Beneath a tree by the lake, Li Changshou watched the scene inside the thatched cottage and felt a faint stir of emotion.
Inside the cottage, two people sat facing each other. One wore armor weathered by wind and frost; the other wore an immortal treasure robe rippling with faint gleams of light.
Candlelight reflected off a face like peach blossoms;
No sorrow showed, yet white hair streaked the temples.
A three-stringed lute played a mournful, plaintive tune nearby, followed by these two lines:
Jiang Lin'er said, "You should not have come."
Venerable Wangqing said, "Yet I came."
The sight immediately stirred Li Changshou's feelings, making him think of his previous life...
Hm?
Li Changshou glanced at Ling'e, who had somehow sat beside him and begun plucking the three-stringed lute. The corner of his mouth twitched as he said quietly, "What nonsense are you playing? Go serve the tea."
"Oh." Ling'e made a face, put away the lute, lowered her head, and hurried over to the stove to fuss with the tea set.
At this moment, Venerable Wangqing and Jiang Lin'er remained silent inside the cottage.
This was the first time in the past half month that Li Changshou had seen this grandmartial grandmother sit properly on her knees.
Usually, relying on the broad, long hem of her battle skirt, she would sprawl out with her legs splayed in all directions and start shaking one leg.
Venerable Wangqing spoke again. "Since you have broken through, why do you still wish to leave?
"The Primordial Wilderness is perilous, and opportunities are hard to come by. It would be better to cultivate peacefully in the mountains."
"I still have some friends bound to me by life and death. I do not wish to leave them," Jiang Lin'er said calmly. "This life of mine,