Inside the building, all there were were tables and chairs of the same style, neatly arranged. Many people were sitting around, with cups and bowls in front of them, stacked one upon another.
He said that this was a place to have a meal. "This is Eight Treasure Porridge, this is Glutinous Rice Cake, and this is Thousand-Layer Hundred-Flower Pastry[1]." Pointing at these things I had never seen or heard of before, he introduced each one to me one by one. In the end, he said that all say the fine wine and fairy fruits in Heaven are the best, but it's the human foods that are always the most delicious.
"Shaluo," his voice echoed from the cave.
I was startled, only then waking up from memories long past. I quickly entered with the wild fruits I had gathered.
A stone platform, two square stone tables, and a few stone stools constituted all the furnishings in the cave, so simple it felt empty.
"Hehe, the little tree demon's movements are getting slower and slower. We're almost done with a game of chess and you're only now coming back." I had barely set foot inside when I heard the voice that always annoyed me.
On the stone table, there was a smooth chessboard with black and white pieces arranged on top[2]. He held a white piece in his hand but was in no hurry to play it. He glanced back at me, then at the man he was playing against, shook his head, and only smiled without speaking.
Most of the good mood I had just now was shattered by that person's teasing tone. I walked slowly over to them with a calm face. Spreading out the lotus leaf in my hand, I shoved the entire bundle of wild fruits into the arms of that annoying guy and said stiffly, "Take it! Let's see how much you can eat!"
"Haha, temper getting worse, eh?" He laughed loudly in a clear voice, completely unconcerned about my rudeness. Then, he turned to the man and said, "Zimiao, you're a poor teacher."
"Hehe, you better pay attention to your chess pieces," he said, glancing cunningly at the opponent before calmly placing his piece on the board.
"Huh? Oh! This… Can I take back a move?" Someone's eyes immediately widened, hands cupped in supplication.
The man sitting across from him was his good friend. Over the years, he was the only one he would come to visit every now and then, staying for a day and half each time. The two would drink warm wine and play chess, chatting happily, their intimacy evident in their every gesture.
I wasn't sure of this guy's background, only knowing that he had a name even stranger than mine — Jiu Jue. When I first met him, I was fascinated by his rare lake-blue long hair, surprised that there was someone so captivating in this world.
Zimiao and Jiu Jue, the two immortal men sitting in front of me, were equally handsome. But in my eyes, the former always stood out more.
"Shaluo, go brighten up the lamp a bit," he said, picking up the chess pieces on the board one by one, a faint smile of victory on his lips.
"Little tree demon, make it as bright as possible. We're getting old and our eyes aren't as good," Jiu Jue coughed twice, pretending to be old.
"I have a name, I'm called Shaluo!"
I glared at him angrily, hating how he kept calling me "little tree demon, little tree demon" even though he knew my name.
In my mind, "tree demon" was the past, "Shaluo" was the present.
I loved the "present" far more than the "past."
Pouting, I walked to the other side of the stone table, bent down and carefully adjusted the oil lamp shaped like a half-open lotus flower. This lamp was made by him personally, meticulously carved from a small piece of bluestone from the mountain stream. The wick and oil inside were both taken from a nameless purple wildflower on the mountain, and it always burned with a faint sweet fragrance.
The flickering flame grew brighter and brighter, illuminating the entire stone chamber much more than before.
I looked up, somewhat mesmerized, at the sketch-like silhouette cast by the lamp light on the stone wall; his silhouette.
"Come, have a seat," he waved at me, pointing to the stone stool next to him.
"Oh..." I snapped out of my reverie, quickly averting my gaze, feeling my cheeks slightly warm, and walked over to sit beside him.
He tidied up the chessboard, the smooth pieces clinking as they fell one by one into the rattan chess box.
"How's your business?" he asked without lifting his head.
Jiu Jue was taken aback, "My[3]?!"
"Yes, your," he said, as the last white piece dropped into the box and he closed the lid. "Have you found them?"
"Heh heh, easier said than done," Jiu Jue laughed bitterly, and with a wave of his left hand, he conjured two jars of wine from nowhere, placing them on the chessboard. "Freshly brewed, try it."
I took one of the jars and brought it to my lips. Even before drinking, I could smell its intoxicating fragrance.
I inhaled deeply, unable to resist licking my lips.
"Shaluo!" He gently grabbed my wrist, stopping me from pouring the wine into my mouth. "Your cultivation is still shallow, so you shouldn't touch wine."
"Oh," I responded in disappointment, reluctantly putting the jar of wine back in its place.
"Haha, little tree demon, craving a taste, huh?! You'll have to wait another hundred years before you can have the honor of tasting my craft!" Jiu Jue reached over and flicked my nose teasingly, a mischievous grin on his face.
"Alright, Jiu Jue, stop teasing Shaluo." Probably seeing my face turn red with anger, he finally opened his mouth to help me out, then promptly laughed, "But just by smelling it, I can tell your skills have improved quite a bit."
"Naturally!" Jiu Jue accepted his praise without the slightest modesty. But after a moment of pride, he picked up another jar of wine, staring at it blankly. A subtle hint of melancholy flashed in his eyes. "What a pity there's wine but no bosom buddy…"
He smiled and raised the jar as if to toast, "I'll reluctantly be your bosom buddy for now. Don't worry, you'll eventually find the person you're looking for."
"Haha, thank you for your kind words. I'm sure I'll find them." Jiu Jue quickly returned to his usual self, pushing the jar of wine in his hand forward.
There was a crisp sound, then the two of them gulped down the fine wine in their hands.
After finishing his drink, Jiu Jue let out a satisfied burp that smelled of wine and wiped his mouth, still not having fully expressed himself. He asked, "You're in charge of the secluded spring in Lushan, right?"
"Correct," he replied with a nod, setting down the jar.
"Great!" Jiu Jue excitedly clapped his hands. "Then do me a favor and chip off a piece of the ten thousand-year-old ice at the bottom of the spring and give it to me. I have a great use for it."
He furrowed his brow, "What do you need that for?"
"For making wine, of course! The other day, I hit upon an inspiration and came up with a new method. Unfortunately, I can't access the secluded spring, so I have to ask for your help," Jiu Jue explained eagerly, gesturing animatedly.
"Alright, I'll help you get that ten thousand-year-old ice when I pass by the area." He couldn't bear to spoil Jiu Jue's excitement and nodded in agreement.
"You truly are my bosom buddy! But please do it as soon as possible! I can't wait," Jiu Jue happily patted his shoulder, then suddenly remembered something else and changed the subject, "By the way, when I passed by Daizhou City[4] today, I found that there is a continuous rainstorm and the people are suffering greatly. And there's also a lake on the outskirts of the city with soaring demonic energy; I wonder if there's a demon causing trouble. Shouldn't you step in and take a look?"
"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?!"
"I was too focused on playing chess and forgot."
"..."
Footnotes:
[1] 八宝粥, 糯米软糕, 千层百花酥. You can google these names for images.
[2] Zimiao and Jiu Jue are playing Go.
[3] Zimiao asks, “你的事怎么样了？” It can be interpreted as "How are things going with your matter?" or "How's your business?" because 事 means matter; thing; item; work; affair. Jiu Jue knows Zimiao means "How's your search going?" only when Zimiao inquires whether Jiu Jue has located 'them.' He's probably inquiring about the Gold-armored God's male-female human incarnation.
[4] 玳洲. Dài: turtle, tortoise shell; zhōu: continent, island in a river. In English, something along the lines of Turtleland City. Maybe it's a place where turtles are abundant or of symbolic significance.
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