Chapter 581: Last Time You Called Yourself “Old Man”

Publish Time: 2026-07-25 06:32:00

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“Mr. Chen, please follow me.”

Zhong Zhengyuan led Chen Changsheng down a path covered in thorns. With a wave of his hand, the weeds blocking the way retreated to both sides.

To their eyes, it seemed as if all the plants had come alive.

Each step forward made the vegetation ahead part to the sides.

And where they had passed, the weeds quickly closed back up, covering the path behind them.

Zhong Zhengyuan said, “Mr. Chen, follow my steps closely. If you go wrong, the plant spirits on either side will lead you onto the wrong path. It’s very hard to find your way out again.”

Chen Changsheng asked, “Is this a maze formation?”

His gaze swept across the plants that seemed fused with the formation. Such an array truly looked incredibly clever.

“Our ancestors were close with nature, so they set up this formation. Its purpose was twofold: first, to protect the Mountain Lord, preventing those with ill intentions from entering; second, to keep disciples of our sect from wandering onto the wrong paths and offending the Mountain Lord accidentally.”

“What happens if a disciple of your sect gets lost here?”

“The plant spirits are intelligent. They inform us. Once we confirm their identity, we guide them out.”

Chen Changsheng nodded. “I see.”

The two pressed deeper until they reached the backside of Tianji Mountain.

Looking around, the entire land was blanketed with clustered plants and trees that covered the whole mountain slope, hiding everything within. The constant chirping of insects and birds filled the air, accompanied by the gentle murmur of a stream.

Zhong Zhengyuan stopped at the edge of a small stream.

He turned back. “Mr. Chen, remember not to look down at your feet later. We will walk upon this stream upwards. This is an illusion formation. If you don’t look at your feet, the current becomes your path. If you do, you’ll fall into the stream.”

“Understood.”

The pair stepped into the stream.

Chen Changsheng felt as if he stood on solid ground.

This formation proved wonderfully mysterious too.

Truly, one could see how deep the foundations of Tianji Mountain ran.

Walking upstream, they saw the water emerging from deep within the dense forest.

Zhong Zhengyuan halted. He raised two fingers and declared, “I request passage from the mountain. Show us the way!”

As his voice faded, a rumbling sound echoed before them.

The hillside ahead seemed to crack open, splitting right down the middle. Trees shifted aside, revealing a hidden path. Deep at its very end, a temple was just barely visible, thin wisps of grey smoke coiling up from inside.

Zhong Zhengyuan breathed lightly. “Mr. Chen, after you.”

“After you.”

Entering the quiet path, they walked for a quarter of an hour before finally arriving at the temple gate.

Chen Changsheng lifted his head. A plaque hung above the temple entrance, but no words were written on it.

At first glance, it looked a little like a Mountain God Temple.

Chen Changsheng asked, “So the Mountain Lord is a Righteous Mountain Deity too?”

Zhong Zhengyuan nodded. “Exactly.”

This likely explained why the Mountain Lord could exist for so long.

Entering the temple, Zhong Zhengyuan took three pieces of incense and candles from a table nearby.

Meanwhile, Chen Changsheng’s gaze drifted to a beam on the temple’s left side.

His eyes fastened upon a child in white robes sitting right there on the wooden beam. The child had red lips and white teeth. He swung his legs lazily back and forth as he ate a peach with ease.

“Mr. Chen,” Zhong Zhengyuan asked, glancing over, “what are you looking at?”

Chen Changsheng turned away. He opened his mouth to reply.

But his peripheral vision caught the child on the beam putting a finger to his lips. He made a quiet “Shhh!” sound, clearly telling Chen Changsheng not to reveal his presence.

It wasn’t that Zhong Zhengyuan saw nothing at the spot; he simply couldn’t see the child at all, hidden somehow.

Seeing this, Chen Changsheng simply answered, “Nothing important. Just looking.”

Zhong Zhengyuan nodded. He lit the incense sticks, knelt down before the Divine Statue, and bowed his head three times.

Chen Changsheng took a careful look at the Divine Statue.

Just as Zhong Zhengyuan had described, it looked like a child. It wore simple clothes. Its right hand held a glossy ganoderma plant, its left fingers pinched a piece of fruit.

But strangely, the Divine Statue had no face. Its head was smooth and featureless, uncanny and strange-looking.

Chen Changsheng couldn’t help another glance at the peach-eating boy above. The Divine Statue’s body shape matched the child exactly. It should be him! But why did the Divine Statue lack a face?

Zhong Zhengyuan knelt prostrate and breathed out. “The current Lantern Keeper of Tianji Mountain, Zhong Zhengyuan, requests the Mountain Lord’s presence.”

He waited quietly. No response came from the temple.

Zhong Zhengyuan paused. He bowed again and said, “Kindly grace us with your presence, Mountain Lord.”

Chen Changsheng looked sideways.

The boy happily munched on his peach, acting like he couldn’t hear Zhong Zhengyuan praying below.

Chen Changsheng blinked at the boy.

The boy shook his head firmly. He didn’t want to see Zhong Zhengyuan.

Chen Changsheng didn’t understand, but he stayed silent.

Zhong Zhengyuan tried a few more times. Still, no response, no sign of movement.

Finally, Chen Changsheng suggested, “Master Zhong, perhaps the Mountain Lord is resting?”

Zhong Zhengyuan sighed weakly. “Not likely. More probable is he’s playing somewhere on the mountain, too busy right now.”

The Mountain Lord had always been playful. Zhong Zhengyuan, as Lantern Keeper, knew that better than anyone.

“It seems the Mountain Lord enjoys his play,” Chen Changsheng commented lightly.

Zhong Zhengyuan kept his voice low. “Mr. Chen, speak quietly. The Mountain Lord has a bit of a temper sometimes and holds grudges.”

“Really?”

Chen Changsheng’s eyes drifted toward the child on the beam again.

By now, the peach was gone. The child had heard Zhong Zhengyuan’s complaint.

He pouted. “That’s nonsense!”

A loud “Thwap!” sounded as a peach pit dropped onto Zhong Zhengyuan’s head.

Zhong Zhengyuan jolted. He looked up.

At the same moment, the boy appeared visibly upon the beam and leapt smoothly down.

“Badmouthing me? I’m taking note!” the child pointed at Zhong Zhengyuan. “Next time you come, I’ll hit you again!”

Zhong Zhengyuan looked both annoyed and amused. “My apologies, Mountain Lord. Please do not hold it against me.”

“You,” the Mountain Lord waved him away sharply, then fixed his gaze on Chen Changsheng, “I want to speak with him.”

Zhong Zhengyuan glanced towards Chen Changsheng questioningly.

“I’ll be fine,” Chen Changsheng reassured him. “Master Zhong, you may go.”

Zhong Zhengyuan nodded. After respectfully addressing the Mountain Lord once more, he retreated and left the temple behind.

With Zhong Zhengyuan gone, only Chen Changsheng and the Mountain Lord – this child – remained inside.

The child settled down onto a meditation cushion.

“Sit.”

His voice sounded young, like a carefree child’s. Yet an oddly mature feel lay beneath it. Quite strange.

Chen Changsheng sat down opposite him. He straightened his sleeves politely. “I pay my respects, Mountain Lord.”

The child arched his eyebrows. Suddenly, he leaned sharply forward toward Chen Changsheng, stopping only when his nose almost touched Chen Changsheng’s jawline.

He stared intently into Chen Changsheng’s eyes.

“Why have you changed so much?”

He tilted his head, confusion clear on his young face.

“The last time you saw me, you called yourself ‘Old Man’! So why this polite behavior now?”

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