Chapter 772 All things have a lifespan, and all mortals have selfish desires.
After demanding the Purple Pill and Thunder Talisman, Master Yuan left for a full hour.
Li Xian, Li Guo'er, Wei Mei, and the others remained in the ice cellar, keeping the stone door tightly closed, and waited quietly.
Lu Ya left with Master Yuan, just in case the music might come again.
An hour later, the old Taoist priest and his disciple leisurely returned to the ruins of the inner residence of the Prince of Xunyang.
Xie Lingjiang also returned with them.
She was dressed in a royal blue men's suit today, carrying a sword in one hand, looking quite dashing.
However, her cuffs were stained with dust and fallen leaves, and the hem of her dress was also stained with specks of red blood. The blue and red colors were quite conspicuous, suggesting that she had driven into the mountains, abandoned her car, and then maneuvered through the dense forest, where she had already fought with the river pirates.
The three of them walked through the ruins and arrived at the ice cellar.
Upon receiving the signal, the stone gate slowly opened.
While waiting, Xie Lingjiang frowned unconsciously and glanced sideways at "Li Dalang" beside her.
There was still a hint of surprise in his eyes.
It seems he was deeply impressed by the scene when "Li Dalang" suddenly arrived and dealt with the group of river pirates not long ago.
Perhaps it was the suddenness of the scene that made it so striking.
In her eyes, Li Dalang was just a big weakling in the past, but today he suddenly displayed great power. Although she knew that it was the old Celestial Master Yuan who had descended to earth, she still felt extremely surprised and shocked to witness it with her own eyes.
Lu Ya stood respectfully behind "Li Dalang".
Xie Lingjiang stood a little further away, and without making a sound, reached into his sleeve and quietly pressed down on a small ink stick that was "restless".
She was a woman of five surnames, born into the Jinling branch of the Xie family of Chenjun, the most prestigious aristocratic family in Jiangzuo. Due to her family and her father's connections, she was actually most familiar with Yuqing Pavilion and Zaoshan among the Three Pure Ones, followed by Longhu Mountain, while she had not had much contact with Shangqing and Maoshan.
My knowledge of this Master Yuan, whom I had never met before, was limited to stories told by the Li family. Today marks our first meeting.
Actually, this is quite normal. Shangqing is the core of the Three Pure Ones, and the number of Taoists in the Ancestral Hall is the smallest, so outsiders don't have much contact with it.
The substance is different from the facade; it is used to stain blood and has always been something that cannot be seen in the light of day, never to be brought to the forefront.
The rickety stone door opened again, and Li Xian and the others walked out.
"Master, you're back!"
"Wanwan, are you alright?"
Wei Mei stepped forward, grabbed Xie Lingjiang's arm, and began to examine her with some concern.
Although Li Guo'er did not show any concern, she still walked over to Xie Lingjiang's side.
The two women exchanged glances.
Xie Lingjiang nodded slightly, indicating that everything was alright.
Li Guo'er let out a slight sigh of relief.
Li Xian, Wei Mei, and the others also showed signs of relief and joy.
Although both Xie Lingjiang and Lu Ya are staff guards, they hold completely different positions in the hearts of Li Xian's family.
It wasn't because of Xie Lingjiang's father, Xie Xun, since Lu Ya also had Master Yuan as his master.
The biggest reason is Ouyang Rong.
As Tanlang's "fiancée" in a certain sense, her status in the Prince's mansion was naturally extraordinary.
If anything were to happen to them, Li Xian and Wei Mei wouldn't know how to explain it to Tan Lang; they would find it too difficult to face anyone.
This is also one of the reasons why Wei Mei was particularly angry not long ago when he discovered that Lu Ya had not carried out the plan and had left Xie Lingjiang alone to divert water from the bandits in Kuanglu Mountain.
At this moment, Xie Lingjiang spoke first:
"Thanks to the old Celestial Master's timely arrival, the music of the zither revealed my location. Five mid-level water bandits were chasing me, and they were quite troublesome."
She paused, then said in a tone of admiration:
"On the way back, the old Celestial Master took us to deal with the remaining two. They should all be taken care of now. We can leave the city now without worry. We can take the waterway to Longcheng or the land route to Mount Lu."
Li Xian and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
"Let me, the old Taoist priest, cast a divination."
The old Taoist priest subconsciously raised his hand to stroke his beard, intending to perform divination with one hand. However, after raising his hand, he realized that the prince's body did not have a long beard. The old Taoist priest smiled, rubbed his stubble, and continued to perform divination.
A moment later, he pointed in the direction of Xunyang Ferry:
"According to the divination, taking this route will be a close call, but no real danger."
"A close call?"
Li Xian and the others looked at each other, but still nodded in agreement.
As long as there is no danger, that's fine. As for "surprise", what event happened today that wasn't a surprise?
After doing all this, the old Taoist priest took out the last few pale red Qi-replenishing pills from his sleeve, and calmly swallowed them.
He let out a long breath, as if he had regained some rest, as if he had burned another incense stick, and spoke again:
"The old Taoist priest has three more things to say, but the first two depend on who you tell them to."
The old Taoist priest looked at Li Guo'er and gestured to the side:
"Your Highness, please follow this old Taoist priest."
Li Guo'er exchanged glances with the others, then turned and followed Master Yuan to the side.
Go somewhere where no one else can hear you.
Master Yuan said directly:
“Your Highness, when we first met in Longcheng, I gave you a piece of advice that I shouldn’t have revealed, as it could have had consequences.”
He sighed:
"In fact, logically speaking, if the old Taoist hadn't told you about that prophecy, you would have been more destined to be with him, instead of being so distant now. It's obvious that there was a 'deliberate' element in your interactions. However, the prophecy about a benefactor still holds true. Your connection hasn't diminished; it's just that in the long run, he remains your benefactor."
"Besides, no one can predict fate. Just like now, who can say it's not good? Let's wait and see. That destiny will only be delayed, not diminished in the slightest."
Li Guo'er was somewhat puzzled; what kind of fate could there be?
However, she still nodded slightly:
"Understood, Master. Thank you."
Master Yuan scrutinized Li Guo'er's face with his eyes.
"What’s wrong with you?"
Li Guo'er asked curiously.
Master Yuan sighed deeply and shook his head, saying:
"Your face might not seem unusual on a man, but since you are a woman, it makes you exceptionally noble."
"When you were still an infant, I passed through Longcheng and examined your face. I mistakenly thought you were a boy and left similar comments. The prince and princess did not reveal that you were a girl at the time, probably because they were afraid of encountering danger and hid you from the Imperial Clan Court to prevent you from being taken to Luoyang. It was only after two years that I learned that you were a girl. That's why I went to Longcheng many times to look for your family."
"I've actually seen this face of yours before. Back in the Chang'an Imperial Palace, there was another person with it, also a woman... Ah, I wonder if it will come true again. And you happen to be a princess of the Li clan. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. The Li Gan and Wei Zhou dynasties are truly mysterious. We men are clearly no less capable..."
"What exactly does the Old Celestial Master mean?" Li Guo'er interrupted, frowning.
Master Yuan sighed for a moment, then said nothing more:
"On the way to Mount Lu, the old Taoist instructed his disciple that from now on, he will listen to you and you can do whatever you want with him. He does not ask that you bring wealth and honor to the Three Pure Ones when you go to the capital. He only asks that you remember to offer a small amount of incense and that you will show mercy if the Three Pure Ones make a mistake in the future. The old Taoist will be satisfied."
Li Guo'er pondered for a moment, then nodded.
Only then did Master Yuan breathe a sigh of relief and leave.
The two returned to the public eye.
Master Yuan then turned and spread his hands toward Li Xian, gesturing to him from the side:
"Your Highness, this way please."
Li Xian paused for a moment, and under everyone's gaze, somewhat confused, followed Master Yuan away.
Wei Mei, Li Guo'er, and the others watched them depart, vaguely hearing the old Taoist priest's words as he slowly walked away: "Your Highness, do you still remember the illness that caused Emperor Gaozong's death? What was that illness? Do you know..."
About half an incense stick later, Yuan and Li returned.
Li Xian looked somewhat dazed, staring blankly ahead. He only came to his senses when he reached the crowd and looked around at his wife, daughter, and servants.
Wei Mei said worriedly:
"Qilang, what's wrong? Why do you look so distracted?"
Li Xian smiled and shook his head.
Out of the corner of her eye, Li Guo'er noticed that her father seemed to be holding a crumpled piece of paper in his hand. As he shook his head, her father quietly slipped it into his sleeve.
It is unknown whether this note was left by Master Yuan.
But what is it that can't be spoken directly and has to be written down on a piece of paper? Are they afraid they won't remember it?
Li Guo'er began to ponder.
On the other side, Li Xian remained calm and waved his hand:
"It's nothing. The old master gave us some advice, telling us all to stay safe and sound."
Master Yuan nodded in agreement, and after a moment, he turned to Xie Lingjiang and said:
"The last thing is about your senior brother."
"Your senior brother is extremely fortunate, which is both a good thing and a bad thing, because great fortune can also be a great misfortune. Fortune and misfortune are interdependent, and danger is unpredictable. The same applies to those around him."
“Miss Xie, not everyone can bear great fortune. Everyone actually has a bowl. The size of the bowl determines how much fortune it can hold. If you force too much into it, it will overflow and be snatched up by those who covet it. This is the way of Heaven: to take from the surplus and give to the deficiency.”
"As for how to expand this bowl, the only way is to do good deeds and accumulate merit."
"Your eldest brother is a person with abundant blessings, a person with a large bowl. Perhaps he has indeed done a lot of good deeds and accumulated a lot of merit. However, the people around him are not like that. The bowls of the people around him are small, at least compared to the blessings he has revealed. So you should pay extra attention to them."
"Unless one is a member of the imperial family like a prince, a crown prince, or a princess, then the bowl is naturally larger. That's why we say your eldest brother is a talent to support the emperor and should stand in this position."
"But as I said before, you still need to be careful about the other close people around you."
Xie Lingjiang nodded thoughtfully and said seriously:
"Understood. Thank you for your guidance, Elder Master. I will pass on the message to my eldest brother."
"Alright, I'm all better now." Master Yuan said calmly, "Your Highness and Your Highness, you may now leave Xunyang."
Li Xian and Wei Mei, hand in hand, looked around the ruins of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion's inner quarters, their expressions filled with reluctance. Before the Li couple could express their feelings, the old Taoist priest who had been watching them spoke first:
"Your Highness, Your Highness, when we first met at the Daming Palace, Emperor Gaozong was still alive. He held a grand banquet for the talents of the world. Your Highness and I were in the hall at that time, serving wine to Emperor Gaozong. When Emperor Gaozong bestowed wine upon me, you personally poured it for me. At that time, Your Highness and I were newly married, both with black hair, a handsome couple, which left a deep impression on me. I never imagined that Your Highness and your family would have such a fate today. Later, you inherited the position of Crown Prince, the turmoil of the deposed emperor, and were exiled to Jiangzhou. When I saw you again, your hair was already white. It is truly a sad sight."
Li Xian touched his middle-aged, protruding belly and smiled helplessly.
Wei Mei tilted her head, reached out and cupped her husband's handsome face from back then, then stroked the white hair at his temples, her eyes filled with sadness and sighs.
The old Taoist priest laughed heartily and pointed to himself, saying:
"Who says 'flowers may bloom again, but youth never returns'? Haven't I been young again today? Hahaha, Your Highness has too much stubble, you should shave some off. But today, with no white hair, I've returned to my youth, which is a great joy. Speaking of which, I really cherish this life."
"No wonder there are still dead people who covet our sect's secret techniques. It is indeed a method of immortality in a certain sense. Unfortunately, it is just a loophole. In fact, the old Taoist is already dead. The old Taoist now only has the original memories."
The old Taoist priest turned his head and calmly spoke to Lu Ya, who was staring straight at him:
"Did you hear that? I'm dead. The person I am now is not me."
Lu Ya insisted:
“Master is not dead. Master is incredibly wise and resourceful. He will not die.”
The old celestial master waved his hand, offering no explanation, and his tone softened:
"Little Yazi, is there anything else you want to ask your master?"
The old man stopped calling his foolish apprentice and started calling him by his nickname.
Lu Ya shook his head vigorously:
"Disciple has nothing to ask Master. Disciple just wants to see Master more and chat more."
"Haha, gossip? Only you, little Yazi, would want to gossip with your master. Life is fleeting, it passes too quickly. The living are busy, and the dead are not at peace either. Everyone is busy. In my generation, from birth to death, I have said very little gossip, but made many prophecies. Many people come to me for fortune telling and to ask me questions. Only you, little Yazi, are different. You only want to talk about gossip."
Suppressing his grief, Lu Ya asked, "Master, will I ever see you again?"
The old celestial master's expression turned serious as he replied:
"You've forgotten what I told you: spirit possession must not be used recklessly. Remember that, remember that. Even if it's your master, you can't use it too often. I've said it before, I'm already dead. The person I am now is not your master..."
Lu Ya's eyes were red-rimmed, and he pursed his lips tightly.
The old master paused, then asked about his son. Lu Ya shook his head and said he didn't know. The old man frowned slightly, looking somewhat disappointed.
Lu Ya suddenly brought up the matter of his junior sister Huang Xuan, and the Old Master smiled happily, said a few more warm words, and finally solemnly gave him some advice:
"Alright, treat your junior sister well, respect your teachers, and protect the prince and the little princess. Little Yazi, the Shangqing Sect is now in your hands."
A moment later, the old master looked down at his palm, and Lu Ya's expression became somewhat tense, as if he had anticipated something.
The old Celestial Master suddenly said:
“That day, many fellow disciples came to my bedside and asked me many questions. You stood foolishly at the back, like a gatekeeper. Why didn’t you take a step forward? You made it so that I didn’t have time to say more to you before I closed my eyes.”
Lu Ya lowered his head: "Disciple only has idle talk, which is not worth mentioning. The affairs of my senior uncles and elders are important, as they involve the incense offerings of the ancestral hall."
The old Taoist priest looked up at the sky and murmured, "Gossip, gossip, even an old Taoist has gossip. I really wanted to say something to you when you were quietly crying."
Lu Ya's lips trembled as he said, "Wh...what did you say?"
The old master smiled and said:
“Little Yazi, everything has a lifespan, it just happens to be today.”
After speaking, he walked to a small stone stool next to the artificial hill, sat down peacefully, sat upright, closed his eyes, and passed away.
Li Dalang opened his eyes.
(End of this chapter)
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