Chapter 083: Blue Moonlight (12)
Chen Wenjian's brain was working rapidly, and he cross-checked several clues almost instantly and found a point of overlap... no, a line.
The library was built by Luo Qifang a thousand years ago. He personally planned all the furnishings and arrangements, including the lanterns hanging on the bookshelves. He also designed the patterns and made them with several special materials using secret methods. They have never been replaced.
Then the star map on the lantern that is invisible to the human eye must have been created by him.
It just so happens that what Chen Yunli sensed related to his ex-lover pointed to these two things, indicating that there was an unknown calculation hidden therein.
"Many myths and legends share a common theme," Chen Wenjian said solemnly. "When a cultivator who has reached the pinnacle of spiritual mastery wishes to accomplish something earth-shattering, but cannot accomplish it alone, they resort to grandiose methods to set up formations, leveraging the power of heaven and earth to achieve their goal. The stars in the heavens are one of the most common formation bases."
Chen Yunli agreed: "The fairy tales I read have the same plot."
Chen Wenjian pondered for a moment, then picked up the book he felt most strongly about, "A Complete Explanation of Astrology," and began reading from the beginning. This time, he read it very carefully, including the author's annotations in the margins. He didn't stop turning the pages until he was halfway through the book.
At that time, Chen Yunli had taken advantage of this time to look through all the lanterns on the three floors, confirming that they also contained the special star distribution map calculated by Bai Yuan. When he returned to Chen Wenjian, he just caught up with his discovery.
"Those twenty-four stars didn't exist since ancient times. Before Bai Yuan, many astrologers had discovered a few of them, but they didn't make the comprehensive observations and conclusions he did."
Chen Wenjian took a deep breath. "You see, the first special star was discovered 1,100 years ago. It was the Waking of Insects, and it rained heavily that night, not a good day for stargazing. But a sorcerer, standing under a porch admiring the rain, stumbled upon a bright, twinkling star in the eastern sky. It shone brilliantly against the veil of rain, then vanished when the rain stopped. He searched through all the star maps of the time but couldn't find any record of this star. The following year, during the Waking of Insects, he went back to look, but because it hadn't rained that night, the star hadn't appeared either."
Chen Yunli found the description familiar and quickly flipped through "The Invisible Star". Sure enough, he saw a similar description under a special star called "Ji Yu".
Jiyu is located in the east. It appears when Jingzhe comes out. It cannot be seen without rain. Its star is as bright as a cold blade, breaking rain and piercing clouds, hence the name.
"One thousand and one hundred years ago..." Chen Yunli murmured, "That's a hundred years after Luo Qifang lived. He must have been gone by then, right? I remember the academy biography said he died one thousand one hundred and twenty years ago."
"Indeed, but what is certain is that these special stars only appeared to the world after his death." Chen Wenjian paused and lowered his voice. "Do you still remember what our Grandmaster gave Sui Changsheng in exchange for twenty-five years of his life?"
Chen Yunli was stunned: "Time... Honglu?"
Chen Wenjian nodded. "The Furnace of Time, the Honglu Sect's Dao-building method, is said to be able to bring the dead back to life. This method has long since disappeared from the world, but since our master has obtained it, it's impossible not to use it. Considering your perception, the lanterns in the library, and the timing of the special star's appearance... do you think this is a coincidence?"
"……Won't."
Chen Yunli curled up his wings, and in a trance he seemed to have realized something, vaguely guessing the reason for the special settings in his life.
"If... I mean if, these twenty-four stars were born from the method of the Furnace of Time, and Master borrowed the power of heaven and earth to nurture them, he would definitely leave a vessel on earth to absorb and store this power. From the preface, it is not difficult to infer that the library is this vessel."
Chen Wenjian's finger, tapping on the page, suddenly trembled slightly. "Then... could it be that his soul has also been dormant here, along with that secret technique, waiting for its moment to be activated?"
Chen Yunli looked up at him.
Chen Wenjian seemed a little confused, with a sense of unreality that the thing he had been thinking about might be right within reach, as well as some inexplicable nervousness.
He worried that he was too late, that Chen Yunli might have returned to the human world with the birth of those stars, lived out his life, and reentered the cycle of reincarnation, making it difficult to find him. He also worried that he might have come too early, that the timing was not right, and that he would never be able to wait for Chen Yunli to wake up in his entire life.
After all, the era of the road to immortality being cut off and the decline of the way of heaven has been here for hundreds of years and will continue for a long time. Even Luo Qifang cannot predict when the so-called opportunity will appear.
Chen Yunli lifted his wings and patted him comfortingly: "Don't think too much. It's a pleasant surprise to have made so many discoveries. Look at it in a positive light. Maybe the opportunity your master has been waiting for is now."
Hearing his voice, Chen Wenjian suddenly came back to his senses, turned his eyes to look at him, and his slightly distracted eyes gradually focused.
He suddenly remembered something, raised his hand that was resting on the book and hooked Chen Yunli's tentacles.
"What are you doing? Don't touch me!" Chen Yunli dodged backwards and fanned him with his wings.
Chen Wenjian smiled faintly. "The bamboo slips that marked your birth are old finds from the library. They had been gathering dust in the warehouse on the first floor below. A while ago, a few gentlemen were sorting out the warehouse and took out some unimportant items. They gave them as rewards to the most outstanding students in the academy. I was the first among them, so I could choose what I wanted. I saw that the content on the bamboo slips might be related to Yun Li, so I chose it."
Hearing this, Chen Yunli stumbled and flew up unsteadily: "What do you want to say?"
"Nothing, I just suddenly remembered it and said it casually." Chen Wenjian brought him back. "Now we have cracked the master's plan to resurrect Yun Li, but I don't know where he placed Yun Li's soul. I guess it's most likely on the top floor, which only teachers can enter. So my next plan is to pass the academic examination in four years, become a teacher, and go to the twelfth floor to check it out myself. Then, I'll have to trouble you to help me sense it."
"Hahaha, it's a small matter. This was originally my goal." Chen Yunli laughed dryly. Although he knew that the vest might have been almost exposed, he was still relieved that Chen Wenjian did not expose it directly.
It’s not that he really doesn’t want his previous life’s identity, but it’s mainly because he doesn’t have the corresponding experience and memories, so there’s no point in recognizing it.
"System." Chen Yunli couldn't help but think in his heart, "Aren't you going to give me the memories of your 'previous life'?"
The system said succinctly: "It's not time yet."
Chen Yunli was speechless. Well, another one to wait for the opportunity.
While he was complaining in his heart, Chen Wenjian had already put the calligraphy and paintings on the table back to their original places. It was almost dusk and time to light the lamps.
He went downstairs with his clothes in hand. Chen Yunli squatted on his shoulder, inexplicably wanting to ask him something.
"Hey, why do you care so much about...him? I mean Yun...Li."
"I don't know. I happened to hear his name mentioned, and I was involuntarily drawn to him. Since then, I have been tirelessly searching for his traces in the fragmented history books."
Chen Wenjian walked down the stairs slowly, his footsteps steady and rhythmic.
He walked into the rain, and for some reason he looked back with an umbrella. The lights in the library were bright in the rain, like stars fallen to the earth, so bright and dazzling that it made people understand Bai Yuan's description of "hitting the rain" for no reason.
Chen Wenjian continued his previous words, "I think it was because in a past life I was fortunate enough to meet him in this world, to illuminate his brilliant life, or perhaps to receive his care, that I miss him so deeply and cannot forget him."
Chen Yunli asked again: "If you could meet in this life, what would you do?"
"I've thought about this question before, but unfortunately I haven't been able to come up with an answer." Chen Wenjian smiled, his fingertips stroking his beautiful, thin wings, his low tone sounding particularly gentle, "But time will eventually have its consequences. If you want to know, why not wait with me for the future."
Chen Yunli also laughed: "Okay."
…
Su Lanshan's injury was almost healed. On the day of the last acupuncture treatment, Zhu Fang came to Chen Wenjian's home to visit him, brought him a bag of peaches, and had a very pleasant chat with him.
A few days later, Zhu Fang took Su Lanshan away, and the rainy season came to an end. Then came the busy yet uneventful days. Time flowed like water, neither hurried nor slow, and never looked back.
Winter came in the blink of an eye. When Chen Yunli woke up, the outside was covered with snow. The sky and the earth were white, and the cold was biting.
It was a day off today, and probably because it was too cold, Chen Wenjian rarely stayed in the warm bed for a while. His long, black, oily hair was spread all over the bed like scattered algae. Chen Yunli had to work very hard to get out from his thick hair.
"Wow... What fresh air... Oh, Frozen Corner, Frozen Corner!"
Chen Yunli was frozen as soon as he got out of bed. His antennae were so stiff that he couldn't move them, and his wings were showing signs of frost.
Chen Wenjian lazily opened his eyes, looked at him and smiled: "Jian Ling is also afraid of the cold?"
"I'm also a human being, so is it strange that I'm afraid of the cold?"
Chen Yunli curled up under his ear, where her skin was against his and her hair was shielding her, making it warmest.
Chen Wenjian laughed and lifted the quilt. "The academy's dining hall is closed on holidays. What do you want to eat for lunch? I'll go to town and buy some ingredients to make it."
"Don't bother going through so much trouble in such a cold day. How about you take me to Muyu Town for a meal? That would be a good opportunity for me to see what the world is like nowadays." Chen Yunli suggested.
"It's freezing outside, water freezes instantly. You shouldn't bother going out. I'm afraid you'll be frozen into an ice sculpture as soon as you step outside." Chen Wenjian flicked his antennae with his fingers. "Be good and stay home. I'll be back soon. By the way, if the bookstore has any new storybooks, I'll buy them for you."
"Okay." Chen Yunli was indeed afraid of the cold, so he nodded, "When the weather gets warmer, you must take me there to see it."
Chen Wenjian smiled but didn't answer. Chen Yunli took it as his agreement and didn't say anything more.
A moment later, Chen Wenjian changed into thick clothes and set out through the snow. Before leaving, he poured the flower dew Su Lanshan had sent him into a kettle and began to boil it. The steam pushed the lid of the kettle open, and a gurgling sound filled the room with the refreshing fragrance of plum blossoms.
This was the thank-you gift he promised to Chen Yunli.
Behind the academy stood a plum blossom grove, displaying red, white, and black plums of every kind. But the best blooms were in the deserted courtyard of the academy, and whenever the flowers bloomed, the teachers would come to the academy to beg for them, practically breaking down the threshold.
This dew was collected by Su Lanshan herself from the blooming plum blossoms. It is divided into morning dew and evening dew. The morning dew has a softer and more moist fragrance, while the evening dew is cooler and clearer. After boiling, the fragrance lingers for a long time and is much better than the incense sold on the market.
The water stove was placed under the window. Chen Yunli squatted on the windowsill to keep warm while waiting for Chen Wenjian.
Outside the window is a yard, neither big nor small, with bamboos and flowers planted. When heavy snow comes, all the flowers are covered by snow. There are only two lines of footprints on the snow, extending out of the door, circling the side of the cold spring, and then disappearing.
Soon, fluffy snowflakes began to fall, swirling in the wind. Watching them for too long made one feel dizzy. Dust clouds drifted gently away from the tentacles, and suddenly, looking closely, the snow had melted away. Footprints on the ground had become dense, newly sprouted green grass. The winter snow had given way to spring rain, and on the night of the Waking of Insects, the rain poured down, and the sky became a sea of rolling black waves.
"Don't stay by the window, or you might be blown away by the wind."
Chen Wenjian's voice came from behind. Chen Yunli was inexplicably startled and woke up from his trance. A sense of absurdity suddenly arose in his heart - what year is it tonight?
The next second he realized that today was the third year he and Chen Wenjian had spent together.
Time flies so fast...
Chen Yunli thought in a daze and dully.
Seeing that he didn't move for a long time, Chen Wenjian reluctantly stepped forward and took him into his palm, pretending to close the window: "You've been in a daze a lot lately. Are you too bored?"
"How can it be often? I just was in a daze for a while." Chen Yunli tried to justify himself. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and was suddenly stunned. "No, no! Don't close the window!"
Chen Wenjian paused mid-stretch, and asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
"Look! Look east!"
Chen Yunli broke free from his grasp and threw himself against the windowsill. Following Chen Yunli's words, he looked out the window and was as stunned as he was.
In the east of the sky, where dark clouds were like waves, a beam of silver light pierced through the clouds like a sharp blade. In the center of the glow was a star as big as a fist, so bright and dazzling that it was impossible to look at it directly.
"It's hitting the rain." Chen Wenjian said softly.
One of the twenty-four special stars in the Baiyuan star map, it only appears on rainy nights during the Waking of Insects, shining like a cold blade, piercing through the rain and clouds.
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