Immortal Travel of Longevity

He likely felt it was simply too unpleasant to linger in such an empty place.

At noon, Chen Changsheng fed his horse some forage and headed out.

Fortunately, the tea house was still open.

It was the very same tea house where he had once told stories.

The shopkeeper busily flicked his counting rods, passing the idle time.

Most of the patrons sitting in the tea house were soldiers chatting among themselves. The stage, however, sat bare and covered in dust, looking as though no one had told a story or sung an opera there for a very long time.

Even the waiter, who should have been busy, leaned against a pillar, dozing off.

All in all, business was dismal.

With the world in chaos, fewer people had the leisure to drink tea.

Seeing someone walk in, he didn't even raise his head as he called out, "Niu Xiao, attend to the guest!"

The dozing waiter jerked awake with a start and hurriedly called back, "Coming!"

He swayed a little as he walked, only just shaking off his sleep.

Seeing that the newcomer was well-dressed and carried himself with an imposing air, the waiter instantly perked up.

"Please come inside, sir."

Chen Changsheng followed the waiter into the tea house and took a seat.

He ordered a cup of tea and a bowl of beans, settling in to chat idly with the waiter.

"Your name is Niu Xiao?"

"Yes, sir."

"Why take on such a... stage name?"

"It's like this, sir. There's a trick to the names we go by. Waiters in our tea house always need a catchy name. Otherwise, if it's hard to pronounce, customers will just yell 'waiter' and never remember us. We have to be memorable so folks feel a sense of familiarity, which makes them more likely to return."

"Is that so..."

The waiter smiled and nodded.

Naturally, he wouldn't mention that his own shopkeeper used to be a waiter here as well, taking the name Niu Da back then.

Chen Changsheng said, "Your tea house's business seems a bit dismal."

The waiter sighed. "Alas, it's just the times. Who has the leisure to come drink tea anymore?"

"If it were me, I wouldn't come back after my first visit either. Just look at your tea house—no storytellers, no opera singers, and the atmosphere is so gloomy. Why would anyone come a second time?"

"You speak the truth, sir."

The waiter wasn't offended. He just laughed and said, "But don't be fooled by how things look now. In past years, our tea house was easily this."

The waiter gave a thumbs-up.

"How so?"

The waiter promptly began recounting the tea house's history.

"That's quite a tale. It traces all the way back to the time of the Grand Ancestor. Back then, our tea house's business wasn't that great either..."

"Until a new storyteller arrived."

The waiter chattered on endlessly.

Chen Changsheng couldn't help but smile wryly as he listened. Throughout the story, he repeatedly heard the names 'Mister Chen' and 'Chen Jiucha'. It sounded as though the tea house's prosperity was inextricably linked to him.

"This 'Mister Chen' was truly extraordinary. A single telling of 'Strange Tales' made our tea house famous across the land. He later taught two apprentices: one known as Mister Cao, and the other called Master Jin San. Mister Cao told the stories, and Master Jin San wrote them down. After leaving the tea house, they became famous even in Shangjing! Master Jin San later penned 'Strange Tales from the Mountains and Wilds,' which became known to everyone under heaven. Have you ever read it, sir?"

Chen Changsheng paused for a moment before nodding with a smile. "I've read a bit of it."

In his earlier years, he had read some of the stories in the letters Master Jin San sent back. Their literary merit was not low.

The waiter continued to boast about how bustling the tea house used to be.

But even that couldn't cover up its desolate state today.

The waiter said, "The current bleakness is only temporary. Sooner or later, our tea house will regain its former glory."

Chen Changsheng remarked, "It's a pity you aren't a storyteller."

The waiter paused at that, then laughed. "I'm still a bit lacking for that, just a bit."

Chen Changsheng asked, "With all you've said, the tea house boomed because of the storytelling. But looking at that stage, it's covered in dust, as if no one has stood on it for a long time. Is there no one telling stories anymore?"

The waiter opened his mouth, then let out a sigh. "There was someone before. Mister Cao took in a final disciple—this was quite a few years ago. But that person eventually ran off. We found other storytellers, but their foundational skills just weren't up to par, and we were afraid they would ruin our reputation. Later, the shopkeeper went looking for people outside. He even sent invitations all the way to Shangjing City, but no one dared to come."

"They probably felt they couldn't command this stage."

The waiter sighed softly and nodded. "Exactly. When it came to storytelling, Mister Cao was a true master. For hundreds of years, no one had reached his heights. Who would dare take over? The most hateful one was that snobbish disciple of his. Blinded by money, he ran off the moment Mister Cao passed away."

Hearing this, Chen Changsheng lowered his head and took a sip of tea.

He asked, "How many years has Mister Cao been gone?"

The waiter hesitated, shaking his head. "I came here late. I only heard these things from the older waiters, so... I'm not entirely sure. It's been about ten years or so, at any rate."

"It's been that long..."

Chen Changsheng lifted his head, his gaze drifting toward a certain direction.

"Yeah..."

The waiter noticed that he hadn't spoken for a while and was staring at something.

He followed Chen Changsheng's gaze, only to find the upper floor completely empty. There was nothing there.

"Sir, are you looking at..."

Chen Changsheng turned back. "Let's change seats. I'll go sit upstairs."

"Ah..."

The waiter said, "The tables and chairs upstairs... aren't very clean..."

"It's fine. They just need a wipe."

Ignoring the waiter, Chen Changsheng stood up and headed upstairs.

The waiter hurried to grab a rag and chased after him.

"Sir, sir, I brought a rag! Let me wipe it clean first..."

"Sir, why did you sit down?"

The waiter was startled, but when he looked closer, he saw that the table and chairs where the man sat were as clean as new, standing out starkly among the dust-covered furniture on the upper floor.

He froze, utterly bewildered.

"When... when was this cleaned?"

The waiter couldn't recall ever wiping the tables and chairs here. The entire upper floor had been empty for ages.

Recovering his wits, he quickly said, "I'll go bring your tea up. Please wait a moment, sir."

Chen Changsheng nodded. After the waiter left, his gaze settled on the space in front of him.

Zhishu stood up and offered a respectful bow.

"Zhishu greets Mister Chen."

Chen Changsheng said, "Sit down and let's talk."

Zhishu nodded and took her seat.

Chen Changsheng asked, "Have you been here this whole time?"

Zhishu replied, "I have."

Chen Changsheng said, "You can't keep going on like this. Having entered the Way of Ghost Cultivation, the greatest taboo is letting your heart cling to the past. If those thoughts remain entrenched in your mind, nether energy will fester, and your consciousness will gradually slip away."

Zhishu lowered her head. She pursed her lips, not knowing how to defend herself.

Chen Changsheng sighed softly. He said nothing more, merely shaking his head.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!