The light of heaven is boundless, and the human world has no shore.
On the day Yifeng Canal descended to the mortal realm, the mortal world within the fourteen strings was bustling, like flickering candlelight, filled with the sweet fragrance of peach blossoms.
I asked Xie Jinhui, "The Emperor has gone to various realms alone in his spirit form to find a way to gather the parents of spirit creatures. Should we occasionally meet up with him, find out what's going on, and maybe help him out?"
A glint of light shone from beneath Xie Jinhui's half-closed eyelids.
"It's too early. We can just follow in his footsteps and fill in any gaps after he's finished his journey. Why do we need to travel with him?"
I've always felt that Xie Jinhui harbors a strange kind of friendly hostility towards Yifengqu.
It seems he doesn't want me to see this emperor.
But the Emperor didn't seem to notice anything special when he saw me before.
Wait, I remember seeing Yifeng Canal twice in total, and each time a fleeting thought crossed my mind, something like this:
"I haven't seen him for at least 400,000 years."
How could a small stone from Mount Qingmang like me have any connection with the Emperor?
As for Emperor Su Ling, does my affection for him carry distant memories that even Xie Jinhui, the furnace of divine consciousness, is unaware of?
But what did that sentence mean? It can't just be a fleeting thought without any real clues.
Although I didn't take Mu Zhu's suggestion of staying together in the mortal world to heart, Xie Jinhui and I did manage to spend a few moments in the mortal world by chance, taking advantage of the opportunity to follow Emperor Yifengqu to investigate.
The Heavenly Emperor and the Emperor discuss matters within the barrier.
I can simply sit and kick my legs back and forth in teahouses, inns, by the river, on treetops, in lantern stands, or on the back of a horse while sightseeing...
Once, Xie Jinhui and I were in the vast desert, surrounded by yellow sand and cacti.
Looking at the smoke rising straight into the distance, it almost seemed to encroach upon the stars in the clear, cloudless, indigo sky.
I sat on Xie Jinhui's lap, and he sat on the yellow sand, thus foreshadowing a chaotic war.
"We're going to have a war," I said.
Xie Jinhui rested his chin on my head and nodded in agreement, leading my head along with his.
Before long, we heard the thunderous, powerful sound of hooves coming from the south, which was to our left, where the smoke signals were rising.
Running across the desert, their courage is commendable. Is it a matter of nations attacking nations, people attacking people, or tribes attacking each other?
In the eyes of the gods, all the struggles are petty squabbles, and the rise and fall of fame and fortune cannot compare to the peace and tranquility of a grain of sand, or the bright light of a lamp.
Xie Jinhui and I didn't even move from our spot, letting the clattering hooves of the horses urge us on, driven by the steel-boned, armored soldiers.
To trample upon us is too light and intangible for the world.
The yellow sand rose up, obscuring the Milky Way, and shimmering with the faint light of all living beings under the moonlight.
Horse hooves and human figures galloped away, rushing towards a fate that would either inflict wounds on others or on themselves.
I stretched out my hand, as if every grain of sand was within reach, and the desert poured out all its chaos.
Sand grains, worn down to the same size by the fierce wind, embrace, collide, and greet each other in the chaotic air...
When they come together, they are a vast desert; when they are in chaos, they see themselves; and eventually, everything will calm down.
I said, I wonder what it feels like to turn into this kind of ash.
The next moment, Xie Jinhui turned into dust along with me.
Two golden grains float in the wind, experiencing the desert strings plucked by men and horses, as smoke and dust rise from all sides.
I fell into Xie Jinhui's arms, savoring the choking sensation of the sandstorm, and laughed as I remarked, "I never thought that being in the dust and wind could be so tender."
Xie Jinhui's answer seemed somewhat tragic, but more so it was full of conviction.
“If I were to turn to ashes and still have consciousness, I would surely spend every day with Yuan’e,” he said.
Hehe, it seems that the destiny of the furnace, which cannot be revealed, has indeed become his. I feel regretful.
This time, while I was in Xie Jinhui's arms, I overheard whispers coming from Yifengqu.
"Su Mio, although what happened before was a series of unfortunate events, I truly feel sorry for you..."
Xie Jinhui rejected his apology, seemingly wanting to get to the bottom of things.
"Which matter are you referring to? Tell me, and I'll help you analyze how the Holy Emperor will respond."
A low, self-deprecating laugh came from the other side of the Yifeng Canal.
"Hehe, I forgot again, you are Su Ling who hasn't given up her feelings yet."
My words haven't been spoken yet in your memory.
Never mind, never mind, forget I said anything.
By the way, the Spirit Gathering Pearl is almost finished. I'll give it to you later, okay?
I always think that even if I'm wronged by the common people, I must be worthy of you.
for……
I want to look at you a little longer.
The sound of Yifeng Canal ceased.
I'm a little confused. What's the relationship between Emperor Su Ling and Emperor Yi Feng Qu?
I shook Xie Jinhui's arm vigorously, hoping to awaken his immortal meridians and have him tell me some of his past memories, which were older than the creation of the world.
Xie Jinhui rubbed his forehead, which was being struck by sand and dust, and said helplessly, "Yuanhe, I am just a furnace that pretends to be Su Ling in front of Yifengqu."
I'm also full of doubts right now, as I haven't yet produced the raw materials for the "Pill of Resolving Doubts and Clearing Away Confusion."
The alchemy furnace is out of raw materials, isn't it? I have some other things.
I pinched Xie Jinhui's mouth shut and gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
"Xie Jinhui, get up."
As they were crossing the desert, Xie Jinhui collapsed. It was said that the moon was too scorching and the sky too dark, causing him to suffer from heatstroke.
"Little stove, try to do better."
"You need to fan a flame to light a stove, right? Giving you breath is like fanning a flame. Try and see if you can ignite the flame of your memory."
Xie Jinhui hugged me and turned me over. I saw that his eyes had stolen the stars from my eyes.
"Yuan'e." He spoke as if to the night, his voice deep and unfathomable.
"Your fanning will only start a dangerous fire. Don't worry, I won't burn it."
But I am thirsty.
As he spoke, he lowered his head.
The desert is windless, and the sand settles still. Behind the crowds, it holds up the spirits, watching another kind of undisturbed intimacy.
Like heaven and earth, like the sun and moon, like the space between emptiness and reality.
Xie Jinhui and I were like two small boats, frail and light.
This ship sailed through deserts, towering mountains, magnificent palaces, and bustling cities and fields.
We swayed and rocked, feeling incredibly comfortable, gliding along journeys that would never be abandoned.
Swimming past the fears of all beings, the joys and sorrows of living creatures, retrieving the aspirations of transcendence, and releasing the empty heart.
Having experienced a mix of emotions, they could not shake off the tangled web of emotions they had woven themselves.
There is always a future where people can find their own happiness and fulfillment.
They could arrive in a heartbeat, yet they never knew.
Anxiety, fear, longing, and anticipation... these are the underlying colors of the river of life.
There are many other things, things that are the small, overflowing yet restrained whirlpools in everyone's heart.
We penetrate every gap as if exploring mountains, valleys, caves, and abysses.
The little hole holds stars, hope, and also unsung, mute songs.
Life is constantly disintegrating and living, while the unmoving external things are stripped away, and gradually a new "living" is obtained through the stripping away of desires.
The lower realm is truly wondrous, yet our ship finds no shore to dock amidst the towering towers of wisdom and the shoals of emotions entangled in the mortal world.
We are trapped, and people cannot escape, which leads to countless cries of "Heavens, why don't you come to my rescue?"—laments that cause sorrow to both sides.
The world has been collapsed and hollowed out, but what has been hollowed out?
It is a genuine heart that is difficult to question.
True feelings cannot be molded. Just as I only wish to fall in love with Xie Jinhui, rather than being "deeply rooted in love," I will submit to fate.
Even though my current situation seems less than satisfactory, I am still doomed to die.
But my joy, like the bright moon shining through my mind, pierced through all the stardust of thought and received the sun's warmth.
Where the sunlight shines, there are crowds of people awakening and a cacophony of voices; we walk toward the light.
I took Xie Jinhui's hand and we swayed until we reached a cluster of earthen houses. Children clapped and shouted: "Mouse, bird, rabbit, butterfly, pagoda, lotus..."
The streets were filled with the sounds of laughter and chatter.
The streets were bustling with people; it must have been a large market specially organized by the local government for a certain festival.
The goddess Yuan'e was a street urchin in the immortal realm. When she encountered a lively scene she had never seen before, she dragged Xie Jinhui to transform into a mortal and plunge into the crowd.
The objects the children mentioned were not made up out of thin air or were simply fabrications.
Look around, in the shade of willows, under the arched bridge by the river, where flowers and trees are hidden.
An elderly gentleman with half-white hair and beard sat in a bamboo basket, his voice clear and his face full of smiles.
With his skillful hands, he kneaded the honey-colored clay and suddenly pulled out a flexible tube, making it hollow.
Then, after much fanfare and encouragement, a little mouth eagerly took the food.
The old man continued to rub the mud while encouraging the child.
"Baby, blow hard, the harder you blow, the fatter the little mouse will get."
How much strength can a baby who has just been taken out of your arms have? Besides, he blows inaccurately, letting out not only air but also crab scum.
The little mouse in the old man's hand must have been born during a year of famine, or it must have settled under the roof of a poor family; it was as thin as a flatfish.
The children and onlookers burst into laughter, and the little one, embarrassed, burrowed into his wet nurse's arms.
The old man's mouse was not just a poor, miserable creature; he casually bent it on the little boy's long tube and blew on it without a second thought.
The little mouse quickly grew fat and was handed over to the child.
The little boy's face was still red, but he was extremely happy. The little mouse's plumpness finally matched his status as a young master.
I watched the old man's skillful technique with fascination.
The small stall cart under the canopy in front of him was filled with all sorts of interesting things that he had blown out, except for the names that the children had just shouted out.
I also saw immortals, city lights, monkeys, mountain spirits, the bright moon and stars...
The old man's wooden sign was displayed on the stall, which read:
"He can create countless shapes and forms, and even princes and nobles love sugar figurines."
That's a good saying. By blowing the sugar figurine of the gentleman, one can gain the favor of a noble son, and feel a sweet joy in one's heart.
I obediently joined the line of mortals and gently tugged at Xie Jinhui, who indulged my wild antics.
We have to accept that the old man's clearly stated price: "One copper coin for one blow."
Our white-clad appearance stood out among the group of children, and we received quite a few congratulatory gifts from ordinary people.
If these guesses and speculations, each with its own hidden agenda, could be turned into a copper coin and given to us, that would be a cause for celebration.
Xie Jinhui leaned close to me and said, "I am ready, my wife, please wait patiently."
Yes, let's wait and see. You wait and see too.
whee!
Finally, it was my turn. The old gentleman looked up, glanced at Xie Jinhui and me, and smiled warmly.
"Young lady, what kind of sugar figurine would you like to make?"
I chuckled, puffed out my cheeks, and said, "Sir, I only blow sugar, not people. Just give me a clump of sugar."
The old man's eyes lit up, and he smiled broadly, repeatedly saying, "Good, good, good."
Xie Jinhui hadn't paid yet, but the old man had already put the sugar ball's filling tube to my mouth.
As I put this pipe in my mouth, I suddenly remembered my master's pipe and the big smoke rings.
And then there were his many messy and troublesome worries.
I suddenly realized that I also had some minor worries that I wanted to vent but didn't need to elaborate on.
Take this large furnace next to me, for example.
What I was thinking was whether I could blow him into a thin sugar ball with my breath, so that I could see clearly inside his body, inside his heart, and those things from more than 300,000 years ago that he said he couldn't remember.
What if his furnace has an engraved inscription inside?
I was thinking of Xie Jinhui, who was blowing sugar figurines.
Before I knew it, I heard gasps from the crowd around me and saw the old man making sugar figurines looking surprised.
They all murmured, "Wow, this young lady is exceptionally talented!"
As I watched the sugar ball I was blowing grow bigger and bigger, with a snap, the bottom caught the sugar syrup in the pot that was about to be shaped and blown.
My energy channels, instantly, expanded along with them.
The old man frowned.
Then came a loud crack, not too loud, but still shocking.
Xie Jinhui slapped a solid gold ingot onto the stall. Through his slender fingers, the shimmering luster of the ingot made the world seem to change color.
My goodness, this is a gold mine that is not native to the Kongshan Mountains! This is incredible.
The old gentleman thought he had encountered an arrogant and disrespectful person, and his brows furrowed when he saw the gold.
Fortunately, Xie Jinhui's approachable, polite, and slightly apologetic tone put him at ease.
"Please forgive me, please forgive me, my wife has a strong qi." Xie Jinhui explained while whispering to me, "Yuanhe, mortals don't have such a strong qi, you should stop breathing quickly."
I'm not convinced! Stop breathing? Doesn't a mortal die when they stop breathing? I dare not stop breathing.
Besides, all my anger stems from you.
The masses saw clearly; they did not believe they had seen the true God, but rather that they had seen a "blowing ghost" in broad daylight.
My candy ball is getting bigger and bigger; it should be able to swallow a few little babies by now.
The old man with the sugar figurine was dumbfounded. He dared not accept the gold, nor did he dare to move. The bamboo stool under his bottom was probably thinking of growing legs and running away.
Seeing that the situation was about to cross the line, Xie Jinhui forced the gold ingot into the old man's hand, and then lifted me onto the stall with one arm.
He gripped the handrails of the cart tightly with both hands, kicked the wheel stop, and with a creak, he pushed the cart and me away together in full view of everyone.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the old man staring at the gold ingot, looking completely taken aback.
That gold is quite a treasure. If you carry it with you, it can ensure that the person carrying the gold will have a smooth life, free from worries about food and clothing, and it can even be passed down as a family heirloom for thousands of generations. The blessings brought by this treasure will not diminish.
If you break gold, reshape it, and use the rest to buy other things, the value you get from that piece of gold is only its weight.
Watching Xie Jinhui's light little "hoof" clattering on the ground, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Sitting on the stall cart, he continued tapping his foot and shouted, "Giddy up!"
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