Chapter 6: Worship

"Old Daoist, I have come to see you as well..." Upon seeing Fang Yi's sorrowful expression, the stout man casually walked over, sat down cross-legged on the ground, and said, "I say, Old Daoist, how about discussing something with you?"

Niu Bosong released his hand, but his eyes remained fixed on Fang Yi. He said, "The old immortal was indeed a good person, but he left too early. Little immortal, if you have the chance, you must take me to his grave to burn some paper offerings..."

"Alright, there won't be another chance to gather them in the future..." The stout man shook his head helplessly, allowing Fang Yi to collect the mushrooms. By the time the two reached the foot of the mountain, Fang Yi's bamboo basket on his back was already filled with various types of mushrooms

"Master, this is the last bit of monkey wine. In the future, when I have money, I will buy Maotai for you to drink..." Fang Yi muttered as he poured out the wine, causing the nearby fat man to twitch at the corners of his mouth. In his view, wasting such good wine on the old Taoist was simply a disgrace.

However, the old Taoist did not allow Fang Yi to descend the mountain; instead, he provided a ridiculous reason that infuriated Cao Wei Da Hu, claiming that if Fang Yi were to descend, it would lead to a calamity of bloodshed. This made Wei Da Hu so angry that he nearly ordered the destruction of the old Taoist's temple.

Although Taoism has a long history in the country, for urban dwellers, its image is more often seen in television publications. If Fang Yizhen were to enter the city in this manner, it would certainly attract the attention of onlookers

Fang Yi nodded, knelt down on both knees, and seriously bowed three times before standing up. He placed the small wooden box on his shoulder and glanced back longingly at the place where his master lay in eternal rest. He knew that with this departure, he would usher in a life completely different from the past

"Uncle Niu, I remember..." Fang Yi nodded upon hearing this. Although he knew that his master often practiced medicine around Fang Mountain, he did not expect his master to have such a good reputation. Even after several years since his passing, the people in the village below still remembered the kindness of his master

Dad, I am back... The胖子 (Fatty) lives at the end of the village. After entering the yard enclosed by a fence, Fatty kicked the barking mutt and immediately spotted my father, Wei Dahu, coming out of the house, causing him to instinctively shrink his neck.

"Niu Bo, there's no need, we agreed to go to San Pao's house, he has been preparing the meal for a long time..."

Fang Yi knew that the fat boy's father was the village party secretary. Although his position was not significant, he was an old party member who had always been deeply opposed to feudal superstitions. If it were not for the old Taoist's superb medical skills and his frequent willingness to treat villagers for free in previous years, the fat boy's father would have likely destroyed him long ago as part of the campaign to eliminate the Four Olds

"Let's go, but first let's go to my house..." Looking at Fang Yi's outfit, the chubby man frowned and said, "Let's go to my house to change your clothes; otherwise, if you go to the city like this, you might attract a lot of attention..."

When they reached the foot of the mountain, they encountered more people. Some of those busy in the fields looked at Fang Yi with puzzled expressions, clearly curious about this handsome young man dressed in a robe.

"Fatty, what do you want to discuss with the master?" Fang Yi's attention was drawn to Fatty. When the master was alive, he never saw Fatty discussing anything. It has been several years since the master passed away, and even if there were matters to discuss, the master would no longer be able to respond.

You child, you have come, but why bring anything?

The stout man said irritably: "Just because you grew up with the old Taoist, does that make you a little Taoist? Fang Yi, since you have already come down the mountain, you must keep up with the times. Even a Taoist can return to secular life. Stop talking so much and hurry back home to change your clothes first..."

Hehe, Fang Yi, I see that the feng shui of this place is quite good. I would like to discuss with the old Daoist whether, after my father's passing, he could be buried next to your master

From the gentle slope of that hill, one can see the distant Qingliang Mountain, resembling a crouching tiger, while the eastern Zhongshan appears like a lying dragon. Coupled with the flowing waters at the foot of Fang Mountain, any feng shui master who sees this would immediately recognize it as an excellent site for feng shui.

What is there to say to him

Although he grew up in the mountains, Fang Yi understood the principle that one should not take offense at the kindness of others. He originally intended to bring these mushrooms to San Pao, but since he arrived at Fatty's house first, he naturally decided to present them as a gift.

Upon hearing the words of the chubby man, Fang Yi couldn't help but laugh and said, "Uncle Wei is only in his forties this year, yet you are already thinking about finding a grave for him. If you have the ability, why not go home and mention it to Uncle Wei and see what he has to say?"

The commotion caused by the overweight person diminished Fang Yi's feelings of sorrow considerably. He then took out from beneath his waist the gourd that gleamed like purple gold, uncorked it, and poured the wine from the gourd in front of his master's grave

Master, I am going down the mountain...

"Hua Zi, where did this come from? Who is that person next to you?"

Standing before the small hill covered with wild chrysanthemums, which slightly rose from the ground, Fang Yi's expression appeared somewhat solemn. Having followed the old Taoist for over ten years, he had long regarded him as his closest person. Although Taoism emphasizes the cultivation of the heart, in the presence of his master who lay in eternal rest underground, Fang Yi still felt a pang of sorrow.

It is said that Fang Yi has a certain connection with the Wei family, as he suffered from a lack of milk in his early years and initially drank the milk from the mother of the chubby boy. Therefore, he has been familiar with the Wei family since childhood. When Fang Yi was around six or seven years old, Wei Dahu once went up the mountain to find the old Taoist priest, hoping to send Fang Yi to school.

Master, you must bless your disciple with prosperity and good fortune

As for this matter, I think you should discuss it with Uncle Wei first

"Fatty, this is the best mushroom! Let's take some more back..." Fang Yi turned around and smiled, but his hands did not stop; he carefully picked more than ten brightly colored mushrooms from the roots of the tree

Fang Yiwen smiled lightly; compared to the fat man, he could truly be considered a child of the mountain. He was intimately familiar with every blade of grass and tree in this mountain, naturally knowing which mushrooms were poisonous and which were edible.

The fat man knows that many years ago, Niu Bo's youngest son was frightened and suffered from a high fever for three consecutive days, ultimately being cured by the old Taoist priest who came down from the mountain. Every time the old Taoist priest descended the mountain, Niu Bo would always bring out the best things from his home.

Alright, Fatty, I will pay my respects to my master, and then we shall descend the mountain

"Niu Bo, this is my friend, the disciple of the old immortal on the mountain"

The stout man greeted the villagers with a cheerful smile, and when the topic of the old immortal was brought up, a look of relief appeared on their faces. When the old Taoist was alive, he would visit the village almost every week, and many people were cured of their illnesses by him.

The closer they got to the village, the more familiar faces they encountered. The chubby man had become somewhat impatient with his explanations, and since Fang Yi was his best friend, he did not want to see the villagers regard Fang Yi with those curious eyes

The old immortal's disciple has arrived? Huazi, I still have a wild boar's hind leg at home. Come, let's go back to my place and bring it to the little immortal to taste... The people in the mountains are still very simple. Upon hearing that Fang Yi is the disciple of the old Taoist, Uncle Niu, who was busy in the rice field, simply climbed up and pulled Fang Yi, insisting that he follow him home.

The grave of Master Fang Yishi is located about one hundred meters from the Daoist temple, in one of the steepest sections of Fang Mountain, at a relatively high altitude.

"That's fine, but you must come to Uncle Niu's house for dinner tomorrow at noon..."

"Hey, Fang Yi, hurry up and let's go..." Upon seeing Fang Yi suddenly crouch under a tree again, the chubby boy couldn't help but cover his forehead with his hand. They had been walking for two to three hours, yet they hadn't even seen the foot of the mountain, all because of Fang Yi's occasional antics.

The colors are so vibrant, could they be toxic...

Although Fatty spoke these words with a smile, his expression was quite serious. As the saying goes, even if one has never eaten pork, one has seen a pig run. Having followed the old Taoist since childhood, Fatty has some knowledge of the art of feng shui, and he can naturally discern that this location possesses excellent feng shui.

Indeed, upon hearing Fang Yi mention his father, the chubby man's expression immediately turned unpleasant, and he muttered something under his breath. He was well aware that if he dared to bring up topics such as feng shui or treasure lands with his father, his old man would definitely take out the thickest rolling pin at home and give him a good beating.

"Where has he run off to this time?" The fat man's father had not finished speaking, but his eyes had already spotted Fang Yi. He paused for a moment and hesitantly said, "Hua Zi, this... this is the little Fang Yi from the mountain, right?"

But I am originally a Taoist, what else should I wear if not a Taoist robe

Hearing the words of the fat man, Fang Yi was momentarily taken aback. He had been wearing this outfit since he could remember, and he had been binding his legs in this manner for over ten years. To ask him to take off this robe, Fang Yi truly felt somewhat at a loss.

This auspicious feng shui site was not discovered by Fang Yi, but was an area that the old Taoist had long ago assessed. Even the pit for his own burial was dug by the old Taoist himself, truly embodying the old saying about digging a pit for one's own burial. Fang Yi merely carried his master, who had ascended to immortality, into the tomb.

The emotions of youth come and go swiftly. After bidding farewell to his master, Fang Yi's mood quickly improved. The early spring scenery of Fang Mountain is exceptionally beautiful, and the refreshing sights easily allow one to forget their sorrows

Who said you are a Taoist

Wei Dahu walked up to Fang Yi, carefully scrutinized him from head to toe, nodded, and said: "Hmm, you, young man, are better looking than Huazi, and you also know how to be polite. What a pity, you have been delayed by your master..."

"Uncle Wei, it's me..." Fang Yi took a step forward, took down the backpack, and said: "Uncle Wei, I just came down from the mountain and didn't bring much. I picked some mushrooms for you, and they are all fresh..."

"Alright, Master, I am leaving..."

The chubby man leaned forward to take a glance and muttered a phrase. Although he was also a child raised in the mountains, he had been taught by his elders from a young age that the more vividly colored mushrooms in the mountains, the more toxic they were. Therefore, he had always kept his distance from such fungi in the past

It's nothing, this type of mushroom only appears in early spring, and its flavor is exceptionally delicious

"Alright, Fang Yi, let's go..." The chubby one grew a bit impatient after waiting for a while, pulled Fang Yi, and said: "San Pao is still waiting for us at home. If you keep dawdling, we might even miss dinner..."

Fang Yi did not pay attention to the fat man. He had lived on the mountain for over ten years, and now he was about to descend. To be honest, besides excitement, he also felt a bit anxious. Therefore, he could only pray in front of his master's grave, hoping that his master's spirit in heaven would ensure a smooth journey down the mountain.