These words had a hidden meaning, and Qin Moyu leaned closer and said, "Master, are you complaining that I've been gone for too long?"
His smugness was undeniable.
—It was the old Taoist priest who took the initiative to expel Qin Moyu from the sect for training.
The old Taoist priest glanced at him but didn't say anything. Instead, he picked up the kite and said, "Speaking of this kite, I remember it all too clearly. That day you cried and begged me to make you a kite. After I finished making it, you complained that flying a kite was too tiring and asked me to use my spiritual energy to help you fly it up. I really don't know what you're thinking all day long. You're just making me suffer."
"And this, this, I just went down the mountain to get some wine, and you still wanted a gift. You brought a wooden cart but weren't satisfied, you wanted a decorated cart to make a pair. But the next day the decorated cart was gone. Your wooden cart was the groom for a day, and then it became a widower."
"And this..."
There were as many old objects as there were stories of Qin Moyu's dark history, and the old Taoist priest could recite them all without repeating a single one.
Qin Moyu was stunned by what he said, completely forgetting that she had done such things when she was a child. The more she listened, the more agitated she became, and she quickly begged for mercy: "Master, please stop talking, please stop talking. I'm so old now, please give me some face."
Upon hearing this, the old Taoist priest, like a victorious rooster, proudly raised his head, patted his rear end, and got up from the ground. His eyes seemed to be looking down on Qin Moyu, saying he was like Sun Wukong, and that Qin Moyu could never escape his Buddha's Palm.
Strangely enough, the old Taoist priest was very thin and wiry. His yellow Taoist robe had many patches on it, which made it seem precious, but he never wore it properly. It was always loosely draped over his body. His features were clearly those of a kind and benevolent person, but he had an unusually fiery temper. He was sharp-tongued but kind-hearted, and he would scold people at the drop of a hat. He was a very proud and arrogant old man.
"Eat!" The old Taoist waved his hand, and Qin Moyu obediently followed.
The table was set with ordinary home-cooked dishes. Qin Moyu took the bowls and chopsticks, rinsed them with hot water, and handed them to the old Taoist priest. The old Taoist priest did not use them to serve rice, but instead took a wine pot and poured wine into it.
The porcelain white bowl was filled with dark yellow wine, and a fragrant aroma of rice wafted from it.
"The wine isn't finished yet." Qin Moyu finished serving the food and sat down, chatting with the old Taoist priest as they ate. "You should drink less too. Look how long I've been gone, Master, and you still have so little cultivation."
The old Taoist priest downed most of his wine in one gulp, squinted comfortably, and said disdainfully, "So what if you have such low cultivation? Even if you don't use the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, I can still beat you up."
"That's because I respect the elderly."
"cut."
The two of them, one eating and the other drinking, have unknowingly spent more than a decade together, from Qin Moyu's first unsteady steps to his journeys outside, all his memories are in this small courtyard.
Chapter Fourteen: My Master's Guidance Illuminates My Home...
"Don't go."
"What?"
Qin Moyu was so engrossed in eating that she didn't hear what the old Taoist priest said. She looked up at him in confusion.
The old Taoist priest did not answer him, but instead placed the wine pot upside down on the table, leaving only the bowl of wine in his hand.
He placed the bowl in front of Qin Moyu and gestured with his lips: "Try it."
Qin Moyu took a sip. The wine smelled sweet, but tasted spicy. The pungent taste made him wrinkle his face. He couldn't understand why the old Taoist could drink it without changing his expression.
Not long after drinking it, a flush appeared on Qin Moyu's face. He tried to suppress the taste and said with a wry smile, "Master, this wine is too strong."
"What's so strong about this? You really don't know how to appreciate it." The old Taoist priest was displeased. He grumbled as he took the bowl back and drank it all in one gulp in front of Qin Moyu.
Qin Moyu knew that the old Taoist priest loved to drink and brew wine. Several jars of his wine were buried under the grape trellis in the courtyard, waiting to be drunk next spring.
"Yes, yes, I know you're the best, Master." Qin Moyu put a piece of meat on the old Taoist's plate and said, "Don't just drink, eat some vegetables too."
The old Taoist priest hummed in agreement and began to eat slowly.
The two of them didn't speak again, but focused on eating.
After swallowing the last bite of meat, Qin Moyu smacked his lips in savoring the taste and couldn't help but exclaim, "Master, it's been months since I last saw you, and your cooking has become even more delicious."
“Of course.” The old Taoist priest raised an eyebrow and said, “There’s a lot you don’t know. I’ll show you tomorrow.”
Qin Moyu smiled but remained silent upon hearing this. He propped his chin on one hand and observed the old Taoist priest seriously for the first time.
His white hair and beard were long and neatly combed. His eyes, though deep-set, were surprisingly bright, without a trace of cloudiness. Even the mole at the corner of his eye was exactly the same as in his memory.
It looks so much like it!
Qin Moyu was slightly lost in thought. In terms of appearance and every word and action, he was exactly the same as his master.
The old Taoist priest felt uncomfortable being stared at like that by Qin Moyu. He finished his meal with a stern face and then shooed Qin Moyu back to her room.
Qin Moyu didn't say anything, but went back to her room and took out the wooden slip again.
When spiritual energy was inputted again, words slowly appeared in the previously blank space.
Qin Moyu understood.
I had a good night's sleep, without any disturbances.
Qin Moyu got up early that day and busied himself watering the vegetable garden and vineyard. Just as he finished, the old Taoist priest woke up.
The old Taoist priest, still wearing his tattered robe, yawned as he came out of the house, only to find Qin Moyu heading towards the door.
"What are you doing so early in the morning?" The old Taoist priest walked over quickly. Qin Moyu pointed to the plaque, and he slapped his forehead, looking as if he had just realized something. "I forgot about it. Go to my room and get the new one. This tattered one doesn't look good."
As he spoke, he reached out to take down the plaque.
The moment his withered hand touched the signboard, Qin Moyu reached out and pressed it down.
He said softly:
"No need, I'm leaving."