The peach pit

After Cheng Qiyue said goodbye and left, Lin Zhishui watched her disappear from sight, then returned inside. He casually set the three little peaches on the table and began preparing ink and cutting paper for his ink painting practice.

He had only just started grinding the ink when his phone suddenly rang. He had to put down the ink stick and take out his phone. The caller was Yan Shanshui.

"Senior, it's Shanshui."

As soon as he answered, Yan Shanshui's clear voice came through.

"What is it, Shanshui? Something wrong?" Lin Zhishui tilted his head, holding the phone between his cheek and shoulder as he continued grinding ink while talking.

"Well... I might not have time to come practice calligraphy for a while."

Yan Shanshui sighed helplessly. "One of my teacher's elders has gone missing. I'll be searching everywhere for him, so I'm afraid I won't be able to come for now."

Lin Zhishui stopped what he was doing. "That's all right. Take care of your business. Do you need my help?"

The girl had been practicing calligraphy with him for a month now. They were acquainted by this point, so it was only right to show some concern.

"You're willing to help?" Yan Shanshui asked delightedly.

"I can only keep an eye out for you while I'm out and about," Lin Zhishui said, taken aback. "Send me his picture. If I happen to get lucky and find him, I can let you know."

After all, there were two degrees of separation between them. He was only being polite and wouldn't go out of his way to search. He would leave it to chance.

"All right. Thank you, Senior. I'll send you his picture right now."

After the call ended, Lin Zhishui received the picture Yan Shanshui sent.

The photo showed a handsome older man in his fifties, with impeccably slicked-back hair and a little gray at his temples. His features held a refined air, and he wore a suit and leather shoes. Serious and unsmiling, he looked quite distinguished.

He glanced at it a couple of times, then closed the picture and put his phone away.

An older man that handsome and distinguished would stand out in any crowd. If he saw him, he would definitely recognize him at once.

Time flew by.

Before he knew it, Lin Zhishui had spent the entire afternoon practicing ink painting. When he checked the time, it was already eight.

Normally, he would have gone home to cook long before this, but Little Snake had been getting up very late lately. Going home a little later to cook worked out perfectly.

"I'm getting hungry."

Lin Zhishui rubbed his empty stomach, then suddenly noticed the plastic bag still sitting on his desk. It held the three little peaches Cheng Qiyue had given him that afternoon. He took out a Lesser Immortal Peach to tide himself over.

The peach was small and still a little green, but its skin was clean and smooth. The girl had probably washed it before coming.

As a nectarine lover who disliked fuzzy peaches, he preferred his peaches crisp.

This peach didn't look like much, but it felt fairly springy when he squeezed it. Maybe it would be good?

"Still, immortal peaches don't look like this, do they? Are there nectarine varieties too?"

Lin Zhishui muttered to himself, then stopped thinking about it and took a bite. Deliciously sweet juice immediately burst forth, spilling through his mouth and flowing down his throat, refreshing him to the core.

Paired with the soft, silky flesh, it really was quite delicious.

"Not bad. Even a soft peach can taste pretty good. There's just too little of it."

He couldn't help giving a slight nod.

He finished the little peach in a few bites, leaving only a small, pale yellow pit.

There was only a wastepaper basket inside, which made sorting the trash inconvenient.

Lin Zhishui walked to the entrance and casually tossed the pit toward the trash can beside the door. Unfortunately, he put a little too much force into it. The pit struck the rim with a clink, bounced toward the pine tree beside it, and finally landed in the ring of soil beneath the tree. It rolled a few times before stopping.

Specks of dirt had also stuck to the pale yellow pit.

"Ah..."

Lin Zhishui had been about to pick it up, but when he saw the layer of dirt on it, he felt a little put off and decided to leave it.

Besides, that girl Yan Shanshui often came to tend Little Pine Tree. She also had a crush on him, so she probably wouldn't mind his saliva... right?

"Ahem. Little Pine Tree, consider that peach pit some extra nourishment. Love you!"

Lin Zhishui laughed awkwardly and waved at Little Pine Tree, then turned and went back inside the shop. He put the plastic bag containing the two remaining Lesser Immortal Peaches into his shoulder bag, slung it over his shoulder, locked the door, and headed home.

He would give those two Lesser Immortal Peaches to Little Snake. He preferred crisp peaches anyway and had no particular attachment to soft ones.

-and he wouldn't have to detour to the supermarket for fruit. Convenient. Perfect.

After he had gone far away, the adorable, childlike face of a little girl slowly appeared on Little Pine Tree's trunk. Though her complexion was impossible to make out, bashfulness and delight clearly filled her sweet, innocent face.

"Master said... he loves me? And he gave me the pit of an immortal peach?"

Little Pine Tree bent slightly at the waist, her lovely eyes gazing at the peach pit at her feet as her thoughts drifted dreamily.

She had heard of the Queen Mother's immortal peaches, and she could sense the pure immortal energy contained in this pit. According to the inherited memories of Fuxi's Dharma Body, absorbing it would allow her to gradually transform from an ordinary plant into a spiritual root of heaven and earth.

"Master is so good to me..."

She couldn't help wanting to cry, but unfortunately, she had no tears to shed.

A moment later, roots emerged from beneath the soil like tendrils. The slender roots wrapped around the immortal peach's pit and pulled it underground.

At this hour, the streets weren't too crowded yet. After crossing a pedestrian overpass, Lin Zhishui entered an underground passage. Taking this shortcut, he would be home before long.

"Hm?"

After entering the underground passage, Lin Zhishui suddenly noticed an old man in ragged clothes lying in an open space beside the walkway a short distance away.

The old man had wrinkled skin and white hair. He was filthy all over, his clothes covered in dust and his silver hair a tangled mess, like an unkempt beggar. Still, his clothes were just barely recognizable as a suit. One of his leather shoes was missing, and though the other was filthy and worn out, there were still hints of how expensive it had once been, as well as... how polished its owner had looked in the past.

Hmm. An old man with a story.

The old man was lying askew on the ground with a vacant expression. He paid no attention to the looks of passersby and didn't care that his clothes were covered in dust. His eyes were empty and lifeless, as though he had nothing left to live for.

Clearly, the old man wasn't a beggar. There was no bowl in front of him, either.

Perhaps the passersby weren't that coldhearted, but clearly, few were willing to get involved in trouble.

Lin Zhishui glanced at him and was about to walk around him when he suddenly paused, faintly startled. He stopped and took another close look at the old man. He seemed familiar somehow, as though Lin Zhishui had seen him somewhere before.

"That's it!"

It suddenly came to him. The old man looked somewhat like the man in the picture Yan Shanshui had sent him-her teacher's elder, that handsome, distinguished older man.

Then again, perhaps they just looked alike?

After all, the handsome older man in the picture hadn't had such white hair or so many wrinkles, nor had he looked this old. His features had been full of refinement, and he had clearly been the fastidious sort who couldn't tolerate a speck of dirt. How could he look like a beggar?

Of course...

It might have been an old picture. Perhaps he had suffered some blow recently that had reduced him to this state?

Judging by the old man's expression, as though he had nothing left to live for, he was clearly waiting to die in despair.

No wonder Yan Shanshui had even neglected the older guy she had a crush on and was searching so anxiously for this old man. So her teacher's elder had gone missing, and he might even be suicidal.

Still, given his connection to Yan Shanshui, he ought to try talking the old man around.

Lin Zhishui thought for a moment, then walked over and crouched in front of the old man. "From the look of you, you're waiting to die, aren't you?"