Chapter 75: The Scent of Yunling Mountain

Hua Qi was changing Yun Shan’s diaper when he suddenly heard the leaves in the forest rustling. He raised his head and looked warily toward the trees at the side.

An old man with a white beard walked out from among the trees, leaning on a carved wooden staff.

The old man smiled warmly at Yun Shan on the ground. “Little Temple Master has returned.”

“Hong Shan, why did you only come now?” Tuo Tuo said. “We already ate mooncakes.”

Hua Qi’s eyes quickly swept over Tuo Tuo, then he lowered his head and continued changing Yun Shan’s diaper. The moment Hong Shan arrived, the little ginseng spirit greeted him so warmly. If anyone told Hua Qi that Tuo Tuo and Hong Shan were not on the same side, he would not believe it. He had never seen Tuo Tuo act this warmly toward him or Xi Jue.

Mooncakes? Dou Ming perked up his ears. He had heard Hong Shan say before that Hua Qi had not bought any mooncakes for him.

Sure enough, a trace of awkwardness appeared on Hong Shan’s face. But he quickly reined in his expression and put on an act. “These past two days, my cultivation was about to break through, so I did not have time to concern myself with the Reunion Festival.”

From the mountaintop, he had seen the scene when Dou Ming had no mooncakes to eat. Dou Ming had eaten up all the mooncakes, but Hong Shan had not had any mooncakes at all. If the little demons found out that Hua Qi had not bought mooncakes for him, as the demon with the highest cultivation on Yunling Mountain, where would he put his face?

The dirty diaper Hua Qi changed from Yun Shan was tossed to one side.

The monkey spirit eagerly ran over, pinched up the dirty diaper, and quickly ran off. “Lord Hua Qi, I’ll go soak Little Temple Master Yunshan’s diaper in the stream.” The little demons on the mountain were all extremely familiar with this job.

Only after running to the stream and throwing down the diaper did the monkey gasp for breath. Little Temple Master’s poop really stank. He had lived for thirty years and had never met a cub whose poop stank worse than Little Temple Master’s.

Hong Shan wanted to hold Yun Shan.

Yun Shan was shy around strangers, and as soon as he was in Hong Shan’s arms, he cried. Hong Shan rarely came up the mountain to begin with, and even when Yun Shan did come, he did not see Hong Shan every time, so Hong Shan felt very unfamiliar to him.

The moment he cried, Hua Qi’s heart ached. He snatched Yun Shan back in one motion and soothed him while carrying him away. “Little darling Yun Shan, don’t cry. Mama’s here. Little darling, don’t be scared.”

Tuo Tuo immediately followed with, “Little darling Yun Shan, don’t be scared. Tuo Tuo is here too.”

Hua Qi frowned and looked at the little ginseng spirit. What did this have to do with him? Why was he even copying the way a demon talked?

“What?” Noticing Hua Qi’s gaze, Tuo Tuo instantly changed his expression and said ingratiatingly, “I’m helping you comfort Yun Shan.” He could not let Hua Qi find out that he wanted to become the demon closest to Little Temple Master. Otherwise, Hua Qi would definitely play tricks.

Hong Shan had learned from the little demons that Yun Shan liked fresh flowers. He stretched out his withered index finger, tapped Yun Shan on the forehead, and slowly moved it away.

A little flower bud slowly grew from his fingertip.

The flower bud gradually grew larger and bloomed into a peach blossom.

The flower drifted down from Hong Shan’s finger and floated lightly onto the tip of Yun Shan’s nose.

Yun Shan’s eyes focused toward the tip of his nose. His two black pupils slowly shifted to the corners of his eyes, and his comical appearance made Hong Shan laugh in a muffled voice.

Hua Qi gently rolled his eyes, placed the peach blossom from Yun Shan’s nose into his little hand, and said flatly, “Xiu Niang said we can’t keep teasing him into crossing his eyes. If he gets used to it, he won’t be able to fix it later.”

Yun Shan grabbed the little flower and rubbed it back and forth in his hand. Before long, he had rubbed the flower completely out of shape.

Sensing that something in his hand had changed, Yun Shan raised his little hand. The peach blossom in his hand had turned into a short little twig. “Ya?” Where did the little flower go?

Hua Qi flicked the twig out of Yun Shan’s little hand, even deliberately patted his hand clean, then put him back on the ground. He himself turned into a black snake and coiled his body around Yun Shan.

Tuo Tuo consciously lay down beside Hua Qi. Beside him were Dou Ming, who had lain down, and Xiao Cong, who had curled into a ball.

Xi Jue came closer, leaned over to glance at Yun Shan, who was still full of energy, then yawned, lay down, and closed his eyes.

The little demons slept beside Xiao Cong, quietly huddling into a cluster.

Hong Shan, who was still standing, seemed rather out of place. He stroked his beard and casually sent out a gust of wind. The flowers on the grass danced with the wind and slowly drifted toward Yun Shan.

Hua Qi raised his snake head, looked at Hong Shan coldly, and spoke in a human voice. “Yun Shan should sleep now.”

“He should smell the scent of Yunling Mountain,” Hong Shan said mysteriously.

The scent of Yunling Mountain? What scent could Yunling Mountain have? Hua Qi thought. A thousand-year-old demon really only knew how to stir up trouble. He had lived on Yunling Mountain for hundreds of years, so how had he never known Yunling Mountain had a scent?

Driven by the wind, the petals circled once before Yun Shan’s eyes. The wind suddenly scattered, and the drifting petals rained down from the air, actually covering Yun Shan’s entire little face.

Hua Qi was startled and hurriedly blew out a breath, blowing the petals off Yun Shan’s little chubby face.

Yun Shan was revealed with both eyes blankly dazed, frightening Hua Qi so much that he hurriedly changed back into human form and gathered him into his arms.

While soothing Yun Shan, Hua Qi complained to Hong Shan, “What are you making so many flower petals for? You buried Yun Shan in them.”

“Little darling Yun Shan, Mama’s here. Little darling, don’t be scared.”

Yun Shan blinked his eyes, moved his little mouth, and seemed to return to normal.

“I didn’t control it well, didn’t control it well,” Hong Shan said with an awkward laugh. Leaning on his carved wooden staff, he lightly tapped the ground three times. Countless green lights flew out from the mountain forest and gathered around Hua Qi and Yun Shan, circling them.

“Blessing of the Trees, Ten Thousand Specks of Life.” Hua Qi looked at Hong Shan in astonishment. “You…”

Hong Shan said quietly, “Shh. It’s Yunling Mountain’s blessing for Yun Shan.”

Tuo Tuo sat up, stretched out his hand, and caught one of the green lights, sensing the vigorous life force it carried. He was ginseng, also one of the grasses and trees. Aside from Hong Shan, no demon here understood the meaning of this life force better than he did.

Abundant life force, flourishing without end. It was the finest blessing this mountain forest could give.

The green lights flew around Yun Shan and slowly burrowed into Yun Shan’s body.

“Yi ya?” Sensing something unusual, Yun Shan blew a saliva bubble and stretched out his little hand to touch the green lights.

A quiet green light landed on Yun Shan’s fingertip, and very soon it followed Yun Shan’s finger and burrowed into his body.

A familiar woody fragrance came with the wind. It was precisely the scent that had lingered in Yunling Temple for a thousand years.

“Achoo.” Yun Shan gave a tiny sneeze.

The scent was a little strong, so Hua Qi held Yun Shan and retreated two steps.

The unfinished fruit on the ground all flew up together, one after another flying toward Yun Shan. After each one brushed past Yun Shan’s little nose, they quietly landed back on the ground.

Clear water from the stream in the distance flew over and twined lingeringly twice around Yun Shan’s neck and wrists. The cool touch made Yun Shan widen his eyes. “Ah—”

The stream water silently fell into the grass.

A small patch of watered soil flew up, carrying the fresh green scent of grass as it flew before Yun Shan.

The soil transformed into different shapes. One moment it was a peach tree; immediately after, it transformed into a ginseng plant, then into a snake.

“Ah!” At the sight of the snake, Yun Shan cried out excitedly. He recognized this one.

A mud tiger appeared. Yun Shan said, “Ya!”

It turned into a mud leopard. Yun Shan said, “Yi ya!”

Then it turned into a little pangolin. Yun Shan said, “Yi!”

Tuo Tuo grabbed with his chubby hand, and the soil that had just shown a little deer’s head turned back into ginseng.

But Yun Shan had no reaction whatsoever.

“Little Temple Master, look again. This is me, Tuo Tuo.” Tuo Tuo stood on tiptoe, clutched Yun Shan’s clothes, and stared at him. “Look, this is me.”

Yun Shan turned his head to look at Tuo Tuo and pursed his lips. Then he turned his face back again to keep looking at the mud.

Tuo Tuo felt so heartbroken. Little Temple Master Yunshan recognized the original forms of Hua Qi, Dou Ming, Xi Jue, and Xiao Cong, but he did not recognize his original form. Clearly, Tuo Tuo also stayed with Little Temple Master every day.

The mud turned into a little deer, a little squirrel, a little rabbit, a monkey, and a little sparrow, then finally turned into a tiny Yunling Mountain.

A gust of wind from the mountaintop swept the mud Yunling Mountain away, yet left behind a single wisp that naughtily slid over Yun Shan’s fingertips.

The mountain wind brushed across Yun Shan’s cheeks, blew over his eyelashes, and scattered into the air.

Yun Shan clenched his empty little hand. Now he could not feel anything at all.

“All right, hurry and sleep.” Hua Qi stroked his little chubby face, held him, and slowly walked across the grass, softly coaxing him, “Little darling Yun Shan, it’s time to sleep.”

Tuo Tuo unhappily buried his head in the dirt. How could Little Temple Master not recognize his original form? This was truly something that made a demon sad.

Xi Jue lifted his eyelids and looked at Hua Qi carrying Yun Shan back and forth, then quietly closed his eyes.

Dou Ming gave a huge yawn, rolled over, and went straight into dreamland.

Xiao Cong curled up even tighter and shifted a little closer to Dou Ming.

The little demons sprawled all over the grass and fell asleep. When they lifted their heads, they could see the bright, clear full moon. The humans’ Reunion Festival really was a wonderful holiday.

Hong Shan walked into the nearest tree. Tonight, he would rest inside this tree.

Under the moonlight, Yun Shan gave a small yawn, and his eyes slowly closed. Only then did Hua Qi change back into his original form and coil around him.

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