Notes on Longevity

Chapter 205 The young master inquired about the peaceful past, and said that one cannot see into a person's heart.

When Zhao Yan saw the ghosts swarming forward, he turned his head in surprise. When he saw She Li, who was tense and flustered, he suddenly smiled.

That smile revealed his gentle and refined demeanor, and the streetlights reflected on his face, giving him a touch of divinity.

He looked at the three people who had been pushed in front of him by the ghosts and still smiled. In response to She Li's confusion, he said: "The world is so vast that it is hard to see the end; the nature of all things is hard to fathom. You always see all things with the mind of an ordinary person, so it is difficult for you to achieve the Great Dao. As a cultivator, your mind is too restless, so it is also difficult to understand the mysteries of the Dao."

After this conversation, the ghosts returned to their respective stalls and shops, continuing to "greet customers" as usual. Laughter could be heard in their voices, while only She Li and her two companions stood there dumbfounded in the lamplight.

"What do you mean?" She Li asked Zhao Jun, utterly confused.

Zhao Xun did not answer, but turned to look at the seemingly endless end of the long street and walked on, saying, "This place is called Long Street. It is a place called Naihe Street that I opened up with magic after receiving the will of the gods. And I am the Meng Po in the human world. However, I am a man, so the name Meng Po is not suitable for me. Therefore, I call myself Shanshui Lang."

"The duty of the Mountain and Water Herald is to send those who harbor resentment or have missed their time to be reborn back to the underworld, or to grant their wishes and then send them back to the underworld to enter the six realms of reincarnation and be reborn."

“If that’s the case, I have a question I’d like to ask you, sir.” It was Ping An who spoke.

She Li and Xiao Changgong were captivated by Zhao Kun's words, listening intently but also feeling puzzled. However, Ping An blurted out the answer before they could.

Zhao Yan turned back to look at Ping An in surprise, but when he thought about what he had seen in Ping An's mind, he was no longer surprised. He continued, "Go ahead and ask."

"From what you've said, sir, you are a mountain and water hermit here, so you must also have a divine position. If you have divine status, why are you so humble towards those who have died?"

Zhao Yan understood what Ping An wanted to ask. Instead of answering immediately, he said, "Your name is Ping An, right?"

Ping An nodded and said, "Yes."

"You were born in a time of chaos, and you, barely two or three days old, were destined to become food for others. Am I right?"

Ping An frowned and stopped in his tracks. She Li and Xiao Changgong were also astonished by what Zhao Yan had said. She Li knew this from the patriarch, his master, and his fellow disciples in the temple, which was why he had been protecting Ping An. He was simply puzzled as to how Zhao Yan knew this.
This is also what Xiao Changgong is equally perplexed about. On the night he first met Ping An, he used a secret technique to try to guide Ping An's mind in order to comfort him, but at the last moment, the technique went out of control and he inadvertently saw all of Ping An's experiences.

"How did you know?" Ping An was equally puzzled; very few people knew about his affairs. Since leaving the temple and descending the mountain, only the mountain god Dao Yisheng had learned of it through magic. What about Zhao Jun?
Zhao Yan suddenly sighed and continued walking forward, slowly saying, "Your master saved you from someone else's mouth, and after that you followed him to travel among the mountains and rivers, walking on the land. You visited the homes of ordinary people and also went to the snowy mountains and Kunlun Mountains. Although you did not see any immortals, during this time, do you think your master treated you well?"

Ping An passed She Li and Xiao Chang Gong and followed behind Zhao Ran. He lowered his head in thought, his sadness evident in his expression. Ping An began, "When I was born, my master named me Ping An, meaning peace and safety. As a child, my master taught me to read and write, and to behave properly. As I grew older, my master told me to speak less and observe more, saying that the world is full of joy and sorrow, yet separation is all too common. My master told me that everyone in the world must die, and that he too would die one day. For ten years, he treated me like his own child, teaching me many things, always putting me first, and being extremely good to me."

He didn't know why Zhao Chu asked him that question, but he answered truthfully.

“Since your master has spoken to you about life and death, you should know that although your master is a cultivator, he is ultimately just a mortal. He is destined to die, and so are you.”

In the lamplight, Zhao Yan said calmly, "Let me ask you, after your master died and became a ghost, he was hooked to the bone by Ox-Head and Horse-Face, chained with iron chains, and whipped, falling into the underworld in agony. Would you feel sorry for him?"

Zhao Yan's words were shocking. Ping An's eyes widened in fear. He was breathing rapidly as the scene Zhao Yan had just described flashed through his mind. He felt a pang of heartache and his eyes were filled with sorrow. He stammered, "But my master is a god. Even if he died, he should have gone to the Heavenly Court, not Hell."

Ping An was deceiving himself. He knew that his master was just an ordinary person who cultivated Taoism, but he didn't want to think that his master would be like what Zhao Chu said.

Are you lying to me, or are you lying to yourself?

Zhao Yan's words resonated deeply within Ping An, lingering in his mind for a long time. Suddenly, a tear slid down his cheek as he said, "I don't believe that Master will be taken to the underworld by those two."

Ping An's sobbing startled She Li and Xiao Changgong. The two wanted to step forward to comfort her, but then they heard Zhao Ran say, "So, what do you think is the reason I'm doing this?"

Ping Anmu was there, but he heard Zhao Yan's laughter. He said, "That man's name is Sun Fu. People who know him call him Uncle Fu. He studied in a private school for a few years when he was young, but life is unpredictable and fate plays tricks on people. He failed to study for three years and turned to business, but he only did small business."

"He had made exotic toys and crafts, and he had also done business and escorting goods. In the end, as he got older, he lost his ambition and knew that he could not achieve great things and that his life would just be like this. So he started to do crafts again."

"Oiled paper umbrellas, winnowing baskets, lanterns, repairing pots and stoves, later a rich man came to him and asked for some bamboo puppets, saying that he had bought a troupe of opera actors and wanted to equip them with a new set."

"Uncle Fu wandered all his life and never married or had children. Although life was tough, he could manage on his own, and this was the first big business deal he received in his old age."

"He went up the mountain to select bamboo, and carefully carved the bamboo dolls that the rich man needed, preparing to send them to the capital, which was where the rich man lived."

"The rich man only told him the time and place of delivery, but not where he lived. This made it impossible for him to find him after he was delayed in the city. In the end, he died on his way home."

"You might not understand what I'm saying, which is why I asked you if your master treats you well."

Zhao Chu said a lot, and Ping An listened to every word. He looked sadly at Zhao Chu's tall figure and said, "You pity him, don't you?"

"Pity?" Zhao Yan's thoughts lingered in the lamplight. He turned and looked down at Ping An, saying, "I don't pity him. Rather, I empathize with him."

"Feel the same way?" Zhao Xun looked down at Ping An, which made Ping An feel pressured, especially by his suddenly sharp gaze and equally sad expression.

Ping An didn't quite understand, and Zhao Yan did too. He straightened up and continued walking forward. In the lamplight of the long street, he said, "I have also died once, so I know what we need; similarly, I know even better the eagerness of 'people' like him, who wander the world with nowhere to go, to return home. That's why I pretended to be like that to guide them."

"But do you know what made me the saddest after I met him?"

Ping An shook his head and said, "I don't know."

“He lied to me.” Zhao Yan was filled with disappointment. He sighed, “I gave him directions before, pretending that I couldn’t cross the river. He told me that he would have his family come to pick me up. But, he has no family other than himself.”

"At that moment I knew that people's hearts will never change, even in death."

“I have sent many ‘people’ home. I have seen them stare at each other in silence, tears streaming down their faces. I have also seen those fraudulent ‘people’ who are no different after death than before.”

“But I don’t think Uncle Fu is like what you said. On the contrary, I think he’s quite kind.” Ping An was a little incredulous at Zhao Yan’s words, and he followed behind Zhao Yan with a look of surprise on his face.

"You can't see into someone's heart. Even what you see with your own eyes isn't everything," Zhao Chu replied quietly.

"If that's the case, then why did you treat him that way?" Ping An asked, puzzled.

Zhao Xun asked, "Do you think your Senior Brother Xiao is a good person?"

Ping An frowned and turned around upon hearing this. Xiao Chang Gong was also stunned. Ping An replied, "Yes."

"Why do you think so?"

Zhao Yan's words stunned Ping An. Finally, he said, "Because of Senior Brother She Li."

"So do you think She Li is a good person?"

Upon hearing this, She Li lowered her head and remained silent, as did Ping An. "Xiao Changgong killed demons to obtain their cores; do you think he did the right thing?"

Ping An explained, "That snake demon sucks people's life essence and kills them. Senior Brother Xiao did nothing wrong in killing her."

"Has he only killed one demon? Or is this the only one you know of?"

Ping An was speechless, and Xiao Changgong was unable to defend himself.

"Even if there's only one, what about She Li? Do you think he's a good person?"

"Of course it is, Senior Brother!" Ping An felt a little flustered. In his heart, Senior Brother She Li had been very, very good to him.
"If that's the case, why doesn't he let Xiao Changgong leave?"

Zhao Yan's words were like daggers to the heart, and Ping An's heart finally wavered. He turned around sadly and looked at She Li, who was looking down, and asked, "Senior brother, why didn't you let Senior Brother Xiao leave?"

"Even if you insist on coming with me, why bring Senior Brother Xiao along? With your cultivation level, you can handle whatever you encounter on the way, right?"

Ping An's words made She Li lower his head even further. He turned his head to look at Xiao Chang Gong, his eyes filled with a hint of apology, as if to say to him, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let you stay too."

But Xiao Changgong didn't see it; he just lowered his head, recalling the absurd things he had done in the past.

"Actually, neither Uncle Fu nor your two senior brothers are bad people; it's just that they have selfish desires."

Zhao Yan's words took an unexpected turn. He said, "Survival is a human instinct. Anyone would be wary of sudden kindness from strangers. It's normal for Uncle Fu to lie to me. As for your two senior brothers, they were the same. So, everything is understandable."

Ping An was stunned. He looked at the figure in front of him, somewhat at a loss. After a long silence, Ping An finally spoke, "Can I ask you another question?"

"Go ahead," Zhao Yan said calmly, smiling as he looked at the bustling scene on both sides of the long street.

"So, do you think I'm a good person or a bad person?"

Ping An's words were startling, and Zhao Xun, She Li, and Xiao Changgong all stopped and stared at him.

Zhao Xun looked at Ping An's resolute expression and suddenly laughed: "You little Taoist priest, you really never fail to say something shocking."

However, he then asked, "Do you consider yourself a good person or a bad person?"

Ping An was stunned. He frowned and thought for a long time before saying, "I don't know either."

“You,” Zhao Jun continued walking, laughing, “you’re not a bad person, but you’re a bit stubborn. However, I now understand why he taught you the Daoist arts.”

"Taoist magic? Him?" Ping An was puzzled, and he continued to ask, "What do you mean by this, young master?"

Zhao Yan arrived at a teahouse on the long street. He casually sat down and gestured for Ping An to sit with him. Then, with a wave of his hand, he dismissed She Li and Xiao Chang Gong, who had not yet sat down. At that moment, the brightly lit long street disappeared, leaving only darkness.

A candle appeared on the tea table, its flickering light illuminating the darkness. Zhao Yan looked at Ping An, who seemed somewhat flustered, and asked, "Dao Yisheng, do you know?"

"Dao Yisheng?" Ping An sat with a frown in the candlelight, a cup of tea placed before him. "You also know the Mountain God?"

“I know him, though we’ve only met once.” Zhao Xun finished his tea in one gulp and continued, “I’ve forgotten how long ago it was, but I was taking someone home when we passed Du Qingshan and he stopped me.”

"Why is the mountain god stopping you?" Ping An asked, puzzled.

"Because, in his eyes I'm a ghost too." Zhao Chu was both amused and exasperated.

"I fought him all night that day, and we still couldn't decide the winner by dawn. To be honest, if I hadn't received the decree from the Heavenly Court, I probably wouldn't have been able to defeat him either."

The tea in Zhao Yan's empty teacup was refilled, and he picked it up and drank it all in one gulp: "He is the mountain god, and he receives the incense offerings from the people of that mountain. It's normal that I can't beat him. However, I am curious about one thing, and that is why he would be willing to give up his cultivation for you."

"Later, I also understood it during our conversation."

Ping An didn't understand, so he stared at Zhao Jun and asked, "Why?"

"I think he did that because your obsession would harm you. But why would he choose to risk his own life? I just can't figure that out."

In fact, Ping An didn't understand either; he didn't even know that Dao Yisheng had chosen to die for himself.

"But that's not what I really want to say. I saw a great road in your mind before, with many doors on both sides. That makes me even more curious. I have a general understanding of your experiences, but I can't understand your destiny. However, it seems that even you yourself don't know it now."

After a moment of silence, Ping An said, "The mountain god told me before that I am kind-hearted but easily listen to others. The robe I wear and the crown on my head were also given to me by Him, who said they could help me avoid some trouble."

"So that's how it is. He gave you this Taoist robe." Zhao Yan said thoughtfully. "No wonder you were unharmed."

Zhao Xun smiled and said, "Since that's the case, I understand."

He suddenly stood up, his tall figure looking down at Ping An. He said, "His cultivation is higher than mine, and his knowledge is greater. You should keep his words in mind. Besides, he has done so much for you, so you must have your own extraordinary qualities. Finally, I'll take you to see a play. Although I can't help you like He did, I hope it can help you to be more open-minded about matters of life and death. Especially regarding your inner demons, which are the most taboo for cultivators, concerning your master."

"What play?" Ping An asked.

Zhao Xun did not answer, but instead waved his hand and returned to the long street.

"Ping An, are you alright?" She Li was so anxious about Ping An's sudden disappearance that he was almost possessed. He was afraid that Zhao Han would take the opportunity to harm Ping An, but he was relieved to see that Ping An was unharmed.

After the two left the tea break, Zhao Jun pointed to the end of the long street and said, "The exit of the long street is not far away, and there is a stage there. The 'people' in that place are all wandering ghosts with nowhere else to go, and it is also the last place where they can be reincarnated."

Ping An looked in the direction Zhao Kun was pointing, and the long street fell silent. The ghost reappeared in their sight.

He was seen carrying a pile of rare items and running towards the stage.

Just then, a gong was struck.

The sound was sharp and deafening.

Ping An looked up at Zhao Yan, who said, "Let's go."

(End of this chapter)