Chapter 585

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Chapter 585: Bringing a Message

Outside the Buddhist temple.

“Just now, what was that noise?” Lu Wuwei frowned as he looked at the temple, asking in confusion.

“I don’t know,” Guan Zai shook his head and turned to the side to look at Zuo Qing. “What did you mean when you said he was exchanging lives for my brother?”

Zuo Qing had his back to them, his gaze fixed on the grand door of the temple, his fists tightly clenched, his eyes revealing deep sorrow and pain, without answering the question.

He knew that Ye Fan had succeeded.

Creak—!

The door of the temple slowly opened, and a figure in black stood behind it, looking up at the golden sun in the sky, like a transcendent deity. Tears streamed down his cheeks, gently dripping onto the ground.

In his chest, a glass-like heart was shining brightly.

Seeing that face, both Lu Wuwei and Guan Zai froze in place.

Guan Zai stared at him blankly, shock unprecedented in his eyes, his body trembling slightly, unable to control himself…

“Didn’t they say… he was dead?” Guan Zai croaked.

Zuo Qing remained silent.

Guan Zai snapped back to reality, quickly stepping up the last step, rushing toward the figure in front of the temple. This time, Zuo Qing did not stop him.

“Brother Zhou Ping!” he shouted at the figure.

Zhou Ping turned his head slightly. In the sunlight, his tear-streaked face was filled with guilt and sorrow.

“Brother Guan Zai…”

Guan Zai reached him, a sincere smile appearing on his face. “Brother Zhou Ping, it’s so good that you’re okay!”

Zhou Ping was stunned for a long time, a hint of bitterness appearing in his eyes.

He shook his head and said:

“Brother Guan Zai… right now, I want to be alone.”

Guan Zai was taken aback.

Zhou Ping lifted his right foot, gently stepping over the threshold of the temple. A barely noticeable flash of sword light cut through the space, and he vanished from sight.

Guan Zai stood there in confusion. After Zhou Ping left, his gaze followed the temple door, looking inside…

In the solemn and grand temple, the figures of the six spirits had already disappeared,

leaving only a golden Buddha statue, eyes closed and smiling, quietly sitting on the ground, devoid of any vitality.

Guan Zai’s pupils suddenly contracted!

……

Xijin City.

San Jiu’s Rustic Restaurant.

The figure in black stepped out of the void, standing at the entrance of this small, old rustic restaurant.

This restaurant was located at the edge of an alley, its sign slightly yellowed from the wind and sun, and the menu posted at the door was tattered. Fortunately, the restaurant still had a good reputation among regular customers, and even though it was in a remote location, there were still patrons willing to come here occasionally for a meal.

The door was wide open. Standing on the steps at the entrance, Zhou Ping could clearly hear several customers inside chatting and laughing, talking about how their child received some award at school yesterday, how the bricks at the construction site were particularly hot today, and how they planned to take their wife and child to a restaurant in the city center in a few days, but unfortunately, they didn’t have any money in their pockets right now…

The air was filled with rich aromas of food, the pungent scent of stir-fried green peppers and minced garlic, the sweet and greasy fragrance of rock candy in oil, the mouthwatering smell of onions stir-fried with meat… These aromas mixed with the customers’ idle chatter, exuding a unique and comforting atmosphere.

This was the atmosphere of the marketplace, the essence of the mundane world.

This was his home.

Zhou Ping stood at the bottom of the steps, watching his uncle busily cooking and serving dishes inside, feeling complex and heavy emotions.

His uncle had just served a plate of stir-fried onions and meat to a customer. When he turned around, he saw Zhou Ping standing there like a fool on the steps, raising an eyebrow.

“You brat, you still know how to come back?” His uncle grinned.

Zhou Ping opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but nothing came out.

Seeing Zhou Ping standing still, his uncle clicked his tongue.

“What are you standing there for? Come in and help! There are a lot of customers today, and I’m both the boss and the cook and the waiter right now; I’m so busy I could die.”

His uncle wiped his greasy hands on his apron, quickly walked down the steps, grabbed Zhou Ping’s wrist, and pulled him into the restaurant.

As they walked, he chattered on:

“You asked for a month off back then, and it’s been several months now! I thought you weren’t coming back. I’ll tell you in advance, I’m going to deduct two hundred from your salary for these months!”

“And that guy named Ye you found to replace you isn’t reliable either! He helped for less than a month and secretly ran away… couldn’t even wash the dishes properly or sweep the floor; I don’t know what else he could do…

My nephew is still the best!”

Zhou Ping was pulled into the restaurant, and then his uncle let go of him and quickly walked into the kitchen, leaving him standing there, somewhat at a loss.

“Hey, Xiao Zhou is back!” A regular customer who had just arrived saw Zhou Ping and smiled, “Order me some stir-fried greens and stir-fried bamboo shoots with shredded meat… Tell your uncle to put more meat in it!”

Zhou Ping instinctively picked up the order pad from the small table and noted down the two dishes with a ballpoint pen, then quickly headed toward the kitchen.

Amidst the fragrant stir-fried dishes and laughter, everything seemed to return to normal.

There were indeed quite a few customers today.

By the time Zhou Ping finished his tasks and sat at a table, it was nearly two o’clock.

He sat at a table near the door, his rolled-up sleeves still not lowered, staring blankly at the alley outside and the sky at the end of the alley, lost in thought.

His uncle walked out of the kitchen, saw Zhou Ping in a daze, and after a moment of silence, walked back into the kitchen.

At that moment, a figure appeared at the entrance of the rustic restaurant.

Zhou Ping suddenly froze upon seeing the person.

Zuo Qing, dressed in casual clothes, walked up the steps of the restaurant at a leisurely pace, pushed open the door, and walked in.

“It’s you?” Zhou Ping recognized Zuo Qing.

Zuo Qing smiled slightly, turned to glance at the menu beside him, and said:

“Could you order me a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes? And a bowl of rice.”

Zhou Ping paused, “Sure.”

He stood up to take the written order to the kitchen, while Zuo Qing sat alone at an empty table, sitting up straight and surveying his surroundings.

Before long, Zhou Ping returned with a plate of food and a large bowl of rice.

He placed the dish in front of Zuo Qing and quietly sat down across from him.

“How did you know I was here?” Zhou Ping asked.

Zuo Qing pulled a pair of chopsticks from a nearby basket, poured the scrambled eggs with tomatoes over the rice, and stirred it while saying, “The only place you could go is here.”

“I know… I shouldn’t have left at this time, but…” Zhou Ping paused, a look of distress appearing in his eyes, “I’m feeling very confused right now.”

“I understand,” Zuo Qing nodded. “I came here just to bring you a few words.”

“Words?”

“What Ye Fan wants to say to you.”