UCS Chapter 83

Facts proved that decisive action was a wonderful virtue that could be contagious.

 

Daoist Kongmiao, who previously had to divine, prepare talismans, set up arrays, and ward off disasters… requiring quite a bit of preparation before going out, today spent half an hour using three lightness talismans, two invisibility talismans, and one earth-shrinking talisman to sprint directly over. His hair looked like it had experienced a five-yuan neighborhood wash-cut-blow package—fluffy and distinctive.

 

Gao Shi: Two sentences made the old man sprint 800 kilometers for me.

 

As the old Daoist walked, he reached into his fluffy hair to extract things that had gotten stuck on the way.

 

Fallen leaves, tree branches, garbage bags—and while picking these out, he even caught an unfortunate little sparrow.

 

Gao Shi gave a thumbs up, “Old man, your new hairstyle is nice. Makes you look taller and saves you from carrying a backpack.”

 

The angry Kongmiao became even angrier, demonstrating on the spot what “hair standing on end with rage” meant, “You, you, you… little Gao Shi, I asked you to take care of my disciple, and this is how you take care of him?!”

 

Look how angry he’d made the old man—his hair was even moving with his emotions, and a fuzzy little head popped out.

 

Oh, it was a little squirrel.

 

The little squirrel quickly scampered away, and Kongmiao’s hair finally transformed from looking like a fluffy handbag to a deflated fluffy handbag.

 

Kongmiao huffily cast a spell, and his long hair became smooth again.

 

Before he could say anything else, Gao Shi quickly cut him off, “Old man, want some hot pot?”

 

All of Kongmiao’s pent-up anger stuck in his chest, neither rising nor falling, ultimately transforming into a single sentence: “This old Daoist wants Flowing Water Pavilion’s!”

 

…

 

The angry Kongmiao, in his extreme anger, ate enough hot pot for three people in one sitting.

 

Gao Shi was getting a bit worried, “Old man, take it easy. There’s still time today—the doctor is on his way.”

 

As for what doctor, naturally it was the proctologist essential for spicy food.

 

The old Daoist thoughtfully put down the beef wrapped in tripe on his chopsticks and instead picked up the clear broth with cabbage nearby, “You’re right. Must balance salty and mild to eat for the long haul.”

 

Looking at Kongmiao with his “tower of plates and bowls” in front of him, then at Ying Bujie who had quietly finished two plates of fatty beef on the side, Gao Shi couldn’t help but secretly sigh that his decision to reserve a dual-pot table and two head chefs had indeed been correct.

 

Gao Shi’s appetite couldn’t compare with this master-disciple pair. After eating his fill, he took on the job of adding dishes, watching what Ying Bujie and Daoist Kongmiao liked to eat and adding more of it, not having to worry about them finishing it all.

 

Since coming down from the mountain, Ying Bujie had become increasingly “picky” about food. Previously, Ying Bujie would accept any food, like a puppet mechanically replenishing energy. Now he had his own preferences.

 

For example, at this table of dishes, though Ying Bujie liked everything, his favorites were still the bell rolls, shrimp paste, fatty beef, and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall from the spicy pot.

 

Especially the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall—his eyes lit up with each sip, and then he would push the small jar toward Gao Shi.

 

The buried-in-food Daoist Kongmiao obviously didn’t see this scene.

 

Gao Shi accepted Ying Bujie’s recommendation, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

 

After all, having made such “outrageous claims and shocking statements” in front of the man’s master, now facing the subject of his object-less confession—and a subject with an incomplete soul at that—even Gao Shi found it hard to bear.

 

But the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was indeed delicious. It felt like the head chef had made it even better than usual today.

 

Gao Shi used a ladle to scoop some shrimp paste for Ying Bujie, placing it in the small plate in front of him. The pink and white shrimp paste was soaked in spicy broth, looking especially tempting.

 

Ying Bujie picked up one and put it in his mouth.

 

He was fair-skinned, and being stimulated by the spice made his lips a deep red, making it even more obvious. Gao Shi glanced at him once and then looked away.

 

He couldn’t help but recall how in the dream, Ying Bujie had kissed and nibbled inch by inch, until his lips changed from light pink to a beautiful deep red, then his lips parted as he called his name again and again.

 

Gao Shi silently covered his eyes, feeling somewhat broken by these inappropriate memories surfacing.

 

Actually, he had had his doubts.

 

The scenes in the dream were extremely realistic, and Ying Bujie’s expressions were also very lively—not like his current state where his reactions were half a beat slow due to his incomplete soul.

 

Moreover, he could recall details of their clothing in the dream. With Gao Shi’s excellent memory, he could confirm he had definitely never seen these things before.

 

More importantly, if it was a dream, never mind the question of top and bottom, at least Daoist Ying should have been calling his name, right?

 

But in the dream, Daoist Ying had called him “Shou.”

 

Although this character was rarely used in names, the moment Gao Shi heard it, he was certain it was a name, and he naturally accepted that this was his name—his name in the dream.

 

So Gao Shi suspected this dream was related to those prophetic dreams from before.

 

Every time he dreamed of Ying Bujie, Ying Bujie was by his side, as if Ying Bujie was a medium that made him dream these dreams.

 

This wasn’t a prophetic dream—could it be past and present lives?

 

But reincarnation had been destroyed—where would past lives come from?

 

Fortunately, regardless of whether it was a prophetic dream, Gao Shi was very certain that he liked the person in front of him.

 

…It was just that the person in front of him didn’t like him back.

 

Gao Shi secretly sighed and scooped another spoonful of bell rolls into Ying Bujie’s plate.

 

There was no helping it. This matter had little to do with his personal charm—it was mainly because Ying Bujie’s soul was incomplete, his emotions and desires shallow, with basically no emotional fluctuations.

 

So if he truly wanted to confess to Ying Bujie, he first needed to complete his damaged soul.

 

Daoist Kongmiao had eaten his fill and was preparing to have two more pieces of bell rolls. He looked into the pot—it was empty. Gao Shi was at the table, scooping a full large spoonful of bell rolls to put in Ying Bujie’s plate.

 

Kongmiao quickly intercepted, “Give this old Daoist one piece.”

 

Gao Shi gave him one piece, not forgetting to add a jab, “Aren’t there still two more plates? Your disciple likes to eat them, yet you’re fighting a kid for food.”

 

Daoist Kongmiao shook his head, “We parents can’t let ourselves suffer even if the children do.”

 

Halfway through shaking his head, like an unoiled gate, he made a “creak” sound and suddenly turned toward Ying Bujie.

 

“Little Gao Shi, what did you just… say?”

 

“The disciple likes eating bell rolls?”

 

Gao Shi looked at his serious expression with surprise and couldn’t help becoming serious too, “Yes… he likes eating bell rolls, shrimp paste, fatty beef… What’s wrong? He can’t eat them? Allergic?”

 

Gao Shi also looked at Ying Bujie.

 

Ying Bujie wasn’t at all hindered by the suddenly serious atmosphere from enjoying his meal. He ate two at a time, both fast and elegant, making people wonder how he managed to eat so quickly with such an elegant posture.

 

Daoist Kongmiao shook his head in a daze, “No… not allergic.”

 

“But his soul is incomplete—he should have no emotions or desires.”

 

“Appetite is also a kind of desire.”

 

…

 

This meal wasn’t finished.

 

Ying Bujie was still holding a string of green grapes when Kongmiao forcibly dragged him away. Gao Shi sat in the living room, but his heart was beating heavier each time. He inexplicably felt like a criminal awaiting sentencing.

 

Appetite is also a kind of desire.

 

He recalled when Ying Bujie had first come down from the mountain. At that time, he ate whatever was given to him, never picky about anything edible, and could be lured away for half a steamed bun. But back then, Ying Bujie could be satisfied with five or six plates of fried rice.

 

Ying Bujie had said that spiritual energy was scarce in the mortal world, and every time he used magic, he had to replenish energy through eating.

 

Later, after Ying Bujie had acted several times, his appetite remained at a considerable level. Gao Shi had always thought he hadn’t replenished enough of his lost spiritual power, which was why he ate much more than when they first met.

 

This had caused Gao Shi to overlook a very important issue.

 

Ying Bujie was eating more and more.

 

Appetite is also a kind of desire.

 

Gao Shi had thought that Ying Bujie’s “liking bell rolls” was just his body becoming more accustomed to this type of food—closer to physical instinct rather than desire.

 

But if it was really as Daoist Kongmiao said, then wasn’t Ying Bujie’s soul gradually becoming complete?

 

In other words, the Ying Bujie he thought was emotionless and desireless could actually develop feelings for him?

 

The door opened with a sound. Kongmiao’s eyes were bloodshot. Gao Shi, accustomed to this, smoothly handed over the prepared warm towel, his gaze unstoppably looking toward the door then back again, “You used your Heavenly Eye again? How is it?”

 

Kongmiao murmured, “Impossible, this is impossible.”

 

Gao Shi looked at the absent-minded Kongmiao and pressed, “What’s impossible?”

 

Daoist Kongmiao unconsciously said, “When did my disciple’s soul… become complete?”

 

Gao Shi’s hand trembled, nearly covering Kongmiao’s nose as well.

 

“Old man, what are you saying? Soul complete?”

 

“Yes! Have you two had any special experiences recently? My disciple’s soul has been completed! The remnant soul this old Daoist has been searching for over ten years actually returned on its own?”

 

“No wonder this kid has food preferences now and eats even more than this old Daoist!”

 

Gao Shi put the blood-stained towel in the water basin, “There have been many special experiences, but he doesn’t seem to have had any major reactions. I’ve been with him constantly since he came down from the mountain. If there were any particularly big changes, I should have noticed—”

 

Gao Shi suddenly remembered Ying Bujie’s feat of single-handedly destroying a pyramid scheme den, and changed his words, “No, if we’re talking about special experiences, he was tricked by a pyramid scheme den and then ate them out of business—does that count?”

 

Daoist Kongmiao’s hand, reaching to pick up his teacup, froze, “What on earth??”

 

His disciple’s life since coming down from the mountain had been way too exciting, hadn’t it??

 

…

 

However, after listening to Gao Shi’s account, though Kongmiao’s feelings were complicated, he still shook his head.

 

“It wouldn’t be that pyramid scheme den.”

 

“Did his appetite increase gradually or suddenly?”

 

Gao Shi said with certainty, “It increased gradually.”

 

Kongmiao nodded, “That means his soul didn’t return all at once.”

 

Kongmiao stroked his snow-white and neat beard, “Has anything new appeared around him since coming down from the mountain? This old Daoist suspects his soul might have been preserved by something, and after he brought it with him, his soul slowly returned to its place.”

 

Gao Shi frowned and thought, “No, I’ve been by his side the whole time. I haven’t seen anything…”

 

As Gao Shi spoke, he suddenly stopped.

 

Daoist Kongmiao also realized something, and the two stared at each other wide-eyed.

 

***

 

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