Chapter 541: Appearing as If a Day Apart

Ying Feng pulled a tassel from one end of the Immortal-Binding Rope. As it dangled in the air, there was a faint, strange blur, as if one's vision was also somehow constrained near the rope. But looking closely again, the sensation vanished, making it quite mystical.

Seeing his two friends staring intently, Ying Feng felt particularly proud. Noticing Ji Yuan busy with the hotpot, and knowing his Uncle Ji's easygoing nature, he spoke to his two distant friends without any hesitation.

"This is the Immortal-Binding Rope I told you about," he said. "This treasure was forged in the Nine Peaks Grotto-Heaven. Five top experts from both the immortal and demonic realms collaborated, using my Uncle Ji's Samadhi True Fire to refine it. It exists beyond Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, yet it can interact with Yin and Yang and transform the Five Elements. It's infinitely variable, and once bound, it's impossible to escape. My father told me himself that at the moment of its completion, heaven and earth presented countless auspicious offerings!"

"Oh..." "Wow... what a treasure..."

One of the two friends gasped from the spiciness, while the other was truly astonished. Such a treasure was right before their eyes, seemingly within reach, yet they knew that not only they, but even the most nefarious demon in the world, could only covet it without daring to make a move.

The Dragon Prince was speaking so effusively, yet every word clearly came from the heart, which Ji Yuan found utterly amusing and almost made him burst into laughter.

The Dragon Prince, seeing Ji Yuan's smile and understanding him well enough to know what his uncle was thinking, returned the Immortal-Binding Rope to Ji Yuan and spoke.

"Hey, Uncle Ji, don't laugh! What your nephew said isn't false, is it? Surely my father wouldn't lie to me?"

"Indeed, it's not false," Ji Yuan replied. "But if you don't start eating soon, I'll finish all the dishes on the table."

Ji Yuan picked up a piece of meat, dipped it in the sweet and sour sauce, then rolled it in the spicy dry powder before putting it in his mouth. The taste reminded him of his previous life, an enjoyment so profound it was difficult to express in words.

Ying Feng snapped back to reality and saw that Ji Yuan had already eaten nearly half of the ingredients on the table in a short amount of time. This was also because the newly ordered dishes hadn't arrived yet. He quickly urged his two friends to start eating.

"Eat, eat, everyone! Don't be reserved just because Uncle Ji is here!"

"Uh, okay!"

"Yes, yes, Your Highness, you eat too!"

The other two demons, however, still couldn't fully relax. The Dragon Prince and Mr. Ji shared an uncle-nephew relationship, and Mr. Ji might have even watched the Dragon Prince grow up, but they wouldn't dare be so informal. Fortunately, Mr. Ji was indeed easygoing, no doubt because he knew they were the Dragon Prince's friends.

When Ji Yuan first arrived in this world, he used to think that some demons, with their colossal true forms, probably found eating at a dining table utterly unfulfilling, barely enough to get a taste, let alone fill their stomachs.

But as his understanding deepened, he no longer thought that way. Demons, spirits, and other large-bodied non-human races, once their cultivation reached the level of human transformation, became structurally very similar to humans. From the moment a mouthful of food entered their mouth until it reached their stomach, the flavor, the chewing sensation filling their palate, and the satisfaction derived from eating delicious food were no different at all. The only difference was that it was hard for them to get full, and they couldn't gain weight.

To some extent, Ji Yuan was similar; this was the kind of physical state many people in his previous life could only dream of! So, the four people at the table truly enjoyed their hotpot meal, eating with gusto and without any discomfort.

"Patrons, your dishes are here!"

A nimble waiter maneuvered around the nearby tables, carrying a long tray in each hand, both larger than typical ones. Each tray was piled high with ingredients: vegetables, thinly sliced lamb, and deboned fish.

"Patron, would you mind giving me a hand?"

Ying Feng quickly stood up to help, taking one of the trays from the waiter and placing it on a side rack. The waiter set down the other himself, also conveniently clearing two overhead racks that, it turned out, were perfect for holding the trays.

"Thank you, patron," the waiter said. "I'll just collect these empty racks. And your hotpot broth will be refilled a little later."

The waiter, who seemed very enthusiastic, collected the empty dishes onto a tray. Suddenly, he caught a whiff of the spicy aroma from the table and noticed Ji Yuan and the others' chili powder dish.

"Uh, we don't have this here. Patron, what is this? It smells quite potent. May I try some?"

"It's a blend of chili and Sichuan pepper powders, stir-fried," Ji Yuan explained. "You can try a little with your finger."

Ji Yuan said this, and the waiter, saying "Oh," reached out, took a tiny pinch of the powder, and put it in his mouth.

"Hiss... Aah... Wow, this stuff is really potent!"

The waiter wanted to say more, but the sensation in his mouth became unbearable, so he quickly left with the tray of dishes. By the time he reached the kitchen, sweat was beading on his nose and forehead. He instantly felt a profound admiration for the four people in the corner, wondering how anyone could handle such spiciness. Yet, throughout that day, the waiter felt incredibly energized, experiencing neither cold nor fatigue, and even the chill wind outside felt as comfortable as a spring breeze.

After the waiter left, and the table was fully replenished with ingredients, the four resumed their meal. It was then that the Dragon Prince belatedly realized his oversight: Uncle Ji had shown no aversion to his two companions. He immediately began introducing his two friends to Ji Yuan.

Both men were from the East Sea, residing in an offshore trench. Although they weren't directly affiliated with the Ying clan, they were the type who would readily come when called.

Almost half an hour passed. At the table, everyone except Ji Yuan was drenched in sweat from eating. They had never experienced sweating so much during a meal before, but they also found it incredibly satisfying.

Since the old dragon wasn't there and he heard the Dragon Girl was still in the East Sea, Ji Yuan felt no need to visit the Tongtian River Water Mansion. After finishing his meal, he bid farewell to Ying Feng and the others at Zhuangyuan Ferry and departed alone along the riverbank.

The Dragon Prince stood by the riverbank, watching Ji Yuan depart. Only when he was out of sight did he turn back to his two friends. If not for their presence, he certainly would have walked part of the way with his Uncle Ji, or perhaps even gone for a visit to Ning'an County.

"Hey, wait a minute," Ying Feng said. "Weren't you two always clamoring for a chance to seek guidance from an immortal? Uncle Ji was right there in front of you, why didn't you bring it up?"

Ying Feng looked at his two companions, both of whom wore embarrassed expressions.

"Well... we didn't have the guts to say anything..."

The other person, who had been trying to think of an excuse, felt relieved upon hearing his friend's frankness and admitted honestly.

"Me too."

"Hahahahahahaha... Oh, you're killing me! Hahahahaha..."

Ying Feng burst into laughter at their words. They had boasted together earlier, one saying he would surely try to ask for guidance if he met a true high immortal, and the other claiming he would prostrate himself, kowtowing with such fervor it would move heaven and earth. Yet, when they actually met Uncle Ji, they not only failed to shamelessly beg, but they barely dared to utter a few words.

After a good while, Ying Feng finally stopped laughing.

"Come on, let's go to the Water Mansion," he said. "Mortals are probably bolder than you two."

One of them grimaced and finally spoke the truth.

"That's because mortals don't know who they're sitting next to," he said. "Your Highness, we aren't like you, able to be so carefree in front of Mr. Ji. To be frank, back when our true forms were ignorant black sharks, we ate drowned fishermen in the sea, and not just once. Just being able to sit calmly and eat and drink like this was already a display of great courage for us..."

"Yes, Your Highness, look at my palm; the sweat hasn't receded yet," the other added. "Half of it is from the spice, and half is from fear..."

Ying Feng sobered his frivolous expression.

"I see," Ying Feng said. "Indeed, Uncle Ji dislikes malicious beings the most. My father also told me that while Uncle Ji appears easy to talk to, he has certainly slain many evil demons with his Azure Vine Immortal Sword. But you don't need to worry too much. Uncle Ji is a true cultivator; if he had any issues with you just now, he wouldn't have been so kind. I don't have that much influence to sway him."

"Yes, yes, Your Highness is right!" "Exactly, that's for the best!"

"Come on, let's go to the Water Mansion."

Although he didn't meet the old dragon, the hotpot meal had put Ji Yuan in a great mood. He even planned to make a hotpot himself so he could try it again whenever he craved it. After all, he now felt that not only did he possess cultivation talent, but his cooking skills were also quite good.

After merely half a day of cloud-traveling, Niu Kui Mountain and the distant Ning'an County came into his view.

As soon as he returned to Ning'an County, Ji Yuan felt a fresh surge of emotion. This trip, including travel time, had lasted nearly seven years. For ordinary people, how many seven-year periods were there in a lifetime?

He wondered how Sun Yaya was doing; she should be eighteen by now. Had she continued practicing calligraphy throughout these seven years? How was Hu Yun's cultivation progressing? Had the jujube tree in the courtyard bloomed this spring, and was it bearing fruit now?

Ji Yuan didn't calculate everything; some things were beyond his reckoning, others he simply chose not to calculate. With these thoughts in mind, Ji Yuan landed outside Ning'an County as usual, then slowly walked step by step into the town.

Ning'an County seemed largely unchanged; its main streets and alleys were the same, and people's routines remained familiar. Yet, Ning'an County was also constantly changing, with new houses built every year, always welcoming new lives and bidding farewell to the departed.

"Is that Mr. Ji returning?"

Ji Yuan was startled by the sudden greeting. He turned to see an old man sitting in front of a roadside stall selling fruits and vegetables. Ji Yuan didn't recognize the old man at all; he had heard his voice before but wasn't familiar with it, suggesting they hadn't spoken much previously.

Seeing Ji Yuan stop, the old man stood up and examined him closely.

"It really is you, sir! My eyes are still good, I didn't mistake you! Oh, I'm Wang Xiaojiu, the ninth child in my family."

"Oh, oh, oh, so it was you."

Ji Yuan's words were purely polite; he genuinely couldn't recall the man at the moment, nor who Wang Xiaojiu was. Yet, the old man appeared exceptionally pleased.

"Yes, yes, that's me! I used to work at Miaowai Restaurant. I even prepared a table of pastries for you once, and you and an old gentleman actually thanked me! By then, I'd already been working there for two years, and very few people ever said thank you!"

As soon as he said that, Ji Yuan immediately remembered who he was: the waiter from Miaowai Restaurant who had served them when the old City God invited him for breakfast that year.

"Sir, you still remember me! Hehehe. Oh, right, sir, look at these vegetables. Please take some, take some to eat. I grew them myself – plenty of sunlight and rain, rich soil, and just picked this morning. They're fresh and delicious!"

"Uh, hehe, no need," Ji Yuan replied. "I just got back, and my house needs a good cleaning. I won't have time to cook; I'll be eating out. I'll come buy vegetables another time when I have the chance."

"Sir is truly a divine being! It must have been thirty years, right? Seeing you, it's as if no time has passed at all!"

The old man was very enthusiastic, so Ji Yuan could only verbally agree before bidding him farewell and departing. As he left, he pondered that perhaps he shouldn't maintain his current appearance in Ning'an County much longer. Perhaps one day in the future, it would be time for "Ji Yuan" to pass away in Ning'an County.