The courtyard was quiet. The night wind blew into the room. The lamp on the table swayed slightly. Lu Liangsheng sat on the edge of the bed, and an unknown story slowly came out of his mouth.
"… The young man worked very hard, and after he had learned a lot, he traveled to the north, where he met an immortal master who taught him Taoism. Later, he passed the imperial examination in Chang'an and was transferred to a local government. Many years later, he achieved remarkable political achievements and returned to the capital. From then on, his career was smooth, and he even married the daughter of the Minister of Personnel. Later, he served in the court and was recruited by His Majesty as a national teacher."
In the curtain swaying in the wind, the woman with her face covered may have heard the words. Her hand moved in Lu Liangsheng's hand, and Min Yuerou's weak words were heard under the quilt.
"Mr. Lu... Actually, you are Lu Yuan... Right?"
"Lu Yuan is me, but I am not him." Lu Liangsheng gently pulled down the quilt, revealing a thin face covered with tears. He reached out to wipe away the water stains from the corners of the woman's eyes. "If he hadn't changed some of my trajectories, I might have followed his path and become Lu Yuan, going through hardships to stand in the court and marry the daughter of a minister... That woman is you."
There was a gleam in Min Yuerou's eyes. She wanted to get up, but she didn't have enough strength. She lay down again, her cracked lips slightly opened. She wanted to say something, but could only force a smile and turned her face away slightly.
She found that all this seemed to be the will of fate. Even if she knew this, what could she do? Should she be happy or sigh about her bad luck
It was just as Lu Liangsheng said back then, he was a cultivator, and his life would be long. Now time had passed, he had grown old, his skin was loose, and he no longer looked as good as before. But the Lu Liangsheng in front of her was still the same as before, a graceful scholar, just like the first time he came home to see his father. But she, who was hiding behind the screen and watching secretly, was almost dying.
“Mr. Lu… I thank you…” Min Yuerou’s eyes were moist, and tears as big as beans dripped from the corners of her eyes to the wooden pillow. She stretched out her hand and shook the man’s hand.
"Thank you... Thank you for sending Lu Yuan to accompany me..."
She tried to raise her hand, but failed. Lu Liangsheng grabbed her instead and put his hand on her face. She felt his weak fingers rubbing against her face, and said in a low voice, "You don't blame me?"
“No blame... No blame..." Min Yuerou gently stroked the man's face. This was the first time she looked at him and touched him so closely. She smiled brightly and shook her head.
"I am very content... If I have anything to blame, it's that I didn't act more decisively... Actually, one night, I saw a silhouette from behind. It was an old man. That was you... right?"
Lu Liangsheng nodded and said nothing.
The woman looked at him and smiled happily for the first time: "I knew it... I saw your back, you looked old and haggard, but I didn't expect it to be you... You were really old then, older than I am now."
Lu Liangsheng held her hand and squeezed it tightly.
"Yue Rou, don't say anything. I will use my magic power to heal your body."
The woman on the bed shook her head and broke free from his hand. "Mr. Lu, no need. I have lived a good life, better than many women... I sent my parents away, and I have my husband and children to accompany me when I die. I am not lonely... I also met you, and I don't want to face you like this now..."
She didn't want Lu Liangsheng to speak, so she paused and continued to speak with her cracked lips.
"… I grew up in an official family, and from childhood, I learned all kinds of arts, such as music, chess, calligraphy and painting… I thought my life would just pass by like this, but I didn’t expect to meet you in my life… You are gentle and elegant… And you are mysterious in every way… I gave my heart to you, and I have never thought of regretting it."
The woman laughed at herself and said, "Perhaps, only when the road has come to an end, I dare to say these words to you... But... But I am very happy that I was brave at the beginning... and that I met you at the best time."
"Stop talking!"
"Mr. Lu, do you remember what you said to me at the beginning?"
Min Yuerou's skinny face flushed with a layer of red. She raised one hand vigorously, curled it up, and extended her little finger: "You said, you will pay me back in the next life if you owe me. Let's make a pinky promise... Okay? In the next life, you wait... I, don't make it difficult for me to find..."
The lights swayed in the wind.
In the warm yellow light shining in front of the couch, the two little fingers were hooked together. Lu Liangsheng nodded and looked at her with red and wet eyes.
"I'm waiting for you."
As she finished speaking, the woman on the couch still had a smile on her face. Her hooked little fingers loosened and her white arms slowly lowered and landed on the scholar's legs.
The night wind whimpered as it ran over the eaves. The flickering firelight was reflected in Lu Liangsheng's eyes, sparkling with water. He put the woman's arms into the quilt, looked at her smiling face, and tears rolled down. He felt a pain in his throat.
"In the next life, I will wait for you. If I can't wait for you, I will look for you." Lu Liangsheng took out a wooden comb and combed the woman's messy hair neatly. A gust of cold wind blew in from outside the door. Amid the sound of clanging iron chains, sinister words came with two shadows from the darkness, riding on the cold wind.
Sensing that there were cultivators inside, he said in the thin mist: "The Taoist friend inside, we are the underworld messengers under the command of the Chang'an City God, and we are here to lead Min Yuerou to the underworld."
"Wait outside!"
Suddenly, a cold voice was heard. The two ghosts were shocked and dared not act rashly. They could only stand outside the door and dared not go in.
In the house.
Lu Liangsheng combed the woman's hair, gently placed her head on the wooden pillow, covered her with bedding, and watched a wisp of green smoke float out of her seven orifices and fall to the ground. She bowed gently in this direction, smiled, slowly turned around and floated out of the door, disappearing into the night with the two ghost messengers.
"I'm waiting for you."
Lu Liangsheng sat on the edge of the bed, his hands on his knees, staring at the flickering candlelight on the table in a trance. He repeated in a daze, but there was no response in the quiet room. Soon, he walked out of the door and waved to the Min family in the courtyard, "Let's take care of the funeral for your mistress... Let's make it more lively."
Then, he looked at the disciples kneeling in the main hall.
"Thank you. Please follow me, Master."
A loud wailing sounded from the distant backyard of the Min family. Lu Liangsheng was walking on the path in the flower garden of the mansion, looking at the pavilion on the other side of the pond, and turned around to see Banxia following closely behind him.
"I am leaving now. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, go to Qinglan Sword Sect to find Sui'an. He is your junior fellow apprentice and will not ignore you. At least you will have enough food and clothing for the rest of your life."
Wang Chengen raised his face, which could not be any older, looked at the figure standing by the pool under the hazy moonlight, and staggered forward two steps, his eyes reddening.
"Master, please allow me to pay my respects to you once more."
Over there, Lu Liangsheng nodded silently, turned his back, and his figure blurred and slowly disappeared.
The old man knelt on the ground tremblingly, looking in the direction where the figure disappeared, tears streaming down his face, his vision blurred, and his head touched the hard ground.
"Disciple accepts the favor and sends Master off!!!"
The night sky echoed with a hoarse and old voice. Outside the distant courtyard gate, Lu Liangsheng walked out of the light range of the white lanterns hanging under the eaves. Hong Lian and Lao Lu came to greet him, "Sir, is Sister Min... "
"I'm leaving."
Lu Liangsheng patted Hong Lian's hand, took the reins, and walked together to the long misty street. It was time to go to the imperial city and finish the last leg. As for those who had not been seen yet, they were gone.
He thought.
…
The moonlight was like water, brushing across the lamp-lit bedroom. Inside the curtains, a figure suddenly opened his eyes and sat up. The startled concubine beside him also sat up. "Your Majesty, what's wrong? It's still early. Go to sleep a little longer."
"No, I think someone will come tonight..."
Yang Guang was in his early forties and had been dealing with government affairs for many years. He looked much older than ordinary people, and there were many white spots on his hair. As he spoke, he pushed away the concubine whose face had turned pale with fear, got off the dragon couch wearing a single garment, opened the door of the bedroom, and walked out without paying attention to the eunuchs on duty trying to persuade him to stay.
"Your Majesty, the night wind is cold, be careful not to catch a cold."
"Get out of the way." The emperor walked past the lanterns under the eaves. The moment he pushed the eunuch away, he subconsciously turned his head and looked in one direction. There was a pavilion not far away. Someone was sitting there, drinking tea.
"National...National Master..."
Yang Guang's face showed joy and his pace suddenly quickened. Even the old eunuch following behind him was surprised. He was an old man beside the Majesty and he had seen the imperial teacher back then.
He rubbed his eyes vigorously, then shouted in surprise: "It's really the Imperial Master!" Immediately, he hurriedly caught up with the emperor and followed behind him, "Your Majesty, wait for me, wait for me..."
The moonlight was reflected on the pond, creating ripples.
Lu Liangsheng poured out a cup of tea and placed it opposite. Hearing the footsteps approaching, he turned his head to look outside the pavilion, smiled at the emperor who was bowing, and extended his hand to invite him.
"Your Majesty, I invited you to have tea late at night. Am I disturbing you?"
Yang Guang pursed his lips, nodded vigorously, and strode into the pavilion.