Please Go Live Your Own Lives

Looking at the now empty porcelain bowl and the warm, soft body behind him, Su Qing'an felt a mix of emotions. He had to admit that he was initially a little uncomfortable with this feeling of being pampered, but as he gradually got used to it, he began to feel a sense of longing for it.

But it's okay.

Due to the inherent skeletal structure of gender, the balance will be completely reversed as the body slowly unfolds.

At that time, he will take her into his arms with his own will and do the same thing as revenge.

The immortal was completely unaware of the thoughts in the boy's heart; he simply inhaled the natural scent emanating from the boy's hair and slightly curled his lips.

This shampoo is made using instruments produced from mountain herbs. Combined with the special properties of the herbs themselves, it has a refreshing and watery feel, with a cool minty scent that smells wonderful.

Su Qing'an remained silent. He felt like a cat being held and petted in the other person's arms. Because he used to feed stray cats near the coffee shop in Changkong City, this reversed experience was quite subtle.

Fu Hua said:

"Based on Rongyue's progress in cultivating her mind, she should be able to completely complete her cultivation by tomorrow."

The boy replied:

"Yes, all the sword shapes within the Void Sword Qi and the martial arts you taught."

"I absorbed and digested almost everything within a month; the rest was just a matter of patient practice and gaining insights into life and death."

He sighed:

"Jiang Rongyue is a natural genius, and her nature is very pure because of her experiences. However, she is trapped in a prison because of these experiences and cannot get out."

"She had no rivals in the mortal world, yet she was still like a ghost wandering in storms and rain, searching for a place to dwell."

"It's not a bad thing for you to take him under your wing."

"For a wandering knight of this age, it's difficult to immediately find a place to settle down."

"But she's practically made this place her home; it's just a matter of timing and luck."

Jiang Rongyue is not behaving normally.

Therefore, she was unclear about what kind of life she should face, and in what form she should confront her future.

The girl seemed to be stubbornly pursuing the Legend of the Immortal, but she already knew before embarking on the journey that all that lay ahead was desolation.

She simply needed a reason not to stop herself from moving forward, otherwise she wouldn't understand the meaning of survival.

Su Qing'an wasn't very clear about these things. He and Hua Du didn't use their abilities to delve too deeply into each other's past; they only used a vague method of judgment. The information that followed was gradually pieced together during their exchanges, so naturally, they couldn't see the whole picture.

But he still understood that even the disciples Fu Hua had nurtured since childhood might not like Mount Taixu as much as Jiang Rongyue.

That was enough for Su Qing'an.

The boy is not used to the seniority of his elders, but he will try to adapt to this position.

Fu Hua thought for a moment, then sighed:

"That's a very good child."

She hadn't had such direct contact with humans of this era for a very long time; if you think about it carefully, Jiang Rongyue was probably the first exception in five hundred years.

This is almost entirely due to the memory recovery caused by Su Qing'an's [Personal Record] interference, which indirectly led to a huge change in her own beliefs.

However, Jiang Rongyue's own excellence and brilliance still account for part of the reason.

At the very beginning, Chi Yuan did not realize the deeper and more special nature of the other party.

But now, none of that matters anymore.

The immortals' philosophy of isolating themselves from the mortal world means cutting off all opportunities for contact, but once they establish a few loose chains of emotion, they do not intentionally sever them.

She frowned and said:

"If I leave for too long, I'm afraid something might happen."

Fu Hua and Su Qing'an were forced to travel to the distorted remnants of history created by the [Personal Record], but the World Bubble overflowing with the Sea of Quantum held too many unknowns.

The most crucial question, however, is how many years will appear to the outside world for that seemingly instantaneous entry and exit?

It might really be just a second, or it could be years or decades.

The two of them do not need to pay for the passing of time with their youth, but the time in the outside world never stops. Now, the conflict Great Song and the Liao Dynasty is gradually escalating from a peripheral conflict to a formal war. Under such circumstances, Li Shishi and Jiang Rongyue will eventually have to face this chaotic world unless they continue to hide in Mount Taixu.

After the two left, leaving two young girls in the prime of their lives alone in the secluded Mount Taixu for an extended period was an extremely cruel thing to do.

It was precisely because he understood the brevity of human life and the preciousness of time that Su Qing'an raised the bar for Li Shishi's departure from the mountain. He was not preventing her from traveling the world, but rather granting her the right to freely roam the world without having to wait for peace to prevail.

Su Qing'an replied:

"I think I have a way to minimize the potential spacetime errors."

She asked:

"What method?"

The boy said softly:

"Simply follow the intuition of your Manas consciousness."

"If, when we get there, my intuition tells me that even the smallest error will be an extremely long period of time, then... we'll find another way to replenish the gene's awakening level."

Fu Hua nodded silently, understanding the implication of the other person's words.

If the passage of time could cause one to miss out on a lifetime, then he would rather postpone eliminating this hidden danger and postpone consuming any potential resources.

The girl shared the same view.

She had only taken Jiang Rongyue as her disciple for less than half a year; it would be too cruel and unfair to completely disappear from her life.

That child considers Mount Taixu his home and regards himself as a reliable master and elder, so there is absolutely no reason for him to abandon him.

The Immortal Chi Yuan will face the responsibilities she should bear, whether it is the protection she has carried from ancient times to the present or the life of her first disciple. She will never choose to run away from these responsibilities.

On the other hand...

The immortal felt the weight and warmth of the person leaning against him, his eyes lowered.

What will happen to him if his awakening level cannot be fully replenished within a certain time?

Fu Hua was unwilling to think about the consequences of failure, but at this moment she began to despise herself for being bound by all sorts of shackles.

If one were truly willing to give everything for it, then even at the end of the world, one would only regret one's lack of ability.

Even now that she clearly knows she's fallen in love with him, her efforts are still confined to the framework of righteousness and responsibility. How can she possibly extinguish even a fraction of the warmth of that person's soul, burning like a galaxy?

Even just once is fine.

On this cool, breezy night with a crescent moon, the leaves rustling gently in the breeze.

The girl lowered her eyes, yearning for a dream that could never be realized in a fleeting moment of contemplation.

She was curious to see what she would become if she were someone who had no sense of righteousness, no responsibility, no promises, and only herself.

Even if that Fu Hua would no longer be Fu Hua, she would still... captivate people's hearts.

Perhaps this is what loving someone is like: one day you will hate yourself for not being able to give enough, and feel regret and guilt for not being able to give 100% of yourself.

Even if it will drift back and forth between independent individuals and appendages.

But if that person is truly worthy, they will never let you fall towards the latter.

Su Qing'an thought for a moment and assumed the other party was worried about the possibility of leaving his disciple unattended for several years, so he comforted him:

"You don't need to worry too much. Even if we're not around, Rongyue's strength will prevent any problems."

"You should have noticed as well that this child's Stigmata are not typical Stigmata. The true nature of their abilities remains unclear even now."

Those who awaken the Stigmata do not necessarily possess special abilities; they are generally marked by extraordinary Qi cultivation, innate physical strength, and a crimson pattern.

--This is the fundamental premise to understanding Jiang Rongyue's unique qualities.

Even those who possess abilities are all within the branches of the gene pool granted by the previous era, and are unlikely to undergo unexpected mutations.

Essentially, it can be understood as a byproduct of the Previous Civilization's research into the Gene Ability of Fusion Warrior.

Those who awaken their Stigmata are one in a million.

Those who possess special abilities and are awakened by the Stigmata are even rarer and more precious.

As for examples of special abilities that are still extremely mysterious and unknown, it seems that this is the only one at present.

She sighed:

"... Is that really the power of the Stigmata? If what Rongyue said is true, I'm starting to wonder if attributing all of this to the Stigmata is a bit arbitrary and based on empiricism."

Su Qing'an said:

"Are you saying that the Stigmata only amplified her innate Honkai Energy ability and physical strength, while the rest were due to factors inherent to Melting Moon herself?"

Fu Hua replied:

"Well, at least this makes more sense than the mutation of the Stigmata."

"Qing An, you should also be well aware that our original era did not have time to focus on anything other than improving overall Honkai Energy literacy. Even if complex mutations occurred, they should not be distorted into mysterious abilities that do not require any price, such as predicting the future, repairing oneself, or overclocking."

Su Qing'an understood what the other person meant.

The special abilities that Stigmata possess are mostly due to their instinctive use of super-standard Honkai Energy literacy, with a small portion stemming from research findings on Gene Ability from the previous era.

The idea that Stigmata should inherit the abilities of Fusion Warrior is itself a logical fallacy.

Having Stigmata does not mean that one has become distant from the human race.

Rather, the Stigmata is a compromise found to avoid creating extreme beings like Fusion Warrior.

After humans possess Stigmata, they can gain extremely high Honkai adaptability without bearing the risk of [Artificial Honkai Collapse]. However, this also prevents them from getting too involved in the Gene Ability that can only be used freely and to their fullest potential by Honkai Beast.

Therefore, these chosen ones can at most inherit the basic framework of those Gene Ability to utilize Honkai Energy, thus exhibiting some strange abilities.

But Jiang Rongyue's involvement was clearly not just a little bit.

In Fu Hua's understanding, the ability to foresee future information is a realm that only SU can reach using the Divine Key, even transcending the scope of Gene Ability, let alone the rest of her abilities.

Su Qing'an replied:

"If that's the case, then her aura, which is extremely compatible with the Sea of Quantum, is completely unrelated to the Stigmata."

The immortal's lips drew near his ear, and he asked with some doubt:

"The Sea of Quantum? Can you tell the affinity between humans and the Sea of Quantum?"

The boy flinched away, but the soft breath still tickled his ear, making it feel as if ants were crawling on his skin, causing it to turn slightly red. He suppressed his urge to do something strange and said earnestly:

"It probably recognized this answer because it had seen similar people before."

"However, Rongyue is somewhat different. Rather than pure affinity, it's more like a strange phenomenon that entangles her soul and body."

Fu Hua asked:

What phenomenon?

Su Qing'an carefully considered his words and tried his best to answer in a simple and easy-to-understand way:

"Yes, the quantum frequency around her is constantly undergoing intense alternation and fluctuation. Although it doesn't affect the material world, it will inevitably have some impact on it."

"For example, a while ago, when you were teaching her sword techniques, there was that moment when you suddenly grasped the essence exceptionally quickly; your quantum frequency was about half again as high as her average conventional index."

"Now that I think about it, if that wasn't Stigmata ability, then this is the only explanation."

The immortal pondered for a moment, but still only had a vague understanding.

Even with their limited knowledge, they could only draw some fragmented conclusions from this limited perspective.

What the boy kept hidden in his heart was that he vaguely sensed the answer that might be the truth behind it.

But if that were truly the case, then Jiang Rongyue wouldn't be a chosen one destined to be a savior.

Rather, it is a vessel that has struggled to this day within a self-contradictory, twisted spiral.

Behind that seemingly powerful and illogical ability lies... perhaps an unparalleled deformity.

Looking into the deep darkness of the night, Su Qing'an whispered:

"In any case, let's prepare to set off tomorrow and say goodbye to them."

Hopefully, that's not the truth.

The next day.

Li Shishi rested her chin on her hand, half-lying on the ink-scented table. Her bright eyes darted around the room for a while before finally settling on the immortal beside her who was flipping through a book. Gazing at the immortal's snow-white, aloof profile, she couldn't help but reach out and gently tug at his sleeve.

Jiang Rongyue's eyelids twitched slightly, feeling that the Courtesan was exceptionally bold and adaptable.

While it's true that he freed himself, from the perspective of a normal person, his lazy attitude and coquettish behavior towards the Immortal Chi Yuan is something completely unexpected.

But Fu Hua, with a good temper, put down her book, looked at the other person, slightly parted her lips, and asked:

"What's wrong, Shishi?"

Li Shishi said earnestly:

"Sister Chi Yuan, a deserter has recently wandered into Mount Taixu. He still has family outside and says that he has not severed his worldly ties and is not destined for this fairyland. He is begging to leave."

Upon hearing this, the girl pondered for a moment before preparing to reply.

She and Su Qing'an decided to set off today, and it wouldn't be difficult to take one person with them out of Mount Taixu.

Su Qing'an glanced at the others present, and knowing that they understood, he spoke first, softly:

"Similar things will happen again in the future. I will teach you the Qi technique to dispel the maze directly. In the future, when you go down the mountain, just take it with you."

After the boy finished speaking, he quietly picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote a single character on the white paper.

The paper, cleansed of excess ink by the invisible wind, floated to Li Shishi's side. Jiang Rongyue looked at the neat handwriting and sensed the complex flow of Qi within it, realizing that she had successfully received the reward for pretending to be M at the hot spring yesterday.

Li Shishi took the paper, examined it for a while before sensing a similar fluctuation. Her eyes crinkled with a smile as she said:

"Thank you, Susu. I knew you were the best to me."

Su Qing'an gazed at the girl's delicate face, noticing the ancient sword she still clutched in her arms, her fingertips, hidden within her wide sleeves, drooping slightly as if trembling, but ultimately not extending...

The Manas consciousness cannot provide for everything.

The young man has already laid the foundation for the path ahead, so we can simply wait for it to blossom and bear fruit.

What will the future hold?

This is ultimately a problem that will never have a definitive answer.

He said:

"Senior Sister Shishi, Hua and I are leaving."

The girl, who had just been all smiles, suddenly froze. She asked cautiously, but couldn't help but speak faster:

"Where are you going? Is it dangerous? When... will you come back?"

Su Qing'an tried her best to explain in words the other person could understand:

"I'm coming back, but I'm going to a place that's not dangerous, but very troublesome, where time flows at a different rate than outside."

"So I don't know how long it will take before I can come back."

"It could take a few days, a few months, or even a few years."

Li Shishi clutched her skirt, the bronze sword in her arms growing ever more obscure, mirroring her gloomy mood. She composed herself, her expression complex, and after a long silence, smiled and said:

"Then you'd better hurry, I don't want to feel like I'm not the older sister anymore when we meet next time."

In an era where the average lifespan is around forty, a separation measured in years always feels like the last time we'll see each other.

Meeting is difficult, parting is even more difficult.

Su Qing'an hummed in response, then fell silent for a moment.

He really wanted to ask: if he found a way to achieve immortality, would the other person be willing to accept it?

The boy suddenly realized his weakness.

Was Li Shishi really that important to him?

Or rather... is it really important enough to warrant the effort, resources, and even active pursuit of a method for immortality?

Emotions cannot be completely determined by time, nor can they be measured by value.

However, the fact that they had known each other for less than half a year still determined that the depth of something was not enough to accumulate into a mountain, and even if it was lost, it could only cause a brief period of suffering.

Even so, Su Qing'an was still unwilling to think about a real separation. Perhaps deep down, he was still the same person he always was, the one who craved the companionship of family and didn't want anything precious to slip through his fingers.

It's like a dragon doing everything in its power to protect every bit of treasure in its lair.

Whether it's the holy sword that once shattered the Demon King's spine or a commemorative coin covered in patina, it's all the same.

Su Qing'an thought for a moment, then looked up at the two of them and said goodbye with a smile:

"Rongyue, Senior Sister Shishi."

"Hua and I will be back."

"And before you come back, please live your own lives."