Chapter 697: Extra (6): If We Meet Again in Another Year

"Fellow Daoist, please stay your step!"

"Stay your step!"

"Ahem, I see your forehead is dark, your expression gloomy, and you are surrounded by a bloody aura; you must have encountered something terrible recently... Let me calculate... did someone in your family die!?"

"If I haven't guessed wrong, the one who died was a woman! And she was the woman you loved most!"

"Right!?"

"I guessed right, didn't I... Hey, hey, hey, don't get excited! Fellow Daoist! Let's talk this out! Let's talk this out!"

Clang—

"Calm down, put your sword away! Put your sword away first!!!"

Slap.

Slap, slap, slap.

"Look, you can't beat me anyway, and I already told you to calm down."

"You can't even beat my sword, how weak—"

"Harmony is precious, harmony is precious!"

"Alright, you have some energy now, are you willing to listen to me?"

"..." Jian Xinxin narrowed his eyes, glaring at the strange person who had suddenly appeared before him.

Who was he?

His strength was unfathomable, but judging from the exchange just now, he was extremely powerful; he himself had absolutely no power to resist.

Formless?

Or... Asking Dao?

Where did this old monster crawl out from?

Why provoke him on purpose?

Jian Xinxin wanted to leave, but no matter what he did, he couldn't shake the person off; that man kept trailing behind him with ease, pointing and commenting on his Divine Travel Talisman.

Finally, he could only say powerlessly: "... What exactly do you want to do?"

"No matter what you want, I can't satisfy you, can you please stop following me."

Jian Xinxin truly could not understand what this person wanted to do.

He was just a widower who had lost his beloved wife; what on earth did this person want from him?

Is he sick?

He wouldn't fight, he wouldn't kill, he just kept chattering on and on... A scholar can be killed but not humiliated!

What do you want to do!

"Do? Nothing much, I just can't stand to watch you in this decadent state."

The Daoist in the black robe and golden crown waved his hand at these words and said with a smile: "Ahem, as a senior expert, I want to give you a little bit of help; that's not hard to understand, right?"

"..." Jian Xinxin's mouth twitched; he really wanted to loudly refuse this kindness.

"What? You aren't willing?"

"No need."

"Really don't need it? My patience is also limited. If you keep being so disobedient, then I'm leaving!"

"No need, farewell!"

Jian Xinxin snorted coldly and turned to leave.

And this time, the strange Daoist finally did not pester him again, remaining where he stood.

"You really won't regret it?"

"Hmph!"

Jian Xinxin snorted coldly and walked away quickly, wanting to escape this fellow completely.

Until... he heard a low chuckle from behind him.

"Hehe, you had better not regret it."

The Daoist said softly, as if talking to himself:

"What a pity, I clearly wanted to tell you that I could bring her back to life..."

!!!

"What did you say?"

Jian Xinxin turned back abruptly, then suddenly discovered the other party was standing right behind him; he had actually been standing in the same spot the whole time, not having taken a single step!

"I will point you toward a bright path."

The Daoist, whose face could not be seen clearly, flicked the horsetail whisk resting on his shoulder and pointed forward.

"Right now, your elder brother wants to do something rebellious; it is already too late for you to stop him, but you can still say goodbye to him."

"Go and bid them farewell, sever your ties with the mortal world, and when you return, I will teach you what must be done."

Jian Xinxin reached out, wanting to grab the other's lapels, but he grabbed nothing; the figure dissipated like a bubble, and he shouted anxiously: "Is what you just said true!"

Only a light chuckle remained echoing in his ears.

"Go."

Jian Xinxin wanted to ask more, but he was stunned by the scene before his eyes.

It wasn't just that he hadn't escaped earlier.

He...

Had not taken a single half-step from the spot.

Was all of this a dream?

"……"

Jian Xinxin took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and walked toward Huangji Hall.

Even if it were a dream, he had to do it.

Because that was the only hope.

……

……

"I have done as you said," Jian Xinxin stared gloomily at the Daoist before him. "I have already bid farewell to my elder brother and severed our relationship."

"What do you want me to do? Who do you want me to kill?"

In Jian Xinxin's view, the other party making him cut ties with others was nothing more than to have him do some unspeakable deeds.

"Kill? No, no, no, the person I want to kill, how could you possibly kill them?" The Daoist shook his head in amusement, then handed Jian Xinxin a small tree and said with a smile: "I want you to plant a tree."

"Plant a tree?"

"Yes, just plant a tree, in front of your wife's grave, plant this tree."

Jian Xinxin frowned, feeling that trusting him was still a bit too rash.

Just by planting such a small tree of unknown origin, could Xiaomei be saved?

"This is just like a farmer, sowing in spring and harvesting in autumn." The Daoist whispered, his gaze gentle as he said: "Sow expectations in the past, irrigate them with time, and finally harvest them in the future."

Jian Xinxin seemed to have a realization, but still dared not believe it.

"However, if I don't let you see a little something, I'm afraid you won't be at ease." The mysterious Daoist said, sweeping his horsetail whisk lightly.

Whoosh—

The scene where the two stood changed again, and they actually appeared directly at the ruins of Mei Family Village!

"What... are you doing!?"

Because at this very moment, Jian Xinxin suddenly sensed something.

Thump.

He heard a faint heartbeat.

From inside the grave!!!

This, this is impossible!?

"She is dead, but not completely dead yet; a glimmer of life still remains. This tree can preserve her life, but it will also cause her to return to the Earthly Realm again in another way."

"When that time comes, she will remember you, but she will no longer be the person you are familiar with."

"She will resent you, and she will want to kill you."

"Are you still willing?"

Jian Xinxin did not ask those things, but instead knelt directly on the ground and quickly planted the sapling. After finishing this, he stood up and looked at the Daoist.

"How much time will it take?"

As long as she can come back, it doesn't matter what she becomes!

It doesn't matter.

Whether she is human, demon, or ghost, it doesn't matter!

If she wants to kill me, then let her kill!

"When the time comes, you will know." The Daoist chuckled and patted Jian Xinxin on the shoulder: "When the Flower Blooming, you will naturally understand."

"Senior!!!"

Jian Xinxin wanted to kowtow to express his gratitude, but only then did he awkwardly remember that he hadn't asked for the other party's name.

For a benefactor, this was such a discourtesy.

"Hmm?"

"Please tell this junior your name!" Jian Xinxin kowtowed and said respectfully: "For such a great kindness, this junior will definitely repay you in the future!"

The Daoist was stunned for a moment, then scratched his head and wondered: "Eh? Did I not say it this time? Haha, then I will tell you when we meet next time."

He waved his hand, and after saying this, he turned and left in a carefree manner.

"Senior!?"

"The matter here is finished, so naturally I must go. Off I go, haha."

"Senior!" Jian Xinxin struggled, but was trapped in place by an invisible force. Finally, in utter helplessness, he could only keep shouting: "If, if we can meet again in the future, please must tell this junior your name!!!"

"Rest assured, next time for sure."

The Daoist looked back and smiled at Jian Xinxin. The mist on his face gradually dissipated, revealing a youthful and delicate face that was overly young.

"You will definitely know."

……

……

A hundred years later.

"Xiaojian, uh, cough cough, Senior Sister has brought you a surprise today!"

Senior Sister was making trouble again.

She had raised a white fox Spirit Pet during this period, and her state had stabilized quite a bit, but now that the Spirit Pet had died prematurely, she had started causing chaos everywhere again.

"Sigh..."

Jian Xinxin was being perfunctory while thinking about how to drive this annoying person away, but suddenly a palpitation flashed through his heart, and he subconsciously looked outside the door.

He saw a strange figure who should have been waiting outside the door, but couldn't help but poke their head in.

Wait... strange!!?

After seeing the other person's face clearly, Jian Xinxin was stunned. Memories sealed away a hundred years ago surged forth at this moment, and he stared at the youth, dumbfounded.

"So... it is you."

If we meet again in the years to come...

The youth was stunned for a moment, then walked into the room with a chuckle, showing no signs of timidity, and cupped his hands in a familiar manner: "Oh my, are you Senior Brother Jian? Truly handsome and a man of great talent!"

That was not all; the youth actually stepped forward and took Jian Xinxin's hand, shaking it.

"Hehehe, my name is Ren Yidao. It's our first time meeting, please take care of me in the future, Senior Brother!"

"Ah... um, okay."

Jian Xinxin was stunned and nodded subconsciously, but felt it was inconceivable.

This... what on earth is going on!?

While he was bewildered, the little fox was secretly snickering, feeling that he had successfully latched onto a powerful backer once again.

Really not bad!

This Divine Path Sect, really not bad!