East Mountain.
Shumei Residence.
Several Immortal cranes strolled by the pond. Though summer had ended and autumn had just begun, the plants remained lush, yet carried a faint hint of the coming season. Lin Bu, now fully recovered from his injuries, walked leisurely by the water's edge in a tranquil mood.
*"Leaning against the breeze with my headband loose,
Amidst the spring hues by the wooden fence.
Long grass gathers powdered butterflies,
Warm woods shed green insects.
For whom do I carry wine?
Moving flowers—only this old man remains.
The hermit’s life in Yuling,
Yet my purity is not the same."*
He recited the poem casually—a piece he had composed earlier in the year, though he wasn’t particularly satisfied with it. Still, since the mood struck him, he let the words flow freely.
"Ah, the great poet is reciting verse! I’ll leave right away, my apologies. I was just passing by—take your time. If you run out of poems or inspiration, you can call me to help recite, or even compose one for you." A slow, drawling voice came from behind. A figure in yellow robes and a red fan sauntered past, waving it gently. "Though, actually, I came to tell you—dinner is ready. If you don’t want to eat, I can eat for you. If you can’t finish, I can dump it for you..."
"Ah..." Lin Bu sighed. Though he hadn’t intended sarcasm, Fang Pingzhai’s nonsensical rambling was endless. "Any progress with the Elixir crafting today?"
Fang Pingzhai hummed. "You’re quite concerned about Elixir crafting, aren’t you? Actually, it has nothing to do with you. Whether it succeeds or fails, it’s not your life on the line. So whether there’s progress or not is just meaningless chatter to you—therefore, I won’t tell you. Come on, let’s eat."
Lin Bu sighed softly. "Yu Guniang..." He hesitated.
Fang Pingzhai fanned himself with a smirk. "Oh? Do you harbor some ulterior motives toward that unsightly little girl?"
"Of course not," Lin Bu replied. "Yu Guniang is kind-hearted. Naturally, I care."
Fang Pingzhai strode ahead. "There are countless kind-hearted people in the world—can you care for them all? Everyone dies sooner or later. Does worrying for her mean she won’t die? And after she dies, does that mean you won’t? Come back when you’ve become an immortal monster who never dies—then you can worry about others."
Lin Bu smiled faintly. "Master Fang’s words are profound and truly unique." That Fang Pingzhai could say something with even a sliver of sense was somewhat unexpected.
Before long, the two arrived at Lin Bu’s residence on East Mountain—Shumei Residence.
Liu Yan’s Elixir chamber emitted a peculiar odor. Every day, he busied himself inside, though no one knew exactly what he was concocting. Fang Pingzhai was intensely curious, but for one, Liu Yan forbade him from entering, and for another—once, when Liu Yan was away, he had sneaked in and touched some colorless liquid in one of the jars. After it dried, his finger split open as if cut by a blade, yet it didn’t bleed. Since then, he never dared to investigate the Elixir chamber again.
Liu Yan lived in the chamber, rarely stepping out except for meals and washing. Yu Tuan'er, however, bustled in and out, constantly busy.
"Is this grass juice or vegetable paste?" At the dinner table, Liu Yan glared coldly at Yu Tuan'er. Fang Pingzhai peeked over and saw four dishes and a soup laid out—one bowl of which was a vibrant green, thick like mashed vegetables, utterly baffling.
Lin Bu took one look and called out, "Ru Ma, what is this...?""This was made by Yu Guniang herself, young master," Ru Ma, who was serving nearby, said respectfully. Yu Tuan'er had already picked up her bowl and chopsticks but set them down upon hearing this. "This is tea leaves. So many tea leaves, and you just throw them away after boiling them—what a waste. Tea leaves aren’t poisonous, and they smell nice. I mashed them into a paste and added salt. It’s really tasty." Fang Pingzhai slapped his own forehead, shaking his head without a word. Lin Bu gave a bitter smile, while Liu Yan said coldly, "Throw it away."
Yu Tuan'er frowned. "If you won’t eat it, others can. Why must something you don’t like be thrown away?" Liu Yan replied indifferently, "No one is allowed to eat it." Yu Tuan'er retorted, "You’re so unreasonable. I won’t listen to you." She picked up her rice bowl and began eating, happily scooping up the strange tea paste along with it.
"Ahem... Xiao Bai, has no one ever told you that during meals, you should wait for your elders to sit and eat first before you start?" Fang Pingzhai tapped Yu Tuan'er’s head with his red fan. "Even though you’re now my future master’s assistant, I’m older than you, more experienced, and especially have a far superior taste for fine cuisine. So—"
Yu Tuan'er frowned. "You were already here standing around not eating. Why should I wait for you? You could’ve just sat down and eaten." Fang Pingzhai sighed and shook his head. "You really give me a headache. To think that Fang Pingzhai, who once roamed the martial world without meeting a worthy opponent, is now in such a pitiable and lamentable state!" With that, he sat down and began eating—though naturally, he avoided the tea paste.
"If you roamed the martial world without meeting a worthy opponent, why are you following Brother Liu to learn his Sound Assassination?" Yu Tuan'er ate just as quickly as he did. "You’re just spouting nonsense again."
Fang Pingzhai replied, "Well... because all I encountered were minor characters, of course I never met a worthy opponent. After wandering the martial world for years, everyone I met was someone I could defeat in a single move. I hardly even witnessed any injustices—what a sorrow for a martial artist! To think that I’ve traveled from east to west, south to north, with the Central Plains beneath my feet and the sun and moon following me for thousands of miles. Naturally, I can say I roamed the martial world—"
Yu Tuan'er interrupted impatiently, "Stop talking. I don’t want to hear it. You’re so long-winded."
Liu Yan watched the strange tea paste coldly, slowly picking up his bowl to take a bite of plain rice. Yu Tuan'er suddenly said, "I thought you weren’t eating?" Liu Yan was so irritated he didn’t know whether to set the bowl down or not. After a moment, he snorted, put down his chopsticks, and pushed the wheelchair Yu Tuan'er had made for him, retreating to his Elixir Chamber.
Lin Bu couldn’t help but chuckle as he sat down and began eating. None of these three were the type to restrain themselves or endure patiently. When the three of them were together, conflicts were inevitable. After witnessing it for so long, he had grown used to it.
Fang Pingzhai used his chopsticks to snatch all the best parts of the dishes on the table, eating his fill before crossing his legs leisurely. "Actually—you really offended him just now. Though he’s my future master and I shouldn’t speak ill of him behind his back, the truth is he’s very prideful. And your mind is as straight and long as the necks of those Immortal Cranes running around outside. The things you say aren’t just unpleasant—they’re extremely unpleasant. The fact that he’s tolerated you this long without casually getting rid of you is already a miracle. So you’d better stop provoking him. Be more careful with your words from now on—it’ll do you no harm.""Is he really angry?" Yu Tuan'er asked in a low voice. Fang Pingzhai let out a laugh. "He wouldn't truly be angry with you. After all, you're not the one he wants to be angry with." Yu Tuan'er frowned. "Then who is the one he wants to be angry with?" Fang Pingzhai lightly waved his red fan. "Ah—such matters shouldn't be discussed behind my future master's back without his consent. It's quite unethical. If you want to know, you should ask him yourself. Best bring him some food while you're at it and swear never to make such strange concoctions again. If his mood improves, he might just tell you." Yu Tuan'er shot him a glance. "How would you know who he wants to be angry with?" Fang Pingzhai coughed. "Naturally, because I'm his dear future disciple. Our relationship is far from ordinary." Yu Tuan'er glared at him again, picked up a bowl of rice, added some leftover dishes on top, and carried it into the Elixir chamber.
"Mr. Fang is truly an eccentric," Lin Bu remarked as he slowly ate. "Actually, Brother Hei treats Yu Guniang quite well." Fang Pingzhai laughed heartily. "I, too, spare no effort for my future master. But who knows when I'll finally move his stony heart and get my wish fulfilled? Poor Fang Pingzhai!" He covered his head with the red fan and shook it deeply. "But my patience has always been extraordinary, haha!" Lin Bu smiled faintly. Though he didn't understand what Fang Pingzhai sought to learn from Liu Yan, the man wasn't truly unpleasant.
Inside the Elixir chamber.
Liu Yan sat in his wheelchair, facing a vat as tall as a person and an assortment of oddly shaped bottles and jars in the room, his eyes closed in silence. Yu Tuan'er entered with the bowl of rice. "Are you really angry?" Liu Yan didn't respond. She set the rice on a nearby table. "You're a grown man. How can you still get angry over such things? You're not a child." Liu Yan replied indifferently, "Get out!" Yu Tuan'er stubbornly remained, sitting down in front of his wheelchair and resting her chin on her hands to look at him. "Are you angry at me or someone else?" Liu Yan said coldly, "Get out!"
"If you're always angry at someone else, you shouldn't make me feel like I'm the one ruining your mood! Even though I was wrong to cook that tea paste without telling you..." Yu Tuan'er rubbed her legs. "If you're upset, sharing your troubles with someone might make you feel better." Liu Yan glanced at her rubbing her legs, his eyes flickering slightly. "Are your legs sore?" Yu Tuan'er sighed. "A little. I didn't tell you. I'm sorry." Liu Yan said, "Lift your skirt and let me see." After hesitating for a moment, she pulled her skirt up to her knees, revealing calves that were once fair and smooth but now appeared withered and thin, covered in fine wrinkles, showing signs of aging. After examining them, Liu Yan motioned for her to lower her skirt and remained silent for a long while. "You're going to die soon.""I know," Yu Tuan'er said frankly. "I might die before you finish crafting the elixir." Liu Yan paused, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. "Are you... afraid?" Yu Tuan'er glanced at him. "Afraid? Who isn't afraid of death? But being afraid doesn't change the fact that I'll still die when my time comes." Liu Yan asked coolly, "Don't you think it's unfair? You only get one life, yet yours has been so wretched—dying so young without experiencing anything." Yu Tuan'er sighed. "True! I haven't married, haven't had children, yet here I am, about to die. But I don't think it's been too terrible, because before I die, there's you crafting an elixir to save me." Her gaze was always direct—so direct it was hard to bear—so Liu Yan averted his eyes as she continued, "I don't know many people, but you're the only one who genuinely wants to save me. Not just saying it, but doing it. I think..." She lowered her voice. "I think that's rare. Even if my life is short, meeting someone who truly cares for me makes it worthwhile. Even if you are a terrible person."
"I'm just using you to test the elixir. I don't actually care about you," Liu Yan said coldly. "No need to delude yourself with sentimental nonsense." Yu Tuan'er shrugged. "You always insist on making yourself sound worse than you are." Liu Yan closed his eyes again. "So young, yet so full of thoughts." Yu Tuan'er started, "I—" But Liu Yan suddenly wheeled his chair forward, retrieving a cup of pale green liquid from beneath a massive clay jar. It wasn't just tea—there were many other unknown ingredients mixed in. He handed the cup to Yu Tuan'er. "There wasn't enough time to finish refining it. Whether you live or die depends on your luck now. Do you dare drink it?" Yu Tuan'er was startled as she took the cup. "This... is the elixir?"
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