Finally, they stopped at a relatively gentle halfway point of the mountain.
It was quiet here, with only a few solitary tombstones. One of them was Lin Guang's destination.
—It was a Chinese-style joint tombstone, carved from blue-gray stone, looking clean and understated.
On the right side of the stone stood a line of small characters: Daxia Calendar, August 23rd, Year 525.
In the center were several lines of steady clerical script:
In mory of Lin Zian
The tomb of his wife, Ning Xinru.
"…"
Chelina had long since taken a clean soft cloth from her bag, bending down to help Lin Guang ticulously wipe every inch of dust from the tombstone.
Lisa carefully placed the bought bouquet of white chrysanthemums in front of the tombstone, while Vishdair silently arranged several fruits and pastries they brought.
In the sa silence, Lin Guang's fingertips ignited a fla, lighting up the incense, distributing it to everyone. They all held the incense with both hands, respectfully bowed three tis before the tombstone, and then placed the incense into the censer in front of the grave.
Wisps of blue smoke rose straight up with the scent of sandalwood.
Afterward, they took out paper money from the bag and burned it in an iron barrel nearby.
Orange flas rose, turning the intricately printed paper money into black ash butterflies that fluttered and scattered in the air. He watched the dancing flas with deep eyes, showing no emotion.
Looking at those nas on the tombstone that were both familiar and unfamiliar, Lin Guang's tone was not heavy, like casual conversation.
"Dad, Mom, I've co to see you."
"I'm doing very well."
"I won the championship at the state competition and got into the top eight universities."
There was a faint smile in his voice: "I am now an important figure in Fenghai Province."
"And... the family has new mbers, it's quite lively."
He turned his head to look at the three girls behind him and began to introduce them.
"The one with silver hair is Vishdair, a bit temperantal, but actually very caring."
"The one with black hair is Chelina, I owe a lot of family matters to her."
"The youngest is Lisa, very obedient and smart, like our little sister."
"I've always been reckless, thanks to them for protecting ."
Lin Guang turned his head: "To be honest, I've forgotten many things."
"I've forgotten how you raised , how I first ca into this world and faced this unfamiliar world."
Lin Guang continued: "But you don't have to worry."
"I've recalled what kind of person I used to be, where my origins lie."
"So for the rest..."
His hand was already resting on his chest, as if trying to reach out and touch those blank tis, to touch the emotions still retained within.
"I will also find a way to rember them, I promise."
"On that day, we'll reminisce again."
...
The morial ended, the four of them silently descended the mountain along the stone steps they ca by.
When the group returned to the morial Stele at the entrance, they suddenly spotted two familiar figures there.
A cascade of long black hair, a golden hairpin.
Without a doubt, it was Miaomiao.
But the usually spirited girl, now wrapped in a somber black dress, her face almost serene, with only a faint, subtle sadness and heaviness in her eyes.
She noticed Lin Guang and his group, hesitated slightly, and nodded gently at them.
Yet what surprised Lin Guang was…
At this mont, she was pushing a wheelchair.
In the wheelchair sat an elder, soone also known to Lin Guang and his group.
Right at the foot of the Celestial Ladder Mountain, in the Golden Birch Forest.
Old Jin.
The guardian of Zhen Sheng City.
A True Man of the Seven-Star Peak.
However, in stark contrast to his once imposing image, seen as a savior by all the True n, Old Jin now looked withered, his face etched with deep wrinkles, life force like a flickering candle in the wind, seemingly on the verge of extinguishing, appearing like an elderly man nearing the end of his life.
This appearance seed to be his usual state.
As Lin Guang saw him with Miaomiao, he naturally also saw Lin Guang.
Upon turning to see Lin Guang and the three companions beside him, Old Jin, sitting in the wheelchair, showed a genuine smile on his bark-like wrinkled face.
"It's you."
"Coincidence has it, I was planning to have Guofeng introduce us in a few days, to see you once more."
See ?
Lin Guang was slightly taken aback.
He had not been in contact with Old Jin after Celestial Ladder Mountain. He had in his possession a Divine Object called the [Unfixed Rope], which had a special golden birch leaf attached, given to him by Kong Guofeng, said to be a gift from an elder.
Undoubtedly, that was Old Jin's gift.
But speaking of private etings, indeed there had been none.
Without explaining the reason, Old Jin went on to say, "Congratulations on winning the state championship. I watched the competition. It was very exciting. Even in my day, I couldn't match you and Yin Long."
There was no envy or jealousy in his tone, just sentint and contentnt: "With Hua Bo and young people like you in Zhen Sheng City, I can leave in peace."
"..."
After those words, everyone fell silent.
In fact, Lin Guang had already learned so information from True Man Kong Guofeng of the Education Bureau and shared it with his companions.
Old Jin's real na had long been lost to history. It seed the elder himself requested those around him to address him as "Old Jin."
The lifespan of a Spirit Master seed to be blocked by a great chasm.
Even a True Man could currently only enjoy about three hundred years of natural life, and even then, those three hundred years might not be fully lived.
So special Talents—like Sequence 837's [Utpala Flower]—or cultivation of special Mystical Techniques, the use of special Divine Objects, or even serious injuries and damage to one's foundation, can reduce life expectancy.
Old Jin happened to be due to the last reason.
His True Intent was almost worn away, about to... undergo Transformation Dao.
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