CHAPTER 499: 0302 LONGEVITY, CHANG’AN (TWO-IN-ONE)_2

Hasn’t Miss Yun already attained the Dao?

Thinking this, Xu Chang’an paused in surprise.

An immortal by his side?

A Hidden Immortal...

Miss Yun?!

——

Do you still remember?

The first time he saw the lady, the kind of awe, as if gazing up at the starry sky, that rose spontaneously from his heart.

In his eyes, the lady was always a Nine Heavens Immortal.

Or perhaps not.

Although Miss Yun is very mysterious, at least for now, Xu Chang’an doesn’t believe she is an immortal.

Is there an immortal in the world who gets breathless just from moving a chair and has chest pains?

Is there an immortal in the world who, during tender moments, can’t hold steady a table and nearly hits their head?

Of course not.

The key is, Xu Chang’an knows Miss Yun would never deceive him, so her lack of strength is truly due to her frail constitution.

However, a trace of doubt still arose in Xu Chang’an’s heart.

Just because Miss Yun isn’t an immortal doesn’t mean she isn’t associated with immortals... didn’t she mention something about a family?

Xu Chang’an never forgot how Yun Qian initially looked down on the Chaoyun Sect.

Could it be that I’ve found myself attached to a powerful figure?

"..."

Zhu Pingniang was speaking when she saw Xu Chang’an fall silent and frowned: "What’s wrong? Although I appreciate your respect for your teacher, if you dare say anything unfavorable about Ah Bai, I’m going to hit you."

"No... it’s nothing." Xu Chang’an gently rubbed his temples and pushed away the distracting thoughts.

"Forget it, you’re just spouting useless words." Zhu Pingniang pouted.

Hmm.

Despite her complaints, Zhu Pingniang still noted everything Xu Chang’an said today, planning to analyze it later and find an opportunity to share it with Li Zhibai.

"It’s just the nonsensical ramblings of a junior." Xu Chang’an sighed. He also wanted to know where Senior Zhu’s great expectations for him came from.

"Chang’an." Zhu Pingniang leaned sideways, letting her long hair fall to her waist, and then asked: "Why do you cultivate?"

This was a question she would not have asked before.

Because it was to protect that Miss Yun.

"I cultivate to live a few more years." Xu Chang’an said.

He wasn’t lying.

As long as he lives, Miss Yun will remain safe; conversely, if Miss Yun is in danger, he will surely die before her.

Therefore... living well is Xu Chang’an’s ultimate goal.

Only by living can he be with the lady for a hundred or even a thousand years, only by living can he protect her.

"So, after all this, you’re cultivating for longevity," Zhu Pingniang remarked, surprised at Xu Chang’an.

She vaguely felt something was off.

If Xu Chang’an were truly an immortal reincarnate, he shouldn’t have much desire for longevity, unlike now... seeming so unambitious.

"I’m just an ordinary person." Xu Chang’an shrugged: "Just want to live a few more years, nothing grand."

"A few more years? How many would that be?" Zhu Pingniang looked up: "Is a hundred years enough?"

"Too short." Xu Chang’an didn’t lie.

"Indeed, if it were a hundred years, I could trick an elixir from Ah Bai for you, which would just about suffice." Zhu Pingniang became interested, "A thousand years?"

"Senior, are thousand-year-old cultivators rare?" Xu Chang’an asked.

Zhu Pingniang counted on her fingers, then said: "Not many, but not few either."

"Still too short." Xu Chang’an blinked.

"Greedy little imp." Zhu Pingniang raised her hand and lightly tapped his shoulder, chiding: "Living past ten thousand changes the meaning entirely."

Someone who lived for ten thousand years?

Reaching this level, not even the experienced Zhu Pingniang could simply describe them as "cultivators."

Immortal is certainly the correct answer.

But Zhu Pingniang had never seen an immortal.

It’s not necessarily that cultivators can only live for ten thousand years, but for anyone who cultivates for that long, they would surely have encountered the ceiling above them early on.

Whether it would be a blessing or a curse by then, she didn’t know.

"Senior." Xu Chang’an earnestly said: "As long as there is someone you wish to walk hand in hand with, a hundred years, a thousand years, ten thousand years are never enough."

"So you’re waiting for me to say this, right?" Zhu Pingniang was taken aback at first, then closed her eyes slightly, her eyes shimmering slightly.

She just knew this child wasn’t actually so greedy, why the sudden fixation on longevity.

In reality, it was to indirectly express how much he cared for Miss Yun, so that she could handle matters with more care?

"You teach well." Xu Chang’an coughed lightly.

Zhu Pingniang: "..."

Nothing more to say.

It’s like expressing that Li Zhibai is very important to her in a roundabout way, Xu Chang’an was just following suit.

"Chang’an, I almost thought... you were truly a foolish, greedy person desiring immortality." Zhu Pingniang clicked her tongue.

Xu Chang’an closed his eyes, then slightly opened them after a moment.

"Immortality... is out of reach and has no meaning."

He finally spoke a truth to his elder.

Xu Chang’an looked up at the sky, shook his head: "Senior, you say immortals are immortal, but if we really calculate the age of an immortal, where should we start?"

"If they’re already eternal, what’s the point of counting?" Zhu Pingniang waved her hand.

An infinite number is uncountable.

"But this junior thinks the age of an immortal should be calculated from their birth to the moment of ascension." Xu Chang’an hinted, not continuing further.

Time... for him, there really was no need to discuss it.

So-called life should have a start and an end.

Xu Chang’an didn’t like the word immortality.

Perhaps because the power of time is too terrifying, even he couldn’t ensure that under its passage, he could always maintain his affection for Miss Yun.

This wasn’t a matter of inner resolve, just the truth of it.

——

But Zhu Pingniang was stunned.

Her dark eyes contracted to a point, trembling slightly within her gaze.

Indeed.

Whether immortals are truly immortal is another matter, but the common belief is immortals are eternal, so after ascension, age loses its meaning.

Zhu Pingniang didn’t believe Xu Chang’an’s naive words, but what was evoked in her from those words caused a stir in her heart.

If the time after ascension is meaningless, then can it be said that a person’s life ends at the moment of ascension?

Is ascension... death?

As one approaches the heights, emotions gradually fade...

Zhu Pingniang didn’t want to think further, she expelled a breath, softly saying: "Kid, so what you truly want is not immortality, but longevity... truly lacking ambition."

"This junior is just an ordinary person." Xu Chang’an replied frankly: "If one could have a lifetime of peace, that wouldn’t be bad either."

"I’m really sorry, us old folks didn’t turn this world into the peaceful utopia you desire."

"This junior... this junior didn’t mean that."

"Playing dumb now? Saying things about how future matters are meaningless..." Zhu Pingniang rolled her eyes at Xu Chang’an; "Those words of yours earlier, weren’t they advising your elder sister not to dream too far ahead, to be more grounded?"

Yes.

Upon careful reflection on Xu Chang’an’s words, it’s clear he thinks Zhu Pingniang’s concerns were "flying too high," and he was expressing dissatisfaction there.

"Cough..." Xu Chang’an, choked by Zhu Pingniang’s retort, smiled wryly: "I don’t dare."

"I’m not blaming you, being grounded is indeed better, clearly the Sect Leader also had Ah Bai convey to me... telling me not to overthink." Zhu Pingniang sighed.

As the saying goes, in a life not reaching a hundred, one constantly harbors a thousand-year woe.

But reaching a hundred, pushing towards a thousand, without the mundane struggles of daily life... how much worry it brings, only one would know.

The pursuit of the Dao lies in this thinking.

Yet, pondering these isn’t aiming too high, nor without meaning.

"Chang’an, tell me... if cultivating leads to loss of emotions, would you still pursue it?" Zhu Pingniang suddenly asked.

Xu Chang’an was taken aback, immediately shook his head without any hesitation.

Losing emotions, what would he cultivate for?

"That’s why your elder sister is scared." Zhu Pingniang looked up.

She was not like the Sect Leader, the past Sect Leader persisted in dissolving the Dao Rhyme even knowing it meant losing emotions to reach higher.

Zhu Tongjun instead came to Beisang City.

Upon knowing that the endpoint of cultivation might mean losing emotions... she was scared, afraid she and Ah Bai would become as cold as the Sect Leader.

Thus, she was eager to uncover the true nature of ascension to become immortal.

"Why am I afraid, but Ah Bai is not?" Zhu Pingniang murmured: "Could it be she doesn’t have me in her heart... doesn’t like me?"

Xu Chang’an: "..."

He felt like he shouldn’t be here now.