The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Tang Xixue noticed this detail.

Her gaze fell on Jiu Fangzhi's hands hanging at his sides.

He didn't intend to hold her hand.

But just by standing there, he shielded her from half the chaos of the world.

Behind me, by the pool.

"Our Yaoguang City hasn't had any guests in a long time."

The old man picked up the rough earthenware bowl again, bent down, and brought the rim of the bowl close to the stream of water from which the spiritual essence had fallen.

He bent over very slowly, one hand supporting himself on the edge of the pool, the other steadily holding the bowl.

A stream of deep blue water fell into the bowl, splashing up a tiny flower of light that reflected on his coarse brown blouse.

"Thank you for your grace, Medicine God."

The women also withdrew their gaze and focused again on receiving the spiritual essence.

Their voices were soft and devout as they recited prayers etched into their very bones.

Pottery jars, jade bottles, bronze cups, bamboo pots, and other containers of various colors are lined up along the pond.

Each cup was carefully held and cradled, and once a cup was filled, the person stepped back to make room for the next person.

The little girl held a bamboo tube in her arms, and light shone through the inner wall of the tube, turning it into a semi-transparent little lantern.

She was like a lamp that had just been lit.

The wick was still very thin, and the light was still very weak, but it was already burning.

"Both the older sister and that older brother are good people."

She muttered something under her breath and said it to the gray cat beside her.

"The older brother even helped me unscrew the plug."

The gray cat meowed, rolled over, revealing its furry belly, and ignored her.

The two walked out of the square and onto the long bluestone street.

This long street is much wider than the narrow alley we came from.

The streets are lined with wooden buildings of varying heights, with all sorts of shops on the ground floor.

The morning breeze blew in from the street corner, carrying the sweet fragrance of ripe spiritual fruits—a scent that belonged to the mortal world.

"Senior brother."

Tangxi Xue spoke.

"Um."

Jiu Fang knew that he should get it quickly, just like before.

No matter when or where, he would always respond whenever she called him.

"Have you ever shielded someone from the wind before?"

Jiu Fangzhi's steps never stopped.

"No. I only shielded you from it."

He said this in a very calm tone.

But every word she spoke landed heavily on Tang Xixue's heart.

There was no one else but her.

It's not that no one needs shelter from the wind, but that he never thought of shielding others from it.

He protected only her from beginning to end.

"Oh... I thought you were very experienced because you were so skilled."

Tang Xixue lowered her head, hiding the little joy on her lips in the morning light.

Upon hearing this, Jiu Fangzhi couldn't help but laugh.

"Junior sister is overthinking it. Your brother isn't that kind-hearted."

Are you proficient?

It's just that I put more effort into the people I care about.

Many things cannot be taught to those who are unintentional, and those who are intentional do not need to be taught.

He was just subconsciously trying to take better care of her.

The two continued walking forward.

After taking a few steps, Tang Xixue's sleeve gently brushed against the back of his hand.

The two hems of their garments overlapped for a moment in the morning light, like two fish brushing past each other, before separating again.

This time, he didn't back down.

That hand remained hanging at its side, maintaining its original posture, neither approaching nor deliberately retreating.

His fingertips twitched slightly.

It seemed as if he was hesitating, or perhaps he was restraining himself.

But in the end, his hand remained there, letting the soft fabric brush against the back of his hand once more.

The dark robe hem and green skirt glided across the bluestone pavement, like two trees growing side by side in the wind, one branch gently embracing the other.

After walking a few more steps, Tang Xixue stopped and took one last look at the white jade statue in the center of the square.

The statue seemed to be looking at her as well.

Are there really rivers in this world that never run dry?

Tangxi Xue asked softly.

This question had been lingering in her mind for quite some time.

"What would happen if one day the spiritual essence of Yaoguang City were exhausted?"

Jiu Fangzhi stopped in his tracks.

There was a long silence.

He knew what she was asking.

She wasn't asking about the spiritual essence; she was asking about the city and the people.

What will they do if their spiritual essence is depleted?

There is nothing in this world that is inexhaustible, and there is no source that never runs dry.

The same goes for spiritual essence.

It simply persisted long enough that it seemed to never run dry.

But one day, that day will come.

When that day comes, who will light the lights in this city?

Jiu Fangzhi is not the kind of person who would comfort others with pretty words.

She asked him, and he thought about it seriously.

He thought about it for a long time, and then gave his answer.

"Junior sister, there's no need to worry about things that haven't happened yet."

"When that day comes, there will be a solution. For now, we still have a long way to go."

On that day, someone will light a torch at night.

"Yes. When one light goes out, a new one will come."

Tang Xixue firmly believed that there was hope.

The two walked out of the square side by side.

Before them was a bustling street market that was gradually coming to life.

The vendor selling spirit fruits lifted the coarse cloth covering the basket, and white steam billowed from the steamer.

A child ran past the alleyway carrying a stack of firewood taller than himself. When his mother called out to him, he shrank back and chuckled.

As the morning light grew brighter, Yaoguang City lived quietly in its glow.

Like an old tree that has taken root in a crack in the rock, knowing that there is a sheer cliff above it, it still tries its best to stretch its branches and leaves toward every ray of light that leaks through, every drop of rain that seeps in, and every inch of thin soil.

"Junior Sister, shall we go take a look at the Three Lives Tree together?"

"Okay. Sure."

Tang Xixue turned her head and met his gaze.

Her eyelashes were like two butterfly wings gilded by the sunlight, long and distinct.

She smiled at him, her eyes crinkling.

Jiu Fangzhi's gaze lingered on her face for a moment.

It is longer than usual, and an inch longer than the proper etiquette allows.

"The tree that Granny Bai mentioned might be related to the secrets of this city."

"I feel that way too."

Tang Xixue looked up following his gaze.

My gaze traveled beyond the layers of eaves and brackets, and the smoke and morning mist drifting above the streets, landing on a more distant place.

In the center of the city, a large, silver-blue tree rises from the ground.

That was the divine tree that Xingmi had seen at the bottom of the lake, the Three Lives Tree.

Looking out from the end of this long street, one truly understands what it means to have the sky blocked out.

The tree canopies, like clouds, spread out in layers, covering almost half of the city.

The branches and leaves are lush and verdant, each leaf shimmering with a faint silver-blue halo.

It's as if the starry sky has been crushed and scattered on the branches, with countless stars hanging among the leaves, flickering and shining brightly.

"Senior brother, look over there."

Tang Xixue raised her hand and pointed to the giant tree.

"That tree used to be in the clouds outside. It was the first thing we saw when we first entered the secret realm."

"Later, Xingmi said that it also saw this tree at the bottom of the lake."

"It seems that the divine tree and heavenly palace in the sky are likely just mirages, which is why no one has been able to find them."

Her voice was clear and firm, carrying the keen insight unique to a doctor.

It is the instinct to distinguish the genuine from the fake among thousands of medicinal herbs at a glance, and to accurately find the root cause of the disease amidst a jumble of symptoms.

"Does this mean that the true place where the Flowing Cloud Medicine God's legacy is located beneath this lake?"

She lowered her hand, turned around, and faced Jiu Fangzhi.

The light fell into her eyes, making them sparkle.

There is a thirst for knowledge and an excitement for exploration in it.

The Secret Realm of Glazed Heaven, the Trial of the Medicine God, the Flowing Cloud Medicine God, the Three Lives Tree...

All these seemingly scattered clues are now being pieced together little by little in her mind.

The originally blurry outlines became clearer and clearer, gradually sketching out an increasingly complete picture.

She pondered quietly.

Where did the Flowing Cloud Medicine God go in the end?

What is the secret behind her disappearance?

Could the Immortal Medicine Garden and the Heavenly Palace be located within this mysterious underwater ancient city?