Lu Wuming still remembered that after being picked up by the old monk, they had always traveled along small paths through forests until they reached the Pill Sect.
The old monk seemed afraid of him being seen, deliberately choosing secluded routes and never letting him see villages or towns.
Liu Buli had originally planned to do the same. After all, he remembered the location of the Su family, and it was only a matter of crossing a few hills. There was no need to detour into a town.
However, when the two reached the mountaintop, the sun was already setting. As he prepared to move forward, he turned back and saw Lu Wuming staring into the distance, lost in thought.
Following his gaze, Liu Buli saw a cluster of lights.
According to the original body's memory, he knew that city.
It was the closest city to the Pill Sect, quite large, with bustling entertainment streets. At night, there were sometimes temple fairs and festivals, making it incredibly lively.
Liu Buli, as a modern person, had seen all sorts of neon nightscapes and found such scenes unremarkable. But thinking of the youth beside him, whose most crowded experiences were usually around corpses, a lively, bustling street like this seemed truly unprecedented for him.
A thought struck him, and Liu Buli pulled Lu Wuming, changing their direction. Pointing to the distant town, he said, "We're already very late. It doesn't matter much whether we catch up today or tomorrow. So tonight, we'll stay at an inn in that town. I'll take you to wander the streets, and perhaps you'll find something you like."
More unfamiliar words. Having heard so many from Liu Buli, Lu Wuming had grown accustomed to them.
He just didn't understand, "What does 'like' mean?"
What did it mean for him to like something?
But it didn't matter. Wherever Liu Buli led, he would follow.
It was no big deal.
By the time the two entered the town, it was completely dark. Liu Buli extended his hand to Lu Wuming, earning a strange look from the latter.
Liu Buli smiled and said, "Hold my hand, and I'll take you around. There are many people here, and you're so slender. I'm afraid we might get separated in the crowd, which would be troublesome to find each other."
Lu Wuming hesitated for a moment, then tentatively reached out and took Liu Buli's hand.
The warmth in his palm was even hotter than he expected. Lu Wuming felt a little flustered, realizing his hand was sweating, though he didn't understand why.
He felt a pang of discomfort, not wanting Liu Buli to notice his nervousness. He wanted to let go of the other's hand, yet he couldn't bear to.
As he hesitated and struggled, Liu Buli looked down. He then chuckled and said, "What's wrong? Wuming, is this your first time holding someone's hand? Are you shy?"
So this feeling was called shyness?
Lu Wuming nodded blankly.
Liu Buli's smile widened. He held Lu Wuming's hand and led him through the town.
Liu Buli truly considered Lu Wuming his disciple and family. Therefore, he wanted to show the youth all the good things, to let Lu Wuming see the beauty and light of this world.
So, as they walked, he constantly explained to Lu Wuming what he saw. When they encountered delicious snacks, he would buy some and share them with Lu Wuming.
The candied hawthorn was much more sour than he expected, and there weren't as many varieties as in modern times. The hawthorn tasted a bit astringent, making Liu Buli frown after just one bite.
Lu Wuming, however, was eating this for the first time. He cherished it, taking it and eating it bite by bite.
Liu Buli called it tanghulu, and he remembered it.
He also saw Liu Buli's frowning expression, so he quietly finished it by himself.
The two walked, stopping and starting, all the way to the night market. Besides food stalls, the night market also had many stalls selling jewelry and trinkets.
When Liu Buli encountered something novel, he would look down, and Lu Wuming would stay by his side.
These items had no spiritual energy. For ordinary people, they were just pretty accessories. For cultivators with spiritual energy, carrying them would be somewhat cumbersome.
But it had to be said that the craftsmanship of ordinary people was sometimes not to be underestimated.
The items displayed on the stall were exquisite and beautiful. Even Liu Buli, who had seen much of the world, couldn't help but want to look at them for a while longer.
However, while looking, he didn't forget Lu Wuming accompanying him. Tightening their clasped hands, Liu Buli looked down and smiled, "Wuming, if you see anything you like, tell your master. Master will buy it for you to wear; it would look quite nice."
Lu Wuming blinked.
After a long silence, he finally spoke. In his hoarse, low voice, he asked, "What is 'like'?"
He had never learned this word, and no one had ever said it to him. Just as he couldn't express many emotions in words, he also couldn't understand this emotion.
However, this question did stump Liu Buli a bit.
He stroked his chin, pondered seriously for a moment, and then said, "The meaning of 'like'... I can't express it very clearly either. It's probably seeing something and feeling very happy about it, the kind of thing you fall in love with at first sight. Can you understand?"
Lu Wuming didn't answer. He just quietly looked at Liu Buli's face, lost in thought.
The old woman at the stall, overhearing their conversation, chuckled and chimed in, "Like, dear, is that feeling of wanting to be together for a lifetime. It's 'him and no one else,' irreplaceable. You're still too young to understand this feeling, which is perfectly normal. Just pick something you find pleasing to the eye, something you think is beautiful."
She said this with a kind smile, pointing to her stall.
Lu Wuming was taken aback. He looked down, and a pair of yin-yang fish-shaped jade pendants caught his eye.
The carving wasn't particularly beautiful.
But seeing the way the two halves fit together tightly, he thought of his and Liu Buli's clasped hands.
Just thinking about it, his eyes couldn't move away.
Was this what Liu Buli called liking?
Lu Wuming didn't understand.
But before he could ask, Liu Buli reached out and picked up the two jade pendants. He looked down and immediately smiled, "Let's have these."
After paying, he handed the jade pendants to Lu Wuming.
As they continued walking, they hadn't gone far when Lu Wuming separated the two pendants and offered one half back to Liu Buli.
Liu Buli was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and asked, "So there's a share for me too?"
Lu Wuming nodded.
His face flushed for the first time, though it was subtly masked by the lantern light. His voice, rarely, held a hint of helplessness as he said, "I... I think I understand. I like you, Master."