Qu Nian

"Hello everyone." When Ke Zhixing's voice rang out, everyone's eyes were drawn to her.

She coughed and said seriously, "I know nothing about this. I just arrived, and the two people next to me can testify for me."

Tong Shi stuck out her tongue, and Tong Hua bowed politely. "We've come to divine our fate," Ke Zhixing added slowly, his expression particularly playful.

Wen Liang calmly looked into his eyes, waited a while, and then uttered the words "Welcome to join us."

...

Wen Liang rose and walked forward, passing the virtual paradise guarded by the old inn, leading everyone to their destination. At the foot of Zhonghua Mountain lay a sea of ​​flowers, like a magnificent blue painting.

At the center of the painting was a small, isolated room, deserted but chaotic. Li Er was unusually silent, and the atmosphere around him remained superficial.

Suddenly, a voice rang out, drawing everyone's attention to the person. He was good-looking, a handsome young man, but Wen Liang's face was filled with boredom. They remained standing.

“You…” Wen Liang’s words were interrupted. Bai Hanxin and Yi Yannian looked at each other. You took action. Ke Zhixing consciously stood aside with his children’s poems and paintings. Du Ye never thought he would see everyone here.

He awkwardly greeted them, and then disappeared from everyone's sight. By the time Gou Xunhuan sensed something was wrong, his teammates had already been completely overrun.

"This is the true appearance of Zhonghua Mountain. At the foot of the mountain, there are footsteps and sounds of people coming and going, and the streets are filled with countless items, all kinds of food and small restaurants."

The group suddenly appeared, but no one around them seemed abrupt. They continued with their own business as usual. Chi Wangyue felt a sense of familiarity, but he didn't make a sound and pondered the reason.

Perhaps he's been through too much and gotten confused...

Yi Yannian stood on the outskirts of the crowd, gathering information about the surroundings. A man in a blue shirt was walking down the street when Yi Yannian suddenly asked him some strange questions, as if the two were not in the same time.

Meng Qu stood beside him, leaning against his sword, waiting for him. He watched the two of them talk, and his brows furrowed slightly, but not very noticeably, and only briefly.

Apart from the two of them, there is no one from the group that came with them. Excluding cases of deliberately falling behind or encountering fatal injuries, they currently only have one clue—they got separated, lost their way, and have no idea what year, month, day, time, or place this place is.

The others, upon entering, did not look up and see their companions; they were scattered in various places, only some of them happened to converge in one place.

In a small village nestled at the foot of a mountain, the bustling, realistic atmosphere of life around you can easily feel unreal, as if they are playing a game, but in reality, it's not that easy.

The street where Yi Yannian and his companion were located was most likely in a low-lying central area, crowded with people and filled with a variety of gaudy items. The two of them blended in very well. As disciples of the same sect, they were familiar with each other's personalities while also being mindful of their own safety.

After all, the unknown is the most terrifying thing.

Constantly monitoring every little thing happening around them was unrealistic for the two of them at the moment. So, sensing something amiss, they exchanged a knowing glance and decided to change their plans.

"Since we can't get out for the time being, let's go for a walk first," Yi Yannian said somewhat abruptly and reluctantly, asking the other party to do something.

Meng Qu gave a curt "hmm." Compared to their usual interactions, the two had now entered a relatively stable state of mutual tugging.

Based on the principle that neither of them wanted to hold the other back, avoiding trouble and maintaining stability became one of the key principles that the two of them silently adhered to.

"Hello, ma'am, I'd like to ask if you sell fruit here?" Yi Yannian uttered a barely audible polite greeting, which, if you disregard the details, was passable. Meng Qu similarly feigned a calm expression, creating a stark contrast with his cold, sullen face.

The proprietress's surname is also "Li". In this village, most people have the surname "Li", so it also has another name, "Li Family Mountain Village". However, "mountain village" sounds particularly awkward, so a new name was registered - "Old Li Village".

Boss Li was an extremely tall and robust woman, looking almost like a she-devil, but she had a gentle temperament and was kind and caring towards her neighbors and friends. Since few outsiders visited the village, her first impression of them was their unspoken understanding and unawareness of each other. Boss Li rarely spoke to anyone other than herself, but today, at this moment, she was unusually cheerful, a smile playing on her lips, making her appear remarkably different from her usual self.

Mr. Li runs a noodle shop. Although he doesn't look very appealing and rarely has customers, the noodles taste quite good. Yi Yannian and Meng Qu arrived unexpectedly, and while they were very calm, Mr. Li didn't see it that way.

"In my subconscious, this place is definitely going to be the origin of an interview or change related to something. If there are uncertainties and changes, and we don't know the truth, then what is a pioneer? Glory and glory are caged. I will stay here and guard your back. The road ahead is towards the light, and as for those obstacles that block the light and hinder people's progress, I will be the barrier."

The road ahead was too slow, so they forged their way through the middle, creating a multi-directional and multi-faceted path. On their way forward, a kind passerby gave them a chance to play the role of "giving roses" and "having fragrance linger on one's hands."

Yi Yannian's lips curled down silently, but his expression remained calm as he slowly composed himself, calming his turbulent emotions. Meng Qu didn't look at anyone; he stared directly at the woman in front of him, who, though somewhat imposing, showed no malice.

Seeing how adorable the two little ones were in front of him, Boss Li couldn't help but smile. She wasn't particularly beautiful, but her temperament surpassed her appearance in some ways.

Moreover, people with a special skill can carve out a unique path, finding enjoyment in it or discovering their own unique way of experiencing joy in a group.

Meng Qu and Yi Yannian went there with a purpose; regardless of whether it would be harmful to them, they wanted to have a bowl of hot noodles first. Under her command, the first thing people had to do was never mistreat themselves!

Mr. Li's speech was intermittent and sometimes unclear, but it always conveyed some information. However, the biggest difficulty was that the two of them, as outsiders, were unfamiliar with the local area, lacked experience, and only had a superficial understanding, without sufficient information to verify or explore it.

Yi Yannian is slow to realize the difficulties; he breaks down the path into small steps and often says frankly, "The noodles are really delicious."

When Boss Li heard this, her heart was filled with pink bubbles, and she happily said, "I'm glad you like it. Eat as much as you like. Also, if you need anything, just let me know. I'll help you and protect you little guys."

Meng Qu calmly replied with an "Mm." Then, he took another bite slowly, somewhat like (a smug, feignedly indifferent person eating noodles). When Boss Li saw his two subordinates out, they both felt a little unreal.

After a long absence, the sunlight returns and the moon shines bright.

Seeing that the weather was still bright and that he was quite full, Yi Yannian pulled Meng Qu toward a crowd. As they observed the unfamiliar and unusual trinkets along the way, along with the dazzling array of snacks and exquisite jewels, they kept searching for their allies.

Although it would be more convenient for two people to visit or stroll together, a companion is an indispensable guide, especially in the midst of some major unresolved conflicts.

The most bustling place is home to the most dazzling people. The first thing that catches the eye is a shaman dressed in priestly robes, wearing a mask with extremely fierce-looking fangs, who is dancing.

The crowd around him watched with great enthusiasm, their eyes filled with a mixture of admiration and other emotions. Some of these emotions he didn't quite understand, but he could sense that "joy and desolation vanished, suffering subsided and new life emerged."

Later, they realized that what they had seen was a "Nuoxi" performance.

At that time, Yi Yannian stayed obediently on the border line, saying to Meng Qu beside him, "Let's finish watching... Meng Lao Er."

Before Meng Qu could react, Yi Yannian had already activated his magical "task-completion-like immersive viewing," entering a very magical phase, a state of "do not disturb ordinary people," and a process of maintaining balance.

Meng Qu was "forced" to watch a beautiful traditional cultural performance here. When they returned, one of them was excited while the other was calm and reflected on the experience.

Yi Yannian was a lively, impulsive boy who usually ran around playing all over Chaomu Mountain. Every time Sect Leader Xiao Nian saw him, he would yell at him, full of loving criticism. This time, his experience of going down the mountain for training had broadened his horizons and allowed him to see many good things, but he was still himself.

People change, hearts change, and youth changes, but the path one has walked will not change. The past time and the sweet and unforgettable experiences will accompany a person's development.

Meng Qu was the opposite of him in temperament, but he was also proud and aloof. Although he didn't deny everything, he still didn't support any particular stance; people should have the ability to distinguish right from wrong. He wasn't always alone; he could find his own meaning in life.

Meng Qu doesn't associate with Yi Yannian mainly because he likes to pick fights with Yi Yannian. From another perspective, this is to prevent the other party from getting bored, and also to find someone he can truly talk to.

Should we continue walking around?

"certainly!"

...

As the saying goes, "The road has no end!"

“…Alright. Whatever you say.” Meng Qu agreed with a smile.

After they had walked around for a while, they had roughly figured out the general structure of their area. On the way back, when they were "tired," Yi Yannian suddenly covered Meng Qu's eyes with his hand and playfully discussed with him some outlying areas that he had long overlooked and directions that he had not yet considered.

"Meng Qu, I'm blocking your view!"

"I know."

“Meng Qu, I am now your eyes, I will give you a better viewing experience! I will also... give you some breathtaking performances, look at me, and only look at me. Okay?”

"Okay." Meng Qu said with a hint of indulgence.

Yi Yannian felt that Meng Qu was not Meng Qu at that moment. The person who used to bicker with him was now inexplicably and unreasonably leaning towards him.

"What's wrong with you today?" Yi Yannian asked him.

"Nothing much, as you can see," Meng Qu relayed the message.

"Hmph." Yi Yannian ignored him and walked forward, while Meng Qu walked slowly behind him.

After several winding alleyways, Mr. Li was sitting at home, busy with something...