Chapter 12: Just One Gentleman

The years after ‘death’ were the most difficult to endure.

Chen Changsheng constantly adjusted his mindset, investing most of his time into Divine Refinement. This surprisingly brought a rare bit of clarity to his thoughts after ‘death’.

During this continuous Cultivation, he also sensed some subtle changes.

In the past, after ‘death,’ he struggled terribly to control his train of thought. But now, he could manage ‘thinking’ and ‘not thinking.’ It sounds simple, but it was actually incredibly hard to achieve.

Sinking once more into that void of forgetting, Chen Changsheng felt a peace he’d never experienced before.

There was no inner fear, not a single complaint.

This mysterious state intoxicated him, even becoming somewhat addictive.

‘Is this Divine Refinement? It truly is profound…’

He maintained the state of Divine Refinement, because in his view, it made the time after ‘death’ pass a little faster.

The three members of the Tong family rushed to the City God Temple overnight.

Tong Zhihuan kowtowed several times with resounding thuds before the Divine Statue of the City God. His dad, Tong Caizheng, and Madam Yu, also sincerely apologized.

The City God listened to their thoughts and heard the words ‘Mr. Chen’; noticing these three people.

‘Tong Zhihuan, Tong Caizheng…’

The Old City God thought for a moment, looking down at the kneeling people below.

He saw that Tong Caizheng was surrounded by a Golden Light, the Merit he had accumulated.

‘So this is Doctor Tong of Benevolent Aid Hall.’

No wonder he possessed such Merit.

Tong Zhihuan then offered three sticks of incense to the City God.

Tong Caizheng spoke: “My son ignorantly offended the Celestial Immortal, committing a grave act of disrespect. We came specially to seek atonement…”

They knelt again and again. They bowed again and again.

Madam Yu stayed beside him, and Tong Zhihuan sincerely admitted his fault too, hoping for forgiveness.

After spending half an hour in the temple, the family of three finally got up and left.

The Old City God watched the departing trio and began to ponder.

Logically, this truly was significant disrespect. However, since Mr. Chen had let Tong Zhihuan go, it seemed he held no grudge over such a minor matter.

His father, Tong Caizheng, was the Civic District’s doctor. With Merit upon him, he often held free clinics during these years, easing much suffering in Autumn Moon Market.

Perhaps it would be best to make a visit himself, to spare them further worry.

Night.

Tong Zhihuan was still scared. That night, he slept beside his dad and mom.

“Zhihuan, don’t be afraid. Nothing will happen. Sleep peacefully, little one. Pa and Ma are right here.”

“Hmm.”

His mom soothed him until very late before he finally fell asleep.

Tong Zhihuan entered a dream after he slept.

In that dream, he seemed to see an old man dressed in long robes of yellow and blue.

He recognized it instantly; this attire looked exactly like that of the City God statue in the temple.

“Ci… City God…”

“Tong Zhihuan! Do you confess your crime?!”

Tong Zhihuan trembled violently with terror in the dream. He fell to his knees and hurriedly confessed.

“City God! I know I was wrong! I won’t ever do it again! Papa, Mama! Where are you? Papa…”

Tong Zhihuan wailed exceptionally loudly in the dream.

The Old City God, visiting this dream, couldn’t help but pause at this scene.

“Silence!!!”

The Old City God thundered. In the dream, Tong Zhihuan suddenly found he couldn’t make a sound. His mouth opened, but nothing came out.

He stared at the Old City God before him in terror.

The Old City God gave a light cough and said, “Although you offended the Celestial Immortal, it is good that he bore you no ill will. As you have acknowledged your fault, remember from this day onward: do not repeat what you did today. Otherwise, no one will be able to save you.”

Tong Zhihuan tried to speak but couldn’t. He could only nod vigorously to show he understood.

The Old City God nodded slightly, then flicked his sleeve.

Tong Zhihuan woke from the dream.

He gasped for breath, sitting bolt upright in bed.

His Pa and Ma were both sound asleep. It was pitch black outside.

“Huff… huff…”

His throat worked silently. It took quite a while for him to truly snap out of it.

“God… godlike…”

“It really was a God!”

Tong Zhihuan’s gaze was somewhat vacant. He felt a wave of retrospective fear grip his heart.

But thinking about what the City God had just said in the dream, his anxious heart settled down completely.

It’s over… it’s all over.

He patted his chest. He glanced at his sleeping Pa and Ma, then obediently lay back down and drifted off to peaceful sleep.

A thin mist rose, the sky gloomy. Crowing roosters sounded from within the Civic District.

Flowing Cloud Temple, outside Autumn Moon Market.

A table was set up inside the temple. On it were fruits, some preserved fruit – these were meant to entertain guests.

In the Taoist Temple, these were considered the finest of treats, usually impossible to get. Only during the Lantern Festival might one get a single peach. But now, the table was piled high with them.

It made the Master’s four students – two senior brothers and two junior sisters – snack hungrily just looking at it.

Turning around, they saw their Master still standing at the temple door as if waiting for someone.

The youngest, Zi Su, asked softly, “Senior Brother, who is Master waiting for?”

Chang Shan shook his head. “Senior Brother doesn’t know.”

The mist over the Mountain Stream retreated bit by bit. As the sky fully brightened, a woodcutter came up the mountain.

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The woodcutter reached Xuan Huang, the Temple Master, and said, “Priest, yesterday afternoon, those Government Officers outside the City God Temple left.”

Xuan Huang snapped back to attention and asked, “Has the City God Temple reopened?”

The woodcutter nodded. “Yes.”

Xuan Huang sighed inwardly, knowing he wouldn’t be seeing Mr. Chen today.

“Thank you. Please come in for a bowl of tea. There’s some fruit and preserved fruit too, if you’d like a taste.”

“Priest, you are too kind,” the woodcutter declined. “No need for tea. This old man still has unfinished chores, so I’ll head back now. I won’t disturb your quiet meditation.”

Xuan Huang entered the temple, fetched two peaches, caught up to the woodcutter, and insisted he take them.This content belongs to novel•fire.net

After much persuasion, the woodcutter reluctantly accepted.

After seeing off the woodcutter.

Xuan Huang returned to the temple courtyard.

He saw his disciples staring longingly at him; clearly, they were dying to dig into that table of fruit and preserved fruit.

“Don’t you very much want to eat?”

Xuan Huang smiled. “Go ahead and take some.”

Second Senior Brother Shang Lu blinked. “Master, can we really eat it?”

“You may,” Xuan Huang nodded with a smile. “But you must finish it all. Don’t let any go to waste; that would be a pity.”

Overjoyed, the four disciples scrambled to the table and began eating.

Youngest disciple Zi Su started nibbling a peach, clutching another one to her chest. The eldest disciple, Chang Shan, took a piece of preserved fruit and shared the rest with their junior brothers.

Xuan Huang found a place to sit down and rested, closing his eyes.

Eldest disciple Chang Shan approached and held out a peach to his Master. “Master, a peach.”

Xuan Huang shook his head, smiling gently. “Master won’t eat. You have it.”

Third disciple Xuan Shen came forward, munching preserved fruit. He asked, “Who exactly were you waiting for Master?”

Xuan Huang saw all four disciples were intensely curious.

“You all want to know?”

“Yes.”

“Want to know!”

All four looked at their Master, stopping their eating, waiting for him to speak.

Xuan Huang just offered a calm smile and spoke slowly: “Only one gentleman.”

“A gentleman?”

“Mmm. Only one gentleman.”

“So,” the youngest asked, “Is that gentleman you mentioned not coming today?”

“He will come.”

Xuan Huang closed his eyes. “Sooner or later, he will come.”