Bai Ruozhu sniffled, unsure who was having wild thoughts. She hadn’t said anything, it was clearly his own imagination that made her tears flow. Right, she wasn’t crying; her eyes just felt sore.
"Fool, I haven’t even heard the two little ones call daddy yet, haven’t held grandchildren, haven’t seen you with a face full of wrinkles and a head of white hair, how could I bear to die?" His tone had a hint of teasing, which infuriated Bai Ruozhu enough to pinch him. Just now, she didn’t know who had affected her emotions, and now he was making fun of her again.
Two days later, suddenly Wa Wei ca with Duannian to the posthouse, and Bai Ruozhu looked at Jiang Yichun first, "Did you know two days ago that Duannian had co ashore?"
"I was just guessing at the ti and didn’t expect to get it right," Jiang Yichun said.
Duannian was walking much more smoothly than before, just like a normal person. Everyone happily gathered around to ask questions, and Gao Zhou patted Duannian on the shoulder, "Young man, you’ll have much more freedom in the future."
Duannian grinned, his body sinking a bit, and Wa Wei quickly supported him from the side.
"Elder Gao, his legs can walk, but they’re still not strong enough. A pat might make him unsteady," Wa Wei hurriedly explained.
Duannian, a bit embarrassed, said, "With more practice, it’ll be fine, but there is a bit of a trouble..."
He paused, "If I get rained on ashore, or water is poured on my legs, they’ll turn back into a fishtail."
Bai Ruozhu’s grip on Jiang Yichun’s hand tightened slightly; this situation was exactly the sa as Jiang Yichun’s.
"Couldn’t that be dangerous?" Qiu Zhi hurriedly asked, no longer believing that Duannian’s fishtail made him a demon. In fact, he sympathized with Duannian’s plight, understanding that not everyone can choose their birth.
"Not really, I can use water vapor to protect myself, but my strength will be greatly reduced. I’ll just need to return to the sea quickly," Duannian said.
Bai Ruozhu’s eyes brightened, "How do you use water vapor to protect yourself? Is it the sa as how Achun can control water vapor?"
Jiang Yichun also watched Duannian intently; perhaps he could use this thod too.
Duannian explained his secret with a smile, but the others were completely baffled, as no one else had such an ability, naturally rendering them unable to understand how to do it. However, Jiang Yichun beca engrossed, simply raising his hand to control the water vapor, wrapping it around his arm and using it to lift his body off the ground, hovering mid-air.
"My goodness, he can summon wind and rain like an Immortal," Yuan Licheng muttered in amazent; it was absolutely incredible.
Bai Ruozhu’s heart surged with excitent; with so practice, Achun wouldn’t find it so difficult and dangerous when it rained, or when he turned into a fishtail.
Later, Duannian and Wa Wei also stayed at the posthouse, and Bai Ruozhu found an opportunity to visit Zhaoti Temple again to et Luan Xin.
Luan Xin had been teased by his fellow monks for quite a while due to her "pinching face" incident. Luckily, Luan Xin, being a person of high status like Master Pudeng, maintained a peaceful mind and didn’t care, instead causing Bai Ruozhu to feel a bit embarrassed. How could she have pinched Master Pudeng’s face? He was her benefactor and an elder, after all.
Well, ignorance ans no guilt.
"If Bai Benefactor doesn’t co to find , I’ve been thinking of finding an opportunity to et with you these past few days," Luan Xin said, facing Bai Ruozhu.
"Oh? Does Master have sothing to discuss?" Bai Ruozhu asked.
Luan Xin clasped his hands in front of him, "Please, no more calling Master. From now on, just call Luan Xin, so as not to draw others’ attention."
Bai Ruozhu nodded.
Luan Xin continued, "Previously, I asked for your help in returning my remains to my holand, partly fearing for the Xinchan Temple and partially because I was too attached. Now that I have died and co back, I’ve co to understand a bit more. Once dead, the remains have nothing to do with , so there’s no need for you, Bai Benefactor, to trouble yourself seeking my holand."
"Then how should the golden body be dealt with?" Bai Ruozhu was a modern person, used to cremation after death, so she viewed burial rituals lightly and easily understood Luan Xin’s current mindset.
"It is beneficial to you, Benefactor. Just keep it, consider it a magical instrunt, but don’t let outsiders see it to avoid attracting trouble," Luan Xin said calmly.
Bai Ruozhu’s mouth twitched. Could she really take Master Pudeng’s golden body—essentially a corpse—as a magical instrunt? She couldn’t do it.
Pudeng noticed her hesitation and smiled, "If Benefactor minds, just leave it be."
Now rely a child, his smile was like that of an old monk who has seen through the world, which looked rather odd.
Bai Ruozhu nodded in agreent, then took out two dicine bottles and handed them to Luan Xin, "Your body is too weak, with ailnts since the womb. Take one pill daily; in a few days, I’ll bring more. Three months of this and you’ll be well."
Luan Xin accepted the dicine bottles without formality and expressed his thanks.
As he prepared to leave, Bai Ruozhu quickly stopped him, saying, "I still have sothing to say."
Luan Xin turned his head, "Then don’t say it; I know what you’re going to talk about."
Bai Ruozhu’s expression changed; was this mind reading or calculated insight?
Sowhat unwilling, she spoke to Luan Xin’s back, "If you beco a Buddha, I shall beco a demon..."
Luan Xin paused briefly, "Benefactor should forget it. Whether in the past or now, my heart is with the Buddha."
"I’m just curious what happened to that woman later? Did she beco a demon? Where is she now?" Bai Ruozhu couldn’t resist asking.
"Since you beco a demon, I wouldn’t see her, naturally don’t know." Luan Xin’s voice sounded weary, "Bai Benefactor, don’t inquire about this matter again."
"All right."
Bai Ruozhu watched Luan Xin walk away, feeling pity again for the woman in the stone cave below the cliff. She could sense the overwhelming despair from the inscriptions she had read, secretly hoping Luan Xin’s lack of status in this life might allow for a different choice.
But clearly, she was wrong; it wasn’t about the status restraining them but that Master Pudeng’s path diverged from theirs.
With a sigh, Bai Ruozhu left. Returning to the posthouse, she found that Sa Tian had arrived.
"Shouldn’t you be resting since your leg is broken? What are you doing here?" Bai Ruozhu, like most doctors, disliked disobedient patients the most.
Sa Tian awkwardly rubbed his nose, saying, "I was feeling discomfort from being cooped up indoors, so I had my servants carry onto a horse carriage. I was very careful the whole way, it wouldn’t affect my leg."
Bai Ruozhu snorted coldly, "A bumpy horse carriage ride? What if your bone gets knocked out of place? We’ll have to re-align it, and while you might not mind, I certainly do."
Accompanying him, Xinye quickly tried to diate, "Actually, Xinye wanted to find Bai to do a check-up but was too embarrassed to constantly trouble Bai to co personally."
Bai Ruozhu didn’t continue reprimanding Xinye, and after putting on gloves, began examining Xinye. By just touching, she could determine the condition of Xinye’s bones and how well they were healing.
"Wait!" a voice called from the doorway, halting Bai Ruozhu’s hand in mid-air.
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