Most people in the mountain village weren't very hopeful about Shen A Niu's chances of survival. Still, one person remained determined to find a solution.

"Paoshan" is a rural slang term meaning "going to the mountains to make a living."

When Lin Hai wasn't farming, he'd go into the mountains with an axe, chop firewood, sell it in the town below, and earn a few coins to buy essentials like oil, salt, and thread.

The mountain village was remote and isolated, relying mainly on travelers passing by the nearby official road for outside contact. Occasionally, these travelers would stay overnight, or one of the two peddlers who traveled between villages and towns would visit.

Because of his travels and the people he'd met, Lin Hai was considered "knowledgeable" by the villagers.

He couldn't accept his friend Shen A Niu's illness.

Knowing medicinal herbs were hard to find, Lin Hai asked the doctor about their appearances and habits. Learning that Yunzhong Mountain had many, he spent whole days searching the mountain, leaving the fields somewhat neglected.

The villagers remained skeptical of his efforts.

"The medicinal herbs are so hard to find, and even if he does, can A Niu survive until then?" they'd say, shaking their heads in resignation.

Yet Lin Hai persisted, tirelessly searching the mountains.

One day, as villagers worked and chatted at the village entrance, Lin Hai returned, appearing almost to float.

"What's up, Haizi? Did you strike it rich or find a wife?" teased an elder with a smile.

"I found medicine! A Niu can be saved!"

Lin Hai's announcement stirred excitement among the villagers: "Did you find everything?"

"There's no time to explain now. I'll take the medicine to Doctor Zhang and tell you more when I return." With that, he led his yellow dog down the mountain.

Doctor Zhang's practice was far, requiring a walk to the official road, through the town below, and finally to Lijia Village.

Doctor Zhang processed the medicinal materials and instructed Lin Hai to brew a few doses for Shen A Niu. After A Niu began taking the medicine, his condition improved significantly.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Lin Hai left the extra herbs with the doctor, who was always short on supplies, much to Doctor Zhang's delight.

News of Lin Hai's herbal acquisition spread.

This lucky young man received a gift from a fairy!

Simultaneously, stories of a real immortal on Xianqi Cliff began circulating among the villagers.

Regarding the immortals themselves, the simple mountain people didn't dwell on it. Their thinking was as straightforward as mountain life: immortals are immortals, and having them is a blessing.

Lin Hai often visited Shen A Niu, tending to him. Seeing his friend's daily improvement filled Lin Hai with genuine happiness and gratitude to "Fang Immortal."

With Shen A Niu's health improving, relieved villagers often visited.

One day, while Lin Hai was caring for A Niu, a young boy, Lin Ergou, from next door came in:

"Brother A Niu, my mom sent two eggs for you."

Ergou's name was plainly given by his family. Though not as elegant as Lin Hai's, it was practical, hinting at his older brother, Lin Gouzi.

A Niu felt awkward refusing from his bed, but Lin Hai accepted them: "Thank you, Ergou, and thank your mom for us... Hey, why are you leaving so quickly? Off to play down the mountain?"

"No, Brother Haizi," Lin Ergou paused, "you might not know yet, but something happened to the stream."

"What happened?"

"It's dried up."

Hearing this, Lin Hai quickly stored the eggs, spoke to A Niu, and took Ergou to the stream outside the village.

The "Xi" in Linxi Village's name referred to this stream.

The person who named Lin Hai in the village was considered "learned" by the villagers. He once suspected the village's actual name was "Linxi Village," but when ancestors registered it in the county, a typo might have occurred, though this was long untestable, leaving him with regret.

Reaching the stream, Lin Hai saw it had dried, exposing patches of pebbles. Under the sun, the water-soaked stones began to whiten.

"How did this happen?"

Lin Hai asked Ergou, learning the incident was sudden.

Those washing by the stream first noticed the issue. The water level dropped, then became foul, prompting them to retrieve their clothes.

With surprise and uncertainty, the stream ceased flowing before their eyes.

For Linxi Village, this was dire news.

The stream was the villagers' primary water source, used for cooking, drinking, washing, and livestock. Most critically, the terraced fields at the mountain's base relied on it for irrigation.

Without water, people and animals could still trek miles to fetch it from rivers. But without irrigation, seedlings would die, resulting in crop failure.

Concerned, the villagers spontaneously organized a group to trace the stream upstream.

At the source, they found the spring dry, with no water dripping from the outlet, revealing a stone cave of unknown depth. Faced with this, the villagers were dismayed.

The scouts' news plunged the village into despair.

Arriving with Ergou, Lin Hai found most villagers gathered, discussing the crisis. Some even considered relocating or fleeing famine in the face of this natural disaster.

Heavy-hearted, he left Ergou and returned to Shen A Niu's home.

Discussing the issue with A Niu left them both silent and contemplative.

"Let's not dwell on it. I'll brew your medicine first. Doctor Zhang said after the last dose, you can resume work after a day's rest. The water in the tank is still full; there will always be a way," Lin Hai sighed, knowing life must go on.

From his bed, Shen A Niu suddenly stopped Lin Hai:

"Haizi, you got this medicine from a fairy. Do you think the fairy... might have a solution?"

Hearing this, Lin Hai remained silent, starting the stove, carefully extracting the herbs from the paper bag, placing them in jars, and adding water to boil.

The water bubbled, and the dense mist filled the small courtyard with a medicinal fragrance.

The flames cast shadows on Lin Hai's face.

Clenching his teeth, he made a decision.

For Shen A Niu's life and death, he could seek Fang Immortal's help. Now, with the entire village's fate at stake, why not take the risk?

Approaching the bed with the medicine, Lin Hai said to Shen A Niu, "I'll ask the immortal. If we fail, we can only relocate or flee famine."

Hearing this, Shen A Niu sat up from the bed, looked at Lin Hai, and after a few breaths, realized his presence wouldn't help much. He sighed, lay back down, and told his friend:

"Be safe..."

...

Climbing to the fairy's cliff from the side, Lin Hai was full of apprehension. He worried about offending Fang Xianchang by arriving uninvited.

Seeing Fang Xianchang standing and smiling in his direction, seemingly expecting him, Lin Hai felt reassured and overjoyed.

He ran over quickly, not noticing the yellow dog accompanying him was being shooed down by the monkey spirit he'd seen before.

After Lin Hai's explanation, Fang Chang helped him stand upright and said, "Follow me." Then, with a glance at the drying pottery blanks, he led the woodcutter down the mountain.