Immortal Travel of Longevity

Shopkeeper Cao shook his head. "You need not say more, Mister. I know it in my heart. If I had not met you back then, the master never would have promoted me to shopkeeper. Back then, I was just a lowly headman answering to the shopkeepers, unworthy to even cross the manor's threshold. Every opportunity I have had in this life has come from meeting you."

Chen Changsheng smiled warmly. He did not dwell on the remark, asking instead, "Are you retiring here now, Headman Cao?"

Shopkeeper Cao nodded. "I had not intended to return, but the Young Master took pity on me. Seeing that I looked unwell, he ordered me back to watch over the main residence. But I know the truth. The Young Master was afraid I would die in some foreign land, passing away without a proper resting place, unable to ever drift back home."

Lowering his head, Shopkeeper Cao gave a soft smile. "The Young Master has a kind heart, while this old servant is always falling ill. Honestly, it leaves me feeling quite guilty."

"Your Young Master never considered you a burden," Chen Changsheng said.

"I know that, of course."

Shopkeeper Cao said, "But a man shouldn't make trouble for the Young Master either, should he?"

Chen Changsheng said nothing.

Shopkeeper Cao spoke up again. "Speaking of which, I haven't seen you for many years, Mister, yet you haven't changed a bit. It truly is a strange feeling. Back then, I just thought you were an eccentric man of Cultivation. But now, seeing you after all these years... you truly possess the bearing of an Immortal."

"Free..."

Shopkeeper Cao thought about it and felt that the Mister's words made sense.

Seeking longevity was not as good as seeking to be free.

Shopkeeper Cao felt the same way.

It was only as he grew older that he had slowly begun to realize this.

Living too long was actually a kind of torment.

"Are you free, Mister?" Shopkeeper Cao asked.

Chen Changsheng thought for a moment before nodding. "I suppose I am."

Shopkeeper Cao paused, then gave a nod.

He understood now. The Mister was an Immortal. A true Immortal.

Being able to say "I suppose I am" was already incredibly rare.

Seeing that Shopkeeper Cao seemed lost in thought, Chen Changsheng asked, "Do you feel that you have not lived freely, Shopkeeper Cao?"

Shopkeeper Cao shook his head. "It is not that. I was just wondering what it actually means to be free. Truthfully, even at my age, I still cannot quite figure out how to define the word."

Chen Changsheng pondered this but offered no answer.

"What do you think, Mister?" Shopkeeper Cao asked.

Chen Changsheng shook his head. "This Chen cannot say either."

Some things simply had no set answer.

Shopkeeper Cao smiled. He suddenly felt much closer to the Mister.

Back then, he had actually been a little afraid of him. But now, sitting in such close proximity, he finally understood the truth—even Immortals were people.

"You are a true Immortal, Mister."

He said it once more.

Chen Changsheng smiled. "You keep saying that, Shopkeeper Cao, and it is making This Chen feel somewhat embarrassed. But This Chen cannot accept such a title. I am no Immortal."

Shopkeeper Cao smiled but did not explain.

The 'Immortal' he meant and the one Chen Changsheng meant were not the same thing.

Shopkeeper Cao let out a long breath. "Years ago, I heard the Young Master mention that you once read his fortune, Mister. That you divined the future of the Tang Manor. I assume you must be quite skilled in the art of divination."

"What do you want divined, Shopkeeper Cao?" Chen Changsheng asked.

"I would like to ask you for a favor, Mister," Shopkeeper Cao said. "I want you to calculate when these old bones of mine will finally end up in the dirt. I have felt incredibly uneasy lately. I keep feeling like my days are numbered, but there are still things I have not yet settled. I am afraid that if I run out of time, I will not be able to die in peace."

Chen Changsheng looked at him. "In my earlier years, This Chen foresaw the times of death for a few friends. Some of my readings were accurate, while others were not. Life and death have no absolute certainty. A divination is not guaranteed to be true."

"The Young Master once told me: three parts belong to Heaven, and seven parts to man. That was what you told him back then, Mister."

Shopkeeper Cao smiled. "Please do not misunderstand, Mister. I do not want to change my fate or avoid disaster. I simply want to know the date so I can finish what I have left undone."

He cupped his hands and bowed respectfully. "I humbly ask that you perform a divination for me, Mister."

He paused, then added, "Of course, if it is inconvenient for you, I will not press the matter. I do not want to put you in a difficult position."

Chen Changsheng thought it over for a moment before finally letting out a sigh. "I will take a look for you."

His expression reverent, Shopkeeper Cao bowed to the Mister once again.

Chen Changsheng reached out, tapping a single fingertip against the center of Shopkeeper Cao's brow.

His senses delved inward, peering straight into the man's Soul Fire.

It was flickering faintly, on the verge of extinguishing.

A moment later, Chen Changsheng withdrew his hand. "This Chen cannot pinpoint the exact day," he said, "but barring any unexpected accidents, it should be sometime next month..."

Shopkeeper Cao stared blankly for a moment, then murmured, "Next month..."

Chen Changsheng nodded.

Shopkeeper Cao then broke into a smile. "That is enough. That is more than enough time."

He rose to his feet and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Mister."

Chen Changsheng nodded.

He watched Shopkeeper Cao turn and leave. The man was likely off to find Yunxiang.

That afternoon.

Shopkeeper Cao found Yunxiang and handed in his resignation. He transferred all his responsibilities over the manor to the second steward.

When he departed, Shopkeeper Cao was entirely alone, riding away on a donkey with no clear destination in sight.

The years had left him with a hunched back, yet the moment he settled into the saddle, it was as if he had regained the vigor of his youth.

Yunxiang stood by the doorway and handed a bundled cloth parcel to Mister Chen.

"Steward Cao asked me to give this to you, Mister," Yunxiang said.

Chen Changsheng took the parcel. "What is this?"

"It is the life savings Steward Cao gathered over the years," Yunxiang replied.

She let out a soft sigh. "Steward Cao lived a bitter life. During the wars in his early years, his son was conscripted into the army. In the end, not even his belongings were sent back. His wife was completely broken by grief. She passed away less than two years later..."

Chen Changsheng opened his mouth to speak, only for a bitter taste to rise in his throat.

In such a world, a man did not even know who to leave his earthly possessions to.

"Where is he going?" Chen Changsheng asked.

Yunxiang thought it over. "He is likely heading to the North, to search for his deceased son."

Fate truly loved to make a mockery of men.

That night.

Chen Changsheng rested in his guest room in the Tang Manor. It was the exact same room he had stayed in all those years ago. According to the second steward, Steward Cao had arranged it specifically for him, noting that it was the very room the Mister had lived in back then.

Sitting before the desk, Chen Changsheng remembered how he had sat at this very table years ago to unravel the mystery of the Jade Pendant.

The parcel rested on the tabletop.

Chen Changsheng untied the cloth.

Inside lay ingot after ingot of silver taels. Along with the money were a few odds and ends, small trinkets that likely carried many of Shopkeeper Cao's fondest memories.

And nestled amid the pile of belongings was a small jar of wine.

The jar bore no label.

He peeled away the paper seal, and a rich aroma of wine wafted into the air.

Realization dawned on Chen Changsheng, and he murmured softly to himself.

"It's Autumn Moon Brew..."

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