Shengui Changsheng: Start from Zhenwuwei and add some points to cultivate immortality

The autumn atmosphere of the Star Sword Sect always carries a mellow quality that comes with time and experience.

The ginkgo leaves behind Puhuitang had mostly turned yellow, and they fell in a rustling sound when the wind blew, carpeting the ground with gold. Wang Xiaohu squatted by the herb garden, collecting the dried astringent herbs into a ceramic jar, while Su Qingwan sat on the veranda, weaving little trinkets for the children out of ginkgo leaves.

"Brother Xiaohu, Sister Su!" A clear voice came from the mountain path. Li Gou Dan's son, Li Xiao Shi Tou, carrying a small bundle on his back, ran into the yard. A few ginkgo leaves were still stuck to the bundle. "My dad asked me to deliver the newly harvested chestnuts!"

Little Stone is ten years old this year. His eyebrows and eyes look just like Li Gou Dan's, but he is more lively. He hopped and skipped as he poured chestnuts onto the stone table, and then pulled out a cloth doll as if it were a treasure. It was a little tiger sewn from blue cloth, with crooked stitches, but it was made by the embroiderer in town with his pocket money saved up for half a month.

"It's for Sister Su," Little Stone said, blushing and scratching his head. "My mother said that Sister Su plays the pipa beautifully, and Little Tiger can accompany her to practice."

Su Qingwan smiled as she took the doll, her fingertips brushing against the frayed edges of the stitches, her eyes filled with warmth: "It's so pretty, I really like it."

Looking at the mountain of chestnuts piled on the stone table, Wang Xiaohu suddenly remembered something: "I received a letter from Aman a few days ago, saying that the 'Hundred Herbs Valley' in the southern border region had a good harvest this year and invited us to taste the newly brewed 'Hundred Herbs Wine'. We can conveniently stop by Qingshi Town and bring these chestnuts back to your parents."

Little Stone's eyes lit up: "Can I come along? I want to see Sister Aman's medicine hut!"

When the three set off, the mountain road was already covered with fallen ginkgo leaves. When they passed through Duanyun City, they happened to be there during the "Autumn Hunting Festival". Red lanterns were hung in the streets, hunters led their hunting dogs through the streets, and fur traders' stalls displayed fox and rabbit pelts. It was a lively scene.

"I heard that among this year's prey is a 'Moon-Scaled Beast'." The storyteller in the teahouse clapped his gavel, spittle flying everywhere. "That beast has the horns of a Qilin, is pure white all over, and is said to be able to spit out moonlight to feed. Whoever can get its fur will be immune to all diseases!"

The surrounding drinkers gasped in astonishment, but a gray-clad boy in the corner sneered. A short knife hung at his waist, the scabbard engraved with the character "Shadow".

Su Qingwan quietly nudged Wang Xiaohu's arm: "He's a remnant of the Shadow Soul Masters." She recognized the pattern on the boy's scabbard as being exactly the same as the pattern on the bone staff used by the Shadow Soul Masters of Black Sand City back then.

The boy seemed to notice their gazes, looked up, his left black pupil slightly contracted, then got up and left the teahouse, his figure quickly disappearing into the crowd.

"Follow him," Wang Xiaohu said in a low voice. "The remnants of Shadow Soul Masters appearing here is probably not a good thing."

The three followed the boy through the bustling streets to a dilapidated temple outside the city. The temple door was ajar, and hushed conversations could be heard from inside. As soon as the boy pushed the door open, a sharp shout rang out from within: "Did you bring the goods?"

“I brought it.” The boy took out a black cloth bag from his pocket, from which rolled out several dark purple beads, with a faint black mist swirling around them. “These are ‘Shadow Beads’ made from the souls of ten unjustly killed individuals. They’re enough to lure out the Moon Qilin Beast.”

A one-eyed man with a scar running from his brow bone to his chin stood in the temple. He grinned maliciously and said, "Good! As long as we get the inner core of the Moonscale Beast, we can refine the 'Resurrection Pill.' Then, our leader can use the beast's body to return to life and revive the Reverse Time Sect!"

Wang Xiaohu's heart skipped a beat—the Reverse Time Cult still had remnants, and they were even attempting to use evil magic to bring their leader back to life! He was about to rush in when Su Qingwan stopped him. She pointed to the temple beam, where several black bats were perched, their eyes fixed on the ground below, clearly acting as lookouts.

"We'll catch them in the act once they make a move," Su Qingwan said in a low voice. "The Moonscale Beast is a spiritual creature; we can't let it get hurt."

As night fell, the boy and the one-eyed man brought the Shadow Pearl to "Moon Gazing Cliff" outside the city. Below the cliff was a dense forest, where the Moon-Scaled Beast was said to hide. The boy buried the Shadow Pearl under a tree, chanting incantations. The black mist on the pearl gradually rose, transforming into the shape of a crescent moon, swaying in mid-air.

Not long after, a soft sound came from the depths of the dense forest, and a beast with a pure white body emerged. It resembled a deer, with spiral antlers on its head, the antlers wreathed in silvery-white moonlight—it was the Moonscale Beast. Clearly attracted by the aura of the Shadow Pearl, it walked step by step towards the foot of the tree, its eyes filled with curiosity.

"Attack!" The one-eyed man suddenly rushed out from behind the tree, his net, shrouded in black mist, slung over the Moonscale Beast.

Just then, Wang Xiaohu's Demon-Suppressing Sword shot out, its seven-colored sword energy cleaving the net into pieces. "Remnants of the Reverse Time Cult, still daring to cause trouble!"

Upon seeing this, the boy and the one-eyed man immediately released the black mist from the Shadow Pearl. The black mist transformed into countless black shadows, rushing towards Wang Xiaohu. At the same time, Su Qingwan's pipa music rang out, the sound waves as gentle as moonlight, enveloping the black shadows layer by layer. The black shadows let out shrill screams within the sound waves and quickly dissipated without a trace.

"It's you! Master of the Star Sword!" The one-eyed man recognized Wang Xiaohu, fear flashing in his eyes, then turning into madness. "Even if you kill us today, the Sect Leader will definitely return! The great cause of the Reverse Time Sect..."

Before he could finish speaking, Little Stone suddenly picked up a rock and smashed it hard on the back of his head. "You big bad guy! Don't talk nonsense!"

The one-eyed man staggered and fell to the ground, pinned down by Wang Xiaohu's foot on his back, unable to move. Seeing the situation was dire, the boy turned to flee, but was blocked by the Moon-Scaled Beast. The beast lowered its head, and moonlight shone from its horns. The boy was bathed in the light, and the black mist around him instantly dissipated, revealing a handsome but pale face.

"I...I just wanted to save my mother." The boy slumped to the ground, tears mingling with the dirt as they streamed down his face. "They said that if I helped them get the inner core, they could cure my mother's cough..."

Wang Xiaohu glanced at the short sword at his waist and suddenly remembered the Shadow Soul Master of Black Sand City—that boy had also been a pitiful person controlled by resentment. He sighed and helped the boy up: "Healing requires medicine, not evil magic. Aman's Hundred Herbs Wine can soothe the lungs; I'll take you to get a bottle."

The Moon-Scaled Beast gently nuzzled the boy's hand, as if comforting him. Silvery moonlight fell upon the boy, and the paleness on his face gradually faded, revealing some color.

When they returned to Broken Cloud City, it was already dawn. Wang Xiaohu handed the one-eyed man over to the city's constables and gave the boy enough money to take his mother to the Southern Frontier to find Aman. Before leaving, the boy placed the short knife engraved with the character "Shadow" on the ground and crushed it to dust with his foot.

"Thank you, Sword Master." He bowed deeply, then, holding the hand of the old woman who had rushed over upon hearing the news, he disappeared step by step into the morning light.

Watching their retreating figures, Xiao Shitou suddenly asked, "Brother Xiao Hu, can bad people turn into good people?" Wang Xiao Hu patted his head and looked at Su Qingwan. She was wiping her pipa with her head down, and the morning light shone through the window into her hair. A ginkgo leaf was tucked behind her ear, which Xiao Shitou had secretly put in her last night.

“Yes,” Wang Xiaohu’s voice was soft but firm, “like the autumn leaves, falling is not the end, but the prelude to the new green next year.”

After leaving Duanyun City, the three went to Qingshi Town first. Li Gou Dan was all smiles when he saw his son return safely, and insisted on having a few drinks with Wang Xiaohu. After a few rounds of drinks, he said with a flushed face, "Brother Xiaohu, now I finally understand what you meant by 'protecting' back then - it doesn't necessarily mean fighting and killing, it's good enough if the people in the town can live peacefully."

Wang Xiaohu raised his glass and clinked it against his: "You're right."

When they arrived at the Hundred Herbs Valley in Southern Xinjiang, Aman was harvesting herbs in the fields. The Soul-Gathering Flowers in the valley were in full bloom, their purple petals glistening with morning dew, resembling a cloud from afar. Aman saw them and tossed them three medicine pouches with a smile: "These are made from freshly harvested herbs; they can ward off miasma."

She led everyone to the medicine hut, where shelves were filled with earthenware jars and the air was filled with the aroma of wine. "The Hundred Herbs Wine is still in the cellar and won't be opened until next month," Aman said, pouring them tea. "But I've brewed some new 'Osmanthus Wine,' so please try some first."

The osmanthus wine was sweet but not cloying, with a delicate floral fragrance. Little Stone held the cup, sipping it slowly, his eyes fixed on the herbal illustrations hanging on the wall. He had never seen the plants in the pictures before, and he was completely absorbed in them.

"Is this child interested in herbs?" Ah Man asked with a smile.

Wang Xiaohu nodded: "He just said he wanted to learn how to identify medicinal herbs from you."

Little Stone blushed, but nodded vigorously: "Yes! I want to learn how to cure illnesses so that I can help anyone who gets sick in the future!"

Ah Man laughed even more happily: "Okay, when you grow up a bit more, come live in the valley, and I'll teach you all my skills."

After staying in Hundred Herbs Valley for half a month, with the ginkgo leaves all fallen and a thin layer of frost covering the mountain path, Wang Xiaohu and his companions decided to return. Aman filled a cart with herbs for them, along with several jars of sealed osmanthus wine. "It's cold on the road, let's drink some wine to warm ourselves up."

On the way back, Little Stone kept looking at a herbal medicine book. Whenever he encountered an unfamiliar plant, he would pull Wang Xiaohu aside and ask him all sorts of questions. Su Qingwan, on the other hand, sat on the carriage shaft, holding a pipa and humming softly. The sound of the pipa and the "rolling" of the wheels intertwined and echoed through the mountains.

Sitting in the car, watching the scenery flash by outside the window, Wang Xiaohu suddenly felt that the so-called Jianghu (martial arts world) was perhaps never about the fighting with swords and shadows, but about the companionship that flows like a gentle stream—the Qing Shi Town protected by Li Gou Dan, the Bai Yao Valley cared for by A Man, the expectation for the future in Xiao Shi Tou's eyes, and the music flowing from Su Qing Wan's fingertips.

These ordinary moments, like scattered pearls, are strung together by the thread of time and become the most touching stories.

When they returned to the Star Sword Sect, the first snow of winter was falling. The children of Puhui Hall were building snowmen in the snow, their laughter piercing through the wind and snow, exceptionally clear. Wang Xiaohu buried the osmanthus wine under the ginkgo tree, while Su Qingwan hung the rag doll given to her by Xiao Shitou on her pipa, the doll's tail swaying gently in the wind.

The snow fell heavier and heavier, covering the rooftops and the herb garden, but it couldn't extinguish the light shining from the Puhui Hall. Under the light, some people were sorting herbs, some were wiping longswords, and some were softly playing music, creating a warm and peaceful scene.

Wang Xiaohu knew that as long as the light remained on, his story would continue to unfold. Perhaps the grandeur of the seven swords uniting would be gone, or the thrill of fighting evil spirits would be over, but the protection hidden in the fireworks, the gentleness woven into the years, would be the longest and most moving legend in itself.

Like the falling snow, seemingly silent, it quietly nourishes the land, awaiting the warmth of spring and the blooming of flowers next year. The festive atmosphere of the Starry Sword Sect begins when the first wisp of plum blossom fragrance wafts into the Sword Tomb.

The disciples of Puhuitang began sweeping away dust as early as the twelfth lunar month, bundling the withered branches from the herb garden into high stacks of firewood in the training ground, preparing to burn a "prosperous year fire" on New Year's Eve. Su Qingwan led several female disciples to cut paper-cuts for the windows of Puhuitang, with red plum blossoms, magpies, and chubby babies pasted all over the windows, and even a few pieces of gold leaf were stuck to the medicine cabinet.

Wang Xiaohu was writing Spring Festival couplets in front of the Sword Tomb. His calligraphy was not as vigorous as Nangong Wan's, but it had a smooth, sword-like quality. "Stars reflect snow on a thousand peaks in stillness, the sword's spirit contains spring and all things are new." Before the ink was dry, Xiao Shitou snatched it up and pasted it on both sides of the mountain gate.

"Brother Tiger, Sister Aman said she'll be here on the first day of the Lunar New Year!" Little Stone stood on a stool, spreading rice paste evenly on the Spring Festival couplets. "She also brought 'firecracker flowers' from southern Xinjiang, saying they'll bloom into fireworks when lit!"

Speaking of Aman, Wang Xiaohu recalled the letter from half a month ago. In the letter, she said that she had taken on a disciple in Hundred Herbs Valley, the Shadow Soul Master boy she had met in Broken Cloud City years ago, named Aying. The boy can now identify hundreds of kinds of herbs and has also learned acupuncture from Aman, but he doesn't talk much and always likes to squat by the herb field to look at the Soul-Gathering Flower.

"Where's Li Gou Dan?" Su Qingwan came over carrying a plate of freshly steamed rice cakes. The rice cakes were imprinted with the image of a little tiger, which she had specially found a mold in town to carve.

"Dad said he'd come after the New Year's market in Qing Shi Town," Little Stone said, grabbing a piece of rice cake and stuffing it into his mouth. "He also brought the best butcher in town, saying he'd slaughter a pig for us for the New Year!"

The snow fell heavily on New Year's Eve. The bonfire in the drill ground blazed brightly, casting a rosy glow on everyone's faces. As expected, Li Gou Dan arrived with the butcher, carrying a cart full of New Year's goods: cured meat, sausages, salted fish, and even several jars of newly brewed rice wine. A Man and A Ying also arrived. A Man wore a Miao ethnic minority silver-embroidered skirt, which jingled as she walked, while A Ying carried a medicine basket on her back and quietly followed behind. Upon seeing Wang Xiaohu, she gave a slight bow.

"Come warm up by the fire!" Wang Xiaohu pulled them to the fireside, and Su Qingwan handed them a steaming rice cake. "You must have been freezing on the way here."

“It’s not cold!” Aman peeled an orange and shared it with everyone. “Aying has been telling me about the herbs he recognizes the whole way. He said he’s going to plant a patch of them at the Star Sword Sect when spring comes.”

Aying's face flushed slightly as she took a cloth bag out of the medicine basket: "This is... a medicinal pillow for Sister Su, made with calming grass, so she can sleep soundly."

Su Qingwan smiled and accepted it. The medicine pillow was embroidered with a soul-gathering flower, and the stitches were much neater than the little tiger on the small stone. "Thank you, Aying, you put a lot of thought into it."

The bonfire burned ever brighter, crackling and popping amidst the laughter of children and the shouts of disciples playing rock-paper-scissors. Li Gou Dan, having drunk too much rice wine, patted Wang Xiaohu on the shoulder and slurred, "Brother Xiaohu, do you think we're... in the middle of a martial arts tournament like in the legends?" (End of Chapter)