Chapter 58

After saying this, Gui Bu Gui was once again stunned, and after regaining his composure, he said to Wu Mian with a mournful face: "You can't keep doing this, can you...?"

After a little while, the two brothers of the Gui family invited Wu Mian and their old master into an inner cave. At this time, the entire cave was lit with torches, making it bright inside and out. Although they said it was wild game, in fact, only a rabbit had been freshly caught, while the rest were preserved meats and dried wild chickens and ducks from before.

However, this was much better than the dry rations Wu Mian had been eating for the past few days. There was even a jar of unknown origin, whether it was stolen or bought, of distilled liquor. With Gui Bu Gui sitting there, the two brothers of the Gui family did not dare to sit at the table and could only serve Wu Mian and their old master by pouring wine and serving dishes. However, Gui Bu Gui, who had practiced abstaining from food, was just there for show, and the only one truly eating and drinking was Wu Mian.

Wu Mian did not hesitate, drinking the wine and eating the food. After serving for a while, Gui Qu gave his brother a look, and Gui Lai understood, smiling at his old master and said: "Master, since we have already paid our respects to you today, could you please tell us your name? We need to know who we have paid our respects to."

At this moment, Gui Bu Gui smiled, taking on the air of a transcendent sage, and said: "This is something I was going to tell you even if you didn't ask." Saying this, he took a sip of wine, paused for a moment, and continued: "To be honest, I have a special connection with you two. I also have the surname Gui, and I have some ties with your ancestor who ascended to immortality. From him, calling me 'Old Ancestor' wouldn't be too much for you two. But now that we have this master-disciple relationship, it's not appropriate to call me that. Remember, your master's name is Gui Yin. If you get bullied outside, just mention my name."

"Since you're already in seclusion, will mentioning your name even be useful?" Wu Mian smiled, drank a cup of wine, and then grabbed a piece of dried chicken and started chewing. At this moment, the two brothers of the Gui family realized that this white-haired man was even more formidable than their own master, and the three of them tacitly pretended not to hear and just let it pass.

More than a hundred years later, seeing his descendants again, Gui Bu Gui felt a bit sentimental. Just as he was about to start asking questions, a chubby, naked little child suddenly appeared in the inner cave.

Including Wu Mian, no one had noticed when the child had entered. However, when Gui Lai saw the little child, he was so frightened that he instinctively took a step back and shouted at his master: "It's him! It's the one I saw last time!"

This shout made everyone, including the two brothers of the Gui family and the few servants in the cave, jump in fright. Only Wu Mian and Gui Bu Gui remained seated, staring at the little child, watching what he would do next.

The little child skipped over to Wu Mian and Gui Bu Gui, not hesitating, picked up the wine cup in front of the old man, and drank it in one gulp. After finishing the cup, the little child seemed to find something amusing and started laughing, covering his mouth and giggling.

The laughter made everyone jump in fright again. Someone with a weak heart shouted: "The little ghost is laughing! Run!" In the blink of an eye, everyone except Wu Mian, Gui Bu Gui, and the little child had run to the cave entrance, ready to flee at the slightest sign of trouble.

After drinking the cup of wine, the little child continued to laugh. When his laughter gradually subsided, Gui Bu Gui and Wu Mian exchanged a look, and the old man picked up the wine jar and poured another cup. The little child looked at Gui Bu Gui and the full cup, giggled for a while, then picked up the cup and drank it in one gulp again.

After finishing the cup, the little child seemed to remember something funny. He sat on the ground, covering his mouth and laughing loudly. After laughing for a while, his eyes turned back to Gui Bu Gui's wine cup. The old man poured another cup and gestured for the little child to come over and drink. When the little servant brought a large yellow clay bowl, Gui Bu Gui filled it to the brim and gestured for the little child to come over and drink.

With a few cups already in him, the little child was no longer hesitant. He first leaned down and took a big sip from the bowl, then carefully picked it up and started drinking, gulping it down.

Perhaps to avoid spilling the wine, the little child drank very slowly. After putting down the bowl, his little face turned red, and he started rolling on the ground, laughing all the while. At this moment, the old man suddenly stood up, grabbed the little child's left ankle, and lifted him up.

The little child was still dazed, laughing foolishly even as he was held. Gui Bu Gui laughed and said to the two brothers at the entrance: "Find a rope and tie him up, hang him up. Remember, this little child's body must not touch the ground. Whether you two will have the chance for immortality in your next life depends on this little child... spit spit!" As the old man was speaking, the little child suddenly urinated, and the stream of urine landed right in the old man's mouth.

Although they didn't know what the little child was, the old master had spoken, and he mentioned immortality, so the two brothers did not dare to be careless. They personally tied up the little child and hung him high.

While the two brothers were busy, Wu Mian hooked his finger at Gui Bu Gui and extended his palm. The old man sighed and reluctantly took out the ring and placed it in Wu Mian's palm.

Wu Mian didn't pay much attention to the ring, casually putting it away, then looked at the little child hanging in the air and still laughing, and said to Gui Bu Gui: "Are you afraid he will burrow into the ground?"

Gui Bu Gui's eyes were still on the ring Wu Mian had put away. Hearing Wu Mian's words, he came back to his senses, looked at the little child, and said: "A ginseng spirit is a terrestrial immortal. Once it burrows into the ground, even a great immortal from heaven can't catch it. That little thing is better off staying with me. You have too many things, and they might break in your pocket."

Wu Mian ignored him, his eyes still on the ginseng child. After a while, he looked back at Gui Bu Gui and said: "What will you do first after catching the ginseng child? Make elixirs?"

Gui Bu Gui laughed and said: "A whole ginseng child, it would be a waste to make elixirs. I plan to add some auxiliary herbs and make a potion that can grant longevity. You saw my two grandsons; their constitutions are not suitable for Xu Fu's elixirs of immortality. Even if they get them in the future, they will die after taking them. I thought they would just have to make do with their lives, but unexpectedly, we found such a great treasure today. It's a good thing for them."

After Gui Bu Gui finished speaking, Wu Mian still didn't quite understand. He frowned and said: "What do you mean by 'grant longevity'? Is there a difference?"

The old man laughed and said: "Do you think everyone's idea of immortality is like ours? Many people consider living for three to five hundred years as immortality. Even if you eat the ginseng child, you will only live for about a thousand years, which already makes you an old immortal. Truly living as long as heaven and earth, like you and me, and Guang Ren and his group, is rare. Oh, and don't forget Xu Fu, the great alchemist."

At this moment, the two brothers of the Gui family appeared in front of Wu Mian and Gui Bu Gui. Following their master's instructions, they brought ink, brush, and blank bamboo slips. Gui Bu Gui picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote the names of several dozen herbs on the slips. After the ink dried, he said to his two grandsons: "I have written the names of thirty herbs. Get them as soon as possible. It will be a great benefit for you. Remember, you must get all the herbs and in sufficient quantity."

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