Wang Anfeng and the others were all somewhat astonished, staring blankly at the kindly old man before them.
In the legends of Jianghu, that young Taoist who was foolishly devoted to love, actually said he'd forgotten that person's face?
Seeing their expressions, Kong Taoist seemed a bit embarrassed, scratched his white hair, and said,
"It has been sixty years, and I am already over seventy years old. In sixty years, a little child would almost be in the coffin, wouldn't they? Even for Great Qin, letting go of the past, sixty years is enough to see a dynasty's golden age decline, filled with so much love, hate, affection, and grand aspirations all buried under alcohol."
"How could I possibly remember... it was just a young infatuation..."
Qin Fei and Wang Anfeng remained silent, while Qin Xiao's face flushed red, as if swearing an oath, he loudly exclaimed,
"I am in love with someone right now, for ten years, sixty years, until death, I will love her!"
Always quiet, Zhang Tingyun lifted her eyes and tugged at Wang Anfeng's sleeve, speaking softly for the first time.
In an instant, it felt as if a bucket of ice water was dumped over Qin Xiao's head. The young boy's complexion turned deathly pale, his previously inflated courage vanished in the blink of an eye, as if his soul had left his body he collapsed into Qin Fei's arms, eyes vacant, staring straight at the culprit.
Kong Taoist awkwardly touched his mouth and turned the topic away, saying,
"I understand the purpose of your visit this time."
"You're simply seeking a connection to the technique."
"This martial arts..."
The old man looked at Wang Anfeng, then glanced at Qin Fei, and said,
"You two have already received your own legacies, and both are not bad. Being greedy is of no benefit, train well in your own techniques first."
"The other two little ones are not of the age to practice martial arts yet, nor can it be passed on to them."
His voice trailed off, the elderly man's eyes twinkled as he smiled, "Why don't you come and chat with the Taoist..."
Qin Xiao, still furious over the earlier matter, shouted at the mention of this, "You're obviously slacking off, you're trying to welch on the deal!"
But before he could finish, the old man reached out and pulled him over, flopping him across his knees, then gave his bottom a couple of swats. Suffering such an insult in front of his beloved, Qin Xiao was stunned, as if his bones had been extracted, completely devoid of resistance. The old man chuckled, gesturing for Wang Anfeng and the others to sit down.
Clearing his throat, he began to speak,
"This is a story I heard during my time wandering the Jianghu..."
The old man's voice was drawn out, recounting the events of the past, but unlike regular storytellers, this story was interspersed with the young Taoist's thoughts of those days, as well as the current Kong Taoist's loftier reflections on gains and losses, even the martial arts and Taoist principles truly witnessed in those days were unreservedly shared.
It was as if Wang Anfeng and the others accompanied the youth of those years through the stormy events on the Jianghu, the conspiracies and schemes.
Qin Xiao, still a child, didn't remain disheartened for long and soon revived his spirits, unable to resist picking at Kong Taoist's story, only to be effortlessly outmaneuvered and left dejectedly lying across the old man's knees.
Meanwhile, the old man seemed to intentionally provoke the little boy in the story, time and time again infuriating him to the point of flames.
As time passed, they all became completely immersed in the old man's tale, the mundane world outside, even Qiu Ruoshui and the old crone on the street, were forgotten.
Listening to the tumultuous events of Jianghu, which then disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Countless tales of love, hate, and grandeur.
Suddenly, a clear and distant ringing sound resonated, spreading leisurely, shattering all absorption, the past events seemed like a dream, while the present was the reality, a complex and mysterious sensation of both the real and the illusion simultaneously intertwined, appearing in the eyes of several, by their ears suddenly was the voice of an old man with the weight of years, reciting the Huang Ting, each word a truth, as if directly pointing to the heart, all mundane thoughts dissipating, almost feeling like a rebirth.
Wang Anfeng's eyes brimmed with tears, his gaze somewhat vacant as if he had returned to that heavy rain when he was six years old.
He had lost his mother during the rainy days when he was three.
The rain at six seemed even heavier, or perhaps it was just more vividly remembered... his father also left him, leaving behind only those not-so-plentiful books as his company.
The suppressed inner storm seemed to have found some release with the prolonged clear sound, the world before his eyes seemed a bit brighter, the youth looked up and saw the old man before him, garbed in a worn Taoist robe, white hair tied into a Taoist knot with grass, an aura distant and serene, watching him gently.
In that look, it seemed to encompass everything in the world yet also seemed to have let go of everything.
The youth seemed to understand a bit why he was called Kong Taoist.
The old man tapped his fingers lightly on a rice bowl, a crisp tone resonated far and wide, the others suddenly came to their senses, Kong Taoist smiled gently and said,
"The worldly ties are concluded, my young friends, please return."
Wang Anfeng stood up, was about to pay his respects, but his surroundings suddenly shifted. What was the beginning of spring was once more enveloped in deep winter, and on the long street, the day was gradually fading, Qiu Ruoshui and the old crone were waiting there, all sighing in relief at their return.
Wang Anfeng looked back at the unchanged street and said,
"Indeed, he is a senior..."
Suddenly, Qin Fei's voice came from beside him, asking, "Ah Xiao, where did you get that Jade Pendant in your hand?"
Wang Anfeng looked over upon hearing this, indeed seeing that the boy was holding a Dragon Roaming Jade Pendant, its coloring bright and clear, hinting at its extraordinariness, the latter pouted and said,
"That smelly old man gave it."
"And not just to me."
Wang Anfeng was surprised, then seemed to remember something, and hastily looked down at Zhang Tingyun.
The little girl, dressed in a pink cotton garment, had a calm gaze, in her arms was a slightly yellowed Taoist Script, with an innate Taoist charm.
Kong Taoist stood with his hands clasped behind him atop the willow bank, curled his lip and said,
"If you've come, no need to hide... You walk a path that seeks to see all of Heaven and Earth's dragons and tigers, and you've never been good at concealing your presence."
"Especially not from me."
The space ahead showed faint ripples, and a Taoist carrying a longsword on his back appeared, laughing,
"Indeed, I cannot hide from you."
If Qin Fei were still alive, he would naturally recognize that the old Taoist was none other than Xuan Chengzi, who had taught him the basics of martial arts. It was to seek the Kong Taoist that he had come specifically today.
Xuan Chengzi stroked his beard and sat down unceremoniously, saying,
"I didn't expect you to be more interested in that Xiao and the little girl..."
The Kong Taoist turned around and took a seat, replying,
"That girl has a clear and insightful Taoist heart by nature, it would be a pity to let it go to waste."
"But if I were to teach her, I'd fear wasting her talent. To come into this world and simply hand her a Taoist Script for her to follow her own path, she will naturally carve out a great Taoist path to the heavens."
"As for Qin Xiao... heh, that kid is quite amusing, I'll grant him an opportunity."
"The other two little ones have enough to digest with what they're learning now. One can't become fat in one breath; they can only choke themselves to death."
Xuan Chengzi couldn't help but chuckle. The Kong Taoist waved his sleeve, brought out a teacup, and while brewing the tea nonchalantly said,
"However, wandering the world as you do, what brings you to my place this time?"
Xuan Chengzi's expression grew even more unusual, and after hesitating, he said,
"I've come to tell you two pieces of news."
"One good, one bad. Which do you want to hear first?"
The Kong Taoist gave him a disdainful white-eyed glance, replying,
"How old are we now, and you're still playing this game with me?"
Lifting his hand to sip some tea, he said,
Xuan Chengzi nodded, fell silent for a moment, and then softly said,
"She... has indeed been murdered, don't hold onto any more hope."
The motion of the Kong Taoist drinking tea abruptly stiffened. Xuan Chengzi lowered his gaze, pretending not to see, and continued to speak,
"I inherited the Divine Weapon that suppresses our sect, the Spirit Summoning Mandate. In Tianyang County, I accidentally found a trace of her soul. When a person dies, it's like a lamp extinguished, the theory of reincarnation is not reliable... Even if there really is such a thing as reincarnation, it would just be another person."
"The good news is, you don't have to wait for anyone anymore..."
The Kong Taoist slowly lifted his gaze, those eyes that saw through the mundane world and could pick up and let go of everything had darkened, and with trembling lips, he hoarsely muttered,
"This is... the good news?"
Xuan Chengzi nodded, slightly closing his eyes, as a jade command talisman separated from his body, slowly floating in mid-air. Inside it contained an ordinary jade pendant. The Kong Taoist opened his lips, his voice between crying and laughing,
"How to repay a kindness? Fine jade adorned on the robe strings..."
The past memories remained crystal clear.
So clear that even the words spoken in the thick of affection had not been forgotten.
Xuan Chengzi softly said, "The jade pendant I found had a wisp of her residual soul on it..."
The radiance from the jade command talisman faded, and the illuminated jade pendant gently fell into the palm of the shaky Kong Taoist who had stood up.
Threads of shimmering light passed over it, before it seemed unable to withstand it any longer and disintegrated into powder within the Kong Taoist's embrace, spilling through the trembling fingers, forming a phantom human figure, only to disappear in the blink of an eye.
The figure of the Kong Taoist seemed to have aged instantaneously by many years. Xuan Chengzi stepped back, his expression complex, then suddenly said,
"This willow tree... It grew in the first year you waited here, didn't it?"
The Kong Taoist's figure stiffened abruptly, as he slowly lifted his gaze. Xuan Chengzi sighed and whispered,
"That year... she never broke her promise."
Suddenly, a breeze arose. The willow tree behind the Kong Taoist swayed its branches, scattering warm specks of light like falling stars, like rain. Xuan Chengzi sighed, looked at the swaying willow, saw the scattering specks of light, gazed at the stiffened figure of the Kong Taoist, turned around, and took a step out of this small world.
Sixty years of time are enough to overturn a dynasty, to have hearty ambitions laid low by wine. On the Jianghu, countless stories of love and hatred have emerged, grand and tumultuous, only to become nothing in the blink of an eye. Sixty years are enough for a youth to age, for a girl to marry and bear children, and then grow old.
But the heart cannot forget...
Having seen the gentleman, how could one not be pleased?
Having met the young maiden, with no east gate to visit, how could one forget?
The branches of the willow tree swayed. The Kong Taoist slowly turned around, looking at the soul traces that had manifested due to the power of the Divine Weapon, swirling around him. His expression was absent and confused, as if he had returned to the past.
Sixty years ago, the handsome young Taoist, unabashedly approaching the young girl, smiled and said,
"I like watching you dance the most... No one else counts."
"Not even that Mansion Master counts, only when you dance is it truly beautiful."
Under the bright moon, the girl glanced at him side-eyed and chided,
"Joking and not serious, never behaving properly."
Then she plucked the strings of a zither again, her palms resting on the strings, her cheeks slightly flushed, and softly said,
"Then from now on, I will dance only for you."
"By your side, for a lifetime..."
The wind carried the song through the willows, as if the maiden was singing and dancing beautifully.
The dance under the wilting moonlight willow, the song ends with the wind beneath the peach blossom fan.
By your side, for a lifetime.
Under the willow leaves, the elder with his silver hair was now in tears.
Thirty years ago, Li Xuan became known as the Kong Taoist.
But the Kong Taoist, after all, was still Li Xuan.
PS: Long chapter presented, seeking support~