The Decline of a Golden Age, What Need for Tragedy?

Chu Tianshu picked up a section of green reed root from the medicinal herbs and chewed it slowly.

This stuff tastes sweet, somewhat like sugarcane, but much finer, and you have to swallow it whole, including the pulp, for it to be truly effective.

The Xianhe waited a moment, watching him eat so intently without saying a word. The outline formed by the ashes trembled slightly, and it flapped its wings.

"Hey, why don't you try to comfort me?"

Chu Tianshu ground his teeth slightly, making the residue as fine as powder, before speaking, "Senior He, with your many years of experience guarding Chang'an, you must understand the principles that others are trying to convey, right?"

"If you can't offer truly good solutions and just offer comforting words, won't that just annoy people?"

Chu Tianshu took a big bite and mumbled, "As a junior, keeping quiet and accompanying them at this time is a prudent strategy."

There was nothing that could be done; the other side was just a Xianhe silhouette made of ashes.

If his physical body were here, Chu Tianshu could still go and pour the old man a cup of hot water.

"Hehe, when you were with Old Feng, why wasn't there such a clear distinction between senior and junior?"

The Xianhe said with displeasure, "You didn't take too many elixirs, did you? Your blood sugar spiked, and you're feeling sleepy, so you're too lazy to talk."

Chu Tianshu was helpless.

"With my physique, even if I devoured all the medicinal herbs on this mat right now, I would only feel more energized, not sleepy."

Chu Tianshu said, "I really don't think there's anything to say."

He paused, then began to give his own example.

"When I was a child, because of my recklessness, Aperture Opening too early in the Spirit Communication Path, which left me with health problems."

"Before I achieved the Dual Cultivation of Life and Nature, life was very difficult. Sometimes I would feel very depressed, complaining and blaming others, wondering why I couldn't live in an environment free from external evils?"

"But my grandfather said that the definition of external evils is too broad. Many changes and disturbances in the outside world are always unavoidable. Even if you live in seclusion, you still have to face the changing seasons and the flourishing and withering of the fields."

Chu Tianshu smiled slightly.

"My relatives and friends tried to reason with me a lot back then, but I couldn't be convinced by their empty words. I just had to let myself slowly recover."

"People can gain a new mood from concrete answers, but only life itself can provide the answers to all problems, whether good or bad."

The Xianhe whispered, "Have you ever considered that, perhaps without the comforting words of your relatives and friends, your mood would have been even worse? And that slight difference would have led you down a completely different path?"

"Um?"

Chu Tianshu pondered for a moment, then frankly said, "That's true. I was a bit presumptuous. I always thought that powerful people wouldn't lack this kind of guidance, but perhaps, the more powerful people know, the deeper their confusion becomes."

The story of the man from Qi who worried about the sky falling has been passed down for a long time and is used as a form of satire.

But when I was chatting with my second grandfather, he told me some interesting stories.

A group of feng shui masters who were also archaeology professors discovered the ruins of the State of Qi in the last century.

Verification revealed that the city of Qi had been struck by a meteorite, leaving it in ruins and with heavy casualties.

When the people of Qi were migrating, they were hit by a meteorite again.

They knew that a huge disaster could really fall from the sky, which was why they were so worried.

As a result, after they migrated to other places, this anxiety about the sky became a stereotype of their group.

"Knows too much..."

The Xianhe chuckled softly, "That's exactly right."

"Tianshu, what do you think of our country in recent decades?"

Chu Tianshu said, "That's great. It seems like the standard of living is getting better and better everywhere."

Upon hearing this reply, the other person, despite having a crane-like face, surprisingly revealed a bright smile.

The Xianhe's voice grew softer and softer.

Throughout human history, many regions and ethnic groups have experienced periods that can be described as golden ages.

"Each golden age has its own unique characteristics, and the degree of its true brilliance certainly varies greatly."

"But there's one commonality: in this kind of era, people face less pressure to survive, and their creativity is more readily unleashed."

"Everyone's identity is no longer so fixed; there are more choices. Even if most of these new choices lead to setbacks, at least people still have the opportunity to choose."

"It's like taking a walk in a vast, open field, free and unrestrained, yet you'll encounter your own kind wherever you go, and you're not afraid of loneliness."

The Xianhe's voice was filled with a certain emotion, and as it spoke, its neck was already held high.

"These past few decades have been a golden age for us."

"If this era collapses after I die, then I will have no regrets in my life."

"But... but I've lived a little too long."

The crane cries in the marshland, how carefree and unrestrained it is!

But if people struggling to make a living constantly roam the water's edge, even flocks of Xianhe will fear becoming victims of arrows.

"I can already see that the internal strife is becoming increasingly tense, and the external disturbances have never subsided."

"While Ghost God and spirits are undoubtedly the greatest threat, they are only one link in the chain of all threats."

The Xianhe said, "The approach between the Spirit Realm and reality is gradual, and the interference of Ghost God is also increasing layer by layer."

"However, once this link collapses, the extent of the chaos it will trigger is something even the Ghost God themselves cannot predict."

"By then, whether you consider yourself tall or short, concerned about the world or indifferent, you will all eventually feel the invisible pressure that has already been transmitted to you."

Perhaps destruction hasn't even arrived yet, but the pressure already makes people feel that life is losing its meaning.

The Xianhe spoke with a wistful tone.

"Some of us love money, some crave fame, and some are lazy, but we all fear that kind of thing and don't want to see our hometown become like that."

"Therefore, we view the Spirit Realm as an opportunity we must face, hoping to extend this golden age through it."

"But how can one not feel lost at every moment when one is forced to act out of fear?"

Chu Tianshu remained silent and took two bites of reed root.

If we're talking about knowledge, he's seen similar trends of the Spirit Realm resurgence in every world he's in.

If you think about it deeply, what would happen?

But such deep thinking is just wishful thinking.

The Xianhe's deep thought stemmed from the fact that Helai decision was enough to interfere with a large amount of human and material resources.

It could very well have the power to influence the final outcome of these problems we all face.

Chu Tianshu, with the remaining reed root in his mouth, rummaged through the bamboo mat with both hands, piecing together several medicinal herbs.

"These are the medicines that, based on my testing, I feel have the most obvious benefits for the ' Sky-Spanning Divine Art '."

Chu Tianshu said, "Senior can't bring me back to reality right now, but you can still send this kind of elixir, which is completely oblivious to everything, back, right?"

"Let's take it and let the principal try it first."

The Xianhe sighed softly and nodded.

After speaking at such length, he felt a little relieved, although he still didn't have any good solutions, at least he wasn't so heavy-hearted anymore.

With a flick of its wings, the Xianhe sent the medicinal herbs flying above the incense burner.

Chu Tianshu then asked, "Did you consider that Principal Feng's flaws in his cultivation technique would be resolved so quickly?"

The Xianhe said, "No, that's not true."

"That should be a nice little surprise."

Chu Tianshu smiled and said, "Discovering this shallow Spirit Realm in the Thin Night Continent, suitable for cultivation, and being able to stabilize the channels on both sides, should be a pleasant surprise."

The Xianhe said, "This is quite a surprise."

Chu Tianshu nodded. "This surprise is not only big, but it's also continuing to grow."

"The senior has a broad perspective, able to see the complexities of all problems—a colossal entity that is difficult to describe, leaving people helpless and easily confused."

"However, don't overlook the little surprises in life."

Chu Tianshu said, "These little surprises may not solve the biggest problem, but every little surprise we discover and every bit of progress we see makes the day more pleasant."

"Life is built up day by day. When you're feeling down, just look at these specific data points that represent good things."

The Xianhe laughed heartily.

"I was too focused on their report of results just now. That's right, I'll go and check on the specific progress of their plan."

The Xianhe's silhouette transformed into a small whirlwind of ashes, carrying the medicinal herbs into the air before vanishing abruptly.

Looking at the empty space above the incense burner, Chu Tianshu felt a pang of nostalgia.

In the past, when he was troubled, he would check his bank account.

Seeing my savings increase because of my own efforts makes me feel much better.

Even if these savings are inevitably depleted, the happiness of that time is still preserved in my memory.

Now, he has even more ways to check his balance.

For example, the Youdu Token.

The inventory of cultivation materials, the inventory of Evil Spirit materials, and the progress of the Fortune (vital energy) column.

The sense of security brought by the first two is the most obvious.

Chu Tianshu reviewed the materials again, selected "Fifteen Death-Claiming Swords," and prepared to deduce its meaning.

But he was still pondering what the Xianhe had said.

"The Golden Age..."

Chu Tianshu is a very realistic person.

He had also read many online novels with the theme of Spiritual Qi revival, in which everyone's standard of living would eventually be better than before the revival.

But because he himself lives in such a reality, he is not so optimistic.

To be able to keep even a small plot of land in one's hometown is considered a victory... to be able to flee with relatives and friends is considered a victory...

These were all thoughts he had had before.

However, if people in the same camp already have experience from the golden age, they can seize this opportunity to face the opportunities in the Spirit Realm.

Is it possible to recreate a golden age?

It's not creation, but rather a form of imitation, albeit a longer one.

There was once a view that online novels, due to their prevalent happy endings, were less memorable than tragedies.

Even when writing skills are similar, it's often the tragic characters who leave a more lasting impression.

However, human creations always draw inspiration from reality to some extent.

Those great tragedies, with their astonishing and unforgettable tragic endings, may be based on reality.

Does a happy ending necessarily mean the story is based on reality?

Damn it, don't discriminate against works with happy endings!

Chu Tianshu's thoughts triggered the token's functions.

"Derive the derivation for me!"

(End of this chapter)