Liu Mang stared at the brick in his hand, unable to believe it.
Who am I? Where am I?
"My master... just left like that?"
Liu Mang looked utterly baffled.
"From what I saw, Third Brother left with his thoughts flowing freely. He will surely climb another step beyond the top of the hundred-foot pole."
Taishang gazed in the direction Tongtian had gone, seemingly answering Liu Mang's question, yet also seeming to murmur to himself.
It all began two hours earlier.
Tongtian had shown no displeasure at Liu Mang interrupting Nu Wa's lecture on the Dao. Instead, he wore a calm expression as he spoke slowly.
"It is time for me to leave!"
At Tongtian's words, everyone turned to look at him.
Liu Mang froze as well. Although he had already prepared himself to leave with Tongtian, he had not expected the time to come so soon.
Perhaps the next time he returned to this place would be after he had achieved some mastery of the Dao.
Before leaving, he had one last thing to do.
Liu Mang looked ingratiatingly at Tongtian and rubbed his hands together. "Master, before we leave, could I trouble you for a favor?"
"Oh?" Tongtian sounded curious. "Speak freely!"
Hearing Tongtian's generous assurance, Liu Mang seemed to gain confidence. He strode over to the stone platform where Nu Wa had created humans, stood in its center, and pointed down at it with a solemn expression.
"This!"
"I was born on this stone platform and grew up on it. I've already formed an inseparable bond with it. Now that I've become the disciple of such an esteemed master..." Even as Liu Mang spoke, he did not forget to flatter Tongtian.
"I'll soon be leaving with you, Master, and I truly cannot bear to part with it.