To Raise a Soul 38.2

Yu Zhen’s eyes went wide with shock and he clutched at the roof handle. He stuttered at Yin Yan, “Y-you might not want to cook for me, b-but you don’t need to react like this. What if there was a car beside us?” 

Yin Yan focused on calming his breath before he turned to look at Yu Zhen. “What did you say you want to eat?”

“Eat you…”

Yin Yan roughly undid a shirt button, giving off a wild appearance while doing so.

“…your^[1] Eight Treasures Cubed Rabbit^[2], which you made last time,” Yu Zhen finished his sentence with a big exhale, looking back at Yin Yan with a frightened expression.

“…”

Yin Yan’s hand came down and after looking deeply into the depths of Yu Zhen’s eyes, he began to reverse the car into their garage again. 

The chance to eat rabbit meat seemed to have run away at those words^[3]. He shifted uneasily and asked. “A-aren’t we going out to buy groceries?”

“No.” Yin Yan parked the car smoothly and undid his seatbelt. Then he quietly added, “The rabbit meat wouldn’t have the taste of wild hares. So, we’ll go home first.”

What does that mean?

Yu Zhen suddenly had a premonition in his heart. “So… what will happen once we’re home?”

Yin Yan didn’t reply. He left the car and walked around to Yu Zhen’s side. Then he opened the passenger side door and gently helped Yu Zhen out.

In the apartment, five minutes later, Yu Zhen’s waist was held by Yin Yan as he used Reduction to One Inch to bring them to the outskirts of B City for a hunting excursion. 

“Merits are useful. However, a cultivator’s enemy is not limited to spiritual beings, but also other cultivators. They aren’t afraid of the merits you possess, and instead, they covet them. So having some basic self-defense capabilities is a must.”

Yin Yan leaned against an ancient tree and waved a hand gently, summoning a fat and tender looking hare into his hand.

“This is a spirit hare from my mustard space. Its cultivation level is the same as that of a child who has just entered the Way. I’ve placed a tracking mark on it. Use your spiritual energy to sense it. Catch it. Otherwise, you’ll be having plain congee tonight.”

Then he tossed the hare to the ground and it dashed away at a speed far surpassing that of normal hares. 

Yu Zhen was dumbstruck.

“It’s two o’clock in the afternoon and dinner preparations start at five o’clock. So, you have three hours.” Yin Yan was very ruthless. As soon as he finished speaking, there was a flash and he disappeared. 

[I’ll wait for you at home.]

“…”

A gust of the late winter winds blew through the forest, freezing up Yu Zhen’s expression. The ancient tree’s branches swayed and rustled in the wind as if it was laughing at Yu Zhen’s misfortune.

Yu Zhen looked numbly at the mountain god’s ancient tree. He touched a hand to the tree’s trunk and picked at its bark. After stewing in his thoughts for a long time, he hissed, “Stingy ass!”

The tree stopped swaying and began to panic.

Humans want their faces and trees want their barks! Don’t pick at my bark!

The rabbit was a great runner and had some fighting power. Yu Zhen gave it his all and used Clear Discernment over and over again. The magical attacking techniques, which he had previously learned but not used, were finally being trialed. He tested them all several times and became more proficient at them with each use. However, he ended up calling Xin Xiaoxiao to his aid to successfully have the hare in his hands before 5pm. 

After a few hours of torment, Yu Zhen’s hair was messy and his clothes were wrinkled. His forehead was covered in sweat and he had removed his scarf earlier due to the heat. Not caring about his image, he held onto the hare and leaned back onto the ancient tree with heavy panting breaths.

“Wh-why do you have so many lost souls here? You even have some from all sorts of eras. Did the emissary from the underworld forget about this plot of land?”

The old tree remained quiet. Even when the wind blew, it didn’t shake its leaves.

“I sent them all to reincarnate. I hope you won’t hold that against me,” Yu Zhen panted. He got up and turned to face the tree. Patting it, he said, “The plants in this mountain look very nice and the animals are fat and at ease. You’re a very good mountain god.”

The branches of the tree moved without warning and a branch fell on his forehead before slipping into his arms.

Startled, Yu Zhen looked down, but before he could see the item clearly, a familiar aura drew near. Before he clearly registered the flower branch, his waist was held tightly and he was whisked away from the mountain and into the apartment.

“You did quite well. It’s about time to eat.”

Yin Yan released him and took the hare from his arms.

After the hare was carried away, a heap of seeds fell from Yu Zhen’s arms and scattered all over the ground.

Yu Zhen had no time to bicker with Yin Yan about being brought back so abruptly. He squatted down to inspect the seeds on the ground. Picking one up, he found that it was very round and looked healthy. It was clear that it was a carefully selected seed.

“This is a gift from the mountain god?”

At that realization, his eyes lit up and he started picking up all the seeds strewn across the floor. He carried them carefully with both hands and planted them in the dimensional pot.

Meanwhile, Yin Yan was left speechless at being ignored.

My disciple is growing up, becoming more unruly.

The mountain god’s gift was, unsurprisingly, high-quality goods. Yu Zhen sorted the seeds by their types and found that there were three types present.

The least numerous one was of ginseng where there were only three seeds. However, each seed was plump. Their size was larger and their color deeper than what could typically be found at regular markets. There was a well-distributed quantity of flower seeds that consisted of orchids, peonies, camellias, and chrysanthemums. Each had more than ten seeds. The last, and most numerous, were vegetable seeds.

The seeds were of all sorts of vegetables, but the quantity of each species was surprising. When they were all piled together, it could be said that there were lots of vegetable seeds. However, if they were all planted, each vegetable could only be eaten for one or two meals so one wouldn’t get bored of eating the same meal for days on end. 

“…”

The mountain god is so thoughtful. 

With a sigh and a smile, Yu Zhen made a special plot and planted the vegetables.

Just after finishing up this task, Yu Zhen was called by Yin Yan to have dinner. Yu Zhen glanced down at the remaining seeds and stored them away in the pagoda tower he’d received. Then he left the dimensional pot.

The atmosphere at dinner was a little quiet. The meat of the spirit hare was delicious. Loving the food, Yu Zhen kept his mouth full of it and had no time to talk.

Yin Yan watched Yu Zhen eat with stuffed cheeks. He picked out the most tender parts of the hare and left them to one side for Yu Zhen.

After dinner, Yu Zhen conscientiously tidied up the table and washed the dishes before rushing back into the dimensional pot, once again ignoring Yin Yan.

Yin Yan stood outside the dimensional pot and listened to him work inside. He spent a few minutes standing there silently before he headed upstairs.

They stayed at the apartment overnight.

Before going to bed, Yu Zhen realized that Yin Yan had no intention to take him to Chi Nan’s home. Thinking about the hare meat and his uncooperativeness throughout the day, he hesitated for a moment. But unable to hold back the urge to do something, he headed upstairs. “Um, about Chi Nan…”

Yin Yan turned his head to look at Yu Zhen and calmly asked, “You’re willing to speak to me now?”

Feeling a surprising surge of guilt, Yu Zhen looked down and avoided Yin Yan’s gaze. He sighed and, with his head still lowered, he replied, “Sorry…I’ve been quite willful.”

Although he hadn’t planned on those actions, his body acted faster than his brain. 

He had been childish, giving the silent treatment and looking to provoke trouble unreasonably. These senseless actions weren’t something he had ever done before.

Yin Yan didn’t say anything but got up and held him in his arms instead.

Yu Zhen’s heart leaped in his chest and he looked up.

“Close your eyes.” A scarf appeared in Yin Yan’s hand and he used it to wrap up Yu Zhen and cover his face. Then he waved a coat over and had Yu Zhen wear it. While facing each other, he held Yu Zhen again and added, “Hold on tight.”

Yu Zhen reflexively held onto Yin Yan’s waist, bringing their chests together. The world around them spun around and the only sound in Yu Zhen’s ears was his own heartbeat. 

Badump. Badump. Badump.

With his eyes still open wide, he peeked through gaps of the wrapped scarf and saw the beautiful lines of Yin Yan’s lips and nose. He heard another loud sound as he swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

So good looking… He’s looking more and more attractive.

Although he is always expressionless, his expressionless look is very attractive.

As if he had become muddle-headed, he unconsciously leaned forward, drawing nearer to those lips. As his body tensed up from nervousness and his mind became a blank space, a longing from the depths of his soul consumed his thoughts and senses.

Touch him. Taint him. Hold on to him.

What is becoming an immortal? What is practicing the Way? With this person beside me, every second is like a lifetime. Every place is paradise. What use is there in wanting other things? As long as I have him, it’s enough. I only need him.

“We’re here.”

The lips before Yu Zhen’s eyes suddenly moved and their bodies immediately moved apart, breaking the spell he was under.

His quick heartbeat and longing disappeared as Yin Yan drew further away from him. Yu Zhen returned to his senses and pulled off the scarf which had made breathing difficult. He followed Yin Yan’s gaze and looked at the large building in front of them. His awareness immediately sharpened and he was brought straight back to reality.

Oh god! Why is the negative energy so dense here?! How many ghosts are hidden in this building?!

Two steps ahead of him, while Yu Zhen wasn’t paying attention, Yin Yan fished out a pill. He squeezed the hand which he’d used to hold Yu Zhen. He lowered his eyes to hide the turmoil present in them.

His soul is damaged. After his cultivation declined, his sense of self-control decreased… Wait a bit longer. Don’t rush.