Notes on Longevity

Chapter 115 Every event has a cause, and every action has a consequence.

Three days later, Ping An gradually recovered.

The four stood outside the fenced yard and bowed to the old woman and Yang Zifu to say goodbye.

Yang Zifu waved and smiled at them with a simple and honest expression.

The old woman watched them leave quietly, her expression somewhat worried.

Although she knew there were Taoist priests waiting in Huangzhou City, what really worried her was what to do if they encountered demons or ghosts on the way.

Guided by Yang Shouren, the group left Yangjia Village and found themselves on a flat dirt road. It was early autumn, and the withered yellow trees in the distance were quite striking.

She Li and Xiao Changgong playfully bickered as they headed towards Huangzhou.

Yang Shouren held a sword in his hand, dressed in a blue robe, and kept a watchful eye on Ping An, who was carrying a chest on his back.

When they left, Yang Shouren had intended to help Ping An carry the chest. Although Ping An was feeling better, he still had some lingering illness, but Ping An refused, saying that if his heart was not sincere, how could he go to Penglai to see the immortals?

Therefore, Yang Shouren could only stay by his side and keep an eye on his physical condition at all times.

Ping An, carrying his satchel, walked along the road, watching with delight the two playfully fighting ahead of him, filled with envy. His master had spent half his life seeking immortality, rarely traveling with anyone other than himself. He thought that if his master were here, he would surely be happy to see such a scene.

But Master is not coming back.

She Li and Xiao Changgong walked at the front. He grabbed Xiao Changgong's ear and threatened him, "If you dare to run away again, I won't just beat you up a few times like I did one night."

"Why would I run away?" Xiao Changgong was furious but helpless as She Li pulled his ear. He said in a very aggrieved tone, "My little vixen is still in your hands. If I run away, what will happen to my little vixen?"

Xiao Changgong finally broke down in tears, deeply regretting his decision to ask this guy for help.

Upon hearing this, She Li released her grip on his ear. Xiao Changgong thought his performance had moved him, but after She Li let go, she slapped him on the back of the head. "Why did you hit me?"

She Li rolled her eyes at Xiao Chang Gong speechlessly, "Can't you speak properly? What are you acting for? Besides, that vixen isn't in my hands."

"Huh?" Xiao Changgong looked at She Li in confusion and asked anxiously, "If she's not in your hands, then where is she? Aren't you supposed to have people protect her?"

"Shut up if you can't speak properly," She Li rolled her eyes. "What I meant by 'not in my hands' was that I had my fellow disciples protect her, so she'll be fine."

"Isn't that the same?" Xiao Changgong burst into tears again.

She Li couldn't take it anymore. Ever since Xiao Changgong left Yangjia Village, he had been like this. He grabbed Xiao Changgong's hair and said, "If you keep doing this, I'll lock you up in a gourd. Aren't you annoying all the way here? You're a grown man, and you've lived for hundreds of years, yet you're still crying like this. In the future, stay away from me when we're in crowded places, so that no one can tell I know you."

"Don't be so serious." Upon hearing this, Xiao Changgong immediately changed his expression, looking at She Li with a smile: "I was just joking."

"Look at those two behind us." Xiao Changgong and She Li were walking forward when he suddenly pointed behind them. "Those two are like logs, hardly ever talking; and you, you're usually a blockhead too. If you hadn't met me, you'd probably be pretty much the same. How could you be so relaxed like this? Just trying to lighten the mood, don't mind." She Li glanced back. Xiao Changgong was right; Ping An and Yang Shouren barely spoke, just walking silently. He turned around, thinking about something, then looked at Xiao Changgong and asked, "How long will it take to get to Huangzhou like this?"

Xiao Changgong looked up at the sun in the sky, then looked back at the distance they had traveled. "At this rate, it will take at least half a year, or about four months if we travel faster. What's wrong?"

“I’m thinking about whether we should buy a carriage when we pass through the town, so that it will be easier for my junior brother and we can go faster,” She Li said, expressing his thoughts.

She Li isn't so worried about peace right now; he's truly concerned about the situation within Huangzhou City. After all, this time it's a gathering of demons, not just a few. Moreover, he hasn't figured out what's going on, and he doesn't know what the demons are trying to achieve by gathering in Huangzhou.

Are they here for the Martial Arts Grand Gathering? Or something else?

Xiao Changgong rolled his eyes at She Li's words, "Now you're in a hurry? I told you back then that we should leave first and wait for them to come slowly, but you insisted on arguing with me."

Indeed, She Li didn't think things through this time. But I think anyone would have done the same. After all, there are many Taoists in Huangzhou City who are no less capable than him.

"Just shut up," She Li said, glancing at Xiao Chang Gong.

"What? Did I hit a nerve?" Xiao Changgong turned around and walked backwards, glancing at Ping An and Yang Shouren who were not far from them, and then smiled at She Li.

“Foxes have long snouts,” She Li said coldly, glancing at him.

Xiao Changgong, puzzled, asked, "What do you mean?"

She Li replied, "You deserve a beating!"

"You!" Xiao Changgong reacted and pointed at She Li, almost cursing, but he held back when he thought about how She Li had been bringing up the gourd lately. "I can't be bothered to argue with you."

Ping An smiled at Xiao Changgong, who was walking backwards. Yang Shouren, who was standing to the side, also smiled at the scene: "The relationship between Daoist Sheli and the fox spirit is really unusual. But I'm very curious, how can a Daoist be friends with a demon?"

Ping An smiled upon hearing this, but he didn't reply immediately. He then watched as Xiao Changgong waved at him and turned back to look at the approaching forest. "Do you think your junior brother will be able to see the immortals?"

"How would I know!"

To be honest, he didn't really understand Ping An's trip to Penglai to seek immortality. If immortals were so easy to find, who would want to be a mortal? Everyone would be out there seeking immortality, asking questions, and asking for longevity. But for some reason, he always felt that Ping An was capable, though he couldn't quite explain why.

"If I were to compare being an emperor with seeking immortality, I would still think being an emperor is easier. Seeking immortality is difficult! So difficult!" Xiao Changgong sighed to the heavens.

"All things coexist, and the great principles coexist."

This was Ping An's answer to Yang Shouren. He understood the meaning behind it, but he didn't comprehend it. Even if they could coexist, the demonic chaos of over a decade ago had harmed countless people, causing the world to change color and chaos to erupt everywhere. How could they possibly befriend them? Wouldn't that be courting death?
But Ping An told him, "Everything happens for a reason, and everything has an effect. Nothing lasts forever, just like the change of dynasties."

Yang Shouren couldn't understand it. He only felt that Ping An's words were vague and unclear, and he couldn't figure them out.

(End of this chapter)