My Demon Friends

Chapter 744 - 704: Future

The next morning, several people went to the small mountain village.

This time, Huai Xu didn't accompany them all the way. He disappeared immediately after they boarded the vehicle. Zhou Li guessed he wanted to take advantage of the time difference to have another breakfast at Miss Zheng's place.

They still took the path up the mountain from Zhihong Guan. Miss Zheng's dog, Big Yellow, and her dairy cow were already waiting at the small road entrance. The weather was cold, and their fur was coated with white frost.

They passed through the Taoist temple, making a brief stop. This year, the elder of the observatory had made some cured meat and sausages for Zhou Li, along with a basket of chicken and duck eggs. Perhaps he wanted to repay Zhou Li for the clothes he'd bought him last year. However, it didn't quite work out that way, because Zhou Li had bought him another set of clothes and cotton shoes this year, along with some Lunar New Year items. As for the items from the elder of the observatory, Zhou Li had accepted them all. He planned to eat some at Miss Zheng's place and take the rest home. He would tell Aunt Jiang and Old Zhou honestly that they were gifts from the elder of the observatory on the mountain. Cured meats and sausages always had a distinct flavor unique to each household, so he wanted them to try the old man's creations as well.

The further up the mountain they went, the colder it got.

Riding his horse, Brother Nan suddenly spoke, "Aren't there many Taoists left in the temple now?"

Zhou Li turned his head and blinked, surprised. He quickly responded, "Can you freely switch with Brother Nan now?"

"Technology is always progressing."

"Indeed."

Zhou Li nodded. He felt this might also be related to Brother Nan's high level of cooperation.

Then he continued to answer His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu's earlier question. "Not exactly. To be precise, the remote small Taoist temples have declined, while famous mountains and well-known religious institutions still attract many visitors and much incense. As for neglected rural areas, it's not just temples; even the number of residents is dwindling. Our country's future policy involves relocating populations to cities. Many villages and towns, unless essential for their existence, may gradually be disbanded. The land will be returned to forest to protect the environment. These small Taoist temples are doomed to decline.

"Actually, Zhihong Guan is doing quite well. Although Mingjiu Mountain is small, it's a scenic area. The visitor count is low, but tourists still come. The scenic area management has even set up signposts for the temple, and the entrance tickets now include a map showing routes that pass by it. During festivals, the incense offerings aren't bad either.

"It's just that the elder of the observatory practices frugality and prefers to donate money to education in the mountainous areas. That's why he lives modestly and the temple isn't wealthy. Without money, there's no fame, and without fame, there are no successors.

"Maybe after the elder of the observatory passes away, it will become like Changping Lookout. Or perhaps the scenic area management will arrange for someone to take over."

"Does this count as the end of an era?" His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, looked into the distance.

"I don't know."

"I still remember in the past, Heavenly Masters who didn't want to serve the Imperial Court often hid in the mountains. Temples were their usual haunts," His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, reminisced. "The further they were from towns, the Imperial Court, and human settlements, the less restrained they felt. Back then, whenever Demons caused trouble, the temples that showed miraculous power were always in inconspicuous places."

"There will be fewer Demons in the future as well."

"Indeed."

Behind them, Little Cousin struggled to walk, constantly exhaling white puffs of breath. She listened silently to their conversation, her mind in a fog.

Soon, they reached the Pine Forest, where snow had already accumulated on the ground.

Little Cousin panted, rarely having experienced such a cold and tiring sensation.

"It's so cold!"

"I told you."

"It's even colder than I thought."

"The sun will make it better. Basking in the sun in this weather is super comfortable, and unlike in Chunming, you won't get sunburned," Zhou Li said, carrying the cured meats and eggs. He added, "Winter is also the best season to huddle by the stove fire. When we get there, dress warmer. Little Zheng has a brazier you can use to keep warm."

"This might be the coldest winter I've ever experienced."

"Then you should thank your cousin quickly," Zhou Li urged. "Your cousin has let you experience another kind of winter, greatly enriching your life experiences."

"..."

Baozi silently turned her head and glanced at her cousin. After a moment of contemplation, she spoke, "Cousin, I heard that before university you were very withdrawn, introverted, and didn't like to talk. Is that true?"

"True."

"Why aren't you like that anymore?"

"I've become more outgoing now."

"Oh." Baozi nodded and paused. "Actually, that was also quite good."

"...There's really no need to beat around the bush."

"I'm scared."

"Your cousin is very gentle."

"..."

Baozi didn't say anything and continued to pant as she walked forward.

After passing through the Pine Forest, Zhou Li couldn't help but stop and gaze into the distance. The valley still harbored white clouds. The opposing, lightly snow-covered mountain remained rugged, the traces of mudslides from last year unchanged. The scene was still magical. Only, the figure that used to freely shuttle through the clouds was missing, and the mountaintop was bare. It made one feel as if something was missing.

In winter, all things lay dormant, and all sounds were hushed. The silence was somewhat unsettling.

Tuanzi poked her head out of his backpack, glanced around, then, feeling the cold, quickly retracted it. Her muffled voice came from inside the backpack:

"That huge Great Demon is gone, you know!"

"Yes, that's right."

"Is he hiding, meow?"

"He went home."

"Went home, meow?"

"Yes, that's right."

As he spoke, Zhou Li continued walking along the narrow path on the mountainside, which skirted the cliff. He headed toward the dormant mountain village, from which faint wisps of cooking smoke could be seen rising.

It was the only sign of life on the mountain.

Big Yellow ran ahead.

When they arrived, Miss Zheng was still standing in front of the courtyard, quietly waiting for them.

"Good morning."

Brother Nan, still on his horse, greeted her with a smile.

Baozi also hurriedly waved, her face expressionless—she couldn't see clearly anyway.

"Good morning, Little Sister Zheng!"

"Morning."

Miss Zheng nodded. She glanced at their hands and the items on the horse's back, then asked curiously, "What did you bring?"

"We passed by the Taoist temple, and the elder of the observatory gave us some cured meat, sausages, and smoked meat, plus free-range chicken and duck eggs," Zhou Li told Miss Zheng. "Half of them are for you."

"Is the elder of the observatory well?"

"Still quite robust."

Zhou Li had already walked past her into the house as he spoke. He saw Huai Xu sitting at the table, holding a large tea bowl and drinking water. Zhou Li put down the things he was carrying and glanced into the kitchen:

"You're already cooking?"

"Yes," Miss Zheng nodded. "We're boiling the rice first to steam it in the steamer. We haven't started stir-frying the dishes yet."

"I'll go tend the fire."

"Okay."

So Zhou Li went to the kitchen. He was just about to kindly tell Qinghe, "You've worked hard. Go rest, I'll take over." But before he could speak, Qinghe stood up on her own. She gave him a brief glance, then stepped out of the fire-tending area, brushing past him as she left the kitchen.

Zhou Li: ...

This was good.

Swallowing his words, Zhou Li sat down in front of the stove. He craned his neck to peek inside, then pushed the bamboo kindling further in to make the fire burn better. Then, hugging his knees, he sat there, feeling the warmth emanating from the stove. It was so soothing his pores seemed to open up.

Brother Nan and Miss Zheng walked in together. Brother Nan playfully fiddled with the small braid at the back of Miss Zheng's head. Miss Zheng remained quiet, seemingly indifferent to his actions, or perhaps she had simply chosen to allow it.

"Lord Evil God has left; are you adjusting well?" Zhou Li looked up at the quiet girl.

"I... don't know how to put it."

"You'll adjust soon."

"Mm."

"Once your eyes are healed, you should come down the mountain," Zhou Li said, then paused. "Even if they're not healed, you should still come down and stay with us. When we get older, we can come back here to live in seclusion, just like Lord Xing Hui and Lord Ji Bai, and enjoy our later years peacefully."

"Come down the mountain..." Miss Zheng hesitated again, looking somewhat lost. "But where would I go after coming down?"

"With us, of course!" said Brother Nan.

"Let's go to Chunming," Zhou Li said. "Like Brother Nan suggested, we can buy a house with a yard on the outskirts of the city. We could be neighbors. Or we could get a plot of land and build a house just the way we like it, maybe with a traditional stove or a fireplace. It might even be cozier than living in a villa complex."

"Chunming..."

"Yes, Chunming. Brother Nan and I have already talked about it. After we graduate, we'll stay in Chunming. During holidays, or whenever we feel like it, we can come back to Yi Province for a visit." As he spoke, Zhou Li pushed a few more bamboo sticks into the stove; the previous ones had burned out. He continued looking at the girl, whose face was delicate but whose eyes were clouded. "Chunming is a wonderful city, like spring all year round. We can move all your favorite flowers there. I like flowers too, and in Chunming, they'll bloom from spring all the way to winter. We can also lease a plot of land for you to grow whatever you like, and you can keep your dog."

"Chunming..."

"Mm, that's right. And Caiyun is still the province in our country most famous for its mushrooms. It has all sorts of the best mushrooms in the nation. Qinghe would definitely love that too."

"Exactly. You should think about it carefully," Brother Nan said, momentarily letting go of her braid to add to Zhou Li's point. "You don't have to decide so quickly. Take your time, no pressure. When I sleep with you tonight, I'll try to persuade you some more. Then I'll ask you again in a few days. If you still haven't made up your mind, I'll just persuade you some more. You'll probably have it figured out by then."

"Mm..."

Miss Zheng nodded, staring blankly at the pot lid.

Seeing she had nothing more to say, Zhou Li didn't press her. He also tilted his head, stared at the flames in the stove, and zoned out.

「In the main room,」

Baozi sat with an expressionless face, her hands held out straight, clutching her water cup. She stared at it unblinkingly.

Opposite her, Huai Xu licked his lips as he poured the tremella soup from his large tea bowl into her cup. Don't pour too much, don't pour too much, he chanted inwardly. The red dates mustn't spill out...

"Done!"

Huai Xu pulled back his tea bowl.

Baozi also drew back her hands. She glanced down at her cup, then lifted it and began to drink along with Huai Xu.

Half a cup of the hot tremella soup quickly warmed her from the inside, and the biting cold seemed to recede. This winter didn't feel so cold anymore. Baozi rubbed her hands, which were gradually warming up, and sniffed. She could already smell the fragrant aroma wafting from the kitchen.