Immortal Travel of Longevity

Ruyi propped her chin up and looked at the white-haired uncle sitting across from her. "Come to think of it, I rarely hear you talk about Cultivation. It was only from reading those books back then that I realized Uncle Chen is a true cultivator."

Chen Changsheng paused for a moment before smiling. "Cultivation is much like reading. The principles found in books are confined to those books, not external matters."

"Is that so?"

Ruyi nodded, as if she understood.

"I'm full."

Chen Changsheng went to settle the bill.

Then he walked Ruyi and Dong Chiyu back home.

"I'm going to see Master Jin San, and then I'll return to the temple. If you need anything, come find me on the mountain, or go look for Physician Tong, understand?"

Ruyi nodded, then asked, "Can I move into the temple?"

"Then I'll go with you, Uncle Chen!"

Dong Chiyu stepped forward. "I'll go too."

"Then pack your things. This Chen will come by in a bit."

"Got it."

Ruyi excitedly went to pack her clothes.

Chen Changsheng, meanwhile, left the courtyard to find Master Jin San.

Master Jin San had opened a bookstore here in Qiuyue Fang during his early years. The Jin Family had built its fortune in commerce and once possessed wealth rivaling a state. Though Master Jin San was not an expert businessman, he had picked up enough through sheer exposure. Once he had spare funds, he opened numerous shops, though most were located out of town rather than in Qingshan City.

To him, these shops would be his future footholds. One day, he planned to travel the world again. With these properties scattered about, he wouldn't have to sleep in the wilderness like he had in his youth.

Chen Changsheng found Master Jin San in the bookstore.

Master Jin San was already very old. When Chen Changsheng saw him, the old man was sitting in the shop, using a small hammer to massage his aching legs while an assistant kneaded his shoulders from behind.

Age had brought an ache to his entire body. The exhausting labor of his early years had left him with rheumatism, turning his old age into a daily torment.

"Hiss... Ow, ow, ow, a little more to this side..."

"Boss, is the pressure okay?"

"That's about right, yeah..."

Master Jin San let out a long sigh. "These old bones of mine really can't take it anymore. Back in the day, I could walk dozens of li without even catching my breath. Now, taking just two steps hurts like hell."

As he spoke, a voice drifted over.

"You ran around everywhere in your early years; you were bound to be left with some lingering ailments."

Master Jin San looked toward the voice. When he saw the newcomer, he froze.

"Mister Chen?!"

Master Jin San instantly recognized the old man before him.

He hoisted himself out of his chair and hurried over, ignoring his aching bones as he came to a stop before Chen Changsheng.

"Mister Chen, it really is you! How did you..."

Master Jin San hesitated, wanting to speak yet holding back. It seemed he wanted to ask why the Mister had grown so old in the blink of an eye.

In his impression, Mister Chen should have been an ageless Immortal.

Chen Changsheng said, "Only by growing old do I avoid frightening people, no?"

Realization dawned on Master Jin San. "Please, Mister, sit down!" he hurried to say. "Hey, lad, serve some tea! The good stuff! And fetch me a jar of fine wine while you're at it, quickly now."

The assistant paused for a moment, then agreed and went to prepare it.

But then Master Jin San added, "Forget it, I'll go get it myself."

Seeing Master Jin San about to fetch it himself, Chen Changsheng stopped him. "Enough. At your age, stop fussing over it."

"What are you saying, Mister? These old bones of mine are still tough."

"Just sit down."

Seeing Mister Chen's insistence, Master Jin San obediently sat back down.

He let out a sigh of relief, then asked, "When did you arrive here, Mister?"

"I arrived yesterday. I've been staying at Liuyun Temple."

"I figured as much. I heard from Physician Tong that Liuyun Temple was originally your Dao field, Mister."

Chen Changsheng shook his head, however. "That is not This Chen's Dao field. Liuyun Temple has an orderly inheritance through the generations. This Chen was merely fortunate enough to be taken in by a former temple master."

"Is that so..."

Master Jin San said, "But come to think of it, Liuyun Temple's fame is inextricably linked to you, Mister. Whenever the elders in the neighborhood bring up stories of the past, you are always in them."

Chen Changsheng replied, "That was a very long time ago."

Master Jin San said, "As long as someone remembers, it isn't truly that long."

Chen Changsheng paused when he heard this, then nodded.

Master Jin San's words always carried a certain depth. Those who spent their days in the company of ink and paper were simply different.

The assistant served the tea first.

It was fine tea. According to Master Jin San, he had roasted the leaves himself. Traveling north and south across the land all those years, he had picked up quite a few crafts.

Mentioning this prompted Master Jin San to recount his past—how he had ended up wandering into a tea garden and learning to roast tea from a master. His life experiences were enough to fill several books, and they would certainly be far longer than his Strange Tales from the Mountains and Wilds.

Chen Changsheng steered the conversation elsewhere. "I heard from Ruyi that you plan to go traveling next spring?"

Master Jin San nodded. "Yes. At the risk of sounding overly sentimental to you, Mister, I simply want to walk those old paths one last time. And along the way, I'd like to visit a few old friends."

"How could that be considered sentimental?"

Chen Changsheng said, "What This Chen is worried about is that you might not be fit for long-distance travel now."

Master Jin San said, "If I don't make this trip, I won't be able to rest in peace when I die. You know me, Mister; I've never been the type to stay put."

"How could anyone who penned Strange Tales from the Mountains and Wilds ever be the type to settle down? Anyone who has read that book would think you, Master Jin San, are still out wandering the world as we speak."

"Ah, so you've read Strange Tales from the Mountains and Wilds, Mister."

"I have. It is wonderfully written. Had you written it earlier, it surely would have eclipsed Strange Tales."

"You flatter me, Mister. Didn't I learn whatever little skill I have from you? How could it ever compare to the Strange Tales you penned?"

Chen Changsheng shook his head. "I have told you all before, that Strange Tales was truly not written by This Chen. Its author is Pu Songling, courtesy name Liuxian, known to the world as Master Liaozhai. This masterpiece was authored by Master Liaozhai."

Master Jin San was dazed for a moment. Seeing the Mister so serious, he was finally convinced that perhaps they really had misunderstood.

"It really wasn't authored by you, Mister?"

"It really wasn't."

"Back then, Mister Cao and I just assumed you were being modest. Besides, what we could never wrap our heads around was why such a masterpiece had been left without an author's name."

Chen Changsheng thought about it for a moment before explaining, "Time has buried countless things. This Chen merely picked them back up again."

Hearing this, Master Jin San finally understood.

He fell into a daze.

Just how many years must the Mister have lived to take Strange Tales, a work buried by time, and bring it back into the world?

How long would it take for the world to forget such a masterpiece?

Master Jin San found himself thinking—perhaps...

That was the true distant past, long forgotten by the world.

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