CHAPTER 411: CHAPTER 407: LEAVING

Zhou Li walked around the yard with his phone in hand, trying to find the right angle. However, the ginkgo tree was simply too large—its sprawling branches even exceeded the size of the yard—making it impossible for Zhou Li to capture it entirely in one frame.

"TSK..."

Zhou Li scratched his head, feeling a bit annoyed.

With his hands in his pockets, Huai Xu followed him and said with a smirk, "I should just take the photo for you. I’ll sneak up to the sky when nobody’s paying attention and snap it from there."

Zhou Li still politely declined.

Just then, Master Xuanqing came out. Seeing how frustrated he was, she casually pointed to a corner of the wall and said, "Most of the photographers before climbed onto that corner of the wall to take their shots. There’s a ladder in the storeroom if you want to go up there."

Zhou Li was delighted and quickly thanked her.

Master Xuanqing just smiled and then went back into the room.

She really was busy, having to look after her master, do chores, and prepare three meals a day. It was fortunate that her studies and live streaming weren’t mandatory, so she could set them aside when she was too busy.

Without using the ladder, Zhou Li quickly climbed up the courtyard wall.

The view from the top was indeed better. He still couldn’t capture the entire ginkgo tree, but he managed to frame a good portion of the courtyard and get a better shot of the ground covered with fallen leaves. It also somewhat resolved Zhou Li’s composition problem.

"CLICK..."

Zhou Li put down his phone and reviewed the image.

Half of the ancient ginkgo tree was visible, the ground beneath it a golden yellow, with sunlight piercing through the leaves to create dapples of light. Various items lay scattered in the yard, all dusted with fallen leaves. Two dogs rested quietly in the frame, adding a touch of life and tranquility to the scene.

Zhou Li was quite satisfied. He even had the illusion that his work wasn’t far off from that of professional photographers. He thought for a moment and sent the picture to his little cousin.

Baozi: Where did you steal this from?

Zhou Li was overjoyed. This was an indirect affirmation of his photograph, wasn’t it?

Zhou Li: I just took it

Baozi: The ginkgo leaves in Ginkgo Village don’t turn yellow until the end of next month

Zhou Li: ...

While still on the wall, he quickly recorded a video for his little cousin. He also included Tuanzi, who was on the ground clamoring to join him and wanting him to come down and carry her.

Send.

Baozi: /Dazed

Zhou Li: Discovered it by chance

Baozi: Where is this?

Baozi: Cousin

Zhou Li: I won’t tell you

Baozi: /Annoyed

Zhou Li casually turned off QQ, took a couple more photos, then jumped down and ran to share them with Brother Nan.

Then he was roped by Brother Nan into taking photos for her, making silly videos, and even taking selfies together. Especially the last part; Zhou Li rarely took selfies and felt quite uncomfortable and embarrassed, which earned him a scolding from Brother Nan for his stiff expression and for deliberately opposing her.

Then it was almost time for lunch.

Zhou Li went to make a fire.

Brother Nan still helped in the kitchen. After all, Master Xuanqing had invited them out of kindness, not obligation, so they couldn’t just sit back and enjoy the hospitality without contributing.

Lunch was very light, primarily vegetables rich in vitamins but lacking in protein and some trace elements usually found in meat. Additionally, Master Xuanqing had specially made an egg custard to help nourish the elder of the observatory.

「After lunch.」

Zhou Li and his group climbed up the high mountain opposite, overlooking the small mountain where the Daoist temple was situated and the surrounding undulating hills.

Tuanzi stayed in Zhou Li’s arms, her wide eyes reflecting the landscape as she said crisply, "We’ve climbed so high~~"

"Yes," Zhou Li replied.

Looking down, he asked her, "Lord Dumpling, are you happy?"

"Happy."

"Proud?"

"HMM..."

"Don’t you feel like ’you may stand atop the highest peak to survey all the small mountains around’?"

"MEOW?"

"..." Zhou Li fell silent. This really was an illiterate cat. He felt that the Elm King wasn’t focusing enough on pet education. Since that was the case, it seemed he would have to take up the educational duties she had neglected. Then he thought for a moment. "Lord Dumpling, if you had climbed up here step by step on your own, you’d feel even happier and prouder."

"Don’t want!"

"..."

Educational failure.

Zhou Li saw that Brother Nan and Huai Xu had each found a rock to sit on. He looked around, found a rock as well, and sat down. He took Tuanzi’s two little paws and made them do the outdated seaweed dance, all while enjoying the mountain breeze and listening to the two people chatting beside him.

"This place really is a treasure," Huai Xu said.

"How come?" Brother Nan turned her head. "You even know feng shui?"

"It has clear mountains and beautiful waters."

"TCH..."

"I reckon the Old Daoist won’t live much longer. Are you two interested in his secret?" Huai Xu suddenly looked at them slyly, lowering his voice. "Why don’t we think of a way to coax it out of him?"

"There’s no one else here," Brother Nan said.

"GEEZ! When discussing bad things, you have to whisper!" Huai Xu complained. "Speaking loudly makes it feel like we’re in the wrong."

"And whispering makes it right?" Zhou Li couldn’t help but interject, slightly puzzled about how exactly Master Ming had educated him.

"Whispering is slightly better," Huai Xu said.

"If it’s a secret, one should know to respect it," Zhou Li furrowed his brow.

"No!" Huai Xu argued. "The problem is he’s about to die, and he won’t even tell that young girl. He’s so stubborn, this secret will be buried with him! Do you really want to see a secret that’s been passed down for centuries get buried like that?"

"Yes."

"Don’t you have any curiosity?"

"No."

"..."

Huai Xu stopped talking to this inflexible person and turned to Brother Nan instead.

Brother Nan grinned and pointed at Zhou Li. "I still care a bit about the image I hold in his heart..."

Huai Xu: ??

The Great Devil King felt instantly discouraged.

After they descended the mountain, Brother Nan drove to town, bought some nutritional supplements, and brought them to the elder of the observatory. She also dropped by Master Xuanqing’s livestream room a couple of times in the afternoon.

She and Master Xuanqing had gotten quite familiar with each other over the day.

「That evening.」

Zhou Li was drawing water from the well to wash his face and asked Huai Xu, who was admiring the moon behind him, "Are you going to sleep here tonight, or are you going back to your place?"

"Why? Want to sleep next to me?"

"No."

"Then why are you asking me?"

"Just asking."

"You sure are nosy!"

"..." Zhou Li pondered for two seconds. "Mainly because Lord Dumpling is a bit scared of Brother Nan, and she doesn’t get along with you either. So I was thinking, if you’re going back to your place to sleep, I could let Tuanzi sleep in your room tonight."

"You’re clever! Killing two birds with one stone! That takes care of two of them at once!"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about..."

"HEHE! Neither do I!" Huai Xu was happy to play dumb with him. His eyes darted around. "I’ll sleep wherever I want! Maybe here for half the night, then back at my place for the other half. Or maybe I’ll switch every half hour, depending on my mood... I am a Little Demon, carefree and at ease!"

"..."

Zhou Li looked up at the sky.

The moon wasn’t as full tonight as it was last night. It seems not every moon is fullest on the sixteenth, he thought.

「The next morning.」

They went to burn incense, left red envelopes with money as donations for incense, and then said goodbye to Master Xuanqing and the elder of the observatory, who was in his sickbed, before embarking on their journey down the mountain.

Zhou Li looked back and saw Master Xuanqing standing at the doorstep watching them leave. Perhaps it was because she rarely encountered girls of a similar age with whom she could chat so freely in this remote and dilapidated Daoist temple that she seemed somewhat reluctant to see them go.

A moment later, Zhou Li withdrew his gaze and asked Brother Nan beside him, "You two seemed to get along well. Do you feel a bit reluctant to leave?"

"A bit..."

Brother Nan nodded, glanced back as well, and then continued walking forward. "But that’s life. Life is just like this: you continually meet new people and then part ways, only to meet more new people and part again. You can’t expect to keep every friend by your side forever. You just have to learn to take it in stride."

"Is that so?"

"It’s better to have met than never to have met at all." Brother Nan paused, glancing at him. "But there are still some people who stay together until the very end."

"I see."

"To part then is to die," Brother Nan added.

"I understand..." Zhou Li replied, then suddenly felt a chill.