As Li Huowang observed the two twisting entities writhing in front of Dan Yangzi, he couldn't help but speculate. "Are those things here to help him gather the ingredients for the pills?"
Before he could ponder further, Dan Yangzi bent down, scooped a handful of mud from the ground, and shoved it into his mouth. Chewing with an unsettling intensity, he began to utter an incomprehensible series of sounds at the two shapes.
The noises didn't sound human, and yet the two entities seemed to understand. After pausing mid-air, they quickly scattered and disappeared into the ether. As they departed, the chaotic distortions in the room began to subside, and the space returned to an eerie calm.
"Don't worry, my boy," Dan Yangzi said smugly, brushing his hands clean of dirt. "The treasures mentioned in the celestial scripture are hard to find, but your master is not to be trifled with. Out there in the world, I have my connections."
"You're incredible, Master," Li said, forcing admiration into his tone. "A future immortal like you must find nothing on this earth too difficult. But, uh... what were those things just now?"
Dan Yangzi chuckled darkly. "Ah, those? Those are the 'Old Lords,' as described in the celestial scripture."
Li Huowang tried not to grimace as he replayed the chaotic scene in his mind. What kind of world had he fallen into, where things like "Great Aunties" and "Old Lords" were normal? He might've dismissed it all as pure nonsense if not for the fact that he had seen and eaten real pork and mutton—proof that some things here were still grounded in reality.
"These Old Lords are treasures beyond imagination," Dan Yangzi continued proudly. "I fought hard to steal them back in the day. It wasn't easy."
"Stolen?"
"Of course! You think people would just hand such things over willingly? Nah! You've gotta take them by force!" Dan Yangzi's tone grew nostalgic. "I learned that lesson when I was five, after an older beggar stole my moldy steamed bun. Since then, I've lived by one rule—if you don't have something, take it!"
"Throughout my life, I've stolen wives, horses, silver, techniques, weapons, disciples—hell, even Qingfeng Temple itself was something I stole! And look at me now. Do you see those statues of the 'ancestors' up there complaining?"
Li nodded slowly, noting the pride swelling on Dan Yangzi's grotesque face.
"Remember this lesson, boy," Dan Yangzi said. "I'm only telling you this because I see you as one of my own."
"But, Master," Li asked cautiously, "what if you can't win? What if you can't steal it?"
Dan Yangzi smirked, his teeth crooked and yellow. "Then you team up. If teaming up doesn't work, you poison them. And if poisoning doesn't work—then you cheat, boy! Always strike from the shadows!"
Li Huowang suppressed a shudder. In just a few sentences, Dan Yangzi had revealed his entire life philosophy, an unprincipled patchwork of opportunistic schemes and stolen techniques. No wonder his skills seemed cobbled together, each one different from the last.
"You're truly wise, Master."
Dan Yangzi leaned closer, his expression darkening. "You know, boy, they called me ignorant. They mocked me for not being able to read. They said I had no natural talent, no path to the Dao. But when I ascend to immortality, I'll rip their eyes open so they can see—see who really lacks talent!"
For the next several days, Li Huowang remained at Dan Yangzi's side, pretending to work diligently on the celestial scripture's so-called "path to immortality." Behind the scenes, however, he carefully fabricated an elaborate system of techniques and ingredients, weaving in enough plausible complexity to make it all seem credible.
One by one, the bizarre items he requested began to arrive.
Li stared in disgust at the heap before him: a slimy, fur-covered creature with pale, glistening skin, and a shapeless black mass that pulsed faintly as if alive.
His admiration for Dan Yangzi's resourcefulness deepened, even as his revulsion grew. "This guy really managed to get all this?"
"Shall we start the furnace, Master?" Li asked cautiously.
"Not yet. There's still time before the new year. Come, let's have our New Year's feast first."
Li followed Dan Yangzi to the dining hall, where the other disciples—Chang Ming, Chang Ren, and Xuan Yuan—were already seated.
The large round table felt unnervingly empty, its vacant seats a reminder of the disciples who had died. Dan Yangzi scowled at the sight.
"Why haven't you set places for the departed disciples? Put bowls and chopsticks out for them! Bring them back to celebrate the New Year!"
Once the table was filled with settings for the dead, Dan Yangzi's mood brightened. Taking his seat at the head of the table, he motioned for Li Huowang to sit at his right-hand side.
"Bring the dumplings!"
Soon, a steaming pot of dumplings was carried in. The savory aroma filled the room, and the disciples waited respectfully as Dan Yangzi picked up his chopsticks and took the first bite.
"Hmm!" Dan Yangzi exclaimed, savoring the flavor. "Pork fat and chive filling. Delicious! Oh, what's this? A coin inside? A good omen! Ha!"
Li stared at the dumplings in his bowl for a long moment before shoving them into his mouth with a newfound determination.
Dan Yangzi watched him eat with amusement. "You're lucky, you know. Back when I was your age, I didn't even know what dumplings looked like. I had only ever heard about how good they tasted."
"One year, I smelled dumplings cooking in someone else's house. I barged right in, saw them sitting on the stove, and just couldn't resist. I didn't even touch their pretty daughter—just chopped them all up and ate two pounds of dumplings on the spot."
The other disciples forced polite laughter, but Li continued eating, his face wet with tears.
Dan Yangzi softened. Scooping the remaining dumplings from his bowl, he placed them in Li's bowl. "You poor thing. Eat up, boy. Don't choke."
After the meal, Dan Yangzi handed out red envelopes to everyone at the table, including the empty places set for the dead.
"Take these, put them under your pillows for good fortune," he said. "When I was your age, no elder ever gave me a red envelope. Consider yourselves lucky."
Finally, turning to Li, he smiled. "You don't need one, boy. You and I—we'll become immortals together. Long life as the heavens!"
Li smiled back, his heart pounding with excitement. "You're right, Master. Thank you."
"Now," Dan Yangzi said, rising to his feet, "let's light the furnace. Time to make immortality a reality. Boy, you'll tend the fire!"
"Yes, Master!" Li replied, his voice filled with false enthusiasm. The moment was drawing closer, and he would be ready.