Arriving at Mount Taixu

A lone cloud emerges from the mountain peak, and mist shrouds the high mountains.

This is a mountain range located in the center of Shenzhou, where the thick, ocean-like fog makes it seem like a fairyland where ancient whales might emerge at any moment.

This journey back to Mount Taixu lasted for about half a month, and for the first time, Li Shishi experienced a rather long travel without being enveloped by the Heaven and Earth Qi.

She had roughly estimated the distance between the Capital City and Qinglong Town beforehand, and thus roughly understood why the immortals could Shenzhou and bless all living beings with their own power.

If they wished, Su Qing'an and the Immortal Chi Yuan could reach any corner of the Shenzhou in an extremely short time.

On the other hand, Li Shishi realized for the first time that in this era of slow travel and difficulty in traversing the Shenzhou in a lifetime, every choice and desire driven by her heart would consume her precious youth that could never be regained.

The young woman was once the most famous Courtesan in the Capital City, and the passage of time is the most crucial factor she needs to carefully manage.

Youthful beauty fades from the mirror, flowers wither from the tree; nothing in this world can be kept forever.

Any woman who ends up in prostitution must face the reality of being dragged out of the glamorous and youthful days when "young men from the Five Mausoleums vied to shower her with gifts, and countless bolts of red silk were given for a single song," and then face her aging self in the mirror, contemplating the bleakness and reality of the rest of her life.

Even though she was previously favored by the current emperor, what the future holds and what she can achieve remains unknown.

Which prostitute in this world can truly trust that she can weather any storm with someone?

That would be incredibly stupid.

Even though Li Shishi had indeed seen many foolish beauties fall headlong into a hopeless quagmire, these people all understood that they needed to plan ahead for their future.

This is not only because well-educated geisha do have a more awakened sense of self-awareness than ordinary people, but also because everyone has witnessed the fate of their predecessors, thus creating a natural sense of crisis.

Therefore, through her experiences this week, she gained a keen awareness of the areas she could travel to in her lifetime, the land she could measure with her own feet, and the things she could witness with her own eyes.

On the other hand, the many trivial matters and human joys and sorrows she witnessed along the way led the girl to a conclusion: if it weren't for Rongyue and Susu, the best outcome for her traveling the world alone would probably be being dragged to become a bandit's wife, and anything slightly worse would gradually push the limits of her current imagination.

However, Li Shishi still did not regret leaving the Capital City. Rather, after witnessing the hardships and displacement of some people, she, who was already pessimistic about the future of the Great Song, found it even more difficult to maintain an optimistic view.

How many more years of peace and joy can Capital City enjoy?

If it were that emperor, it wouldn't be surprising if he abandoned the city and fled when his army was at the gates.

Just as Li Shishi thought of this, she was pulled back to reality by the blisters on the soles of her feet. She endured the pain that she had grown accustomed to and composed herself.

This is a necessary experience and a necessary trial.

Although she had longed to see the world for herself since childhood, her circumstances prevented her from having that ability.

The girl's diet and life from childhood were incomparable to those of the concubines in the palace, but she could still be considered to have the treatment that only noble ladies of the highest rank would receive. The only physical training she received was dance practice, but in order to maintain her curves and elegance, this training was deliberately designed not to build muscle, keeping her delicate and supple.

She even bound her feet at that time in order to serve people with songs and dances in the future.

Although the customs of the Song Dynasty were relatively open, the bound feet were not deformed; they were simply bound into an arch shape.

A six-inch bow held in the palm of your hand.

This phrase refers to the fact that a woman's naturally small feet were bound into an arch shape.

If we're looking for concrete, tangible examples, then we might cite ballet dancers from later eras as a case study.

Li Shishi wasn't bound to such an extreme degree. After all, the madam of Zhen'an Ward hoped she would directly and simply use her beauty to serve men rather than earn money through singing and dancing. It would be even better if she could bind a few powerful people to her.

At this time, it can still be considered the Southern Song Dynasty. Foot binding was not prevalent, and with the occasional presence of demons, people placed extraordinary importance on mobility, and aesthetics were not as distorted as in the era Su Qing'an remembered.

Therefore, her foot binding was like a superficial business compared to other girls.

However, this also makes it more difficult for girls from normal families to move around.

Li Shishi was well aware of this, because on the first day she went shopping in Qinglong Town, she felt that her energy was almost completely depleted in less than an hour, and her stamina for walking was clearly insufficient.

So later, after Su Su used her Manas consciousness to transmit martial arts instincts and techniques and began to carry out grueling training, the little girl kept muttering to herself, but her body was still very honest and diligently making efforts.

The reason she is able to keep up with the group is not because her physical strength has been enhanced in a short period of time through martial arts training, but because she is using a Qi technique passed down by the Immortal Chi Yuan to manipulate the Heaven and Earth Qi to assist her body in moving forward.

According to Su Qing'an, it seems that due to some hidden issues, his physical condition was worse than Li Shishi's, and he had almost no stamina or physical strength.

Without relying on the Heaven and Earth Qi, one would also lack the qualifications to travel for an extended period.

Well, from this perspective, Li Shishi's initial thought that Su Su was a sickly beauty was not wrong.

Looking down from the foot of the mountain at the mountain range stretching to the horizon, she sighed:

"This place is so big! Does Sister Chi Yuan live deep in this mountain range?"

"No wonder everyone knows that the Immortal Chi Yuan is in Mount Taixu, yet no one can find even a trace of him."

Jiang Rongyue held the dozing Cang Xiaoxuan as if she were taking care of some small animal. She used a wooden comb to tidy the hair of the person in her arms, and after hearing this, she looked up and explained:

"Master set up a maze in the area near Fuyun Temple. Even if ordinary people find their way to the vicinity, they will get lost in the thick fog and be unable to discern directions under the maze, eventually having to return to where they started."

Li Shishi was not surprised.

After all, he's an immortal who has lived for countless years; it's normal for him to possess all sorts of incomprehensible and powerful abilities.

If it weren't for the fact that the other person had a really nice personality and that kind of relationship with Su Su, she would never have dared to call her "sister."

But calling me "old lady" sounds better than calling me "old lady."

The girl quickly suppressed her racing thoughts, fearing that the Udu-dust within her mind might have sensed her strange ideas, and asked:

"What about the villages near the foot of the mountain? Have they lived here for generations? They seem to be a motley crew of migrants from different regions."

"I thought the area around Sister Chi Yuan's house was a truly isolated place."

Jiang Rongyue glanced at her master, who was diligently feeding Su Qing'an, and explained:

"You're thinking about the same thing, Shishi. Those villages are made up of refugees who have wandered here from various regions. However, there's a more complex mix of people, including deserters, criminals who escaped from prison after being wrongly convicted, women who were trafficked but were lucky enough to escape, and also travelers and adventurers who want to witness the traces of immortals."

"I stayed at Fuyun Temple for a total of half a month. During the few times I went down the mountain, I encountered scholars and literati who came to admire the scenery and compose poems, as well as fierce bandits who had been mostly wiped out by the government troops and fled there."

She concluded:

"Mount Taixu, where Master resides, is indeed a tranquil place, but the surrounding areas are not."

Li Shishi was somewhat surprised to hear this, but after thinking about it for a moment, she felt it wasn't strange at all.

After all, Mount Taixu has been a legendary abode of immortals since ancient times, and Chi Yuan has revealed its mysterious veil here many times.

From this mountain range, a vast area radiates outwards, where widespread legends circulate about the Immortal Chi Yuan.

Although the Immortal Chi Yuan did not deliberately develop this, her existence did indeed have a tendency to subtly integrate into the sacrificial customs of the people of Shenzhou.

As the only living deity truly recognized as existing in the world, Chi Yuan's abode naturally possesses a mysterious attraction, and the strange effects that have accumulated are roughly the current result.

That is, everyone believed that by hiding near the abode of immortals, one could find peace and be free from the disturbances of external rules, thus detaching oneself from worldly affairs.

The result of generations of people having this idea is that today there are well-established villages and houses built by our ancestors near the foot of the mountain, so that people who have the same idea can come here and find shelter from the wind and rain and settle down.

Even though the immortal had no intention of protecting these villagers, her reputation was involuntarily affected by this outcome.

Even during the most fragmented and complex period of the Shenzhou regime, the area radiating from Mount Taixu remained like a secluded paradise, never having been invaded by large armies.

As for the reasons...

The immortal gently wiped the pastry from the boy's lips with his slender, white fingertips, then explained calmly:

"In previous years, a ruler of the current dynasty did not believe in immortals or Buddhas, so he surrounded the area with a large army, intending to set the mountain on fire."

"I brought rain and blew wind here, pushing them a thousand miles away, and that was the end of it. I also stated the fact that I would not interfere with the regime of Shenzhou."

"That's probably why later rulers of this land never came back, and they even established some unwritten rules."

Upon hearing this, Li Shishi suddenly remembered that she seemed to have read about it in unofficial history, and she could probably recall that it was a foolish thing done by a tyrant in an era of political division several thousand years ago.

But was it really true?

Could there really be an emperor this stupid...?

Also, the immortal's definition of "in previous years" is really subtle.

She sighed:

"That's why there are so many people around here."

"If war were to break out, this would indeed be one of the safest places in the world."

Su Qing'an chewed on the food on her lips and said:

"Never underestimate human folly and arrogance."

"Even with past mistakes, it's quite normal to repeatedly repeat them."

Although as the most senior member of the group, his thought-provoking words should have prompted rational reflection and inquiry from everyone, the boy's appearance and manner of speaking made it difficult for anyone to pay attention to the meaning behind his words.

The boy had extremely long eyelashes, and his clear, snow-white eyes resembled glass beads under the refraction of light. His fair skin exuded the unique innocence of childhood, and his cheeks, slightly puffed out as he chewed food, made him impossible to look away from.

Well, combined with those words, it only makes her seem adorable.

Leaving aside Li Shishi, even Jiang Rongyue, who always respected her teachers, couldn't help but smile.

Although the girl quickly regained her composure and began to feel guilty for her disrespect towards her Grand Martial Uncle's appearance, it was clear that her youthful looks were significantly diminishing the boy's prestige.

The immortal silently patted Su Qing'an's head, finding it quite amusing that he was unaware of his predicament.

She said softly:

"Actually, there are some villages deep in the Mount Taixu. Compared to those people at the foot of the mountain, they are more determined and prefer to live in seclusion."

According to memories from other timelines, in the post-apocalyptic era after they lost most of their power and immortality, the peace they enjoy today continues, and villagers still live there for generations, continuing their ancient lives, oblivious to the ever-changing technology of the outside world.

Li Shishi thought to herself that this could explain why, in every turbulent era, there are always refugees who come to settle down, yet the villages near Mount Taixu still do not seem overcrowded.

But let's speculate on the abilities of the immortal's Udu-dust.

If she wanted to, testing people's hearts would be a piece of cake.

In this light, does such an invisible threshold exist between the foot and middle of these mountains?

Immortals are unwilling to interfere in worldly affairs, but the Mount Taixu area has already been tacitly recognized as their territory and home.

Since mortals come here to escape the hustle and bustle of the world, they should naturally abide by the rules outside of the secular world.

So, thinking about it this way, perhaps the villagers on the mountainside are especially kind and honest?

Moreover, judging from Sister Chi Yuan's attitude towards the villagers, perhaps her initial worry about not being allowed to go up the mountain was completely unnecessary.

Li Shishi blinked, and suddenly felt that the blisters on the soles of her feet didn't hurt as much anymore. She asked:

"Does Sister Chi Yuan usually meet with them?"

Fu Hua responded to this:

"Although I don't deliberately meet with those villagers, I also don't actively conceal myself like I would when I enter the world. Since demons occasionally arise in the mountains, I often take walks with Xiao Xuan in the mountains to drive them away. In this process, we sometimes encounter them."

At this moment, Xiao Xuan, nestled in Jiang Rongyue's arms, rubbed his eyes, yawned, and said:

"Yes, I remember there was a time when Chi Yuan got along really well with those people. Even though we had less and less contact later on, we could still see each other every few years."

"The villagers were very kind to us. Every time we met, they liked to feed us some food and give us some fruit."

Jiang Rongyue had no recollection of the villagers living in Mount Taixu.

However, this is quite normal. Mount Taixu is too vast, and I spent most of the past half month cultivating within the Fuyun Temple, so it's only natural that I didn't see it.

But there will likely be opportunities in the future.

It turned out that Mount Taixu was more lively than she had imagined; it wasn't as deserted as she had thought.

The girl experienced this fact and felt a sense of joy.

Jiang Rongyue wanted to learn more about this place. Gazing at the vast expanse in the distance, she couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation and asked:

"Can I accompany Master or Senior Xiao Xuan on patrols from now on?"

The immortal was slightly taken aback upon hearing this; she hadn't quite adjusted to having an extra helper yet, but she still responded with a slight smile:

"Good."

Xiao Xuan, somewhat speechless, raised his head, reached out and pinched the girl's cheek, and said:

"You idiot Rongyue, what's so fun about patrolling?"

"You didn't seem particularly happy when we were browsing the market in Qinglong Town."

Hearing the commotion, Su Qing'an let the beads on the Soul Scale fall, feeling at peace.

During the leisurely walk to Mount Taixu after meeting Fu Hua, the rate of memory recall was faster than before.

Whether it's Jiang Rongyue, Li Shishi, Fu Hua, or Xiao Xuan, they can all give Mona consciousness a warm touch, causing the round beads to fall more and more often.

Although she still hasn't recalled any memories of Hua, the general outline of events she has experienced so far in her life is gradually becoming clearer.

Even though many of the characters are completely blank, this still doesn't prevent us from making general assumptions and accepting their experiences.

Reboot, Gods, Honkai...

He likely died four times, but was resurrected randomly in different timelines each time through a reboot process.

But as I told Fu Hua in the first half of the month, this is the most special one yet.

Not only did they break through the barriers of rebooting, but they also entered a peaceful era where Honkai is almost impossible.

Compared to his initial tragic death, the various hardships of the modern era, and the hellish conditions of the Previous Civilization, Su Qing'an now seems like a hard-working man who has been working 996 non-stop all year round and suddenly won the lottery, achieving financial freedom and living a carefree life.

Even though his memories hadn't fully returned, the boy vaguely felt very relaxed, both physically and mentally.

As for the various troubles caused by not opening the [Tibetan] during the journey in order to give Li Shishi more travel experience, as well as the worries of the people, these were not worth the sway of Su Qing'an, who had not yet fully recovered his personality.

After all, compared to the previous era, the people of this era are as happy as if they were indulging in a honey pot. Compared to sudden and unreasonable death, even calamities with traceable clues seem so gentle.

Amidst the casual conversations along the way, the group gradually disappeared into the thick fog, leaving no trace and causing those who secretly tried to follow them to lose all leads.

The immortal stopped in her tracks, gazing at the nearby Fuyun Temple. She said to Xiao Xuan:

"Xiao Xuan, there are some ointments in Fuyun Temple. Go find them and apply them to Shishi. Her feet are very chafed, and she needs to rest."

After speaking, Fu Hua took the boy's hand and walked towards the depths of the mountain stream.

The remaining people looked at each other, speechless for a moment.

Li Shishi couldn't help but ask:

"What is Sister Chi Yuan taking Susu to do?"

Xiao Xuan blinked her bright eyes:

That's the direction of Cloud Dragon Waterfall.

Jiang Rongyue said quietly:

"Probably taking a bath."

Li Shishi couldn't help but smile.

"That's all."

After a moment of silence, everyone pretended nothing had happened and headed towards Fuyun Temple.

Although I really wanted to spy on them, I decided against it because I was afraid of dying.