8: Garuda

As soon as Gu Changge finished speaking, a soft chirp of “Jiu” suddenly came from the bamboo branch nearby.

The black Little Black Bird perched on the branch flapped its wings, its black bean-like eyes rolled twice, and its chirp actually carried an indescribable hint of mockery.

It was not some ordinary mountain sparrow.

The true form of this bird was a Golden-Winged Roc, possessing the Bloodline of an ancient Divine Beast; one flap of its wings could sever a galaxy, and its sharp talons could split the universe.

Even a Saint Realm Cultivator would not be enough for one of its talons.

Five years ago, it was gravely injured in a fight and fell from the sky, coincidentally landing in a mud pit outside the Azure Profound Sect’s mountain gate.

It suddenly felt a faint, mysterious aura emanating from Zizhu Peak that made its heart palpitate.

It had intended to secretly approach and investigate, but Gu Changge caught it in one swift move, almost roasting it over a fire.

To save its life, it acknowledged Gu Changge as its Master.

Gu Changge had always been lenient with it, and over time, a casual friendship developed between them.

He had long wanted to let this bird go back, as with his current strength, even across infinite distances, the Restriction left in its Divine Soul could instantly take its life.

But this Golden-Winged Roc stubbornly refused to leave; where else could it find a better Cultivation environment than this?

At this moment, it tilted its head, clearly seeing through Gu Changge's mischievous nature.

He was clearly someone who could overturn the entire continent with a raise of his hand, yet he insisted on pretending to be a “powerful expert” who had just entered the Core Formation Realm in front of his Disciple.

Gu Changge’s heart itched from its laughter, and he turned to glare at the bamboo branch, silently mouthing, “Chirp again, and I’ll pluck your feathers.”

Little Black Bird immediately restrained its laughter, fluttered to a higher branch, and pretended to preen its feathers.

Xiao Ruobai did not notice his Master’s strangeness, only taking it for the usual chattering of an ordinary mountain sparrow.

His attention was entirely caught by his Master's words, “Core Formation Realm Middle Stage.”

In his opinion, the Core Formation Realm was already an unattainable Realm, and his Master’s ability to hide his strength so deeply was truly impressive.

“Master…”

He was about to say something more when Gu Changge waved his hand, interrupting him.

“Enough, don’t mind this bird.”

Gu Changge rose from the bamboo chair, patting the wrinkles from his robes.

“You go familiarize yourself with the environment first and find some bamboo to build a house. Tomorrow at Mao Shi (5-7 AM), I will impart the method of Cultivation to you.”

Xiao Ruobai quickly assented, holding the spiritual fruit and turning to walk towards the open space in the bamboo forest.

The bamboo house Gu Changge currently lived in was one he had personally built when he first took over Zizhu Peak; though not exquisite, it was comfortable to live in.

As for another more elegant bamboo building on the peak, that was Daoist Zizhu’s residence during his lifetime, which he had kept preserved exactly as it was.

On normal days, besides cleaning, he never allowed anyone to approach it.

Having been accustomed to living alone for these years, he had never considered preparing a dwelling for anyone.

It seemed that if he were to take on more Disciples in the future, building houses would have to be put on the agenda first; he couldn't possibly let everyone build their own bamboo sheds, or it would make him seem like a stingy Master.

Gu Changge watched his Disciple’s busy figure, then glanced at the “mountain sparrow” on the branch, a helpless smile playing on his lips.

This bird was becoming more and more unruly.

He stretched, then turned and went back into the bamboo house.

The next morning, before Gu Changge even opened his eyes, he was awakened by a rustling sound.

He rubbed his eyes and walked out of the bamboo house, only to see Xiao Ruobai squatting by the stream, washing rice. A clay pot was propped on a stone stove nearby, and wisps of cooking smoke swirled in the morning light.

What surprised him even more was that the messy bamboo clearing from last night had been cleaned spotless, Purple Bamboo leaves piled into neat stacks, and the stone slabs by the stream were scrubbed shiny.

Not far away, a new bamboo house stood in the morning light; though not as sturdy as the one he lived in, it was well-defined, showing that a lot of thought had gone into it.

“Master, you’re awake?”

Xiao Ruobai heard the movement and turned his head, his face smudged with a bit of ash, but his eyes were bright.

“I saw you didn’t have anything to eat here, so I went to the back mountain to pick some wild rice and cooked a pot of porridge.”

Gu Changge raised an eyebrow and walked over to the stone stove.

The porridge in the clay pot was sticky, the wild rice overcooked to an almost mushy consistency, and a layer of burnt crust had formed on the surface—clearly, the heat hadn't been managed well, and water was forgotten halfway through cooking.

“You’re thoughtful.”

He suppressed a smile and reached out to lift the pot lid, but Xiao Ruobai hastily stopped him.

“Master, wait a moment!”

The young man’s face reddened, “It might… it might be a bit burnt.”

Actually, while he was guarding the stove, he had been thinking about his Master teaching him Cultivation today, and in his distraction, he had overcooked the porridge.

He had secretly tasted it just now, and the fresh scent of wild rice was completely overshadowed by the burnt smell; it tasted like chewing charcoal, and he was worried about how to explain it to his Master.

Gu Changge could see his embarrassment and deliberately teased him: “Oh? Is this a special ‘charred fragrant porridge’?”

Xiao Ruobai’s ears grew even redder, and he stammered, “Disciple… Disciple isn’t very good at controlling fire.”

As he was speaking, the Little Black Bird on the branch suddenly swooped down, its claws gripping the rim of the clay pot, and it stretched its head to peck at the porridge.

The next second, as if it had been scalded, it sprang back, fluttering to Gu Changge’s shoulder, chirping “Jiu Jiu” at him non-stop, its voice full of disdain.

“You bird, you’re even picky about food.”

Gu Changge flicked its head, but his eyes held a smile.

He turned to Xiao Ruobai and said, “Never mind, let’s try a different way of eating today.”

With a flick of his wrist, a string of glistening, oily beast meat, marbled with fat and lean, and still bearing sparkling ice crystals—the meat of the “Snow Domain Spiritual Deer,” which was extremely difficult to preserve—flew out of his storage ring.

Gu Changge then pulled out some dry branches, piled them on the ground, and flicked a wisp of flame from his fingertip to ignite them, his movements so practiced that he didn’t seem like a Cultivator.

“Master, this is…” Xiao Ruobai was stunned.

He had seen roasted wild game, but he had never seen anyone roast it with such meticulousness, even the angle of turning showed a certain method.

Gu Changge didn't reply, but pinched some spices he had pulled from who knows where and sprinkled them on. Grease dripped into the fire, making a “sizzle” sound as golden smoke rose, and the aroma instantly filled the air, even making the Little Black Bird on the branch crane its neck.

“Try some?”

A moment later, he handed over a skewer of deer meat, roasted until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Xiao Ruobai cautiously took a bite; the meat was fresh, tender, and juicy, and the rich flavor of the spices mixed with the sweet freshness of the spiritual deer meat exploded on his tongue, more delicious than any delicacy he had ever eaten.

“Master, your skill…”

He was too astonished to speak.

Gu Changge proudly raised an eyebrow: “I learned it in the mortal world before; I didn’t expect I still remembered.”

Actually, he had eaten at too many barbecue stalls in his previous life, and had picked up a few tricks by osmosis.

Little Black Bird hopped on his shoulder, chirping “Jiu Jiu” for food. Gu Changge gave it a scrap, which it picked up and flew to a bamboo branch to happily munch on.

Xiao Ruobai looked at his Master’s profile as he skillfully turned the roasted meat, and suddenly felt that this mysterious Master seemed to hide countless stories.

He lowered his head to look at the burnt porridge in the clay pot, then sniffed the meaty aroma in the air, and his lips couldn't help but curve into a smile.

Perhaps by following his Master, he could truly live a different kind of life.

Gu Changge gave him most of the roasted deer meat, while he himself took a skewer, mumbling, “Eat up, then we work.”

Xiao Ruobai nodded vigorously, chewing the roasted meat heartily, a warm feeling spreading in his heart.

And Gu Changge, watching his Disciple devour the food and glancing at the happily eating Little Black Bird on the branch, suddenly felt that the earthly essence of Zizhu Peak seemed quite good too.