Volume One: Youths Meet in Humble Times Chapter 24: The Final Instructions (Part 2)

As soon as the words were spoken, the figure of an elderly woman appeared beside Li Yu. She trembled as she knelt before the Daoist, as if in gratitude, her gesture infused with reverence and solemnity.

"Go now. Perhaps only you can persuade him to stay."

The old woman said nothing. She gazed at Li Yu, her face warmed by a gentle smile, her eyes full of kindness mingled with pain and anger. In a flash, she vanished, leaving no trace.

Ever since Li Yu had burned his soul, he had slumbered in endless darkness. This darkness was devoid of sound, light, warmth—devoid of anything. It was as if he existed within nothingness, where even darkness was not truly dark.

Suddenly, a shaft of light pierced the gloom, startling him awake. He opened his eyes to find his body weightless and unbound, in a place utterly unfamiliar—one he had neither seen nor heard of before.

He saw a beam of light ahead, distinctive and different amid the darkness. Without hesitation, he floated toward it.

The distance was brief; it took him little time to reach the source of the light. Then, his body gained substance, no longer ethereal and transparent, but solidified under the glow.

He stepped onto a road paved with light and began to walk slowly forward. He had no idea how long he must travel to reach the end—perhaps this road had no end at all.

Yet he continued, for apart from walking, there was nothing else he could do here.

He did not know how long he walked, but eventually a figure appeared ahead on the road. At first, Li Yu thought he was seeing things, but as he drew closer, he gradually saw who it was.

His pace quickened, shifting from a walk to a run, and as he ran, a genuine, joyful smile blossomed across his face.

He threw himself into his grandmother's arms, feeling the tangible warmth of her embrace. He knew this was no dream; this reunion was real.

His grandmother stroked Li Yu's head tenderly, her voice full of affection and sorrow. "You have suffered."

Li Yu wept, laughing through his tears. "It wasn't suffering. To see you again, nothing feels bitter at all."

His grandmother said nothing more, but held him gently, letting him cry loudly and freely in her arms. From the moment his grandmother had departed, Li Yu had hidden his tears deep within his heart. After all that followed—even as his body endured unimaginable pain—he had never given in to crying. Now, seeing his grandmother again, he felt his grievances, his sadness, and the longing to weep without restraint in her arms.

He did not know how long he cried, but at last he quieted, looked up with a smile, and asked, "Grandma, were you waiting here for me? Will you take me with you?"

His grandmother shook her head, smiling with gentle reluctance, yet firm in her resolve. "No, I want you to return, to live well."

Li Yu seemed not to hear, or perhaps not to understand. "What?"

Seeing this, his grandmother strengthened her resolve to leave him. "Yu, you heard me right. I am here to send you back. You must live well, live earnestly, and never again speak lightly of life and death."

Li Yu hurriedly asked, "Are you abandoning me, Grandma?"

She answered tenderly, "How could I ever abandon you, Yu? But you are not dead. You still have a chance to live, while I do not."

Li Yu cried out, "Then I don't want it. I want to go with you."

His grandmother's face turned stern, her voice strict. "No. If you can live, you must live well. How could you wish for death so easily?"

Li Yu lowered his head, silent and aggrieved. Seeing him so, his grandmother softened, her tone gentle again. "Yu, I wish for you to live because you are still young. You shouldn't die so soon—so much of life lies ahead. You can't let the desire not to part with me lead you to death."

She teased lightly, "Honestly, if I could still live, I would never give up so easily. I would use every effort to stay alive, just to see the world, to know whether all those years of waiting were worthwhile."

She paused, reflecting, and sighed, "Only while alive can we have endless hope."

Li Yu no longer spoke of death, but said, "But living is so bitter. And with you gone, I don’t want to endure the loneliness again."

His grandmother stroked his head. "Do you remember last year when we went up the mountain to pick tea leaves? You chewed one and said it tasted bitter, not very good. I told you to chew it longer and spit it out. After a while, you said you tasted something sweet. Life is much like that new tea. At first, it is bitter; sometimes the more you chew, the more bitter it gets. But after, there comes a lingering sweetness. We cannot abandon all the sweetness that awaits just because life is now bitter."

Li Yu kept his head down, mumbling, "But the days ahead won't have you there."

His grandmother chided him. "Who says so? I will always be with you. Have you forgotten? I said, wherever you go and whatever you do, I will always be by your side, always supporting you. As long as you live, I will live in your heart. But if you die with me, then I will be truly gone. Would you have the heart to let me disappear from this world?"

Li Yu remained silent. His grandmother crouched down, looking earnestly into his eyes. "Yu, only if you live will I not truly die. Promise me—live well, won’t you?"

His tears flowed uncontrollably. At last, he nodded. "I will live. I will live earnestly. I will live well, so you won’t worry."

His grandmother smiled, holding him for a while longer. They cherished this final moment of warmth together. Suddenly, the light began to fade. She knew the time of parting had come. "Alright, Yu, it’s time for me to go. To see you again is enough. Remember your promise—live well, and don’t let me worry."

With that, a force from afar drew her away. Li Yu tried to reach for her, but could never grasp her, and as the light faded, the distance between them grew ever greater. At last, from the end of the light, his grandmother’s final wish echoed, "Yu, find a windy day to scatter my ashes. I was trapped in the village all my life; I’d like to see the world. And you must live well—this time, do not break your word."

Li Yu knelt on the ground, sobbing, and nodded in answer. "Yes, Grandma, I promise. I will live well. Don’t worry!"

The Daoist watched as tears slipped from the corners of Li Yu’s eyes as he lay in bed, knowing at last his soul had returned to his body, and his spirit and form were fully united.

He called out, "Will you not wake now?"