Immortal Travel of Longevity

The polite manager led Ruyi into the backyard of the Wine Tavern.

The courtyard was filled with pleasant flowers, their fragrance thick in the air.

However, the plants grew in a chaotic jumble. Aside from the scent, there was no aesthetic appeal to them at all.

Tang Yuerong had visited this place many times, yet this was her first time seeing this dim, shadowy area and its overgrown vegetation.

"Ruyi the Spear Immortal, please come this way."

The manager guided Ruyi through the wild plants. They walked down a narrow path and soon came upon a stone well.

The three of them came to a halt before it.

Ruyi paused and raised an eyebrow. "Is the person you want me to meet some rat hiding in a dry well? If so, I'm not interested."

"The Spear Immortal jests. This is merely a secret passage."

"Let's go."

After descending into the well, they saw the bottom branch out into several tunnels leading in all directions. The paths interconnected like a massive spiderweb.

Tang Yuerong stared in astonishment, murmuring, "Just how was this built..."

After all, this was Shangjing City!

Even the slightest disturbance could alert countless people, let alone the excavation of such a sprawling network of secret tunnels right beneath their feet.

The manager explained, "Miss Tang misunderstands. This secret passage was built in the old years by the palace Shadow Guards of the Jing dynasty. It was constructed as a precaution against sudden emergencies. The passage begins in the imperial palace and leads straight out of the city. However, after the fall of Jing, very few people knew of its existence."

"I see."

Tang Yuerong understood now. She had wondered how this group could possibly dig such a tunnel right under everyone's noses. It turned out they were simply enjoying the shade of trees planted by their predecessors.

"This way."

The manager led the way, guiding the two of them through the subterranean maze.

A single lamp illuminated the deep, narrow secret passage.

It evoked an inexplicable sense of unease.

As they walked, Tang Yuerong suddenly halted.

"Crack."

The sharp sound of something splintering echoed out.

She looked down, only to see a skeleton at her feet. What she had just crushed were a few ribs.

Tang Yuerong's expression instantly changed, her face turning pale.

Seeing this, the manager quickly apologized. "My apologies for startling Miss Tang. I forgot to mention it, but there are indeed some skeletons left behind in this passage. They have never been cleared out."

Ruyi stepped forward and took Tang Yuerong's hand, offering her a bit of silent comfort.

Then she asked, "These bones look like they've been here for a long time. Was this your doing?"

The manager shook his head. "These skeletons were already here when we discovered this place. We did some investigating afterward, and we can essentially confirm that these people were inner palace guards from the Jing dynasty. They might have been left behind here when Emperor Jing fled Shangjing City."

"Do you know how they died?"

"It should have been from miasma."

"Oh?"

The manager explained, "This secret passage hasn't seen the light of day for years, so it was inevitable for miasma to breed. When we first discovered this place, we actually lost a few good men to it. However, the miasma issue has long since been resolved. We connected the passage to several dry wells in Shangjing City to maintain ventilation."

They continued forward for an unknown amount of time. The poor lighting underground and the inability to see the path ahead gave off a constant sense of disorientation.

Gradually, a faint light appeared in the distance.

"We're almost there."

When they finally stepped out of the tunnel...

Ruyi and Tang Yuerong realized they had arrived in a valley.

In other words, they were already outside the city.

Tang Yuerong raised an eyebrow. "Where is this?"

The manager just smiled, offering no explanation.

"After you."

Ruyi gazed into the distance and spotted a small cabin at the bottom of the valley.

Numerous flowers and plants were grown outside the cabin. A waterwheel drew from a mountain stream, splashing as it turned. Copper chimes hung by the door, clinking and chiming whenever the wind blew.

"Cough, cough..."

An old man with pale white hair sat on a chair in front of the wooden cabin.

His eyes were completely white as he sat there, listening to the surrounding sounds and smelling the fragrant air.

This old man was currently completely enshrouded in an aura of death.

Which also meant his time was fast approaching.

The manager remained outside, casually gesturing for Ruyi and Tang Yuerong to go over.

Ruyi felt a bit uneasy, so she asked Tang Yuerong to stay back and not follow her in for now.

Although the old man looked like he had one foot in the grave, she could sense that he was definitely not someone to be trifled with.

Ruyi walked over and stood before the white-haired old man, studying him for a moment.

He was blind?

The old man raised his head, his hollow eyes meeting Ruyi's gaze.

Ruyi paused before asking, "Senior was looking for me?"

The old man let out a breath and nodded. "Indeed."

Ruyi scrutinized him, frowning. "But this junior doesn't seem to know you, right?"

The old man coughed. "I know your younger brother. He was the one who told me to find you."

"Ping'an?"

Ruyi froze for a second. Recalling the letters Ping'an had sent her, she suddenly realized who he was. "It's you! The Blind Man from Ping'an's letters?"

The old man chuckled and nodded. "It is I."

Only then did Ruyi lower her guard slightly. "Ping'an wrote to me saying you've helped him a lot over the years. However, shouldn't you be at Nanbeilou? Why did you come all the way to Shangjing City?"

"Nanbeilou has been rather restless lately. I came here to enjoy some peace and quiet."

"Restless?"

Upon hearing this, Ruyi couldn't help but feel worried.

The blind old man then said, "Although it's a bit turbulent, you can rest assured. The Tower Master can handle it; otherwise, I wouldn't have come here with peace of mind."

Ruyi pursed her lips and asked, "So Ping'an asked you to find me? Why go to such great lengths?"

The old man shook his head. "He wasn't the one looking for you. I am."

"Huh?"

"To be exact, I am looking for Mister Chen."

Ruyi's brow furrowed. "You're looking for Uncle Chen?"

The old man nodded. "The Tower Master has no way of contacting Mister Chen, and I cannot find him either. However, if it's you, you might be able to let me see him. That was what the Tower Master told me, so I came. By all rights, I should have been the one to go see you. It's just that the world has been too chaotic lately, and my old bones are failing day by day. Making the trip south would be difficult, so I could only invite you over."

Ruyi subsequently asked for his reason for seeking out Uncle Chen.

The blind man fell silent for a moment before saying, "I can already feel that my time is running out, so I want to ask a few things of him."

Ruyi shook her head. "I'm afraid I have to disappoint you. I don't know where Uncle Chen is either."

The blind man gave a slight nod. "I understand, naturally. Therefore, I only wish that if you do see him, you can pass on a message for me. Since he has descended to the Mortal World, he might seek you out, but he certainly wouldn't visit the Tower Master, much less me."

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