Seeing this, Shopkeeper Zhang became all the more attentive. His brief daze lasted only an instant before he hurriedly extended a hand to usher them inside.
"Daoist Xue, honored elder, please come in!"
"Yes, yes, please come in, honored elder!"
Daoist Xue naturally grew warmer as well. People said you could not judge a man by his appearance, but this old gentleman seemed quite distinguished in both looks and bearing.
"Thank you, thank you!"
The old man thanked them repeatedly before following the two inside. Shopkeeper Zhang immediately instructed the servants to get to work.
"Bring another bowl and set of chopsticks, and hurry up with the wine we've been warming. Come, come, Daoist Xue, honored elder, sit down!"
The white-haired old man nodded and sat at the table, his gaze involuntarily drawn to the copper coins on a nearby table. Daoist Xue and Shopkeeper Zhang had still been admiring them just before preparing to eat.
Daoist Xue noticed where the old man was looking, but before he could speak, Shopkeeper Zhang had already taken the wine pot offered by a servant and walked over expressly to pour wine for them both.
"You have such a distinguished bearing, honored elder. How did you come to be wandering alone outside after dark in this pouring rain? Oh, I've been so busy talking about other things that I haven't even asked your name or where you live!"
Daoist Xue wanted to know this as well. Yet the old man picked up his filled wine cup, sniffed its fragrance, and nodded slightly, seemingly answering a different question.
"A rich, mellow fragrance. This must be a fine aged wine."
This transformation arose from the heart, yet it also followed circumstance. His heart shaped it, circumstance guided its changes. Becoming a white-haired old man seemed