NFBE Chapter 243 Years pass in the mortal realm, but in the blink of an eye, an immortal's life is o
Chapter 243 Years pass in the mortal realm, but in the blink of an eye, an immortal's life is o
"A decade or so in the human world is but a blink of an eye for an immortal."
"Time flies when you're alone in the mountains, but when you wake up from your dream, a thousand years have passed in the world!"
"The white crane with its spirit feathers soars through the heavens, and the mortal world transforms into human life."
"In the imperial court, amidst crimson robes and brocade, golden hairpins adorn the temples as we recount the passing of time!"
In a teahouse at the Qinglin City dock, the waiter listened to the storyteller's melodious voice in the center of the hall and walked briskly towards a table by the window.
Three people sat at the table: a young girl in a blue dress with two children, about seven or eight years old. The girl was calm and elegant, while the children were lively and polite. Seeing the waiter approach, the girl, who had been lost in thought at the table, snapped out of her reverie and nodded slightly to him.
"Thank you very much, waiter."
The two children beside her also imitated the young girl and said, "Thank you, little brother."
"You're welcome, you're welcome!" The waiter's face was full of smiles as he placed the trays of pastries on the table one by one, only then realizing that something was wrong with the people at the table.
The two children were not strange at all, but the girl was.
From the moment she sat down in the shop, she seemed to be intentionally avoiding contact with the two children. Even now, while eating pastries, she still sits opposite the two children with a cup of tea, a smile on her face, without saying a word.
The waiter left with his doubts, and Xue Tong watched his retreating figure with a helpless smile. Then, she felt relieved.
This isn't the first time in recent years that others have looked at her like this.
During the Dali era, he was even accused of child abduction.
The girl took a sip of tea and turned her head slightly to look at her surroundings...
What ordinary people see as two adorable children are, in Xue Tong's eyes, two little creatures with human upper bodies and spider lower bodies, fighting over pastries on the table. Underneath the table, the two spiders are stomping on each other's feet in the process.
It was Xue Lan's two Crimson Jade Spiders. Two years ago, for some reason, after sleeping for a period of time, they suddenly learned the art of transforming half of their bodies, which terrified Xue Tong at the time.
The girl sighed again and said in her heart:
"three."
"two."
"Bang!"
Before she could utter the last word, Xue Tong saw the two little spiders fighting over the pastries fall to the ground, unable to get up because their lower bodies were still spiders.
Someone nearby, seeing Xue Tong not help the child who had fallen, looked at her strangely. Just as they were about to step forward to help, they heard the girl's somewhat cold voice: "Three..."
The last syllable of that word was drawn out, carrying a subtle threat. The person who had offered to help watched as the two children scrambled to their feet with incredible speed. Their tone was obedient.
We were wrong.
Xue Tong tapped the table lightly: "Eat quickly, we need to board the ship after we finish eating."
The girl glanced at the diner who had stood up to help. The man sat down somewhat flustered and stuffed a piece of pastry into his mouth.
Xue Tong smiled and then listened attentively to the storyteller's tale.
Today's story is one that has only recently become popular in the Great Shun Dynasty; it's called "The Tale of the Heavenly Princess Jingyue Descending to Earth."
It tells the story of a fairy named Jingyue, whose Taoist name is Xuantian, who emerged from a thousand-year seclusion and discovered that the human world had undergone great changes.
Xue Tong originally thought it was a love story between a god and a mortal, full of tender feelings, and she had little interest in it.
But after listening to it for a while in the teahouse, she realized that it was actually a serious story with educational value.
The person who serves as the contrast to Jingyue, the fairy who has cultivated in the secluded grotto for a thousand years, is Chaoyun, the ruler of the Great Yun Dynasty in the book.
The events in the book are about people in the world. Everyone in the Great Shun Dynasty in this teahouse knows about them. The Great Shun Empress Chaoyun in "The Tale of the Heavenly Princess Jingyue Descending to Earth" is a reflection of the current Great Shun Emperor, Emperor Jingyuan Xie Lingchao.
It is said that she promoted girls' education and selected female officials.
It is said that she promoted virtuous officials, eradicated powerful clans, and supported the poor.
The language was extremely ornate and full of praise. After listening to the whole story, Xue Tong felt that the book should be called "The Political Career of Emperor Chaoyun" rather than "The Tale of the Heavenly Consort Jingyue Descending to Earth" (Version 1).
The reason it's called Version One is because Xue Tong looked at the storyteller's bright eyes on the stage.
This over-fifty-year-old fervent fan of Emperor Jingyuan clearly hadn't had enough to say.
Sure enough, as Xue Tong walked out of the teahouse with the two little spiders, a crisp sound of a folding fan opening and closing rang out behind her.
Then came the storyteller's melodious voice, mingling with the sound of the river flowing gently in the distance, giving Xue Tong the feeling that all the romances and stories of the world had been swept away by the flowing water.
The group boarded a ship bound for the capital of the Great Shun Dynasty. Xue Tong stood on the deck and took out a slightly yellowed piece of paper from his sleeve.
The girl folded the note several times and picked out a sentence from a large section of words crossed out in red pen:
"I will go to the capital of the Great Shun Dynasty to see Xie Lingchao and visit Qing Song and her daughter."
Xue Tong sighed: "Back then, I just thought the list Xue Lan gave us was too long, but now it's coming to an end."
Nine years have passed in the blink of an eye. During these nine years, Xue Tong followed Xue Lan's wishes and went to Ruoshui City near the Xuanhuang Sect. The little beggar who had been given food by Xue Lan back then is now a waiter in a restaurant. He no longer has to beg on the streets and has a happy family...
She had visited Yingwu Mountain near Luoxia Mountain. The mountain god of Yingwu Mountain, Chen An, who helped Xue Lan fight against the demons back then, had a new temple built by the people. He had successfully connected with the earth's veins and truly become a righteous god of the mountain.
Then there's Lady Li from Qinglinjiang. When Xue Tong went to see her, she was kept in Linyun County and made into a small fish lantern for half a year.
When the topic of the little fish lantern came up, Xue Tong became a little unhappy again.
She tried to write her name on the fish lantern, but no matter what she did, she couldn't get the ink to come out, as if she were naturally rejected.
She also saw Ming Cheng's small grave, lying quietly by the murmuring river. The old constable who had seen Qin Liu off on the boat had also passed away two years ago...
As time flies by, those we said goodbye to, those we will never see again, are like the ever-flowing river, never to return.
Xue Tong also went to Luoxia Mountain and met the first batch of soldiers who returned from the desolate battlefield.
The demons may be plotting some grand conspiracy. In recent years, after repeated withdrawals, the Shengyu Army has recovered most of its lost territory. When they returned to their homeland, the people of Luoxia Mountain finally returned to their long-lost hometown.
Today, golden waves of wheat have been rippling across Luoxia City for many years.
Even knowing that this was just the calm before the storm, Xue Tong still cherished this rare peace and hoped that it could last forever.
Two days later, in the evening, Xue Tong arrived in the capital with two little spiders.
The capital of the Great Shun Dynasty was much the same as it had been many years ago, and the people in the city still lived in peace and prosperity. Xue Tong knew that the owner of Jilan Cottage had most likely taken it back. But she still wanted to go and see it.
The girl put the two small spiders into her storage bag outside the city gate, and then entered the city.
After strolling around the familiar streets, the girl couldn't help but recall the peaceful days she and Xue Lan had spent here many years ago.
It may not have been a peaceful day, but compared to the thrilling events that followed, it was a stolen moment of tranquility.
Half an hour later, when it was getting dark all around, Xue Tong finally arrived at the gate of Jilan Xiaozhu.
The small shop, sandwiched between two large shops, remains unchanged from years ago.
The four characters "Jilan Xiaozhu" on the plaque were not covered in a speck of dust.
The girl stood in front of the shop, stunned at first, then smiled faintly.
An aged, trembling voice came from behind:
"Tongtong?"
Xue Tong turned around and saw a woman with gray hair dressed in an indigo blue dress.
As dusk settled, the girl's face broke into the same radiant smile she had worn years before.
The old woman opposite her trembled as she took out a small object from her sleeve.
Even though it was getting dark, Xue Tong could still clearly see what was in her hand.
It was a purse embroidered with a white wolf, hanging from the old woman's fingertips, swaying gently in the wind.
"Tongtong!"
Xue Tong spoke slowly, her smile sweet and her tone light: "Aunt He, it's been a long time!"