Immortality: Starting with a grave, I'm invincible when burying corpses.

Under the dim light, Zhuge Xiang placed the fish tank in front of Li Yin and squatted down like her.

The fish on the riverbank were reluctant to leave, swimming back and forth around the shore, as if waiting for the next feeding, or perhaps putting on a show for the people on the bank.

Seeing the fish still lingering on the riverbank, Zhuge Xiang repeated his previous action, scattering a handful of fish food into the river, causing the koi carp in the river to leap up and fight for it.

Because there was so little food, every koi scrambling for it would leap up and swallow it whole before it even hit the water.

The school of fish that had gathered together quickly attracted the attention of passersby. Several children gathered around amidst laughter and pointing at the fish in the river, occasionally letting out a gasp of surprise.

Surrounded by children, Zhuge Xiang, like any ordinary fish feeder, felt a sense of accomplishment from being watched. With a smile on his face, he distributed the fish food to several children.

Before long, the shore became increasingly lively, with children exclaiming one after another.

"Look at this red koi! It's jumping so high! It ate the fish food in one gulp!"

"Look! Look! This golden koi is huge! It's so much bigger than the other koi!"

"And this red and white one, it's amazing, it chased all the other koi away!"

Because of the children's gathering, the adults who were worried about the children also gathered on the riverbank. A group of people stood on the riverbank and, just like the children, watched the koi carp fighting for food and began to discuss it in hushed tones.

Before long, the fish food in the child's hand was gone. Seeing this, a young woman handed her child the steamed buns she had bought earlier.

After the child happily accepted the steamed bun from his mother, the young woman also smiled.

For this woman, the smiles of her own children are the reason for her happiness.

……

Amidst the commotion, Zhuge Xiang and Li Yin left their original spot and sat down together a few dozen meters away.

Zhuge Xiang stared at the dark water, while Li Yin stared blankly at the crowd not far away. Neither of them spoke, each lost in their own thoughts.

Not far away, children were making a racket, pulling on their parents, wanting to take the koi fish home.

Only after the crowd in the distance dispersed did Zhuge Xiang pat the fish tank between the two of them, attracting Li Yin's attention.

A golden koi is frolicking in the fish tank. Compared to when it first entered the tank and darted around everywhere, the koi now seems quite content, as if it has already adapted to its new environment.

Seeing this, Li Yin lost all interest in pretending to be confused. She took a deep breath and stared intently at Zhuge Xiang.

"Since you see things so clearly, and are willing to share them with me, you must have your own thoughts. I wonder what you have to teach me?"

Faced with Li Yin's straightforward question, Zhuge Xiang narrowed his eyes slightly and took out a white jade brush in Li Yin's bewildered gaze.

The hand holding the brush has distinct knuckles, and it traces lines back and forth in the air, with pale blue patterns flowing in the air to form a light blue talisman.

Li Yin was stunned by this single technique of drawing talismans out of thin air.

It's impossible for someone below the Celestial level to use such a technique, and in her mind, Zhuge Xiang's cultivation was only at the Innate level, so there was no reason for him to be able to use such a mysterious technique.

As the azure talisman took shape, a small whirlpool formed on the riverbank, and koi carp swam in from all directions, converging at the location of the whirlpool.

Under Li Yin's watchful gaze, Zhuge Xiang once again pulled a fish tank from his sleeve.

The difference is that this time the fish tank is much larger, several times larger than the previous one.

The light blue talisman suspended in mid-air slowly fell into the water, and eight red koi carp leaped up one after another, falling into the fish tank along with the river water.

One gold and eight red pieces—the difference in quality is clearly visible to the naked eye.

After finishing all this, Zhuge Xiang exhaled a breath of hot air, touched the fish tank, and said with considerable emotion.

"Now Senior Sister has nine koi fish, one gold and eight red, all very beautiful. I think Master Bai and Junior Sister will be very happy to see them... After all, more fish make it more lively."

Looking at the nine koi swimming in the fish tank, Li Yin's face grew increasingly grim. She lowered her eyes and whispered.

"What exactly does Junior Brother know? Why can't you just say it directly instead of beating around the bush like this..."

Faced with Li Yin's questioning, Zhuge Xiang just kept shaking his head, muttering to himself like a street charlatan.

"It cannot be spoken, it cannot be spoken; the events here can only be understood, not explained..."

Under Li Yin's glare that seemed to want to hit someone, Zhuge Xiang changed the subject, his tone becoming increasingly casual, as if he didn't notice the change in Li Yin's emotions, and continued talking to himself.

"You don't need to ask me why, Senior Sister. Just take these nine koi back and raise them for a while, and you'll understand..."

"Stop beating around the bush! Just say what you mean, don't beat around the bush with me! If you keep this up, I'll really beat you up!" Li Yin gritted her teeth and clenched her fists together.

She hates riddle-solving people the most!

Her experience reading books taught her that many things that could have been resolved smoothly failed because these riddle-makers refused to explain themselves clearly.

The unfolded folding fan obscured Zhuge Xiang's face, making Li Yin, who was already agitated, even more impatient, and her urge to hit someone intensified.

Until Zhuge Xiang's somewhat ethereal voice rang in her ears.

"The first koi is of the best quality, with a trace of dragon blood mixed in its body. This koi is not a native species of the river. It was specially chosen by me for my senior sister. If it is well cared for, it may become an asset to her in the future."

"As for the last eight, I just randomly picked them, and they just happened to be these. It's fate that we're here, so consider them a gift for my senior sister."

"I hope you will take good care of me, Senior Sister. In a few days, I will go to find you and admire your achievements..."

The ethereal voice gradually faded into the distance, and the figure in the scholar's robe disappeared into the dense forest.

Li Yin was left standing alone by the lake, her mind filled with Zhuge Xiang's words.

The lights along the riverbank flickered, making Li Yin's figure appear even more lonely.

As the evening breeze blew, Li Yin let out a long breath of hot air and stared blankly at the two fish tanks in front of her.

One gold and eight red koi, exactly nine in total.

After a long while, a low sound rose from the riverbank.

"What's the use of seeing things clearly? As the saying goes, it's better to be confused than confused..."

"But if a person remains confused for too long, their feigned confusion will turn into genuine confusion."

"Junior brother, what exactly do you want me to do...?"

……

Five miles away in the dense forest, Zhuge Xiang, who had left the riverbank, suddenly stopped and bowed to the empty forest.

"This student has met Master Bai."

A few breaths later, Bai Ling jumped down from the tree, looking at the scholar in front of her with a complicated expression.

"We are old acquaintances, and we were close friends back in Wenhua Palace. Why put on such an act now?"

The folding fan unfolded in the air, obscuring half of the scholar's face.

Looking at Bai Ling, whose expression was quite complicated, Zhuge Xiang's tone finally showed some fluctuation.

"A thousand people are a thousand faces, and identity is ultimately an insignificant thing. Whether it's a teacher or a fellow soldier, it's nothing more than a title."

Seeing Zhuge Xiang's reaction, Bai Ling shook her head slightly and sighed.

"Fine... the form of address isn't important anyway, but why are you pressuring that child so much? You and I both know that Mr. Mu's condition can't be changed overnight. You've told that child everything; what are you plotting?"

……

The evening breeze rustled through the treetops, and starlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, illuminating the scholar's handsome face.

The person under the tree looked up at the bright moon, their voice becoming increasingly ethereal.

"The world has been in chaos for too long, so long that people have almost forgotten everything that once was, forgotten what peace really looks like..."

The folding fan was fully opened, reflecting the starry sky.

Even if the chances of success are slim, even if it means sacrificing a lot, we must try...

"Senior Sister Bai, just as you told me thirty years ago, the true path of literature is not found in books, nor in the words of others, but only on the path of progress, and only in the hearts of all living beings... Isn't what we scholars should do to seek a future for all people?"

"If it succeeds, the world will be at peace... If it fails, it's just a matter of a few more people dying..."

"Moreover, they ultimately chose their own path; no one forced them. Even if we do nothing, they will eventually find themselves on opposite sides..."