The young man stopped what he was doing, turned to glance at them, paying particular attention to the gun holsters on their waists, and replied irrelevantly, “It’s inconvenient to enter the mountains at night. You two should be careful. There’s a strange tiger at the summit—don’t get close. If you accidentally provoke it, run immediately. It won’t give chase.”

Ethan Thompson asked, “Is your surname Qin, young man?”

The youth answered casually, “William Foster.”

Ethan Thompson introduced himself again, then continued, “My brother and I have come into the mountains seeking immortals. We heard a woodsman singing a song, which was quite meaningful. They say it was composed by Brother Foster?”

“Oh, I heard a wandering Taoist sing it years ago. It has nothing to do with me.”

“……” Olivia Thompson had long thought that this youth, who looked about the same age as himself, couldn’t possibly be some lofty sage. Upon hearing this, he simply said, “Sorry to bother you,” and was about to head up the mountain.

But Ethan Thompson suddenly said, “Judging by Brother Foster’s appearance, are you an apothecary? Do you have any antidotes? We’d like to buy a few.”

Olivia Thompson looked at his elder brother in surprise. They were already well-prepared—why buy more medicine now?

“Not all kinds—one pill cures all.” William Foster casually tossed over a cloth pouch. “There are two pills inside. Ten taels of silver.”

Olivia Thompson took the pouch, looked at the two pills inside that resembled red dates, and scoffed, “There’s no such thing as a panacea. What kind of pill is this?”

His voice was crisp, and with that mocking laugh, the aura of heroic resolve he’d shown earlier was somewhat softened, giving him a touch of youthful charm.

William Foster stared at him for a while, then suddenly grinned. “This is called ‘eat a date, you’re done for.’”

Chapter Two: Refusing Immortality

What the heck is ‘eat a date, you’re done for’? And how could there be a panacea? Are they running into a swindler?

Olivia Thompson looked indignant and was about to say something, but Ethan Thompson waved him off, handed over the silver, and said, “My brother and I have come into the mountains seeking immortals, but we don’t have much time to spare. Since you live here and know the area well, would you be willing to guide us up the mountain? We’ll pay you handsomely.”

“No.” William Foster lazily stood up and turned to walk into the house. “What’s the point of seeking immortals? Eat well, sleep well, live without worries—that’s as good as being an immortal.”

The young Olivia Thompson shouted angrily, “Hey! What’s with your attitude!”

But William Foster had already gone inside.

Olivia Thompson, fuming, was about to dismount, but his elder brother pulled him back. “Don’t be rash.”

“Why are you being so polite to him? He’s clearly a swindler—there’s no such thing as a panacea!”

Ethan Thompson rode off, saying, “According to Li Liu’s report, quite a few people have been poisoned in the mountains recently, but a Foster family youth in the village cured them all with a single pill. He’s probably familiar with the unique miasmas in these mountains and has made a targeted remedy. It’s likely more effective than what we brought ourselves. Besides, after meeting him, don’t you think there’s something special about that youth?”

“He’s probably just putting on airs, with the villagers helping him create an atmosphere to aid his scams.”

Ethan Thompson couldn’t help but laugh.

Olivia Thompson quickly caught up to his brother and asked, “If you think he’s useful, why didn’t you insist on hiring him as a guide?”

Ethan Thompson smiled faintly. “No rush… A guide just leads the way, but can he really lead you to an immortal?”

Olivia Thompson was momentarily stunned.

Obviously not.

They weren’t here to climb the mountain for the sunrise, but to seek immortals. The mountain wasn’t that big, and the so-called rumors of immortal fate had been around for who knows how many years—every inch had been explored. So there was no real destination, and naturally no correct route. They were just trying their luck, so why would they need a guide?

Olivia Thompson felt a bit discouraged, his once-straight shoulders drooping slightly. “So, in the end, you’re like everyone else—you never really took this quest for immortality seriously…”

Ethan Thompson looked back at where they’d come from. “That William Foster, what he said at the end was rather interesting…”

“A country bumpkin, full of himself, spouting nonsense. I’ll stab a hole in him with my spear and see how carefree he is then.”

“Ha…”

Their voices faded into the distance. William Foster lay in the house with his hands behind his head, his wolf-tooth club resting by the bed. He could still faintly hear the brothers’ conversation. At the end, he chuckled, as if finding Olivia Thompson’s words amusing.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind: “What are you laughing at? Those two brothers seem quite skilled in martial arts—maybe they really could stab a hole in you.”

The voice reached straight to his soul. Who knew where it came from? In fact, it wasn’t really a voice at all, nor could you tell if it was male or female. It was as if the words formed directly in your mind—utterly bizarre. William Foster, however, seemed quite used to it and replied lazily, “I’m laughing because there really are girls in this world who disguise themselves as boys. Why do they think no one can tell?”

The voice paused for a moment, then said, “How do you know she’s a girl? Young men often don’t have prominent Adam’s apples, and a slightly sharp voice is normal.”

“Because you don’t have a nose, so you can’t smell her fragrance.”

“……”

“Besides, where do you find such a pretty boy? That little face is full of collagen, features like a painting, rosy lips and white teeth, all dressed up with a heroic air. That girlish vibe is obvious even with your eyes closed, you know? What, you think there’s a beauty filter or something…”

“What is collagen? And what the heck is a beauty filter?”

“…None of your business.”