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

When Wangchuan's great-grandson Yanyao took over Guixintang, the circular "Continuation of Spring" scroll could no longer accommodate any new additions—the scroll's length already encircled the entire hall, and the outermost new painting almost touched the threshold. The disciples then created the "Continuation of Spring Garden" outside the hall, paving a circular path with bluestone. The path was lined with "Boundless Flower," its golden edges shimmering in the sunlight, as if a century of stories were inlaid within a sea of ​​flowers.

On Yan Yao's fortieth birthday, she received a special gift—a "Memory Flower Seed" from the Arctic Ice Clan. It was said that this flower seed was cultivated using Sealed Spirit Jade Marrow and pollen from the "Boundless Flower," and that once planted, it would bloom based on the memories of those around it, with scenes from those memories appearing on the petals. The seed was delivered by A Che, a descendant of A Xue. The young man carried an old medicine chest, the wolf totem on it worn down to its outline, but inside were neatly arranged herbal specimens from three different regions. On the top layer was a leaf of "Heart-Connecting Grass," and within its veins, one could still see the faint light left by the phantom's voice from years past.

“Grandpa the witch doctor said that the flower seeds should be planted in the center of ‘Continuation of Spring Garden’.” Ache pointed to the open space in the garden, where there used to be a stone tablet that read “This Flower Has No Boundaries”, but it has now been moved to the edge. “He said that only in a place where the memories of the three places are gathered can it bloom into the most complete flower.”

Yan Yao gazed at the soil on the open ground and suddenly remembered the handwritten notes left by Wang Chuan's great-grandfather: "Continuing the writing is not about copying, but about letting memories breathe in new times." He took the flower seeds and touched the texture of the seed shell with his fingertips. It was exactly the same as the dandelion pattern on the "Continuing Spring Picture".

Accompanying him was Zhao Yanzhou, a descendant of Zhao Chengyu of Puhuitang. He brought a newly forged sword. The scabbard was not engraved with "Returning Heart," but instead inlaid with three colors of gemstones in the shape of a flower—azure for the soul-gathering petals, jade for the longing-for-returning grass leaves, and white jade for the snow-like stamens. "My great-grandfather said that a sword is not only for protection, but also for recording." When Zhao Yanzhou drew the sword, the light reflected from the blade fell on the flowers of "Continuing Spring Garden," and the golden edges of the petals instantly brightened. "This sword can reflect scenes from memory, which perfectly matches the 'Memory Flower.'"

Together, the three buried the flower seeds in the soil. A-Che watered them with melted snow from the far north, Zhao Yanzhou used his sword scabbard to draw circular patterns on the ground, and Yan Yao sprinkled on Guixintang's medicinal powder—ground from dried Soul-Gathering Flowers from a hundred years ago, carrying a faint sweet fragrance. After finishing all this, the three sat on the stone benches in the garden, looking at the land, and suddenly felt that a hundred years of time was like a river, slowly flowing beneath their feet.

"Whose memories do you think it will unlock first?" A-Che asked, stroking the wolf totem on the medicine box, his voice filled with anticipation.

“Perhaps it’s the image of the first Soul-Gathering Flower planted by Great-Grandma Wangshu.” Zhao Yanzhou gazed at the light and shadow on the sword blade. “I always feel that all stories begin with that flower.”

Yan Yao didn't speak, but gently stroked the jade pendant at her waist—it was made from the fossilized stem of the "Boundless Flower," and contained a wisp of light from the Sealing Spirit Jade Marrow, which would reveal the outline of the three medicinal gardens in the dark.

Three months later, the "Memory Flower" indeed sprouted. Its growth rate was astonishing; the veins of the *Gnaphalium affine*, the patterns of the *Symplocos galbana*, and the downy hairs of the *Edelweiss* all appeared on its stem simultaneously. The bud at the top was particularly peculiar, like a tiny kaleidoscope; when it spun in the sunlight, countless fragmented images could be seen: the afterimage of Wang Xiaohu slashing with his sword, Su Qingwan's fingertips sewing a doll, Wang Shu's profile as she blew dandelions…

On the day the flowers bloomed, envoys from all three regions arrived. Under their watchful eyes, the flower buds unfurled layer by layer, and the scenes on the petals gradually became clear: In the herb garden of Guixin Hall, Wangshu was teaching young Nianhe to identify the Soul-Gathering Flower, while Li Nian'an stood to the side sharpening his sword, the shadow of the sword tassel falling on the flower; beside the sword mound of Puhui Hall, Su Qingwan handed the seeds of Wanggui Grass to Steward Zhao, Wang Xiaohu's sword tassel swaying gently in the wind, overlapping with the phantom of the Demon-Suppressing Sword; on the icy plains of the far north, Alin's grandfather was burying Soul-Gathering Flower seeds in the snow, the leaves of the Wanggui Grass beside him facing south, as if counting down the days until their return…

Even more miraculously, as people approached, their own memories would appear on the petals. Ache saw the Ice Tribe children singing around the "Heart-Connecting Grass," Zhao Yanzhou saw Zhao Heng carving words on the stone tablet in Puhui Hall, and Yanyao saw Wangchuan's great-grandfather scattering flower seeds in front of the "Continuing Spring Picture," with the seeds falling to the ground and the sprouting grass leaves pointing in three directions at the same time.

“So we were all in the flowers.” Yan Yao suddenly said softly, his fingertips touching his own shadow on the petals. The shadow was bending down to water a new seedling, and next to it stood a little girl with pigtails, holding a leaf of Wangshu grass in her hand—that was his granddaughter who had just turned five, and whose name was also Wangshu.

Zhao Yanzhou used the blade of his sword to reflect the petals, and the light and shadow on the sword overlapped with the scene on the flowers, forming a new flowing painting: Guixintang's "Continuation of Spring Garden", Puhuitang's Sword Tomb and Fengling Jade Lake in the far north were connected in the painting. People from the three places exchanged flower seeds, sang folk songs and added to the "Continuation of Spring Picture" in the sea of ​​flowers. Roots grew under everyone's feet and were closely connected to the flower stems in the soil.

“This is the true continuation of the story.” A-Che pointed to the intertwined roots in the painting. “It’s not about carving the story on paper, but about making everyone a root of the story.”

That night, everyone stayed by the "Memory Flower." The scenes on the flower shifted with the moonlight, and the story of a hundred years unfolded like a silent movie on the petals. As dawn approached, a new bud suddenly sprouted from the center of the flower. This bud was more translucent than the outer petals, and vague shadows could be seen inside—faces never seen before, dressed in clothing from three different places, scattering flower seeds to even more distant places.

“They are people from the future.” Yan Yao’s granddaughter, Wang Shu, pointed to the flower buds, her little hand tightly clutching a leaf of the *Hovenia dulcis* plant. “They are planting flowers too.”

The group exchanged smiles, suddenly realizing that continuing the story wasn't about following in the footsteps of the past, but about letting the past stories become soil so that future generations could grow their own flowers on it. Just like this "memory flower," it carries a century of memories, yet it didn't remain in those memories; instead, it sprouted new buds, passing the baton of the story to those yet to come.

The next morning, Yan Yao and his granddaughter planted new seeds next to the "Memory Flower"—seeds mixed with the newest flower varieties from three different places. He named this new variety "Endless Spring." Little Wang Shu imitated her great-grandfather, pressing the soil down with her little hands, and then stuck a small wooden sign next to it, on which were crookedly written: "Flowers will remember everything, and people will grow new stories."

Zhao Yanzhou left his sword in "Xuchun Garden," the jewel on its scabbard gleaming in the sunlight, as if guiding the new seeds. A'Che distributed the herbal specimens from his medicine chest to everyone, each with a note that read, "Pass this on to the next flower grower." As he left Guixin Hall, A'Che glanced back. The new buds of the "Memory Flower" trembled gently in the sunlight; on the outer petals, the story of a hundred years still flowed slowly, while within the new buds, the shadow of the future grew ever clearer. He suddenly remembered his shaman grandfather's words: "The best continuation is to let the story forget it's a story, and only remember to keep blooming."

As the carriage traveled along the mountain road, the leaves of the roadside daylilies turned in three directions simultaneously, as if bidding them farewell, or welcoming the new story to come. A-Che knew this story would continue—"Endless Spring" would sprout next year, Little Wangshu would grow up, new messengers would carry flower seeds to the three places, "Continuing Spring Garden" would spread beyond Qing Shi Town, and that "Memory Flower" would bloom year after year, containing the past, present, and future within its petals, so that everyone who saw it would understand:
Eternity is nothing more than one flower blooming after another, one person loving after another, turning centuries of longing into an endless spring.

Just like now, the wind blows through the "Continuation of Spring Garden," and the petals of the "Memory Flower" rustle softly, as if humming an ancient ballad. The last line of the ballad is always a tender, unfinished melody: "We are waiting for you in the flowers, bringing new seeds."

By the time Xiao Wangshu had grown into a young woman, the "Endless Spring" of Guixintang had spread to every corner of Qingshi Town.

This flower, a blend of memories from three places, changes color with the time of day: in the morning it's the white of the far northern edelweiss, at noon the purple of the Guixintang Soul-Gathering Flower, and at dusk it's tinged with the green of the Puhuitang Wanggui Grass, yet its golden edges remain ever bright, like a golden thread running through time. Little Wangshu always wore a dried petal of the "Memory Flower" on her lapel. She found it under a flower when she was ten years old; the petal had a blurry image on it, squatting in the herb garden planting Soul-Gathering Flowers. Later, Grandpa Yanyao told her that it was Wangshu's great-grandmother.

"Sister Wangshu, Grandpa Ache from the far north has brought new flower seeds!" The medicine boy ran across the stone path carrying an ice-patterned wooden box. The wolf totem on the box gleamed coldly in the sunlight, contrasting beautifully with the warm colors of the "Endless Spring" flowers by the roadside.

Xiao Wangshu was tending to the century-old "Memory Flower" in the center of "Xuchun Garden." Now it had grown taller than the eaves, its trunk etched with the marks of time, yet it still bloomed every year, the scenes on its petals becoming increasingly rich: a new painting reflected in the light of Grandpa Zhao Yanzhou's sword, herbal specimens from Grandpa Ache's medicine chest, and even her own childhood image chasing dandelions. "I understand," she said, turning back, the three-colored jade hairpin in her hair swaying gently—it was a recarving from the fossilized stem of "This Flower Without Boundaries," the dandelion's veins becoming increasingly clear amidst the purple, green, and white colors. "Let Grandpa Ache rest in the hall first; I'll come back after I finish collecting the seeds from this plant."

Grandpa Ache was an old man with white hair, yet he still habitually wore a white deerskin coat, though the embroidered pattern of the "Wang Gui Cao" (a type of grass) on the cuffs had worn away to a faint outline. Upon seeing Xiao Wang Shu, he tremblingly opened the ice-patterned wooden box, inside which were seeds shimmering with a blue light, as if bathed in the light of the sealing jade. "This is... 'Rejuvenation Seeds'," the old man's voice carried the crisp chill of the icy plains. "The witch doctor said it can make withered plants sprout again, and it can also... make almost forgotten memories clear again."

Xiao Wangshu's fingertips touched the blue light of the seed, and she suddenly recalled a scene from the petals of the "Memory Flower": many years ago, an Ice Clan boy held a similar seed, standing by the Sealed Spirit Jade Lake, while the "Heart-Connecting Grass" beside him was blooming its first flower. "Is it to... make the 'Memory Flower' remember more things?"

“It’s not just about remembering.” Grandpa A-Che took out an old handkerchief from his pocket, inside which was a leaf of the northern sage grass. The leaf was already withered, but it still faced south. “It’s so that new memories can connect with the old roots.”

Just then, the messenger from Puhuitang arrived. It was Zhao Wang, the grandson of Zhao Yanzhou's grandfather. The young man carried a light sword on his back. The scabbard was not adorned with jewels, but it was embroidered with the floral shadows of "Endless Spring" in silver thread, and the tricolor grass leaves on the tassel were woven even more intricately. "Great-grandfather said that this time he would carve new characters on the stone path of 'Xuchun Garden'." He squatted down and pointed to the circular pattern on the ground with the scabbard. "The 'Boundless Flower' and 'Passing on the Torch' that were carved before were all about flowers. This time, he will carve 'Endless Flower Path' so that the path will grow along with the story."

Looking at the "Endless Spring" that had spread out of the garden, Xiao Wangshu suddenly felt that they were like countless hands, pulling Qing Shi Town, Xingchen Sword Sect, and the Arctic Ice Plains closer and closer. "Okay," she said, carefully putting the "Rejuvenation Seed" into her brocade pouch. "After we finish carving the words, we'll scatter the new seeds along the roadside, so that the flower path will truly have no end."

On the day the inscription was carved, elders from all three places came. Grandpa Ache used an icicle to outline the characters on the stone slab, Brother Zhao Wang used a sword tassel dipped in cinnabar to fill in the color, and Little Wang Shu was responsible for scattering the petals of "Endless Spring" onto the carved characters, letting the golden petals fall into the strokes of the four characters "Endless Flower Road," like laying a flower carpet on the road of time. When carving the last stroke, Grandpa Ache suddenly stopped, the icicle hovering over the last dot of the character "尽" (end): "Or... let's leave a gap."

"Why?" Zhao Wang asked, puzzled.

"Leave it for future generations to fill." The old man looked at the distant mountains, his eyes suddenly brightening. "Just like a story, there always has to be a place for new people."

Xiao Wangshu suddenly remembered the topmost petal of the "Memory Flower," where there was always a blank space, where no scene was ever imprinted, no matter how many years passed. Grandpa Yanyao said that it was reserved for the future. She reached out and took the ice pick, gently touching a shallow mark on the notch: "That's good, like a seed waiting to sprout."

After the "Rejuvenating Seeds" were sown, the changes in "Continuing Spring Garden" were faster than expected. New green shoots sprouted from the withered branches of the "Memory Flower," and the "Endless Spring" along the stone path bloomed even more profusely. Even at the spot where Grandma Wangshu planted the first Soul-Gathering Flower a hundred years ago, a small clump of "Returning Home Grass" grew, its leaves pointing towards Puhui Hall. Even more miraculously, blurry new images began to emerge on the blank petals of the "Memory Flower": a girl wearing a Guixin Hall cloth skirt was planting "Endless Spring" in the snowy north; a boy carrying a sword was telling children the story of "Heart-Connecting Grass" beside the sword mound of Puhui Hall; and a little girl with pigtails was holding a leaf of "Returning Home Grass" and standing in a mountain valley at the junction of the three places, the veins of the leaf pointing in three directions at the same time.

"Is it...something from the future?" Little Wangshu gazed at the new figures, suddenly feeling her heart pounding. (End of Chapter)