Immortality: Starting with a grave, I'm invincible when burying corpses.

"Old Celestial Master!!!"

The simple three words pulled Qinghe out of her daze, and she exclaimed in surprise in front of Mu'an.

"The restorer of the Four Symbols Mountain, the foremost figure in Taoism, a legend of a thousand years, the founder of the old methods... the Supreme Celestial Master of Heaven and Earth?"

Amidst a series of prefixes, Qinghe, whose eyes had turned into mosquito coils, suddenly gasped for breath, feigning composure.

"I know, sir, you must be joking with me, Qinghe. Really, don't scare me like that so early in the morning..."

Seeing the girl talking to herself, Mu An's eye twitched. She stopped looking at her and started drinking her tea.

The room fell silent, with only Qinghe's occasional gasps.

After about a hundred breaths, Qinghe, who had been twitching and fidgeting, seemed to have made up her mind. She looked at Mu An solemnly.

Get up, slide tackle, grab the thigh.

"Sir, help me!!!"

"Qinghe, I don't want to die, and I don't want my brother to become someone else's nourishment. Sir, you're so kind and gentle, you won't abandon us, right?!"

Mu An tried to pull his thigh out of Qing He's hand twice, but he still couldn't manage it.

Seeing Qinghe clinging to his leg and refusing to let go, with snot and tears streaming down her face, Mu An raised his right hand without hesitation and knocked a big bump on Qinghe's head.

"Get up! Who taught you to beg like that?"

"Oh—I was wrong, sir, please don't be so fierce."

Realizing that Mu An was in a good mood and didn't seem to intend to leave them alone, Qing He decisively stood up, put her hands in front of her, and stood obediently beside Mu An, putting on a sensible and well-behaved appearance.

Such a posture made Mu An's eye twitch again.

How come he never noticed before that this little girl had such a peculiar side to her personality? Her shamelessness does have a bit of Mu Ling'er's charm.

The difference is that if it were Mu Ling'er, she would definitely be holding her head and muttering something like "I don't love her anymore."

Who knows, they might find a small opportunity to retaliate in the days to come.

In terms of "holding grudges," Mu Ling'er has definitely learned the essence of Mu An.

In contrast, Qinghe was much more obedient, standing properly to the side, only looking at Mu An with her big, watery eyes.

Thinking of this, Mu An's gaze softened as he looked at Qing He and offered words of comfort.

"There is no need to worry. Although Fellow Daoist Li Xuan has lofty ambitions and enjoys farming, he is a man of principle. He has always been very clear about what he can and cannot do, and he has never made a mistake in hundreds of years."

Fellow Daoist Li Xuan? Could that be the name of the Celestial Master?

Enjoys farming? What a strange statement.

He addresses the founder of the Taoist sect as a fellow Daoist, knows his name, and speaks of hundreds of years. Just who is Mr. Mu?

Is it...

The meaning behind Mu An's words made Qing He pause slightly, and she tentatively spoke up.

"Sir, do you mean that as long as we stay with you, my brother and I will be safe?"

Mu An nodded and added.

"The world is vast, you'll be fine wherever you go."

It's okay to go anywhere?

These were such confident words. Qinghe, who had been looking down, quietly raised her head, glanced at Mu An's face, and then abruptly looked away.

Don't think like that! Don't think like that! Qinghe, you need to calm down! Mr. Mu is an elder! A senior among elders!

Suppressing her turbulent emotions, Qinghe appeared somewhat relaxed. She sat back in her seat, naturally poured Mu'an a cup of hot tea, and asked softly.

"Sir, are you well acquainted with the founder of Taoism? And what is the meaning behind your fondness for farming?"

This time, Mu An didn't try to hide anything and spoke directly.

"We weren't that familiar with each other; we'd only worked together a few times and done some small things together."

"A trivial matter?" Qinghe murmured, seemingly somewhat disbelieving.

How could something that requires the cooperation of someone as powerful as the founder of Taoism be a trivial matter?

Sure enough, her husband liked to fool her and say outrageous things.

Mu An didn't pay attention to Qing He's little thoughts, but instead spoke with a rather sentimental tone.

"Time has passed, and in this vast world, only Fellow Daoist Li still remembers who your master, I really am."

Who exactly is Mr. Remember?

Qinghe was taken aback by the words, which were full of vicissitudes, and she didn't know how to respond for a long time.

She wanted to offer some words of comfort, but then realized that even though they had known each other for ten years, she still didn't know who Mu An was. She usually just called him "Mr. Mr." and never asked him any more detailed questions.

Even in casual conversation, she would deliberately avoid this question.

Qinghe's heart was churning with emotions, but Mu'an's voice did not stop.

"Fellow Daoist Li has a heart that yearns for the Dao, and his sincerity is rarely seen in the world. However, the Dao is never something that can be easily obtained."

There are gains and losses; the path to enlightenment is always accompanied by repeated losses.

Creating something from nothing has always been the most difficult thing in the world. The more elusive and grand the thing sought, the heavier the price that must be paid.

What Fellow Daoist Li sought was something unprecedented and unparalleled, and the price he paid was self-evident.

Fellow Daoist Li didn't enjoy "farming," but rather he had to. Only by cultivating all living beings in heaven and earth could he possibly find the Great Dao he craved.

Even though Mu An's voice had always been gentle and had never changed, Qing He felt a chill for no reason.

She tried to suppress the turbulent emotions in her heart and made herself meet Mu An's eyes.

His clear black and white eyes revealed no emotion, only a calmness as deep as a still pool.

After thinking for a while, Qinghe forced a smile.

"Sir, you said that the founder of the Dao Sect loved 'farming.' If I may be so bold as to ask, what would happen if one were to be planted in the ground by him?"

Their eyes met, and Mu An spoke calmly.

"Planting them in the ground? That depends on luck. Most of the ones planted early live out their lives, decaying and becoming fertilizer in the ground. Under the farmer's care, they grow more vigorously than other crops."

As for those planted later, it depends on the specific circumstances; it's hard to generalize... Farmers cultivate the land ultimately to fill their stomachs and reap a harvest. Seeds, carefully nurtured by the farmer, witness scenery they wouldn't otherwise see, and ultimately, they too cannot escape the fate of being harvested.

Mu An poured Qinghe, whose face was pale, a cup of hot tea, and then drew a conclusion about the matter of farming.

"There are gains and losses in everything; that's just how things are in this world. There's no such thing as a free lunch."

The light and shadows are chaotic and blurry; from Qinghe's perspective, the whole world seems to be shaking.

She felt her heart pounding, felt her emotions surging like the tide, and asked the question that had been hidden in her heart all along.

"Sir, who...who exactly are you?"

"I told you from the beginning, sir, my surname is Mu and my given name is An. I am just a person who does not exist."

Hearing these slightly self-deprecating words, Qinghe bit her lip and met Mu'an's gaze once again.

"Sir, could you please tell me the name of the Great True Lord?"

"Didn't you always know that?"

……