Chapter 330 The Taste of Home

At noon, Wei Yuan personally cooked the meal.

This was the residence of a lay disciple of the Celestial Master Mansion. The Celestial Master Mansion was on Mount Longhu and, in terms of martial arts, was related to Mount Qingcheng and Mount Wudang. They practiced both fist techniques and swordsmanship, but not as deeply as the former two. Some lay disciples, who did not become monks, would come to the mountain to practice swordsmanship. After a few years of learning, they would choose to go down the mountain and make their way in the world.

This place was originally inhabited by such a disciple.

But for this period of time, it was given to Wei Yuan and A Xuan to use.

That disciple had ventured to Sakura Island and established some career. He had no shortage of cooking utensils and seasonings at home. According to him, when he first came here, he was quite interested in Sakura Island's cuisine, eating sushi and ramen frequently. But after a week, his mouth tasted bland as a bird's.

It was just those same old patterns over and over again.

Back then, it wasn't easy to buy seasonings from Shenzhou.

He finally managed to get his hands on some and fried himself a dish of *di san xian* (three treasures from the earth) and scrambled eggs with tomatoes overnight.

He ate three large bowls in one go, feeling like his soul had returned.

People's taste habits are formed in their youth, adjusted by their parents and hometown.

So no matter how far away from home you are, and no matter how long has passed, the taste your stomach is most accustomed to is still that one. Some is egg fried rice, some is roasted nang bread with spicy meat. Wei Yuan watched the fair and clean little Daoist pour a full layer of green and red pepper dices into his rice and shovel it into his mouth with a spoon, his eye twitching.

He suddenly understood why not a single bit of the chopped pepper fish head was left that day.

The little Daoist, A Xuan, ate a bowl of rice contentedly, noticed Wei Yuan's gaze, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "We Longhu Mountain folks are quite capable of eating spicy food. We've been used to it since we were young. Wei Guanzhu, what kind of dishes are you used to?"

What kind of dishes am I used to?

Fish and rice? Or…

Wei Yuan thought of those rough, primitive, yet delicious dishes, and saliva secreted from the base of his tongue.

Thinking of the injuries caused this time by forcibly using Daoist spells and the backlash from close combat, a thought arose in Wei Yuan's mind. After dealing with the backlash, he would be going to Mount Chongwu like the people from Chaoge City. Otherwise, he could go there to get some meat and use his divine power to send it over.

Many strange beasts can strengthen the physique and improve qi and blood.

He gradually confirmed this thought, noticed A Xuan's inquiring gaze, and smiled:

"...Barbecue, I guess."

"That kind of barbecue that's a bit charred, with a slightly blackened skin."

"That's what I used to eat the most at the beginning."

A Xuan nodded, feeling that such a diet, in this era of abundant resources, was still very simple. After eating and drinking his fill, Wei Yuan returned to the bedroom to rest. Yesterday, he used the Tiangang divine power and Disha orthodox techniques as if they were free, and the power of the Mountain God Seal had long been exhausted.

Now, after a day and a night, it had only filled up a little more than half.

Subsequent events still required this power.

Wei Yuan put away the Mountain God Seal.

Then he took out the red embroidered shoe.

After the shrine incident, the spirituality of this red embroidered shoe could actually be briefly transformed into a girl with double hair buns. Wei Yuan even suspected that his environment was very suitable for all kinds of things to become spirits. Seeing that she seemed spiritually exhausted, Wei Yuan drew a few soul-nourishing talismans, stuck them on the box, and let her go back to rest.

He also asked the Qi Family Army soldier souls to protect her.

Only then did he practice breathing exercises and maintain his cultivation.

……………………

A night passed.

The young Daoist priest got up with dark circles under his eyes.

Because of his senior brother's reaction, he had been on tenterhooks all night yesterday, not daring to fall asleep.

He was afraid that when he fell asleep in the middle of the night, that Wei Guanzhu, who looked gentle and was injured, would get up and go out to stir up trouble.

Maybe when he woke up the next day, that Wei Guanzhu would be in the headlines again.

If that were the case, he was afraid that he would cry his heart out.

However, this should just be his overthinking.

No matter what, Wei Guanzhu had said that he wouldn't do that kind of thing these days. Such a senior wouldn't go back on his word...

A Xuan, who had washed up with dark circles under his eyes, yawned and opened the door, just in time to see Wei Yuan, fully dressed and ready to go in simple sportswear, with the unsheathed octagonal Han sword on his back. The young Daoist priest's eyes widened, and he shivered all over, instantly waking up. He took a few steps forward, grabbed Wei Yuan, and almost shouted:

"Wait a minute, Wei Guanzhu."

"You clearly said that you wouldn't go out and cause trouble these days."

"It's only been two days."

"Only two days!"

Wei Yuan turned his head, looked at the young Daoist who looked only thirteen or fourteen years old, and said helplessly, "I only said that I don't plan to do similar things within these five days, but you don't have to put me under house arrest, do you? I'm not a young lady who's never left her room before. I finally came here, and I want to take a look around."

"That's what you said last time too!"

"This time is different."

Wei Yuan said, "I just want to visit an old friend."

"An old friend?"

A Xuan was stunned and said suspiciously, "Wei Guanzhu, do you know someone on Sakura Island?"

Wei Yuan smiled and said, "Yes, he came here a long time ago. I haven't seen him in a long time."

The little Daoist, A Xuan, pondered for a long time and asked seriously:

"Wei Guanzhu, what kind of old friend requires you to carry a sword to see him?"

Wei Yuan: "........."

……………………

In the end, Wei Yuan still went out.

Of course, A Xuan also set off with him.

The destination was Shiga Prefecture on Sakura Island, or more precisely, the area where Gifu Prefecture and Shiga Prefecture meet. A Xuan was originally full of vigilance, but when he arrived at the destination, he was stunned. This was not a place with special significance like last time.

This was just a mountain peak.

Although it was also a famous mountain on Sakura Island, it was obviously not a place for revenge or making trouble. Even in the worst-case scenario, the commotion here wouldn't be too big. A Xuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, not even noticing that he had already made the most pessimistic plans.

Wei Yuan smiled and said, "I said I was just here to see an old friend."

The two walked up the mountain. The scenery here was quite good. There was a mountain god shrine on the mountain, but although it was called a mountain god shrine, there were also Buddhist temples on this mountain. It was a mixture of mountain god worship and Buddhist temples.

Because it was one of Sakura Island's hundred famous mountains, there were actually quite a few people coming and going.

Wei Yuan looked around at the shrine, which at least looked clean and elegant.

Some people prayed to the gods, shook the bells, and looked sincere. Others went to the temples on the same mountain to burn incense. A shrine attendant saw Wei Yuan and A Xuan and asked with a smile, "Don't the two of you want to pray to the gods? The Ibuki Mountain Great Myojin is quite efficacious."

A Xuan quickly waved his hand to decline.

He was a Daoist priest, and a Zhengyi Daoist priest who had been ordained.

To worship Shinto gods in this place would probably cause the Patriarch to strike him down with a bolt of lightning.

He originally wanted to pull Wei Yuan away with him, but he couldn't move him. When he turned his head, he found that Wei Yuan smiled and said:

"Now that we're here, there's nothing wrong with praying."

A Xuan: "??!"

Wei Yuan took out a Sakura Island coin.

He flicked it out with his finger. The so-called incense money was originally going to fall down, but it strangely landed in the gap and didn't move. Wei Yuan took out a second coin and threw it again. This incense money was still stuck in the gap, unable to fall into the box. The shrine attendant had to throw the money in.

Wei Yuan clapped his hands, imitating the Sakura Island way of worshiping the gods, and pretended to bow slightly.

It was a bit like a greeting.

Before the action could begin.

Accompanied by a cracking sound, a crack suddenly appeared in the ground of the shrine's worship hall, starting from the bricks in front of Wei Yuan and spreading to the shrine itself, and then continuing upward. The cracks were hideous, and when they finally stopped, the roof beam shook and dropped a lot of dust.

The shrine attendant was dumbfounded, not knowing what to say.

Wei Yuan put down his hand, stared at the shrine for a while, and said politely, "It seems I don't have this fate."

A Xuan translated this sentence for the shrine attendant. Wei Yuan also seemed to have no interest in staying in front of the worship hall. After the two left, the shrine attendant was still in a daze. This shrine had to be repaired every twenty years. It hadn't been ten years since the last repair, so it shouldn't be broken so quickly.

He walked blankly to the position where Wei Yuan had just stood, and subconsciously wanted to raise his hand to pray for the protection of the gods.

His movements paused slightly.

His eyes widened.

When he raised his hand, he noticed that the crack in the shrine's worship hall was exactly where the young man's hand was raised. When the line of sight passed over his hand, the crack would be blocked, as if this shrine was not receiving this bow at all.

Or rather, it couldn't bear this bow.

………………

Wei Yuan told A Xuan to wander around here himself, while he leaned against a tree behind the shrine. The trees planted here were red maples. It was already late autumn, and the speed of the falling maple leaves slowly solidified. The aura of divinity spilled out, enveloping the entire area of the shrine.

Wei Yuan slightly raised his eyes.

He raised his fingers and picked up a solidified maple leaf in the air.

Behind him, two young men in white robes knelt on the ground, their faces pale.

On the hilt of the octagonal Han sword behind Wei Yuan, the iron eagle flapped its wings, and the low sound of the eagle's cry appeared in the ears of the two mountain gods who exuded divinity, causing them to constantly recall the past. They never expected that after more than two thousand years, the evil god of the past had actually returned.

They couldn't wait to jump off the mountain on the spot.

But they had no choice but to come.

Wei Yuan turned his head, looked at the two mountain gods, and said in a calm tone, "I don't plan to kill you."

"However, you have to pass on a message for me."

His voice paused and said:

"There should be another god on this Mount Ibuki, right?"

……………………

The shrine attendant just now, as well as the head priest of the Ibuki Mountain God Shrine, respectfully led Wei Yuan, who was wearing simple clothes, to the highest-level quiet room in the entire shrine, offered fragrant tea, and then respectfully retreated.

They had just received instructions from the gods to receive this distinguished guest.

It had been a long time since they had received divine instructions, and they almost completely obeyed the instructions.

Wei Yuan picked up the tea and slowly took a sip.

He had just asked A Xuan to wait outside. The following matters were not suitable for the child to know. The taste of the tea was okay, but it couldn't compare to that of Longhu Mountain. Wei Yuan put down the teacup, sat cross-legged on the soft cushion, and slowly peeled open an orange.

There were no lights in the quiet room, only the light of two candles.

After a while, the candlelight suddenly flickered, as if something ominous had appeared. A shadow appeared on the wall opposite Wei Yuan, standing outside the door. Then, the door slowly opened, and the temperature of the entire room suddenly dropped. Wei Yuan opened his eyes and said in a calm tone:

"It's been a long time."

"I should call you Ibuki Great Myojin."

"Or Orochi."

"Or rather—"

Wei Yuan's voice paused and said calmly, "Xiang Liu."

ps: Second update today... Thank you for stealing your lollipop, 20,000 starting coins

The manifestation of the Ibuki Mountain God in the *Kojiki* is a large white pig, and in the *Nihon Shoki* it is a large white snake. The story told in this part is that Yamato Takeru wanted to go to Mount Ibuki to find the mountain god to compete, but was killed.

The *Heike Monogatari Sword Scroll* equates the Ibuki Great Myojin with Orochi.