Immortal Envoy (I)
The sunlight faded into a vague orange-red line in the western sky. The mudflats lay at the junction of heaven and earth, soaked in water vapor, and breathing slowly.
As far as the eye can see, there are endless reeds and calamus swaying freely in the wind, and the vast green undulates in the sparkling waves.
A warm breeze suddenly blew across his wings, gently lifting each of his fully stretched flight feathers.
My consciousness then rose lightly, and the rustling of the wind in the reeds was no longer heard in my ears, but the sharp whistle of the cold air blowing across my earlobes.
Beneath him, Yunze shrank into a blurry block of color, and the winding waterway flowed like the light-colored blood vessels of the earth.
The clouds seemed to be within reach, and the golden light of the setting sun poured down unhindered on the feathers, giving them a layer of dazzling gold edge.
The boundless sky, at this moment, is the freedom he alone enjoys.
However, the warm wind suddenly stopped and the memories suddenly fell.
The dark blue sky completely covered the surroundings, the stars were sparse, and a cold crescent moon hung in the sky.
Turbid water splashed, and frightened gasps and futile struggles tore through the silence of the night.
A black figure struggled in the mud, waving its hands in despair, grasping at the air that was gradually being swallowed up.
He swooped down eagerly, his hard beak precisely and gently grasping the man's collar, and dragging him back bit by bit, with difficulty...
In the sky, the last ray of moonlight that was not swallowed by the clouds was as cold as frost and fell right on its white feathers.
The light gradually became holy and focused.
A vague figure appeared before his eyes, with star-like light on his fingertips, lightly touching the top of his head.
A hot and surging clarity poured in from the top of his head, violently washing away his ignorance and instincts as a bird.
The bones groaned softly as they reshaped and stretched.
The wings folded and turned into smooth skin. The sky and the earth tilted and changed in the field of vision. Everything became so strange and terrifying.
The dark blue of the eastern sky began to fade first, and a very light fish belly white seeped out, slowly dispersing the night.
He Shu opened his eyes and saw bright pink petals everywhere. It was no longer a reed marsh.
"What's wrong, Xiao Wuming? Are you dreaming about the past again?"
Xuan Tongzi's voice sounded in his ears, with a hint of concern.
He Shu's eyelids trembled slightly. He didn't respond, but continued to close his eyes and silently turned his face to the other side, avoiding the gaze of the people around him.
The rough texture of the recliner poked his cheek, bringing a hint of cold reality, completely pulling him back from the trance of his dream.
"Tsk, every time you dream about the past, you always get angry with me. I really spoil you..."
Although Xuan Tongzi complained like this, there was not much blame in his tone. He shook his head and sighed softly:
"What a miserable life! I ran into such a heartless little thing!"
Seeing that He Shu still ignored him, he sighed, resigned himself to his fate and dragged a low wooden stool over to sit down next to the recliner. He lowered his voice and spoke in a slow tone:
"What happened back then should be blamed on me..."
He drew out his sigh, which was so heavy that it seemed to carry a hundred years of time.
"I enlightened you because I saw your destiny had arrived and your spiritual enlightenment was about to shine. Who could have known... that this would lead to so many disputes and entanglements?"
"All living beings have their own karma. The karma accumulated in previous lives determines the karma in this life; the karma created in this life determines the karma in the next life..."
Xuan Tongzi's voice became hollow.
"Although you were a bird then, you possessed a spirit. Saving lives and accumulating good deeds was your destiny. Unfortunately... you disturbed the predetermined fate of others. You sowed the seeds of karma, and you will eventually suffer the bitter consequences."
"Little Wuming..."
He looked at He Shu, trying to make his tone lighter, and then changed the subject and returned to the old topic, with a bit of persuasion.
"Now that you've weathered all the calamities and tribulations, and have been reborn, you've become a bona fide immortal. Isn't it time to let go of your worldly desires? Don't you really want to return to heaven and enjoy that peaceful bliss?"
Seeing Xuan Tongzi start to talk about these things again, He Shu suddenly sat up, and his movement brought up a breeze, and the strands of hair on the side of his face were blown up.
He stared at the person in front of him, his eyes clear but stubborn:
"I've only lived in your Luzhu Mountain for about twenty years, and I've spent most of that time in seclusion recuperating from my injuries. And now you think I'm an eyesore and are in a hurry to kick me out?"
"Hey, you little brat!"
Xuan Tongzi was so angry that he blew his beard and glared at him, pointing his finger at him vaguely.
"If I truly despised you, I wouldn't have gone to such great lengths to lie for you and cover up your heinous crime of jumping into the abyss!"
He spoke more and more excitedly, and stood up:
"If it weren't for you... I wouldn't bother with these frivolous matters! Tell me, you finally managed to cultivate a true immortal body. Instead of enjoying the good life of an official in Heaven, being a carefree immortal there would be just as good. Why did you choose to stay in this mortal world and waste your time? What's your real reason?"
As he said this, Xuan Tongzi raised his hand in annoyance, as if to slap He Shu on the back of the head, but He Shu dodged by turning his head away.
"Old mandrill..."
He Shu turned around and walked to the peach tree that was in full bloom.
"If you really think Heaven is so wonderful, why don't you go back there yourself? Instead, why do you keep trying to persuade me to enjoy that 'peaceful life'?"
The fingertips subconsciously lifted up and gently stroked the rough tree trunk, touching the dusty past.
He later learned that this tree was the spirit body of Tao Hua's original body. It was nourished by the spiritual energy of the mountains and its flowers bloomed all year round.
In order to protect the weak person, Xuan Tongzi had already set up restrictions on the tree. His crude invisibility technique was just an attempt to cover up his own shortcomings.
It turned out that he had known it all along, that he had always known that he was a cautious "Peeping Tom".
“This old man…this old man…”
Xuan Tongzi seemed to have been hit in a sore spot and was speechless for a moment.
After a while, he finally spoke in a sullen tone, his voice becoming smaller and smaller, as if he was having difficulty speaking. He sighed heavily:
"Back then... ah, I don't know what I did wrong. Maybe it was because it was my first time traveling in the mortal world, and I felt everything was new. Unknowingly... I enlightened more than just you..."
"There are so many causes and effects involved, and the karma is entangled and piled up, like a tangled mess, it's getting bigger and bigger..."
He spread his hands helplessly, and his wide sleeves drooped a little.
"I really want to return to Heaven and enjoy some leisure time, but this body of karma...if I stay in the Ninth Heaven for too long, I'll be chased and struck by thunder! So I can only stay in this mortal world, guarding this Luzhu Mountain. It's not boring at all..."
As he was talking, Xuan Tongzi seemed to have some resentment again. He shook his sleeves and
"In fact, it's all your fault, you two stubborn bastards! Each one more stubborn than the other, neither of you willing to let go... The couple's separation and reunion, the entanglement of love and gratitude, even several reincarnations can't repay..."
"Why bother? The paths of immortals and mortals are so different, as vast as the difference between heaven and earth. You can't force good results. After repaying a favor, this should be the end of it. But..."
His gaze suddenly became distant, with a weariness that came from having seen so much.
"Now that I've finally made it through these past hundred years, the karma between you has finally been resolved, and I, this old man, can finally breathe a sigh of relief."
"But... if I go back to Heaven, I'll be bullied by those old guys, especially old Yuanjun. I don't want to go back and cause myself trouble..."
He paused and continued, his tone abashed.
He Shu listened silently without responding.
He looked up and saw a sea of fiery flowers before him. A thin horizontal branch emerged from the clouds of flowers, and the white feather tied to the end was faintly visible among the pink clouds.
A gust of wind blew by, and thousands of flowers swayed noisily. The soft feathers also swayed gently and fluttered softly.
He suddenly spoke, interrupting Xuan Tongzi's unfinished words:
"Old mandrill..."
His voice was very soft, as if he was whispering to himself.
"The mortal I rescued in the swamp before I became an immortal...was Qingshan's previous life, right?"
"Previous life? That guy's soul—"
Xuan Tongzi's tone suddenly became a little aggressive, but he immediately stopped talking.
He glanced at He Shu with a complicated expression, his lips trembled a few times, and finally he just muttered vaguely:
"How can it be considered... an ordinary past life..."
He Shu finally turned his head and stared at Xuan Tongzi's evasive gaze with a persistent look.
He clearly heard the concealment and unfinished meaning in those words, but at the moment, his mind was filled with another more pressing question and he had no time to delve into other things.
He took a half step forward and asked:
"Since you said that the cause and effect between us have been resolved and our earthly ties have been severed... then will Qingshan... have another life?"
“…Of course there is.”
Xuan Tongzi seemed to be choosing his words, and after a pause he continued:
"Because of unpaid debts from past lives, new grievances have been incurred... ahem. Anyway, don't worry. Qingshan suffered many unfortunate fates, suffering from illness and early death. In this life, he has finally paid off his old debts. With him... with the blessings he has accumulated in past lives, his next life will surely be a stable and smooth one, with great wealth and honor. There's no need to worry."
"A peaceful and smooth life, great wealth and honor..."
He Shu repeated softly, his eyelids slowly lowering, covering up the surging emotions in his eyes.
"That's...good enough."
Seeing him like this, Xuan Tongzi felt a little reluctant. He smacked his lips, twirled his beard, and changed the subject:
"Hey, Xiao Wuming, are you really determined not to return to heaven and stay in my Luzhu Mountain forever, becoming a small guardian immortal?"
"how?"
He Shu calmed down and when he raised his head again, he looked back to normal.
He walked back to the stone table and sat down. He picked up the wine pot on the table and shook it. Inside was the grape green wine brewed by Xuan Tongzi. The liquid gurgled.
"Are you starting to find me an eyesore again?"
"Look at you! You won't listen to any good or bad words, and you will misinterpret what I mean!"
Xuan Tongzi beat his chest and stamped his feet, looking as if he had suffered a great injustice.
"I just suddenly remembered that the Peach Banquet hosted by Yuanmu is approaching, and I want to take you back to Heaven to meet old friends and relax."
"If you really don't want to go, that's fine. I won't force you."
He deliberately glanced at He Shu and continued to speak slowly.
"I'll take Sang Li with me. She just returned from her travels and happened to catch this excitement. Then the two of us will enjoy delicious food and drinks, and the rich and mellow Pan Tao Xian Wine. You, kid, please don't be jealous."
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