PDLP Chapter 78 Do immortals really exist in the world?
Chapter 78 Do immortals really exist in the world?
Chapter 78 Do immortals really exist in the world?
Xiang Yunyuan stood leaning against a tree, his arms crossed over his chest, seemingly waiting for him.
Hearing footsteps, Xiang Yunyuan looked up and saw Zhao Chengan approaching.
He didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "Brother Zhao, I've been waiting for you here for quite a while."
"Is there something you need?" Zhao Cheng'an stopped in front of him.
Xiang Yunyuan was silent for a few seconds, then said seriously, "I've come to say goodbye. I'll be leaving for Mojia Mountain in a few days."
He paused, then added, "Also, I wanted to thank you in person. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am today."
Zhao Cheng'an smiled and said, "You walked your own path; I just lent a hand."
Xiang Yunyuan shook his head and did not continue to dwell on the topic.
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "I remember we met on this very road after you passed the Imperial Academy's examination."
Zhao Cheng'an was slightly taken aback, then laughed, "That's true."
"west Chu is a country that reveres Buddhism. I see a sense of perfection in you, not in terms of spiritual attainment, but in terms of mental well-being. This is something I have never seen in many eminent monks. Zhao, I will always remember you."
The two stood and chatted for a few more minutes. The night breeze blew in from the depths of the valley, carrying the scent of rice and earth.
Xiang Yunyuan straightened up and cupped his hands in greeting to Zhao Cheng'an: "Alright, that's enough for now. Although my strength is currently meager, if you ever need my help in the future, you can come to Mojia Mountain to find me anytime. I will do my best to assist you."
After saying that, he turned and strode along another path, his figure quickly disappearing into the night.
Zhao Cheng'an stood under the tree for a moment, then looked away and continued walking back.
Instead of going directly back to the bamboo house, he took a detour and arrived at the small courtyard where Chen Heng lived.
The courtyard gate was not closed.
Under the moonlight, a white figure was practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard.
Chen Heng, dressed in a simple white outfit, held an ordinary iron sword, her figure rising and falling unpredictably in the moonlight. Her swordplay was as fluid as water, sometimes as light as a swallow skimming the surface, sometimes as sharp as a fleeting glimpse of a startled swan.
She didn't use any spiritual energy; she was simply practicing sword moves.
Even so, her movements were as fluid as moonlight flowing on the water.
Zhao Cheng'an did not make a sound to disturb them, but stood outside the courtyard gate and watched quietly.
A moment later, Chen Heng sheathed his sword and stood up, exhaling a breath of stale air.
She turned around and saw Zhao Cheng'an standing in the doorway, casually asking, "When did you arrive?"
"I just arrived." Zhao Cheng'an walked in. "Still practicing swordsmanship so late."
"I've got nothing better to do." Chen Heng sheathed the iron sword back in the long wooden box standing in the corner, took a cloth draped over the railing to wipe the fine sweat from her forehead, then turned to look at him. "Did you need something?"
Zhao Cheng'an got straight to the point, repeating the plans he had discussed in the study that evening: "I plan to return to Da Yin in the next few days. What are your plans for the future? When do you intend to depart for the Tian'a Sword Sect?"
When Chen Heng heard him ask about her itinerary, she thought for a moment and replied, "I originally planned to go home before leaving to see my family. After parting ways with the Seven Kingdoms, I don't know when I'll be able to return."
This was exactly what Zhao Cheng'an was waiting for.
A smile appeared on his face: "That's perfect. I've already contacted the department in charge of scheduling at the Dao Court. We can board the ship directly from within the Great Yin territory and depart from there to our respective Dao lineages."
That way you won't have to go through the trouble of going back to the Imperial Academy to catch the boat.
Chen Heng was slightly taken aback.
She stood there for a moment, then put the iron sword and cloth back in their places. When she turned around, her gaze towards Zhao Cheng'an held a different meaning.
"The arrival of the celestial ship was awe-inspiring. As an incomprehensible miracle, it was bound to cause a sensation throughout the world, especially in a low-spirit region like the Seven Kingdoms where even the existence of cultivators was little known."
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"No emperor, general, noble family, or powerful clan in any country can ignore this."
"Among the seven kingdoms that value destiny, such a miracle could greatly enhance the prestige of the Great Yin royal family and prolong the legitimacy of its rule. It could allow them to smoothly weather the period of weakness after the war, and even have the possibility of achieving a revival."
"Tsk tsk————"
Chen Heng's eyes grew brighter as he looked Zhao Cheng'an up and down. "As expected of someone who has entered the Golden Core Dao lineage, he even thought of using the power of Tongming Mountain to support his family before leaving."
"I just did what I could do," Zhao Chengan said calmly.
"Having already recognized the vastness of the universe, I still cherish the green of the grass and trees."
Chen Heng followed Zhao Cheng'an's gaze, looking at the silhouettes of the mountains shrouded in the night in the distance. "It sounds simple, but after seeing that wider world, how many people are still willing to turn back and do something for this barren land?"
When Zhao Cheng'an left Chen Heng's residence, it was already late at night.
But the entire Imperial Academy was even more bustling than during the day.
Under the eaves, on the stone steps, and under the locust trees by the roadside, groups of two or three people gathered together, their voices rising and falling.
These people are all talking about what happened during the day.
Although the Imperial Academy had a blinding array, the extraordinary phenomenon of the phoenix descending from the sky was too astonishing to be concealed. The students of the Imperial Academy from the seven kingdoms witnessed this scene up close, and since most of them were wealthy and noble, they were exchanging snippets of information they had heard from their elders.
"Could it be that immortals really exist in this world—?"
"I'm afraid that's really the case. My father once mentioned to me in a veiled way that the Chancellor of our Imperial Academy is no ordinary person."
At the time, I thought he was just drunk and talking nonsense, but now it seems he was right.
"Do you remember the story of Emperor Shenwu of Western Chu three hundred years ago? He was a peerless grandmaster, a member of the imperial family, and invincible in the world. He led his personal guards all the way to the foot of Cangwu Mountain, but he couldn't even get through the gate of the Imperial Academy."
"I used to think it was just an exaggeration from unofficial history, but now it seems that there really is a power on this mountain that transcends the mundane."
"It is said that Chief Minister Shen has lived for over a hundred years, yet his appearance hasn't changed much —"
"An immortal stroked my head and bestowed upon me immortality."
A young scholar in a blue robe leaned against a pillar, looking up at the bright moon overhead, and murmured: "I travel to the North Sea in the morning and Cangwu in the evening, with a green snake in my sleeve and a bold spirit—if only I could cultivate immortality."
The people around him also quieted down, their eyes fixed on the bright moon in the night sky, their faces full of longing.
Zhao Chengan walked back along the stone path.
He kept his head down and walked steadily, trying his best not to attract the attention of others.
However, he was still noticed. A drunken young man stood up from the stone steps by the roadside and staggered to grab his sleeve.
"This student—"
My blurry, drunken gaze flickered across his face a few times before finally focusing.
Do you believe that immortals truly exist in this world?