Outside stood a man whose age was hard to pinpoint, seemingly around the same age as the King of Huo. Startled, they stared at each other like two ghosts.
“May I ask, immortal lady, is this your house?” the man, older than her, quickly regained his composure.
Feeling cold, Wei Linxia wore the cotton clothes and skirt she used in the Taoist temple. The man’s question arose from her attire.
“No, it belongs to the temple. I just occasionally come to clean,” she answered, trying to gauge his identity. His gray-white attire suggested a modest background, yet his face and eyes showed no sorrow. Even in a casual stance, he appeared imposing.
This type of person, Wei Linxia quickly matched him – a hidden master, likely with a painful past.
“Immortal lady?” The man frowned at the young Taoist nun inside, wondering if she was stunned by never having descended the mountain or seen a man before.
“Ah? What can I do for you?” Wei Linxia snapped back to attention.
“Young immortal lady, might I borrow this house?” he asked, seeming apprehensive. “Don’t worry, I’ll pay the temple’s oil money.”
Wei Linxia shook her head. “This house hasn’t been inhabited for a long time. Tai Qing and I discovered and tidied it up. If you want to stay, you can, but there’s only one bedding, no stove, and it’ll likely be cold at night. There’s a small town down the mountain where you could find a warmer inn.”
The man relaxed and softly laughed, “As long as the immortal lady permits me to stay here.”
Since he was determined, Wei Linxia said nothing more. She retrieved a key from her sachet’s hidden compartment and placed it on the table. “Here’s the key. When you leave, put it under the flower pot at the door. We’ll collect it.”
Wei Linxia stepped out of the wooden house, slightly nodding to the man as she passed. Strangely, she wasn’t afraid of him; perhaps he didn’t look particularly menacing. The man called after her again.
“May I know the immortal lady’s name?” he asked, seeming somewhat dazed.
Wei Linxia shook her head and ran off, lifting her skirt.
