NABC Page 124
Page 124
"Haha, with these people around, our good days are coming!"
"Yep."
After kneeling in the mourning hall at home for three days, Mu Qinghan kept running around the human race.
In developed areas, he would send people from the Taoist temple to help, while in poor and remote areas, he would personally take care of the tasks.
They wanted to see what the people at the bottom were like.
They wanted to see how the most ordinary people lived.
Aunt Chen, who sells shoe insoles nearby, also chimed in. The white cloth on her head was faded from washing, but her needlework never stopped.
"That's right, look at the foot of the mountain."
"Those demons actually came to help too! Demons, those are demons!"
"I was terrified when we first met."
"But then they kept calling me 'old lady,' so I wasn't scared anymore."
"Thinking about it, it makes sense. These monsters are just like us humans. They all look extremely young. Maybe they are someone's children or someone's precious darlings. It's a blessing for us that they're here to help us."
"They even helped me fix my chicken coop yesterday. I never would have imagined this before. Now everyone's huddled together in one pot eating sweet potatoes, all so lively and cheerful. How far away can good days be?"
That's how people in the village are. They might argue about the boundaries of the fields or bicker over whose chicken pecked whose vegetables, but when things get tough, they all stick together.
When someone has a wedding or funeral, the whole village comes to lend a hand.
When disaster strikes, even a bowl of rice or a bundle of firewood will be sent to those in need.
The pain of losing a loved one is real, but the crops in the fields must be tended and the children at home must be raised; life cannot stand still.
As evening fell, the wind subsided a bit, and the paper money was still drifting in the air.
Several elderly people sat under the old locust tree, talking about the deceased.
Some people say that reincarnation might really exist, and that you might be neighbors again in the next life.
Some say that whether or not there is reincarnation is not important; as long as one remembers it in their heart, one has not truly left.
The flickering sparks under the pot reflected the wrinkles around their eyes, and also the distant fields where the young master Mu was using his magic to plant and water seedlings.
Although the frozen soil is cold, the saplings have already sprouted tiny green buds.
As night deepened, the lights in each house came on, and the dim yellow light shone through the window paper onto the paper money in front of the door.
The village was quiet, with only the occasional barking of dogs, the crackling of firewood, and the faint shouts of people repairing irrigation ditches in the distance.
Life is like the stream in front of the village; even if it freezes, it will thaw in the spring and flow steadily down its original course.
Those who are alive, cherishing the memories of the deceased and staying close to their loved ones, live diligently on this land, hoping for the spring rains, the harvest, and peaceful years.
What's the point of living this life?
I want my own safety, I want my family's safety, I want the safety of those I care about—that's what I want for my whole life…
The threshing ground at the west end of the village was deserted, with only two bundles of straw that hadn't been gathered standing in the corner, like two silent sentinels.
Wang Quanbaye walked slowly past.
Mu Qinghan sat on the stone millstone by the field, his back against the cold millstone, gazing at the moon in the sky in a daze.
The moon is so bright tonight, like a freshly polished silver plate, hanging steadily in the dark blue night sky, making even the surrounding stars seem a little dimmer.
The moonlight shone down, illuminating the clods of earth on the threshing ground clearly, and also making Mu Qinghan's profile appear pale.
His wispy hairs hung down, obscuring the emotions in his eyes, leaving only a slender silhouette in the moonlight.
Qinghan looked somewhat tired.
Wang Quanba Ye remained silent and gently placed the sword beside the stone mill.
The flame of the lamp wick flickered, casting a small patch of warm yellow light on the ground.
He sat down next to Mu Qinghan. The coolness of the stone mill seeped through his coarse cloth trousers, making the moonlight in the quiet night seem even clearer.
"The moon in the village is much brighter than the one in the city."
Wang Quanbaye spoke first, his voice very soft.
Upon hearing this, Mu Qinghan turned his gaze away from the moon, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
"Grandpa used to say that the moon in the countryside is close to people and can shine into their hearts."
He paused, then raised his hand to the moonlight, his palm open, the silvery light falling between his fingers like scattered silver.
He also told me that the moonlight is the gaze of our deceased loved ones, wanting to watch over us and make things better for us.
"But the light of the dead, no matter how bright, is still cold."
Wang Quanba followed his gaze to the moon, then turned to look at his hand.
Mu Qinghan's eyes were very gentle, without a trace of coldness.
"I don't feel cold now."
Mu Qinghan clenched his fist gently, as if he were holding the moonlight in his hand.
"Perhaps it's because my cultivation level has improved, but even though I deliberately suppress my magic power, I still can't feel the cold."
Wang Quanba Ye's Adam's apple bobbed, and he swallowed the words that were about to come out, changing his mind to the important matter at hand.
"Qinghan, everything is almost arranged."
"The elders at the Dao Alliance have already compiled the information from various places, and they can issue orders normally tomorrow."
"Most of the tables and chairs at the Taoist temple have been repaired, and the teachers have all returned. There will be no problem starting classes the day after tomorrow."
"And on the demon side, the Tiger Demon King in the far east sent twenty strong demons to help us repair the bridge in the east, saying that once the bridge is completed, he wants to exchange some seeds and cloth with us."
He spoke in great detail, as if afraid of missing anything, and added at the end, "Don't worry, everything is in order."
"Yes, thank you for your hard work, big brother."
Mu Qinghan turned her head and looked at Wang Quanba Ye, her eyes filled with genuine warmth.
These days, Wang Quanba Ye has barely slept a wink. During the day, he follows him around, and at night he has to organize the Dao Alliance's documents.
The dark circles under his eyes were so deep they couldn't be concealed, yet he still spoke with a grounded and reliable air.
Wang Quanbaye waved his hand, his tone solemn.
“You’re the one who’s really working hard. Qinghan, sometimes when I see you staying up until the wee hours, with the oil lamp on the table being replaced one after another, my heart aches.”
“I always think that I would be better off if I could take on more of your burdens, but I know that the direction of the Dao Alliance, the relationship with the demon race, and the livelihoods of countless people are all matters that only you can decide. I can’t help much.”
He spoke in a lower voice, tinged with guilt.
"I just hope that if there's even the slightest thing you can do for me, please don't hesitate to ask."
"Whether it's moving things, running errands, or keeping watch, just call me and I'll come right away. I want to help you, and I also want to help the Dao Alliance, and help our family."
Under the moonlight, Wang Quanba's eyes shone brightly, revealing no pretense, only genuine sincerity.
Mu Qinghan looked at him and smiled faintly.
He reached out and gently patted Wang Quanba's shoulder.
"Don't say that."
Mu Qinghan's voice was soft, yet firm, "These past few days, if you hadn't been keeping an eye on the Dao Alliance for me, how could I have spared the time to negotiate cooperation with the demon race and... do these... small things?"
"The most difficult hurdles have been overcome."
He paused, his smile deepening. "Things will be easier from here on out."
"Brother, thank you so much."
A gentle breeze blew by, carrying the scent of grass from the field ridges. The flames flickered, their warm yellow light mingling with the cool moonlight, bathing the two of them.
Neither of them spoke again; they simply sat on the stone mill, gazing at the moon in the sky.
The moonlight remained clear and bright, but when it fell on the two of them, it no longer carried any chill, leaving only the quiet of the courtyard.
Chapter 147 Recovery
The third young master leaned against the stone seat in the center of the secret room, twirling a black jade chess piece between his fingers.
The person in front of him was dressed in white, with a golden sword blade swirling around him.
"What do you want from me?"
The third young master spoke first, his voice echoing in the enclosed space.
He looked at the pale face of the man in white. This face had not changed much compared to thousands of years ago, except that the light in his eyes had been extinguished, like a candle wick that had burned out, leaving only a little ash.
The man in white raised his eyes, his gaze falling on the chess piece at the Third Young Master's fingertip before quickly looking away.
"I want you to kill me."
The third young master paused in his hand as he turned the chess piece, raised an eyebrow, and straightened up from the stone seat.
"You know, at our level, dying is a very difficult thing."
"I thought you were going to ask me why I wanted to die."
The man in white smiled gently.
The third young master's gaze darkened. He pressed the black jade chess piece into the groove of the stone seat, making a soft "click" sound.
"Didn't you die a long time ago?"
Are you still you now? Don't you... hate me?
"I hate you."
The man in white did not deny it, and his voice remained calm.
Even though I know it was unintentional on your part.
"But I also respect you. You are far more selfless than I am. Your gaze is always on the whole world, on those unrelated things, which I cannot do."
In his entire life, he only had one person in his heart. When she left, his world became empty.
The third young master frowned. "There's no point in saying all this. I want to know, why did you suddenly want to die?"