Dao Of The Salted Fish (Salted Fish Cultivator)

When Zhang Wu announced the start of the next stage of practice, Sun Fuyu immediately dashed! He dodged Wu Qingqing and her group, went around Wang Li Wei’s group (now without Wang Li Wei who finally started to practise with the inner sect disciples), and came to a rushed stop in front of Wen Zhihao.

But now he was standing in front of Wen-shixiong, Sun Fuyu’s resolve weakened. Sun Fuyu was scared that Wen-shixiong’s days-long disappearance was because of him. What if Wen-shixiong wanted to avoid him just like everyone else?

“Sun-shidi?” Wen Zhihao prompted, eyeing the others trying to approach them, especially those glaring at the nervous disciple in front of him. “Speak freely.”

“Wen-shixiong….can we practice together?”

Wen Zhihao’s lips quirked up in amusement. “Do you really want to? You will defeat me, I’m sure.”

Sun Fuyu frowned, looking extremely cute. “Wen-shixiong is strong!”

“Alright,” Wen Zhihao decided to indulge him. Even though he wanted to coax Sun Fuyu to make friends his own age, he had the sneaking suspicion that he didn’t have friends.

“Sun Fuyu! Why did you run all the way here?” Wu Qingqing said. “Come, it’s time for our morning duel.”

“Wen Zhihao! You’re not running away this time!” one of Wang Li Wei’s friends said.

Wen Zhihao smiled at these posturing teenagers. “Wow, I never knew Sun-shidi and I were so popular.”

Okay, okay, he shouldn’t tease kids but sometimes he couldn’t help himself.

“WHAT ARE YOU ALL CLUSTERED AROUND HERE FOR?” Zhang Wu shouted, stomping towards them. “I said PARTNERS, not GROUP BATTLES! Scatter! You! Wen Zhihao! Who is your partner?!”

Wen Zhihao patted Sun Fuyu on the shoulder.

“Good,” Zhang Wu said shortly. He glared at the other disciples, forcing them to grudgingly move away.

Wen Zhihao wasn’t so impolite as to throw away his sword practice duel with Sun Fuyu. The two stood a distance apart and began.

Since Sun Fuyu refused to move right away, Wen Zhihao made the first move. His sword swung, slicing silently through the calm air. Sun Fuyu immediately burst into action. He dodged Wen Zhihao and countered. Slash! Clash! Shhhing!

Sun Fuyu’s momentum was extremely good, Wen Zhihao slowly stepped back and back. At this point, Wen Zhihao was just dodging and deflecting Sun Fuyu’s sword. His robes fluttered around him. After an initial burst of fear, Wen Zhihao returned to his calm state. Sun Fuyu wasn’t actually striking him.

“Good, good,” Wen Zhihao said. After all, praising young people was good for them. “I concede.”

Sun Fuyu immediately stopped, eyes wide. “But shixiong…”

“You are much better than me,” Wen Zhihao said truthfully. He could see that Sun Fuyu was controlling the momentum of the duel so that neither of them would get hurt. “You should practice with someone who actually knows what they’re doing.”

“Ah? But then what were you doing before...?” Before, Sun Fuyu had seen that Wen-shixiong’s practice movements were full of dangerous momentum and looked very powerful.

“I was making random moves,” Wen Zhihao laughed. He patted Sun Fuyu on the shoulder. “I’m going to have breakfast now.”

Sun Fuyu looked at him with burning eyes. He didn’t need to say anything, Wen Zhihao knew. Sun Fuyu was surprisingly easy to read.

“Okay, you can come with me.”

Sun Fuyu’s eyes lit up. 

The two of them left the practice field, with Wen Zhihao completely ignoring the eyes of the other children. Sun Fuyu followed half a step behind him, head slightly lowered, a warm feeling in his heart.

This little tail followed Wen Zhihao so obediently that Wen Zhihao felt it even more important to feed him. Wen Zhihao led Sun Fuyu behind the Banquet Hall and to the kitchens. The kitchen staff looked curiously at his new follower.

Wen Zhihao introduced him to all the kitchen staff. “This is Cultivator Sun Fuyu. He’s my shidi, please look after him.”

“Welcome, Cultivator Sun,” the workers said politely.

Sun Fuyu nodded. His eyes swept across the workers, unable to hide his unease of them. It was hard enough to talk to Wen-shixiong, yet there were even more strangers...

Wen Zhihao was amused, patting Sun Fuyu on the head. “Come on, keep close to me then, okay?”

Sun Fuyu nodded obediently.

“Do you want spicy noodles again this morning?” Aunty Liu Jing asked, her lip curled in amusement.

Wen Zhihao pretended to think deeply. “How about...scallion pancakes?” He turned to Sun Fuyu. “How about it?”

“If Wen-shixiong thinks it’s good…”

Wen Zhihao turned to Liu Jing. “Scallion pancakes, please, Aunty!”

“Alright, alright. They’ll be ready in an hour.”

Wen Zhihao nodded and went to help Old Tang. Together, they helped the staff move fresh vegetables from the field to the kitchen. Wen Zhihao showed Sun Fuyu just how useful a flying sword could be.

“Wen-shixiong…” Sun Fuyu spoke up. “If you have a spatial ring, then you can use that too…”

Wen Zhihao internally face-palmed. “You’re right! You’re so smart, shidi!”

Sun Fuyu lowered his head in embarrassment.

Using his spatial ring, moving fresh vegetables was even faster. They returned to the kitchen with their harvest.

Liu Jing and the other chefs soon made huge piles of scallion pancakes for everyone. Wen Zhihao made sure that Sun Fuyu had a full plate.

Sun Fuyu’s eyes grew round at the fragrant and crispy pancakes in front of him.

“Say, how is your inedia?” Wen Zhihao asked. “How often do you need to eat?”

“Every two or three days…”

Wen Zhihao nodded. As expected, Sun Fuyu hadn’t advanced as much yet.

“It’s probably useful to practice inedia, in case you come upon the situation when you can’t eat,” Wen Zhihao mused out loud. “That said, food can be used as a source of qi!”

After all, food contained energy, and qi was...energy. Wen Zhihao unconsciously smiled. That was a good excuse if the higher-ups ever caught him eating food ‘too much’!

Sun Fuyu waited until Wen Zhihao taking a bite before picking up a pancake for himself. The smell was so fragrant, his mouth became wet with saliva.

...A scallion pancake...how long had it been since Sun Fuyu had one? This kind of food was not served in the Sect’s canteen (which typically served porridge and plain rice with a handful of side dishes). And before that...his ‘family’ hadn’t wanted to feed him at all…

Sun Fuyu took a bite of the pancake and then couldn’t help himself in taking another bite. All too soon, the pancake was eaten.

“So you like them!” Wen Zhihao said happily, as though he was the one who made them. “Have another! Aunty Liu, thank you, they’re very delicious.”

Liu Jing’s lips twitched. “Good, eat up,” she said. “I’ll prepare a lunch box for you, yes?”

Wen Zhihao perked up. If she was offering, then… “Thank you, yes please! Can you put in some desserts too?” 

“I’ll see what we have,” Liu Jing said. “Does Cultivator Sun also want a lunch box?”

“Say yes!” Wen Zhihao whispered loudly.

Sun Fuyu and Liu Jing both felt a thread of amusement.

“Yes please, Aunty,” Sun Fuyu said in his obedient voice.

Yes, very good! Wen Zhihao praised him in his heart. Sell meng ¹cutenessto Aunty Liu!

After breakfast, Liu Jing returned with two filled boxes of food. Wen Zhihao immediately put his away, but Sun Fuyu dithered.

“What’s wrong?”

Sun Fuyu’s bottom lip trembled. “I don’t have a spatial ring, this won’t fit…”

Wen Zhihao frowned. “Doesn’t everyone have one?”

Sun Fuyu’s head lowered even more. “I don’t have enough spiritual stones.”

Wen Zhihao’s mind flashed back to that bullying he saw on his first day of transmigration, when the other disciples were exhorting spiritual stones from him… Wen Zhihao’s eyes darkened. “Alright, how about I keep it for you? We can eat together, anyway.”

Sun Fuyu’s eyes reddened. “Thank you.”

“No thanks needed,” Wen Zhihao said. He also put away Sun Fuyu’s food box. “Are you full now?”

Sun Fuyu nodded obediently.

“Okay.” He smiled and ushered Sun Fuyu over to Old Tang. “Old Tang, I’ll carry the leftovers to the kittens—I mean the demonic beasts—for you,” Wen Zhihao volunteered.

Old Tang agreed. Instead of carrying the baskets with his flying sword, Wen Zhihao now smartly placed them in his spatial ring. The two said goodbye to the kitchen staff and flew directly to the demonic beasts’ enclosure.

The cultivator in charge of this section of the demonic beasts' enclosure, Huang Jialing, was currently standing by the fence, her arms crossed as she talked to another female cultivator.

...Wen Zhihao recognised the other cultivator. She was the one who roasted him for forgetting his sword previously.

When Wen Zhihao and Sun Fuyu landed, she clearly remembered Wen Zhihao as her brows creased.

Cough.

Wen Zhihao cleared his throat and turned to Huang Jialing. “We’re here to feed the demonic beasts,” he said, taking out the basket of food from his spatial ring.

Huang Jialing rolled her eyes and let them in. “Don’t get attached to them,” she warned. After she closed the gate again, she and the other cultivator went somewhere else.

Wen Zhihao set down the basket of food. Immediately, the cats came over. Wen Zhihao shamelessly crouched down and said, “Did you miss me?”

“Meow!”

It wasn’t clear what they meant, but as they moved towards the food, they were basically also moving towards him!

Sun Fuyu shot a quick look at the demonic beasts. When they mostly ignored him, he finally sat down next to Wen Zhihao. “Wen-shixiong, are you planning to become a beast-tamer cultivator?”

Wen Zhihao fluffed up the fur on one of the kittens. “Life is more than just cultivation. If I had to train them, it wouldn't be fun at all.”

Also, if he trained them to be mean...then how could he have a good time playing with them?

“Fun…” Sun Fuyu mumbled to himself.

Of course, this era, Wen Zhihao remembered again. The concept of teenager...probably doesn’t exist. People go from child to adult… And Sun Fuyu was so serious, not even playing with the kittens!

“Sun-shidi, do you want to go out of the Sect with me?”

Sun Fuyu’s eyes widened. But then his expression dropped. “I have classes.”

Wen Zhihao inwardly sighed. Sun Fuyu was studious, it was probably not a good idea to convince him to skip classes. “How about in the evening? We can meet...say, at the gate of the enclosure, at the start of Dog Hour (7pm)?”

Sun Fuyu nodded like a chicken pecking rice. “I won’t be late!”

Wen Zhihao smiled. “Very good. We’ll be staying out overnight, so bring anything you need.”

Sun Fuyu nodded quickly again.

Sun Fuyu treasured the invitation in his heart and even pressed down the embarrassment enough to confirm it again with Wen-shixiong when he had to leave for his classes. He felt like he was floating, lighter than ever, as he flew over to the classroom buildings.

The outer-sect disciples were waiting outside. A couple of them gave Sun Fuyu dark looks.

Wu Qingqing looked down on him. “Back again? Did you make Wen Zhihao angry?”

Sun Fuyu ignored her. When they entered the classroom, Sun Fuyu took out his few note-taking materials and worked studiously. He didn’t need the rich brushes and papers and ink that the other students had.

His lips curled up unconsciously when he remembered the crispy pancakes he had just this morning...he bet the others here only had plain porridge at best!

Those students had always lorded over him when they went out of the Sect and into town to buy things...but tonight, Sun Fuyu will be going out!