This is what an immortal should be like

Chapter 14 The plan can’t keep up with the changes!
The next day before dawn.

“Ohhhh~~~~”

A big rooster was crowing in the valley, and Tao Yuanming woke up to the sound of the crowing.

He got drunk early and went to bed early last night. Even though the roosters had just crowed and the sky was very dark, Tao Yuanming felt that he had a very comfortable sleep.

Having lived in the valley for the past six or seven days, Tao Yuanming probably understood that it was still cold in early spring and life in the valley was comfortable. People would not get up too early and were probably all asleep at this moment.

Tao Yuanming lay on the bed wrapped in a quilt and breathed a sigh of relief.

"ho"

What a great place!

Through the window, I could see that the sky outside was already turning slightly white, which meant the sun was about to rise, and I could see things clearly inside the house.

Tao Yuanming turned sideways and saw that there were actually writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone on the table over there.

Oh yes, this should be the child’s dormitory!

There are three bedrooms in Mr. Mu's house, and one of the guest rooms has always been occupied by Liu Hongyu. When Tao Yuanming stayed overnight, he naturally slept in the grandson's room, and the child squeezed in with his grandfather.

Tao Yuanming wanted to take a nap, but when he thought about what had happened in the past few days, he hesitated and sat up immediately.

The people in the valley were very hospitable. Whenever I was about to leave, they would invite me to stay, which was hard to refuse. They would stay for meal after meal, day after day.
We can’t do this anymore. We have to leave today. The road is long and we need to get up early!
I remember that it took most of the day to get here by boat going downstream, and it should be against the current to go back, which should take even longer.

Thinking of this, Tao Yuanming dressed in the dark, then opened the door to say goodbye to Mr. Mu.

As soon as he went out, Tao Yuanming found that the yard was very quiet, or rather, the whole valley was very quiet, as if everything was still asleep except him.

Tao Yuanming stood at the door for a while, gave up the idea of waking others, then went back into the house and walked to the table.

The desk is fully furnished with the four treasures of the study. It is a child's room, but the desk uses such fine paper. This shows the beauty of life in the valley!
It is so relaxing in the valley, he is still sleeping at noon. I cannot disturb him, nor can I leave without saying goodbye, so I will leave a letter for him!

As his thoughts flowed, Tao Yuanming began to grind ink, then picked up the pen, dipped it in ink and wrote.

In fact, the conflict is not just about being afraid of waking others up and the need to get up early because the road is long.

Tao Yuanming knew himself too well. This valley was so peaceful and quiet, everyone was kind, and there was fine wine and delicious food. If someone offered him good wine, he would surely be unable to resist the temptation.

I left a letter behind and left. I believe Mr. Tingwen and Mr. Zi'an will understand.

"To all my esteemed elders and friends: the carefreeness of the valley is truly enviable. I lingered for several days, enjoying its splendor, waking from intoxication with wonder, and waking with delight that it was no longer a dream. I lingered, reluctant to leave. This is a place blessed by nature, where ancient customs remain. Interacting with people is like the warm morning breeze, where companionship grows with time, and affection grows deep. It is a pity we met so late, but eventually we must part. I know I am a weakling, and I fear that if I linger too long, I will become lazy. I also fear disturbing the tranquility and disrupting the order of the pre-Qin period. So, I am leaving on my own. I hope you will forgive my departure without saying goodbye."

Tao Yuanming wrote while sighing, and couldn't help but smile when he put down his pen.

After a while, Tao Yuanming quietly walked out of the house. Seeing the morning glow already appearing on the horizon, he tightened his clothes, picked up some things given by the people in the valley, and left while opening and closing the gate gently without disturbing anyone else.

The people in Yinxian Valley really don’t have the habit of getting up too early. Even if they did in the past, there is no need to get up and suffer the cold in early spring because of the comfort in this valley.

Tao Yuanming was walking on the road in the valley, and only occasionally he could see some early risers from afar.

After hesitating several times on the way, Tao Yuanming still did not greet anyone, for fear of disturbing the sweet dreams of the people in the valley.

When we returned to the narrow gorge where we entered the valley, the sky was brighter and the morning star and the waning moon had already disappeared under the morning sun.

Tao Yuanming turned around and was about to take another look at the Hidden Immortal Valley, but was startled by a big head.

"Ouch."

When Tao Yuanming saw the person behind him clearly, his eyes widened.

"Mr. Liu? When did you catch up?"

Liu Hongyu grinned.

"Mr. Yuan Liang, I followed you when you left the house. I knew you must have noticed me a long time ago!"

During this period, Liu Hongyu tried every means, either explicitly or implicitly, to tell Tao Yuanming about his identity as the man of destiny, but the latter always acted unaware.

Because of his impulsive behavior during the previous conversation with Zhuang Lin, Liu Hongyu reflected on himself and at least understood one thing: don't rush into things!
And Liu Hongyu also understood that this is called a test!

But as long as he follows his master, there will be a time for him to accept disciples and pass on the Dharma!

Liu Hongyu has already determined that Tao Yuanming is his hidden immortal master. After all, this hint from heaven is obvious!
At this moment, Tao Yuanming smiled and shook his head, bowing to Liu Hongyu.

"In that case, I, Tao, will bid farewell to Master Liu here. I also hope you can give my regards to the people in the valley. If the opportunity arises in the future, I will definitely visit again!"

Tao Yuanming thought Liu Hongyu was coming to see him off, but obviously the latter did not think so.

"Mr. Yuan Liang, I came here to go with you. You forgot that I also came from outside and I have to go out eventually!"

"Oh, yes, yes, Tao almost forgot!"

Liu Hongyu has been extremely attentive to Tao Yuanming during this period. How could the latter not know the other party's situation? He just didn't think about it for a moment.

"I came here by coincidence. Now that I'm healthy, I don't want to disturb the tranquility of the valley. It's just the right time to leave with Mr. Yuan Liang! If you don't mind, I'll stay by your side and take care of you!"

"Hey, this is not possible."

Tao Yuanming was still clapping his head in realization, and now he waved his hands repeatedly, and Liu Hongyu immediately said:
"Then while I'm unable to find my family, can I stay with you for a while?"

Tao Yuanming frowned slightly, looked at the Hidden Immortal Valley, and then looked at Liu Hongyu who had a sincere face.

Recalling the situation of Mr. Liu, I heard that he was washed into the valley by the water and suffered from amnesia, forgetting his family and hometown. This kind of disease sometimes requires active search and exploration to get better.

During this time, Master Liu has been so caring towards me. He must have been thinking of asking me to take him to find his relatives. After all, no one in the valley wants to leave.
That's it!

Tao Yuanming finally nodded.

"Okay, then you leave with me. By the way, have you said goodbye to the people in the valley?"

Liu Hongyu showed a bright smile. Seeking immortality is not an easy thing. When a master accepts a disciple, he will definitely test his character and observe him secretly. Anyway, as long as I stick to him, sooner or later he will understand that I am the one destined by heaven!
"Don't worry, I left a note!"

Tao Yuanming smiled and nodded.

"In that case, let's go!"

As they talked, the two of them walked together. After taking a few last looks at the scenery in the valley, they left together along the narrow gorge.

After walking out of the gorge for a while, we arrived at the fruit forest area of the outer valley. This area was full of peach trees, and the peach blossoms were in full bloom.

The two of them walked forward while admiring the beautiful scenery. In the morning light, the peach blossoms beside them fell with the wind, which was a dreamy feeling.

In a short while, the small boat that Tao Yuanming tied to a tree by the river was found.

The two boarded the boat and left along the waterway, but found that the fog became thicker as they went further.

In order to avoid getting lost or losing the place in the future, Tao Yuanming would stop the boat every few steps, or go to the waterside or go ashore to look for trees, and make some marks with Liu Hongyu.

Memories of his school days came to Liu Hongyu's mind, and he knew that there was indeed a description of the "Wuling Fisherman" in "Peach Blossom Spring" that was marked.

But why couldn’t we find the Peach Blossom Land later?
Does the Immortal Master also need to be marked?
Or is it simply a test of me in my mortal state?
Despite this doubt, the boat continued to sail further and further.
At dawn, Grandpa Mu got up carefully, tucked in the quilt for his grandson, then dressed and prepared to make breakfast.

Smoke is rising from the kitchen, and the rice porridge is almost cooked.

At this time, Mu Hongwen had already put on his clothes and walked out, shouting towards the kitchen. "Grandpa~~~"

"Hey! Xiaowen, breakfast will be ready soon. Go see if Mr. Yuanliang is awake!"

Based on the experience of the previous few days, Mr. Tao would get up later, after all, he drank a lot, but he would definitely be awake.

"it is good!"

The child responded and immediately ran to the house where Tao Yuanming used to live. He put his ear to the door and listened, but heard no sound.

"Still sleeping?"

Xiao Wen muttered something, and stumbled forward as the door was pushed open by his leaning posture.

In a slight panic, Xiaowen was about to close the door, but suddenly found that the quilt on the bed was lifted up. Looking at the room again, it seemed that there was no one!
"Grandpa—Mr. Yuanliang is not in bed—"

"what?"

Mr. Mu didn't even bother to take care of the kitchen and hurried over.

After a while, after looking around the house, the grandfather and grandson found the letter on the table. After reading it, Grandpa Mu couldn't help but sigh.

"Alas, Mr. Yuan Liang has left. I wanted to keep him for a while longer."

But Mr. Tao will have to leave sooner or later. After sighing, Grandpa Mu patted his grandson on the back.

"Go, tell Master Liu to get up and have breakfast."

"Oh~"

Xiaowen responded and ran out to call Liu Hongyu.

Mr. Mu was still repeatedly poring over Tao Yuanming's letter, wondering how to keep it for himself. This was Tao Yuanming's masterpiece!

At this moment, Xiaowen's voice came again.

"Grandpa—Mr. Liu isn't in bed either—"

"Oh"

Old Master Mu was still admiring Tao Yuanming's calligraphy. He responded casually, then suddenly paused and rushed out the door!
-
After a long time, at the school, Zhuang Lin looked at the woman who came to report the news with a look of astonishment.

"What!? Young Master Liu is missing? And he might have left the valley with Mr. Yuan Liang?"

The woman's face was also full of anxiety.

"Yes, I left a letter. Master Zhuang, please go and take a look!"

"go!"

Zhuang Lin didn't even bother to wash his face. He rushed out of his house and ran all the way to Mr. Mu's house.

In the entire Hidden Immortal Valley, there were more than just one or two people running towards the Mu family at this moment.

Soon, dozens of people crowded into the Mu family courtyard. After a short while, they stopped for a moment, and dozens of people, including Zhuang Lin, rushed to the corner of the gorge in the valley.

Zhuang Lin ran the fastest, but when he reached the entrance to the gorge, he immediately stopped.

When Zhuang Lin stopped, everyone else subconsciously stopped as well, and some even asked anxiously.

"Master Zhuang, why didn't you chase me?" "Yes, why did you stop?"

Zhuang Lin was standing at the front at this moment, holding two pieces of paper in his hands. He looked back at everyone, then looked down at the papers in his hands.

One is a letter from Tao Yuanming, which is very long and eloquent.

One was a note from Liu Hongyu, which only had a few words: "Yuan Liang and I are leaving together, don't worry."

Three of the nine characters are written incorrectly, and there are also a few simplified characters mixed in.

This letter was written as if Mr. Liu was going to die with Tao Yuanming.
"According to Aunt Liu and the others, Mr. Yuanliang and Mr. Liu should have left at dawn. Now it's almost an hour later, and they're already out."

"Then we should chase after him!"

Zhuang Lin's face looked very ugly. The more he looked like that, the more anxious the others became but they did not dare to act rashly.

"What's wrong, Master Zhuang?"

Zhuang Lin took another look at Tao Yuanming's letter.

"Remember what we talked about last night?"

"Oh, it's already this late, Master, what are you doing?"

Zhuang Lin immediately raised his hand to stop the man from speaking, and suddenly pointed to the entrance of the gorge and said.

"The 'Fisherman of Wuling' did come here, and 'Peach Blossom Spring' is a true record, but since the 'Fisherman of Wuling', no one has found the Peach Blossom Spring! Mr. Yuan Liang's departure this time is like returning to ancient times."

After hearing what Zhuang Lin said, some of those who reacted quickly came to their senses, but Zhuang Lin continued to speak, and his brain was working rapidly at this time.

"If we chase them out, there are three possible outcomes!"

"First! The space-time passage has been closed, and we can't find them even if we chase them. Master Liu has truly fulfilled his wish and has traveled to ancient times with Mr. Yuan Liang!"

"Second! We chased them and found them, but we can't come back."

Some people have turned pale.

"The third and best scenario is that we chase them and find them. The space-time road still exists for a while, and we return to the valley before it closes."

The scene was eerily silent, and Zhuang Lin took a few deep breaths, then looked at everyone before speaking again.

"If Young Master Liu disappears, President Liu will never let us go!"

A person like Liu Shihao can be said to have all the means to do anything. He values his son so much that no one can bear the consequences of Liu Hongyu's disappearance. Who dares to bet on his magnanimity when a group of people who are currently illegal residents are involved?
"Time waits for no one. I'm not sure if I can go alone. Have you made up your mind? Who wants to go with me?"

Zhuang Lin's forehead was covered with sweat, and his eyes were fixed on the group of people in front of him. For both public and private reasons, he had to find Liu Hongyu, even if necessary, he had to be kidnapped!

The crowd was silent for only a few seconds before someone responded.

"I'll go with you. The person was lost at my house, so I have to go. The situation was complicated in ancient times, and my medical skills can help!"

This is Mr. Mu, and there are other people responding nearby.

"I'm still single, so I'm not afraid!" "And I know how to hunt and use a bow and arrow, so I can help!"

"I've been practicing martial arts since I was a child, let's go together!"

Zhuang Lin tried his best to remain calm and made the final decision.

"Okay, get ready and go!"

(End of this chapter)