Chapter 156: Preparation

"Congratulations, Brother Lü." Chen Jin raised his hands in congratulation.

"Hahahaha... Ah, everyone isn't up yet," Lü Dongbin was about to let out a hearty laugh, but noticing that only Chen Jin was awake while the others were still asleep, he abruptly cut it short. "That feeling—I've felt it."

The feeling Lü Dongbin referred to was precisely what Chen Jin had described to them: the sensation of truly becoming a cultivator.

"It truly feels like the clearing of the sky after rain in the mountains, like a caged sparrow finally set free. Everything before my eyes seems different; I can comprehend more, and I can remember more," Lü Dongbin said with exhilaration.

"Then I truly congratulate Brother Lü," Chen Jin saluted with folded hands once more.

"Ha... Hehe, I owe this entirely to Brother Chen's generosity. Please accept my bow." Lü Dongbin then moved to bow deeply toward Chen Jin.

"No, I cannot accept this," Chen Jin quickly stepped forward, physically lifting Lü Dongbin up and halting his bow.

The two remained at an impasse for a brief moment until, under Chen Jin's persuasion, Lü Dongbin finally withdrew from the gesture.

"I wonder if Sister-in-law succeeded?" Chen Jin asked next.

Hearing this, Lü Dongbin shook his head with a look of disappointment.

"There is no rush. Cultivation is not something achieved overnight. Man proposes, but heaven disposes; yet from my observation, Sister-in-law certainly possesses the aptitude for it," Chen Jin consoled.

"I believe so as well, but Sangzi's constitution is frail right now... and that is a major obstacle in cultivation," Lü Dongbin said with a hint of sorrow.

It is difficult to find a complete method of perfection in this world. Not all cultivation is like the tales in mythological scripts, where once a person achieves the Dao, even their dogs and chickens ascend to heaven. The idea of an entire household becoming immortals is merely the pleasant fantasy of ordinary mortals. The true reality is that immortals ultimately keep company only with mountains and rivers—just as the very character for immortal is formed by combining a human with a mountain, destined to share the lifespan of the mountains, rivers, and the universe.

"I also have a piece of good news to share with Brother Lü. I wonder if Brother Lü would care to hear it?" Chen Jin said with a smile.

"...Could Brother Chen's cultivation realm have broken through as well?!" Lü Dongbin asked in pleasant surprise.

After all, having successfully stepped onto the path of cultivation, his mind had undergone a transformation, and his cognitive processing speed had greatly increased. Lü Dongbin instantly realized what good news Chen Jin was referring to. Moreover, since this good news was meant for his ears, it undoubtedly had a connection to him. Recalling that Chen Jin had nearly mentioned this matter a few days prior, the prior hint allowed him to react instantly and draw the conclusion.

"Precisely so." Chen Jin was not at all surprised by the swiftness of Lü Dongbin's thought process; this was simply standard behavior for a cultivator, unless the cultivator happened to be foolish by nature.

"Does that mean Sangzi can be saved?" Lü Dongbin became even more excited.

He rubbed his hands, fidgeted with his feet, and then grabbed Chen Jin's hand, pulling him toward his tent.

"Brother Lü, do not be impatient. I cannot offer a 100 percent guarantee on this matter, but I will certainly do my utmost," Chen Jin said, holding back the eager Lü Dongbin. "Therefore, we still need some ritual items to escort the process safely, and we also need to let Sister-in-law recuperate for a while. After all, the recent days of travel have left her physically and mentally exhausted. In her current state of vitality, it would be quite difficult to perform the ritual fully."

Chen Jin's words served as a wake-up call for Lü Dongbin.

Out of deep love came profound concern; Lü Dongbin had simply been too anxious.

"Pardon me, I was too hasty," Lü Dongbin released his grip, saying apologetically.

"This is only human nature," Chen Jin comforted him, then gestured to the surroundings. "Let us stay here for a couple of days. This place happens to be serene and secluded—an ideal spot to nurture one's spirit. Once Sister-in-law's health is restored and I have prepared the ritual items, we shall perform the rite here to dispel the curse and malevolent spell afflicting Sister-in-law. What say you, Brother Lü?"

After a moment of deep thought, Lü Dongbin nodded in agreement with Chen Jin's plan.

Having already set foot on the path of cultivation, Lü Dongbin could naturally perceive that his wife's physical condition was far from optimal. As for the specific requirements of such rituals, he was unaware, but he placed great trust in Chen Jin; after all, Chen Jin was the only person he could rely on now, and he himself was utterly helpless.

"There is a town about ten miles ahead. We can head there first to purchase provisions and supplies, and also buy some restorative medicinal herbs to nourish Sister-in-law," Chen Jin proposed.

"Shall we go together?" Lü Dongbin asked.

"Brother Lü should remain here to watch over Sister-in-law and soothe her mind, lest her spirits become unsettled, which would be undesirable. Let Xiao Mao and I handle this trip," Chen Jin said.

"Then I must trouble Brother Chen," Lü Dongbin saluted with folded hands.

"I shall go drag that lazybones Xiao Mao out." Chen Jin waved his hand with a smile.

...

In the end, Chen Jin fished Xiao Mao out from beneath his blanket, brought along one of Lü Dongbin's manservants, and set off in grand fashion toward the town ten miles away, towing an ox cart along with them.

After traveling for half an hour, they finally reached the town. Normally, a ten-mile journey wouldn't take this long, but it is common knowledge that Shu is a land of many mountains. Their entire route wound through rugged and bumpy terrain, the jolting of which significantly slowed their pace. Furthermore, the road was far from straight, twisting and turning continuously, which consumed a considerable amount of time.

The town was still rather small, comparable in size to Niulan Town.

Chen Jin had spotted this town from the sky while flying that morning, which was why he had thought of coming here for supplies.

Looking at the two men before him, Chen Jin produced two slips of paper and handed them over respectively. "I have written down everything needed. You go to the apothecary, and you go to the western market."

Xiao Mao was the one designated for the apothecary, while Lü Dongbin's manservant, Lü San, was assigned to the western market.

"Uh, Brother Jin, I don't know any of these characters," Xiao Mao said, scratching his head.

"Just look at them, and you'll know how to read them." Chen Jin had anticipated this issue beforehand, so on a whim, he had infused a simple little spell onto the paper. As long as a person looked closely at the characters, they would be able to read them aloud even if they were illiterate.

"Dangshen..." Xiao Mao followed Chen Jin's instructions and tried it out, and true to form, he read the contents on the paper with clear and precise articulation—though naturally imbued with a Sichuan accent.

"This..." Both Xiao Mao and Lü San stared at the paper in their hands in astonishment.

Lü San silently gave it a try as well. Having learned very few characters in his life, this paper proved immensely useful to him.

"Go on. Bring back everything listed here, and bring it all to this spot," Chen Jin instructed, adopting a tone somewhat reminiscent of a villainous supreme boss ordering his underlings to capture the protagonist.

"Understood." Still marveling at the wondrous magic Chen Jin had displayed, the two raised no further questions.

This sort of spell was essentially an application of the Spirit-Fixing Realm, which could only be executed once one's spiritual will and thought force were capable of projecting beyond the physical body.

After the two parted ways and left, Chen Jin headed toward the other end of the town, set on finding his own materials.