Don't Even Think About It

The young lady was fine.

The young Taoist couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The young Taoist suddenly realized the atmosphere was a bit off and quickly changed the subject, "The tender leaves of the Green Water Pool Dragon Scale Tamarix, oh, around here we call it Three Spring Willow. The timing for picking its leaves was off by seven or eight days. And this bag of Dragon Flying Grass, commonly known as Girl's Waist, was ground into powder too carelessly. And this paper-folded flower, the Yang Family Shop is even more outrageous. They said three taels, but how can it be one qian short?"

The young Taoist rattled off a string of complaints like beans from a bamboo tube, satisfied with almost nothing, as if he had a personal vendetta against the Yang Family Pharmacy. Finally, he made a big turn and delivered his verdict, "The shopkeeper's conscience has been eaten by dogs. However, the medicinal herbs on the table are enough to brew medicine to save a life. Of course, this is mainly thanks to Miss Ning Yao's good physical foundation, and has at most half a copper coin's worth of connection to the Yang Family Shop."

The young Taoist slapped his forehead, spread out a blank white sheet of paper, and as he picked up his brush to write, he admonished, "I almost forgot. This humble Taoist will write you another prescription for brewing the medicine. This is a meticulous task that requires real care, Chen Ping'an, you mustn't be careless. This prescription from this humble Taoist is not only for healing but also for consolidating the foundation and cultivating the origin. It's a superior strategy for the military to sustain war while maintaining an undefeated position. And the good thing is, its nature is mild and won't harm people, it will just take more time, requiring you to buy more medicinal herbs, which is just a matter of spending money. When to use a strong fire for rapid boiling and when to use a slow fire for gentle simmering, this humble Taoist has written it all down in detail on the paper. Even the time of day for brewing the medicine has its nuances. In short, Chen Ping'an, you'll have to work hard for the next ten days. Men, after all, are the ones who carry burdens. Otherwise, why would there be the saying of a great man who stands tall and reaches the sky? You absolutely cannot shirk your responsibility, or the young lady will look down on you for nothing..."

When he said the words "stands tall and reaches the sky," the young Taoist shook his head imperceptibly.

A single prescription took up less than half a sheet of paper, while the instructions on how to brew it took up two sheets. The handwriting was a very ordinary small regular script, square and neat.

Chen Ping'an was a little anxious and asked, "Daoist Master, won't you be taking care of things anymore? For such a life-or-death matter, wouldn't it be more reliable for you to oversee it personally?"

The young Taoist said helplessly, "This humble Taoist is about to leave the small town. Within the Nanjian Kingdom, there is a sect of my lineage, and a ceremony is about to be held. This humble Taoist wishes to witness it firsthand."

Chen Ping'an was even more helpless, "Daoist Master, but I can't read!"

The young Taoist paused, then smiled, "It's alright. Miss Ning can read. Before brewing the medicine, you can ask her about related matters."

The young lady nodded.

Chen Ping'an was about to say something when the young Taoist suddenly remembered something. He took out a small and exquisite jade seal from his sleeve, blew lightly on the seal's surface, and then pressed it heavily onto the paper where the prescription was written. After lifting the seal from the paper, he was quite satisfied. He put it back into his sleeve and handed the paper, along with the other two sheets, to Chen Ping'an. "Keep these well. Most of the books in this small town are privately collected, and it's not easy for you to buy them. If you really want to learn to read, you can start with this prescription from this humble Taoist."

The young Taoist smiled at the young lady, "A floating duckweed returns to the sea, where in life do we not meet? Miss Ning, then we shall meet again."

The black-clothed young lady said seriously, "Daoist Master Lu, we shall meet again! Great kindness needs no thanks. In the future, if you ever need my help, you can send a flying sword message to Inverted Mountain. Just remember, Daoist Master, to never forget to sign it with the name 'Lu Chen,' otherwise Inverted Mountain may not allow the flying sword to enter the mountain gate."

Hearing the name "Inverted Mountain," the young Taoist was clearly surprised and wanted to say something but stopped. The young lady shook her head slightly, and he quickly understood her intention, not probing further. Some things were better left unknown to the young man in the room.

The young Taoist left the room first, not forgetting to pull the young man's arm, "Chen Ping'an, this humble Taoist has a few last words to say to you."

Chen Ping'an first placed the bundle on the bed and told the black-clothed young lady that it was newly bought clothes.

Afterward, the two came to the courtyard, and the young Taoist directly asked in a low voice, "With your memory, you must have already recognized the characters on the first prescription. Coupled with the fact that there's a scholar living next door, your claim of 'not being able to read' is not the real reason you're trying to stop this humble Taoist from leaving."

Chen Ping'an replied, "With your abilities, Daoist Master, you must know the reason."

The young Taoist chuckled wryly, "You believe you are certain to die, and therefore you fear no one will take care of that young lady?"

Chen Ping'an nodded, "Since I opened the door at that time, I have to see it through to the end."

The young Taoist stood by the pushcart, brought his two fingers together, and with a subtle flick, the white-sheathed long sword, which the scholar Qi Jingchun had pressed in with two characters of sword energy, quietly flew into the room. It was likely the black-clothed young lady didn't want to scare Chen Ping'an, so she tacitly allowed this flying sword's presumptuous action. The young Taoist pondered for a moment. When he thought about problems, he would subconsciously tap his lotus crown on his head with a finger. Finally, he said, "Before coming here, I heard a senior brother say that one should be reasonable in doing things and humane in treating people... Since that is the case, this humble Taoist cannot be too rigid and harsh. Although everyone has their own fate, since the fundamental teachings of the sect this humble Taoist belongs to deviate from the decrees of ordinary Taoist sects... Meeting is already fate, and it can be considered a good karma. This humble Taoist might as well go with the flow. The divination sticks and the one hundred and eight lots cannot be given to you, as the karma is too tangled. If it cannot be sorted out, it cannot be cut, and it is very troublesome. As for that private seal, it's a bit heavy. Giving it to you... once the restriction on the small town is lifted, everything will be exposed in broad daylight. Am I not harming you? Alas, should I give you some gold, silver, or copper coins? That would be too unrefined and vulgar. How could this humble Taoist bear to..."

Unexpectedly, Chen Ping'an said resolutely, "Daoist Master Lu, giving money is very refined and not vulgar!"

The young Taoist smiled playfully, "You didn't understand the meaning of the previous two items, but you definitely knew they were significant. Why didn't you ask for them?"

The young man slowly said, "A white bowl that can hold at least a large vat of water, a Daoist Master who can burn talismans for elders in the underworld, a young lady who is seriously injured and strange, and that bag of twenty-eight gold coins. Before, Old Man Yao used to say that our place was very strange, but now I've seen it with my own eyes. If I hadn't met those two outsiders before, I would have avoided all of you, and I wouldn't have opened the door today."

The young Taoist leaned against the pushcart and said in a deep voice, "That outsider woman pointed at your forehead with her finger. It's a despicable technique for forcibly opening acupoints. In martial arts, it's called 'pointing to open acupoints.' The methods vary in skill, and the intentions differ for good or bad. For example, your courtyard gate is not very sturdy, right? She deliberately hit it with an iron hammer. The door can certainly be opened, but its foundation is actually damaged. Think about it, in future weather with wind, rain, frost, and snow, the person who opened the door would have long since fled, but what about you, the owner who has lived in the courtyard for a long time?"

Chen Ping'an hesitated, "I can endure hardship."

Looking at the straw-sandaled youth who didn't seem to be joking, the young Taoist laughed, "This is the first time she has tried to harm you. If your bones were strong and your blood essence was abundant, you could live to thirty or forty years old. Afterward, her action of patting your chest with her palm would be the real fatal blow, damaging not only the origin of your body but also severing your path to longevity... To be precise, you had a sliver of opportunity left. With the great trend of this world overturning and the universe reversing, you might not have had a chance to continue your Great Dao cultivation. It's like a mighty torrent rushing down, with countless flood dragons, fish, and shrimp in the river. Those with good luck will naturally gain a lot, but even those with the worst luck, while others catch flood dragons and turtles, they might get lucky and catch a small fish or shrimp."

Chen Ping'an did not show a face of shock or panic. He stood there quietly, without any pretense of composure.

The young Taoist sighed softly, neither admiring nor belittling him, "Chen Ping'an, at such a young age, to be so indifferent to life and death is not a good thing. You think it's best to be alive, but if there's really no other way, and Heaven really doesn't want you to live, then so be it, you're not afraid, right? Because death, in fact, is an opportunity for a hopeful reunion for you?"

Chen Ping'an did not deny it.

The young Taoist suddenly cursed, "Then have you ever considered, even if you were lucky enough to reunite with your parents in the vast underworld, what their feelings would be when they saw you?"

The young Taoist became increasingly angry, extending a finger and poking the young man's head forcefully, as if trying to make this stubborn head open up. "The White Impermanence in unofficial histories and strange tales wears a tall white hat. Whenever he comes to the mortal world to apprehend souls of the dead, the dead can clearly see the four characters written on the white hat: 'You've come too'! Chen Ping'an! I ask you, when your parents see you, will they happily ask you, 'Son, you've come too?' Will they be able to reincarnate with peace of mind? Do you really think that few people in the world have the immense fortune to be children or spouses for generations? This humble Taoist tells you clearly, don't even think about it! Even the sect leaders who can make mountains and rivers change with a single word do not have such heavenly power, let alone you, Chen Ping'an, a poor wretch who can't even guarantee his next meal?!"

By the end, the young Taoist's tone was stern and extremely serious.

The young man was bewildered.

This was the first time the young man had felt such fear since he was sensible. His hands and feet turned cold.

The young man squatted down, hugging his head with both hands. This time, he didn't scratch his head.

The young Taoist looked down at the small figure, "Enough, enough. To save someone, this humble Taoist owes you a favor. I originally thought it would be best to default on it, or else I'd settle the rest in the next life. Now it seems I have to repay it all, and we'll be even from now on. This humble Taoist will tell you three things, remember them one by one. The first thing is, after Miss Ning's condition improves, take her to the stream south of the small town and find a father and daughter surnamed Ruan. Remember, take her with you, otherwise, going there a hundred times by yourself will be useless. Once you get there, even if you have to be shameless and throw a tantrum, you must strive to become their apprentice and helper. Digging wells, moving stones, casting swords, or forging iron, as long as you find a shady place to settle down. This way, Miss Ning will also have repaid your favor, and you won't feel like you're taking advantage of her."

"The second thing is, after the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, you should often go to the small stream under the covered bridge. Whether you pick up stones or catch fish and shrimp, it's up to you. Just go often. Go when you're feeling troubled, and even more so when you feel a sense of connection. As for what you gain, with your meager luck, heaven knows. But at least it's 'diligence can make up for lack of skill.' If you still gain nothing after this, then you should just accept your fate."

After stating the two things, the young Taoist began to push the cart. Seeing that the young man was still squatting and not moving, but facing him, he said, "Get up and help!"

The young man got up and went to help push the cart, asking curiously, "Didn't you say there were three things?"

The young Taoist snorted, "I already told you, figure it out yourself!"

The young man was stunned.

Afterward, the Taoist gave some more instructions.

"Those copper coins are quite valuable, keep them well."

"Stay out less in the coming period."

"Smile more. You always have a long face, and you're not handsome anyway. Who are you putting on that face for?"

He rambled on.

The young Taoist seemed like an elder.

He maneuvered the cart out of the courtyard, and the straw-sandaled youth said he would push it out of Mud Bottle Alley. The young daoist priest didn't refuse.

Walking through the alley, one in front and one behind, the daoist priest finally spoke, "There's something I should say after all. According to the destiny I've calculated, your parents' early deaths were not your fault."

The young daoist priest paused for a long time, only speaking softly when the cart was about to leave Mud Bottle Alley, "Not only that, your life's path will be fraught with hardship, and it's also because of your parents."

The straw-sandaled youth remained silent.

In the end, the young daoist priest insisted that the youth not see him off, and he pushed the cart alone, heading far away towards the east gate.

Looking back, the youth was still standing at the entrance of the alley, waving vigorously at him with a bright, beaming smile.

He didn't look like someone who was about to die at all.