The Last 299 Days of Humanity

Chapter 97 The Mystery of Yunxian Pavilion

The three words "Yunxian Pavilion" filled Yu Qing's mind. What kind of place was this? Where was it? Yu Qing couldn't help but ask a winged person next to him.

He inquired about this matter with the winged man based on his impression of Mi Fei's tribe as gentle and polite. However, the winged man looked him up and down as if he were a monster, without uttering a single word.

A voice in the distance muttered, "These days, even a country bumpkin who doesn't know where Yunxian Pavilion is comes to Qiongshan to join the fun!"

After a while, a short turtle-man squeezed through and whispered, "I know you... You've been to our place... Yunxian Pavilion is at the highest point of Qiongshan Mountain. It's unique there, shrouded in purple mist all year round, and easy to find."

Yu Qing said, "Thank you for telling me all this. Have you seen your Jade Spirit recently?"

"No, he's here too. Did he come as well?"

"I don't know, I was just asking casually."

Yu Qing didn't want to stay there any longer, and with great effort, he managed to break free of the medicinal bath. He quickly dressed, ran out, and grabbed Chang'e as they left.

"My lord, where are we going?"

"Find a place shrouded in purple mist."

"My lord, the sky over there seems to be purple."

"Then let's go there!"

By the time Yu Qing reached the vicinity of Yunxian Pavilion, he was already out of breath.

At this moment, the clouds and mist were still lingering. On the mountaintop of a towering peak in front of them, purple clouds flickered, and green tiles and red roofs appeared and disappeared, just like a fairyland.

The foot of the mountain was already packed with people, who were craning their necks in anticipation, as if they were waiting for a gentle call from the celestial realm, so that they could live as long as heaven and earth and shine as brightly as the sun and moon.

Yu Qing couldn't help but squeeze into the crowd, completely immersed in the grand and mysterious atmosphere. He looked up at the towering buildings, where fairies in colorful robes would occasionally float by, their flowing skirts creating ripples in the water.

To Yu Qing's surprise, he found no path leading to the Cloud Immortal Pavilion, nor even a single door. The people gathered there were all completely absorbed, yet no one seemed to approach it. Indeed, how could the mortal realm directly connect to the abode of immortals?

He thought that perhaps the only way to get there was by air, but he waited a long time and never saw anyone fly in or out. How much perseverance and patience must those who plan to wait in line for over ninety years to get in have?

However, just as he was filled with doubt, a person in the crowd was slowly lifted into the air and floated down to the foot of the mountain. Amidst the frenzied screams of the crowd, that person disappeared in the blink of an eye.

What a brilliant teleportation! Qiongshan's technology is so advanced that he now completely believes that Yunxian Pavilion can provide services for immortality.

However, he heard sighs from the crowd, and some people were even sobbing softly. It turned out that they only accepted one person every two hours, and the waiting list was for the next 140 years, not the 90 years or so the waiter had said.

Those who participate in the queue must come here to check in every day, and the system will automatically filter out those who have taken a number but have not checked in. Once your number is called, they will pick you up from the crowd.

With such stringent requirements and such a long wait, it's no wonder some people sigh. Most people never get an opportunity, even until they die.

At this moment, an old man suddenly grabbed Yu Qing's hand tightly and asked, "Young man, is your number from within the last thirty years? Let me have it. Look how old I am, I don't have much time left."

Yu Qing asked in surprise, "Since you don't have long to live, what's the use of buying a 30-year phone number?"

The old man sighed, "My theoretical lifespan is only thirty-two years left!" Yu Qing waved his hand and said, "Sorry, I don't even have a hundred-year number."

He pulled Chang'e through the crowd.

"The people here are crazy! Who can really live as long as heaven and earth? They just live a little longer, and yet they're queuing up here for over a hundred years!"

"My lord, don't you want to live to be a hundred years old?"

Yu Qing pondered, "It's impossible not to want to, but everything must be done in accordance with nature. We can't go against the will of Heaven. The immortality of all things goes against the way of Heaven."

"But Yunxian Pavilion claims to grant immortality. Do you think that's true?"

Yu Qing whispered in Chang'e's ear, "Even if it's fake, it can still be as popular as the real thing for decades or even a hundred or two hundred years. Only after those guys who live as long as heaven and earth start to die without exception will people start to think about whether it's real or fake."

Chang'e asked softly, "Do you think this is a scam?"

"Not entirely. Exaggeration is in the nature of businessmen. I think they may have some ways to slow down aging, but they certainly can't live as long as heaven and earth."

Chang'e sighed, "If only we humanoids could also slow down the aging process, how wonderful that would be."

Yu Qing laughed, "Now I suddenly understand human madness. Even someone with an indestructible body like you wants immortality. But for you, it's very simple: just create a new body with the same parameters and back up your memories..."

At this point, Yu Qing paused, then grasped Chang'e's hand and said, "I think the so-called immortality of Yunxian Pavilion might also be achieved using a similar method! What do you think?"

"Theoretically speaking, it should be feasible. If you are given a younger body and the rate of loss of cellular end-particles is slowed down, it is not impossible to live again."

"It would be great if we could go in and explore. Unfortunately, the waiting list is over a hundred years in advance. Can you help me think of a way to get in without waiting in line?"

"My lord, this is too difficult; otherwise, no one would have stayed here for decades..."

"Where there is a spear, there is a shield. Given time, even the thickest shield will be pierced by a spear. Conversely, no matter how sharp a spear is, given time, people will always be able to develop a shield that the spear cannot pierce."

“What you say is true, but how long is this period? One hundred years or two hundred years?”

Gazing at the thick fog that lingered over Qiongshan, Yu Qing seemed lost in thought. He suddenly had a still-developing idea.

"We can't always think about problems within a preconceived framework. The current difficulties shouldn't become obstacles in our path. There are still solutions."

Chang'e asked excitedly, "You've found a solution? Is it cheating or cutting in line?"

"I think you're still blinded by this thick fog. You need to clear the clouds and see the sun, understand?"

"I don't understand, sir, you just love to keep things mysterious."

"I'm not trying to keep you in suspense, but I'm not 100% sure yet. Wouldn't it be more interesting to wait until things are settled? Let's go back to the car first, and I'll think it over more carefully."

(End of this chapter)