Immortal Travel of Longevity

There was so much to tell that Chen Changsheng simply could not finish it all.

Mister had started out in high spirits, but he gradually fell to yawning. Eventually, he just propped his chin on one hand, his words slowing down, until unexpectedly, his voice faded away completely.

When Master Jin San glanced up, he saw that Mister Chen was already nodding off. Had he fallen asleep?

Master Jin San looked down at the page before him. He had only managed to write down half the story; there was still much left unrecorded.

Mister had just been speaking about Great Jing, specifically mentioning Magistrate Liu Huairen, when his words came to a sudden halt. The rest of the tale left Master Jin San incredibly curious; the stories Mister told were far more brilliant than anything recorded in the historical texts.

Seeing that Mister had fallen asleep, Master Jin San decided not to disturb him.

He let out a breath, a thought stirring in his mind.

Perhaps many things were always meant to be incomplete. It was exactly that missing piece, that slight imperfection, that made them truly unforgettable.

With another quiet sigh, Master Jin San called for a tea house attendant to bring over a blanket, which he then draped over Mister.

Master Jin San nodded to himself and sat back down to flesh out the story.

Mister had spoken quickly, so he had recorded much of it in shorthand. Fearing his aging memory might lose the details Mister had just shared, he needed to work without pause to fill in the missing gaps.

Once he quieted his mind to focus on his task, he realized that all the outside noise seemed to fade away. He finally understood how Mister Chen was able to sleep so peacefully.

Mid-sentence, Master Jin San suddenly paused his brush.

‘Shang Lu...’

When he had brought up that name earlier, Mister had noticeably paused.

Master Jin San suspected that this name might hold an unexpected surprise for him.

But now was not the time. He needed to finish recording the rest of what Mister had said before investigating it.

Did this Shang Lu have some connection to West Xiao? He was a figure who existed in the historical records, after all.

‘I wonder if his legacy could measure up to Chang Shaoqing's.’

Master Jin San had always held Chang Shaoqing in high esteem. In truth, he didn't think there was much chance Shang Lu could surpass Chang Shaoqing, though he knew that was only his own assumption.

By the time Chen Changsheng's nap ended, the sky outside had grown dim.

He had slept straight through from noon to dusk.

Upon waking, he found the world outside the window bathed in the hazy yellow light of evening, leaving him momentarily dazed.

Waking up at such an hour often brought on a strange sense of disorientation.

A moment later, Chen Changsheng gathered his wits.

The tea house was largely empty at this hour. Having worked here as a storyteller in the past, Chen Changsheng was intimately familiar with the rhythm of the place; once dinnertime passed, the crowds would return.

Chen Changsheng turned his head, only to see Master Jin San still writing furiously.

Sensing the movement beside him, Master Jin San paused his brush and looked up. “Mister is awake...” he said.

Chen Changsheng rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I slept a bit too long...”

Master Jin San chuckled. “Not at all. You can rest for as long as you like, Mister.”

Seeing that he still had not finished, Chen Changsheng asked, “Have you been writing this whole time?”

“Yes.”

Master Jin San nodded. “I jotted it down quickly, so naturally I will need to polish the prose later.”

“Have you eaten yet?”

“Not yet.” Master Jin San realized the time and quickly added, “It is just about time anyway. I will have someone prepare a meal. Will you join me for a bite, Mister?”

Chen Changsheng nodded. “That sounds good.”

Meals at the tea house were a casual affair. Back when Chen Changsheng worked as a storyteller, he would often just make do with whatever the staff cooked up. It was nothing spectacular, but it was enough to fill his belly.

It did not take long for the food to be served.

Chen Changsheng took one look and said in mild surprise, “The food at the tea house is much better than it used to be.”

Master Jin San laughed. “One of our attendants used to help out in the back kitchen of a restaurant. He picked up a few culinary tricks, so we really lucked out.”

Chen Changsheng took a bite. The flavor was quite good indeed.

After a few bites, he paused and asked, “Where is Cao Fa?”

“He dropped by at noon,” Master Jin San explained. “I was too tied up at the time, so I had one of the attendants take him out. Judging by the hour, he should be back soon.”

“What errand would take so long?” Chen Changsheng asked. “And from what This Chen saw, he seems to have some trouble with his legs.”

“He went to see an old acquaintance.”

Chen Changsheng paused for a moment before realization dawned on him. “I see...”

Master Jin San had not spelled it out, but it was clear enough who this ‘old acquaintance’ was.

“This Chen will likely be making a trip to Shangjing City soon,” Chen Changsheng said. “While I am there, I can look into what caused it.”

Master Jin San hesitated. “Would that not be imposing on you, Mister?”

“Not at all.”

“It is on my way,” Chen Changsheng replied. “Besides, This Chen is quite curious to know what exactly caused his Lifespan to be stolen. I have a vague feeling that this might not be the work of a demon.”

Master Jin San gave a slight nod. The matter was certainly complicated.

After leaving the tea house, Chen Changsheng headed over to Brother Li's Wine Tavern to buy a jug of wine. Even though Brother Li was no longer the one managing the place, it still gave Chen Changsheng a comforting sense of familiarity.

With his wine in hand, he made his way out of the city.

He passed through the city gates and headed straight for the Daoist temple nestled deep within the distant Green Mountain.

After so many years away, Qingxian Temple had changed significantly.

The massive clearing on the mountain, which had once been nothing more than an excavated patch of dirt, was now covered in fully built pavilions.

At a glance, the number of disciples roaming the grounds had grown tremendously as well.

Chen Changsheng walked all the way up through the mountain gates, eventually arriving right before the main entrance of the temple.

“Greetings, Layman...”

The young Daoist boy guarding the entrance offered a bow before continuing, “It is growing late, and the hour for offering incense has passed. If you have come to pray, I am afraid you will have to wait until tomorrow.”

“This Chen is here to visit Priest Xuan Chengzi,” Chen Changsheng replied. “Could I trouble you to pass along a message?”

The young Daoist paused. “May I ask your name, Layman?”

“Chen Changsheng,” he answered simply.

The boy nodded and hurried inside to announce his arrival.

A short while later, the boy returned—but he was not alone. Xuan Chengzi had come out to welcome the guest personally.

“Has Mister Chen been well lately?”

“Thank you for your concern, Priest. This Chen is doing quite well.”

“Please, Mister, come inside.”

The surrounding Daoist boys and disciples watched this exchange in absolute shock. Qingxian Temple was the only orthodox Daoist temple in Great Xiang; never in their lives had they seen the abbot treat someone with such profound respect.

Whispers immediately broke out among the disciples.

“Who is that?”

“No idea, but the abbot came out to greet him personally.”

These young disciples were all from a newer generation, so naturally, very few of them knew of Chen Changsheng. Some of the older disciples might have crossed paths with him in the past, but even their memories of him had likely faded over the years.

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