Old Sage

The two arrived at Doctor Lou's shop, and Lei Xing told Ah Jin to wait outside and busy herself with something, while she went inside still in a great mood.

She walked in to find Doctor Lou lying on his desk, sleeping again.

{...Business must really slow here...}

 Lei Xing stood in front of the desk and cleared her throat to wake him up, he didn't respond. So she lightly knocked on the desk and Doctor Lou groaned, "We're closed."

Lei Xing rolled her eyes.

{...Well, that's why business is slow -_-)...}

 "Why do you have the doors open if you're closed?"

Doctor Lou then raised his head and squinted at her, then sat up and asked in shock, "You really got kicked out?"

Lei Xing pursed her lips, "No, I-"

"Did something happen to my ring?" Doctor Lou asked, cutting her off.

"No, it-"

"Oh, so you missed me?" Doctor Lou excitedly asked, cutting her off again.

 Lei Xing stared at him blankly, "No, I ca-"

"Tch, would it kill you to just say yes? Children these days are so horrible, too uptight, too headstrong, high-strung... I miss the good old days when young ones knew to be cute and lovable." Doctor grumbled looking downcast and repeatedly sighing. "No one ever comes to visit me just to check on me, it's always for some reason or the other. Children are so selfish..."

Lei Xing stood there looking at the lamenting old man, a bit confused at this string of complaints being hurled her way.

{...Well someone is in a bad mood...We're not even friends, you know...Why should I have to check on you -_-?)'...}

 "So...Why are you here?" Doctor Lou asked looking at Lei Xing still with an aggrieved expression on his face.

Lei Xing looked at him and was not sure what to say now.

{...I seem to have a stepped on a land mine...Definitely came at the wrong time this time...I am really bad at dealing with people's emotions so...}

 "Um...I think now's not a good time, so I'll just come back later." Lei Xing said while taking steps back.

"No, you've already woken me up. Give me my ring." Doctor Lou said, stretching out a hand for it.

Lei Xing moved the hand with the ring slightly behind her back, looking at him with a guarded expression, "Why?"

{...You're not seriously going to take the ring back because I didn't come to "check on you"...that's too petty!...}

 Doctor Lou looked at her face and then burst out into laughter, hitting the table as he howled with laughter.

Lei Xing frowned in confusion at the sudden change in mood.

{...So now he's having mood swings? -_-)'...}

 After Doctor Lou managed to restrain his laughter, "Before you boldly said you will return it so easily, now that you have seen its greatness, you can't part with it, right?" he asked leaning forward, smiling and wiggling his eyebrows.

Lei Xing's lips twitched, "I said we would negotiate a price first, and if we couldn't come to an agreement, then I would return it."

Doctor Lou clicked his tongue, "Same thing...There's no need to panic, I just want to inspect it."

Lei Xing cleared her throat and slipped off the ring and handed it over, "Of course..."

 Doctor Lou took the ring and looked it over carefully.

Then he got out a cloth, blew on the jewel, and started cleaning it, while casting Lei Xing a side glare and scolding, "I told you this is a precious treasure, do you know how much effort it took to make it? You should treat it properly...Children these days don't understand true value, do they? Then they complain when things don't work."

"Is something wrong with the ring?" Lei Xing asked, concerned.

"Of course not, how can there be anything with it? If anything's wrong, it's the owner who is wrong." He replied still focused on cleaning and petting the ring. "So someone tried to poison you, huh? It's definitely your cold attitude that got you in trouble, isn't it?"

Lei Xing frowned, "I'm a very cordial person."

Doctor Lou cast Lei Xing a disbelieving glance, then Lei Xing cleared her throat, "Well, most of the time, I am."

{...Plus I have never been rude to the Empress dowager -_-)...I haven't, right?... I believe so...}

Doctor Lou snorted, "If you say so..." Then he handed the ring back to her. Lei Xing quickly took it and put it back on.

Doctor Lou then folded his arms and sighed, "It must have been the Empress dowager's work..."

Lei Xing was startled and then whispered, "How did you know that?"

 "So early on, it's clearly obvious...or do you have any other enemies who have the means? But then again, you never know, you're the oblivious sort to go around upsetting people." Doctor Lou said in a condescending tone and then sighed, "It's a pity..."

Lei Xing covertly rolled her eyes.

{...Back to that again...Let it go!...Haah, if I knew I would have just answered "Yes" -_-)'...}

 "...She has always been good at making poisons..." Doctor Lou finished and sighed deeply again.

Lei Xing ears perked up, "You sound like you know her well."

{...Tell me more O_O)...}

 Doctor Lou looked up at Lei Xing and then smiled, "You want to know?"

Lei Xing nodded.

"Come closer." He said, waving her over. Lei Xing hesitantly crept closer and bent her head down to listen. Doctor Lou whispered, "Actually..." and then he flicked her forehead.

Lei Xing instantly withdrew with a hand rubbing her head, "Hey!"

 Doctor Lou burst into laughter again, "Don't be so nosy, but if you want to know, visit me more often, then maybe I'll tell you..."

Lei Xing frowned at the laughing old man.

{...Fine, keep your story -_-)...}

 "Oh, by the way, why are you actually here?" Doctor Lou asked amidst his laughing fit.

Lei Xing glared at him. She had been getting pulled along by him and had forgotten her main purpose of coming here.

She set aside her irritation and got down to business, "I was wondering how the ring works. It seems to absorb poison, is that right?"

"Oh, it does?... Oh yes, it does." Doctor Lou said with a short laugh.

Lei Xing raised an eyebrow, "You don't know?"

 "Of course I know...I'm old, I forget." Doctor Lou snapped back in response.

"Okay...so how exactly does it work? Can it suck all the toxins out of say, a bowl of poisoned water, leaving behind a detoxified clean bowl of water or does it absorb all of the poisoned water? I've been curious about that."

Doctor Lou furrowed his eyebrows, "It depends..."

"Depends on?"

Doctor Lou shrugged, "I don't know...if you treat it well."

 Lei Xing frowned, "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"A good master gets a good servant, a bad master gets a disgruntled servant." Doctor Lou clarified.

"So it has feelings?" Lei Xing skeptically asked.

"All things in the world have feelings, and they reflect whatever treatment they get."

Lei Xing blankly stared at him.

{...And what does that mean?... Is that a yes or a no -_-?)...}

 Lei Xing sighed, "Do you actually know how it works?"

"Of course I do, I made it." Doctor Lou responded, sounding offended that she would even question his knowledge.

"Good, then explain to me how it works? How did you get it to absorb "all the poison in the world"?"

"Trade secret." Doctor Lou curtly replied, "All you need to know is it can detect poison. If it touches poison, then it needs to digest it for a while. Anything else is not your business."

"So it eats the poison?"

Doctor Lou shrugged, "I guess so..."

Lei Xing stared at him for a while.

{...Okay, next question then...}

 "Since it can eat poison, could it possibly dish out poison?" Lei Xing asked with raised eyebrows, she had been wondering about this possibility for a while now.

Doctor Lou frowned and then said, "Don't become what you despise."

Lei Xing explained, "I am not planning on poisoning anyone. I was just thinking of it as a method of self-defense."

Doctor Lou silently scrutinized her for a bit and then said, "It won't."

Lei Xing sighed and then looked down at the ring on her finger.

{...Well, that's out the door...I thought it'd be cool if you could be a weapon T_T)...}

 "Do you fear death that much?" Doctor Lou asked in a serious tone.

Lei Xing looked up at him and then sighed again, "Honestly, not really...but then shouldn't I give the best effort to protect the life I've been given?"

{...If death really came knocking, I'm the sort to eventually resign to it...Definitely not the survive by all means zombie apocalypse type, it's too tiring, I'd probably just open my door and walk out once I ran out food hahaha...Not to say I wouldn't try though hahaha -_-')...}

 "Hmm...then shouldn't you also put the best effort into living the life you've been given?" He asked.

Then he sighed and continued, "I think you're thinking too much about protecting the life that you're forgetting to live the life. We are each born to a set of circumstances and a course set out for us. Some short and some long, some fortunate and some unfortunate, but all paths lead to death in the end. If your point of living is to avoid death, then that is a waste of life."

Lei Xing quietly looked at him for a while and then asked, "Are you really just a doctor?"

Doctor Lou smiled, "I'm also a poison specialist."

Lei Xing looked down at the ring and back at him, "This ring is magic, isn't it?"

 "What do you think?" Doctor Lou replied, still smiling.

"There doesn't seem to be much about magic here, I've only seen it mentioned in folklore books, clearly written as fantasies for children or the bored, but nothing substantive."

"The world is vast, there are many things one does not know." Doctor Lou advised.

"Many things you know?" Lei Xing asked.

"Perhaps..."

 Lei Xing seriously scrutinized Doctor Lou, who also copied her, doing the same but with a smile.

Lei Xing cleared her throat, "I know this may sound weird but...are you...by any chance...an immortal?"

Doctor Lou looked at Lei Xing wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open for a while, then he rapidly blinked and finally spoke in a frantic tone, "Is - Is it the beard? D-Do I really look that old?"

 "Nooo, not at all...I mean, immortals can be young too, right?... I mean, I don't know...I'm sorry." Lei Xing apologized in a panic. "You look great for your age."

"You don't even know how old I am!" Doctor Lou retorted as he pulled at his long beard with both hands one after the other.

"I mean you look great...it suits you." Lei Xing corrected.

{...Shoot! Should have kept my mouth shut!...}

 Doctor Lou looked at Lei Xing suspiciously, "Does it really?"

"Of course, this look is so you...and the beard, oh! It just completes the wise old sage visage...which is why I thought you were...You know, when you take that sagely look and put it with those wise words, and a magic ring, you just seem... out of this world. Definitely a great look for you, magnificent! Perfect! Couldn't be better!" Lei Xing rambled on with a reassuring smile.

Doctor Lou cleared his throat and smugly stroked his beard, and nodding, "I do really look good for my age."

Lei Xing, still smiling, nodded multiple times in agreement.

{...Phew! I don't need bullying the elderly to be on my karmic rap sheet T_T)...}

Doctor Lou laughed and leaned forward, "I can understand how you came to that conclusion. Don't worry, I won't hold it against you."

Lei Xing smiled, "Thank you for your grace."

Doctor Lou laughed, "You're actually not that bad once you put your mind to it, you should try more often."

Lei Xing gave a forced smile.

{...Whatever you say -_-)...}

 "But why did you ask, do you want to become an immortal?" Doctor Lou asked while wiggling his eyebrows.

Lei Xing raised her eyebrows, "Do you know of a way?"

{...Live forever? Why not?...}

 Doctor Lou sat up and stroked his beard again, "Hmm, I have heard some things...it's not easy though, you just have to die, not just any regular death...you have to take in the agony of the world, is what they say. I didn't really pay attention to the details, but I could look into it if you're interested. How about it? Want to try it?" He finished with an excited smile.

Lei Xing frowned, "No."

{...Hell NO!!!...}

 Doctor Lou furrowed his brows, "Why not?"

"Why don't you do it?" Lei Xing asked glaring at him.

Doctor Lou laughed, "Why would I? I'm old and it sounds way too hard, but it could be worth it... since you aren't afraid of death, so you try it and then tell me if it works."

Lei Xing narrowed her eyes, "I may not be afraid of death, but I am very scared of pain."

{...No, I'm not going to be your guinea pig -_-)...}

 "Tch, no fun." Doctor Lou said shaking his head in disappointment.

Lei Xing rolled her eyes.

{...If you want to have fun, do it yourself -_-)'...}

 Lei Xing looked at him for a bit and then took a deep breath, "I once read in a book that it is possible for a soul to travel through time and potentially...I was skeptical of all of it, but it sounded really interesting so... I'm just curious about what you think of it, seeing as you are so wise...so a soul traversing through time and possessing another body. Do you think that's possible?" She finished and then held her breath, waiting for his response.

"No." Doctor Lou replied.

Lei Xing knit her brows, "I see...you haven't encountered it."

"It's not possible." Doctor Lou firmly responded.

 "The world is vast, and there are many things one does not know." Lei Xing repeated his earlier words while squinting at him.

{...I'm living proof of this possibility...So you're wrong...}

 Doctor Lou frowned, "True, but there are many things that I do know, and I happen to know that's not possible."