Chapter 56: A Slightly Crazy Old Man

Chapter 56: Chapter 56: A Slightly Crazy Old Man

When Hundred Flowers Wanderer posed this question, Chu Fan didn’t answer right away. Instead, he turned to Yan Ying with a questioning look.

Yan Ying understood his hesitation and said, "It’s okay to be honest with the senior. He has always acted with integrity, a fact known to every Sect in the Central Domain. Besides, his Hundred Flowers and Hundred Fruits Brew is a vintage so fine that even my master can’t get his hands on it."

Upon hearing this, Chu Fan quickly bowed. "This junior, Chu Fan, greets you, Senior. My master was Ling Zhexing."

"Ling Zhexing? This old man has never heard that name. Since I don’t know your master, never mind then!"

Chu Fan didn’t understand what Hundred Flowers Wanderer meant.

But Yan Ying’s face lit up when she heard this. "Senior, his master was actually killed by villains."

"Oh?" Hundred Flowers Wanderer’s eyes lit up instantly. He sized up Chu Fan from head to toe and asked, "Kid, how about becoming my disciple?"

Chu Fan understood now.

However, he refused on the spot. "I am deeply honored by your generous offer, Senior. But my master’s kindness to me was as immense as a mountain. Though he has passed on, he lives on in my heart, so I have no intention of seeking a new master."

’To Yan Ying, Chu Fan’s decision seemed a bit foolish.’

’Who was Hundred Flowers Wanderer? He was a figure who could do as he pleased throughout the entire Central Domain. The old man had lived for hundreds of years, and rumor had it he’d only ever accepted one disciple—who was later killed. He hadn’t taken another disciple since.’

’If Chu Fan became his disciple, he wouldn’t just inherit his legacy; his own standing would instantly skyrocket thanks to the Wanderer’s status.’

However, Hundred Flowers Wanderer showed no displeasure at Chu Fan’s refusal. "Hurry, hurry! The meat won’t be as good once it’s cold."

Chu Fan quickly sliced off an entire hind leg of the muntjac and handed it to him.

The Hundred Flowers Wanderer took the meat, held it to his nose for a sniff, and said, "Kid, I’ve eaten your meat, and you’ve drunk my wine. We’re even now. I’ll be taking my leave."

With that, he drifted away.

The moment Hundred Flowers Wanderer left, both Chu Fan and Yan Ying felt the effects of the wine hit them. It was as if a raging fire was burning within their bodies.

Even when they tried to circulate their Cultivation Techniques to suppress it, they failed. In fact, the feeling of dizziness only intensified.

Before long, the two of them collapsed limply to the ground, falling into a deep, heavy slumber.

They were fast asleep, completely unaware that Hundred Flowers Wanderer had returned.

He sat down by the bonfire, picked up the dagger Chu Fan had dropped, and began to slice the meat, muttering to himself as he did.

’Such fine meat, it would be a waste not to eat it. I’m not eating for free, either. I’ll consider it payment for standing guard as your Protector.’

’Then again, this kid’s talent is truly impressive. He can even come up with so many clever ways to prepare food. Hmm, I suppose I’ve found something to keep me busy for the next few years.’

In just a short while, Hundred Flowers Wanderer finished off the better half of the remaining muntjac, then lay down on the ground and took a nap himself.

When night fell, Hundred Flowers Wanderer stretched lazily and got up. With a light tap of his feet, he floated into the air. Before long, he returned with another muntjac, a honeycomb, and some wild spices.

He followed Chu Fan’s method, copying it step by step. By the time the moon hung high among the branches, the aroma of roasting meat began to drift through the air.

He eagerly cut off a piece and took a bite, only to spit it out before he could even chew.

’BLECH, BLECH, BLECH! I followed the kid’s method exactly! Why does it taste so different?’

’Maybe I should try again?’

Muttering to himself, he left again, returning shortly after with yet another muntjac.

He went through the process once more, not finishing until dawn.

The Hundred Flowers Wanderer of this moment had none of his previous elegance; his face was completely black with soot.

But that couldn’t diminish the allure of a delicious meal.

After tasting a piece, he frowned once more.

’It’s a little better, but still not right. The meat is a bit dry, and the aroma isn’t as rich.’

For the next several days, Hundred Flowers Wanderer didn’t rest for a single moment. The muntjacs for a hundred miles around, however, met with disaster.

’This one is still wrong. The skin doesn’t seem as crispy as the kid’s.’

’Hmm, this time it seems I’m only missing one of the aromas. I have to try again.’

’Huh, this time it seems right... but why isn’t the meat as tender?’

Finally, at dusk on the seventh day, after going through twenty-six muntjacs, he succeeded.

Hundred Flowers Wanderer let out a long, satisfied sigh. He then proceeded to eat his fill of meat and drink his wine, thoroughly pleased with himself.

After a hearty meal, he looked with some astonishment at Chu Fan and Yan Ying, who had been unconscious for seven days and seven nights.

’These two kids are really something else. Ten pounds of Hundred Flowers and Hundred Fruits Brew, and between the two of them, not a single drop was wasted.’

’Sigh, when will this gluttonous mouth of mine ever learn? A total of twenty pounds of Hundred Flowers and Hundred Fruits Brew... it pains me just to think about it.’

’Ah, whatever. I’ll just consider it good karma!’

’Damn, my gluttony made me lose track of the time. That old monk is probably going to chew me out for being late again.’

’Oh, well. When I see the old monk, I’ll just roast one of these muntjacs for him. He probably won’t complain then.’

’They’re all just a bunch of troublesome freaks.’

’Time to go, time to go. These two kids should be waking up soon. It’ll be hard to explain if I’m still here.’

After a long stream of muttering to himself, Hundred Flowers Wanderer cleaned up the "battlefield" from his past few days of cooking and drifted away.

Chu Fan and Yan Ying had been unconscious for seven days and nights, so they couldn’t possibly have known what Hundred Flowers Wanderer had done or said.

Throughout those seven days, they hadn’t even had a single dream, completely oblivious to the world around them.

But their bodies had undergone a world-altering transformation.

In Chu Fan’s Dantian, the thirteen Lotus Seeds within the seedpod on his lotus flower had all become plump and full. This meant that after this one sleep, his Cultivation had reached the Perfection stage of the Pill Formation Realm.

He was now just one catalyst away from breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm.

Chu Fan’s previous rapid advancement was because he had already reached the Golden Core Realm before his Golden Core was shattered. When he started his Cultivation over, progressing from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core was a smooth, unimpeded journey.

However, advancing from Golden Core to Nascent Soul was the bottleneck of a Great Realm. Mere accumulation wasn’t enough; one’s comprehension of the Martial Dao also had to reach an equivalent level.

Not long after Hundred Flowers Wanderer left, the two of them awoke simultaneously.

Chu Fan was still dazed when he woke up.

The first thing Yan Ying did upon waking was to hurriedly sit down and meditate.

But while Chu Fan was still in a daze, he sensed the Spiritual Qi of the heavens and earth sweeping toward their location like a cyclone.

Then, to his astonishment, he saw a Spiritual Qi vortex forming above Yan Ying’s head.

After that, he witnessed the phenomenon of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top and Five Qi Chaoyuan.

’Nascent Soul? Wasn’t she only at Golden Core Realm Tier Five when we left Jiangdong County? How long has it been? She’s already broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm?’ The shock Chu Fan felt was simply indescribable.

He was so stunned that he didn’t even notice the improvement in his own Cultivation.

However, as he watched the scene before him, a flash of insight seemed to spark in Chu Fan’s mind. But by the time he tried to grasp it, the glimmer was gone.

He had a strong feeling that the fleeting flash was incredibly important to him, though he couldn’t figure out why.

A twenty-one-year-old at the Nascent Soul Realm. Chu Fan couldn’t even begin to imagine how far Yan Ying would go in the future.

’She’s the Direct Disciple of the Celestial Dao Palace’s Master. She lacks neither Martial Dao inheritance nor resources. Could she be the next person to achieve Ascension to Immortality in the eight thousand years since Ascendant Xingfeng?’