Ginseng's Path to Immortality - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When I groggily opened my eyes, I was met with Huo Langxing’s expression-a mixture of laughter and tears.

Looking closer, there actually seemed to be tear stains on his face.

I wanted to reach out and help him wipe them away, but I realized only my head was sticking out; my hands were still buried in the dirt.

As a ginseng, burrowing into the soil is easy, but as a human, it’s quite difficult.

I struggled for a moment but couldn’t get out, so I had to call for help from Huo Langxing.

“Um… Benefactor, could you pull me out?”

Huo Langxing stood there dazed for a long while before finally getting up to dig. Throughout the entire process, his expression was bizarre, as if he were questioning the very meaning of life.

It wasn’t until I was completely unearthed that Huo Langxing’s expression returned to normal.

“Shen Shen, who tried to bury you alive?”

Me: “Um… I think it was just me?”

Huo Langxing’s face darkened. “You don’t need to be afraid. Just tell me. It was my lack of foresight that led me to leave you here alone.”

I explained, “Truly, no one buried me. I just like staying in the dirt myself, really.”

Huo Langxing sighed. “Forget it. Even if you won’t say, I know who did this. Rest assured, I will certainly seek justice for you.”

Why do I feel like he doesn’t actually know?

But I didn’t get a chance to explain further because Huo Langxing was carefully wiping the dirt from my hands, bit by bit, with a very serious expression.

The young man before me was very handsome. No wonder spirits and monsters all want to cultivate into human form.

I couldn’t help but lean closer to Huo Langxing, but he reached out and pushed my head away. “Shen Shen, you must be demure.”

What is demure?

I didn’t understand, so I kept leaning in.

A moment later, the tips of Huo Langxing’s ears flushed a brilliant red, which looked very nice.

As I watched him intently, Huo Langxing spoke again. “Shen Shen, you can stop being demure now.”

What is not being demure?

I didn’t understand, so I stood up and put some distance between us.

Huo Langxing: “…”

After cleaning me up, Huo Langxing wanted to take me back to Linxian City.

I had no objections.

I only wanted to repay my debt of gratitude; it didn’t matter where I did it.

However, not long after we set out, I saw Xiao Bai coiled around a large tree. Seeing me and Huo Langxing riding on a horse, she flicked her tongue at me.

“Shen Shen, where are you going?”

Xiao Bai spoke in snake-tongue, so I could only respond in ginseng-tongue (by gesturing wildly).

“I’m going to Linxian City to repay my debt.”

Hearing this, Xiao Bai slid right down from the tree and coiled herself in front of the horse to block the path.

“No! Shen Shen, you can’t go to Linxian City. There are bad people in Linxian City!”

Seeing such a large snake blocking the way, Huo Langxing instinctively reached for his sword, but I quickly pressed his hand down.

“Don’t attack, she’s my friend.”

Xiao Bai flicked her tongue even faster. “I was captured by people from Linxian City when I was little! There are people there using Spirit Beasts to refine medicine. It’s very dangerous for you to go there!”

I thought about it for a moment. The Path to Immortality is inherently dangerous. Hundreds of people go up the mountains to gather herbs every year, and there is danger at every turn. I never expected that this final debt would be easy to repay.

“Xiao Bai, this is my Path to Immortality. I must go.”

Xiao Bai understood what I meant. She hissed twice, turned around, and left, her silhouette looking a bit desolate.

I said goodbye to her in my heart, thinking it likely we would never meet again in this lifetime.

If I succeed in repaying the debt, I should ascend directly. If I fail… Psh, I can’t possibly fail!

“She… is your friend?”

Huo Langxing’s voice snapped me back to reality. “Mm, yes. I’ve lived in the mountains since I was little, so I don’t have many friends.”

Hearing this, Huo Langxing pulled me a bit tighter into his arms. “Shen Shen, there are many people in Linxian City. You will have many friends in the future.”