"Wrong. This wall-sneaking talent of mine wasn't learned on Yunjie Island—I learned it from you, old man." Wei Zhao promptly hurled the shoe back and pushed the door open.

"Xiaoyi? You're back!" It was nearly noon, and Aunt Qing happened to be busy in the kitchen. The moment she saw Wei Zhao, her face lit up with delight and she hurried out to greet him.

"Aunt Qing, wearing yourself out looking after a crotchety old codger like this—you really have my sympathies." Wei Zhao grinned broadly.

"Who's a crotchety old codger?" Old Man Wei glared, thoroughly indignant. "You'd better make yourself clear, boy—when exactly did I ever teach you to sneak along walls?"

"Well now… Widow Wang…" Wei Zhao trailed off on purpose.

Sure enough, Aunt Qing was still cheerfully pouring Wei Zhao tea, but the moment those words landed, the temperature around them plummeted. Old Man Wei leapt to his feet in a fury. "Don't you go slandering an honest man, boy! When have I ever skulked around Widow Wang's wall?"

Wei Zhao looked baffled instead. "What's the rush? I never said you skulked around Widow Wang's wall. Isn't that a confession without any torture? I only meant to say I just heard a few things from Widow Wang…"

"You rotten brat, you're just vicious!" Old Man Wei rolled his eyes in defeat, while Aunt Qing burst into stifled laughter behind her hand. She invited Wei Zhao to sit and have his tea, then went back to bustling about the kitchen.

"This tea is rather good—where did you get it?" Wei Zhao said in surprise after a sip. He had drunk his share of fine spirit tea on Yunjie Island, the sort of top-grade stuff money couldn't buy, yet this tea looked utterly ordinary at first glance—and once it touched the tongue, the aftertaste lingered endlessly.

"Has your brain gone soft? It's just wild tea picked anywhere in the hills. You used to refuse it even if you were beaten for it." Old Man Wei curled his lip.

"Is that so? Then why does it taste so profound this time?" Wei Zhao asked, puzzled.

"That's called the way of tea—don't you know it? Drinking tea isn't only about the quality of the leaves. What matters more is who brews it. The fact that you can taste a few layers of depth means you've improved somewhat. Not bad." Old Man Wei nodded in satisfaction.

Wei Zhao chuckled, then asked, "Aren't you even going to ask about the Ancient Alliance?"

"What's there to ask? You turn up here grinning like an idiot, so that means the Ancient Alliance business is settled. Otherwise, when would a brat like you have the time to run home?" Old Man Wei wore an expression that plainly said, this boy has something wrong with his head.

"…" Wei Zhao could only smile bitterly. The old man's reasoning was sound, but that expression was truly beyond words.

"You've heard about what's been happening in the village, I take it?" Old Man Wei asked.

"Mm. Widow Wang just told me. It does sound a bit strange." Wei Zhao nodded. Until the truth was truly uncovered, nothing could be certain—but one thing was sure: it was definitely not the ghosts and monsters Widow Wang spoke of. There had to be some other trick to it.

"Good. Since you happen to be back, this matter is yours to handle." Old Man Wei promptly shoved it onto him.

"I come back and you put me to work right away—is that really appropriate?" Wei Zhao said, speechless.

"If I don't put you to work, who else would I put?" Old Man Wei rolled his eyes, his face radiating the confidence of self-evident truth. "Besides, Ergoudan has already gone to investigate. Are you really at ease leaving him to it alone?"

"Er…" Wei Zhao was instantly at a loss. So this was what Ergoudan had gone off to do. His strength was more than sufficient, but the problem was his head wasn't much good. Send him to pick a fight, fine—but investigating a supernatural affair steeped in eeriness at every turn was forcing a donkey to fly. Wei Zhao could only smile bitterly. "And you're at ease letting him go?"

"West Star Mountain may be big, but to that boy it's just the back garden at home. Add to that his brute strength—everyone who meets him gets a headache—so at worst he takes a little loss. Dying isn't so easy. Why wouldn't I be at ease?" Old Man Wei curled his lip.

"Fine, you win. I'll go find him right now." Wei Zhao made to rise and head for West Star Mountain. Ergoudan was not only his playmate from childhood but his closest, most trusted brother—even knowing full well the other was unlikely to face any real mortal danger, he still couldn't help worrying.

"Hold on." Old Man Wei suddenly called him back, and after a pause said, "Eat first, then go. Your Aunt Qing has a few signature dishes worth trying—you won't find them anywhere outside."

"Don't exaggerate, it's just home cooking." Aunt Qing smiled as she set the table and called the two of them to eat.

Wei Zhao took one bite, and his eyes lit up as he praised, "Delicious! With Aunt Qing here, the old man is truly blessed. This dish, in two words—made with heart!"

"Heh heh, if it's good, eat more." Aunt Qing smiled sweetly.

"Now now, just take a couple of bites for form's sake, don't go stealing my share." Old Man Wei shamelessly snatched the whole plate of mapo tofu over to himself, and Wei Zhao immediately lunged to grab it back. In the old days he had never won a single plate-stealing bout against Old Man Wei; he had assumed that now, with his strength greatly increased, things should improve—yet he was still utterly crushed, not even nabbing a scrap.

"No manners at all!" Aunt Qing scolded with a laugh, though this warm scene was one she had long been waiting for.

It was a rare chance to share a meal with Old Man Wei and Aunt Qing. Plain tea and simple fare, perhaps, but Wei Zhao ate with a thousand emotions stirring—warmth, and something moving—though mostly he was grumbling: the old man's plate-snatching skills really were unmatched under heaven!

"All right, all right, hurry up and get out there and work. A grown man licking his plate—have you no shame?" Old Man Wei dismissed him with a look of disgust.

"I didn't even get full, and now I can't even lick the plate?" Wei Zhao was overcome with grief and indignation. Up to now he had truly taken only a couple of bites for form's sake; after that he had never gotten a bite in edgewise, and by the time he came to his senses the plates were already clean…

"What does a Primordial Spirit need to eat for? Satisfy your tongue and be done with it. Eating more is just wasting food. Wait for dinner—if I'm in a good mood I'll let you have a couple more bites." Old Man Wei declared magnanimously, as though granting a special pardon.

"You said it yourself…" Wei Zhao had no choice but to excuse himself to Aunt Qing and slink out the door.

West Star Mountain was vast, the ranges rugged, and little of it developed. Aside from a bumpy winding mountain road connecting a few small villages in the area, it was basically primeval forest, much like Shennongjia—year in and year out, few souls trod there besides the local village folk and the occasional outside climber.

The woods were dense and the undergrowth thorny, and with wild boars and mountain leopards prowling from time to time, even the local villagers dared not wander freely in the mountain. At most they kept to certain well-worn paths, and even then they had to go in groups—otherwise disaster came easily. (To be continued.)