Temple of Eternal Life

“Master, the snow is falling heavily. Let us return to the manor.”
A white-bearded elder stood atop the snowy peak, gazing at the sky where snowflakes drifted, his face suffused with a look of remembrance.
Behind him, another elder, whose temples were streaked with gray, stood respectfully, bowing in deference.
Snowflakes settled upon the two, gradually piling up. Strangely, their garments were thin; were they ordinary men, they would have perished from the cold long ago.
After a long while, the elder at the summit slowly withdrew his gaze.
“Xiao Er, tell me, do you believe... a man can truly attain immortality?”
The one called Xiao Er raised his head and replied softly, “Master, that question is too profound for me. But... I think, for ordinary folk, living to a hundred is already a kind of immortality.”
His tone was uncertain, clearly lacking confidence in his own words.
“By that reasoning, having lived over two hundred years, I must be immortal!” the master murmured.
Xiao Er fell silent, sinking into thought.
“Xiao Er, you may return now...” The elder waved his hand, not even turning, and continued, “My end is near. Perhaps... I have indeed lived long enough!”
“Master...” Xiao Er began to speak, but seeing the desolate silhouette of his master, he refrained.
“If I die, bury me here, atop the snowy peak,” the master said quietly. “That way, perhaps I can still watch over the manor.”
His tone was light, as if the one about to die was not himself.
Xiao Er slowly knelt, bowing thrice, his forehead press