Splash, splash…

Rain fell upon the blue tiles, pattering loudly, then flowed down in dripping streams, making endless splashing sounds.

Amid the noisy sounds of heavy rain, it somehow seemed like everything outside became quiet.

Chen Changsheng sat on the chair in the hall, holding his chin with one hand, seeming like he had fallen asleep.

Ping’an looked at Uncle Chen and whispered to Ruyi, “Elder Sister, Uncle Chen has fallen asleep.”

“Shh.” Ruyi hushed softly, saying, “Can’t disturb Uncle Chen’s rest.”

Ping’an nodded and went back to his reading.

The sound of turning pages was very soft, but this little world belonged to the sister and brother.

A thought rose within the hall from Chen Changsheng.

The thought soared up into the sky dome, passed through the mist, and arrived above the thick clouds.

Above the clouds, Ying Zheng was drinking wine, like he was just passing time.

Then he saw a wisp of divine sense rise from within Qingshan City.

“Huh?”

Ying Zheng sounded puzzled; seeing the soul spirit seemingly land right before his eyes, he finally recognized the person. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Ying Zheng laughed and said, “I wondered who had such skill.”

Chen Changsheng smiled warmly and said, “Long time no see, Dragon Lord.”

Ying Zheng said, “Even I find your level of cultivation hard to grasp.”

“Just some little tricks,” Chen Changsheng said.

“Only you would say that.”

“Never mind that,” Ying Zheng snorted twice and said, “What brings you to me? Every time you show up, it’s never good news.”

Getting straight to the point, Chen Changsheng said, “Dragon Lord, have you dabbled in the art of alchemy?”

“Alchemy…”

Ying Zheng shook his head. “Not skilled in that. You want to make elixirs? What kind?”

“Small elixirs,” Chen Changsheng said. “Something that could extend a mortal’s life is fine.”

Ying Zheng said, “Elixirs are mostly made from spiritual medicines; nearly all have life-extending effects. I have no use for them, but Ying En has some ready-made ones. You might visit Tongtian River and ask her.”

“Back and forth is too much trouble,” Chen Changsheng said.

“Is that so…”

Ying Zheng thought for a moment. “Tomorrow at noon, there will be another heavy rain here. I can bring you two pills then.”

Chen Changsheng looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

“What are you looking at me for?” Ying Zheng asked.

“No follow-up?”

“What follow-up?”

“Knowing how you are, shouldn’t you try to swindle Chen out of something?”

“If I tried to swindle you, would you give it?”

“No.”

Ying Zheng rolled his eyes at him. “Then what’s the point of talking about it? Besides, just a couple of elixirs. My Dragon Palace has plenty. We won’t miss them.”

Hearing this, Chen Changsheng said, “Then many thanks, Dragon Lord. I’ll treat you to wine.”

“Small matter,” Ying Zheng waved a hand dismissively.

Chen Changsheng then added, “Also, could I borrow two books on alchemy from you, Dragon Lord? Preferably ones with recipes.”

Ying Zheng readily agreed; it was no effort at all for him.

After settling these matters, Ying Zheng started chatting idly with Chen Changsheng.

Ying Zheng said, “By the way, why aren’t you staying at Flowing Cloud Temple? What brings you here?”

Chen Changsheng said, “Flowing Cloud Temple isn’t mine. Now it must be returned. Naturally, I can’t stay.”

“Where are you staying now then?”

“No fixed place.”

Ying Zheng nodded upon hearing this. “That sounds more like you. But the mortal world doesn’t have much that’s interesting. I grew tired of it long ago.”

“It’s not that bad…”

Chen Changsheng murmured. Though so many things repeated – people he knew passed away, the past surfaced in his mind – there were always differences.

That’s why he said he could not become an immortal.

Ying Zheng didn’t know what Chen Changsheng was thinking. He took a drink and looked down below.

“This mortal world is truly unsettled.”

He just muttered it, not making a big deal of it.

The rain should stop now.

Ying Zheng said, “Going back. I’ll find you for wine tomorrow.”

“Take care, Dragon Lord.”

Chen Changsheng said farewell, watching as Ying Zheng departed the place.

As the rain stopped, Chen Changsheng’s thought returned to his mortal body.

When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the courtyard.

He sighed gently. Breathing in the scent of the rain, his mind was at peace, so much so that he felt like sleeping right there.

…

On the street.

Wang Sanniang was sheltering under an eave. Seeing the heavy rain stop, she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

The rain had come quickly; she had barely escaped getting soaked.

The ugly markings on her face were smudged. She had been covering them to avoid being seen. Now that the rain had stopped, she hurried back home without a moment’s delay.

Back in her room, she checked her face with a bronze mirror and saw that the dirt she’d painted on her forehead had rubbed off somehow.

“Probably no one saw it.”

Worried, Wang Sanniang quickly grabbed some white powder and gray ash to touch up the smudged parts of her face.

Once done, she finally relaxed and felt safe returning to the street to pack up her stall.

Just as she was tidying her stall.

A woman walked up to the stall and asked, “Are there any baked pancakes left?”

Wang Sanniang looked up. The woman before the stall had skin like jade and looked very beautiful.

“There are.”

Wang Sanniang said, “But they’ve gone cold. You’d need to wait a little.”

The woman said, “I’ll wait then.”

Wang Sanniang nodded and started the fire.

She asked, “Aren’t you afraid, young lady, being on the street alone?”

“Afraid?” The woman paused, then shook her head without explaining.

Wang Sanniang said, “Things in Qingshan City are a bit calmer now, but you never know. You have such a lovely appearance; you really shouldn’t walk the streets alone. If some bad person saw you… something could happen.”

The woman at the stall thought to herself, ‘Has Qingshan City fallen to such a state?’

She didn’t really care. After all, if people leave her alone, she leaves them alone. But should anyone ignorant and overstep, she wouldn’t mind teaching them a fatal lesson.

“Thanks for the warning,” she still said politely.

Wang Sanniang nodded and began warming the baked pancake.

Shortly after, the warmed baked pancake was handed to the woman.

She paid, then glanced at the nearby tea stall and asked, “Elder sister, another thing. Is it still the old uncle running that tea stall?”

Wang Sanniang answered, “Yes, that’s him. He wasn’t feeling well today and went home early. Do you know Uncle Lou?”

The woman at the stall nodded. “You could say so. I had tea here before.”

“Oh? You should come for tea tomorrow, miss. He probably won’t vend today.”

“Fine.”

She agreed, then left the place.

Finding a place to stay, she asked the inn’s xiao’er about news of Qingshan City in recent years.

Hearing about the reorganization of the Qingshan Righteous Army later, she couldn’t help but give a cold laugh inside. As the xiao’er then told about the city’s troubles in recent years.

She sighed again. Thinking how leaving back then had perhaps been the right thing.