The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

The two stood side by side by the pool.

The essence flowed from the fingertips of the statue, as if it were threaded from starlight and cast down from the heavens to the mortal realm.

A pale blue light flowed into the bottle, making a very faint tinkling sound.

Yet, this very soft sound inexplicably brought a sense of peace, like night rain pattering on banana leaves.

Jiu Fangzhi has already received most of the jade bottle with its mechanism.

The jade wall, as thin as a cicada's wing, emitted a faint blue light, making his fingers appear distinctly knuckled.

He tilted the bottle slightly to make the spiritual essence slide into the guide channel more smoothly.

His movements were neither hurried nor slow, just like everything he did—steady, precise, and without expending any unnecessary effort.

Tangxi Xue's celadon vase is almost full.

She held the bottle by the bottom with one hand and the neck with the other, the pearl bracelet on her wrist swaying gently with her movements.

She tilted her head slightly, her peripheral vision falling on Jiu Fangzhi's fingers.

Those fingers were long and strong, with calluses on their fingertips from years of handling the mechanisms, and they were now deftly holding the jade bottle.

She suddenly remembered that last night, this hand had been on her waist.

It was as if they were protecting a priceless treasure, handling it with utmost care, but only revealing a fraction of it.

Her ears felt slightly hot, and she quickly looked away, focusing intently on the nearly full, dark blue spiritual essence at the bottle's opening.

Just then, a hoarse but gentle voice came from behind them.

"Young ladies, you're from out of town, aren't you?"

The voice was dry, as if all the edges had been worn away by the years.

Tang Xixue turned around and saw an old man with a hunched back standing a step behind them, carrying a rough pottery bowl.

"The old man doesn't recognize you guys."

The old man was around seventy years old, his hair so white it looked like a tuft of reeds in winter.

His linen tunic was faded from washing, and there were several finely stitched patches on his knees and elbows.

His back was severely hunched, like a bow that had been used for a long time and could never spring back to its original curvature.

"Yes, we came here specifically to pray for blessings under the Three Lives Tree."

Tang Xixue turned her head and smiled slightly at him. Her smile was gentle and sincere, and her eyes were filled with a faint warmth, making it easy for people to believe her.

"Sir, would you please go first?"

"Oh no, no, no!"

The old man waved his hands repeatedly, his withered palms swaying in the air, creating a very slight breeze.

"You are guests who have come from afar, so we must take care of you first."

His tone carried a certain confidence from someone with experience, and a touch of care for the younger generation:

"Besides, this old man's bowl of spiritual essence is enough for several days. If we use it sparingly, it can last for ten days or half a month. Unlike you young people, who have to travel and need to prepare more."

As he spoke, he took another half step back, making room even more for the best catching position by the pool.

The unwritten rules of Yaoguang City have been passed down from generation to generation.

Guests from afar are given priority.

The elderly and infirm should be placed at the back.

Do not compete or fight.

In this desolate city trapped by eternal night and the Eclipse, in this tiny space, these people who abide by the rules of their own small world live with an almost solemn dignity.

Tang Xixue looked into his eyes, her gaze warm.

Like a stream that has been washed countless times by the years, where the silt has settled, leaving only the cleanest bottom.

As she gazed into those eyes, a warm tide welled up within her, spreading through her very being.

She no longer declined, but simply nodded solemnly to the old man.

"Thank you very much, sir."

"What are you thanking me for? Just make sure you two don't miss the appointed time for your prayers."

The old man waved his hand, placed the rough pottery bowl on the edge of the pond, and walked to the side with his hands behind his back to look at the sacred plants by the pond.

He walked slowly, his hunched back casting a pale gray shadow in the morning light.

The spiritual plants by the pond were growing very well. They were low shrubs whose names I didn't know, with thick, juicy leaves and a ring of fine, silvery-white down around the edges, which shimmered like pearls in the morning light.

At that moment, a girl of about seven or eight years old emerged from the crowd.

She seemed to emerge from between a cluster of dark hems and coarse cloth skirts, as agile as a small carp, small in stature but moving with the force of a gust of wind.

She had two small braids, with two light blue velvet flowers tied to the ends. When she ran, they looked like two fluttering butterflies, their wings flapping around her ears.

It was the little girl who reminded them yesterday.

She was holding a bamboo tube in her hands.

The bamboo tube was shaved very smoothly, and the body still had the greenish-yellow hue of bamboo, indicating that it was newly made. A wooden stopper was plugged into the mouth of the tube.

The bamboo tube was the perfect size for her small hands. She held it to her chest, her arms around it as if she were holding a priceless treasure.

"Sister, sister! We meet again! My name is Fufu."

The little girl looked up, her round eyes gazing at Tang Xixue.

Those eyes were big, and her voice was childish and unclear. Yet she kept a serious expression on her face, making people want to laugh.

"Grandma said we should let the guests go first. Sister is a guest, so if you don't understand anything, you can ask Fufu."

She nodded solemnly as she said this, looking like a little adult.

Tang Xixue squatted down, bringing her line of sight to the girl's.

She looked directly into the girl's eyes, her voice soft and gentle.

"And what about you? Your bamboo tube isn't full yet, is it?"

The girl looked down at the bamboo tube in her hand.

The bamboo tube was indeed only half full; the deep blue spiritual essence swayed at the bottom of the tube, and even the yellowish-green color of the inner wall of the bamboo tube could not be concealed.

She raised her head again, her face radiant with life.

"It's okay, Fufu runs fast. I'll catch her after my sister finishes."

As she spoke, she added proudly, her chin slightly raised, with a hint of eager anticipation.

"I can run faster than Elm Seed! Elm Seed is that little brat from the next alley. He's so slow, I always leave him behind."

Tang Xixue was amused by her earnest yet proud little expression.

She reached out and gently touched the top of the girl's head.

Her hair was fine and soft, with a velvety texture unique to children.

"You're really amazing."

The little girl blushed as she was praised.

The red color spread from her cheeks all the way to her ears, making her little ears look like two tiny red agates.

She stubbornly maintained her composure and puffed out her small chest.

"Of course! I'll be like the Flowing Cloud Medicine God, carrying a lantern to protect Yaoguang City!"

As soon as those words were spoken, the pondside fell silent, leaving only the little girl's childish voice hanging forlornly in the morning light.

Everyone's eyes carry the same light.

That's the kind of light you see when you see a new seedling breaking through the soil.

That is hope.

The girl was somewhat bewildered by the sudden silence.

She tilted her head, looking left and right, her two little braids swinging back and forth with the movement, the fluffy flowers at the ends of the braids fluttering.

The old man cleared his throat and was the first to break the silence.

"well!"

He nodded vigorously, his gray beard trembling with each nod.

"That's ambitious! When the time comes, this old man will be leaning on his cane, watching you patrol the city with a lantern. Don't complain that this old man walks too slowly and can't keep up."

As he spoke, he smiled, a smile that held both satisfaction and anticipation.

"must!"

The little girl responded loudly, her voice as clear and crisp as silver beans falling onto a jade plate.

She glanced at Tang Xixue and asked mischievously:

"Pretty ladies, when you come to pray under the Tree of Three Lives, are you also wishing to be together forever?"

She spoke with great enthusiasm, and at the end, she couldn't help but steal a glance at Jiu Fangzhi before quickly looking away, covering her mouth and laughing.

The hand covering her mouth was small; even with her fingers spread out, it couldn't cover half her face.