Chapter 44: Everyone Loves Little Immortal Mushroom (II)

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Chapter 44: Everyone Loves Little Immortal Mushroom (II)

By the time Shang Ke finished simmering a pot of mushroom soup, he had finally confirmed that Yan Lu had lost his memory.

His failed tribulation had wiped away everything from his past, leaving him almost like a newborn. For Shang Ke, this was undoubtedly a promising start.

Yan Lu drank his soup while staring at Shang Ke.

Shang Ke really didn’t understand. If he wanted to drink soup, then drink the soup. Why did he have to stare at him the whole time?

After finishing the entire pot without leaving a drop, Yan Lu slowly said, “I think you’d still taste better.”

No matter how delicious this venerable one might be, I’m not letting you eat me! Becoming a mushroom is miserable enough, okay? And now I’m stuck raising someone who’s constantly thinking about eating me—someone who actually did eat me in the original timeline!

Shang Ke felt that if he wanted to raise Yan Lu into a Divine Lord, he first had to teach this emotionally detached man about all the beautiful things in the world and gradually correct his twisted outlook on life and the world.

So Shang Ke decisively chose to take him traveling. While seeking the immortal path and pursuing the Dao, they would experience life, punish evil, uphold good, and illuminate the glorious side of humanity.

A few days later, Shang Ke packed everything into his storage ring, bid farewell to every mushroom in the cave, and set off with Yan Lu.

“Hurry up. We’re almost at Xialiang City.” Shang Ke turned and called to Yan Lu behind him.

Yan Lu followed at an unhurried pace, quietly watching Shang Ke’s energetic figure from behind. Although he remembered nothing, the presence of the person before him felt extraordinarily familiar. For countless days and nights in the past, this person had stayed by his side.

Yan Lu wondered whether he had planted this mushroom himself. Had he once been exceptionally good at growing mushrooms? To think he had actually raised one capable of transforming into human form. (Shang Ke: Heh. You’re seriously overthinking it.)

Yan Lu took a single step and instantly appeared beside Shang Ke, walking shoulder to shoulder with him while breathing in the mushroom fragrance.

Although Shang Ke’s current cultivation was not particularly high, he was still capable of short-distance flight. But with Yan Lu accompanying him, they could only travel on foot. After failing his tribulation, Yan Lu had lost all of his cultivation. However, his body had been tempered by eight stages of heavenly tribulation and completely transformed. His former demonic cultivation had been destroyed, and Shang Ke had subsequently used all kinds of spiritual treasures to cleanse the demonic qi from him. Spiritual qi now arose naturally within his body, filled with upright and righteous energy.

In other words, Yan Lu possessed the physical body of a Demon Lord and the spiritual roots of an immortal cultivator. With his aptitude, no matter which orthodox cultivation technique he practiced in the future, he could achieve great mastery.

It seemed that all Shang Ke needed to do was find him a superior cultivation technique, and Yan Lu would be well on his way toward becoming a Divine Lord. Unfortunately, reality was never that cooperative.

Xialiang City was a remote little city with fewer than fifty thousand residents, nestled among green mountains and clear waters where spiritual qi was abundant. Mountain folk often happened upon rare lingzhi and spirit herbs, so cultivators occasionally came here to hunt for treasures.

Disguised, Shang Ke walked through the crowd while leisurely introducing Xialiang City. Yan Lu glanced around absentmindedly, simply reaching out and taking anything he liked from the nearby stalls. By the time Shang Ke noticed, the man had a fan in his left hand, several tassels and ornaments hanging from his arm, and a fruit in his right hand that he was happily eating.

Shang Ke asked, “Did you pay for any of that?”

“What’s money?” It wasn’t that Yan Lu didn’t know what money was. He simply didn’t care. As far as he was concerned, anything he was capable of taking belonged to him.

“Buying and selling means there has to be both a buyer and a seller. Whether you pay money or barter, there has to be a fair exchange. How can you just take things without asking?” Shang Ke grabbed him and turned back. “Come on. We’re going to pay for all of it.”

Yan Lu made no comment and followed behind Shang Ke, watching as he patiently tracked down each stall owner and paid for everything one by one.

Shang Ke looked inside his money pouch. All those things had actually cost him half his entire fortune.

He told Yan Lu, “We need to find a way to make money, or sooner or later we’ll run out.”

“We won’t. Just rob a few people and we’ll have plenty.” Yan Lu’s gaze drifted over several lavishly dressed men. “They’re fat and overfed, with stagnant qi accumulated inside them. They clearly indulge themselves too much. Taking away their wealth might even help them live longer.”

Shang Ke: “…It’s still their money. Robbing them is wrong.”

“You’re a mushroom. Why do you follow human rules more strictly than I do, and I’m supposedly the ordinary person here?” Yan Lu gave him a sidelong glance.

What the hell does being a mushroom have to do with any of this? And what part of you is ordinary? You were practically born to overturn the entire world, okay?!

Shang Ke said helplessly, “If you can obtain something through proper means, why insist on using unlawful ones?”

“Because that’s the simplest and most direct way,” Yan Lu replied as though it were self-evident.

Shang Ke finally realized just how badly distorted this man’s values were. Yan Lu genuinely believed that using strength to bully others and simply taking whatever he wanted was perfectly reasonable…

The two did not stay inside the city. Instead, they chose a place in the forest outside the walls to spend the night.

When Shang Ke was in mushroom form, he mainly absorbed the essence of plants and trees. He could also draw nourishment from grains, beans, nuts, Chinese cabbage, and similar foods—or, as another world might put it, replenish his vitamin B1.

As for Yan Lu, who was now neither quite human nor demon, he had already reached the point where he no longer needed ordinary food. He could eat if he wanted to and go without if he didn’t. Recently, though, all he wanted was mushrooms, and he kept demanding that Shang Ke make him more mushroom soup.

That night, Shang Ke found a patch of wild mushrooms and transformed into mushroom form among them, matching their color and appearance exactly. It saved space, made cultivation convenient, and provided excellent camouflage.

Unfortunately, Yan Lu could pick him out at a glance. Once he found him, he liked staring without blinking.

Mushroom Shang Ke gave himself a little shake, leaned toward a large mushroom beside him, and hid in its shadow.

Yan Lu seemed dissatisfied. He reached out and plucked the large mushroom away, once again exposing Shang Ke to someone’s hungry stare.

Mushroom: “…”

Apparently that still wasn’t enough for Yan Lu. He proceeded to pluck every mushroom surrounding Shang Ke until only one lonely little mushroom remained standing on the log.

Mushroom: “…”

Just how badly does this guy need to mess with things?! Can’t he let me quietly be an inconspicuous little mushroom?

Shang Ke finally couldn’t take it anymore and transformed back into human form. Yan Lu immediately picked up the clothes lying on the ground, wrapped them around him, then settled him into his arms and rubbed his cheek against him. Mm. This really is better. He smells good and feels nice too.

“What is your hand doing?” Shang Ke asked.

“Touching the mushroom.”

A vein throbbed on Shang Ke’s forehead. “What’s there to touch? Once I take human form, I’m no different from you.”

“Completely different.” Yan Lu compared them matter-of-factly. “Your hair is softer than mine, your body is slimmer, your skin is paler, your legs are thinner, and that part of you… is smaller too.”

Yan Lu looked downward and concluded with certainty, “It even looks a little like your true form…”

Shang Ke was outraged. How does it look anything alike?! They’re completely different, okay?!

He broke free from Yan Lu’s arms, bounded to the top of a tree in a few quick leaps, then transformed into a mushroom and proudly faced the starry sky.

Yan Lu caught the robe drifting down from above and sank into contemplation. Should he pluck the mushroom down… or should he pluck the mushroom down?

Just then, sounds of fighting and angry shouting came from the distance.

Shang Ke looked toward the sound and saw sword-light flashing in the distance while spiritual qi churned chaotically. A group of cultivators appeared to be fighting.

Yan Lu heard it as well. He leapt onto the treetop and crouched on a branch beside Shang Ke, watching the battle from afar.

It appeared that five cultivators were pursuing three others. The three were clearly outmatched and soon suffered defeat. One of them rose on his flying sword, abandoned his two companions, and fled in another direction. Of the five pursuers, one was badly injured, while the other four immediately chased after the escapee.

“Come on. Let’s take a look.” Shang Ke returned to human form, picked up his robe and threw it on, then swiftly headed toward the scene.

Naturally, Yan Lu followed close behind.

Only three people remained at the battle site. One was already dead, while the other two were gravely injured.

Shang Ke walked over to one of the injured men. “Are you all right? Do you have any medicine?”

The injured man’s eyes flashed with amazement when he saw Shang Ke. He quickly recovered his senses and, with some difficulty, took a medicine bottle from his storage ring.

Shang Ke took the bottle, removed a pill, and helped him swallow it. Then he turned to treat the other injured man, only to see Yan Lu crouching indifferently nearby as though none of this had anything to do with him.

Shang Ke thought nothing of it and went over to examine the other man, only to discover that he had already stopped breathing.

Yan Lu removed the dead man’s storage ring, examined it with his spiritual sense, then calmly pocketed it.

Shang Ke opened his mouth, ready to lecture him, then remembered that this was a cultivation world. Even if they didn’t take a dead man’s belongings, someone else eventually would. He wanted Yan Lu to follow the righteous path, but he couldn’t be excessively rigid about everything.

What Shang Ke failed to notice was the needle-like leaf embedded in the dead man’s neck. The man had not died from his injuries at all. Yan Lu had casually picked up the leaf and used it to pierce his windpipe.

“Cough, cough… Many thanks to both of you for helping me.” The man Shang Ke had given the pill to sat up while clutching his chest, a little color already returning to his face.

“No need to thank us. It was hardly any trouble.” Shang Ke smiled at him.

The man froze. The young man before him had white hair and wore a purple robe, his figure slender and graceful. His exquisitely beautiful face was framed by slightly languid eyes whose upturned corners carried a faintly bewitching charm. When he smiled, it was like brilliant clouds filling the sky, dazzling to behold.

“This one is Yu Wenjie. May I ask how I should address the two of you?” Although he asked about both of them, his gaze remained fixed entirely on Shang Ke.

“I’m Shang Ke, and this is Yan Lu.” Shang Ke dared to give Yan Lu’s real name because the cultivation world had long since forgotten the notorious demon of the past. Even among those who still remembered him, most knew him only by his former title, Demon Venerable Yanluo.

Shang Ke then asked Yu Wenjie what had happened.

Yu Wenjie came from the Flying Star Sword Sect and had been ordered to escort a treasure to Yunxiao City. Unfortunately, news of the mission had leaked, and their group was attacked by other cultivators along the way. Four of his fellow disciples had died one after another, leaving only Yu Wenjie and the senior brother who had just fled.

Shang Ke asked, “Has the treasure already been taken? Do you need our help?”

Yu Wenjie smiled bitterly. “The mission failed, and my fellow disciples died tragically. I’m afraid I don’t have the strength to investigate the treasure’s whereabouts by myself. May I ask the two of you to escort me to the nearest town so I can notify my sect and ask them to send help?”

“No problem.” Shang Ke gave him a brilliant smile.

If I’m going to straighten out Yan Lu’s values, I might as well start by helping this unfortunate fellow Daoist.

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