Mortal: Traveling Between Two Realms with Mei Ning to Pick Up Trash

Five years have passed since Zhou Yu arrived at Qingzhu Xiaoxuan.

Five years is neither a long nor a short time, and Zhou Yu's cultivation has already reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

The cultivators watching outside were no match for him. If he made a move now, Zhou Yu was confident he could finish them off within three moves, but he wasn't in a hurry.

Han Li wasn't in a hurry to leave.

Master He's health was deteriorating day by day. The old man didn't say anything, but he would think for longer and longer when playing chess. Zhou Yu still decided to see him off on his final journey.

Actually, since transmigrating, Zhou Yu has spent the most time with Han Li.

……

Xiao Qin and Xiao Tan became regular customers at the store.

Since they bought the peace charm last time, the young couple has been coming every few days. Sometimes they buy some pills, sometimes some medicinal herbs, and sometimes they don't buy anything at all. They just sit here, drink some tea, and chat with Zhou Yu for a while.

Xiao Qin doesn't talk much, but every time he comes, he brings some trinkets he bought from the market, like peach wood plaques or cricket cages. They're not worth much, but the thought behind them is what counts.

Xiao Tan was weak, often coughed, and always had a pale complexion.

That evening, as dusk was just beginning to fall, Xiao Qin pushed open the door and came in. His forehead was still sweaty, clearly indicating that he had been traveling.

"Shopkeeper, give me another copy of this calming and energy-boosting formula," Xiao Qin said to Han Li.

Han Li stood up from behind the counter, took a small jade bottle from the shelf, and placed it on the table.

"OK."

Xiao Qin took the medicine, nodded to Han Li, smiled at Zhou Yu, and turned to leave.

Zhou Yu called out to him, "Brother Qin, is Sister Xiao Tan's cough the worst?"

Xiao Qin paused, sighed, and said, "It's still the same old story. I can't sleep well. I made the prescription you mentioned last time, and it only worked for a few days. As soon as I stopped, the symptoms returned."

Zhou Yu frowned, thought for a moment, and then said nothing more. Xiao Qin pushed the door open and went out.

The shop quieted down, and Han Li returned to the counter and took a sip of tea.

Zhou Yu stood by the counter, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke.

"Shopkeeper, you can add angelica root to the recipe from last time."

Han Li raised his head and looked at him.

"Brother Qin said that Sister Xiaotan has a bad cough," Zhou Yu said. "Angelica combined with Astragalus has a better cough-relieving effect."

Han Li glanced at him: "You know he can't afford the extra money."

Zhou Yu knew, of course, that Xiao Qin was a rogue cultivator with low cultivation level, and the spirit stones he earned were barely enough for the two of them to make a living.

The cost of Xiao Tan's medicine was already straining their finances; adding another ingredient, even something as inexpensive as angelica root, would be a burden.

"I know," Zhou Yu said, expressionless. "So... deduct it from my wages."

Han Li remained silent for a while.

The bamboo leaves outside the window rustled, and the wind slipped in through the crack in the door, causing the label on the counter to curl slightly. Zhou Yu reached out and pressed it flat.

"Why should we help them?" Han Li suddenly asked.

Zhou Yu was taken aback. He hadn't expected Han Li to ask this question. In his memory, Han Li wasn't the kind of person who would ask "why".

Zhou Yu thought for a moment, then shrugged. "No particular reason. I just liked the look of him and wanted to help, so I did."

He paused, then added, "Besides, I don't help just anyone. They've been to the store so many times, they're practically old friends."

When he uttered the words "old friend," he himself found it amusing. In this world, what old friends did he have? Mei Ning counted as one, Mei Feng as one, Master He as half, and Han Li as half—a quarter?

But Xiao Qin and He Xiaotan are different. Their relationship isn't like that between cultivators; it's more like... neighbors? You help me carry something, and I'll keep an eye out for you—it's a relationship without any ulterior motives.

Han Li shook his head slightly, seemingly lost in thought, and looked at Zhou Yu, saying, "Okay."

……

"Speaking of which, it seems that kid Xiaolong has gone into gangs." Master He placed a piece on the board and immediately smiled.

Han Li smiled and replied, "Yes." Then he placed a piece.

"But that kid won't say what kind of spiritual root he has." Master He stroked his beard, a hint of worry in his eyes.

"It seems his spiritual root aptitude isn't very good; the young man is too shy to say," Zhou Yu said, blowing on his tea.

Master He laughed heartily and placed another piece.

Zhou Yu held his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and listened to Master He and Han Li chatting casually about Little Dragon.

The child has been visiting less often these past two years, saying he's been busy outside. Zhou Yu knows what Xiaolong has been doing, but he can't interfere too much with his own choices. He can only give him some pills and teach him to run away when in doubt.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door, not heavy, but somewhat hurried. The curtain was lifted, and a figure darted in.

It's Xiaolong.

He was wearing a short-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing bruises on his arms and a scraped patch on his face, but he seemed to be in good spirits, grinning as soon as he entered the room.

"Brother Zhou! Old He! Shopkeeper!" He called out to the three people in one breath, his voice full of energy, not at all like someone who had been injured.

Zhou Yu looked him up and down, then put down his teacup. "Who did you get into a fight with this time?"

Xiao Long chuckled and scratched his head. "I didn't fight, I just... tripped and fell."

Master He stroked his beard, looking at him with a smile, "You can fall and end up like this?"

Xiao Long remained silent, looking embarrassed. Zhou Yu stood up, walked over to him, pinched his arm, and then looked at the scratch on his face.

It's just a superficial injury; the bones and internal organs are fine. It's just a few bumps and bruises that caused some bleeding. It looks scary, but it's not serious.

"Come sit down." Zhou Yu pulled over a chair for Xiao Long to sit down, then turned to rummage through the medicine box behind the counter.

Xiao Long sat obediently in the chair, not moving. Zhou Yu first applied medicine to the abrasions on his face, then rolled up his sleeves and applied a blood-activating and bruise-removing ointment to the bruises on his arms.

"You still feel pain?" Zhou Yu asked, his voice neither too soft nor too hard, as he continued working.

Xiao Long pouted, "I didn't do it on purpose... It was those guys from the south of the city who started it. They snatched an old man's stall, and I couldn't stand it, so..."

"They started fighting?" Zhou Yu interjected.

Xiao Long lowered his head and whispered, "I only pushed him a few times."

Zhou Yu glanced at him, said nothing more, finished treating the last wound, clapped his hands, and stood up.

Looking at this scene, Han Li suddenly remembered how he had bandaged his younger sister when she was injured before, and his lips twitched slightly.

"Okay, don't get it wet for the next few days, it'll be fine in a couple of days."

Xiao Long jumped off the chair, stretched his arms, bowed to Zhou Yu, and said, "Thank you, Brother Zhou!"

Master He waved with a smile from the chessboard, "Little Long, come over here and play a game with me."

Xiao Long exclaimed, ran over and sat down, picked up a chess piece. He still played chess the same way, anxious, wanting to capture pieces without considering his own moves. Master He stopped teaching him and just let him play, smiling whether he won or lost.

Han Li held his teacup, watching the old man and the young man play chess. His face was expressionless, but Zhou Yu noticed that when he looked at Xiao Long, his gaze softened a bit.

……

The sun was just beginning to rise.

Zhou Yu pushed open the door of the front shop and immediately saw Han Li standing behind the counter, holding a jade slip in his hand and flipping through it. He was slightly taken aback, as he rarely saw Han Li arrive so early.

"Good morning, shopkeeper." Zhou Yu walked over and stood by the counter.

Han Li hummed in response, not even looking up, his gaze still fixed on the jade slip. Zhou Yu didn't seem to care either, taking several bottles of pills from the shelf, checking the labels, wiping the bottles, replenishing what needed replenishing, and replacing what needed replacing.

The shop was quiet, with only the sound of Qu Hun sweeping the floor in the corner, one stroke at a time, unhurried and gentle.

As the sun began to set, the light and shadows in the bamboo grove stretched long.

Xiao Qin and Xiao Tan have arrived.

When they came in, they were carrying a basket of loquats, saying they were a gift from relatives in the countryside, and they brought them for the shop to try.

Xiao Tan followed behind him, wearing a slightly worn lotus-root-colored dress. Her face was still pale, but she seemed to be in better spirits than before. As soon as she entered, she smiled at Zhou Yu and said softly, "Zhou Yu."

Zhou Yu took the loquats, placed them on the counter, and moved two chairs for them to sit on.

Qu Hun brought tea from the backyard; it had been brewed sometime during the day, and the temperature was just right.

Xiao Qin sat down and began to tell the story of how the loquats came about. He said that his relative had been growing fruit trees in the south of the city for more than ten years, and this year's harvest was good. He picked a basket of the best ones for Xiao Qin to take into the city. Xiao Tan sat quietly to the side, listening attentively, occasionally taking a sip of tea, a faint smile on her lips.

Han Li walked out from behind the counter and sat down by the chessboard, holding a white piece in his hand, seemingly waiting for someone. Master He had not yet arrived, and the chessboard was empty.

Xiao Qin sat for half an hour, drank two cups of tea, and explained the ins and outs of the loquat three times. Finally, he stood up with satisfaction. Xiao Tan also stood up, nodded to Zhou Yu, and bowed to Han Li.

Zhou Yu stood at the door, watching their figures disappear at the end of the bamboo path, and stood there for a while.

"Shopkeeper." He turned around and leaned against the door frame.

Han Li raised his head and glanced at him.

Zhou Yu looked at Han Li and suddenly said.

"Shopkeeper, if in the end everyone around you dies and you're all alone in your cultivation journey, what's the point of immortality?"

Han Li's hand stopped above the chessboard, the white piece in his hand hovering in mid-air, not falling.

The shop suddenly became very quiet; even the bamboo leaves outside the window seemed to have been pressed down, and the rustling sound subsided.

"Where did you get that idea?" Han Li said slowly, his voice not loud.

Zhou Yu smiled, walked back behind the counter, picked up a loquat, and twirled it in his hand.

"We didn't come here because we wanted to, we came because we saw them," Zhou Yu said. "Xiao Qin and Xiao Tan, they are both mortals. It's true that Xiao Qin is a rogue cultivator, but his cultivation level is only slightly stronger than that of a mortal. Xiao Tan is simply a mortal."

Zhou Yu put down the loquat and picked up another one. "Shopkeeper, do you think Xiao Qin and Xiao Tan will still be around a hundred years from now? Even if Xiao Qin is lucky enough to live a few decades longer, what about Xiao Tan? After she's gone, what's the point of Xiao Qin living alone if he cultivates immortality?"

Han Li did not answer. He placed the white piece in his hand on the chessboard. The sound was not loud, but it seemed particularly abrupt in the quiet shop.

"You've been talking more and more lately," Han Li said, but Zhou Yu sensed something different. It wasn't annoyance, but rather... not knowing how to respond.

Zhou Yu smiled. "Shopkeeper, I'm not trying to argue with you, I just... don't understand."

"If you can't figure it out, don't think about it." Han Li picked up a black piece, then placed another. "Thinking too much will only delay your cultivation."

"But if I don't want to, I won't even understand what the purpose of cultivation is." Zhou Yu sat down opposite Han Li, without taking a chess piece, just sitting there. "Shopkeeper, what is the purpose of your cultivation?"

Han Li paused for a moment.

The bamboo leaves outside the window rustled; the wind picked up, blowing a few withered leaves in through the crack in the door.

for a long time.

Zhou Yu looked at Han Li and waited a few moments, but Han Li did not look up.

He knew Han Li wouldn't answer; after all, Han Li would remain silent when faced with difficult questions.

Without asking any further questions, he shook his head and returned to the front shop.

Master He happened to come in from outside. The old man was wearing a slightly worn gray cloth Taoist robe today, and he seemed to be in better spirits than a few days ago. As soon as he entered, he shouted, "Come, come, let's play chess! The game from yesterday is still undecided!"

Master He sat down on the opposite side of the chessboard, picked up a white piece, and placed it aggressively on the star point.

Han Li followed suit and the two began to fight again. Zhou Yu stood behind the counter, taking the loquats out of the basket one by one and arranging them on a plate.

He placed a plate of chess pieces on the side of the chessboard. Master He reached out, took a bite, and juice dripped down his chin. He wiped it with his sleeve and continued playing chess.

Han Li didn't eat it, but he glanced at it.

As Zhou Yu watched the two play chess, his hand, which was arranging loquats, slowed down, as if he was thinking about something.

He naturally knew why Han Li was here—the Tribulation of the Mortal World.

Zhou Yu placed the last loquat onto the plate.

The questions he asked Han Li—what was the meaning of immortality, what was the purpose of cultivation, and what was the point of living when everyone around him was dead—were more like questions he was asking himself than Han Li.

After entering the Foundation Establishment stage, his cultivation progress was slow. At first, he thought it was because he didn't have enough pills. Later, after checking the classics and flipping through the old books he had bought from the market, he slowly realized that it wasn't a problem with the pills, but with his Dao heart, which was unstable.

What does it mean to have a firm resolve in the path?

He thought of Han Li, whose Dao heart was firm; when it was time to leave, he would never look back, and when it was time to give up, he would never be reluctant to let go.

Zhou Yu retreated behind the counter and leaned against the wall.

Watching the two people sitting at opposite ends of the chessboard, one black and one white, one attacking and one defending, neither giving an inch, He Xianshi's chess was still as fierce as ever, and Han Li's chess was still as steady as ever.

He couldn't be like Han Li. There were too many things he couldn't bear to part with: Mei Ning's smile, Mei Feng's snoring, He Xianshi's muttering when he won the game, Xiao Long tugging at his clothes and calling him Brother Zhou, and Xiao Qin and Xiao Tan walking side by side in the bamboo forest. He couldn't give up any of these things.

Perhaps Han Li's path to unwavering resolve isn't the only one. Relinquishing attachments is one form of resolve, but so is refusing to relinquish them.

Zhou Yu took the rag off the shelf, folded it again, and placed it on the corner of the counter.

The bamboo leaves rustled outside the window, and the wind blew in from deep within the bamboo forest, cool and refreshing.

Han Li is undergoing his tribulations in the mortal world here.

He is here to undergo his own spiritual tribulation.

Two people sat in the same room, walking different paths. The paths were different, but the direction was the same: both were moving forward, both wanted to live more clearly.