The days passed comfortably.
Wang Lingyuan had seen countless people and more than a few dead ones. When he saw Xu Qing visiting and bringing up many past events, he frowned and asked, "Junior Brother, are you planning to go on a long journey?"
Xu Qing was surprised and asked, "How did you infer that, Senior Brother?"
Wang Lingyuan laughed and said, "In past years, when have you ever cared about old matters? If you hadn't mentioned them today, I would have thought you were an immortal who doesn't partake in the grains of the mortal world!"
"That can't be. Which immortal opens a funeral parlor and deals with the dead all day?"
"True." Wang Lingyuan nodded and then asked, "How long will you be leaving this time? If you really encounter any difficulties, feel free to tell your senior brother. Even though I've aged, I still know quite a few people in the Jin Sect."
Xu Qing shook his head and said, "It's nothing major, just need to go out on a long journey to resolve an old matter."
"Can you tell me where you're headed, Junior Brother?"
"Qianzhou."
Wang Lingyuan asked again, "How long will you be gone this time?"
Xu Qing remained silent for a moment and replied, "At least ten years."
"Ten years..."
Wang Lingyuan looked up at the snowy scenery outside and murmured to himself.
"Ten years... by then, who knows if we'll see each other again."
Xu Qing didn't respond. Instead, he asked, "The pills I gave you last time, have you used them, Senior Brother?"
"There are still some left."
Xu Qing nodded, then took out a prescription and some pills, saying, "Follow the prescription and use these pills to strengthen your body. Rest assured, Senior Brother, you might even reach white longevity."
White longevity is ninety-nine years old, as removing one stroke from a hundred leaves ninety-nine, thus it's called white longevity.
"I'm just a decrepit old man, why live so long? Haven't you heard the saying, 'an old man who doesn't die becomes a rascal'?"
Wang Lingyuan accepted Xu Qing's goodwill but didn't desire longevity that much.
Leaving East Gate Alley, when Xu Qing went to the broker to find Lord Li Si, he encountered an acquaintance in the ice and snow.
At this moment, Heart Connection Monk was on Shuimen Bridge, barefoot on one foot, wearing a tattered, patched robe, with a bare head, humming a tune.
Seeing this mad monk, Xu Qing felt amused and silently approached him from behind in the snow, slapping that shiny bald head!
Heart Connection, who was humming, was so startled that his whole body shivered, and the tune in his mouth went off-key.
He jumped back and, seeing it was Xu Qing, his face immediately fell.
"Why do you always walk without making a sound?"
Xu Qing raised an eyebrow, "If you don't do guilty things, you won't fear ghosts knocking at your door. You must be thinking guilty thoughts; otherwise, why wouldn't you hear the outside noise?"
"As a monk, I'm without attachments, not greedy or possessive, where would the guilty thoughts come from?"
Xu Qing scrutinized Heart Connection, noticing the other was standing in a Golden Chicken stance, one foot with a shoe standing in the snow, the bare foot scratching the ankle with the shoe. Unable to hold back, he said, "Monk, Qianzhou is like spring all year round, much warmer than here. Why don't you go back early? It's better than freezing and starving here."
Heart Connection looked at Xu Qing warily and said, "You little rascal, up to no good. I still have to watch Chen Liu'er grow up and enter my Buddhist sect. If I leave, who knows if some unsavory people might lead Liu'er astray, and that wouldn't do!"
Unsavory?
Xu Qing raised an eyebrow and said, "Then keep freezing! When you freeze solid, maybe I can even arrange a funeral for you."
"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey! On the New Year, stop talking to me like that, monk is superstitious!"
The two bickered, neither giving way, and when Xu Qing was about to leave, he noticed the monk's gaze was fixed on the Shuimen Bridge Villa where the embroiderer was.
Xu Qing immediately sensed something amiss. He turned back and gently slapped the monk's head again, this time reaching over to give it a rub.
I must say, it felt quite smooth.
"Why are you back?"
Xu Qing withdrew his hand, gestured towards the villa with his chin, and said, "That villa is my residence. A mother and daughter live there, and they are my people."
"If you dare to have ideas about them..."
The Shuimen Bridge Villa has Xu Qing's Substitution Technique; if anything happens, he can sense it.
Over the years, the virtual spirit enveloped the villa and was deeply bound to Xu Qing. Under the cover of the Sky-shrouding Technique, no one could see the villa's peculiarity.
But the monk before him...
Xu Qing suddenly realized.
Heart Connection might not notice the villa's anomaly, but the little Shiyue, who occasionally went to the villa, often played with Chen Liu'er.
And this monk, Heart Connection, just happened to enjoy tailing Chen Liu'er, naturally noticing Shiyue was a little ghost.
"A ghostly mother and daughter? Benefactor, the paths of humans and ghosts are different, don't make a mistake!"
"..."
Xu Qing's face darkened, and he snorted, "Have you heard of the Sad Immortal?"
"As a monk who's traveled far and wide, of course, I've heard of it. The Sad Immortal originates from Guandong and is an immortal reared by humans."
Heart Connection suddenly looked enlightened, "Could it be them?"
"They are the Sad Immortal." Xu Qing said, "Shiyue that girl, her soul is very pure and never harms others. Otherwise, why do you think Chen Liu'er can play with her?"
Heart Connection nodded, "I understand, Benefactor. Rest assured, even if you hadn't spoken about this today, I wouldn't harm them. Someone who has Chen Liu'er's approval must be a rare virtuous person."
Xu Qing raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why is it that whoever Chen Liu'er approves of is right? What makes him different?"
"..."
Heart Connection realized he misspoke, and no matter how Xu Qing pressed him, he refused to respond.
Finally, when Xu Qing was about to leave, he suddenly turned and asked, "Could Chen Liu'er be a reincarnation of a high monk?"
"..."
Heart Connection's expression changed for a split second, then he acted confused and pretended not to understand what Xu Qing was saying.
However, from the change in his expression, Xu Qing had already gotten the answer he wanted.