Wonderful Painting of the Mountains and Seas 15
‘Azure Dragon, look at your heart that is supposed to be clear and empty of desires. How can you ask a person to devote his heart to you?’
Xie Xi thought it was funny and there was a look of astonishment on his face. Azure Dragon still cared about the face of a sage and he said, “I’m joking, don’t take it seriously.”
It was rare to see Jiang Xie like this so Xie Xi unexpectedly played along, “It was originally a joke?”
Azure Dragon’s eyes shot towards him.
Xie Xi lowered his eyes and stuttered, “I… I thought…”
Azure Dragon hastily asked him, “Are you serious?”
Xie Xi looked down and suppressed his smile while pretending to be embarrassed, “No, no.”
He was actually speaking seriously. Azure Dragon’s heart trembled and he didn’t know what to say for a while.
Xie Xi suggested, “I am just a rose. Who would think that Lord Azure Dragon saved me? This life is what you gave me. Shall I be your servant in the future?”
Azure Dragon’s breathing stopped.
Intellectually, Azure Dragon knew this wasn’t possible. His cultivation was one of no desires and he couldn’t be tempted. The little rose’s few words were enough to make his heart unstable. In the long-term, the consequences would be unthinkable.
He replied, “I don’t lack personal servants…”
Xie Xi was disappointed. “I see.”
“Still, you can stay in Azure Dragon Palace.” Azure Dragon looked away after saying this. Intellectually, he understood the reasons but his mouth and feelings ran away from him.
Xie Xi’s eyes curved. “If I’m not a servant, what reason is there to stay here?”
Azure Dragon replied quietly, “Can’t Azure Dragon Palace have a little flower?”
Oh, it didn’t have a little flower as a fixture.
Azure Dragon added, “Stay here and be at ease.”
Xie Xi quipped, “Will you prepare a vase for me?” “Be more conscious of yourself.”
Azure Dragon smiled. “You can do whatever you want.”
Xie Xi wondered, “Hrmm?”
“You can think of Azure Dragon Palace as your vase.”
The conversation between them sounded strange but once translated, it was filled with an unimaginable sweetness.
The vase was a temporary home for flowers. Xie Xi asked Azure Dragon to find him a home and Azure Dragon told him that he could think of Azure Dragon Palace as his home and do whatever he wanted.
That’s how Xie Xi stayed.
He should’ve entered the painting and saw the meeting between the white rose and Azure Dragon.
Xie Xi didn’t find a way to leave the painting for the time being because he felt there was probably a clue in the past.
Azure Dragon was busy every day since Azure Dragon Palace was responsible for most government affairs on the Holy Mountain. He worked until very late every day.
Xie Xi stayed by his side and gave him a cup of tea or water. Whenever Azure Dragon was busy, Xie Xi found a corner to stay in and flipped through a book.
Azure Dragon told him, “Don’t follow me, you can do whatever you want.” He was afraid the small rose would be bored.
Xie Xi told him, “This is what I want to do.”
Azure Dragon’s heart swayed uncontrollably. “Isn’t it boring?”
“What do you mean?” Xie Xi glanced at him. “Following you, I think…” He seemed too embarrassed to continue.
Azure Dragon saw the blush rising on the fair face and his heart thumped. He wanted to ask but he also didn’t…
He still asked, “What do you feel?”
Xie Xi smiled lightly. “I’m very happy and at ease.”
His voice was very soft, soft enough to be talking to himself but Azure Dragon heard it. Azure Dragon knew this wasn’t right, that his cultivation didn’t allow for emotion desires. In addition, Xie Xi forgot many things due to the side effect of the medicine. Once he remembered, he would certainly regret it but…
Azure Dragon whispered, “Me too.”
Xie Xi saw this pure and contradictory Jiang Xie and couldn’t help wanting to tease him. “Really? You aren’t bothered by me?”
“Of course not, I’m afraid that you will think Azure Dragon Palace is rigid and boring.”
Xie Xi replied sincerely, “I like it here. Azure Dragon Palace is very quiet and beautiful, making people feel at ease in their hearts.”
Azure Dragon’s heart warmed.
Xie Xi spoke again, “You must’ve never been to Rose Mountain. We have many roses and every day, new small roses are being born. It is always noisy in the nursery and there is never any quiet time.”
The corners of Azure Dragon’s slips curved. “Then you are staying here to hide?”
Xie Xi replied, “No.”
Azure Dragon glanced at him.
Xie Xi was also watching him and stared into his eyes. “I’m staying at Azure Dragon Palace because Azure Dragon is here.”
Azure Dragon, “…”
After saying this, Xie Xi seemed shy and anxious. “The tea is cold. I’m going to…”
He was about to leave when Azure Dragon grasped his wrist.
Xie Xi nervously pressed tight lips together and Azure Dragon suddenly released his hand.
Xie Xi was startled and stared up at him.
Azure Dragon frowned like he was thinking about something. Xie Xi was about to leave when Azure Dragon held him again and asked in a difficult voice, “What is the life span of the rose family?”
Why was he suddenly asking this?
Xie Xi had some understanding and replied, “The old chief is 200 years old. He is the oldest in the family.”
“200 years…” Azure Dragon’s thin lips curved as he smiled gently. “In fact, I wasn’t joking.”
The topic jump was too big and Xie Xi couldn’t keep up. “Hmm?”
Azure Dragon pulled him closer and hugged him tightly. “Devoting your heart to me, I meant it seriously.”
Xie Xi, “!”
Azure Dragon whispered, “Would you like to stay in the Azure Dragon Palace forever?”
The words were roundabout and Xie Xi deliberately wondered, “Your Excellency, are you finally willing to let me be your personal servant?”
“I want you to be the other owner of this palace.”
Despite knowing that this person liked lewd talk, Xie Xi’s heart couldn’t help trembling. “What?”
Azure Dragon told him, “Little Rose, I’m proposing to you.”
What maze-like proposal was this?! Xie Xi had to pretend to be surprised. “Your Excellency…”
Azure Dragon declared, “Shall I accompany you for the next 200 years?”
The rose family had a lifespan of 200 years so this meant accompanying him for a lifetime. Xie Xi smiled. “Good.”
In any case, he received the betrothal gift in reality and could only say yes here.
Xie Xi became more and more certain that if he wanted to leave this painting, he had to go along with the past. He might not know the real past but as long as the general trend was good, there shouldn’t be any problems.
For example, this proposal must be agreed to.
The moment he spoke, he seemed to drift into the air as he watched two individuals in the painting from the perspective of a god.
Azure Dragon and the little rose were together. They were sweet and the entire Azure Dragon Palace seemed to be filled with pink bubbles.
Xie Xi wondered why he had shifted to such a perspective and figured it out the next moment.
‘He’ fell asleep and Azure Dragon got up, suppressing his cough with extreme restraint. The moment he left the room, he coughed violently and blood flowed out.
Xie Xi’s heart jerked and he thought about what the doctor said before.
Azure Dragon’s cultivation involved no desires and he had to pay attention to unintentional desires. He had obviously broken this.
Xie Xi had thought about this problem when he first entered the painting but the events in the painting had happened a long time ago. Even if he knew anything, he couldn’t change it.
The doctor took Azure Dragon’s pulse and frowned as he warned, “Your Excellency, this is too dangerous!”
Azure Dragon asked, “How long can I last?”
“Up to 300 years.” A sage’s life was infinitely long and 300 years was like the span of a finger.
Azure Dragon smiled. “That’s enough.”
The doctor knew what he was thinking and couldn’t help asking, “Is it worth it?” Was it worth giving up eternal life for a rose flower?
Azure Dragon calmly replied, “It’s worth it.”
Xie Xi returned to the body of the rose flower and saw Azure Dragon’s gentle gaze when he opened his eyes.
Xie Xi wanted to speak but found that he was speechless.
Azure Dragon wondered, “You roses don’t have a name, right?”
Xie Xi nodded.
“I will give you the name of the flower god, so that you are sheltered by the flower god and live a long life.”
Then Xie Xi was fiercely pulled out of the painting.
It took a while for his senses to recover. He found that he had come out of the painting and returned to reality.
There was a chance to the painting in front of him. The painting had a cyan back and the person was walking on a narrow road. In front was a dark and dead silence while behind was a cluster of flowers.
He gave up behind him and chose the way forward.
He walked step by step, blood-stained dragon scales at his feet.
He broke the path of no desires, suffered from the pain of broken bones every day and gave up eternal life, only for this short 300 years.
Azure Dragon knew from the beginning that there was an infinite abyss in front of him but he went forward without hesitation.
In the blank space of the painting, there were two more lines of words. The cyan ink seemed to shine.
[Eternal life is less than a moment of splendor.]
Being together for 300 years, this was his only wish in this lifetime.
No wonder why Azure Dragon asked about the lifespan of a rose. A white rose could only live for 200 years but it was possible to live up to 300 years with the name of the flower god.
Azure Dragon broke his cultivation path and suffered every day just for 300 years. He only wanted the two people to be together forever.
“Lord Xie Xi, are you awake?” The voice of a servant came from outside.
Xie Xi jerked violently and pushed open the door. “Has the sage woken up?”
“He just woke up.”
“I’ll go and see him.”
The two of them went to Azure Dragon’s bedroom. The two rooms were very close and were along the same corridor.
Xie Xi saw a pale green dragon as soon as he entered.
The dragon was awake and glossy indigo eyes flashed when he saw Xie Xi.
Xie Xi was distressed to death and wanted to scold this person! It was clear that the quasi-world’s plot was set by the souls themselves. How did he give himself such a bitter setting! If it wasn’t for all the people around them, Xie Xi really wanted to pull out this master and ask him! Now…
He reached out and grabbed Azure Dragon’s hand. “Your Excellency, do you feel better?”
Azure Dragon stared at him. “The words you said at Vermilion Bird Palace…”
Xie Xi didn’t dare to stimulate him again and hurriedly replied, “It was to save Sage Vermilion Bird. I only have a few connections with him and there are those who are right and wrong.” He spoke the previous words again in a tender manner, out of fear that Azure Dragon would cough up blood again.
Azure Dragon held his hand and whispered, “Don’t lie to me.”
Xie Xi, “…”
He didn’t dare to look directly at these words. In a sense, he wasn’t lying since this was Jiang Xie…
“Of course I won’t lie to you!”
Azure Dragon asked, “Is Vermilion Bird fine now?”
“It already doesn’t matter.”
Azure Dragon opened his mouth. “Then we will go and tell him clearly. This type of misunderstanding needs to be resolved as soon as possible.”
Xie Xi, “!!!”
“You did it to save him but it will hurt him to drag it out. I’ll accompany you to Vermilion Bird Palace and explain it to him.”