Don't farm, cultivate immortality!

"Then this matter will be left to the Prefect," Zhuang Xing said.

"It's my duty," the prefect said.

After delivering the letter, Zhuang Xing went to check on Yunling. She was still busy and seemed unable to come for the time being. So, after he finished speaking, he went out alone to Yan Huai'an's residence.

He walked through the alley and came to the small courtyard, but there was no one there. The pickled fish that had been on the table was also gone. He didn't know if Yan Huai'an had eaten it or if the owner had taken it away.

The house is quite dust-free, either someone is still living there or someone is cleaning it.

He went out, knocked on the door, and asked his neighbors, but couldn't find out anything.

When Yan Huai'an lived here, he seemed to have no interaction with the people in the neighborhood. The people in the neighborhood only knew that someone lived there, but they didn't know what kind of person he was.

After asking around, Zhuang Xing finally found the owner of the courtyard.

The homeowner and the courtyard were on the same street; the woman was wrinkled.

When Zhuang Xing asked, he learned that Yan Huai'an had not asked her to check out, so he decided to wait a little longer and left a letter in the room.

Then he remembered something else: he hadn't picked up the boots he had ordered for winter.

He left in such a hurry that he didn't have time to come back for the boots, nor did he ask anyone to pick them up for him.

He didn't even pay a deposit, and with his shoe size, the store will probably have a hard time finding someone else to sell them to.

Two or three months have passed, and the shop owner might feel cheated and refuse to accept orders from outsiders in the future, or they might need to find someone else to collect deposits from now on.

He felt ashamed, and regardless of whether the boots were still in the store or not, he still had to go back and check.

If they were still there, he should buy the boots; if they were gone, he should at least go back and apologize.

He arrived at the nameless shop in the alley, pushed open the door, and found the couple who had taken his measurements.

"Do you two still recognize me?" Zhuang Xing asked.

The couple exchanged a glance, seemingly because Zhuang Xing had left a deep impression on them when he came, wearing Taoist robes, and they still remembered him even after many days.

"Young master, are you here to pick up your shoes?"

"Are you still wearing the shoes?"

"Here I am."

The shopkeeper took out a pair of boots from the cabinet; they were still spotless.

Zhuang Xing breathed a sigh of relief and handed over the money he had already counted.

The shopkeeper counted the money and suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Young sir, you gave me ten coins too much."

Zhuang Xing said, "I was delayed by something and broke my promise. This ten coins is to thank you both for keeping my shoes safe."

"We...we can't accept this money."

After hesitating for a moment, the shopkeeper refunded the money.

“Last winter, the snow was heavy, and everyone had a hard time. We had no reason to charge extra. Now that the young teacher has come, we feel at ease.”

Zhuang Xing sat in the shop and inquired around. He then learned that last winter was so cold that many families didn't have enough firewood to burn.

Firewood prices rose again and again in the depths of winter, and only when spring warmed up did everyone's lives become a little easier.

However, even today, Yidu still doesn't have enough firewood.

I heard that all the firewood in the surrounding area has been cut down, and even their family is saving firewood.

No matter what they said, the two refused to accept more money from the dealership, saying they felt uneasy keeping the money.

Zhuang Xing had no choice but to take the money back.

He carried his new boots and walked along the road, intending to go to the old gentleman in Taipei to ask if anything had happened to Chu Sheng's family.

He had just inquired at the government office and was told that there were no monsters attacking around Yidu, at most some minor ones. As for the thousand-pound pig demon he encountered in Zhuangxing Village, he had never seen it.

Surprisingly, the area around Yidu was peaceful.

Upon arriving at the entrance to Taipei, Zhuang Xing spotted a familiar face.

At the entrance of Taipei City, there was a large group of people selling firewood and charcoal, and people were coming and going to buy firewood. Among the crowd, he saw a chubby little boy with rosy cheeks.

That was Chu Sheng's younger brother, Chu Yun. In front of him was a large basket, and beside him was a little sister with braids. The two young siblings were actually selling firewood in public.

Zhuang walked up to him. Chu Yun, who had been looking worried, brightened up when he saw him.

"Brother Daoist!" Chu Yun called out.

"What are you doing here?" Zhuang Xing stepped forward.

"My brother and father went to treat my mother's illness, so they sent us here to sell firewood," Chu Yun said.

The little girl pursed her lips and looked at Zhuang Xing.

Her eyes were red, as if she had just been crying.

"Brother Taoist priest, can you heal people's illnesses?"

Chu Yun suddenly turned all his pockets inside out, revealing the copper coins he had earned from selling firewood, as well as colorful pebbles he had collected.

"I'll give you all the money I have and my precious things. Can you help us cure Mother?"

As soon as I finished speaking, the little girl burst into tears again.

"Don't cry, little sister. The Taoist brother is very powerful and will definitely be able to cure Mother!"

"..." Zhuang Xing looked at the little fat boy's shining eyes.

He didn't know what illness Chu Yun's mother had, but seeing Chu Yun presenting all his belongings to him, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.

"Tell your brother what happened first, okay?"

Zhuang Xing bent down and patted Chu Yun's head.

"Yes!" Chu Yun nodded.

He wiped away his sister's tears and told Zhuang Xing what had happened these past few days.

He wasn't as articulate as his brother, but the matter wasn't complicated. His mother had fallen ill and had been taken to a clinic in Yidu for treatment. His brother and father were both at the clinic taking care of their mother and couldn't leave, so they had to sell some firewood here to supplement their income.

Chapter 137 I'll Walk Alone

Zhuang Xing only knew that Chu Yun's mother was ill, but he didn't know what kind of illness it was.

Chu Yun said that his mother often coughed and even coughed up blood.

It was fine for Zhuang Xing to exorcise demons; he could simply take a sword and go. But when someone fell ill, he was helpless because he knew nothing about medicine.

He dared not say that he could cure Chu Yun's mother, but looking at the child's hopeful eyes, he thought that Yunling might have a solution, so he asked Chu Yun to take him to the clinic.

So, led by Chu Yun and his sister, Zhuang Xing arrived at a medical clinic.

The clinic's signboard bears the three large characters "Zhengshantang," indicating that it is a well-established clinic with a considerable space.

Stepping across the threshold, Zhuang Xing followed the two little ones into the ward inside before finally seeing Chu Sheng.

There was a thin woman lying on a bamboo bed. Chu Sheng was taking care of her and feeding her medicine. However, Chu Sheng's father was not seen.

Before Zhuang Xing even entered the room, he heard the woman coughing.

She coughed violently, coughing up the medicine she had drunk, which contained dark red streaks of blood.

One look was enough to tell that the woman was terminally ill.

Chu Sheng had no choice but to put down the bowl of Chinese medicine and go forward to help the woman.

The woman pushed his hand away and said, "Eldest son, go and call your father back."

"Just say I'm homesick, let's go home..."

"Mother... drink some more medicine, you'll definitely get better after you drink it."

Chu Sheng looked at the woman's face and picked up the medicine bowl.

The woman shook her head and refused to drink the medicine.

At this moment, the two little ones tiptoed to the bedside.

Chu Sheng was taken aback and asked, "Why are you here?"

"Mother, I've brought the Taoist priest brother with me. Your illness will be cured soon!" Chu Yun stepped forward.

Chu Sheng turned his head and saw Zhuang Xing standing in front of the door.

"Eldest son, is he someone you know?" the woman asked.

"Mother, this is the Taoist Master Zhuang Xing that I told you about."

Chu Sheng stood up and pursed his lips.

"Mother, I'm going to talk to the Taoist priest."

"Okay, go ahead, and give my regards to the Taoist priest."

The woman nodded, stroked her two children's heads, and then couldn't stop coughing.

Chu Sheng sighed and went to the door.

"Master Zhuang, my mother is unwell and unable to come out to see you. I would like to convey her greetings to you on her behalf."

"There's no need for that."

"Did my ignorant younger siblings call you here?"

Zhuang Xing nodded and recounted what he had seen Chu Yun in front of the North Market.

"Master...do you really have a way?" Chu Sheng asked.

"I only know some swordsmanship, but I don't know anything about medicine."

Upon hearing Zhuang Xing's words, Chu Sheng's expression darkened.

"However, I am accompanied by a fellow student who specializes in pharmacology this time. Perhaps I can let her take a look."

"Really!"

"But I can't guarantee that I can cure my aunt's illness; I can only let her try."

Upon hearing this, Chu Sheng knelt on the ground.