Chapter 94: The Old Celestial Master Is Stunned
Upon hearing this news, Jiang Ce immediately took Xuan Qing to pay a visit to the Old Celestial Master.
But upon arriving at the Celestial Master’s Hall, he was told that the Old Celestial Master was not here and was in the medicine field.
So he followed Xuan Qing’s lead to the medicine field.
He had never been to the Celestial Master’s Mansion’s medicine field before. Though called fields, they were mostly greenhouses.
If one didn’t know, they might think at first glance it was more like a farmer’s vegetable plot.
Looking around, Jiang Ce spotted Zhang Ze Zhi who was busy at work and hurried forward, calling out intimately: “Uncle Zhang~”
With that coquettish tone, no one would believe he didn’t have a few godfathers.
Xuan Qing gave him a sidelong glance, feeling somewhat nauseous.
Zhang Ze Zhi looked up and saw the lively Jiang Ce, smiling gladly: “Your injury is healed.”
As he spoke, he glanced at Xuan Qing behind Jiang Ce and scolded: “You too, taking them to Celestial Master Peak. If not for Virtuous Nephew’s deep cultivation, wouldn’t he have been killed or crippled? I shouldn’t have trusted you.”
“Hmph!” Xuan Qing snorted coldly, cursing Zhang Ze Zhi countless times in his heart.
The dog bites Lu Dongbin, not recognizing a good heart!
“You’re still upset?” Seeing this, Zhang Ze Zhi rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight Xuan Qing, but was luckily held back by the guilty Jiang Ce, who persuaded him kindly: “It’s my own carelessness, it has nothing to do with Martial Uncle Xuan Qing.”
Zhang Ze Zhi shook him off at once, waving his big hand: “Don’t be afraid! This is the Celestial Master’s Mansion. You call me Uncle Zhang, and on this mountain, I’ll protect you anytime. Let’s see him try.”
“Fool!” Xuan Qing felt depressed in his heart and couldn’t voice his grievance. Feeling annoyed, he turned and walked away.
Jiang Ce awkwardly watched Xuan Qing’s lonely back, scratching his face.
A rare emotion named guilt appeared in his heart.
Over there, Zhang Ze Zhi was still comforting Jiang Ce: “He’s just like that, always had that stubborn temper. He can’t stand hearing anything bad about him, but don’t worry. If you feel aggrieved in the future, just tell me, and I’ll… uh, I’ll help you complain then.”
“Complain to whom?”
“Wei Men Shen.”
“Then no need to trouble you, I can complain more conveniently.”
“True.” Zhang Ze Zhi nodded, then asked: “By the way, what are you here for?”
Jiang Ce leaned close to Zhang Ze Zhi and whispered: “Didn’t you hear the Old Celestial Master is back? You know why I’m here. I was thinking you’d introduce me, say a few good words or something.”
Who knew Zhang Ze Zhi burst out laughing: “Good words won’t work, but introducing you is no problem. The rest you’ll have to strive for yourself.”
“This…” Jiang Ce’s smile froze: “Is the Old Celestial Master so impartial?”
“Not what you think. Come with me and you’ll see.”
Zhang Ze Zhi set down the farming tool in his hand and led Jiang Ce deeper into the medicine field.
Before long, the two arrived in a valley.
Surrounded by mountains on all sides, Jiang Ce immediately thought of the protrusion he saw down the mountain, which Xuan Qing said was Longhu Mountain’s dragon head. He hadn’t expected it to be the medicine field.
From afar, he saw an octogenarian elder scolding two youths, but he couldn’t quite hear what was being said.
Zhang Ze Zhi smiled helplessly: “Looks like while Father was away, my two nephews didn’t manage the medicine field well.”
Jiang Ce wanted to ask what happened, but since it involved family matters, he didn’t pry and just followed Zhang Ze Zhi slowly closer.
Seeing Zhang Ze Zhi, the Old Celestial Master immediately demanded: “What’s wrong with you? You couldn’t even watch your two nephews properly. Look what they’ve done to my medicine field.”
Jiang Ce looked down and saw many unnamed plants had turned yellow, showing signs of withering.
Zhang Ze Zhi smiled, ruffled the two youths’ heads, and covered for them: “Go play. I have something to discuss with your grandpa.”
The two youths were pardoned and slipped away with heads down.
The Old Celestial Master sighed, shaking his head: “They’re all focused on martial arts, no heart for research. Won’t my skills be lost?”
Zhang Ze Zhi looked helpless: “Brother is busy with mountain affairs. Aren’t I still here? If they won’t do it, pass it to my line.”
The Old Celestial Master said nothing, just gave him a contemptuous glance.
“Heh.”
“Too much.” Zhang Ze Zhi noticed Jiang Ce staring with wide, sparkling eyes, watching the drama eagerly, and suddenly felt embarrassed.
“At your age, not even married, and talking about your line? Who are you trying to make laugh?” With that, the Old Celestial Master ignored Zhang Ze Zhi’s reaction and sized up Jiang Ce: “Who is this kid?”
Jiang Ce secretly watched the ashen-faced Zhang Ze Zhi, thinking he couldn’t count on him, so he performed a Taoist rite he learned from Xuan Qing and said forthrightly: “This junior is Jiang Ce. On Wei Lao’s orders, leading the gatekeeper envoy to visit the Old Celestial Master.”
The Old Celestial Master narrowed his eyes, muttering: “What’s Wei Wen Zheng thinking, letting such a kid represent the gatekeeper?”
He scrutinized Jiang Ce and said bluntly: “Are you his illegitimate son?”
Jiang Ce was stunned. This Old Celestial Master did seem to have a quirky temper, speaking somewhat abstractly.
Thinking it over, he decided to fight magic with magic and replied neither humbly nor arrogantly: “Wei Lao never explicitly denied it.”
The Old Celestial Master blinked, amused by the reply: “This kid’s interesting, got a sense of humor. Pity Ze Xing isn’t here, or I’d make him learn from you to fix that stinky habit of keeping a straight face all day.”
Seeing he accidentally hit the mark, Jiang Ce was pleasantly surprised and wanted to get to business right away: “This junior came mainly for…”
But before he finished, the Old Celestial Master, who had bent down, interrupted: “The spiritual medicine in this medicine field is probably ruined. Jiang Ce, right? Come help me pull weeds. Ze Zhi, you too.”
“Uh…”
Jiang Ce looked to Zhang Ze Zhi for help, but the latter looked helpless too, so he had to obediently follow the Old Celestial Master to start weeding.
After weeding together for a while, Zhang Ze Zhi straightened up, looked at the withered spiritual medicine in his hand, felt it a pity, and sighed: “What a shame. These lost medicines could pile up to a Fifth Rank even.”
“No way around it. Told them to nurture with Daoist Qi every day, but they got lazy, only once every other day. Now it’s too late, even I can’t save them. Later I’ll have Ze Xing teach them a proper lesson.” The Old Celestial Master didn’t look up, muttering on.
The speaker meant no harm, but the listener took note. Jiang Ce looked at the withered spiritual medicine in his hand and got an idea.
He was just preparing to break through to Fifth Rank. Any extra help was good. If these spiritual medicines could aid him, that would be perfect.
As if compelled, Jiang Ce followed the Old Celestial Master’s words, injecting Daoist Qi into the spiritual medicine, soaking it in Daoist Qi…
The Old Celestial Master happened to look up and saw Jiang Ce squatting motionless, thinking he was slacking. He frowned slightly in dissatisfaction and approached to see what he was doing.
“Hm?” The Old Celestial Master suddenly let out a surprised sound.
Zhang Ze Zhi looked over and saw Jiang Ce holding a hazy mass in his hands. Though strangely odd, Zhang Ze Zhi was absolutely sure it was Daoist Qi.
And within the Daoist Qi, several stalks of lush green spiritual medicine looked fresh and plump, as if just ripened and picked.
Zhang Ze Zhi stood up, patted the dirt off his hands, and curiously leaned over: “How do you have Daoist Qi? Aren’t you a Confucian…”
Before he finished, the Old Celestial Master raised a hand to silence him: “Quiet!”
Jiang Ce turned back, startled, and quickly withdrew the Daoist Qi.
He had only meant to try quietly, but the process was magical. He involuntarily immersed himself, fascinated by perceiving the spiritual medicine’s internal repair and self-growth, not noticing the Old Celestial Master behind him.
“Old Celestial Master, I…”
“Don’t speak.” The Old Celestial Master interrupted again, carefully taking what seemed mature spiritual medicine from Jiang Ce’s hands, plucking a leaf, and chewing it.
His expression shifted from doubt to seriousness, then to surprise, as if in disbelief.
“This spiritual medicine really matured, and for some reason, its efficacy is one to two tenths stronger than usual. Just don’t know if there are any side effects, ancient noble! Gag hey gou gu!”
As the Old Celestial Master spoke, he suddenly started lisping.
Zhang Ze Zhi was stunned and subconsciously asked: “What do you mean? What are you saying?”
“Don’t worry, I can read lips!” Jiang Ce frowned, analyzing calmly: “The Old Celestial Master probably means, just don’t know if there are any side effects. Wait, no! This thing is poisonous!”
“Nie hiao zhi wang ni mian hang he mo gong hei le?!”
“What did you put in it, kid?!” Jiang Ce continued translating.
“Nie geng ge! Geng ge!” The Old Celestial Master finished, sat down, and began circulating his energy.
“You wait! Just wait!”
“Stop translating.” Zhang Ze Zhi patted Jiang Ce’s shoulder, saying earnestly: “Why don’t you run first.”
