Longevity, starting from traveling and telling stories

Chapter 222 Thirty Years Later
The thirtieth year of the new imperial calendar of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

In the heart of the bustling capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, a crowd thronged in front of a magnificent and luxurious building, where the four gilded characters "Beixi Inn" on the doorway stood out prominently.

Inside the inn, a centenarian, nearing the end of his life, dressed in plain clothes, sat trembling slightly at the table, quietly waiting for a sumptuous meal, as if this were his last meal.

At this moment, the storyteller in the inn was vividly recounting a captivating tale to the diners, hoping to earn some tips.

Just as everyone was engrossed in listening, an arrogant voice suddenly rang out: "Disperse, disperse! Today, this young master is going to book the entire inn!"

The guests were engrossed in the captivating story when they were suddenly struck by this arrogant remark. Their expressions immediately turned displeased, and they all turned their gazes toward the newcomer.

After seeing who it was, everyone turned back helplessly and continued eating.

The owner of the voice seemed quite satisfied with the diners' reaction, and said in an increasingly frivolous and arrogant tone, "Very good, those who know when to yield are the wise ones. Today, I'll cover all your meal expenses!"

Then, he turned to his follower and said, "Laifu, go and tell Manager Tian that I will cover the expenses here. Remember... be polite and don't be rude."

Finally, he specifically instructed him not to be rude to the shopkeeper, which clearly shows that this guy was not a brainless playboy.

Some diners quickly finished their food and hurriedly got up to leave. Why not accept someone's treat?

Some well-off diners were quite displeased, while newcomers, unaware of the situation, asked the older diners, "Brother, who is this young master? In broad daylight, under the emperor's nose, how can he be so arrogant and rude?"

"Hey! You don't know this, this man is named Liang Ruiteng, the grandson of the richest man in China, and his father is a high-ranking official of the second rank in the imperial court."

Another person next to them sighed and said, "Sigh... let's go! Anyway, he didn't treat us badly; at least he paid for our meal."

But the new customer hesitated and said, "But I don't want to leave, so what?"

"Brother, a wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. You haven't lost anything, you can always come back to listen to the story next time," a fellow diner kindly advised.

Soon, the crowd gradually left the inn like a long dragon, but the old man remained, leisurely drinking his tea.

Upon seeing this, the innkeeper hurriedly stepped forward, smiling and bowing, saying, "Sir, our shop has been booked out. Please come in. This meal is on me."

"They haven't even finished their meal yet, how can you send them away?" The old man said calmly, without even raising his head.

"This..." The shopkeeper looked troubled. In fact, he didn't want to turn the person away, but he didn't want to offend the eldest son of the Liang family, after all, he was just a shopkeeper.

"Old man, our young master has already paid for you, what more do you want? If it weren't for the young master's kind heart, I would have thrown you out long ago!" Lai Fu, the lackey standing to the side, immediately started shouting, taking advantage of the situation.

The old man ignored him and continued to sip his tea in silence.

Seeing the old man's stubbornness, Laifu was about to step forward and forcibly drive him away.

Seeing the old man's composure, the shopkeeper sensed that this man was not simple, so he quickly pulled Laifu aside and said, "Brother Laifu, you can't make a move in the shop."

Liang Ruiteng, who was standing to the side, frowned slightly. Although he was arrogant and domineering, he knew who he could mess with and who he couldn't.

Seeing that the old man remained calm, he said in a deep voice, "A distinguished guest will be coming to the shop today. I must remind you, sir, that even if you have someone backing you up, you probably can't afford to offend this distinguished guest."

"I'm practically half-buried already, so what if I've offended you?" The old man continued eating calmly.

“You’re not afraid, but what about your family…” Liang Ruiteng’s face revealed a mocking expression as he threatened, “What if you have family…”

"So what if he has family?"

Just as the group was locked in a stalemate, a cold voice rang out.

Liang Ruiteng was furious. How dare someone provoke him at a time like this?

He glanced over instinctively and gasped. Three figures, one in front and two behind, were slowly approaching.

The person walking at the front looked to be around forty years old. He was dressed in a plain brocade robe, and every move he made exuded an air of majesty, as if he were an emperor in a high position.

The person behind him, dressed in simple clothes, exuded a sharp and piercing aura in every gesture.

The last person was a swordsman dressed in a blue robe, with a blackened wooden sword hanging at his waist. He looked like a sword that had not yet been drawn from its sheath, its sharpness concealed.

"This...this...this..." Liang Ruiteng was so shocked he couldn't speak. Who else could be this trio with such an air of authority besides that person? Just who is this old man? Could he be that VIP?

The old man had already stood up excitedly, his eyes filled with tears, and he kept muttering to himself, "So alike, so very alike, they're practically identical."

"This humble subject, Zhou Boran, pays his respects to Your Majesty." The old man rose with slightly trembling and excited steps, ready to bow.

Is it really him? Zhou Boran, the literary sage, is finished now.

Liang Ruiteng was filled with remorse and wanted to slap himself a few times. He had really messed with someone this time. Although he was usually arrogant, he always picked on the weak.

"Second Senior Brother, you mustn't..." Jiang Pingfan quickly helped Zhou Boran up and said with a smile, "There is no Emperor of Great Zhou this time, only us fellow disciples. Eldest Senior Brother is here today, as is Uncle. Why don't we have a good drink at Uncle's inn today?"

"Good, good, good..." Zhou Boran was in tears. He missed his master so much that he had traveled around telling stories for the past thirty years in order to find his master's whereabouts. He even earned the title of "Sage of Literature" because of this.

But he never acknowledged this title, because in his heart, this title should only belong to his master.

"Old Tian, ​​what kind of manager are you?" Qin Shaoyou glanced at Manager Tian, ​​his tone quite displeased, and said, "Didn't I tell you not to make a big fuss and not to disturb the people? Is this how you do things?"

"Reporting to Master... I..." Manager Tian said, glancing at Liang Ruiteng. He hadn't wanted things to turn out this way, but since Young Master Liang had meant well but had made a mistake, he couldn't blame Liang Ruiteng entirely and could only silently accept the scolding.

"Alright, today's trip was incognito anyway. Liang Ruiteng, you go home and copy the Tao Te Ching five hundred times, and have your grandfather Liang Mingjue personally supervise you."

Jiang Pingfan naturally understood the reasons behind it. He also knew that the Liang and Zhu families had a deep connection with his mother, and even his father had some dealings with them.

Otherwise, given Liang Ruiteng's actions today, I would have exiled him or even beheaded him.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you, Your Majesty." Liang Ruiteng hurriedly kowtowed to apologize, secretly rejoicing that his ancestors had protected him and that His Majesty still remembered the bond between the Liang and Zhu families.

But before he could be happy for long, Jiang Pingfan's words were like a bucket of cold water, chilling him to the bone: "Liang Ruiteng, I remind you, you must be self-disciplined and cautious in the future, otherwise even if your ancestors have great blessings, they can only protect you this time, and will never protect you a second time."

A chill ran from Liang Ruiteng's feet straight to his head. He understood that His Majesty was giving him a warning, telling him to stop doing such foolish and dissolute things.

"Thank you for your teachings, Your Majesty. Rui Teng will keep them in mind." After saying this, he and his entourage slunk away.

Seeing the few troublemakers leave, Jiang Pingfan said in a friendly tone, "Don't let irrelevant people spoil our fun. Come, senior brother, please..."

The group slowly walked up to the third floor, where private rooms had already been prepared.

After everyone was seated, the innkeeper personally served them, bringing out the best wine and the most prized large yellow croaker in the restaurant.

"Thinking back to those days, Master led me all the way from Tiankui Mountain to this Great Zhou Dynasty. It's been over forty years now. Time really flies!" Ye Xiaobei picked up a piece of yellow croaker meat, closed his eyes, and savored the deliciousness of the fish. He said, "This feeling... it really is the familiar taste." Jiang Pingfan looked at Zhou Boran and politely asked, "Second Senior Brother, so many years have passed, have you really not heard a single word about Father?"

Since he ascended the throne at the age of eight, after his mother passed away, he only caught a glimpse of his father from afar before his father disappeared with his mother's body, and there has been no further news of him since.

No matter how much Jiang Pingfan inquired, he could never find his father's whereabouts.

“Alas… Master has always been elusive, appearing and disappearing like a dragon. If he doesn’t want to show himself, I’m afraid we’ll never find him in our lifetime.” Zhou Boran sighed and said, “But I don’t have much time left. Before I die, I want to tell Master everything I’ve seen and heard over the years, to tell him that I have always followed Master’s path and traveled around telling stories.”

“We will definitely see Master.” Ye Xiaobei, who had been enjoying his meal, suddenly said, “I think Master just doesn’t want to disturb us, but he must be watching over us from somewhere.”

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Moreover... with Master's abilities, he has probably already reached the realm of ascension to heaven in broad daylight over the years."

Qin Shaoyou said in surprise, "Xiao Bei, didn't you say that after that incident, the realms of immortals and mortals separated, and it was almost impossible to break through and ascend to immortality in this world? My brother-in-law..."

“Sigh… It’s obviously not possible for ordinary people, but how can Master be judged by the standards of ordinary people?” Ye Xiaobei said calmly, “So, Second Brother, I think you should prepare a good coffin for yourself. If Master wants to see you, he will naturally appear before you die; if he doesn’t want to appear, it will be difficult for the few of us to find him.”

He shook his head and didn't say anything more, because it was an indisputable fact.

Zhou Boran looked dejected, but quickly composed himself. He had always been a mediocre, impoverished scholar, who only achieved great success late in life after a chance encounter with his master in his fifties. It was just a pity…

"Alright, everyone, let's stop talking about these sad things. Come on, let's make sure we three brothers get together today, it's a rare occasion, we must drink until we drop!" Jiang Pingfan raised his glass and said happily.

At this moment, he was not the emperor who held the power of life and death over all people in the court, but merely the junior brother of his two senior brothers and the nephew of Qin Shaoyou.

The far north.

Glaciers stretch across the land, and the fierce winds carry ice crystals that constantly pound against the ice surface, making a hissing sound.

There has been no daylight here for a long time; the green aurora borealis shimmers endlessly in the sky.

Under the aurora borealis, a figure was looking up at the starry sky. This person was Ye Beixuan, who had disappeared for thirty years and was now seeking enlightenment here.

Suddenly, a dazzling shooting star streaked across the sky. Ye Beixuan frowned slightly, stretched out his fingers, and made a calculation.

"Alas! Have you also reached the end?" Ye Beixuan sighed and muttered to himself, "So be it! Since we are master and disciple, I will see you one last time."

He glanced at the mound of earth made of ice crystals beside him and said gently, "You agree with my decision, right?"

Another brilliant meteor streaked across the sky. This time, the meteor did not fade away, but instead trailed a trail of radiant light as it sped toward the Great Zhou.

Under the cover of night, the Great Zhou Dynasty was brightly lit, and everywhere people were singing and dancing, which showed that the people were all in love with him. Jiang Pingfan was indeed a rare wise ruler.

At this moment, Zhou Boran was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at the storybooks his master had given him.

The booklet had yellowed with age, but he still treasured it, always flipping through it before going to bed each night to read the story he would tell the next day.

So many years have passed, and today I have finally read the last page, as if his life is about to come to an end.

He sighed softly, carefully put the storybook away, and suddenly felt lost, his mind blank.

"What? Feeling lost already?" A voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Zhou Boran, who was preparing to go to bed.

His pupils suddenly contracted as he looked into the darkness to the side, where a figure slowly emerged—the very person he had been longing for day and night.

"Master...Master...Master, is it really you?" Zhou Boran stood up with a slight tremor, took a few steps forward excitedly, and wanted to confirm.

Yes, it really was Master. He was still as young as ever, looking just like he was eighteen, only he looked more weathered.

“Master… Disciple…” Zhou Boran knelt down with a thud and said, “Master, I have lived up to your expectations and told your stories to the world one by one. Now your stories have spread all over the world.”

"You did a good job, I know all of this." Ye Beixuan raised his hand, and Zhou Boran's kneeling figure was lifted up by an invisible force.

Zhou Boran wiped away his tears and said in a choked voice, "Now that my time is coming to an end, it is my blessing to be able to see my master before I die. My wish has been fulfilled and I can rest in peace."

"Do you have any other wishes?" Ye Beixuan sighed softly, looking at this disciple he had once taken in by chance, and asked in a calm tone.

Zhou Boran smiled calmly and said, "If I really have a wish, I would like to be your disciple again in my next life, to continue traveling the world, to see the warmth and coldness of human relationships, and to tell the untold stories of the world."

“Alright…” Ye Beixuan took out a manual, handed it to him, and said, “Then you may continue your travels throughout the world!”

The three large characters "Water Margin" on the booklet caught Zhou Boran's eye, and he seemed to have a new goal. He randomly opened the book and happened to turn to the page where Pan Jinlian opened the window.

Perhaps this is fate, beginning with Pan Jinlian and ending with Pan Jinlian.

When I looked up again, the figure had disappeared, and a pill suddenly fell into the book, the dark green pill exuding vitality.

“Master…” Zhou Boran was already in tears. It turned out that his master had long foreseen that he was about to die, which was why he gave him a pill that would extend his life by five years.

He sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes blurred with tears, and read through the exciting stories in "Water Margin" again and again.

His final five years are about to begin here.

The Imperial Palace of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The imperial study was brightly lit, and official documents from all over the country were piled up like mountains.

Jiang Pingfan felt frustrated. If possible, he would rather travel the world like his father than be trapped in this deep palace.

Just then, a childish voice interrupted his thoughts: "Father, I want to play with you for a while."

Jiang Pingfan glanced at it and said impatiently, "Feng'er, go play somewhere else. Father is busy with state affairs."

When the young prince saw that his father refused to play with him, his eyes instantly reddened, and he looked dejected. He turned around and walked unsteadily toward the door.

Just then, a warm and strong hand instantly picked up the little prince, and the person looked at him with a loving expression.

Upon closer inspection, the three men's eyebrows are remarkably similar.

"When doing things, you need to know how to balance tension and relaxation. Being too tense all the time will backfire."

The emperor was interrupted by the familiar yet unfamiliar voice. He was startled at first, then suddenly looked up. The moment he saw the figure, the blurry figure in his memory gradually became clear.

Could this be... that Father is still so young?

He wanted to call out "Father," but the words caught in his throat, and he could only force himself to ask, "Who are you?"

(End of this chapter)