Chapter 652: Sorry, Not for Sale

After dinner and some more lively fun, everyone returned to their tents to rest. The next morning, Shen Yibin got up while the others were still asleep. Ever since he started eating the medicinal porridge, his routine had become incredibly regular. He went to bed early and woke up early every day, and he had no desire to sleep in, even out in the wilderness.

He crept quietly out of his tent, taking the Turtle Immortal with him. After finding a flat rock, the two of them began their daily morning exercises. Facing the rising sun, they inhaled and exhaled rhythmically. Shen Yibin’s Turtle Breathing Technique had been progressing rapidly, and the length of his breaths and the sounds he made were now almost identical to the Turtle Immortal’s.

"The air here seems even better than it is back home," Shen Yibin said, rubbing his chest. He felt more refreshed than usual after finishing his practice today.

"Bin, are you practicing Qi Gong? What kind of cultivation technique is this?" Just as he spoke, a voice from behind made Shen Yibin nearly jump out of his skin. ’Who else is up this early?’ He turned around and saw it was Director Kong. The director looked at Shen Yibin sheepishly and said, "My apologies. The older you get, the less you sleep. I was just out for a walk when I saw you practicing. I hope I didn’t disturb you?"

"Not at all," Shen Yibin said, waving his hand. He wasn’t one to jealously guard his knowledge; he just felt the posture for the Turtle Breathing Technique was a bit awkward and preferred not to have strangers watch. Since he was already well-acquainted with Director Kong, he certainly didn’t consider him a stranger. "This is the Turtle Breathing Technique, not Qi Gong," he explained. "It’s just a breathing method for physical exercise. Twice a day, morning and evening, it cleanses impurities from your lungs and respiratory system, helping you breathe more easily."

"Oh? It’s that incredible?" Having grown up in Xiangjiang, Director Kong was a firm believer in these sorts of things. He immediately asked, "I wonder if you could teach me? Oh, but if it’s a secret or there are rules against it, just pretend I never asked."

"It’s not that esoteric. Sun Qian, Xia Shixuan, and Wen Yuan have all learned it," Shen Yibin said with a laugh. "If you’re interested, I’ll teach you when we get back to the manor after filming is done." ’Does Director Kong really think the Turtle Breathing Technique is some kind of secret, ultimate skill that can’t be passed on to just anyone?’

"Great! It’s a deal then!" Director Kong was overjoyed. People tend to focus more on their health as they get older, and he felt Shen Yibin’s cultivation technique was rather miraculous and wanted to learn it. He’d thought it would be a difficult request, so he was surprised when Shen Yibin agreed so readily. "By the way, Bin, which master did you learn this from? Won’t they be offended if you pass it on to others without permission?"

"Which master?" Shen Yibin smiled and pointed to the Turtle Immortal, which was resting on the rock. "Well, that would be this Master Gui right here. I learned it from it."

"Bin, you can’t joke about this!" Director Kong said sternly. "Qi Gong masters are held in very high regard in Xiangjiang." He was worried Shen Yibin would offend the master who taught him the Turtle Breathing Technique and hurriedly issued a warning.

"But I am telling the truth! This is no ordinary turtle. Come here, take a look at this!" Shen Yibin beckoned Director Kong over and pointed to the engraving on the Turtle Immortal’s shell. "See this? ’Released in the 12th year of Qianlong.’ It’s been alive this whole time. I fished it out of Dongting Lake. Since it’s lived for so long, it’s not so strange that it has some mystical qualities, right?"

"The 12th year of Qianlong?" Director Kong was dumbfounded when he saw the engraving. Furniture and porcelain from that era were priceless antiques; he’d never imagined he would see a living creature from the 12th year of Qianlong. He was now almost completely convinced by Shen Yibin’s story. Just as he was about to say more, he heard a stir from the camp. He quickly stopped talking. "Everyone’s up. Let’s focus on finishing the shoot. I’ll talk to you more when we get back."

Back at the campsite, Shen Yibin cooked a large pot of medicinal porridge. Eating it swept away everyone’s fatigue, and they began the day’s shoot full of vigor. Hah’Er and Sun Qian’s performances were perfect, and the crew members were also exceptionally energetic after their meal. With everyone working together so efficiently, they finished filming early and managed to get down the mountain before nightfall.

After driving back to the manor, Shen Yibin prepared another grand feast to reward the crew. Once they had eaten, Director Kong carefully reviewed the footage. Finding no errors or omissions, he declared the shoot a wrap. The crew members promptly booked their flights back to Xiangjiang to start post-production, while Director Kong decided to stay in Yunzhong City and enjoy his vacation.

"Bin, you promised on the mountain that you’d teach me the Turtle Breathing Technique." Early the next morning, just as Shen Yibin opened his door to go exercise, he saw Director Kong standing there with a wide grin.

"You’re certainly up early! Come on, let’s go this way. The air by the river is much fresher and the view is more open. It’s a much better place to practice." Shen Yibin naturally had no reason to refuse. He led Director Kong to the riverbank, and they climbed onto the large rock. He had the director imitate the Turtle Immortal’s movements, correcting each of his mistakes until he had finally mastered the proper technique.

"COUGH, COUGH! This cultivation technique is truly incredible!" Director Kong was much older than Shen Yibin’s group, so far more impurities had built up in his lungs. Seeing what he was coughing out, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of alarm. ’Thank goodness I met Bin and this Master Gui. If things had kept going like this, my lungs would have been ruined.’

"Have some water and catch your breath. Don’t be alarmed; it’s like that for everyone in the beginning. It’ll get better as you keep practicing," Shen Yibin said comfortingly. After they finished the Turtle Breathing Technique, Shen Yibin took Director Kong, Hah’Er, and the others for a light jog.

When the jog was over, it was time to collect herbs in the forest. Qi Jian had been watching them on the mountain for the past two days, so Shen Yibin had been too embarrassed to let the Turtle Immortal go on a full-blown collecting spree. Now, he needed to gather more herbs quickly to restock his supply.

"Are you telling me that it found all the herbs for the porridge we had earlier?" Director Kong was astonished all over again when he saw the Turtle Immortal trot back with a familiar-looking stalk in its mouth and drop it into Shen Yibin’s hand.

"That’s right. It’s not just for the porridge; the Turtle Immortal also finds the herbs for the medicinal wine and for cooking," Shen Yibin replied, while directing Xiaoliu and Hah’Er to help gather more of the same type of stalk.

"Say... Bin, would you be willing to part with this Master Gui? As long as you agree, you can name your price!" To Director Kong, the Turtle Immortal was a creature that could extend his very life!

"You want to buy the Turtle Immortal?" Shen Yibin was taken aback. ’If it were any of my other pets, maybe... but I want to keep the Turtle Immortal for myself.’

’What am I going to do now? How in the world am I supposed to handle this with Director Kong?’