Forty-three old dreams in the sea of flowers
He had seen this sea of flowers before.
From the moment he entered this place called the Fragrance of Wine Valley, Lu Yinche had been experiencing a strong sense of déjà vu. Yan Yanshu hadn't explicitly stated it, but his hints were clear. This place must be connected to his lost memories, perhaps even a place where he once lived. And Yan Yanshu was also very familiar with this place, so it was connected to him.
Could it be that he and Yan Yanshu had once lived here together, hiding their identities and secretly getting married? Just to avoid worldly discussion and attacks - he didn't think so, but he didn't succeed!
I suggest moving the marriage stone here as well. Look at this sea of flowers, what a grand scene, what a beautiful scenery, it’s perfect for finding a partner.
Perhaps because he was in a dream, Lu Yinche's thoughts were more unbridled than usual, and he did not have that kind of anxiety that was out of control. He walked freely in the sea of flowers, looking for the voice that had called him just now.
Although it was brief, it was clear that it was the voice of a young boy.
He was a handsome young man with delicate features. One could already tell he would be quite the allure of attention when he grew up. His eyes and brows revealed a heroic air, and with a smile, he looked quite lively. Lu Yinche felt he looked familiar; the aura was so obvious that he didn't need to recall it; that was the feeling Xie Juncun had given him.
A smiling, smaller version of Yan Yanshu.
Lu Yinche's eyes moved slightly as he glanced at the boy's clothes. They were light-colored clothes similar to his own, with no patterns or accessories. They were very plain, but not like those of an ordinary farmer - whoever wore clothes that were easily soiled would be a disaster, wouldn't that be?
Before he could even think of how to start, his lips and tongue were already moving: "You look quite happy today."
"The flowers are blooming beautifully. Do you like them, Ache?" The young man's eyes were sparkling, which was far from the usual appearance of Yan Yanshu in Lu Yinche's memory, but inexplicably made him feel that Yan Yanshu should be this kind of person.
He deserved to smile more.
"I like it," he said. "Flowers should be allowed to grow freely. If they are picked and put in a vase for people to admire, they lose their flavor."
Yan Yanshu nodded: "Next year we will plant more and harvest them as medicinal herbs in the fall. They will be good for your injury."
I'm injured? Why is Yan Yanshu acting like Lu Yinche's personal doctor?
Lu Yinche was in a dream. At first he thought that the injury to his sea of consciousness was brought in from reality by his subconscious mind. But now it seems that this may not be the case. It seems that there are other reasons for his injury in this dream.
Then he heard Yan Yanshu say, "Don't split your soul casually. Even if you are a powerful person in the Guixu realm, you should know that damaging your soul will only bring you benefits. You should take care of yourself, otherwise I will be very uncomfortable." He looked serious, and every word was sincere, so sincere that Lu Yinche felt a little embarrassed.
"I know, I know. How could that great monk have taught you all this?" Lu Yinche shook his head in the dream. "It would be great if you could just become a Buddhist and swordsman dual practitioner. You'd be the founder of a sect, so it would be prestigious."
Yan Yanshu picked up the long sword on his back and asked, "Can you teach me sword skills today?"
At this time, Lu Yinche was about to point his index finger at himself and ask: Me?
He didn't, but only smiled and replied, meaning not much different: "You overestimate me. I'm not specialized in this. My sword skills are just enough. At least I have to find a more powerful master for you."
"Isn't Che amazing? I think Che is the most amazing."
Lu Yinche was beginning to wonder if he had drugged the kid with some kind of magic potion. He wondered if this would shorten his lifespan. But Yan Yanshu's praise was sincere, praising him so highly that his strange vanity took over, so he had to lie and be modest: "Just average, maybe third in the world."
This was also true. Excluding those reclusive masters who could only exist on the fringes of this world and those who had already ascended and passed away, the number one in the world was the large Yan Yanshu, the second was Lu Yinche, whose soul was intact, and Lu Yinche, who had a problem with his sea of consciousness, could only barely be ranked third.
He said, "If you try to learn from me, you won't be the best in the world."
"I don't want to be the best in the world," Yan Yanshu replied. "I just want you to teach me." He paused and emphasized, "You promised to teach me step by step."
"If you don't accept it, I'll be guilty of a great sin." Lu Yinche muttered to himself, feeling helpless. He said, "Well, it's not impossible to take the best of all. Today I'll show you the sword moves I came up with last night. How about you give me some suggestions for revisions?"
"good."
As he responded, the sea of flowers was blown by the wind, making a soft rustling sound, and the faint fragrance wrapped around his thoughts.
Some blurry halos appeared in front of Lu Yinche's eyes, and the scene changed again. He returned to the thatched courtyard by the stream again. This time he could see that the fence had been completed, the courtyard was well-maintained, and all kinds of plants were well cared for.
His vision was wider than before. He could see the sea of flowers he had just seen downstream, the colors still as bright as a dream.
He turned and saw the door open, but no one was inside. On the table, however, sat a familiar object—the Seven Wonders Pagoda. Lu Yinche knew at a glance that it was unfinished; the spot at the top of the pagoda, where the pearl should have been, was still empty. That pearl itself had a history; it had been obtained from a mermaid, a trophy Lu Yinche had won at the poker table. He remembered it clearly.
However, since the Seven Pagoda was created, until he entrusted it to Gong Jin for safekeeping, it should have never left his body. How could it be here? Lu Yinche could only explain that the dream was illogical, or that there was something wrong with his memory, just like he had never remembered the dragon bones and sword monument on the seabed.
He walked over, and the magic weapon on the table suddenly shook, turned into light blue dust, and dissipated.
Is it an illusion?
Lu Yinche knew the trick, watching as the dust settled onto the rice paper on the table, reconstructing a realistic image. It was the blueprint for the Seven Wonders Pagoda, a drawing that would only appear in one place: in the correspondence between him and his pen pal.
He wanted to go forward and check his notes when he heard a noise behind him, hurried footsteps: "Are you back?"
It was Yan Yanshu, whose appearance was closer to the one Lu Yinche knew. His face had relaxed and he was very handsome, but he didn't have the sharpness of someone who had been living high in the snow-capped mountains for many years. He looked to be just over twenty years old.
Seeing that he still looked a little nervous, his eyes fixed on the desk, Lu Yinche didn't move closer, pretending he hadn't noticed it. He said, "I just got back." He heard himself say, "How is Cheng Xiao Sect? I remember the food was very good. It's really not easy for a big pot meal to be so good. Hey, do you still like it?"
Yan Yanshu stood in front of him. This tall and straight young man was already half a head taller than Lu Yinche. "Master, the master took us to eat separately. He likes to cook for himself."
It was the first time Lu Yinche knew that the old leader of Chengxiao Sect had such a hobby. He smiled and said, "Then I can even cook for you. I don't have to worry about you going hungry."
"I have already achieved the golden elixir, so I can practice fasting." Yan Yanshu said.
Lu Yinche shook his head: "How old are you? What's the point of living like us old immortals? I still like to eat and drink. Otherwise, cultivating immortality will really destroy all the fun in life."
Yan Yanshu didn't like him talking about himself like that, and said softly, "A Che is very young."
"You look like you're about my age for forming a golden core. However, forming a golden core too early has its drawbacks. Being too small isn't good either. You'll have to take a disguise pill before you can even enter a brothel," Lu Yinche said with a chuckle. "You're just the right size. You don't need to grow any taller. Otherwise, I'll have to stand on stilts to talk to you."
Yan Yanshu also laughed: "As long as Ah Che doesn't go to the brothel, I'm willing to squat and talk to Ah Che."
Lu Yinche pretended to hit him: "Don't talk like I'm some regular whore-goer. Do I need to have that kind of hobby?"
"No need," Yan Yanshu shook his head, "Ache has me."
How can you say it as if you can have sex with him?
Talk nonsense.
Who taught you?
Lu Yinche rolled his eyes and sat down on the chair over there. Yan Yanshu was quick-witted and took a step forward. With a sweep of his sleeve, he swept the blueprints off the table into his arms. Without stopping, he went to get the kettle of tea and asked Lu Yinche what he wanted to drink.
"I didn't know you were coming back today—" He seemed a little distressed. "Is there anything you want to eat? I'll fly to the market to buy it."
This wasn't a difficult task for him. In his dream, Lu Yinche seemed very accustomed to this practice. He didn't act like an elder (although he didn't have such a thing). Instead, he acted like a greedy child: "I want some candy."
Yan Yanshu asked, "Anything else?"
"No, you can buy whatever you like. I think you have my magic storage device. There's still money in it."
Yan Yanshu smiled: "Ache's wealth is all with me, what should I do when Ache wants to use it?"
Lu Yinche didn't care: "Why would I need to spend money? I can just cheat when I need it, no, I can just get some. I'll give it to you. I heard that sword cultivators have to pay for the rental of their swords. It's very expensive. Our Xiao Yan can't afford to use it. It has to be decent."
Yan Yanshu was helpless: "What new storybook has Ah Che read? Ten Thousand Swords Returning to the Origin is the sword meaning - never mind, I'll go now and come back early. Ah Che, wait for me here, okay?"
"Be careful on the road," Lu Yinche waved his hand to indicate that he would not leave without saying goodbye. He didn't know how Yan Yanshu developed such a personality, always worried that he would run away. "Be careful not to bump into the sword."
Yan Yanshu chuckled, his voice sounding strangely soft, and Lu Yinche rubbed his arms.
After he left, Lu Yinche continued to look around, finding many traces of life in the house. While the clothes looked similar in style and size, it was clear that the two people living here had different but harmonious living habits. One liked to place a water cup by the bed, and a well-read and dog-eared notebook was placed at an angle, while the things on the desk were much more neatly arranged. Only a few ugly, obviously hand-rolled pen holders were out of place.
It was also made of Miaoyin wood. Lu Yinche thought of his sword pendant.
Yan Yanshu took the blueprints for the Seven Pagoda and closed the door behind him. Lu Yinche found a stack of storybooks under his bed. They were a variety of styles. Some he was familiar with, others he was sure he had never seen, but all showed signs of having been flipped through. Behind the books lay a pile of scrolls. He opened them and saw they were all portraits of himself.
What the hell? Why would I collect all this? Am I that narcissistic?
There was a knock on the door. Lu Yinche kicked all the things back under the bed, thinking that Yan Yanshu had forgotten to bring something when he returned. However, the voice coming from the door was not Yan Yanshu's. He said in a loud and confident voice, "Disciple, this place is so hard to find."
It's Xiaoyao Sanren.
Lu Yinche, perplexed, opened the door for him. Standing at the doorway wasn't the white-bearded young man—it was a wooden puppet, exquisitely crafted, perhaps only comparable to Yan Yanshu's puppet in the Yaocheng Valley that day. While this one wasn't as lifelike as the other, it held a distinctly lively aura. It was obvious that Xiaoyao, behind him, was watching.
The outside of the house was also different from when he entered. The scenery had turned winter, and a few wisps of snow drifted in. It seemed that in this dream, he would not be able to eat the candy that Yan Yanshu bought for him. It was a pity.
The puppet swaggered into the room and saw that Lu Yinche didn't serve him tea. He even said sarcastically: "Why, why are you so reluctant to use good tea to treat your good master?"
Lu Yinche was so angry at his rogue attitude that he laughed: "What kind of tea does a puppet drink? Isn't he afraid that it will make your wood rot?"
"Master has applied tung oil several times, so he's not afraid of wind or snow." The puppet's voice was indistinguishable from a real person, and his movements were perfectly natural. "Your place is a bit remote, but the scenery is beautiful. Even on a snowy day like this, the running water outside doesn't freeze."
"Master, you have come all the way here to see me. Is there something important you want to tell me?" Lu Yinche didn't bother to be polite with him and asked him directly why he came.
The puppet's head turned around, looking rather scary, before it said, "I'm ready to ascend. What do you think?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com