Chapter 4, Nine Heavens

the fourth day, the fifth day, the sixth day

The young man in white suddenly asked: "Name?"

The young man in white stopped in his tracks, not understanding what was happening

After a quarter of an hour, the young man opened his eyes again, took down his already dried clothes from the branch, put them on, glanced at a certain mountain peak that had disappeared into the clouds in the distance, and turned to walk downstream along the creek.

The name 'Bogen' is not pleasant to hear

That is not a sweet potato, it is a bitter melon... quickly put it down, Auntie does not like to eat that at all

The elder admonished, "To be bestowed a name by the immortal master is an extraordinary blessing, something that ordinary people cannot even hope to attain. One must not speak carelessly."

Compared to when he walked out of the lake, his steps had become much more stable, as if he had learned to walk, or perhaps had grown accustomed to this body

Of course, he was not concerned; he only knew that the other party should have agreed to his request. His gaze swept over the villagers and finally landed on a little boy.

After an unknown amount of time, the young man in white suddenly said: "I want to stay here for a year"

The old man said somewhat uneasily: "It is merely a poor village, and I truly cannot find a place for the immortal master to cultivate in peace"

The villagers were somewhat puzzled, wondering what else that person could be if not a celestial master

This question has no answer, as it was not asked; naturally, the villagers will not respond

On the first day, the young man in white learned the simplest tasks of making the bed, folding blankets, chopping wood, and boiling water

The young man in white looked at the little boy and said

He was truly stunned when he realized that the other party was incapable of doing those other things as well

He extended his hand in front of the old man, the palm containing dozens of golden leaves

The farmer tilling the soil in the field, the old man pulling a cart loaded with hay, the woman delivering meals to the mountainside, and the children playing under the large tree at the village entrance all gradually ceased their activities and stood still in place

It was still that old man who took the lead, and the villagers responded in a flurry of voices

The young man in white walked towards the village

Then he discovered that the other party had truly never done such a thing before

The old man was very surprised, somewhat unable to believe his ears, while the villagers were also in a daze, wondering what the immortal master meant by this

On the ninth day, the sun rose as usual, and the young man in white cut some bamboo to make a reclining chair, which was even better than the craftsmanship of the old bamboo craftsman

But he soon discovered something unusual: how could these ordinary villagers recognize their true identities

Liu, at the age of ten, suddenly recalled the last few words spoken in the room and quickly said: "But he claimed he is not a celestial master"

From this point on, he has been Liu Shisui.

The old man hesitated and asked: "What does the immortal master want you to teach him?"

The little boy is somewhat dark-skinned, very sturdy, and has an honest expression, giving off a sense of simplicity and sincerity

The young boy, adhering to his father's warning on the road, respectfully saluted the youth in white and prepared to withdraw

Currently, the cucumber slices cut by the young man in white can reach a length of 2 feet, with each slice being of uniform thickness. As for the firewood that has been chopped, it is simply beyond description in its beauty

A serene scene, the large tree sways gently in the breeze, producing a rustling sound

It is a blessing for us that the immortal master is willing to stay

The young man in white remained expressionless; many years ago, he would occasionally walk among mortals, and he had encountered such scenes many times.

The young man in white even rebuilt the walls of the small courtyard, and the eaves that had been in disrepair for a long time were neatly repaired, as if they were new.

The old man's pipe fell from his mouth, causing the donkey pulling the cart to let out a painful cry.

Liu, at the age of ten, said: "Making the bed, folding blankets, washing clothes, cooking, chopping firewood, and farming, hmm, that's it. I haven't forgotten a single word."

The villagers looked at him with immense enthusiasm, yet their expressions were somewhat timid, much like how they gazed at the plaque above the county office.

Who else, besides the immortal master, can accomplish such feats

No villager dared to speak, maintaining the most respectful posture, standing with a slight bow.

The next morning, he still had to teach the other party how to fold the quilt

Under the guidance of an elder, the villagers awkwardly knelt on the ground, unevenly shouting: "Salutations to the esteemed immortal master"

Suddenly thought of the garlic-peeling girl from our great Northeast wearing a white mink

The old man chuckled and said, "In the Great Qing Mountain, the immortal master has his sword attendant to serve him, drinking dew and eating immortal fruits; how could he possibly do such things himself"

The riverbank was shrouded in mist, but fortunately, there were no loose stones, making it not difficult to walk. In a short amount of time, he followed the stream and exited the mountains, arriving in front of a village.

The little boy said: "Ten years old"

Do not chop the firewood too finely, as it will not burn well

The only thing they did not understand was why the immortal master did not return to the Great Green Mountain, but chose to stay in this small mountain village, and even had that little fellow from the Liu family, who had accumulated eight generations of blessings, teach him to do these things

The woman tightly clutched the rice jar in her arms, yet her mouth was opened wider than the mouth of the jar

It seems like a certain ritual in the exchange back and forth

Moreover, he has never seen the young man in white wash his clothes

Greetings, Master!

The father raised his hand, ready to strike, but suddenly remembered the immortal master in the house and forcibly held back his impulse

Where do you live

That night, he began to teach the other person how to make the bed, as the other person needed to sleep

Fish scales are not to be kept, fish gills are also not to be kept, and those black ones... are also not to be kept

On the third day, the young man in white began to cook. After glancing at it twice, he learned how to slaughter chickens, gut fish, chop green onions, and peel garlic

The old man shouted urgently

He does not understand why, after doing so many things, that white garment remains as white as ever, just like the finest rice

In their eyes, the young man in white is far more attractive than these golden leaves, and how could one possibly take these golden leaves

Observing the reactions of the crowd, the young man in white searched through his memories and recalled once again that silver and money seemed to be very important things in the mortal realm

The villagers bowed once more, and some children, who were slow to react, were even given a couple of smacks on the bottom by their parents

The young man in white was unaware of how many thoughts the old man had entertained in such a short time, nor what the villagers were contemplating.

The little boy touched the back of his head

The old man was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, while the boy's parents were overjoyed, continuously rubbing their hands together

Liu, at the age of ten, said somewhat dazedly: "He asked me my age... and even gave me a name."

In the following days, the immortal master residing in the Liu family became the focal point of attention and discussion for the entire small mountain village

Liu Shisui, who is envied and even resented by the villagers, does not understand why such a simple matter is beyond the grasp of some people

Upon exiting the courtyard, Liu Shijiu was immediately surrounded by the villagers.

A cut on the left, a cut on the right, do not sever it, and the raincoat will emerge, yes, yes, yes

The little boy stopped in his tracks and said: "Liu Baogen"

I looked at him and thought he resembled a fool

Until he met the young man in white

Liu, at the age of ten, expressed some dislike for the new name, saying with a hint of grievance, "What kind of strange name is this"

Because the young man in white learned everything he taught in just nine days

The elderly man inquired with concern, "What instructions do you have for me, Master?"

The hoe in the farmer's hand fell to the ground, nearly striking his own foot

Before the age of ten, Liu read in books that there were people who could not distinguish between the five grains and did not engage in physical labor, and he never believed that such individuals truly existed in the world

"Root child, why are you not hurrying to lead the immortal master!"

The villagers were quite astonished, thinking to themselves: "If he cannot even do these things, could it be that the one inside the house is not a celestial master, but rather a fool?"

But nine days later, he began to doubt his own thoughts

Under the gaze of dozens of eyes, the young man remained calm. After a moment of thought, he said: "Hello to you all"

The young man in white fell silent for a moment, then asked: "Age?"

The children suddenly scattered, shouting as they ran in all directions towards the village, among them a little girl who unexpectedly began to cry loudly

In a courtyard to the west of the mountain village, the rooms are somewhat dim.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed as the villagers gathered at the entrance of the village, their faces reflecting a mix of awe and tension

If it were an ordinary time, these villagers would likely faint from excitement upon seeing these golden leaves, but at this moment, they merely glanced at them before turning their gaze back to the young man in white.

At the age of ten, Liu found it increasingly difficult to doubt the identity of the other party

Those children did not cry; they merely stared at the boy's face, their eyes wide open, as if gazing at the rarest candy in the world

The little boy was momentarily stunned, failing to react until he was given a heavy slap by his father beside him

Although it is the same stream water, the same rice, mixed with the same sweet potato chunks, and cooked using the same stove and iron pot, the rice cooked by the young man in white is more fragrant than all the meals that Liu Shisui has ever eaten

Liu, at the age of ten, said honestly: "He still wants me to teach him"

The youth in white said: "From now on, I shall be called Ten Years Old"

The villagers accepted the elder's words very naturally and firmly believed in the identity of the immortal master

Do not spill the rice while pouring the water

The next day, the young man in white learned some more complex household chores, and the small courtyard of the Liu family was cleaned to a shine, as if it had been newly born