Longevity Candle

Chapter 73 You Too Are a Green Lamp

The mother and daughter returned to the tavern, where everything had been cleaned up.

The tavern was full of customers, and nothing seemed amiss.

They were talking about the war in the north, about the legendary Marquis Dingwu of Yunmeng Kingdom, who had suffered a Waterloo.

The strength of Ningguo Bingfeng far exceeded their expectations.

But Marquis Dingwu lived up to his name, relying on the bravery of his soldiers to fight his way out and escape with the remaining troops.

Ningguo also suffered a devastating blow, with its entire army of 100,000 buried in the land of Yunmeng.

Li Meng led Li Qingxuan to the back courtyard and found Jiang Zhu.

“It wasn’t them, it was Hu Ling from back then, doing good deeds for Taoyuan Village,” Li Meng said.

"If you see this little fox again, tell her everything." Jiang Zhu sighed softly and put down the Taiping Yiye: "Keep it. It has merit and the power of peace, which can protect you."

The power on the Taiping Yiye page is quite remarkable; it is already the power of the immortal path. Back then, Li Qingping did not enter the immortal path; he must have entered the immortal path through martial arts.

Even after more than a hundred years, the power of this page can still suppress ordinary immortal masters, Taoist priests, and young spirits.

"Uncle Jiang Zhu, here you go." Li Qingxuan opened her palm, revealing a wisp of merit.

Jiang Zhu picked up the merit, thought for a moment, and poured it into the Peaceful Page.

“Jiang Zhu, this peaceful chapter was left to you by our ancestor Qingping,” Li Meng said.

"I've already finished reading it, it's useless to me now." Jiang Zhu shook his head. This page of peace couldn't suppress him, and he couldn't bring back the green lamp. It could be considered as Li Qingping leaving it to Taoyuan Village.

Li Qingxuan looked up at him and said, "Uncle Jiang Zhu, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Qingxuan," Li Meng quickly stopped her.

"It's alright." Jiang Zhu waved his hand, then asked curiously, "What do you want from me?"

Li Qingxuan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Could you teach me how to create the Green Lantern? I want to treat them to a jar of peach blossom wine and send them off."

"Them? Those wandering spirits? Why do you think that?" Jiang Zhu asked.

“I often look at them, wanting to drink a sip of peach blossom wine, but I can never drink it; some wandering souls are very sad and want to talk to people, but no one can hear their words.”

I can see it, but I can't help them.

Why do you want to help them?

“I feel sorry for them. Uncle Changyun said he went to where he was supposed to go. Shouldn’t these wandering souls go there too?” Li Qingxuan said.

"Where should we go?" Jiang Zhu asked curiously. "What kind of place is that?"

He didn't know the final destination of the wandering soul, but he gave it a little bit of Taiyin magic power. He also sensed Chang Yun, but did not notice anything unusual.

“I don’t know. I saw darkness, very, very dark. I wanted to give them a lamp to help them light up the darkness.”

Li Qingxuan couldn't help but look in the direction Chang Yun had left.

She wanted to light a lamp for all the wandering souls in the world, to pierce through the endless darkness.

Jiang Zhu pondered for a moment: "Alright, then your uncle will create a method for you to create a green lamp. This is the Taiyin Youying method. I used this method to generate water in the past, and it can also generate wind. If any wandering spirit wants to harm you, you can use Taiyin to generate wind to protect yourself."

"Jiang Zhu, that's immortal magic, Qing Xuan, she?" Li Meng asked nervously and expectantly.

If Li Qingxuan could enter the path of immortality, the couple would naturally be overjoyed.

“Qingxuan has no talent for immortality,” Jiang Zhu said.

"Then can't I learn it?" Qingxuan asked, somewhat disappointed.

"There is a way. Using the Seven Stars as a base, we gather the essence of the Moon and evolve a weak magical power, which is enough to barely perform immortal techniques."

Jiang Zhu pondered and said, "It's not that difficult. If Qingxuan can find the path to immortality through martial arts, she can also become an immortal."

"Can one attain immortality through martial arts?" Li Meng exclaimed in shock.

“Li Qingping did it.” Jiang Zhu said, “Although Qingxuan’s talent is far inferior to Li Qingping’s, she has merit for clearing away wandering souls. She can make up for it with merit, so perhaps she can succeed.”

"Thank you, ancestors."

Li Meng immediately kowtowed.

Jiang Zhu taught him the method, glanced at the peach tree, and with a wave of his hand, a ray of moonlight flowed into the tree. A branch broke off and flew into his hand.

Under the astonished gazes of the mother and daughter, the peach branch transformed into a peach wood lamp, its light dimly glowing in the moonlight.

He handed the peach wood lamp to Li Qingxuan: "This is your lamp now, and you are also a lamp."

"I have the green lamp now." Li Qingxuan happily accepted the green lamp: "Thank you, Uncle Jiang Zhu."

As a child, she didn't understand the phrase "you are also a wandering spirit," she simply wanted to do something for the wandering souls.

"Jiang Zhu, will Qingxuan and Ancestor Qingping be the same?" Li Meng looked at the contents of the page on peace and tranquility, her heart filled with uncontrollable joy.

It says that Li Qingping served as a "green lamp" (a Buddhist nun), and Jiang Zhu says that Li Qingxuan also served as a "green lamp."

Does that mean that even if Li Qingxuan is not as good as Li Qingping, she won't be bad in the future?

"Life is what you make of it all," Jiang Zhu said calmly. "She is a kind young girl, and her path is different from Li Qingping's. If she doesn't pursue those illusory things, she will surely be blessed with good fortune throughout her life."

"I understand." Li Meng bowed and went to help out at the tavern.

Li Qingxuan treasured the green lamp. Although it was just an ordinary peach wood lamp, it held extraordinary significance for her.

Jiang Zhu, carrying peach blossoms, floated lightly to the side of a middle-aged wandering spirit.

The wandering spirit was startled and tried to escape, but found itself unable to move. It quickly begged for mercy: "Immortal, I, I have not harmed anyone, nor can I harm anyone. I just have nowhere to go. Please spare me this time."

"Why do you have nowhere to go?" Jiang Zhu asked.

"I don't know. After I died, I wandered the world. Qiuyue City is my hometown, so I stayed here," the wandering spirit said.

"No immortals are coming to cleanse you?" Jiang Zhu asked in surprise.

These wandering spirits are all acts of merit. Why don't those mountain and sea spirits, immortal masters and Taoists do the same?
“I’ve heard from the old wandering spirit that in the end of the kingdom, some immortals will abduct us.”

The wandering spirit recounted, "I heard that there are old wandering spirits who are afraid of immortals and will go to the capital."

"Does a wandering spirit dare to go to the capital?"

"The wandering spirits say that it's better to be dead than to be captured by them," the wandering spirit said.

Jiang Zhu handed him the peach blossom wine: "Ten-year peach blossom wine, have a taste."

"I can drink alcohol?" the wandering spirit asked in surprise.

"How will you know if you don't try?" Jiang Zhu said.

The wandering spirit no longer hesitated, caught the wine jar, and began to drink it down in large gulps.

The peach blossoms cool the body as they enter the throat.

"Good wine." The wandering soul put down the wine jar, seemed to sense something, and bowed, saying, "Thank you, immortal. I should leave now."

"Where are you going?" Jiang Zhu asked.

"There, though it is endless darkness, that is my final resting place," the wandering spirit pointed ahead.

Jiang Zhu looked in that direction, but the void remained the same, unchanged.

The wandering spirit, carrying a wine jar, walked into the darkness: "Immortal, how about giving me this jar of peach blossoms?"

"You're quite clever," Jiang Zhu smiled and waved him away.

That jar of peach blossoms possesses the power of the Yin spirit, which can illuminate his path and temper his soul.

As he disappeared, a wisp of merit fell, which he caught in his hand and casually tossed to the peach wood lamp.

"Why can't I see it? Could it be that immortals can't see it?"

He thought for a moment, then stopped thinking about it and focused on absorbing the essence of the sun and moon.

Although his magical power is now abundant, he still needs to sleep for ten years. There is still a long way to go before he can stay in the mortal world permanently.

He sighed softly. He also had his own convictions, but having plenty of time, he didn't want to live such a tiring life and preferred to accumulate experience slowly.

As the sun set, he returned to his solitary life.

(End of this chapter)