Volume One: Youths Meet in Humble Times Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Spirit Hall

In Tianmen Town, people and animals alike busied themselves with living, dying, and repeating the same monotonous routines, day after day, year after year. What life truly meant to them was a question no one had ever bothered to ask. To them, the span of existence was nothing more than the ticking of time; once the measure was spent, their lives ended abruptly, as if they had never truly lived at all.

The Xu Kaijiang family had few acquaintances in Tianmen Town, and their home was somewhat isolated, leaving them with even fewer neighbors. By the time Li Yu heard of Xu Kaijiang’s mother’s passing, a day had already gone by since her death.

After Lu Ming and the others finished their meeting, Zhang Helun arranged for them to rest in the courtyard. They recuperated for a day, and on the following morning, Lu Ming went to find Li Yu.

Li Yu had just finished reading the Daoist scriptures and was about to prepare breakfast when Lu Ming arrived at Yiyi Temple. To Lu Ming’s surprise, the aura of Daoist resonance that usually permeated the temple was gone. He used his innate spiritual abilities to sense for it, but found nothing.

Seeing Lu Ming lingering at the doorway, Li Yu called out to him in a clear voice. Only then did Lu Ming set aside his doubts and step inside.

Li Yu asked if Lu Ming had eaten yet; Lu Ming shook his head. Then, he relayed the message that the headmaster had asked him to deliver.

“Brother Lu, you likely won’t see the master. He’s been in seclusion for a long time now. He doesn’t even see me unless he wants to; he’ll call me when he wishes.”

Lu Ming asked, “Would it be possible for me to leave a message at the master’s door?”

Li Yu thought for a moment before replying, “You can try. If the master wants to hear, he will; if he doesn’t, even if you whisper it into his ear, he still won’t listen.”

Lu Ming found the master’s way of handling matters rather baffling, secretly thinking, “Isn’t this just picking and choosing what you want to hear?”

Nevertheless, he stood before the master’s door and delivered the headmaster’s message. As Li Yu predicted, there was no response.

To ease the awkwardness, Li Yu invited Lu Ming to join him for breakfast.

Breakfast at Yiyi Temple was simple: a pot of plain porridge, two dishes of pickled vegetables, four eggs, and a serving of dried fish. This was Li Yu’s daily meal.

As they ate, Li Yu remarked, “Brother Lu, our meals are very modest. It must be hard for you to eat as simply as we do.”

Lu Ming smiled, “What are you saying? Do you think I grew up surrounded by luxury?”

Li Yu considered this, “I imagine your childhood wasn’t easy, but after you joined Great Sword Green Mountain, your life must have improved a lot.”

Lu Ming replied, “You’re right. After entering Green Mountain, my days did get much better.” Then, jokingly, he added, “So do you think our Green Mountain sect is decadent and extravagant?”

Li Yu saw through Lu Ming’s teasing and laughed, “Of course not. I just didn’t expect you wouldn’t be particular about your food, either.”

“It’s actually not bad. Our Green Mountain meals do have meat and fish, but I prefer a lighter breakfast. So I eat even more simply than most, not much different from what you have here. Besides, we should cherish our blessings, shouldn’t we? In the past, there were days with nothing to eat or drink—having this food now is a tremendous fortune for us.” After speaking, Lu Ming sighed softly.

Li Yu pretended not to notice, picked up an egg, peeled it, and placed it in Lu Ming’s bowl. “Have another.”

Lu Ming accepted it, smiling. “Alright.”

The two said nothing further, but everything was understood between them.

As they ate, Shen Tang and Shen Xun arrived together, entering to find Li Yu and Lu Ming at breakfast. Aside from Li Yu, the other three were meeting for the first time today.

After Li Yu made introductions, Shen Tang spoke directly, “Haven’t you heard? Xu Kaijiang’s mother has passed away.”

Shen Tang had heard the news that morning as her own mother chatted with neighbors. Without delay, she brought Shen Xun along to find Li Yu.

The Shen siblings weren’t particularly close to Xu Kaijiang, but they made sure to inform Li Yu out of consideration for the recent bond he had formed with Xu Kaijiang.

Though Li Yu hadn’t explained, the Shen siblings guessed that Li Yu could forgive past grievances and befriend Xu Kaijiang because he believed Xu was not a bad person—and perhaps, because Li Yu remembered his own past.

Those who have suffered are the ones who shelter others who suffer.

Li Yu was stunned by the news, disbelief coloring his voice. “How could it be so sudden? The medicine I gave him—even if it couldn’t cure his mother’s illness, it should have helped her hold on. She shouldn’t have died!”

Lu Ming was the first to respond, “This isn’t the time for questions. Since you’re close to him, you’d better go see if you can help.”

Regaining his composure, Li Yu called out to the master’s room, then the four of them set off together.

All the way there, Li Yu kept wondering where things had gone wrong. Was the medicine he gave incompatible with her constitution? But that didn’t make sense—the pill was meant to replenish her vital energy. As long as she had the will to live, she should have gradually awakened after taking it. Then he could have tended her further.

When they arrived at Xu Kaijiang’s home, they found white banners and mourning couplets hung at the door. Inside, Xu Kaijiang alone, draped in mourning garb, burned paper offerings before his mother’s coffin. The funeral hall was sparsely furnished, bleak and desolate.

Of the four, only Li Yu was truly close to Xu Kaijiang; the others stayed back.

Li Yu watched Xu Kaijiang, mechanically repeating his actions like a living ghost. He remembered himself seven years ago, in the same situation, thinking only one thing: he wanted to follow his grandmother and leave this world behind.

Looking at Xu Kaijiang now, Li Yu felt sorrow and worry—afraid that Xu might sink into despair, or worse, lose the will to live entirely.

Li Yu stepped forward, took some paper money from the floor, and tossed it into the brazier. “If your mother’s spirit watches from above, she wouldn’t want to see you like this.”

Xu Kaijiang paused at his words but made no other move.

Li Yu continued, “When my grandmother passed, I too felt that life had no meaning. But after all these years, I’ve come to realize that only by living can I fulfill her life’s purpose. If I had followed her then, wouldn’t it have been selfish?”

After Li Yu finished, Xu Kaijiang stopped burning paper and collapsed, curling up on the ground, sobbing quietly. His frail body shook with intermittent cries.

“Let yourself cry—it’ll make things easier,” Li Yu comforted him, gently soothing his back.

Gradually, the funeral hall filled with anguished, heart-rending cries, as if Xu Kaijiang were releasing all the grievances he had carried over the years, all the confusion and helplessness about facing the future alone, all the loneliness of living by himself from now on.