The couple followed Lin Zhao to the end of the small town, and the mountain peak villa's gate lay just ahead.
Lin Zhao seemed to sense something and looked back, seeing a couple standing in front of a wine shop called "Fleeting Life Tavern," smiling faintly at him.
"Luo Bai, Yi Rong."
Lin Zhao ruffled the two children's heads. "You two go back and eat. I have other matters to attend to."
After the two children ascended the mountain, Lin Zhao turned around.
"Snowy Domain Heavenly Pool, Lin Zhao, greetings to you both!"
Lin Zhao cupped his fists towards the couple and said with a smile, "You two have followed me this far; you must have something to discuss, correct?"
"Mm."
The man nodded with a smile. "Might we have the honor of inviting young friend for a drink?"
"Of course!"
Lin Zhao nodded with a smile. Why would he refuse an invitation for a drink?
...
Inside the Fleeting Life Tavern.
The shopkeeper personally attended to them, smiling. "What would the three of you like?"
"Shopkeeper."
The man said with a smile, "I saw your sign outside earlier. I heard your shop's 'Iron Pot Stewed Goose' is an excellent accompaniment to wine? If so, bring us a pot of that. Additionally, add a few side dishes and your finest wine."
"Right away, honored guests, please be seated."
A waiter skillfully stepped forward to clean the tables and chairs, first serving tea to the three.
A short while later, a large iron pot was placed on the table. It was indeed iron pot stewed goose, the pot was large, and the goose was plump and delicious. Furthermore, the best wine the tavern had was Daughter Red. Although Lin Zhao rarely drank yellow wine, the taste of this Daughter Red was extremely mellow. After a cup, his stomach felt warm. The couple also ate and drank with Lin Zhao.
"Young friend."
The man asked with a smile, "Do you have someone you care for in your heart?"
"Ah!?"
Lin Zhao was taken aback. The question was rather presumptuous.
"Slap!"
Under the table, the woman kicked her husband. Her pretty face was filled with blame, while the man scratched his head. What could he do? This was his first time, and he had no experience. He didn't know what else to ask, so he simply closed his mouth and drank. The woman, however, smiled and said, "Lin Zhao, how have you been doing at Snowy Domain Heavenly Pool?"
"It's been good."
Lin Zhao knew these two were extraordinary individuals, but he felt they were very good people at first glance, so he didn't hide anything. He said, "Everyone is doing well now. Xiao Jiu'er is the sect leader at Changming Mountain, Zhi's left-hand sword is getting stronger, Chen Ben's progress is rapid, I've reached the Nascent Soul stage, and Old Huang has been rescued. It's all good."
"Oh..."
The woman smiled faintly. "Back then, what did it feel like to cleave thirteen realms of great demons like Bai Lan with a single sword?"
"It felt like this cup of wine."
Lin Zhao drained the cup and said with a smile, "It was exhilarating!"
"Hahaha!"
The man also laughed and finished his cup. "Just for that one sentence, 'exhilarating,' we should drink a large toast."
The woman glared at him, then smiled and asked, "Back then, when Master Qin Suihan sacrificed himself to the world, you had already become a wisp of soul, watching your master die without being able to do anything. Do you feel remorseful?"
"It's alright."
Lin Zhao said gently, "Back then, Master was doing the same thing as me, fighting shoulder-to-shoulder for the human race. I didn't have too many strong emotions; I just felt it was the right thing to do."
"Mm."
The woman smiled. "Do you hate the demon race?"
"This..."
Lin Zhao pondered deeply. "Actually, I wouldn't say I hate the demon race that much. I just hate them when they do evil. It's like some cultivators in the human world who also do evil. Killing them is the same as killing demons; I won't show mercy."
The woman chuckled softly. "Did you see the sisters Sun Xingchun and Sun Yunnuan that day on the bridge?"
"I did."
Lin Zhao smiled. "The two eldest young ladies of Medicine King Valley are indeed as beautiful as the rumors say."
"Do you like them?"
The woman asked again.
"Ah!?"
Lin Zhao scratched his head and truthfully replied, "I don't like them. How can one like someone immediately just because they are beautiful? Such liking would be too superficial."
"It's alright, it can come slowly."
The woman said with a smile.
The man had been drinking in silence.
Lin Zhao raised his cup and said, "Senior, don't drink alone. It's rather dull. I'll keep you company."
The man smiled and nodded.
...
Not long after, as the night grew deeper, both Lin Zhao and the man's faces were flushed. This Daughter Red was surprisingly intoxicating.
"Lin Zhao."
The man took out a brocade box from his embrace and pushed it towards Lin Zhao. "This is our first meeting, but I fear it will also be our last. So, please accept this as a gift, a parting gift."
"Ah!?"
Lin Zhao was surprised. Upon opening the brocade box, he found a brilliant, resplendent immortal pill.
"What is this?"
"Shi Lai Dan."
The man sat up straight, his face full of pride, and said with a smile, "This is an immortal pill I refined myself, and I also gave it its name. The name comes from the saying, 'When fortune favors, heaven and earth lend their strength; when luck departs, heroes are left powerless.' This Shi Lai Dan is a spiritual elixir for martial cultivators. As long as your foundation is deep enough, after taking this pill, you will be empowered by heaven and earth, benefiting endlessly. This pill is extremely precious; there is only one in the world."
"Ah!?"
Lin Zhao frowned. "It's so precious, I cannot accept it..."
"Please accept it."
The woman smiled. "After all, we have something to entrust to you."
"What is it you wish to entrust?" Lin Zhao asked respectfully. "Madam, please speak directly."
"This..."
The woman smiled. "When the time is right, you will naturally know. But it's alright. When that time comes, you may accept it or not, but I believe you will not fail our expectations. That is enough."
Lin Zhao took a deep breath and voiced his guess. "Seniors, you should be from Medicine King Valley, correct?"
"Indeed, you are perceptive. You are worthy of the name Lin Baiyi."
The man stood up, burped, and smiled. "We must be going now. There are many things we cannot entrust, yet in a way, we have entrusted them. Goodbye."
The woman also stood up and smiled. "Lin Zhao, may your future be bright and your path to the Great Dao be unimpeded~~~"
Lin Zhao stood up and cupped his fists towards them. In the next moment, two figures vanished into the thin mist of the night, and even the entire tavern disappeared into thin air!
"..."
Lin Zhao frowned, a sense of fear creeping into his heart. Were the individuals he had shared a drink with merely two residual souls?
...
"Little Martial Uncle."
At this moment, Gu Lingyu's figure descended gracefully, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Lin Zhao, gazing at the human world to the south.
"Lingyu, they... have quite the background, don't they?" Lin Zhao asked.
"Yes, naturally, they have a significant background."
Gu Lingyu looked into the distance and smiled. "The Medicine Saint Sun Baigui, enfeoffed by heaven and earth, a twelfth-realm medical cultivator, and his wife Lin Wanqiu, an eleventh-realm Sword Immortal. These two are actually the father and mother of the two eldest young ladies of Medicine King Valley, Sun Xingchun and Sun Yunnuan. They are figures of great importance in the entire northern region of the human world. Ten years ago, the thirteenth-realm great demon Yu Chang of the demon race descended south. He was injured by Empress Lin Xingchu's sword and retreated south. His Great Dao was near water, and being a thirteenth-realm demon, he harnessed and absorbed the water transport of the entire southern human world along the Wash Sword River, intending to refine all of the human race's water transport. When he dragged the water transport of over a dozen rivers to the north of Medicine King Valley, Lin Wanhua, the master of Fusheng Great Wall, was just in the western region battling demons. At that time, only the Medicine Saint Sun Baigui and his wife Lin Wanqiu from Medicine King Valley stepped forward."
At this point, Gu Lingyu frowned. "After a great battle, the Medicine Saint Sun Baigui exhausted all his enfeoffed foundation, and his wife, the eleventh-realm Sword Immortal Lin Wanqiu, had all three of her life-bound flying swords shatter. In the end, Yu Chang did not achieve his goal. His demonic energy depleted, he also died in the area of Six Peaks Mountain where the great battle took place. Therefore, Medicine Saint Sun Baigui and Sword Immortal Lin Wanqiu are indeed worthy pillars of our human race."
Lin Zhao suddenly understood. What was the Fleeting Life Tavern? It was merely the fleeting dream of two residual souls. He said gently, "Their residual souls lingered in the human world for ten years, simply to see their two daughters grow up, right?"
"Mm."
Gu Lingyu said, "The hearts of parents in this world are generally the same. As for you... Little Martial Uncle, do you know that although you have no talent in matters of love, you are blessed with great fortune?"
"Really?"
Lin Zhao was surprised. "Besides Miss Leng, I haven't had any other romantic luck. I'm well aware of that."
"Sigh..."
Gu Lingyu sighed. "Do you know why the couple Sun Baigui and Lin Wanqiu sought you out?"
"Why?"
"To entrust something!"
Gu Lingyu said with a helpless expression. "They wished to entrust the lifelong happiness of their daughters to you. Although you are completely unaware, Sun Xingchun already regards you as her destined person. Do you know that?!"
"Ah!?"
Lin Zhao's face turned ashen with shock. "What should we do? Lingyu, quickly use your means to call them back! I need to explain clearly to them. I'll also return the Shi Lai Dan to them. My heart is already set on Miss Leng!"
"It's too late."
Gu Lingyu said softly. "Little Martial Uncle, their souls have lingered in the human world for ten years. They are now but a wisp of residual soul. They still have one last wish to fulfill. If I were to bring them back... it might disrupt significant matters."
"Then what should we do?"
"Wait and see. Have you forgotten the saying, 'Only righteousness matters'? You should simply act without a guilty conscience!"
"Oh..."
Beside him, Gu Lingyu looked at the bewildered Little Martial Uncle and couldn't help but find it a little amusing.
...
Medicine King Valley, Solitary Confinement Prison.
Sun Xingchun's hands were stained with blood. She had been confined here for several hours. This made the fiery-tempered Sun Xingchun indignant. After crying herself out, she lay down on a stool and fell asleep.
In her dream, she seemed to have returned to her childhood, becoming the little girl who liked to wear a blue dress, holding a paper windmill made by her father as she ran around the yard, her laughter echoing. In the blurry scene, she saw her mother hanging osmanthus flowers, making the osmanthus cakes she and her sister loved since childhood. The aroma filled the air, making her truly believe she had returned to her childhood.
"Mother, Mother!"
Sun Xingchun raised her hands. "Hug me..."
Her mother looked at her dotingly and held her in her arms. "Come, Mother will show you what Father is doing."
In the study behind the window, Father Sun Baigui was holding a brush, writing on a piece of red paper. He looked up at her, his face beaming with smiles. Sun Xingchun strained to see what her father was writing. One line read: "May the red threads be tied early, may we grow old together, may our lives be as full as the moon and flowers, and may our union bring joy."
What he was writing was a marriage certificate.