Extra 4: A Day by the Starry Sea
The newly born world had no strict day and night, only the gentle alternation of light and darkness. When the "sun," condensed by the will of Guixu, cast its warm yet non-scorching light across the sea of stars, a new day began in the courtyard.
The first one to make a move is often Ao Yi.
Like a flash of silver lightning, the young man appeared early in the open space outside the courtyard. In his hand, he clutched a short blade condensed from the energy of annihilation. His body leaped and dove, leaving behind sharp, air-piercing sounds. Sweat soaked the tips of his silver hair, but he paid no heed. His eyes were focused, each strike striving for perfection, as if battling an invisible opponent. This was his morning routine, unwavering.
Inside the bamboo fence, Ao Jia was much quieter. He crouched beneath a stardust magnolia tree, carefully guiding the morning light's spiritual energy with his fingertips, nourishing a spiritual herb that had sprouted just last night, its leaves as translucent as sapphires. His movements were gentle, his expression focused and gentle, and he exuded a soothing aura. Occasionally, a lost aura elf stumbled towards him, and he would gently pick it up and guide it towards the blossoming flowers.
And Ao Bing...is usually nowhere to be seen.
Yinglong emerged from the house, holding a jade pot filled with a scented tea she had brewed using morning dew and several tranquilizing flowers. She glanced at her second son, diligently practicing his martial arts, and then at her eldest son, meticulously tending the flowers and plants. A barely perceptible smile played at the corners of her lips. She walked to the stone table in the courtyard and poured two cups of tea.
Almost as soon as she set down the jade pot, Guixu silently appeared on the stone bench across from her. He was still dressed in his black robe, his aura subdued, as if he had already merged with this courtyard, this world. He naturally picked up a cup of tea, his gaze passing over Ao Yi outside the courtyard and Ao Jia beneath the tree. He made no comment, but the eternal emptiness in his eyes seemed to be tinged with a faint warm hue by the vibrant morning scene.
"Where is Bing'er?" Yinglong asked softly, taking a sip of tea.
Guixu did not answer, but simply cast his gaze towards the calm sea of stars.
At that moment, a series of gurgling bubbles suddenly emerged from the sea near the shore. Then, a small head emerged, with short, wet, dark blue hair. It was Ao Bing. In his hand, he was clutching a small, wriggling fish that shimmered with iridescent phosphorescence, waving it triumphantly toward the shore.
"Mother! Father! Look what I caught!" His voice was clear and filled with the joy unique to children.
That colorful fish was clearly no ordinary creature; it was a spirit species naturally nurtured by the spiritual energy of the Starlight Sea, making it extremely slippery and difficult to catch. Only someone like Ao Bing, naturally attuned to water and skilled at concealing his presence, could have caught it so easily.
Ao Yi was attracted by the movement here, so he put away his moves and walked over with a frown. He looked at the fish in his brother's hand and snorted, "You only know how to play and disturb the peace."
Ao Jia also stood up, walked over with a smile, and said to Ao Bing gently, "Third brother, this phosphorescent fish will lose its spiritual power if it stays out of water for too long. Why don't you put it in the spiritual spring in my courtyard?"
Ao Bing's eyes rolled, and he was obviously reluctant to let it go, but he also felt that his elder brother was right. As he was hesitating, the phosphorescent fish in his hand suddenly struggled and flew out of his hand, drawing a colorful arc in the air and was about to fall back into the sea.
An invisible force quietly lifted the fish and slowly brought it to Ao Jia. It was Guixu who had taken action. He didn't even glance at his sons, continuing to sip his tea as if he had only done something insignificant.
Ao Jia quickly and carefully took it, bowing slightly towards Guixu. "Thank you, father." He then said to Ao Bing, "Third brother, would you like to join us? There are still a few crystal shrimps in the spiritual spring that you put in last time."
Ao Bing immediately forgot his slight reluctance, cheered, turned into a stream of water and rushed ashore, following Ao Jia to the spiritual spring in the corner of the yard.
Ao Yi looked at the backs of his two younger brothers and curled his lips, but there was not much dissatisfaction in his eyes. Instead, he followed them, probably to see if the so-called "crystal shrimp" had become fatter and bigger enough for him to practice (although he usually would not really attack his younger brothers' "pets").
At the stone table, Yinglong watched the children gather together, shaking her head and laughing. She looked up at Guixu and saw him gazing towards the Spiritual Spring. His ethereal eyes reflected the figures of his three sons gathered together—Ao Jia's patient explanation, Ao Bing's curious gaze, and Ao Yi's folded arms, seemingly impatient but not leaving.
"It's quite lively." He suddenly said in a low voice, his tone still calm, but no longer with the initial indifference.
Yinglong smiled slightly and poured him another half cup of warm tea.
In the afternoon, Guixu would often disappear for a moment, perhaps to maintain some subtle laws of this world, or perhaps simply to contemplate in the "Realm of Guixu" he had created. At this time, the courtyard became the world of the four of them, mother and children.
Sometimes, Yinglong would play the zither, and Ao Jia would listen quietly by the side, or even try to blow simple harmonies with leaves; Ao Yi might wipe his weapon by the side, seemingly unconcerned, but when the music became intense, his wiping movements would unconsciously slow down; Ao Bing might lie on his mother's lap, or simply turn into a little dragon and coil around the end of the zither, gently swaying his tail to the melody.
Sometimes, Yinglong would offer Ao Yi martial arts instruction. Though she was no longer the fierce warrior she once was, her fighting instincts and understanding of the power of force remained. Her guidance was often sharp and insightful, benefiting Ao Yi immensely and brightening his gaze. Ao Jia and Ao Bing would watch from the sidelines, one lost in thought, the other occasionally mimicking the moves, often stumbling himself.
When the light of the "sun" becomes soft again and sinks towards the sea of stars, Guixu will return on time.
Dinner wasn't necessary, but it had become a habit. The food wasn't just ordinary grains; it was mostly spiritual essences of heaven and earth, spiritual fruits cultivated by Ao Jia, beast-shaped spirits condensed from pure spiritual energy hunted by Ao Yi (with permission), and sometimes even the uniquely flavored spiritual algae found by Ao Bing from the depths of the Starlight Sea.
The family of five sat around the stone table, but the atmosphere wasn't always harmonious. Ao Yi might complain about Ao Bing's dishonesty, his tail (if he was in dragon form) twitching. Ao Bing might slip some unwelcome spiritual algae into his second brother's bowl, only to grimace and slip away when caught. Ao Jia would gently smooth things over, redirecting the conversation to the day's experiences or questions about cultivation.
Guixu mostly just listened, rarely speaking. But when he occasionally offered a few words of advice on a particular cultivation issue, even the most impulsive Ao Bing would immediately quiet down and listen intently. Yinglong, on the other hand, watched all this with a smile, occasionally sharing food with the arguing children or gently swatting away Ao Bing's claws when he tried to sneak up on them.
As night fell (let's call it night), the light of the sea of stars and the chaotic stars in the sky shone together, shrouding the courtyard in a dreamy tranquility.
The children went back to their rooms to rest, meditate, or sleep.
Guixu and Yinglong were still sitting in the yard, the wind chimes under the eaves swaying gently in the evening breeze, making a crisp tinkling sound.
He held her hand, and neither of them spoke.
In the distance, one could faintly hear the sound of Ao Yi's fists breaking through the air in his dream, the faint fragrance of grass and trees emanating from Ao Jia's room, and the rustling sounds in Ao Bing's room, as if someone was fiddling with something again.
These sounds, mixed with the waves and wind chimes, constitute the most ordinary yet precious music in the eternal years of this starry seashore.
Guixu turned his head and looked at the soft profile of the woman beside him under the starlight.
Eternity seems to become concrete and warm because of the lights and voices in the courtyard at this moment.
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