The Sorrowmender

Chapter 73 – Why worship gods and Buddha when you can seek me?

Frostsky City's southern part, nightfall.

A man in black knocked on the Wang's door.

"Who are you?"

"Miss Wang, Mister Forgetting Worries asked me to deliver this bag to you," Li San said, handing over the cloth bag.

Wang Dong'er accepted it in confusion, a sense of foreboding already in her heart.

Xu Qingzhou had been gone for several days without returning.

Today, Wuyou also left the city, and now someone was delivering something. She wasn't foolish; she could guess what it meant.

Holding the cloth bag tightly to her chest, she bit her lip and asked softly.

"Did he leave any message for me?"

Li San shook his head.

"No, he didn't."

The sadness in Wang Dong'er's eyes deepened. "Do you know where he went—"

Li San shook his head again, "I don't know."

"Since I've delivered the items, I'll take my leave."

Li San's figure flickered and disappeared from the doorway. He had his own path to follow, as for this young lady...

Wang Dong'er looked into the vast darkness, empty and void, and hugged the cloth bag in her arms even tighter.

She turned and entered the house, but with every step, she looked back thrice, reluctantly closing the door.

She came to the candlelight and opened the cloth bag.

Carefully, she took out each item inside.

A letter, a property deed, several pieces of gold, and a black object she had never seen before.

She picked up the letter, which was addressed to her.

[To Miss Wang, personally.]

She opened the envelope, took out the letter, and slowly unfolded it, the handwriting coming into view.

Content:

Miss Wang, leaving without saying goodbye, please do not blame me.

When I first arrived in Frostsky, I was fortunate to be taken in by your kind heart, surviving until now.

I dare not forget this kindness. As I leave, I do not know when we will meet again.

These items are a token of my appreciation; I hope you won't mind.

The property deed of the Pavilion of Forgetting Worries is gifted to you. Whether to sell or keep it is entirely up to you.

The gold and silver are for your future needs.

That black object is called a "gun," a type of hidden weapon. Within ten meters, aim the muzzle at any vital point and pull the trigger to kill invisibly. It can kill anyone below the third level of the Innate Realm.

However, there are only six chances, so use it wisely for self-defense...

..........

There is no feast that doesn't end; with this journey through mountains and rivers, we part ways.

Written by Xu Qingzhou.

The end!

As Wang Dong'er read, she didn't know when her eyes turned red. She was a strong young lady, supporting this restaurant on her own.

But at this moment, after reading the letter, she couldn't help but feel her nose tingle.

A letter filled with black words, all about parting.

She knew Xu Qingzhou was not an ordinary person, and she also knew that once he left, he would never return.

This farewell was forever, yet she never got to say goodbye.

This was not the farewell she knew.

There was no ancient road with long pavilions, no autumn wind rustling, no lush green grass.

There was only a piece of rice paper, full of words, now wet with tears.

"Mister, oh Mister, I also call you Mister Forgetting Worries, but Mister, you didn't make me forget my worries; instead, you added to my sorrow, a sorrow that will last a lifetime..."

Memories flashed by, thoughts ran deep.

The voice slowly faded, the night stretched on, lamenting the sorrow of parting, sorrow upon sorrow.

Days later...

In the southern part of Frostsky City, a Pavilion of Forgetting Worries was gone, but a new shop had opened.

Named: Awaiting Your Return.

Frostsky City also lost a Mister Forgetting Worries, but gained a young lady who no longer smiled.

————

"Who exactly are you?"

"Help—"

"Don't come closer, don't come closer—ah!!"

"Quickly notify the real master—"

"Immortal, Immortal spare us, it wasn't us, please let us go......."

Outside Cloud City, in the land of a thousand rivers, a Heavenly Fire descended, reducing the entire Cold Peak Ridge to ashes, leaving not a single bandit alive.

In the sea of fire, an old woman with white hair stood at the peak of Cold Peak Ridge, holding the hand of a red-eyed child. Before her lay the corpse of an Elemental Infant stage old monster, trampled underfoot, head and body separated.

The old woman remained calm, speaking slowly, "Yan'er, we'll wait here. That Mister will come."

The red-eyed child nodded, "Mm!"

Months later...

In a mountain wilderness of Mortal Province.

Early autumn.

Leaves slightly yellow.

A small temple nestled in the mountains, sparsely populated, with mottled courtyard walls, long neglected, the ground covered in weeds and fallen leaves.

No one to tend it, no one knows which deity or immortal it worships.

But today, it welcomed an old woman, travel-worn.

Entering the temple, she first swept away the dust, cleaned the statue, lit three sticks of incense, and knelt in sincere prayer.

"Blessed Immortal, blessed Immortal, though I do not know which deity you are, I stumbled upon this place. If the Immortal can grant my wish, I will exhaust my family's wealth to restore the temple and recast the golden statue."

At this moment, someone arrived outside the door, dressed in white, pure as snow, untouched by dust, with a gentle smile and kind eyes.

"Old Madam, why pray to gods and buddhas when you can ask me?"

The old woman stopped her prayers, turned around, and looked blankly at the young man in white.

"Who are you—"

Xu Qingzhou smiled calmly, introducing himself with confidence.

"Who I am doesn't matter. Since you've come to pray to an unknown deity, there must be something troubling your heart."

"Instead of praying to a stone statue, why not ask me? I'm much more effective than that statue."

Listening to Xu Qingzhou's playful introduction, the old woman's expression changed.

Though it was her first time meeting this young man, she could tell he was likely a learned gentleman.

But she didn't believe his words. She had prayed at every temple she passed, entered every mountain she came across, prayed to Buddhas, and asked gods.

Her heart's desires had never been fulfilled. How could an ordinary scholar compare to these deities?

The old woman wasn't very knowledgeable, but she considered herself not foolish.

She lamented:

"Young Mister, please don't tease an old woman like me. You're not an immortal; how could you possibly help me?"

Hearing this, Xu Qingzhou's eyebrows twitched, remaining calm as if everything was within his expectations.

With a wave of his right hand, a withered branch flew into his hand, and he gave it a flick.

The wind rose!

The sound of the wind echoed, leaves danced with the wind, reaching for the heavens.

The old woman, an ordinary person living in the mountains, had never seen such a sight.

She was instantly terrified, staring dumbfounded at the young man before her.

Xu Qingzhou chuckled softly, "Old Madam, how do you know I'm not an immortal?"

Indeed, why couldn't he be an immortal?

Calling the wind and summoning the rain, isn't that what immortals do? And a living immortal at that.

The fear in the old woman's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by excitement and agitation.

She scrambled to kneel before Xu Qingzhou, kowtowing frantically.

"This old woman was blind to your greatness, offending the Immortal. I beg the Immortal's forgiveness, I beg the Immortal's forgiveness."

Such a scene left Xu Qingzhou a bit at a loss, quickly crouching down to support the old woman's arm, helping her up.

"You are the elder, I am the junior. Old Madam, please don't do this, I cannot bear it."

"You are an Immortal, you can bear it. Please, Immortal, help me, save my poor daughter."

The old woman nearly wailed.

Xu Qingzhou used both hands to help her up completely.

"Old Madam, don't worry. I promise to help you save your daughter, alright?"

"Thank you, Immortal, thank you, Immortal."

Xu Qingzhou smiled calmly, "Let's go outside and sit down to talk, shall we?"

"Whatever the Immortal says."

The women encountered in the mountains no longer called him Mister, mostly calling him Immortal. Xu Qingzhou didn't mind, as long as he could relieve their worries and receive the rewards he deserved, it was enough. As for the rest.

Just fleeting clouds.

As soon as they sat down, the old woman couldn't wait to say, "Mister, here's the situation, my daughter...."

But before she could finish, Xu Qingzhou interrupted her directly.

With a mysterious smile, "Old Madam, no need to say more, let me take a look and I'll know."