Immortal Travel of Longevity

Chen Changsheng smiled. "This Chen still thinks of you as a child, yet you already feel old."

Ruyi let out a huff. "Wasn't it Uncle Chen who told me I was getting up in years? I hadn't even noticed, but when I stopped to think about it, I realized I'm nearly fifty. I'm a girl who couldn't possibly get any older."

"Alright, alright, an old girl, an old girl..."

Chen Changsheng murmured, fishing a piece of candied fruit from his sleeve and handing it to her.

Ruyi took it and popped it into her mouth.

She rarely ate such things normally, but she loved whatever Uncle Chen gave her.

Eating the candied fruit, Ruyi looked up at the stars. "They say that when people die, they turn into stars."

Seeing her bring this up, Chen Changsheng replied, "I've noticed that as people grow older, they actually come to terms with it. Why are you any different?"

Ruyi smacked her lips. "I'm just scared, that's all. I don't want to let go. Being alive is so nice. Isn't everyone here right now? Dong Mutou is here, Uncle Chen is here..."

Ruyi blinked. Now that it was actually offered, she hesitated.

Seeing her stay silent, Chen Changsheng asked, "What's wrong? You don't want to learn?"

"Not exactly."

Ruyi let out a breath. "It's just, well..."

"Uncle, despite how much of a fuss I always make, I actually prefer quieter days. Having a little hut, farming a bit of land, raising some chickens and ducks—just living plainly and peacefully."

"Cultivation wouldn't interfere with that."

"It's different. It's just like the jianghu. People talk about avoiding the jianghu, but in reality, how many aren't eventually swept up by circumstance?"

Chen Changsheng paused for a moment, then nodded. "That's true."

Propping up her chin, Ruyi sighed softly. "That's why I'm torn."

Chen Changsheng patted her head. "Nourished by the Dragon Lord's dragon qi and This Chen's Sword Qi, you will inevitably live longer than ordinary people anyway. There's no rush. Take your time to think it over and figure it out."

Ruyi paused, suddenly remembering something.

"Uncle Chen."

"Hmm?"

"Did Grandpa Huang struggle with this question back then?"

Chen Changsheng hesitated, then shook his head.

"He didn't struggle. He faced his own life and death head-on. To him, the longer he lived, the more painful it would have been."

Ruyi certainly understood what that meant.

She had read the notes Uncle Chen left behind. Immortality—how profoundly bitter it was.

Chen Changsheng exhaled. "When This Chen was young, I used to think about how wonderful it would be to live forever in this world. But gradually, I came to realize that if common mortals like me were to achieve immortality, all we would endure is the torment of time and the ravages of pain."

"Stubborn people cannot endure immortality."

Ruyi was taken aback. She looked at Uncle Chen and asked, "Are you a stubborn person, Uncle?"

Chen Changsheng nodded. "I am."

It was exactly because he refused to compromise that he lived in such agony.

Resting her chin in her hands, Ruyi looked up at the stars overhead. "It seems like turning into a star might be better, but I'm also worried..."

Grandpa Huang was gone. Sister Yun was gone, too. The people beside Uncle Chen were all passing away, and few chose to stay behind. In the eyes of others, it seemed as though Uncle Chen was no longer quite as sluggish and silent, that he was slowly getting better. But Ruyi knew he was only comforting himself. Whenever he was hurt, he would merely hide away and cover his wounds with his clothes.

Of course Ruyi understood. She had done the exact same thing more than once.

"Worried about what?"

"Nothing..."

Chen Changsheng gave her a look. "Your thoughts are written all over your face. It's not hard to guess."

"You're not allowed to say it, Uncle. Just pretend you don't know."

"Then I won't say it."

"Mhm."

Their banter sounded like children playing house.

But it didn't matter. Chen Changsheng felt this was perfectly fine.

In the end, Chen Changsheng only offered one reassurance: "Don't worry about me. I'll live on just fine. I might end up a bit down and out at worst, but I will always keep living."

Ruyi met his eyes.

Facing Chen Changsheng, who was almost like a father to her, she found herself at a loss for words.

She couldn't help but wonder: Uncle was such a good person, so why did the world treat him this way?

"Hurry up and go to sleep, alright?"

"You sleep early too, Uncle."

"I'm going to sleep right now."

In the night, Liuyun Temple fell quiet.

Yet it wasn't dead silent. There was the chirping of cicadas and the rustling of the evening breeze blowing through the trees.

This modestly sized Daoist temple had accompanied Chen Changsheng for many long years. Much like that small city deep in Green Mountain later on, it soothed his heart.

Scars would have a day when they finally healed, or they might gradually fester, but there would always be medicine.

It was best to just let nature take its course.

...

Early the next morning, Chen Changsheng descended the mountain and headed to a tea house.

Upon seeing him, the tea house waiter's gaze suddenly sharpened, but his brow quickly relaxed as he switched to a welcoming smile.

"Guest, please have a seat upstairs."

Chen Changsheng nodded and went up the stairs.

The waiter followed him all the way, asking what he would like to drink.

Chen Changsheng placed a pre-written letter on the table and told the waiter, "Give this letter to the Old Blindman. And tell him he doesn't need to come. Even if he does, This Chen probably won't be here anymore."

The waiter paused for a moment before quietly tucking the letter into his robes.

Then he said, "My lord, but the Hall Master wishes to meet you in person..."

Chen Changsheng shook his head. "We won't meet. There's nothing worth seeing."

The waiter opened his mouth to speak, but Changsheng cut him off. "Go fetch the tea."

"Yes..."

The waiter complied, hurriedly leaving to bring up the tea.

He waited by the side. After that, he didn't hear the Mister say another word. Sitting quietly at the table, Mister Qingshan drank half a bowl of tea before rising to leave.

"I will see you out, my lord."

Chen Changsheng waved a hand and merely said, "Go tend to your work. No need to see me out."

Despite those words, the waiter still escorted Chen Changsheng to the door.

Once they reached the entrance of the tea house, the waiter stopped.

His gaze lingered on the departing green-robed old man. He was exceptionally curious about this person. His superiors had given him many instructions, yet no one had ever told him where this man came from or what his name was. He was like a blank page.

He had stayed here in Qiuyue Fang for all these years just to wait for this exact person. And before he even had to go looking, the man had come straight to him.

The waiter looked at the letter in his robes and let out a helpless sigh.

From the looks of it, he would be leaving this place before long.

He figured he wouldn't do this line of work anymore anyway. White Night paid well, but how many years did he have left? An inch of gold could not buy an inch of time. He needed to do something else with his life.

That very night, the waiter from the tea house took the letter and left.

Just as when he arrived, no one knew a thing.

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