Cultivation of Immortals Begins with Drilling Wood To Make Fire

While eating noodles, Fang Chang chatted with the young man for a long time.

The young man's name is Xie Jiaping, he has been a porter for some years, and he is as proficient as his father in the journey between the two prefectures.

Xie Jiaping also inherited the habit of his father Xie Guangan. Every time he returned to Huaifeng Mansion from Long'an Mansion, he always stayed in Huqiao Town and had a meal or two of mutton noodles. If his wife and children want to eat tiger pancakes, he will also take a few home from Huqiao Town along the way.

However, Xie Jiaping also expanded new business.

"In the past, there were only people who hired me to deliver goods between the big cities like Long'an Mansion and Huaifeng Mansion. Now the medicinal materials produced in Linxi Village in the mountains are selling better and better, and Huqiao Town has also become prosperous. It’s getting bigger and bigger, and now there are often deliveries from or to Huqiao Town.”

Xie Jiaping's income was higher than that of Xie Guangan back then, so he added fried eggs to his noodles. After eating and drinking enough, he grabbed the shoulder pole next to him, put it on his shoulder with light force, and said goodbye to Fang Chang, before leaving the town and heading west along the official road.

Fang Chang will also stand up and prepare to continue traveling.

The children I saw in Huqiao Town back then have grown up one after another, and some of them have become grandpas so quickly. I don't know what it will be like next time I come here.

Of course, for him, these things in the world do not change, just like the sun rises and sets, it is something that is happening all over the world and will continue. In the billowing yellow dust, joy, anger, sorrow, joy, birth, old age, sickness and death are all a part of the cycle between heaven and earth, and also a corner of nature and itself.

…………

After Fang Chang left Huqiao Town, he didn't continue to walk forward, but turned around and headed east.

Huqiao Town is a distance to the west on the official road adjacent to Linxi Village, so Fang Chang walked in this way and passed Linxi Village again, but he did not stop, and only walked eastward slowly at the speed of ordinary passers-by.

Next to it is Yunzhong Mountain. The woods on the hillside are dense, and most places are difficult to walk through.

However, there are still small roads leading into the mountain. Although most of the small roads are deserted and few people walk, there is a wide road near the mountain temple, and pedestrians can pass in and out. Someone even set up a small stall at the three-way intersection, selling some tea, rough snacks, and incense candles.

When passers-by buy water and food here to quench their thirst and hunger, the stall owner will encourage them to go up the mountain to worship the mountain god, asking for blessings to ensure a safe journey, but some people are always persuaded to buy joss sticks and go to the mountain to worship.

Inside the temple of Zhangshan God is very prosperous, and there are several families settled here, including Hu Yun and his wife who recently returned to Yunzhongshan. However, there is no unified name here. People from all over the place still call it "Mountain Temple" when they talk about it. Maybe in a few years, there will be a more formal name here, called XX Village or XX Town.

Fang Chang followed the official road all the way to the east, and when the sky was getting dark, he entered Long'an Mansion.

This is a prefectural city, and the city is very large, but the buildings inside have become a little crowded over time. Fang Chang found the largest restaurant in the city called "Heshunju", ordered a table of meals and ate them all, and then found an inn next to the restaurant to stay overnight.

He didn't stay long in Long'an Fufu City, and set off the next day to continue on the road.

Except for the east gate of Long'an Fucheng, Fang Chang chose a road slightly northerly. The terrain around here is flat, among the fertile farmland, the road network is dense and the traffic is busy. He even saw a small boat on a river with people passing between the bridge pillars under his feet.

After living in seclusion for more than ten years, Fang Chang's mentality is more peaceful.

This time he went down the mountain instead of rushing at full speed like before, but walked slowly at the speed of ordinary pedestrians. The road and the side of the road are all scenery for him. Whether it is mountains, rocks, fields, or passing pedestrians and horses, Fang Chang is very interested in observing or listening to it, and enjoys it.

Today's world is very peaceful, even the fusion of the two worlds, there is no need to worry because the time is too slow, after all, the countermeasures are already on the right track.

In the evening, there are no villages or shops around, but there is a small earth temple on the side of the road. Although it is old, it is not broken. At least the roof and windows are intact, and the earth statue in the middle can also see some original colors. On the already whitish altar, the ashes of incense sticks remained.

It looked like it was going to rain outside, so many pedestrians came here to take shelter in the houses here.

In fact, the conditions of this small roadside temple are already considered luxurious for pedestrians. After all, Fang Chang has seen a lot when he traveled all over the world. Many times, when people encounter nights on the way, they will look for a shelter from the wind and start a fire on the side of the road. If they stay overnight, there will be no shelter above their heads. If they encounter heavy rain, they can only consider themselves unlucky.

Someone found an old brazier, searched for some firewood from the outside and lit it. The jumping fire can not only illuminate, but also make everyone's hearts quiet and rest more comfortable. It’s just that firewood is not easy to find. After all, for the people of the world, fuel is the first thing in daily life, and “firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea” even ranks before rice.

Fang Chang walked into the temple with everyone, and he found a corner to sit down.

After many people came in, they first made two obeisances to the god statue on the altar table, and then entered the house. If possible, they would take out some odds and ends and put them in front of the god statue—of course, it was useless.

However, Fang Chang could clearly feel that the land here had actually been secretly protecting the people in the temple. In his vision, the statue of the land god on the altar even glowed a little. The mana cultivation base of the land here is very good, after all, it sits on such a large temple and is next to the official road.

Fang Chang remembered that he had seen the most shabby gods, whose temples were nothing more than shrines dug out of the mountain walls, only one or two feet in size. Similarly, mountain god lands in the wilderness were also very common.

He didn't disturb the land here, but sat silently in the corner, observing the words and deeds of these people.

Rumble——

It was raining outside, and the wind blew in, causing the light jumping in the brazier to tremble.

Everyone was very quiet, listening to the wind and rain outside silently, even talking quietly. Everyone took turns to change positions, and satiated their hunger with dry food baked in a brazier.

There was a student-like person next to him, who felt close to Fang Chang after seeing his temperament, so he came up and whispered: "Where does this big brother go to do?"

Fang Chang smiled and said, "I am here to find someone who is destined."

Hearing this, the student frowned and laughed, "Oh? This statement is quite old-fashioned. I don't know if I'm a predestined person?"

Taking a closer look, Fang Chang also said: "Of course it is a predestined person. After all, it is very predestined to meet this small temple on this stormy night and chat with each other."