Chapter 874: Have Gains and Losses

The old man didn't recognize the woman in front of him; he could barely see her. Yet, he gradually recalled that this blurry sensation was something he should have known long ago—a technique used by some cultivators.

Min Xuan's heart was a complex mix of excitement and other emotions. Lian Ping'er saw a variety of expressions flicker across his eyes, which eventually dulled, and his demeanor became humble.

"Who is this young lady? I'm old, and my memory isn't what it used to be..."

Seeing the old man's change in expression and hearing his words, Lian Ping'er was slightly taken aback again. She understood some of his unspoken meaning.

This made Lian Ping'er frown deeply as she fixed her gaze on the old man. She noticed his thin clothes for winter and the cracked, dirty nails on his hands.

After a moment of thought, Lian Ping'er's brow smoothed, and she spoke.

"How much do you earn in a day writing here?"

The old man looked down at the table. He hadn't prepared much red paper.

"The New Year is in a few days, so business will be better these two days. On a good day, I can earn over a hundred coppers."

"Alright, I'll give you an ingot of gold. Today, you are mine. Come with me, Min! Senior!"

Lian Ping'er emphasized the last three words, and a small, delicate gold ingot, weighing at least two or three taels, appeared directly in her palm.

But the old man was silent for a moment before slowly speaking.

"Writing for wealthy households for a day would be more expensive, but it wouldn't cost an ingot of gold. Miss, I only need eighty coppers, eighty coppers will do!"

"You! Fine, eighty coppers it is, come with me!"

Min Xuan's face lit up with joy, and he nodded repeatedly, beginning to pack up his stall.

"Please allow me to pack up, young lady. Just a moment, it won't take long."

The weather was very cold, and Min Xuan wasn't dressed warmly enough. Combined with his cracked hands from the winter and his old age and frailty, packing up was not quick. Lian Ping'er watched with a frown but said nothing, nor did she offer to help. After a short wait, the old man finally finished packing.

"Alright, young lady, where are we going?"

"Just follow me."

"Yes."

Lian Ping'er turned and left immediately. Min Xuan quickly picked up his carrying pole with two wooden boxes and hurried to follow. He wasn't fast, but Lian Ping'er ahead clearly wasn't waiting for him, so he had to try his best to quicken his pace and keep up.

After walking for nearly two *kezhen* (about 30 minutes), Min Xuan was breathless and sweating on his forehead. The only good thing was that he finally wasn't cold anymore.

At that moment, Lian Ping'er finally stopped at the very restaurant she had seen when she arrived in Dayun Prefecture City the night before.

While Min Xuan was still looking up at the magnificent restaurant and its signboard, the female voice ahead urged him.

"Go in."

Min Xuan turned to see that the woman had already entered the hall and was ascending the stairs, warmly greeted by a waiter. After a slight hesitation, Min Xuan quickly braced himself, carried his load inside, and when a young waiter approached, he quickly said:

"I'm with the young lady who went in just now!"

The waiter smiled.

"I know, I know, old sir. No need to carry that load upstairs. Just leave it by the counter."

The manager at the counter also looked up and added:

"Don't worry, we'll watch it for you."

"Yes, yes, thank you very much!"

Min Xuan cupped his hands towards the waiter and the manager, then, with the waiter's help, crouched down to put down his carrying pole before slowly making his way upstairs.

Upstairs, the door to the private room closest to the staircase was open. Lian Ping'er, having removed her fur cloak, sat facing the door. A waiter was just coming out. Min Xuan nodded to the waiter and then entered the private room.

The inn itself wasn't cold, and the private room even had a lit charcoal brazier. Even with the door still open, Min Xuan felt very warm as soon as he entered.

Without any visible action from Lian Ping'er, the door behind Min Xuan slowly closed on its own. Seeing the old man still standing by the table, she smiled.

"Senior Min, please sit. You don't expect me to stand up and help you, do you?"

"Thank you, young lady!"

Min Xuan sat down, a little apprehensive. Before the seat had even warmed, he carefully asked:

"Miss, what would you like me to write?"

Lian Ping'er looked at the old man with indifference, then suddenly slapped the table hard.

"Bang—"

The sound startled the old man, making him tremble.

"Min Xuan, are you truly foolish or are you pretending? Where has your cultivation gone? Where is your ambition?"

"May I inquire, young lady, what is your name?"

Min Xuan looked calmly at Lian Ping'er, who sneered and replied bluntly.

"My name is Lian Ping'er. I've been entrusted to find you. If you're willing, I can take you with me today. If you hesitate, you won't have another chance with me after today. I'll tell you frankly, something happened before I came, and I don't wish to stay in Dazhen for long."

Min Xuan nodded, thought for a moment, and replied.

"Is the one who entrusted you my esteemed master?"

"What do you think?"

Min Xuan cupped his hands.

"Allow me to recount my experience, Miss Lian. I believe it will interest you. Although my memory is indeed failing, that moment was truly unforgettable."

Lian Ping'er's expression gradually softened. She sat up straight, waiting for Min Xuan to speak. He smiled and began to narrate.

"That day, I tried to delay Master Ji for a moment..."

Min Xuan paused there, and Lian Ping'er gave a sarcastic laugh.

"Naive!"

"Hehehe, perhaps, but my senior brother did escape."

"That's why I said you're naive. If your eldest senior brother hadn't arrived in time, taking serious injuries to block Ji Yuan, do you think your senior brother would have escaped?"

Min Xuan was slightly stunned. He shook his head without responding to that remark, instead continuing his narration.

"That day, when I woke up, Master Ji had already taken me to a mountain peak..."

Min Xuan recounted in detail how Ji Yuan had taken him into his own realm, how he had used his painting to reclaim the alchemy furnace and Min Xuan's vital essence, then brought him to Dayun Prefecture City, leaving him alone in the city, stripped of all cultivation.

Even now, as Min Xuan spoke of these events, his voice trembled slightly. Lian Ping'er could imagine Min Xuan's despair at that time, and she felt as if she were experiencing the scene herself, a sense of dread rising in her heart.

"Just like that, the former immortal cultivator was gone. All that remained was an old man named Min Xuan, who had lived for hundreds of years, like a dream, now living alone in the city... Alas!"

"The past truly felt like a dream, and like a dream, it gradually fades away. I'm just a useless old man; how could I remember things from several hundred years ago..."

"Then you should be very happy I'm here."

Lian Ping'er said this, and Min Xuan smiled, shaking his head as he did.

"After living as a mortal for some time, my old ambitions gradually faded. The current Min Xuan only wishes to live out the rest of his life well and then peacefully pass away."

"But if you come with me, you can heal your injuries and restore your cultivation, becoming an immortal standing among the clouds once more. Isn't that better than your current complacent existence?"

Min Xuan looked down at his hands and shook his head.

"It's no use. I cannot cultivate again in this life. I'm very clear about this. Master Ji essentially took away my spiritual root. I can't even sense spiritual energy. Cultivating anything would yield no results. Any immortal elixirs or miraculous medicines would just pass through my body. Besides, although Min Xuan's life is now a wreck, I wouldn't call it complacent..."

Lian Ping'er frowned slightly again. A pill appeared in her hand, emitting a faint fragrance. The next moment, she flicked her finger, and the pill struck Min Xuan's forehead, dissolving into a white mist that entered his seven orifices.

A faint white glow enveloped Min Xuan's body, but after a few breaths, wisps of white mist seeped from his skin, dissipating into the air like steam and vanishing completely.

Lian Ping'er, unconvinced, pointed her finger. A surge of spiritual energy, infused with her magic, re-entered Min Xuan through his *shanzhong* acupoint and circulated within his body.

"It's useless."

Lian Ping'er withdrew her hand and made no further attempts, simply staring intently at Min Xuan.

"I'll ask you one thing: are you coming with me or not?"

Min Xuan stood up and bowed deeply and formally to Lian Ping'er.

"Please convey to my esteemed master that although the grace of his nurturing is profound, Min Xuan has done enough for him in this life. And please tell my senior brothers and sisters that Min Xuan will never forget our friendship!"

"Hmph, I won't convey any of that. I'll just tell them you refused to come, and let them think of you as a traitor frightened senseless by Ji Yuan."

Min Xuan was momentarily stunned. He sat back down without saying anything more.

"Knock, knock, knock..." "Guest, dishes are served."

The waiter's voice rang out from outside the door. Lian Ping'er said, "Come in," and the door was opened from the outside. Being early in the morning, the grand restaurant had little business, so the kitchen was quite free. Two waiters came up directly, carrying trays. As they entered, the whole chicken, cured duck, pork, and stewed soup on the trays emitted enticing aromas, making Min Xuan involuntarily swallow.

Soon, all the food was on the table. The two skillful waiters each carried two trays, presenting a total of seven dishes and one soup, completely filling the large square table meant for eight people.

"Please enjoy your meal, honored guests. We won't disturb you further. Just call if you need anything."

"Thank you for your trouble."

Lian Ping'er said nothing, but Min Xuan thanked the two waiters. They nodded, closed the door, and left. Only the silent Lian Ping'er and Min Xuan, who was staring blankly at the table full of food, remained in the private room.

"What's wrong? Can you get full just by looking? Eat, I can't eat any of it anyway."

"Then, thank you very much for your hospitality, young lady!"

Min Xuan managed a polite remark, then could no longer resist the temptation. He picked up his chopsticks and bowl and began to eat, not fearing choking, taking large mouthfuls of food and swallowing. For dishes like roast chicken, he simply used his hands.

Seeing Min Xuan in this state, Lian Ping'er felt even more exasperated.

"I don't know what kind of enchantment Ji Yuan put you under!"

Min Xuan, who had been eating, paused. After chewing and swallowing the food in his mouth, he looked up at Lian Ping'er.

"I can only say that our paths diverge now, and we cannot work together."

"Hmph, you lost your immortal heart, and you can still say such things?"

Lian Ping'er no longer wanted to waste time with Min Xuan. She stood up, walked directly behind him, opened the private room door, and left without a backward glance.

Min Xuan didn't turn around, nor did he ask for the eighty coppers. Only after Lian Ping'er had been gone for a long time did he softly murmur:

"But I found a human heart."

Lian Ping'er, who had already reached the entrance of the grand restaurant, paused. She narrowed her eyes and glanced back at the staircase leading to the second floor of the restaurant, then stepped out.

Meanwhile, in the private room by the staircase on the second floor, Min Xuan seemed to remember something. He quickly got up and rushed to the door, calling out towards the stairs:

"Waiter, waiter! Did that young lady pay the bill?"

"Honored guest, please enjoy your meal! The young lady already paid!"

The voice from the staircase reassured Min Xuan. He then called out again:

"Waiter, is it possible to borrow a food container? I'd like to pack this up."

A waiter came up from downstairs, looked at the table in the private room, then at Min Xuan.

"Old sir, pack it now? The food hasn't been eaten much, and it's still steaming hot!"

"Yes, yes, right now, while it's still hot!"

"Alright, alright, I'll pack it for you, but the soup can't be taken away. Please wait a moment, I'll go get the items."

"Thank you, thank you!"

Min Xuan thanked him repeatedly. After the waiter went downstairs, he quickly returned to the private room to eat, focusing especially on the large bowl of mushroom and meat soup.

Not long after, Min Xuan, with grease still on his hands and mouth, came downstairs. The waiter helped him by carrying some oil-paper wrapped packages behind him, likely because the restaurant didn't want to lend out food containers, but Min Xuan was still very happy.

Once downstairs, Min Xuan opened the drawers of the two wooden boxes he had brought.

"Just put them in there, thank you, young waiter!"

"No problem at all."

The waiter placed six or seven oil-paper packages into the small wooden boxes, front and back. The manager at the counter then called out to Min Xuan.

"Old sir, the young lady left some change; she said it's for you. Come and get it."

"Oh, how much is it?"

"If converted to copper coins, it's about a hundred-some coppers."

"Good, good, that's wonderful!"

Min Xuan's face lit up with joy. He hadn't expected any money, and this amount he was happy to take.

The manager took out a small string of coins and placed a few coppers on the counter. Min Xuan thanked him profusely, took the money, picked up his carrying pole, and then happily left the restaurant.

This time, perhaps because he was full, perhaps because his body was warm, perhaps because he was happy, or perhaps because he didn't want the food to get cold, even though his load was a bit heavier, Min Xuan's steps were much lighter than before as he walked with his carrying pole.

Min Xuan didn't set up his stall on the street this time. He hurried along, crossing streets and weaving through alleys in Dayun Prefecture City for quite a while. When sweat reappeared slightly on his forehead, he entered a somewhat secluded city district. After walking a bit further, he arrived at a small courtyard enclosed by a fence.

"A-Guo, A-Guo, look what Grandpa Min brought back for you, A-Guo!"

The door to the house inside the courtyard suddenly opened, and a child about seven or eight years old rushed out.

"Grandpa Min!"

"Come on, come on, there's something good!"

"It smells so good!"

"Hehehe, quick, into the house, into the house! Lots of delicious food, and it's still hot!"

The laughter of the old man and the cheers of the child emanated from inside the house. Lian Ping'er, standing outside, frowned repeatedly. It seemed Min Xuan truly wouldn't leave. After glancing at the courtyard one last time, she transformed into mist and departed.