Notes on Longevity

Chapter 193 A graceful dance by the autumn waters defuses the awkwardness; the sky hangs heavy, as if rain is about to fall.
That mountain forest was far from the hustle and bustle of the world, and it was difficult to see any human habitation for dozens of miles around. Xiao Changgong always had to travel a long way to leave the mountain.

He once asked the evil old demon in the mountains, "Why must one avoid worldly troubles when cultivating oneself?"

The old demon told him, "The mortal world doesn't necessarily have to be avoided. Otherwise, why would those Taoist priests, who are far away, still enter the world to cultivate?"

"The essence of cultivation lies not in the word 'cultivation,' but in the act of practice. Cultivation, though a method, is merely a path paved by those who came before. You may not be wrong to follow the path of those who came before, but can you truly understand or comprehend their thoughts?"

The answer is, of course, no.

"The methods of the ancients are mysterious and unpredictable, ever-changing. Even if you master them, they are ultimately not your own path. You will feel lost, you will not be able to see the direction, and in the end you may even lose your way in the mental path of the ancients' methods."

"Therefore, the most important aspect of spiritual practice lies in your actions."

"Some say that reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles is the same principle."

"If you only know how to read books, but don't put them into practice, or try to accept your own thoughts and ideas, you will end up being nothing more than a bookworm, a walking corpse between words."

"I have spent seventy percent of my thousand years traveling among humans. Although the things I see are roughly the same, people's thoughts are different. The same thing will lead to different results for different people, and that is the ultimate purpose of 'travel'."

"Then how can it be done?" Xiao Changgong asked.

"Go. Leave the mountains and forests, go to the human world, see the prosperity of the world, see the withered trees come back to life, see the path you have cultivated, the path you have walked."

"But I have been to the human world, and it was quite boring."

"Although you are already a hundred years old, you can stay away from the mountains and forests, and the places you go are nothing more than small villages in the forest and towns along the road. If you really want to cultivate the Great Way, you might as well go to the most prosperous capital city in the human world. However, when faced with the capital city, a behemoth and a place where all kinds of people mingle, you will naturally be overwhelmed and may even be oppressed by it. It is better to go further and further away. Just like the mountain god in this forest, he has traveled to every inch of the human world and finally became the Great Way."

“I’ve also heard other demons talk about the capital. But is that enough?” Xiao Changgong asked again.

"I don't know about that, but you'll only know once you've practiced it."

Xiao Changgong sighed helplessly. He stood up and looked into the distance amidst the lush green forest, asking the old demon, "Where is the capital you mentioned?"

The old demon chuckled and pointed in a direction, "Right there."

This was Xiao Changgong's first time in the most prosperous place in the world. He was at a loss when faced with the sudden question and the laughter of the crowd. Xiao Changgong hurriedly replied, "No, no need."

"Where did this country bumpkin come from?"

"Looks like this is your first time in the capital."

Faced with the laughter of the crowd and the woman with gentle, watery eyes before him, Xiao Changgong retreated repeatedly. Suddenly, a half-drunk man stood up, carrying a wine jar, and stumbled over to him. Without any hesitation, he put his hand on Xiao Changgong's shoulder, handed him the wine jar, and said, "Young brother, Miss Qiushui asked you if you wanted to sing another song, and you said no! Besides, you suddenly barged in, and we were really enjoying the performance. Don't spoil our fun."

Don't you all agree?

The man lowered his hand, picked up the wine jar, and, still quite drunk, circled around the crowd, speaking.

The crowd was also waiting to see Xiao Changgong make a fool of himself, clapping and echoing, "Yes, young brother, just agree! Then, drink another jar with us. We'll pay for the wine and the liquor, just don't spoil the fun."

"Yes, yes, if you can dance to Qiu Shui's tune again, we'll not only treat you to drinks, but we'll also give you money. How about it?"

The laughter and agreement of the crowd made Xiao Changgong, who was new to the capital, very uncomfortable. This was completely different from the people and things he had seen in the villages and towns. It was as if they did not care about him, but only about whether they were happy.

Xiao Changgong looked at the man beside him in a panic, and stammered, "But, I..."

Before Xiao Changgong could finish speaking, Qiushui, holding a pipa in one hand, placed the other on Xiao Changgong's lips. The cool, faintly fragrant scent permeated his body and nose the moment her hand touched his.

His face suddenly flushed red, like the red clouds at sunset, which stirred ripples in people's hearts.

Looking at Xiao Changgong's flushed face and ears, Qiu Shui smiled sweetly, like a beauty in a painting. She whispered softly, "Young master, don't speak, I will teach you."

The handsome man and beautiful woman's actions initially startled everyone, but then they burst into laughter, overjoyed. Some people took out silver coins from their pockets, while some women took off their jewelry and threw it at the two.

Seeing this, Qiu Shui understood that if they didn't perform a song and dance, they wouldn't be able to leave the restaurant today.

She lowered her hand from Xiao Changgong's side, bowed to each of the onlookers, and said, "This humble servant, Qiushui, thanks all the gentlemen and ladies."

Then, she changed the subject and said, "This young master is new to the capital and doesn't know the rules of this restaurant. I can play a tune and dance, but the young master doesn't know how. I will have to teach him. Gentlemen and ladies, please wait a moment while I go with the young master and he will learn."

The laughter and toasts continued. Then someone said, "Miss Qiushui, there's no need for all this trouble. You can teach him right here. That way, we won't feel bored, and we'll even have some fun to watch."

The man didn't mince words, nor did the others. They all said, "We've long heard that Miss Qiushui is not only a skilled musician but also an exceptionally graceful dancer. It's just a pity that Qiushui has always only played music and never danced, making her a rare and precious talent. Today, we have this opportunity, so please teach her here, so that we can feast our eyes on her beauty."

The leisurely posture and hearty laughter of the crowd made Qiu Shui feel helpless, but she still smiled and said softly, "If this can make the master and ladies happy, Qiu Shui has no choice but to make a fool of herself and accompany the young master with her dance."

Upon hearing this, everyone clapped and cheered.

The young lady handed the pipa to the woman waiting to the side and said to her, "You play the music in a moment, and I will lead the young master in a dance."

The woman bowed her head and said, "Yes, young lady."

Xiao Changgong watched Qiu Shui approach in a daze, standing timidly in place, not daring to move. He never imagined that the first thing he would do upon arriving in the capital would be to dance for someone, but faced with everyone's predicament, he dared not make any rash moves and could only let Qiu Shui manipulate his body.

As the melody begins, it is melodious and graceful; as the figure moves, one's thoughts wander.

After receiving some simple instruction from Qiu Shui, Xiao Changgong stood beside her, imitating her every move.

With one hand raised and the other lowered, two orchids bloom; with head tilted to the side and fingers moving slowly, the orchids merge into a lotus.

The curtain is parted, and a lotus flower emerges from the window; its neck is like a crane's, and it gazes at the moon over the sea.

Her graceful figure, knees slightly bent; her jade-like legs leap forward, pressing down on her slender waist.

A cascade of black hair falls down, revealing a pair of spring mountains and autumn waves; jade hands half-cover peach cheeks, revealing a pair of red jade.

Her lips parted slightly, her voice like pearls on a moonlit night; her soft Wu dialect sang like clouds in spring.

The melody is melodious, like a beautiful woman singing in a painting; the butterflies dance among the flowers, as gentle as bamboo, captivating listeners and viewers alike, making them linger and forget their homes. The world's splendor is only one aspect, yet this very aspect draws people back again and again; the path of humanity is not limited to this, yet people always seem to linger here.

It is said: Her skin is as white as jade, her bones fragrant and her waist slender, like sandalwood. Her skin is like solidified cream, as white as jade, and her light steps surpass even the grace of a fairy.

One song ends, another fades away.

The patrons in the restaurant were stunned by the dance and singing before them. They couldn't believe that such beauty and song could exist in the human world.

Even Xiao Changgong was stunned when Qiu Shui started singing and dancing. He stared at Qiu Shui's every word and movement, completely bewildered.

By this time, no one cared what he had come for; they were all immersed in the lingering echo of the sound.

After Qiu Shui finished her dance and song, she bowed to the crowd. She picked up several pieces of silver and a whole ingot from the wooden planks of the restaurant, then, amidst their lingering gazes, took the pipa and led Xiao Chang Gong downstairs.

It wasn't until one of the people, who still didn't want to leave the scene, suddenly dropped his wine glass, spilling wine all over the floor, that everyone realized what had happened.

They all got up and rushed towards where they had gone, but the two had already disappeared.

All that remained were broken silver and jewelry scattered on the floor of the restaurant.

After leaving the building, Qiu Shui, carrying her pipa, looked around the street, but she didn't see anything she liked.

She lowered her brows, as if she had something on her mind, a completely different person from when she was in the building. Finally, she stopped in front of a pastry shop, and skipped inside like a lively kitten, clutching her pipa.

Xiao Changgong followed behind her, walking aimlessly.

When he saw Qiu Shui enter the shop, he rubbed his rumbling stomach and reluctantly continued walking forward, hoping to find some food there.

"Shopkeeper, two servings of cherry dumplings, one box of lotus seed cake, two servings of rice cake, and one serving of water chestnut cake."

The young woman stood in front of the familiar shop and playfully chatted with the shopkeeper, recounting the shop's history as if it were her own.

"Alright, Miss Qiushui, please wait a moment." The shopkeeper was a slightly chubby middle-aged man, clearly someone who had eaten plenty of pastries. He greeted Miss Qiushui with a smile the moment she entered.

"Alright." A moment later, the shopkeeper took out the packaged pastries and handed them to Miss Qiushui. "Miss Qiushui, what are you doing going to that restaurant every day? The people there are all bad news. Be careful, one day you might go in and never come out."

"What's there to be afraid of!" Qiu Shui opened the box, took out strips of rice cake and ate them happily. "Besides, if I dare to go in, I'll naturally find a way out. Look, I've been in Fuyang for so long, and I'm still doing just fine."

As Qiu Shui ate her pastries, she turned around in circles to show the shop owner.

The shop owner chuckled and said, "That's right, young lady. You're incredibly capable; those people can't do anything to you."

However, at the end, the shopkeeper still gave Qiu Shui a word of advice: "But you should still be careful, young lady. Don't let anyone with ulterior motives find out your identity, otherwise they might report it to the authorities and bring in a Taoist priest, and you'll be in trouble."

Qiu Shui chuckled: "Don't worry, I have a protective magic weapon."

Looking at the pretty young woman, Qiu Shui, the shop owner was immediately reminded of his granddaughter. He smiled and said, "It's rare to find a girl who has lived so many years and still has the heart of a child. I wonder if my little granddaughter will be able to be as happy and joyful as you in the future."

As the shopkeeper spoke, a hint of melancholy appeared on his brow, and a sigh disturbed Qiu Shui's thoughts.

However, he quickly recovered and smiled, saying, "Let's not talk about that. Miss, the total is three taels and seven mace."

"I'll round it down for you, just three ounces will do."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Shui snapped out of her daze. She squinted and chuckled, then took out a silver ingot she had just picked up from the building, placed it on the counter, and ran off.

"Come again next time, consider it an advance payment."

Qiu Shui's playful voice echoed in the shop. The shop owner was stunned as he looked at the silver in front of him. He wanted to call out to Qiu Shui, but found that she had already disappeared.

The shopkeeper had no choice but to put away the silver, smiling with a mixture of helplessness and indulgence.

As Qiu Shui stepped outside, she looked around curiously, muttering to herself, "Where's that fox? We haven't paid him for dancing yet."

Qiu Shui couldn't see anyone, so she shrugged helplessly. "Never mind, I'll give it to you next time we run into each other."

With that, she picked up the packaged pastries and skipped away into the distance. The pipa, too, had already been put away.

Hungry Xiao Changgong walked along the street as the sky gradually darkened, but after searching around, he couldn't find a place to exchange his food.

Back in the small town outside the mountains, he could always find a place to eat. But the capital city wasn't a small town, and people weren't as kind.

He went to ask if he could get some food in exchange for some energy, but he was kicked out and insulted, who said, "What are you doing here if you don't have money? You look so well dressed, I didn't expect you to be a beggar."

Xiao Changgong was also helpless. He was a demon who lived in the mountains and only came to the human world occasionally. Where would he get money?

He sighed, "Forget it, I'll search again. If I still can't find it, I'll go back up the mountain."

For a naive demon, this is currently the only and best solution. They can't very well let him do petty theft.

Although he is a fox, he is not a weasel.

He couldn't do these things either.

However, what happened today has been an experience for him. He has also come to understand what it means to be someone's prey and to make fun of others.

"Forget it, I'd better just stay on the mountain. The human world is no fun."

As dusk approached, the moonlight was obscured by dark clouds. A gentle breeze occasionally swept by.

He looked up and thought, "Looks like it's going to rain."

(End of this chapter)