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

Aying put down her shovel and looked up at the sky. The clouds were low, and the rain was falling at an angle. The sword mound in the distance was shrouded in mist, with only a faint gray-blue outline visible. "It'll be soon," she said softly. "The flower buds have already shown color. They'll bloom after a couple more days of sunshine."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the sound of horses' hooves echoed along the mountain path. Through the rain, a figure in a straw raincoat was leading a horse, which carried a huge bundle on its back, with several scrolls of bamboo slips peeking out from the corners—it was Aman!

"Sister Aman!" Little Stone jumped up and rushed over through the puddles, not caring that the splashing water soaked his trouser legs.

Aman laughed as she jumped off her horse, took off her straw hat, her hair still dripping with water: "We encountered a flash flood on the way and had to take a detour. Hope we didn't miss the flowering season!" She untied her bundle, inside which, besides bamboo slips, was a ceramic urn. "This is 'flower-inducing dew,' brewed with morning dew and nectar. It can make flower buds bloom more brightly."

Aying took the earthenware urn, her fingertips touching its cool surface, and whispered, "Thank you, Sister Aman."

"Don't be so polite with me." Aman patted his shoulder, her gaze falling on the flower buds in the herb garden, her eyes brightening. "They're growing so well, even more vibrant than those in Hundred Herbs Valley."

After the rain stopped, sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone on the wet leaves, refracting a rainbow of colors. Aman directed everyone to spray the flower buds with a flower-inducing dew. Her movements were very gentle, as if she were stroking a baby's cheek: "The Soul-Gathering Flower loves cleanliness the most. Even the dew must be from the morning, otherwise it will harm the flower's soul."

"Flower Soul?" Little Stone asked curiously.

“Yes,” Aman nodded, touching the flower bud with her fingertip. “Every plant has a soul. If you treat it well, it will grow well and bloom fragrantly.” She suddenly lowered her voice. “Just like people, if you have warm things in your heart, your days will be bright.”

Aying paused, looking up at Aman. She was smiling at him, her eyes warm like a freshly dried quilt. He suddenly understood that Aman had taught him more than just how to grow herbs; she had taught him how to live a beautiful life.

Three days later, at dawn, the first Soul-Gathering Flower finally bloomed.

The purple petals unfolded layer by layer, with golden stamens at the center, emitting a faint fragrance. Then, a second, a third... In less than half a day, the herb garden was transformed into a sea of ​​purple, even the air was filled with a sweet scent.

When Wang Xiaohu and Su Qingwan came to see the flowers, they bumped into Aying, who was lost in thought in the flower field. He was squatting in front of the first blooming Soul-Gathering Flower, holding a fallen petal in his hand, his eyes soft, as if he was thinking about something happy.

"What are you thinking about?" Su Qingwan walked over, her pipa still covered in morning dew—she had specially played "Awakening the Soul" for the flowers this morning.

Aying looked up, her cheeks slightly flushed: "I'm thinking... which one should I send to my mother." She pointed to the first flower to bloom, "This one is the biggest and the most fragrant; my mother will definitely like it."

Watching him carefully place the petals into the bamboo scroll, Wang Xiaohu suddenly recalled the gloom in the boy's eyes back in Black Sand City, like ink that could not be dissolved. But now, his eyes were filled with sunshine, and even his smile carried the fragrance of flowers.

“Ah Man said that after the flowers wither, she will teach us how to make Soul-Gathering Ointment.” Su Qingwan’s voice was very soft. “She said that this ointment can cure heart ailments. Anyone who feels suffocated will feel better after smelling it.”

Aying nodded and put the bamboo slip with the flower petals into the medicine basket: "I want to make more and send them to the people in Qing Shi Town, and... to those three teenagers in Baiyao Valley." He paused and added, "The Soul-Gathering Flowers they planted will soon sprout."

The three boys I brought back from Qing Shi Town are now atoning for their sins in Baiyao Valley. A-Man said they are very diligent; besides planting herbs, they also help take care of the patients in the medicine hut. However, they don't talk much and always like to hide in a corner and watch others laugh.

"It will be alright." Wang Xiaohu looked at the busy figures in the flower field—Aman was teaching Xiaoshitou to identify flower spirits, Su Qingwan was sitting on the edge of the field playing the pipa, and even the disciples of Puhui Hall in the distance had come to pick flowers, saying they would dry them to make sachets. The scene was warm and cozy, like freshly made honey.

When the flowers were in full bloom, Aman suggested holding a "flower festival." When the news spread, Li Gou Dan from Qing Shi Town brought the townspeople, and three teenagers from Baiyao Valley also came. Even the long-absent Taoist Master Xuanjizi came with his cane, saying that the fragrance of the flowers made his feet itch.

On the day of the flower festival, the training ground was filled with items made of Soul-Gathering Flowers: sachets, flower ointments, and even wine brewed from the petals. A-Ying, wearing a newly made blue cloth shirt, stood by the herb garden explaining the medicinal properties of Soul-Gathering Flowers to people. His voice was not loud, but it was very clear. He could answer questions about difficult-to-identify herbs, and the confidence in his eyes was impossible to hide.

Li Gou Dan, having drunk too much, dragged Wang Xiao Hu into the flower field: "Brother Xiao Hu, look at these flowers, they're just like the sunset on the horizon when you saved me in Black Wind Valley back then."

Wang Xiaohu smiled. He thought of the blood in Black Wind Valley, the ice of the far northern snow mountain, the waves of the endless sea... Those obstacles that he once thought he couldn't overcome have now turned into the fragrance of flowers in the flower field, and become memories that he can talk about with a smile.

Su Qingwan's pipa music drifted from the other side of the flower field. It was the same tune, "Awakening the Soul," but it was lighter and more lively than usual, as if petals were fluttering with the music. Aman and Xiaoshitou danced to the music, while the three boys stood in the corner watching, their lips secretly twitching into smiles.

Standing in the center of the flower field, Aying looked at everything. Suddenly, she bent down and picked the largest Soul-Gathering Flower, gently tucking it into her lapel. Sunlight fell on her hair, on the petals, and on everyone's smiling face, warming her as if she were melting.

Wang Xiaohu knew that this story would continue. The Soul-Gathering Flower would bloom again next year, Aying would grow even better medicine, Xiaoshitou would learn the complete "Compendium of Herbs," the three teenagers would emerge from the shadows in their hearts, and Li Gou Dan would lead the people of Qing Shi Town to attend even more flower festivals.

There are no thrilling battles, no life-or-death choices, only these days filled with the fragrance of flowers, these smiles slowly unfolding under the sunlight. And this, perhaps, is the most authentic form of the martial arts world—it's not about living a life of grandeur; being able to guard one's own little world, watching flowers bloom and fade, seeing those around you getting better and better, is already the best kind of martial arts world.

As dusk fell, the flowers gradually faded. Aying, carrying a lantern, watered the flower field one last time. Under the lamplight, the purple petals trembled slightly, as if bidding him goodnight. He suddenly remembered Aman's words: every plant has a soul. These soul-gathering flowers filling the field must be secretly smiling too.

The lights of Puhuitang were still on in the distance, and Su Qingwan's pipa music still drifted intermittently, mingling with Wang Xiaohu and Aman's laughter, like a gentle lullaby. Aying stood by the flower field, taking a deep breath; the fragrance of flowers mixed with the warmth of home made her feel very at ease.

He knew that when he woke up tomorrow, the sun would rise as usual, the Soul-Gathering Flower would bloom even more brightly, and his days, like this flower, would grow brighter and brighter. As autumn deepened, the Soul-Gathering Flower of the Star Sword Sect began to bear seeds.

The black seeds, hidden in the dried flower calyx, looked like plump stars. Aying squatted in the herb garden, carefully shaking the seeds into a bamboo basket, her movements as light as if she were gathering scattered moonlight. Little Stone squatted beside her to help, but couldn't resist secretly slipping seeds into his pocket.

"Why are you hiding this?" A-Ying noticed and raised an eyebrow. Little Stone took out a cloth bag from his pocket, which was already half full of seeds: "I want to send it to my three older brothers in Hundred Herbs Valley so they can try planting it too." He scratched his head, "Sister A-Man said that when seeds fall into the soil, they will take root and sprout, just like people, they can survive anywhere."

Aying paused, a hint of warmth appearing in his eyes. He took a handful of the plumpest seeds from the bamboo basket and put them into Xiaoshitou's cloth bag: "Take these with you too, and tell them to plant them in the spring and remember to let them get plenty of sunshine."

Just then, the familiar sound of horses' hooves came from the mountain path. Li Gou Dan rode an old horse, carrying a bulging burlap sack on his back, and called out from afar, "Brother Xiao Hu! Sister Su! Come and see what goodies I brought!"

The sack was filled with newly harvested chestnuts from Qing Shi Town, each one round and plump, still damp with the scent of soil. "The old chestnut trees in town have borne fruit. I picked some of the biggest ones to cook for you!" Li Gou Dan wiped his sweat, but his eyes darted towards the herb garden. "Have you finished harvesting the Soul-Gathering Flower seeds? My wife said she wants to use these seeds to make a pillow to cure her headaches."

"We've just finished collecting them." Wang Xiaohu walked over and took the sack. "Let Miss Su pack it into a cloth bag for you. Go back and sew a pillow for it. It'll be useful."

Su Qingwan found a piece of coarse cloth, filled it with flower seeds, and added some dried calming herbs: "This will have a better calming effect. Let your sister-in-law smell it before bed."

Li Gou Dan grinned from ear to ear, took the cloth bag and stuffed it into his pocket, then untied a wooden box from the horse's back: "By the way, a storyteller came to town a while ago, and he told you all your stories, saying that you used seven swords to split open Black Wind Valley, and that Miss Su used her pipa music to repel 100,000 demon soldiers! I brought you the storybook!"

The wooden box contained several thread-bound books, the covers of which read "The Legend of the Starry Night Heroes" and depicted Wang Xiaohu wielding a sword, with Su Qingwan beside him holding a pipa, her skirt billowing like a cloud. Little Stone snatched one and flipped through it, muttering, "Wow! Brother Xiaohu says 'One sword's light chills nineteen provinces!' Sister Su says 'Her music can soothe ten thousand sorrows!'"

Su Qingwan took the book, her fingertips brushing over the illustrations, and couldn't help but laugh: "This illustrator must have never seen me play the pipa before, he even drew the strings wrong."

Wang Xiaohu flipped through a few pages, the plot twists and turns, from "venturing alone into the demon's lair to retrieve the divine medicine" to "a decisive battle under the moon against the Reversal of Time Sect," leaving him completely bewildered. "This storyteller certainly has a rich imagination," he said, closing the book and looking at Li Gou Dan. "Do the townspeople like to listen to this?"

"I love listening to this!" Li Gou Dan slapped his thigh. "Every time I give a lecture, the teahouse is packed with people, even kids are peering out the windows to listen. Someone said they wanted to practice swordsmanship according to the moves in the book, and I gave them a good scolding—there's no such easy way to navigate the martial world!"

He suddenly lowered his voice and leaned closer to Wang Xiaohu: "But seriously, Brother Xiaohu, did you two really have a 'moonlit duel' back then? I always felt that the two of you standing together were like the characters in the book, a match made in heaven."

Su Qingwan's cheeks flushed slightly as she turned and went to the kitchen to busy herself, saying she was going to boil chestnuts. Aying also tactfully pulled Xiao Shitou to the herb garden, saying she would teach him to identify the newly harvested herbs.

Only Wang Xiaohu and Li Gou Dan remained in the courtyard. The sword mound in the distance stood silent in the twilight, like an old man who had seen through the ways of the world. "Actually," Wang Xiaohu said, gazing towards the kitchen, where Su Qingwan's figure flickered on the window paper, "the real martial world isn't about so many earth-shattering events."

He recalled the path he had walked over the years: saving Li Gou Dan in Black Wind Valley was just a casual act; helping A Man in Southern Xinjiang was simply because he couldn't bear to see a young girl struggling alone; even the fight against the Reverse Time Cult was a step-by-step process, full of thrills and dangers, but certainly not as miraculous as described in the book.

“The most precious thing is peace and stability,” Wang Xiaohu said softly. “It’s that the flowers in the herb garden can bloom every year, that the people around you can be safe and sound, and that you can sit down and eat a bowl of hot chestnuts like this.”

Li Gou Dan nodded as if he understood, then suddenly pointed to the illustrations in the book: "Then this 'Perfect Match' story isn't made up, is it?"

Wang Xiaohu smiled but didn't say anything. The sweet aroma of chestnuts wafted from the kitchen, mixed with Su Qingwan's humming tune, like a thin thread that warmed her heart.

At dinner, everyone gathered around the table to peel chestnuts. Su Qingwan was skillful and peeled the chestnuts whole, then shared them with Xiao Shitou and Aying. Li Gou Dan ate the fastest, spitting the shells all over the floor, but he didn't forget to stuff the biggest one into Wang Xiaohu's mouth: "You should eat more too, to replenish your strength, who knows, we might have to go to a 'final battle' someday."

"What's the big battle?" Wang Xiaohu peeled a chestnut and handed it to Su Qingwan. "The biggest battle right now is to sift these flower seeds clean tomorrow and make sure there are no impurities mixed in."

Everyone laughed. Moonlight streamed through the window, falling softly on everyone's faces like a veil. Little Stone, holding "The Legend of the Starry Night Couple," said he would read a passage to everyone. When he got to the line "The two held hands and looked at each other, the road of the martial world was long, but they would never leave each other," his voice suddenly softened, and he secretly glanced at Wang Xiaohu and Su Qingwan.

Su Qingwan's cheeks flushed even more as she lowered her head to peel chestnuts, her fingertips accidentally brushing against Wang Xiaohu's hand. Neither of them spoke, but the touch of their palms felt like a warm feather had landed on them.

As night deepened, Li Gou Dan took Xiao Shi Tou to the guest room to rest. Wang Xiao Hu and Su Qing Wan sat in the courtyard, sorting through the remaining chestnut shells. The moonlight cast long shadows of the two of them, overlapping and indistinguishable from one another.

"Do you believe what's written in this book?" Su Qingwan suddenly asked, her voice very soft.

"I only believe half of it," Wang Xiaohu said. "It's true that the journey through the martial world is long, and it's also true that we'll never abandon each other."

Su Qingwan looked up at him, her eyes sparkling like a pool of stars. Suddenly, she took something out of her sleeve and handed it to Wang Xiaohu—a bracelet made of Soul-Gathering Flower seeds, black seeds strung on a red cord, simple yet beautiful.

“Aying taught me how to weave it,” she said softly, “She said wearing it can calm the mind.”

Wang Xiaohu took the bracelet; it was warm to the touch, and the seeds still carried a faint floral fragrance. He put the bracelet on his wrist, and it fit perfectly. "Shall I make one for you too?" he said with a smile, "with the rope from a sword tassel; I guarantee it'll be sturdy."

"Okay." Su Qingwan's voice was filled with laughter.

Autumn insects chirped in the grass, and occasionally, the faint trembling of divine swords echoed from the distant sword mound, as if in response to something. Wang Xiaohu knew that this story would continue. The legends in the book might become more and more fantastical with each passing tale, but their lives would still flow slowly like this, amidst the aroma of peeling chestnuts, the fingertips stringing bracelets, and the smiles exchanged between them. (End of Chapter)