ragginovel Chapter 68: The Grand Master's Chapter Arrives
Chapter 68: The Grand Master's Chapter Arrives
The afternoon sun cast its rays on the market, making people feel drowsy.
Liu Zhou, his back hunched, carefully rummaged through the earthenware jar in front of him with his withered fingers.
The jar was filled with yellowish-brown beans, and he was picking out the shriveled, worm-eaten, or dull-colored inferior beans one by one.
These are for our own consumption.
The rustling sound of the beans rubbing together made him even more drowsy, but the rough, cold, and hard edges of the earthenware jar barely kept him awake.
Just then, a shadow silently enveloped him.
Liu Zhou subconsciously raised his head, habitually putting on a fawning smile, ready to greet the guest.
However, when he saw who it was, his smile froze on his face.
"You...you are a distinguished person..."
Liu Zhou's tongue seemed to be tied in knots, and his voice trembled so much that it was almost incoherent.
Even after nearly half a year, he still recognized the person in front of him.
"I didn't expect you to still remember me."
Zou Yun raised an eyebrow, paused briefly, and then asked directly, "Do you know why the old man who sells steamed buns didn't come to the market today?"
"Selling steamed buns? Old...old man?! Oh...!! Are you referring to Master Wu?"
Liu Zhou was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized.
"I haven't seen Master Wu for three months. Perhaps he's dead."
His tone was flat and even, as if he were talking about something utterly ordinary. But Zou Yun's pupils contracted, and his voice unconsciously rose.
"Dead...dead?! How is that possible?!"
This sudden and intense reaction startled Liu Zhou, who shrank back sharply, his wrinkled face filled with confusion.
He simply couldn't understand why a distinguished person would be so distraught over the life or death of an old man selling steamed buns.
But he knew that if the important person was unhappy, he would be the one to suffer.
Liu Zhou hesitated before explaining, "If we die, we die. How can ordinary people like us know when we will die?"
His hand unconsciously caressed the edge of the pottery jar, his gaze drifting into the distance.
"It's not a rare thing anymore."
"To put it bluntly, even though I'm still setting up a stall here today, it's not uncommon for you to not see me tomorrow."
"Everyone's used to it."
At this point, Liu Zhou, who had been numb and calm all along, finally lowered his voice slightly.
"Yeah......"
Zou Yun remained silent, and Wei Shuqing also suppressed the smile that had been lingering on his lips.
His gaze swept across the market, then over Liu Zhou, finally settling on the silent Grand Master. He then tugged at Zou Yun's sleeve and whispered...
"Great Master, please take my son back."
"Oh...ah?! What, Uncle Qing, don't you want to continue shopping?"
Zou Yun suddenly came to his senses and forced a smile.
Wei Shuqing shook his head, glanced around again, and said calmly, "I don't want to walk around anymore. This place is no different from my son's home."
"Yeah......"
Zou Yun fell silent again, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, before letting out a soft sigh after a moment.
"Let's go."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Seeing the distinguished person leave in a hurry, Liu Zhou shook his head and didn't take this little incident to heart.
He lowered his head again, his calloused fingers continuing to rummage through the pile of beans. After all, the family had to pay taxes, and they were counting on this batch of beans to fetch a good price.
However, just a moment later, hurried footsteps sounded again.
Liu Zhou looked up in surprise and saw that the distinguished person who had returned was pulling a commoner along, heading straight back to his stall.
"Honorable...honorable sir, is there...is there anything else you wish to ask?"
Liu Zhou's heart skipped a beat, and he said hastily.
"How much are the beans here in total?"
Zou Yun looked at the earthenware urn filled with beans and said calmly.
"This...this..."
Liu Zhou's heart skipped a beat. He quickly estimated the amount and then said nervously, "If the esteemed person wants it, then give 25 half-tael coins."
"I paid for someone."
Zou Yun did not look at Liu Zhou, but simply gave a brief instruction to the old man beside him.
"only!"
The commoner respectfully responded, took out his pouch from his pocket, carefully counted out twenty-five worn-out half-ounce coins, and handed them one by one to Liu Zhou's palm.
The movements were swift and precise, neither too much nor too little.
Zou Yun caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of his eye and secretly glanced at him.
"Send it to the temple."
After saying this, Zou Yun took Wei Shuqing's hand and turned to leave.
As they walked back to the Immortal Temple, the setting sun cast long shadows of the two of them.
"Great Master..."
Wei Shuqing looked up, his face full of confusion.
"Why didn't you just give the money to that merchant?"
Zou Yun stopped and looked up at the sunset on the horizon.
After a moment's thought, he lowered his head and gently patted Wei Shuqing's head.
"Heaven and earth give birth to people, and each has their own way of establishing themselves."
"Shuqing, you must remember that true compassion is never about condescending charity, but about helping others to succeed on an equal footing."
Zou Yun sighed.
Wei Shuqing blinked his big eyes, nodded as if he understood, and kept those words in mind.
Before long, the two arrived at the street where the Immortal Temple was located.
From afar, one could hear the bustling noise of people inside the temple, with cheers and shouts clearly emanating from within.
"The Grand Master is back!!"
"The Grand Master is back!"
The shouts grew louder and louder.
"It seems that the Grand Master is quite popular."
Wei Shuqing raised his head and gave Zou Yun a mischievous smile.
"Cough...cough..."
Zou Yun cleared his throat, feigning seriousness. "Keep a low profile, keep a low profile."
Although he was lecturing Wei Shuqing, the undisguised smugness on his lips had already revealed Zou Yun's true intentions.
Wei Shuqing smiled to himself, but did not continue to tease him.
The two walked a few steps to the gate of the temple.
Zou Yun stopped deliberately at the door, straightened his clothes, and tried to stand up straight before stepping inside.
The expected warm welcome did not materialize.
The inner courtyard was bustling with people, but everyone's attention was focused on the center of the courtyard.
Zou Yun's expression instantly fell.
But nobody cared.
Just as a young Taoist priest hurried by and caught a glimpse of the figure at the door, he abruptly stopped in his tracks.
"Great Master?! Your Majesty is back?!"
"???"
Zou Yun's facial muscles twitched slightly. Pointing to the noisy crowd in the center of the courtyard, he asked with a last glimmer of hope.
"Aren't you all... cheering for someone?"
"Huh? Oh..."
The young sorcerer then realized what was happening.
A hint of apology appeared on his face as he quickly stepped aside, clearly revealing the scene in the center of the courtyard to Zou Yun.
"Master Xu, you've misunderstood. They're cheering because Master Xu Fu has returned."
In the center of the courtyard, a Taoist priest dressed in a black robe and wearing a tall crown was surrounded by people like stars around the moon.
The man was tall and upright, and although he had white hair, his face was as rosy and radiant as a child's.
What's most striking about him are his eyes, deep and clear, captivating all who look at them.
Three strands of long, silvery-white beard were meticulously combed under his chin, and although his temples were frosted with age, they only added to his otherworldly and ethereal air.
His demeanor and bearing are exceptional.
"Is this Xu Fu? He certainly looks quite appealing."
Zou Yun thought to himself that he had to admit that the other party's refined and otherworldly appearance was extremely visually striking.
Xu Fu, who was in the center of the crowd, seemed to notice the gazes directed at him from the doorway.
He was not arrogant despite being surrounded by people. Instead, he calmly pushed through the crowd and walked straight toward Zou Yun, who was standing at the door.
Thinking the other party was there to provoke him, Zou Yun frowned slightly and waited to see what would happen.
Xu Fu stopped in front of Zou Yun, bowed, and said...
"Greetings, Master Zou!"
Contrary to expectations of being aggressive, Xu Fu instead adopted an extremely humble attitude.
This surprised Zou Yun slightly.
In short, if we set aside historical stereotypes, this is Zou Yun's first impression of Xu Fu.
Actually... it's pretty good.