CHAPTER 245: CHAPTER 245 SOAKING IN HOT SPRINGS

Daoist Jiu Zhen left with his disciples, Yan Hongxia left with a bundle of snacks.

Lu Zheng returned to his idle state, and having harvested nearly three hundred strands of Light of Fortune again, his already abundant reserves increased even more.

Even if there is no more income, once these strands of Light of Fortune are consumed, it’s estimated I could have over two hundred years of Dao Practice.

But thinking about it, after vanquishing so many demons and devils, and plucking so much wool from those around me, only to exchange for two hundred years of Dao Practice, it feels like the Jade Seal is not quite effective, right?

Jade Seal: "..."

"Forget it, forget it, I’ll make do. Jade Seal, give me a boost!"

"...Buzz!"

"Nice!" Lu Zheng exhaled, then his Great Circulation began to operate, digesting this latest enhancement.

"Thanks for the reward, Young Master Lu!"

The waiter shouted, and the storyteller on stage clasped his hands repeatedly to thank Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng: ⚆_⚆?

He waved his hand, took out a dozen Copper Coins from his money pouch, handed them to the approaching waiter, then leisurely sipped the tea he had just been poured.

The storyteller on the stage continued, narrating how the debilitated scholar accidentally arrived at a small roadside temple, casually lit some incense, then heard the sound of water behind the temple, followed the sound, and discovered a mountain hot spring, where three to five women were bathing in the temple’s mountain stream...

"Only to see those women, their beauty like flowers, skin like creamy fat, frolicking in the spring..."

"Gulp!"

"Gulp!"

A chorus of gulping sounds rose from the audience, Lu Zheng glanced over, several listeners had their eyes shining, expressions excited.

"And then? And then?"

"Hurry up! Hurry up!"

"Watch for the reward!"

Lu Zheng sighed, indeed, tales of romance are the secret to wealth everywhere.

After listening to the storyteller’s tale of "The Ill Scholar Meets the Female Immortal in the Mountain, Spending a Flirtatious Night at the Mountain God Temple," Lu Zheng left the Leping Building.

First, he inspected his family’s sugar shop and Sugar Workshop, then leisurely headed to Renxin Hall.

"Not many people today, huh?"

"Lu Lang." Liu Qingyan greeted him, "It’s good there aren’t many people."

"Exactly, exactly!" Lu Zheng nodded repeatedly, they were running a medical shop, not a restaurant.

Seeing Lu Zheng shaking a folded fan in one hand, fingering a bead bracelet in the other, walking leisurely in a figure-eight gait, Liu Qingyan found herself amused and irritated.

You say you are clearly a talented and hardworking person, why do you insist on pretending to be so lazy?

...

After wandering around Renxin Hall, Lu Zheng returned home, contemplating whether to cool off at Peach Blossom Plain in the afternoon, only to find Shen Ying already waiting for him at home.

"Lu Lang." Shen Ying stepped forward and grabbed Lu Zheng, "I found a good place in the Southeast Mountains, let me take you to see."

"What good place?"

"You’ll know once you go!"

So Lu Zheng informed Uncle Li, then followed Shen Ying out of Tonglin County, past Peach Blossom Plain, and headed southeast.

Peach Blossom Plain’s Southeast Mountains are mostly wilderness, rarely populated, with occasional paths appearing, though who made them and how many walk them is unclear.

"Ever since I escaped confinement, I’ve occasionally wandered around, just a few days ago I discovered this place." Shen Ying smiled, "Summer might be okay, but it’s a great leisure spot for winter."

"Winter... could it be..."

Speaking, the two already crossed several mountains to the place Shen Ying spoke of.

This was a Deep Valley in the mountains, misty tendrils enveloped the valley above, steaming fog floating with a faintly pungent mist, slowly drifting in Four Directions.

"Hot spring?"

"Indeed, it is a mountain hot spring." Shen Ying smiled, "Yesterday, I indulged for half an hour, it felt great."

The two entered the valley, Lu Zheng sensed a faint heat, completely different from the mountain’s cool.

Through the mist, he saw the valley was overflowing with vegetation, with geothermal hot springs nearby, the plants remained green all year round, never withering.

As they moved forward, the muddy ground turned to stone, ahead came rushing water sounds, growing louder.

Soon, several hot springs of various sizes appeared in Lu Zheng’s view.

Shen Ying said, "I checked, there are quite a few hot springs in this valley, they gush from underground, eventually converging on a stream five miles south."

Lu Zheng nodded, the hot springs before them, the large ones spanning over ten feet, the smaller ones a yard wide, surface calm and peaceful, but underwater flows exchanged constantly, fresh water stirred with steaming mist, with little dust and leaves, clean indeed.

"How about it?"

"Great place!" Lu Zheng nodded, "And it’s truly natural!"

"Hehe, Lu Lang is a joker, of course hot springs are natural, or else they’d be a bathhouse?"

Shen Ying giggled, then without a hand movement or a body shake, her pink silk dress gently slipped off.

Then, under Lu Zheng’s gaze, she seemed like a mermaid, gracefully sliding into the smallest hot spring ahead.

Warm water engulfing her, Shen Ying softly moaned, "Oh~~~"

...

"It’s better to come in winter, summer is still a bit hot." Lu Zheng wiped the sweat from his brow.

Shen Ying continued, chuckling, "Is that sweat from the hot spring?"

Lu Zheng nodded earnestly, "Of course, aren’t you sweating?"

Shen Ying bit her lip, breathing heavier, "Perfect for a bath, sweating more isn’t a problem either."

...

Lu Zheng leaned at the hot spring edge, only leaving his head out.

Shen Ying gathered her hair up, leaned beside Lu Zheng, resting her head on his arm.

...

"Hehe!"

"Oh, you’re stepping on my dress!"

"Then wash it together!"

"No, no, if you wash the clothes, what do I wear?"

"Oh, that would be..."

"Nothing at all!"

"Hahaha!"

"Hehehe!"

"Big sister, big sister, look at her, look at third sister bullying me!"

Laughter echoed into Lu Zheng and Shen Ying’s ears.

"Is there an owner here?" Lu Zheng asked.

"Five miles around is uninhabited, where could an owner come from." Shen Ying shook her head, "Probably nearby mountain spirits and tree demons."

Their voices were audible, without deliberately lowering them, so the newcomers clearly heard the dialogue as well and they immediately quieted down.

Light footsteps approached, several graceful silhouettes passed through the valley mist, appearing before them.

Enchantingly slender, willow-like elegance, bright eyes, a playful glance.

Some were dignified and graceful, others had tempting eyes, some were sprightly, some were quiet and gentle.

Altogether five women, each distinctive, but they shared one trait - all were as beautiful as flowers, scoring above ninety points.