How can one cultivate immortality without learning modern knowledge?

Chapter 142 The Spirit Clan's Fountain of Youth, A Song in the Pavilion

She, of course, is Ye Xiaoxiao, the Holy Maiden's personal maid.

When she saw him up close, the girl's heart was pounding so fast.

Under the moonlight, he appeared even more handsome and dashing than when viewed from afar.

A gust of wind blew by, carrying a masculine scent that instantly captivated her. Her heart fluttered like a deer. Zhou Wenju walked along the bluestone path, through the ancient trees and vines that resembled a fairytale world.

We stepped onto the red pavilion ahead.

Inside the red pavilion, under a strange lamp, a woman slowly turned her head.

Yan Ruqiao sketched.

Her body swayed like a willow in the spring breeze.

Her entire being was so perfect and flawless.

What attracted Zhou Wenju the most was the lifelike "yellow flower" on her forehead, with its bright red color and clear outline. The whole person looked as if she had stepped out of a painting.

"This humble student greets the Holy Maiden!" Zhou Wenju bowed slightly.

"This humble woman, Qianhen, greets Young Master Zhou!" The Holy Maiden bowed gracefully. "Young Master Zhou, please have a seat!"

A seat had already been reserved opposite her.

Zhou Wenju sat down, and Ye Xiaoxiao served him a cup of tea.

Before the tea even reaches your lips, its delicate fragrance reaches the deepest part of your nasal cavity; a gentle sniff brings a refreshing coolness to your mind.

"Young Master Zhou's literary talent truly astounded everyone present!" the Holy Maiden exclaimed. "I am not ignorant, but I have never seen such a literary prodigy before."

"You flatter me, Holy Maiden!" Zhou Wenju smiled and said, "Stepping into the Spirit Clan, I am surrounded by outstanding talents and pure sounds. I am also deeply moved. This magical race that inherited from ancient times truly has the appearance of spirits of heaven and earth and the legacy of ancient immortals."

"There's no need for formalities between us. After all, from this day forward, our marriage alliance is a formal alliance between our two nations," the Holy Maiden said with a gentle smile.

"Have the specific details of the marriage been finalized?"

"Yes! Your Majesty's representative, the Master of the Academy of your country, has signed an agreement with my father, breaking down all barriers to marriage between our two clans. Not only will they not prevent it, but they will also create conditions for marriage. Two marriage ceremonies will be held every year on the fifteenth day of the first month and the seventh day of the seventh month, one for the Spirit Clan and one in your capital, Luoyang. Talented individuals from your country are free to come to our clan, and unmarried disciples of our clan are also free to travel to your capital."

"The world says that the friendship between two families is the greatest joy for people," but now our country and the nobility are more than just friends between two families. This is a story that will be celebrated for all time!" Zhou Wenju laughed heartily.

"Indeed, the entire clan rejoiced at the news of Nan's arrival. From then on, their bloodlines were connected, and they were as close as fish and water. How could this not be a timeless tale?" the Holy Maiden said. "Such a magnificent event was all made possible by Young Master Zhou! I would like to present Young Master Zhou with a small gift to express my respect!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she gently flipped her hand, and a small bottle appeared in her slender palm.

This small bottle appears to be made of bamboo, with clearly defined bamboo nodes, but it is completely transparent.

Inside the bottle, a mass of liquid flowed like water.

Endless dynamism.

Unparalleled in its mystery.

"You're too kind, Holy Maiden. It's my duty and responsibility. How could I accept your gift?" Zhou Wenju said.

"This ceremony is not a worldly one; it carries a special meaning," the saintess said. "It is a fine occasion for the young master to accept it."

Zhou Wenju was slightly taken aback: "I don't know what this thing is—"

"This is our clan's unique 'Seven-Refined Fountain of Immortality'!"

The spiritual fountain of youth!

Still at the seventh level of refinement!

Zhou Wenju's heart skipped a beat.

The Spirit Race is an extremely mysterious race that has been passed down from ancient times.

The most distinctive feature of this race is its long lifespan.

Some say that their long lifespan is due to the ageless nature inherent in their blood.

Some say that they not only possess the characteristic of immortality in their blood, but the place they live in is itself a place of enduring life, because they are a race that grows on the sacred tree.

The sap of the sacred tree can be refined into the "Fountain of Immortality" through the secret methods of the Spirit Clan.

The Fountain of Immortality, refined three times, is a rare treasure; even ordinary people who consume it can gain an extra hundred years of life.

Scholars from all over the world yearn for it.

Why?

The greatest constraint for those who cultivate literature is their short lifespan. If they could obtain a drop of the Fountain of Immortality, their lifespan would be extended by a hundred years.

How could those literary giants not go crazy?

However, the sacred tree sap that can be used to refine the "Fountain of Youth" only seeps out a few drops a year, and the materials required for its refinement are extremely rare, making this substance very scarce. Even members of the Spirit Race find it extremely difficult to obtain.

Today, the saintess actually gave him a drop directly.

Moreover, it is the highest level currently held by the Spirit Race: Seven Refinements.

"Holy Maiden! This is absolutely unacceptable!" Zhou Wenju exclaimed. "I know of your noble Fountain of Immortality, a rare treasure refined seven times. Even among the high-ranking members of the clan, not everyone can consume it. How can it be wasted on me?"

"Young master, you only know one side of the story!" the Holy Maiden said. "Our clan's Fountain of Immortality, when consumed by our own descendants, merely increases their vital energy, without any other miraculous effects. However, if human scholars consume it, they can develop spiritual roots, easily transcending the life-and-death threshold of a hundred or even two hundred years. That would be truly making the most of it!"

The children of the Spirit Clan inherently possess spiritual roots.

Drinking the fountain of youth only increases one's vitality.

When a human scholar drank from the Fountain of Youth, he was born with a spiritual root, which was a complete transformation.

If we're talking about waste, then using such rare and precious items of heaven and earth on the children of the spirit race would be a waste, but using them on human scholars would be maximizing their effectiveness.

Ye Xiaoxiao, dressed in purple, spoke up: "Young Master, this is the Holy Maiden's kind intention. She hopes that someone as talented as you can stay in this world for a longer time. Young Master, please don't refuse her good intentions, will you?"

Zhou Wenju's gaze swept over her eyes.

Those eyes held nothing but sincerity.

His self-illumination fell upon the saintess's eyes, and it seemed as if a spring breeze had suddenly stirred within her, stirring the deep well within.

"The Holy Maiden is so kind; how can I possibly repay her kindness?" Zhou Wenju sighed softly.

The saintess smiled gently: "Do you really want something in return?"

"real!"

"Then—when I travel to Jiangnan, how about you be my guide?"

1

"Does the Holy Maiden intend to descend upon the Jiangnan region of the Great Yu?"

"I've heard that you come from the south of Jiangnan, and I really want to visit your hometown to see what kind of beautiful land could produce such a talented scholar as you."

Ye Xiaoxiao's heart pounded.

My God, Holy Maiden, is this what you said?

You want to go to his hometown!

You still want him to be with you —

I've been eagerly anticipating your transformation, but isn't this change a bit too hasty?

Zhou Wenju looked at her quietly, his eyes filled with tenderness.

The saintess seemed to have completely forgotten everything around her, and simply met his gaze.

"The land of Jiangnan should be bathed in springtime glory because of the Holy Maiden!" Zhou Wenju said. "I am in Jiangnan, waiting for the spring breeze and for you!"

This sentence, though not a poem, is better than a poem.

"Waiting for the spring breeze, and waiting for you!"

Ye Xiaoxiao was completely mesmerized.

Unfortunately, the spring breeze he waited for had nothing to do with her, and the "you" he waited for didn't even bear the surname "Ye."

The saintess smiled gently, lowered her head, picked up the teacup, and took a small sip. The tea in her cup resembled a spring pond, each ripple conveying a sense of spring.

She slowly raised her head: "Young master, what was the name of that piece of music performed at the literary gathering that day?"

These words seem to be a forced shift, pulling himself out of the hazy mood of "waiting for the spring breeze and waiting for you".

"Yangguan Sandie"

"Yangguan Sandie, what an evocative name! I wonder what kind of state of mind inspired you to compose such a masterpiece?"

"When I passed through Longcheng and stepped into the frontier, I was moved by the vastness of the frontier and that inspired this song!" Zhou Wenju said.

"To compose a timeless masterpiece from a single scene, sir, your talent for music is beyond words," the saintess said, her beautiful eyes twinkling. "Tonight, in this scene, could you compose another piece?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Xiaoxiao's heart skipped a beat.

Good heavens, Holy Maiden, are you testing his talent for music?

You still don't believe that his music is so outstanding that he actually put it to the test on the spot?

Or perhaps you have a hidden agenda, hoping to gauge his feelings for you by observing his happiness.

If he has feelings for you, his joy will be full of affection.

This is what people mean when they say: music can speak!

The "words" spoken by music are incomprehensible to ordinary people.

But how could a woman of the Spirit Clan, born with spiritual roots, not understand this?

Zhou Wenju smiled: "A place of nature, pure and pristine, where vines and trees intertwine intimately, is itself joy and song—"

How about I sing you a song?

"A song?" The saintess's eyes lit up.

Ye Xiaoxiao's eyes widened suddenly.

The saintess wanted to discern his true feelings through his music, and he understood.

If you want to hear my true feelings, I'll be more direct.

You don't need to grasp the emotional changes in the music; the lyrics will tell you everything!

Songs have lyrics!

That's the difference between music and joy.

Zhou Wenju's gaze fell upon the saintess, and a song flowed forth like water under the moonlight—

"In the mountains, you only see vines entwining trees; in the world, you never see trees entwining vines. If the green vines don't entwine trees, they'll have wasted a spring." A clean voice flowed out like water.

In an instant, all other sounds ceased.

The saintess was completely stunned.

Ye Xiaoxiao's mouth was half open —

On the periphery, countless spirit race members suddenly turned around in unison, and all the spirit race night lights in the mountains and forests, which were like fireflies, were located.

Almost everyone was in disbelief.

Could there really be such beautiful music in the world?

Gentle and soothing, like spring water, it flows directly to the deepest part of one's heart.

"You didn't harvest the bamboo when you should have, you didn't keep the bamboo shoots when you should have, you didn't pick up the hydrangeas when you should have, leaving your hands empty with only sorrow."

The saintess's heart suddenly fluttered—

It seemed as if an infinite amount of something was poured into my heart in an instant.

And then suddenly everything went blank—

"Let us be bound together, our friendship will last a hundred years. If I die at ninety-seven, I will wait for you for three years on the Bridge of Helplessness."

The spirits of the entire mountain were instantly captivated.

Ye Xiaoxiao let out a soft moan, unable to control herself.

This song, only now, has leaped out of its beautiful sentiments and stepped into a passionate fervor.

The Great Yu Kingdom and the Spirit Clan have formed a marriage alliance.

He told the saintess, "Let us be together for a hundred years. If I die at the age of ninety-seven, I will wait for you for three years on the Bridge of Helplessness to fulfill our hundred-year promise!"

What a fiery and direct expression!

What a tender promise!

Is this what humans are like?

Is this the human world they yearn for?

They can carry the path of "love" to the very end of life, to the Bridge of Helplessness, transcending life and death—

The singing stopped.

Suddenly, the entire mountain stirred; it was countless Spirit Clan disciples who had been practicing at night, trembling uncontrollably.

Ye Xiaoxiao blushed and stared at Zhou Wenju.

There are signs that, starting tonight, what will captivate this girl will no longer be "searching for her a thousand times in the crowd," but this song.

Even the night lamp in the Red Pavilion seemed to flicker, as if the oil inside was boiling.

The saint took a deep breath, as if waking from a dream.

Zhou Wenju looked at her, still very close.

The saintess had just awoke from a dreamlike daze, and once again her heart raced at those eyes—

Zhou Wenju's gaze suddenly shifted, moving forward.

A smile appeared on his face.

The saintess turned around and saw someone.

A young scholar stood at the end of the bluestone road, his face showing a mixture of confusion and delight.

Cui Wusheng!

"Holy Maiden, my friend has arrived!" Zhou Wenju stood up and said, "I'll take my leave today!"

"Are you leaving tomorrow?" The saintess also stood up.

"More or less!" Zhou Wenju said, "On the return journey, I won't make a special farewell to the Holy Maiden. If the Holy Maiden is inclined to visit Jiangnan in the Great Yu, I will be there, waiting for the wind and for you!"

"————It's a deal!"

Zhou Wenju stepped out of the red pavilion and walked along the bluestone path to Cui Wusheng.

Cui Wusheng looked at him with such a complex expression.

Upon joining the Aoyama Literary Society, the two became companions and the closest comrades-in-arms in the team.

Analyze the opponents, discuss the principles of literature, look to the future, and make plans for tomorrow.

They talked a lot, but they didn't discuss whether one of them would be absent.

However, Cui Wusheng was still absent!

Because he was poisoned.

He became the one who attended the Aoyama Literary Gathering, yet conspicuously missed it.

Zhou Wenju took over his battle flag and completed the final defense for the Great Yu Kingdom.

"Brother Cui, you've recovered?" Zhou Wenju placed his hand on his shoulder, and a wisp of literary transmission entered his ear.

"It's back to normal! Master Xuezheng told me the whole story. If it weren't for the fact that I'm in the wrong place, I should—pay my respects to Brother Zhou!" Cui Wusheng replied.

He woke up.

His literary talent was also restored.

Zhuang Wenhua told him that he had been poisoned, and that Zhou Wenju had taken over the baton to protect Ledao in order to cure him.

Personally, this was a life-saving grace.

From the perspective of the Dao, this is the grace of continuing the Dao—if the Qingshan Literary Gathering of the Great Yu Kingdom fails because of Cui Wusheng, Cui Wusheng will become the eternal sinner of the Great Yu Kingdom, and his literary Dao will bear an indelible stain for life. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to call it the grace of continuing the Dao.

However, the current situation is special.

He could not perform the full prostration to thank Zhou Wenju.

Because once they express their gratitude, it would be like tearing away the "fig leaf" that Zhou Wenju and Zhuang Wenhua had carefully guarded, causing a rift to appear between the Great Yu Kingdom and the Spirit Clan, who had already entered their honeymoon period.

Zhou Wenju laughed: "Brother Cui has always been carefree, and in fact, what I like most about Brother Cui is his carefree attitude."

Cui Wusheng laughed too: "Brother Zhou likes to be carefree, so I'll show you how carefree I can be! We're brothers for life, so I won't say thank you again!"

"That's right!" Zhou Wenju said, "Let's go back!"

The two walked away side by side —

The bluestone path is now empty.

The mountains were quiet.

Inside the red pavilion, the flickering lights returned to calm.

Ye Xiaoxiao let out a soft sigh: "Holy Maiden, this servant feels that the Holy Maiden has missed a step in the process—"

"What?" The saintess turned her gaze back from the distant horizon.

"As they say, if you don't pick up the embroidered ball when you should, you'll only end up with two hands full of sorrow." — You should give him an answer: will you pick up this embroidered ball or not?

The saintess glanced at her sideways but did not answer.