Longevity Candle

Chapter 54 I Once Saw a Green Lamp (Seeking monthly votes and to continue reading)
Li Qingping resumed his life as an itinerant doctor, traveling to various places to treat patients.

Upon encountering the elves, the immortals and Taoist priests tried to stop him, so he left.

At the same time, he sent those who were homeless to his former cities, where the landlords and gentry had left behind many houses and lands after their deaths.

His reputation spread, attracting the attention of the rebels.

The rebels admired him greatly and wanted to invite him to join them, but he refused.

In the fourth year, the southern rebels captured several cities, finally crossing the court's bottom line.

The imperial court dispatched a large army to suppress several rebel forces, causing widespread panic among the rebels.

A rebel leader named Yang Wanlong led a large army to raid the army's supplies and inflicted a major defeat on the imperial army.

This move completely ignited the South, and Yang Wanlong was hailed as the King of Zhennan by all regions.

Li Qingping watched silently, traveling throughout the south to treat the sick and save lives, without getting involved.

Yang Wanlong ordered him to take up an official post, but he refused.

Having offended the new king, Yang Wanlong, who was riding high on his power, sent men to hunt him down.

Li Qingping did not want to get involved in the war, so he left first.

Unable to find him, Yang Wanlong had no choice but to give up.

The rebel army won a great victory, and the imperial court actually sent an envoy to offer him amnesty and a government position, but Yang Wanlong beheaded him.

The whole south was applauding. Yang Wanlong really thought of himself as a king, began to choose a queen, and started living a life of luxury.

I heard that he took eighteen concubines in a single month.

They levied taxes in various places, collaborated with landlords and gentry to seize land.

The people suffered terribly and cursed every day.

Just as Li Qingping was about to make his assassination attempt, the imperial army arrived once again.

Accompanying them was a celestial master.

Li Qingping watched from afar as the celestial phenomena—thunder and torrential rain—poured down, flooding the army.

He saw the dragon's aura accompanying him, and his karma poured into it, turning the golden dragon aura black.

The immortal master, who committed murder, only suffered a small amount of karmic retribution.

Overnight, Yang Wanlong was wiped out, and the entire Southern Uprising Army fell silent, like a duck with its neck choked.

When the imperial army passed through the area, it suppressed the larger rebel groups, and the remaining smaller rebel groups dared not cause any more trouble, and the rebellion was finally put to rest.

Li Qingping left the south and went to the north.

The north was in even greater chaos, with constant uprisings. Mountain and sea spirits and immortal masters offered protection, but the food didn't magically appear out of thin air.

It has nothing to do with faith; it's all about survival.

Almost like in the south, the imperial court initially ignored the rebels, but when they attacked some important cities and occupied too much territory, the immortal masters would step in and rewrite the course of the war.

As the years went by, Li Qingping's reputation grew, and even the imperial court wanted to recruit him, but he refused.

He had figured out what was going on: the imperial court would not interfere when the rebels abandoned their territory.

But once they cross the line and affect the fate of the nation, the immortal masters become anxious.

The immortal masters mostly carried out beheadings and then altered the celestial phenomena to intimidate the rebel army.

The real killings, however, would have to be carried out by the imperial army.

By beheading and altering the celestial phenomena, claiming divine favor, no rebel army could withstand such a move.

That year, Li Qingping turned thirty-nine. He calculated the time and realized that the day Jiang Zhu would wake up was fast approaching.

He bid farewell to the old elf and planned to return to Peach Blossom Village.

“I’ll take you back; I also want to visit him,” the old elf said. “He’s not stubborn; he’s much better than me, a country bumpkin.”

Li Qingping hesitated for a moment, then the old elf said, "Didn't you want my help? I've agreed."

"You know about that?" Li Qingping asked, puzzled. "I never told you."

“Jingwei once consulted me,” the old elf said. “Actually, I’ve always been curious about his existence. I want to confirm whether he is that lamp.” “That lamp? Have you seen the other green lamp spirits?” Li Qingping asked, puzzled.

"You'll only know once you see it," the old elf said.

He took Li Qingping with him, and they transformed into a streak of light, heading towards Peach Blossom Village.

Taoyuan Village.

Yao Yao sat alone in the peach grove, with a green lamp in front of her.

A brilliant streak of light descended from the sky, transforming into Li Qingping and an old man.

Yao Yao was both pleasantly surprised and wary: "Qingping, who is this?"

"The country bumpkin Jingwei spoke of." The old elf looked at the green lamp: "Hasn't he woken up yet?"

Yao Yao became even more vigilant, and the Tianxuan Sword was already drawn. She knew that Jingwei and the old elf had a grudge against each other.

“Sister, he already knew about Jiang Zhu’s existence, and said he had seen a green lamp,” Li Qingping said.

"Have we met before? Aren't you in the far west?" Yao Yao frowned.

Five figures arrived from afar; they were five white foxes, guarding Qingdeng's side. They protected Peach Blossom Village and also Jiang Zhu.

“That’s a long story,” the old elf said. “Back then, when I was just born, there was a strange bird and a strange fragment. I was born from that fragment, and she flew to the west.”

"You flew to the West with me? Aren't you a Western elf?" a white fox asked in surprise.

"I don't know where I was born as an elf," the old elf shook his head and said. "In that strange fragment, I saw the phantom of a blue lamp, but I don't know if it was him."

Yao Yao's expression was solemn. Jiang Zhu originated from Baiyun Temple before the Qian Kingdom, but an elf is not considered an adult even after three thousand years, while the elf in front of her is definitely a mature adult elf.

Could Jiang Zhu be older than him?
"I'll go to the area of ​​the Candlelight and see if he's willing to see me. Then I'll come back." The old elf stepped into the air and flew away.

Several white foxes followed, as they still needed to guard the candlelight.

The siblings sat down and waited quietly for the candlelight.

As the candlelight flickered, Jiang Zhu awoke from his slumber, his brow furrowing slightly: "The aura of an unfamiliar elf."

He sensed it; the old elf was not hiding himself.

“It’s the old elf from the West who has come. He said he’s willing to help and has already gone to see the Candlelight. He also said he saw a blue lamp and wants to confirm if you are him.”

Yao Yao said.

"Another green lamp?" Jiang Zhu's expression shifted. "Take me there."

“Let’s invite him over. Once you’re there, the Candlelight will definitely react differently,” Li Qingping said. “I have his fruit on me, so I can send him a telepathic message.”

"He values ​​his fruit so much, how could he be willing to give it to you?" Jiang Zhu asked in surprise.

"My fruit will be given to those who are destined to receive it."

The old elf's voice rang out; he and the five white foxes had returned.

"Greetings, old elf." Jiang Zhu cupped his hands and said, "Please enlighten me, old elf."

“I just saw the Candlelight, it was that bird’s doing,” the old elf said. “I was born from a fragment, which recorded the phantom of a green lamp, and her aura still lingers on the Candlelight.”

"Why did she want to change the Candlelight?" Yao Yao asked.

“You said that the Candlelight Flame avoids you, then this flame must be related to you, a kind of Lantern Spirit. She probably doesn’t want the Lantern Spirit to obtain the Candlelight Flame,” the old spirit said.

"Why?" Jiang Zhu asked, puzzled. "Does the spirit of that green lamp have a grudge against it?"

If there are two white crane spirits, it's not impossible for a green lamp spirit to appear as well.

"I don't know about that. I heard you mention the Fire Spirit Immortal. I wonder if she might be that bird from back then, or perhaps one of her immortal masters," the old elf said.

"What kind of spirit is that bird? Where is it now?" Li Qingping asked.

“Her name is Feng, and she is a different kind of elf,” the old elf said.

"Phoenix? How is it unconventional?"

(End of this chapter)