"Shi...yi..."
The Old Taoist Priest, trembling, grasped Gu Shi Yi's hand.
"Master..."
As soon as Gu Shi Yi saw him like this, she understood everything. Her eyes blurred with tears. The Old Taoist Priest said in a hoarse voice,
"Shi...yi, don't cry now... If you want to cry, wait... wait until I am buried in the ground, then you can cry..."
After saying this, he took a long breath, mustering the last bit of true energy in his body,
"Listen well, you must do the things I've cautioned you about before. Three days after my death, you must leave this place... Just bury me in this mountain, let this old body become a handful of earth, to nourish other creatures!"
As he spoke, the Old Taoist Priest's eyes rolled back, gazing at the temple's tile roof,
"Ah..."
With a long breath released, the Old Taoist Priest's hand loosened and limply fell onto the bedding,
Gu Shi Yi was stunned for a long while before coming back to her senses,
"Master!"
With a cry of grief, Gu Shi Yi threw herself onto the Old Taoist Priest's body and burst into tears,
"Master! Master! Don't die, if you die, what am I supposed to do alone in this world..."
She and the Old Taoist Priest had roamed together for twenty-five years, sharing hardships and luxuries alike. The pain and joy they experienced were not something outsiders could understand. Their master-disciple bond was deeper than most, and especially since she knew in her heart that the Old Taoist Priest's quick passing was greatly related to her, she felt pain, regret, and self-blame that led her to cry uncontrollably, as if the days turned dark and the sun and moon lost their light. And she cried for a whole day and night!
Li Yaner, standing by, was also heartbroken, and the two of them stayed by the Old Taoist Priest's side, not having a bite to eat or drink. In the end, it was Li Yaner who, seeing that Gu Shi Yi was about to collapse, persuaded her,
"Shiyi, it's been a day and a night now, it's time for your master to be buried. You... you should let him rest in peace!"
The master had warned them before, hadn't he? That they must leave this place three days after his death. It had already been a day and a night; any more delay and the three days would be up!
Gu Shi Yi was, indeed, persuaded, and with great effort, she composed her grief and got up to look outside for a feng shui treasure spot to bury the Old Taoist Priest. She searched and finally found it five miles behind the temple: a hilltop backed by mountains facing southwest, a secluded old forest rarely visited by people. If the Old Taoist Priest were buried there, he could enjoy the view of the mountain below and the sound of the wind and trees when there were no troubles.
Gu Shi Yi went to negotiate with the solitary Pine Tree Spirit standing on the mountaintop,
"My master has died, and I want to bury him here. Can you watch over him for me?"
The Pine Tree Spirit thought for a moment and replied,
"No."
Gu Shi Yi was somewhat annoyed at this response,
"Why not... He was good to you in his lifetime. If it weren't for him, how could you have survived the Heavenly Tribulation two years ago and become a spirit? You are so ungrateful!"
After thinking it over, the Pine Tree Spirit answered,
"Now that you mention it, I seem to remember something like that..."
Its memory of what happened before it gained spiritual wisdom was somewhat vague, but upon Gu Shi Yi's reminder, some recollections came back to it,
"Alright, to prevent you from spoiling my reputation with reckless talk, I'll let your master be buried here..."
Gu Shi Yi was overjoyed, but before she could speak, the Pine Tree Spirit continued,
"However... If this feng shui treasure spot is used to bury someone, then it would be the only 'imperial solitary grave' within a hundred miles. The focal point lies right under my roots. As the saying goes, one mountain cannot harbor two tigers, whether in life or in death. If you want to bury him here, you'll have to move me..."
Gu Shi Yi was stunned,
"Is that so?"
She heard it continue,
"I've been in these mountains for too long, and I'm tired of it. Take me to see what the outside world is like... Anyway, now that your master is gone, I figure you won't stay in these mountains either... How about taking me with you? That way... I make room for your master, and I get to leave too, a win-win situation for everyone!"
"This..."
Gu Shi Yi hesitated, not speaking. The Pine Tree Spirit grew impatient and pressed on,
"If you don't take me with you, even if you cut me down, it's useless. My roots run deep, ten zhang into the ground. If you dare to bury him here, I'll dare to push him up from underneath the ground, ensure that he can't rest in peace even in death, and make him a homeless soul exposed to the wilderness!"
How ruthless!
Gu Shi Yi remembered the Pine Tree Spirit was said to have lived for a thousand years, but it had only gained wisdom in the last two years, technically still a child. Such younglings were often unreasonable, rash enough to do anything when provoked!
Moreover, it was a feng shui treasure spot!