Notes on Longevity

Chapter 215 Always on a hurried journey, when will we meet again, tearfully parting at the alleyway?

Su Kui changed into a new outfit; the yellow robe was tinged with a hint of blue, and under the sunlight, it looked like a swaying rainbow, still so vibrant.

He walked up to Su Qing and looked her over with great curiosity. He was also surprised by what Yun Zhongke had said about the destiny star. He never thought that the so-called destiny in this world was actually caused by the stars in the sky.

The star that was plucked last night must be Su Qing's destiny star, and that's probably why she was able to transform into human form in a single day.

He reached out and touched the bottle of Suqing, and whispered, "Suqing, what are you doing?"

Su Qing remained silent, but shifted her body slightly, which startled Su Kui. He stared at Su Qing in disbelief and said again, "Didn't you turn into a human last night? What, are you still shy?"

Su Qing shook the long neck of her bottle, denying Su Kui's statement, but she remained silent, which troubled him greatly. He scratched his head sheepishly, then plopped down on the wooden chair, grabbed Su Qing, and said with a mischievous grin, "If you don't say anything, I'm going to throw you out!"

"No matter what, I am your senior brother. You should at least show me some respect."

"Call me 'Senior Brother' and I'll let you go."

However, as soon as Su Qing heard Su Kui say that he was going to throw her out, she began to struggle desperately, ignoring what he said afterward.

Su Kui looked at the struggling blue-and-white porcelain in his hand, his face full of black lines, and let go of it. "How boring. You're not even as fun as Qing Huan. At least he can chat with me. You're just a little idiot."

Freed from her restraints, Su Qing turned around and glared at Su Kui as if to say, "Don't come any closer," before jumping to the ground and heading straight into the house to find Yun Zhongke.

Seeing this, Su Kui knew something was wrong and got up to run out of the courtyard. But just as he reached the door, a pair of hands suddenly appeared in the window behind him. They seemed to be infinitely long and huge, as if they could cover the sky. They grabbed Su Kui and quickly returned to the house.

"Uh, old man."

Su Kui sat on the ground, looking at Yun Zhongke, who was sitting at the desk with a book in one hand and gently tapping Su Qing with the other, and smiled awkwardly.

Seeing his expression, Yun Zhongke smiled helplessly and said, "Didn't I tell you not to touch her?"

Su Kui replied in a low voice, "I thought she could transform into human form, and since you were reading, I thought I'd ask her to play with me for a while, but she ignored me. However, I was just joking with her; I didn't really mean to throw her out."

Su Qing nestled in Yun Zhongke's hand, twisting her bottle and acting coquettishly. He smiled and said, "But it seems your junior sister is serious. She doesn't want to forgive you right now."

"what?"

Su Kui was taken aback. He stared at Su Qing's bottle, pouted, and said, "Su Qing, I'm sorry, senior brother was wrong."

Upon hearing this, Yun Zhongke smiled slightly. He put down the book in his hand, picked up Su Qing, and held her in front of him, making her face Su Kui. He asked, "Your senior brother apologized to you. Do you forgive him?"

Although Su Qing didn't have a physical body, she turned her body behind her back and stared at Yun Zhongke, seemingly confused. However, after a moment of confusion, she nodded to Yun Zhongke.

Yun Zhongke smiled and placed Su Qing back on the table, then said to Su Kui, "She has forgiven you. Get up."

"Really?"

Su Kui stared at Su Qing in front of Yun Zhongke with a puzzled look. "But she didn't say anything?"

Yun Zhongke still smiled: "She didn't say anything, but that's what she meant. You tell me, isn't that right?"

As Yun Zhongke spoke, he looked at Su Qing, who had been turning her head to look at him, and asked.

Upon hearing this, Su Qing immediately turned to stare at Su Kui, then vigorously tapped her long neck. Su Kui, seeing this, was also delighted and immediately stood up, laughing, "That's good. I was just too bored, so I was being a bit unreasonable. I've been so bored lately. Just thinking about how bustling it is outside makes me restless and want to go out and play. But we've only been back from Jiangnan for a short time."

Yun Zhongke understood what Su Kui meant. He lowered his brows, a hint of sadness on his face, and asked, "Do you think it's fun outside?"

"Of course."

Upon hearing this, Su Kui became incredibly excited, gesturing wildly and launching into a long, detailed explanation of many things that even the Cloud Guest hadn't noticed:
"Arched bridges in Jiangnan connect Hakka villages, and small boats carry travelers. The green water reflects the sunlight, and a single lamp illuminates the night."

"And the tea in the inn, the aroma of pine needles in boiling water, the snow mountain red lotus in the mouth. The mountain spring egg tofu in the mouth is smooth, and the tavern in the street with a lantern is smooth."

"I feel so uncomfortable."

"It's a pity you left in such a hurry; there's so much food I can only watch."

Su Kui spoke with heartfelt sincerity, yet he also felt deeply aggrieved. He blamed Yun Zhongke for only caring about his own affairs and completely neglecting him, a mere passerby.

Hearing this, Yun Zhongke seemed to have quite a few thoughts. The misty curtain of Jiangnan was heavy, the willows drooped, and a touch of spring sorrow was carried away by the wind. He sighed, glanced at Su Qing in front of him, and then said, "Indeed, you've been with me for so many years, and this trip to Jiangnan is the only one we've gone out together. That's fine. The Emperor also told me before that I also planned to leave again. So, go pack your bags, and we'll go out and have a good time. This time, I'll make sure you have a great time."

Su Kui hummed in agreement, looking at Yun Zhongke with disbelief. "Really?"

"Of course it's true, didn't I say so before?"

Su Kui cheered with joy, then stared at Yun Zhongke and asked, "When are we leaving?"

"when."

Yun Zhongke murmured as he looked at Su Qing before him. After a moment, he said, "Let's do it tonight. Tonight, with starlight as our companion and the bright moon as our guide, I can send you up to the heavens to find your own star."

"Okay!"

Su Kui agreed and turned to run into the courtyard, but then he seemed to realize something and ran back. He looked at Yun Zhongke apologetically and said, "I almost forgot, all our luggage is inside."

Yun Zhongke smiled indulgently, picked up Su Qing and walked into the courtyard, saying, "Hurry up and get ready, I'll wait for you outside."

"Okay!"

When Yun Zhongke arrived at the courtyard, Su Kui began rummaging through chests and drawers to pack his luggage. "I need to bring plenty of clothes and robes."

"Since we're here to have a good time, I don't think we'll be back so soon. We should bring our boots too."

"And the old man's writing brushes, inkstones, paper, inkstones, and books—he valued these things more than his own life."

"Then"

Su Kui stood in the center of the room, looking around to see what else he needed to bring. "Oh, right!"

"The old man's sword and wine jug."

But he searched the house for a long time and couldn't find it, so he shouted outside, "Old man, where are your sword and gourd?"

"In that painting on the wall."

Yunzhongke responded.

Su Kui found it strange upon hearing this. He slowly walked to the painting, looked at the beauty surrounded by butterflies and flowers, read the poem, and finally noticed a sword and a gourd in a corner of the painting. He reached out and took them out, muttering, "Strange old man, why did you hide a sword and a gourd in the painting?"

However, he can't worry about all that right now; being able to go out and have fun is more important than anything else.

However, a problem now lies before him: stacks upon stacks of clothes and other things are giving him a headache. "So much stuff? How am I supposed to play with all this on my back?"

He stared at the things in front of him, lost in thought. Just as he was wondering what to do, a brilliant idea struck him, and he slapped his forehead in exasperation: "How stupid! Why don't I just use magic to put these things away?"

"Staying in a small town for too long is making me feel suffocated."

After saying that, he stretched out a hand, and the clothes seemed to receive a command, frantically rushing towards Su Kui's golden palm.

He looked at the empty space in front of him and smiled smugly, then began to search the room again to see if there was anything else he needed to bring.
Yun Zhongke held Su Qing in his hand in the courtyard. Through the sunlight, the blue and white landscape patterns on the bottle transformed into a girl. The girl was petite and cute. She stood on a small boat and kept waving to Yun Zhongke.

Yun Zhongke smiled faintly. He gently placed his thumb on the girl's head and pressed it lightly. The girl in the pattern crouched pitifully in the small boat, holding her head in her hands, her eyes filled with tears, looking at Yun Zhongke with a pitiful expression.

He smiled, a helpless smile, then placed the porcelain vase back on the table.
Looking up at the hazy sun, a hint of sadness appeared in his eyes, as if he were saying something.

Tired, he listened to Su Kui rummaging through drawers and cabinets in the room. He listened to the fussy sounds and gradually closed his eyes. No matter how Su Qing in the patterned room called to him, he could not hear her until the night deepened.
This afternoon, a rumor spread through the town that someone who had recently arrived had gone mad.

Some said it was because he encouraged everyone to find the owner of the giant hand, which offended him and drove him mad. Others said they must have gone into the stone archway and been frightened insane by the monsters inside. Rumors spread like wildfire throughout the town, and they might all be right, but the final result was something no one could have imagined: he had driven himself mad.

Today, after they were inexplicably blasted out of the alley, Lai Guo witnessed Su Kui also being blasted away by a gust of air. At that moment, he immediately used his "Observation" spell to glance at Su Kui and the gust of air. To his surprise, the owner of that gust of air was a man in a green robe. The man in the green robe stood sideways in the sky, holding a red sword, a crimson sun radiating an eerie light above his head. Suddenly, the man in the green robe seemed to sense something. He turned his head, looked down at Lai Guo, and angrily shouted, "Get lost!"

Lai Guo was startled by the man's past, but also became curious about it. So, after parting ways with the wandering swordsmen, Lai Guo, the scholar, and the blacksmith, they all went to the thatched hut. After Lai Guo told them what he had seen, the scholar frowned and advised him, "Since he is so terrifying, it's best not to provoke him anymore, or you will surely bring about your own death."

The man agreed, but having come before, he was determined to confront him. He said, "I've been traveling the world for many years. What kind of people and things haven't I seen? I really don't believe I can't see what kind of person he is."

Having said that, he sat cross-legged and began to use his magic to "observe" the past of the Cloud Guest.
The crimson sun hung high in the sky, and the cloud-dwelling traveler in the green robe stood before it like an ant. Beneath his feet lay a sea of ​​blood and a mountain of corpses, mutilated bodies and piles of white bones. But these did not inspire fear; instead, they gave one a feeling of growing stronger with each battle.

Having come from an outsider's perspective, the sight of Yun Zhongke, wielding the red sword, standing before him was horrifying, sending chills down his spine. He had only glanced at it briefly before, filled with curiosity, but now, being there in person, he was utterly terrified.

Just as he was about to leave, a deafening roar erupted behind him: "Kill!"

The army marched through mountains of corpses and seas of blood toward the crimson sun. The guest in the clouds was so shocked by the scene before him that he could not move his body.

Yun Zhongke naturally heard these voices as well. He turned around and roared at the group, "Who let you up here? Get out!"

But they were blinded by rage, ignoring Yun Zhongke's roars and charging forward relentlessly.

Meanwhile, another voice rang out in the sky: "Sword Immortal! Say no more, and rest well. Wait until we lure that demon out before you make your move!"

As the sound faded, countless beams of light shot from beneath Yun Zhongke's feet and overhead, hurtling towards the eerie sun. At that moment, a woman dressed in white landed beside Yun Zhongke. Her eyes rippled with emotion, and she softly said, "We're going to break through the formation. We might die, but you can't die now. They'll be here soon. You just need to hold on until then."

"When they arrive, don't come looking for me. Go behind you. Leave this place and live a good life."

After speaking, the woman in white transformed into a streak of light and rushed towards the scarlet sun, just like those who knew they would die on this journey. In the eyes of the traveler in the clouds, tears welled in his eyes as he watched this strange world suddenly filled with rainbows.
He watched as the lights and shadows drew ever closer to the sun, until a twisted, eerie finger, like a pillar of heaven, slowly emerged from it. With a flick of its finger, it illuminated the approaching figures, and countless brilliant yet fragile lives instantly dimmed, becoming lifeless and lusterless.
His heart ached! He hated his own powerlessness! He didn't want to wait any longer. He raised his sword, stepped back, and bowed, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the sun and the finger. He gritted his teeth and roared, "I don't care what you are, today I'll cleave you in two!"

In an instant, the world changed color, the wind and clouds surged, and time seemed to stand still. He ran towards the crimson sun with all his might, shedding a tear where lives had been lost: "I stop drinking and eating, I draw my sword and look around, my heart filled with confusion."

This sword is swung towards the sun, this sword falls upon the human world; this sword points to the heavens and the earth for ten thousand miles, this sword's energy traverses eight million miles!
The terrifying sword intent and sword energy caused a dramatic change in the weather, but the finger was only cut open. It seemed to sense something, and then it slightly bent its finger and gently pointed at Yun Zhongke. A terrifying stream of energy flowed out from it, pointing the sword at his heart.

This terrifying gust of air also blasted the onlooker, Lai Guo, out of the world of Yun Zhong Ke. He was sitting in a thatched hut, spitting blood from his mouth and all seven orifices, repeatedly muttering, "He's not human. He's not human."

The scholar and the man were startled by the appearance of the visitor and quickly went up to ask, "What happened? What did you see?"

"He's not human."

The man who had come kept repeating this sentence, and the scholar frowned and asked, "If he's not human, then what is he?"

"Sword Immortal. Yes! He's the Sword Immortal! That's what they call him!"

"Sword Immortal?"

The scholar and the man stared in astonishment at Lai Guo, who was bleeding from all seven orifices. Upon hearing this, the man quickly grabbed Lai Guo and took his pulse, but Lai Guo's chaotic pulse left him helpless. Meanwhile, those images kept replaying in Lai Guo's mind. He seemed to be able to see that pillar-like finger rushing towards him. He hurriedly got up, pushed the scholar and the man away, and stumbled out of the house. By the time the two came out of the thatched hut, Lai Guo had already disappeared.

The scholar sensed an unprecedented danger from the man's flustered demeanor, so he cupped his hands in farewell and said, "I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now."

The man wanted to bow and say goodbye, but the scholar turned and left without giving the man a chance to speak.

When Lai Guo reappeared, it was already night. His hair was piled up like a chicken coop, and his lifeless eyes and unsteady steps puzzled the man who was about to close the door. He wanted to go up and ask him something, but Lai Guo went into the thatched hut instead.

The man glanced at the hazy moon in the sky, shook his head helplessly, sighed, and then closed the door.

A figure suddenly flashed by under the moonlight shrouded in a thin mist, followed closely by several other figures. They leaped across rooftops and walls, twisting and turning until they finally stopped in front of the stone archway. These were the martial arts practitioners who had discussed setting fire to the place at noon earlier that day.

They exchanged a glance, nodded to each other, and strode into the alley, heading towards the mud-brick house where Yun Zhongke and Su Kui lived.
The door opened from the inside, and Su Kui came out carrying a blue bundle. Inside were some flatbreads and a roast chicken wrapped in oil paper. He smelled the aroma and said with a greedy smile, "It smells so good."

As he was saying this, he reached for a chicken leg to eat, but Yun Zhongke tapped him on the head: "Why are you still as greedy as a child?"

"I prepared this chicken, can't I have a bite first?"

Su Kui rolled his eyes. He knew he had to leave tonight, so he caught a pheasant outside the town, plucked its feathers, boiled water, and did everything himself, even making the flatbread. He just wanted to taste it again, but Yun Zhongke wouldn't let him, which made him very angry.

"If you eat now, where will you get food when you're hungry again later?"

Su Kui tilted his head and looked at Yun Zhongke with a smile, "It's simple, I can just use magic to transform."

Yun Zhongke was amused by Su Kui's naivety. He snatched the bundle and said, "What are you changing? You're not allowed to eat now. By the way, did you take that painting from inside?"

Su Kui, whose food had been taken away, was looking down on Yun Zhongke when he heard about the painting: "The painting? Do we have to take that painting with us too?"

Yun Zhongke nodded and said, "Otherwise what?"

"Huh?" Su Kui was shocked: "Weren't we going on a trip? It's not like we're not coming back."

He turned around and looked at the mud-brick house with his bundle in his hand, and said with some emotion, "I've lived here for over a thousand years, and it's really hard to leave."

Then he said to Su Kui, "Go on. Take the painting so we can get going."

However, Su Kui frowned and hesitated to leave. He asked, "If we take that painting with us, does that mean we'll never come back?"

"Probably so."

Yun Zhongke's answer was vague, but Su Kui understood. The mud-brick house seemed to be their home, but in fact, the painting was. Whenever they moved, he rarely took the painting with him when they traveled. He remembered Yun Zhongke saying, "No matter how far we go, as long as that painting is there, that is our home." And now, Yun Zhongke's intention was clear: they were leaving this town.

"What about Suqing and the others? Shouldn't we take them with us?"

Su Kui asked this question.

Yun Zhongke turned to look at the courtyard, then looked up at the moonlight, and said, "Worldly matters weigh us down, and a journey of a thousand miles is difficult. Let them stay here."

“What if someone gets into our house? What if they get stolen or damaged? These are all your hard work! You made them yourself.”

Su Kui was heartbroken, yet helpless against Yun Zhongke's ruthlessness.

"Don't worry, no one can hurt them."

"What do you mean?"

"Although they looked incredibly fragile, I shed a drop of my own blood into each one when I made them. Otherwise, how do you think they could have spoken so quickly?"

Yun Zhongke smiled at Su Kui and said, "Go."

"Then, won't they really get hurt?"

Yun Zhongke rolled his eyes, slapped Su Kui on the head, and said with a wry smile, "I know you two are close, but some things have to be let go of when the time comes. They have their own destinies."

Su Kui was speechless after being humiliated. He just turned around and went into the house, made a face at Yun Zhongke, and muttered to himself, "A heartless old man."

Su Kui entered the room and went straight to the painting, carefully taking it down. After rolling it up, he held it in his arms. Just as he was about to leave, Su Qing, who was sitting on the desk, suddenly spoke up: "Senior brother, where are you going?"

Upon hearing this, Su Kui frowned and came to Su Qing's side. He bent down and looked at the little figure in the pattern with sadness, saying, "The old man and I are going on a journey."

Su Kui wanted to say that they were leaving, but after a moment of silence, he said, "They'll be back in two or three years at most, or three to five months at least."

"Can I come with you?"

Su Qing's sudden words stunned Su Kui, who was at a loss for words. In the end, he could only say, "It's not comfortable for you to carry such a big bottle around, and you're so fragile. If you accidentally bump into something, it will break. That old man will curse me to death."

Su Kui really wanted to bring Su Qing and the other pale blue porcelain bottle, but Yun Zhongke's words had already made it very clear. Although he usually treated Yun Zhongke disrespectfully and jokingly, he didn't dare to disobey him.

"It's okay, I can turn into a human."

As Su Qing spoke, a dazzling blue-white light shone into the room, so bright that Su Kui could hardly open his eyes. When the light faded, the petite and lovely girl appeared on the table, squatting there.
Their eyes met, and Su Qing looked at Su Kui with pleading eyes, her heart softening. He really wanted to bring them all along, but...
“Sister Suqing.”

As Su Kui was struggling internally, the pale blue porcelain bottle by the window spoke. Unlike Su Qing's childish voice, the voice seemed very understanding and gentle.

Su Qing squatted on the table, and Su Kui was also surprised. The two of them turned their gaze to the porcelain bottle. She said, "Sister, don't worry. Master and the others will be back soon."

Su Kui remained silent, staring at the porcelain vase, his sadness barely concealed.

Su Qing looked at the pale blue porcelain bottle and asked, "But, Master and Senior Brother have been gone for two or three years. That's a long time."

Upon hearing this, Su Kui completely broke down, tears streaming uncontrollably from his eyes. He wanted to speak but his words were stuck in his throat, too painful to utter.

The porcelain bottle said, "Sister, don't be afraid. We have plenty of time, only two or three years, it'll be over in the blink of an eye. Look at your sister, she waits for years every time, and it's all over now, isn't it?"

At this point, Ci Ping's tone became somewhat sorrowful, but she suppressed her sobs. She seemed to have noticed something from the tears in Su Kui's eyes, but she still comforted Su Qing: "Actually, I was also sad at first, not wanting to be separated from Master and the others. But once you get through the first time, you'll feel much lighter when they leave again, and your anticipation will become lighter. Because you can feel their return in every day and night."

"really?"

Su Qing stared sadly at the porcelain bottle, then turned her gaze to Su Kui, but his tears seemed to say, "No." However, Su Qing was still young. Although she looked like a young girl, she was still a child who had been bullied by her senior brother and wanted to go to her master to complain.

Su Kui suppressed his sadness and nodded babblingly. He suddenly reached out and touched Su Qing's head, saying, "Although our little sister Su Qing is still young, she can already turn into a human. But the older sisters can't turn into humans yet, so you have to take care of them for us after we leave."

Su Qing nodded and said softly, "I understand."

"Alright, your senior brother is leaving. You'll be in charge of looking after the house, just like I was before."

“My master never took me with him when he went out before, so now my responsibility is in your hands.”

Upon hearing this, Su Qing seemed to understand. She nodded vigorously and said, "I understand, Senior Brother!"

"it is good."

Su Qing's resolute gaze made Su Kui sigh heavily, his trembling breath making him feel suffocated. "Then I promise, after I come back this time, I will never bully you again."

"But my senior brother didn't bully me."

Su Qing's words struck him like a thunderbolt. Tears welled in his eyes as he stared at her in astonishment, but her next words revealed the true meaning of words that pierced his very soul:
"I'm just a little scared."

“That day when I went into the house to find the master, I said I was afraid of my senior brother. The master told me that my true form was a wolf. Although I look scary, I am very gentle and thoughtful. The master also said that my heart is more delicate than that of any woman in the world.”

"Your owner also said that you always cried when you were little and became naughty when you grew up because your experiences are different from others."

Su Kui listened with tears streaming down his face. He knew what Su Qing was saying, and he also knew why his heart was so delicate. It was because he originally had no heart, and what he called his heart now was nothing more than a collection of tiny porcelain shards, as fine as hair. How could it not be delicate?

This is why he always forgets he's a wolf. Despite his handsome appearance, the savage nature hidden in his gentle eyes remains. For a young girl just entering the world, the presence of a lone wolf before her, even if it's a good wolf, will inevitably evoke fear. And this is why Su Qing is afraid.

With a sigh, Su Kui was speechless. He gently patted Su Qing's head and said, "Okay, I understand. I'll bring you something delicious when I come back, so you won't be scared."

"it is good!"

Su Qing answered loudly. Su Kui laughed through his tears. He patted Su Qing's head again and said, "I'm leaving. Wait for us to come back."

Su Qing nodded, then jumped off the table and said, "Then I'll see you off."

Su Kui was very sad, but he didn't know what to say, so he could only nod. He turned his gaze to the pale blue porcelain vase standing by the window, bathed in moonlight, and smiled, "Wait for me to come back."

She did not reply.
Su Qing stared at her curiously and asked, "Sister, are you still there?"

She said, "I'm here."

After a slight sob and a moment of silence, she said again, "Go ahead, drive carefully."

With tears in his eyes, Su Kui replied, "You all take good care of yourselves too."

After saying that, Su Kui was about to walk out of the courtyard when Su Qing grabbed his hand and said with a shy smile, "Let's go, Senior Brother."

Su Kui looked at him, and the cold palms made his heart, pieced together from porcelain shards, feel a burning warmth. He smiled through his tears and said, "Let's go."

The porcelain bottle watched them walk out into the courtyard, while Yun Zhongke quietly waited for them with a smile, carrying his bundle.

Seeing Su Kui with teary eyes and Su Qing with a beaming smile, Yun Zhongke shook his head helplessly and muttered to himself, "This child."

"Owner."

Su Qing let go of Su Kui's hand and ran towards Yun Zhongke. She hugged his waist, pressed her face against his chest, and looked up to ask, "Can't you really take me with you? I want to go out and play too."

Yun Zhongke touched her and said, "We will come back, definitely next time."

Su Qing tilted her head, looking somewhat disappointed, and said, "Okay."

Upon hearing this, Su Kui, who was standing to the side, coldly shoved the painting into Yun Zhongke's hand and walked away without looking back. The only visible thing in the dark alley was the tear that slid down his cheek.

Once they were out of the alley, Su Kui finally couldn't hold back anymore. He cried out, "Old man! I'll hate you for the rest of my life!"

The sound echoed through the night sky and permeated the town, prompting some people to take action.

Hearing Su Kui's cries, Su Qing, who was standing at the door, left Yun Zhongke's embrace and stared straight at the pitch-black alley, asking, "Master, what happened to Senior Brother?"

Yun Zhongke sighed softly, and tears welled up in his eyes without him even realizing it: "He carried a burden on his back, but he also put it down. He is very sad and unhappy."

Su Qing was puzzled. She turned to look at the bundle in Yun Zhongke's hand and asked, "But the bundle is with you."

Yun Zhongke smiled bitterly, saying, "It's a burden in my heart."

Su Qing responded with an "oh," and Yun Zhongke tucked the painting into his sleeve. He said to Su Qing, "We're leaving. Take good care of yourselves and don't worry me."

Su Qing nodded vigorously.

Seeing this, Yun Zhongke breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled at Su Qing and then stepped into the darkness. He imitated Su Kui, shouting loudly in the darkness, "I, Yun Zhongke! Seemingly having let go of the past, am now bound by a new one! Damn it! How long will it take me to cultivate before I'm no longer troubled by these things!"

"Old man! You deserve it!"

Yun Zhongke walked out of the alley, but the sounds of the town rose and fell, some crying, some laughing. Standing at the door, unable to see the two, Su Qing echoed their cries, "Master! Senior Brother, we're waiting for you here!"

"it is good!"

"Wait!"

“We will definitely come back!”

It was Su Kui's voice responding. Su Qing was overjoyed and tried her best to respond as well, shouting, "I'm waiting for you!"

She shouted at the top of her lungs, overjoyed; she waved to them, her hopes beginning now, even though they could no longer see her. Their time together was short, perhaps because of familial bonds; though their figures receded into the distance, they were both reluctant to part.

Though the night was deep, the moonlight was bright. The girl's figure had already disappeared into the distance, but she was still waving. The moonlight fell on the earth, and Yang Shouren, with tears in his eyes, looked at the girl leaning against the door, her expression forlorn. Their eyes pierced through the dark alley, and they gazed at each other from afar.

“This is the story I heard from her.” His hoarse voice pierced the spine in the cool night. She Li and Xiao Changgong looked at each other, speechless.

"I thought she was a monster." Xiao Changgong frowned and turned to look at the alley in disbelief, but then changed his mind: "I knew it, no monster could be that beautiful."

She Li frowned as well, looking at Yang Shouren in front of him and asking, "If that's the case, why didn't she let you leave? Why did she keep you locked inside her body?"

"I don't know either, but she told me not to go out, or I would die."

Xiao Changgong and She Li found it strange. At this moment, She Li remembered something and said, "When I went in just now, I saw a face on that door. It was extremely terrifying when I first saw it. If I didn't know magic, I might have been harmed by her. I think it must be because of this."

Xiao Changgong was too lazy to care about these things now, because he had something more curious to ask: "Before we came into the town, we heard that you were going to slay demons and monsters before you were imprisoned here. Is that true?"

Yang Shouren frowned and said, "I never said that. I just overheard someone say that there was a strange place in this town, so I came to take a look. Then I met her, and then you all came."

"That's weird."

She Li found it strange that Xiao Changgong was scratching his head, so he asked, "What's wrong?"

Xiao Changgong did not answer She Li's question, but continued to ask, "Is this your first time in this place?"

Yang Shouren shook his head and said, "My father is a man of the martial arts world, and anyone who frequents the martial arts world knows about this place. That's how I learned about the peculiarity of this town. Although it's not a necessary route, anyone going to see my father will more or less pass through here."

“That’s even stranger.” She Li understood what Xiao Changgong wanted to ask, so he began to explain: “If that’s the case, why are there rumors in the town about your outrageous remarks? Could it be that someone did it on purpose?”

Xiao Changgong nodded and said, "I think so too. Besides, think about it, you were trapped here for a day, we followed right after, then we heard about what happened, and then we met you. Moreover, from what you just said, Su Qing knows about us. That makes it even stranger. Why is it that, by sheer coincidence, we heard the rumors about you, came here, and then rescued you from her? I don't think this is a coincidence at all."

"But he had no reason to harm me, did he?"

Yang Shouren also sensed something amiss, but based on their previous interactions, Su Qing was definitely not that kind of person.

"It's hard to say." She Li frowned and said, "You shouldn't have the heart to harm others, but you can't be without the heart to guard against them. If it weren't for the fact that we all know some magic, we would all be dead here today. Now that you're alright, you can't stay here any longer, so you should leave quickly."

After She Li helped Yang Shouren up, he saw Xiao Changgong looking around in a panic. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but he also discovered something terrible—Ping An was gone!

"Oh no!" She Li abruptly released Yang Shouren, nearly causing the still-unsteady Yang Shouren to fall. Panicked, he instinctively tried to run into the alley, thinking, "Ping An, please don't get hurt! And that porcelain vase, you'd better not touch Ping An, or I'll make you pay!"

However, as soon as he entered the alley, he saw Ping An, who was radiating a green light, slowly walking out.

He quickly stepped forward to face the alley, shielding Ping An behind him. Ping An, however, found it strange and asked, "Senior brother, what's wrong?"

But right now, She Li was only worried that Su Qing would suddenly follow them, and she didn't have time to pay attention to Ping An. Seeing this, Xiao Changgong pulled Ping An aside to stay with Yang Shouren: "Ping An, are you alright?"

Faced with Xiao Changgong's worry and the strangeness of She Li, Ping An felt extremely confused. He looked at She Li, then stared at Xiao Changgong, and finally focused his gaze on Yang Shouren. Yang Shouren also showed an innocent expression, as if to say that he knew nothing.

Ping An could only shake his head helplessly and said, "I'm fine. But Senior Brother Xiao and Senior Brother She Li are acting strangely."

Seeing that Su Qing hadn't followed, She Li quickly ran to Ping An's side and asked, "Are you alright? Did that porcelain bottle hurt you?"

For the first time, Ping An felt a little confused by this concern. He scratched his head and explained again, "Senior brother, I'm fine."

(End of this chapter)