It is difficult for a child to fall in love. The flowing water and falling flowers are the calamity.
Xue Jiuyue sorted out her thoughts and said slowly, "It's been about half a year ago that I received a letter every day. Inside the letter was a ginkgo leaf, and sometimes there were photos, but I didn't know who was sending it to me. The photos were all random landscapes, and the leaves were supposed to be turning yellow day by day, and I couldn't figure out the specific meaning. I always thought it was also a forgotten memory, but it was different from the memory that caused my nightmare because the feeling was completely different. Until yesterday, it happened that a regular customer of my store was a photographer. He brought dozens of magazines called "Wandering", and I found that the photos I received were all cover photos of the magazines. And they were all published after I received the letter. What surprised me most was that the author of these photos was signed, Jiu Ye!"
"Jiuye? Is that the Jiuye that appeared in your dream before?"
"Yes, that's him."
Liu Che thought for a moment. "You said before that he made you feel very friendly, safe, and solid, like a brother or a family member. So I didn't pay much attention to him. It seems that he is very important to you. After breakfast, I'll hypnotize him and see if there are any clues."
Xue Jiuyue blushed and hesitated for a moment before agreeing, "Okay."
This is a very beautiful place. Looking out into the distance, you can see: gurgling streams and steep mountains.
The gurgling stream, its emerald waves, could conceal a crystal palace; the steep peaks, their overlapping peaks, could conceal mountain mansions and pavilions. The winding stream, its curves captivating, is full of beauty; the peaks, their overlapping peaks, are entwined and lingering. Amidst the water's shimmer, the misty swamps evoke auspiciousness; within the mountains, towering and majestic, radiate a brilliant light. Ancient pines and cypresses, evergreen, compete for their green splendor in their prime; rare herbs and flowers, never fading, vie for luxuriance on the bright, sunny day. Near the old trees, cranes and sacred birds dwell; in the distant, deep forests, celestial foxes and deer hide. Truly, this is Penglai, a paradise of paradise, a blessed land and a mountain of immortals.
The beautiful scenery will captivate you at first sight. This is my home - Qingqiu.
I walked briskly along a winding path, following a familiar memory. Soon, I came upon a figure sitting cross-legged before a sheer cliff. The wind blew through the ravines, and even at the top, it was strong enough to make my sleeves rustle, but the frail figure remained unmoved.
Waiting was as aimless and boring as the idle clouds in the sky. I picked a wild fruit and threw it over, and it hit me right on the back of the head.
"Come out, Xiaoyue."
"You know it's me, but you still don't play with me."
"We haven't finished practicing today yet."
A weaker figure appeared on the edge of the cliff, "Brother Jiuye, why are you practicing martial arts?"
"To protect you!"
"But if you don't play with me anymore, I don't want your protection anymore!"
"Well, well, let's play for a stick of incense first, and you are not allowed to tell the master."
"Okay, Brother Jiuye!"
Soon, the laughter of the two childhood sweethearts dotted the rolling green with waves.
The stars shift, the sun rises and the moon sets, flowers bloom and fade on the mountaintops, clouds come and go on the ridges. The evergreen mountains never change color, the long-flowing green waters remain unchanged.
The scenery before him finally stopped at a cave. Jiu Ye had reached adulthood, his physique as majestic as a mountain, his face handsome yet gentle as water. But now, he radiated an unconcealable fatigue, and a hint of anxiety lingered in his stark black and white eyes.
"Brother Jiuye, where have you been?"
"Take this pill, it should be able to cure your brain disease." Jiu Ye handed over a green pill.
Suddenly, a cool and bitter medicinal fragrance wafted into my nose.
"I've never smelled this scent in Qingqiu before. Brother Jiuye, you...?"
"I brought back seeds, and Qingqiu will be able to cultivate them in the future."
"Brother Jiuye, my illness is not serious, I just have trouble falling asleep! Master said that as long as I can refine the Nine-Tailed Fox, everything can be cured."
"You are still a long way from being the Nine-Tailed Fox. You must practice diligently! I will go back first. I will bring you medicine every day from now on."
"Take a rest. Here are some fruits that Master sent."
"No, I've missed many days of lessons, I need to catch up." Jiu Ye said, then turned and took away all the light and shadow in the cave...
Behind the light and shadow, a night sky dotted with stars appeared, flickering with the chirping of insects.
"Congratulations, Brother Jiuye, you are the youngest Eight-Tailed Fox in Qingqiu! You are amazing!"
"Once I cultivate the Nine-Tailed Fox, I will be able to protect you!" Jiu Ye suppressed his excitement, but his black and white eyes sparkled.
"Brother Jiuye, do you know why we all have to cultivate to become human beings?"
"My master said that only humans can experience the final tribulation - the tribulation of love!"
"Love tribulation? What is that?"
"I don't know either..." Jiu Ye turned his head and looked over, "I think it's just like, just like..."
"Brother Jiuye, you will always be my good brother! Let's go back first..."
"Master!" As soon as Jiu Ye left, the master's figure emerged from the night.
"Xiaoyue, are you envious?" The master's voice was so vicissitudes that it could see through all illusions.
"Well, a little..."
"Do you regret it?"
"Regret?" Xiaoyue murmured in her heart.
"The entire Qingqiu knows that Jiuye is extremely talented, but they don't know that your Jiyue talent is even better. If it weren't for..."
Xiaoyue interrupted, "Master, I accidentally became possessed..."
"Still trying to deceive me. Have you forgotten that I, your master, am an expert in deduction? Jiuye can see the past and the future, but when he was going through the Seven-Tailed Tribulation, he was lost in the illusion of time and space. In that critical moment, you used a wisp of your spirit to help him escape, not only losing a lot of power, but also leaving you with a serious illness that cannot be cured until you get the Nine-Tailed Tribulation."
"Master, I was wrong!" Xiaoyue lowered her head, but her words showed no sign of admitting her fault. "Brother Jiuye has protected me since I was a child. I'm willing to risk my life for him, let alone a brain disease."
"Hey, you! If that's the case, then he clearly had something else to say, why didn't you let him finish..."
"Master, were you here just now?"
"Still interrupting? Tell me, what if it's a love tribulation?" Whenever the master mentioned love, he seemed to be a thousand years younger.
"Love tribulation? Master, what is a love tribulation?"
"Love tribulation is a tribulation caused by love! So you and your brother Jiuye..."
"Master!" Xiaoyue said shyly, "Brother Jiuye is just my brother! I don't have any other thoughts."
"How do you know it's not true if you don't have any feelings? What's important in love is not thinking, but feeling." When the master talked about love, it was as if he was falling in love for the first time or as if he had survived a disaster.
"I don't know what a love calamity is like, but you've told me about love. Shouldn't it be as vibrant as mountain flowers, as enchanting as the starry sky, and as intoxicating as monkey wine?"
Seeing Xiaoyue's face full of longing, the master said sternly, "The love tribulation is a calamity that must be endured before ascension. Without this tribulation, even the Nine-Tailed Fox cannot ascend. That's why some elders say that only after overcoming the love tribulation can the invisible tail be born! And you don't necessarily need to have the Nine-Tailed Fox to undergo the love tribulation. Anyone who has taken human form can undergo this tribulation. Its origin is unknown, but it is extremely dangerous. If you fail to overcome this tribulation, the loss of your cultivation is a minor matter, but often death and destruction will occur, and everything will be reduced to ashes."
"Is it really that serious, Master? I've seen all humans go through emotional tribulations, but I haven't seen many of them lose their souls."
"Silly girl, think about it. We have to cultivate for hundreds of years to acquire certain magical powers before we can transform into human form. But humans, born as the leaders of all spirits, why are there so few who cultivate, and even fewer who achieve enlightenment?"
Xiaoyue shook her head blankly.
"Only those who transform into humans can experience the tribulation of love, so it's not difficult for us to cultivate a certain level of supernatural power to achieve the human form. However, humans must experience the tribulation of love upon reaching adulthood. Most people can't even cultivate because they can't overcome the tribulation of love. Heaven and earth are unkind and treat all things as straw dogs. This is the fairness of heaven and earth!"
"Oh..." Xiaoyue seemed to be lost in thought. "Master, have you overcome your emotional tribulation?"
"I haven't waited for him to come back with me!"
"Huh? How many years has it been?"
"It's almost time. In another thousand years, the appointment with him will be over!" When the master said this, she was as sweet as a young girl in her prime.
"Wow, that's a three-thousand-year agreement..." Xiaoyue lamented her master's love tribulation, but soon she remembered something else, "Master, don't tell him that I saved Brother Jiuye!"
"If you practice well, I won't tell you anything..." Master is just an old fox!
The Master's wicked smile was deeper than the night sky, but it eventually dissipated...
"Xiao Yue, are you going to experience the trials of the mortal world?" Jiu Ye came over panting.
"Yes, Brother Jiuye."
"It will be very dangerous for you to go through the tribulation now that you are only eight-tailed!"
"Brother Jiuye, Master said that I can't make any progress without going through tribulations."
"Then I'll go with you, otherwise who will protect you?"
"Thank you, Brother Jiuye, but only by going through it yourself can you truly experience the tribulation. You can't help me. I'm fine. Just wait for me in Qingqiu!"
"Then...then take this with you." Jiu Ye handed over a small sky-blue cloth bag tied with a yellow rope.
"Brother Jiuye, is this the Qiankun bag given to you by the clan elders?"
"Yes, there are a lot of Gynostemma pentaphyllum seeds in it, as well as some flower and grass seeds. I cast a spell on it, and it will grow in just a few breaths if you sprinkle it on the soil. I'm not with you, so you still need to take medicine to relieve your brain disease. The prescription is also in this bag."
Jiuye said it easily, but Xiaoyue was quite surprised. "Brother Jiuye, time is equal. You shortened the time it takes for these seeds to mature, but you have to pay for it with your own lifespan."
"I am the Nine-Tailed Fox, with an almost infinite lifespan, so I don't care about that. But you, please be careful when you are alone outside..."
"Are you awake?" Liu Che's gentle voice was warmer than the rising sun.
"Hmm..." The sunlight that came into Xue Jiuyue's eyes did not take away the many extra images in her mind.
"How is it, what did you gain?"
"It's just to add some details, nothing special. The ending is the scene I dreamed of when I fell asleep in Kanhongchen last time during the Chinese Valentine's Day. There is nothing after that. In the dream..." Xue Jiuyue gave a general description.
"Any special details?"
"I also have a brain disease in my dream, and I can't sleep well. Brother Jiuye has been collecting herbs for me to make pills all year round, and the main ingredient is Gynostemma pentaphyllum, so he always smells like Gynostemma pentaphyllum."
"Gynostemma pentaphyllum does have the therapeutic effects of nourishing the heart and calming the mind, and promoting sleep, but its distribution range is too wide, from Indonesia to North Korea, and it can survive at altitudes from 300 to 3,000 meters. We can't pinpoint the person based on this clue. It seems our only option is to look at that magazine. Is it called 'Wandering'?"
Knowing Liu Che's thoughts, Xue Jiuyue intercepted his doomed attempt in advance, "Xiao Ming, do you happen to know someone there again? I asked, and the author only submitted the article via email and never contacted me. I even suspected that it was a scheduled email sent out all at once, so even if someone traced the email's IP address, it would be useless."
"Then it looks like you'll have to rely on yourself to slowly recall everything." After Liu Che awkwardly gave up, he comforted Xue Jiuyue, "But it's okay. You have to recall everything on your own anyway. Even if I help you look for it, I'm walking a tightrope. I'm afraid that too many clues might suddenly overwhelm you, which would be bad."
Seeing the urgency hidden under Liu Che's gentle expression, Xue Jiuyue thought of what "Spitting Star" said last night. She called out softly, "Xiao Ming?"
"Um?"
"Do you still remember, before..." There was still a final trace of struggle.
"Before? Sorry, give me a hint, I definitely remember it, I just don't know what you are talking about."
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