The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

"Oh, this soup is so delicious. Grandma's cooking is really good."

Tang Xixue put down her soup bowl and praised it sincerely.

The old man beamed with joy at the praise, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes rippled like spring breezes, each one radiating kindness.

"That little girl has such a sweet tongue."

Grandma Bai reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, just like an elder in an ordinary family.

"You two young couple have a good relationship, and I'm happy to see it. My husband passed away early, and our children aren't around, so this courtyard hasn't been this lively in a long time."

Tangxi Xue and Jiu Fangzhi sat facing each other, drinking soup.

One had his eyes downcast and a smile playing on his lips, while the other sat upright and motionless, his gaze fixed on the person beside him.

The old man has lived most of his life, so he still has this much insight.

"A wish made under the Tree of Three Lifetimes may not come true. But if your heart was sincere at the moment you made the wish, that's enough."

Grandma Bai stopped laughing and her tone became serious.

"Remember, sincerity moves mountains."

She gazed toward the ancient, silver-blue tree in the center of the city, a faint mist rising in her aged eyes, as if she were recalling something extremely distant.

"My wife and my husband made a vow under the Three Lives Tree back then."

"Later, he stood at my door with a bunch of wildflowers, his face as red as the flowers."

"That was... so many years ago."

Looking at the years hidden in the fine lines at the corners of Granny Bai's eyes, Tang Xixue was suddenly moved.

She nodded earnestly: "Yes, we will certainly pray sincerely. Thank you for your hospitality, Granny Bai. We'll meet again."

She stood up and waved to Granny Bai.

"Be careful on the road!"

Grandma Bai stood at the gate of the courtyard, one hand holding the door frame, the other slowly waving.

The faded blue apron swayed gently in the morning breeze.

She watched the two figures walk out of the alley side by side until they were completely absorbed into the morning light on the street, then slowly turned around and took unsteady steps back into the courtyard.

"If only Liu Yun were still here..."

The soup bowl on the table was still warm. She sat down, picked up the bowl that Tang Xixue had used, and carefully wiped it with a coarse cloth, a smile still lingering on her lips.

"You young people always think there's plenty of time. But the truth is—sometimes the people you think you'll see again in this lifetime are the last people you'll ever meet. You don't even have time to say goodbye."

Outside the alley, the main street of Yaoguang City was gradually becoming lively.

"Don't miss out—sweet and crisp pears, or your money back!"

A vendor selling spirit fruits walked by, his shouts clear and melodious, with a playful upward cadence at the end.

"Snap—"

He casually broke open a pear, the crisp sound exploding in the morning light, juice dripping down between his fingers, glistening in the sunlight.

"Splash—"

The shop assistants were carrying bolts of shimmering satin out the door. The satin made a muffled sound as it was unfolded, like pushing open a heavy cloud gate.

The morning light shone on those brocade-like fabrics, dazzling the eyes.

"This batch of goods was shipped from the East China Sea; it's genuine mermaid silk, and it glows at night!"

The guy shouted at the top of his lungs towards the other side of the street.

"Come and take a look, ladies!"

"Giggle giggle—"

Several children chased each other across the bluestone path, their laughter like silver bells scattering along the way.

"You can't catch me! You can't catch me!"

"Wait, I'm catching up with you! Don't run—"

The boy with the topknot running in front turned around and made a face, but his foot stepped on a loose stone slab.

With a "thud," the entire stone slab popped up, and he stumbled and fell to the ground.

"Waaah..."

He froze for a moment, and his eyes immediately reddened.

The girl next to him quickly ran back, squatted down, and reached out to pat the dust off his knees.

"Don't cry, don't cry, look—your pants aren't even torn. Come on, come on, I'll treat you to some crisp pears!"

The boy sniffed, got up, patted his knees, and kept running.

The street vendors set up their stalls in an orderly fashion, their shouts rising and falling.

The blacksmith is removing door panels.

The herb sellers are drying the freshly picked medicinal leaves.

"Glug glug".

The freshly boiled water at the tea stall was bubbling in the copper kettle.

"This ancient city is so lively!"

Tang Xixue surveyed the street.

The goods for sale are dazzling, including jade lotus roots picked from the sacred fields by the lake, with thick sections and a sweet fragrance.

There is a protective jade pendant engraved with ancient runes. The jade is warm and lustrous, and it glows with a faint green color in the morning light.

The stall owner tapped the table with his knuckles and called out, "Young lady, how about one? It's for good luck; all the old people in the city wear these."

The old cat on the street corner was lying lazily on the stone steps, sprawled out on its back, revealing its furry belly, with the tip of its tail twitching lazily.

"Whoosh—"

The old cat snored, rolled over, and went back to sleep.

It was as if the overwhelming black fog of last night was nothing more than a nightmare that this ancient city had as it fell asleep.

Tang Xixue slowed her pace slightly amidst the crowd, her gaze sweeping over the busy yet calm faces.

The children chased each other and ran far away, their laughter echoing intermittently from the other end of the street.

"Da da da da—"

The sound of footsteps faded into the distance.

She suddenly lowered her voice and turned her head to look at Jiu Fangzhi beside her.

"Senior brother, don't you think... they seem to have forgotten what happened last night?"

"The erosion moths attack every night, and the entire city is engulfed in black mist, yet they open their doors, set up stalls, and welcome customers as soon as it's dawn—it's as if nothing has happened?"

Jiu Fangzhi shook his head, his gaze falling on an old man who was adding oil to the lamp under the eaves.

The old man's movements were extremely skillful. He removed the lampshade, injected spiritual essence, and wiped the lamp rim clean in one go, without even lifting his eyelids.

"It's not that I don't remember, it's that I don't care."

His voice was calm and unhurried, as if stating a fact that had long been proven by time.

"The moths come every night, and they close the door and light the lamps every night. As soon as it gets light, they open the door and set up their stalls."

"This has been their daily routine for so many years. This is how they live."

"After being afraid for too long, they stopped being afraid. Just as we have become accustomed to sunrise and sunset, they have become accustomed to living with the eclipsors."

"Avoid it, defend against it, and live in peace—this city has long since found its own way of surviving."

Upon hearing this, Tang Xixue remained silent for a moment.

The phrase "accustomed to fear" is more chilling than fear itself.

When the end of the world becomes the norm, when the tolling of the evening bells becomes a horn reminding you to hide indoors.

When the reinforced iron bolts on the gate and the glass lamps under the eaves that are oiled daily become standard features in every household in this city, that is what a truly imprisoned life is like.

She suddenly understood their faith in the Flowing Cloud Medicine God.

Having lived my whole life in a city like this, how could I survive without believing in something?

"Let's go, let's go to the square to get the spirit essence."

Jiu Fangzhi took out the exquisite metal cube from his sleeve, and with a light tap of his fingertip, the cube silently unfolded, and the meshing gears transformed it into a mechanical box.

The box lid was opened, revealing several jade bottles, each as thin as a cicada's wing, neatly arranged inside.

The bottle is only about an inch long, but it is engraved with fine spiritual patterns, clearly indicating that it is also a creation of the Thousand Machine Mystic Kingdom.

"While it's still light, get everything ready. If we encounter that black fog from last night again, it'll be troublesome."

He closed the box, and the two walked side by side toward the square.

After taking a few steps, he suddenly spoke.

"Grandma Bai just said that we were very loving, and she was quite loud. The peddlers at the street corner could all hear her."

His gaze shifted slightly, landing on her profile.

"There are too many people and too many eyes in this city, so don't give yourself away."

Tang Xixue turned her head to the side, her eyes sparkling with a lively smile.

"Was my senior brother reminding me, or praising my acting?"

She leaned slightly closer, lowered her voice, and spoke with a mischievous slyness.

"But what I just said was the truth. My senior brother really took good care of me along the way, and was very thoughtful in everything he did—he shielded me from the wind, he kept watch at night, he prepared warm water, he made the buns, and he even picked my favorite fillings for the pastries."

"Is it too much of an insult for you to call me husband?"

Jiu Fangzhi paused for a moment, then resumed his unhurried pace.

His gaze was fixed straight ahead, and his voice remained cool and composed.

"I am acting on the dying wish of our master."

"oh--"

The song "Tangxi Snow" trailed off, taking a half-turn, like a short opera performance.

"Just following Master's dying wish?"

She quickened her pace, walked around to the front of him, and walked backwards in the morning light with her hands behind her back.

The spirit fruit trees by the street rustled in the wind, and a few pink and white petals drifted down into her hair.

She looked up at him, her bright, starry eyes sparkling with laughter.

"And what about last night? Was hugging me also done according to Master's dying wish?"

"Our master passed away early, he wouldn't have taught you this, right? Or is it that—you secretly gave yourself extra lessons?"

Tang Xixue finished speaking.

Jiu Fangzhi immediately stopped in his tracks.