“That guy did come to my place, but he must have left through the window crack when he saw that I wasn’t there.” Yuan Ming picked up the paper and handed it to Chen Wan.

“What should we do now? Do you know where it might have gone?” Chen Wan glanced at it and quickly asked.

“I’ve only been with it for a month and a half, so I can’t say I fully understand its habits. I can only try to help you find it.” Yuan Ming sighed and said.

“Then I’ll trouble you, Junior Brother Yuan.” Chen Wan expressed her gratitude.

“Alright, you go search in front of the Fire Refining Hall, and I’ll go in the direction of the back mountain. Shout a few times when you’re in the woods, maybe it will hear my voice and come back.” After thinking for a moment, Yuan Ming said.

“Okay.” Chen Wan quickly agreed.

After Chen Wan left, Yuan Ming didn’t rush to the back mountain. Instead, he went outside and searched around the window sill.

Sure enough, after a while, he found the traces left by Huo Chan’er.

“After completing the first level of the Death Moon method, my insight has improved a lot compared to before. This feeling is really good.” Yuan Ming praised in his heart.

With the support of his spiritual power and his experience in hunting fierce beasts, Yuan Ming followed the traces of Huo Chan’er and searched along the way.

The little guy came out of his room, climbed up the nearby ancient pine tree, and then climbed over the courtyard wall towards the back mountain.

Yuan Ming followed the traces and came to the bamboo forest where the Third Cave Master lived.

Just when he thought that the little guy had already returned home, he suddenly found that its traces changed and bypassed the courtyard of the Third Cave Master, following a small path along the back mountain and heading downhill.

Yuan Ming followed the traces all the way until he reached the foot of the mountain, but he couldn’t see the little guy, so he continued to track it.

Unknowingly, Yuan Ming followed its footsteps to a valley.

As soon as he entered the valley, Yuan Ming smelled a strange fragrance. When he came to his senses, he found that not far ahead, there was a large field with various plants growing in it.

The complex and strange fragrance came from that field.

Yuan Ming focused his gaze and immediately saw a clump of plants growing in the field, with a furry red tail sticking up from the side.

Yuan Ming quickly rushed over.

Sure enough, Huo Chan’er was digging something with its head buried in the ground.

Yuan Ming was stunned and looked around at the terrain. He suddenly realized that he was in the valley between the Fire Refining Hall Peak and the Refining Furnace Hall Peak, and the colorful field in front of him was most likely a medicinal field belonging to an elder of the Refining Furnace Hall.

“You little glutton!”

Yuan Ming felt a headache and quickly grabbed Huo Chan’er’s tail, lifting it up.

However, Huo Chan’er struggled violently and refused to let go of the spiritual medicine on the ground. When Yuan Ming exerted force to lift it up, the spiritual medicine was pulled out along with it.

Huo Chan’er was hanging in the air by its tail, ready to get angry, but when it saw that it was Yuan Ming, it immediately calmed down and held the spiritual medicine in its hands to show Yuan Ming.

Yuan Ming looked at the fiery red color at the root of the spiritual medicine and the flame-like roots, and immediately recognized it as a fire attribute spirit herb called “Fire Earth Root”.

He wanted to snatch it from Huo Chan’er and bury it back.

However, the little guy became anxious, opened its mouth, and took a big bite. It quickly chewed it a few times and swallowed it.

“You…” Yuan Ming felt speechless and could only look around guiltily.

At this moment, he noticed that on the other side of the medicinal field, there was a not-too-large pond, and next to it was a wooden and thatched house.

Next to the house, sitting by the pond, was a person wearing a bamboo hat, fishing with a fishing rod.

“Damn it.” Yuan Ming muttered to himself, wanting to leave with Huo Chan’er.

Unexpectedly, this guy had no sense of being a thief at all. While taking big bites of the Fire Earth Root, it let out a loud fart.

Yuan Ming wished he could cover its backside, but it was too late.

When he looked at the person by the pond, the person had already turned his head and looked over. Their eyes met, and it was indeed awkward.

At this moment, Huo Chan’er seemed to realize that it had caused trouble and broke free from Yuan Ming’s hand, running away in a flash.

Yuan Ming stood in place, unsure whether to run or stay, feeling torn.

“That young friend, come over and chat?” The person with the bamboo hat called from a distance.

Yuan Ming hesitated for a moment, but still walked over with a stiff expression.

When he approached, he saw that the person under the hat had white hair, indicating old age, but he looked spirited and didn’t show any signs of being old.”Senior Fisherman, I apologize for the trouble caused by Huo Chan’er.” Yuan Ming felt that this old man had an extraordinary demeanor, most likely the owner of this medicinal field, rather than a leisurely fisherman watching over it.

“No harm done. I’m alone here and it’s quite boring. Its occasional visits help to alleviate my boredom. You know, this little fellow is quite clever. Sometimes it discovers mature spiritual herbs before I do.” The fisherman said with a chuckle.

Yuan Ming didn’t know how to respond, so he just laughed awkwardly.

“Senior Fisherman, you’ve had quite a harvest today.” He glanced at the fish basket at the old man’s feet, where seven or eight fish with colorful scales were piled up.

“These Silver Scale Rainbow Fish are good stuff, very nourishing. Later, I’ll stew a pot for you to taste.” The fisherman said with a self-satisfied smile, without any hesitation.

“I appreciate your kindness.” Yuan Ming, feeling guilty, didn’t refuse.

The fisherman seemed to be a straightforward person. While talking, he had already stood up and brought out a red clay stove, placed a black iron pot on it, and added water.

Without doing much, he simply cleaned two plump Silver Scale Rainbow Fish and threw them into the pot.

The fire rose, and the “gurgling” sound quickly followed. The milky white fish soup in the pot began to boil.

A rich aroma entered Yuan Ming’s nostrils.

“It smells so good…” He couldn’t help but exclaim.

“The scales of this fish are special. After boiling, they will melt on their own. The aroma is not from the fish meat, but from the scales. Try it…” The fisherman said, handing over a wooden spoon.

Yuan Ming didn’t stand on ceremony, took the spoon, and began to drink.

The soft fish soup entered his mouth, and the aroma instantly rushed to his brain, making him feel refreshed, as if his mind had become clearer.

Something was off, this fish was too unusual.

Yuan Ming raised an eyebrow, his eyes brightening a bit.

“Friend Yuan, you have a discerning palate, can you taste the difference?” The fisherman said with a smile.

“This fish soup contains spiritual power, which can nourish the mind.” Yuan Ming immediately nodded and said.

“Hehe, fish from other places don’t have this taste. It’s all thanks to the good soil and water of this medicinal field, and the occasional spiritual herb seeds falling into the pond, that such delicious fish can be raised.” The fisherman said.

“I’m ashamed to have received such hospitality from you, senior.” Yuan Ming said.

“Ah… Meeting is fate. I’m just an old man with nothing much to do all day. Having someone to talk to is very good.” The fisherman waved his hand and said with a smile.

“Looking at you, you don’t seem to be from the Southern Border, but more like from the Central Plains. How did you end up in the Bi Luo Cave?” He asked.

Yuan Ming pondered for a moment, then briefly told the fisherman about his experience as a beast slave, omitting some details.

The fisherman listened with a frown, exclaiming, “So it seems, your experience is quite complicated. I also went to the Central Plains in my early years, but I didn’t expect so many years to have passed.”

Hearing this, Yuan Ming immediately perked up.

“Senior, you’ve been to the Central Plains, what kind of place is it?” Yuan Ming asked eagerly.

“It’s bustling and lively, very different from the Southern Border. Especially the women of the Central Plains, they’re different from those in the Southern Border. Their bodies are soft as if they have no bones, their skin smooth as silk… Ahem, it’s hard to look back on the past…” The fisherman coughed twice, stopping his reminiscences.

“Everyone should enjoy their youth. I suppose senior must have had your share of adventures in the world… The Central Plains and the Southern Border are thousands of miles apart, with a hundred thousand mountains in between. It must have been quite difficult to get there, right?” Yuan Ming asked.

In fact, what he wanted to know was how the fisherman had managed to get to the Central Plains.

“Things were different back then. There was a lot of trade between the Central Plains and the Southern Border. I went with a caravan. Although there were many difficulties along the way, with the caravan leading the way and mercenaries for protection, it wasn’t too hard.” The fisherman said.

“Is it not the case now?” Yuan Ming asked.

“Alas, the Southern Border has been in turmoil for many years, and trade with the Central Plains is not what it used to be. Many mercenary organizations now take on jobs to rob caravans rather than protect them. It’s not so easy to go to the Central Plains.” The fisherman continued.

Yuan Ming was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this.

The fisherman noticed his disappointment and laughed, “Friend Yuan, don’t be too disheartened. You’re a cultivator, with your own abilities to rely on. Once your cultivation is successful and you can protect yourself, why worry about not being able to return to the Central Plains?”

“Senior, you’re joking. Life in the sect is already good, and today I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you. Why would I want to return to the Central Plains? It’s just that my memories are vague, and I’m a bit curious.” Yuan Ming laughed and said.

“No problem, if you want to hear about the Central Plains in the future, just come and find me. I’ll stew fish for you. But next time, don’t come empty-handed. Bring some meat and wine, that would be even better, haha…” The fisherman laughed heartily.

Yuan Ming laughed and agreed. Both host and guest were happy, and he left when the fun was over.

In the evening, when Yuan Ming returned to his residence, he found Huo Chan’er squatting on his desk.

Seeing him enter the room, the little fellow approached him guiltily, rubbing his trouser leg with its head, as if apologizing for abandoning him and running away earlier that day.

Yuan Ming flicked his toe, grabbed it by the back of its neck, and handed it back to Chen Wan like a misbehaving child.

(End of Chapter)