The moonlight on the mountain was truly beautiful.
Luo Shen'an and Luo Xihe repeatedly made vows to the Heavenly Dao, until they became numb. Finally, the Heavenly Dao could no longer bear it and sent down a bolt of lightning that struck the mountaintop, signaling the two to stop. Only then did the turmoil end.
"Hahaha, come, come, Master, Emperor Luo, let's have a drink! You have to believe me, I was really just joking earlier."
Qin Shou beamed and stepped forward to greet the two warmly.
Luo Shen'an: ...I'm human too, why aren't you greeting me?
"No, no, Brother Qin, something really has come up at home."
Luo Xihe pushed and shoved, not wanting to stay on this mountain for even a second longer, fearing that this little thief in front of him, who could change his mind faster than flipping through a book, would change his mind at any moment.
"Alas, Your Majesty Luo has truly broken my heart."
Qin Shou, feigning melancholy, said with a straight face, "These are all fine wines I brewed myself, and this, and these, are all top-grade spiritual wines."
"Amitabha Buddha, Benefactor Qin, now that this matter is settled, this humble monk will take his leave."
Samantabhadra Buddha clasped his hands together, speaking with a devout tone.
At this moment, his body had turned into specks of light and vanished completely, leaving only a grain of rice floating there with a faint glow.
Upon seeing this, Luo Xihe immediately interjected, "Master, this journey is long, and the eyes of many beings are focused on this land of Yunzhou, while you only have this wisp of soul left. It must be fraught with danger."
"I invited you here, and I should escort you safely back home."
"Amitabha Buddha, this is excellent!"
Samantabhadra Buddha showed a look of gratitude.
The Western Heaven Domain is hundreds of millions of miles away from here, requiring crossing countless continents and dangerous places. The commotion caused by the Empress's appearance must have already attracted the attention of the entire continent. His wisp of soul is too weak, and it is not necessarily safe for him to return on this journey.
"You're too kind, Master."
Luo Xihe happily agreed. As long as he could get away from this mountain temporarily to calm his nerves, he was willing to go as far as he could.
"Um... do you all really not want to stay and have a drink?"
"It's not that I don't want to, Brother Qin, it's just that the Holy Buddha's time is running out, and we must act quickly."
"Very well, then I won't see you off any further. I'll enjoy this Enlightenment Wine by myself."
"Alright, alright, no need to see me off."
Luo Xihe nodded repeatedly in agreement, then paused, turned around, and asked, "What kind of wine?"
“Enlightenment Wine.” Qin Shou blinked.
"Well... actually, staying for a drink wouldn't be a bad idea."
Luo Xihe rubbed her little hands together and sat down.
Samantabhadra Buddha: ...........
Qin Shou hesitated, "But Master doesn't seem to be in good condition."
Luo Xihe glanced at it and said, "Really? I don't think so! The Buddha's Dharma is profound; he should be able to hold on for a few more years without any problem."
Samantabhadra Buddha: ? ? ? ? ?
"The ancestor is right. Let's drink and sing under the moon, what harm is there in sharing a few cups?"
Perhaps because she had been on this mountain for too long, the usually serious Luo Shen'an completely relaxed, glancing at the wine in Qin Shou's hand as she sat down.
He then called out, "Brother Qin, quickly pour the wine; I'd like to drink with the Ancestor."
Snap!
Qin Shou went up and slapped him.
He scolded, "Stand up! Adults are drinking; children aren't allowed at the table."
Snap!
Luo Xihe slapped him repeatedly, saying, "Your Uncle Qin is right. Stand up right now, you have no manners at all."
As he spoke, he conjured a large bowl and placed it in front of him. "Come, Brother Qin, these two are both remnant souls clinging to their lingering attachments. Drinking will do them no good. Today, let's just have a good drink together to celebrate your disciple's successful soul awakening. From now on, his cultivation speed will reach a new level."
Luo Shen'an: ...Then we might as well leave.
"Haha, good wine, my friend."
"Haha, I'm glad you like it, bro."
As their conversation deepened, they found they were getting along better and better, and were practically ready to kneel down and swear brotherhood.
"Brother Qin, I wonder if I could take a cup of this wine back with me for my son, Xiaobingshu?"
"Brother, what are you saying? This time, thanks to you traveling all the way to the Western Heaven to bring back a bald monk for me, you successfully revived my disciple's soul. You may take these three cups of wine."
Qin Shou filled three cups with wine, flicked his sleeve, and pushed them in front of Luo Xihe.
Samantabhadra Buddha: ...You old bald monk...Me?
"Alright, brother, you're straightforward. I'll toast you."
After a few rounds of drinks, both of them were enjoying themselves immensely.
As Luo Xihe was leaving, Qin Shou, as promised, passed on the first two chapters of the Immortal Scripture to him.
“Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk has already failed to master Benefactor Qin’s immortal Dharma. How about we send a disciple from our Buddhist sect to learn it in the future?”
The moonlight was intense on the mountaintop, and a tiny glimmer of light floated and sank beneath the glistening petals of the peach tree.
At this moment, a hint of guilt appeared on Qin Shou's face.
"I have come here to invite the Master, but I never imagined it would cost him his life. I am filled with remorse. I hereby promise that if any Buddhist monks come in the future, I will bestow upon them the first three chapters of the Immortal Dharma and will treat them with three cups of enlightenment wine."
"Amitabha Buddha, excellent, excellent. This humble monk takes his leave."
Having received Qin Beast's promise, Samantabhadra Buddha departed in satisfaction.
"Ancestor, wait for me!"
Luo Shen'an hurriedly followed behind, unwilling to remain on this hilltop as a stake to be smashed.
"well........ "
Qin Shou watched the departing figures of the group and sighed with regret.
Why did you sigh?
Song Ningsheng followed Qin Shou's gaze and looked up at the moon in the sky.
"I sighed, thinking that the old monk was not bad, but it's a pity he was robbed because of my disciple. I also sighed, thinking that Yunzhou has finally become the focus of the world's attention, and I wonder what the future holds?"
Qin Shou said slowly, "I know the world is vast, and we are but frogs in a well. Because I fear death, I am unwilling to travel far into the world to see its splendor, but instead choose to cultivate on this mountain in pursuit of immortality. However, after today's turmoil, it seems things will not be so peaceful."
"Heh." Song Ningsheng chuckled, looking at Qin Shou. "I always thought you lived on this mountain because you weren't attached to worldly affairs and only wanted peace and quiet."
"However, you don't need to worry too much. Previously, the Empress's divine might dissipated countless divine thoughts that had flocked to this state in an instant, and many powerful beings suffered calamities. Now, these people would never dare to come and probe the depths, at least not in the short term. However, according to the habits of these powerful forces, they usually send their juniors or others to investigate the situation."
Upon hearing this, Qin Shou nodded. "Actually, I'm not too worried. As long as I don't leave this mountain, I'll be safe. I'm just a little concerned that my disciples are still in the mortal realm. If someone deduces the cause and effect and implicates them, then I..."
"Ha, cause and effect?"
Song Ningsheng scoffed, "With an empress in power, who dares to deduce cause and effect?"
In fact, the person whose heart was most unsettled that day was Song Ningsheng.
When Song Ningsheng caught a glimpse of her figure in the long river of time, his thoughts were in turmoil and he could not calm down for a long time.
He tried to shout countless times, but no sound came out.
He was afraid that she wouldn't remember him.
He was even more afraid that even that fleeting glimpse was a dream that would vanish the moment he spoke.
"Sigh, how could Yi Cheng be connected to the Empress?"
Qin Shou still found it hard to believe.
Because he simply couldn't compare that silly, chubby little girl who only knew how to eat, sleep, and play all day long with the peerless, unparalleled empress from ten thousand years ago.
Putting these two together, from any angle, it feels like they can't overlap at all.
However, Song Ningsheng was the one who found this most unacceptable.
What Qin Shou couldn't imagine, he couldn't imagine even more.
Nan Ningxuan, the most stunning woman in the millions of years of Tianxuan Continent, without exception. She was so elegant and beautiful, so stunning that she surpassed all others in history, so... unparalleled in the world.
He couldn't compare her to that chubby little girl who spent all day laughing and running around on the hilltop.
Damn, that dream shattered instantly.
Although Yi Cheng is also very cute.
But... that's the Empress, the goddess Song Ningsheng had secretly loved his whole life.
At this moment, Song Ningsheng felt an overwhelming urge to cry.
Qin Shou seemed to notice Song Ningsheng's unusual behavior and patted him on the shoulder to comfort him:
"Alright, sweetie, the sun will shine again after the rain."
"But this rain...it's been too long, and too heavy."
Song Ningsheng's face looked worse than if he had been crying.
However, he also understood that the former Nanning Xuan had truly disappeared from this moment on, and would never return. This was what saddened Song Ningsheng the most.
He used to say that the Empress was dead, killed by the gods and immortals, but deep down he always harbored a hope: what if the Empress wasn't dead? What if she had a backup plan? After all, she was the Empress; she was so incredibly talented, her genius unparalleled throughout the ages...
"But the truth is the truth..."
Song Ningsheng suddenly let out a long sigh. Only the bright moon hung alone, its silence suppressing the sound.
Qin Shou returned to the house and glanced at Yi Cheng, who was lying on the bed and fast asleep.
"I wonder how long she'll sleep this time?"
"What will it be like when I wake up?"
"Is Yi Cheng still the same Yi Cheng?"
Qin Shou muttered to himself, feeling uncertain.
Empress Yi Cheng, a woman of unparalleled talent throughout the ages, and a chubby guy who's always goofing around.
Anyone who compares the two would think the empress is superior.
What happens after these two remnant souls merge...?
Qin Shou didn't want to think about it anymore, or rather, he didn't dare to think about it anymore.
In his heart, he naturally longed for Yi Cheng to always be Yi Cheng.
Qin Shou went out, gently closed the door, and lay back on the bamboo chair under the peach tree with its petals falling, staring blankly at the bright moon in the sky.
"Master..."
In the stillness of late autumn, under a full moon, just as Qin Shou was lost in thought, a young man dressed in an imperial dragon robe arrived under the stars and moon.
"Siwu, what brings you here?"
Qin Shou raised his eyes and asked.
Xiao Xuan reached the top of the mountain and gave a hasty bow.
"Master, today I witnessed a sudden change in Yunzhou. My divine sense could not penetrate it; I could only observe it from afar. It seemed to originate from the depths of the Great Wilderness. I was worried and rushed here to investigate."
"Yes, that's kind of you, but it's all right now."
"Phew, that's good."
Xiao Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Master, did the incident during the day originate from the mountain?"
"Yes. "
Qin Shou answered without hesitation, "It was caused by your junior sister's soul-summoning."
"Junior Sister..." Xiao Xuan asked with some concern, "May I ask Master, how is Junior Sister now? Was the soul-summoning successful?"
"Fortunately, the soul-summoning was successful, but the situation is somewhat complicated."
Qin Shou tapped the handle of the bamboo chair, explaining to Xiao Xuan in a leisurely manner.
At first, Xiao Xuan only sensed the sudden changes in Yunzhou during the day and wanted to use his divine sense to find out what was going on. However, when that pressure was released, all divine senses in the world vanished.
He was shocked, thinking that some powerful figure had set his sights on Yunzhou, but he didn't know that it was related to the legendary empress. After Qin Shou said this, Xiao Xuan was so shocked that his mouth dropped open.
"Master, what did you say?!"
Xiao Xuan jumped up in shock.
He stammered:
"You mean the events of the daytime were because the legendary Empress appeared...! That voice was spoken by the Empress!!!"
And my junior sister is connected to that empress...!!!
"Yes. "
The Qin beast nodded.
Xiao Xuan was almost dumbfounded.
Two figures kept appearing in my mind.
A figure I've never met, yet tall and exuding boundless majesty.
A junior female student I used to see every day, who was short, chubby, and silly...
This...this...can actually overlap...!!!
"Holy crap, my junior sister was the legendary hidden master all along!!!"
Xiao Xuan ran into the house and lay down in front of Yi Cheng's bed, looking at the little chubby girl who had fallen into a deep sleep. His heart was pounding with shock.
"This thigh is even stronger than Master's; I'll have to hold on tight from now on."
In that instant, Xiao Xuan made up his mind that from now on, he would feed his junior sister whatever she wanted to eat, and he would make sure she was well-fed. After all, she was the legendary empress.
Oh no, even the Empress is a fragment of my junior sister's remnant soul.
Hmm... no!
Xiao Xuan ran out, looked at Qin Shou, and said with some trepidation and suspicion:
"Master, Junior Sister is so foolish. Her soul has merged with the Empress's soul. Will she still be the same Junior Sister after she wakes up?"
Qin Shou turned to look at him. "What do you hope for?"
"Of course I hope to remain Junior Sister." Xiao Xuan's face darkened, turning incredibly sinister. "Master, what if all of this is the Empress's millennia-long scheme?"
"If that empress devours Junior Sister's soul and takes control of her body, what should we do? Should we try every means to sever her dominant soul?"
Qin Shou rolled his eyes at him. "Alright, this matter shouldn't escalate to that point."
Because he vaguely sensed that the empress had no ill intentions towards his disciple, and there was even a deep-seated emotion hidden within her, though Qin Shou couldn't quite grasp it.
However, he sensed that the legendary empress must have truly died, completely vanished.
What puzzled Qin Shou even more was that when the River of Time closed and the Empress dispersed her last mark, he seemed to feel those eyes looking at him through endless time and space.
The meaning behind that is... inexplicable.
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