He said, enunciating every word:
"She said her name was Bai Suzhen."
When the old man spoke that name, Cui Jiuyang felt his mind buzz, as though a thunderclap had exploded out of a clear sky.
Bai Suzhen!
The heroine of this old man's story from years ago was actually named Bai Suzhen!
A tremendous shock ran through Cui Jiuyang's heart. He instinctively cupped his hands and asked, "Senior, we've known each other for some time now, but I've yet to ask your esteemed name."
The old man had still been immersed in those distant memories of love, his expression tinged with wistfulness and tenderness.
Abruptly interrupted by Cui Jiuyang, he snapped back to the present. He paused briefly, but soon regained his composure and answered mildly, "My surname is Xu. My given name is Xian."
Xu Xian... Cui Jiuyang repeated the name silently and nodded deeply. Snake Demons, Bai Suzhen, Xu Xian-there could be no mistake about this story...
This time, his gesture was no longer instinctive. Solemnly raising both hands, he bowed respectfully to the old man. "So you are Senior Xu. I've long admired your great name!"
Cui Jiuyang listened with a jumble of emotions in his heart.
Although the broad outlines of the old man's past resembled the television series he had watched as a child, all the events were different.
Yet now, in his mind, the heroine of the old man's story had distinctly taken on Zhao Yazhi's appearance.
The thought that the man before him was the very inspiration for the protagonist of The Legend of the White Snake left Cui Jiuyang unable to contain his excitement and curiosity. He hurriedly asked, "Senior Xu, what happened next? What happened to you and Bai... to you and your wife?"
Seeing him suddenly become so respectful