Immortal Travel of Longevity

Children were easy to fool; they believed whatever they were told.

Their innocence made them endearing, a far cry from the jaded adults of the world.

"You want to learn?"

"Yes!"

"Then This Chen will teach you."

Chen Changsheng smiled, and the four children immediately crowded around him.

These four half-grown children stared at him unblinking, eager to learn the legendary skill of the All-Hearing Ears.

Seeing their earnest expressions, Chen Changsheng paused, unwilling to actually deceive them. "First, you must understand something," he began. "These so-called All-Hearing Ears do not rely on listening, but on looking."

"Looking?"

Chen Changsheng smiled. "When people speak, their lips move. Within those movements, there are always patterns. For example, when saying 'you,' the lower lip presses down and the tongue arches up. But for 'I,' the lips part slightly to form a small circle. That is the fundamental principle behind the All-Hearing Ears."

The four children blinked. Some grasped the concept, while others were entirely lost.

"I know this! It's like guessing riddles! My older brother took me to guess lantern riddles before."

"Exactly."

Chen Changsheng laughed. "It is just a game of guessing word riddles."

He patiently explained the art of lip-reading to them. The skill tested one's ability to think, much like the complex mathematics problems of his past life. Once one path was cleared, every path opened up; it required both inspiration and accumulated experience.

The four children listened with absolute fascination.

Chen Changsheng enjoyed himself just as much. He liked talking to these children because of their pure, unadulterated innocence.

He had not even realized that someone else had stopped nearby and was listening to him speak.

"You... I... Hehe, I get it!"

"So you can do it like this!"

"That's so amazing!"

"Can we actually learn it?"

Chen Changsheng chuckled. "That will depend on your own abilities. It takes quite a bit of effort."

He simply told them these things to broaden their horizons.

Perhaps it would become something they could boast about during their childhood, a story they could chatter about with others.

"Mister, may I ask what this skill is called?"

Chen Changsheng paused. The voice had come from behind him.

He turned to look at the speaker.

The man had clear, refined features, looking very much like a scholar. However, the calluses between his thumb and index finger proved he was no ordinary, defenseless academic.

"This skill is called lip-reading," Chen Changsheng said.

"Lip-reading..."

The scholar murmured the word. "Truly ingenious. Just as the name implies, it is the language of the lips and tongue."

Recovering himself, he hastily cupped his hands in greeting. "I am Meng Ziyi. I have yet to ask Mister for your name."

Chen Changsheng returned the gesture. "Chen Changsheng. A wandering warlock."

Meng Ziyi said, "Listening to your words just now, I found the concept utterly fascinating. If you have the time, Mister, why not visit my estate? We can set out good food and fine wine, and discuss this art of lip-reading in detail."

The four children grew anxious.

"Hey, why are you like this? We were here first!"

"Yeah, yeah! Mister hasn't even finished his story yet!"

"Right, right!"

Chen Changsheng smiled and looked at Meng Ziyi. "Brother Meng, This Chen prefers dealing with children. If you are willing to listen to my nonsense, you are welcome to stay and listen. But I will pass on visiting your estate."

Meng Ziyi was momentarily speechless. He cupped his hands again. "Then I was being too forward."

Chen Changsheng nodded slightly before turning back to the four children. "This Chen isn't leaving. I'll play with you all today, how about that?"

"Okay, okay!"

"See? I told you Mister wouldn't leave."

"Hehe."

The children's smiles were pure, unlike the overwhelmingly fake expressions worn by so many others.

Meng Ziyi offered a dry laugh, feeling somewhat embarrassed, but he didn't take offense at this green-robed mister. This lip-reading skill was extraordinary. At first, he hadn't paid it much mind, but the more he listened, the more shocked he felt.

As Chen Changsheng continued to chat, one of the children asked another question.

"Mister, Mister, if that's how it works, what if they are really far away? If they're far away, wouldn't we be unable to see them?"

Chen Changsheng blinked at that. "That is indeed a problem."

The child's words also served as a reminder to Meng Ziyi.

That's right. To need such a method, one would have to be out of earshot, which means they must be far away. But if they're too far, you wouldn't be able to see them clearly anyway. Doesn't that make this skill completely useless?

"But it's actually not hard to solve," Chen Changsheng said. "There is an object that, when placed over the eyes, allows one to look several miles away with perfect clarity."

"Such a thing exists?" Meng Ziyi was stunned.

"Then, then..."

The children's eyes widened as it instantly dawned on them.

"The Thousand-Mile Eye!"

"Is it the Thousand-Mile Eye?"

Chen Changsheng rubbed their heads. "You could call it the Thousand-Mile Eye."

Meng Ziyi continued to listen intently.

Chen Changsheng said, "There is an ancient tale of using winter ice carved into a convex dome to focus the sun and start a fire. It means taking a block of ice in winter and chiseling it until it forms a smooth, bulging disc on both sides. When sunlight is focused through it, it generates heat and ignites a flame. The principles behind it are quite complex, but a similar object can be used to pull an image closer. When two such lenses are placed together, they can act as a Thousand-Mile Eye."

Meng Ziyi blanked. This time, it was his turn to be lost.

What bulging disc? What lens?

What in the world was he talking about?

And as for this tale the man mentioned, why had he never heard of it?

Making fire from ice?

Did such a method truly exist in this world?

The four children didn't understand either.

"I don't get it."

"Mister, I don't understand."

Chen Changsheng smiled. "It's fine if you don't understand. You just need to know that such things are possible. When you have the chance, you can ponder over it slowly, and eventually, you'll figure out the reasons behind it."

Meng Ziyi spoke up then. "Mister Chen, I still have some doubts."

Chen Changsheng stretched his arms and back. "It's getting late. Noon is approaching, and This Chen ought to get some food."

Startled, Meng Ziyi quickly said, "Allow me to treat you!"

"Such a generous offer?" Chen Changsheng asked.

"Fine wine and delicious food, all readily available, and only the very best."

Chen Changsheng shook his head. "Forget it, forget it. This Chen won't take advantage of you. Brother Meng, seeking the truth is a good thing, but if you only ever know the answer, the matters of this world lose all their meaning. The process is what makes it interesting."

He patted Meng Ziyi's shoulder, then turned to the little ones. "This Chen is leaving now. Aren't you four going home yet? The adults will worry if they can't find you."

Meng Ziyi stood frozen, momentarily at a loss for words.

He felt it was just an excuse to brush him off, but on second thought, the words made profound sense. The process truly was the most interesting part.

Bidding them farewell, Chen Changsheng walked away.

Meng Ziyi muttered under his breath, "Seeking the truth..."

For some reason, he felt a new idea taking root in his mind—a thought entirely foreign to the current state of the world.

What that man had spoken wasn't just a simple principle.

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