Chapter 937: No One Recognized

Even though the Mount Hengshan God could sense that the Nether Spring, which he suppressed beneath his mountain, seemed to undergo no special changes as the six volumes of "Yellow Springs" began circulating across the land—as if it had no connection to "Yellow Springs" whatsoever, and as if Ji Yuan's grand plan was entirely ineffectual—he knew better.

The Mount Hengshan God understood that this was because the tale of "Yellow Springs" had not yet been fully told, and because the "Yellow Springs" described in the book as originating from beneath a high mountain had not yet corresponded to this Nether Spring. Once the mountain's name was revealed, the Yellow Springs in the hearts of the people across the world would surge forth like rolling river currents, assimilating the Nether Spring within Mount Hengshan and giving birth to the true source of the Yellow Springs.

The Mountain God could also imagine that while he sat peacefully in Mount Hengshan, countless people across the land were likely either amazed or terrified by this book.

As the one who spearheaded the creation and dissemination of "Yellow Springs" across the land, Ji Yuan now had some free time and could finally return to his long-unvisited Juyuan Pavilion to rest.

Ji Yuan was not a native of Ning'an County, but he genuinely regarded Ning'an County, Deshun Prefecture, Jizhou, Dazhen, as his true home. Thus, every return filled him with a deep sense of nostalgia.

Many places in Dazhen were constantly undergoing new changes, but Ning'an County seemed to maintain its unchanging rhythm. As Ji Yuan slowly walked into the county town from the north gate, the scenery along the way hadn't changed much. Perhaps some trees had grown thicker, or a roadside tea stall had appeared somewhere.

The blue-gray city walls bore the marks of time, and large red lanterns still hung on the gate tower, seemingly left there since the New Year.

Ji Yuan's gaze swept past the view outside the city as he slowly entered. He could hear the lively sounds near the city gate, a favorite spot for farmers bringing vegetables and fruits to sell in town.

Many years ago, Ji Yuan had intentionally reduced his appearances in Ning'an County. Now, having been absent for eight more years, he was not surprised to find that almost no one recognized him anymore.

In fact, as Ji Yuan looked around, he saw only unfamiliar faces. There were no familiar voices either; even if a faint sense of familiarity arose, the voices themselves were entirely new, likely belonging to the descendants or relatives of the vegetable farmers from long ago, carrying a subtle connection. Even the people in the shops lining the streets had mostly changed. Since he had slowly entered the city, he hadn't heard a single "Mr. Ji."

Finally, Ji Yuan passed Jirenhall, Ning'an County's renowned medical clinic. He had expected to at least see Doctor Tong's apprentice, but although the clinic was still in its original location and looked the same, the resident doctor had clearly changed.

"Sir, are you feeling unwell?"

The medical apprentice, who was observing a medicine stove at the shop's entrance, saw Ji Yuan standing at the doorway, looking inside for a moment, and stood up to ask. Ji Yuan, now brought back from his reverie, looked at the obviously young apprentice. Though his features were indistinct, his aura suggested a large child not yet of age.

Ji Yuan smiled and replied, "No, I was just looking."

Having said that, Ji Yuan left and continued on his way.

It seemed Ning'an County wasn't entirely unchanged after all; some buildings within had been altered, apparently involving both demolition and reconstruction, as well as renovation.

"Woof woof woof… woof woof woof…"

"Woof woof woof…"

Dog barks drifted from afar. Ji Yuan looked, and in a street alley a little further away, groups of stray dogs of all sizes romped and ran past. Ji Yuan smiled knowingly once more.

'At least Hu Yun won't be lonely here.'

People might change, but Ji Yuan's home was still in Tianniu Quarter. He believed that even if Ning'an County had seen many different magistrates and Tianniu Quarter had grown through generations, no one would dare covet Juyuan Pavilion.

As he reached the street at the entrance of Tianniu Quarter Archway, a voice suddenly invigorated Ji Yuan.

"Braised noodles, excellent braised noodles—old brand, old craftsmanship!"

Braised noodles? Was the Sun family's noodle stall still open?

Ji Yuan felt a bit puzzled; logically, no one in the Sun family had learned this craft after Sun Fu. Ji Yuan quickened his pace, and as he approached the stall, he indeed saw that the cloth banner hanging there still read "Sun's Noodle Stall."

Seeing someone approach, a burly man at the stall warmly greeted him. "Sir, would you like a bowl of braised noodles?"

"Yes, one bowl, please."

"Alright! Any extra toppings? We have fried eggs and braised dried tofu."

"No, the braised noodles alone are fine."

"Okay, please have a seat and wait, sir."

The vendor got busy. Ji Yuan found a seat and sat down. He used to sit in the northern part of the stall, but this vendor's table arrangement was different from the Sun family's; there were no tables in his old spot.

"I thought the noodle stall wouldn't be here anymore."

Ji Yuan said this, and the vendor chuckled from his spot. "That's how it was supposed to be. My master used to say that he would be the last generation of the Sun family to make braised noodles. But because I became his apprentice, the skill hasn't been lost, so I'm continuing the noodle stall here."

"So you're not a Sun family member? And you're not changing the sign?" Ji Yuan asked with a smile.

The man, tidying his stove, cheerfully replied, "I'm not changing the sign. Many regular customers in the village recognize it. As for being a Sun family member, I'd like to be one too! If I could marry Miss Ya Ya, I wouldn't mind even if she's older; I'd even be willing to be a live-in son-in-law. Unfortunately, I don't have that good fortune. Oh, by the way, my family name is Wei."

"Oh…"

Ji Yuan nodded, understanding something. He then chatted further with the vendor, learning about Sun Fu's passing and his thoughts during that period, feeling quite emotional.

"Sir, your noodles are ready!"

The vendor brought the noodles and set them down. Ji Yuan thanked him, took his chopsticks, and began to eat.

It must be said that this vendor had truly mastered the essence of Sun family's braised noodles. Upon tasting the noodles, both their chewiness and the flavor of the braising sauce were almost identical to what they were years ago. After finishing a bowl, despite so many years having passed, the price of the braised noodles had only increased by one coin.

After Ji Yuan stood up, the vendor diligently and quickly cleared the bowls and chopsticks. Ji Yuan could tell that the vendor didn't recognize him, but the moment he learned the vendor's surname was Wei, he instinctively understood some things, even without needing to calculate, knowing it was indeed something Wei Wuwei would do.

There were still few familiar faces in Tianniu Quarter, but Ji Yuan could now recognize a few individual voices. However, Ji Yuan had no intention of revealing himself to others, and the few people he encountered did not recognize him either.

The moment he arrived at Juyuan Pavilion's entrance, the door gently creaked open from within. Zaoniang, dressed in a light green silk dress, stood at the doorway, bowing, her face showing joy that was not exaggerated.

"Master, you're back!"

"Mm."

Ji Yuan entered the courtyard and looked at the date tree. The layer of peach tree ashes beneath it had completely turned into ordinary soil. The large date tree itself had changed considerably; its trunk was now almost as thick as the nearby stone table. Its branches and leaves formed a massive canopy, covering the entire Juyuan Pavilion, yet somehow always allowing sunlight to filter through. The dates on it were translucent and looked incredibly tempting.

"Master, many dates have been on the tree for several years now. Shall Zaoniang pick some for you?"

"That would be excellent."

Ji Yuan finished speaking, looked outside the small courtyard, slowly closed the gate, and then slowly exhaled. Let his traces in Ning'an County gradually fade away like this. Perhaps, even now, old people and children in the county might still tell the story of Mr. Ji saving the red fox.

"Master, although Sun Fu has passed away, Sun's Noodle Stall is still open."

Zaoniang came from the kitchen with a small wicker basket, talking about the noodle stall. With a wave of her hand, scattered dates flew from the tree, gathered into the basket she held, and then she placed them on the table.

"I saw it on my way here, but that person is from the Wei family. It must be Wei Wuwei's doing."

As Ji Yuan spoke, he sat at the table, picked up a date, and tasted it. A single bite filled his mouth with crisp sweetness, and its spiritual essence was far greater than before. This was merely an ordinary spiritual date.

"Is that so?" Zaoniang opened her mouth slightly in surprise.

"Then Master Wei is truly remarkable! Zaoniang never knew!"

"Indeed. There will come a day when everyone understands Wei Wuwei's brilliance. However, his true genius lies in how few people still realize just how brilliant he is."

As he spoke, Ji Yuan patted his chest and summoned the little paper crane. After emerging, it circled Zaoniang a few times, rubbed itself against her hand, and then flew outside. It was heading to the City God Temple to inform them on Ji Yuan's behalf that he would pay a special visit that evening.

Zaoniang watched the little paper crane fly away, then sat down next to Ji Yuan and took out the "Yellow Springs" book from her sleeve.

"Master, did you write this book?"

Ji Yuan glanced at it and shook his head. "No, Wang Li was the primary author. Master Yin also contributed significantly, while I merely offered a few pointers and drew some illustrations."

"Oh…" Zaoniang responded softly, then suddenly stood up.

"Master, look!"

As she spoke, Zaoniang, holding a tree branch, performed a sword dance in front of the table. Each move blended firmness and grace, her swordplay exuding spirited elegance. After just over a dozen moves, she spun around and crouched down, pointing her "sword" diagonally towards the sky, her silk skirt still swaying with residual momentum for a moment before settling.

"Master, how was my dance?"

"Very good, it captures a true essence of swordsmanship!"

Ji Yuan was a little surprised. Zaoniang's moves were indeed commendable for her; her sword dance wasn't as solemn and elegant as usual, but instead had a sense of youthful vitality. Upon hearing his praise, Zaoniang immediately beamed with joy.

"The year before last, when Sun Ya Ya and I went to Chunhui Prefecture, we met Lady Bai. At that time, a demon had caught someone who privately published 'The Bashful White Deer' and was revealing its ferocious form. Ya Ya and I were nearby and thought it was a demon causing trouble, so we attacked her. Then we discovered she was Lady Bai's maid, and she even found out I had a copy of the book too! Later, when we met Lady Bai, the whole situation was both embarrassing and funny!"

Ji Yuan's mouth twitched. He couldn't imagine what Bai Ruo's reaction must have been at the time.