Chapter 120: Chapter 119: Seeing Yunyang Again
When they met again, Yunyang wore a harmless smile. "It’s almost evening. Let’s go up the mountain tomorrow. Tonight, I’ll treat you to some Zhang Province cuisine."
Gu Zhao shot Yunyang a sidelong glance, seeing right through his plan. He asked pointedly, "I hear people from Qin Province can really handle their spice?"
Yunyang saw that he couldn’t fool Gu Zhao, but he still said with a straight face, "Not at all. The chili from Qin Province is more fragrant than spicy. It’s nothing compared to Shu Province or Xiang Province."
"Alright!" Gu Zhao said nonchalantly. "It’s settled, then. Your treat."
Yunyang puffed out his chest. "I’m rich now!"
Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow. "You didn’t give the money to the Eight Immortals Palace?"
"I did, but the palace gave half of it back to me," Yunyang said with a smile. "I bought a three-bedroom apartment and still have a few hundred thousand left over."
Gu Zhao tutted. "So, two hundred and fifty thousand?"
Yunyang stressed, "Two hundred and forty-nine!"
Gu Zhao pointed at Yunyang. "That’s just superstition."
"Wrong," Yunyang retorted. "It just sounds bad!"
The two of them looked at each other and burst out laughing. They went to the hotel Gu Zhao had booked, dropped off their luggage, then headed into the city and found an authentic Zhang Province restaurant.
"Three-Cup Chicken, Fish with Fermented Grains, Lotus Blood Duck, and Stir-fried Cured Pork with Artemisia."
"Can you handle spicy food?"
"We can!"
Yunyang thought for a moment, but his conscience got the better of him. He asked Gu Zhao, "Should we order the steamed pork with rice powder and the beef soup too?"
"No need. This is fine," Gu Zhao said, unconcerned. "Actually, southerners can handle spice better than northerners. Don’t let Qin Province’s famous hot chili oil fool you. When it comes to eating spicy food, you guys are just amateurs!"
"Hey, no regional attacks!" Yunyang said, then couldn’t hold back a laugh. "And when you say ’southerner,’ does that include people from Yue Province?"
Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow. "In the eyes of someone from Yue Province, everyone who isn’t from Qiong or Yi Province is a northerner!"
"Alright, alright!" Yunyang gave a thumbs-up. "In a bit, you can show me just how much spice someone from Yue Province can handle!"
Before long, all the dishes had arrived. Yunyang thoughtfully poured Gu Zhao a cup of tea, then they both picked up their rice bowls and began to eat and chat.
"By the way, how did that business from last time get resolved?" Yunyang asked.
"How else? The other side backed down, so we lifted the Restriction," Gu Zhao replied.
Yunyang winced. "You lifted it just like that?"
"Too many people knew about it, and they were very sincere in their apology. Martial Uncle Yi Hong felt we shouldn’t push them too hard, so he lifted it." Gu Zhao then mentioned the gifts those people had sent over.
Yunyang smacked his lips. "They sure know how to play the game. It fits my stereotype of the Sakura People perfectly: they fear power but feel no gratitude. The moment they meet someone who can smack them around, they drop to their knees faster than anyone."
At that, Yunyang suddenly realized something. "Martial Uncle Yi Hong lifted it? Weren’t you the one who placed the Talisman?"
"Martial Uncle Yi Hong can lift a Talisman I’ve placed," Gu Zhao said with a smile.
Yunyang nodded. "They got off easy."
Gu Zhao picked up another piece of duck with his chopsticks. "My martial uncle told me we were letting them off easy this time. But if they ever try it again, we’ll hunt them down all the way to Sakura and wipe them out."
Yunyang wiped the sweat from his brow. He looked at Gu Zhao, whose complexion was still perfectly normal, and teased, "You guys had better be careful then. If you get caught, you might not be able to come back."
Gu Zhao clapped Yunyang on the arm. "We’ll bring you along."
Yunyang shook his head and drank a cup of cooling tea. "Bringing me would be useless. You should bring the Dongfeng missiles hidden in the mountains of Qin Province."
Gu Zhao just smiled without replying. He placed another piece of duck in Yunyang’s bowl. "You eat, too!"
Yunyang couldn’t help but hiss, wiping his sweat again. He gave Gu Zhao a strange look. "Are you really from Yue Province?"
"The genuine article," Gu Zhao said.
"Someone from Yue Province can eat this spicy?" Yunyang was incredulous. "The Cantonese food we had last time in Port City wasn’t spicy at all!"
"Oh, my mom’s from Shu Province. I grew up eating Sichuan food." Gu Zhao put another slice of cured pork in his mouth, not even flushed or out of breath. "My favorites are twice-cooked pork, stir-fried pork, poached pork slices in chili oil, and Sichuan-style hot pot."
Yunyang was speechless. "..."
"No wonder you’re so calm," Yunyang said, exasperated. "So you were setting me up!"
Gu Zhao poured Yunyang a cup of cooling tea. "Come to Yue Province sometime, and I’ll treat you to some authentic Cantonese food. It’s not spicy at all."
Yunyang shook his head. "If it’s not spicy at all, then it’s just bland."
Gu Zhao sighed. "So you guys are all talk, huh? Can’t handle the heat but love to play with fire."
Yunyang slapped the table, and Gu Zhao roared with laughter.
After dinner, the two went for a walk to let their food settle before returning to the hotel.
"Who were those two Daoists you met last time you came to Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain, the ones who had cultivated Inner Breath True Qi?" Gu Zhao asked.
"One was Taoist Ming Yu, and the other was Taoist Zhi Qing."
"From two different generations?"
"Taoist Ming Yu is in his eighties," Yunyang said. "Taoist Zhi Qing is only in his fifties."
Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow. "No younger ones?"
"There is," Yunyang nodded. "He just wasn’t on the mountain when I visited."
Gu Zhao nodded. "I hope he isn’t there this time, either."
"Why?" Yunyang asked, curious.
"Because there isn’t enough to go around right now." Gu Zhao glanced at Yunyang, wondering, ’Should I hold back the Thunder Seed I prepared for him and give them to the two older ones from Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain first?’
Gu Zhao felt conflicted.
Logically, anyone able to cultivate Inner Breath True Qi in the modern era was a genius. Naturally, the longer someone had been cultivating, the more Innate Qi they would possess, and the higher their Cultivation would be after receiving a Thunder Seed.
But Yunyang had cultivated True Qi at such a young age, making him a genius among geniuses. His efficiency might be higher than the average person’s, and his Dao Practice wasn’t necessarily weaker than that of Taoist Zhi Qing from Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain.
’Forget it, I’m overthinking this. I’ll just go up the mountain first and see if they even meet the requirements for the Thunder Seed,’ Gu Zhao thought as he lay back on his bed. Then another key point occurred to him. ’And there’s still the Vajra Profound Talisman.’
"Not enough to go around?" Yunyang didn’t understand. "What are you doing here at Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain, anyway?"
"What did you think I was here for?" Gu Zhao asked.
"I thought you came to Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain to join the Celestial Master’s Mansion," Yunyang said. "Frankly, with your ability to cultivate Inner Breath True Qi, all you’d have to do is say the word, and the current Celestial Master would personally perform your Transmission and conferment."
Yunyang chuckled. "I originally wanted to pull you into the Quanzhen Sect, but seeing as Martial Uncle Yi Hong has been trying for so long to no effect, I figured I wouldn’t waste my breath."
Gu Zhao blinked, looking slightly dumbfounded. "You thought Martial Uncle Yi Hong was staying in Yangcheng just to persuade me to join Quanzhen Dao?"
Yunyang returned his own baffled look. "Why else?"
Gu Zhao took a deep breath. "Good point!"
"So, has Martial Uncle Yi Hong gone back to Yandu?" Yunyang asked.
"No, he’s still in Yangcheng," Gu Zhao shook his head. "In a little while, you’ll come with me to Yangcheng, and you can see him then."
Yunyang asked, "Why would I go to Yangcheng?"
Gu Zhao said knowingly, "You will."
