Chapter 347: 代师还缘

Hu Yun hadn't been to Ju'an Alcove for a long time. After circling the area and hearing Lu Shan Jun's words, he jumped onto the stone table and said, "Is this place bad? I think Ju'an Alcove is great; the scenery is beautiful and it's quiet."

Lu Shan Jun looked at Hu Yun and nodded. "Thinking like that shows you've truly matured."

As he spoke, Lu Shan Jun walked to the stone table and looked up at the canopy of the large jujube tree in the courtyard. This season should have been when jujube blossoms bloomed one after another, but although the jujube tree in the courtyard was lush, it had not flowered. Deep within its dense foliage, fiery red vermilion fruits were hidden. However, today, this large jujube tree, which Hu Yun usually described as incredibly mystical, appeared like any ordinary tree. Besides its branches swaying gently in the breeze, it showed no special characteristics.

Lu Shan Jun thought for a moment, then stood tall, bowed respectfully with clasped hands, and saluted the jujube tree's trunk. "I am Lu Shan Jun. Having received guidance from my master, I have been cultivating in Niu Kui Mountain. Having achieved success today, I specifically came to Ju'an Alcove to pay my respects." Lu Shan Jun always remembered his esteemed master's instruction not to casually reveal their teacher-disciple relationship outside. Therefore, even here, he referred to him as "Mr."

The red fox also reacted, pointing at Lu Shan Jun and saying, "This is Lu Shan Jun, the big tiger from Niu Kui Mountain." Jiyuan often mentioned Lu Shan Jun, and the large jujube tree had heard of him before. Now, clearly hearing the visitor introduce himself, its vigilance eased somewhat.

"Rustle... rustle rustle..."

The branches swayed for a moment, a gentle breeze swept through the courtyard, and faint spiritual energy wafted around. At this moment, Hu Yun stared intently at the crown of the large jujube tree, as if anticipating something. Sure enough, not long after, a red light flickered among the green leaves on one of the jujube tree's branches. The next moment, a large, crimson jujube fell from it.

Lu Shan Jun instinctively reached out and caught the jujube. The jujube was about half the size of a fist. It felt smooth and warm like jade, its skin fiery red, with a fiery hue and warmth flowing across its surface accompanied by a subtle glow. A faint, refreshing fragrance filled the air. 'This must be the fire jujube Hu Yun mentioned,' Lu Shan Jun thought. 'It is indeed extraordinary.'

After observing it carefully for a moment, Lu Shan Jun cupped his hands again in thanks. "Thank you for the jujube." Lu Shan Jun took the jujube, opened his mouth, and with a puff of smoke, it entered. However, he didn't swallow it whole; he stored it away. Then he swept a stone stool with his sleeve and sat down by the stone table, closing his eyes to experience the tranquility of Ju'an Alcove for a while.

He sat there for an entire day, only rising again when the sun set in the west. By this time, Hu Yun had fallen asleep, sprawled on the stone table. He had often slept here before; even during the years Jiyuan was away, he would occasionally come here to sleep. This was because whenever his mood was agitated, it was always easier to calm down under the large jujube tree.

Lu Shan Jun did not wake Hu Yun. The task he was about to undertake was not suitable for bringing the red fox along. Moreover, although the fox had been diligently cultivating over the years, in Lu Shan Jun's opinion, it still wasn't enough. It needed some motivation to become even more diligent, and a sense of solitude was one such motivator.

Woosh... woosh...A gentle breeze stirred the tree branches."Rustle... rustle rustle..."

The branches of the large jujube tree swayed gently. Throughout the day, even though Lu Shan Jun had only sat quietly with his eyes closed, his tranquil presence had gained a certain degree of recognition from the jujube tree.

Lu Shan Jun said no more. He offered another shallow bow towards the jujube tree, then lightly leaped out of Ju'an Alcove. Once outside, he gave a deep bow towards the entire courtyard before turning and striding away. Although he was not skilled in divination, at that moment, Lu Shan Jun felt a vague, subtle connection to the nine individuals with whom he had made a pact years ago. While not always perfectly accurate, it was enough to discern a general direction and approximate area.

Walking out of Tianniu Lane, Lu Shan Jun saw the proprietor of Sun's Noodle Stall, a man who looked to be in his fifties, apparently preparing to close for the day. Upon seeing Lu Shan Jun emerge, he couldn't help but glance at him a few extra times, remembering he had seen this person earlier in the morning.

"Are you closing up, proprietor?" Lu Shan Jun paused and asked. He suddenly remembered that since reaching adulthood, he hadn't eaten any mortal food, especially plain wheat noodles. Since he would eventually try them, he thought it best to do so near his master's home.

Hearing the refined, scholarly-looking man's question, Sun Fu returned to his senses and replied with a smile. "Yes, the sun is setting, and my family is waiting, so I'm getting ready to go home. However, if you'd like some noodles, I can certainly make you a bowl; I still have plenty of ingredients."

Lu Shan Jun nodded, took a few steps closer, and chose a spot to sit down. "What kind of noodles do you have?"

Sun Fu came over and wiped the table for him. "You're not from Tianniu Lane, are you, sir? My Sun's Noodle Stall has been open for generations, always selling braised noodles. The offal soup is also exceptional; everyone who tries it raves about it! I've inherited my father's true techniques, and the taste is just as good!"

"Haha, alright, then I'll have a bowl of braised noodles and a serving of offal soup." Lu Shan Jun smiled as he placed his order.

Sun Fu scratched his head and said, a little awkwardly, "Uh, I apologize, sir, I still have braised noodles, but the offal soup, uh, it's already sold out."

"Sold out?" Lu Shan Jun frowned. As a fierce tiger who had achieved enlightenment in the mountains, his sense of smell was naturally keen. He could clearly discern that there were still some braised lamb offal ingredients left, which should be for the offal soup. Whether Lu Shan Jun ate the offal soup or not didn't really matter to him, so assuming there might be another reason, he didn't press the issue. "Then just a bowl of braised noodles, please."

"Alright, coming right up!"

It wasn't long before a steaming bowl of braised noodles was placed before Lu Shan Jun. However, Lu Shan Jun had never used chopsticks before. Taking a pair from the chopstick holder, he found he couldn't quite figure out how to use them.

Sun Fu found this a bit odd and came over to ask. "Sir, is there something wrong with the chopsticks?"

"I can't pick anything up with them!" Lu Shan Jun replied truthfully.

"Oh? Let me see!" Sun Fu took the chopsticks from Lu Shan Jun, tried them out in his own hand, picked up a chopstick from the holder, put it down, picked up another, and turned it around. The chopsticks were perfectly straight, without any bends. "They seem fine to me, no problem."

Lu Shan Jun smiled, took the chopsticks back, and practiced picking up air a few times. This time, he used them with remarkable ease, showing no signs of having just learned. "Indeed, no problem at all."

Sun Fu was somewhat puzzled but simply said, "Please enjoy your meal, sir," and went back to tidying his stall. After extinguishing the stove fire, wiping the counter, and putting away dishes, Sun Fu glanced at the remaining ingredients in the cart's cabinet. He then looked at the scholar, who was still engrossed in eating his noodles, and remarked, "Sir, I actually still have one serving of lamb offal here. If you'd like it, I can sell it to you now."

'Just as I thought,' Lu Shan Jun mused inwardly. Chewing and swallowing the noodles in his mouth, he looked at Sun Fu and asked, "If that's the case, why didn't you sell it earlier?"

"Sigh..." Sun Fu sighed. For some reason, he felt a strong urge to confide in someone today. "It's a long story. If you don't mind, sir, I'll tell you about it?"

Seeing Lu Shan Jun nod, Sun Fu sat down at the same table as Lu Shan Jun and continued. "Well, actually, years ago, a remarkable man lived here in Tianniu Lane. Everyone respectfully referred to him as 'Mr. Ji' throughout his life..."

Lu Shan Jun's heart stirred. 'It seems he has some connection to my master!'

"Many people only heard that Mr. Ji was extraordinary, but it was mostly just casual talk after meals. My father, however, deeply believed in Mr. Ji's mystic powers. So, every time Mr. Ji came to the noodle stall to eat, my father treated him with the utmost respect. His kindness naturally paid off. One year, when Mr. Ji left town, he entrusted Yin Wenqu to send my father some fresh jujubes. Oh, by the way, sir, you look like a scholar; you know Yin Wenqu, don't you?"

"Of course I know him. Yin Wenqu is a literary titan of our Dazhen dynasty, a Triple Laureate, and the Incarnation of the Wenqu Star!"

Hu Yun had talked a lot about the Yin family, so Lu Shan Jun naturally knew of him.

"Yes, yes, that's the one, Yin Wenqu! I ate those jujubes he brought that year; they were so fresh and sweet, and truly good for the body. We all felt more energetic, and after that, my family rarely even caught a cold. My father always said it was a blessing from those jujubes."

"Anyway, my father always told us that Mr. Ji was no ordinary person, and that he especially loved our braised noodles and offal soup. So, no matter how good business was, our Sun's Noodle Stall would always set aside at least one bowl of noodles and one serving of offal, just in case Mr. Ji suddenly came to eat. If he didn't come, well, it was just an extra portion we could easily eat at home..." Sun Fu looked in the direction of Tianniu Lane. "Ah, many years have passed in a blink!"

Lu Shan Jun frowned. "Then why are you selling it to me now?"

Sun Fu shook his head. "Mr. Ji hasn't been here for many years, and my father passed away two years ago. I just felt that maintaining this rule didn't have much meaning anymore..."

Before Sun Fu could finish, he saw the customer, who was eating noodles, raise a hand to stop him. The man had finished his noodles without Sun Fu noticing. "Proprietor, since this is a rule left by your father, I think it's better to uphold it. I won't have the offal. How much for the braised noodles?"

Sun Fu smiled, offering no opinion. "Three copper coins."

Lu Shan Jun reached into his chest pocket, pulled out three stacked copper coins, placed them on the table, and stood up, formally cupping his hands in salute to the proprietor. "The money is here. The braised noodles taste good. I used to only eat meat, so this is the first time I've ever had noodles in my life. It's very good!"

Only eats meat? Sun Fu thought he must be from a wealthy family. He quickly returned the bow. Only after the customer left did he collect the copper coins and the bowls and chopsticks.

That evening, after pushing his noodle cart back home, Sun Fu counted his earnings for the day. From the money box on his stall, he poured out a rough, pitted piece of dog-head gold, heavy and about the size of two fingers pressed together.