Chapter 81081 Memoirs (Part 4)
Spring passed, autumn arrived, and I'd been wandering in the mortal world for over a year. The war between Xiqi and the Shang Dynasty intensified, with occasional rumours of rebellion or death. My entire memory of "Investiture of the Gods" came from the TV series, and since TV series have been adapted so often, I only have a rough idea of the plot beyond the main plot. I know nothing about the parts that weren't filmed. So, I simply decided that it would be fine if I didn't get involved.
I've traveled to many places this past year, but never stayed for long. I feared complacency, forgetting who I was over time. So I just wandered wherever I went, visiting places I hadn't visited in my previous life—even if they bore no resemblance. But what did it matter? Thinking while I walked wouldn't ruin my brain.
It's just that after so much walking, I gradually become lost. Not physically, but spiritually. The forced influx of memories from past lives, intertwined with the worldly suffering I've witnessed over the past year, weighs heavily on my heart. I think I need a place to let it all settle.
I need to think about it. Maybe when I figure it out, I'll pack my bags and start moving again.
So, I chose a mountain retreat, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the world. Here, amidst lush green mountains and clear streams, it was rarely visited. I found a naturally formed cave on the mountainside, tidied it up, and settled down. Every day, I listened to the wind and watched the rain, gathered wild fruits, and occasionally enjoyed the company of the mountain's charming deer and rabbits, attempting to comprehend nature in its tranquility.
Thinking back to my past life, I died before taking the Gaokao. I wonder if that's lucky. Of course, I dreaded the Gaokao, afraid I wouldn't get into the school I wanted. But if you ask me which school I'd like, I'd definitely say Peking University or Tsinghua University. But the question is, can I get in? If I passed away after getting in, I'd probably be furious—oh, I'm already dead. But think about it, if I hadn't died, what major would I have chosen after getting in?
I was silent. Judging from the current situation, philosophy seemed more likely. To comprehend life, to comprehend nature... I thought it would be more likely to first enter the Dao.
One day, at dawn, the forest was thick with mist. I was standing in front of a cave, combing my messy hair by the stream. My movements were slow and focused. I had been experiencing some hair loss for the past few days, and I was extremely careful every time I combed my hair.
Suddenly, a very light sound of footsteps, different from those of animals walking in the mountains, sounded behind him.
And, a faint lotus fragrance wafted from behind.
My hand combing my hair paused for a moment, but I didn't turn around immediately. I had a premonition.
The footsteps stopped.
I turned around slowly.
He stood a few steps away, still youthful, yet radiating a gentle, lotus-like radiance. The rebelliousness and hostility between his features had been washed away, replaced by a clarity and calmness like the morning after rain. He wore a simple red shirt, standing barefoot on the dew-soaked grass. He looked at me quietly, his eyes filled with inquiry, understanding, and a hint of...an indescribable complexity.
The mountain breeze blew, ruffling the loose hair on his forehead and bringing the fresh lotus air from his body.
It's thicker.
Neither of us spoke first. The only sounds in the woods were the chirping of birds and the gurgling of the brook.
Finally, I was the one who broke the silence. I looked at him with a smile and said in a clear voice, "Third Young Master, how are you?"
His golden eyes flickered slightly at my words, as if slightly surprised by my rather archaic address, but he didn't object. He took two steps forward, his gaze lingering briefly on the comb in my hand before he spoke, "You've found a good place to cultivate yourself." His tone was calm, devoid of emotion.
I'm a little bit uncomfortable with this. His personality is so different from a year ago. Could it be that his edges have been smoothed out?
—Puff
Nezha's edges and corners have been smoothed out.
This is even funnier.
"It's not as good as the blessed land of Qianyuan Mountain, but it gives me peace of mind." I put down the comb, smoothed my hair, and gestured for him to sit on a smooth bluestone by the stream. "But you, why did you suddenly come to my desolate mountains?"
He sat down as instructed, dipping his bare feet into the cool stream, stirring up tiny ripples. "I just escorted Huang Feihu and the others across Jinji Ridge." He spoke succinctly, as if describing a trivial matter. Yet, a faint hint of sharpness crossed his brow, even though it was enveloped by the tranquility and gentleness of the lotus body. "On the way back, I sensed... a special aura here."
I:……
A special scent?
I subconsciously lowered my head and smelled my clothes. Apart from the freshness and moisture of the mountain grass, there was nothing else. So I looked up at him with some genuine confusion: "There is no fishy smell." After all, I am a carp spirit, and I still care about the fishy smell.
Nezha: “…”
A hint of silence finally appeared on his calm, clear face. Though it was extremely subtle, it finally made him look more human than the otherworldly clarity he had just possessed. His golden pupils shifted slightly, glancing at me. His tone remained calm, yet it seemed to carry a subtle hint of helplessness: "Extraordinary, worldly smell."
Even more difficult to understand.
Seeing him give up on explaining, I relaxed, even feeling a bit mischievous. My eyes fell on his hands, which were clearly bony and now even more radiant. "If it were the Third Young Master before," I pointed to my head, my tone tinged with feigned grievance, "if he had noticed my stubbornness, he would have hit me a long time ago."
I remember that before he transformed, he would often knock on my head. Maybe that's how my brain was damaged.
After he finished speaking, I clearly saw the fingers on his knees curl slightly, almost imperceptibly. Those golden eyes turned to me again, and the calmness within them rippled slightly.
I'm not sure if he likes me bringing up the past.
I'm not a talkative person, so once I run out of topics to talk about, I'll be in an awkward situation. And the topics between him and me, apart from the brief memories of the past, are also gone.
Nezha's mouth twitched ever so slightly, as if in frustration. Ultimately, he neither refuted nor conceded, merely returning his gaze to the gurgling stream. After a pause, he murmured, "Back then... I didn't know the seriousness of the situation."
I:! ! ! !
Coming out of his mouth, I almost suspected he was some demon disguised as Nezha. I almost doubted my own ears. The once unruly Third Prince, who had once wreaked havoc on the sea and slain dragons, could actually utter something resembling self-reflection.
"It seems that after dying once, he has indeed grown a lot." I sighed. This was said bluntly, even a little offensive, but I knew that with someone like him, beating around the bush would make it seem awkward.
He did not get angry, but just said "hmm" lightly, accepting the evaluation.
Silence fell between us once again, but this time, the atmosphere was much more relaxed. A mountain breeze blew, bringing with it the rustling of bamboo leaves and a richer fragrance of lotus. He sat there quietly, as if blending into the mountain scenery, yet clearly present, carrying with him his unique past and rebirth.
"Although the spiritual energy here is not the strongest, it is pure and peaceful, which is beneficial to your cultivation." He suddenly said.
I nodded: "I understand. It's good here for now." At least it's away from the war.
The Conferred Gods War, with each one displaying their magical powers, is more than a mere carp spirit like me can withstand. Therefore, it's more cost-effective to settle down in a corner and wait until the war is over before anything else.
He stood up, this time truly leaving. The red dress still stood out against the emerald green of the forest, but it no longer carried the scorching, aggressive feel of the past. Instead, it resembled a quiet red leaf, fallen beside a clear spring.
He said concisely, "If you need anything, you can come to Xiqi... Forget it, I'm leaving." He changed the subject halfway through his words.
I couldn't help laughing in my heart, but I still looked at him and said:
"Take care, Third Young Master. I wish you good luck in your military career!"
He paused slightly, without turning back, simply raising his hand and casually waving goodbye. The next moment, his figure transformed into a breeze, blending into the forest mist, leaving no trace.
I was the only one left by the stream, and the delicate, elegant fragrance of lotus flowers lingered in the air. I glanced down at the wooden comb in my hand, then recalled his subtle, almost imperceptible change in expression and his final words, which sounded almost like a warning, and I couldn't help but laugh again.
…
That meeting with the Third Young Master did not leave too deep a ripple in my heart.
I continued my mountain life, listening to the wind, watching the rain, picking fruit and herbs. Occasionally, I would gaze at the mountain beast from afar, or share things we had no use for. The days were so peaceful that one could almost forget the war outside.
I even began to try to process the memories and experiences that weighed heavily on my soul as lessons. The mingling of a past life's exam-oriented education and this life's worldly sufferings unexpectedly gave me a new appreciation for the withering and flourishing vegetation, the gathering and dispersing clouds of this mountain forest. Spiritual energy slowly flowed through my body. While there wasn't much improvement, it was becoming increasingly harmonious. Even my nagging hair loss seemed to have slowed down a bit.
However, the peaceful days are short-lived.
One day, while gathering herbs in the forest, I suddenly heard panicked voices and a painful groan in the distance. Following the sound, I saw a young woodcutter in a coarse cloth trousers lying on the ground. His calf had been lacerated by his own dropped hatchet, a gash deep enough to reveal the bone. Blood gushed out, staining the fallen leaves beneath him red. His face was pale, and he was nearly fainting from the pain.
I stood there, hesitating for a moment. If I were still in the human world, I would have gone over. But now, I'm contemplating nature, and if I rashly interfered with mortal matters, I feared the consequences of karma. But looking at his young, pained face, and remembering the countless deaths I'd witnessed along the way, I couldn't harden my heart.
Sighing, I stepped forward. The woodcutter's eyes flashed with fear upon seeing me, then turned to pleading. I motioned him to stay put, crouched down, and cleaned his wound with clear dew. I then found a few hemostatic herbs I'd already identified, chewed them, and carefully applied them to the wound. Finally, I tore off a relatively clean piece of my own clothing and bandaged it.
Throughout the entire process, he was sweating profusely from the pain, but he gritted his teeth and remained silent. After all this, I passed a faint trace of spiritual energy to him, not to heal him, but simply to stabilize his life force and keep him alive.
"Can you walk?" I asked him.
He tried to move and nodded reluctantly.
"Follow this stream down, and you should be out of the mountain in less than ten miles. When you go back, find a proper witch doctor to see you." I pointed in the direction with a calm tone.
I have never seen anyone coming to the mountains to chop firewood before, but I met one today.
He thanked the master profusely, struggled to get up, and limped away, leaning on the branches he had picked up.
I originally thought it was just a minor incident, but I never expected that since then, this once sparsely populated forest has gradually become less peaceful.
First, the woodcutter and his family came, carrying simple gifts of thanks, and knelt outside my cave, calling me "Mountain Goddess." I avoided them, so they put down their gifts and left, muttering something.
Then, somehow, the news spread. Every village outside the mountain knew that within the deep forests lived a kindhearted "Mountain Goddess" who could heal injuries. So, hunters bitten by snakes and insects, herbal farmers injured by falls while collecting herbs, and even villagers with intractable ailments, all ventured into the mountains in the glimmer of hope to find me.
I couldn't stand by and watch them die, and each time I couldn't bring myself to turn them away. As more and more people came to help, a path gradually formed in front of my once tranquil cave. Offerings of fruits, coarse cakes, and even small handmade items often appeared at the cave entrance.
The mountain lion was very dissatisfied with this and growled in my ear several times, thinking that the breath of these mortals polluted the forest and disturbed its tranquility.
I am speechless.
I know that I have to say goodbye to this forest.
I had chosen this place to calm my thoughts and escape conflict. But now, with karma and reputation spread, this place is no longer a pure place. Staying here would only attract more attention, and might even bring the trouble of war here, implicating this forest and the creatures that depend on it, including the tigers.
On a misty morning, I cleaned the cave and took what I could take with me as dry food from the villagers, and stowed away the rest. I took one last look at this place, where I had lived for a short time but had found a brief moment of peace, and then I packed up my light bag.
I don't know when the tiger appeared on a large rock not far away, and its amber eyes looked at me quietly.
"I'm leaving," I said to it. "This place is no longer suitable for me. From now on, no one will bother you anymore."
It growled softly, and it was hard to tell whether it was a farewell or dissatisfaction. Then it turned around, and its agile figure rose and fell a few times before disappearing into the dense forest, leaving no trace.
I took a deep breath of the familiar mountain air, which was filled with the scent of grass, trees, and moist soil. I turned around and walked firmly in the opposite direction of the trampled path, once again entering the vast and unknown road ahead.
Beyond the mountains, the world remained awash with war and the whirlwind of gods and demons. Leaving the forest behind, the familiar clamor and tension washed over me. There were more refugees, their faces etched with confusion and numbness. Occasionally, I could see groups of soldiers hurried by, their armor dusty and their faces weathered.
I had no clear purpose; I subconsciously headed west. Perhaps it was because Nezha was currently at the Xiqi camp, so I wanted to try my luck. Or perhaps I simply wanted to see for myself what the so-called "following the will of Heaven and man" trend actually looked like.
The closer we got to the borders of Xiqi, the more different the atmosphere became. While the shadow of war was still palpable, there was a noticeable sense of order. Farmland was cultivated, and markets, while not bustling, were orderly. While the faces of the people wore expressions of worry, they lacked the despair so common in the Shang Dynasty. A faint, uplifting vitality permeated the air.
I didn't head directly to the main military camp; that wasn't my place. I settled temporarily near a small village outside Xiqi City. Using my limited medical skills and ability to identify herbs, I treated the villagers' minor injuries and ailments in exchange for a meager meal and lodging. From their mouths, I heard more about the benevolent policies of the Zhou Dynasty and the various reports from the front lines: victories were common, but casualties were inevitable.
One day, I was applying medicine to an elderly woman who had sprained her ankle at the village entrance when I suddenly felt a familiar, refreshing lotus fragrance wafting from behind me. It was faint, but it was undeniable. My hands didn't stop moving, but my heart was moved.
After applying the medicine and straightening up, I saw the familiar red figure standing on the slope not far away, talking to a soldier in Xiqi's uniform. He was still dressed in the same simple red garb, his aura pure and serene. He seemed somewhat out of place in the dusty countryside, yet strangely blended in, as if his presence alone could freeze the local situation.
He seemed to notice my gaze and looked up. His golden pupils were still clear. When he saw me, he paused for a moment, then spoke briefly to the soldier, who saluted respectfully and quickly left.
He walked towards me, his steps silent, but with an invisible aura that made the busy villagers around him unconsciously slow down their steps and secretly look at him with awe.
"You're here." He stopped in front of me, his tone calm, as if he knew I would come.
"Well, I can't stay in the mountains anymore, so I came out for a walk." I patted the herbal crumbs on my hands. He seemed to have become a little calmer than the last time we met, but there was also a hint of sharpness that seemed to have been honed by metal. "Third Young Master looks... busy with official duties?"
"Just some trivial matters." His eyes swept over my hands that had just applied medicine to the old woman, and then fell on my face. "Are you practicing medicine here?"
"It's not really a medical practice, just a way to make a living and... take a look." I shrugged and smiled. "It's definitely better here than in the Shang Dynasty."
He hummed an "hmm" in agreement. A brief silence fell between us. He didn't seem to be good at small talk. And neither did I.
"Do you want to... go take a look at the camp?" he suddenly asked, his eyes casting towards the rows of tents vaguely visible in the distance. "Although it's not very nice, it's safer than here." He added, his tone still flat, but revealing a subtle concern.
I was a little surprised; I hadn't expected him to take the initiative to invite me. After a moment's hesitation, I shook my head. "Thank you for your kindness, Third Young Master. It's a strategically located military camp, so it's inconvenient for me to go there. It would be nice to just take a look at the local customs and people here."
He didn't seem surprised by my refusal, nor did he insist. He just said, "Whatever you say." He paused, as if remembering something, and took out a small package wrapped in a clean lotus leaf from his bosom and handed it to me. "This is the jerky we distributed in the army. It tastes pretty good."
I was stunned, looking at the thing he handed me, then at his calm face. Is this... considered feeding? From Nezha the Third Prince? This scene was a bit weird no matter how I thought about it.
Seeing that I was stunned and didn't take it, he frowned slightly and stuffed the small bag directly into my hand: "Take it. Although this place is safe, it is not completely worry-free. Be careful."
My fingertips touched the lotus leaf bag, which still carried the faint lotus fragrance and a hint of his body temperature. I tightened my grip and whispered, "...Thank you."
He nodded, turned around and left without saying anything more. The red figure quickly disappeared at the end of the village path, as if he was just passing by and gave some snacks to an old acquaintance.
I stood there, clutching the still-warm bag of jerky, watching him disappear in the direction he disappeared. I felt an inexplicable strangeness in my heart. This Third Young Master seemed... more and more humane, though his expression was still awkward.
I opened the lotus leaf package and found several strips of perfectly roasted meat inside. The aroma was fragrant. I picked up one and took a bite. It tasted really good.
The Xiqi sun shone warmly on me. As I chewed my dried meat, I looked out at the land struggling to survive amidst the war. The emptiness I'd felt since leaving the mountains seemed to be alleviated by this unexpected episode.
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