After wandering for decades, Shi Hou finally heard of a place where an Immortal had shown signs of presence, and eventually arrived at a provincial town after numerous inquiries.

"Excuse me, is there an Immortal teaching the way here?"

Although Shi Hou's behavior and demeanor were quite close to humans, his appearance was still a bit too hairy, causing everyone he asked to show disdain and avoid him.

Shi Hou was used to such situations and persisted in his inquiries, but prejudices are mountains in people's hearts. He asked all day until nightfall without obtaining any accurate information about the Immortal.

Helplessly looking up at the overcast sky, he could only find a place to shelter from the rain, hoping to continue his inquiries the next day. Having lived among humans for decades, Shi Hou had experienced both human kindness and malice, so this wasn't a big deal to him. He directly went to the outskirts of the town, hoping to find an empty rundown house to rest for the night.

Climbing walls and trees was effortless for Shi Hou. He wandered around for a long time and set his eyes on a rundown but very clean small courtyard. After observing it for a while and feeling that there was no one inside, he directly climbed over the wall. Just as he opened the door, a voice of an old woman came from the pitch-black room.

"Son, cough cough, you're back!"

Shi Hou scratched his head; the life force of the old woman in the room was too weak, and he had carelessly overlooked her. Now he just wanted to turn and leave.

The old woman, seeing her 'son' didn't answer, hurriedly continued, "Son, why aren't you talking? Were you tired from chopping firewood until so late?

I've told you, I'm already old, if I'm dead then so be it. Why bother saving money to seek an Immortal's Immortal Pill? Find a good wife, and I can rest in peace even if I die."

Shi Hou, who originally planned to leave, hesitated upon hearing the keyword 'Immortal.' Considering the people's attitude in town, he might not find clues about the Immortal tomorrow. He decided to wait there a little longer.

Thinking this, Shi Hou quickly pinched his throat, mimicking a cat's meow twice: "Meow! Meow!" while flipping onto the nearby dirt wall. Hearing the cat's meow, the old woman inside hesitated; it should be a person, right?

After a while without any noise, she reluctantly got up, slowly moved to the doorway, peered outside, and then closed the door.

Upon seeing this, Shi Hou breathed a sigh of relief and quietly waited on the wall for the old woman's son. It wasn't long before a young man carrying firewood entered the small courtyard.

"Mother, mother! I'm back."

The young man set down the pile of wood, walked straight into the room, and lit a candle, simultaneously complaining a bit, "Mother, why aren't you resting so late? You're already ill; how can you get better without resting?"

"Son, I'm lying down every day; how can I not rest well? I couldn't sleep not seeing you back. There's some porridge and pickled vegetables in the firewood room; go eat and rest after."

The young man nodded and said, "Okay, mother, this time I've saved enough money. I can surely get the Immortal Pill to heal your body!"

The old woman tremblingly mumbled, "Why heal an old woman like me? I'm almost gone."

The young man, as if not hearing, left the dirt room and was about to dismantle the firewood house when he heard a knock on the door. His family was poor and usually had no visitors, so who would come so late?

He picked up the wood-chopping axe, gripped it in his hand, and came to the door, shouting, "Who's outside?"

The one outside was Shi Hou, who had been crouched on the wall. Hearing the young man's words, Shi Hou scratched his head and replied, "I, I'm not human; I'm a Monkey."

The young man inside tightened his grip on the axe, fear rising within. Still, thinking of his mother behind him, he took a deep breath and shouted, "Why are you at my house?"

Shi Hou quickly explained, "I... I am here to seek the way. I heard there is an Immortal showing signs here, and I wish to become his disciple. But no one will tell me where he is."

The young man inside felt slightly relieved hearing the mention of an Immortal.

"Really?"

"Really, really."

"The morning after tomorrow, the Longevity Temple master will come here to give blessings. Whether you succeed depends on your fate."

Upon receiving the information, Shi Hou immediately expressed his gratitude, then took out some accidentally acquired broken silver from his clothes and tossed it inside the door. To him, these were sometimes useful, sometimes not, so he didn't care much.

The young man inside was startled by the silver hitting him. By the firelight, he saw that it was silver. He immediately opened the door and shouted, "Stop, you stand still!"

Shi Hou, who had walked a distance away, stopped when called, thinking the young man had more to say.

Seeing Shi Hou, who only appeared hairy but not particularly intimidating, the young man stuffed the silver back into Shi Hou's hands.

"We, the Old Zhang Family, are decent people. Asking for information doesn't require your money!"

Shi Hou didn't quite understand. He already knew the young man's family's situation; by all accounts, they needed it the most. Why wouldn't they take it?

The young man, of course, wanted it. These few pieces of broken silver would take half a month of chopping wood to earn. Yet, firstly, he had saved almost enough for his mother's treatment over the years, and secondly, he was honest and straightforward by nature and wouldn't take what wasn't rightfully his.

Shi Hou was quite clever. Seeing the young man wouldn't take it no matter what, he picked up a piece and placed it in the young man's hand, saying: "How about this? I have nowhere to stay, so I'll stay at your place for a few days. Then we go together; I seek apprenticeship, and you seek medicine, all right?"

The young man looked at Shi Hou. After the interaction, he indeed didn't seem like some bad demon, as a bad demon wouldn't think to pay. Thinking of his mother's health, if he could buy some nourishing food with the money, it would indeed be good, he finally gritted his teeth and agreed.

"Alright."

The young man brought Shi Hou back into the courtyard, and hearing the sound outside, the old woman spoke again.

"Son, who's outside?"

"Mother, don't worry. It's a friend of mine. He has some family issues and wants to stay here for a few days."

The old woman was quite pleased. Considering her son's sullen nature, she was happy he made a friend. In these times, humans were communal creatures, and loners didn't thrive.

"Son, there's some rice at the bottom of the cabinet in the firewood room. Cook some for your friend."

"Okay, mother."

The young man brought Shi Hou to the kitchen, started a fire to cook, washed the rice pot repeatedly, and poured the remaining rice porridge from before, finally producing a pot of steaming porridge.

He took out three bowls of different sizes, filled the large one first, then the medium, and poured the remaining porridge into the small one.

The large bowl was taken to his mother, the medium one given to Shi Hou, and he ate from the small one himself.

"Mother, there's a bit much porridge; please have some too."

He said, seeing that his mother hadn't moved her chopsticks, quickly saying, "Mother, this is the smallest bowl; please just eat a little."

Shi Hou also chimed in from the side, "Yes, yes, please eat some."

Seeing this, the old woman finally picked up the bowl and began drinking, while Shi Hou noticed that the old woman's eyesight wasn't good; she didn't notice his peculiarity even up close.

The old woman, after taking a sip, looked at Shi Hou and said, "Your friend, why is he wearing a cotton hat now? And it's yellow."

The young man looked twice and chuckled dryly, "He has a weak constitution, afraid of catching a chill."

Both returned to the firewood room and began drinking porridge. Shi Hou initially wanted the smallest bowl, as being naturally nurtured, such food was indifferent to him, but was refused by the young man.

His reason was simple: since Shi Hou was a guest and had paid, how could he let him eat the least? If not for his mother, he would have given the biggest bowl to Shi Hou.

Realizing he couldn't argue with the young man, Shi Hou picked up the porridge and took a couple of sips. It was bland and tasteless, with heat as its only merit, but this was plenty for Shi Hou.

The two huddled together on the ground, sipping porridge. After chatting for a while, they began to get familiar with each other.

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