When Hu Tao saw the undertaker return carrying a large bag of Mora, she was utterly shocked.
They actually paid for it!
Su Ming smiled and said, "See? I told you they'd settle the bill, didn't I?"
Hu Tao let out a long breath. "Hmph... fine, this Director is impressed. So, when do we set out to see the site?"
"Since we're talking about repairing a grave, I need to see what the state of it is first, don't I?"
Su Ming glanced at Shenhe. She nodded in response. He then turned back to Hu Tao and said, "Then we'll have to trouble Director Hu to take a trip with us."
"The place is a bit far, and the circumstances are somewhat special. I hope you can be patient with us."
Hu Tao laughed. "No worries, no worries! I'm always professional when it comes to business, especially with clients who pay as promptly as you two!"
"Let's get moving, then. Where is the destination?"
"Mt. Tianheng."
"That's closer than I thought. Let's hurry, then. We might even make it back before dinner!"
After Hu Tao finished making a few arrangements and gave her undertakers some final instructions, the group of three set off.
It didn't take long for them to reach the base of Mt. Tianheng.
Under Shenhe's guidance, they quickly located a village that had long since been abandoned.
"It looks exactly as it did the last time I was here," Shenhe murmured in a low voice.
Looking at the familiar village of her memories, now reduced to ruins, a sense of emptiness and loneliness washed over her, accompanied by flickers of unease.
It was the sorrow of having nowhere to belong.
It was the helplessness of having lost both parents and one's homeland.
Seeing Shenhe's low spirits, Su Ming teased, "This is completely different. The last time we came, there was a whole gang of Treasure Hoarders entrenched here."
"Did you forget? I was the one who helped you take care of those guys."
Shenhe smiled upon hearing his words. "That's true... back then, you only knew some basic kung fu, but it was enough to deal with those types."
Hu Tao, who hadn't joined their conversation, pointed toward a figure in the distance and asked, "Isn't someone over there? Maybe it's not completely abandoned after all."
"Hmm?"
Shenhe followed the direction of Hu Tao's finger and looked over.
Sure enough, she saw a white-haired old man holding a bunch of fresh flowers. He stood there quietly, without saying a word, looking like a statue.
"Uncle Mingjun?" There was a hint of surprise in Shenhe's eyes.
Many years had passed, and the world had changed, yet to see an elder from her past today was truly unexpected.
Su Ming asked, "You know him?"
"Yes... I'd like to speak with him alone for a while, if that's alright?"
"Of course. Director Hu, you wouldn't mind taking a stroll with me around here, would you?"
Hu Tao giggled. "Hehe, I'm not someone who doesn't understand the atmosphere. Let's go. It's a good chance for me to see why this village was abandoned in the first place."
Su Ming and Hu Tao began to wander through the ruins, while Shenhe walked alone toward the elderly man.
"Uncle Mingjun, is that you?" Shenhe asked.
Hearing her voice, the old man turned around abruptly. His somewhat cloudy eyes suddenly burst with light, and he asked in disbelief, "You are...!"
"A-He! You're still alive?! Were those rumors actually true?"
"How have you been all these years?"
The corners of Shenhe's mouth curved slightly. "I was fortunate enough to be taken in and cared for by my Master, and I've been looked after by my Junior Brother. These years have been quite comfortable."
As she spoke, Shenhe began to recount her past. "A few years ago, my Junior Brother and I snuck down the mountain behind our Master's back and returned here once."
"It was already desolate back then, with only a few short-sighted thieves around."
"The people and things I knew had all left me. Looking at the broken houses, I felt lost for a moment. It felt like the world was vast and I could go anywhere, yet upon closer thought, there was nowhere I could truly go."
The old man, Mingjun, let out a sigh. "In the blink of an eye, so much time has passed. Everything has changed."
Shenhe continued, "Fortunately, my Junior Brother comforted me back then, so I wasn't as sad when we left. This time is the same. Just having him here makes me feel much more at peace."
Mingjun smiled warmly at her words. "When one is alone, it's inevitable to overthink. But once you have friends and people to care about, things get much better."
He looked toward Su Ming, who was currently leading Hu Tao on a "treasure hunt" in the distance, and asked, "That must be your Junior Brother? He's certainly a fine-looking young man."
Shenhe smiled and nodded. "Yes, that's him... He's my Junior Brother, but in our daily lives, he's actually the one who takes care of me more. To me, he feels more like a Senior Brother."
Mingjun also began to talk about the past. "One year when I returned, I heard stories from passing merchants about a white-haired adeptus. I never imagined it was you."
"I was once best friends with your father. I had the chance to stop him from performing that ritual, but out of a soft heart, I let him be. In the end, it led to a terrible mistake."
"I bring flowers back every year, and in my heart, I've always felt I owed you an apology."
Shenhe shook her head with a smile. "There is no need for an apology, Uncle Mingjun. Even if you had stopped him then, he would have found another way through different means."
"For the sake of his beloved, he was willing to disregard everything."
Shenhe said this with a smile, which caused Mingjun to daze for a moment.
"Do you not hate him?"
"Hatred or not, what meaning does it have?" Shenhe looked around. "The past has vanished like smoke, and people are no longer here. Hatred... what purpose does it serve?"
"My Master said that only when I understand how to use my strength for others will I be able to let go of the past and truly integrate into human society."
"Though I still have some doubts in my heart... I think I've found my direction."
As she spoke, Shenhe looked toward the direction where Su Ming was.
Mingjun also began to laugh. "That's good, very good... You've truly suffered all these years. I hope you can find a place to belong."
"I shall take my leave now. Knowing you are well has eased my heart. If there is a chance next time, I can tell you more about the old days."
Shenhe called out to Mingjun just as he was about to leave. "Wait, Uncle Mingjun. I want to know... where were my parents buried?"
Mingjun laughed heartily upon hearing this. "Hahaha, it seems... you really have let it go."
"Them... they were, after all, a branch of the Exorcist Clan. Although they were originally buried in the open space behind the village, they were later moved away by the main family."
"There probably isn't much left of the original grave site now."
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