Chapter 7: No One Believes the Truth

"I'm really foolish, truly!" Chang Yu paced like a restless soul, agitated as if possessed by Lady Xianglin herself.

"How could I forget to ask Master where the Fuling Valley is?" he lamented. "Our homeland has countless beautiful mountains and rivers; I can't possibly search them one by one, can I?" "Most importantly, how will I ever find Master again if I want to continue learning immortal arts?"

A shadow of worry crossed Chang Yu's face at the thought. Did his bond with Master Hao Er end here? But he hadn't yet learned the techniques beyond the second level of the Fuling Heart Sutra! The idea that he might be stuck at the Qi Condensation stage for life distressed him as if he'd swallowed something foul.

"The Fuling Valley doesn't sound like a famous place; it must be hard to find." "It's nothing like Huangshan, Taishan, or Huashan—those renowned mountains are much easier to locate." "Well, it's getting late now. I should get to work; being late means a dock in pay."

He picked up his phone—the screen shone with the time: just past seven in the morning. Skipping breakfast, he rushed out the door, anxious not to be late. Chang Yu regarded himself as someone with proper sense.

Although he had now learned immortal arts and possessed power to stand above the crowd, he still needed to eat. His cultivation was not advanced enough for fasting or living on air alone. Without working hard for his wages, would he just starve?

He wasn't about to do what protagonists in novels love: awaken some ability, storm into the boss's office, quit in a fit of rage, and exact vengeance.

After riding bus 89 for more than an hour, winding through the city, Chang Yu finally arrived at the company just in time. He dashed from the bus stop to the guard booth without a hint of fatigue, not even a drop of sweat.

He remembered how different it had been yesterday—he'd run the same five hundred meters, panting and disheveled, and had to sit and recover for ages after entering the booth. Today, this change was entirely thanks to cleansing his body and marrow; his constitution was now leagues stronger than before, making such exertion trivial.

Chang Yu seriously suspected that, with his current physical strength, running a marathon would be effortless for him.

The familiar company entrance, the familiar guard booth, the familiar Fat Wang.

Everything was as it had always been, the same flavor, the same formula.

Chang Yu slumped into the booth, sighing, uninterested in tea or food, his face haggard—a picture of desolation.

Fat Wang had never seen Chang Yu so worked up. He hurriedly pushed his breakfast toward Chang Yu.

"Brother Chang, you've been out of sorts since early morning. Did something happen?" Fat Wang asked, concerned.

Chang Yu showed no interest in the breakfast, unable to summon any appetite. Seeing him still lost in his troubles, Fat Wang nudged his shoulder:

"Brother, if there's something on your mind, talk to me. Maybe I can help!"

Chang Yu finally responded, his breath quickening as he looked at Fat Wang with shining eyes: "You really think you can help?"

"Don't judge me by appearances—I've got connections. Tell me what's wrong," Fat Wang assured, beating his chest.

Fat Wang was one of the top figures in the H city's landlords' circle, his connections and abilities far surpassing Chang Yu's. Maybe he really could help.

"So, Wang, do you know any geographers who are familiar with the country's mountains and rivers?" Chang Yu asked hopefully, his face full of expectation.

"Well... no," Fat Wang admitted, rubbing his head, a bit embarrassed.

He'd just been assuring Chang Yu he could definitely help, but now he was slapped in the face. But it wasn't really his fault; geographers were academic types, hardly likely to mingle with landlords.

To save face, Fat Wang continued, "Why are you suddenly interested in geography?"

Chang Yu, almost in tears, took out a crumpled cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag. "Have you ever heard of a place called Fuling Valley?"

It was a cigarette Fat Wang had given him yesterday; above the stub, the words "Zhonghua" were printed in ornate script.

Fat Wang frowned, "I've never heard of it. I traveled a lot when I was young, but Fuling Valley—never once."

"Our country is vast, with countless mountains and valleys, many unknown to us, often named casually by locals. Fuling Valley is probably one of those, perhaps named for its abundance of the medicinal fungus Fuling."

"So I'd suggest checking online—see if there are any mountain ranges famous for Fuling, maybe that'll help."

Fat Wang's advice was sound. Since neither of them had heard of Fuling Valley, they might as well turn to the internet.

Chang Yu quickly took out his phone and typed "Fuling Valley" into Baidu.

The search results made him both angry and amused.

The page overflowed with information about Fuling—the medicinal fungus—crowding his entire screen.

Articles explained that Fuling, also known as Jade Spirit, Universal Ling, or Fuling Gui, is the dried sclerotium of the fungus Poria cocos, usually found on pine roots, shaped like a sweet potato.

Other posts promised remedies for dampness using Fuling, or sensational headlines about men doing strange things with it, hinting at the collapse of morality.

In short, Baidu offered no information about Fuling Valley, but plenty of random wellness tips.

"No luck. There's nothing about Fuling Valley on Baidu," Chang Yu said dejectedly, putting down his phone, his disappointment palpable.

"Then there's nothing to be done," Fat Wang mused, rubbing his chin. "By the way, where did you hear about Fuling Valley?"

"Actually, I learned of it in a dream," Chang Yu replied earnestly, hiding nothing from Fat Wang.

Fat Wang was stunned, his eyes confused as he stammered, "A... a dream?"

Could something dreamed be real? he wondered. Maybe Fuling Valley didn't exist at all but was just a figment of Chang Yu's imagination.

Young people nowadays really know how to play; he, as a middle-aged man, was falling behind.

Not wanting to hurt Chang Yu's fragile feelings, Fat Wang carefully chose his words: "Little Yu!"

"Have you considered that the Fuling Valley you mentioned might not exist, that it's just a dream and can't be real?"

"No! It absolutely exists," Chang Yu declared, lifting his head proudly, like a rooster flaunting its feathers.

"I even met an old immortal there! As soon as he saw me, he took my hand and insisted I become his disciple."

Unlike novel protagonists who hide their talents and powers for fear of exposure, Chang Yu was not inclined to conceal his secret. He spoke honestly to Fat Wang.

"I couldn't refuse him, nor bear to hurt his feelings, so I reluctantly agreed to become his disciple and learn immortal arts from him."

"An... old immortal? Immortal arts?" Fat Wang's eyes grew even more bewildered, his speech faltering.

He'd heard Chang Yu was a full-blown adolescent with fantasies, but this was beyond that—maybe even madness.

He tried to reason with him gently: "There's no such thing as immortals in this world. You think real life is a fairy tale?"

"Brother, I never imagined your condition was this serious!"

"Have you told doctors about this? I think you should see a traditional medicine practitioner—they treat the root causes!"

Noticing the pity and strange tone in Fat Wang's eyes, Chang Yu grew unhappy.

Fat Wang clearly didn't believe him!

Wasn't it a joke? Chang Yu was a man of integrity.

A man of integrity would never stoop to lies!

Heaven knows, he'd never deceived Fat Wang, so why didn't Fat Wang trust him?

"I'm not sick, and I don't need to see any doctor. Wang, do you not believe me?" Chang Yu was truly anxious, his eyes wide, his breathing heavy.

Fat Wang broke into a sweat.

Chang Yu's stiff neck and red eyes were intimidating, even making Fat Wang shudder.

Coupled with the bizarre things Chang Yu had said, Fat Wang was now convinced of his suspicions.

Yes, the kid was seriously unwell.

"I believe you! Of course I do! We're brothers—who else would I trust?" Fat Wang hurriedly replied, insincerely, trying to keep Chang Yu calm.

"But, brother, take my advice. Some ailments don't heal on their own. That's why we need those angels in white—doctors!"

"You can't let this go untreated! We need to cure it before it gets worse, that's the best outcome for everyone!"

Chang Yu: ...

Wang, thank you!

For the rest of the day, Fat Wang remained tense and on edge, making Chang Yu uncomfortable in his own skin.

Chang Yu was too honest; after telling Fat Wang the truth, Fat Wang instead thought he was ill.

Whenever their eyes met, Fat Wang would look away. Whenever Chang Yu moved closer, Fat Wang would carefully shift away, as if Chang Yu carried a contagious disease that he wanted to avoid at all costs.

This strange atmosphere lasted until the end of the workday.

After changing shifts with the night guards, Fat Wang bolted out of the booth like a rabbit with its tail on fire, leaving Chang Yu alone in the wind, feeling lost.

"Why is it so hard to tell the truth these days?" Chang Yu looked up at the sky, his face melancholy, his heart tangled with countless knots.