The sun came up over Peach Blossom Village and it was really beautiful. The film crew woke up with backaches in their tents. The internet had been busy all night. The video of the "Midnight Zither" was everywhere: TikTok, Weibo and YouTube.
[Weibo Hot Topic #1: Is the Hermit Real or CGI?]
People were arguing about it.
* "It is fake. They must have recorded it before. How can birds dance to music? This is not a Disney movie!". User: ScienceBro123.
* "I am an engineer. I looked at the waves. There is no editing. This was played live.". User: SoundMaster.
Then a verified account with a "Golden V" joined the conversation. It was Professor Lang, the Dean of the National Conservatory of Music.
@ProfessorLang: "I have listened to this video fifty times. The technique used is the lost 'Tremolo of the Nine Heavens' which is only written about in texts from the Tang Dynasty. If this young man is willing I would like to visit the village and kneel to accept him as my teacher. This is not music; this is the Dao."
The internet got excited again. The Dean wanted to kneel?
Meanwhile, inside the courtyard.
Chen Qing stretched his back. He had slept well.
[Ding! New Day Detected.] [Daily Check-in Available.]
"Check in " Chen Qing thought while brushing his teeth.
[Ding! Check-in Successful.] [Reward: Calligraphy of the Sage (God-Level).] [Reward: Item. 'The Inkstone of Mountains and Rivers (A tool that allows what is written to manifest a trace of reality).]
Chen Qing spat out the toothpaste. "Calligraphy? That is fun to do when I'm bored."
He walked to the stone table in the yard, where Blackie (the Demon Wolf) was waiting with a bowl in its mouth.
"Are you hungry again?" Chen Qing patted the wolfs head. He took out a piece of dried meat from his pocket. This was Dragon-Elephant Meat (a reward from a month ago). It was very powerful.
"Here eat it " Chen Qing said. He tossed the meat to Blackie.
Blackie swallowed it whole. Its fur shone with golden light.
Outside the gate the drone cameras were already flying around peeking over the wall.
" morning, everyone!
Lin Feng appeared on camera looking tired. He had circles under his eyes. "We did not sleep well. The ground is too hard.. We are very hungry."
The crew had run out of food. The supply truck was stuck in mud up the mountain.
"Director," Su Ye whispered, holding her stomach. "Can we try to buy food from the hermit ? I will pay double."
Director Wang thought for a moment then nodded. "We have to eat. Take the money. Be polite this time."
They knocked on the gate.
Knock, knock.
"Come in " a calm voice said.
The crew entered cautiously. They found Chen Qing standing by the stone table grinding ink.
"Hello... Sir " Su Ye said, using her charming smile. "We apologize for disturbing you night. We are running low on supplies. Could we buy some breakfast from you? We can pay 5,000 yuan for a bowls of porridge."
5,000 yuan (~$700) for porridge. It was a lot of money.
Chen Qing did not look up. He dipped a brush into the ink. "I did not cook today."
"Then... Do you have any leftovers?" Lin Feng asked.
Chen Qing pointed to the corner. "There are some leftover buns in that basin. If you want them take them."
Lin Fengs eyes lit up. He ran over to the basin.. When he looked inside he was shocked.
The "basin" was Blackies dog bowl.
Inside were two white fluffy buns.. Next to the buns was a half-eaten piece of meat that glowed with a faint golden light.
"You... You want us to eat dog food?" Lin Feng shouted, feeling humiliated.
"Lin Feng!" Su Ye pulled him back. She looked closely at the buns in the dog bowl. They smelled good. Much better than the high-end bakery bread she bought in Paris.
"It's not dog food " Chen Qing said, writing a character on the paper. "Blackie just has an appetite. Those buns are made from Spirit Wheat. Eating one will cure ailments. Eating two will prolong life by a year."
The crew stared at him. Is this guy crazy? Prolong life?
"Hes making fun of us " Lin Feng sneered. He kicked the basin. "Who wants your dirty—"
Grrr.
A low growl came from Blackie.
Blackie slowly stood up from the bushes. It was the size of a lion. Its golden eyes locked onto Lin Feng's leg. Lin Feng was really scared.
"Blackie, sit " Chen Qing said.
The wolf sat down immediately.
"If you don't want it leave " Chen Qing said.
Su Ye, driven by an instinct reached out. "I... I'll buy it."
"Su Ye! That's in a dog bowl!" Director Wang shouted.
Su Ye ignored him. She took a bun wiped off a speck of dust and took a bite.
Boom.
Her eyes widened. A warm feeling exploded in her mouth. She felt really good. The fatigue from the hike, the cold, from the night and even her chronic period cramps—everything went away. She felt like she was floating in a cloud.
"Oh my god " Su Ye said, a flush of color returning to her cheeks.
"It's... It's delicious " she mumbled, stuffing the rest of the bun into her mouth.
The livestream chat went silent again.
* "Did the Ice Queen just eat dog food?"
* "Look at her face! She looks glowing!"
* "I don't care if its dog food that bun looks so soft!"