The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 265 Inquiry, Spring Water

An elderly man with a wrinkled face sat leaning against the wooden door of the small building, squinting in the sun, and did not stop the three people.

Zhao Ti glanced at the other party and pondered for a moment. The old man's appearance seemed to indicate that he had not drunk the water of the Changchun Spring, but it was hard to say. After all, the spring water's ability to preserve youth actually fixed one's appearance at that time, rather than reversing aging.

Drinking it when you're young will help you maintain a youthful appearance, drinking it in middle age will help you maintain a middle-aged appearance, and as for drinking it when you're old, that's just how you'll look.

The so-called "eternal youth" mostly refers to someone who drank the water of the Spring of Eternity when they were young or middle-aged, and from then on, they would not change or age.

Upon entering the building, a young man stood at the top of the stairs, fiddling with a wooden bird. The bird was not carved from a single piece of wood, but rather had joints that could move and mechanical devices, the purpose of which was unknown.

The young man glanced at the three of them, observing Zhao Ti and Zhong Ling's attire with a strange expression.

"Brother Xiu, is Chunniang here?" Ximen Yan asked.

The young man smiled and said, "Ximen, has an outsider entered the valley?"

Ximen Yan also laughed and said, "That's right. These two came in from outside and were spotted by me and Pang Meiweng. We brought them here to let Chunniang know how to settle them."

The young man nodded: "It's been a long time since any outsiders have entered the valley, probably about sixty years, right?"

Ximen Yan thought for a moment: "About the same. Since Xiaoyaozi left, he has only come in once, but that was more than sixty years ago."

The young man sighed, "With the world about to undergo a great change, it's hard to say what will become of Changchun Valley. After these two, I'm afraid it will be difficult for anyone else to come."

Upon hearing this, Ximen Yan shook his head slightly: "That's not necessarily true. Perhaps when the valley opens, anyone can come and go, and their entry and exit will no longer be restricted by the effects of the spring water."

The young man looked at him and suddenly smiled: "If things really change drastically, do you think Changchun Valley will still exist? Although you are not a member of Changchun Hall in the valley, you must have heard some rumors about it."

Ximen Yan's expression changed, and he said, "This..."

The young man said, "Go upstairs quickly, just pretend I let it slip."

Ximen Yan remained silent and walked up the wooden stairs. He only remembered Zhao Ti and the other person halfway up when he turned around and saw that they were following him. He then continued to walk up the stairs with a heavy expression.

The wooden building has three floors. There was another person standing at the top of the stairs on the second floor. She was a woman wearing a blue coarse cloth dress. Ximen Yan did not speak to her.

After a short while, I went up to the third floor, which turned out to be a spacious single-level building with eight windows on all four sides. A gentle breeze blew in, and from inside the building, I could see the entire town and the distant scenery.

A woman, about twenty years old, was sitting behind Zhang Ju's huge desk. She was wearing a bright red dress, with hairpins in her hair, and holding a purple bamboo pen in her hand, drawing on a piece of white paper.

Zhao Ti was unsure whether there was purple bamboo in the valley or whether Xuan paper could be produced there. However, those who did not drink the water from the Changchun Spring in the valley should be able to go out and bring back their belongings.

Zhao Ti suspected that there was more than one way to leave the valley than the one he entered through, but for those who had drunk the spring water, even if they drew a line on the ground to create a valley, they probably wouldn't dare to leave.

The upstairs was quite large, and the three of them were not close to the woman in red. However, Zhao Ti had extremely sharp eyesight and, despite the distance, he could clearly see what the woman was painting. It was a scene of peaches and plums in full bloom and spring breezes blowing for miles. The painting was really just average. Not to mention himself, even if Zhao Ji had his eyes closed, he could paint better than her.

At this moment, the woman raised her head, revealing a beautiful face, very dignified and elegant, with a gentle expression. She first glanced at Ximen Yan, then looked at Zhao Ti and the other man, and asked, "Where are you two from outside the mountains?"

Ximen Yan couldn't help but say, "So Chunniang already saw it from the window."

The woman smiled faintly: "I happened to be looking at the scenery when I saw the two of them coming from afar."

Zhao Ti said, "Young lady, we are from the Dali Kingdom outside the mountains. We came here by mistake while looking for a friend who went missing in the mountains."

The woman's expression turned slightly strange, then she sighed softly, "I'm not a young girl, I'm over a hundred years old."

Zhao Ti was taken aback, then shook his head and said, "How could that be? I see that you are in the prime of your youth, how could you... be so old?"

The woman glanced at Ximen Yan: "Didn't you tell the two of them in detail what happened in the valley?"

Ximen Yan said, "No, it's just that entering the valley is difficult, and leaving the valley is even more difficult. We'll wait for Chunniang to make the arrangements."

Chunniang nodded: "You two said you accidentally entered Changchun Valley while looking for a friend?"

Zhao Ti said, "That's right. My friend is a woman who went into the mountains to chase wild animals and went missing. We were looking for traces along the way when we got lost in the mountains and stumbled into this place."

Chunniang said, "No one from the outside has entered the valley for decades, so your friend is not in the valley."

Zhao Ti looked disappointed: "Young lady, since my friend hasn't come to your place, may we leave?"

Chunniang smiled slightly and said, "I really can't leave."

Zhao Ti said, "How could that be? When I heard those gentlemen talking earlier, I was puzzled. If they could come in, why can't they come out? We can just go back the way we came in."

Chunniang sighed softly: "When you come in, there is a natural formation there. It changes with the light of the sun and moon, and the wind and rain. If you look further over there, you will not find an exit."

Zhao Ti asked in surprise, "Then how can we get out of the valley?"

Chunniang said, "In principle, Changchun Valley has its own rules. Outsiders are allowed to enter but not leave. However, some changes have occurred. If you have the ability to leave, the valley will not force you. But this ability requires extremely high martial arts skills, and very few people can do it."

Zhao Ti's eyes gleamed. It was obvious that Chunniang wasn't telling the truth. There must be another passage inside the valley accessible to those inside. As for the claim that one had the ability to leave, it was probably only for those coming in from the outside, or it was just a pretext.

"I have a question for you," Chunniang said again. "Have you ever heard of a person named Xiaoyaozi outside?"

“Xiaoyaozi…” Zhao Ti pondered upon hearing this. Zhong Ling looked at him with a puzzled expression. Although the inscriptions on the trees and rocks in front of the mountain stream said that the divine book had gone with Xiaoyaozi, she did not know which Xiaoyaozi was.

“It is indeed Xiaoyaozi, this is his pseudonym. His original surname is Li, and he is also from Dali,” Chunniang added. “Xiaoyaozi… is from Dali?” Zhao Ti looked surprised.

Chunniang nodded: "It can't be wrong, he said he was from Dali City in the Dali Kingdom."

Zhao Ti thought for a moment: "Well... although I have lived in Dali for generations, Dali is a large place with a large population, and I have never heard of this person's name."

“He must be somewhat famous…” Chunniang shook her head and muttered to herself, “I was wrong. Maybe he never went back to Dali after he left. Besides, it’s normal that you haven’t heard about something that happened a hundred years ago.”

Zhao Ti said, "That should be the case."

Chunniang pondered for a moment: "You entered this valley by fate. This valley is called the Valley of Immortality and Longevity. Do you know why it is called that?"

Zhao Ti said, "Please enlighten me, young lady."

Chunniang said, "You can just call me Chunniang. As for why it's called the Valley of Immortality, it's because there's a spring in this valley called the Spring of Immortality. If you drink it, you can stay young forever and prolong your life."

Zhao Ti was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, and said, "Could it be a celestial spring?"

Chunniang slowly said, "It's still a bit inferior to the Immortal Spring, because this spring water has some limitations. Although drinking it can keep you young and allow you to live for many more years, you can no longer leave the valley."

Zhao Ti asked in confusion, "Why can't we leave the valley anymore?"

Chunniang glanced at Ximen Yan: "Changchun Valley is located on a magical spiritual vein, drawing on the essence of heaven, earth, sun, and moon, which is why this spring is so nourished. Only here can one maintain eternal youth and live a long life. If one leaves this place, one will rapidly age and die within a few days."

Zhao Ti remained silent, while Zhong Ling whispered, "It's actually that terrifying."

Chunniang said, "This spring water is not for everyone to drink. Outsiders will not be given this spring water unless they live in the valley for three to five years."

Zhao Ti said, "Chunniang, what if we still want to leave?"

Upon hearing this, Chunniang said calmly, "You can try to see if you can get out. If you have that ability, the valley will not stop you."

Zhao Ti nodded and smiled awkwardly: "If I really can't live without it, I would appreciate it if Chunniang would allow me to use the water from the Changchun Spring."

Chunniang looked at him for a long time before saying, "Outsiders have a good plan, but... they are honest enough. In that case, the valley will provide you with a place to stay and a place to get rice, flour and vegetables. If you have any skills or techniques, you can also make some things to exchange for other people's items in the town."

Zhao Ti said, "Bartering? I understand."

Chunniang nodded: "Let Ximen take you to handle this matter."

Ximen Yan said from the side, "Chunniang, then I will take the two of them away."

Chunniang said, "Go ahead, I'll let the people in charge know."

As she spoke, she suddenly flicked her sleeve, and something flew out from it. Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes slightly and saw that it was a wooden bird.

The wooden bird took flight on its own, passing through the window and disappearing somewhere below.

"It's just a trick of the trade, nothing to be surprised about," Chunniang said, then lowered her head and continued drawing.

Zhao Ti and his companion followed Ximen Yan down the wooden building and then went to a place diagonally across the street.

A plaque hangs above the gate, with the three characters "Changchun Hall" written in seal script. Ximen Yan said, "All affairs in the valley are handled here. If you encounter any problems, you can also come here to seek solutions. In the future, rice and flour supplies will also be collected here."

Zhao Ti asked, "Doesn't it cost money?"

Ximen Yan said, "Silver money is useless in the valley, but if you have the ability to make some useful things, you can come here to exchange them for more items."

Zhao Ti replied, "I understand."

Ximen Yan thought for a moment and then asked, "Are you two family?"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Ling blushed and hurriedly lowered her head. Zhao Ti said, "We are friends."

Ximen Yan thought for a moment and said, "That's not very important. In short, you can only get one place to live. You two can divide it up however you like."

After speaking, they entered the hall, where there was a wide, long wooden platform. The wooden bird that Chunniang had released earlier was perched on the platform.

A short-bearded man behind them looked serious, his gaze sweeping over Zhao Ti and the other man. He asked, "Ximen, are these the outsiders?"

Ximen Yan said, "That's right. Chunniang asked me to bring the two of them over to register and receive their items."

The man with the short beard said, "Chunniang has already sent a message. After you come forward and register your names and background, you can receive your items."

Upon hearing this, the two stepped forward and quickly settled everything. They were then taken to live in a small courtyard in the town, along with rice, grain, and other miscellaneous items.

Ximen Yan said, "I will take you to your place of residence and give you some further instructions on various matters, including the rules and regulations for living in the valley."

Zhao Ti nodded, and the two followed him. They found a courtyard behind the street on the edge of town. The courtyard was not large, with three small houses and a storage room inside.

After entering, they looked around and found that all kinds of living utensils were available. Then, Ximen Yan began to explain the various rules and regulations of the valley to the two of them. After finishing, he gave them some more instructions and then turned to leave.

Only the two of them remained in the room. Zhao Ti looked at Zhong Ling, and Zhong Ling looked at him. They gazed at each other silently for a long time without saying a word.

(End of this chapter)