"I heard from an old friend that there’s treasure here, so I thought I’d co and take a look..."
The elderly man said as he propped himself up from the ground and sat up, stroking his graying beard, with a hint of grievance in his tone.
Shi Yaoguang blinked in confusion, she hadn’t said anything yet, what’s there to feel aggrieved about?
"My na is Shen Antai, a mber of the taphysics Organization..." Shen Antai introduced his identity and his voice trailed off into despondence.
"The feng shui of this mountain is pretty good, and it doesn’t seem dangerous, so I ca alone, only to find that I didn’t find the treasure and almost lost my life here instead."
"What danger did you encounter?" Shi Yaoguang didn’t notice any fatal injuries on him... apart from his broken leg.
Shen Antai sighed, "As soon as I entered the mountain, I felt the air was fresher than outside. Before I could marvel at it, I found myself trapped in the sa spot, no matter how I walked, I couldn’t get out, just like I was hit by a ghost wall."
"By the ti I finally figured out how to get out, I found..."
"Found what?"
Shen Antai cast a pitiful glance at the little monkey by her feet, "Just as I got away from the ghost wall, I saw it."
"Before I could do anything, it started hurling stones at . In dodging them, I fell... and ended up how you see now."
Having said that, he also pointed to a small pile of fruit cores in the corner, "I’ve been here for three days, surviving only on the fruits it brings . If I’d been here much longer, I might have starved to death."
As he spoke, he beca overtaken by grief, "I’m really too unfortunate."
Observing the old gentleman’s almost tearful expression, Shi Yaoguang couldn’t help but chuckle, "Don’t be too sad, aren’t we here to rescue you now?"
Shen Antai lifted his eyelids and lanted, "I’ve been here for three days, and no one thought to co looking for ... What a failure I’ve been!"
Shi Yaoguang found herself at a loss for how to comfort him, and after a mont of thought, she decided to change the subject, "You ntioned you are from the taphysics Organization, what kind of organization is that?"
Upon this topic, the old gentleman’s enthusiasm soared and he imdiately spilled everything about himself.
Shi Yaoguang now understood that the taphysics Organization was essentially a hodgepodge organization with non-scientific beliefs.
Non-scientific, as the na implies, ant... having individual beliefs, and the power of these beliefs was not sothing that could be explained by science.
For instance...
Maoshan Taoists that catch ghosts, so monasteries devoted to ascetic practices, Demon Eliminators that catch demons, as well as so families with ancient martial arts traditions, and so on.
The taphysics Organization was exactly the kind of organization that gathered such talents.
Shen Antai, the elderly gentleman, was one of them and was considered as one of the top figures in the team.
This ti, his venture to Lingyao Mountain in search of treasures was also to save soone.
Unfortunately, he didn’t find the treasure, and he nearly lost his own life.
That wasn’t the worst part, during the three days he was trapped, not a single person ca to rescue him, and his morale collapsed at once.
Looking at Shen Antai, heartbroken and grieving, Shi Yaoguang nudged the man beside her and whispered, "Maybe... you could comfort him?"
Quan Jinbei’s eyebrows curled up, "Comfort him?"
Shi Yaoguang crossed her arms and nodded sympathetically.
Quan Jinbei said, "I’ve never comforted anyone in my life."
Shi Yaoguang, "Hmm?"
Quan Jinbei, "How about you teach on the spot?"
Shi Yaoguang, "..."
Thinking that she would have to conduct a live tutorial just to comfort Shen Antai, Shi Yaoguang abandoned the idea.
The old gentleman was already advanced in age and was quite mature; he would surely be able to overco such a setback.
Although Shen Antai didn’t know what she was thinking, he could feel the change in her deanor.
Knowing that she wouldn’t indulge his tantrums, he quickly adjusted his attitude.
Watching him switch moods in a second, instantly healing himself without needing any consolation, Shi Yaoguang felt a sense of surprise, but also as if she had been deceived.
Shen Antai still didn’t know what she was thinking, as he looked at her with a sorrowful gaze, his expression one that seed to hesitate before speaking.
Yaoguang could no longer bear his gaze and had to ask, "Old sir, what’s wrong with you now?"
"I feel wronged..."
Shen Antai slapped his thigh, tears welling up in his eyes.
Yaoguang asked with so hesitation, "What has wronged you again?"
"I’ve been delayed here for three days now, and I don’t know if the person I want to save is still alive."
As he spoke, he raised his hand to wipe the corner of his eyes, his voice tinged with a touch of sorrow, "Ah... Perhaps, the person I want to save is gone, and I am gone too."
Yaoguang’s mouth twitched, "I understand half of what you’re saying, what do you an you’re also gone?"
She understood the first half, the old gentleman had been delayed here for three days, and the precious item to save soone wasn’t taken back; the person waiting to be saved might have died.
The latter half, when he said he was also gone, was sothing Yaoguang couldn’t understand.
Was it the aning she thought?
Shen Antai lanted, "I haven’t gone back for such a long ti, they might think I’m dead..."
"Perhaps, by the ti I go back now, the coffin is already prepared for !"
Yaoguang showed an expression that spoke volus, "It shouldn’t be that extre, right?"
Shen Antai squatted in the corner drawing circles, a picture of self-isolation.
Yaoguang watched and began to feel sorry for him.
Look at what a state he was in.
It’s been just three days since he disappeared, and he had already betrayed society and ’died’.
When Yaoguang was feeling deeply sympathetic toward the old gentleman, Quan Jinbei was watching him with a complex gaze.
"Shen Antai... the Old Master of the Shen Family?"
Hearing him say that, Yaoguang showed a look of surprise, "You know him?"
Quan Jinbei nodded, "I’ve seen him."
"Do you have a relationship with him?" Yaoguang asked.
Quan Jinbei: "Not much of a relationship, the last ti I heard news of the old master was half a year ago."
"What happened half a year ago?"
Quan Jinbei showed an expression that was hard to describe, "Half a year ago, news ca from the Shen Family that the old master who had run away from ho had returned."
"Pfft."
Yaoguang couldn’t control herself, "Ran away from ho?"
Looking at the embarrassed old master, Yaoguang gave him a thumbs up, "Running away from ho, that’s pretty aweso."
Shen Antai showed a conflicted expression, "What running away from ho? That’s all nonsense talked by the kids at ho! Did I run away from ho? That was for the sake of cultivation, I had no choice but to leave ho and travel!"
Yaoguang clicked her tongue lightly, "Is there a difference?"
"There is!"
The old master earnestly explained the difference between running away from ho and traveling away from ho.
"Running away from ho is sothing children do; my leaving ho was to travel the world, to lay the foundation for my true path of cultivation."
"So... did you succeed in your cultivation?"
Shen Antai suddenly looked dejected, "No, I didn’t find a suitable Taoist temple."
Yaoguang: "..."
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