Notes on Longevity

Chapter 212 Originally a sword-wielding traveler among the clouds, with no intention of becoming a carefree immortal in Nan Hua.

"its not right!"

The young man suddenly came from the courtyard to the window and looked at Yun Zhongke from both inside and outside. He looked at Yun Zhongke with a puzzled expression and said, "What did you just say? She's already married?"

Yun Zhongke smiled calmly: "Yes."

The young man's lips twitched involuntarily. He said, "You're just asking for trouble. Other people are already married and you're still stuck in unrequited love. Are you sick in the head?"

Upon hearing this, Yun Zhongke smiled silently. He raised his hand and gently touched the young man's forehead with the tip of his index finger. Instantly, a surge of energy rushed out from between his fingers, propelling the young man out of the courtyard.

Seeing the young man's bewildered and shocked expression, he said softly, "Su Kui, how could you understand? It's true that she got married, and it's also true that I was the one who had a crush on her. But I didn't bother her. It's best to keep feelings of affection to yourself."

Upon hearing this, Su Kui, who was paralyzed outside the courtyard, roared, "You bitch!"

At this moment, a figure slowly appeared above his head. After recognizing the person, Su Kui quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty."

The newcomer was dressed in a dark black Taoist robe with three red-crowned cranes swimming among it; he had a solemn and dignified appearance, with a golden light faintly visible between his eyebrows; his black hair was loosely tied up, with a strand of white hair hanging down on each side of his temples; one hand was behind his back, and the other was held in front of his abdomen, giving him the air of an immortal.

"Is your master here?" the Taoist priest asked.

The deep, resonant voice and unhurried tone made Su Kui extremely nervous. He replied, "Your Majesty, the master is inside the house."

The Taoist priest said, "Take me inside."

Upon hearing this, Su Kui quickly went to open the door, and then stood to one side of the door and respectfully invited, "Your Majesty, please come in."

The Taoist priest walked steadily into the house. After looking around, he solemnly asked, "Has he been living here all this time?"

Su Kui replied, "Your Majesty, my master has been here ever since I met him, and he has never left except to play."

"I heard he's fallen in love again?"

The Taoist's question made Su Kui think for a long time. He said, "I have not been with my master for long, and I have only heard some stories about the past from my master's friends. I do not know whether he has fallen in love again. However, my master has indeed fallen in love with a woman, but she is already married."

A bitter smile appeared on the Taoist's solemn face. He said, "In this world, the only person who could move him is that person from tens of thousands of years ago."

Su Kui was puzzled. The Taoist walked past him and went straight to the closed wooden door, then pushed it open.

A pale blue porcelain vase stood quietly by the window. Inside, a desk sat opposite the bed, with writing brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone on it, and a copy of the Zhuangzi beside it. Behind the desk, Yun Zhongke sat upright in a sandalwood chair, holding a brush. Behind him, on the wall, a painting depicted a beautiful woman dancing gracefully, attracting butterflies from outside the window to enter the painting.

He wrote: "A celestial maiden visits the mortal world, a gentle breeze forms the steps to welcome her with peach blossoms. Her fair hands roll up her sleeves, her green robes billowing, and her smile brings new life to all things."

The brush returned to the inkstone, the poem was completed on the yellow paper, and the traveler in the clouds rose, rolled up his sleeves, raised his fingers and chanted an incantation. The ink characters appeared before his eyes, and he turned around and waved his sleeves to let the characters enter the painting, dancing with the butterflies in the painting. After a moment, everything returned to calm.

He looked at the woman in the painting beside him and chuckled softly at the four lines of poetry that seemed to be of different heights: "Clouds yearn for her rainbow-colored dress, flowers for her beautiful face; the spring breeze caresses the balustrade, the dew is heavy. If not seen atop Mount Qunyu, she would be met beneath the moon on the Jade Terrace."

He reached out and touched the figure in the painting, his eyes filled with tears, speechless.

Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out behind him: "Sword-wielding traveler among the clouds, carefree immortal of Nanhua. What's wrong, troubled by love again?"

Yun Zhongke smiled calmly, then turned to look at the Taoist priest and said, "I am just an ordinary mortal, and it is common for me to be troubled by love."

The Taoist priest smiled and said, "So, are you troubled by love, or are you unable to let go of that person?"

"In my heart, she has never died."

"So, if anyone in this world resembles her even slightly, you'll become completely captivated and unable to extricate yourself?"

The guest in the clouds remained silent. After a moment, the two men burst into laughter inside the house, which puzzled Su Kui, who was waiting in the courtyard.

He curiously peeked into the room, but then heard Yun Zhongke's voice: "Su Kui, make tea."

"Yes." Su Kui responded, turned around and walked to the square table with the porcelain bottle. He swept his hand up and over the table and a tea set appeared. Then he swept his hand over the table again and the empty tea set was filled with steaming hot tea.

He placed the tea set on his palm, using his spirit as a tray, and slowly turned to walk into the house.

Su Kui placed the tea on a long table that appeared out of thin air in the room, and then said, "Master, Your Majesty, Su Kui is waiting outside."

The Emperor nodded, and the Guest in the Clouds smiled and said, "Go then."

After Su Kui left, the Emperor picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "Tea is no ordinary thing. It is slightly astringent at first, but sweet aftertastes later. Unlike my Penglai, where we cultivate in seclusion year-round and do not touch grains, let alone drink tea."

Upon hearing this, Yun Zhongke smiled and offered a drink to the Emperor, saying, "Emperor Donghua, the master of male immortals, how many in this vast world dare to drink with you?"

The Taoist priest used magic to add tea, then said, "Above is the Jade Emperor, below is the Earth Goddess, and there are even more immortals in the world. Are you mocking me?"

The guest in the clouds replied, "The primordial Yang is highly respected."

The Taoist laughed and said, "Let's not talk about me. It's a pity that you should have entered the Heavenly Palace after the war ended tens of thousands of years ago, but you were forced to enter the mortal world because of that woman. Otherwise, you and I should have been on equal footing in the celestial ranks."

"I have no intention of becoming an immortal."

"So you'd rather remain in the mortal realm for ten thousand years, just waiting for her reincarnation?"

Yun Zhongke said calmly, "My feelings for her are unparalleled in the world, and this is how it should be."

The Taoist priest pondered for a moment and said, "That's true. Where you cultivate doesn't matter."

The guest in the clouds sipped his tea and said, "I wonder what brings Your Majesty here today?"

The Taoist replied, "Nothing, I just came because I was thinking of an old friend."

"It's just simple food, please don't mind it."

"Even a single grain of millet is acceptable."

"please."

After lunch, the Taoist was about to leave when the Cloud Guest presented him with a scroll of cursive script and a painting, saying, "This book is a copy of the Zhuangzi I wrote myself. I hope the Emperor will deliver it to the Immortal of Longevity on my behalf. This painting depicts mountains, rivers, and the Milky Way. Since we both have few friends, I will give it to you. There is a hidden paradise in the painting that inspired my thoughts. If you have no one to talk to, you can enter the painting and splash water to dispel your sorrows."

The Taoist priest stood in the courtyard, took the calligraphy and painting, and said: "There was once a Taoist priest who entered my Penglai. He was originally a disciple of Kunlun and had talked with me. However, like you, he left and never returned. I often went to look for him, but his hair was already covered with white hair, and he didn't have much time left."

"Nothing lasts forever."

"If you are interested, come and find me often."

"Respectfully seeing off the Emperor."

"Respectfully seeing off the Emperor."

Upon seeing this, Su Kui, who was standing at the door, bowed and greeted him.

After the Taoist priest disappeared from the spot, he raised his head and looked at the guest in the clouds, asking, "What did the Emperor say to you?"

Mind your own business.

Yun Zhongke turned and went into the house, and Su Kui blurted out, "What a pretentious guy."

As soon as the words were spoken, a beam of white light shot menacingly towards Su Kui from the open wooden door, striking him heavily and knocking him back an unknown distance.
I've been writing a bit slower lately... so updates might be delayed or untimely. Sorry.

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(End of this chapter)