Notes on Longevity

Chapter 202 The Mountain and Water Gentleman Rebukes She Li, Zhao Yan Sees Dao Yisheng Again

"Ghost?"

Zhao Yan was puzzled, but he didn't care. Instead, he glared at the two men, and suddenly, the river before him, as calm as the passing years, surged with turbulent waves, like the roar of the sea crashing down upon him, but it subsided after a moment. He didn't want trouble; he just wanted an explanation from She Li and Xiao Chang Gong.

"You two aren't in a hurry to ask me who I am; let me ask you this: Why are you hunting down wandering souls?"

Zhao Chu was eight feet tall. He stood with his hands behind his back, his body as withered as a withered tree, yet his extraordinary spirit and powerful voice were like the resounding toll of an ancient bell.

She Li and Zhao Han stood on opposite banks. When he heard Zhao Han's voice, a ripple of emotion stirred in his heart, especially after the astonishing pressure that Zhao Han had exuded when he waved his sleeve in the shallow river. He murmured, "Not a ghost?"

But if he were a human, even in the worst state, he wouldn't look like that, like someone whose life force has been exhausted and who is about to die. Yet his voice was high and resonant, unlike that of a dying person. Instead, it sounded like distant mountains and flowing water, green forests and blooming flowers, gentle and lingering.

She Li felt strange. He turned his gaze to Xiao Chang Gong, only to see him standing there with his head down, looking as if he had done something wrong.

She Li understood. It turned out that Xiao Changgong's earlier talk of going to find fruit was actually because he had seen the ghost. Moreover, he often suffered from her temper, so he vented his resentment on the ghost, unintentionally offending this nameless and unknown "ghost".

Once he understood everything, he immediately performed the Ziwu salute to Zhao Yan and said with remorse, "My companion was impolite and acted rather absurdly. Please forgive him if he has offended you. As for that lonely soul, we had no intention of harming it."

"Unintentional?" Zhao Yan scoffed, then rebuked, "Judging from your Taoist robes, you must be a Taoist practitioner. You should know that the immortal path values ​​life and endlessly guides people. Moreover, all things in the world possess spirits and should act naturally. That lonely soul has been trapped here for decades. I, as a carefree person in this world, was doing my duty to guide it home for reincarnation. But you, not only did you harm it, you also claim it was unintentional. Slaying demons and eliminating evil is what you Taoists are supposed to do, but healing and exorcising the spirits were also the work of the Taoist Ancestor. You acted arbitrarily without distinguishing right from wrong. Where did you learn your Taoist scriptures?! Do you think that all ghosts transformed from dead things in the world are harmful? That any demon should be killed? If so, why are you traveling with demons?"

Faced with Zhao Chu's reprimand, Xiao Changgong didn't dare to raise his head at all, because he knew that the person in front of him was no ordinary person. He could bring such pressure with just a wave of his sleeve, let alone take action. In the end, he was afraid.

As for She Li, he frowned after listening to Zhao Ran's reprimand and glared at Xiao Chang Gong, his eyes filled with disapproval of Xiao's lack of ambition. He used to think of Xiao Chang Gong as just a mischievous child with hundreds of years of cultivation, but now he was becoming increasingly disobedient!
He bowed to Zhao Chu and said respectfully, "We acted rashly. I wonder how you wish us to repay you?"

"Repay?" Upon hearing this, Zhao Yan, already furious, raised a hand at them and said leisurely, "You said it yourself."

As soon as he finished speaking, an invisible aura swept through the river, creating a huge wave that rushed towards the two of them. "If you can withstand three of my moves, I will not pursue the matter further. If you cannot, your life and death will be out of your hands."

As soon as Zhao Yan finished speaking, his angry expression suddenly changed, and his sharp eyes revealed murderous intent. Instantly, the river flowed backward, an autumn wind suddenly rose, and fallen golden leaves were blown about. They swirled around Zhao Yan like dragons, and finally, at his nod, they all gathered into swords, rushing towards She Li and Xiao Chang Gong with the surging waves formed by the river.

Seeing the raging waves accompanied by countless leaf swords rushing towards him, She Li pushed Xiao Changgong, who hadn't even reacted yet, aside. He turned his body, took the gourd from his waist, and summoned his sword at the same time.

Xiao Changgong was pushed away. When he came to his senses, he saw She Li alone, carrying a gourd and wielding a carved sword, fighting between the raging waves and the leaf sword.

The leaf blade grazed She Li's cheek, and the river water splashed onto his body. In no time, She Li was covered in wounds. He swung his sword and cut the leaf blade in two, but they seemed to sprout again in spring, like green shoots that had fallen to the ground in the winter frost and then revived.

The river water was collected into the gourd by She Li, but the shallow river, like a deep abyss, did not decrease at all; on the contrary, it increased more and more.

The gourd burst open, and the surging river swept She Li away. The scorching water burned her entire body red, and she had lost all her magical power. Yet, countless leaf swords rushed towards her, aiming straight for her heart.

Xiao Changgong finally set off. He transformed into a red fox, crossed the river as hot as the sun, and used magic to summon his own Dharma Body the moment he approached She Li. He turned his back and tightly protected She Li in front of him.

Xiao Changgong did not choose to dodge, but stood still and felt the pain of being stabbed by ten thousand swords. He roared and shouted, "Although I don't know what Shanshui Lang is, I was in the wrong first, and it has nothing to do with him. If anyone should be punished, it should be me alone."

"Ah!" The scorching river water and the piercing Ye Jian wounded Xiao Changgong mercilessly, the pain coursing through his entire body. Before Zhao Han could unleash a second attack, the two were already powerless to defend themselves. A deep sense of helplessness enveloped them.

This was the second time they had been in such a sorry state. Xiao Changgong had lived for five hundred years, and apart from that divine ape, only the mountain god of Qingshan could have rendered him like this.

The Dharma body dissipated, and he was forced back into human form. She Li, whom he held in his arms, had already fainted. Looking at She Li before him, and feeling the lingering heat, he silently murmured, "Is he also a mountain god?"

If not, then with a casual wave of his hand, he could create monstrous waves and countless swords from leaves, indicating an extremely high level of cultivation. He could do what Zhao Chu did, but not with such terrifying power.

The raging waves subsided, and the sword embedded in Xiao Changgong's back left his body, eventually returning to Zhao Yan's side before scattering on the ground as if nothing had ever happened.

"A Taoist priest who has been cultivating for over twenty years, and a fox demon who is five hundred years old. It is said that demons cannot tolerate human tolerance and want to get rid of them as soon as possible. Just like that ridiculous incident more than ten years ago when demons caused chaos and wanted to destroy the country."

"However, the two of you have managed to get together. I observe that although the fox demon is mischievous, he is not inherently bad. He knows how to sacrifice himself to save people and also knows that one person should bear the consequences of their own actions. As for that Taoist priest, although he is rigid, he is kind at heart, and he was unaware of the matter of injuring the ghost. Therefore, although the lonely soul was injured, it is not seriously harmed. I can let you go. However, I still need to teach you a lesson."

Seeing the two of them like this, Zhao Yan sneered and said, "I will not take your lives with this move, but you should remember that all things are cultivated into human beings, and good and evil are in one's own heart, which is not up to you to decide."

As soon as he finished speaking, a faint flame appeared in Zhao Jun's hand. He gently tossed the flame towards the two of them.

The flames that had slipped from their grasp gradually transformed into a fireball, like wildly growing flowers, grass, and trees, until they reached the two of them and became a sun, instantly illuminating the forest and engulfing them in flames.

The blazing flames spread across Xiao Changgong's back, but he didn't feel the flames touching him, which puzzled him.

He endured the pain, feeling the agony of his battered body being torn apart as he looked back. There he saw a young man carrying a chest on his back, dressed in a green Taoist robe, holding a whisk and standing behind him.

"Peace?" he muttered in confusion. When he realized what was happening, he shouted at him, "Get out of the way! You can't handle it!"

However, things didn't seem to be as he feared. Ping An's Taoist robe emitted a strong green light that rivaled the daytime flames.

The flames quickly dissipated under the green light, and Ping An, covered in green light, appeared in Zhao Yan's eyes.

He looked at Ping An on the opposite bank, whose features were delicate and whose expression was somewhat unusual. He frowned deeply and murmured, "Such magical power at such a young age?"

"No, the problem is with his clothes."

Zhao Yan immediately noticed the Taoist robe on Ping An's body. He withdrew his hand and said calmly to Ping An, "Are you also a Taoist?"

When Ping An saw Zhao Yan stop, he suddenly let go.

He bowed to Zhao Chu and said, "I just overheard what this young man said, and I apologize to you on behalf of my two senior brothers."

Not long ago, Ping An and She Li both saw Xiao Chang Gong's fireball illuminating the forest. Thinking something had happened to Xiao Chang Gong, they rushed towards the scene. However, Ping An's cultivation was inferior to She Li's, and coupled with his illness, he couldn't walk as fast as She Li. Fortunately, he still made it in time. He overheard their conversation, which is why he was so respectful.

"Senior brother?" Zhao Yan was slightly taken aback by Ping An's words and said, "I understand why you called that Taoist priest 'senior brother,' but this fox demon..."

He was puzzled. Had he simply traveled less in recent years and fallen behind the changes in the mortal world? Could it be that humans and demons could now coexist harmoniously?
Ping An glanced back at Xiao Changgong, who was covered in wounds, and felt a pang of heartache. However, since Xiao Changgong had been in the wrong, he could only say to Zhao Yan, "Senior Brother She Li and I are both disciples of Zouma Guan. Senior Brother Xiao is Senior Brother She Li's good friend. Although Senior Brother Xiao is playful and unpredictable, he is not a bad person. As the saying goes, 'Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me.' Senior Brother Xiao's cultivation and knowledge are higher than mine. Although he is a demon, he is still a fellow traveler."

"Well said, though a demon, we are still kindred spirits." Zhao Yan couldn't help but laugh when he heard Ping An's words. He pointed at Xiao Chang Gong and said, "Look at you, a hundred years of cultivation is not as good as a child."

Zhao Chu became interested in Ping An, so he asked again, "But your Senior Brother Xiao injured that lonely soul for no reason just now, yet you said he wasn't bad. How do you explain that? Or are you colluding with him and trying to exonerate him?"

"This..." Zhao Yan meant no harm; he simply wanted to see what Ping An would say, as fellow travelers like them were rare indeed. But Ping An was stunned. He turned back, frowning at Xiao Chang Gong, his helpless expression piercing Xiao Chang Gong's heart. Xiao Chang Gong turned back to look at the burned, unconscious She Li in his arms, feeling utterly ashamed.

Ping An looked at Zhao Yan, whose furrowed brows made Zhao Yan burst into laughter: "Since you can't say, then you're intentionally covering for him. You should be punished too."

After saying that, Zhao Xun formed a sword with two fingers, and a dark blue flame emerged from his fingertips, aiming at Ping An's Taoist robe. He raised the corner of his mouth slightly and said in a low voice, "I want to see where this Taoist robe of yours comes from."

"Go," Zhao Yan said softly, and the ghostly blue flame detached from his fingertips and headed straight for Ping An's Taoist robe. Ping An frowned and tried to brush it away with his whisk, but the flame flew straight through the whisk and into the robe.

The pale blue flame seeped into Ping An's Taoist robe, and Zhao Yan's mind followed the flame into it.

It was a vast, green mountain range, shrouded in mist, with an ancient sycamore tree soaring into the clouds.

“It’s him?” Zhao Xun stood on the vast green mountains, looking at the ancient tree that reached the sky.

Suddenly, the ancient tree moved. It bent over and collapsed towards him as if the sky had fallen. A huge, ancient tree face appeared, and it roared, "It's you again!"

An old, hoarse voice echoed in Zhao Jun's ears. He waved his hand, trying to dispel the buzzing sound, "So that's how that child could have such magical power at such a young age. It's you. What? Do you need me to collect your body, or guide your soul back to Jiangnan?"

"Stop being so arrogant. If you hadn't escaped so quickly back then, the outcome would have been uncertain," the ancient tree shouted again.

Zhao Yan remained calm and composed, looking at Dao Yisheng's current state and remarking, "Even in death, you're still so stubborn. But then again, you were perfectly fine alive, so why did you choose to die?"

"It's none of your business. Besides, even if I only have this last wisp of consciousness left, I can still shatter your soul." Dao Yisheng remained as domineering as ever.

"Fine, I won't say anything then, I'm too lazy to fight with you. But why are you protecting this child?" Zhao Yan was curious, so he lit another wisp of eerie blue flame.

A flame burned in Ping An's heart, illuminating the dark world. The blood-red sun hung high in the sky, and cries of agony echoed across the dried-up riverbeds and the torn earth. A newborn child was snatched from a woman's arms by a ragged man, narrowly escaping becoming her meal.

Zhao Yan frowned as he looked at everything before him. Suddenly, he saw snowflakes falling from the sky, and on a treacherous snow-covered mountain, he saw an old man leading a child.

A spotted deer and a silver snake stood facing each other. The deer lowered its head and used its enormous antlers to push the two off the cliff. In the snowy night, in that dilapidated temple, a group of men in black abducted a child, and an old man lay dying.

Zhao Yan couldn't bear to watch any longer, so he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Ping An, dressed in a green Taoist robe, was helping Xiao Chang Gong up with a worried expression.

Just as they were about to leave, Zhao Jun spoke up, "Wait a moment."

Upon hearing Zhao Yan speak, Ping An quickly turned around and said, "I hope you will forgive my past grievances, my lord. I called you a few times, but you did not respond, so I had no choice but to leave with my fellow disciples. Please do not blame us for our rudeness."

Ping An bowed deeply, his body bowed low, and Zhao Yan sighed deeply, saying, "It's not that I want to do anything to your two senior brothers. It's just that it's my duty. Besides, all living things have their own path, and we are all cultivators; our hearts shouldn't be like this."

"Xiao Changgong understands." Dressed in rags and covered in wounds, Xiao Changgong, carrying She Li on his back, said to Zhao Han with a face full of shame, "Changgong will remember your teachings, my lord, and will correct my mistakes in the future."

Zhao Yan looked at the pitiful Xiao Chang Gong and Ping An standing beside him and said, "It's good that you know."

After saying that, he waved his hand, and a beam of green light, like a sky full of stars, showered down on the three of them: "Like a gentle spring breeze."

"Those who understand the nature of life do not engage in what life cannot provide; those who understand the nature of destiny do not engage in what destiny cannot change."

"Ping An, remember these words."

After Zhao Xun finished speaking, the green light fell on the three of them. Xiao Changgong and She Li, who were covered in wounds, instantly recovered. However, She Li was still unconscious.

Ping An looked at Zhao Yan with some confusion. Although she didn't understand, she still said gratefully, "Thank you for your guidance, sir."

"Let's go, let's go," Zhao Xun waved his hand and said, "I still have things to do."

"Hurry up!" A voice that Zhao Chu found very familiar rang out behind him.

Zhao Yan hummed in curiosity. He looked down and saw the ghost grab his hand in a panic: "Young man, are you lost too? And that guy even has helpers, run!"

The ghost tried to pull Zhao Chu away, but it couldn't budge him. So it turned around, looked up at Zhao Chu who was much taller than it, and asked, "Why don't you run? They're very powerful; you can't beat them."

The ghost's voice echoed through the forest, its words making Xiao Changgong feel utterly ashamed. He thought to himself, "They've almost killed us, and we still can't beat them."

Ping An rarely showed such disbelief, thinking to himself, "Doesn't it know who this young man is?"

"The old man is alright, they're not bad people." Facing the suddenly appearing ghost, Zhao Yan thought to himself, "How did you get back so quickly?"

Looking at the expressions of the two people on the opposite bank, Zhao Xun awkwardly laughed at the ghost and said, "I just asked, and they thought you were a ghost that harmed people, which is why they attacked you."

"A ghost that harms people?" the ghost asked in surprise. "I was killed by someone, but I didn't harm anyone."

“Yes, you have never harmed anyone.” Zhao Chu’s heart trembled upon hearing this, and he thought to himself.

Just then, Ping An's voice came from the other side of the river: "Greetings, sir. My senior brother has acted without reason and has injured you. Please forgive him. If you harbor any resentment, please feel free to speak up."

Xiao Changgong echoed, "I hope you will forgive me, sir. I was rude. If you wish to scold or beat me, I will accept it."

The ghost was still a little incredulous upon hearing this, as it now only trusted Zhao Yan. However, Zhao Yan added, "It really is an old man."

Seeing that Zhao Chu had said so, the ghost had no choice but to believe him. He said to Xiao Changgong, "There's no need for beatings or scolding. Just apologize to me, and we'll call it a day."

Zhao Chu smiled upon hearing this.

Xiao Changgong put She Li down. Ping An, holding a whisk and carrying a chest on his back, could only lean She Li on his shoulder. Xiao Changgong bowed deeply to the ghost and said, "It was Changgong who acted without reason and hurt you, sir. Please forgive me!"

Seeing Xiao Changgong's sincerity, the ghost said nothing more. He said to Zhao Yan, "Since everything is alright, I'll be going now. I'm in a hurry to see my family."

"Let's go, I'll see you off." Zhao Yan hadn't recovered from what had just happened when he blurted out the words and waded into the river to walk forward.

"Hey! You can go into the river now!"

(End of this chapter)