Chapter 117: Longing for the vast Cangqiong Mountain, but no one close to me...
The powerful spiritual power brought a warmth that enveloped Yun Wanzhou's entire body, soothing the sadness and pain in his heart.
Suddenly, he had a fleeting illusion. It was as if Qiongrao was still Qiongrao, and Cangqiong Mountain was still Cangqiong Mountain. He could be his own Yun Xiaowu without any worries, without having to think about anything or bear any responsibilities.
I don’t know if it’s the tacit understanding brought about by years of getting along, but Qiong Rao’s eyes moved slightly, as if he sensed something.
Cracks appeared across the ethereal sky and earth, and dense scars and cracks spread from under the feet of the dome, and soon he was completely unrecognizable.
On his no longer handsome face, only his eyes still showed warmth.
Qiongrao's voice lingered through the years, as if it had never left him. "Xiaowu," he called softly, "are you blaming me?"
The tremors start from the fingertips, spread to the arms, and then to the whole body.
After Qiongrao left, Yun Wanzhou couldn't sleep for a long time.
Every time he closed his eyes, he would see Qiong Rao lying in front of him covered in blood, and he was powerless except to cry out. He cried out in his dream until he was hoarse, and then suddenly woke up with only the taste of rust spreading in his throat, and he choked as if he was going to vomit blood.
A glimpse of the unlit lamp in his peripheral vision brought back memories. He'd once heard rumors about his teardrop mole and tried to cut it out with a knife. He'd accidentally injured his eye and thought he'd never see again. He later realized he'd made a fool of himself, but he remained afraid of the dark.
So every night, Qiongrao would light the lamp in his room in advance to leave a beam of light for him.
Now there is no one to light a lamp for him.
Yun Xiaowu curled up his legs, hugged his knees, and sat staring at the candle all night long. It was not until the first ray of light in the early morning shone into the room that he moved his stiff body. He numbly dressed and washed, pushed open the door, and practiced the sword skills that Qiong Rao had taught him alone in the yard.
Qiong Rao took the initiative to sacrifice his life, leaving him alone to guard Cangqiong Mountain, watching the flowers in the courtyard bloom and wither as the seasons change. How could he not feel resentful?
Yun Wanzhou was always good at hiding his pain, but now he was like an abandoned child, his eyes reddened beneath his falling eyelashes, "I..."
Qiong Rao saw his embarrassment and stopped pressing him. He shook his head in self-mockery and said, "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't talk about it."
Qiongrao raised his head and looked at the illusory world.
This is a place where the spirit is void and heaven and earth are one, with no distinction between day and night.
The remaining souls were inspired to move forward and gradually dissipated in the surroundings.
There began to be real objects under Yun Wanzhou's feet, turning into brown-yellow land inch by inch.
Qiongrao's spirit grew weaker and weaker, and just as it was about to vanish completely, the hand that had been restrained for so long finally landed on Yun Wanzhou's head again. Just like many years ago, "Xiaowu, do what you can, and you will be at ease."
"As for the rest, we'll meet again when we're lucky." With a sigh, emptiness and silence disappeared.
Yun Wanzhou blinked, and when he looked up again, he was back in the forest. There was no Heavenly Gate, no Heavenly Road, and no Qiongrao.
There was only a group of young disciples looking at him with worried expressions, "Immortal Venerable, Immortal Venerable?"
Yun Wanzhou came back to his senses suddenly and subconsciously touched the corners of his eyes. It was as if he had had a long dream. Now that he woke up, only a faint sadness remained.
Seeing him move, Feng Yin breathed a sigh of relief. "What happened to Immortal Venerable? We called you many times just now, but you didn't come back to your senses. Were you injured when you killed that monster?"
"It's nothing." Yun Wanzhou quietly retracted his fingers, his voice light, "I just suddenly remembered something."
"About the demons?" Feng Yin thought of the nightmare that Yun Wanzhou mentioned about the demons.
"No." Yun Wanzhou shook his head.
The monster has been eliminated, but the people of Fengyin Town are still waiting. They should go back now and tell them about Yin Huo.
The mayor was actually a monster, and the real Yin Huo may have died in some evil rebellion long ago.
Yun Wanzhou raised his eyelids and saw a group of disciples waiting for his words. "The evil creature has caused trouble this time, but the people's worries have been resolved. Follow me back to the town to comfort the people and then report back to the mountain."
"Disciple obeys the order." Several people responded in unison.
Feng Yin bowed and raised his head, wanting to speak but stopping himself, "Immortal Venerable, I just saw something on you..."
Yun Wanzhou glanced at him, weighed it in his mind, and shook his head. "It's just the residual magic from when I exorcised the evil spirit. It's not a big deal."
No one in the cultivation world had ascended to heaven in a long time, and his fate this time was uncertain. If he told anyone rashly, it might cause quite a stir. He also didn't want to attract attention by making this happen.
Feng Yin didn't know whether he believed it or not. He was stunned for a long time before nodding, "So that's how it is. I was worrying too much."
As expected, the people of Fengyin Town gathered at the entrance of the village and came to greet them from afar when they saw them returning.
When hearing the bad news about Yin Huo, some people were stunned, some were horrified, and some even wiped away tears with red eyes.
The real Yin Huo didn't serve for long, but he worked hard and was a very good person. Now hearing that he passed away at some point in time without even leaving behind a complete body is really hard to accept.
Yun Wanzhou and his group were silent, as if they were holding a silent mourning.
Later, a child from some unknown family rushed out, tugged at Yun Wanzhou's sleeve, and looked up innocently, "Master, would you like some candy?"
"I..." Yun Wanzhou was at a loss for a moment.
A woman in her early twenties emerged from the crowd, bent down, and picked up the child. She looked flustered, afraid of bumping into him. "Don't blame me, Immortal! I wasn't careful enough, so I let him run out and disturbed you."
Yun Wanzhou shook his head nonchalantly, "It's okay."
The child suddenly raised his hand and grabbed his collar again, saying crisply, "Master, Mayor Yin is a very kind person."
"Yeah." Perhaps feeling that he was being cold, Yun Wanzhou added, "I know."
The woman smiled at Yun Wanzhou and retreated back into the crowd. "Excuse me, Immortal! I'll take him away right away."
Just as they were about to leave the crowd, the child suddenly found strength and broke free from his mother's arms, jumping down. He trotted over to Yun Wanzhou and hugged his thighs. "Master, Master, you are so powerful. Can you teach me how to cultivate?"
Not far away, the woman opened her lips, her face embarrassed, "Immortal..."
Yun Wanzhou lowered his head in surprise, looking at the child who had just passed the knee bend. In a trance, he actually remembered the snowy day many years ago. Xie Wuyang was just like that, grabbing him in the crowd, his eyes sad and fragile, even the light goose feather snow could easily take his life.
Yun Wanzhou's eyes softened, and he bent down slightly. His expression remained calm, even cold, and his voice was almost indifferent. "What's your name?"
"Little Tiger." The child bared his teeth and laughed heartily.
"Do you want to cultivate immortality?" Yun Wanzhou asked.
Little Tiger nodded twice, "I want to!"
"Why?"
Little Tiger said in a clear voice without thinking, "It can protect Daddy and Mommy!"
"That's a good idea." Yun Wanzhou agreed, "But I already have a disciple, so I can't teach you."
"Is it not enough to have an apprentice?" Little Tiger tilted his head.
Yun Wanzhou thought for a moment and said seriously, "Maybe it's because I'm not a good master."
He certainly wasn't a good master. After bringing the Peach of Fortune up the mountain, he couldn't heal Xie Wuyang's damaged soul. He taught him for years, but ultimately led him astray.
Little Tiger looked puzzled, "But you are very good-looking?"
Yun Wanzhou laughed in his heart and rubbed his head, "It has nothing to do with this."
"Okay." Little Tiger was a little disappointed. "Then can I follow another immortal to cultivate?"
As if he had seen hope again, Xiao Huzi's eyes lit up again. He glanced at the several Lianwu disciples behind him and pointed at Feng Yin, "I like this Immortal Master, too."
"Ah..." Feng Yin waved his hands quickly, "No, no, I'm still young, I'm afraid that accepting a disciple would be misleading."
After being rejected repeatedly, Xiao Huzi was completely heartbroken. He curled his lips and his eyes were red with tears. Feng Yin also became dazed and at a loss as to what to do.
"My child is too outspoken, please don't admire him, Immortal." The child's mother couldn't stand it anymore, so she ran over, took Xiao Huzi's hand, and spanked him twice on the butt as if to reproach him.
It didn't do much, but it really scared him. His mother pulled him back. He walked and stopped, looking back every few steps, and his tears fell like rain, looking so pitiful.
Perhaps because his expression was so similar to Xie Wuyang's when they first met, Yun Wanzhou felt a pity for him and spoke hesitantly, "If five years later, your heart remains unchanged and you still want to cultivate immortality, you can come to Cangqiong Mountain to find me. I can introduce you to him."
Little Tiger paused and turned his head, "Really?"
"Um."
With a smile on his tear-stained face, Little Tiger tugged at his mother's hand and jumped up excitedly, "Mom, mom, did you hear that? The immortal said I can cultivate immortality!"
The woman gave Yun Wanzhou a grateful smile, turned around and raised her hand to wipe the tears from Xiao Huzi's face, "Yeah, I heard it."
"I can cultivate immortality now!"
"My little tiger is going to cultivate into an immortal in the future."
The wind blew the hems of the mother and son's clothes, and cheers spread among the crowd, bringing laughter and happiness.
The corners of Yun Wanzhou's eyes drooped softly, flashing with bright and broken spots of light.
He thought of Qiongrao and then of Xie Wuyang.
Thinking about how he and Xie Wuyang had been having their own concerns and their relationship was becoming increasingly distant during this period, he suddenly felt a little sad.
There was clearly some improvement some time ago, how come it changed overnight?
Should I apologize to him first?
After all, once a teacher, always a father. As for the rest...
At worst, I can give him more guidance in the future and slowly bring him back on the right track.
The more Yun Wanzhou thought about it, the more he felt that this method was feasible, so much so that the disciples around him called out to him several times before he came to his senses belatedly.
"What's wrong?" Yun Wanzhou frowned slightly and glanced sideways.
Disciple Lianwu pointed at the people in front of him and said, "Immortal Venerable, the people of Fengying Town just mentioned our exorcism. They are grateful and want to hold a banquet to thank us."
It is the duty of immortal cultivators to eliminate demons and defend the Way. Taking the things of the common people is truly inappropriate. Yun Wanzhou's lips moved slightly, and he subconsciously opened his mouth to refuse. Suddenly, someone stepped forward and bowed, saying earnestly, "Immortal Master, Fengying Town has lived here for several years. If it weren't for you, the savings of our ancestors would have been destroyed. Immortal Master, please do this for the sake of everyone in Fengying Town present. Don't refuse!"
"Yes, Immortal, we are willing to do this."
"Masters, please stay for our sake. It just so happens that there's a market tomorrow, and cultivators from all over the place will be here selling talismans and elixirs. Masters, please stay here for a couple more days. Perhaps you'll be lucky enough to come across an artifact that catches your eye."
Yun Wanzhou finally stayed.
After the dinner, Yun Wanzhou hid some silver under his pillow, hoping that the owner of the house would see it when he was cleaning up.
I had thought of staying for just one day and going shopping at the market the next day. I had to apologize and show some sincerity, which would also help ease the relationship with Xie Wuyang.
If you come across something that can strengthen the soul, it would be nice to bring it back and give it to the Peach of Fortune.
Who knew that on the second day, after searching everywhere, he still couldn't find anything that suited his taste. Later, he heard that a wandering cultivator from afar was coming. The cultivator had a treasure called the Love Dream Candle. The incense was made from mermaid tears, which could make people's wishes come true in dreams and realize whatever they thought and wanted.
Yun Wanzhou was not interested in these things, but when he thought about the time when Xie Wuyang was unconscious and had repeatedly murmured the name of his mother in his dreams, he suddenly realized that Xie Wuyang had never seen his mother since he was a child.
It’s such a huge Cangqiong Mountain, but there is no one close to you. It must be very lonely, right?
Thinking of this, Yun Wanzhou paused and walked towards the people who were discussing it. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Can the Acacia Dream Candle allow people to see the person they miss?"
The few who were discussing this were wandering cultivators from outside. They didn't recognize Yun Wanzhou at first, but seeing his extraordinary demeanor, they couldn't help but take a few more glances at him. "Since it's a wish come true, it doesn't matter whether it's a person or an object."
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