Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life

Chapter 415: I'm Not Here

The light inside the shop was somewhat dim. On several rows of old wooden bookshelves that reached the ceiling, countless thread-bound books, rare historical volumes, and dust-covered calligraphy and paintings were piled densely.

Behind the counter sat an elderly man with a head full of white hair. He wore a faded cyan long robe, a pair of Western-style reading glasses perched on his nose, and was holding a yellowed copy of the Da Xing Compendium, reading with evident delight. When the door curtain rustled, the old man did not even lift his head; in a hoarse voice he casually said, "Browse as you like, no haggling. The rare volumes are on the innermost shelf, don't touch them if you won't buy."

Su Ming did not step forward to speak right away. Following his usual Way of Survival principle, he mentally sketched the entire shop layout, confirming there were no hidden doors or ambushes, then strolled slowly to the left bookshelf, casually pulled out a volume, and idly began flipping through it.

Time passed, little by little. The shop was so quiet that only the rustle of turning pages could be heard.

After the length of an incense stick, the white-haired elder seemed tired of reading. He set the book down, removed his glasses, rubbed his brow, and finally lifted his head. With those eyes that seemed cloudy, he appraised Su Ming up and down.

Just as the old man's gaze landed, Su Ming's finger suddenly went limp while flipping a page.

Plop.

A smooth, jade-green pendant slipped from his sleeve and fell onto the hard bluish brick floor, producing a crisp clack.

"Ah!" Su Ming exclaimed and quickly bent to pick it up.

In that very brief instant as he retrieved the pendant, he deliberately adjusted the angle so the pendant's front faced the counter, exposed to the dim light.The pendant's surface was carved with several faint, intricately detailed cloud patterns. It was the unique identity mark of an outer sect disciple of the Cloud Hidden Sect, and the special pattern it bore could not be forged by ordinary people.

The white-haired elder behind the counter had his pupils suddenly shrink to pinpoints. His normally stooped back almost uncontrollably straightened by half an inch, then he forced it down again.

took a deep breath, closed the book on the counter, and slowly

but held a restrained steadiness, "The books out front are mundane. If you seek genuine originals, perhaps you would accompany this

into his sleeve, lightly brushed the dust off his clothes, and nodded slightly. "Please

to the very back of the

the door was a modestly sized backyard. A gnarled old locust tree grew there, and fallen leaves carpeted the ground.

weak oil lamp burning in a corner. The furnishings were reduced to the

the secret room and pressed a few spots on the mechanism behind it. With a faint mechanical

the old

a young, delicate face. The old man's cloudy eyes suddenly filled with uncontrollable

sudden movement, the old man lifted the hem of his faded long robe, bent both knees, and

them above his head, and in a voice thick with

outer disciple, Chen Mingyuan,

the salute. Then he quickly stepped forward and took both of the old man's hands to

Su Ming's tone was gentle and respectful

his eyes with rough,

looked at Su Ming with eyes full of reminiscence and feeling. "Fifty years ago, this old man also wore the robes of the Cloud Hidden Sect and stood before the mountain gate, dreaming of soaring on a

voice carried the weathered weight of time. "I was slow of talent. I failed the Foundation Establishment breakthrough; three of my meridians were severed, my Qihai atrophied, and further progress became impossible. The sect showed compassion instead of expelling me; they gave me some travel

cramped secret room as if displaying the medals of his

is blind and deaf. I thought my life would drift away like this, muddled and forgetful, but heaven took pity.

listened quietly. He looked at this elder whose cultivation couldn't even stabilize at third-stage Qi Refining and who had almost completely fallen into mortality, and