"BOOM!"

A muffled thunder sounded from afar, startling Brother Nan's cowlick into a quiver.

She stood with her sword, looking up.

Dark clouds had amassed above, a brooding presence. The wind howled across the land, making the grass wave and the leaves rustle. It didn't oppress Brother Nan; instead, it made her feel exceptionally at ease.

"Wow!"

If she were still a child, encountering such cool weather with a breeze, she would definitely have run without hesitation.

She would run all over the hills and dales along the path!

Run faster than the wind!

Sigh...

After all, she had grown up.

Brother Nan continued to swing the wooden stick in her hand, slashing at the air, and turned her head to look at Zhou Li, Huai Xu, and Tuanzi.

"It's going to rain again," Huai Xu said to Zhou Li.

"Hmm," Zhou Li nodded.

"If we don't hurry, we'll be caught in the rain," Brother Nan interjected.

"No worries, keep playing, no need to panic," Huai Xu chuckled. "If it starts to rain, I'll just go directly to Little Zheng's place. I won't get wet anyway."

"A bit of rain is nothing." Naturally, Brother Nan was not the type to fear getting soaked; she would deliberately fold up her umbrella and walk in the rain.

"Brother Nan, you're wearing white clothes," Zhou Li paused, "and I'm also carrying books on my back."

"Uh! Then let's hurry!" Brother Nan's expression suddenly became serious again. "No! Start running!"

After saying that, she threw away the stick and started to run.

Zhou Li sighed, looking down at Tuanzi held in his arms.

Tuanzi also looked up at him, eyes fluttering. "Zhou Li, let's run~~"

At the critical moment, it was Huai Xu who was thoughtful. He said, "Give me the bag you're carrying."

Moments later, Brother Nan's figure had disappeared from view, and Zhou Li quickly jogged to catch up.

The air was cool, and the breeze was comforting.

Brother Nan was waiting for him at a turn where she had disappeared from his sight.

Everything was beautiful.

「Zhihong Guan.」

The two of them, along with two demons, passed through the bamboo grove whose stalks hung low, dry leaves blown by the wind dancing in the air. Many leaves lay on the cement in front of the Taoist temple, looking like it hadn't been swept for several days.

Zhou Li saw the elder of the observatory in front of the Taoist temple.

The elder of the observatory maintained his usual attire: a plain Taoist look with a long beard, and dark, creased skin on his face. He sat on a small stool at the temple gate, holding a pancake, nibbling it while staring ahead.

"Elder of the observatory," Zhou Li greeted him first.

That brought the elder back to his senses. He turned, saw it was Zhou Li, and forced a smile while standing up, saying, "Ah, it's the young layman!"

"Please, keep your seat…"

"No matter."

"Temple Master, you seem to be enjoying the breeze here?"

"Anyway, there's nothing to do…"

"Is that so?"

Zhou Li always felt that the elder's smile seemed a bit strained, and his demeanor and voice slightly weary. Puzzled, he turned to look where the elder had been gazing. Across the cement floor was an empty, tidy little temple with peanuts placed inside a small bowl.

The old demon was nowhere to be seen.

Zhou Li caught a glimpse of Huai Xu frowning slightly from the corner of his eye.

An ominous premonition rose.

Just then, the elder's voice rang out again. "This time you've brought along another young layman…"

"Yes…"

Zhou Li already had a hunch.

Huai Xu had met the elder several times before. However, this was the elder's first time seeing Huai Xu in person, which was undoubtedly a curious encounter. At that moment, however, Zhou Li was in no mood to ponder these things.

"Take this."

Huai Xu took off the bag from his back and handed it to him.

This seemed to be a kind of reminder for Zhou Li.

Zhou Li realized he had been lost in thought; the elder of the observatory was assessing his expression. He fell silent again, not pretending to be unaffected. Instead, as he took an ancient book from the bag, he said to the elder, "About what you said last time, I gave it some thought after returning, and decided to return the book. I'll just leave it in the observatory. If there's someone with destiny, they can see it. If not, it's been here for hundreds of years anyway, so letting it stay here is not so bad."

The elder nodded, still looking towards the little temple.

Zhou Li had been in good spirits when he had run over, his tone of speech had been rising, but now it was different.

Not just the elder; even Brother Nan, who knew nothing about the old demon, sensed the change in his mood. So she said nothing, just quietly turned her head and looked around the Taoist temple on her own.

The wind swept through the bamboo forest, rustling softly, making the Taoist temple seem especially quiet.

"It's going to rain. I need to leave first," Zhou Li put the book on the table. "I'll come back to see you."

"Did you bring an umbrella? I have two here. Let me get one for you."

"I brought one."

Zhou Li lied.

Before descending from the bamboo forest after leaving the Taoist temple, he turned back for a glance.

The elder of the observatory sat on the small bench in front of the temple again, but he looked even more desolate than before they arrived.

He was always alone, with neither children nor kin. He was merely guarding a dilapidated Taoist temple with no one to talk to, happy even for the rare visitor to come.

Now, he was even more alone.

Huai Xu looked up at the sky and walked slowly behind Zhou Li. "He's very old already," he said. "When I saw him last, he was even more haggard than last summer. It's almost time..."

"Actually, there's nothing to be sad about," he continued. "Demons value life greatly—the process of it—but they don't find death as difficult to accept as humans do. Especially natural death; we never fear natural death."

"That's a bit contradictory," Zhou Li murmured.

"Because he has lived his entire life, a complete life, and now it's just coming to an end. He should have been prepared for it. It's not something to be feared or to be saddened about."

"Quietly, without any fuss."

"Yes." Huai Xu also felt a wave of sentimentality. "He lived for so many years; he should have had more people with him when he goes. This is a bit too quiet. But no matter what, it was his own choice. He must have thought it through."

"There are people with him."

"That was his choice as well," said Huai Xu. "Even if it's just a mortal who cannot see him."

"What will happen to him after he dies?"

"He will vanish, returning to the Old Land."

"I see."

Images involuntarily pieced together in Zhou Li's mind—

It'll likely be a rainy day, as it often has been. There might be thunder, or there might not.

The elder of the observatory may sense it, or he may not.

Would the old demon notify his silent companion of many decades of his final moment in some way? At the very least, would he say goodbye?

"BOOM!"

The raindrops began to fall.

Zhou Li felt the droplets and looked up. "Seems like it's raining."

"Let it rain! What can you do about it?" Brother Nan said casually. "Get soaked if you have to. It's not like I'll flash anyone. If you think it's miserable, it'll make you miserable."

"Brother Nan is right," Huai Xu immediately flattered, his smile blossoming on his face again.

"…"

At that moment, the sound of barking suddenly came from ahead—

"WOOF, WOOF, WOOF..."

Zhou Li focused his gaze and saw a big yellow dog standing on a small earthen mound in front.

When their eyes met, Big Yellow turned and walked down the mound. Then, the clear sound of bells rang in the rain as it led a black and white patterned horse down the small path from behind the mound.

As Big Yellow and the horse approached, Zhou Li pulled out two foldable umbrellas from the horse's back and said to Brother Nan, "Looks like there is a way."

"You're not sad anymore?" Brother Nan glanced at him.

"It's more like reflection," Zhou Li replied.

"Then to comfort you, I'll let you ride the horse."

"You ride it."

"Stop the chatter."

"I don't want to ride."

"Then neither of us will ride."

"Whatever you're going to do, I'm not sticking around to get rained on anymore." Huai Xu felt damp and shivery. He gave a tremble and then suddenly disappeared with a *pop*.

"Did a demon die of old age?" Brother Nan finally asked.

"Yes."

"Demons can die of old age..." Brother Nan was curious. "I thought demons lived forever."

"Everything in the universe has an end."

"How old does one have to get before they pass away, Zhou Li?" This question came from Tuanzi, who curled up in Zhou Li's arms, stretching a paw to scratch his chin.

"Lord Dumpling is still a child and need not worry about such matters," Zhou Li looked down and said. "All that matters is for Lord Dumpling to enjoy himself."

"Oh~~"

Two small, flower-patterned umbrellas moved along the small road, winding upwards through the misty rain.

The horse bells jingled merrily.