No Regrets in This Life

"You haven't changed a bit, still the same as you were back then. Even here in the underworld, you insist on being a tailor," Gu Ning'an said with a chuckle. "No wonder City God Xu and his men were so cautious about my intentions.

"It seems they were worried that if their tailor were gone, no one would be left to make their clothes."

As he spoke, Gu Ning'an gestured to a nearby seat and smiled. "Sit down, let's chat. I've got some tea you won't come across often."

"Ah!" Old Tailor Ma quickly responded, "A rare opportunity indeed. I must savor a few extra cups!"

Once they sat down, Gu Ning'an reached out and seemingly plucked a yellowish clay jar out of thin air. Meanwhile, Old Tailor Ma flipped over an upside-down teacup on the table and was about to fetch some water from the well outside when—

A clear stream of water gently flowed into the hall from outside.

Gu Ning'an opened the lid of the teapot on the table, and the stream of water filled the pot on its own. Once it was full, he lightly tapped the pot, and the water inside immediately began to boil. A faint mist rose from under the lid.

He took some tea leaves from the jar and placed them in the pot. Instantly, the rich aroma of tea spread throughout the room.

Watching this magical display, Old Tailor Ma simply smiled and observed quietly. But as time passed, his grin grew so wide it seemed to stretch to the back of his ears.

Gu Ning'an poured tea into two cups and gestured, "Enough grinning, drink up."

"Hehehe~" Old Tailor Ma leaned close to his cup, taking a deep inhale. Wisps of white steam flowed into his nostrils.

Since souls couldn't consume food or drink, Gu Ning'an didn't bother warning him about the tea being scalding hot.

"Good tea! Excellent tea!" Old Tailor Ma smacked his lips, his smile growing even brighter. "To think, in life I had the honor of making clothes for an immortal, and now, in death, I craft garments for the gods. And to have an immortal personally seek me out, even brewing tea for me to enjoy...

"No regrets in this life! What a life it's been!"

Gu Ning'an waved his hand dismissively, laughing. "Alright, enough with the 'immortal' this and 'immortal' that. It sounds awkward. You've less than half a year left of your yin lifespan. Any plans?"

"Plans?" Old Tailor Ma casually threw out the now tasteless tea onto the ground outside and poured himself another cup. "Not much. If you hadn't shown up, I'd have asked to become a wandering ghost and waited for your return.

"But now that you're here, and I've seen you wearing that white robe I made, I have no lingering regrets."

After speaking, he took another deep inhale from his freshly poured tea.

Gu Ning'an smiled. "So, you've made peace with everything?"

"I have." Old Tailor Ma lowered his voice, saying, "City God Xu and his people have treated me well. When I first became a soul, they would occasionally let the night patrol escort me to visit my son.

"Over the past couple of years, I've seen my son manage the tailoring shop wonderfully. With no more worries about my kin in the mortal world, I've let go of those attachments."

Gu Ning'an sipped his tea and replied, "Alright. When the day comes for your soul to return to the heavens and earth, I'll come to send you off."

"That'd be wonderful!" Old Tailor Ma laughed heartily and resumed pouring tea.

With the topic of his impending departure settled, Old Tailor Ma began recounting the amusing events he'd experienced after Gu Ning'an left Lexiang County: tales of his life, his encounters in the underworld, and all the bizarre things he'd witnessed after being taken by the underworld officials.

Most of the time, Gu Ning'an simply listened, occasionally chiming in with a word or two.

The temple hall, adorned with the statue of the City God, became an impromptu tea house for the two old friends to reminisce.

Time slipped away, reaching the end of the Yin Hour (around 5 AM), and dawn was just half an hour away. Only then did the two conclude their "tea session."

"Well then, Mr. Gu, you should get some rest now—the sky's about to brighten," said the old tailor, rising with a smile.

Gu Ning'an nodded. "You go ahead. I still have matters to discuss with City God Xu."

"Alright." The old tailor replied, his gaze drifting toward the jar of tea leaves.

Gu Ning'an noticed and smiled knowingly. "Take it with you. It's yours to keep."

"Ah!" Grabbing the jar gleefully, the old tailor replied, "Many thanks, sir!"

"Take care," Gu Ning'an said.

"Please, no need to see me off!" The old tailor cupped his hands in gratitude, holding the jar tightly as he floated away happily.

Once the old tailor had vanished beyond the temple gates, Gu Ning'an stood and bowed respectfully toward the City God statue. "I apologize for intruding on you tonight, City God Xu."

Shua!

A divine light flickered, and City God Xu's figure materialized in the hall. He returned the bow courteously. "You're too kind, Mr. Gu. On the contrary, you've solved a troubling issue for me."

Gu Ning'an waved dismissively. "It was just a small effort. However, I have a few questions—would you be willing to enlighten me?"

"Enlighten? Not at all." City God Xu gestured invitingly. "Please, come to the rear hall. I've had some refreshments prepared. Let's talk while enjoying your exquisite tea."

He added with a grin, "Might I trouble you for more of that marvelous tea?"

Gu Ning'an chuckled. "It's just ordinary tea. If you'd like more, you're welcome to it."

"Then I shan't hold back!" City God Xu laughed heartily and gestured for Gu Ning'an to proceed. "The aroma from earlier had me salivating."

Gu Ning'an walked alongside him, replying with a smile, "Drink to your heart's content."

...

In a side room of the rear hall, City God Xu invited Gu Ning'an to sit.

A large round table before them was laden with an array of fruits and pastries.

Once more, Gu Ning'an performed his magical feat, summoning another jar of tea leaves from thin air. He brewed a pot of tea, placing it on the table, then handed the jar to City God Xu.

City God Xu accepted the jar without hesitation, his admiration for Gu Ning'an's display growing. He couldn't help but marvel at the method.

There had been no fluctuation of spiritual energy, nor did it seem to involve any magical artifact. How exactly did he do it?

Unable to contain his curiosity, City God Xu finally asked, "Mr. Gu, where do you draw your tea from? Do you use a storage artifact of some kind?"

"No, I don't have anything like that," Gu Ning'an replied with a smile. "I retrieve it from my Ansi Courtyard."

"It's inconvenient to carry such things around, so I leave them at home and take them when needed."

Hiss!

City God Xu drew a sharp breath.

Such an ingenious method was beyond anything he had ever heard or seen. To retrieve an item from the Ansi Courtyard, over ten miles away, with such precision—what kind of mastery over spiritual energy did that require?

More astonishingly, there wasn't even the slightest ripple of power to be detected!

Was this what it meant to possess the abilities of a "true immortal"?

Gu Ning'an casually grabbed an orange from the table, peeling it as he asked, "City God Xu, as an official deity under imperial mandate, are you familiar with how cultivation realms are classified in the current era?"

"Cultivation realms?" City God Xu paused to think before replying. "I don't believe there's any formal classification… When it comes to combat, it's more about whose Dao is deeper or whose spells are more profound."

"However, among us City Gods, strength is often measured by the size of the territory one governs. For example, the most powerful among us, who oversees all City Gods, is the City God of the Jingji Prefecture…"