The red candle had burned halfway down, its wax tears winding down the copper candlestick and pooling in a crimson puddle.
Chen Ping picked up the red-cloth-wrapped steelyard rod from the table. His wrist was perfectly steady, yet it faltered for the briefest moment as he reached toward the edge of the bed.
He drew a deep breath and gently lifted the red veil embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water.
The candlelight swayed, revealing Yun Niang's lightly powdered face.
Her eyes were lowered, her lashes trembling, and the candlelight flushed her cheeks a rosy red.
At a little over twenty, she was no longer considered young by the standards of this era. Fine lines were even faintly visible at the corners of her eyes, the weathering left by years of hard labor and worry.
But to Chen Ping, her face was more lovely than any of the Aristocratic Clan young ladies he had seen at the tournament that day.
"Husband..."
Yun Niang's voice was faint as a mosquito's buzz. She glanced quickly up at Chen Ping, then shyly lowered her head again.
Chen Ping set down the steelyard rod, picked up the nuptial wine from the table, and handed her a cup, his voice gentle:
"It's time to drink the cross-cupped wine."
Yun Niang took the cup. When her fingertips brushed Chen Ping's, she flinched as if burned.
They crossed their arms and tipped back their cups, draining the wine.
The fiery liquor slid down Yun Niang's throat. She had never been able to hold her drink, and soon her cheeks bloomed scarlet and her gaze grew hazy.
"Brother Ping... I'm not dreaming, am I?"
With the buzz of drink emboldening her, she leaned limply against Chen Ping's shoulder. Her voice caught, colored by the fear that still lingered:
"All those years at Lin Manor, whenever I heard the wind rattle the window at night, I was afraid some steward had come to break down the door. I always thought I'd rot away in that deep, sprawling manor for the rest of my life. I never imagined... that this day would really come."
Chen Ping's heart ached. He reached out and took Yun Niang's hand.
What a hand it was.
Its knuckles were thick, its palm covered in a heavy layer of calluses, and the back bore dark red scars left by winter frostbite.
Compared with Chen Ping's own palm, now as smooth as jade from cultivating the Longevity of Pine and Crane, hers looked as though they belonged to two different generations.
He gently rubbed the roughness of her palm, the traces carved there by time and hardship, impossible to wash away.
An indescribable sense of helplessness rose within him.
Mortals' lives were fleeting. Even without illness or disaster, how much longer could Yun Niang's overworked body stay by his side?
Sixty years?
Or seventy?
"Not anymore."
Chen Ping spoke softly, telling her as much as himself:
"With me here, even if the sky falls, someone tall will hold it up."
He said nothing more. Instead, he gently removed the Silver Hairpin from her coiffure, the first gift he had ever given her.
Then came her earrings, her pearl hair ornament...
One by one, he took out her hairpins and ornaments, until her dark hair spilled down like a waterfall over her red wedding gown.
Chen Ping fetched warm water, wrung out a cloth, and carefully wiped the makeup from Yun Niang's face.
Washed of all its powder and paint, her unadorned face looked all the more genuine and dear.
Yun Niang felt a little embarrassed and tried to do it herself, but Chen Ping gently held her hand down.
"Tonight, let me take care of you."
Chen Ping extinguished the lights in the outer room, leaving only the pair of red candles by the bed.
The curtains fell slowly, veiling the room's tender intimacy.
The red candlewick crackled, blooming into a tiny flower of flame. Its dim golden light cast their entwined shadows across the bed curtains.
The night deepened. Even the wind outside seemed to soften, shutting out the clamor of this troubled age from their little world.
Sounds of celebration drifted from inside the room.
At dawn the next morning, a rooster crowed.
Chen Ping opened his eyes at the hour of the Tiger, as he habitually did.
Yun Niang was still asleep beside him, breathing evenly, a peaceful smile on her lips as though she were having a pleasant dream.
He rose as quietly as he could, tucked the quilt around her, slipped on a light robe, and went to the window.
At a thought, the familiar blue-and-gold bamboo slip unfurled slowly in his mind.
[Name: Chen Ping] [Lifespan: 92 years] [Cultivation Technique: Longevity of Pine and Crane (Third Layer, Complete 1980/2000)] [Skills: Shattered Stone Palm (Transformation Realm), Light Body Movement Technique (Complete)...]
Ninety-two years.
As he looked at the number, the tenderness in Chen Ping's eyes gradually faded, leaving only a nearly ruthless reason.
With every layer of the Longevity of Pine and Crane he mastered, his Lifespan grew.
He was only twenty, yet already had a Lifespan of ninety-two years. If he broke through to the fourth layer, he might live past a hundred.
But what about Yun Niang?
She was a mortal, her health worn down in her youth. Even if he surrounded her with fine clothes and food from now on, living to seventy would already be a long life.
By then, his blood would still run strong and his face would remain youthful, while she would have turned to a mound of earth.
"Thirty years between us..."
Chen Ping's fingers tapped unconsciously against the window lattice, his brows knit tight. "It's not enough. Not nearly enough."
Money alone wouldn't let them stay together until the end of their days.
He had to find Spiritual Medicine that could extend her life, or... the fabled path to immortality, one that even mortals could tread.
But such a heaven-defying way to change one's fate was nothing but a fool's dream in a small place like Qinghe County.
Even the great Aristocratic Clans might not have such resources.
"Looks like I'll have to make good use of my status as an Imperial Military Examination graduate."
Chen Ping had already made up his mind. His official status was not only a protective charm, but also a powerful tool for gathering resources.
Only by climbing higher and coming into contact with a wider world would he have even the slightest hope of finding a solution.
He stepped outside, and the morning chill struck his face, sharpening his wits.
Dewdrops hung from the pomegranate leaves in the courtyard, sparkling like crystal.
Chen Ping walked beneath the tree, spread his feet, and settled into the Pine and Crane Stance.
He took his stance and circulated his strength.
His movements were so slow that he seemed like an old man on the verge of death.
Every lift of his hand, every step he took, came with a long, deep breath.
As he moved, the blood and qi within him began to flow slowly. A warm current wound along his Meridians and through his body, carrying away the fatigue of the night.
The morning sunlight fell upon him, gilding him with a faint golden edge.
Just as he finished his practice and exhaled, ready to go to the kitchen and make Yun Niang some porridge, hurried knocking suddenly sounded at the courtyard gate.
"Scholar Chen! Is Master Chen home?"
Chen Ping's eyes sharpened. His mild, tortoise-like air vanished, replaced by the keen edge of a blade.
So early?
He straightened his clothes and went to the gate. After peering through the crack and seeing a runner from the county yamen, he unlatched it.
"What's the rush?" Chen Ping asked gravely, the natural authority of a man in a high position radiating from him.
The runner was sweating profusely. The moment he saw Chen Ping, he hurriedly bowed, a fawning smile on his face:
"Congratulations, Master Chen! I didn't want to disturb your sleep, but the county magistrate urgently requests your presence."
"The county magistrate?"
Chen Ping raised an eyebrow. "Is it about the case from before?"
"No, no."
The runner lowered his voice and spoke mysteriously:
"I heard a Capital Noble has arrived from the Capital City and specifically asked to meet this year's Imperial Military Examination graduate. The county magistrate is pacing around in a panic, so he ordered me to come fetch you."
A Capital Noble?
Chen Ping's heart stirred. He had heard people discussing it at the tavern before. Word was that a merchant caravan from the Capital City was recruiting guards. Could this be related?
If he could make a connection in the Capital City, he might gain access to resources on a higher level, perhaps even... clues about immortality.
"Understood."
Chen Ping fished a piece of silver from his sleeve and tossed it to the runner. "Give me a moment to change."
"Thank you for the reward, Master Chen! I'll wait outside."
The runner caught the silver and stepped aside, beaming.
Chen Ping turned back inside and glanced at Yun Niang, still asleep. His gaze grew resolute.
As long as he could protect this hard-won home, even if the Capital City was a muddy pool, he would wade into it.
Before you continue