Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know (on hold)

17

The temple would have been abandoned decades ago if it had not been restored by the imperial court. Very few people come to offer incense.

When Yin Hanjiang returned to Wen Renhe he asked: "Do you come here often?"

Yin Hanjiang's ears slightly reddened but he kept a cold expression as he answered honestly: "If I am not in seclusion, I come once a year."

But it was the first time he could come with Devil Venerable.

"I don't cultivate the path of virtue nor do I eat offered incense. I am right beside you, so why do you worship a statue?" Wen Renhe was puzzled.

Yin Hanjiang followed him since he was a child. So he always thought he knew Yin Hanjiang, but after reading the book he learned that he saw only one side of Yin Hanjiang. Since then, he focused more on him and discovered many details that he had not noticed before.

For example, the temple was more than 80 years old, but the statue looked new. Part of this must be attributed to Yin Hanjiang. He came here once a year, but he had never noticed it even once before.

Just as Yin Hanjiang was about to answer, a man dressed as an official came over to them. He looked like was 50 or 60 years old and when he saw Yin Hanjiang, he took the initiative to say: "Is this young warrior surnamed Yin?"

Unlike his indifference to others, Yin Hanjiang politely replied bowing his head: "Exactly."

The old official looked at Yin Hanjiang with a nostalgic expression and sighted: "I have been guarding the Martyrs' Shrine since I was sixteen years old. Over the last forty years I have seen fewer and fewer people coming to pay their respects. In the past eleven years, I haven't seen you Young Master so I thought you had forgotten about him."

"My father, who has been unable to come to pay his respects in recent years due to his disability, asked me to come for the first time this year. He told me that my great-grandfather was saved by General Wen 80 years ago. The Yin Clan will not forget about this for generations, even if I grow old, my children and grandchildren will come. "

Yin Hanjiang seldom spoke at such length so he was not good at expressing his thoughts. The first time he saw this official he was disguised as his great grandfather, and gradually took up the roles of his own grandfather and father. He might even pretend to be his own son and grandson in the future.

In the past eleven years, he has not come saying it was because of his father's disability but it was thanks to the Massive Demonic War that Yin Hanjiang couldn't come.

"The old official took a wet cloth and wiped the Martyrs statue in front of Martyrs' Shrine, revealing every name. "He kept saying that if it weren't for General Wen, the town might have changed hands 80 years ago during the war."

After wiping each name with a damp cloth, the old official gazed at a name "Zhang Ergu" and proudly said: "This is my grandfather, who left my father behind to die in the battlefield. My father said that the peace in the frontier town now is the result of the flesh and blood of my grandfather and countless soldiers. Although my grandfather died, he is very proud of him."

As the autumn wind became stronger, the old man wrapped his clothes tighter and said to Yin Hanjiang with a smile: "Young people are strong and not afraid of the wind and cold. But you should wear more clothes in the winter, otherwise it will be unbearable when you grow old."

He put away his scrubbing cloth and left the Martyr's Shrine with a small bucket in hand.

Only when he was far away, Yin Hanjiang turned back and earnestly answered: "it's not the same."