Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 2825: Settling In And A Humble Meal

Compared to the grandeur of the Grand Temple, Monk Hushuʼs courtyard was humble—a place that felt more like a home than a monument.

Lin Mu didnʼt mind at all and quickly settled in. Meng Bai, who was used to living with little, found the place peaceful and familiar. Daoist Chu, however, looked around with slight discomfort.

”Are you fine with me adding some things to my room?” he asked, eyeing the plain interior with mild dismay.

”Nothing inappropriate, though,” Monk Hushu warned without even looking up from his seat.

”Of course. Iʼll just add some furniture,” Daoist Chu assured. ”It looks a bit too empty with just a prayer mat and not even a bed.”

Monk Hushu gave a small nod of approval, and the group began to unpack and settle in. The mountain breeze carried the faint scent of incense from the peak above, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still.

Here, in this quiet sanctuary, Lin Mu could finally breathe.

The first thing he did after claiming a room was to walk out into the courtyard and sit down on the ground. He didnʼt care about the dirt beneath him at all—in fact, it just felt more natural.

Every inch of this land was filled with a serene aura that soothed the soul. Even the mundane soil, something most cultivators would never dream of sitting on, felt like the soft comfort of a velvet pillow.

Of course, this comfort was reserved only for those of pure heart and a mind capable of adapting.

Lin Mu closed his eyes and meditated.

He didnʼt cultivate, nor did he control any Qi.

It was all just his breath—and the sounds of nature around him.

Birds chirping in the distance. Wind rustling gently through mountain pines. The distant toll of a wooden chime. Each sound layered gently upon his consciousness, lulling him into a state of peace. He took this opportunity to digest his recent gains. Having ascended the Grand Peak and met the Abbot, Lin Mu felt as though he had been subtly purified. Stray thoughts that had once haunted his mind had vanished, and long-held doubts had simply ceased to be.

Relaxing like this felt like a true vacation for Lin Mu, and he easily spent the rest of the day basking in that stillness.

By the time he opened his eyes, it was already dusk.

Meng Bai came to call him.

”Come, they got food,” the boy said with a half-smile.

”Alright.” Lin Mu opened his eyes, a gentle smile resting on his face.

Meng Bai, seeing him like that, couldnʼt help but feel something was different. He couldnʼt quite put his finger on it, but something about Lin Mu had changed.

ʼIs this due to him going up the mountain?ʼ Meng Bai wondered. ʼPerhaps I should try it tomorrow too.ʼ

The two walked into the main hall, where Daoist Chu and Monk Hushu were already seated.

A few junior monks had brought trays of food and were now bowing respectfully before departing.

”The food in our temple is humble and vegetarian,” one of them said softly. ”Please pardon us if it is not satisfying.”

”It is enough,” Lin Mu replied. He had no intentions of complaining, especially not when he was a guest.

”Amitabha,” the monks intoned in unison before retreating with practiced grace.

Laid out before them were five simple dishes each. At the center was a bowl of freshly steamed white rice, fluffy and fragrant. Beside it, a bowl of soft tofu soup floated with bits of seaweed and a hint of fermented bean paste, its aroma comforting and subtle.

A bowl of vegetable congee followed—rice porridge with finely diced root vegetables like lotus root, carrot, and daikon, cooked until everything had become one warm, nourishing blend.

Then there was a plate of stir-fried leafy greens—likely mustard spinach—cooked lightly with sesame oil and garlic. The last was a platter of steamed vegetables: vibrant orange carrots, soft white radish, tender eggplant, and glistening sweet potatoes, their skins just barely wrinkled from the steam.

There were no spices, no oil-laden sauces, and certainly no meat or fish. Yet the ingredients were fresh, and there was a quiet dignity to the meal—each bite simple and grounding.

It was possibly the most austere meal they had eaten in a long time.

Meng Bai looked down at the spread with faint disappointment.

After all, they were used to Little Shrubbyʼs cooking—elaborate, flavorful meals that often defied culinary logic. Compared to that, this felt almost like peasant food.

SIGH.

”This is going to be hard to get used to,” Daoist Chu grumbled with a sigh, pushing a radish around his plate.

”If you wish, you can go down to the Lotus Prefecture and have normal meals,” Monk Hushu offered mildly. ”The meals here will be like this always.”

”Hmmm… Iʼll do that tomorrow, I suppose,” Daoist Chu muttered.

Lin Mu didnʼt complain. He quietly enjoyed the meal, appreciating its calm rhythm. There was something healing in its plainness. While it didnʼt offer complex flavors or excitement, a change in diet and pace was always good for the mind.

Having finished his simple meal, Lin Mu got up and released his spirit beasts.

One by one, Little Shrubby, Ashy, Xiao Yin, and Xiao Yang emerged from his sleepscape, blinking as they adjusted to the mountain air.

He immediately gave them a strict rundown of how to behave while on temple grounds. He did not want any mishaps—or worse, any insults toward the temple or its members.

He nagged them for a full thirty minutes. By the end of it, Ashy looked more tired from the lecture than from an actual battle.

”We understand, Master. We wonʼt do anything while weʼre here,” Little Shrubby, ever the obedient one, promised.

”Yes, weʼll just go outside for that,” Xiao Yin added cheekily.

”Thereʼs a lot of places to see!” Xiao Yang chirped.

”And tons of bugs to eat!” Ashy said with a buzz of excitement.