Don't farm, cultivate immortality!

Many changes have occurred in places unseen by Zhuang Xing.

He was unaware of this and simply enjoyed his vacation comfortably and leisurely.

He would go out for a stroll when he had nothing to do, sometimes he would stay at home with his family and warm themselves by the fire, and occasionally he would go to Yunling's place to sit for a while and bring her back for a meal.

One day, an official brought him a package containing a printed copy of "The Tale of Demon Subduing." The original handwritten copy by Zhuang Xing was also returned intact. Cai Bei wrote a letter saying that the book had already spread widely in Yidu, and everyone knew the story.

The copy of "The Demon Slayer Chronicles" was printed very well, using high-quality paper and ink. He flipped through it briefly, then put it away and stored it in the cabinet.

Life was uneventful, but peaceful and serene.

Before he knew it, he had passed New Year's Eve.

Ultimately, they decided that the whole family would go to Yidu for the wedding.

Yunling also came, but she came alone. Her uncle and aunt did not come with her, saying that they had to take care of their children at home. They had a new son last year, who was only two years old, so they really couldn't travel far.

On the morning of the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, there were still a few thin ice floes floating on the river. The temperature was gradually warming up, and these floating ice floes could only be seen in the morning. By noon, the ice would melt into the river water. After the beginning of spring, there would be no floating ice floes to be seen on the river.

Zhuang Xing took out some money and chartered a ferry. His family set off from the village early in the morning.

The ferry arrived in Yidu at noon. Zhuang Xing noticed that there were several tall wooden machines at the large ferry crossing in front of the city wall. These were lifting devices made with pulleys. When Zhuang Xing came last time, these things were not there.

It looks a bit rudimentary, after all, it was rushed out in a month, but the workers at the ferry terminal are already very skilled at using it, using the iron hooks to fish the cargo containers onto the deck.

Similar cranes can be seen in many places in Yidu City. In some places where new buildings are under construction, people bring out similar machines to move bricks and stones onto the building frame.

Zhuang Xing was very surprised that Yidu had undergone such a big change in just one month.

Zhuang Liangqing was the same; he hadn't been to Yidu for thirteen years, and looking back, the place had changed completely.

This was Zhu He's first time in such a big place, so she was very careful, not daring to speak loudly, and holding her daughter's hand the whole time, afraid that the child would get lost.

Holding the sign Bai Yu gave him, Zhuang Xing found the Pucao Merchants Association's headquarters at the entrance of Beishi.

Bai Yu had already made arrangements; someone led them to a mansion with rooms prepared specifically for them.

After putting down their luggage, they went for a stroll in the streets in the afternoon. Traces of the temple fair were still visible everywhere, and the red lanterns that had been hung up had not yet been taken down. Although it was not as lively as it had been on that day, the couple was still overwhelmed by the many new things.

That evening, Bai Yu and Chu Shengcai came to visit, bringing a red wedding invitation.

The wedding invitations should have been delivered by both sets of parents, but Bai Yu had no relatives, and the two of them didn't invite any elders, so they went to deliver the invitations together.

The wedding banquet was held the following evening at Chu Sheng and Bai Yu's new residence, which was next to the Chamber of Commerce and close to the government office.

That evening, a few tables were set up in the house for a banquet. Most of the guests were young people, many of whom were familiar to Zhuang Xing. They had lived in the mountains years ago, and these homeless people had formed a large family of their own.

In those years, when they were confused and uneasy, Bai Yu united them and pointed out a clear path. Bai Yu was like an older sister to each of them.

Some people even shed tears when they saw Bai Yu wearing a new red dress.

Several young men escorted the bride, who was wearing a red veil, into the main hall and handed her over to the groom. Behind the threshold was a brazier, and the two of them stepped over it together.

Walking across the fire pit signifies burning away bad luck and hoping for a prosperous future.

The old woman who had been brought in shouted loudly, "First bow to Heaven and Earth!"

Zhuang Xing was sitting at the table with his younger sister on his left and Yunling on his right.

All eyes were on the couple bowing to each other in the hall. After the bowing, the bride should have been sent to the bridal chamber, and then the groom should have treated the guests to a meal. After the guests left, they would then consummate their marriage.

But there aren't so many customs today. After the wedding ceremony, the groom lifted the bride's veil.

Only then did Zhuang Xing turn his gaze away and realize that Yunling, to his right, was staring at his face.

The banquet had begun, and all the dishes had already been served, but it wasn't until after the newlyweds had completed their wedding ceremony that the bowls and chopsticks were distributed.

Zhuang Xing didn't reply, but simply separated the bowls and chopsticks, and picked up a small chicken leg from the mushroom and chicken soup and placed it in Yunling's bowl.

...

After the banquet, it got dark. They exchanged a few pleasantries with their old friends and then left the house to rest.

At night, Zhuang Xing had trouble sleeping.

He still had one wish that remained unfulfilled.

That was the decision he made after returning from the capital, when he saw his senior brother Song Yu's old belongings and the fish jumping out of the pond.

It should be said that from childhood, from the day he sat on his father's shoulders and stepped out of the house, seeing the sunshine and blue sky outside, he had been having such a dream.

His dream was filled with bizarre and fantastical landscapes, and many things he had never seen before.

He looked up at the roof beams.

With his right hand outstretched upwards, a scene appeared before his eyes: the sun and moon revolving, dragons and phoenixes soaring, and mermaids leaping in the sea.

He had seen him once, during that mural tour, when he was free and at ease between heaven and earth.

He wanted to see it again, this time not in a dream, but with his own eyes.

But...

He recalled his parents' faces, the wish his sister made that night, the panda and Xiao An on the mountain, the old Taoist priest brewing tea in the study, the impulsive Senior Sister Qiaoxia, the stubborn Dachun, and the always silent Yan Huai'an.

The last face to appear was Yunling's. If anyone had to say who had been by his side the longest, it would undoubtedly be Yunling.

Yunling spent more time with him than his parents.

The year he went to the capital, Yunling accompanied him on his trip.

But she actually doesn't like going to unfamiliar places she's never been before.

Zhuang Xing felt a little upset. Actually, everything was already good enough. He could grow up naturally, marry Yunling naturally, and then take over the position of sect leader from the old Taoist priest naturally, living a life without any waves.

He sighed softly, closed his eyes, and activated his Night Travel Technique.

His spirit left his body, flew off the roof tiles, and he spread his arms, drifting into the night sky with the evening breeze.

The higher he went, the smaller Yidu appeared in his eyes. Below, houses stood in rows, some with lights burning. Above was an endless expanse of darkness, and below, a myriad of lives unfolded before his eyes.

Chapter 298 I Want a Home

The scenery before him was beautiful, and the height Zhuang Xing was at was a place that an ordinary person could not reach.

The night travel technique he learned from the corpse driver allowed him to leave his body and ascend to a height of several hundred meters.

Birds flew past his eyes. He had been learning this night-walking technique for two years and was no longer like a novice who had just entered the water and had no control over his body.

He learned how to go with the wind. He saw the intricate network of waterways within Yidu, like a spider web, covering the entire city. The magnificent buildings and farmhouses were all in his eyes, and the faint moonlight tinged the clouds with a silvery white.

What an incredible scene.

It's like... a dream...

But dreams must eventually end.

After soaring through the air for a while, his soul returned to his body.

But just as he was about to pass through the eaves, he saw the soul of another person.

Besides him, there was only one other person living in this house who knew this art of night travel.

Chenzhou does not have as many steep peaks as Pingzhou. In Pingzhou, people have a strong sense of clan, because the terrain prevents them from traveling outwards. In a place where people are prosperous, there are usually families with a long history. Members of the family must help each other to survive.

This clan concept gave rise to the culture of returning to one's roots, which in turn led to the emergence of corpse drivers.

However, in Chenzhou, the terrain is relatively flat, and there are no corpse drivers here. Naturally, there are no corpse drivers who would leave their bodies when they have nothing to do.

What appeared before him was Yunling's soul.

He learned the art of night travel and taught it to Yunling. However, Yunling did not like the feeling of her soul leaving her body. Although she had learned the art of night travel, she almost never used it on her own.

Yunling sat on the green tile, and Zhuang Xing floated down to her side.

“I sensed magical activity coming from your room, so I wondered if you had used a night-traveling spell,” Yunling said.

"I couldn't sleep, so I just wanted to float out and take a look," Zhuang Xing said.

"Is the view up there nice?" Yunling asked.

"Not bad," Zhuang Xing said.

“Take me up there too,” Yunling said, extending her hand to him.

"I'm not very good at night-walking techniques yet," Yunling said. "You'll have to teach me, otherwise I'm afraid I won't be able to get up there."

Zhuang Xing hesitated for a moment, then grabbed her hand and said, "Okay."

He led Yunling and they floated slowly upwards. This time he flew very slowly because he was carrying another person.

"It's so high..." Yunling said. "Actually, I'm a little afraid of heights. Even though I'm currently in a detached state and won't fall to my death... I'm still a little scared..."

“Let’s go down,” Zhuang Xing said.

"Did I fly to where you just arrived?" Yunling asked.

"We're almost there. There's really no need to fly that high," Zhuang Xing said. "We can see the whole of Yidu from here."

"Let's go up a little further. I want to go up and take a look." Yunling looked at him with a determined look in her eyes.

Zhuang Xing paused for a moment, then continued to lead her upwards.

"Fly faster," Yunling said.

"Aren't you afraid?" Zhuang Xing asked.

"I'm not afraid with you holding my hand," Yunling said.

Zhuang Xing flew even faster, watching Yun Ling's expression. Yun Ling, in turn, wasn't just looking at him; she was also looking down.

Yidu is beautiful at night. Viewing this ancient city from a high vantage point is like admiring a precious work of art.

This city has a history of several hundred years. On the city walls, armored soldiers once drew their bows and shot arrows. In some places, fires were set off, and the blood of soldiers was spilled on the ground during the slashing. There were also celebrations held on the city walls, such as the Dongwang Temple Fair not long ago, where people dressed in yellow Taoist robes held wooden swords and pointed them at the sky.

It took millions of people to repair it to become what it is today.

Walking through the streets and alleys, one can only experience a fraction of its beauty, while from their vantage point, they can see the entirety of it.

The stars in the sky converged to form the Milky Way, the rivers on the ground turned, and people slept soundly. Zhuang Xing took Yunling and flew to the highest point he could reach. They had reached above the clouds and sat among the white clouds.

"So this is the scenery you saw," Yunling exclaimed. "It's so beautiful..."

There was curiosity and fear in her eyes. She wasn't lying; being too high made her feel scared.

Even though her soul was a light, floating mass that wouldn't cause her to fall from a great height, it couldn't dispel her instinctive fear.