Notes on Longevity

Chapter 196 Calling a deer a horse is unbearable; misattributing the truth to the falsehood.

"Snapped!"

She Li slapped Xiao Changgong on the head and said sternly, "Hurry up, what's so hard to say?"

Xiao Changgong stared at She Li speechlessly and helplessly. If he hadn't been unable to defeat her and if his vixen hadn't been in her hands, he would have rushed to Huangzhou long ago. He wouldn't have put up with this humiliation.

Forced by She Li, he had no choice but to speak: "That night, after leaving Fuyang, I went straight back to the mountain. I traveled for two days and was about to get a good night's sleep after entering the mountain. But soon I heard a loud noise approaching, and when I turned around, I saw its huge body rushing towards me. I'm telling you, I was terrified. But at that time, I didn't know the mountain god of that mountain, and I didn't know why it was looking for me."

Xiao Changgong, who had just entered the mountain, was holding a candied hawthorn skewer he had obtained from Qiushui. He held it to his nose and smelled it carefully, immediately attracted by the fresh aroma. "It smells so good!"

"But I don't know if the poison has dissipated yet."

He looked at the candied hawthorns he wanted to eat but dared not, feeling hesitant. Just as he was hesitating, he suddenly heard a loud noise, which seemed to come from behind the mountain.

He looked in the direction of the sound, but everything was completely silent; not a sound could be heard. Xiao Changgong frowned, tilted his head, and then looked at the candied hawthorn in his hand. "Am I hallucinating from hunger?"

Thinking this, he said to himself, "Forget it. Even if it's poisonous, according to Miss Qiushui, it shouldn't kill me. I don't want to starve to death like a fox."

Having said all he needed to say, he had no choice but to eat it. So he reached for the candied hawthorn and took a bite, wondering what a poisoned candied hawthorn would taste like.

"I heard you were looking for me?" Just then, a hot gust of wind blew down from above. Hearing the voice, he looked up and suddenly saw dark clouds obscuring the moon, and a pair of huge, purple eyes, as dazzling as stars in the sky, staring nakedly at him.

"I...I...I'm fucking idiot!"

This was the first time in Xiao Changgong's life that he had used foul language, but it wasn't because of anger or arguing with someone. Rather, it was because he was shocked by the monster he saw and couldn't find the words to say.

His tone was shocked, yet gentle, as if he had suddenly lost all his strength and means, and could only struggle irrationally, trapped in a cage, his heart ashen.

Xiao Changgong was almost completely soaked; the sweat on his forehead could be wiped away like rain with a flick of his hand. He lowered his head in utter terror, his eyes wide open, staring at the candied hawthorn like dead fish eyes.

"No way. What's that thing on my head? Could I have starved to death and it's here to drag my soul to the underworld?"

"No, no, that's not it."

He was terrified by the enormous creature he dared not look back at, its nature unknown. He couldn't hear what it was saying at all, and he had only one thought in mind—to run.

"Holy fox spirit! What is this thing? What did I do to offend it?"

Xiao Changgong dared not think any further and turned to run. However, the thing did not chase after him, but instead revealed a spectator's smile on its eerie lips.

The dense forest, overgrown with weeds, and the vines of many ancient trees spread everywhere, unintentionally creating numerous obstacles for Xiao Changgong.

Fortunately, Xiao Changgong was agile and had no problem walking and running in the mountains and forests. However, there was one thing he couldn't understand: what was that thing from earlier?

So, without hearing the sound of someone chasing him from behind, he frowned and curiously turned around to take a look.

Actually, it would have been better if he hadn't looked. But once he did, it was as if he had seen the King of Hell. The fear in his eyes was indescribable. The only thing that could be described was the twisted and ferocious face of the thing after he saw its appearance.

That was a monkey, no, it should be an ape, a giant ape with a body as vast as the sky.

He stared in fear and astonishment at the giant ape that stood upright, its body entirely red and resembling a human. He didn't pay attention to the path beneath his feet and ended up tripping over the vines of the ancient tree.

Ignoring his aching body, he quickly got up, candied hawthorn in hand, and continued running forward, shouting, "Holy fox spirit! Help!"

Seeing that he had fallen and gotten up again, the divine ape stopped letting him run and instead dragged its huge body in hot pursuit.

Before him lay a thicket of bushes nestled among the trees. Seeing that the divine ape was about to catch up, Xiao Changgong had a sudden inspiration. He circled around an ancient tree, simultaneously transforming back into his true form and shrinking his body to hide in the bushes.

He was terrified and breathing heavily, his stomach growling at the same time. He stared at the candied hawthorn in his hand, which had also shrunk, and swallowed hard. He wanted to take a bite to ease his tension. However, he didn't know if the divine ape would notice him, so he looked up and listened to the approaching footsteps through the gaps in the bushes above.

The divine ape noticed Xiao Changgong's little actions, grinned, and deliberately flew over his head. After taking a few steps forward, it suddenly soared into the air, pretending to head towards the mountaintop. At that moment, it also used magic to transform its body into a tiny monkey the size of a human finger. It imitated Xiao Changgong, circling the tree, and finally disappeared into the bushes where Xiao Changgong was. Then, it stealthily approached from behind. The little fox that Xiao Changgong had transformed into watched it adjust its breathing and nibble on a candied hawthorn.

"I was terrified! Is this crazy monkey? Why is it chasing me?"

"Sigh, what bad luck. Ever since I went to the human world, I've encountered all sorts of ridiculous things. It's one thing to make me dance, but the worst thing is that stinky cat, who actually righteously stole my candied hawthorn."

"But I don't know what that damn monkey is up to. Why has it been chasing me ever since I came up the mountain? What did I do to offend it?"

Xiao Changgong chewed on a sticky candied hawthorn, utterly bewildered: "No way! I've never even seen Him! Where would I go to provoke Him? Besides, why would I be crazy enough to provoke Him? Am I insane?"

Xiao Changgong sighed, especially his fox-like face and bewildered expression, which made him quite adorable. This stirred the heart of the divine ape sitting next to him, who suddenly wanted to rub his face.

Fortunately, He managed to control himself. Then, He looked at Xiao Chang Gong with curiosity and said, "Weren't you the one who's been looking for me?"

Xiao Changgong continued munching on his candied hawthorn, and replied, puzzled, "I was looking for you?"

He didn't understand: "Why would I contact you?"

Xiao Changgong's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly stopped what he was doing. He nervously wondered, "Who's speaking?"

Suddenly, a bad feeling welled up in his heart and he frowned. He turned his head shakily towards the direction of the sound, only to see the divine ape that had been chasing him now no bigger than his eye, sitting leisurely on the crisscrossing branches of the bushes. Especially its eerie smile, which startled Xiao Changgong so much that he cried out in alarm. He darted out of the bushes, transformed back into his true form, and ran away.

However, at the same time, the divine ape also regained its original form. It appeared from the bushes that had been broken through by its giant body, carrying Xiao Changgong with the two fingertips of one hand.

The divine ape roared, startling the heavens and earth. A thunderclap also resounded from the horizon, waking up all the animals and demons in the entire mountain forest.

They didn't know what was happening, but they certainly knew it was bad news, so they all fled in one direction.

Xiao Changgong was being held by the collar by the divine ape, who kept swaying him in front of it. He was utterly terrified by the appearance of the divine ape.

Seeing that Xiao Changgong had no reaction, the divine ape lifted Xiao Changgong up, placed him near its nostrils, and breathed heavily on him.

Amidst the sweltering heat and indescribable stench, Xiao Changgong nearly suffocated, but thankfully he regained consciousness. However, he preferred death to living.

The divine ape's horrified face, and the distance of several dozen feet above the ground, made him dizzy and nauseous, almost causing him to vomit.

He looked at the divine ape, then lost consciousness again in a fit of nausea, though he kept muttering something.

Seeing that he had fainted, the divine ape tilted its head and laughed, "With your guts, you actually dare to cause trouble in the human world. If others come looking for you, they'll say that I, as the mountain god of this land, have failed to properly discipline the creatures in the mountains. But it's alright. After all, the fault isn't entirely yours."

Having said that, He picked up Xiao Changgong and turned to head towards the back of the mountain. Xiao Changgong awoke again at noon the next day.

He lay on the stone slab of the cave where the divine ape lived, and vaguely heard the sound of flowing water and the echoes of mountain birds' cries as they flew over the cave.

He opened his eyes, looked at the unfamiliar surroundings, and saw the divine ape with its back to him, seemingly doing nothing. He immediately became alert.

So he slowly got up and prepared to leave without making a sound, but suddenly the deep and gentle voice of the divine ape came from behind him: "Candied hawthorn, I haven't seen it for a thousand years, I wonder if the taste has changed."

Xiao Changgong was stunned when he heard the voice of the divine ape. He thought the divine ape had discovered that he was awake, but judging from its tone, it seemed that it had not.

So, just as he tiptoed forward a step, the divine ape spoke again: "Tell me, is the human world like this candied hawthorn, ultimately changed or unchanged?"

The divine ape's question made Xiao Changgong's heart leap into his throat. He cursed inwardly, "You damn monkey, where did you get so much to say? If you want to kill or torture me, just tell me. Didn't you realize I talk so much? You scared me to death."

Xiao Changgong rolled his eyes and was about to continue walking forward, but before he could put his leg down, the divine ape continued, "I heard from some old demons in the mountains that the world outside the mountains has changed. The former heavenly kingdom has disappeared, replaced by a fragmented world where each kingdom has its own court. Do you think this kind of world is beautiful?"

Xiao Changgong couldn't take it anymore. He turned around and angrily walked towards the divine ape, no longer caring whether the divine ape had woken him up.

He raised his fist, not caring what you were, even if it meant death, he would still smash it down. "Xiao Changgong, tell me, what is the purpose of us, who cultivated intelligence from animals and transformed into demons, living for thousands or tens of thousands of years?"

The divine ape's voice was gentle; it already knew he was awake. But why didn't it turn around and look at him, instead asking these strange questions?

His words were full of questions and confusion, as if something was troubling Him.

Xiao Changgong lowered his raised fist amidst His confusion. He frowned, his previous fear gone, and approached the divine ape, looking up at Him: "How should I know? I just want to know why you're chasing me?"

Xiao Changgong's angry expression made the divine ape laugh: "You have caused trouble in the human world. I am afraid that someone will come looking for trouble for you. As the mountain god of this place, if you have done nothing wrong or have committed an unintentional crime, I will naturally protect you."

"Mountain God?" Xiao Changgong exclaimed in surprise. He looked up and down at the giant ape holding a candied hawthorn that resembled a pomelo in its giant hand, scratching his head and asking incredulously, "You are the Mountain God?"

"What? Doesn't it look like it?" The divine ape continued to smile.

Xiao Changgong shook his head, indicating that it didn't seem like it. The divine ape asked him, "Then what kind of mountain god do you think he should be?"

This stumped Xiao Changgong. He had only ever wondered what a mountain god looked like, but he never imagined that the mountain god of this mountain would actually be a giant monkey. And, moreover, that it was chasing him.

"But why are you protecting me?" Xiao Changgong asked, sensing something in the divine ape's words.

“I have cultivated on this mountain and received all the sustenance from this world. I have attained the Great Dao and become a mountain god. Naturally, I must give back to the world. You are the beings of this world, and protecting you is my way of repaying the world. If there are any outsiders, I will drive them away.”

Xiao Changgong didn't quite catch what he heard, but after thinking about it for a while, he understood. So he asked again, "However, from what you just said, you seem to have something on your mind? Besides, you said you live for thousands or tens of thousands of years, don't you know why? I heard from the old demon in the mountains that you've lived long enough, how could you not know?"

The divine ape was amused by Xiao Changgong's words and laughed heartily, but Xiao Changgong's words also saddened him. He said with sorrow, "It is because I have lived for so long that I have lost sight of the meaning of life."

"Why?" Xiao Changgong was equally puzzled. "Shouldn't you be happy to live a long life? Look at me, every time I go down the mountain, it's to find my own path and then seek immortality that is as long as heaven and earth. I can't wait to live longer, but you're here worrying. And those old demons, every time I talk to them, they're like those storytellers in the human world, always speaking vaguely, making me guess every time. It's so annoying."

As he spoke, Xiao Changgong suddenly tilted his head and looked down at the divine ape, asking, "Hey, I'd like to say that to you old folks when you were young, weren't you also said that to by other old folks?"

Now it was the divine ape's turn to be puzzled by Xiao Changgong's words. He asked, "What do you mean?"

"Otherwise, what's the point of you talking like that?" Xiao Changgong was speechless. When he used to travel in the villages and towns at the foot of the mountain, he often saw some old people talking to children about vague and unclear principles, and they always said things that were difficult to understand. He found it annoying to watch.

Why can't we just say what we mean? Why do we have to use veiled insults and beat around the bush?

The divine ape understood. He knew why Xiao Changgong suddenly said that: "Because the rights and wrongs, the weight of right and wrong, the correctness of words, and the meaning behind words all require your own judgment."

"Although you are not very old, you often travel around the world and must have heard of or seen many people and things."

"Just like Zhao Gao, who pointed at a deer and called it a horse, he left behind a well-known and hated story in order to seize power. It also shows that when you are in the midst of something, you are powerless to change it, and you can even be manipulated by others and lose your own will."

"As for misattribution, you don't know the details of what happened; you only hear what others say. You believe it, but since you weren't there at the time, you can't distinguish between truth and falsehood."

"Therefore, sometimes when you say things directly, you may not know whether they are right or wrong. This is not necessarily a case of being unclear, but it can be considered a warning."

Xiao Changgong was getting sleepy, but he couldn't care less. "Fine, I'm not talking to you anymore. Give me back my candied hawthorn, I'm leaving."

The divine ape looked at Xiao Changgong, who was reaching out to him, and shook his head helplessly: "You can leave. But you have to leave something for me."

Xiao Changgong grunted in response, but before he could speak, the giant hand of the divine ape, glowing with white light, swept towards him and landed heavily on his face.

Then, the divine ape grabbed Xiao Changgong and, amidst his shouts, threw him toward the cave exit above.

At the same time, a burst of laughter followed. He looked speechlessly at She Li, who was laughing loudly beside him, and asked, "What's so funny?"

She Li laughed until he was almost out of breath. He clutched his chest, took a deep breath, and chuckled, "I was wondering, if that mountain god's huge hand had landed on your face, how would you have felt? Would it have hurt a lot?"

She Li's words made people laugh, and even Ping An, whose expression was melancholy due to injury, showed a normal smile.

Xiao Changgong stared at She Li with anger and helplessness, and finally answered with a sigh: "It doesn't hurt, it just hurt when He threw me out and I fell in the mountains."

"Hahaha." She Li laughed hysterically.

Xiao Changgong looked at She Li and laughed weakly, "Are you crazy? I was in so much pain back then."

"Did the divine ape return Senior Brother Xiao's candied hawthorn to you?" Ping An asked seriously.

"Huh?" She Li was stunned when he heard Ping An's voice, but when he saw Ping An's sincere eyes, he couldn't stop laughing.

"I can't take it anymore, I'm dying of laughter." She Li laughed so hard he almost choked. He coughed a few times and asked, "But speaking of which, why don't you remember Black Face?"

Xiao Changgong slumped onto the stool, lay down, and rested his head on Ping An's lap. This startled Ping An. Xiao Changgong was both amused and exasperated, saying, "He slapped me so hard I was stunned. Then my memory of Black Face started to become hazy. I only vaguely remembered it when Zhou Ziping said Black Face was afraid of the rain just now."

At this point, everyone couldn't hold back and started laughing out loud, except for Ping An, who laughed very subtly.

However, Xiao Changgong suddenly felt a pain in his face, as if something had scratched him.

(End of this chapter)