[An 1,800-year-old retiree forced back to work in the city]
Everyone says living quietly in the city is the good life, but Lu Wangchen just wants to take it easy. As an immortal who has lived for eighteen centuries, he has seen all the world has to offer. Now he only wants to look after his little shop, Tranquil Studio, pet his black cat Xuanmo, restore old books, and brew a pot of Forget-Worries Tea.
But the trees may wish for stillness, while the wind refuses to die down. The girl next door has her family heirloom stolen by force, and a dead orchid conceals Tang dynasty baleful energy. The heir of an ancient martial arts family kicks down his door and mocks him for meddling despite being an ordinary mortal. A black market auction is rife with undercurrents, and a thousand-year-old relic is being sold off as trash…
Lu Wangchen sighs and sets down his teacup. He really doesn’t want to get involved. He lost interest in fighting and killing ages ago. But why do people keep forcing an old man who has watched Wang Wei paint, heard Li Bai recite poetry, and shared wine with Su Shi to teach them a little “reason” all over again?
So when an ancient martial arts grandmaster mocks him for knowing nothing but health-preserving tai chi, Lu Wangchen uses a single “Cloud Hands” move to dislocate every joint in the man’s body.
When an evil cultivator lays a century-old deadly formation, he casually uses the steps of a square-dance routine to trace out an ancient Immortal-Slaying formation.
When an otherworldly powerhouse from overseas arrogantly offers an exorbitant sum for the secret of immortality, Lu Wangchen simply smiles at the black cat by his feet. “Xuanmo, we’re having something special for dinner tonight.”
He slowly puts on a pair of plain, old-fashioned glasses. Behind the lenses, his gaze stretches across a thousand years, as calm as an abyss:
“All I wanted was a quiet retirement.”
I repeat myself every time I write.