Stranger at the river

The moon hung bright and high in the sky, sprinkling a layer of silver and white onto the rooftop—just like winter frost.

Gu Yuze gazed at the quiet and peaceful view. Why did it suddenly remind him of someone? 

With a single exhale, he pushed off the wall— moving with a lightness that defied his frame. His feet barely grazed the next rooftop, his weight so perfectly distributed that not a single tile clinked in protest.

In his original body, he had mastered this skill by the time he was ten. Jiangnan Temple was known for its thorough foundation.

Qigong—the art of movement, Neigong—the art of embryonic breathing, and Jìnggōng—the art of meditation formed the three pillars of Jiangnan Temple's foundational training. 

It was their belief that a deep, solid foundation would allow for the disciple's Taoist path to be a long, stable one. 

They were right. 

Gu Yuze briefly wondered how the Jiangnan Temple was faring in his time. Those old men. 

His eyes widened. What if they went into his room and found his secret collection? Wouldn't his reputation be lost? 

"No. No. I am already in a nightmare. It would not do to conjure up another one."

As he ran along the spire's ridge, he was careful to follow the map of the sect that he had memorized, sticking to the lower-ranked disciples' housing area. 

Soon, a valley appeared before him. It was beautiful. 

This valley was not particularly large but still had a sort of homely feel to it. A river flowed gently through the area, and its surroundings were quiet. In the center, there was an extremely detailed haven that had tall hedges encircling it.

This was the home of Elder Li Xian, a powerful practitioner and an elder in the Medicine Hall. 

He was away from the sect on a mission and would not be back for three months. 

Gu Yuze had found the location in a very secret part of the server. A forum that suggested places for disciples in love to meet. 

Lingyuan rules were strict. Relationships among disciples of the novice rank were forbidden. 

The poster had detailed how aesthetic Elder Lin's courtyard was, and he had mentioned how they had grilled some delicious fish, which was the only reason he was here. 

Whoever the poster was, he was not lying. This river was filled with fish.

Gu Yuze walked towards the river, breathing in and out slowly as he closed his eyes.

Spiritual energy coiled up his meridians, threading through his fingertips like invisible silk.

Careful, he warned himself—he barely had enough to spare. 

His spiritual energy unfurled across the water, forming a net of threads that shimmered faintly. The net sank beneath the surface, weightless. 

A few minutes later, Gu Yuze pulled the net up. Three flopped onto the large leaf he had spread on the ground. 

He stared blankly at them. 

As someone who had spent the majority of his adult life hunting ghosts, Gu Yuze was quite at peace here. 

He first gathered dry leaves and wood, piling them under three large, flat stones.

He found a sturdy branch and broke it. Taking a sharp stone, he began to sharpen the branch until the edge became pointy. 

Gu Yuze then proceeded to wash the branch in the river and washed his hand as well.

Time to gut the fish, hethought— then he suddenly frowned. 

The next second he heard it, a slight rustling sound. Gu Yuze paused, listening. 

The person remained still, but Gu Yuze could feel the movement of spiritual energy as they breathed. 

Gu Yuze moved, his sharp stick pressing lightly on the intruder's throat. 

It was a woman—a strikingly beautiful one. 

Her almond-shaped eyes were round and gentle, her delicate nose elegantly straight, and her oval face had soft and smooth lines. Altogether, her features were exceptionally beautiful, exuding a serene and refined demeanor. 

"Why are you watching me?" Gu Yuze asked carefully. 

The woman blinked and then smiled. 

"I didn't think you'd find me so quickly. Good job."

Gu Yuze pressed the stick even closer, but the woman's face did not even flinch. 

" Don't be stupid. You can't possibly plan to attack me in an Elder's courtyard, right in the middle of the sect."

She looked at him and then chuckled, "Besides, aren't you too weak for this kind of drama? You're still a novice Taoist, right?" She looked so carefree, her eyes were so bright, it was a contrast to her delicate features.

"ūrō" she said softly. Spiritual energy rippled. 

Gu Yuze immediately dropped the stick just before it erupted into flames, crumbling into ashes.

"That would have seriously injured me." 

"You held a knife, sorry, a stick to my throat. I am not sorry for that. Hey! And I am older than you; how could you speak so casually to me?" 

Gu Yuze was far too hungry to pull the 'Ma'am, you look eighteen' card. 

Though she looked young. Maybe 23 or 25. She was probably another disciple that had found the place online just like he did. He was not in the mood to play buddy-buddy with a stranger.

"Sorry for that. I told you you were an intruder or something.""

Gu Yuze said as he started to walk back to the edge of the river.

"That is quite ironic, considering...." She did not complete her sentence, but she did not have to. 

He was an intruder- not just in this place, in this body, in this time. A complete intruder. 

He did not respond. He gutted the fish, cleaning them before roasting them on the hot, flat stones. 

The spiritual energy in this river was rather good, and the fish that came from it were fat and fresh. 

By using the flat stones to roast them, the fish meat became crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. As he tore the fish, the meat and bone separated easily, and it was simply delicious.

Gu Yuze sighed softly, lifted one of the fish, and handed it to the beautiful woman sitting beside him—who was nearly drooling.

"Thank you." 

The woman ate elegantly, but her eating speed was almost on par with his. Gu Yuze had the feeling that if she finished before him, she might just snatch the last fish, and he hurried up, but it was in vain. 

They finished at the same time. 

Gu Yuze could only grudgingly share the last fish with the woman. 

The woman used a handkerchief to wipe her face, causing Gu Yuze to roll his eyes. 

Why was she pretending to be elegant now? 

The woman reached into her pocket and took out two soda cans. 

"Frjósa" She whispered, and Gu Yuze could feel the spiritual energy ripple at her command. 

She handed him a can of cold soda, and Gu Yuze accepted it with gusto.

He drank it down, closing his eyes as he savored the refreshing aftertaste. 

"Do you have another one?"

Gu Yuze asked, smacking his lips. 

The woman chuckled, "Aren't you a little too calm for a novice drinking contraband?" 

Perhaps if Gu Yuze had the memories of his body, he would understand how little novice disciples left the sect and how precious contrabands were. 

He said sarcastically, "Great Master. Thank you for this can of Coke."

The woman laughed, packing her hair into a low ponytail, "You are welcome." 

She stood up and looked at Gu Yuze again. "Perhaps I should come back more often. I didn't even know that the sect had gotten a little genius." 

A little genius? Him? This was non-alcoholic Coke… right?