A lively mind and a lively brain
"Being able to stay by your side for 100,000 years can be considered as us spending our lives together."
After Xie Jinhui had died several times, during a rare moment of peace when we opened our umbrellas at the same time, he suddenly spoke from his feelings.
There is no scale to measure the passage of time in the illusion, and counting the suns is meaningless.
Because, in the illusion, day and night can switch at any time.
I responded to Xie Jinhui's words, which should have been spoken after experiencing many hardships, with a nonchalant attitude.
"In this illusion, we are oblivious to the passage of time. I feel like we haven't been standing here for very long; we're still quite naive."
"Let's talk about that when we're both alive and old enough to stand tall."
Xie Jinhui was bathed in a sky that was half starry and half blue, his mood both joyful and conflicted.
"Thinking about the long 100,000 years to come, I'm expressing my profundity a little earlier..." he argued.
Looking at the old, soft trees standing tall beside me, I always feel uneasy.
The last time we died, it was because this tree suddenly fell down without warning, knocking us down.
When I returned as a spore drifter, Xie Jinhui comforted me, saying that when we returned to the old place, we would have a rotten tree as a warm bed to rely on.
At that time, we will definitely be able to eat well and live to a ripe old age.
However, as soon as we emerged, we saw this soft tree, which hadn't even changed its species and was standing in the same spot again.
From then on, Xie Jinhui spent more time looking at this tree than at me.
He suggested, "Yuan'e, while we're gaining weight, we also need to try to move our legs more, otherwise..."
I know that if I don't move, I'll just end up as mud.
But how do we get the mushrooms moving?
Haha, us? We could stand here for ten thousand years and not move an inch?
Not only can't it move.
Xie Jinhui's mushroom-like brain limited his divine lord's mental capacity. Several times when he tried to take a step, if I hadn't supported this frail old man, he would have surely broken himself with a snap.
And so, just as Xie Jinhui predicted, we were killed three times by the same tree...
During this period, the ways of dying were not limited to being crushed to death.
Hailstones pierce to death, snow blankets to death, and the scorching sun shines on the distant lake, igniting a raging wildfire.
Tell me, is this reasonable? But is reasoning useful in an illusion?
An illusion is a way to die in a dream.
Sometimes, I just dry up as I grow.
I suspect that either my mushroom body has a congenital defect, or there's something wrong with the soil beneath my feet.
For example, mushrooms fall in saline-alkali soil, in filthy areas where venom is rampant.
It would be a miracle if they survived.
It would be more spectacular if only one of us died, even if we both died a thousand times.
Sure enough, after experiencing a variety of similar experiences that would never be repeated, a small dark cloud drifted in from the sky and landed over my head.
A bolt of lightning suddenly struck, instantly blasting me apart and cooking me to death.
I was stunned for a moment, looking at Xie Jinhui who was completely unharmed. He used his large umbrella to push a dry, upright blade of grass next to him.
He was demonstrating; the lightning had struck him, but he had already installed a lightning rod to protect himself...
Actually, Xie Mushroom told me when it first sprouted that if you want to survive in the wild, you have to think about all the possibilities.
For example, sticking a blade of grass next to you.
But growing along with a blade of grass is like having a thorn stuck in your foot—it's too uncomfortable...
As a result, I panicked!
I am a dead soul unwilling to leave the body, stubbornly squatting inside the mushroom's body, expressing my fear by emitting smoke.
"Xie Jinhui, you used to follow me around, but now I'm drifting on my own. What if I drift to the wrong place..."
I don't want to die. Why don't you break yourself in two and come with me?
Xie Jinhui, this big mushroom, was very elegant. He lowered his body and said calmly, "Yuanhe, when have we ever not ended up in the same position? You can go with peace of mind."
When you come back in a little while, I'll hold an umbrella for you and protect you as you grow up.
As he spoke, he used his merciless umbrella to forcefully knock my scorched mushroom.
"Yuan'e, come back soon."
As soon as he struck the ground, his body immediately disintegrated into black dust.
I have nowhere else to go.
In the next scene, my spore companions, filling the air, enthusiastically nudged me back into the earthy space beneath the giant oyster mushroom cap.
However, as I landed, Xie Jinhui's mushroom twisted wildly, creating airflow that blew me even further away from my original position.
In this lifetime, I have always grown up under the umbrella of Xie Jinhui, this old mushroom, healthy and carefree.
I am unaffected by wind and rain, but I will be exposed to the light most suitable for my growth.
I'm doing well, but my umbrella is crooked because I always look up at Xie Jinhui.
I'm living well, so well that I finally have time to think—it turns out mushrooms can grow crooked necks, and it turns out that being "protected under an umbrella" is another kind of loss.
This feeling of being so close to him yet unable to stand shoulder to shoulder is terrible; if this is how the cycle of reincarnation in the human world is—upside down and chaotic.
To allow lovers from a past life to be reborn as father and daughter, mother and son, brothers and sisters, or even as bison, flies, and mosquitoes in the next life...
Such intricate and complex relationships, making it difficult to fulfill wishes and resolve karmic ties, are perhaps the reason for the endless cycle of cause and effect in reincarnation.
Surprisingly, mushrooms can not only understand mushrooms, but also understand people.
Just like me now, gazing at him whom I can never reach, I also look forward to what the next life will be like, and how wonderful that will be.
So this is what people mean by the regrets of life.
Just when I was worried that Xie Jinhui's enormous mushroom would never hear the voice of my tiny mushroom, barely big enough for ten ants to live in,
The dignified, old, soft tree fell, and so did Xie Jinhui, the old, decrepit, and dying mushroom grandpa.
As I watched him turn to mud, I felt no sadness for his death. Instead, I was so excited to be able to get close to him again that I shouted loudly at the mushroom remains.
I miss you so much!
Two voices overlapped: one was mine, and the other was Xie Jinhui's gentle murmur as he lay dying.
His remains gradually faded away from my mycelium feet.
Next, I not only saw how mushroom spores floated down from the sky, but I also saw the collapsed soft trees seem to be filled with fairy-like energy again.
Its branches twisted and sprawled out in a strange and contorted manner, then stood upright again.
This time, the tree fell, but because of my small size and Xie Jinhui's gust of wind, I was able to cleverly shift position and avoid danger.
The tree will keep falling over, and I thought to myself: I must help Xie Jinhui find a new spot for himself.
But I can neither turn the wind nor shake the earth. Am I to die and start over with him?
No! I rejected this undignified idea of "committing suicide for love."
Xie Jinhui pulled me out of the quagmire. What if I die and my birthplace is restored?
I cannot give up and die because of my powerlessness and weakness, thus letting Xie Jinhui's efforts go to waste.
We should try our best to influence and guide him, and prevent him from entering dangerous areas.
But how do we influence it?
As I stared at the large spores drifting closer and closer, my mind raced.
I remember Xie Jinhui saying that as long as he thinks of me, he knows where I am.
If I desperately want him, will he immediately run to me?
I have to try; it's the only thing I can do.
I miss him, I miss the handshake when we first met, I miss the colors of his rainbow-colored shirt, I miss Xie Mazha, I miss Xiao Jiaodie...
I think of his ethereal beauty when he repaired Feikong Mountain, and the kiss he placed on my forehead...
Thinking and thinking.
My mushroom cap tilted slightly upwards, and I saw a lone little spore bump into my cap, as if it were about to rush into my embrace.
Haha, it's him!
Do as you please, Xie Jinhui. Even if you choose to take root in my mushroom pit, I'll give you all my nutrients.
I'm willing to do it.
He didn't. He slid gently down my body and tumbled into the grass not far away.
After estimating the location of Xie Jinhui's new project, I knew where it was and cheered with him.
"Thank you, Jinhui. Now we won't get crushed to death."
Who knew that those soft little spores could make such a loud sound?
“Yuanhe, I’m not afraid of death, but I’m afraid that when you think of me like this, I won’t be able to bow my head…”
I looked down at the pile of weeds and couldn't see a single spore of Xie Jinhui. In that instant, my heart ached.
"Now, I can look down, but I still can't see you."
How anxious you must be, being so frail you can't even lift your head.
I don't care anymore, I'm angry! I don't want to go through all the twists and turns with Xie Jinhui, I just want to live and die with him.
Even if I die every day for ten thousand years, I would not want to erase the traces he should have left in my world by living.
I roared at the big soft tree.
"Lord Guardian, I know where you are. This goddess is now making her request. Listen carefully."
I want to live and die with Xie Jinhui. I don't want to be so close to him again, even for a fleeting moment.
The Xie Jinhui growing in the grass seemed to be smiling as I watched it emerge from the soil.
Immediately afterwards, my roots were also cut out, and the world spun around me.
With my mushroom-shaped head touching the ground, I saw rows of large iron rakes plowing the land...
Good heavens, why are farmers appearing in this illusion?
The voice of the old man guarding the border rang out at that moment.
"The request of the High God has been granted. In order for the two of you to be together soon, I, Old Mushroom, have specially conjured up the mortal body that I once decomposed, so that you two can experience what the agricultural era is like."
Who cares how the mushrooms were discovered or what kind of fertilizer they were used for?
What I'm worried about right now is whether we can get our hard-won new position back.
This time, the old man guarding the border was particularly reasonable, and his tone was soaring with the joy of having seen something beautiful.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty, the new positions are the result of your efforts and will not be changed."
Because, you reap what you sow, that's undeniable, absolutely undeniable.
After being dug up and exposed to the sun until they died, Xie Jin and I were able to grow together happily again, growing from the same type of mushroom.
When the soft tree fell again, we didn't die, but we were shaken badly, which loosened the mushroom flesh and attracted pests and diseases.
Xie Jinhui and I discussed that we should move if we have the chance, as far away from this tree as possible.
I don't know where the white worms that suddenly appeared on my body came from or where they are crawling.
Anyway, I feel itchy all over.
The insects burrowed into our bodies, and Xie Jinhui, based on my physical condition, deduced our latest death date.
At first, when I discovered the mushroom's unusual appearance, I was incredibly excited, looking down at the little tails that were emerging from my chest.
"Xie Jinhui, Xie Jinhui, look! I've got worms!"
Xie Jinhui swung his umbrella back and forth, laughing like a madman.
“Yuanhe, you’re not just infested with worms, you’re living in your heart.”
Ha, I looked up at his swarm of insects dancing wildly, like a giant mushroom cap splitting in the air, and smacked him in return.
"Yes, yes, you're very clever."
To say he's quick-witted is an understatement; he's incredibly sharp.
Xie Jinhui held his breath and concentrated for a while before coming up with the crazy idea of flying into the sky.
Before us appeared what looked like a butterfly dream bell, presenting a series of parallel scenes from different times and spaces.
He did remind me.
So, I decided to use my magical powers to see if I could use the Butterfly Dream Bell.
After trying a few times, I gave up.
It's impossible to activate it within the illusion.
How could he create these scenes without using divine power?
Xie Jinhui confidently and proudly explained to me my doubts.
"These images are not created by magic; they are streams of immortal energy that I generate in my mind when I study the immortal manuals."
I can use it to directly view the scenery from all walks of life and any book I want to read...
"So, from now on, we won't be bored or lonely anymore."
I criticized him for not doing it earlier.
Xie Jinhui laughed and said, "The mushrooms weren't infested with worms before, but my mushroom brain hadn't opened up yet, so I couldn't use them..."
Oh, this thing is called a creative idea!
Xie Jinhui and I huddled together, and began to openly admire the scenery of other places in the Mushroom Illusion.
"Look, Yuanhe, this is the Lantern Festival in the human world. We didn't see the whole thing last time..."
These are all the mountain totems; Yuanhe likes them, doesn't she...?
Look, this is the gate to the Demon Realm, which has been closed for millions of years...
That area, that body of water, is the Sea of Lan…
When Xie Jinhui mentioned this sea, my heart skipped a beat, and as soon as I felt that beat, I banged my head against his head.
"Xie Jinhui, is Lan Zhihai prettier or the princess of the Lan Hai King that you painted?"
Xie Jinhui swung his mushroom-shaped head back at me, causing the swarm of insects on it to tremble and stir with excitement.
Despite the insects' relentless pounding, Xie Jinhui managed to capture all the scenes from when he was painting beautiful women.
His indifferent demeanor and the women's unrequited love and regret were all vividly portrayed.
I never expected that turning into a mushroom would cause me to become mentally impaired. Who taught Xie Shenjun to dress up as a thousand different people in the picture, each one so alluring that my heartstrings trembled?
By the way, I'm currently living in a state of mind where the insects start to stir up trouble as soon as I have a thought, quickly creating a vicious cycle.
This has made me really want to see Xie Jinhui's real face.
“Yuan’e,” Xie Jinhui interrupted my fascination, “is the most beautiful.”
Yes, after seeing all the beautiful women, I also think Xie Jinhui is the most beautiful.
I think we should let this old story go.
Xie Jinhui then took me to see the mountains and rivers, and from time to time I would catch a glimpse of the young couple kissing.
I was so engrossed in watching these intimate scenes that I started thinking about interesting things.
Xie Jinhui nudged me gently and said in a low voice.
"Yuan'e, is there anything else you'd like to see?"
I felt as if my body, which was about to be hollowed out by insects, was suddenly revitalized and filled with the wind.
"Xie Jinhui, I want to see how Emperor Zangli's primordial spirit split to give birth to the Abyss..."
Xie Jinhui was speechless for a moment, then spoke in a somewhat unnatural low voice.
"This is the Emperor's private matter... um... his boudoir..."
What a fuss! We immortals, if we dare to do something, we should let other immortals see and observe. What's the point of hiding it?
That's the technique of separating the primordial spirit!
I burst into tears and shouted, "I want to see!"
Xie Jinhui's mushroom-like body trembled.
"...Okay, I'll give it a try..."
Just then, a cracking sound came from the sky, as if a cloud gate had opened.
Finally, the guardian of the Mushroom Illusionary Realm could no longer bear it. Just before Xie Jinhui and I were about to be eaten by insects, Poyun roared out two words.
"Confiscate it!"
Confiscated? What were you confiscated?
In short, from this time on, no insects could crawl into Xie Jinhui's umbrella after his rebirth.
Therefore, Xie Jinhui's immortal power consciousness stream is no longer effective, and we can enjoy the good days of seeing all the world's wonders without moving.
It's finished!
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