Notes on Longevity

Chapter 242 Under the tree, the two asked if he had been here before, and Cheng Ye sadly recounted the past.

Guo Zikang's yellow and white scholar's long gown fluttered in the wind, while Du Shiwei's white and green ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) resembled a lily among flowers, with white blossoms and green leaves as a backdrop.

Cheng Ye stood there, looking at them with indescribable regret. The reason for this was the story he had heard. Although the version told to him by Fang Yazi was roughly similar, it wasn't that the scholar failed the exam and the woman suffered unjustly. Instead, it was that the scholar died in despair after failing the exam, and the woman committed suicide out of love.

When he passed through this place during his travels, he saved the two of them with his extraordinary abilities.

"Is the old gentleman alright?"

After Guo Zikang finished drinking his tea, he beckoned to Cheng Ye to sit beside the two of them. Du Shiwei then gently flicked his fingers, and a cup full of tea appeared in his hand.

Speaking of the past, Cheng Ye drank tea as if it were wine and said, "Ever since this old swindler was targeted, he has been hiding in Qumu Town. I met him between two mountains. At that time, he said he was going out to find a book. I don't know what happened to him now, but we traveled together for a while and I learned some skills from him."

"Although the old senior was a bit arrogant, he was a good person. If it weren't for him, Zikang and I would have been gone long ago."

Du Shiwei poured tea for Cheng Ye again. At this moment, Cheng Ye asked, "I heard from that old swindler that you two need to maintain this body for a hundred years before you can regain your human form. Is this true or false?"

Guo Zikang smiled and said, "That's certainly true."

Cheng Ye hissed and asked, "If I also want to resurrect someone, could you two think of a way?"

"This..." Du Shiwei was somewhat surprised upon hearing this. She said, "The secret technique that the senior cultivated is called 'Observation'. He was exhausted and used up most of his cultivation to complete it for the two of us. We are extremely grateful to him, but we have no way to do it."

Cheng Ye was slightly stunned, his grip on the teacup tightening. Guo Zikang comforted him, saying, "The dead cannot be brought back to life. If we hadn't come here to protect ourselves with the method left by the old master, we would probably have been taken away as wandering ghosts long ago. A hundred years pass, and decades follow. Even if she could come back to life, you would be nothing but a handful of dust by then. In this way, the cycle would repeat itself endlessly. Even if the old master wanted to save her, he couldn't afford to waste the time."

Cheng Ye sighed softly and said, "That's true, that's true."

"However, speaking of which, why has the great hero come to this place?"

Du Shiwei and Guo Zikang noticed Cheng Ye's worries and quickly changed the subject.

Cheng Ye looked at the two people beside him and said, "To be honest, I, Cheng Ye, also came here seeking refuge from the chaos."

"Oh?" Guo Zikang was immediately intrigued and asked, "What brings you to seek refuge?"

Cheng Ye finished his tea in one gulp and placed it back on the stone table, saying, "Four years ago, Wanqing and I were traveling the world when we arrived at a place called Quzhou."

In the sixth year of Wen Shang's reign, in Quzhou, during the plum blossom month.

Twenty-six-year-old Cheng Ye was a master of martial arts and full of vigor. He walked with Wan Qing, who was two years younger than him, holding a spear and striding confidently through Quzhou City, the hometown of the Great Sage of Literature.

Cheng Ye's face was sharply defined, like a finely sculpted doll. His sharp eyebrows rose above his phoenix eyes, exuding both authority and tenderness.

Wanqing, dressed in a blue dress, looked like a wealthy young lady. Her appearance was stunning, and her every move exuded the elegance of a well-bred lady.

The two attracted a large crowd as soon as they entered the city.

Seeing the envious glances from those around him, Cheng Ye grabbed Wan Qing by the waist and pulled her into his arms amidst the attention of thousands, a move that sparked a flurry of discussion among the crowd.

Meanwhile, some people recognized the two of them.

"Aren't these the recently famous martial arts couple, Cheng Ye and Wan Qing?"

"Now that you mention it, I remember too."

"What a perfect couple, a truly outstanding beauty."

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, they arrived at an inn and booked a top-class room.

Cheng Ye stood by the window of his room and looked downstairs. The number of people watching outside the inn had not decreased at all.

With a ladylike demeanor, Wanqing placed her hands together in front of her abdomen. Standing in front of Cheng Ye, she listened to the commotion downstairs and asked, "Have they not left yet?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Ye lowered the window, his face full of smug smiles. "The world is full of legends about talented men and beautiful women. If I can shine brightly at this martial arts tournament, we will inevitably become wonderful legends for others to talk about over tea and dinner."

Wanqing, radiating gentleness, tilted her head slightly with a smile and said softly, "Most romantic affairs in the world involve love between men and women. But there are too many such stories nowadays. If you want to be remembered, you might as well find another way."

Cheng Ye understood the implication in her words and chuckled, "It's not that I necessarily want people to remember us, but I feel that everyone should leave a name in the world. Just like civil and military officials, one is recorded in history books, and the other is like a god in the hearts of the people. In the Tang Dynasty of Heaven, weren't Qin Shubao and Yuchi Jingde two generals regarded by the people as guardian deities who protected them from evil?"

Wanqing smiled helplessly upon hearing this, "You mean, you want to be a door god?"

Cheng Ye clapped his hands and said, "That's what I'm saying. People come and go in the martial arts world, but how many are still remembered today? The only one who will be remembered forever is that old senior Yang. But then again, he was the one you mentioned who took a different path."

“That’s a senior figure; we could never do what he did. Besides, I didn’t say he took a different approach.”

Wanqing playfully dismissed her earlier words, which made Cheng Ye laugh heartily. "What's there to be afraid of? Apart from those senior figures, there's no one in this martial arts world that I, Cheng Ye, am afraid of."

"Grumpy."

Cheng Ye pulled Wan Qing into his arms and gently kissed her forehead, saying, "If we win the martial arts tournament this time, I'll take you to wander the world."

Wanqing nestled comfortably in her arms, smiling knowingly as she asked, "Don't you want to go down in history?"

"That old swindler taught me some skills, and I was just worried about not finding anyone to test them out. If it's true that I'll be remembered in history, that's not important anymore."

Wanqing looked up at him and asked, "What if it's fake?"

Cheng Ye laughed and said, "Then let's go to Qumu Town and settle accounts with that old conman."

"I'll beat him so badly that even his own father wouldn't recognize him, and then we'll see if he dares to lie to me again."

Wanqing chuckled twice upon hearing this, and Cheng Ye asked curiously, "What are you laughing at?"

"I'm afraid the old man will beat you so badly that I won't even recognize you."

Cheng Ye looked at her with doting eyes, "Then you can use your medical skills to help me get a better-looking face."

"Don't think about it."

Their eyes met, filled with tender affection. A gentle smile appeared as the moon rose above the treetops.

The Prefectural Government of Quzhou, Zhang's Residence.

Qian Si, the registrar of Renzhou, rushed hurriedly into the residence of Zhang Qingxun, the prefect of Quzhou, under the moonlight. Seeing his flustered state, Zhang Qingxun asked, "Registrar Qian, what's the matter that you're in such a panic?"

Zhang Qingxun was over fifty years old, but his voice was as powerful and resonant as a great bell, which startled Qian Si.

"My lord, this afternoon, many martial arts practitioners stopped outside an inn in the city. The reason has been found out."

Qian Si bowed and said, "It turns out that Cheng Ye, who has recently gained fame, has brought a woman into the city."

Zhang Qingxun found this absurd and rebuked him, "He's just a wandering swordsman, yet you're so flustered! Is it because the authorities can't do anything to him?"

“No, that’s not it,” Qian Si quickly explained. “It’s just that Lord Sun from the yamen heard that the woman next to Cheng Ye is very beautiful and has some wicked thoughts about her. I’m afraid that Lord Sun will cause trouble again, so I came to see you.”

Zhang Qingxun frowned slightly upon hearing this. He sat in the seat of honor, tapped the table, closed his eyes and pondered. Then he said, "This Sun Gong has been demoted again and again since he came from the capital, relying on the power behind him. In the end, he not only failed to change his ways but also became even more ruthless. However, I have the support of the Privy Councilor, so I can do nothing to him under the current circumstances."

He paused for a moment after speaking, then said, "Here's what you'll do: send someone to tell this Cheng Ye to leave quickly and not to linger."

"Yes."

Upon receiving the order, Qian Si turned and walked towards the door.

Zhang Qingxun banged on the table, muttering, "If that Lord Zhang were still alive, this guy surnamed Sun would have been beheaded long ago."

Inside the Quzhou government office, at Sun Gong's residence, a room's door was wide open, and loud, decadent music echoed throughout. The erotic and alluring scene made one's blood boil.

"Madam, let's go back to our room."

Sun Gong's wife was named Chen Yulan, and the maidservant beside him who was urging him on was named Yue'er. Afraid that Chen Yulan would be upset by the scene before her, she pulled her away as she spoke.

Chen Yulan was originally a well-bred young lady from a prominent family in the capital. Her father married her off to Sun Gong in order to establish a connection with the powerful family behind him. After she married into the Sun family, her father thought he would rise to prominence, but instead, he fell into a deep and unsuccessful slump.

Ten years ago, the imperial court intensified its purge of corrupt officials. Sun Gong was protected because of the many things his backers had done, and eventually became the head of a government office in Quzhou.

When Chen Yulan first married into the Sun family, Sun Gong treated her fairly well, and in the eyes of others, they were a loving couple. However, once they arrived in Quzhou, Sun Gong changed completely, beating and scolding her relentlessly, to the point that Chen Yulan wanted to return to her parents' home. But Sun Gong threatened her, saying that if she dared to leave this house, he would bring ruin upon the Chen family.

Forced by her tyranny, Chen Yulan had no choice but to swallow her anger.

After that, Sun Gong no longer had much contact with her, spending his days having fun with the women he had abducted, indulging in revelry every night.

This also caused her hair to turn gray and her beauty to fade with age.

Back in her room, Chen Yulan cried to her personal maid, "Yue'er, what's the point of me living like this? I might as well be dead."

Yue'er understood her suffering. Although she spoke ill of Sun Gong, she still advised her to live well: "Madam, although the master is hateful, we still have to live well. Look at us now, the master doesn't care what we do, but we have more money than we can spend. Just pretend the master doesn't exist, and we'll still live a very comfortable life."

Chen Yulan, however, did not think so. She sobbed slightly as she said, "Even a day as husband and wife is worth a hundred days of kindness. For the first ten years of our relationship, we at least had feelings for each other. But I never imagined that he would become like this."

"Alright, madam. Stop crying and get some rest. Don't ruin your eyes by crying, or we'll really have nowhere to stand."

Although Yue'er didn't understand these romantic relationships, she had a clear understanding of the present moment.

Chen Yulan also felt that what she said made sense, so she held Yue'er's hand tightly and said, "Now, you are the only one by my side."

At this moment, having just finished his time in the boudoir, Sun Gong summoned his steward and asked, "Have you investigated that beauty thoroughly?"

The butler, a lean, middle-aged man with a goatee that accentuated the cunning in his eyes, said, "Reporting to Master, we've investigated. This man named Cheng Ye has no background whatsoever, and the woman named Wan Qing is also someone with no history whatsoever."

"Since that's the case, there's no time like the present. Let's 'invite' them over tonight, and I'll have a drink with them."

The butler hesitated upon hearing this, looking at Sun Gong's slightly bloated figure and saying, "Master, I'm afraid it's too late."

Sun Gong frowned, his face showing anger, and asked, "Why?"

"Just now, the messenger said he saw Registrar Qian come out of the Prefect's house, and then he saw several men riding out and heading straight for the inn. It seems that Lord Zhang sent someone to tell the two of them to leave."

Upon hearing this, Sun Gong slammed his fist on the chair and cursed, "That Zhang Qingxun has really eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard! He dares to let go of the woman I've set my sights on! Go and tell the yamen runners to surround the inn immediately! If they want to leave, they'll have to get past me first!"

"Yes!"

"Quzhou is so beautiful at night."

Wanqing opened the window and looked at the people coming and going on the street. She felt a little lonely. She looked at those little people and wanted to go out for a stroll too.

Do we want to go out?

Cheng Ye understood from her words, so he said, "Put on the veil, and I'll take you out to have a look."

Looking at the newly repaired veil in Cheng Ye's hand, Wanqing asked curiously, "You fixed the veil?"

Cheng Ye scratched his head and smiled sheepishly, "How would I know how to do these things? When I first arrived at the inn, I asked the waiter to buy me an identical one."

Wanqing took the blue-green veil and slowly put it on her face. Her face was partially hidden by the veil, which made people's imaginations run wild.

But she took it off again, saying with a wronged expression, "But I don't want to wear a veil."

Cheng Ye knew she was being willful again, so he quickly explained and comforted her: "Look, how many people surrounded us when we entered the city today? It was all because of your face. So, we should wear it to avoid a lot of trouble."

Wanqing was still a little sad. "But this face is my own, what does it have to do with anyone else?"

Cheng Ye patted her head and smiled, "Of course it has nothing to do with others, but there are always people with ulterior motives in this world. As the saying goes, one should not have the heart to harm others, but one should not be without the heart to guard against others."

"Isn't this also you?"

Wanqing hung her head, "As long as you're by my side, I'm not afraid of anything."

Cheng Ye said indulgently, "Listen to me, no one in this world dares to say they can withstand everything. Even the old master Yang had to back down when facing the behemoth that is the imperial court. How could I dare to say that I am invincible?"

Wanqing looked out the window at the world outside, full of longing, and had no choice but to obediently put on her veil. Cheng Ye also took his spear and prepared to go out, but just then there was a knock on their door.

(End of this chapter)