Flowers Bloom North of the City

Flowers Bloom North of the City

Outside Golden Pearl Tower, the noise was deafening, people packed together shoulder to shoulder.

Not only that—on the veranda outside the tavern across the street, atop roofs everywhere, on the steps, and before the windows, heads were crammed together.

"I was wondering why Golden Pearl Tower's seventh floor had disappeared. So an immortal took it up into the heavens." The waiter from the tavern opposite was standing in the doorway and craning his neck inside, brimming with excitement.

"With so many pretty girls in Golden Pearl Tower, the immortals must have taken them to the Heavenly Palace to serve as palace maids." The old bachelor at the street corner let his imagination run wild, as though he too had ascended into the Immortal Realm and beheld sights beyond this mortal world.

"Nonsense! Why would the Heavenly Palace want women like that? I think there was something wrong with Golden Pearl Tower—it must have been connected to the Five Gods Cult. Those women were all female demons. To keep them from wreaking havoc in the mortal world, the immortal descended and captured them all." The vegetable-selling woman was rather fierce, her voice full and powerful. With her hands braced against her waist, the men around her began backing away.

"Creak!" At that moment, Golden Pearl Tower's doors suddenly opened.

The instant they opened, everyone looked toward the youth leading a donkey out. First came silence. Then they studied his face closely and cried out in alarm.

"An immortal! It really is an immortal!"

Without any confirmation, they had already decided. It was rash in the extreme.

As though these days, one only needed to look at a face to know whether someone was an immortal.

"The immortal has come out! Everyone, hurry and bow!" Then, at someone's loud cry, a vast black mass of people dropped to their knees.

"Bow to the immortal! Hurry, bow!" A woman pressed her child's head down as they knelt together, as though bowing a few more times would let them be touched by Immortal Qi and spare them illness and disaster from then on.

The white-clad youth riding a donkey through the streets earlier had already drawn the secret attention of countless people. A donkey, white robes, the appearance of a young man—this attire had become known throughout the city.

Before long, everyone around the entire street knew that an immortal had arrived.

A little while later, half of River Court knew, and countless people rushed over.

The immortal led his donkey forward. As he descended the steps, the kneeling crowds along the way kept parting.

Once the crowd before Golden Pearl Tower had dispersed, several hundred more people, families in tow, stood on the main road and looked toward Great Immortal Kongchen.

Quite a few recognized him at once. They burst into tears and fell to their knees. Many were being supported by others; it seemed their injuries had not yet healed, yet they had hurried here to thank the immortal.

"Thank you, Immortal, for saving our lives."

"Thank you, Immortal, for ridding us of the fiends and monsters of the Five Gods Cult. This old Hu has finally lived to see this day."

"We people of River Prefecture have awaited an immortal as we await sweet rain falling from the heavens."

These were the people Kongchenzi had rescued before, as well as River Prefecture families who had suffered under the Five Gods Cult. Upon hearing that the immortal had appeared, they had rushed here with their entire households.

The scholar who spoke last stepped forward. Several household servants knelt on the ground, holding trays high above their heads. One tray was full of gold, one full of silver, and another bore Fine Wine.

His family had also been imprisoned in the underground palace before. Having offended the Five Gods Cult, his entire family had nearly perished. After emerging, their names had been fully cleared, while their former mortal enemy, the Five Gods Cult, had vanished into ashes and smoke.

"We have gathered a small amount of gold and silver together as an offering for the immortal."

"These are common wines of the mortal world. We ask the immortal to taste them."

The scholar held his hands high and bowed his head deeply.

The immortal led his donkey down the main road. White robes swept past the scholar's side. He did not even pause, merely taking a jug of wine from the tray before striding away.

"What are gold and silver worth!"

"Since ancient times, sages and worthies have all been lonely; only drinkers leave their names behind!"

"I'll take this wine."

The scholar hurriedly lifted his head, but saw only the immortal's departing back. The gold and silver offered in his hands had not lost so much as a single coin.

The scholar was shaken beyond measure. Silently reciting the immortal's words, he flung the tray in his hands to the ground, scattering gold everywhere.

"Wang Qianjin accepts the immortal's teachings. From this day forth, I shall study diligently and become a good official who seeks neither gold nor wealth, but serves the people with all his heart."

The people throughout the street cried out, "We respectfully bid the immortal farewell!"

The immortal led his donkey northward, wine jug in hand. The people of the long street remained kneeling to see him off. Hundreds wept until their long robes were soaked, moved by the immortal's lofty righteousness and transcendent bearing.

Even the city gate officials below, along with the Soldiers, rushed to open the gates and knelt on the ground to send the immortal away.

Just then, the spring breeze outside the city blew in through the gates. Its warm breath washed over everyone on the long street, driving away winter's chill.

Layer upon layer of notices pasted to the city walls swayed in the wind, rustling softly.

At that moment, winter truly passed, and spring truly came.

A long pavilion, an ancient road, a crossroads.

Winter jasmine on the hillside danced in the wind, swaying like waves.

The fragrance of flowers rode the breeze and drifted straight toward Great Immortal Kongchen, who was riding his donkey up the slope. Warmed by the spring sunlight, it made one feel utterly at ease.

The aloof Great Immortal before others wore what seemed to be a smile on his face now.

As though the scene of ten thousand people thanking and seeing him off still lingered in his heart.

There was always darkness in this world, yet there were still more people whose hearts turned toward the light.

The donkey carried Kongchenzi to the top of the slope, where he found a pretty young woman dressed as a servant resting in the pavilion.

A heavy book chest was strapped to her back. Her slender hands gripped its straps as she stared blankly at the white-clad youth approaching her.

The moment they saw one another, Kongchenzi could not help but smile.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm heading east!" Tang Yao answered, somewhat embarrassed.

"I shall travel north. Then this is the moment we part." Kongchenzi nodded in farewell, as though this truly were goodbye.

Tang Yao hesitated, then gathered her courage and said to Kongchenzi, "I won't write that sort of book anymore. I've thought it through. No matter how many I write, no matter how well I write them, I'll only ever be Hong Yuan."

"Only by writing thoroughly of the common people's suffering and recording all the injustices of the world can I become a true Heroine Hong Yuan."

Kongchenzi smiled. "It is good that you think this way. I hope that one day, I will get to see the book you speak of."

A shy smile finally appeared on Tang Yao's face. One hand gripped the strap on her back, while the other scratched at her hair.

"Will I still be able to see you in the future?"

"And once I've finished writing it, can I send it to you to read?"

Outside the long pavilion north of the city, the immortal took one look at Tang Yao, lifted his wine jug, and laughed without answering.

Then he drank as he trod upon the flowers and departed.

"Through the world with sword in hand, my spirit and splendor shine!"

"Home is the four seas—I laugh as I roam to the ends of the earth!"

"How many gatherings and partings fit within a single jug of wine!"

"Drink and sing, toasting mountains and rivers as the cup spills free!"

That figure receded along the flower valley north of the city, where blossoms stretched as far as the eye could see. Man and donkey gradually vanished amid the flowers.

Tang Yao watched that figure go, yet never received an answer.

With a sigh, she hitched the wooden chest on her back higher and left the pavilion, heading toward the rising sun.

Just then, something fell from the sky and landed in the book chest on her back.

A Jade Pendant engraved with an azure dragon pattern, along with a Secret Manual bearing the emblem of Silver Flower Palace in one corner.