I held a plate of food in one hand.
Hearing Old Mo's words at this moment, the corners of my mouth curled into a smile.
"I've broken through too!"
"Ah! You mean you've reached the peak of Qi Gathering?"
Old Mo looked at me in shock.
I nodded:
"Otherwise!"
Old Mo took a sharp breath and rolled his eyes at me.
"You're really fast at improving.
I thought I had caught up to you, but you've pulled away again."
I smiled:
"Let's go, we'll have a couple of drinks tonight to celebrate."
Old Mo nodded with a smile, then carried the dishes into the house.
There was only yellow wine at home, which was a bit sour.
But it wasn't a big problem.
Seeing that Grandma and Old Mo got along well, and considering that in the eyes of the villagers, men drinking alcohol had more spirit,
Grandma didn't stop us.
She just fussed over us, inquiring about Old Mo's family background, whether he had a girlfriend, and so on.
In short, it was the usual conversation of the older generation.
Old Mo and I drank happily and had a good time.
We didn't part until ten in the evening.
After chatting with Grandma for a while, we each went back to our rooms to sleep.
As for the little fox, it slept most of the time, except when it was hungry and eating the yellow chicken.
The next morning was when we were scheduled to leave.
Grandma woke up very early that day.
When I went out, I found Grandma had prepared a lot of things for Old Mo and me, all packed in bags.
They were all local specialties.
Vegetables, cured meat, chicken and duck eggs, and so on.
One portion was for me to take back to my master.
She said that my master had taught me real skills, giving me the ability to make a living.
Since she couldn't thank my master for his teachings yet, she asked me to take these things as her thanks.
The other portion was for Old Mo to take back.
She said Old Mo was my good friend and asked him to take it back for his parents to eat.
Old Mo and I both knew this was Grandma's gesture of goodwill.
So neither of us refused.
After breakfast, we left with the gifts.
I also put the little fox in my backpack, planning to take it back to the city.
Grandma saw us off all the way to the village entrance.
Then I called my second uncle and asked him to give us a ride to town in his three-wheeled vehicle.
Although this second uncle was a snob,
ever since he knew I had real skills and because of me, had earned a large referral fee from the Wei family,
his attitude towards my family and me had become extremely good.
With one phone call, my second uncle drove out his agricultural tricycle.
Then, under Grandma's watchful eyes, Old Mo and I left the village.
We had stayed for a week.
It was time to go back to work.
When we reached the town, I bought two packs of cigarettes for my second uncle and asked him to look after my grandmother for me.
Although I knew my second uncle wouldn't do anything without a benefit,
I also knew that people like him would be more diligent if they were given small favors and made a profit.
My second uncle was all smiles, his face beaming, after receiving the two packs of good cigarettes.
He even drove us to the station and watched us board the bus...
Along the way, Xiao Mei started to become active.
Its eyes kept looking outside.
After all, it had never seen anything in the modern city while it was in the mountains.
Especially when we arrived at the city bus station,
Xiao Mei, seeing the tall buildings and the flowing traffic, couldn't help but ask questions.
I patiently answered.
And told it that those tall buildings were like our human nests...
When we both arrived back at the shop, dusty and travel-worn,
it was just noon.
Old Mo and I went back to our respective shops.
As I entered my shop, I saw Master playing a game.
He wasn't playing Snake today; he was playing Dou Dizhu.
He was also constantly spewing trash talk, complaining about the bad hand he had.
"What the hell, another bad hand. If I don't pay, I don't get good cards, right? Stupid game, lost again."
Seeing Master's resentful expression, I actually missed this old man.
Carrying the large bags, I called out with a smile,
"Master, I'm back."
Hearing my voice, Master turned his head:
"You're back. Did you handle all the matters at home?"
"Yes, Master.
These are from my Grandma for you. They're all mountain goods!"
I said, holding out the things.
When Master heard I brought gifts, his eyes lit up:
"Oh! So many local products!"
After saying that, he walked over directly.
Master also enjoyed food, and seeing that I was carrying mountain goods,
especially the cured meat, his eyes glowed.
"Ah, these are all good things.
We can't buy them here. Put them away carefully. We'll cook some cured meat for lunch today."
Master's gloomy expression changed, and he happily took the cured meat and other items.
Carrying the pork, he went into the house to cook it.
I followed him in.
But after Master finished cooking the meat, his nose twitched suddenly.
In the next second, Master's eyes glanced towards my backpack.
Seeing Master's eyes narrowed, I instantly knew he had sensed Xiao Mei.
So I took off my backpack and said to Master:
"Oh right, Master, I also brought back a little fox!"
After saying that, I put down the backpack.
And let Xiao Mei out.
Master looked at the little fox and seemed a bit surprised:
"What a beautiful white fox spirit!"
Xiao Mei also knew that the person in front of it was my master.
At this moment, it raised its head, looked at my master, and called out:
"Fox maiden Xiao Mei, greetings, Daoist Master!"
The pronunciation was unclear, but the meaning could be understood.
Seeing that Xiao Mei was brought back by me, Master looked at me with a confused expression:
"Xiao Qin, this is?"
I quickly explained:
"Master, I have to tell you this from the beginning..."
Then, I told Master in detail about all the encounters I had since returning to my hometown,
and how Hu San Tai Nai gave Old Mo and me the Bai Cao Dan and asked me to bring Xiao Mei out to see the world.
After listening, Master was also dumbfounded.
He looked at the little fox and relaxed his guard.
He looked at me with some surprise, and finally said with a wry smile:
"You brat, your experiences these past few days have been quite tumultuous.
You've encountered zombies, fierce ghosts, and even demons.
You even managed to get the Bai Cao Dan.
Fortunately, everything is safe.
You've also gained good fortune and formed a connection with Hu San Tai Nai.
And now you've broken through another realm. This cultivation speed...
Even your master is envious!
Hahaha!
It seems you've chosen the right path for us.
Since you promised Hu San Tai Nai,
you can keep Xiao Mei in the shop from now on!"
Xiao Mei, hearing my master's agreement,
nodded repeatedly in excitement,
letting out two "ying ying" sounds.
I smiled, stroking my chin.
Although encountering so many things was troublesome, everything had gone smoothly.
However, I suddenly remembered something.
I quickly spoke to Master:
"Oh right, Master, there's something I need to tell you."
My tone suddenly became serious.
Master was cutting meat, and seeing the oily cured meat, he couldn't help but take a bite.
While chewing, he said,
"What is it? Tell me!"
Master seemed distracted.
I then said:
"Master, it's like this.
Before, I exterminated dozens of yellow-skinned weasels!
But since then, for the past few nights, except for last night,
I've had nightmares for three consecutive nights.
Every time in my dream, the yellow-skinned weasels come to claim my life..."