The middle-aged man's face showed a joyful smile as he solemnly bowed to Lao Han, his voice slightly choking as he said, "The future is in your hands now. Don't let me be restless even in the Nether Springs."
After these words, he instantly turned into a gust of cold wind, howling past. Lao Han felt a chill rise on his body and subconsciously wrapped himself in his blanket, only then waking up to realize it was all but a dream.
He looked at the candle still burning beside his desk and sighed softly, saying to himself, "So it was really just a dream." His tone was indescribably melancholic.
His gaze then fell onto the desk, where he saw a shining bronze lock quietly lying under the candlelight, glowing brightly.
He recognized the object as his old friend's personal belonging… a longevity lock his deceased parents had made for him. He had always carried it with him, never daring to lose it, and he would even take it out to clean from time to time.
