Unyielding Bone of Dust

"..." Gouzi was at a loss for words for a moment, covering his own face with a paw and immediately losing his spirit.

It seems that Gouzi's trouble was indeed significant.

There was once a mythological novel about a stone monkey, who had only caused a stir in the Ten Yama Halls and ripped up the Book of Life and Death.

But Gouzi, on the other hand, went directly to smashing the prison gates.

It was fortunate that Gouzi had a strong backer—being protected by the Crown Prince, he was merely demoted.

If it had been anyone ordinary, without any background, who caused such a earth-shaking disaster, Lin Suqing probably wouldn't have had the chance to step into the barrier, nor would he have been summoned to this world to risk his life.

Thinking about it, had he not come here, he would probably be leisurely enjoying fried chicken and playing video games right now, or possibly being scolded by a client to revise plans?

While thinking, Lin Suqing couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy, sighing... Due to unexpected errors, the ways of the world are truly unpredictable.

"However..." Just when he thought the reminiscing was over, Mi Gu, the old man, came up with another topic.

"However, what?" Lin Suqing followed up, wondering if there was more to the story.

Old man Mi Gu, with eyes squinted and a smile, said, "It could also be considered a blessing in disguise. If it weren't for Lord Zhui Feng bringing such a troublesome disaster to the Mortal Realm, the Crown Prince's confinement order would still have two hundred years to go."

A confinement order? What confinement order? And why?" Lin Suqing was shocked, the Crown Prince, who even the Heavenly Emperor respected, was under a confinement order?

"Uh this..." Realizing he had blurted out too much in a moment of excitement, potentially leading to revealing a calamity that could obliterate a whole clan, Mi Gu panicked and swiftly knelt down before the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, please forgive me."

Although the Crown Prince looked amiable just now, his expression now seemed clouded with a thin frost, yet he didn't blame anyone and merely said, "Stand up."

"This lowly old man thanks Your Highness for your great mercy," Old man Mi Gu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and temples with his sleeve and tremblingly stood up, relieved.

Lin Suqing was baffled; ever since he had arrived at this place called Danxue Mountain, other than the apparent dangers, what he experienced the most were the countless unsayable things about Danxue Mountain.

His curiosity would often be raised high only to be abruptly stopped.

He didn't dare to ask rashly, even Gouzi sometimes abruptly stopped speaking when mentioning some "unspeakable matters," panicked. Presumably, if he were to ask abruptly, he might invite a great disaster.

Forget it, he believed that one day he would clear up all these doubts. Or perhaps, by the time he had the chance to learn the truth, the truth won't matter anymore.

"Zhui Feng." The Crown Prince got up and walked towards the study exit, casually calling Zhui Feng, and looking at the distant green mountains and waters, he indifferently asked, "Is everything taken care of?"

"All taken care of!" Gouzi, following at the Crown Prince's heels, answered crisply and loudly.

Lin Suqing quickly followed as well.

The Crown Prince's steps slightly slowed, and then with a flick of his folding fan, facing the bright breeze, he said, "Let's descend the mountain."

"We're descending the mountain now?" Lin Suqing, taken aback, hurriedly asked, "Don't we need to pack any luggage or anything? And what about me? Your Majesty, what should I do?"

The Crown Prince glanced at him and continued forward.

With a howl, Gouzi transformed into a giant eighteen feet tall and said to Lin Suqing, "Danxue Mountain stands a thousand ren high, separated from the Mortal Realm by towering mountains, and as a mere mortal, you can't descend. I, as a noble being, will carry you, come up!"

Lin Suqing looked up, and through the fluffy fur around Gouzi's neck, he couldn't even see its chin, wondering how he was supposed to climb on...

"Young master, wait!" As he was worrying, old man Mi Gu blocked his path.

Turning around, Lin Suqing saw Mi Gu pluck a silver hair from his own head, which instantly turned into a small branch and presented it to him, "Although the young master is protected by the Divine Blood of His Highness, the Mortal Realm is noisy and messy, hardly as tranquil as Danxue Mountain. This old man gives you a Mi Gu branch to carry with you; it will ensure you never get lost."

Lin Suqing carefully received it with both hands and tucked it into his sleeve. Being unfamiliar with this world, this small branch seemed like a built-in GPS, certainly a handy item.

"Thank you, elder," he said.

Pleased with his acceptance, Mi Gu's smile was warm as he said, "This old man will accompany you a bit further."

As he spoke, Mi Gu extended his right hand from his wide sleeve, turned his wrist, and with a flip of his hand, seemed to draw a faint array. Soon from under his palm, several clusters of roots suddenly sprouted from the ground.

The roots, interwoven like vines, leapt forward like a big fish jumping out of water, then burrowed back into the soil, bursting from the ground right under Lin Suqing's feet.

The vines neatly wrapped around his ankles, lifting him by his feet, and placed him on Zhui Feng's back. As soon as he steadied himself, the roots immediately retracted into the soil, leaving no trace.

Mi Gu, the old man, sent Lin Suqing and the dog off with a bow and a grand laugh, "The mountains are high, and the rivers are long, have a good journey, both of you."

The dog glanced sideways and nodded as a response. Then he soared into the clouds, chasing in the direction of the Crown Prince.

The rushing wind nearly caused Lin Suqing to fall into the valley several times. Initially, he had wanted to enjoy the scenery along the way, but now he could only cling tightly to the dog's fur, lying low and daring not to make any careless moves.

Soon, they caught up with the Crown Prince.

When they met him, he was standing at the edge of a cliff, gazing into the deep valley and the secluded forest below, with a sorrowful look on his face, as if reminiscing about some past memories or waiting for someone.

The dog gently landed, crept quietly to the feet of the Crown Prince, and waited for instructions.

Driven by curiosity, Lin Suqing tiptoed out of the dog's long fur and asked without regard to propriety.

"Who are you waiting for, Your Highness?" Seeing the gloom in the Crown Prince's expression, he was certainly not waiting for them.

"I'm not waiting for anyone."

Although the Crown Prince retracted his thoughts, his words still carried a tone of profound sorrow. He looked into the distance for a while, then stepped onto a lucky cloud.

"Let's go."

His voice was soft and light, fading like a cold breeze gradually dispersing into the mist and water vapor.

The dog howled and also stepped onto a cloud, following him.

Lin Suqing, grasping the dog's fur, had his face blown harshly by the fast wind, distorting his facial features.

Alas, when would he possess the ability to soar through the clouds, so he would not have to suffer from the whipping wind.

Somber for a moment, he turned back and squinted at the gradually fading view of Danxue Mountain.

Lush verdant peaks shrouded by rosy clouds created a breathtaking scenic beauty. The immortal realms described in the books, perhaps, were no more than this.

Perhaps because of Mi Gu's parting advice, he suddenly found himself reluctant to leave this perilous place.

...

About an hour later, they stopped by a lakeside.

Lin Suqing, blown until dizzy and disoriented, was set down by the dog, and then he flopped onto the ground like a dead body.

The pebbly ground didn't even bother him; he didn't even want to open his eyes, preferring to just lie there.

The dog reverted to a smaller form, lifted its paw, and gently slapped his face, saying, "Hey, dummy, don't sleep, go pick some wild fruits to eat."

He really didn't want to move, half-asleep as if about to drift off, he mumbled unclearly, "Aren't immortals supposed not to consume worldly food?"

"You believe that nonsense?" The dog leaped onto his chest, then vigorously jumped a few more times, forcibly "bouncing" him awake.

Seeing Lin Suqing sit up, the dog jumped down to the ground and said, "The so-called not consuming worldly food only means not eating food cooked with mortal fire because it's not pure enough; the ingredients for immortals are refined through sacred arts."

"What about the wild fruits here, aren't they grown from the soil of the Mortal Realm?"

The dog turned around, saying, "Wild fruits are different; they accumulate the nourishment of the sun and moon, the essence of heaven and earth, growing naturally."

Saying so, it kicked up a patch of dirt with its back feet toward Lin Suqing, impatiently saying, "I'm explaining such basic concepts, and you still don't understand. Guess you can't expect to learn much then. Uneducable indeed."

"Alright, alright, I'm going, I'm going already," he quickly got up upon hearing this. He started walking, then turned back and shouted to the dog drinking by the lake.

"What if I get captured by a demon while I'm out? Why don't you come with me?"

The dog looked around and replied to Lin Suqing, "In the Mortal Realm, the more populous the place, the denser the mundane smog, which thoroughly dissipates the spiritual energy. Few demons can cultivate here."

"Besides, we are only a few dozen miles away from Floating Jade City; you're more likely to encounter a woodcutter than a demon." After saying this, the dog dived into the lake, sending the fish into a panic.

"So... I'm going then?"