Promise Not to Tell

Lin Xiao first explained to the two elders roughly what had happened that morning. After entrusting Li Zhanying to their care, he and Senior Liao returned up the mountain.

Sun Yigao stayed behind in the private school to prepare for the upcoming lessons.

A little while later, many villagers were pushed out from the Heart-Quest Path, clearly failing the selection.

Some remained inside, still frowning in deep thought.

When Lin Xiao reached the mountain, he found Baldy still waiting for him under the peach blossom tree instead of cultivating, and asked,

"What's wrong?"

Liu Yunan saw him coming up and immediately greeted him happily. Hearing the question, he pointed at the Ten-Mile Peach Blossom Tree nearby and said,

"Brother Xiao, look at this peach blossom tree! Hasn't it shrunk a bit? Before you came out of seclusion, a puff of pink energy burst out from the tree, saved Yuanjiao and the others, and then it shrank by a circle."

Hearing this, Lin Xiao looked at the Ten-Mile Peach Blossom Tree and saw that it indeed seemed smaller than before.

He never imagined the peach blossom tree could save people. Feeling deeply grateful, he gently patted its trunk and thought to himself: I'll try to pluck fewer peach blossoms, leaves, and branches from now on.

Then he asked in his mind, "Sys, what's the deal with this Ten-Mile Peach Blossom Tree? Is it a tree spirit?"

Lin Xiao had previously tried using the identification function on the peach blossoms and branches, but it didn't work. It only told him which part of the Ten-Mile Peach Blossom Tree it was and that it could be used as material in many ways.

It never revealed the full nature of the whole tree.

System: ...

[Friendly reminder keywords: Growth, Ten-Mile, Peach Blossom Ten-Thousand Emptiness Art]

Lin Xiao thought for a moment and said, "Does that mean because Mo Yuanjiao and the others practice the Peach Blossom Ten-Thousand Emptiness Art, the Ten-Mile Peach Blossom Tree sensed they were in danger and came to their rescue?"

System: [50% accuracy]

Lin Xiao: Half right? Then I won't guess further. Close enough.

So he turned around and told Liu Yunan and Liao Pantu about it.

Upon hearing this, the two were taken aback and began to regard the peach blossom tree in front of their sect with newfound respect.

Back when they first saw it, they only thought it was a spiritual tree that produced materials—never did they imagine it could be so useful. What a treasure of a tree!

The three of them were about to head to the cultivation chamber when Liu Yunan suddenly slapped his forehead and cried out, "Oh no! Today's the day to serve dishes at the Food Seat, and I haven't put the food out yet! Brother Xiao, you two go ahead and cultivate—I'll be back in a moment!"

Before he even finished speaking, he had already run far off.

Cai Fuzi had already prepared the dishes and handed them over to him earlier.

When Liu Yunan arrived at the Immortal Food Seat at the foot of the mountain, he saw that tourists had already entered the village and were heading toward it.

He immediately cast an invisibility spell on himself, sneaked into the Immortal Food Seat, placed the dishes on the table, and slipped away.

The tourists visiting that day noticed the villagers walking back from the foot of North Mountain early in the morning, feeling curious, and struck up conversations with them.

The villagers didn't know exactly what had happened, but they recounted what Patriarch Hu had told them after they left the Heart-Quest Path, speaking in a mysterious tone.

"I tell you, don't tell anyone else..."

"Alright, alright, I promise I won't!"

"Well, listen. This morning, a very dangerous thief came to cause trouble for the immortal sect in our village. Afraid the villagers might be in danger, the immortals used their powers to move mountains and seas, relocating everyone to the Peach Blossom Path for protection. Now the thief has been killed by the immortals, peace has returned, and they've released us."

Hearing this, the tourist, impressed without fully understanding, repeatedly said, "Amazing! You villagers are truly fortunate—having immortals protect you when danger strikes!"

After thanking the villager with a "Much obliged" and saying goodbye, he turned around and spread what he'd heard to other tourists.

Soon, the news spread among all the tourists visiting Xiu Shui Village.

More people wanted to buy land and build houses in the village.

But at the same time, there were voices saying that Xiu Shui Village had been caught up in a disaster caused by the immortal sect, an undeserved misfortune. If not for the enemy drawn by the sect, the village wouldn't have had to suffer such trouble.

However, many disagreed with that view.

"Even drinking water can make you choke. Even without the sect's enemies, who can guarantee a lifetime free of danger? Living at the foot of a mountain with an immortal sect that protects ordinary folks is better than having no protection at all."

"Besides, living here means we or our descendants might one day have a chance to become immortals. That's a long-term blessing!"

So, many tourists, after giving up hope of queuing at the Immortal Food Seat, went to the village chief's house to find him.

But the village chief wasn't home.

At that moment, the village chief was touring Xiu Shui Village with the imperial ancestor, Li Zhanying.

On the Heart-Quest Path, people continued to emerge—some walking on their own, others being pushed out from the mountain trail.

At the end of the trail, there was only blank mist, visible to no one.

Unknown to them, Liao Pantu had set up a small illusion array there, preventing anyone who passed the Heart-Quest Path from seeing the sect directly.

Ma Changlong, after regaining consciousness on the Heart-Quest Path, was curious and walked up the mountain.

Along the way, he saw many people vanish around him, only to reappear at the foot of the mountain.

Surprised yet determined, he continued climbing.

Since he hadn't been pushed out, it meant he had passed the immortal's test.

Outsiders had made the Peach Blossom Path sound mystical and incredible. Ma Changlong had never tried it before, because the immortal had told him to wait until the next disciple recruitment.

But as luck would have it, he had come early in the morning to queue for the Immortal Food Seat, and got pulled into the Peach Blossom Path along with the villagers and immortals.

So Ma Changlong held a sliver of hope.

Maybe this time, if he reached the top, the immortal would accept him as a disciple?

Perhaps this was the sect's recruitment period?

But when he reached the top and saw only blank mist, with no one paying him any attention, he realized he was wrong.

He sighed in disappointment and turned back down the mountain.

He decided to pay more money to speed up the construction of his house in the village.

He was going to live here permanently!

When the immortal sect opened its doors for recruitment, he would be the first to sign up!

As he thought this, he looked up at the sky and saw the sun already high overhead.

"Ah, damn! My food!"