Immortal Travel of Longevity

Over the course of the afternoon, Ruyi lost fifteen games in total. She dropped six to Uncle Chen, seven to Mo Yuan, and even lost two to Lihua.

In short, she hadn't won a single game.

When it came to Gomoku, she couldn't even beat Lihua.

"I'm not playing anymore!"

Ruyi stormed off in a huff.

At the table, Lihua carefully gripped a game piece with its paw. It blinked in confusion and said, "But Lihua was about to win. Why did she stop playing..."

It was rather insulting.

Lihua smacked its lips, unsure of where to place the game piece it held.

Seeing its pitiful look, Mo Yuan said, "I'll play with you."

"Okay! Let's play!"

And so, one dragon and one cat continued to play Gomoku at the table.

Seeing them having fun, Chen Changsheng stood up and went to look for Ruyi.

He found Ruyi sulking by the edge of the small pond.

Most likely, she simply refused to admit that she wasn't as smart as Lihua.

"Splash."

A stone fell into the pond, sending up a spray of water.

Ruyi crouched down, staring blankly at the rippling surface.

"Why are you crouching here?"

Ruyi looked back. Seeing it was Uncle Chen, she stayed silent.

Chen Changsheng walked over and sat down beside her. "What's wrong? Sulking because you couldn't beat Lihua?"

"I am not!" Ruyi retorted.

Her tone made it abundantly clear that she was.

Chen Changsheng smiled. "Alright, alright. You're a grown Young Lady now. Why are you sulking over something like this?"

Ruyi looked at him. "So Uncle Chen doesn't think I'm a child anymore?"

"Someone like you will always be a child to me, Ruyi, even if you're a grown Young Lady," Chen Changsheng said.

Ruyi turned her head away, the corners of her lips curling up into an unconscious smile.

Naturally, she loved hearing that.

"Is the jianghu fun?" Chen Changsheng asked.

Ruyi thought for a moment. "It's alright. The people are more interesting than the sights."

"How come you haven't mentioned them?"

Ruyi searched her memories. "I don't really know. I've met a lot of people over the past year or two, but I can't name most of them. They were just chance encounters. Once we parted ways, their faces faded. Even if you asked me to talk about them now, I wouldn't be able to name more than a few."

Wanderers of the jianghu were always like this.

When strangers met in the jianghu, they could chat about all sorts of things. But once they parted, they truly parted. They might never cross paths again. Over time, it became hard to even recall their faces.

Those fleeting companions would only come to mind by pure chance. But when one actually tried to speak of them, the memories blurred, leaving one at a loss for words.

It was a sorrowful thing, but also a wonderful one, because you could say things to a passing stranger that you wouldn't dare tell anyone else.

"Maybe my memory is just bad," Ruyi added.

"Bad memory."

"Yeah. Otherwise, I'd at least be able to name one or two of them."

But as she said that, she paused.

"Wait, that's not true either."

She shook her head, refuting her own words.

"Not true?" Chen Changsheng asked.

Ruyi opened her mouth to say something, but hesitated, suddenly seeming a bit shy. "Well, it's not completely untrue. Never mind, let's just blame it on my bad memory."

"What do you mean 'let's just blame it'?"

"It just is, okay?"

Chen Changsheng chuckled and patted her head.

The girl had clearly weathered her fair share of hardships over the past couple of years. Her hair had grown much rougher to the touch.

"It's not as soft as it used to be, is it?" Ruyi asked.

Chen Changsheng nodded. "A little."

"Too much wind."

"Mhm."

Words seemed to have grown sparse between them.

They had chattered endlessly right after reuniting, but now that they were sitting together, neither knew what else to say.

Ruyi stared blankly at the fish swimming in the pond.

She wondered why she was suddenly at a loss for words.

Ruyi had once asked several people what it truly meant to grow up. One person's answer had stuck with her for a very long time.

That person had told her that everyone inevitably grew up, and when the day came that you had less to say to the people closest to you, you probably weren't a child anymore.

"Uncle Chen," Ruyi broke the silence.

"Hm?"

"Where have you been all these years?"

Chen Changsheng thought for a moment before answering. "Far away. Places beyond the Mortal World. I've been to so many locations I can't even count them—some of them I couldn't even name if I tried."

"Just like wandering the jianghu?" Ruyi asked. "Going everywhere, but never staying in one place for very long?"

"Perhaps," Chen Changsheng said.

"Are Immortals all like that? Do they never settle in one place for very long?"

Ruyi asked.

Chen Changsheng paused. "It is only This Chen who cannot stay for long. Few in this world can truly do as they please, and Cultivation practitioners like This Chen are no exception."

Ruyi glanced at him, her only response a soft murmur.

"Oh."

"Sometimes, This Chen wishes he could stay in one place a little longer," Chen Changsheng said. "Like back in Qingshan City. If not for the shackles, This Chen could have watched you grow up step by step. I could have watched you become an embroiderer, and then a manager. I could have seen everything you experienced these past two years, and everyone you met."

"What are these shackles you're talking about, Uncle Chen?" Ruyi asked.

Chen Changsheng chuckled. "Think of them like the reins on a horse. A horse is meant to gallop freely, but once it is fitted with reins, it can no longer follow its own heart."

"If it's just reins on a horse," Ruyi said, "I could sever them with a single strike of my spear."

"If only they were just reins."

Chen Changsheng smiled. "Why is a child worrying her head over such things? This is your Uncle Chen's burden."

Ruyi pouted. "Now I'm wishing you wouldn't treat me like a child."

"Then Ruyi is a grown Young Lady."

"Can a grown Young Lady help Uncle Chen, then?"

"She cannot."

"Then what?"

"Nothing will work," Chen Changsheng said. "The shackles lie within. Aside from This Chen, there is likely no one who can help. Ruyi only needs to focus on being herself. Your Uncle Chen already has a plan in mind. Perhaps in another couple of years, I will finally be able to slip these reins. When that day comes, you can take me on a journey through the jianghu. How does that sound?"

"Now that I think about it, This Chen still hasn't seen what the jianghu is truly like."

Hearing this, Ruyi said, "Pinky promise!"

Looking at her earnest expression, Chen Changsheng hesitated.

Ruyi then lowered her hand.

She more or less understood. Even Uncle Chen probably didn't dare make any real guarantees.

Of course. Uncle Chen was still just coaxing her like a child.

There was nothing wrong with that. Ruyi was more than happy to let him.

Still, whenever it occasionally crossed her mind, a hint of frustration lingered.

People were inherently contradictory—wishing for one thing while wanting another, always finding some excuse to justify it all.

After a brief silence,

Ruyi spoke up.

"Uncle Chen."

She turned back to him. "Actually, my memory is pretty good."

"I might not remember the people I met in the jianghu, but back then, Uncle Chen only stayed for a few days, and I remembered you perfectly. Even now, I haven't forgotten."

The words had come out of nowhere.

Ruyi simply wanted to say them.

Earlier, she had been too embarrassed to admit it, but now she wanted him to know.

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