Chapter 302: Chapter 157: Cutting Off Love
"It’s good that you’re awake. Come, drink a bowl of sobering soup. Sister A Yue just made it for you."
With that, the child carried a bowl over, sat by the bed, and attempted to feed Chu Xuan.
Chu Xuan sat up, waved his hand, indicating he’d do it himself.
While silently recalling past events and finishing the sour-sweet sobering soup, Chu Xuan finally looked at the child in front of him and, in a slightly hoarse voice, said:
"What’s your name? Where has He Yao gone?"
The child was stunned for a moment, "You know my senior brother?"
Then, feeling a bit shy, he said, "My name is Shuosheng. My senior brother was selected by people from the upper sect and has joined the mountain gate, becoming a disciple of the Daoist temple."
Chu Xuan’s initially dim and lifeless eyes showed a hint of surprise. He Yao also joined the sect? Why hasn’t he come looking for him in the past few months...
He then nodded and asked, "Was it you and your master who rescued me?"
He Shuosheng nodded, starting from yesterday’s snow sweeping, and rattled off a bunch of stuff. He seemed more lively than He Yao back then.
According to him, years ago, the master traveled with the senior brother for a few years, and at that time Shuosheng was an orphan beggar. Seeing that he had a simple heart and was a good child, the master took him in as a disciple.
Chu Xuan listened quietly and finally asked, "Is A Yue here as well? What about A Qing?"
Back at Niu Gu Mountain, Chu Xuan helped A Qing rescue his demon wife and suggested they move near the Daoist temple. He also gave them a map with the endpoint marked as Fei Xian Temple.
Back then, Chu Xuan hadn’t planned on letting them live inside the temple; he thought it best for them to live in a village nearby.
He just wanted them to pay a visit to the temple master to avoid any misunderstandings and hopefully have him offer some support.
He Shuosheng was once more surprised upon hearing this. How does this mysterious man seem to know everyone at Fei Xian Temple?
He nodded and said, "Master took Brother A Qing as a registered disciple just a few months ago. Sister A Yue is also here; the couple usually does some odd jobs, and I help out as well."
"And then, Master can enjoy life daily, showing off proudly when believers come during festivals~"
"Ow~!" Just when He Shuosheng said this, He Musheng walked by and flicked his head.
The old Daoist, with a stern face, said, "What punishment should you receive for discussing your teacher behind their back?"
He Shuosheng held his head, looking a bit aggrieved, unable to retort, so he stepped aside.
Seeing the white-bearded, approximately sixty or seventy-year-old blue-robed Daoist, Chu Xuan stood up and bowed, "Thank you, Temple Master, for rescuing me a second time."
He Musheng quickly deflected, "Not at all, not at all, you are now a disciple of the headmaster, on the same level as my grand master, so Musheng is unworthy."
"Moreover, this wasn’t really a rescue. If you lay outside for a few more days, you would have awakened yourself. The old Daoist just moved you inside for more comfortable sleep."
Chu Xuan shook his head, "You’re too kind. Years ago, I wanted to come and thank you, but a young Daoist was in charge then and said the Temple Master had taken disciples out."
He Musheng stroked his beard with slight pride and said, "That was my first disciple, now sent out to open a branch temple."
"As for He Yao, he indeed has some fate and was taken as a disciple by a highly experienced elder who brought him up the mountain."
"Oh?" Chu Xuan was curious, "Which elder took him in?"
The Daoist temple’s requirements for accepting disciples have always been strict. In earlier years, Chu Xuan had considered whether to introduce He Yao to the sect.
But by the temple’s rules, disciples must first achieve mastery and then recruit students personally; there’s no favoritism or backdoor entry, so he dismissed the idea.
If according to tradition, the Fei Xian Temple’s lineage belongs to Celestial Derivation Peak, where his junior sister resides. Could it be Xu Yuanzhi, the real master?
He Musheng’s expression turned somewhat awkward, "An unfamiliar elder from Celestial Derivation Peak."
Chu Xuan was stunned; wasn’t this elder considered insane, having turned to the "mind-flow" philosophy?
He Musheng apparently knew about this too. He coughed and said, "This elder merely seems to act erratically, probably not truly insane."
"Anyway, a few years ago, he suddenly descended the mountain, crying all the way, like an old man abused by his family, leaving home alone."
"Coincidentally, He Yao was out collecting medicinal herbs and, feeling compassion, brought the elder back to the temple for a rest."
"To our surprise, the elder ate, drank, cried, and laughed for three days at our temple, during which He Yao took exceptional care of this child-like ancestor."
"When Grand Master came to find him personally, we discovered the elder was his junior uncle."
"Grand Master tried to persuade him, but the elder refused to return and temporarily gave up."
"Later all of a sudden, the elder seemed to have an epiphany, saying he was unlikely to break through in this life and his days were numbered, so he planned to leave his heritage."
"He asked if I could relinquish He Yao as a disciple for him."
"I said He Yao has decent character and is steady but has average talent. The elder didn’t mind, so after asking He Yao’s opinion, I agreed."
He Musheng happily added, "He Yao is considerate. A few years after going up the mountain, he asked someone twice and requested the gate’s crane once to bring some spirit pills, spirit stones, and a few packs of beast meat down."
"Let me tell you, that beast meat, roasted, is truly delicious."
Chu Xuan nodded at this, "Once I return to the sect, I’ll go visit him."
Having been on the mountain for nearly nine years, entangled in various matters, he only visited Fei Xian Temple once, leaving some pills and magical artifacts, and hasn’t returned since.
Comments