Chapter 701: Peach Branch

Moon Deer Mountain was exceedingly deep and secluded, home to countless birds and beasts. Due to the presence of immortal cultivators from the Moon Deer Mountain sect, many areas of the mountain range were perpetually shrouded in mist and clouds, at least to the eyes of ordinary people.

The abundant wildlife and medicinal herbs within the mountain, combined with the long-standing strange legends and tales of immortals associated with Moon Deer Mountain, imbued the entire area with an air of profound mystery to locals and those in the surrounding regions. It was an immortal mountain that people yearned to visit. Throughout the year, there was a constant stream of herb gatherers, hunters, scholars and poets admiring the scenery, and individuals seeking immortals, guided by the ancient legends.

Now, in the height of summer, many people also came to Moon Deer Mountain to escape the heat.

Huli, along with a group of foxes of all sizes, maintained their human-like forms at the foot of the mountain. However, once they entered Moon Deer Mountain, they all reverted to their true fox forms. Some even had clothes and bags slung over their shoulders as they joyfully scurried and darted through the mountains.

In places like the Immortal Ferry Crossing, the antagonism between immortal cultivators and demons was not as pronounced. At the very least, demons without strong malevolent energy or those possessing special concealment techniques would face no issues. This was certainly true for Huli and their group of fifteen spiritual foxes.

Huli continued to lead the way. The divine Mr. Qin had previously instructed them on how to bypass Moon Deer Mountain's illusion array, so their destination was now unequivocally clear.

Meanwhile, two middle-aged woodcutters were walking along the mountain path, singing folk songs and carrying bundles of firewood. Suddenly, one of them noticed a group of foxes darting through the adjacent woods. He was utterly bewildered, as some of the foxes even had cloth bags on their backs.

"Hey, look, look! There are foxes carrying bundles over there!"

"Where?"

"There, quickly!"

"Oh, it's true! Foxes with bundles, and so many of them... are they demons?"

The second woodcutter spoke with a hint of caution, but the first one's face was alight with excitement.

"What are you afraid of? This is Moon Deer Mountain! The elders say it's where immortals live. Some spiritual creatures even come here to pay their respects to the mountain. Shall we follow them and take a look?"

"No, let's not. Let's chop more firewood quickly so we can head down the mountain..."

Seeing his companion's reaction, the first woodcutter slapped his thigh.

"Oh, you, you! What's the old saying passed down in our area? 'Moon Deer Mountain is home to many immortals; when you encounter traces of them, do not hesitate.' Think back to that time, when we saw those two gentlemen, one old and one young, going up the mountain. We should have followed them then! When I mentioned it after I got back, Uncle Chen insisted they were definitely immortals. I still regret not following them back then!"

Hearing his companion bring up the subject again, the other woodcutter immediately laughed.

"Look at you, you're obsessed, bringing this up again! Maybe those two gentlemen were just scholars who came to enjoy a spring outing in the mountains..."

"No, no, you forgot! I warned that old gentleman that the mountain path they were taking was rugged, but neither of them seemed to mind. Later, after Uncle Chen reminded me, I also recalled that their clothes were spotless, not a drop of sweat on their faces, and they weren't red-faced or out of breath. And just think, that old gentleman with his long white beard and hair, how old he must have looked..."

His companion impatiently shook his head.

"I've forgotten all about it. It's been so many years, and you remember it so clearly? Stop daydreaming..."

"You, if you're not going, I'll go by myself!"

Seeing his companion's mocking tone, the woodcutter, who had initially been only mildly tempted, felt his resolve harden. He declared he would go and see no matter what, and immediately began climbing up the nearby slope, still carrying his firewood.

"Hey, hey, are you really going? Hey..."

The other woodcutter called out a few times. Seeing his companion quickly walk and climb higher, soon disappearing from view, he stood rooted to the spot, feeling somewhat bewildered.

Huli and the other foxes actually moved quite rapidly through the mountains. The woodcutter who chased them had wasted time with their conversation, so by the time he reached the slope where he had seen the foxes, all he found was dense bushes; the foxes were long gone. Fortunately, he remembered the direction they had taken and stubbornly continued forward for a while longer.

The woodcutter was, in fact, acting on an impulse, his current motivation merely a reaction to his companion's sarcastic remarks. He had intended to walk only a short distance before turning back. However, after walking for a while and reaching the top of a slope, he unexpectedly missed his footing.

"Ah..."

Losing his balance, the woodcutter tumbled directly down the slope. Branches and weeds crackled and slapped against his body and face along the way, and much of the firewood from his back spilled out. Although it was a gentle slope, the direct drop was at least seven or eight meters, and he finally stopped with a thud against a tree.

"Ow... ow... I'm in so much pain... Li Er, Erzi... ow..."

Every movement brought the woodcutter immense pain. He weakly called out for a while, but his voice didn't carry far. His mind was now filled with regret and frustration: how could he have chased after them as if bewitched, and how could he have possibly missed his footing?

Although this part of the mountain was relatively safe, it wasn't entirely free of wild beasts, especially at night. The woodcutter could only hope that a short rest would ease his pain, that he hadn't sustained any serious injuries, and that his companion would come looking for him. Otherwise, if he couldn't get out of the mountain before dark, he would be in danger.

"Rustle... rustle..."

A rustling sound from the bushes not far away startled the woodcutter. Enduring the pain, his right hand reached behind him, pulling a woodcutting knife from the rack on his back.

"Who's there? Who is it? What is it? I have a knife..."

Just as the woodcutter was extremely tense, out from the bushes stepped a young boy with rosy lips and white teeth. The boy was holding a small twig with green leaves and what looked like flower buds. As soon as he emerged, he began to speak in a complaining tone while walking.

"You! Don't you watch where you're going on a mountain path? And you call yourself a woodcutter who ventures into the mountains! Can you walk?"

The human mind can be strange sometimes. Seeing the boy grumbling and complaining like this, the woodcutter felt a peculiar sense of ease, like he'd encountered trouble he wanted to avoid but somehow had to deal with. And surely, such a young boy couldn't possibly be a brigand, could he?

"I'm asking you, can you walk by yourself?"

"Ah? Oh, well, I'll try again..."

The woodcutter frowned, enduring the pain, and tried to stand up. But his left leg was in terrible pain; he struggled but couldn't get to his feet.

"Alright, alright, I'll help you. Such a bother..."

The boy quickly walked to the woodcutter's side and came over to help him up. Although he looked young, he was surprisingly strong and pulled the woodcutter to his feet with a single motion.

The woodcutter leaned on the boy for support and balance. Before he could even speak, the boy immediately asked,

"Let's go, I'll take you back. I'll support you as we walk. Oh, and here, hold this for me. You can manage that, right?"

The boy first draped one of the woodcutter's right arms over his shoulder, then handed the twig in his hand to the woodcutter.

"I can hold it, I can hold it. Thank you, thank you so much..."

The woodcutter thanked him profusely, a faint sense of excitement stirring in his heart. This boy had appeared so suddenly and was so handsome; surely he had encountered an immortal! Perhaps this was his own destined immortal encounter!

And so, the woodcutter began to probe and converse with the boy incessantly.

"I often cut firewood in Moon Deer Mountain. Since childhood, I've heard many stories about this place, about how there are truly immortals dwelling here. This time, when I saw a group of foxes with bags on their backs, I became curious and chased after them, hoping for an immortal encounter. Who would have thought I'd almost lose my life? I have to thank you, young man..."

As the boy carried the woodcutter forward, the steep slope felt like flat ground beneath his feet. Even while carrying a person, his steps remained steady and his speed undiminished. Hearing the woodcutter's words, the boy simply grinned.

"You are indeed a person with an immortal affinity, especially after being moved by seeing these foxes; your immortal roots have already taken hold."

The woodcutter's heart leaped with joy, and even the pain in his body seemed to lessen considerably. With excitement, he eagerly pressed for more.

"Young man, are you perhaps an immortal child of the mountain? Are you the one who will guide me onto the path of immortals? I... I..."

"Hey, hey, hey... don't get so excited. I'm not the one who will guide you onto the path of immortals. And while I said you have an immortal affinity, in this world, there are many who are fated to meet but not to be together. It's like that between men and women, and it's the same for immortal cultivation opportunities."

"Ah... then I... I still hope for your guidance, immortal child... I..."

The boy gave a half-smile, an unreadable expression in the depths of his eyes, and no longer paid attention to the woodcutter.

Seeing that the other person was ignoring him, the woodcutter wanted to say more but dared not. He could only limp along, allowing the boy to support him up the slope and back along the original path.

For some reason, the return journey was remarkably fast. Before long, they saw the other woodcutter still walking out along the mountain path.

"This is your companion. Let him take you back; I won't go any further."

After the boy said this, the woodcutter suddenly felt an emptiness beside him and almost stumbled again. He looked to his side; the boy who had just been supporting him was gone, but the twig in his hand remained.

'This... could this be my immortal destiny?'

The more the woodcutter thought about it, the more excited he became, then he shouted towards his companion in the distance.

"Li Er... Li Er..."

"Huh?"

Li Er looked back and saw the woodcutter who had come with him not far behind. Noticing he was limping and had scrapes on his face and hands, he immediately rushed over.

"How could you be so careless? Hey, you! Why are you smiling? What's in your hand? It looks like a peach branch, but that's not right. What season is it? Peach branches shouldn't still have unopened flowers..."

"Let's go, let's go. We'll talk about it back home..."

The woodcutter's face was full of excitement as he clutched the peach branch tightly in his hand. What he didn't notice was that the flower buds on the branch seemed to have become even redder.

Somewhere on the mountain, the rosy-lipped, white-toothed boy was crouching, grinning as he watched the two woodcutters in the distance. Then his gaze shifted towards the depths of Moon Deer Mountain, seemingly seeing a dozen or so foxes leaping and scurrying forward in the distance.