55 Seeking an Old Friend

Three hundred years

Year after year, the wind, frost, rain, and dew have long since washed away everything from the past. Generation after generation grows old, dies, and is replaced by new life. The cycle of life continues for thousands of generations.

At this moment, the heavy snow is covering Qingshan Town with a pure white coat, but it cannot suppress the town's liveliness.

"Have you heard? The white-haired immortal helped us completely eradicate the demonic nightmare!"

"Nightmare?"

"You probably don't know this," a young man said excitedly to his companion while waiting for his wontons at the table. "Back when we first exorcised the demon, it was Immortal Qingge who personally went down to Qingshan Town and slaughtered every single monk in that temple who was colluding with the demons!"

"A monk colluding with demons?"

"Oh! But actually, that was all the work of Wen Ruyu and his wicked disciple. Hmph, but in the end, evil has its retribution. That wicked disciple was executed by slow slicing three hundred years ago, and his bones have been thrown into the deepest part of the water dungeon for maggots to feed on!"

"Huh!" His companion was clearly taken aback by the young man's words and quickly stopped the conversation, lest he lose his appetite for the delicious wontons later.

"Excuse me, young friend, is anyone here?"

A deep voice rang out. His companion looked up but couldn't see the other person's face, which was hidden by a straw hat. He shook his head and ignored it, continuing to gossip with his friends about other things.

"I've heard of Immortal Qingge; his reputation has resounded throughout the world since the great war three hundred years ago!"

“Of course!” His companion raised an eyebrow, a blush of excitement rising on his cheeks, and said, “Actually, I’m more interested in her relationship with that apprentice—hehe.”

"I don't know if it's true or not. It's said that the two of them got married a long time ago. Do you think Immortal Qingge has really passed away?"

"I guess so, but it's really regrettable that the white-haired immortal was quickly promoted to the position of elder after the immortal left."

"What if the white-haired immortal is her disciple?!"

"Really? But there are all sorts of versions of stories in the cultivation world."

Unbeknownst to the two, the man sitting next to them had overheard their entire conversation, silently finished his bowl of wontons, and quietly left.

"Huh?" Li Er glanced to the side, somewhat surprised. "Hey Wang Dashan, why is there a crack in this cup?"

What crack?

The person being addressed looked in the direction the other person was pointing, and was momentarily surprised: "There really is one? It was crushed?"

Li Er shook his head, put down the empty bowl, and said with a satisfied look, "Let's go, eat your fill and go home to work!"

After they left, the man who had been there for a short time stared intently at the empty seat, his slender hand brushing aside the gauze curtain in front of him, his eyes unfathomable.

But if you look closely, you'll definitely notice their full head of white hair.

Yin Li pursed his lips, lost in thought. He had been away from home long enough; it was time to return to Green Mountain Peak.

After leaving the Demon Realm, he found Hua Qi, and Xu Zhi Qiu was discussing the follow-up matters with him.

"Now that Wen Ruyu is dead, we can give an explanation to all the sects. The artifact has been sealed by Qingge in the Luobing Cave and will not cause any disturbance for hundreds or even thousands of years."

"Yelang still needs to be interrogated. We'll announce it in writing once he's confessed everything."

"Mm." Xu Zhi Qiu nodded, glancing at Yin Li who had come over from the side, and then turned to look at him.

"Yin Li, come here—"

Hua Qi turned around at the sound, but the moment he saw him, his eyes showed undisguised surprise.

"Elders, your wicked disciple Yin Li has come to apologize."

He slowly knelt down, seemingly unaware of the unusual appearance of his white hair, and bowed his head to kowtow three times.

"Get up! You have committed no crime. You have not killed anyone, and you have been diligently repairing the barrier in the Demon Realm. It is we who have failed you, for we have not done anything to cleanse—"

Hua Qi coughed lightly, interrupting the conversation, and silently helped Xu Zhi Qiu up, his heart filled with melancholy.

"Yin Li".

Hua Qi said with some reluctance, "The matter is already settled, so move on as soon as possible."

Yin Li's hands, hanging tightly at her sides, were clenched tightly. Her eyes were filled with sorrow, yet her whole being was incredibly determined: "I will find her."

The two elders did not answer, clearly acknowledging that Chu Qing's soul had already dissipated.

“I have made a pact with her soul, and she is still alive.”

My master is still alive. She said that if I find her, she will definitely find a way to help me find her.

The master wouldn't lie to him.

Xu Zhiqi disagreed and tried to stop him, but Hua Qi raised his hand to stop him. Helpless, he sighed slightly and softened his tone: "Okay."

"I have another request."

"What?"

"I want to see Ye Lang." The person opposite looked up, speaking slowly and deliberately, making it impossible to discern their emotions.

"Alright, come with us."

Xu Zhiqi gestured for Yin Li to follow, as they were also going to the water dungeon to interrogate Ye Lang.

The three of them soon arrived at the door. The familiar dampness and bloody smell enveloped Yin Li, and for a moment, it was as if he had returned to that time when he was rescued by his master with a lame excuse.

But I was such a bastard back then, I was filled with hatred and wanted to kill him.

It's all his fault.

Three people stood in the cramped space. Ye Lang was tightly bound, and no one paid any attention to his injuries.

Hearing the sound, he slightly raised his eyelids, then lowered his head in self-deprecation.

"Ye Lang, you've confessed everything, so we can give you a lighter sentence."

Yin Li stood behind, not asking any questions, like a statue, but it was hard to ignore his imposing presence.

"OK."

Ye Lang smiled sinisterly, looking somewhat insane: "Everything you can say was done by Wen Ruyu and me. In Crescent Moon Town, I tried to steal the Spirit Pearl, but someone beat me to it. In Green Mountain Town, the Nightmare grew stronger by absorbing people's fears in their dreams, which was also done by Wen Ruyu and me."

"But I, Ye Lang, was blind to have tied myself to a madman who would stop at nothing. It was my mistake, and I deserve it."

After he finished speaking, the cell was quiet for a while. He looked up and his eyes darted around, finally fixing on Yin Li in the corner. He seemed to suddenly become a piece of gunpowder and exploded!

If he weren't bound by chains, no one doubted that Ye Lang would have rushed forward. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the person opposite him, trembling all over: "Yin Li, what right do you have!"

Ye Lang struggled desperately, trying to break free of the chains binding him: "Yin Li, you deserve to be cursed by everyone like me, and you deserve to be punished and tortured by Chu Qingge!"

"You weren't criticized when Chu Qingge was framed before, so why, why later—"

"Enough!"

At this moment, Yin Li finally spoke, his eyes filled with uncontrollable anger and hatred. He strode forward and grabbed the other man's neck, tightening his grip: "Ye Lang, you deserve to die."

"Yin Li, handle this according to the law. Be strict, not lenient. He should be executed by slow slicing."

Faced with Hua Qi and Xu Zhi Qiu's obstruction, Yin Li finally withdrew her strength after a while, retreating to a corner as if she had just entered, and said nothing more.

The dark cell was silent. The three men looked at the traitor who had long since passed out, said nothing, and got up to leave.

After they were released from prison, they went their separate ways to their respective destinations. The two elders had other matters to attend to and did not say anything more to Yin Li.

When he returned to the Cloud Mist Sect, he suddenly felt as if he had been transported to another world.

But now, in the vast Cloud Mist Sect, the familiar table is still covered with petals because someone has been cleaning it, trying their best to maintain its original appearance.

The aroma of flower tea wafted from the teapot, a flavor that Chu Qing always loved, and several plates of pastries were placed on the side as garnish.

Pushing open the door, they took a few more steps deeper into the courtyard. Hearing the noise, the two people in the courtyard turned around at the same time.

Ling Xueluo was taken aback, and blurted out, "Senior Brother..."

"Yin Li..."

"Your hair—"

"Junior sister, Mo Yu, I'm back."

"You still know how to come back!"

For some reason, Mo Yu angrily stepped forward and punched the other party. Yin Li, however, seemed to have expected it and did not dodge, taking the punch head-on.

His face was turned to the side after being hit, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

But when Mo Yu was about to throw a second punch, he stopped just an inch from his opponent's cheek.

He was panting heavily, thinking angrily, "What's the use?"

What is he angry about?

Did Qi Yinli fail to protect his master?

But no one can influence Master's decision.

The three of them seem to have no home now.

Ling Xueluo also stopped Mo Yu from the side, her brows and eyes filled with helplessness. She wanted to say something, but when she opened her mouth, she choked up.

Yin Li's eyes stung with pain. "I will find my master. I definitely will."

He said that without any explanation, it also gives people a sense of credibility.

"Yin Li," Mo Yu said weakly, her head bowed, "do whatever you want. My junior sister and I—"

At that moment, all the previous disagreements between the two disappeared, and warmth and unity quietly arose.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath: "My junior sister and I will always be here waiting."

A soft laugh eased the heavy atmosphere. Yin Li smiled and said solemnly, "Okay."

"Don't die!"

"Um."

When spring flowers were in full bloom, the Cloud Mist Sect remained as warm as ever. Yin Li stepped into Chu Qing's bedroom one last time, took some useful items related to the soul, shouldered his bundle again, and set off alone towards the unknown ends of the earth.

The boy took off his red clothes and put on his original black ones, which contrasted sharply with his full head of white hair.

That thin and frail figure gradually faded from people's sight. Qingshan Peak recruited one batch of disciples after another. Zhao Jing'an and Chi Yuanhan had long since transformed from their initial ignorance into respected senior brothers who could teach in their respective fields.

Later, Yin Li revisited his homeland and took the opportunity to visit the Demon Realm, where everything was peaceful and well.

He went to the coldest lands, constantly studying all the secrets of the world, crossing the River Styx and searching for the Soul Lamp, but his three souls and seven spirits never responded.

But Yin Li didn't believe it. She thought her master had simply gone to another place and was waiting for her in another time and space.

And so, day after day, year after year, Yin Li saw the warm spring mountains and fields, gazed at the Milky Way over the Western Plateau, and witnessed the high mountains and flowing waters, the smoke rising from the fields and chimneys. Every place became a mark of life.

Year after year, three years after three years, he used his immortal bloodline to punish evil and promote good, bringing peace and prosperity to a corner of the world. The name "White-Haired Immortal" resounded throughout the four seas and eight wastelands.

Three hundred years have passed since then.

[Author's Note]

Ahhh, our heroine will be in the next chapter! We might meet, or we might not, but the ending will definitely be a super happy ending!!! [Sprinkling flowers][Rabbit head with upright ears]