Immortal Travel of Longevity

Chen Changsheng woke up feeling groggy.

The sky was already dark.

The hazy twilight had faded. Overhead, the bright moon cast its glow down upon him.

Chen Changsheng let out a breath, his mouth heavy with the taste of alcohol.

After a long while, his senses returned.

Looking down, he noticed a quilt draped over him.

Chen Changsheng paused for a moment. He carefully folded the quilt and gathered it in his arms.

Standing up, he glanced back at the small earthen mound.

Without a word, he headed toward the temple.

He didn't go inside. Instead, he channeled a wisp of Magical Power through the window, passing it into the little Daoist nun resting within.

Having returned the quilt, Chen Changsheng made his way down the mountain.

Wang Yingying followed him all the way to the temple gates.

When Chen Changsheng looked back, he could faintly make out her hiding figure.

Once Chen Changsheng stepped onto the path down the mountain...

Wang Yingying stopped following.

She watched carefully. Even as he vanished down the trail, she never called out to ask him to stay.

...

Not far from the foot of the mountain, the Peach Grove hung heavy with peaches.

Disciples of Qingxian Temple tended to the grove now, keeping it as orderly as it had been years ago.

Word among the temple disciples claimed the grove's former master had earned the favor of an immortal and ascended to the Immortal Realm to pursue Cultivation. Because their founder shared a karmic tie with this person, they had been ordered to maintain the grove.

Year after year passed. Flowers bloomed and withered, and the fruit ripened countless times, yet the former master had never returned.

Perhaps still feeling the lingering effects of the wine, Chen Changsheng reached out and plucked a peach to eat.

At the taste of the sweet, crisp fruit, his last traces of drunkenness vanished completely.

He couldn't help but think of Aqing. Her Peach Blossom Wine from those years ago had been wonderful. He had no idea where she was undergoing Cultivation now, or how she was doing. He only hoped she was safe and well.

Chen Changsheng sat beneath the night sky, eating his peach.

He wondered where he should go next.

There were still many people he needed to see.

After a moment of thought, he decided to head south.

Ruyi had gone to Qiuyue Fang; he didn't know how she had fared over the years.

He had heard that the girl named Dong Chiyu was staying by her side. Ruyi at least had some company now. It hadn't been easy for her.

...

Life in Qiuyue Fang continued as always.

The people farmed and wove in an orderly rhythm.

The rice paddies were lush and green, wafting the fragrant scent of the crop.

Babbling streams flowed from the mountains, merging into the West River before passing by thousands of homes.

Liuyun Temple flourished with incense offerings.

Although no Daoists underwent Cultivation there anymore, Physician Tong frequently held free medical clinics at the temple. He accepted no silver, only asking that patients light a stick of incense for the temple's deities.

People came and went in an endless stream. Most arrived seeking cures for difficult ailments, while others traveled from afar, drawn by the fame of the divine doctor. Over the years, Tong Zhihuan had treated many people.

Since he rarely accepted payment, most of the money offered was ultimately donated to Liuyun Temple as incense money.

The temple didn't decay and had no real use for such wealth, so Tong Zhihuan used the funds to purchase medicinal herbs. The rest he handed over to the settlement. As a result, new roads were paved and new bridges were built over the West River, drawing even more travelers.

Ruyi sat on a hillside, her spear planted upright beside her.

Next to her were two small earthen mounds.

After her mother passed away, she often came here to practice the spear for her to see.

Later, Uncle spent his days washing his face with tears, his health deteriorating by the day. Though he sought treatment from Physician Tong, the results were negligible. Physician Tong said it was an illness of the heart, difficult to cure. In the end, barely half a year later, Uncle followed her mother into the grave.

Her mother had said she liked it here, where it felt like spring all year round. It was peaceful, untouched by the flames of war. She wanted to be buried here, and Ruyi had honored her wish.

Ruyi had grown much quieter since her mother's passing.

Her only constant companion was her spear, along with the cat that chattered at her. Dong Chiyu visited occasionally, and most of the time she would just say, "Don't be too sad."

Dong Chiyu had nothing else to say. She was truly terrible at comforting people.

Ruyi had heard "Don't be too sad" eight hundred times by now!

Lihua yawned, watching Ruyi stare blankly at a flower pinched between her fingers.

It stood up and ambled over slowly.

Ruyi roused herself slightly and looked at Lihua.

Suddenly, Lihua opened its mouth and swallowed the flower in one bite.

"..."

Ruyi looked at Lihua helplessly.

Lihua spat a couple of times and said, "Tastes awful."

Ruyi gave a helpless smile and said, "Flowers are for looking at, not eating!"

Lihua curled its lip and said, "I saw you staring at that little flower for so long, I thought it was some kind of treasure."

Ruyi smiled, then rubbed Lihua's head.

"How are you so silly?"

"You're the silly one."

Lihua snapped back fiercely.

Ruyi propped up her chin and said, "You actually look funny when you try to be fierce."

"..."

Ruyi smiled and said, "I won't tease you anymore."

"Speaking of which, these past few years have been quite peaceful. Do you ever get bored, Lihua?"

Lihua blinked and said, "Why would I be bored? I'm incredibly busy every single night."

"That's true..."

Ruyi also thought Lihua was quite capable.

...

Chen Changsheng walked along the mountain stream, seeing that Qiuyue Fang was not far away.

But as he walked, he suddenly sensed a familiar aura.

Looking over, he spotted a temple at the foot of a nearby mountain.

Chen Changsheng remembered this temple. It used to be a Mountain God Temple, but no Mountain God had ever taken residence there. It eventually fell into ruin, serving only as a resting stop for passing pedestrians and traveling merchants.

Now, however, the scent of incense drifted from within the temple.

Moreover, he could detect the scent of a certain Tabby Cat.

This couldn't help but pique Chen Changsheng's curiosity.

He then headed toward the temple.

Inside the temple, someone was offering incense, having brought along some fruits and food. After offering the incense, they placed the fruits and food together into a jar on the altar, slipping a piece of paper in alongside them.

"I pray Great Immortal Li manifests..."

Chen Changsheng froze. Looking up, he saw a divine statue of a civet cat inside the temple. It looked majestic and domineering, striking a very imposing figure.

This couldn't help but plunge Chen Changsheng into deep thought.

He wondered where exactly things had gone wrong. Had he stepped into the temple with the wrong foot?

Slowly recovering his wits, Chen Changsheng looked up again, finally confirming it.

This really was a statue of Lihua!

Seeing the worshipper turn to leave, Chen Changsheng quickly stopped him.

"Old sir, please wait a moment."

The man eyed him up and down and said, "We're both quite old. Why are you calling me 'old sir'?"

Chen Changsheng blinked and touched his own white beard, then said, "A slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue. This Chen simply has a few things he'd like to ask about."

He voiced the doubts in his mind.

The older man answered.

"You're asking about this temple of Great Immortal Li? Hah, you must be from out of town. Of course you wouldn't know. Our Great Immortal Li is incredibly effective!"

"Then may I ask what kind of wish you were praying for, brother?"

"You sure speak formally. What else would anyone ask of Great Immortal Li? Catching mice, of course!"

"Catching what?"

"Eh, old brother, you must be getting on in years. Your ears are going bad! Mice! Rats!"

"Ah..."

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