I have a high-risk profession in the cultivation world.

In the end, the four of them drank a few cups of tea and finished their first meal of the first day of the Lunar New Year. Chu Chenmu comforted himself, saying that it's not a big deal for cultivators not to eat.

Not sad, but with a crestfallen face: ???

This day seemed like a minor interlude, after which Chu Chenmu returned to his quiet and leisurely retirement life.

Adhering to the principle of "I will not give up until Tian Yige is exhausted" (crossed out) and the concept of "teaching and learning from each other", he entrusted Su Chengdian and Luo Suichen to Tian Yige for instruction.

He, on the other hand, leisurely enjoys drinking tea and reading storybooks every day, living a carefree life.

Speaking of storybooks...

From Chu Chenmu's perspective as a modern person who has read countless books, the storybooks in this world seem rather strange.

Of course, it's also possible that he secretly concealed himself when he came down the mountain to avoid revealing his character, and in his haste, he didn't get a good quality notebook.

He frowned slightly, looking at the books in his hands: "The Demon Lord and the Little Taoist Priest's Anecdotes (Part 1)," "All My Senior Brothers Love Me," and "An Ordinary Person's Counterattack to Become an Unparalleled Genius Shocks the Entire Cultivation World," and fell into deep thought.

Was the bookstore he went to a legitimate bookstore?

No wonder the waiter looked at him with a slightly complicated expression when he paid the bill. He thought it was because his head-covering attire, which he had done in a hurry, was too strange.

Furthermore, the titles of these storybooks bear a striking resemblance to those he read in the magazine "Red Persimmon" in modern times. Could there be other time travelers here?

He eagerly opened the book, "The Demon Lord and the Little Taoist Priest's Anecdotes (Part 1)," and his eyes widened as he read.

good good!

In ancient times, there was no censorship, so storybooks were written freely!

Unfortunately, this was just the beginning. After reading for a few days, Chu Chenmu was left with nothing more to say, which left him feeling quite anxious.

The young Taoist priest served as an antidote for the Demon Lord. Now that the Demon Lord has awakened, what will happen next?

As expected, those awful authors all get writer's block.

Humph.

……

With the sect competition just about a month away, news arrived that Su Chengdian had successfully reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Chu Chenmu was somewhat surprised. No wonder the book said Su Chengdian wasn't the final winner among the Qi Refining stage disciples; he had assumed Su Chengdian was simply less skilled. He hadn't expected Su Chengdian to have already reached the Foundation Establishment stage. A genius is indeed a genius.

He called all three of them up and gave them a few more instructions.

Tian Yige said that she would definitely be able to break through to the late Foundation Establishment stage before the sect competition. Luo Suichen had been practicing more moves during this period, and his cultivation level had not improved, but he was obviously more familiar with his cultivation level, which looked more refined and solid.

Neither of them needs to worry too much; they will definitely achieve good results. Only Su Chengdian is just about to break through, and the opponents he will face next month will be on a completely different level.

Chu Chenmu told the three not to feel too much pressure, and that their first priority was to protect themselves.

He secretly observed Luo Suichen's expression and, seeing no mockery or resistance, breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, Tian Yige spoke up.

"Master, your birthday is in a few days. Shall we still book a good banquet at Zuichunlou down the mountain as usual?"

Birthday? Chu Chenmu had hardly ever celebrated his birthday in modern times. He never expected that he would be able to benefit from the original owner's good fortune after transmigrating into the book.

He recalled that the original owner didn't have many birthdays in his memory. Although his master would send him a birthday gift every year, he never celebrated his birthday. It was only after the original owner took Tian Yige as his disciple that this seemingly cold girl would celebrate his birthday every year, whenever she could.

"Oh, Senior Sister, Master's birthday is coming up and you actually kept it from me and Junior Brother! We almost didn't have time to prepare a birthday gift for Master!" Su Chengdian's bright voice carried the youthful innocence unique to young men as he teased Tian Yige.

Having spent two years together, the two were clearly more familiar with each other. Luo Suichen, on the other hand, seemed somewhat lonely, standing quietly with his head slightly lowered, his face buried in the shadows.

Chu Chenmu was afraid that this twisted disciple would hold a grudge against him, Tian Yige, and Su Chengdian if anything went wrong, so he quickly said, "Then let's go to Zuichunlou together. I remember that Chengdian's birthday is also coming up soon, so we can celebrate his birthday together." He paused and added, "When it's your birthday, we'll go to Zuichunlou together too."

"Come find your master on your birthday, and I will cook longevity noodles for you."

Both of their eyes lit up, and even Luo Suichen slightly raised his head to glance at Chu Chenmu.

For no other reason than that Chu Chenmu's cooking is just too delicious.

If Chu Chenmu knew that a bowl of noodles could earn him a single glance from Luo Suichen, he would definitely say...

"Indeed, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

……

The 28th day of the first lunar month is Chu Chenmu's birthday.

That day, the four of them went down the mountain early. As they walked, Chu Chenmu felt that they were somewhat out of place with the people around them, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.

Even before the Lunar New Year was over, a faint festive atmosphere still lingered in the mountains. Villagers in the town had begun returning to work, but the air was still filled with the joy of family reunion. This feeling infected Chu Chenmu, but he hadn't had time to rejoice for the villagers, nor had he had time to feel lonely for himself.

It's unclear who shouted that they were from the Wuji Sect, but the surrounding villagers had already surrounded them.

Then came a series of simple yet warm voices. The voices weren't loud, but even Luo Suichen, who was still in the Qi Refining stage, could clearly hear them.

"Thanks to the immortals of Wuji Sect, we have another peaceful year."

"Yes, yes, my grandson went missing that day, and it was a disciple of the Wuji Sect who came down the mountain who helped me find him with his magic."

"You're so ignorant. What kind of magic is that? I asked around, and they said it's called a tracking talisman."

And then, starting with someone, everyone started handing out whatever they were carrying—perhaps a bunch of vegetables, perhaps a few eggs, or perhaps fresh fruit from their own stalls—to the four of them without a word.

That was a genuine, unpretentious act; no one could remain unmoved by it.

The last time Chu Chenmu encountered such a lively scene was in his previous life when he had just been admitted to university, and his grandmother was taking him around to five surrounding villages.

He started to tense up. Thanks for the invitation, I'm a socially anxious person.

His already tense and imposing face completely lost its expression. Unfamiliar people might think he had been accidentally offended, but he was just nervous.

Luo Suichen noticed that Chu Chenmu's expression was gradually turning gloomy, and smiled silently to himself.

He had changed his opinion of Chu Chenmu a while ago because Chu Chenmu cooked a New Year's Eve dinner, but today he still looks down on these common people and even has the nerve to frown and show disdain.

She couldn't help but shift her feet slightly, moving a little further away from Chu Chenmu.

In Chu Chenmu's view, this action was a reward for his hard work as a good master over the past two years. Luo Suichen had finally learned to help him out at this moment.

Chu Chenmu then calmed down. He looked at the people around him, thanked them gently, and then said that since the four of them had begun their cultivation, they should not be too greedy for food and drink, thus politely declining the villagers' kindness.