Immortal Travel of Longevity

An emperor like Si Yanruchu was exceptionally rare.

Despite taking the throne with a different surname, he played both the Imperial Court and the jianghu like a fiddle. During his reign, he launched several sweeping reforms, preserving the best of his predecessors while discarding the rest. Spanning dozens of areas—military, governance, livelihood, and agriculture—these reforms pushed an entire era to its absolute peak.

But an emperor like him might only appear once in centuries. Now that he was gone, who would still care about the female official system? No one would likely give it a second glance.

"The common people are ignorant."

Master Jin San gently patted Tong Nianyi's head and said, "Don't stick your neck out for ignorant people."

He didn't hesitate to speak such heavy words, even if they weren't something a child should hear.

But he said them to make Tong Nianyi understand that reality was different from her books. She needed to be cautious in everything she did, rather than charging blindly forward.

Tong Nianyi turned her head. "Grandpa Jin, Nianyi understands what you mean."

Master Jin San nodded and laughed. "Who told our Nianyi to be so smart? Haha..."

Tong Nianyi nodded and saw Master Jin San off.

Lihua finished eating its dried fish and walked over. Looking in the direction Master Jin San had left, it muttered, "What a good person."

Tong Nianyi scooped Lihua up. "Big Cat, what Grandpa Jin just said sounded so serious."

Lihua let out a sound, then shook its head. "But it seems to make sense."

Tong Nianyi lowered her eyes.

She fell deep into thought.

She stroked her chin, unable to come up with a way to break the deadlock.

In her daze, a murmur slipped from her lips. "If I were the one in charge of this world, would it be..."

"In charge of what?"

Lihua tilted its head, looking a bit shocked. "Ah, Nianyi wants to be the emperor."

Tong Nianyi froze. She opened her mouth and immediately denied it. "No, no, no, of course I didn't mean that. I..."

She suddenly paused, as if falling back into deep thought.

Seeing that she wasn't speaking, Lihua reached out a paw and poked her.

"What's wrong with you?"

Tong Nianyi snapped back to reality. She shook her head and didn't say a word.

Lihua thought she was acting strange, as if she were deliberately hiding something. Of course, it was just a passing thought; Lihua didn't dwell on it. In its mind, Tong Nianyi was just an innocent child without any complex thoughts.

But children grew up. They weren't like Lihua, who would always remain foolish.

...

Dong Chiyu sat on the small hillside outside the neighborhood.

The Long Spear leaned against a tree to the side. She held a small flower in her hand, admiring it. The breeze brushed past the Strand of Hair at her temples, slowly drawing her back from her daze.

She suddenly lay down, gazing up at the azure sky.

Under that bright light, she seemed to lose herself, forgetting everything.

She loved this place too much.

There would be arguments here, and occasional disagreements, but there was never any scheming or backstabbing. The people around her were always filled with laughter and smiles, relaxed and free. Pouring a cup or two of murky wine, chatting with friends about a few things, sharing a hearty laugh—that was how a day passed.

"So nice..."

Dong Chiyu murmured, closing her eyes.

But now, she was lost again.

She had forgotten why she tagged along in the first place.

Thinking back, wasn't it originally to learn the spear?

Over these years, she had certainly learned it.

But she no longer had the desire to hold the spear.

A period of simple, peaceful time had made her doubt why she even picked up the spear at all.

Back then, it was just to protect herself.

Now, what was it for?

It felt as though it wasn't necessary at all anymore.

The spear in her hand hadn't slackened in the slightest, but the spear in her heart had already been set down.

This was why she found herself spacing out so often lately.

Ruyi had also noticed something was off with her and hadn't spared her from flicks to the forehead. Sometimes, Ruyi truly treated her like a cat, just like Lihua.

"Blockhead Dong."

Dong Chiyu paused and opened her eyes.

She saw Ruyi standing right in front of her, arms crossed, looking down at her.

Dong Chiyu sat up and asked, "Why are you here?"

Ruyi stepped forward and sat down beside her.

"I was about to ask why you ran off here."

"I..."

Dong Chiyu didn't know how to answer.

Ruyi pulled a flatbread from her robes and handed it to Dong Chiyu.

"Here."

Dong Chiyu took it, nodded her thanks, and immediately began to take small bites.

"What's been going on with you lately? Being absent-minded while practicing the spear is one thing, but you've never run off by yourself like this to clear your head. What's on your mind?"

"Nothing."

Dong Chiyu gnawed on the steamed cake and refused to admit it.

Ruyi reached out and slapped the back of her head. "Why are you dawdling so much? If I tell you to speak, then speak! You're acting like a woman."

Dong Chiyu froze. Holding the steamed cake in one hand, she said blankly, "I am a woman."

Ruyi smacked her again and asked, "What kind of woman dances around with swords and spears?"

Dong Chiyu thought for a moment and tentatively replied.

"Yours?"

Ruyi panicked slightly upon hearing that. She quickly hit her and said, "What do you mean, yours! Don't spout nonsense!"

Dong Chiyu paused and blinked. "Is it not? Didn't I acknowledge your mother as my godmother? Aren't we one family?"

"That's..."

Ruyi opened her mouth, suddenly at a loss for how to reply.

She rubbed her forehead and sighed, no longer speaking.

She then waved her hand to brush past the topic. "Just tell me what's been wrong with you lately."

Dong Chiyu lowered her head and fell silent again.

Seeing this, Ruyi gave up hoping for an answer and simply waved her hand. "Forget it. There's a reason they call you an elm blockhead."

Dong Chiyu shook her head. "No, I just didn't dare tell you."

"Why wouldn't you dare?"

"I feel..."

Dong Chiyu opened her mouth and said, "I feel like I don't know how to use a spear anymore."

"What do you mean?"

Dong Chiyu explained, "It's just that I don't understand what I'm learning the spear for anymore. I obviously loved learning it, but inexplicably, I suddenly feel like learning it is meaningless."

Ruyi realized what she meant. "Is it because life has been too comfortable?"

Dong Chiyu spaced out for a moment, thinking that was exactly the reason, so she nodded.

Ruyi curled her lip, suddenly feeling out of her depth.

Counseling others was something she was terrible at.

Moreover, Dong Chiyu's words had actually sent a tremor through Ruyi's own heart.

To be honest, Ruyi currently didn't understand why she was still practicing the spear either. As life grew comfortable, it felt as though the spear in her hand had become much lighter. It didn't feel heavy at all anymore.

The two of them walked in tandem down the small path of Hui Lane.

Ruyi paused. Her gaze fell on a puddle gathered by the side of the road, reflecting her image.

Fine wrinkles already marked her face, most obvious around the corners of her eyes. She looked down at her hands. They were covered in calluses, no longer smooth and soft like they used to be.

She let out a soft sigh and collected herself.

Dong Chiyu stopped beside her, watching her in silence.

Ruyi met her gaze. After a long moment, she said, "My mother has been pushing me to get married lately. Should I really just find someone and settle down?"

Dong Chiyu hadn't expected such a startling question. She blinked in surprise. "Didn't you say you didn't want to?"

Ruyi pursed her lips. "I didn't want to..."

She sighed again. "Forget it, let's not talk about this. Let's go home."

Ruyi took a few steps forward.

But Dong Chiyu didn't follow.

Ruyi paused and looked back. "Let's go."

Dong Chiyu opened her mouth. She hesitated for a second, but finally spoke her mind.

"You're acting like a woman."

It didn't sound like something that would ever come out of her mouth.

She had probably picked it up from Ruyi.

Hearing her own words thrown back at her caught Ruyi off guard.

She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "How am I acting like a woman?"

Dong Chiyu stared at her. "You want to get married."

"I don't."

"You definitely do."

"I do not."

"Really?"

"..."

Ruyi fell silent. Truth be told, she couldn't handle Dong Chiyu's relentless questioning. She knew Dong Chiyu too well. Once this blockhead locked onto something, she would keep asking and asking until she got to the absolute bottom of it.

"Stop asking, I surrender..."

Ruyi let out a heavy sigh. "My mother is getting older. She should have been a mother-in-law a long time ago, but neither my brother nor I have been able to give her what she wants."

She pursed her lips. "I just don't want her to have any regrets."

Ruyi looked up, taking a deep breath. "Doctor Tong said my mother's health is failing. She only has two or three years left. It won't be long now."

Dong Chiyu froze at those words. "Godmother is..."

Ruyi stepped forward and patted her on the shoulder. "Don't be too sad. Everyone has to die someday."

Dong Chiyu shook her head, feeling as though something inside her was shattering.

Her eyes lost focus, unable to believe what she was hearing.

Suddenly, Dong Chiyu snapped her gaze back to Ruyi. "There has to be a way, right? Your uncle—isn't he an Immortal? He must have a way!"

Ruyi said, "Doctor Tong was taught by Uncle Chen. He also has a way, and I've asked my mother about it, but she refused. When people get old, they become afraid. Not afraid of death, but afraid of being the last one left behind. Being the last one left standing at the very end is the most painful thing of all..."

"My mother made peace with certain things a long time ago."

Dong Chiyu shook her head. "I don't understand. I just don't get it."

She let out a shaky breath, her eyes rimmed with red.

Ruyi said, "You're still young. Of course you don't."

After a pause, Ruyi repeated a line that Uncle Chen used to say—one that had always felt like a brush-off back then.

"You'll understand when you're older."

Back then, Ruyi had thought Uncle Chen was just tricking her with words like that. But looking at it now, it really was the truth.

Ruyi let out a breath. "A book Uncle Chen used to read had a line in it: 'since one is a mortal, seek not eternal life.' I didn't quite get it when I first read it, but slowly, the meaning became clear. We are all common mortals in this Red Dust. We aren't like those undying Immortals who exist above earthly desires. Mortals aren't meant to live forever. To do so would be miserable—it would be torture. Letting nature take its course and accepting life and death as they come is the best path."

Dong Chiyu took a deep breath and wiped away her tears.

Godmother had always treated her wonderfully.

Whenever there was something good, she was never left out. Whatever Ruyi had, she had too. Even when they shared a single Roasted Chicken at the dinner table, Godmother would always give the two drumsticks to the two of them.

Hearing words like 'lifespan nearing its end' made Dong Chiyu feel close to breaking down.

After so many years, she had finally experienced what it felt like to have family again, only for it to be so fleeting. The grief in her heart was endless.

Ruyi stepped forward and pulled her into a hug.

"Don't cry. Don't cry..."

She didn't know how else to comfort her. Seeing Dong Chiyu weep, Ruyi—who had already cried over this countless times before—felt her own tears threatening to fall again.

...

Wang Sanniang saw the two girls returning with red-rimmed eyes.

She was instantly alarmed. "Oh my, who bullied you two? Why are your eyes so red? Have you been crying?"

"What happened?"

Flustered, Wang Sanniang hurried over and pulled the two girls down to sit.

"Mother."

"Godmother."

Wang Sanniang looked at the two girls, her heart aching for them. She wiped away their tears and asked again what had happened.

But the two girls didn't say a word. They just sat there, looking unusually calm.

Wang Sanniang grew a little annoyed and scolded, "Really, you two? You're even keeping secrets from me now?"

Dong Chiyu kept her head down, and Ruyi remained silent.

Wang Sanniang gave a light huff and stood up. "Fine, if you won't tell me, then don't. And don't bother eating dinner tonight, either."

The food was brought to the table.

Wang Sanniang sat down next to Uncle, while Ruyi and Dong Chiyu stood quietly off to the side.

Even Lihua hopped onto the table, yet the two girls remained standing.

Wang Sanniang had only made an empty threat; she wasn't actually going to let them starve.

"Alright, alright, as if I would really let you starve. Hurry up and sit down to eat."

"Okay..."

The two girls finally walked over and took their seats.

Lihua took a bite of food, looked at Ruyi, and asked, "What did you do?"

"Shut up, Lihua."

"..."

Wang Sanniang picked up two perfectly layered pieces of pork belly and placed them in the girls' bowls.

"Eat up, eat up. Both of you practice martial arts—you can't afford to go hungry."

Dong Chiyu stared at the pork in her bowl, a heavy lump forming in her throat.

"Godmother..."

As she thought about it, tears slipped from her eyes and splashed into her bowl.

Wang Sanniang couldn't bear seeing girls cry. She was instantly beside herself with worry.

"Oh, my girl, what are you crying for? Why the tears all of a sudden?"

Wang Sanniang reached over to embrace her, hurriedly pressing for an answer.

"What's wrong? Tell me."

Ruyi and Dong Chiyu had agreed not to bring it up once they got home, but Dong Chiyu simply couldn't hold it in.

Choking back a sob, Dong Chiyu pleaded, "Godmother, can you please not leave..."

Wang Sanniang immediately realized what she meant.

She turned and shot a look at Ruyi.

Feeling guilty, Ruyi lowered her head.

Her mother had strictly forbidden her from telling Dong Chiyu about this. Given Dong Chiyu's tragic past, Wang Sanniang hadn't wanted to break her heart.

Wang Sanniang held Dong Chiyu tight, gently patting her back. "Alright, alright. I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here, aren't I? Don't be silly. I'm not leaving. Where would I even go..."

Wang Sanniang's words were slow.

Dong Chiyu couldn't help but think of her own late mother. Godmother's voice sounded just like hers—slow, slightly raspy, yet incredibly soft.

Listening to her, she only cried harder and harder.

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