"After three days of separation, one should reassess with fresh eyes. Junior Brother Si Huo, having only been on the mountain for a little over a month, has already killed Senior Brother Yin Mu with such skill."

A few days later, Senior Brother Geng Jin came to my humble abode to ask for water.

"I didn't kill him. It was truly Senior Brother Yin Mu who didn't want to live anymore and perished on his own accord." I explained calmly without a hint of guilt.

"Do you think I would believe that? Honestly, I'm curious how an ordinary person like you managed to kill the millennium-old Flesh Reishi Grandmaster?"

Geng Jin chuckled as he looked at me.

I remained silent, gripping the Godslaying Wood hidden in my sleeve, waiting for the right moment.

"Junior Brother, do you know that one day on the Immortal Mountain is equivalent to three months down below?"

"What do you mean?"

"I have a gift for you, my dear brother. I brought it down from the mountain yesterday and placed it in the Peaceful Valley. Would you like to come with me to see it?"

A sense of unease crept into my heart, a foreboding feeling, but I forcefully pushed aside thoughts of what lay in that direction.

Yet, reality is relentless; even if you try to avoid it, it will mercilessly reveal the truth to you.

Inside the Peaceful Valley's Grass Cave, I saw the bodies of Grandpa Liu and Father.

Both of them had aged drastically, their skin wrinkled beyond recognition, with fine white mycelium protruding from their orifices. It was evident that soon they would turn into human grass.

Never did I imagine that our parting that day would become a permanent farewell. I shouldn't have ignored their advice to ascend the Immortal Mountain. It would have been fine to live out my days with them in a daze.

"Your village has fed the Giant Turtles enough. Hai Shui will soon come for the collective harvest, then cultivate new human fields. On that day, you, I, and Wu Tu will have to descend the mountain to help."

"What do you take people for? Crops? Planting and harvesting them season after season?"

Geng Jin smiled, tucked his whisk into his bosom, and said, "Crops? It's been too long. So we fed them Immortal Mushrooms to grow faster. Otherwise, how could we feed the Giant Turtles in the sea? Have you heard of the phases of the moon? Mushrooms always grow quickly. However, these two old men weren't obedient; they consumed too few mushrooms, so they matured too slowly."

"So, in reality, you're not human either." I stared coldly at Geng Jin.

"No... I'm not. How could I be human? Humans are too lowly, foolish, and greedy. In the eyes of the Immortals, they are just one of the many sources of nourishment."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm suggesting you open your mind a bit, learn from Wu Tu." Geng Jin pointed to his head. "Forget about this place, and you'll embark on the path to immortality."

"Is Senior Brother Geng Jin suggesting I forget that I'm human?"

"A wise pupil can be taught." Geng Jin nodded approvingly, then took out a package from his bosom and handed it to me, whispering, "Before Yin Mu left, he told you, right? The five of us will eventually be placed in the alchemy furnace by our Masters. Now that Yin Mu is gone, the day of the furnace's operation may coincide with the day of the human harvest. This Illusionary Immortal Powder is for you. When that day comes, we can sprinkle it on our three Masters together, and there might be a glimmer of hope."

Nonsense. He's trying to use me as a pawn, thinking I'm as naive as when I first arrived on the mountain?

After Geng Jin left, as I was about to leave the valley, the old white ape grabbed my sleeve, pulled out the powder hidden within, and scattered it.

"What are you doing? This was given by Geng Jin, it's useful." I grumbled at the old ape, hastily scrambling to retrieve the scattered powder, which gradually transformed into fine threads on the ground. The old ape tossed a worm over, which was instantly enveloped tightly by the threads, extending from its mouth and anus.

These are... fungal spores?

A chill ran down my spine. Could this be what Geng Jin prepared for me? If these things were to stick to my skin for a couple of days, I dared not imagine what I would become.

Geng Jin's malicious intent rivals that of Yin Mu, if not surpasses it.

The old ape handed me another identical packet, gesturing for me to use this one instead. I took the packet, bowed to the old ape, who scratched his head, grinned, and then hopped away.