Chapter 10 At least, until that day comes, Lan will be here.
Shanling thanked the woman and was about to leave when she called him back.
"I am a newcomer here and unfamiliar with the place. May I ask you to lead the way, sir?"
The woman said this with a gentle smile, instantly winning people's favor.
The same applies to mountain spirits.
However, he did not immediately agree to the other party's request.
Although he had always lived here, he only ever stayed in the mountains. He was not very familiar with the villages at the foot of the mountain.
Therefore, there is nothing we can do to help.
Unexpectedly, when the woman heard the reason, she was not disappointed at all, but instead seemed quite happy.
"I am also alone and am worried about not finding a companion to travel with. I wonder if you would do me the honor of accompanying me?"
Shanling never expected the other party to say that.
The woman was poised and generous, and her words were so sincere that it was impossible to refuse her.
In addition, he really had nowhere else to go, so he nodded in agreement.
The woman's smile grew even more captivating; she truly had a beautiful face that even a young man accustomed to seeing such beauty as Xiao Na would find hard not to be amazed by.
That day, they visited the festival together.
It was our first time meeting, but it felt like we were old friends reuniting.
Perhaps it was because the long wait was about to come to an end, but Shan Ling felt an unprecedented sense of relaxation and comfort.
He even said a few more words, which was unusual for him.
The mountain spirit asked the woman why she had come here, and the woman said she was looking for someone.
Who is it?
“An old friend.”
The woman's answer was simple, and the mountain spirit couldn't help but repeat it aloud.
"Old friend?"
"Um."
The woman nodded, her dark eyes staring straight at him, almost making Shanling mistakenly believe that he was the old friend she was talking about.
But how could that be?
They were clearly seeing it for the first time... He had never been down the mountain before.
"After so long, I'm afraid he doesn't even remember me anymore," the woman said again, her face expressionless, but her tone revealing a hint of unspeakable sadness.
"But even I can't really remember it very clearly."
The woman spoke as if to herself.
She doesn't seem like a sentimental person, so the reason she talks so much is probably because the person she's looking for is really important.
The mountain spirit thought so.
"Perhaps he never came at all, perhaps he's already gone... Do you think he'll blame me for being too late, young master?"
The sudden question froze the mountain spirit in place.
He could neither say yes nor no.
Ultimately—
"I am not that old friend of yours, so how would I know what he is thinking? It would be best if you asked him yourself when we meet again."
Shanling felt that what she said was almost the same as not saying anything at all.
Upon hearing this, the woman stared at him for a long time before lowering her eyes and chuckling softly, "Yes, what you say is very true, young master. It's better to ask some questions in person."
"..."
In this situation, even the mountain spirit didn't know what to say.
Ultimately, it's none of his business, and it's not something an outsider like him can arbitrarily comment on.
He quietly stepped aside, intending to wait for the woman to pull herself out of her memories. Unexpectedly, his wrist was suddenly grabbed.
The mountain spirit looked at the other party in confusion.
"Whether I ask or not, I'll have to wait until the day comes. Now that you've promised to stay with me, how can I waste my time being sentimental and fail to appreciate your kindness?"
The woman kept referring to herself as a "little girl," yet she showed no trace of shyness or coyness.
Especially the hand that was holding Shanling's hand, the fingers of which radiated a distinct warmth.
For no apparent reason, the mountain spirit was reminded of a certain sticky boy.
Lost in thought, he momentarily forgot to consider the slightly overly intimate gesture, letting the woman lead him through the passing pedestrians and vendors.
That day, the two of them went on a trip together. They walked for a long time and saw many things.
"There wasn't any particularly enthusiastic conversation during that time; most of the time, they just walked quietly beside each other, as if it had never been like this before..."
At this point, Lan paused slightly, her gaze softening as she looked at the child opposite her.
“That’s enough,” he said. “You should rest.”
Upon hearing this, the child, who had been drowsy, immediately straightened his back.
"No...wasn't it not finished yet?"
The child rubbed his eyes and asked in a low voice, clearly trying to stay awake.
“But you look very tired,” Lan pointed out.
"But I really want to know what happened next."
The child murmured, "Did that mountain spirit just vanish like that? Who was that woman...? Who was she looking for? Did she find the person she was looking for? And that child... that boy... who exactly are they...?"
He spoke softer and slower as he spoke.
Finally, unable to resist the overwhelming drowsiness, I swayed and turned my head to the side, and fell asleep.
Lan didn't let the child sleep directly on the ground, but gently and skillfully stretched out her arms to embrace the small body.
Lan gazed at the sleeping child's face for a long time.
Even after an unimaginably long period of time and many changes, he recognized the other person immediately.
Frail children trapped in Nancun Village...
A gentle young man raised in the immortal sects...
Or perhaps, it was a boy born from an incubation chamber...
Lan met him countless times in her dreams, observing everything related to him through the eyes of others.
His joys and sorrows...
His love-hate entanglements...
From birth to death, the cycle repeats itself again and again, a series of tragedies... I thought I could only stand by and watch as an outsider for the rest of my life.
But at a certain moment, he unexpectedly received a plea for help from the other party, or rather, a prayer.
The dying child prayed to the gods, vowing to take revenge at any cost.
—Do gods really exist?
Since I haven't seen Lan, I can't say for sure.
But this desire was so strong and urgent.
For the first time in a long time, a faint crack appeared in the barrier that had stood between them.
Lan responded naturally.
Then came the second time, the third time...
With each wish fulfilled, Lan felt she was getting a little closer to the other person.
As before, Lan could only make some observations through certain specific people.
But gradually, he found himself able to influence people’s thoughts and, in turn, manipulate their words and actions.
Such interventions are not always effective.
Many factors influence the outcome, but the most important is the compatibility with the target audience.
Of all the people Lan was most satisfied with, Lan Yunzhi was undoubtedly the one who pleased her the most.
Beyond the most basic compatibility, there's also the fact that, as a medium of communication, Lan Yunzhi is undoubtedly the one that person likes and trusts the most in all the previous years.
Because of this affection and trust, the child accepted the guidance very well.
Only then did Lan have the opportunity to truly meet the other person in their true form in her dream.
The waiting time was always long, but Lan didn't care.
He only hoped that every time the other person woke up in their dream, the first thing they would see was him.
Lan thought that perhaps one day she would finally end this wait.
Perhaps it will be the day when the barrier is completely broken.
Or perhaps it will be the day I disappear.
At least, until that day comes, Lan will stay here.
In this dwelling left behind by the other party, they guard their own eternal love.
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