Longevity Candle

Chapter 71 A Paradise Blessed, Peace and Tranquility Abound

About Li Qingping.

He is a person who possesses both the talent for immortality and the aura of the nation's destiny; he was born at the right time.

Without the path to immortality, he might have been the darling of heaven and earth, becoming an emperor in the mortal realm or a celestial master in the immortal path.

But life is unpredictable, and who can control the future?

Taking a step back, one could either become an emperor or ascend to immortality.

However, despite being born out of necessity, he ultimately chose neither option.

Jiang Zhu thought of Tian She Nu, who might know what happened next because he had been with Li Qingping.

Shouldn't the peasants of today have gone back to the West?

Jiang Zhu told Li Zhu the story he knew, and also told her about Yao Yao's situation.

After listening, Li Zhu remained silent for a long time: "From my own perspective and from Taoyuan's perspective, I have no right to laugh at our ancestor Yaoyao. She devoted her whole life to the village, while we can't even protect the village."

"Li Qingping was an orphan from a young age. He was abandoned by his parents, but was blessed by heaven..."

"Their lives were truly brilliant," Li Zhu said, her heart filled with longing.

"Have you ever thought about that kind of life?" Jiang Zhu asked.

"I don't want to, I don't even know how to choose between the hatred of Peach Blossom Village, which is the country created by our ancestors."

“You’ve heard their story. As for Peach Blossom Spring, follow your heart,” Jiang Zhu said.

"My original intention was to open a small tavern and brew the peach blossom wine of yesteryear."

Li Zhu smiled and walked into the house.

Perhaps influenced by the power of carefree living in his youth, he did not want to live that glamorous life, but only wanted to stay with his wife and daughter.

He paused at the door and said, "Her name is Li Qingxuan, Qing as in green mountains, and Xuan as in beautiful jade."

“I’ve got it,” Jiang Zhu replied.

He went to the rooftop, sat cross-legged, and gathered his magical power.

His magical power is already quite profound; it's unknown how long he can survive this time.

As the night passed, the sun rose, its rays piercing the darkness and bringing light.

Jiang Zhu saw the rising sun, and also saw a new group of immortal seekers approaching from afar under its radiant light.

They were equally devout and equally steadfast.

Seeking immortality is their life's pursuit. Perhaps one day they will suddenly realize their mistakes, return to their homeland, or settle down and live a peaceful life, understanding their own ordinariness.

His figure began to fade, and he calculated that six hours had passed.

It returned to the green lamp and entered a deep sleep.

Li Zhu and his family of three moved away; they had been planning to move for some time.

The road-carving project in Ningguo is nearing completion, and the road is being widened.

The Yunmeng Kingdom was sharpening its knives, eagerly awaiting the guest from the Ning Kingdom.

Their family left the north and continued their southward migration, stopping in a city called Qiuyue City.

Li Zhu sold his and his wife's swords, bought brewing materials, and set up wine jars.

He had no money, so he saved it up step by step, and when he had money, he bought a small tavern.

Li Meng took care of Li Qingxuan and taught her from the beginning.

Their lives were simple yet fulfilling, and the family of three was very happy.

They met new neighbors and made new friends.

However, there was one thing that gave them a headache: Li Qingxuan could always see wandering spirits.

All they could do was stay by Li Qingxuan's side and offer her a sense of security.

Fortunately, those wandering spirits were unaware that Li Qingxuan could see them, so they remained at peace.

Time flies, and five years have passed in the blink of an eye. News of war came from afar: Ning Kingdom had invaded Yunmeng Kingdom.

One was the pinnacle of national power, having accumulated wealth through two generations of emperors, and came with the momentum of carving through mountains and opening roads, its aura as fierce as a tiger swallowing thousands of miles.

One was a newly established monarch who, despite the country being in dire need of rebuilding, had fought his way out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

"Old Li." A burly man came to the small wine stall and ordered a jar of peach blossom wine: "And cut two more catties of roasted meat. Your roasted mutton is really good, it's a pity we won't be able to eat it soon."

"Old Liu, are you going on a long trip?" Li Zhu's knife was swift; in just a moment, he had sliced ​​the roasted meat.

Old Liu glanced at him: "I want to go north to join the army and make a fortune for life. I see you have some potential, do you want to come with me?"

"If I leave, my wife and daughter will be left without anyone to take care of them." Li Zhu smiled and said, "I can only congratulate you on your bright future and great wealth."

"Ah, judging from your background, you must have been a well-known wandering swordsman in your youth. It's a pity you were burdened by your wife and daughters." Old Liu shook his head, somewhat disappointed. Martial artists in Yunmeng are all called wandering swordsmen.

He wanted to say that a real man should not worry about not having a wife, but he was worried that Li Meng, who was taking care of the child, would scold him severely.

Li Qingxuan sat obediently beside her mother, occasionally making a funny face at Old Liu, which made him laugh out loud.

Little did he know, Li Qingxuan wasn't teasing him at all, but rather trying to scare the illusory figure beside him.

At first, Li Qingxuan was a little scared, but after seeing it more often, she realized that she and the wandering spirits were like lines that never intersected, unable to communicate or hurt each other. So she would occasionally make faces at the wandering spirits, but of course, she would not get a response.

She felt sorry for those wandering souls. They really wanted to drink a sip of peach blossom wine, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't drink it and could only pass through it.

Several more men arrived, all summoned by Old Liu. They were all wandering knights from Qiuyue City, intending to join the army together.

"The Ning Kingdom in the north has no idea how strong Yunmeng is. This time, when we march north, we will surely crush them and make them flee in disarray, and we will be appointed generals and marquises!" Old Liu raised his wine bowl, full of heroic spirit.

"Old Li, when I become a general, I'll give you a restaurant." A young man patted his chest proudly.

Li Zhu recognized him; he was a regular at the tavern named Chang Yun, who owed him one tael of silver for drinks.

Li Meng said irritably, "Stop spouting nonsense. If you come back alive, you don't need to pay for the drinks. If you die, I'll chase after your mother for the money."

Chang Yun immediately scratched his head awkwardly and chuckled, "I will definitely become a great general."

"Now the army of Yunmeng Kingdom is at its peak, and Marquis Dingwu has never suffered a defeat. With him leading the army, Ning Kingdom will surely be defeated!" The wandering knights greatly admired Marquis Dingwu.

When Yunmeng was first established, its generals were all those who had crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and their fame spread far and wide. Marquis Dingwu was even more undefeated.

Li Zhu just smiled and didn't say anything.

The group of wandering knights quickly drank until they were completely drunk. The peach blossom wine was sweet and refreshing, but it was still alcohol and had a strong aftereffect.

In addition, Yunmeng is quite hot, and the peach blossoms are in full bloom, so these wandering knights drink like they're going to a drinking contest, downing bowls in one gulp.

The wandering knights left together, and Li Zhu didn't chase after them to collect the money they owed for the wine; they were all poor people.

As evening approached, they packed up and went home, continuing to tease Li Qingxuan.

"Can they come back?" Li Meng suddenly asked.

"How many have returned from ancient battles?" Li Zhu said calmly. "I won't say anything more. Their pursuit of worldly wealth is their own choice."

Li Meng nodded slightly, reassured as she took care of the child.

Autumn Moon City remains the same, only it has lost many young and strong men.

Even most of the members of the local Chang family clan went.

Although they control a large area of ​​land in Qiuyue City, as well as orchards and forests, there are too many clan members to take care of them all.

Those from collateral branches or on the fringes can only try to make a living.

Time flies, and another five years have passed. Li Zhu finally saved enough money to buy a small tavern.

Li Qingxuan is already ten years old. As a new student, she is exceptionally talented and has already achieved some success in martial arts.

But she listened to her parents and did not show off her martial arts skills, instead focusing on helping out at the tavern.

As the sun rose, the tavern had just opened its doors.

The candlelight flickered, and the blue lamps on the tavern walls shone brightly.

Around the tavern, illusory wandering spirits, seemingly sensing fear, scattered and fled into the distance.

“Ancestor Jiang Zhu.” Li Qingxuan spotted her at a glance.

"You still remember me? I don't like the title 'ancestor'." Jiang Zhu's body solidified as he sat down at a wine table: "Bring me a jar of peach blossom wine."

"Then what should I call you?" Li Qingxuan held a jar of peach blossom wine: "This is the first jar of peach blossom wine that Father brewed. He has been saving it for you. I remember you. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was you and Father and Mother. Later, Father and Mother also told me about you."

Jiang Zhu was surprised that the newborn girl would remember him: "Call me uncle."

Li Meng and her husband brought over the roasted meat and said, "Jiang Zhu, let me cut some roasted meat for you, and a bowl of delicious mushroom soup, which would go perfectly with peach blossom wine."

Jiang Zhu took a sip of peach blossom tea: "It's sweeter and more refreshing than Yao Yao's brew, which is perfect for this hot place, hmm?"

He suddenly turned his head and looked outside the shop.

Li Qingxuan also turned her head to look, her little face becoming serious.

"Don't be so serious, acting like an adult." Jiang Zhu rubbed Xiao Qingxuan's head.

Li Zhu and his wife also saw the newcomers, but they were both stunned.

The visitor was an acquaintance, Chang Yun, a chivalrous young man who had joined the army years ago. He was covered in wounds and blood, but had not been bandaged.

He was missing an arm, but he sat down on his own and said, "I didn't expect you to have opened a tavern. It's been so hard for me to find you. I asked about the prices, but the restaurant is too expensive for me to deliver. However, I do have the Three Mile Peach Blossom Forest. Here's the contract, I'll give it to you."

He took a piece of paper from his pocket, painstakingly flattened it with his one arm, and slammed it on the table: "I'm not in debt anymore, bring the wine!"

The father and daughter remained silent. It wasn't a contract at all, but a piece of yellow paper with a line of words written on it: "May Peach Blossom Spring bring you peace and tranquility."

(End of this chapter)