Ever since Shi An had entered the territory under his jurisdiction and learned that a young lad was accompanying him, Liu Songhan had been waiting within his sect for a disciple to come and report.
He went from sitting and drinking tea to getting bored and flipping through books, and then back to pacing restlessly. Finally, while he was instructing his eldest disciple, Luolong Heng, on the medicinal properties of herbs in the garden, a disciple finally arrived to make the report.
While instructing the disciple to guide the two visitors from the mountain gate, Liu Songhan hurriedly stood up, repeatedly casting cleansing spells upon his robes. After tidying his lapels, he strode quickly into the tea room, took his seat, and brewed tea to await his guests.
When Yunzhou and Shi An stepped inside, they were greeted by Pavilion Master Liu, who appeared just as suave and debonair as he had during their previous meeting.
Liu Songhan gave a light cough and raised a hand to signal the two to take their seats. As for the young lad beside Shi An (Immortal Yunzhou), he assumed that Young Master Shi had his own reasons for bringing him along, and since it wouldn’t affect him, there was no need to pry.
Liu Songhan placed all the prepared medicinal pills in front of the two, stating that no spiritual stones or magical artifacts were required, and proceeded to introduce their respective effects and usage one by one.
Still somewhat uneasy in the end, he admonished them: “You must not use them too frequently; excess is as bad as deficiency. Although I do not know the specifics of Immortal Yunzhou’s condition, even if it is inconvenient to disclose, if you ever need anything else, just come find me. I will keep my mouth shut.”
Seeing Liu Songhan who normally prized wealth above all else being so unsparingly generous, Shi An couldn’t help teasing, “Has Pavilion Master Liu earned enough wealth that you’re now unwilling to accept our spiritual stones?”
Liu Songhan turned serious. “Liu loves wealth, but I never take unconscionable money. You have contributed a great deal in the past, and I have benefited from your grace; otherwise, the Qingnang Pavilion would have long since been engulfed and destroyed by disasters. Demanding a promise last time was already enough.”
Yunzhou had originally been sitting to the side, enjoying spiritual pastries and sipping tea while leisurely listening to their conversation.
Hearing these words, he felt a genuine sense of warmth, and influenced by his current youthful form, his emotions were completely uncontained.
Though his eyes could not perceive Liu Songhan’s expression while speaking, he could sense the sincerity in his voice. As he tasted his tea, the two fluffy, snow-white fox ears atop his head twitched rhythmically, betraying the master’s pleasant mood.
Hearing this, Shi An felt even more strongly that Liu Songhan acquired wealth through proper means and possessed a clear, untarnished mind. This made him all the more eager to learn the details of the favor he had promised last time to help Yue Wuyan if fate permitted so that he could track this person down in the future.
After Shi An shared his thoughts with Liu Songhan, the pavilion master understood his intent and dropped all polite reservations or refusals. After all, having someone willing to lend a helping hand was an exceptionally fortunate outcome.
Liu Songhan’s thoughts drifted away, his clear, lustrous eyes filled with the colors of memory.
He began: “Yue Wuyan is actually my senior martial brother. We trusted each other as deeply as dearest friends, yet Senior Brother was also a member of the imperial family in the mortal dust.
“Because he possessed top-tier water spiritual roots, a profound talent for discerning scents and identifying medicines, and a mastery of musical temperament allowing him to cultivate the medical arts primarily through medicine and supplement it with music he caught the eye of our master, who was handling matters in the mortal realm. Master brought him back and took him in as his eldest disciple.
“Later on, however, the mortal dynasties fell into endless rebellions. The imperial heirs perished one after another amidst the struggle for supreme power, leaving the common people in utter misery. Senior Brother was forced to return to the imperial family.”
At this point, Liu Songhan’s eyes were brimmed with pain, yet he continued:
“During the period when Senior Brother was away, I established an intelligence network in the mortal realm so that I could keep abreast of his situation.
“I learned that upon his return, he supported a young child to ascend the throne and assumed the post of imperial preceptor to assist him. Once the young emperor grew up and could personally manage state affairs, Senior Brother would have been able to return.
“However, he never came back. All communications and news of him were completely cut off.”