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

At the autumnal equinox, the Soul-Gathering Flower planted by Wang Shu finally bloomed.

The petals unfolded layer by layer, revealing a golden-yellow stamen at the center, emitting a faint fragrance. The little girl happily circled the flower three times, picked the largest one, carefully wrapped it in cotton paper, and stuffed it into an envelope: "I'm going to send it to Grandma Su, and also tell her that Grandpa Xuanjizi's medicine book contains Wanggui Grass."

Li Nian'an stood to the side, holding a newly made wooden sword in his hand, which he had carved in the style of Wang Xiaohu's sword. "Let's go to the Star Sword Sect together after Grandma Su replies." He looked at the Soul-Gathering Flower, his eyes full of anticipation. "Ya Ye said he would teach me the last set of sword techniques. Once I learn them, I can protect Gui Xin Tang."

Wang Shu nodded vigorously and handed the envelope to A Ying: "Father, you must make sure the messenger delivers it quickly."

Aying smiled and agreed, but a pang of sadness lingered in his heart. He knew that Wang Xiaohu's health was not what it used to be; he had caught a cold last winter and his cough hadn't fully healed yet, so he certainly didn't have the strength to teach swordsmanship. But the children didn't understand these things yet, so he let them have something to look forward to.

Su Qingwan's reply came quickly. Inside the envelope, besides the letter, was a small cloth doll made from the stem of a Soul-Gathering Flower, dressed in a blue cotton jacket, looking remarkably like Wang Shu. The letter said that the ginkgo leaves of the Starry Sky Sword Sect had fallen, carpeting the ground like a golden blanket; that the Wanggui Grass planted by the disciples of Puhui Hall was growing vigorously, its leaves all facing towards Qing Shi Town; and that Wang Xiaohu basked in the sun by the Sword Tomb every day, saying that seeing the Wanggui Grass reminded him of the lively atmosphere of Guixin Hall.

"Grandma Su said that once Wangshu's Soul-Gathering Flower bears seeds, she will come and learn how to harvest them from me." Wangshu held up the doll and ran to the herb garden to show the Soul-Gathering Flower. "Look, Grandma Su remembers our promise."

The petals of the Soul-Gathering Flower trembled gently in the wind, as if responding to her words.

When the first snow of winter fell, Wang Xiaohu really arrived.

He was thinner than when we last met, and his hair was completely white, but he was still very energetic. Supported by Su Qingwan, he walked step by step into Guixin Hall. Wang Shu and Li Nian'an were already waiting at the door. As soon as they saw them, they rushed over, one hugging Wang Xiaohu's leg and the other holding Su Qingwan's hand, chattering incessantly.

"Yay, is your cough better?" Li Nian'an touched Wang Xiaohu's chest, like a little adult.

Wang Xiaohu smiled and nodded: "Alright, look, I can even teach you swordsmanship."

Wang Shu then handed over the dried soul-calming flower she had made: "Grandma Su, you can soak this in water and drink it to calm your nerves."

Su Qingwan took the dried flower, smelled it, and her eyes lit up: "It smells so good, even better than the ones from Puhuitang."

At dinner, the long kang table was pushed together and filled with people. Li Gou Dan's back was even more hunched, but he insisted on pouring wine for Wang Xiao Hu, saying that this was the last time he would drink with him; A Ying served Wang Xiao Hu a bowl of chicken soup with a lot of calming herbs in it; Miss Wang picked up a piece of osmanthus cake made by Wang Shu for Su Qing Wan, saying that the child had practiced for a long time before she learned how to make it.

Wang Shu sat in Su Qingwan's lap, listening to the adults talk about the past. They talked about the sunflowers of Black Sand City, the spirit-sealing jade of the far northern snow mountain, the three teenagers of Hundred Herbs Valley who have now become famous doctors, and the disciples of Star Sword Sect who come to Qing Shi Town for the market every year, like visiting relatives.

“Do you know?” Wang Xiaohu took a sip of wine and suddenly said, “Back then, I thought the martial arts world was just about fighting and killing. But after meeting you all, I realized that the martial arts world is about daily necessities, flowers in a medicinal garden, warmth on a heated kang bed, and all these noisy people around me.”

Su Qingwan grasped his hand, tears glistening in her eyes: "Yes, it is these people who give the martial world something to hold onto, a place to belong."

At night, Wang Shu lay beside Su Qingwan, listening to her tell stories of Wang Xiaohu's youth. She told him how he used seven swords to cleave Black Wind Valley, how he sealed the Cold Nightmare in the far north snow mountain, and how he was actually most afraid of insects, always avoiding caterpillars whenever he encountered them while gathering herbs.

"Then why does Yeye still need to learn swordsmanship?" Wangshu asked curiously.

"It's to protect the people you want to protect." Su Qingwan gently patted her back. "Just like how you want to protect your Soul-Gathering Flower, and Nian'an wants to protect Guixin Hall, it's the same principle."

Wang Shu nodded as if she understood, her little head resting in Su Qingwan's arms, and she gradually fell asleep. The snow was still falling outside the window, landing on the roof of Guixin Hall with a soft rustling sound, like a gentle lullaby.

Wang Xiaohu stayed at Guixin Hall for a month, teaching Li Nian'an swordsmanship every morning. Although his movements were slow, he was still meticulous. Li Nian'an learned diligently, and every move he made was steady, much like Wang Xiaohu in his youth.

Before leaving, Wang Xiaohu untied the tassel from the Demon-Suppressing Sword and tied it to Li Nian'an's wooden sword: "This tassel has been with me for decades. It can calm my mind and give me courage. I'm entrusting it to you from now on."

Li Nian'an gripped the wooden sword, her eyes red-rimmed, and nodded vigorously: "I will use it to protect Guixin Hall, just like my father did."

Wang Shu carefully wrapped up the seeds of the Soul-Gathering Flower and stuffed them into Su Qingwan's hand: "Grandma Su, take this back and plant it in Puhui Hall, so that it will feel like we are together."

Su Qingwan took the seed and kissed her on the cheek: "When spring comes, I'll plant it, and when it blooms, I'll send you a letter."

As the carriage drove out of Qing Shi Town, Wang Shu and Li Nian'an stood at the town entrance, watching it gradually disappear into the distance until it was no longer visible. Only then did they reluctantly turn back. Suddenly, Wang Shu grabbed Li Nian'an's hand and ran towards the herb garden: "Brother Nian'an, let's plant some more Soul-Gathering Flowers, fill the whole herb garden, so that Grandma Su and Little Tiger Grandpa won't forget us."

Li Nian'an smiled and nodded, taking her little hand and leaving a trail of tiny footprints in the snow. The *Wanggui* herb in the medicinal garden still faced the direction of the Star Sword Sect despite the wind and snow, its leaves covered with a thin layer of snow, like a sprinkle of icing sugar.

The following spring, when the Soul-Gathering Flower in Puhuitang sprouted, Wang Xiaohu passed away peacefully.

Su Qingwan didn't come to deliver the letter, but instead asked Steward Zhao to bring Wang Xiaohu's sword tassel—not Li Nian'an's, but the one he always wore, with a red string tied around it, which Su Qingwan had braided for him years ago. Steward Zhao said that Wang Xiaohu left peacefully, still clutching a leaf of the "Wanggui Grass" in his hand, the leaf facing towards Qingshi Town.

Aying hung the sword tassel under the eaves of Guixin Hall, letting it sway gently in the wind, as if telling a story. Wangshu and Li Nian'an went to see it every day. Wangshu said the sword tassel was singing, and Li Nian'an said it was Ye Ye greeting them. In early summer, Su Qingwan also wrote a letter, saying that she was getting old and could no longer travel, and asked them to visit Xingchen Sword Sect when they had time, saying that the Soul-Gathering Flowers in Puhui Hall were in full bloom, like a purple sea.

Wang Shu and Li Nian'an really went.

They followed the mountain path that Wang Xiaohu had walked years ago, step by step, toward the Starry Sky Sword Sect. Wang Shu carried a small medicine basket filled with dandelions she had grown herself; Li Nian'an carried a wooden sword, its tassel swaying gently in the wind.

The disciples of Puhui Hall waited at the mountain gate, their eyes reddening when they saw them. Su Qingwan sat on a bamboo chair by the herb garden, her hair completely white, but she still smiled and waved to them: "You've come, come and see how well these flowers are growing."

The Soul-Gathering Flowers had truly blossomed into a purple sea. As the wind blew, the sea of ​​flowers rippled, as if singing softly. Wang Shu squatted down, picked the largest flower, and pinned it to Su Qingwan's collar: "Grandma Su, look, it smells just as good as the ones I planted."

Su Qingwan smiled and nodded, taking her hand and then Li Nian'an's hand together: "From now on, these flowers are yours." She pointed to the direction of the crape myrtle, "Look at them, no matter how far apart they are, they always remember the place they care about. People should be like that too."

Wang Shu and Li Nian'an exchanged a glance and nodded heavily.

As the sun set, they stood before the Sword Tomb, watching the seven illusory figures swirling on the Demon-Suppressing Sword. Li Nian'an gripped the wooden sword in his hand tightly, while Wang Shu took out a Soul-Gathering Flower seed and gently placed it beside the Sword Tomb.

“Grandma Su, we will continue writing the story.” Li Nian’an’s voice was soft but firm.

Wang Shu nodded in agreement, pointing her little finger into the distance: "We will plant many, many Soul-Gathering Flowers, so that they can bloom everywhere, and let everyone know that there are the warmest stories here."

The Demon-Suppressing Sword hummed softly, as if echoing their words. Seven illusory figures swirled in the sunlight, gentle as a halo, enveloping the land and the unfinished stories.

As the wind blows, the fragrance of the Soul-Gathering Flower drifts into the distance, as if telling a very long story—about protection, about longing, about love, about those warmest moments that have slowly settled over the years.

And this story, like the seeds of the Soul-Gathering Flower, will spread in the wind, take root in the soil, and continue to be written in the hearts of every kind-hearted person, forever and ever… When the Soul-Gathering Flowers bloom again in the medicinal garden of Puhui Hall, Wangshu can now independently identify hundreds of herbs. She wears an indigo-blue cloth skirt, the hem embroidered with dandelion patterns—the last pattern that Miss Wang taught her to embroider before her death. At this moment, she is squatting by the flower field, carefully collecting the seeds, her fingertips brushing against the plump black seeds, as if touching a warm memory.

"Sister Wangshu, look how perfectly round this seed is!" Thirteen-year-old Azhu ran over holding a flower seed. He was an orphan taken in by Li Nian'an, and his features bore a resemblance to Little Stone from back then. He always loved to follow Wangshu around and learn to recognize medicinal herbs.

Wang Shu took the flower seed, looked at it in her palm, and said, "This is the best one this year. I'll save it to send to Grandma Su of the Star Sword Sect." She took out a small cloth bag from the bamboo basket and carefully put the flower seed in it. "I remember Grandma Su wrote back last year saying that the Wanggui Grass in Puhui Hall had grown taller again, and the leaves always pointed towards Qingshi Town."

A-Zhu nodded as if she understood, then suddenly pointed to the mountain and said, "Brother Nian'an is back!"

Li Nian'an, carrying a medicine basket, walked wearily up the mountain path. He was now a renowned physician in Qing Shi Town, also skilled in swordsmanship, and the plaque of Gui Xin Tang was polished to a gleaming shine in his hands. The medicine basket contained freshly picked angelica and something wrapped in oiled paper, emitting a faint, sweet fragrance.

"Guess what I brought back?" He smiled and held up the oil paper package, which contained several peach blossom cakes. These were made by Miss Wang back then, and the recipe has now been passed down by the town's pastry shop. Every year when the peach blossoms bloom, they make several baskets of them.

Wang Shu took the peach blossom cake, broke off a piece and handed it to A Zhu, then took a bite herself. The sweet taste spread on her tongue, reminding her of when she was little, when Miss Wang would always give her the first piece of peach blossom cake, saying, "Girls should eat more sweets so their hearts will be warm."

"On this trip to Hundred Herbs Valley, I met three gentlemen." Li Nian'an sat on the stone steps by the herb garden, her voice tinged with emotion. "They are all old now, their hair is completely white, yet they are still teaching their disciples to identify herbs. They said that back then, Brother Aying taught them to plant Soul-Gathering Flowers, and now the valley is full of blooming flowers, and even passing travelers stop to smell their fragrance."

Wang Shu's fingertips paused. A Ying passed away three years ago. He died peacefully, still clutching the medicine manual left by Xuan Ji Zi in his hand, with a leaf of Wang Gui Cao tucked between the pages. Before he died, he held Wang Shu and Li Nian An's hands and said, "Plants and trees have feelings, and people should have even more feelings. Guarding Gui Xin Tang is guarding everyone's concerns."

“They also asked me to bring some Soul-Gathering Flower seeds from Hundred Herbs Valley, saying they wanted to plant them at Guixin Hall.” Li Nian’an took out a cloth bag from the medicine basket. The seeds inside were plumper than the local ones. “They said these were the seeds that Brother A-Ying brought over back then, and now they’ve returned to their ‘mother’s home.’”

Wang Shu accepted the flower seeds, her heart warmed. It turns out that some attachments can truly be like flower seeds, taking root and sprouting over time, remembering the path they came from no matter how far they travel.

In early autumn, Manager Zhao from the Starry Sky Sword Sect sent a letter saying that Su Qingwan's health was deteriorating and she kept thinking about the Hope-Returning Grass from the Returning Heart Hall. Wang Shu and Li Nian'an immediately packed their bags, taking with them the newly harvested Soul-Gathering Flower seeds and peach blossom cakes, and hurried to the Starry Sky Sword Sect.

The mountain road was still winding, but the horse-drawn carriages of yesteryear had been replaced by foot traffic. Wang Shu carried a medicine basket filled with calming herbs for Su Qingwan; Li Nian'an carried a sword with the tassel left by Wang Xiaohu, swaying gently in the wind. Azhu insisted on coming along, saying she wanted to see the legendary singing sword, but Li Nian'an chuckled and patted her on the head: "When we get there, you have to follow the rules and not touch the sword tomb."

When they arrived at the Star Sword Sect, the disciples of the Puhui Hall were waiting at the mountain gate. Manager Zhao's hair had turned white, and his eyes reddened when he saw them: "Uncle Su has been waiting for you for several days. He said he knew you were coming as soon as he smelled the fragrance of the Soul-Gathering Flower."

Su Qingwan lay on a bamboo chair beside the herb garden, covered with a thick blanket. Sunlight filtered through the ginkgo leaves, casting dappled patterns on her face, making her appear asleep. Wang Shu gently walked over and placed a bunch of freshly picked Soul-Gathering Flowers beside her: "Grandma Su, we've come to see you."

Su Qingwan slowly opened her eyes and saw Wang Shu and Li Nian'an. Her eyes immediately lit up: "Good children, you've finally come." Her voice was soft but full of laughter. "Let me see, Wang Shu has grown so handsome, and Nian'an has become a man."

Li Nian'an held her hand, her palm warm: "We brought peach blossom cakes, the kind you like."

Su Qingwan smiled and nodded, instructing her disciple to bring the peach blossom cake, but she didn't eat it. Instead, she looked at Wang Shu and asked, "Is the first Soul-Gathering Flower you planted still there?" (End of Chapter)