Chapter 223 A Gentleman's Character, Lofty as a Mountain and Enduring as a River
"Mr. Du..."
Zhong Wan murmured his name softly, tears instantly streaming down her face.
It landed on the painting in her arms.
Zhong Wan, however, was completely unaware, and looked up at the starry sky before her.
Just as everyone's gaze was focused on the white stars in the sky, the scroll in Zhong Wan's hand also stirred. As if it had sensed a resonance, it began to emit a warm white light.
[Ding! 100% resonance detected between the carrier and the spirit. As the spirit reaches its full potential, the carrier's energy dissipates synchronously.]
The cold, mechanical sound startled Zhong Wan awake, and she instinctively looked down.
Looking at the white light slowly overflowing from the painting.
The white light was faint, yet it seemed to possess power, supporting the drawing paper as it slowly floated out of Zhong Wan's hand.
"Mr. Du?"
Zhong Wan felt a lightness in her hand and looked at the floating scroll in front of her with surprise: "Is that you?"
No one answered her question.
Zhong Wan's voice instantly drew everyone's attention, and several people turned to look at her simultaneously.
The scroll was filled with white starlight, and the ink marks on the paper, which were originally still, seemed to come alive under the flow of starlight.
White light flowed across the black ink, gradually covering the original black.
After the white starlight completely covered the black ink stains, Du Qian and the chibi-style daughter on his chest seemed to smile even more brightly.
Then, under the shocked yet lingering gazes of Zhong Wan and everyone else,
The entire scroll, starting from the edge, like Du Qian's phantom, gradually transformed into countless white starlight specks, drifting everywhere in the wind and instantly merging with the starlight that Du Qian had transformed into.
The ink stains, transformed into slightly bluish-green specks of light, intertwined and danced with the white specks of light that were transformed from Du Qian's spirit form.
At this moment, the painting that carried his obsession and his liberated soul truly and completely merged together.
The merged starlight swirled and rose in the low sky until it disappeared completely.
"Cut! Perfect!"
Director Li's excited voice rang out, and the set instantly became lively.
The sky was still that same azure sky.
On set, the most important scene in the drama came to a perfect end, and everyone burst into even more enthusiastic cheers and applause.
In the corner, a silent sadness and shock of parting permeated the air.
Zhong Wan's arms remained in the same position as before, but her arms were already empty.
Mr. Du is really gone, taking everything connected to him with him...
He left this place completely and cleanly.
It took away a thousand years of solitude, leaving behind works that have yet to be seen by the world.
Tears streamed down Zhong Wan's face. She should have been used to this scene, but she still couldn't control her tears.
Zhong Wan looked up at the azure sky, forcing a smile.
This is the final destination that Mr. Du chose for himself.
She should be happy, shouldn't she?
But these tears are really disobedient.
Zhong Suisui quietly appeared on Zhong Wan's shoulder, her fluffy little head nuzzling against Zhong Wan's cheek, silently comforting her.
Professor Sun and Professor Li couldn't help but embrace and weep, bidding farewell to their mentor and friend who had been with them for a thousand years.
Director Qin's gaze was solemn as he saluted again with utmost respect.
Pang Wenyao and Su Mu both stood silently with their heads bowed.
A gentle breeze blew by, carrying the freshness and tranquility of the clear sky after the snow, scattering Zhong Wan's tears and the sorrow of everyone else.
He left.
They left quietly and without the slightest hesitation.
He shared his story, but never saw the actual object emerge.
He directed the script currently being filmed, but has yet to see the finished product released.
With trust in everyone, admiration for the new era, and gratitude for all those who had helped him, he calmly and openly retired from public life, his soul returning to the heavens and earth.
Du Qian, courtesy name Zigu.
The gentleman's character is as lofty as the mountains and as enduring as the rivers.
Du Zigu, forever remembered.
[Ding! Detection indicates that the obsession of the task target has been completely and perfectly dispelled.]
[Mission: Unwavering Dedication to Green Hills, Completed.]
[Task rewards are being calculated...]
[Settlement complete, rewards being distributed...]
[Distribution complete. Please check your account promptly.]
[Reminder: The quest "Unwavering Green Hills" has been completed, but the hidden quest "The Place Where Souls Return" is still ongoing.]
[The incomplete hidden quest will not affect the issuance of system quests. Please keep up the good work, host.]
Zhong Wan was taken aback by these words. Looking at the starlight that had just faded in the sky, and then at the film crew in the distance, she couldn't help but ask in her heart, "Mr. Du's obsession has already dissipated, but the hidden mission is still continuing?"
【Yes. 】
"What the heck?"
Zhong Wan was shocked and greatly puzzled: "Didn't he lose his soul? How can the mission of the Soul Returning Place be judged?"
True demise is being forgotten by the world, forgotten by everyone.
Using light and shadow as a boat, and ink and brush as oars, let the name "Du Qian" and his integrity transcend a thousand years and deeply penetrate people's hearts, so that they can find their "final place" in the hearts of later generations.
When "Du Qian" becomes a remembered and celebrated spiritual symbol, he achieves a kind of immortality in the galaxy of civilization.
[Unrelated to the soul or physical body, unrelated to obsession.]
The cold system notification echoed in Zhong Wan's mind, but it was like a ray of light that instantly dispelled the gloom in her heart.
The soul may scatter, and obsessions may fade, but the spirit can endure forever.
Zhong Wan suddenly felt enlightened.
Yes, Mr. Du is gone, but what he left behind remains.
The academic value of "Folk Customs Records" has been discovered by Professor Sun and other experts and scholars. It is being compiled and will soon be published, which will also be an important research material for the historical community.
"Folk Customs Records: The Great Tang Dynasty Chronicles," a work that embodies Mr. Du's integrity and spirit, is currently being filmed and will be adapted for the screen in the future, to be seen by millions of viewers.
Although he is gone, his perseverance, his authenticity, and his integrity in defying authority and caring for the people's livelihood will be known and remembered by future generations through these mediums.
He didn't completely disappear; he just changed his approach and went home.
We have returned to the vast and long river of Chinese civilization.
Having figured this out, Zhong Wan felt instantly much lighter.
She raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her face, and her eyes regained their firmness.
She turned to look at the crowd still immersed in grief and said in a clear and strong voice, "Director Qin, Professor Sun, Professor Li, everyone, there's no need to be so sad."
Seeing the puzzled looks on everyone's faces, Zhong Wan smiled slowly.
"Mr. Du has left, but he's still here, you see,"
She raised her hand and pointed to the theater, to the tall building: "His soul, his bones, his perseverance, have all remained here."
"It remains in the manuscripts that Professor Sun and you compiled, in the stories written by Lin Yan'an, and in the lens of Director Li."
"His story remains in the hearts of everyone who has heard it."
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