Chapter 25

The Peach Blossom Buddha

“Oh, really?” I was immediately interested, but I was a bit embarrassed to show too much interest, so I twitched the corner of my mouth and said, “Love?”

The old immortal said solemnly, “Yes, if I’m wrong, I won’t charge you. With the Divine Lord here, this old man wouldn’t dare to lie. Why don’t you, little girl, stretch out your hand for me to see?”

I glanced at Yin Ze, and seeing that he didn’t react much, I extended my palm. The old immortal groped around my hand with a lewd expression, but was stung by an ice arrow from Yin Ze.

He yelled out, “Ouch! Kids nowadays are so rude. Back then, even the Heavenly Emperor was afraid of me.”

Yin Ze frowned and said, “Peach Blossom Buddha, why can’t you stop your habit of flirting with little girls?”

The Peach Blossom Buddha said, “An old man looking at a little girl makes him happy. You young brat, mind your own business.”

I admit, I was so scared that I felt like a bird on a knife-edge, afraid that the Peach Blossom Buddha would collapse the next second, but Yin Ze was not offended and just pulled me back a little. The Peach Blossom Buddha raised an eyebrow and looked at me, then at Yin Ze, “Little girl, do you want to hear the result?”

“Yes!” As soon as I said it, I met Yin Ze’s glaring eyes, and I shrank back, “No, it’s okay...”

The Peach Blossom Buddha said, “Your face is as smooth as powder, and your eyes are filled with a drunken smile. We call this a peach blossom face. This kind of face is very attractive to boys.”

“Really?! How... how embarrassing...” I felt my face turn red again and swayed back and forth, but Yin Ze poked me in the back with his magic, and I immediately stood up straight in pain.

“Wait, don’t be too happy. Although you are very attractive, there is a big obstacle on your love line.” The Peach Blossom Buddha looked at the top of my head, flicking it as if there were really an entangled thread there, “This obstacle is quite troublesome, and it might even bring about bloodshed...”

“Blood, bloodshed?” I asked.

“Exactly,” he said solemnly, taking out a few thin things from under the stall. “Would you like to try my exclusive peach dog skin plaster? It’s effective in promoting blood circulation, relieving swelling and pain, and nourishing the spleen and kidneys.”

I was surprised, “You also sell dog skin plasters?”

The Peach Blossom Buddha coughed, “Nowadays, there are more and more immortals moving to Tian Shi City, driving the people in our small village away. It’s hard to make a living... Part-time job, part-time job.”

I said, “What kind of part-time job? Selling boots, telling fortunes, or selling dog skin plasters?”

The Peach Blossom Buddha took out a flower basket from under the table, “This is a part-time job. Floating Pagoda Flowers, a local specialty, two stones for one flower, buy two get one free. Want one?”

As soon as the flower basket appeared in front of me, I couldn’t take my eyes off it: it was filled with plump pink flowers that looked like cherry blossoms, but instead of soft and fluffy pistils in the center of each flower, there were glowing and jumping stars.

I reached out and touched them, and the stars splashed on my hand like water droplets.

The Peach Blossom Buddha picked two flowers and smiled, sticking them on my twin tails, “Look, how charming you are. It’s only two stones.”

“Okay, okay, I want it.”

In the afternoon, Fu Chenzi gave me some immortal currency. I touched my waist, but Yin Ze finally couldn’t stand it anymore, and tilted his chin, “Those are just fragments of the Floating Pagoda Star embedded in cherry blossoms using magic. There’s no such thing as a Floating Pagoda Flower. Let’s go.”

“Ah, is that so...”

Although I was a little disappointed, I couldn’t disobey my master. I apologized to the Peach Blossom Buddha and followed Yin Ze, continuing to fly forward. But before we had flown far, I heard the Peach Blossom Buddha’s voice, “Little girl, little girl.”

I turned my head and saw him flying beside me. I was about to scream, but he made a “shh” gesture and took a Floating Pagoda Flower from the flower basket and handed it to me, “I’ll give you this flower. Give it to this stinky boy Yin Ze as a gift.”

I took the flower and whispered, “Why? Why give it to Master? I don’t think he’ll want it.”

“This kid is different from the Heavenly Emperor, he’s very proud.”

The Peach Blossom Buddha said, “Because it’s customary in the immortal realm for new disciples to give their master a flower when they first become a disciple.”

So that’s why Yin Ze was so unhappy just now. It was because I didn’t give him a flower. I happily took the flower, and the Peach Blossom Buddha disappeared into the clouds. Looking back, I couldn’t see him anymore. The Eastern Dragon Heaven was indeed a place full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, even a fortune-telling old immortal was so unfathomable, and Yin Ze didn’t even notice him.

However, the Peach Blossom Buddha mentioned the Heavenly Emperor twice, which shows that the Heavenly Emperor was an important figure.

I curiously asked, “Master, who is the Heavenly Emperor?”

Yin Ze said, “The Heavenly Emperor.”

“Oh, so he’s the Heavenly Emperor. Even the Heavenly Emperor has had his fortune told by him, no wonder the Peach Blossom Buddha is so...” I was surprised, “No, the Heavenly Emperor also had his fortune told? And even about love?!”

Yin Ze sneered, “And he thinks it’s very accurate.”

Unexpectedly, the Heavenly Emperor was indeed a man of many affections as Fu Chenzi had said. He didn’t force matters of the heart and even asked an old immortal to help him make a decision. I looked back at the way we came, “I regret it so much. I should have asked the Peach Blossom Buddha a few more questions...”

Before long, we came across several more stalls. One of them was a bookstore, where the book fairy was arranging the books in the air, creating a floating circle around himself, leaving only a gap for customers to enter. Yin Ze stopped and casually picked up a book to read. The book fairy, seeing Yin Ze, said enthusiastically, “Divine Lord Yin Ze, there are many new books in my shop, are you interested in taking a look?”

Yin Ze said, “Show me.”

“There are ‘Heavenly Rituals and Weekly Laws’, ‘Purple Light Technique’, ‘Travelogue of the Vermilion Bird Heaven’, ‘Cuisine of the Nine Provinces’...” He flipped through a few books, then whispered, “There are also three new good books, ‘The Frightening Soul of the Female Constellation’, ‘The Scent of Exploration’, and ‘The Fox Girl Tale’. The Divine Lord will understand.”

“Oh?” Yin Ze raised his eyebrows slightly, with a mysterious smile on his lips.

Seeing his reaction, the book fairy’s eyes lit up, and he quickly pulled out a few books from the bottom, “There are text versions and illustrated versions. The illustrated version of ‘The Frightening Soul of the Female Constellation’ is a masterpiece imitating the painting style of Immortal Yunxiao. Which set does the Divine Lord want?”

Yin Ze said indifferently, “The text version of ‘The Fox Girl Tale’ and the illustrated version of ‘The Frightening Soul of the Female Constellation’.”

“The Fox Girl Tale”? It sounds like the title of a novel, but Yin Ze doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would read novels. Maybe this book is a manual on fox demons. After that, he picked a few other books, and I had to carry them all.

Coming out of the bookstore, I looked down at the top book, “The Fox Girl Tale”, and looked at Yin Ze with adoring eyes, “Master, you’re so amazing, you even know about fox girls.”

Yin Ze said, “Just a general understanding.”

Seeing him so calm, I became interested in the book. I blew on the book forcefully and turned the pages, and it happened to open to the middle. I read aloud, “The sash is untied, and there’s a faint fragrance under the skirt. They sleep together and fly together, like immortals but with broken hearts. After a spring night under the flowers, the young master of the apricot blossoms picked an apricot blossom from the tree and placed it in the fox girl’s...”

I heard a “snap” sound, and the book was closed. Yin Ze said, “If you keep flipping through these books without my permission, I’ll throw you down.”

I said, “Master, what does this poem mean? Why can’t I understand it?”

“You don’t need to understand.”

“Isn’t it a book that only immortals can understand? Hmph, don’t think I can’t understand a single word. The relationship between the young master of the apricot blossoms and the fox girl is so close, why would he give her a flower?”

Yin Ze was silent for a moment, then said, “You’re right, they are the best of friends.”

“I didn’t expect the fox girl in the book to be so deep in love.” I suddenly remembered what the Peach Blossom Fairy had said, took out the Floating Pagoda Flower he had given me, and waved it in front of Yin Ze, “Master, this flower is for you.”

“When did you buy the Floating Pagoda Flower?”

“The Peach Blossom Buddha asked me to give it to you. He said that in the immortal realm, new disciples must give their master a flower.”

“He’s probably just trying to trick you into buying flowers,” Yin Ze said, though he took the Floating Pagoda Flower. “Since you’ve put in this effort, your master will accept it. Don’t waste your money in the future.”

“Yes!” I replied with a bright smile. “I hope I can be as close to Master as the fox and the apricot blossom in the story.”

Yin Ze paused with the flower in his hand, seeming hesitant before finally tucking it into his waistband. Just as we were about to leave, a fairy approached, looked at the Floating Pagoda Flower on Yin Ze’s waist in surprise, then looked at the two of us and said, “Congratulations to the Divine Lord.”

Yin Ze asked, “Why the congratulations?”

The fairy said, “The Divine Lord has always been alone, and now you’ve found love in the Floating Pagoda Star Sea. Naturally, we must come to congratulate you.”

Love in the Floating Pagoda Star Sea? I looked around, not seeing anyone else, and then gradually froze - she couldn’t be talking about me, could she? I said, “Fairy sister, don’t say things like that, the Divine Lord and I aren’t what you think...”

“Don’t be shy, little sister. We all saw you give the Divine Lord the Floating Pagoda Flower. Look, my sisters are all blessing you.” She pointed to a group of fairies nearby who were giggling at us.

I waved my hands frantically, “No, no, no, I gave him the Floating Pagoda Flower because I’m his disciple, not because of what you think.”

The fairy covered her mouth and laughed, “You’re still shy. The Floating Pagoda Flower is a token of love, especially giving it in the Floating Pagoda Star Sea, it’s a clear sign of affection. The Divine Lord has already accepted the flower, he’s agreed to you, why are you still shy?”

Now Yin Ze was also stunned. “The Floating Pagoda Flower is a token of love? Why haven’t I heard of that?”

The fairy laughed until her sides ached, “Even the Divine Lord is shy? Well, it’s your private matter, I’m just an outsider, I shouldn’t ask too much. Anyway, congratulations first.”

Seeing Yin Ze’s expressionless face, I was so scared my scalp went numb. I desperately tried to explain, “No, no, no, Master treats me like a father! He’s like my...”

As I said this, I subconsciously glanced at Yin Ze. Sure enough, the look he gave me was a bit strange. I knew the crucial moment was about to come. The last time I said Master was like my father, Master was upset for a long time.

Thinking about it carefully, I was really arrogant and powerless.

Master is probably older than my grandfather. Is he my grandfather, great-grandfather, or great-great-grandfather... Oh no, I don’t even know how old he is.

At this moment, cold sweat broke out on my forehead, and finally, in a moment of panic, I came up with the best answer. I said, “Master is like my grandfather’s ancestor!”

Feeling Yin Ze’s suddenly cold gaze, I took a deep breath and shivered, “I, I’m too young, I shouldn’t be talking about love. And Master, he’s... he’s old, you should... respect the elderly...”

Yin Ze’s gaze was almost like an ice blade, piercing through me. I felt like my back was soaked in sweat, and I prayed to heaven and earth for help. Fortunately, the fairy was a kind person, and she said, “Huh? You have a grandfather?”

“Oh, no, no. He’s passed away.”

“I’m so envious. My sisters and I were born from the morning dew of the celestial realm, and we don’t even have parents, let alone grandparents. What’s it like to have a grandfather?”

Finding that Yin Ze was looking at a book nearby and didn’t pay attention to me, I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled lightly, “He’s very good to me. He personally taught me all my entry-level techniques, but he’s also very strict. I’m very filial to him. I massage his shoulders and legs every day, and serve him tea and water. Alas, unfortunately, he was in poor health when he got old, and he limped when he walked, so wherever I went, I would carry a chair for him and help him.”

After chatting for a while, I told her the whole story about the Peach Blossom Buddha, and with great effort, I finally convinced the fairy sister that Yin Ze and I were truly master and disciple. Thankfully, the fairy sister wasn’t nosy, she just told me to be careful, as this involved a girl’s reputation and so on.

After listening to her advice, I breathed a sigh of relief and happily returned to Yin Ze’s side, ready to praise him. Yin Ze said, “Luo Wei.”

“Master, I’m here!” I stood up straight, already eager to take credit.

Yin Ze said indifferently, “I heard you say that you serve tea and water for your grandfather, and massage his shoulders and legs.”

“Yes, and I also helped him walk, just like I help you, Master!”

“Not bad, you’re a filial child.” He flipped through the “Zen Medicine Essentials” in his hand and threw it to me, “I think this book is good for you.”

I was so happy that I felt like a fan hanging from a horse’s tail. I flattered him, “Any book that Master thinks is good must be the best in the world!”

“Copy it ten times.”

A bolt from the blue. I was stunned for a long time and said, “...Why?”

“Just copy it, don’t talk back.”

The book seller said, “Little girl, your master cares about you. He wants you to learn more.”

I felt a little depressed about being punished for no reason, and could only sigh, “I understand. Master is doing this for my own good. When my father was still alive, he also liked to make me copy books...”

Yin Ze said, “Copy it a hundred times.”

“...”

I didn’t dare to say another word. I really don’t understand. Master’s heart is really like the bottom of the sea. Master’s temper is getting weirder and weirder.