Chapter 150 Departure and Choice

"What is this?" Gong Youwei took a wooden sign from Li Daoxuan and looked at it carefully.

This is an exquisite wooden plaque with seal characters engraved on it and a red string passed through it, binding it tightly together.

The wooden sign itself doesn't seem to be anything special, but the carving is quite good.

Gong Youwei just took a look and was extremely happy.

"This is a protective amulet. I carved it at the market this morning. I also specially blessed it so it can protect you." Li Daoxuan looked at her curious expression and said with a smile.

Li Daoxuan originally wanted to give Gong Youwei a Taoist jade token for protection, but he didn't carry the jade tokens given by his senior brothers with him. When he was in Longling, he gave one of them to "Yuan'er" from the Wolong lineage as a favor. And the protective jade pendant he used to carry with him was also given to Yao Jinyu when they were at the bottom of the Qinhuai River.

Later, when he left the Li family and prepared to return to Baiyun Temple, Mrs. Li gave him a jade pendant with her name engraved on it. Because she had not seen Li Daoxuan for too long in her early years and missed him too much, she prepared it for her youngest son whom she had not seen for a long time. It was also a kind of sustenance. Li Daoxuan later always wore this jade pendant with him.

During this visit to the Zhao family, the third young master of the Zhao family gave Li Daoxuan a piece of nice mutton-fat white jade, but he did not take it with him at this time. Instead, it was kept by Li Yanming. Thinking of the great power of the golden rule he carved when he was in Longling before, he also wanted to use it to make another seal.

The market nearby was not very prosperous. Li Daoxuan went there early in the morning and saw a family leaning against the railing and carving window paper-cuts on the side of the road.

He stood aside and observed carefully, and saw that one of the masters had superb carving skills, and every cut was just right, perfectly showing the texture and grain of the wood. His carved window grilles were not only lifelike in shape, but also vivid in expression, as if they could breathe and move. Every detail was portrayed vividly, making people feel the vitality and warmth emanating from the wood.

So Li Daoxuan pondered for a moment, picked up a piece of good boxwood, gave some silver, and asked the carving master to carve Taoist cloud seals according to his wishes.

"Like it?"

"I like it!" Gong Youwei nodded vigorously. "I like it very much."

She took it in her hand and looked around, not wanting to put it down. Seeing her joy about this amulet, Li Daoxuan felt relieved.

Is this the first time he has given a girl a formal gift? It seems that he has never met any girls in his previous life. Although Gong Youwei is just a rabbit spirit, isn't this better? Li Daoxuan thought while eating a steamed bun.

I stretched my muscles after the meal and all the cuts on my body were almost healed.

After a day's rest, he recovered a lot physically and mentally.

It has been three days since he came out, and he has to go back to Dingjiao Town. After all, he told Li Yanming when he came out that if he couldn't go back after three days, his belongings would be sent back to Jinling. Now it has been almost three days, so he has to hurry back.

Thinking of this, Li Daoxuan's thoughts drifted away.

When he came to his senses, he found Gong Youwei approaching him, and he could smell the fragrance of orchid in her breath.

"What are you thinking about?" Gong Youwei asked in a low voice. She looked a little nervous, expecting but also resisting something that was about to happen.

"I've been out for some time." Li Daoxuan looked at her.

"Are you leaving?" Gong Youwei's voice trembled. "Then, will you come back to see me?"

"Maybe." Li Daoxuan sighed lightly. He didn't know if he would have the chance to come back to find Gong Youwei.

After all, the next place he would go was Yangzhou. After finishing the business in Yangzhou, he might go directly north to the capital. Or he might go to Hangzhou first, bury the Taoist's ashes in Hangzhou and then go to the capital to meet up with the old Taoist there.

The journey is long and can only be traveled by horse and carriage. It takes an unknown amount of time to go back and forth.

Why did the ancients worry about separation? It was probably because the journey was long and travel was inconvenient.

Separation is like a parting of life and death, and I don’t know what the future holds.

"." When Gong Youwei heard this, she just lowered her ears and said nothing more.

Perhaps because she was used to parting, she also knew that she could not keep Li Daoxuan.

He is a human, not a monster, and it is impossible for him to stay with me forever. It’s just like that little girl who suddenly left one day and we never met again.

Li Daoxuan also fell silent. He was very conflicted and he himself realized how complicated and depressed he felt.

"If you miss me, you can take this to the Li family in Jinling. My home is there. Even if you can't see me, my parents will treat you well." Li Daoxuan hesitated for a long time, and finally took off the jade pendant that Mrs. Li gave him and handed it to Gong Youwei. His name was written on it.

It was as if he was imitating a scene he had seen on TV in his previous life and left a token for Gong Youwei.

"Okay," Gong Youwei replied softly after taking the jade pendant.

Seeing her agree, Li Daoxuan began to pack his things. There weren't many things, just things he would need on the road.

When everything was ready and it was getting late, Li Daoxuan decided to set off early.

He left a few silver bars for Gong Youwei and gave her all the things he bought from the town.

"Take it. Eat something if you're hungry. I've left you some money. You can also go to the town to buy some things. But be careful to avoid being targeted by bad people. It's better not to take too much offerings from the temple. If you eat too much of these things, it's easy to be affected by karma. If you don't dare to go to the town, then put the money into the temple's merit box. Then it will be much better for you to take their offerings."

Li Daoxuan gave some instructions, said goodbye to Gong Youwei reluctantly, and then walked out of the cave.

As soon as I walked out of the cave, I heard Gong Youwei's voice.

"Wait, wait. Wait a minute." Gong Youwei ran to Li Daoxuan and looked at him with red eyes. "Are you really leaving?"

"I still have a lot of unfinished business, so I have to go." Li Daoxuan apologized. "But I promise that if I have time, I will come to see you."

"Your promises are useless. Someone told me this before, but she never came." Gong Youwei said aggrievedly. "If you don't come, if I go to your house and you're not there either."

".Alas." Li Daoxuan sighed and reached out to rub Gong Youwei's head.

He stared into her red eyes and asked, "You have nothing to worry about here, why don't you come with me?"

"This..." Gong Youwei was stunned when she heard this, but she felt that this was indeed a solution. It was just that she had been here for too long, so long that she was used to being alone here.

"Come with me, I'll take you to see the sea and the mountains." Li Daoxuan stretched out his hand and said, "Don't be afraid, I will definitely protect you. I swear in the name of the ancestors that if I lie to you, I will be punished by turning into a puppy."

"Tsk." Gong Youwei couldn't help laughing, and her ears moved. "Nonsense, the puppy is so fierce, I don't want it."

"Then let me turn into a rabbit. Do you think this is okay?" Li Daoxuan looked at her with sincerity in his eyes.

He really wanted to take Gong Youwei away from here and show her the colorful world.

She had lived for at least two hundred years, or even longer than two hundred years, perhaps even longer than an entire dynasty. She hadn't gone anywhere for such a long time, just staying here alone, which made him feel a little distressed.

"But, but..." Gong Youwei hesitated, not knowing how to answer Li Daoxuan.

She longed to see the world outside, yet was afraid of change. The stubborn and contradictory emotions entangled in her heart, making her not know what to do for a moment.

"Let's go." Li Daoxuan said softly. "My life span is very short, only a few decades."

"." Gong Youwei was stunned when she heard this. She stared at Li Daoxuan for a long time, and had countless thoughts in her mind. Her hesitant heart settled at this moment, and she seemed to understand what she wanted.

Placing her fair and delicate hand in Li Daoxuan's palm, Gong Youwei put one hand on her chest and replied softly, "I'll go with you."

"Yeah." Li Daoxuan held her hand tightly and pulled her out of the cave.

The moment they stepped out of the cave, the sunlight fell on them.

Birds are singing and deer are calling in the jungle, and green grass and flowers are blooming in the early spring.

They slowly walked out of the forest and headed towards the populated town.

Li Daoxuan found a way and headed towards the Zhao family's old house.

On the way, Li Daoxuan found some vines, made a simple cage and carried it on his back. Gong Youwei turned into a rabbit and stayed quietly in the cage.

Although she turned into a rabbit, she could still talk to Li Daoxuan.

Perhaps it was her first time traveling far away, Gong Youwei lay in the cage, poked her little head out and looked at the surrounding scenery with joy.

She felt that at this moment the sky was blue, the wind was warm, and everything was beautiful.

Li Daoxuan traveled very fast and his legs were nimble. Although he could not travel a thousand miles a day, he still arrived at the Zhao family's old house, which was about ten miles away, very quickly.

From a distance, he looked at the gloomy old Zhao family house and the Zhao family ancestral hall that had been reduced to ruins by gunpowder, and sighed.

When he reached the wall of the Zhao family's old house, Li Daoxuan leaped over and climbed in from outside the wall.

(End of this chapter)