Chapter 24: The Gift He really is far too fond of playing games.

In a small inn not far from the altar, Lin Zhao requested only one room.

"Why only one?" Ji Yaoguang looked at him.

"You slept by the doorway yesterday just to save money, so why can't you continue doing the same today?" Lin Zhao answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"I stood guard by the door yesterday because I feared something might disturb you," Ji Yaoguang smiled faintly. "Now that we are within the inner city, even if you book a single room, I will still be coming inside."

"Well, you're going to be giving me lessons anyway, old tree, so I'll be generous and let you have a corner. Just bring your own mat," Lin Zhao said casually.

Ji Yaoguang thought about it and agreed. "Very well. If I am too far from you, I won't be at ease."

And so, the two sat down together.

The shamanic patterns, beast souls, rituals, and techniques for unlocking secret stores that Lin Zhao was learning were all from ten thousand years ago. Many of the resources from that era were no longer available, but fortunately, the Kingdom of Shamans had found cheaper substitutes over the years and had improved the ritualistic procedures for unlocking secret stores, significantly increasing the success rate.

Moreover, Lin Zhao’s Golden Crow totem was quite peculiar; it currently possessed only five feathers. Ji Yaoguang needed to instruct him on how to use techniques to conceal his totem—at the very least, to hide its Golden Crow appearance—to avoid attracting unwanted covetous eyes.

Lin Zhao, knowing this concerned his own life, studied and sought advice with great diligence.

By the end, Ji Yaoguang was very satisfied with the day's teaching.

He produced a string of wooden beads with beautiful textures. "These are beads I made from tree marrow. The cord is made of green vine; you can use it as a whip, and when needed, each bead can be detached. If you ignite them with your Golden Crow fire and throw them, the power should be quite impressive."

Lin Zhao was delighted. He took them and counted—there were over a hundred. He praised them with satisfaction, "This is great gear! You’re very generous, Brother Yaoguang!"

With that, he slipped them onto his wrist.

Ji Yaoguang sat by the table, resting his chin on his hand, watching Ah Zhao swing the bead chain back and forth, the corners of his lips curving upward.

...

Downstairs, in the small inn with only four guest rooms, a thin, long twig burned with a faint light, illuminating the cramped parlor.

An elderly woman with snow-white hair was tallying the day’s earnings under the dim glow.

A bald, elderly man pushed aside the curtain and brought out a greyish-black stone. "The firestone is spent. Remember to use money to exchange for a new one tomorrow."

"I told you not to buy so little," the old woman said without looking up. "Firestone prices have risen again these days. If this continues, our little shop will close sooner or later."

"Let it close," the old man complained. "This place is so crude, we barely make enough to scrape by. If you ask me, we should go to the mines outside the city or help transport the remains of fierce beasts; we’d earn more and be able to help our grandchildren."

"Sigh," the old woman shook her head at the mention of this. "We aren't even shaman apprentices; how could we endure the hardships outside the city? Let’s just live our lives well and not add to the children's burdens; that is help enough."

"Old woman," the old man chuckled, "our grandson ranked three hundred and twenty-fifth in the 'Minor Selection' this time. He is now qualified to participate in the Kingdom of Shamans' 'Major Selection'." He laughed happily. "Look, should we sell this house to add some money and get him a better beast soul? If he performs well, he might even be chosen by the Great Mountain Shaman!"

The old woman shook her head. "How can that be? This small courtyard is worth at most a hundred gold shells with the land. Adding our savings over the years, that’s only a hundred and fifty gold shells. That’s nowhere near enough for a beast soul."

"There is still the daughter-in-law's family," the old man said earnestly. "I’ve asked; they can scrape together a hundred gold shells. With the subsidy from the academy for the first ritual, we can afford a mid-to-low-grade beast soul."

The old woman was skeptical. "Would they be willing? What about their own grandchildren?"

"Their six children didn’t even make the top thousand in the Minor Selection. At best, they’ll just be foot soldiers. How can they compare to our grandson? Our grandson is guaranteed to be recommended to the Kingdom of Shamans. His future is limitless!" The old man beamed with pride at the thought. "The Kingdom of Shamans... even if we just get to see it once, it would be worth this entire lifetime."

"Yes," the old woman couldn't help but dream. "They don't need to ignite sacred wood there to grow clean food. I’ve heard you can even see the sky from ten thousand years ago—it’s blue. If we could settle there, our descendants wouldn't have to worry about the city being breached."

The couple cupped their faces in their hands, lost in thought for a while, until the woman snapped back to reality. "Alright, alright. Go tell the guests the hot water is ready. As for selling the house, we'll ask the property broker tomorrow. I’ll tidy up the place well; every extra blue shell we can get is worth it."

"You got it!" Having persuaded his wife, the old man was filled with ease and joy. He stepped on the creaking wooden stairs, went upstairs, and knocked on the guests' door.

The door opened on its own after a single knock. Inside the small room, there was only a simple mat and a table. He saw the two guests sitting together; the older one was behind the other, guiding his hand to draw a shamanic pattern. The pattern shimmered with flowing light, and one could tell at a glance that it was quite powerful.

They were actually two shamans!

The old man was flattered and flustered. "Noble shamans, the hot water in the pool downstairs is ready. Would you like to go to the pool, or shall I have it brought up to the room?"

"Hot water?" The boy’s eyes lit up instantly, and he pushed the young man behind him aside. "No need to bring it up! Where is it? I’m going right now!"

He appeared in front of the old man like a ghost. The old man dared not delay and immediately led him to the back parlor downstairs.

Lin Zhao darted in as soon as the man pointed to the back door. Entering the backyard, he saw a small bathing pool, two meters square and one meter deep, filled two-thirds with water.

Lin Zhao’s eyes sparkled instantly.

The inner city was truly extraordinary; they even provided hot water.

Fantastic!

He had been here for so long, and apart from that dream in the shaman village, he hadn't had a proper bath!

But that couldn't be helped—who could ever find water in the Vast Sea?

At that thought, even though he had repeatedly simulated not needing to wash, Lin Zhao felt itchy all over. Seeing the filled pool, he didn't need any prompting; his clothes flew, his trousers flew, and he dove into the pool with a splash.

When Ji Yaoguang followed leisurely, he saw Ah Zhao spinning around in the pool like a little bird, blowing a string of bubbles underwater, and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Old tree, you haven't washed in the Vast Sea either, right? Come down and join me." Lin Zhao rested his arms on the edge of the pool, scooped up a handful of hot water, poured it over himself, and looked at him enthusiastically.

Ji Yaoguang sat on the edge of the pool. Seeing water droplets rolling down Lin Zhao’s collarbone, he turned his face slightly away. He did not go in, but instead sat on the edge, lifted his crow-feather skirt, and soaked his bare feet in the water.

Lin Zhao asked curiously, "Old tree, why don't you wear shoes?"

"My core totem is a tree. If my body is separated from the earth, I feel quite uncomfortable," Ji Yaoguang smiled. "So, soaking my feet is quite nice."

"Your feet are quite clean, not even a bit of mud on them," Lin Zhao scooted over and reached out to touch them. "No calluses either, and they’re so smooth..."

Ji Yaoguang pulled his feet back slightly and smiled. "Once a shaman reaches the realm above a Heavenly Shaman, their skin, flesh, and bones become an incredibly powerful weapon. They are infinitely flexible—not only are they resistant to spells and blades, but they can naturally withstand the corrosion of the Purple Sun and are impervious to dust. Therefore, even though your fire can easily melt gold and iron, it could only raise a blister on my hands."

"No wonder you're so fire-resistant. By the way, aren't you coming down to wash?" Lin Zhao rubbed his chin. "You haven't bathed in years, have you?"

"This... I am not accustomed to bathing with others," Ji Yaoguang politely declined. "I will wait until you are finished."

"The water won't be clean once I'm done," Lin Zhao waved his hand. "That old grandpa is quite elderly; it would be a hassle to make him prepare another pool. Come on, I don't mind."

"It is fine. A tree doesn't need clean water to be watered," Ji Yaoguang firmly refused.

"Hmph, suit yourself." Lin Zhao lay back and submerged himself, too lazy to bother with him.

The pool was large enough, so he swam around, playing until the water turned lukewarm. Only then did he scramble out of the pool, shaking his body instinctively. The droplets on his hair and skin vanished instantly, leaving him as dry as if he hadn't been in the water at all.

"Is this the bird's natural talent for shaking off water?" Lin Zhao was surprised and felt playful again. He put his finger into the water. "Let me heat the water for you."

He used a bit of his Golden Crow power, and the pool water immediately began to steam and boil.

"Thanks. If I were an ordinary tree, I would certainly have been scorched dry by you," Ji Yaoguang said, his legs still soaking in the boiling water. He turned to look at him, then immediately turned away. "You don't have a change of clothes, do you? Try this."

He plucked a branch, which instantly grew and wove itself into a grey-brown robe, and tossed it to Lin Zhao.

The robe felt soft and moist to the touch. It was quite modest, with a round collar, unlike the common V-necks or the short skirts that only covered the lower body seen here.

Lin Zhao took the clothes and walked over to him with a grin. "Oh, old tree, why aren't you looking at me? Are you shy?"

Ji Yaoguang said softly, "No."

Lin Zhao poked his reddened earlobe. "No? Then why won't you turn your head to look at me?"

Ji Yaoguang pursed his lips. A second later, he extended his hand. A ghost mask suddenly appeared. Before Lin Zhao could react, it quickly wrapped around him, rolling him up like a silkworm cocoon and carrying him back to the upstairs room, then sealed the bathroom door with branches woven like a starry web.

Lin Zhao emerged from the ghost mask, feeling its texture, which was as soft as goose down. He snorted, "That old tree, not only is he thin-skinned, but he also can't take a joke."

Feeling sleepy, he curled up on the mat, buried his head in his arms, and rested.

After a while, Ji Yaoguang pushed the door open, placed two clean, coarse linen garments he had washed by the side of Ah Zhao, and then retreated to the corner of the room.

He lowered his head and gazed at a circular wooden dial on his palm. Two hands were already on the polished face, and a third was sprouting and growing as time flowed by.