I Am a Taoist Descending the Mountain

Chu Ling and her mother couldn’t help but stand up.

The two of them looked around but couldn’t see anyone.

Chu Ling’s Mother couldn’t hold back her tears.

“Tian Ming, you’ve come back, you’ve finally come back. Why did you leave us, your wife and daughter?”

Xie Yuling turned her head to look at Chu Ling’s Mother, who was sobbing uncontrollably.

Even Chu Ling began to cry.

Just as Xie Yuling was about to step forward to comfort them, Lin Mo reached out and stopped her.

“Let them cry. Let them pour out their tears and longing first.”

Xie Yuling glanced at Chu Ling’s Father.

He, too, wore a sorrowful expression, but it seemed ghosts lost the ability to shed tears after death.

He could only watch as his wife and daughter wept.

When he reached out to touch them, Lin Mo raised his hand to stop him.

“If you don’t want them to fall ill, don’t touch them. The living and the dead walk different paths. Your touch won’t harm them severely, but it will still have an effect.

Besides, you can’t even touch them. Right now, you’re just a soul—you have no physical form.”

Hearing this, Chu Ling’s Father paused. He hadn’t expected someone else to be able to see him.

With a grave expression, he looked at Xie Yuling.

“After the way my daughter treated you, you still came. Thank you so much.”

Xie Yuling shook her head. “I made Chu Ling suffer a bit. Uncle Chu, you don’t blame me, do you?”

Chu Ling and her mother were still sniffling, but they quickly wiped their tears away. Upon hearing Xie Yuling’s words, Chu Ling’s Mother took a deep breath and repeatedly said,

“It’s enough that he’s back, it’s enough. Xie Yuling, we don’t blame you. Tian Ming, you should eat first. I made all your favorite dishes.”

Chu Ling’s Mother looked up at Xie Yuling, hoping she could relay her husband’s words.

“No need for that. He can hear you—it’s just that you can’t hear what he says.”

Xie Yuling also turned her gaze to Chu Ling’s Father.

He looked at the braised pork knuckle, his face a mix of sadness and warmth.

“Ah, the pork knuckle. My wife’s knuckles are always too sweet, but I love them that way.”

Hearing this, Xie Yuling gave Chu Ling’s Mother a complicated look.

“He said your pork knuckles have always been too sweet, but he loves them that way.”

At these words, Chu Ling’s Mother burst into tears again, the confirmation that it was truly her husband causing fresh tears to spill from her dry eyes.

She collapsed onto the sofa, the cushion already soaked through.

Xie Yuling’s heart ached at the sight, but she remained silent.

Chu Ling’s Father, however, said, “Let her cry. Once she’s done this time, she won’t have to cry anymore. I know—this is the only time I’ll return.”

Hearing this, Xie Yuling froze. She remembered how she, too, had cried uncontrollably that day.

Her father had also told her that after crying, she shouldn’t cry anymore.

The memory made her nose sting with unshed tears.

Lin Mo sensed the shift—this was about to turn into a group crying session.

He quickly stepped forward and pulled Xie Yuling into an embrace.

“Don’t cry. This is someone else’s father—what are you crying for?”

Lin Mo’s interruption stopped Xie Yuling’s tears before they could fall.

Then, he turned to the two still weeping behind them.

“If you want to see your family, stop crying.”

At this, Xie Yuling’s eyes widened in surprise.

Even the sniffling quieted almost instantly.

Chu Ling’s Mother had already grabbed a tissue to wipe her tears.

“Tell me, what do I need to do to see my husband?”

Lin Mo pulled a small bottle from his pocket. “First, no more crying. This is ox tears. Apply it around your eyes, and you’ll be able to see your husband. But it won’t last long—there’s only a little. If you cry, it’ll wash away. Understand?”

Chu Ling’s Mother nodded vigorously.

She wiped her face dry, took the bottle, and dabbed the clear liquid around her eyes.

“Will this really work?” Xie Yuling couldn’t help but ask.

“Yes. But the ox must have been on the verge of death. Oxen have spiritual awareness—they sense their impending death and shed tears. Their tears can bridge the gap between the living and the dead, allowing you to see spirits.”

Lin Mo added, “There’s also something called ‘spirit rhinoceros horn,’ but it’s probably extinct by now. Burning that would also let ordinary people see ghosts.”

Listening to his explanation, Xie Yuling studied him.

“How do you know so much?”

“What can I say? I’m a Taoist who left the mountain, a war god who returned, the Dragon King descended from heaven, the chosen protagonist.”

System: [Should I leave, then?]

No! Bro, I was just joking—don’t go!

Xie Yuling couldn’t tell which parts of Lin Mo’s words were true, but she didn’t press further.

If he wanted to share, he would.

Once the ox tears were applied, Chu Ling’s Mother lifted her head and saw her husband sitting at the dining table, watching her.

“Tian Ming! It’s you—” She barely got the words out before tears threatened to spill again. She tilted her head back, squeezing her eyes shut.

She fought to keep the tears at bay.

A moment later, she opened her eyes again.

Seeing her husband still seated at the table, she exhaled in relief.

She moved to hug him but stopped at a warning.

“The living and the dead walk different paths. I told you—your yang energy will affect him, and he’ll affect you.”

Ghosts returning on the seventh day after death are fragile.

Most avoid touching their families. They simply eat quietly, watch over their loved ones, and then leave.

Chu Ling also wanted to see her father, but she couldn’t stop crying.

Too many tears meant she couldn’t use the ox tears.

Seeing that things were settled, Lin Mo took Xie Yuling’s hand.

“Alright, time to go. No need to intrude on their family reunion.”

He looked at Chu Ling.

“There’s only so much ox tears. Use them wisely. There are no side effects, but after today, discard the rest. Keeping such things can attract trouble.”

Chu Ling nodded quickly before dropping to her knees and kowtowing to Lin Mo and Xie Yuling.

“Thank you, thank you both!”

Even Chu Ling’s Mother and Father knelt in gratitude.

Chu Ling even ran to her room and returned with a piggy bank.

“This is all my New Year’s money. I—”

Before she could finish, Lin Mo pushed it back. “We don’t need it. Donate the money instead.”

As they left, Lin Mo suddenly remembered something and added, “Oh, and don’t share a meal with the departed. Once he’s finished eating, burn the food along with the joss paper and offerings.”

With that, Lin Mo led Xie Yuling away.

Behind them, the Chu family’s thanks echoed, but Lin Mo didn’t look back.

Only when they reached the street below did Xie Yuling speak.

“We just left like that—is that okay?”

“What, did you want them to invite you to dinner?”

Lin Mo held her hand, using his other to lightly tap her forehead.

“Won’t anything bad happen?”

"Your dad came back, and you were fine, weren’t you?"

Hearing this, Xie Yuling also realized it.

But she then whispered, "But when my dad came back, I even hugged him. Why did you tell them they couldn’t make contact?"

Lin Mo shook his head. "People’s constitutions are different. Yours is special—you can see and touch them, but the others can’t."

Though Lin Mo didn’t explain in detail, Xie Yuling nodded thoughtfully.

"Alright, I’ll take you back to Chu Miaomiao’s place first, then I’ll return to the rental."