Chapter 5108 — The Disappearance of Ergoudan
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"West Star Mountain may be big, but to that boy it's just the back garden at home. Add to that his brute strength—everyone who meets him gets a headache—so at worst he takes a little loss. Dying isn't so easy. Why wouldn't I be at ease?" Old Man Wei curled his lip.
"Fine, you win. I'll go find him right now." Wei Zhao made to rise and head for West Star Mountain. Ergoudan was not only his playmate from childhood but his closest, most trusted brother—even knowing full well the other was unlikely to face any real mortal danger, he still couldn't help worrying.
"Hold on." Old Man Wei suddenly called him back, and after a pause said, "Eat first, then go. Your Aunt Qing has a few signature dishes worth trying—you won't find them anywhere outside."
"Don't exaggerate, it's just home cooking." Aunt Qing smiled as she set the table and called the two of them to eat.
Wei Zhao took one bite, and his eyes lit up as he praised, "Delicious! With Aunt Qing here, the old man is truly blessed. This dish, in two words—made with heart!"
"Heh heh, if it's good, eat more." Aunt Qing smiled sweetly.
"Now now, just take a couple of bites for form's sake, don't go stealing my share." Old Man Wei shamelessly snatched the whole plate of mapo tofu over to himself, and Wei Zhao immediately lunged to grab it back. In the old days he had never won a single plate-stealing bout against Old Man Wei; he had assumed that now, with his strength greatly increased, things should improve—yet he was still utterly crushed, not even nabbing a scrap.
"No manners at all!" Aunt Qing scolded with a laugh, though this warm scene was one she had long been waiting for.
It was a rare chance to share a meal with Old Man Wei and Aunt Qing. Plain tea and simple fare, perhaps, but Wei Zhao ate with a thousand emotions stirring—warmth, and something moving—though mostly he was grumbling: the old man's plate-snatching skills really were unmatched under heaven!
"All right, all right, hurry up and get out there and work. A grown man licking his plate—have you no shame?" Old Man Wei dismissed him with a look of disgust.
"I didn't even get full, and now I can't even lick the plate?" Wei Zhao was overcome with grief and indignation. Up to now he had truly taken only a couple of bites for form's sake; after that he had never gotten a bite in edgewise, and by the time he came to his senses the plates were already clean…
"What does a Primordial Spirit need to eat for? Satisfy your tongue and be done with it. Eating more is just wasting food. Wait for dinner—if I'm in a good mood I'll let you have a couple more bites." Old Man Wei declared magnanimously, as though granting a special pardon.
"You said it yourself…" Wei Zhao had no choice but to excuse himself to Aunt Qing and slink out the door.
West Star Mountain was vast, the ranges rugged, and little of it developed. Aside from a bumpy winding mountain road connecting a few small villages in the area, it was basically primeval forest, much like Shennongjia—year in and year out, few souls trod there besides the local village folk and the occasional outside climber.
The woods were dense and the undergrowth thorny, and with wild boars and mountain leopards prowling from time to time, even the local villagers dared not wander freely in the mountain. At most they kept to certain well-worn paths, and even then they had to go in groups—otherwise disaster came easily. (To be continued.)