Soul-shaking Mountain was not covered in peach blossoms.
However, it was early spring. Grass grew long and warblers flew, while a hundred flowers vied for beauty. The scent of grass seeds and wildflowers still filled the mountainside.
Beneath the eaves of the dilapidated Daoist temple, a swallow was diligently carrying mud to build its nest.
It was early morning.
The morning sun was just rising, and all living things were beginning to stir, brimming with vitality.
Elder Tao, however, had reached the end of his life.
"You rebellious disciple, what's there to be sad about?" Elder Tao said with a chiding smile. "Birth, old age, sickness, and death are all part of the Great Dao. I have spent my whole life in Cultivation. Though I never managed to cultivate any earth-shattering Dao Fruit, at this moment, I can still return my body to the Great Dao. I am greatly comforted by this. You should be happy for me!"
Du Youqian remained choked with sorrow and said nothing. He was afraid that if he spoke, his voice would break with a sob.
"Look at you, a man in his eighties, almost ninety, sniveling like this. Have you no shame? After I die, just bury me behind the Daoist temple. When you have time, take a walk over to see me. When you're in a good mood, play a tune on the qin for me. That will be more than enough."
Du Youqian lowered his head and said, "Yes, Master. I will go and study the qin properly."
"Study what? What is there to study? The qin is the voice of the heart. Just play it with feeling. If I can hear you from the great beyond, I'll naturally understand. You don't need to waste time learning too many techniques." Elder Tao's tone was weary, yet tinged with a sort of cheer, as if he weren't walking toward death but was a worker who had finally finished his overtime and could go home.
"Yes, Master."
Elder Tao beckoned again. "Come here."
Du Youqian did as he was told and took a few steps forward.
"This is for you." Elder Tao shook a small Jade Scroll out from his wide sleeve.
Du Youqian took it, looking puzzled. "This is..."
"Don't you like all that Alchemy and Array stuff?" Elder Tao said with a laugh. "I had some Sect Contribution points left over. Now that my time is up, they're no use to me. I might as well exchange them for something for you."
"Your Cultivation hasn't progressed for a long time, has it."
Du Youqian fought back tears. "Yes. After I reached the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer, it's been difficult to make any progress."
Elder Tao sighed softly. "Forget it. It's all fate. I've made my peace with it. From now on, just do whatever you like. If you enjoy studying Alchemy and Arrays, then go study them. As long as you're happy. When we cultivate the Dao, we are cultivating a heart that is true to itself. If you can't be true to your own heart, then what's the point of Cultivation? You might as well go home, farm the fields, and raise pigs."
Du Youqian pressed his lips together, silent for a long time.
He was afraid that if he opened his mouth, he would break down in tears.
An immense sorrow threatened to drown him.
Thirty-two years... not quite thirty-three.
That was how long he had spent with Elder Tao.
Almost the same amount of time a mortal spends with their parents in a lifetime.
It was strange, really. Even though he was Elder Tao's disciple and they lived in the same Daoist temple, he had spoken remarkably few words with his master.
Outside of teaching him his lessons, Elder Tao almost never sought him out to talk.
And aside from his daily greetings, he wouldn't seek out Elder Tao either.
The two of them were like familiar strangers sharing a roof, maintaining a polite and restrained distance.
Logically, such a detached relationship shouldn't have fostered any deep affection or memorable moments.
But now that Du Youqian thought about it, his mind was filled with short, simple conversations that were nonetheless precious, and small details that seemed indifferent but were actually full of care.
He clutched the Jade Scroll tightly, and after a long moment, he said, "Yes, Master. I will live a good life. 'If one hears the Dao in the morning, one can die content in the evening.' Master, you showed me the Great Dao. Even if it was just a single, insignificant facet, its scenery was enough to leave me captivated and amazed. Thank you, Master!"
"Is that so? You think that way. That's good, that's good." Elder Tao seemed very pleased.
With that, he turned to watch the swallow building its nest under the eaves.
After a long while, he seemed to notice that Du Youqian was still there. He frowned and said, "What are you still doing here? I'm done talking. I don't need you to wait on me. Go on back. The things I'm leaving for you are in my room. You can go get them yourself later."
"Master, let me stand with you for a while. The spring scenery is beautiful."
"It is." Elder Tao turned to look into the distance. The morning sun tinged his cheeks and eyelashes an orange-red, and his pupils seemed to be plated in a layer of pale gold.
He spoke in an almost elegiac tone, "The spring scenery truly is beautiful. In my two hundred years of dedicated Cultivation, how many wonderful days and beautiful scenes have I missed..."
Silently, the monkey that had been missing for several months suddenly appeared, slowly walking upright to Elder Tao's side.
Elder Tao stroked its head.
Standing up, it was nearly as tall as Elder Tao's shoulder. Its seemingly slight body actually contained explosive power.
Du Youqian was stunned.
He felt an immense pressure from it, so strong that he could barely stand straight.
'Had it been hiding away to cultivate these past few months? Or had it eaten some Miracle Elixir?'
An aura like this proved that the damn monkey had already advanced to the Foundation Establishment Realm!
"So you finally succeeded? Good," Elder Tao said with a smile, stroking the monkey's head. "When I'm gone, this Monkey will be here to protect you."
With a smile in his eyes, Elder Tao bent down to look into the monkey's eyes. "Monkey, from now on, you have to protect my disciple, understand?"
The monkey nodded its head frantically.
Its grief-filled eyes left no doubt that it possessed human-like emotions and was by no means a mere beast.
"Alright, both of you go now. Let me be alone for a while." Elder Tao slowly sat down.
The Monkey fidgeted. Though its gaze was reluctant and it kept looking back with every few steps, it still obediently left the Daoist temple and headed into the mountain forest.
Du Youqian was silent for a moment before he also turned and went back inside.
It suddenly occurred to him that Elder Tao still hadn't told him when or where he had met his previous incarnation—Duke You De, Du Youqian.
But really, it didn't matter anymore.
How could an intersection in a past life compare to the master-disciple bond of this one?
"You're back." Long Ruzhen glanced up at him before lowering her head to continue her sewing.
After a moment, she suddenly felt that something was wrong. She looked up again and saw that Du Youqian's face was streaked with tears, grieving in silence.
"Brother Ying, what's wrong?" Long Ruzhen quickly put down her needlework and went to embrace her husband.
"It's nothing." Du Youqian shook his head.
Long Ruzhen seemed to understand. She said no more, only patted him gently with a tender touch.
After a little while, she slowly laid him down, resting his head on her lap and softly humming an unknown tune.
Du Youqian recalled that decades ago, when Liao Leizhong was still a babe in swaddling clothes, Long Ruzhen would often hold the child just like this, humming that same little tune to lull him to sleep.
'Life truly is a cycle of reincarnation,' Du Youqian thought.
The next day, Du Youqian went outside and found Elder Tao still sitting in the same spot.
Only now, he was no longer breathing.
His face was turned toward the rising sun.
The smile on his face was just as it had been in life.
Du Youqian buried the old Daoist in silence.
The Monkey came for the burial as well.
The funeral was simple and plain, almost without ceremony. Du Youqian only brought Long Ruzhen before the grave, played a tune on the qin, and expressed his sorrow.
The Monkey lived in front of the grave for a year, and then one day, it suddenly vanished.
Du Youqian guessed that with the old Daoist gone, it no longer wished to stay in the temple, lest the familiar surroundings remind it of who was lost.
But Du Youqian knew that if he were ever in danger, it would definitely come to his aid.
He was certain of it.