The Small Courtyard of Ansi

A pair of figures, one tall and one small, walked side by side along the narrow forest path.

Hu Chi'er looked at Gu Ning'an's feet and asked, "Sir, are you an immortal?"

"No." Gu Ning'an glanced at him, shook his head, and chuckled. "Why do you ask?"

Slap! Slap!

Hu Chi'er began slapping himself vigorously all over, his pupils trembling with urgency, as if he were in a panic.

Gu Ning'an waved a hand and said, "Alright, alright, I understand what you're trying to say... Removing the water from your body was just a simple spell. It doesn't make me an immortal."

Hearing this, Hu Chi'er pointed at Gu Ning'an's shoes and exclaimed, "Shoes, shoes... not dirty, not dirty at all!"

From these few words, Gu Ning'an could guess that Hu Chi'er was trying to say that despite standing on the muddy riverbank earlier, Gu Ning'an's shoes remained spotless.

"This Sir's little spell makes avoiding some mud quite easy." Gu Ning'an's explanation might have been entirely true before his "Returning to Silence." But ever since that event, he had noticed some peculiar changes within himself.

Avoiding filth and dirt was one such characteristic.

Thud!

Out of nowhere, Hu Chi'er dropped to his knees before Gu Ning'an. Even though the ground was covered in grass and mud, the sound of the impact suggested he had knelt with significant force.

"Sir, Hu Chi'er wants to learn magic from you. I don't want to be called Chi'er anymore!" His voice was loud, and his eyes radiated determination. [Note: magic here doesn't refer to "magic" which usually uses mana as energy. It just refers to any supernatural abilities.]

Gu Ning'an picked him up effortlessly and said with a smile, "You silly child, you're no fool."

"But I'm not interested in taking on a disciple..."

"You're just a little slow to respond... If you practice speaking and reacting more often, no one will call you Chi'er anymore."

Hu Chi'er's large pupils quivered as though he wanted to say something more. However, his face turned red with effort, and no further words came out.

At that moment, the flicker of firelight appeared in the distance, accompanied by faint voices calling out.

"Hu Chi'er!"

"Hu Shi, where are you?"

"Grandpa is looking for you. If you hear this, come find Grandpa!"

Hearing the calls, Gu Ning'an set Hu Chi'er down and said with a smile, "Your grandfather is looking for you. Off you go."

Hu Chi'er stood frozen for a moment. Hearing his grandfather's anxious voice, he began running toward the firelight. Halfway there, he seemed to remember something and turned back to look in Gu Ning'an's direction.

But in his backward glance, Gu Ning'an was nowhere to be seen.

"Hu Shi! Don't move from there!"

"Grandpa sees you!"

Not far away, an elderly man holding a torch shouted as he waved at his grandson.

Soon, the old man and the villagers who had come to help search for Hu Chi'er gathered around.

The cluster of torches illuminated the dark forest path as if it were daytime.

"You silly boy, running off like this at night."

"If you wander off like that again, Grandpa will give you a good spanking."

The old man scooped Hu Chi'er into his arms. Though his words were stern, his eyes were filled with relief.

"Old Hu, next time you'd better lock your door at home. Chi'er doesn't know any better, and if he wanders off and falls into the river, what will you do?"

"Exactly! This boy needs to be disciplined. Under the rod comes filial children. Even if he's slow, discipline will still help!"

"Hu Chi'er, remember this—if you dare sneak off again, even if your grandfather spares you, I won't! Look at the mess you've caused in the dark, worrying your grandfather sick! If he falls ill from the stress, it'll be you who suffers in the end!"

The villagers, who had come out late at night to help search for the boy, were not unkind. However, their words were sharp, cloaked in scolding tones that seemed intended for Hu Shi's benefit.

Yet the repeated left-and-right "Chi'er" this and "Chi'er" that made Hu Shi want to flee as quickly as possible.

"I met an immortal! The immortal said I'm not a Chi'er!" [Again, it means foolish or idiot.]

"He said I can change for the better!"

Out of nowhere, Hu Shi burst out with two incredibly fluent sentences, his words tinged with anger.

Hu Laozhang was stunned. He had never seen his grandson string two sentences together so smoothly before, let alone respond directly to the villagers' comments.

The villagers, however, being outsiders, failed to notice the subtlety of the moment. They only thought Hu Chi'er's condition had worsened.

"Now he's not just dull like a stone—he's rambling about meeting immortals. That sounds like hysteria to me!"

None of them bothered to engage with Hu Chi'er. Instead, they all turned their attention to Hu Laozhang, chattering away with suggestions.

Some proposed stricter supervision of Hu Chi'er in the future. Others suggested taking him to a larger county to see a proper doctor. There were even calls to find a Daoist priest to exorcise whatever might be afflicting him.

"All right, enough!" Hu Laozhang handed his torch to a middle-aged man beside him, waved his hand, and said, "Thank you all for your help tonight. It's late; let's head back."

Sensing Hu Laozhang's concern for his grandson, the villagers refrained from saying more and hurriedly made their way home.

The Ansi Cottage was located on the eastern side of Lexiang County, a reasonably good location. Had the original owner not been in a rush to sell, Gu Ning'an would never have been able to purchase it at such a low price.

After rummaging through his backpack for a while, Gu Ning'an pulled out a bronze key that he hadn't used in years. Having spent so long by his side, imbued with his magical aura, the key showed no signs of rust or wear even after over two decades.

The same couldn't be said for the lock. After enduring more than twenty years of exposure to the elements, the lock resembled an ancient relic. Its surface was covered in rust and dust, and the mechanism was so stiff from disuse that turning the key felt awkward and clunky.

With a creak, Gu Ning'an removed the rusty lock and pushed open the courtyard gate, which had been "sealed" for years.

Fine dust and wood shavings, like "heavenly maidens scattering blossoms," fell from every crevice of the door.

With a casual wave of his hand, Gu Ning'an summoned a breeze that swept up the dust and gathered it into a pile outside the courtyard.

The moment Gu Ning'an saw the courtyard gate, he had already mentally prepared himself for the worst. As someone who had lived two lifetimes, he knew his first property purchase might not be perfect.

But the reality inside the courtyard exceeded even his lowest expectations.

The walls weren't just flaking—they were lined with rows of mushrooms, a particularly revolting sight. The ground was overrun with weeds, the stone table in the center of the yard was draped in cobwebs, and a thick layer of dust covered everything.

"Seems the inside of the house will be no better…" Gu Ning'an sighed deeply. Following his thoughts, a whirlwind arose within the courtyard.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

One by one, the doors and windows of the house were blown open by the wind. Fresh air poured in, expelling the stale, damp odor.

The weeds and mushrooms in the yard were swept up in the whirlwind as well, carried out of the courtyard and deposited onto the grass beyond.