Immortal Travel of Longevity

The City God paused, changing the subject. "There is another matter. Lady Xianle has now taken up ghost cultivation and has spent these past few years cultivating within the City God Temple. If Mister has a moment to spare, you could pay her a visit."

"I also have a favor to ask. Lady Xianle's yin ghost energy has flared up recently. While the incense of the City God Temple can suppress it, that energy will inevitably affect the temple's patrons. That is hardly ideal, so I was hoping Mister might take a look and see if there is a solution."

The City God dared not let Xianle leave, either.

Xianle was bound by immense karma with the Human Sovereign—karma far beyond what a mere City God could touch. He would be implicated by any action he took.

She either had to stay at the City God Temple, or he needed to find a good destination for this Lady Xianle—somewhere that could at least keep her safe.

"This Chen will go take a look later," Chen Changsheng said.

The City God Lord nodded. "Then my utmost thanks to Mister Chen."

Chen Changsheng nodded.

"There is one other matter I wish to consult Mister about," the City God added.

"Years ago, when Grand Ancestor Zhao Zhen of Xiang passed away in the Imperial Palace, I led a group of underworld deputies to receive his soul. We waited for a long time, yet his soul never left his physical body."

"I stepped forward to investigate, only to find that his body was dead, while his soul had vanished to parts unknown. I had not missed a single detail, yet the soul of the Grand Ancestor of Xiang simply disappeared right before my eyes."

Chen Changsheng paused slightly. He looked at the City God and asked, "Are you worried his soul was snatched away by someone with ulterior motives?"

"Exactly!" the City God nodded.

Chen Changsheng had a general idea of what had happened. "You need not worry," he explained. "His soul scattered. It was not the meddling of others, but rather heavenly retribution."

"Heavenly retribution? Where would heavenly retribution come from?" the City God asked.

"He crossed too many lines," Chen Changsheng said calmly. "He has no one to blame but himself."

This was also the path Zhao Zhen had chosen.

Had Zhao Zhen not borrowed the power of Mister Zhulan back then, he would not have met such an end. It was a path destined to end with his soul flying apart and scattering.

The City God's lips parted slightly as he guessed the gist of it.

He had sometimes wondered about it himself. The great drought in Qingshan City years ago, and the sheer volume of grain supplied then—none of it seemed like a mere coincidence. There had to be a deeper reason behind it all.

The City God did not pry further. He merely nodded in acknowledgment.

"I understand."

Chen Changsheng nodded, then added, "But he was also a formidable conqueror."

The City God stared blankly for a moment before replying, "Mister is absolutely right."

To unify the realm—what glorious splendor that was.

But the ending was equally tragic.

Only, Zhao Zhen simply had not cared, much like how he had left Liuyun Temple that day without ever looking back.

The City God Lord departed after chatting with Chen Changsheng a while longer.

That bolt of heavenly lightning had stirred up quite a bit of trouble.

Several wicked demons, whom they previously had no time to deal with, had been forced to reveal their true forms beneath that lightning strike. The City God now had to organize his underworld deputies to clean up the mess; after all, it was never a good thing to leave a demon's corpse lying around the streets.

Chen Changsheng went back to his own business.

However, foot traffic dwindled after that. Not a single person showed up for quite a while.

Lord Xu stood behind him, wanting to ask questions several times but never quite working up the courage.

Seeing him wanting to speak yet holding back, Chen Changsheng finally said, "If Lord Xu has something to say, just say it."

Lord Xu took a step forward. "Mister Chen, what you just did..."

"Just spouting nonsense," Chen Changsheng replied.

"Ah?"

Lord Xu blinked in confusion.

Chen Changsheng smiled and did not elaborate.

He glanced at the sky. "Is it time for the midday meal?"

Lord Xu snapped back to attention. "Right, right, of course. I'll have someone fetch a meal from Gathering Talents Tower for Mister right away."

"There's no need," Chen Changsheng said. "A bowl of noodles from a roadside stall will do."

"But Mister, the food at Gathering Talents Tower is quite—"

"Roadside noodles are fine."

"Well... alright then."

Lord Xu went with the bailiffs to fetch the food.

Chen Changsheng sat down at the long table to rest.

This table was, of course, a new one they had brought over as a temporary replacement; the previous one had been smashed to splinters by that bat demon.

Chen Changsheng raised his head and looked outward.

He spotted Minister Ji still sitting at the tea stall.

After a moment's thought, Chen Changsheng got up and walked over.

Seeing him approach, Ji Xingsheng hurriedly shifted to the side, fetched a spare small bowl, and poured him some tea.

"Where is the owner of this stall?" Chen Changsheng asked as he arrived.

"He was shooed away by the bailiffs earlier," Ji Xingsheng said. "So it has just been me here all morning."

Chen Changsheng nodded. "No wonder. If This Chen were the owner, I would have chased you out long ago."

Ji Xingsheng chuckled. "Quite true, quite true."

Chen Changsheng downed the bowl of tea. It quenched his thirst nicely.

Ji Xingsheng blinked in surprise, entirely not expecting Chen Changsheng to gulp it down in a single breath without even tasting it.

"I'll trouble you for another," Chen Changsheng said. "It is a hot day, and I am thirsty."

"Of course."

Ji Xingsheng gave a warm smile and topped up the bowl.

Chen Changsheng drank half of it before asking, "Were you frightened earlier, Lord Ji?"

Ji Xingsheng nodded. "That heavenly lightning was quite terrifying. Once I processed it, it wasn't too bad, though my ears are still ringing a bit."

Chen Changsheng chuckled. "Which is why Lord Ji should refrain from joining in the excitement in the future."

Ji Xingsheng paused again, then offered a helpless nod. "Mister is right."

The two of them sat in the tea stall, quietly drinking their tea.

A cool breeze drifted through the brief silence, bringing them a refreshing wave of relief.

Ji Xingsheng set down his cup and suddenly asked, "Is Mister an Immortal?"

He had always dared to speak his mind; that much had never changed.

Chen Changsheng thought about it before replying, "No."

Ji Xingsheng knew he wouldn't get a proper answer. If the man sitting across from him wanted to tell the truth, he wouldn't have limited his response to just those two words. He chose not to press the issue.

Instead, Ji Xingsheng asked something else.

"When I was young, I took a ferry across the river and crossed paths with two gentlemen on board. Are you truly the man I saw that day?"

Deep down, he already knew this man was the exact same person from his youth.

But he still wanted to hear him admit it out loud.

Chen Changsheng looked at him. "And if I'm not?"

Ji Xingsheng shook his head. "Even if you said you weren't, I wouldn't believe it."

Chen Changsheng took a sip of his tea, smiling warmly.

Ji Xingsheng gazed off into the distance and let out a long sigh.

"If I wished to seek immortality and ask about the Dao," he asked, "would Mister point the way?"

Chen Changsheng shook his head. "Lord Ji's immortal affinity does not lie in this lifetime."

"In the next life, then?" Ji Xingsheng mused.

"Perhaps."

"If I didn't know any better, I would genuinely mistake Mister for a jianghu charlatan."

"The words coming out of This Chen's mouth are often untrue."

"So was what you just said real or fake?"

"Fake."

"..."

Ji Xingsheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Mister Chen, you truly are..."

Chen Changsheng laughed. "I was lying to you just now; it was actually the truth."

"Is that so?"

Ji Xingsheng could no longer tell real from fake.

Perhaps this was simply a question with no answer to begin with.

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