As dawn broke, when Dazhu woke up and saw Fang Ming playing with Old Huang, he froze for a moment, rubbing his temples before asking in confusion:
"Fang Ming, I think I got drunk last night, right? But why don't I feel any headache at all? This is so strange..."
In his memory, the last time he got drunk, he suffered a splitting headache and felt weak all over for an entire day. But today, he was full of energy, with no trace of his usual hangover symptoms.
Fang Ming smiled slightly and handed over a steaming hot breakfast to Dazhu. "I gave you one of my master's specially prepared hangover pills. Don't underestimate these simple pills—their effects are extraordinary. Here, eat something to settle your stomach."
Hearing the mention of Fang Ming's "master," Dazhu's face lit up with admiration. He exclaimed, "Oh, it's from Old Immortal! That explains it. Nothing he made was ever less than miraculous."
After chatting for a while, Dazhu's curiosity got the better of him. "Fang Ming, did you come to Shanghai to find a job?"
Fang Ming was momentarily stunned, his thoughts drifting back to the instructions his master had given him on his deathbed—a secret about his origins and a mission tied to his destiny.
Recollections of the Master's Words
During his master's final moments, the elderly man spoke in a slow and solemn tone, revealing to Fang Ming:
"Xiao Mingzi, you've been with me for twenty-three years. There's something I must tell you. You're not actually an orphan."
Twenty-three years ago, Fang Ming's master had been wandering by the Huangpu River in Shanghai when he discovered an abandoned infant, barely clinging to life in the bitter winter cold. Out of compassion and a sense of fate, the old man took the child back to Miaohe Village to raise him.
"With my skills, I could have easily found your parents. But at the time, I was searching for someone to inherit my teachings. When I saw you, I felt it was a gift from the Three Pure Ones, so I brought you back to the mountain."
The elder sighed softly. "I had planned to help you find your biological parents once you became an adult. However, ever since that mysterious event, I've been unable to divine anything about your fate. Your destiny is shrouded, and only you can uncover it."
The master also mentioned that he had a few old acquaintances in Shanghai who might be able to help Fang Ming on his journey.
A Return to Reality
Dazhu's voice pulled Fang Ming back to the present.
"What are you daydreaming about?" Dazhu asked, concerned. "Didn't we say we were going to find Qiqi? If we don't hurry—"