Chapter 243: Keeping a Respectful Distance and Fleeing in Panic

“What does it mean to be both ‘is’ and ‘isn’t’?”

Zhao Zhen took an interest and asked.

Zhang Xiaoliu smiled and said: “I have received great kindness from Mr. Chen, so for the next ten years I will come here every day to offer incense and sweep the mountain steps. Saying it like that, I am not a worship visitor. But every time I offer incense, I pray in my heart for my son’s safety outside, so then I am a worship visitor.”

“Ten years!”

Zhao Zhen was stunned after hearing this and asked: “What kind of kindness could make you promise ten whole years?”

Zhang Xiaoliu just smiled and said: “A big kindness.”

“Never mind talking for now. There are so many mountain steps below that I probably cannot sweep them all clean in a short while.”

After saying that, he took a broom and started sweeping down from the gate of the Taoist Temple.

“You…”

Zhao Zhen wanted to ask more, but after thinking about it, he decided it was better to let it go.

Moyuan ate a green tangerine and watched Zhang Xiaoliu slowly sweep away the trash on the steps.

After he had received a gust of cool breeze from Moyuan last night, the mountain steps were much cleaner, with even fallen leaves being rare, so Zhang Xiaoliu did not need to take much care and felt more relaxed.

The green tangerine was not a free gift after all.

Zhao Zhen walked up and looked at Moyuan before asking: “Where is my Shadow Guard?”

Moyuan glanced sideways at him and then turned away, not wanting to talk to Zhao Zhen.

Zhao Zhen sat down and asked again: “Dead?”

Moyuan seemed unwilling to engage and said one word: “Dead.”

“…”

Zhao Zhen fell silent and asked: “Qingbo Marquis?”

Moyuan said: “If you talk any more, I will throw you down the mountain.”

Zhao Zhen was quiet and did not ask further.

From the first moment he saw this person, he knew he was no match. Now that his Shadow Guard was missing again, he did not speak recklessly any more.

Zhao Zhen looked at Zhang Xiaoliu sweeping the steps and then asked: “Just chatting about small things must be fine, right?”

Moyuan did not answer and closed his eyes for a nap, arms folded.

Zhao Zhen went on: “Is this person really going to sweep for ten years?”

“Ten years is too short for him.”

Moyuan said one sentence: “For anyone else, a whole lifetime of sweeping would not bring such good fortune as he has.”

Zhao Zhen could not hold back his curiosity. Hearing this, he knew it was not as simple as a life-saving kindness, so he asked: “What kind of kindness was it?”

Moyuan did not want to say at first, but after thinking, he suddenly smiled mysteriously and answered: “Immortal Fate.”

A flash of surprise appeared in Zhao Zhen’s eyes, but it quickly faded.

Moyuan watched his expression and said: “What? Feeling excited?”

Zhao Zhen shook his head and said: “This king does not believe in such things.”

Moyuan said after hearing this: “Do you think I should give you respect just because you call yourself a king? Even the Second Prince of the Dragon Palace had to bow to me here. What are you compared to that?”

Zhao Zhen smiled hearing this and asked: “In storybooks, I often hear about the Dragon Palace, but it is only in stories. Only the Son of Heaven is the True Dragon.”

Moyuan looked at him and said: “Do you have any courage?”

“Huh?”

Zhao Zhen looked at him and said: “If this king lacked courage, how could I have burned my bridges to take Great Jing and pacify Northern Mang?”

“Is that so?”

A trace of Golden Light suddenly flashed in Moyuan’s eyes.

In that instant, Zhao Zhen gasped out loud. His gaze seemed to see a True Dragon soaring from the ocean through Moyuan’s eyes.

“Roar!”

The sound of a Dragon’s Roar seemed to buzz in his ears.

Zhao Zhen felt a shock in his heart and saw a True Dragon coiled up in the sky.

The dragon’s eyes stared at him, as if to pull him into an abyss.

In just a brief moment, cold sweat dripped down his back, and he trembled badly.

When he pulled back his gaze, everything faded away, but the sound of that Dragon’s Roar echoed endlessly in his mind.

Zhao Zhen panted heavily and stood up.

His long sleeves hid his shaking hands, and in seconds, the back of his shirt was wet with sweat.

Moyuan laughed and said: “Such weak courage, yet you boast of being the True Dragon. It is laughable.”

Zhao Zhen did not snap back to reality for a long time.

At this moment, his look at this man had already changed.

Zhao Zhen swallowed thickly and his gaze suddenly shot to Zhang Xiaoliu, who was sweeping the steps.

“You said Immortal Fate just now… is it real?”

Moyuan kept silent and shut his eyes to sleep.

Zhao Zhen felt his mouth go dry and his ears ring.

He shook his head and glanced fiercely at the Taoist Temple behind him.

He saw the Divine Statue in the Main Hall and the wisps of smoke rising gently. In his mind’s eye, he seemed to see the Green-Robed Gentleman too.

Immortal!

The word echoed non-stop in Zhao Zhen’s mind.

His gaze darted around inside the Taoist Temple, as if at that moment the mountain temple had taken on a new shape.

Everything was different!

Zhao Zhen breathed heavily, his thoughts a mess in his heart.

“No, no, no…”

Zhao Zhen murmured the word “no” in his daze, as if denying something again.

Moyuan opened his eyes and watched him with interest.

This reaction was just what he wanted.

Zhao Zhen rushed toward the backyard.

In the Long Pavilion, Chen Changsheng sipped his tea and saw Zhao Zhen staring at him in a panic.

Zhao Zhen’s lips parted as if to speak, but a thought inside stopped him from asking.

“Is something wrong?” Chen Changsheng asked.

“No, no…”

Zhao Zhen murmured. He turned and ran straight toward the gate of the temple.

He realized he could no longer stay there.

Chen Changsheng put down his teacup at this sight.

He walked slowly toward the front yard.

Zhao Zhen stumbled, his clothes a bit messy, and he rushed out of the Taoist Temple, wanting to escape this place.

This was likely the most shameful moment for this king.

Moyuan looked on as Zhang Xiaoliu, sweeping the steps, was also drawn by the figure running down the hill.

Zhao Zhen ran down the hill in a daze and was out of sight in just a few moments.

“Ran off?”

Moyuan paused; this was not what he had expected.

Zhang Xiaoliu was confused too and asked: “Has this man gone mad?”

Moyuan shook his head and said: “Probably not.”

Just then, they saw Mr. Chen come out of the door.

Zhang Xiaoliu and Moyuan both called out together upon seeing Mr. Chen: “Mr. Chen.”

Chen Changsheng looked down the hill. His gaze saw Zhao Zhen fleeing wildly, with some bruises on his hands from probably scraping himself on the way down.

He was desperate to get away from here.

Moyuan was curious inside and asked: “Mr. Chen, why did he run?”

Chen Changsheng pulled back his gaze and said one thing: “He must have been scared.”

“Scared?” Moyuan asked.

Chen Changsheng nodded and said: “Scared that it would mess with his beliefs.”

Moyuan wanted to ask more, but he saw Mr. Chen had already walked back into the backyard, so he stopped asking and thought about why Zhao Zhen had run.

Back and forth, the tea in the Long Pavilion was a bit cooler now.

Chen Changsheng took a small sip. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he thought of Zhao Zhen fleeing wildly.

Kings all over the world seek immortality and Immortal Fate, yet Zhao Zhen alone had run away after seeing it.

“Really interesting. I wonder if he will come back to the mountain.”

Chen Changsheng shook his head and looked down at the book in his hand.