Chapter Eight: In Good Spirits

After a long while, Liu Hongyu’s excessively agitated heart finally calmed, and he found himself filled with anticipation for the future.

A minor cold was nothing to worry about. He didn't even need a second dose of medicine; after drinking a single bowl that day and sweating it out under the covers, he felt perfectly healthy by the next morning. However, having nowhere else to go, Liu Hongyu remained temporarily at the Mu household.

The Mu family had no women; it consisted only of the elderly Mr. Mu and his grandson, Xiaowen. A disciple of the old man often visited during the day, but he was already married and had his own home. He had been away in the mountains gathering herbs when Liu Hongyu first arrived. As for Xiaowen's parents, the old man had simply said that two years prior, they had gone into the mountains together and perished in the jaws of wild beasts, saying nothing more on the matter.

The days that followed were anything but quiet. It wasn't that Liu Hongyu was causing trouble—he hadn't even had the chance—but rather, the people of the valley were restless. As an outsider, he was the subject of everyone’s conversation, and everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of him. Consequently, from the second day onward, there was a steady stream of people visiting the clinic, more interested in seeing him than in seeking medical attention.

Although Liu Hongyu had been confined to a psychiatric hospital for several years, he had been exposed to major social circles since childhood. Yet, these past two days nearly gave him social anxiety. He hadn't even managed to learn much about this place, yet everyone here wanted to learn about the outside world from him: who the emperor was, whether the world was still in chaos, how he had arrived, whether he had encountered beasts on the road, and some even asked about his marital status.

Many families also invited Liu Hongyu to dine. After going a few times, he stopped falling for it. True, every household was incredibly hospitable, serving fine wine and food, but the dinner table was a purgatory of interrogation. Not every ancient person understood the nuances of "soul-loss syndrome," and Liu Hongyu had to endure endless complex, and sometimes bizarre, questions. The curiosity of these "ancients" was no less intense than that of people from the future.

What was crucial was that the speech of the "ancients" took Liu Hongyu quite a while to adapt to. Some were overly formal, others spoke in riddles, and whenever an unfamiliar phrase popped up, his classical Chinese knowledge had to work overtime. When answering, he had to try his best to mimic their internal logic, which was mentally exhausting. Eventually, he declined all invitations to dine out, spending a couple of days in self-imposed seclusion. Fortunately, under this high-intensity training, Liu Hongyu was rapidly adapting to ancient life. Unlike his time in the psychiatric ward, he was filled with curiosity about everything here, bursting with surprising vitality as he tried to understand the Hidden Immortal Valley in his own way.

***

Early one morning, Liu Hongyu accompanied Mu Hongwen to the only schoolhouse in the Hidden Immortal Valley. Though he had been here for only six or seven days, he had formed his own understanding of the place. The environment of the valley was exceptionally blessed; even with his limited scholarship, he could certainly call it a place favored by heaven and earth.

While he hadn't had time to learn about everyone, one thing was clear: the valley's prestige rested on two pillars—the physician and the scholar. The physician, referring to the Mu family, represented the valley's vitality; as they saved lives and treated illnesses, they held a transcendent status. The scholar, located at the schoolhouse, represented the inheritance of knowledge, logic, rules, and etiquette—the very essence of being human. This was the conclusion Liu Hongyu had reached after asking around and reflecting.

Because of this, even a lifelong farmer in the valley might be literate. While there were certainly some who couldn't recognize a single character, the number of those who could read and write was remarkably high—perhaps even over half! Liu Hongyu remembered his father telling him as a child that knowledge was the shortcut to wealth and status, and that in the old days, those with power and prestige were all learned. Ordinary people didn't lack the desire to learn, but the opportunity; literacy was a one-in-a-thousand luxury. Even the China that rose to overthrow the old regime centuries later had been largely illiterate—perhaps even less advanced than this ancient mountain valley.

Coupled with his natural bias toward the Hidden Immortal Valley, Liu Hongyu held the teacher in great awe. If an "immortal master" truly existed, the physician and the scholar were the most likely to hold the key information. Mr. Mu was certainly a brilliant physician with a sage-like aura, but since he lived in the Mu house and saw the old man every day, he had plenty of time to learn more. The scholar, Master Zhuang, however, was someone he had yet to meet.

As he approached the schoolhouse with Mu Hongwen, Liu Hongyu felt nervous. Would this man, a repository of wisdom and profound learning, see right through him? How should he respond?

"Hey, why are you walking slower and slower? I'm going to be late, and it won't be you who gets hit by the ruler! I'm not waiting for you!" Mu Hongwen complained, quickening his pace.

"Uh, right!" Liu Hongyu wasn't annoyed by the child's scolding and hurried to keep up.

Along the way, many villagers greeted them, others watched from afar, and some even invited him to sit for a while. By now, Liu Hongyu understood that this wasn't because he was handsome, nor was this the old Zhonghai City where everyone fawned over the young master of the Liu family. People were simply curious about the special outsider, and it was the inherent warmth and kindness of this place that made him the focus.

The number of children grew, boys and girls, tall and short; it was clear that the valley did not discourage girls from attending school. Without exception, they all looked at Liu Hongyu with curiosity. Some bold ones greeted him, but most just stared.

"Uh, Xiaowen, is your teacher... fierce?" Liu Hongyu asked, seeing the schoolhouse in the distance.

"Fierce? No... that's not the word. The teacher is strict!"

As soon as he finished, some nearby students began to jeer. "Oh! Mu Hongwen is criticizing the teacher behind his back!" "Haha, I heard it too!" "Oh, oh! Xiaowen is badmouthing the teacher; I'm going to tell!"

"Don't! I didn't say that! I didn't!"

The group of children chased each other toward the schoolhouse, and Liu Hongyu had to pick up his pace again. When they reached the Ningxin School, the boisterous children suddenly fell silent, for Zhuang Lin was standing right there.

"Good morning, Teacher!" The children bowed and greeted him before rushing into the classroom. Though many had been teasing earlier, not one of them "exposed" Mu Hongwen.

Zhuang Lin nodded to the children one by one, finally shifting his gaze to where the students had arrived. About five paces away, Liu Hongyu stood, looking quite constrained. Despite his nerves, he observed the teacher. Zhuang Lin was upright with a slender frame, dressed in a simple, well-fitted robe that didn't appear bulky even in early spring. His expression was serene, his gaze calm. Though he looked quite young, for some reason, when Liu Hongyu met his eyes, he felt like a child facing a teacher. Instinctively, this was an aura that transcended visual perception—perhaps the natural presence of a wise man.

Zhuang Lin was actually a bit nervous himself, but he was observing the "patient" from an objective perspective. He had a nose and two eyes just like anyone else, and he looked quite anxious. When the person you are facing is more nervous than you, you naturally feel more relaxed. Zhuang Lin smiled and bowed to Liu Hongyu with cupped hands.

"You must be the young Master Liu who wandered into our valley. I have heard Master Tingwen speak of you, but hearing that you did not wish to be disturbed, I did not go to the clinic to join the crowd. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Zhuang Lin."

*Master Tingwen?* Liu Hongyu paused for a moment before realizing that was Mr. Mu’s courtesy name. He hurriedly returned the bow. "I am Liu Hongyu, greetings, Master Zhuang!"

He bowed deeply, signaling his respect. "Master Zhuang, I have many questions I would like to ask of you."

Zhuang Lin nodded, gesturing with his hand. "Young Master Liu is too polite. Come, let us walk together. Please!"

Liu Hongyu walked forward, but in his nervousness, he instinctively reached out to shake Zhuang Lin’s hand. Zhuang Lin looked at the hand with confusion. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Uh, nothing, nothing at all. Please, Master..." Liu Hongyu’s face flushed red, and he wished he could slap himself. Fortunately, Master Zhuang didn't ask further and turned toward the classroom, with Liu Hongyu following closely.

Liu Hongyu worried that his strange behavior had made the teacher suspicious, as Zhuang Lin would glance at him from time to time. He could only pretend to be indifferent, not daring to meet his eyes. Although Zhuang Lin hadn't met Liu Hongyu directly, the young man had become a hot topic in the valley, and Zhuang Lin knew quite a bit. Since arriving, the young master of the Liu family had stopped crying and throwing tantrums; he had become reasonable, learned to cherish his health, stopped being picky about food, and possessed a strong thirst for knowledge and diligence in his studies. It was as if the current Liu Hongyu was a completely different person from the severely ill, spoiled, and arrogant young master he had been told about. At this rate, he could easily pass a top university entrance exam after a few years of study.

Originally, the plan had been for him to stay in this "ancient" setting for a long time, only stabilizing after being tempered by reality. It seemed the young master’s mental illness truly had a strong chance of recovery!

***

At the same time, in Zhonghai City, Liu Shihao sat back against his cushions, weary, as he listened to his subordinate’s report.

"The young master is very well-adapted to life there. His mental state is excellent, his thinking is agile, and he has learned to be flexible. Even Mr. Mu has acknowledged this. Boss, the plan is half-successful!"

"Hmm..." Liu Shihao responded, slowly closing his eyes. The subordinate stood silently by the bed.

"You may leave..."

"Yes, Boss. Call me if you need anything!"

The subordinate retreated cautiously. "Wait..."

The subordinate paused and turned back toward the bed. Liu Shihao had opened his eyes.

"Ensure that the contingency plans are foolproof!"

"Rest assured, I am overseeing them personally. There will be no mistakes!"

Liu Shihao nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand. The subordinate backed out of the room step by step. As he glanced outside, the nurse was pushing a food cart into the room, carrying not just breakfast, but also medicine and syringes.