Chapter 325: Too Bad He Couldn’t Enjoy More Years of Ease
Chen Changsheng and the Old Dragon King didn’t linger in that place either. They got up and left, and soon after, government soldiers sealed off the lake. There were soldiers everywhere, even military camp personnel arrived, preventing anyone from approaching the lake. It caused quite a stir.
Yet, the mastermind behind it all was already hundreds of miles away, chatting happily with his companion. “Did Mr. Chen really issue a Sword Decree?” the Old Dragon King asked with a chuckle.
Chen Changsheng smiled warmly. “What does the Dragon Lord think?”
The Old Dragon King let out a laugh, then shook his head repeatedly. “When it comes to scheming, I simply can’t compare to Mr. Chen,” he said.
“How is that scheming?” Chen Changsheng countered. “It was clearly an overt move.”
“Bravo!” the Old Dragon King laughed. He then accompanied Chen Changsheng back to the Tongtian River. They didn’t return to the Riverbottom Dragon Palace, however, as Chen Changsheng intended to leave.
“Leaving so soon?” the Old Dragon King remarked. “The River and Sea Grand Banquet still has three days to go.”
Chen Changsheng replied, “As you know, I’ve never been fond of crowds.”
The Old Dragon King didn’t press him further. He simply waved a hand. “Very well. I’ll come find you at the Flowing Cloud Temple when I have some spare time.”
Chen Changsheng nodded. Then he suddenly spoke up again. “I actually came today with another matter to ask you, Dragon Lord.” “Just ask,” said the Old Dragon King.
Chen Changsheng inquired, “Have you, by any chance, ever heard of a Flood Dragon or possibly even a True Dragon named Ah Man?” After all, so many years had passed.
“Ah Man…” The Old Dragon King pondered, then shook his head. “A member of the Dragon Clan called Ah Man? I’ve never heard that name. But I can try to inquire about it for you later.”
Chen Changsheng nodded in thanks. “That would be appreciated. It’s not urgent, just something to keep in mind if possible.”
“Alright.”
Seeing this, Chen Changsheng took his leave. “I won’t impose further. I will visit you again next time.”
The Old Dragon King watched as Chen Changsheng flew away on his sword. He mouthed the name ‘Ah Man’, yet he had no recollection. Chen Changsheng mentioned this dragon might even have become a True Dragon – that was something he couldn’t afford to ignore.
Chen Changsheng flew amidst the clouds on his sword. He had intended to head straight back to the Flowing Cloud Temple. But halfway there, he paused. His gaze fell downward towards a district-town by the river. Feeling curious, he decided to take a look.
“Donglin Quarter. I wonder how that Badger Demon is doing these days.”
Chen Changsheng descended into Donglin Quarter. The past ten years or so had brought rapid changes. Donglin Quarter seemed livelier now compared to before. The children of back then had grown up, married, had children of their own—the next generation. Chen Changsheng walked towards a specific courtyard from his memory.
The gate of that courtyard was still spotless. The stone steps in front were swept clean. Chen Changsheng reached out and knocked.
After a few knocks, a voice came from inside. “Coming!”
The door was opened by a man whose hair showed traces of white. Upon seeing Chen Changsheng standing there, the man visibly froze. Recovering, he immediately tried to kneel.
“Huang Shan pays his respects…”
Chen Changsheng quickly helped him up. “I was just passing by and thought to drop in,” Chen said. “No need for formalities.”
Huang Shan hesitated, then said, “Please, come in, sir… come inside.”
Inside the courtyard, Huang Shan brought a chair for Chen Changsheng to sit. Chen Changsheng looked around. Nothing in the courtyard was missing; even the worn farming tools from years past still rested against the corner wall.
Huang Shan seemed nervous, unsure of what to do. After sitting for a moment, he got up and brought some simple snacks for the guest, along with a bowl of clear tea. That was all he had to offer.
“Are you the only one left here?” Chen Changsheng asked.
Huang Shan nodded. “Not long after you left, the old Master passed away. Nowadays, I’m the only one tending to this courtyard.”
“I see…” Chen Changsheng nodded slightly. “Logically, you should have left back then. Why did you stay?”
Huang Shan opened his mouth. “I… I’m not afraid you’ll laugh, sir.” He paused. “I guess… I came to see this as my home. Even though the old Master is gone…” His voice trailed off, losing its strength.
“Don’t you find it monotonous?” Chen Changsheng asked.
“Sometimes,” Huang Shan admitted. “But Donglin Quarter isn’t huge, yet it’s not too small either. There are always people to talk to.” Indeed, Huang Shan now truly saw himself as human. But he understood that one day, inevitably, he would still have to leave this place. He couldn’t stay forever.
Huang Shan picked up the tea and handed it to Chen Changsheng. “Master, please have some tea.”
“Thank you.” Chen Changsheng accepted the bowl and took a sip. He glanced at the tea leaves inside.
“What do you think of the tea, sir?” Huang Shan asked hopefully.
“Not bad,” Chen Changsheng said.
“Really?!” Huang Shan’s eyes lit up. “You truly think it’s not bad?”
Chen Changsheng smiled. “Why? Did you make this tea yourself?”
Huang Shan nodded. “I learned a bit about picking and roasting tea from the old Master. Later, a few gentlemen in the Quarter mentioned how unforgettable the taste of the Master’s roasted tea was. So I tried my hand at it, thinking I might eventually open a small tea shop here.”
“If that’s the case,” Chen Changsheng said gently, “I should probably be more honest.”
“Please tell me, sir.”
“This tea is bitter and astringent. Usually, the stronger the bitterness, the sweeter and more noticeable the aftertaste. But this tea lacks that compensating sweetness; indeed, there’s barely any aftertaste at all. Plus, there’s a scorched flavor. Glancing at the leaves – they must have been extremely tender buds before roasting. It seems the heat during roasting was too high, or perhaps inconsistent.”
Huang Shan didn’t seem discouraged. He carefully noted down everything Mr. Chen said. “Thank you for telling me, sir. I’ll try again later.”
Chen Changsheng smiled. “Take it slowly. When your tea shop opens, I’ll have a place to drink tea next time I visit Donglin Quarter.”
Gradually, Huang Shan relaxed. He talked a lot with Chen Changsheng. Most of his stories were about the old Master.
“Back then, the old Master’s leg pain at night was vicious. So I took the form of Physician Zheng from the Quarter to treat him. The old Master kept talking about all kinds of past moments with Physician Zheng. I couldn’t say a word! I had to pretend to have a sore throat, barely dared to speak. It was a close call,” Huang Shan chuckled nervously.
“And that year he went to pay respects at the ancestral graves… I didn’t know any of the ancestors’ names! Got scolded miserably,” Huang Shan recalled with a mix of fondness and ruefulness.
“The old Master was truly good to me, deep down. Always saved the best things for me. Sigh…” A wave of sadness washed over him. “Too bad he couldn’t enjoy more years of ease.”
Chen Changsheng listened as Huang Shan went on and on. He thought about saying something, then swallowed the words. Both the old Master and Huang Shan had been deceiving each other. In fact, they had even deceived themselves. A warm smile touched Chen Changsheng’s lips. “That you met him, that you knew each other… it’s a fate so absurd it’s almost laughable.”
Huang Shan thought for a moment, then nodded. “You’re not wrong, sir. It really is a bit absurd.” He understood the contradiction. And yet, he cherished it dearly.