A Basketful

He Yi felt that what he had said could count as heartfelt advice.

If it had been anyone else, he probably would not have bothered wasting his breath.

He had no idea why he had said so much to Lin Xiao today.

Perhaps he merely hoped that, seeing how much guidance he had offered, Lin Xiao would cooperate smoothly with him later and put up less resistance.

He Yi came up with what seemed like a reasonable explanation for himself.

Lin Xiao glanced at him in silence, but did not continue arguing about the matter. Instead, he suddenly asked, “Envoy, have you eaten yet?”

He Yi shook his head instinctively. “No.”

At once, Lin Xiao happily rose to his feet and waved a large hand.

“The sun’s almost set. Come on, let’s get some dinner before we continue talking. My treat!”

And so, the bewildered He Yi was dragged out of Lingxian Academy. Lin Xiao led him toward Xiushui Village.

It was only after they left the academy that He Yi realized something was wrong. Hadn’t they just been discussing the importance of time to cultivators? How had they suddenly ended up going out for dinner?

No, no. Why were they even eating dinner? At his level of cultivation, how could he possibly still need ordinary food?

No, no, no. Lin Xiao had specifically said “dinner.” Did the cultivators of the mortal world actually eat their meals on a schedule? The other cultivators he had encountered along the way certainly did not!

Could it be that Sect Master Lin’s actual cultivation was not very high, and that he still needed to eat?

That did not match the information He Yi had previously received. The rumors that had spread after the Jishi incident had clearly speculated that this man possessed at least Golden Core cultivation…

He Yi felt that everything had been thrown into chaos.

He lowered his head and looked at the arm that the person ahead of him was lightly tugging.

This Lin Xiao really did not play by the rules.

In the cultivation world, what cultivator would casually grab someone they had only just met? Allowing another person to come within six feet of you already counted as a friendly gesture!

And yet, with nothing more than that casual tug, Lin Xiao had caught him completely off guard…

This was naturally not because He Yi had let his guard down.

It seemed that Sect Master Lin’s cultivation was truly formidable.

While He Yi was lost in confusion and wild speculation, Lin Xiao had already pulled him onto the busiest village road in Xiushui Village.

Lin Xiao had not disguised his appearance. He had merely changed out of his sect robes and put on an ordinary pale-blue-green long gown.

With people coming and going all around them—and with Lin Xiao having grown considerably over the past few years, his appearance and build both having changed—the villagers among the crowd did not recognize him.

Besides, it was already evening. Most of the villagers had finished working in the fields or packing up their roadside stalls and were preparing to return home.

Lin Xiao did not take He Yi to one of the village’s restaurants or taverns. Instead, he dragged him into a narrow alley beside the main road.

It was called an alley, but in truth it was simply a passage formed by several village houses standing close together.

The moment they entered the small village lane, several children playing there with the last bit of time before dinner spotted them.

One stocky, big-headed little boy stared at Lin Xiao with wide eyes for a while. Then, without another thought for his playmates, he took off toward a nearby house.

“Mother—Brother Xiao is here—!”

Lin Xiao knew the boy. He was Dou’er, the village chief’s grandson. Lin Xiao had even teased him when his elder cousin, Lin Leicheng, got married.

Although the other children did not know Lin Xiao particularly well, they had often heard their elders talk about the village boy who had received guidance from an immortal. Thus, they all followed Dou’er’s example, racing back to their own homes and shouting, “Brother Xiao is here!”

In no time at all, not a single one of the children who had been playing in the alley remained.

He Yi stole a glance at Lin Xiao, who had just been addressed by name by a mortal child. Seeing that Lin Xiao was not angry in the slightest—in fact, he even looked rather delighted—He Yi became even more confused.

It seemed that, in the eyes of mortals, this man did not command much authority either…

Before he could think any further, a woman hurried out of the house Dou’er had entered, wiping her hands on the apron around her waist. She smiled at Lin Xiao.

“Oh, Brother Xiao, you’re here! You haven’t had dinner yet, have you? I’m already cooking. It’ll be ready soon! Come in, come in and have a seat!”

Only then did the village chief’s daughter-in-law notice the person beside Lin Xiao. She immediately greeted him as well.

“You must be Brother Xiao’s friend, right? Come on in and have something to eat with us!”

As she spoke, she ushered the two of them inside.

Lin Xiao followed with a beaming smile.

“Auntie, don’t trouble yourself. We have something to take care of later, so there’s no need to prepare dinner for us. I just wanted to come in and see Village Chief Du and Dou’er.”

Even as he spoke, he did not forget to tug He Yi inside.

The adult men of Village Chief Du’s family were still out. The weather had turned cold, and Village Chief Du had not been feeling well lately, so he had handed over most of the work involved in building up the village to his two sons. With their business keeping them occupied, they had been returning home late these days.

Lin Xiao had already intended to visit the village chief recently, and this time he had happened to arrive at just the right moment.

The two of them did not stay long at Village Chief Du’s home. After sitting for a while, they prepared to leave.

Before they went, however, He Yi saw Lin Xiao hand Village Chief Du a small pouch and tell him to take one pill whenever he felt weak.

The pouch itself was nothing special, merely an ordinary mortal object. He Yi did not even need to examine it deliberately to tell that it contained pills.

Though calling them pills was somewhat generous.

They contained almost no spiritual energy at all. Even to a Qi Refining cultivator, they would be nothing more than insignificant scraps left over from the pill-making process.

But for the elderly mortal before them, they could still help extend his life to a certain degree, even if they could not exactly be called miraculous elixirs.

Just as they were about to leave, the village chief’s daughter-in-law came out carrying a large bamboo tray.

“Brother Xiao, don’t leave yet! Take these with you. I don’t know what you two are off to do, but you can have them on the road if you get hungry or want a snack.”

The tray held soft, freshly steamed white buns, a variety of pastries, bright red persimmons, and even a palm-sized clay pot containing two chicken legs swimming in hot broth. They had clearly just been lifted from the cooking stove.

The villagers’ lives had improved considerably over the past few years, and Lin Xiao did not refuse. After happily thanking her, he accepted the entire tray of food.

“Come visit again when you have time!” the village chief’s daughter-in-law called as she saw them out.

“Sure! Next time I’m free, I’ll come mooch a meal off you again!” Lin Xiao waved as he left.

He Yi glanced at the pile of mortal food filling Lin Xiao’s arms, then at his delighted expression. He was just about to say something when a woman from another house opened her door and waved to them.

“Brother Xiao! You brought a friend to visit? Why don’t you come in and sit for a while?”

“We have something to take care of later, Auntie. Maybe next time,” Lin Xiao replied with a smile.

The woman did not seem bothered by the refusal. “All right, then. Business comes first. Oh, Brother Xiao, wait a moment—I’ll get you some snacks!”

Without waiting for Lin Xiao to respond, she immediately turned and went into the courtyard.

Before long, she came back carrying a bag full of fruits and roasted snacks.