My words have become law; I truly have no desire to display my divine power before others.

The dinner was drawing to a close.

The dishes on the table were almost all eaten up. Only a few bones remained of the braised bear paw, and Lü Yang poured the broth from the stewed bear meat into his bowl and drank it all.

The candles inside the lantern had burned down to almost nothing, and the flames had dimmed, swaying slightly in the night breeze, causing the shadow of the jujube tree to sway as well.

A-Luo gathered the dishes, stacked them together, and took them to the kitchen to wash.

The chubby baby followed behind her, carrying an empty bowl that was bigger than his face. He walked unsteadily, and the rim of the bowl bumped against the threshold with a crisp "clink".

A Luo glanced back, took the bowl, and patted his head. The chubby baby squinted, looking smug.

Yunniang sat at the table, her pipa already put away and placed at her feet. She held a teacup in both hands and sipped her tea slowly.

Ye Qingfeng leaned back in the rocking chair, holding a teacup, his eyes half-closed, as if he were dozing off.

Lu Yang sat for a while and then felt a little bored.

He glanced at Miao Gui, who was staring blankly at the jujube tree.

He glanced at Yunniang, who was drinking tea with her head down.

He looked at the immortal master, who had his eyes closed and remained motionless.

He scratched his head and suddenly spoke.

"Master, just sitting and drinking tea isn't very interesting. Why don't you tell us a story?"

Yunniang raised her head, glanced at Ye Qingfeng, and didn't say anything, but there was a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

A'Luo came out of the kitchen carrying a pot of hot tea. Hearing this, she quickly nodded and said, "Master, please tell me one. I've never heard you tell a story before."

In her opinion, the stories that the immortal master knew must be very interesting.

The chubby baby squatted at A'Luo's feet, tilted his head back, and said in a childish voice, "Tell me! Tell me!"

Ye Qingfeng opened his eyes and looked at these people.

A slight smile played on his lips as he chuckled and said, "You guys certainly know how to have fun."

Lü Yang chuckled and scratched his head.

Ye Qingfeng picked up his teacup, took a sip, put the cup down, and leaned back in his chair.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, his gaze slowly fell on Yunniang, but then he quickly looked away, looking at the jujube tree above his head.

The leaves of the jujube tree swayed gently in the night breeze, rustling as if they were saying something.

"I have some thoughts to share today, so I'll tell you another story." He began, his voice neither loud nor soft, as if he were talking about something very ordinary.

Lü Yang quickly sat up straight, Miao Gui put down his teacup, A Luo sat down at the table and held the chubby baby in her arms, while Yun Niang held her teacup and listened quietly.

Ye Qingfeng said, "Once upon a time, there was a woman, not very old, in her early twenties. She had just gotten married when her husband had an accident and died far away. His remains were never recovered, so only a cenotaph was erected for him."

A Luo paused for a moment, then subconsciously glanced at Yun Niang.

Yunniang paused slightly in her teacup, the tea inside sloshing around and spilling a few drops onto her fingers. She didn't wipe them away, but simply looked down at the tea leaves in the cup.

Ye Qingfeng continued, "The woman was heartbroken and cried day and night until she was almost blind. Some people advised her, saying, 'You and your husband have only been married for less than a month. How deep can your feelings be?'"

Why torture yourself like this? The woman didn't speak, only shook her head. She couldn't express it; she only knew that with that person gone, her heart was empty.

A'Luo couldn't help but interject, "Immortal Master, the story you told sounds so similar to Yunniang's experience."

Ye Qingfeng glanced at A Luo, then at Yun Niang, and smiled: "Perhaps it's just a coincidence."

Yunniang raised her head and looked at Ye Qingfeng, her gaze somewhat complicated.

She thought of herself, her husband, and the words of those who had advised her.

"How long have you and your husband been married?" "How deep can your feelings be?" "Is it really necessary?"

Like the woman in the story, she couldn't express it.

All she knew was that without that person, her heart felt empty.

But this Taoist priest had never seen her before, so how could he know her story?

She thought about it and realized it might really be a coincidence.

She had never left the ginseng-gathering village, and the Taoist priest was from outside; they were complete strangers.

It's just a coincidence, nothing more.

Ye Qingfeng didn't look at Yunniang again and continued telling his story.

"The woman cried for a month, two months, three months. She wouldn't go out, wouldn't see anyone, wouldn't eat, and wouldn't sleep. Her family was worried about her, but no matter how they tried to persuade her, it was no use. She became skin and bones, her eyes sunken deep, like a walking corpse."

One night, the woman could no longer bear it. She didn't want to live anymore and felt that life was meaningless. She found a white silk ribbon, draped it over the beam, tied a knot, moved a stool over, stood on it, and stuck her head into the knot.

Lu Yang gripped his trousers tightly at his knees.

Yunniang's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly, and some tea spilled out again.

There was a clear hint of confusion in his eyes; these things seemed strangely familiar.

Just as she was about to kick the stool, a sound suddenly came from outside. It wasn't footsteps, but someone knocking on the door.

The knocking was soft and polite, neither hurried nor slow. The woman was startled, got off the stool, hid the white silk ribbon, wiped away her tears, and went to open the door.

Ye Qingfeng paused for a moment, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

The tea had gone cold, but he didn't notice.

"A person stood outside the door, fair-skinned and handsome. But he stood in the moonlight, and there was no shadow beneath his feet."

The woman was stunned for a moment; she knew it was a ghost. The ghost spoke, saying he was a scholar on his way to take the imperial examinations, passing through this place, and had missed his lodging, so he wished to ask for lodging for the night.

The woman said, "You are a ghost, not a human." The scholar paused, looked down at himself, then at the spot on the ground where there was no shadow, and said with a bitter smile, "So I am already dead."

Yunniang held the teacup, her hands no longer trembling, but her face was somewhat pale.

She remembered that night, the white silk ribbon, the sound of knocking on the door, and the scholar standing in the moonlight.

How could they be so alike? But she didn't interrupt. She still had some disbelief in her heart. Perhaps it was just a coincidence?

Ye Qingfeng didn't look at Yunniang and continued telling his story.

The woman asked the scholar, "What is your unfulfilled wish?" The scholar thought for a moment and said that he wanted to eat a hot meal. He had traveled all his life and eaten dry rations all his life, and had never had a proper meal.

The woman looked at him, remembering her deceased husband, and her heart softened. She cooked a meal for the scholar: braised pork, stir-fried bok choy, vinegared cabbage, and egg drop soup.

The scholar ate slowly, chewing each bite for a long time, as if trying to memorize the flavor. After he finished eating, he bowed and left.

Upon hearing this, Yunniang felt a slight sense of relief. It was indeed a coincidence; the subsequent events were somewhat similar.

But in reality, it was far from the truth. That meal was clearly prepared the next day, and it was entirely prepared by the scholar.

The food prepared was not what the immortal master had described.