Why Not Seek Out the Azure Profound Immortal Venerable?
The convoy headed north, and dusk gradually fell. Only when the sun had set and a layer of dark red glow spread across the horizon did Wang Shoucai order the convoy to stop and set up camp.
The men busied themselves with tasks: some set up tents, some gathered dry branches to start a fire, others looked after the wounded, and still others took stock of the goods damaged during the journey.
Wang Shoucai personally selected the finest dried meat and flatbread, and also took out a jar of aged wine that he carried with him. He set up a simple feast by the campfire and specially called Wang Zhirou over to serve the wine.
The campfire crackled and flickered, casting shifting light and shadow on people's faces.
Wang Zhirou, holding a wine cup, slowly walked to Gao Yunyi, her voice soft and gentle:
"Young Master Gao, please have a drink."
As soon as she finished speaking, she glanced up and met Gao Yunyi's calm and unwavering gaze. Startled, she quickly lowered her head, her long eyelashes trembling, and her cheeks instantly flushed crimson.
Wang Zhirou's fingertips trembled slightly, and the wine in the cup rippled, almost spilling onto the hem of her blue robe.
Her heart pounded wildly. In that fleeting glance, she had only seen Gao Yunyi features and his expression as serene as the clouds drifting in the mountains, showing neither joy nor anger.
He sat Jingjing by the campfire, so close to the bustling smoke and noise around him, yet his ethereal and otherworldly aura seemed to be separated by an invisible barrier, as if he were far away in the Nine Heavens.
While waiting on the side, she secretly watched him for a long time. He was staring blankly at the sunset, neither joining Wang Shoucai's conversation nor chatting with Ximen Changhai. It was as if the campfire, the caravan, and all living beings in the world were just fleeting images in his eyes.
Such a person was someone she had never dared to even imagine before.
The girl's heart was already in turmoil; she felt her face burning, and even her breathing became extremely soft. She lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes again, and whispered, "..."
"Young master... the food and wine are simple, I hope you won't find it offensive."
Wang Shoucai sat not far away, taking in the whole scene. His cloudy eyes gleamed with a sharp light, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly before he quickly suppressed it. He pretended to chat with Ximen Changhai, but his eyes were always on this side.
Ximen Changhai held the wine bowl, his gaze falling on Senior Gao, and sighed inwardly.
He could tell that Senior Gao had absolutely no romantic feelings for anyone, and that Miss Wang's feelings were likely doomed to be in vain.
Gao Yunyi slowly lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the earthenware wine cup, the wine clear and cold, reflecting the flickering firelight.
He spoke calmly, his voice unreadable. "No need."
He did not reach out to take the wine cup.
Wang Zhirou's hand holding the wine cup froze again, her heart sank, and she was so embarrassed that she didn't know what to do. Her ears turned so red that they seemed to bleed. For a moment, she stood there, unable to move forward or backward.
The evening breeze, carrying the coolness of the grass and trees, blew over and ruffled a strand of hair at her temple.
She bit her lower lip, suppressing the bitterness in her heart, and barely managed to maintain a soft voice:
"Yes... I was being presumptuous."
Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, Wang Shoucai, who was standing to the side, quickly smiled and smoothed things over:
"Young Master Gao is merely of a reserved nature, there's no need to be alarmed! Zhirou, quickly put down the wine, and offer another cup to Hero Ximen."
As she spoke, she gave her daughter a wink, signaling her not to lose her composure and to try to speak with Young Master Gao as much as possible.
The campfire crackled, and sparks occasionally rose into the air before disappearing into the deep twilight.
The distant mountains and forests howled in the wind, making the budding affection of the young girl within the camp seem quiet and fragile.
Following her father's instructions, Wang Zhirou composed herself, turned around to offer Ximen Changhai a wine cup, and then silently retreated to sit down beside Wang Shoucai. However, she couldn't help but secretly glance at the figure in green through the firelight.
Gao Yunyi remained calm throughout, as if the wine-serving incident that had made her flustered and embarrassed was nothing more than a trivial matter.
Wang Shoucai picked up his wine bowl, took a sip, and his gaze fell on Ximen Daxia beside him. Seeing the lingering melancholy on the other man's brow, he casually struck up a conversation.
"Master Ximen,"
He softened his tone, "Great hero, you are the greatest swordsman in the world, you should be roaming the martial Jianghu freely, why are you following our caravan all the way north to the harsh lands of Liaodong? Liaodong is a place of high mountains and dense forests, teeming with wild beasts, it is not a good place at all."
Ximen Changhai's fingers tightened slightly as he gripped the wine bowl, a lingering cloud of sorrow clouding his once calm eyes.
He looked up at the mountains to the north, hidden in the night, and a very soft sigh escaped his throat, his voice filled with deep weariness.
"To be honest, I am here on behalf of my daughter."
"My daughter has been frail since childhood. A year ago, she fell ill suddenly. We consulted all the famous doctors in the Central Plains and she took countless medicines, but her condition only worsened day by day. Now she can hardly swallow any medicine, and her life hangs by a thread."
"Someone told me that deep within the Changbai Mountains, there might be a thousand-year-old ginseng, a rare and precious treasure with potent medicinal properties, which might be able to keep her alive."
When talking about his daughter, Ximen Changhai's usually calm and stoic voice became a little hoarse.
He had spent half his life wandering the Jianghu, never showing the slightest fear amidst the Sword Shadow, but the thought of his daughter lying on her deathbed at home caused him unbearable pain.
Upon hearing this, Wang Shoucai's face showed a hint of emotion, and he nodded repeatedly. "I see, the hearts of parents are all the same. This fatherly love of yours is truly touching."
He paused, as if suddenly remembering something, his eyes lit up, he leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice:
"Speaking of which, since you are seeking a life-extending artifact, why not seek out the Azure Profound Immortal Venerable? These days, who inside or outside the pass hasn't heard of the Immortal Venerable's legend!"
"Legend has it that the Immortal Venerable possesses Immortal Elixir Pill of immortality, a pill of unparalleled wonder that can cure all diseases and save lives. If the Immortal Venerable were to bestow even one pill, how could your daughter's serious illness not be cured? Why would you need to risk venturing deep into Changbai Mountain to fight for your life against ferocious beasts and poisonous insects in search of the old ginseng?"
Upon hearing this, a bitter smile appeared on Ximen Changhai's face, a smile filled with helplessness. He slowly shook his head.
"Azure Profound Immortal Venerable... I've been searching for him for a whole year."
"Over the past year, I have traveled throughout the Capital and the Central Plains, visiting various temples dedicated to the Immortal Venerable and inquiring about all the rumors related to him. Whenever I found even the slightest clue, I would rush there overnight. But the Immortal Venerable Divine Dragon elusive, and ordinary mortals have no chance to witness his true form. Countless people claim to have seen the Immortal Venerable manifest, but every time it comes to me, I am disappointed."
He tilted his head back and drank the bowl of strong liquor in one gulp. The pungent liquid went down his throat, but it couldn't suppress the despair in his heart.
"I am but a martial artist, burdened by worldly ties, with no affinity for immortality, no chance to meet Immortal Venerable, and no courage to even dream of Immortal Elixirs. In utter desperation, I have placed my hopes on a thousand-year-old ginseng, which is at least a treasure that can be found in the mortal world. Every day it can sustain me is a day in the future."
As soon as Ximen Changhai finished speaking, the campfire was reduced to the crackling sound of burning firewood.
Wang Shoucai sighed, lamenting the cruel twist of fate. He then offered a few words of comfort, saying that there were many ginseng hunters deep in the Changbai Mountains, and perhaps with a bit of luck, they might actually find some treasure.
Every single word of this conversation reached Gao Yunyi's ears.
He leaned against the withered tree behind him, his blue robes reflecting a few tiny sparks of firelight. His eyelids were half-closed, and his expression remained completely calm throughout.
He knew perfectly well that the Immortal Elixir that Wang Shoucai spoke of, capable of curing all diseases, was made by him.
He could also see the anxiety and pain that was about to overwhelm him deep in Ximen Changhai's eyes.
But he didn't speak, didn't reveal that he was the Azure Profound Immortal Venerable, and didn't even have the thought of taking the initiative to help.
Saving someone is a matter of kindness; not saving them is a matter of duty.
He has no obligation to cover the illnesses and sufferings of ordinary people.
Wang Zhirou sat quietly to the side, listening to their conversation. When she heard the name Azure Profound Immortal Venerable, she couldn't help but glance at Gao Yunyi.
The evening breeze swept through the campsite, stirring up a whistling sound in the distant mountains and forests.
Ximen Changhai refilled his bowl with wine, gazing northwards with a sense of bewilderment at the uncertain future ahead.
Unbeknownst to him, the Azure Profound Immortal Venerable he had been searching for so desperately was sitting just a few steps away by the campfire, Jingjing listening to all his suffering without batting an eye.