Longevity Candle

Chapter 134 The mortal world is all illusion, only I am real.

Yi Gu City.

Jiang Zhu lived a peaceful life, working at sunrise and resting at sunset.

The flames of war reignited in Ningguo, and in the distant Taiping Road, flags were raised once more.

The Taipingdao (Taipingdao) has been reorganized, but only one-third of its original size remains.

Even Zhang Youwei could no longer command all the Qi cultivators.

The spirits of mountains and seas, immortal masters and Taoist practitioners have long since infiltrated all parts of Ningguo.

"He's finally back."

The distant dragon-blooded serpent is watching closely.

"Good that you're back. This time, we'll take care of them all," a three-legged black wolf said viciously.

He has never forgotten the grudge of losing his leg, nor has he been able to recover from it.

If he could beat Jiang Zhu, he would have taken his revenge long ago.

"The path to immortality and the path to following the will of Heaven are enough; there is no room for any other paths!"

A lion with a goatee, a beast with a pure white body, its mouth open.

A four-legged serpent, but with the head of a horse and horns, looked coldly at the beast: "The Way of Peace has already affected the Way of Longevity."

"The Path to Seeking Heaven has also been affected. To continue it, we need to obtain the Cloud Dream Sword." A double-pupiled bird, exuding a fierce aura, said, "If only we could lure her out of Yigu City."

"You'd have to ask the tabby cat. He could have easily taken the Cloud Dream Sword," the Dragon Blood Serpent said coldly.

"He has betrayed the Way of Heaven," the Double-Pupiled Bird said angrily.

The tabby cat has already left Shuntiandao, and they have invited him several times, but he has refused each time.

Their attempt to harm Jiang Yunmeng was also thwarted.

"Where is the Nine-Colored Deer?" the white lion asked.

"Don't mention her. That old hag, she always takes advantage of others and never actually does anything," the Double-Pupil Bird said angrily.

The Nine-Colored Deer is nominally a spirit that follows the way of Heaven.

However, when things went smoothly, she would only go through the motions without putting in any real effort, merely pretending to do things without ever taking them seriously.

If it were before, it wouldn't have mattered, but with the destruction of Taiyin Youming and the return of the Three-Headed Netherworld Crow, everyone was injured, except for the Nine-Colored Deer, who remained uninvolved.

If it weren't for fearing her boundless magical power, the Double-Pupiled Bird would have gone to confront her long ago.

As for the old elves of Shuntiandao, they didn't want to have another enemy like the Nine-Colored Deer, so they ignored it.

The Dragon Blood Serpent fell silent. Neither the tabby cat nor the nine-colored deer were easy to deal with.

"Let's wait for an opportunity. Jiang Yunmeng can't stay in Yigu City forever," said the White Lion.

The four-legged snake said, "They should have made their move when they went to the South China Sea."

"We can only wait until she's alone," the Dragon Blood Serpent said in a deep voice.

The fate of Rongguo is still in Qingdeng's hands. Who would have dared to make a move back then?
Unless, of course, one or two elves really want to die.

The elves fell silent and began assigning their celestial masters to keep an eye on Yi Gucheng, ready to strike if Jiang Yunmeng were to become isolated.

It is advisable to take care of the city.

Li Qingchen returned, took the old snake king with him, and arranged for some Qi cultivators to hide in Yigu City.

These Qi cultivators were all skilled farmers, and they restored Peach Blossom Spring.

Jiang Yunmeng took control of Yigu City, stockpiled grain, and waited for the right opportunity.

As time passed, the flames of war in the distance, stirred up again by those with ulterior motives.

The Way of Peace became a thorn in their side.

The spirits of the mountains and seas wanted to eliminate the Taiping Dao and create a new force, but they also didn't want the Taiping Dao to suppress them in the future.

They already have their own Qi cultivators.

Then the Way of Peace would have no reason to exist!

Li Qingchen had anticipated this; he would only be a target if he went out, while Jiang Yunmeng would be the one to make real progress.

In times of chaos, food is of utmost importance.

With the help of the Qi cultivators of the Taiping Dao to grow crops, Yigu City has had a bumper harvest almost every year.

However, Jiang Yunmeng also knew that she was being watched.

The tabby cat sent her a message, telling her to get ready.

Jiang Yunmeng didn't understand the tabby cat, but she made a note of it and began to arrange for the Qi Refiners to move.

She is no longer limited to Yigu City; she has also contacted Zhang Ming.

She dispersed her manpower to settle in small towns near the mountains of Ningguo, accumulating strength.

Jiang Zhu continued to live an ordinary life with Lao Wang, seemingly indifferent to everything.

Ordinary times pass quickly.

Eight years have passed, and the sudden arrival of an army from afar has disrupted the tranquility of Yigu City.

The flames of war spread to the city once again. Jiang Wanning led his army to resist, but the elite troops had already been drawn away by Jiang Yunmeng.

Yigu City is already an empty shell.

The army that came this time was too large; they were all elite troops, a ferocious force far surpassing ordinary people.

There is also a unique team, whose members exude a fierce aura, like ferocious beasts.

They were incredibly strong; arrows could not pierce their bodies.

Swords and blades could not break through the defenses; the resistance of the entire Yigu City was easily crushed, like that of a child.

Yigu City descended into chaos once more, with burning, killing, and looting rampant.

Old Wang and Jiang Zhu hid inside the house, occasionally peeking out through the crack in the door.

Surprisingly, those people seemed not to see the small courtyard and chose to ignore it.

Jiang Zhu knew that the spirits of the mountains and seas were behind this.

The elves and celestial masters will not come looking for him directly until he is fully prepared.

My location has already been figured out.

Old Wang saw Gou Sheng; his noodle shop had been vandalized. He tried to fight back, but was surrounded and humiliated by a group of people.

There was a hint of reluctance on Old Wang's face.

Jiang Zhu saw it too, his expression calm: "You want to help him?"

"No," Old Wang said without hesitation. "I'm not stupid. I'm too happy to help him. I only feel good right now."

"Then you're in for a treat," Jiang Zhu said.

"Let's go have a drink. It's such a great thing, we'd be doing ourselves a disservice if we didn't have a drink."

Old Wang seemed genuinely happy to accept the wine gourd and even brought out a pot of meat.

Jiang Zhu stayed with him. Old Wang was already old, and he was missing two teeth.

At this moment, he felt no more reluctance and his face was flushed.

"I've been waiting, waiting for that bastard to fall from grace. When chaos comes, the better his business is, the faster he'll die," Old Wang sneered.

“I thought you really didn’t care anymore. I even offered to teach him a lesson, but you still wouldn’t agree,” Jiang Zhu said.

“That’s different.” Old Wang grinned. “You can’t lay a hand on him.”

"why?"

"You're dirty." Old Wang took a big gulp of wine. "That kid's dirty, but you're different."

"What's different about me?" Jiang Zhu asked, puzzled.

"I have lived a whole life, experienced both peaceful and chaotic times, and seen all kinds of people."

"There are kind-hearted people, and there are also those outside who commit arson, murder, and looting..." Old Wang seemed to have resolved his inner conflict and opened up: "I wasn't actually surprised by Gousheng's departure, but it was hard to accept at first."

"Sometimes I think, good people get good rewards, and bad people get bad punishments? Not at all. There are too many people, how can God watch them all? It's just something to comfort myself..."

"What is good and evil, what is right and wrong? How can you tell? When I was a child, I wanted to be a knight-errant, a Qi cultivator, and uphold justice for others."

I also dream of doing something great, and I've fantasized about saving the world from chaos.

Later, I realized that no one in this world could save me; I was just an ordinary person…

"I was unwilling to be ordinary, and I tried my best, but God is just so unfair. Some people are born dazzling and have extraordinary talents, while I and most other people, no matter how hard we try, are just noodle vendors..."

As the alcohol took effect, Old Wang changed. He was no longer the cheerful old man; he started cursing and complaining.

Jiang Zhu listened quietly, not surprised at all.

Everyone carries burdens in their hearts, especially after those burdens are lifted, when there's nothing left to worry about.

He wasn't afraid of Jiang Zhu laughing at him; besides Jiang Zhu, no one else could see it.

Jiang Zhu didn't argue with him; instead, she listened.

The world is inherently unfair.

The ambition for peace is to move towards peace and justice.

Although it may never be achieved, there will always be people who pursue it.

"Whether it's fair or unfair, it's really all the same. In this rotten world, just being able to survive is enough."

Old Wang chuckled again: "Although I don't have a son, I have raised one, so I guess I've had one."

“Yes, you have had it.” Jiang Zhu said gently.

"Having had it is enough. How can it last? My son died the moment he left me."

"Tsk, early death, it happens all the time."

As Old Wang laughed, tears streamed down his face: "Jiang Zhu, meeting you makes me feel that God is fair after all."

"You're destined to be a workaholic. Raising a dog like Gou Sheng is bad enough, but you even use the money you've saved to buy me alcohol," Jiang Zhu sighed.

"In this world, who isn't busy and tired? I know you're not an ordinary person, and you've thought about giving me good fortune. If I were younger, I would definitely have agreed."

Old Wang's cloudy eyes were somewhat unfocused, as if he saw his younger self: "But I've come to realize that I'm just an ordinary person. Even if you could make me extraordinary, I wouldn't dare to pursue it anymore."

"In this life, whether you're rich or poor, there's no need to prove anything to yourself or make anyone remember you; it's all meaningless."

"I often feel that this world is unreal, it changes in an instant, just like a woman's face."

“You don’t have a woman,” Jiang Zhu said ruthlessly.

Old Wang glared at him: "Never eaten pork, but haven't you seen pigs run? I used to stand in front of brothels and see women too."

Jiang Zhu chuckled: "How promising."

"Sigh." Old Wang sighed softly, "Suddenly I feel it's all meaningless. What's the point of coming into this world and living so earnestly?"

"There's no reason why, it's just about living." Jiang Zhu poured him a drink, and then poured one for himself as well.

"I was born ordinary, I live an ordinary life, and I hope I can leave this world in an ordinary way." Old Wang downed his drink in one gulp: "Just like that, quietly and without a trace, that's good enough."

"Don't you want your life to be a little extraordinary?" Jiang Zhu asked.

"Now that you mention it, I'm actually quite interested," Old Wang said with a smile.

Jiang Zhu said, "How extraordinary do you want it to be? A Qi Refiner, or something more grand? I'll take care of it for you."

"Then I'll have to think about it carefully," Old Wang said earnestly. "By the time I see you next time, I should have made up my mind."

“Okay, I’ll let you know when you’ve thought it through,” Jiang Zhu said.

If Old Wang chooses to become a Qi cultivator, he can help him, and it would be easy for him to live another hundred years or so.

Having opened the path between immortals and mortals, things are no longer the same as before; extending one's lifespan by three to five years is now difficult.

Unless one is an emperor whose country is blessed with good fortune, it is very difficult for him to enter the path of immortality.

Old Wang was drunk, and even in his sleep he was muttering to himself, "This world is too fake, so fake it's unreal."

Jiang Zhu placed him on the bed and cleaned up the dishes.

The burning, killing, and looting outside continued. He went out to take a look and found that Gou Sheng was dead, murdered in the noodle shop.

All their belongings were looted, and his wife was also killed.

Many more corpses appeared in the city, but Jiang Zhu chose to stand by and watch, and Jiang Yunmeng did not take any action either.

"The mortal world is all illusion, only I am real." Jiang Zhu suddenly thought of Fusheng, and then of Old Wang.

Two figures appeared in my mind, from faint to solid, and then back to faint.

"What is illusion, what is reality? What one cannot obtain in this life is perhaps just the absence of an old Wang."

Jiang Zhu sighed deeply.

The truth or falsehood of the mortal world is not important; what matters is the person living in it.

The world is very real now, but in the eyes of ordinary people like Lao Wang, it is ridiculously fake.

Just a few years ago, it was a time of peace and prosperity, but in the blink of an eye, peace collapsed, war raged, and our savings were robbed time and time again.

It's as if someone deliberately robbed them, and then, after they'd saved up some money, came back to rob them again.

They cursed the heavens for their mistakes and the earth for its blindness, yet they were powerless to change anything. All they could do was try their best to survive in this difficult world.

As a child, he was full of ambition, believing he could save the world.

As adults, we encounter setbacks and stumble along the way, struggling to pursue what we want.

After reaching middle age, Lao Wang realized his ordinariness and no longer wanted to make a living; he just wanted to keep running his noodle stall.

But the world still didn't let him off the hook; his beloved adopted son betrayed him.

He also understood why Old Wang wouldn't let him kill Gousheng and seek justice.

Jiang Zhu was his childhood dream, a dream of a Qi cultivator with an ageless face, wandering the mortal world.

He felt that Gousheng was dirty and didn't want him to be tainted by Gousheng's life, thus tarnishing his own dreams.

"The mortal world is not a pure land, and all mortal life is suffering. To try to see the immortals through the lens of the mortal world is nothing but a dream."

Jiang Zhu had many thoughts in his mind: "All thoughts are illusions; only by standing firm can one find reality."

The so-called illusion of the mortal world, with only myself being real, should be a transformation of the soul, but he was too attached to it.

If he could be like Lao Wang, starting from the ordinary, being content with the ordinary, and returning to the ordinary, perhaps he wouldn't have a self.

"Ha, I suddenly feel that I am more capable than Fusheng."

Jiang Zhu suddenly burst out laughing.

That was someone who had reached the pinnacle of the path to immortality, someone close to becoming an immortal, yet still remained steadfast in their pursuit.

"The flickering candlelight is reality, the mortal world is an illusion; immortals and mortals are the same."

Jiang Zhu walked through Yigu City, but no one could see him.

The soldiers went mad, the people wailed in misery. Good people and evil people alike, at this moment, Heaven was blind!

May the netherworld be filled with peace.

A sliver of moonlight appeared in Jiang Zhu's palm, then dispersed in an instant, enveloping the entire Yigu City.

Countless wandering souls grasped at that sliver of moonlight and entered the endless darkness.

Jiang Zhu seemed to hear the cries of the three raven crows, as if they were complaining about the loneliness of the underworld.

He raised his head and gazed south, where figures appeared, also gazing at him.

A tabby cat, carrying a rusty ancient sword on its back, came from afar and stepped into Yigu City, looking directly at Jiang Zhu: "Qingdeng, Jiang Zhu."

"You actually came to see me." Jiang Zhu stared at him, sensing a chilling killing intent.

"I want to see you, Candlelight and Shadow." The tabby cat drew its sword from its back: "A lifetime of devotion, dreams shattered. If death is inevitable, why be born into this world? Sword Dao, Gu Qingxu, please let Candlelight and Shadow descend!"

(End of this chapter)