and had no idea where we were on this mountain.

“There will always be a parting when you send someone a thousand miles away. I hope I can see Grandpa Jiang and Sanwa again.” Xiaoding stood in the moonlight, looking elegant like a young gentleman, but the sadness in his eyes seemed a little too heavy.

“I’m sure it will.” This time it wasn’t me who answered, but the master. He was so sure, and was this certainty the fate of the so-called great era he was talking about? Who knows?

Xiao Ding did not respond, but took a roll of paper from his bosom and handed it to the master, saying, “Grandpa Jiang, the map! And these nails, I will find some snakes and bring them to any place at random.”

“Yes,” the master took the map, as if unwilling to face the sadness of parting, and turned and left with me.

At some point, there is no need to say thank you, all you need to do is to keep a friendship in your heart!

But after a few steps, the master suddenly turned back and said to Xiaoding, who had not yet left in the moonlight, “We will really see each other again soon!”