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Chapter 85 Standing in the Ending...

"Let her in."

Shang Xingjian glanced at the time. "They arrived quite quickly."

Luo Linwen was led in by Yang Fan, who then went out and closed the door.

"Miss Luo, please have a seat." Cheng Mai stood up to greet her.

After thanking her, Luo Linwen sat down. "I came here today mainly to express my gratitude. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know what the Shen family had done."

Luo Linwen sincerely thanked them and even brought a gift.

Then he briefly explained the matter to Cheng Mai, saying that the jade pendant was indeed taken by the Shen family, who wanted to use it to control their family so they would continue to work for the Shen family.

"Chairman Cheng may not know, but the Shen family mainly operates in the catering industry. We have always supplied them with their welcome wine, and we can only supply them with this kind of wine. This is an agreement we signed when we arranged the marriage between our children."

"Welcome wine? I've heard of the Shen family's welcome wine. The Shen family's hotel hosts a large portion of the banquets because of this wine. So it was passed down from Miss Luo's family." Cheng Mai had done his research beforehand and knew about the Shen family's welcome wine, but he didn't know there was such a history behind it.

"In recent years, the catering industry has been sluggish, and Shen's Group has been relying on this Yingbin wine to maintain its previous customer base. When our marriage had problems, my father wanted to change the previous contract so that the Yingbin wine would no longer be supplied exclusively to their family. After all, our winery also needs to survive."

But who knew that the things the Shen family did later would be even more despicable than the last.

"No matter what, I have to thank you for this. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have been able to discover Shen Yuanbai's true colors." Luo Linwen thanked her again. "However, besides thanking you, I have another matter to discuss with you today."

After Cheng Mai finished listening to her recount the origins of the story, it was finally time for her to hear the part first.

"Last night at the Shen family's house, I spotted a strange person," Luo Linwen said, taking out her phone and showing Cheng Mai a video she had secretly recorded.

The video was taken from a tricky angle; you can tell it was secretly filmed from the first floor to the second. A fleeting image appears to be a kasaya (Buddhist robe).

Cheng Mai turned to look at Shang Xingjian, "A monk?"

“It’s obvious.” Shang Xingjian glanced at it.

"I don't know what the situation is like with the Shen family right now, but I still hope Chairman Cheng and Boss Shang will be careful. I'll head back now."

"Okay, Yang Fan, see Miss Luo out."

Cheng Mai called Yang Fan in to see the people off. After they left, he asked Shang Xingjian, "The Cheng family is looking for a Taoist priest, and the Shen family is looking for a Buddhist monk. They've really gone all out."

"It's easier to get things done by hiding something," Shang Xingjian said. He wasn't surprised by this. He was just curious whether the person behind it had simply given up on the Shen family.

Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; giving up so hastily seems questionable.

Cheng Mai crossed his arms and lightly tapped his chin with his fingertips. "There are quite a few temples of all sizes in City A. If we were to investigate and find any that are problematic, it would be a huge undertaking."

"There's no need to worry about demonic monks entering the temple." Unlike Taoists, monks believe in the spirit of selflessness, like "If I don't go to hell, who will?" Monks who are truly problematic are not allowed to enter the temple.

In Taoism, there is a principle: "It is better for a fellow Taoist to die than for a poor Taoist to die."

Although Shang Xingjian also thought this made sense.

"So what do we do now?"

"Wait, wait and see what the Shen family is going to do," Shang Xingjian said calmly. "They still need to prepare to sell things. One must take things one step at a time."

Cheng Mai, who had been reprimanded, fell silent for a moment, but couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you going to see that child?"

She had only seen him once, but the child really did resemble the merchant Jian.

"We'll meet again when the time is right. Go about your business, I don't know what you're worrying about." Shang Xingjian nudged Cheng Mai, telling her to go to work and not disturb him while he was playing games. Cheng Mai wanted to say something, but seeing that Shang Xingjian had already lay down on the sofa and opened the game, she muttered something and went to do something else.

Shangxing Jian fell asleep while playing.

This dream led him into the void.

He looked around the Void Realm, where all he could see was starlight and complete darkness.

Even the Tree of Life and Death at the center of the Void Mirror has withered.

"You clearly already know the ending, so why are you doing so much useless work?"

Shang Xingjian stood with his hands behind his back, not responding to the voice coming from the void.

"Standing in the end, watching everyone walk towards death, is your destiny."

Shang Xingjian finally looked up at the dark direction, "There is no ending before the pen is put down."

"As for the ending you saw," Shang Xingjian twirled his hand behind his back, "it may not be the real one."

"God Lord..."

Shang Xingjian raised his hand to stop it from speaking, "I watched her walk towards death again and again, time after time..."

The void fell silent, and after a moment the withered old tree let out a sigh.

"I know what you're trying to say: only by destroying the world can one achieve immortality. However, under the laws of nature, there are always variables. Until the very last step, no one knows what the true outcome will be."

"For thousands of years, why does the Divine Lord deceive himself? If there are really changes, why do you have to start over again and again?" The old tree seemed helpless.

"I suppose so. Debts must eventually be repaid." Shang Xingjian said with a self-deprecating smile, then raised his hand and injected divine power into the old tree, giving it a chance to live.

The old tree sprouted new buds, but not many, just a few scattered ones.

Shang Xingjian withdrew his hand, closed his eyes to regulate his breathing for a moment, and then regained his composure.

"It won't last much longer, it won't last much longer," the old tree lamented. "The Void Realm won't last much longer."

Shang Xingjian chuckled softly, "Can't you say something nice, old man? It's been the same thing every time for years. If she comes, she'll probably scold you for being pretentious again."

"If she were the one standing in this position today, she certainly wouldn't have let you go through all this trouble. She would have already approved my old man's decision and ended it all, and restarted the world."

"Wow, you know quite a lot, even about the global restart." Shang Xingjian leaned against an old tree to rest. "But she's always so rational about things she would do."

The old tree sighed again, "You lot, you should have been detached and simple, but you were given the seven emotions and six desires, making you reluctant to let this world perish. But what's the point of persisting? The ending is already decided."

"The outcome is still uncertain," Shang Xingjian continued to retort with his eyes closed. "No one can truly stand in the ending, and neither can I."

The old tree approached Shang Xingjian with its sprouting branches, but Shang Xingjian grabbed it before it could strike him.

"Grandpa, can't you try a different approach?" Shang Xingjian shook off the branch and continued to close his eyes to rest.

"The world is no longer your responsibility, Divine Lord, relinquish it," the old tree sighed.

Shang Xingjian did not respond to Lao Shu this time; he seemed to have really fallen asleep.

The old tree sighed again, and finally embraced the man with its branches, keeping a little warmth for his gradually cooling body.