A Piece of Terrible News

After beating Su Ziyang, Daoist Jin straightened his Daoist robe and strode away, leaving Su Ziyang alone in the clinic crying.

"That old man is really ruthless!" Su Ziyang rubbed his buttocks, then pulled down his pants to take a look.

"Damn~ It's swollen. Spank my butt..."

"Ah..." When Fairy Li entered the room and saw Su Ziyang pulling down his pants, revealing half of his bruised buttocks, she immediately covered her eyes.

"Su Ziyang, you pervert! What are you doing taking your pants off in public?! Are you sick in the head?!"

Su Ziyang was also stunned, clutching his pants with one hand, looking at Fairy Li who had returned, somewhat at a loss.

"Put them on!" Fairy Li turned around and called out again.

"Oh oh!"

Su Ziyang quickly tightened his belt, put his white coat back on, and stood solemnly beside the chair as if nothing had happened. Why didn't he sit down?

Because my butt hurts...

"Why are you back again? Didn't you leave?" Su Ziyang asked casually.

"Let me see if you're dead or not!"

Fairy Li rolled her eyes at Su Ziyang.

"I didn't do anything to you, did I?" Su Ziyang shook his head helplessly.

"Tell me, did you give the snuff bottle to that chubby girl who added you on WeChat the other day?" Fairy Li frowned, staring at Su Ziyang like a little detective.

"Are you really a god? How do you know everything about Daoism...?"

Su Ziyang didn't hide anything and readily admitted it. Then, in front of Fairy Li, he made a phone call to Jin Tiantian.

"Um, could you please give me back the bottle that contained the Leopard Fetus Tendon-Altering Pill?"

"The big pot, wasn't it all given to me? I think the bottle is really pretty." Jin Tiantian's voice came from the phone.

"No, you have to return it to me. This bottle is useful, can we talk about it? Heroine Jin!"

The title "Heroine Jin" was very flattering to Jin Tiantian; a single word could fool someone.

Upon hearing this, Jin Tiantian immediately agreed to return the snuff bottle to Su Ziyang that afternoon.

After finishing her idle chatter, Fairy Li glanced at Su Ziyang and said calmly:

"Your master told me to tell you that Lao Pang has passed away..."

"What did you say?" Su Ziyang's phone slipped from his grip and fell to the table with a clatter.

"I was just about to say this, but Mr. Mengfei told me not to, saying I should tell you now after you've finished getting beaten up."

Mr. Mengfei told Fairy Li about the relationship between Su Ziyang and Lao Pang, so Fairy Li is now speaking very carefully.

"Well..." Su Ziyang had never encountered such a situation before. Apart from feeling a bit flustered, he really didn't know what to say or do.

"I've asked for leave for you regarding Xiao Yang. Mr. Mengfei wants you to keep things simple and attend the funeral. You..."

Seeing Su Ziyang's strange expression, Fairy Li began to stammer as well.

"It's okay, I'll go tidy up first!"

Su Ziyang's mind was a bit confused. Although he had only spent a short time with Lao Pang, the bond Su Ziyang Lao Pang undeniable.

Back home, Su Ziyang picked up his backpack, racking his brains for a solution. He couldn't decide what to bring, so he opened the bookshelf, put the book he had written to Lao Pang into his bag, and then went out.

Mr. Mengfei had been waiting for Su Ziyang outside the clinic. When Su Ziyang arrived, he got into a Toyota Prado parked by the roadside. This car was borrowed by Mr. Mengfei from Fairy Li.

"Can you drive?" Mr. Mengfei asked Su Ziyang as he sat in the driver's seat and fastened his seatbelt.

"Meeting."

"Let's take turns driving, we'll arrive tomorrow!"

After saying that, Mr. Mengfei stopped talking and started driving seriously. The two of them took turns driving once, and they sped all the way to the town where Lao Pang lived.

As soon as he entered the town, Su Ziyang heard the sounds of a makeshift opera troupe singing coming from the loudspeaker.

"Master, as you said, people who cultivate internal energy generally have longer lifespans, so why did Master Pang suddenly pass away?"

Su Ziyang didn't speak to Daoist Jin along the way, but when he saw the white banner hanging at the front door of Lao Pang's house, Su Ziyang finally asked a question.

"I heard it from Xuhui. Last time, because of that secret recipe, Lao Pang got sick after you left. That old man had been to the battlefield and fought in wars. He had some hidden injuries that hadn't healed. With this whole ordeal, plus your meddling, he finally let go of his worries, which is why he passed away. So don't be sad. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural order of things, understand?"

Mr. Mengfei patted Su Ziyang on the shoulder, put his arm around Su Ziyang, and walked into the courtyard.

Just then, a middle-aged man with a white armband walked out. Upon seeing Mr. Mengfei, he immediately clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute. "You've arrived!"

Mr. Mengfei also clasped his hands in a fist salute and nodded.

"My apprentice is also Lao Pang's successor!"

Mr. Mengfei pushed Su Ziyang forward. The middle-aged man's eyes gleamed as he looked Su Ziyang up and down. "Very good, very good. Heroes emerge from among the young. Lao Pang can rest in peace having found such a successor! Come into the courtyard!"

As the middle-aged man sized up Su Ziyang, Su Ziyang was also sizing up the middle-aged man, whose height and build were similar to Mr. Mengfei's.

However, he has a distinctive appearance: high cheekbones, a pointed chin, and a large nose. Most notably, his forehead is unusually large, whether due to a high hairline or balding.

"Stop looking, this is Xuhui. You should thank him directly for knowing Lao Pang!" Mr. Mengfei patted Su Ziyang on the back again and pushed Su Ziyang into the house.

The mourning hall was set up in the courtyard, with a photo of Lao Pang displayed in the center. Lao Pang's daughter, Bian Mei, and son-in-law Beichen, both dressed in white, stood beside him, constantly greeting the people who came to pay their respects.

Seeing Su Ziyang approach, Beichen walked over directly. After all, he was the direct beneficiary of Su Ziyang giving him the secret formula, so he was somewhat grateful to Su Ziyang.

"Here he comes!" Beichen looked genuinely sad, quite unlike his outrageous behavior that day.

Bian Mei followed Beichen over and nodded to Su Ziyang.

Su Ziyang nodded to Bian Mei, then bowed to the Lao Pang as a disciple.

"Brother Chen, my master said to bury all those bone-setting tools with him. So..." Su Ziyang finished his disciple's salute and walked to Beichen's side, speaking softly.

"I know. Everything's taken care of, don't worry, brother! After all, I'm practically his apprentice, so I had to do this!" Beichen agreed readily, which made Su Ziyang feel a little better.

Before coming, Su Ziyang considered many possibilities. In the end, he thought that if Beichen acted up again today, he would have to give him a good beating, right in front of Lao Pang.

However, none of the actions that Su Ziyang had envisioned in the car before arriving actually happened.

All the ceremonies proceeded as planned until the funeral ended.