Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Early the next morning.

System Cat stared at Chen Ji in shock. Chen Ji’s normally fair skin had turned a bloodless white, faint dark circles hung under his eyes, and his features were etched with an exhausted, haggard weariness. Yet, his lips were a startling, vivid red, giving him a distinctly gloomy, deathly aura.

He didn’t look human; he looked like a malevolent spirit that had just possessed a body.

"Chen Ji? Holy shit, Chen Ji, what did you *do* yesterday?!"

Chen Ji rubbed his face, too tired to even open his eyes, wanting nothing more than to lie back down and sleep a little longer. Without a word, he entered the bathroom. System Cat was mercilessly shut out and began anxiously scratching at the door within moments: "Chen Ji, don’t use cold water to shower, you’ll catch a cold!"

"My scans show you’re in a weakened state. Don’t shower—be careful not to faint in there!"

Chen Ji plunged his face into the basin, scrubbing vigorously. The cold water jolted him, making him feel slightly more alert. He lifted his head and saw his ghost-like reflection in the mirror. After just a glance, he pulled up the hem of his shirt and held it in his mouth, confirming that his body was covered in bluish-purple "Fire Dragon Coil" marks.

He pulled down his waistband and looked down, his expression cold and fierce, utterly undisguised.

He decisively balled up these clothes and opened the bathroom door: "Get me a change of clothes."

System Cat immediately turned to fetch the clothes.

Chen Ji used this time to boil a pot of hot water, wiping his body clean with the warm water. System Cat, carrying the clothes, didn’t have to wait long before Chen Ji stepped out, faint steam rising from his body. It gasped sharply—usually chatty and lively, it was now speechless.

It had slept at Chen Ji’s feet last night, yet it had no idea Chen Ji had ended up in such a state.

"No big deal." Chen Ji bent down and picked up System Cat. System Cat let out a soft whimper, burying its head in Chen Ji’s chest, muttering: "...I regret it."

It regretted it. If it had known this mountain was like this, it would never have let Chen Ji come back—wasn’t it just a mission? Even if it failed, the worst would be a few hundred years in confinement. Compared to Chen Ji’s life, that didn’t seem so terrifying.

"There’s nothing to regret." Chen Ji said calmly: "We just need to solve the problem."

Chen Ji’s expression was normal as he carried System Cat into the kitchen. After drinking a pot of ginseng and red date tea, some color returned to his face. He then steamed two baskets of frozen egg yolk and cheese lava *shaomai*—these were frozen and needed forty minutes to steam.

Chen Ji stepped outside. The sky was just beginning to lighten, and a cool mountain breeze brushed against his face. He took a few deep breaths, then pushed open the temple gate and picked a large handful of wildflowers on the verge of blooming along the roadside.

After picking them, he returned and poked the *shaomai* with chopsticks. Seeing they were almost done, he cooked a large pot of shrimp wontons.

He lined up large soup bowls, poured a small packet of broth into each, and sprinkled a handful of dried shrimp. Once the wontons were cooked, he ladled them along with the broth into the bowls. The broth instantly blended with the wonton soup, and the dried shrimp floated and swirled in the broth, eventually forming a light and flavorful soup.

Chen Ji brought a bowl of wontons, two *shaomai*, and the wildflowers to the main hall. As three sticks of incense were lit, Chen Ji murmured softly: "Recently, the dwelling has been unsettled, disturbing peaceful dreams. Grandfather Mountain, with your divine power and boundless grace, please grant us your protection."

After speaking, he respectfully kowtowed three times and inserted the incense into the burner.

After making the offering, Chen Ji returned to the kitchen and let System Cat eat first while he brought food to Chang Xu. Just as he reached the eastern courtyard, a sharp, bright light suddenly reflected into his eyes from the courtyard. Chen Ji instinctively turned his face away, then saw that it was Chang Xu practicing his morning exercises.

He was wielding a Tang sword. Chen Ji had seen it before, but only briefly. Now, seeing it up close, he understood what true mastery meant—it was hard to explain why. It wasn’t like in TV dramas where the blade could be twirled into a flower, nor were there any flashy moves like kicking the blade or catching it. The speed wasn’t even particularly fast, but the sharp Tang sword in Chang Xu’s hands moved with effortless grace, calm and steady.

Chang Xu noticed Chen Ji and stopped, nodding slightly. His lips moved, and after a moment, he managed to utter a single word: "...Morning."

Chen Ji nearly laughed. Did it take that long to think of saying "morning"? He naturally took a seat under the corridor and beckoned Chang Xu over: "Come, eat while it’s hot."

Given Chang Xu’s history of eating enough for three people yesterday, Chen Ji had brought all the remaining food. Chang Xu said thank you again, sheathed his sword, and slowly walked over.

Somehow, he resembled a cat.

Whether it was his nearly silent footsteps or the way he occasionally stole glances, it was very much like one.

To be honest, Chang Xu didn’t look too well today either. Sitting together with Chen Ji, they looked like two miserable companions. Anyone unaware might think they had just been discharged from the hospital after a serious illness—only to return home and wait for death.

Chang Xu bit into half a *shaomai* and seemed surprised that Chen Ji had spoken to him. His eyes widened slightly, and after swallowing the *shaomai*, he replied: "I’m much better now, thank you."

"Don’t mention it." Chen Ji lowered his head to eat the wontons and casually asked: "Did you sleep well last night?"

Chang Xu paused, his gaze returning to its usual calm stillness: "Very well, thank you."

Chen Ji looked up at this. "You don’t have to thank me for every sentence."

"...Okay." Chang Xu nodded again. Chen Ji said nothing more and focused on eating breakfast. Seeing that Chen Ji had stopped talking, Chang Xu visibly relaxed, his tense body easing as he also lowered his head to eat.

Chen Ji noticed that when Chang Xu ate the wontons, his eyes lit up for a moment, and he quickly sped up his eating. The wontons in his bowl disappeared at a visible rate.

—Seems he really likes them. I should buy more and stock up.

A hint of a smile touched Chen Ji’s brow. He pointed to the large bowl nearby: "These are all for you too."

Chang Xu opened his mouth to speak, but Chen Ji cut in first: "Thank you, okay, I know, no need to thank me, just eat."

Chang Xu glanced at Chen Ji and buried his head even deeper.

After breakfast, Chen Ji was about to ask what he wanted for lunch when Chang Xu suddenly said: "I have to go."

Chen Ji: "So soon?"

Chang Xu nodded, then stood up and headed out. Chen Ji also rose and called out: "Hey, then help me carry the bowls and chopsticks on your way."

Chang Xu silently turned back to help Chen Ji clean up the dishes. His movements were efficient yet clumsy—specifically, he carried the bowls and chopsticks as if they were precious treasures, walking with extreme caution. They soon reached the kitchen, where Chang Xu set down the dishes and didn’t move further, nor did he leave. Chen Ji, seeing his expression, couldn’t help but laugh: "There’s nothing else."

"Mm." Chang Xu responded and turned to leave. Chen Ji suddenly added: "I’ll see you out."

Chang Xu had to stop again and wait for Chen Ji to catch up. They walked in silence to the temple gate. After stepping outside, Chang Xu suddenly asked: "I heard you have some connection with the weasel on the mountainside?"

Chen Ji nodded and said with a smile: "Quite adorable. I keep him as a pet."

Chang Xu’s eyes remained as calm as ever, but Chen Ji could somehow sense "perplexity" in them—likely questioning how Second Master Huang could be associated with words like "adorable" and "pet." Then Chang Xu added: "The mountain is dangerous."

"Keep those yellow talismans safe." Chang Xu paused before continuing: "Don’t give them away easily."

Chen Ji crossed his arms and said teasingly: "If those things actually worked, that’d be great."

Chang Xu looked into Chen Ji’s eyes: "They’re real."

Chen Ji waved his hand and laughed: "No matter what you say, I won’t drink talisman water. Alright, I won’t see you off further. Come by for a meal when you have time!"

With that, Chen Ji closed the temple gate. Seeing this, Chang Xu didn’t linger any longer. He turned and walked into the nearby forest, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.

System Cat interjected: "Chen Ji, maybe you should drink some talisman water? I tested the yellow talismans your grandfather left—they’re just made of yellow grass paper, mainly composed of straw and rice husks. After burning, they turn into plant ash. Don’t you humans eat alkaline rice dumplings? Having a few sips won’t kill you!"

"I know." Chen Ji walked inside calmly: "Didn’t Chang Xu make it clear?"

System Cat: "...Huh? You actually believe him?!"

It muttered quietly: "I thought you didn’t believe it."

"Just kidding." Chen Ji was about to wash the dishes when suddenly the main gate was knocked loudly. "Master Chen—! Master Chen, are you there?! Master Chen—!"

Chen Ji turned to look toward the temple gate but didn’t move immediately. System Cat asked curiously: "Chen Ji, aren’t you going to open the door?"

Chen Ji snapped out of his thoughts. When he heard the knocking just now, he felt a momentary fear... Was the person outside human, or something else?

He walked over and stood silently inside the door. The temple door had not been replaced yet, and the gaps in the wood were wide enough for him to see the figure outside—it was a person, with no strange shadows or unusual appearance.

He opened the door to find an elderly man in his sixties standing outside, looking anxious. Upon seeing Chen Ji, the man was visibly startled. He scrutinized Chen Ji and then greeted him politely, "Hello, young sir. Is Master Chen at home?"

Chen Ji was puzzled. "Chen? Which Chen?"

The old man replied, "Chen as in 'chenxiang' (agarwood)."

"That's me," Chen Ji said. "I'm the only one around here with the surname 'Chen.' What brings you here?"

The old man was struck dumb but then recalled that the person he was looking for had been described as "young." Assuming he hadn’t mistaken the person, he immediately pulled out a red paper packet from the bag he was carrying. The packet was not tightly wrapped, making it easy to see the stack of pink bills inside.

"What do you mean..." Before Chen Ji could finish his sentence, the old man threw the money into the temple. The loosely wrapped packet came apart, and the bills scattered in the air, fluttering like butterflies.

The scene itself was beautiful.

—If only that money hadn’t been spirit money.