Longevity Candle

Chapter 13 Wine in the Human World
Inside a dilapidated temple deep in the mountains.

"Today I encountered beggars who were mutilated and tortured. I thought they were very pitiful, but I never expected that the evil of human nature could be so extreme."

I had never seen my father so angry; he had always been a very kind man.

I miss Jiang Zhu. I wonder if such evil things don't happen in the world of elves.

In the sixth year of Chengwu, Ayan was stationed.

Ayan closed the booklet and suddenly understood why immortal masters, Taoist priests, and spirits of mountains and seas no longer looked down upon the mortal world.

With so many despicable and wicked people in the world, why would they come to this world?

Gu Qianshan roasted the pheasant and handed it to Ayan, saying, "I think Jiang Zhu doesn't like to see this."

“This is my story,” Ayan said. “If I cannot be with him, then let my story accompany him.”

Gu Qianshan sighed softly, "Why not listen to him?"

Ayan was silent for a moment, then said, "We have received your kindness, Father. You also said that we should repay kindness."

"Is it really just 'en'?" Gu Qianshan asked.

"Really." Ayan lowered her head and ate the pheasant.

Gu Qianshan had a lot to say, but seeing Ayan's expression, he couldn't say anything.

After swallowing the chicken, Ayan took a sip of water: "Father, let's go to the ancestral land."

“Our ancestral home is still far away; we’ll have to travel for a while,” Gu Qianshan said.

“We’ve long since left our ancestral lands, I know that,” Ayan said. “I’m already twenty-five years old, and I’ve seen the world of martial arts.”

She knew that they had already arrived at their ancestral home, but her father was worried about her, so he had been lying and saying that they hadn't arrived yet, and was taking her on a journey through the world.

"You really don't want to be with Father?" Gu Qianshan feigned anger.

"While I'm still healthy, please find me a mother," Ayan said.

"What are you saying?!"

Gu Qianshan jumped to his feet, glaring at her angrily: "Tell me clearly, are you trying to get rid of me so you can go find the strange object yourself?"

Ayan looked up and stared directly at him: "I want to live a peaceful life. The world of martial arts is too cruel. I don't want to write anymore. I should listen to Jiang Zhu."

"You...you've thought it through?" Gu Qianshan asked incredulously. "Really? You're not lying to Father?"

“Really? Let’s go back to our ancestral homeland. I’ll open a school and teach the children there. What do you think?”

Ayan smiled and said, "I think he would definitely like to read about a female teacher."

“Okay, okay, let’s go back to our ancestral home, and you can be our female tutor.” Gu Qianshan said happily.

Over the past five years, despite his renowned reputation, he has remained constantly on edge.

Too many friends from yesterday have perished today.

If one were to retire here and live a peaceful life, one's life would be complete.

The father and daughter returned to their ancestral home the next day.

Our ancestral home is in a remote small town called Yigu City.

This place was originally a city built by some battlefield orphans, but because the word "orphans" had a bad connotation, it was changed to Yi Gu.

With two uncles still around, Gu Qianshan was overjoyed to have found his relatives.

Ayan opened a school and took in thirty-six children from impoverished families.

They roamed the world and amassed a considerable fortune, enough to ensure a worry-free life.

Gu Qianshan finally relaxed completely, settled down to live a peaceful life, and opened a restaurant.

He was unwilling to remarry, but instead looked for a suitable husband for Ayan.

Ayan was a little anxious and declined, citing the busy schedule at school.

Fortunately, she had five years of experience in the underworld. After confirming that a well-educated aunt was interested in her father, she successfully drugged him and sent him to the other woman's bed.

Gu Qianshan woke up, shocked and furious, but he didn't know that it was Ayan who did it, so he could only grit his teeth and admit it.

After Gu Qianshan's wedding, Ayan announced that she would go into seclusion to study martial arts, and the school hired a new teacher.

Three years have passed. Her martial arts skills have reached their limit, and there is little room for further improvement.

She had a younger brother, and Gu Qianshan was overjoyed, no longer harboring any resentment towards his wife.

While the whole family was immersed in the festive atmosphere, Ayan used the excuse of going into seclusion to pack her clothes, take the green lamp with her, and rode away from Yigu City, stepping into the world of martial arts once again.

It was three days later when Gu Qianshan discovered it.

He finally understood Ayan's thoughts: using his wife and children to bind him would not stop her from re-entering the martial world to search for rare items.

Time is long.

Ah Yan is thirty-five years old. She has mastered martial arts and is still as beautiful as a young girl.

Under the cover of night, she sat in the courtyard, a jar of wine and a dim lamp on the table.

The candlelight flickered, and the unlit lamp emitted a strange glow.

Ayan suddenly felt a little nervous and quickly tidied her appearance.

"She's grown up now, she knows what's beautiful and ugly."

Jiang Zhu chuckled, his body solidifying as he sat opposite her.

"Jiang Zhu." She looked at the elf in front of her with excitement, her voice suddenly choked with emotion, and the longing of many years was relieved at this moment.

"Where is your father?" Jiang Zhu asked.

“My father got married, I had a younger brother, and my stepmother treated me very well.”

Ayan hurriedly pulled out her diary: "This is what happened to my father and me. We entered the world of martial arts."

"The martial world? What is it like?" Jiang Zhu asked curiously.

"The martial world is not beautiful; on the contrary, it is very cruel..." she said as she opened the booklet.

Jiang Zhu watched and listened, just as she had been in her youth, a very good listener, occasionally adding a chivalrous phrase like "heroine," "eliminating harm for the country," or "defending justice for the people."

Ayan was very happy to receive his praise; it seemed that everything was worthwhile.

"By the way, after accumulating merit, my cultivation progressed incredibly fast, and I've already reached the peak."

Ayan said, "I poured the remaining merit into my sword, making it extremely strong. It can cut through iron and gold even without using true energy."

Jiang Zhu took the sword and examined it; it was indeed very sturdy and could block magical power.

Even he would need to use some magical power to break it.

"The world of martial arts is turbulent. Even though you have reached your peak, you must still be careful," Jiang Zhu said.

"I will. I've always been careful. And I have my father too. He's a seasoned veteran." Ayan smiled and said, "By the way, I've searched for many martial arts manuals and am trying to create a stronger technique. With the Merit Sword, my mind is much more active."

"That's amazing. I hope you'll have succeeded when you wake up next time," Jiang Zhu praised. "You're not young anymore, hasn't Gu Qianshan been pressuring you to settle down?"

"Why not?" Ayan said with a bitter face, "He urges me three times a day, it's driving me crazy, but all the people he finds are scoundrels. When they see me practicing swordsmanship and there is a sword aura, they are all too scared to come to my door."

"Haha."

Jiang Zhu laughed: "You, a girl, should always have some gentleness; you can't stay single forever."

"Stop! Don't rush me into marriage like my father did." Ayan picked up the wine jar: "Come, taste the wine of the mortals."

"Okay." Jiang Zhu took the wine jar, took a sip, and found it a bit spicy, but it was nothing to him. "You're a girl, drinking such strong wine?"

"I didn't drink before, but I tried it once and thought it was pretty good." Ayan said with a smile, "I have a high alcohol tolerance. Since I mastered martial arts, I can drink almost a thousand cups without getting drunk."

She wouldn't say that she only learned to drink when she missed him.

"Then drink less," Jiang Zhu said. "The world is dangerous, and no one dares to claim invincibility. Don't let yourself get drunk."

“I understand.” Ayan nodded. “There’s one more thing. Do I need to go find the Yan family and return their martial arts to them?”

“I’ve given you that martial art, so it’s yours. Yan Nanxing can’t possibly crawl out and argue with you,” Jiang Zhu said. “Even if he did crawl out, he couldn’t stop your sword of merit.”

"Can the Sword of Merit injure wandering souls?" Ayan asked.

"It should be possible. You have killed a lot in the mortal world, but I have not felt any karma or merit. You mortal conflicts should not have any."

The merits involved are related to the immortal path; if they are incorporated into the sword, they should be able to harm wandering souls.

(End of this chapter)