184: Chapter 183 Give Me a Coffin

"This is my granddaughter."

The old man said, his voice still as hoarse as before, but with something undefinable added to it.

Yun Ming did not reply.

He knew the old man would continue.

The old man stood there, looking at the young girl in the coffin, his murky eyes gaining a glimmer of light.

He slowly began to speak of those past events.

When he was young, he was flamboyant and overbearing, relying on his profound cultivation to offend many people.

He was not afraid of offending others because he was strong, and no one could defeat him.

Later, his attempt to reach Soul Transformation failed, his cultivation regressed, and his Lifespan was greatly reduced.

Knowing he could not live much longer, he established a Family, hoping to pass down his Bloodline.

However, the higher a Cultivator's cultivation, the harder it is to have offspring.

Even if they do, the offspring's talent is likely inferior to their parents.

This is the balance of the Heavenly Dao; no one can change it.

His son, as expected, had poor talent, possessing a Five Elements Mixed Spiritual Root; he Cultivated his entire life but never even reached Foundation Establishment.

But his son's daughter, his granddaughter, was gifted with extraordinary talent—a top-grade Water Spiritual Root.

The whole Family was overjoyed, feeling that Heaven was compensating them.

He was also very happy, feeling that his Bloodline finally had hope.

But not long after, his enemies came knocking.

They did not come to kill him, but to destroy his hope.

They cursed his granddaughter, not to kill her, but to sever all of her Lifespan.

Without Lifespan, a person is like a tree without roots.

She was alive, but she could die at any moment.

Not from illness, not from old age, but from the exhaustion of her Lifespan, passing away silently.

He sought out everyone he could and exhausted every method available, yet he could not break that curse.

In the end, he transferred all his remaining Lifespan to her, using his own life to extend hers.

That is why he has become what he is now.

A man who should have died long ago, lingering on by relying on the meager Lifespan left after extending his granddaughter's life.

"She is sixteen years old this year," the old man said, his voice very soft. "From the age of three until now, thirteen years. I divided my Lifespan into thirteen parts and gave her one part each year. As long as I can hold on, she can live. But I cannot hold on much longer."

He turned around and took a jade box from a cabinet in the corner.

The jade box was a foot square, entirely emerald green, and covered in Seal formation patterns.

He placed the jade box on the table, undid the Seal, and opened the lid.

A small Dragon flew out of the box, only as long as a chopstick, crystal clear and emitting a faint spiritual light.

It swam in a circle in the air, seemingly wanting to escape, but was pulled back by an invisible force not long after flying out.

It circled above the jade box a few times, then fell back into the box, coiled into a ball, and stopped moving.

A Spiritual Vein. Fourth-tier High Grade, it had already developed intelligence.

Yun Ming reached out to examine it; the Spiritual Vein's aura was pure and thick, of excellent quality.

He nodded, took the jade box from his robes, placed it on the table, and pushed it towards the old man.

The old man opened the jade box, and upon seeing the golden Medicinal Pill inside, his murky eyes suddenly widened.

His hands began to tremble, and his whole body shook.

He recognized this Medicinal Pill.

Ten Thousand Longevity Pill.

A divine object that increases Lifespan by ten thousand years.

Such a Medicinal Pill—let alone for a half-dead old man like him—would even move the heart of the Emperor of the Zifu Immortal Dynasty.

Ten thousand years of Lifespan is an irresistible temptation for anyone.

"You... just took it out like this?" the old man's voice trembled.

Yun Ming said, "It is useless for me to keep it."

The old man looked at him, silent for a long time.

He thought Yun Ming had seen through everything, possessing the clarity of someone who, having experienced the vicissitudes of life, had cast aside concerns of life and death.

He couldn't help but exclaim, "Fellow Daoist's Heart-Nature is something this old man cannot compare to."

But he soon fell into a dilemma.

Who should this Medicinal Pill be used for? If he used it himself, he could live for another ten thousand years.

Ten thousand years would be enough for him to make his Family big and strong, enough to find a way to break his granddaughter's curse, and enough to do many, many things.

If used for his granddaughter, she could also live for ten thousand years.

But if she lived for ten thousand years, the curse would remain, and her Lifespan would still be consumed.

After ten thousand years, she would still have to die.

He had no time left.

He had to make a decision now.

Yun Ming did not make the decision for him.

That was his own business.

He put the jade box away and turned to leave.

The old man stopped him.

"This Medicinal Pill is too precious."

The old man's voice returned to calm, "One fourth-tier Spiritual Vein is far from enough."

He untied a Storage Pouch from his waist and handed it to Yun Ming, "This is my life's savings. Fellow Daoist, take whatever you fancy; it does not matter if you take it all."

Yun Ming did not take it.

He thought for a moment and asked, "Give me the best coffin you have here."

The old man was stunned for a moment, then nodded.

He turned and walked to the middle of the pile of coffins, lifted a few that were stacked on top, and dragged one out from the very bottom.

The coffin was not large, the wood fine-grained and dark red, as if soaked in the color of time.

There were no carvings or lacquer paintings, only two words engraved on the lid — "Rest in Peace".

He pushed the coffin in front of Yun Ming.

Yun Ming glanced at it and nodded.

He stored the coffin into the map of mountains and rivers and turned to walk out of the coffin shop.

When Yun Ming returned to the small building, it was already dark.

He did not light any lamps, went upstairs in the dark, and sat cross-legged in the Quiet Room.

His mind sank into his Sea of Consciousness, where the map of mountains and rivers hung, green light flowing, waiting for him quietly.

With a thought, his entire person disappeared from the Quiet Room.

The sky inside the map of mountains and rivers was still that gray Chaos, with no sun, no moon, only an eternal twilight.

The mountains and rivers remained the same, the small wooden house still stood on the hillside, and the enlightenment tea tree was planted beside it.

The leaves of the tea tree shimmered with a faint golden light in the twilight, as if someone had lit small lamps on the tree.

Yun Ming stood in front of the wooden house and took out the coffin.

Dark red wood, no carvings, no lacquer paintings, only the two words engraved on the lid — "Rest in Peace".

He placed the coffin on the open ground in front of the wooden house, pushed open the lid, and took a look inside.

It was clean inside, lined with a soft white lining, smelling of a faint woody fragrance, like pine or perhaps sandalwood—not too strong, not too light, just right.

He lay inside.

The coffin was neither too big nor too small, just right for one person.

He lay inside, hands placed in front of him, facing upward, looking at the gray Chaos above him.

The inner wall of the coffin pressed against his back, cool but not icy, instead providing a sense of stability.

There was no feeling of oppression, no stuffiness, no fear of being trapped in a narrow space.

He just lay there, quietly, like on a deep night, covered by a thick quilt, with rain falling outside and the room feeling very warm.

He fell asleep.

He did not know how long he slept, perhaps an hour, perhaps a day.

When he woke up, he felt much more refreshed.

He sat up in the coffin, climbed out, stood beside it, and looked down at the empty lining.

Then he turned and walked into the wooden house.

Qin Wan lay on the bed, her face serene, a faint smile on the corners of her mouth.

The effect of the Ice Soul Soul-Condensing Pill was still present, that layer of icy blue light enveloping her whole body, freezing her in that moment.

Yun Ming stood by the bed and watched her for a while, then bent down, picked her up along with the bedding, carried her out of the wooden house, and walked to the coffin.

He placed Qin Wan gently inside, tucked in the bedding, and smoothed her hair.

She lay in the coffin, still with that serene look, as if having a very, very long dream.

He watched her for a long time, then reached out and pushed the lid closed.

The lid closed with a dull thud. The two words — "Rest in Peace" — glimmered with a dark red light in the twilight.