After the spiritual energy was restored: Goddess girlfriends came knocking.

The Dragon Court of the East Sea.

Cang Yao knelt on the star-gazing platform, her forehead pressed against the cold jade floor.

Ao Tianxin stood in front of her, looking down at his disciple.

Cang Yao's hair was somewhat disheveled, clearly having flown over continuously.

"Master, please help me." Cang Yao's voice was muffled in her throat. "You must have a way."

Ao Tianxin did not answer immediately.

Looking at Cang Yao kneeling on the ground, she recalled that fifty years ago, Cang Yao had also knelt in front of her, saying that she wanted to go into seclusion to cultivate and did not want to disappoint her master.

"Get up first."

Cang Yao did not move.

Ao Tianxin sighed.

"I do know a way." Her voice was slow, as if she was carefully choosing each word. "After you complete the journey across the river, you will truly possess the body of a hidden dragon, and the true dragon blood within you will be fully activated."

"For ordinary people, this essence and blood can have a transformative effect, prolong life, and even restore youth, which is not impossible."

Cang Yao suddenly raised her head.

"real?"

"It's just a possibility." Ao Tianxin looked at the light in her eyes and swallowed back the words, "Whether it will work for mortals or not, nobody knows."

"The true dragon blood essence within you has now been fully activated, and the conditions for leaping over the dragon gate and crossing the river are met. If you wish to try, you may do so."

Cang Yao stood up, and the light in her eyes shone again.

But she hesitated again, lowered her head, and twisted her fingers together.

"But..." her voice trailed off, "This isn't something that can be done in a day or two. Leaving aside whether we can succeed, the journey by water alone could take several months. If what Master said is true, that's fine, but if..."

She didn't finish speaking.

Ao Tianxin knew what she was afraid of.

What she feared was not the danger of walking the dragon itself, but that if she left for many years, Lin Chu would be gone when she returned.

Ao Tianxin took out the book "Travels Along the River" from her sleeve and handed it to Cang Yao.

Cang Yao paused for a moment, then took the thick booklet and opened it.

The first page is a complete map of rivers and lakes, with each waterway carefully marked in vermilion ink, showing where the water is deep, where it is shallow, where there are bridges, and where one can use the water for support. The sides are covered with annotations.

"This was given to me by a very important person," Ao Tianxin said softly. "The contents inside will be of great help to you on your journey across the river."

Cang Yao held the book "Travels Along the River" in both hands and slowly pressed it to her chest.

She raised her head, her eyes slightly red, and looked at Ao Tianxin gratefully: "Thank you, Master."

Ao Tianxin watched her turn and fly away, and stood on the stargazing platform for a long time.

Then he sighed softly.

That person's lie was so well-constructed that it was impossible to believe it.

She knew this wasn't a lie; no one knew the effects of true dragon blood on mortals—it might really work, or it might not.

But Cang Yao will try, even if there's only a sliver of a chance, she will go, because that person calculated everything.

When Cang Yao flew out of the sea, it was already close to evening.

Snowflakes drifted down from the gray sky and landed on her hair.

I landed at the village entrance and walked quickly towards the courtyard.

Pushing open the door, I saw Lin Chu standing in the courtyard, looking up at the sky.

He was still wearing that thin blue robe, and a thin layer of snow had already accumulated on his shoulders.

"Why are you doing this again..." Cang Yao rushed over, took out a thick coat from the house and draped it over him, grumbling as she buttoned it, "I've only been gone a short time, and you haven't even put on a new coat. Are you deliberately trying to annoy me?"

Lin Chu chuckled and took her hand. "Come on, I'll take you somewhere."

"Where are you going? It's snowing outside..."

"It would be nice if it snowed."

He took her hand and pushed open the courtyard gate.

It's all white outside.

The entire Qinghe Village lay quietly in the snow.

Lin Chu took her hand and walked along the dirt road they had walked countless times.

"Husband, where are we going?" Cang Yao asked as he pulled her along, her feet following closely behind.

After passing the old locust tree at the village entrance and going down the gentle slope, the sound of the stream grew closer and closer.

Cang Yao stopped asking; she knew where he was taking her.

The crooked willow tree stood by the stream, its branches covered with snow, looking like it was blooming with white flowers.

The four lines of poetry on the tree trunk are still there.

Lin Chu pulled Cang Yao to the willow tree, turned around, and looked at the snow falling all around.

Cang Yao suddenly understood.

She looked up and watched the snowflakes fall on Lin Chu's white hair and on her own long hair.

His hair was mixed with the snow, making it difficult to distinguish between the snow and the white hair for a moment.

Lin Chu turned her head and looked at her.

His eyes were as bright as they had been back then, and the corners of his mouth were slightly curved.

"When I carved this poem here years ago, you told me—it's a pity it didn't snow today." His voice was very soft, as if afraid of disturbing the snow on the willow branches. "Now the snow has come."

Lin Chu reached out and tucked a stray lock of her hair, which had been ruffled by the wind, behind her ear.

Rough fingertips brushed against Cang Yao's earlobe, picking up a snowflake that hadn't completely melted.

"Cangyao," he looked into her eyes, "wouldn't that mean we've grown old together?"

Cang Yao stared at him blankly.

Snowflakes fell heavily on their heads.

Cang Yao recalled that many years ago, he recited that poem to her under the locust tree: "Holding your hand, we will grow old together."

At that time, she didn't quite understand, so he explained to her that it meant holding her hand and growing old together.

Later, he carved a poem on a willow tree, writing, "If we are together in the snow one day, we can be considered to have grown old together in this life."

She felt a little disappointed that it hadn't snowed that day.

Now the snow has come, and they are holding hands.

Cang Yao nodded vigorously.

"Mmm." Her voice trembled violently, but the corners of her mouth were turned up. "It's true."

Lin Chu smiled and reached out to pull her into his arms.