Notes on Longevity

Chapter 186 A New Life in Ping'an Mountain, A Horseman's Journey Reveals the Heart's Departure

The loud noise on Duqing Mountain startled the villagers, who rushed out of their homes and stood at their doorsteps, some even in the fields, watching the fading green light and discussing it:

"Who is this?"

"Yes! There have been two disturbances today. What will we do if the mountain god gets angry!"

"That's right, blame it on those people Liu'er's family hosted, they're always causing trouble."

Upon hearing the sound and seeing the green light, Xiao Changgong and She Li transformed into two colored specks of light and rushed towards Duqingshan, leaving Yang Shouren to quickly follow.

Zhou Ziping was much slower than them, and he heard these rumors as soon as he stepped out of his own door.

He looked helplessly in the direction of the crowd's discussion, only to see them surrounding the mountain, endlessly cursing and blaming.

Zhou Ziping sighed helplessly. He knew it was because he had brought these people here, but he also knew they weren't the troublemakers the villagers claimed to be.

However, the facts they witnessed were so clear that he could only helplessly let people say what they wanted.

Now, his biggest worry was what had happened on the mountain. He hadn't noticed Zhou Yanliu and Blackface's whereabouts at all. Just then, he heard someone shouting from the fields, "Isn't that Blackface?"

"Black Face?" Zhou Ziping was suddenly flustered. He knew that Black Face had always followed Zhou Yanliu and was almost inseparable from him.

He stumbled into the crowd in the field, finally squeezing his way to the side of the black-faced man, who had transformed into human form but was unconscious and surrounded by the crowd.

Looking at the unconscious Black Face, he felt even more worried. He frantically crouched down, trying to wake Black Face, but there was no response.

Those around Zhou Ziping noticed his panic and understood why he was acting this way. At this moment, a young man came out, pulled Zhou Ziping up from his squatting position, and quickly reassured him, "Grandpa Zhou, don't worry, Liu'er will be alright."

As he spoke, those around him echoed his sentiments, all trying to soothe his emotions.

"No. I want to go up the mountain to take a look. Yes, I want to go up the mountain to take a look."

Zhou Ziping seemed deaf to the words of those around him. He angrily shook off the young man who was supporting him. His trembling body, panicked expression, and worry made him stagger through the crowd and walk alone into the mountains.

As for the villagers, they could only watch helplessly as Zhou Ziping walked in that direction.

"What should we do? We don't know what the situation is in the mountains, and we don't dare to go up there."

"Yes, it's too dangerous for Uncle Zhou to go up the mountain alone. If Black Face were awake, we could let him go and check, but right now..."

Seeing Zhou Ziping go up the mountain alone, the villagers hesitated and eventually fell silent.

Zhou Ziping walked alone into the desolate green mountains at night. He tried to walk quickly in the darkness under the moonlight, but his worry for Zhou Yanliu made him stumble and fall to the ground.

He sat on the hillside, rubbing his bruised knees, his eyes filled with indescribable sadness, especially as he looked down at the brightly lit streets below.

He knew in his heart that they wanted to help him, but were only acting this way because of the mountain god's temper at night. Although the mountain god had previously said that he would no longer harm people without cause, as a mountain god, his temperament was always unpredictable. Although his words were law and he would never go back on his word, who would risk their life?

If it were someone else's children or grandchildren today, he probably wouldn't dare to go up the mountain alone at night, at this time.

But now, Zhou Yanliu is his only relative by his side. Although his children often come back and have told him to come with them, he can't let go of this place where his ancestors lived for generations.

With a sigh, and feeling helpless and anxious, he endured the pain from his stumbles and continued walking up the mountain.

The night sky is filled with stars, and a full moon hangs on the branch.

Looking at Ping An, whose green light had dissipated, Zhou Yanliu's eyes were filled with disbelief and fear, showing that he was both excited and scared.

He had seen Ping An before, but back then Ping An was dressed in a blue Taoist robe and looked very kind. However, the commotion just now had truly frightened him. He hadn't expected Ping An to be so powerful, able to sweep the black-faced man away from the mountain without even moving.

He stared at Ping An in astonishment, remaining silent, which made Ping An feel uncomfortable. At the same time, he was also surprised by the light green Taoist robe he was wearing.

He remembered that Dao Yisheng had only said that this robe could help him cultivate his meridians, but he hadn't expected it to also have protective effects. However, he quickly realized that it was originally a robe, and moreover, since Dao Yisheng had carried it with him for many years, it might have already become a spiritual object.

However, the most urgent matter was Black Face. He didn't know the extent of Black Face's injuries from the robe, so he went to Zhou Yanliu, who was looking astonished, and said, "Young Master Zhou, please take me down the mountain. If Black Face was injured because of me, I can find a way to heal him."

"Oh, right, Black Face!" He realized what Ping An meant, and hurriedly grabbed the lantern and led Ping An down the mountain.

Xiao Changgong and She Li, who had rushed up into the forest, looked around but found that the green light from before had disappeared. While worried, She Li thought it best to get to the summit first to ensure their safety. However, a moment later, Xiao Changgong pulled She Li down the mountain.

"It's Ping An, he's down there."

She Li saw Xiao Changgong pulling him down the mountain, and just as he was about to shake him off, he heard him speak. Hearing this, he looked in the direction Xiao Changgong was staring at, and saw a figure wearing a light green Taoist robe and a Taoist hairpin on his head walking down the mountain led by Zhou Yanliu.

However, She Li found it very strange. He remembered that Ping An was wearing a blue Taoist robe, but this person was dressed in light green, and the aura emanating from him was also somewhat unfamiliar. However, judging from his figure, it was undoubtedly Ping An. However, he did not remember that Ping An had a green Taoist robe when he left Zoumaguan, and there was no one of that color in Zoumaguan.

However, now was not the time to dwell on this. After confirming that the man in the green Taoist robe was safe, he simply walked past Xiao Changgong and shook him off.

"Junior brother."

She Li's shout made Xiao Changgong, who had been dumped, frown and smile bitterly. He stopped in his tracks and looked at the three people who were now standing together, a helpless expression on his face.

When he first met Ping An, he used a secret technique to enter Ping An's consciousness, intending to guide him out of his grief. However, an unexpected turn of events occurred. He saw all of Ping An's past, causing the technique to malfunction and momentarily make the illusion feel real.

"Master, let's not go on the journey to seek immortality, okay?"

“We will build a small hut in the mountains and practice Taoism there.”

“Alright, let’s cultivate there.”

He stood in the mist, watching Ping An and his master Qing Xuanzi depart into the distance, and finally heard Ping An's last words.

Xiao Changgong was an old monster who had lived for hundreds of years, and he had met many people, all with different pasts. Although everyone's experiences were different, the final result was the same: death. But Ping An seemed different to him. Putting aside his young age, Ping An's personality and mind seemed to have never changed from birth to his travels with his master. Like a drop of water falling into a muddy puddle, his experiences were like a torrential downpour. The rain struck the muddy puddle, turning it into a pool, and now into a river that flows freely, yet it remains unpolluted by the mud, as clear as a mirror in the water.

He didn't know why, but he hoped that Ping An could always be like this, traveling the world with a heart as clear as a mirror, and that everything he saw would be nothing more than fleeting clouds that would vanish in an instant.

He noticed the change in Ping An's Taoist robe and realized that, like him, Ping An had also received something from the mountain god.

He turned around and bowed to the mountain god, genuinely happy for Ping An.

He knew that obtaining the inheritance of a mountain god was not easy; it had taken him a hundred years to learn the secret techniques from the mountain god.

This also suggests that the mountain god might have some interest in Ping An. Perhaps it's because he heard about Ping An's desire to seek immortality and offered him assistance.

Oh, the fairy! Who wouldn't want to see her?

Ping An thought that the mountain god he knew also thought so, and perhaps this mountain god felt the same way.

There were some things they couldn't finish, so they thought someone could take their place. He couldn't escape it either, but the mountain god didn't even get to see him leave before he vanished into thin air.

He thought that perhaps the mountain god was the same.

But no matter what, as long as everyone is safe and sound, that's all that matters.

He smiled at this thought, then turned back to look at She Li, who was constantly scrutinizing Ping An, and murmured to himself, "Actually, I also want to go. But I'm not like you, a demon with worldly desires, I can't become an immortal."

With a sigh, he stopped thinking about it and walked towards the group.

After She Li came to Ping An's side, she touched him all over to check if he was injured. After confirming that he was alright, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, "It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright."

"Senior brother, why did you come up the mountain?" Ping An was puzzled by She Li's scrutiny.

"It's nothing. We just heard a loud noise and a flash of green light, and we were worried something had happened to you, so we came up to check on you." Xiao Changgong, unusually, came to Ping An's side, then stared at his Taoist robe and smiled, "Your Taoist robe is quite nice. Where did you get it?"

Xiao Changgong asked the question knowing the answer already.

Upon hearing this, Ping An began to explain: "I spent a whole day chatting with the mountain god on the mountain and asked him many questions. Before I left, he gave me a robe and a lotus hairpin."

Ping An answered in this way, but he also concealed something. He did not tell She Li and Xiao Changgong what Dao Yisheng had told him.

Xiao Changgong also understood that the story of the Mountain God was not something anyone could simply know. Although it was just an experience, there was much to learn from it, and it all depended on how much the listener could understand.

She Li, however, was different. When he heard Xiao Changgong ask about Ping An, he stared at the light green Taoist robe on Xiao Changgong's body, which had no other marks on it.

"Which mountain god gave you this? It looks strange, is it a shamanic robe?" She Li stared at the Taoist robe from top to bottom, and apart from being somewhat nice, she didn't see anything different about it.

Zhou Yanliu, who was also watching Ping An with a lantern, asked, "Did the Mountain God give this to you?"

He looked at Zhou Yanliu and replied, "Yes."

Then he turned to look at She Li and Xiao Changgong, “He said that this lotus hairpin can help me break through the illusions I encounter on my way to Penglai, and the Taoist robe made of Dharma robes can nourish my meridians. I think the pills that the Ancestor gave me before I left may not be needed.”

"Sure, sure." She Li patted Ping An's shoulder gently and smiled, "It seems this mountain god treats you quite well."

Ping An scratched his head a little embarrassedly and chuckled, "Perhaps this is fate, or the way of nature."

Ping An's words made She Li suddenly fall silent. After frowning slightly, he returned to normal and, ignoring everything else, pulled Ping An, who was holding a whisk, down the mountain.

Ping An didn't understand, and Zhou Yanliu couldn't comprehend it either. But he could only follow them down the mountain.

Xiao Changgong knew what Ping An was saying, and so did She Li.

He thought that the mountain god must have said a lot to Ping An that day, which might even have affected Ping An's state of mind in the future. Even the sound just now might have been related to Ping An.

But now he doesn't care what the mountain god said to Ping An, as long as he's alright, that's all that matters. As for what happens in the future, we'll talk about that later.

So-called destiny is not unchangeable.

When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, the villagers who had gathered together rushed to surround them as they came down.

"Liu'er, you're back?"

"What are you doing, child? Why are you running up the mountain all by yourself so late at night?"

"Where is your grandpa?"

As soon as they came down the mountain, they were surrounded by a dense crowd. Apart from Zhou Yanliu, Xiao Changgong and She Li tightly protected Ping An behind them, afraid that he would be frightened in the slightest.

Seeing this scene, Ping An felt inexplicably flustered. He didn't know what was happening, but when he heard the villagers asking where Zhou Yanliu's grandfather had gone, he seemed to realize something. So, he turned around and looked up at the mountain.

"Grandpa? Second Uncle, what do you mean by that? Isn't my grandpa always in the yard?" Zhou Yanliu asked the middle-aged man in front of him, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"You didn't encounter it?" The man called Second Uncle clapped his hands upon hearing this, stamping his feet anxiously. "Oh dear! You don't know, there was a sudden loud noise in the mountains just now, which startled us all. Then we saw a green light and a black face lying on the ground. Your grandfather thought something had happened to you, so he went up the mountain alone."

"Grandpa went up the mountain alone?" Zhou Yanliu looked at his second uncle in disbelief. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his heart, and a strong sense of unease welled up in his heart and between his brows. Immediately, he turned around, walked past Ping An and the others, and once again picked up the spinning lantern and headed into the mountain.

He kept calling out, "Grandpa!"

Seeing this, everyone felt a sense of unease. The brief silence seemed to be telling a story.

(End of this chapter)