PCJ – Chapter 449 There Is a Taoist Priest

The snow on the mountain began to melt, turning into spring water that flowed melodiously down the slopes.

Fat Cat dipped its tail into an icy pool, and soon, it fished out a plump crucian carp. This was an exclusive skill of Fat Cat. However, the fish barely left the water before being snatched up by Chubby Monkey, who eagerly presented it to Zhang Jiaohua as a token of pride.

Although Zhang Jiaohua remained unresponsive, his relationship with Fat Cat, Chubby Monkey, and Leopard had become as harmonious as before. He had gradually learned to cooperate with them. When Chubby Monkey brought him a fish, Zhang Jiaohua no longer selfishly cooked it for himself but instead used a spell to roast the fish, sharing it with the others.

Chubby Monkey resumed its old habit of using Zhang Jiaohua’s leg as a pillow when sleeping. When Zhang Jiaohua roasted fish, it always pestered him to roast a few chestnuts as well.

After eating, Zhang Jiaohua stood up and started running again. Leopard and the others immediately followed.

Zhang Jiaohua had no specific destination; he ran purely on impulse. He would head wherever his whim led him. Some places he visited only once, while others he had unknowingly traversed countless times. Though the Meishan Mountains were vast, at this rate, Zhang Jiaohua would eventually leave footprints in every corner.

A month or two passed this way. The birch trees were now lush with green leaves, and the forest was adorned with blooming wildflowers.

One day, a wisp of smoke appeared in the forest, twisting upwards into the sky. A simple wooden hut stood halfway up the mountain. The roof was covered in tree bark, its dark color blending seamlessly with the surrounding terrain.

An elderly man with white hair stepped out of the hut. He wore a blue Taoist robe, white cloth leg wraps, and cloth shoes. He had an air of otherworldly detachment, like a man of profound wisdom.

From the mountainside, the elderly man gazed at Zhang Jiaohua, who was running incessantly at the mountain’s base. He noticed something extraordinary about Zhang Jiaohua’s state.

“One with heaven and earth! To be able to merge completely with the energy of the universe—this is what I’ve been searching for my entire life!” The elderly man rushed down the mountain.

However, Zhang Jiaohua acted as though he hadn’t seen him and continued running forward.

The old man, careful not to disturb Zhang Jiaohua and interrupt his state, quietly joined his group. Strangely, despite the addition of the old man, the team of a boy and three animals didn’t seem out of place.

The old man’s name was Zhang Guanyu, with the Taoist name Gao Wei and the title Guanyu Taoist. Born in 1923, he was taken in as a disciple by an elder Taoist priest from the Zhengyi School. After a brief return home due to homesickness, societal upheavals eventually drove him into the Meishan Mountains, where he lived in seclusion to cultivate.

Despite his age, Zhang Guanyu’s cultivation level was not high. Decades of practice had left more wrinkles on his face than wisdom in his heart. But today, witnessing such a state of unity between man and the universe, he was overwhelmed. If he had seen this sight decades earlier, perhaps his cultivation would not be where it was now.

Zhang Jiaohua’s running speed had nearly doubled compared to when he first began. Though Zhang Guanyu was a cultivator himself, his abilities were limited. After chasing Zhang Jiaohua for over an hour, he was out of breath, his robes torn in several places.

He was shocked to see that Zhang Jiaohua’s clothes, though visibly tight, remained intact.

Although Zhang Jiaohua was running through dense thickets and shrubs, the vegetation seemed to part on its own as he passed, clearing a path for him.

“So young, yet such profound skill!” Zhang Guanyu exclaimed in awe.

Despite his years of cultivation and martial training, Zhang Guanyu found himself leagues behind this boy. Talent, it seemed, was an unfathomable gift that defied reason.

As Zhang Jiaohua appeared to slow down, Zhang Guanyu felt a glimmer of hope. Exhausted and famished, he desperately wanted to rest. Years of living in the mountains had taught him to be frugal, but today, hunger gnawed at him mercilessly. While cultivators didn’t obsess over material needs, Zhang Guanyu hadn’t mastered the legendary technique of fasting and needed food like any mortal.

But just as Zhang Guanyu thought Zhang Jiaohua was about to stop, the boy picked up his pace again.

With a wry smile, Zhang Guanyu pushed himself to follow. For him, Zhang Jiaohua might represent his last chance to glimpse the true path. If he missed this opportunity, he might never ascend beyond his current limitations.

Zhang Jiaohua ran tirelessly through Meishan, where each stride seemed to deepen his connection with the world’s energy, drawing him closer to the essence of the Dao.

At dusk, Zhang Jiaohua finally stopped.

Zhang Guanyu collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. Though he knew several techniques for recovering from intense exertion, none seemed applicable now. His body was on the brink of shutting down, the kind of exhaustion that could push someone to their limits.

Fat Cat and Chubby Monkey headed to the stream and returned with a lucky haul of several large red carp, each weighing about a pound or two.

Zhang Jiaohua casually conjured a ball of fire, roasting the fish. Soon, a mouthwatering aroma filled the forest.

Gurgle.

Zhang Guanyu’s stomach growled uncontrollably at the scent.

Fat Cat, Leopard, and Chubby Monkey each took a fish, leaving two steaming, roasted carp on the ground. Swallowing his pride, Zhang Guanyu approached Zhang Jiaohua.

“Fellow cultivator, might I have one of these fish?” Zhang Guanyu asked, thick-skinned.

Zhang Jiaohua remained unresponsive, his open eyes refusing to acknowledge Zhang Guanyu. Frustrated, the elderly man’s beard quivered in indignation. Just as he was about to walk away, his rebellious stomach growled again.

“Well, if you don’t object, I’ll take that as a yes,” Zhang Guanyu muttered shamelessly. Picking up a fish, he walked off a short distance and began devouring it.