Xiao Yong had his own understanding of what Yi Shuyuan meant by "to what extent you win." At those words, he merely chuckled, without proclaiming it aloud as he normally would.
But deep in the eyes of the man clad in the Beast-Faced Cloud-Swallowing Armor, a fierce gleam flashed.
Before Stoneborn, Xiao Yong could boast extravagantly and flaunt his boldness, but before Mr. Yi, he still dared not act recklessly, and his reactions were far more restrained.
When he gave no answer, Yi Shuyuan did not press him. Soon they reached the vicinity of Qingyuan Pavilion, where many tea patrons drawn by his reputation were already waiting.
That day, besides learning who Zhuo Qing, Du Xiaolin, and Yan Shouyun were, Xiao Yong also listened to one of Mr. Yi's storytelling sessions. He had never imagined that a mighty Immortal Venerable would tell stories in the mortal world, drawing crowds of ordinary people, nor that he would find himself swept up in the story's emotions alongside them.
When the funeral procession left the Mo Residence, Yi Shuyuan and the others did not go over to disturb it. Only the Mo Household's own relatives accompanied the coffin.
But Stoneborn did not appear at Qingyuan Pavilion immediately after the funeral, either. Several more days passed before he temporarily bade his family farewell one morning.
Rather than heading to Qingyuan Teahouse, Stoneborn went to the old house in the wilds outside Mingzhou City. There, Yi Shuyuan and the others had only just risen from bed or awakened from still concentration.
Seeing Stoneborn approach without grief or any particularly intense emotion on his face, Yi Shuyuan merely smiled.
The Immortal Dao embraced transcendence from the worldly, but not the severing of all feeling and affection. Stoneborn's state was exactly what Yi Shuyuan had hoped for,