Chapter 50

Chapter 50

[Heart rate 95, blood oxygen 98%, lf...] System Cat reviewed the data. Chen Ji had just finished his activities, so slightly elevated readings were normal. It concluded, [Your health has significantly improved.]

Chen Ji lay sideways by the head of the bed, a slender cigarette dangling from his lips. He raked a hand through his disheveled hair, pushing it back. [I do feel a bit better than before, I suppose.]

Truth be told, Chen Ji hadn't felt this way in a long time. Down the mountain, he was plagued by nightmares daily, his health deteriorating, and his mental state was beyond words—he simply lacked the energy for anything. Surprisingly, since returning to the mountain, despite constant pursuits and severe vitality depletion, his health had inexplicably taken a turn for the better.

[The ginseng and Solomon's Seal from the weasel weren't consumed in vain.] System Cat continued, [According to my analysis, ginseng is yang-natured, Solomon's Seal is neutral, and the other ingredients are similar. Your body has been excessively yin-deficient, so these are excellent tonics for you... The injury you sustained when you were tricked out of here before—it's like they say, 'no destruction, no construction'...]

Chen Ji exhaled a puff of smoke, letting out a lazy chuckle. He remarked nonchalantly, [Since when did you start learning all this?]

Crouching outside Chen Ji’s door, System Cat flicked its tail. [I'm just worried about you, that's all. While impotence can lead to a pure, desire-free life, prolong your lifespan, and protect you from many cancers, you humans seem to care quite a bit about that sort of thing?]

System Cat grew more animated as it spoke: [So, what do you say? Want me to give you an electric shock? I guarantee you’ll never have to worry about this again.]

[Get lost.] Chen Ji chuckled softly, taking one last drag before turning off the bedside lamp and drifting off to sleep.

Having already exerted himself today, Chen Ji fell into a deep slumber almost instantly, with little preamble.

The night breeze gently swept into the main hall, lifting a corner of the bright yellow silk covering. A glimpse of the mottled statue revealed a splash of vibrant color. A figure walked to the hall's entrance, gazing up at the statue. The silk-shrouded effigy exuded an ineffable eeriness.

The wind suddenly intensified, making the silk flutter like butterflies, yet it remained steadfast, obscuring most of the view.

The person watched this scene intently for a long time before finally closing the main hall’s door.

***

Chen Ji awoke feeling utterly refreshed and clear-headed. He rose and entered the bathroom. While attending to his personal needs, he caught sight of himself in the mirror.

The hem of his pajamas was held between his teeth. The first thing that caught his eye was a large paw print—the kick from White Tiger Grandpa had indeed left a bruise. The mark stretched from his side all the way to his abdomen. The faint discoloration against his fair skin created an inexplicably alluring impression.

The traces of the "Fire Dragon Coil" had completely vanished. Chen Ji thought about how those marks had appeared and couldn’t help but let out a snicker.

Chen Ji instinctively felt that the instigator of the "Fire Dragon Coil" was connected to that dream—perhaps even one and the same.

Chen Ji completely stripped off his pajamas and tossed them into the washing machine. System Cat straightened up and pressed the power button with its paw. As the washing machine began to churn, Chen Ji took a quick, efficient shower, then headed out to prepare breakfast.

There wasn’t much to say about breakfast—it was always the same few items. Chen Ji felt a craving and decided that once the contractor arrived, he would take Second Master Huang and the others into the forest to forage for some fresh, seasonal ingredients. If they couldn’t find anything, picking some wild vegetables to blanch and make into a cold salad would also suffice.

The contractor arrived shortly after breakfast. After aligning the details with Chen Ji, Chen Ji set off with a bamboo basket on his back. As he reached the temple entrance, he was surprised to see White Tiger sitting outside. "White Tiger Grandpa, why are you out here?"

Usually, at this hour, White Tiger would be asleep.

No, to be precise, it slept about 20 hours out of every 24.

White Tiger yawned, then stood up and walked over to Chen Ji. Its smooth fur brushed against Chen Ji’s leg, just as it had the first time they met. It looked up at Chen Ji, who asked curiously, "Do you want to come up the mountain with me?"

White Tiger glanced back at him, neither nodding nor shaking its head, then took the lead and started walking. Chen Ji was stunned for a second before a wave of happiness washed over him. Going up the mountain with White Tiger Grandpa? They could practically swagger through!

He looked around but didn’t see any sign of Second Master Huang. Just as he was about to ask, a childish voice emerged from the grass: [Brother Chen~]

Chen Ji turned towards the sound. With White Tiger Grandpa present and right at the temple entrance, he wouldn't have dared to turn his head otherwise. The grass rustled, and Little Translator emerged, craning its neck to look at him: [Second Grandpa had something to do today and couldn’t make it. He specially asked me to come and say hello to Brother Chen.]

Chen Ji instinctively wondered: Could it be that Second Master Huang was angry because he trimmed his nails yesterday, and that’s why he didn’t come?

He didn’t dwell on it, bending down to rub Little Translator’s head. "Wait here for a bit. I’ll have Little Eight bring you some food."

[Thank you, Brother Chen. You’re so kind. I like you the most.] Little Translator, uttering words it had picked up from who knows where, rubbed its head against his palm. Its lithe, slender body suddenly stiffened. Chen Ji instinctively glanced back and saw White Tiger Grandpa staring coldly in their direction. Looking back at Little Translator, he saw it had already scurried onto the stone steps at the temple entrance and was sitting there obediently.

Thinking he had delayed and displeased White Tiger Grandpa, Chen Ji quickly spoke to System Cat, then hurried over to White Tiger. "White Tiger Grandpa, let’s go."

Only then did White Tiger lead him into the forest. Chen Ji had assumed they were going to the back mountain, as fewer people went there, increasing their chances of finding something. To his surprise, White Tiger led him in the direction of Shangyang Village. Following White Tiger’s steps, Chen Ji asked with a smile, "White Tiger Grandpa, where are we going?"

White Tiger gave him a faint glance. Surprisingly, Chen Ji understood its meaning: *Don’t ask, just follow.*

As the saying goes, there is no road in the world; a path is formed when many walk it. The path up and down the mountain was one the villagers frequently used. Chen Ji had taken it as a child, and it had since become wide enough for motorcycles. However, the path White Tiger led him on was entirely wild. The further they went, the denser the forest became. Sunlight was completely blocked out, leaving the place dim and eerie—a world apart from the outside.

Chen Ji naturally felt uneasy in such an environment. White Tiger seemed to sense this and slowed its pace, keeping its side pressed against him. The sudden warmth and dryness of its fur against his cool skin made Chen Ji instinctively reach out and place a hand on it.

The rhythm of its heartbeat transmitted through flesh and blood to him. Chen Ji walked in step with it, and unconsciously, his own heartbeat slowly adjusted until it matched White Tiger’s.

Suddenly, White Tiger paused. Before Chen Ji could see what was happening, White Tiger turned and gently took his clothes in its mouth. In the next moment, Chen Ji lost his balance and was tossed onto White Tiger’s back. As soon as he steadied himself, White Tiger leaped into the air with a simple, effortless bound. The surroundings rapidly dropped away and receded, and lush branches and leaves loomed ahead. Chen Ji immediately crouched low, feeling the foliage brush past his back.

In the next breath, White Tiger had already landed steadily. Chen Ji looked up and found the view suddenly opening up. A mist of water droplets greeted them from a small but rushing waterfall, below which lay a dark green, rocky pool.

Clear water is shallow; green water is deep. It seemed this rocky pool was deeper than it appeared.

White Tiger shifted, and Chen Ji involuntarily slid off its back. He didn’t mind, turning to look back. Where they had just emerged from was a gaping hole, empty behind them. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a small cliff about five meters high.

Chen Ji felt a lingering fear—no wonder he had never been here before. How could anyone climb a five-meter cliff without professional equipment? This was a waterfall, and waterfalls meant cliffs. Even if villagers got lost, they wouldn’t end up here—though falling to their death was a distinct possibility.

When Chen Ji turned back, he saw White Tiger already lying by the pool, drinking water. Chen Ji raised a hand slightly, then silently lowered it—*well, even if it drank some parasites, a creature like this probably wouldn’t die, right?*

But since White Tiger was lying there, Chen Ji assumed the area was safe. He walked to the edge of the rocky pool, examining it carefully. The place seemed more like it had been artificially carved. The pool was abruptly raised about 1.5 meters above the ground, with water overflowing and smoothing the stones until there were no footholds.

Chen Ji tried to climb up but only succeeded in getting his shoes wet. He was about to try again when a ringed tail appeared in front of him. Chen Ji looked up and saw White Tiger gazing down at him. Realizing what it meant, he raised a hand, and the thick tiger tail hooked his arm, gently lifting him effortlessly onto the edge of the pool.

*Well, now his clothes were soaked too.*

Chen Ji’s complaint remained unspoken as a layer of cyan-blue flame suddenly appeared before him. This time, he saw it clearly—the flame was subtle, like a sheer fabric, gliding gently over his skin, drying him instantly.

He blinked in amazement. "So impressive! So that’s how it works."

White Tiger walked past him with elegant steps, brushing against his arm as it moved to the other side of the pool. Chen Ji wondered what it was up to, then saw White Tiger swipe a paw forcefully across the water’s surface. A splash erupted, and as White Tiger retracted its paw, a chubby black-headed fish floated to the surface.

Chen Ji looked at the fish, then at White Tiger, suddenly feeling that White Tiger Grandpa wasn’t doing too badly—with or without him, it seemed to eat well.

This was a wild fish! In the city, it would sell for at least a hundred, and even then, it might not be genuine. You’d have to bargain with the seller and know your stuff to get the real deal.

Who knew it would be so easy to get here!

Chen Ji took off his shoes to avoid getting them wet again, waded into the water, pulled a retractable net from his bamboo basket, and scooped up the fish. The chubby fish seemed only stunned, not dead, its tail still wagging. Chen Ji hugged the fish, grinning from ear to ear. "White Tiger Grandpa, how about grilled fish for lunch?"

White Tiger lay on a dry rock, lazily swishing its tail.