Chapter 20: Danyangzi

Chapter 20: Danyang Zi

Seeing these two things prostrate before the equally writhing Danyang Zi, a guess formed in Li Huowang's mind. "Have these things come to help him find alchemy ingredients?"

Just as he thought this, Li Huowang watched Danyang Zi bend down, scoop up a handful of mud from the ground, and shove it into his mouth before launching into a rapid, gibberish tirade at the two masses.

The voice was bizarre, sounding nothing like anything a human could produce, yet the two entities seemed to understand, bobbing up and down once before swiftly dissipating.

As they departed, the ceaselessly writhing, sky-darkening chaos gradually returned to normal.

"My boy, don't fret. Though the items in the heavenly book are hard to come by, they are no match for your master. Out there, I still have my connections," Danyang Zi said smugly.

"Of course, Master is on the verge of becoming an immortal; there is likely nothing in this world that could stump you! But Master, what were those things just now?"

"Heh heh, my boy, you still have much to learn. Those things are what the heavenly book calls 'Wandering Lords'."

Past crises had always kept Li Huowang's nerves taut, leaving him no time to ponder one question: what kind of world was this place, exactly?

What with the Great Granny and the Wandering Lords, nothing seemed remotely ordinary.

Had he not eaten normal pork and sheep's head during meals, he would have truly believed that not a single living creature in this world was normal.

"Ah, this thing is a fine treasure. This Daoist master went through a lot of trouble to snatch it back in the day," Danyang Zi said, slipping the copper bell back into his sleeve.

"Snatch?"

"Of course you snatch it! If you don't snatch it, will others just hand it to you for free? Hmph! What do we do when we don't have it but others do? Snatch it!"

"I learned that when I was five, after a bigger beggar snatched a moldy steamed bun right out of my hands."

"When I was young, I snatched women, horses, and silver; later I snatched cultivation methods, magical artifacts, and disciples—even the entire Qingfeng Temple was snatched by me! Did the clay statue of the patriarch say a word about it? Heh heh." As he spoke, a hint of smugness appeared on Danyang Zi's face.

"My boy, you must listen when your elders speak; this is to teach you how to behave, understand? I'm telling you this because I consider you one of my own."

"But Master, what if you can't snatch it?"

"Can't snatch it? If you can't snatch it alone, why not team up and snatch it? How can a brain that knows how to read be so stubborn? If you can't snatch it together, use poison; if poison doesn't work, play dirty!!"

These few sentences revealed to Li Huowang the modus operandi of the scabby-headed man before him, and also made him realize why this fellow's various methods were so disjointed—it turned out everything he had was snatched piecemeal from here and there.

"Master... Master truly understands how to live."

"Hmph! So what if I can't read? So what if I lack enlightenment? They call my ways unorthodox and say I have no Daoist heart, but once I become an immortal, I'll pry open those bastards' eyelids and make them see who lacks enlightenment now! Who has no Daoist heart!" As Danyang Zi spoke, he gnashed his teeth, his ugly face twisted with malice.

Li Huowang didn't know who those people were, but he was certain the enmity between them must run deep.

For a while after that, Li Huowang lived and ate with Danyang Zi almost constantly, devoting himself entirely to tinkering with the immortality method from the heavenly book.

Taking advantage of this time, Li Huowang also secretly refined it continuously, making the entire immortality method seem increasingly credible.

The items Li Huowang had requested were soon delivered.

Looking at the grayish-white, slimy, massive body covered in black fuzz, and beside it, an amorphous cluster of black blisters glowing with a faint, shimmering light.

Besides marveling at the sheer disgust these things inspired, Li Huowang was astounded by Danyang Zi's prowess—he had actually managed to procure them all.

"Master, shall we fire up the furnace?" Li Huowang asked.

"No rush, there's still a while until the New Year. Come, let's go have the New Year's Eve dinner first."

Danyang Zi's words caught Li Huowang off guard; why were they having the New Year's Eve dinner now? Was there any connection between the two?

That was what he said, but seeing Danyang Zi rise and leave the alchemy room, Li Huowang quickly followed.

Arriving at the dining cavern, the other disciples had already gathered. Saying "other disciples" was a stretch, as it was really just Changren, Changming, and Xuanyuan.

At the sight of the somewhat empty large round table, Danyang Zi's face instantly darkened. "Why haven't you set out bowls and chopsticks for the deceased disciples? Set them all out! Welcome them back for the New Year."

Before long, when all the dead disciples had their bowls and chopsticks, the entire round table looked fully occupied.

Danyang Zi, his satisfied smile returning, nodded and resumed his seat at the head of the table. Li Huowang sat to his right, while the other side was left empty—that was Zhengkun's place. "Come, serve the dumplings."

A steaming pot of dumplings was carried in by the servant boys, wafting with an enticing aroma. Using iron ladles, they carefully portioned them into everyone's bowls, including those of the dead.

"Heh heh heh, it's the New Year, so relax and eat plenty." Despite his words, the four, including Li Huowang, waited for him to lift his chopsticks before they began to eat.

Danyang Zi picked up a pair of chopsticks, plucked a white dumpling, and popped it into his mouth, closing his eyes slightly as he chewed in bliss. "Mm~ pork lard and chive filling, so fragrant! Eh! What's this? A copper coin? A good omen, a good omen, hahaha."

Li Huowang stared at the dumplings in his bowl, stunned for a good while, before fiercely digging in and devouring them in huge mouthfuls.

Danyang Zi watched Li Huowang wolfing down the dumplings with a beaming smile. "You've come upon good times, being able to eat such delicious dumplings."

"When I was your age, I didn't even know what a dumpling looked like; I'd only heard how delicious they were. Heh."

"Later on, one New Year, I smelled the aroma of food from someone else's house. I barged in and finally saw what dumplings looked like. I didn't even bother with the family's pretty daughter, just chopped her down right there, squatted by the kang, and slurped down two catties of dumplings in a blur. The filling they made back then was exactly this pork lard and chive."

The other disciples forced awkward smiles, while only Li Huowang continued to wolf down his food.

Seeing the tears glistening in the corners of Li Huowang's eyes, Danyang Zi carefully lifted his own bowl and poured his dumplings into Li Huowang's. "Sigh, you're a child of a bitter fate, too. Eat slowly, don't choke."

Amidst the sounds of swallowing and the clinking of bowls and chopsticks, the New Year's Eve dinner of only five people drew to a close.

Just as Li Huowang thought they were about to start alchemy, he saw Danyang Zi pat his scabby head, pull out a stack of red envelopes from his sleeve, and hand them out to Changming, Changren, and even place them beside the bowls of the dead.

"Come, come, it's the New Year. Remember to put them under your pillows for good luck. Hold onto them tight. When I was your age, no elder ever gave me lucky money."

Danyang Zi placed the last red envelope beside Zhengkun's bowl, then turned to Li Huowang with a beaming smile. "You won't need lucky money. Master and disciple shall ascend to immortality together, and from then on, share the longevity of heaven and earth!"

Li Huowang smiled, a genuinely joyous smile. "Master's words are profoundly true."

"Come, back to the alchemy room, fire up the furnace and refine the elixir! My boy, you shall tend the flames!"

"Yes, Master!"

(End of Chapter)