Longevity Candle

Chapter 70 The Seeker of Immortality: Devout and Resolute

So much has happened in the past hundred years.

The Taiping Book left behind by Li Qingping possesses miraculous abilities, capable of suppressing mountain and sea spirits and immortal masters and Taoist practitioners; he left him a page of it.

As he processed these events, he also sensed something amiss: "The Candle I bestowed upon him did not possess the power to slay mountain and sea spirits, immortal masters, or Daoists. How did he manage to do it?"

"I don't know," the couple shook their heads.

They were born in the late years of Taoyuan Village, and many things were passed down to them by Li Yunsheng.

The fox spirit might also conceal things that are detrimental to itself. For example, the fox spirit didn't tell them what was special about this peaceful chapter, only saying that it was left for Jiang Zhu.

They would say Li Qingping is crazy, but they would never say that Li Qingping is trying to end the chaos and drive them back to the mountains.

They would curse Yao Yao, accuse her of shaking the nation's fate, and drive Li Qingping mad, without ever considering why they did it.

Jiang Zhu pondered what Li Qingping must have found during his slumber.

But the past is like smoke, and the elves and immortals who know some of it will not speak of it. In the mortal world, the details of what happened back then are probably also unknown.

He looked at the couple and asked, "What are your plans for the future?"

“We plan to go further afield to find doctors and physicians to cure Xuan’er’s Moonflower Disease,” Li Meng said.

"And then what happens after you're cured?" Jiang Zhu asked.

"I'll stay by your side," Li Zhu said.

“Peach Blossom Village has been guarded for over a hundred years,” Jiang Zhu said.

“Then continue to guard it until you leave. This is the ancestral instruction left by our ancestors Yaoyao and Qingping.”

"No requests?"

“Our ancestor said that you have protected us for many years and we cannot make any requests of you.” Li Zhu said, “Our ancestor said that the most precious thing is to be content. She spent her whole life trying to understand this principle and hopes that we can always be content.”

If we must truly express our desires, then we only wish for the complete Peach Blossom Sword Manual, to continue the legacy of our ancestors. Our ancestral teachings state that we should remember a sword immortal named Ayan.

Jiang Zhu sighed softly. The little girl who once longed to keep everyone around her and wanted to hold onto eternity left behind this ancestral precept.

He devoted his life to his family, and even after a profound awakening, he still thought about future generations.

She didn't want the people of Peach Blossom Village to repeat the same mistakes and chase after something that couldn't be grasped forever.

They didn't even ask themselves to save their daughter.

"I have a fire called Nirvana, which can give people new life, but each mortal can only use it once."

Jiang Zhu said, "Your family's ability to be reborn from the ashes and live on the moonlight may be a stroke of luck."

The mortal soul is fragile and can only withstand the reforging of the fire of rebirth once. If it is a second time, only death will follow.

As for elves, Nirvana requires a massive amount of energy, and ordinary elves cannot undergo Nirvana.

Xie Qingdeng lowered her eyes.

The two men knelt down in excitement, but Jiang Zhu stopped them, saying, "Neither of you suffers from the Moonflower Disease, and you are both in your prime. There is no need to rush to use this Nirvana Fire. You can be reborn in Nirvana when you are old."

"However, after being born, you will lose your memories. It is a new beginning, and you will have to teach them from scratch."

"Yes." The two did not hesitate. As long as their daughter could live, the newborn would also be their daughter.

A wisp of golden flame appeared at Jiang Zhu's fingertip and disappeared into Xuan'er's body.

The flames of rebirth burned and grew rapidly, engulfing her completely, and her moonlit eyes also turned into resources at that moment.

She perished in the flames, and she was also reborn in the flames.

Xuan'er transformed into an infant, her eyes revealing the bewilderment of someone seeing the world for the first time.

She no longer recognized her parents, nor Jiang Zhu, and even her memories of Qingdeng had vanished.

She is still herself, yet she is not herself.

Jiang Zhu did not disturb the family. He went out of the house and practiced the Seven Star Sword Technique in the courtyard.

He discovered that not only the Tianxuan Sword, but all the other swords could also gather the moonlight.

There's something wrong with the land of Yunmeng. Taiyin belongs to Yin, but Yunmeng is in the south, which is supposed to be a hot place. It would make sense for it to gather Yang energy, but it's the opposite.

Looking back at Xuan'er, although she was of mortal origin, she was influenced by the moonlight and could absorb the moonlight to cultivate, so she could be considered half an immortal.

Her martial arts talent was very high, second only to Li Qingping, who had the talent for immortality.

Jiang Zhu thought for a moment, then handed over the Peach Blossom Sword Manual to them, and also gave them the peach blossom wine that Yao Yao had made back then.

The peach blossom wine was quite good; it was a skill I'd acquired.

From the distant darkness, the sound of orderly footsteps and a long, drawn-out murmur could be heard:
"I offer my sincere heart, begging for the mercy of the immortals."

"I am willing to dedicate my whole life to this cause, only asking for the favor of the gods and immortals."

"I……"

The low, rhythmic chants, as if they had practiced countless times, accompanied the five figures approaching from afar.

They bowed every three steps and kowtowed every nine steps, their expressions devout.

Jiang Zhu didn't know who they were devoutly worshipping, and he was just surprised.

The new emperor of Yunmeng Kingdom has only been on the throne for a short time. Could it be that he did not destroy the temples and stop talking about ghosts, gods, and immortals?

"Those who seek immortality are devout and steadfast. Heavenly immortals, your people possess unparalleled steadfastness and sincerity."

Jiang Zhu stared blankly as they departed, the seekers of immortality devout and resolute.
Is it useful?
The Yunmeng Kingdom was the same.

Li Zhu also heard the voice and came out, whispering, "There is a temple ten miles away. Every year, there are people seeking immortality who bow every three steps and kowtow every nine steps to worship and pray for immortality."

"Who is enshrined in the temple?" Jiang Zhu asked.

“There are no statues of gods in the temple; they were smashed long ago, but those who seek immortality remain steadfast.” Li Zhu said, bowing his head somewhat embarrassedly.

"You've worshipped them too? There aren't even any statues of gods. Who are you worshipping?" Jiang Zhu asked.

"I was at my wit's end with Xuan'er's illness. I saw that people came to pray every year, and I thought that there might be some miracle, so I went to try it."

Li Zhu lowered his head even further as he said this: "When I prayed, I was thinking of you."

Jiang Zhu was speechless as he worshipped in a temple whose purpose he didn't know, his mind filled with thoughts of himself.

It's really yours.

"Did the Emperor of Yunmeng Kingdom not order the destruction of the temples?" Jiang Zhu asked.

"Yes, but in Yunmeng Kingdom, clan power is very strong, and there are temples in various places. Even if the court cracks down hard, some temples will still be preserved."

Li Zhu recounted, "Of course, those temples no longer possessed any divine powers."

“It’s different from Ningguo,” Jiang Zhu said.

Li Zhu sighed, "If this were in Ningguo, the founding emperor would have ordered its destruction. Would they still dare to preserve the temple?"

The honor of nine generations of ancestors can be bestowed!

"Should I inquire about it?" Li Zhu asked.

"No need," Jiang Zhu waved his hand and said, "Just live your lives well. I hope you can drink the peach blossom wine you brewed when you wake up next time."

When will you wake up next?

"I don't know. If you've calculated the time correctly, you certainly won't sleep for a hundred years," Jiang Zhu said.

“Alright, I will save the first jar of peach blossoms for you.” Li Zhu agreed, then thought for a moment and said, “Can you tell me about Ancestor Yaoyao and Ancestor Qingping? I feel that the Immortal Fox has deceived us.”

"Yaoyao, she doesn't want me to talk about her."

"Why?" Li Zhu asked, puzzled.

"Because she felt she was never satisfied, too greedy, and was afraid that future generations would find out and laugh at her for her delusions," Jiang Zhu said with emotion.

"But I can't just keep reminiscing about what the fairy fox said. My ancestor Qingping wasn't a greedy person. His ancestral teachings said that he only wanted to be a doctor."

"Although I don't know what happened afterward, I do know that he was capable of entering the path of immortality. If he were a greedy person, why would he give up the path of immortality?"

(End of this chapter)