17: Chapter 17 Laozi Temple

"You... know each other?!"

The woman with a soft, sweet voice looked at the two of them with some suspicion.

Nangong Qing rolled her eyes at her and then introduced him, "He almost became my brother-in-law!"

Her voice was flat, yet carried a hint of low melancholy.

The woman beside her opened her mouth in surprise, then carefully remained silent.

Nangong Qing once had an older sister.

It was said that she passed away in an accident seven years ago.

This event was a massive blow to Nangong Qing.

Therefore, as her good friend, the bright and beautiful woman was aware of it.

"A girl really changes as she grows up. The little girl from back then has become so beautiful!"

Ji Yebai looked at Nangong Qing's soft and beautiful face with a sentimental expression, as if lost in some memory.

Nangong Qing rolled her eyes at him. Instead of answering, she asked:

"What are you doing here?!"

"Don't you have to work?!"

After her sister died, she had followed Ji Yebai's life for a while.

Naturally, she knew he had been working at that specific unit.

"I left that unit five years ago!"

Ji Yebai smiled.

The year he graduated from university, he fell in love.

They were together for over four years.

They were originally planning to get married.

Unexpectedly, an accident occurred.

The girl was from a prestigious family, but there was no cliché drama; the two of them loved each other deeply.

This was also the reason why Ji Yebai never married even at forty in his previous life.

"Oh!"

Nangong Qing nodded.

She was no longer that little girl who could loudly call him "brother-in-law."

Ji Yebai naturally sensed this.

It was only normal, after all.

This was also why, in his previous life, even though he knew Nangong Qing, Ji Yebai never reached out to her.

"Are you still practicing martial arts?!"

Ji Yebai looked at Nangong Qing and asked.

Nangong Qing looked up at him and then slowly shook her head.

"I rarely practice now, just throw some punches occasionally!"

Hearing this, Ji Yebai fell silent for a moment.

Between the two of them, after all, the bond had faded, replaced by much awkwardness.

"Sigh!"

With a sigh, Ji Yebai suddenly reached out and ruffled her hair, messing up Nangong Qing's beautiful locks.

"Qing girl, you should practice martial arts more when you have time. You must stick with this hobby!"

"Also, if you ever face something you can't handle, you can call me. My number hasn't changed!"

Having said that, Ji Yebai turned and left.

Behind him, Nangong Qing remained silent.

A faint sorrow emanated from her.

It had been a very long time since anyone called her "Qing girl."

Her thoughts were heavy; for a moment, it felt like she had returned to those years.

That year.

She still had her older sister who loved her most.

And carefree happiness.

Until that piercing sound of brakes interrupted everything.

In her daze, she was pushed aside.

While her sister...

The bright and beautiful woman beside her quietly sat down.

Nangong Qing's deep sadness at this moment left her feeling somewhat at a loss.

She could only stay with her in silence.

...

Ji Yebai sat quietly in his seat.

A small wave of emotion actually rose within him.

The little girl who had followed him around for years calling him "brother-in-law" had now become distant.

It showed how heartless time could be.

"Sigh!"

Ji Yebai sighed softly.

Then he closed his eyes to rest.

Time on the high-speed train still passed quickly.

Before long, Ji Yebai reached his stop.

He stood up.

Through the crowd, he took a deep look at Nangong Qing.

Then, he turned abruptly and strode away.

...

Laojun Temple.

As the Holy Land of all Taoism.

This place had always been rated as a civilized tourist attraction.

As a Holy Land with a thousand-year Legacy, Ji Yebai didn't know how deep the waters truly ran here.

Just as Taoism itself was full of mystery.

Entering the mountains in times of prosperity, and descending in times of chaos.

This point alone was far beyond what other religions could compare to.

Coupled with myths and legends from ancient times.

The entire image of Taoism had been sublimated.

Like when someone once questioned the so-called cultivation of Taoism, the official Taoist website replied dominantly:

"Believe if you want, if not, get lost. Don't disturb my immortal cultivation!"

Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain where Laojun Temple stood.

A little girl with pigtails was holding a roasted sweet potato and shouting vigorously.

"Selling roasted sweet potatoes! Delicious roasted sweet potatoes!"

There were many passersby and even more tourists.

Although the little girl shouted hard, she didn't sell many.

"Grandpa, they're not eating roasted sweet potatoes!"

The little girl said indignantly.

"It's okay, Yaya. When Grandpa brings chestnuts tomorrow, people will buy them!"

Reaching out with a hand full of cracks and wrinkles to rub the girl's head, the old man said with a smile:

"Look at that person; many people bought his chestnuts today. If we sell them tomorrow, I'm sure many people will come to buy them too!"

The old man's voice was gentle.

"Mm-hmm!"

The little girl immediately nodded with a smile and began to look forward to tomorrow.

The next moment.

A greeting interrupted the little girl's daydreaming.

"Hello, Uncle!"

A tall man was speaking gently to the old man.

This person was none other than Ji Yebai.

After getting off the high-speed train, he took a taxi all the way here.

He didn't waste a single moment.

Until he reached the foot of the mountain.

There were many tourists right now. Ji Yebai thought that if he went up to Laojun Temple now and a conflict broke out, it wouldn't be easy to take action.

Therefore, he decided to wait for a while at the foot of the mountain.

Moreover, he wasn't sure what would eventually happen after going up the mountain.

So, he needed to prepare some food.

"Hello, hello! Would you like to buy some sweet potatoes!?"

The old man looked up at Ji Yebai, his hands and feet moving nimbly as he already started bagging a sweet potato.

Seeing his movements, Ji Yebai smiled and said, "Uncle, how many do you have left? Bag them all for me!"

He hadn't eaten roasted sweet potatoes for many years; he wondered if they still tasted like his memories.

"Huh!?"

The old man was stunned and said in surprise, "All of them? I still have over thirty here!"

"Bag them all!"

Ji Yebai smiled slightly and didn't explain.

"Big brother, do you have many good friends!?"

The little girl looked up with bright eyes and asked very curiously.

"Why do you ask!?"

Ji Yebai looked down at the little girl's cute face and asked back with a smile.

A large part of why he came to buy sweet potatoes was that he saw the little girl calling out, yet almost no one came to buy.

In this world, the weather was still too hot, so roasted sweet potatoes weren't selling well.

"Because Brother Bai buys a lot at once and then gives them to his friends!"

"Brother Bai has so many friends!"

The little girl's voice was soft and sweet, very pleasant to hear.

But Ji Yebai was slightly taken aback.

This place was Laojun Temple.

And the surname Bai was so rare.

Could it be...

Ji Yebai's eyes lit up. He squatted down, looked at the little girl, and asked with a smile, "Who is your Brother Bai? I have many friends too!"

"Brother Bai is the Taoist on the mountain!"

The little girl reached out and pointed toward the mountain peak.

Ji Yebai looked in the direction the little girl was pointing.

The distant mountain peak disappeared among the white clouds.

Ji Yebai felt a slight sense of wonder.

What a coincidence.

This Brother Bai must be Bai Zhu!

Bai Zhu was an orphan who grew up in the temple since childhood, so naturally, he had no parents.

Therefore, it couldn't be anyone else but Bai Zhu!

"Then, do you know where your Brother Bai is right now!?"

Ji Yebai looked at the little girl with a smile.

Laojun Temple was a tourist attraction.

Therefore, those Taoist masters certainly wouldn't be practicing inside Laojun Temple during normal times.

If he went straight to Laojun Temple, he would probably only find some peripheral staff who managed the scenic area.

Bai Zhu was a Disciple of the Temple Abbot.

He was naturally a core member.

If he knew where Bai Zhu was, he would surely be able to find that group of Taoist masters.

The little girl was naturally guileless. She pointed up the mountain with a smile and said, "Brother Bai is on the back mountain!"

"The back mountain!?"

Ji Yebai was slightly stunned.

But he quickly realized.

The back mountain was likely where the true practitioners lived.

This was truly a good idea.

Not far away, yet undisturbed by worldly affairs.

It could be called "a great hermit hiding in the city."

"Thank you!"

Ji Yebai rubbed the little girl's head, stood up, took the sweet potatoes the old man handed him, paid the bill, and turned to walk up the mountain.

Since it was the back mountain, there probably wouldn't be any tourists.

So he wouldn't have to worry about being disturbed.

Ji Yebai smiled slightly, took out a sweet potato, and ate it as he walked.

The back mountain!

Here I come!