UGB Chapter 24 The Hermit
Chapter 24 The Hermit
The bluestone is square and neat, covered with mottled moss.
Song Quyou stepped onto the bluestone path and followed the orchids on both sides until he reached the end.
At the end of the path was a small courtyard enclosed by a bamboo fence. There were three thatched huts with straw raincoats and hats hanging under the eaves. In the courtyard, there was a stone table and benches, and the table was filled with small wooden and stone carvings.
An old man with white hair sat on a stone bench, holding only an awl in his hand. He wielded the awl with great skill on the flawless white jade in front of him, and a lifelike white dog was carved out.
There was an old woman by the fence in the courtyard, dressed in linen clothes, her hair neatly combed, watering the bright wildflowers blooming beside the fence with a rough porcelain watering can.
As Song Quyou approached, the old woman looked up at him, her gaze as gentle as the warm sun in spring.
Gently open the bamboo door and say softly:
"Come in quickly, child. Your old man didn't close the door properly when he got home, and he's trapped you outside." The old woman said, glancing disapprovingly at the old man who was grinning.
Song Quyou bowed outside the courtyard and asked in confusion, "Seniors, where is this place?"
"Like the 'heavenly pot' in your arms, this place is also a newly opened paradise."
Song Quyou subconsciously touched the teapot still in his arms, and looked at the white-haired old man with some shock.
Suddenly, a slapping sound came, and the old man touched his back and turned to look at the old woman who was "eight feet away" from him.
"Old woman, why did you hit me?"
"Who gave you the right to scare the child?"
"I was just teasing the child." With that, the old man tapped the head of the white jade dog carved in front of him with a sigh.
The jade shattered, and a lifelike white dog jumped out, wagging its head and affectionately wagging at the old man.
"People who have lived a lifetime together, what's wrong with an old person teasing the younger generation?"
"Baby, don't stand outside the yard anymore, come in, sit down, have some water and rest."
Song Quyou carried his sword to the stone table, placed it horizontally against the edge, and sat upright.
At this moment, two small birds flew out of the thatched hut in the main hall, each with a pair of slender claws, holding a cup of water steadily, and flew to Song Quyou's side.
Song Quyou took the water glass and stared in shock at the two little birds. The wood grain on their bodies was clear, indicating that they were not living creatures.
At this moment, the lark transformed into a red cloud and flew out from Song Quyou's arms. It circled once in the air and landed on his shoulder. Looking at the unfamiliar environment before him, he swallowed back the news that the fragment of the heavenly book had an extra technique.
"It's alright, little guy. Tell this kid that the technique from the celestial scroll has reappeared."
The lark was shocked. It jumped onto the stone table, sticking out its long, sharp beak and stretching out its neck, which should still be there, staring at the old man without blinking.
Seeing the lark's confusion, the old man stroked the white dog under his knees and explained, "This grotto was opened up by my husband and me together. Once we pass through that white mist, we will know everything about this grotto."
The lark suddenly spread its wings, put its hands on its hips, and said, "Old man, now that you know, what are you planning to do?"
"My wife and I just want to live a peaceful life in this grotto and have nothing to do with this book."
Seeing this, Song Quyou picked up the lark from the table and said, "Uncle, please don't be offended. Our cultivation is still shallow, and we possess rare treasures. It's inevitable that we would be a little startled if someone pointed it out."
Upon hearing this, the old man looked deeply at Song Quyou and said, "I didn't realize you were so easily startled, kid."
Song Quyou smiled faintly, "The old man and woman were able to open up such a secluded paradise and live a life of seclusion in these deep mountains. Their cultivation is far beyond my reach. If they had intended to make things difficult for you, they wouldn't have invited me in to sit down."
The old man stroked his beard and laughed heartily, his bright eyes gleaming as he looked at Song Quyou with appreciation.
Just then, the old woman brought out a plate of red dates from inside the house. The dates were fiery red, glistening with water droplets and emitting a misty vapor.
"Come on, child, try some of our own dates."
"Old woman, when this child first came in, I said he was insightful. Wasn't I right?"
The old woman pushed the dates in front of Song Quyou, ignoring the old man.
Song Quyou picked up a jujube from the plate and found it strangely warm and hot in his hand. He took a bite and found it crisp, sweet, and juicy, which made his internal energy feel even stronger.
Song Quyou looked at the red date that he had bitten into, revealing the amber-like, translucent pit, and then looked at the two old people with a puzzled expression.
The old man smiled faintly and waved his hand, saying, "These jujubes are nothing special. If you like them, just throw the pits into the grotto in your teapot, and they'll grow back in a dozen years."
Just as Song Quyou was about to get up and bow to express his gratitude, the old woman pressed him down.
"We like you, kid. Why don't you stay with us for a few days and learn something from your uncle?"
"To be able to learn from the old man is something I could never ask for."
The old man laughed heartily: "You've got good taste, young man."
Song Quyou suddenly remembered the jade pendant engraved with fierce ghosts. He took it out and placed it on the stone table, asking, "Uncle, Granny, I obtained this green jade from a shop in the underworld, but I don't know what it is. I would like to ask you to take a look."
The two old men glanced at the jade pendant on the table, exchanged a look, and smiled faintly, saying, "This item can ward off evil spirits. If you encounter any unkillable evil spirits on the road in the future, you can take out this item, and it will help you."
……
Song Quyou settled down in the courtyard, in the thatched hut on the left.
The thatched hut was simple, containing only a quilt and a table and chairs, with no other clutter, but it was very clean and tidy. Song Quyou quickly tidied up his things, made the quilt, and then entered the Emerald Pine Heaven with anticipation, wanting to know what kind of magic would appear in this Heavenly Book.
Beneath the verdant ancient pines, Song Quyou sat cross-legged before his desk, gazing at the newly added golden ink cloud seal script on the celestial book that had long been laid out.
Spraying: Exhaling a breath can cause an object to change.
The text then explains in detail: This method is easy to learn but difficult to master. To perfect this technique, one must possess boundless magical power. Those with shallow magical power can simply move the object they are trying to control; those with profound magical power can make inanimate objects appear as if they were real spirits; and the legendary masters of great magical power can cause mountains to collapse, rivers to stop flowing, and many other wondrous uses at will.
Song Quyou took out the fist-sized stone carving left by the old man with the stone figurine, activated his magic, and blew out a breath of fresh air.
A burst of pure air caused the stone carving in Song Quyou's hand to tremble slightly, but it quickly subsided.
Looking at the motionless stone figure in his hand, Song Quyou couldn't help but smile bitterly. Just as the Heavenly Book had said, this method was easy to learn but difficult to master. His meager magical power was barely enough to make the stone statue tremble.
He tried several more times, each time trying his best to activate the energy within his body, but the stone sculpture could only tremble a couple more times and couldn't even stand up.
Exhaling too much, Song Quyou suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded, and the world seemed to darken. Just as he was about to faint, he quickly grabbed the stone table to steady himself.
The lark in the pine tree looked at Song Quyou, whose legs were weak and sweating, and said, "You're really stubborn. This stone carving is so heavy, couldn't you have used something lighter like paper?"