Longevity Candle

Chapter 38 She is dead

Yao Yao traveled westward and arrived at the Cliff of Ten Thousand Ghosts.

This is a cliff; the only way to get across is to climb over it.

Under the cover of night, the wind howled at Wan Gui Cliff, and roars echoed from all directions.

At the foot of the cliff, she saw countless skeletons, as well as armor and weapons identical to those of the Zhenbei Army.

The body had a waist tag, which belonged to the wolf-hunting team, but not to his father.

“This is the road my father took.”

Yao Yao looked up and found that the cliff was covered with people.

Those were soldiers clad in armor, some missing arms, some missing legs, and some headless.

They looked at Yaoyao with greedy eyes, their gazes gleaming with lust.

Wandering soul!

When Yao Yao first saw it, she leaped up, her long sword drawn from its sheath, radiating brilliant golden light.

"what……"

Wandering souls, like snowflakes meeting the blazing sun, melt away instantly.

She walked along the Cliff of Ten Thousand Ghosts, checking among the wandering spirits to see if any of them had their fathers.

As these wandering spirits disappeared, the merit within her longsword not only did not diminish, but actually increased.

Cleansing away wandering spirits is a meritorious act!

She also needed to accumulate merit, so she stayed.

There were too many wandering spirits; it took her three whole years to clear them all out, but she still couldn't find her father.

She followed the cliff face southward.

The drought ended, and torrential rains fell throughout the Qian Kingdom.

At first people cheered, but when the rain continued for a month, no one could cheer anymore.

After the drought came the floods!

Time passed, and Yao Yao turned thirty-four. She was resting in a cave.

As usual, she carried a blue lantern, hoping to see Jiang Zhu.

Over the years, she has tried various methods, but to no avail.

As if hearing her call, a sliver of candlelight rose from the lamp, dispelling the darkness.

A faint figure emerged from the candlelight.

Eyes facing each other.

"Jiang Zhu, you're back from your travels?" Yao Yao asked with a smile, as if she had caught him red-handed.

Jiang Zhu sighed softly, "It seems you didn't stay in Peach Blossom Village and learned a lot."

“I came out to look for my father. My mother said that no matter if he lives or dies, I must bring him home,” Yao Yao said.

"Did you find it?" Jiang Zhu asked.

“No.” Yao Yao shook her head and continued, “At least it’s confirmed that Father didn’t die on the battlefield, so I still have hope.”

"When you were looking for your father, did you ever think about how your mother had also lost you?" Jiang Zhu asked rhetorically.

Yao Yao said, "I left the things you gave me to my mother. Although there has been a flood, Taoyuan Village should be safe."

Jiang Zhu shook his head and said, "What I mean is, your mother also lacks your company; she has no relatives left."

“But she misses her father more, and so do I,” Yao Yao said.

Jiang Zhu fell silent.

"Jiang Zhu, do you know Ayan?" Yao Yao asked.

Jiang Zhu glanced at her, then looked out of the cave, as if he had crossed time and space and saw the little girl named Ayan again.

“I know. Like you, she obtained the Green Lamp. I taught her the Seven Star Sword Technique, and she elevated it to new heights,” Jiang Zhu said. “Where did she go? I heard she’s no longer old,” Yao Yao asked quickly.

Jiang Zhu snapped out of his reverie, his gaze deep and complex: "You want to pursue immortality?"

“Yes, like you, I’m ageless.” Yao Yao looked at him with envy.

"Isn't it better to live a long and peaceful life, even if it lasts a hundred years?"

“Oh no, I’ve seen my grandmother pass away, I’ve seen the aunts in the village die of illness, and I’ve seen the grandmothers old and weak.”

They left me one by one, and I wanted to keep them, to have them by my side forever.

Yao Yao looked at Jiang Zhu and grasped the green lamp: "I want to hold the green lamp forever. With you here, I feel at ease."

“You’re never satisfied,” Jiang Zhu said. “You want to have me forever? You can take me to your coffin, then I’ll stay with you forever.”

"I... I didn't mean that." Yao Yao was a little flustered and quickly explained, "I consider you family. I want our family to be safe and sound forever, to be together forever, and to never be separated again."

Jiang Zhu sighed, "My original intention was to give you the means to protect yourselves, to have the ability to survive in this chaotic world and live a happy life."

"I'm not greedy anymore. Where do you want to go? I'll take you." Yao Yao, like a child who had done something wrong, began to cry: "I won't stop you from going with whomever you want. I'll take you there myself. I just beg you not to leave me now..."

Jiang Zhu looked at Yao Yao, whose face was streaked with tears, and gently shook his head: "You still love to cry, just like when I first met you, you cried so loudly."

Yao Yao wiped away her tears and sobbed, "I... I just don't want you to leave me."

"People experience sorrow and joy, separation and reunion; the moon waxes and wanes." Jiang Zhu's voice softened: "Tell me about your life over the years."

"After settling things in the village, I headed north to find my father..." She didn't hide anything, recounting what she had seen and heard during the drought: "I've witnessed too many partings, I've seen people exchanging children to eat..."

Jiang Zhu listened quietly; he was a very good listener, just like he was with Ayan back then.

After hearing her story, he asked in surprise, "You met a celestial master?"

"She saw me and wanted to laugh at my grave for three days." Yao Yao said angrily when she mentioned this.

“Although the lifespan of immortal masters and Taoists cannot compare to that of elves, it is still quite long,” Jiang Zhu said.

"Jiang Zhu, am I really not destined to live forever?" she asked.

“You lack the talent for immortality, so I cannot guide you onto the path of immortality,” Jiang Zhu said, shaking his head.

“But Ayan isn’t old anymore,” Yaoyao said.

"If Ayan really is immortal, do you think she would abandon me?" Jiang Zhu sighed, "She is dead."

Although he didn't know the cause of death, Jiang Zhu knew that Ayan was really gone, otherwise she wouldn't have abandoned him.

Yao Yao opened her mouth, unwilling to face the truth: "But everyone says she's not old."

"If you swing your sword at an elf, how could she not be angry? And you even grant her immortality? Do you think elves are all indifferent to gratitude and hatred, and only bestow blessings at will?" Jiang Zhu retorted.

Yao Yao fell silent; the cave was silent and oppressive.

After an unknown amount of time, Yao Yao whispered, "Jiang Zhu, can I hear your story? Including A Yan's."

"My story?" Jiang Zhu's thoughts raced. "That was a long time ago, before the Qian Kingdom was even established. I was on Baiyun Mountain, where there was a Baiyun Temple..."

As he began his narration, he started from Baiyun Temple, mentioning Jingwei, the white crane, and Ayan...

He remembered all of this clearly and vividly, and he told it to Yao Yao.

She listened quietly to the abbot's persistence and Ayan's persistence; in the end, they both chose to seek immortality.

"Liu Lang was the most open-minded. He never thought about seeking immortality; he just wanted to roam freely in Qingjiang. But Emperor Yong'an's pursuit of immortality affected Qingjiang..."

Jiang Zhu's eyes were full of regret. If it weren't for Emperor Yong'an, he would have settled down in Liu Lang's house and stayed there for a long time.

However, because Emperor Yong'an sought immortality, countless people died, and Liu Lang's later years were also very miserable.

His father died, he squandered all his wealth, and he died in Qingjiang.

Fortunately, he gave his son away, so the family line didn't die out.

After listening to these stories quietly, I realized that immortality was just a pipe dream.

Yao Yao remained silent for a long time: "When I was a child, I thought how wonderful it would be if my grandmother and mother could always be with me. I naively thought I could keep everyone around me. Now, I have grown up. By the way, I didn't know you needed the essence of the sun and moon before, so I stored a lot of it, which can help you stay awake for a while longer."

(End of this chapter)