Immortal Travel of Longevity

He Qing had expected her mother to scold her.

Instead, her mother only patted her head and sighed. She opened her mouth several times, but ultimately said nothing.

After they returned to the mountain, her mother ignored her drinking, which left He Qing somewhat at a loss.

Her mother's reaction was completely out of character.

This kept He Qing wondering for a long time. But as the years passed, the incident seemed to slowly fade. She stopped dwelling on it, even though she still had no idea why her mother had acted that way.

He Qing continued to drink, heading down the mountain to fetch wine every so often.

This continued until Huaixu of that year.

She went down the mountain to fetch wine just like always.

When she reached the entrance, she found the door of the Wine Tavern slightly ajar. Someone had opened it at some point.

She took a step forward and shoved the tavern door open.

Inside stood a man in a green shirt. He was holding a piece of silk, wiping a wine cup at a table.

Hearing the noise behind him, Chen Changsheng paused.

He turned around, and their eyes met.

He Qing stared in a daze for a moment before snapping back to reality. "When did you get back?"

"Just now," Chen Changsheng replied.

He Qing stepped forward and gave him a quick once-over. "Three years! You haven't changed at all."

Chen Changsheng offered a warm smile. "Was I supposed to change?"

He Qing blinked. "I thought you'd run off somewhere to slay demons and wouldn't be selling wine anymore."

"Didn't Wei Shiyu tell you I would return in three years?"

"Ah!" He Qing exclaimed, realization dawning on her. "I forgot."

"You have a terrible memory," Chen Changsheng said. "Not very smart."

"I do not."

He Qing pointed toward the counter. "Did you see the wine money from all these years? I always left it on the table. I don't owe you a single coin."

"I saw it," Chen Changsheng said. "I've already put it away."

He stepped to the side, filled a jug with Peach Blossom Brew, and placed it in front of He Qing.

"Are you treating me?"

"I'm treating you," Chen Changsheng said. "As the very first customer since reopening, it's on the house."

"Well, alright then." He Qing smiled, then asked, "Is the Peach Blossom Brew different from the other wines?"

"A little," Chen Changsheng said. "Aside from you, I'm the only one who occasionally drinks it. There's only so much of it—if I tried to make more, I wouldn't be able to keep up."

"Doesn't that mean I'm getting special treatment?"

"If you think so, then you are."

He Qing stared at the man, completely baffled by him. She asked, "I still don't understand what you mean."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"Do you want to become Dao companions with me?"

Chen Changsheng froze at those words. He pondered for a moment, shook his head, and finally nodded.

"I do, yet I don't."

"You're a really strange person." He Qing smacked her lips. "Look at you. You have such incredible skills, and you're a Sword Immortal. Even the Mysterious Gate has to show you respect. Why do you care about a minor cultivator like me? If it's because of my previous life, there's really no need. I am me, not my past life. With your profound Dao Cultivation, you can't possibly fail to understand that."

Chen Changsheng asked, "What if it were you? Imagine you knew someone, and when they passed through Reincarnation and stood before you once more, wouldn't you feel somewhat moved?"

Hearing his words, He Qing was momentarily at a loss for how to answer.

"You make a fair point," He Qing said after taking a sip of wine. "But I really don't have any feelings for you."

"That's fine," Chen Changsheng said. "This Chen has spent these past three years cooling off. Perhaps it's best to leave things just like this."

"Like what?" He Qing asked, but Chen Changsheng offered no further explanation.

"Let's just drink," Chen Changsheng said. He Qing gave him a look but didn't press the issue, simply offering a single word in reply: "Alright."

Before leaving, He Qing took another jar of wine with her.

As for Chen Changsheng, he remained to look after the Wine Tavern, finally having a place to return to within this vast Cultivation World.

It was a rare thing for him to stop wandering.

He only hoped he could stay just a little longer.

In the blink of an eye, another Huaixu had arrived.

He Qing had only come down the mountain a few times. By the time autumn approached, the Wine Tavern had closed its doors once more.

However, it didn't matter; she had a key.

Just like before, the tavern was stocked full of Peach Blossom Brew. She was already completely familiar with the routine: leave the money, take the wine, and return to the mountain.

Time slipped by, and three more years passed.

Chen Changsheng appeared once again, returning right on time during Huaixu.

When He Qing saw him again, she couldn't suppress her curiosity. "Why do you always stay for just a short while and then leave? Do you have some important business to attend to?"

"You wouldn't know," Chen Changsheng replied. "I've never been able to stay in one place for too long. But if I like a place, I'll visit it frequently."

"Like this Wine Tavern?"

"Yes."

"I don't understand."

"That's fine."

Chen Changsheng asked, "Have you stayed on the mountain all these years?"

He Qing nodded. "My Dao Cultivation was too shallow, and I lost in the last grand tournament. I wanted to focus on my cultivation so I wouldn't embarrass myself next time."

"Quite ambitious."

"Yeah."

He Qing let out a breath. "It won't be long now. A year after you return next time, the new grand tournament will begin."

"Let's hope you don't embarrass yourself again."

"As if I would."

Their relationship remained exactly like this—neither moving forward nor taking a step back.

Over the long years, a man like Chen Changsheng, who would suddenly vanish only to abruptly reappear, rarely left a deep impression on others.

But in Chen Changsheng's eyes, this was perfectly fine.

Perhaps it was the same for He Qing. Halting their relationship right here was the most comfortable option. He was the shopkeeper, and she was simply a customer. They would occasionally chat, coming and going as they pleased.

...

Zhao Yuqing arrived at the foot of Qingyu Mountain.

He walked straight into the Wine Tavern.

The wine here was excellent, and the tavern was bustling with patrons.

Stepping inside, Zhao Yuqing spotted the man busily pouring drinks.

"What are you doing here?" Chen Changsheng was somewhat surprised by Zhao Yuqing's arrival.

After a moment's thought, he simply asked, "Are you here for a drink?"

Zhao Yuqing gave him a look. "I'll drink."

The two sat at a table, chatting over their drinks.

Zhao Yuqing felt that the Chen Changsheng sitting before him had changed significantly; it was almost as if he had reverted to how he was in the distant past.

"The wine isn't bad," Zhao Yuqing remarked. "I heard about what happened to you and came specifically to check on you. I never expected to find you relaxing here."

"Is there something wrong with that?" Chen Changsheng asked. "Isn't it exactly the same as you farming back in that valley?"

Zhao Yuqing gave a soft snort. "If my harvest turns out poorly this year, I'm blaming it entirely on you."

"What kind of nonsense is that? What does it have to do with This Chen?"

"I rushed all the way out here and had to put my farming on hold. If I can't blame you, who else can I blame?"

Chen Changsheng let out a helpless smile. "And yet, I don't see you bringing me any of that rice to try."

"Wait until next time."

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