Chapter 154
Although the results of the college entrance examination had not yet been released, the three of them had already decided to head to the capital—mainly because Zheng Fa had reached the seventh level of Qi training and could begin practicing the Ling Shan Fa (灵山法, "Spirit Mountain Method").
For both Zheng Fa and the old man Bai, this was a significant event.
The three of them felt a twinge of excitement.
“Are you really leaving for the capital now?” Aunt Ye, Tang Lingwu’s mother, seemed reluctant to let her daughter go and asked in confusion, “Can’t you wait another month?”
Zheng Fa and the others exchanged glances and shook their heads in unison.
“Well then… I’ll go with you!” Aunt Ye looked at her daughter and suddenly made up her mind, “I don’t have anything to do at home anyway.”
Zheng Fa and Bai exchanged another look, both feeling a bit awkward.
They were planning to experiment with the Ling Shan Fa and see if they could help Tang Lingwu and the others officially start their training. Having Aunt Ye along would complicate things—practicing the Ling Shan Fa required activating the Ling Fu (灵符, "spiritual talismans").
Moreover, practicing the Ling Shan Fa could lead to unusual phenomena. If Aunt Ye were nearby, it would be hard to conceal these occurrences from her.
Tang Lingwu pursed her lips, tugged at her mother’s arm, and said, “We have important business to attend to, and it wouldn’t be convenient for outsiders to join us!”
“…” Aunt Ye was momentarily at a loss for words.
Seeing her stunned expression, Tang Lingwu pulled Zheng Fa and Bai into the car, urging the driver in his baggy shorts to start the engine.
As they watched their black sedan gradually disappear into the distance, Aunt Ye slowly turned back and asked the nanny beside her, “Who’s the outsider?”
(End of this chapter)
---
**Chapter 155: Manifestation**
Zheng Fa and the others arrived in the capital around nine o'clock in the evening. By the time they reached the nursing home, it was nearly midnight.
With the night already deep, the three decided to stay in a village at the foot of the mountain.
This village was close to the capital and had a few visitors from the city, so there were several guesthouses or farm stays available.
Zheng Fa and his companions chose the one that seemed to be the best decorated.
Early the next morning, they got up and prepared to head out.
The owner of the guesthouse was already awake, fiddling with a selfie stick in the yard, seemingly trying to find the right angle.
“Up already?”
The owner, a man in his thirties, greeted them as they came downstairs.
“Yeah, what are you up to?” Zheng Fa asked curiously, watching his actions.
“Oh, I’m just trying to find a good background for a live stream!” the owner explained.
“A live stream?”
“Yeah, I need to promote this place online; it’s not well-known at all,” the owner said. “You see, with me here, I can capture not only my house but also Hong Shan (虹山, "Rainbow Mountain") in the background.”
“Hong Shan?”
Zheng Fa glanced at the small mountain behind him, where the nursing home was built.
“Yeah, we call it Hong Shan in the village; it’s kind of a local attraction,” the owner said casually.
Zheng Fa thought for a moment and decided not to rush off. After all, he would likely be practicing here for a long time, so it was good to learn about the local situation.
“What’s your surname, boss?”
The owner looked at him, then at Bai and Tang Lingwu, seemingly puzzled as to why Zheng Fa seemed to be the leader among the three.
“No need for formalities, my surname is Mu.”
“Are you a local?”
“Yeah, I grew up here.” Boss Mu eyed him suspiciously, as if he found the question a bit odd. “I used to work in the city, but when things didn’t work out, I came back.”
Zheng Fa took a look around the guesthouse.
It was a two-story building, decorated quite modernly.
It was clear that it had a European minimalist style, which had been popular in recent years.
It probably wasn’t cheap.
“Boss, your business seems to be doing well; saying you couldn’t make it in the city is a bit modest. You must be thriving here.”
Upon hearing this, Boss Mu quickly waved his hands, though he couldn’t hide a hint of pride on his face.
“By the way, what’s the story behind Hong Shan?”
Tang Lingwu, ever perceptive, asked.
After being praised by Zheng Fa, and now being questioned by such a beautiful girl, the owner seemed to perk up.
“Hong Shan? Only locals like me know the story.” He said with a hint of mystery, “If you walk up the mountain and go to the back, you’ll find a temple dedicated to the Hong Shan Niang Niang (虹山娘娘, "Goddess of Rainbow Mountain").”
“…”
Zheng Fa and the others exchanged glances, genuinely unaware of this.
“Hong Shan Niang Niang?”
“Yeah, according to local legend, hundreds of years ago, one day, a rainbow suddenly fell on this mountain, and a fairy descended from the sky. She healed the sick and helped the villagers with their troubles.” The owner continued, his storytelling skills sounding quite practiced. “That’s how the legend of Hong Shan Niang Niang came to be, and the mountain got its name—let me tell you, that temple is quite effective!”
“Effective, my foot!”
Before Zheng Fa could respond, an elderly woman’s voice interrupted.
An old lady, looking to be in her seventies or eighties, walked out of the guesthouse.
Boss Mu sighed helplessly, “Grandma! This is just a legend from our village!”
“Every day you’re promoting this nonsense online! It’s all fake!” the old woman scolded. “When they demolished the temple decades ago, did any god come down to strike us?”
“That’s just… a local tale, an old attraction! I’m trying to attract customers here!”
“Old my foot! If it weren’t for that Wang family’s kid getting rich and claiming the mountain had good feng shui, building a new temple, there wouldn’t be any goddess temple left—this temple is smaller than your son!”
“…”
Zheng Fa and the others bid farewell to the somewhat withdrawn Boss Mu and headed up the mountain.
They first went to check out the nursing home.
The main building of the nursing home was nearly completed.
Entering through the gate and following the path made of white stone slabs, on the right was a cluster of transplanted trees, and on the left was a spring flowing down from the mountain.
Behind the bamboo grove stood the main structure of the nursing home, a three-story building shaped like a “品” (pin) character.
The wings of the building were only one story high, while the middle was the tallest at three stories.
The building had a classical style, with white walls and green tiles on the roof, standing amidst the mountains, harmonizing with the lush greenery and the white clouds above, creating a serene atmosphere.
Beyond the small building was a large open space.
This was the area where Zheng Fa wanted to experiment with cultivating spiritual plants. For now, it was just cleared of weeds and leveled, with no other decorations.
Walking past the open space, they arrived at the place reserved for their own accommodation.
It was a two-story building, situated much higher than the others, as if overlooking the entire nursing home.
From the outside, the building seemed embedded in the mountainside, blending seamlessly with the terrain, making it nearly invisible from a distance.
This was designed by Tang Lingwu.
As they walked, she explained, “The first thing I considered for our place was privacy.”
Zheng Fa nodded.
The three of them would occasionally engage in some superstitious activities, so it was indeed better not to attract too much attention.
“Building it here keeps us farthest from everyone else. In a couple of days, when the trees my mom ordered arrive, we’ll surround this place, and even with binoculars, no one will be able to see what we’re up to.”
“Also, we used large floor-to-ceiling windows here, not just for better lighting, but from this angle, the view of the mountain is the most beautiful.”
Zheng Fa stepped into the small building and looked out the window.
The mountain scenery was indeed breathtaking.
“And all the furniture, appliances, and decorations were chosen by me on the fly… If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, I can have someone change it!”
Tang Lingwu added. Zheng Fa turned to look at her, noticing a hint of nervousness in her expression.
Turning back to the interior, the small building appeared somewhat rustic and unassuming from the outside.
But inside, it was exquisitely decorated.
Zheng Fa hadn’t lived in many nice places in the modern world, but he could tell that the furniture and appliances, the entire arrangement of the room, reflected Tang Lingwu’s thoughtfulness—it certainly couldn’t be described as casual.
The quality and care put into it were evident at first glance…
“I’m very satisfied.”
Zheng Fa nodded gently.
He wasn’t someone who cared too much about material possessions.
Moreover, he could appreciate Tang Lingwu’s effort.
“Do you have any other requests?”
Tang Lingwu smiled slightly, seemingly relieved, as if her earlier worries had dissipated, and she asked one more time.
Zheng Fa shook his head.
“I do!”
Suddenly, Bai interjected.
“Ah?”
Tang Lingwu looked at Bai in confusion.
“I want my room to be far away from you two!” Bai said, casting a sideways glance at them, his face full of disdain.
…
After checking out the nursing home, Zheng Fa finally began the main task of this trip to the capital—practicing the Ling Shan Fa.
He stood in the open space.
With his eyes closed, he recalled the teachings of the sect leader regarding the Ling Shan Fa.
Table of Contents
