Immortal Travel of Longevity

He Qing sat in the Wine Tavern, looking somewhat dazed.

On the table rested a few cups and a short cloth used for wiping them.

Just a moment ago, Chen Changsheng had been sitting right here, wiping the cups.

He had walked out the door and seen her.

Yet the instant he approached, he had turned to sand and scattered in the wind.

He Qing had tried to catch the sand, but her hands closed around empty air. Nothing remained.

She could not understand it. He was a living, breathing person.

How could he dissipate right before her eyes in an instant?

The sky had darkened. By the time the last sliver of light faded, the Wine Tavern was pitch-black.

She lit a lamp and looked around the Wine Tavern.

Jars of wine sat on the tables, the floor, and the benches.

There were so many.

Even more than there had been back then, as if he feared she wouldn't have enough to drink.

For some inexplicable reason, He Qing felt a sudden urge to cry. Although Senior Chen rarely offered words of comfort, he always had a way of making people feel a deep warmth. She did not understand why things had to be this way.

She was just an ordinary mortal.

Where in the world had he gone...

During all those countless three-year spans, what had he been doing?

He Qing desperately wanted to know the answer.

After a night of thought, she packed her favorite wine and set out to find Senior Zhao.

She figured Senior Zhao would definitely know.

Senior Zhao had once mentioned that he spent his years farming in a certain valley. He had also occasionally brought up the Immortal Sects that purchased his Spirit Rice. He Qing still vaguely remembered this, so she followed those clues to find him.

About half a year later, she finally found the rice fields in that valley.

However, it was the dead of winter. All the rice had already been harvested, leaving the bare fields looking rather stark.

She pursed her lips when she caught sight of a small hut by the edge of the fields.

She walked over and knocked on the door.

She had assumed no one was home, but a moment later, the door swung open.

The person who opened it was not Zhao Yuqing, but a young cultivator who looked to be in his twenties.

He Qing recovered her senses and asked, "Is Senior Zhao Yuqing here?"

Jiu Fengchun blinked in surprise. "You're looking for my Master?"

"Your Master?"

He Qing froze for a moment, feeling a little dazed.

Jiu Fengchun said, "Master went out to collect rice seeds. He won't be back for several days. Come in and have a seat."

He Qing walked into the hut, and Jiu Fengchun served her a cup of tea.

"Logically speaking, I suppose I'm your senior sister," she said.

Jiu Fengchun was taken aback. Once he processed her words, he asked, "What's your name?"

"My surname is He. He Qing. I don't know if Senior Zhao has ever mentioned me to you, but I'm probably different from you. I am merely Senior Zhao's in-name disciple. He doesn't even like it when I call him Master."

"I know."

Jiu Fengchun said, "Master has brought you up before. He told me that if I ever ran into you, I should look out for you."

He Qing smiled helplessly. "Senior Zhao is always calling me dense. I really am a disappointing disciple. If it were anyone else, they probably would have mastered it ages ago."

Jiu Fengchun dug a roasted sweet potato out of the fire. He blew on it in his hands and asked, "Do you want some?"

He Qing shook her head. "I'm not hungry. You eat."

Jiu Fengchun nodded.

However, what happened next left He Qing utterly bewildered.

Jiu Fengchun opened his mouth and, in the blink of an eye, swallowed the entire sweet potato.

He didn't even peel it. He just forcefully swallowed it down in a single gulp.

Jiu Fengchun let out a breath, though his stomach still ached with intense hunger. After a moment's thought, he tossed two more sweet potatoes into the fire to roast.

He Qing stared at him in disbelief. Pursing her lips, she asked, "Do... do you not peel them?"

Jiu Fengchun blinked. "That's too much trouble. I'm hungry."

"You're still not full?"

"Yeah. I have to eat nearly a hundred sweet potatoes like this a day just to feel a little bit full."

He Qing was stunned. "Nearly a hundred?!"

Jiu Fengchun shook his head. "I don't know why either. I'm just always hungry. It feels like no matter what I eat, I can never fill my stomach."

"Sometimes when I'm so hungry that I feel dizzy, I even gnaw on the table. Look at that table over there—a chunk of it is missing because I ate it."

He Qing turned her head to look, and sure enough, she spotted a set of bite marks on the edge of the table.

She asked, "Are... are you human? Or are you a demon?"

"I am human."

Jiu Fengchun rubbed his stomach. "But Master said I also have the bloodline of a demon in me. It's called something like... a Taotie."

"A Taotie? What is that?" He Qing asked curiously.

Jiu Fengchun shook his head. "I don't know. According to Master, it's some kind of ancient Divine Beast that eats a lot."

He Qing gave a slight nod, though she had absolutely no knowledge of such a thing.

Jiu Fengchun said, "You can stay here and rest for a few days. Master should be back in a day or two anyway."

"Ah, all right..."

About three days later, it began to snow.

Zhao Yuqing also returned to the valley, carrying the collected rice seeds on his back.

The rice seeds left over from back then could no longer be used. He had no choice but to visit a few Immortal Sects to see if he could buy some back and cultivate them slowly from scratch.

He was starting over from the very beginning.

However, he hadn't expected someone to be waiting for him upon his return.

He Qing cupped her hands in greeting. "Senior Zhao."

Jiu Fengchun walked out of the hut and waved. "Master, senior sister is looking for you. She wants to ask about Mister Chen."

"Mhm."

Zhao Yuqing gave a short response, then set down the Spirit Rice.

He led He Qing off to the side and asked why she had come.

He Qing detailed everything that was confusing her. Upon hearing her out, Zhao Yuqing frowned slightly and asked, "Why do you want to know about this?"

He Qing said, "Senior Chen treats me like family. Yet, even now, I know absolutely nothing about him. I suppose it's mostly because of what happened that day..."

"When he suddenly vanished right before my eyes."

He Qing pursed her lips. "I was a little scared."

Zhao Yuqing took a sip of wine. "You don't need to worry about him. He'll be back in three years."

"Senior Zhao, I just want to know where he goes during those three years."

"It is better if you don't know."

"Why?"

"The more you know, the worse it will be for you."

He Qing didn't quite understand. What was there that couldn't be said?

"Then... why did Senior Chen turn to sand and dissipate?"

"That is his..."

Zhao Yuqing thought for a moment before saying, "That is his way of dying. It has always been this way."

"Way of dying?"

He Qing felt completely confused, but Zhao Yuqing simply waved his hand. "Let's leave it at that. Don't focus too much on Chen Changsheng's affairs. If he wants to tell you, he will definitely tell you one day. If he hasn't told you, it's because he doesn't want you to know."

"Even if you ask me, I won't give you the answer."

Zhao Yuqing paused for a moment before adding, "Unless he truly dies."

"What do you mean, 'truly'? Can a death be fake?"

He Qing stared at him in utter bewilderment, but Zhao Yuqing refused to explain any further.

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