Chapter 79: Night Rain in Bashan, Departing from the Remaining One (Part 9) Two hearts, here...

Encased within an invisible barrier, they weren't afraid of being discovered by the Taoist fox,

so they waited patiently to see what would happen. Wen Gu straightened his expression, pulled a ginkgo leaf from his sleeve, and, concealed within the Yin Sha, flew out, approaching the fox. He infused the ginkgo leaf with a portion of the Yin Sha capable of hearing human voices.

Once the Yin Sha, carrying the ginkgo leaf, rested beneath the fox's wide sleeve, Ye Qingzhan took out her own message leaf and placed it to her ear. The fox's inner voice was unmistakable. She heard him say,

"The harder it is to part with, the more I will sever it myself."

"You two have retained your wisdom long enough."

"Success is just around the corner."

"When that time comes, the three realms and four seas will be filled with gratitude and will never forget you."

Wisdom? Wisdom again?

Ye Qingzhan held the ginkgo leaf in his palm and watched the Taoist fox vanish into the air, vanishing in a flash.

So his lingering presence was after his wisdom.

The moment she turned her gaze back to Wen Gu, she understood everything.

Hu Tangqing had memorized poetry and danced at the age of three, composed poetry and painted at six, and by ten, her dancing skills rivaled those of the top dancers in Changluo. She excelled in tea and winemaking, embroidery and weaving, and mastered arithmetic and calligraphy. She mastered everything with remarkable speed. And Li Zhixing, in just a few years, had become a renowned Changluo master, his combat skills unmatched. Are

n't they both the very beings the Peach Blossom Fairy had described: individuals with the gift of an emperor, possessed of wisdom and innate intelligence.

Dr. Fox followed them like a demon, precisely because of their wisdom.

What would he do to them?

By pretending to be a doctor and giving Hu Tangqing the medicine to prolong her life, was he also willingly giving away his wisdom to keep her alive? And what about the exiled immortal? How would he acquire his wisdom?

Ye Qingzhan remembered that in Chu Mozhi's illusion, she was a voluntary sacrifice.

How could a man of Li Zhixing's blood easily give up his so-called wisdom, unless -

he threatened Hu Tangqing.

Not to live for her, but to die for her.

It was a bright spring day, but Ye Qingzhan shuddered and looked at the two people who walked from the kitchen to the yard.

Hu Tangqing held Li Zhixing's hand and taught him to write in the pavilion.

"Brother Li, do you know? You are the second person who treats me so well besides Lady Wang."

Li Zhixing blushed and listened quietly: "My father raised me to shape me into an exquisite mold, a commodity to be sold and chosen by anyone. From the moment I was born, I had no choice."

These words are two different feelings when spoken by others and when spoken from one's own mouth.

The former is sharp and hurtful.

The latter, when spoken from one's own mouth, is accompanied by relief and liberation.

It also means a new life.

Hu Tangqing said, "I hate being sick because I'm constantly burdening and bothering others. But sometimes, I'm grateful that this long illness has allowed me to escape from that cage-like, rotten, suffocating family." She looked at the person standing next to her, within reach from behind, and said, "The greatest blessing is that I met you, Li Zhixing, because of my illness."

"Thank you for not giving up on me even in the most difficult times. You cherish my life more than I do myself."

The person who spoke smiled, and the obedient person slightly turned to avoid her gaze, but the white paper on the table was soaked with tears.

Li Zhixing didn't dare to think about a future without Hu Tangqing.

He had crawled out of the mountain of corpses and bones, wandering the world like a stray dog, surviving.

Until he met her.

She said it was because he didn't give up on her life.

But he didn't know that her unwavering kindness had already, unintentionally, given him a new life.

"We can finally begin a brand new life." Hu Tangqing wrote a single, bright, majestic, and unrestrained word on the paper—new.

She put down her pen, turned, and hugged the trembling figure. "From now on, I'll teach you to read and write. Together, we'll take in many, many homeless and wandering children, teach them to read and write, and see them grow up safely, okay?"

The moisture from her eyes faded, and a trembling in her heart followed. He heard her say, "Save thousands and thousands of your childhood selves."

It turned out she knew everything.

Li Zhixing hugged Hu Tangqing tightly.

Their hearts trembled at this moment, welcoming a new life together.

***

The passage of time in the sea of consciousness concerns only its master.

Ye Qingzhan and Wen Gu, on the rooftop, spent another spring and autumn with the exiled immortal and Sanniang.

It must be said that those who become immortals are definitely not mediocre.

Li Zhixing, not only a fighter, but also an exceptionally skilled learner.

In just one year, he was already a qualified apprentice.

The money he earned from beating people was enough for the two of them to open a school at the foot of the Bashan Mountains. Hu Tangqing became the first female teacher in the area, teaching different subjects alongside Li Zhixing.

During that year, Dr. Fox hadn't appeared, and the Yin Sha released by Wen Gu hadn't detected his presence. The two, having spent a long time in Sanniang's sea of consciousness, were unaware of what had happened at the gates of hell.

However, here, Ye Qingzhan had already mastered most of the cultivation secrets bestowed upon her by the God of Apocalypse. Now, in addition to creating enchantments and disguising herself, she could also grow and shrink, and fly with a sword.

To facilitate conversation with Hu Tangqing, she used magic to transform herself into a wandering beggar. She and Wen Gu disguised themselves as students and enrolled in their school. Their

school attracted many homeless children, as well as students from impoverished families drawn by its reputation. Since they didn't charge tuition, many families, feeling indebted, took it upon themselves to provide their children with meals. They also frequently visited with fresh fruit.

Today, Aunt Zhao arrived bearing a basket of pears, promising to soothe the two teachers' throats. She put the fruit basket down, and Hu Tangqing poured her a glass of water. Aunt Zhao took it, tears streaming down her face.

Hu Tangqing quickly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her tears, asking, "Sister Zhao, what's wrong? Bao'er was disobedient when she got home, and you were angry?"

Bao'er was Aunt Zhao's six-year-old daughter, attending school.

Aunt Zhao wiped her tears and shook her head. "Bao'er has been very well-behaved under your guidance. Since she started school, she hasn't made me angry again." Her husband had died young, leaving her to raise her daughter alone. Jiang had previously spoiled her daughter and intended to send her to school to learn the rules. Unexpectedly, after only one day, this little bully from the foothills of the Bashan Mountains returned home and began studying. He vowed to get first place on the exam and receive a kite made by Teacher Hu himself.

Aunt Zhao was delighted with the two teachers and confidently left her child in their care while she toiled day and night at her own opera house to make a living. She only hoped that by the time the harvest came, she would be able to save enough money for the mother and daughter to survive for the year.

However, the land tax kept rising. After paying the tax, there was not much left of the money she had worked so hard to save from selling pears.

"I shouldn't be telling you two, but the new county magistrate in Changluo is such a jerk! He takes money from everyone. He looks handsome, but how can he be so evil? He's a complete scum!" Aunt Zhao said, slapping her leg hard. She became more and more angry as she spoke. "I heard that after his son died, he went crazy. He did all kinds of evil things and tried to make any money he could. Others can't do anything to him. He has a whole mansion of slaves who are ruthless. People in the street say that anyone who goes against the county magistrate has a miserable death. Tell me, what kind of world is this? Is there still justice?"

Aunt Zhao said, and then she burst into tears.

Hu Tangqing and Li Zhixing, who was pouring tea, exchanged a glance. Ye

Qingzhan, who was squatting outside the window and eavesdropping, looked at Wen Gu.

Why did she feel that this evil county magistrate Aunt Zhao was talking about was more and more familiar?

Good-looking, lost a son, raised a bunch of assassins, and still seems mad and unhappy... Isn't this the Jin Xiao, the Lord Jin who calls himself Jin Chan?

Ye Qingzhan read the same suspicion in Wen Gu's eyes.

Hu Tangqing in the room said, "Auntie Zhao, are you talking about the new county magistrate, Jin Xiao?"

"It seems his last name is Jin." Auntie Zhao, tired of crying, took the tea from Li Zhixing and drank it all in one gulp.

The question and answer between the two confirmed Ye Qingzhan's suspicion.

"A few days ago, someone came to collect rent, but this land was bought by execution. According to today's laws, there is no reason to charge. Sister Zhao, what you said is consistent with what the person who came that day said. That sharp-nosed and monkey-faced man said that he was ordered by Lord Jin Xiao to take charge of the Bashan area and wanted to collect rent for the school. But since the land deed was in black and white, Zhixing drove the man away. He never came back."

After hearing this, Aunt Zhao immediately stood up and looked at Li Zhixing with a look of approval, "Mr. Li, someone like you who is both civil and military should become an official!"

Hearing this, Li Zhixing waved his hands hurriedly, at a loss, "Sister Zhao, you think too highly of me."

Aunt Zhao took a step forward and said firmly: "You're not praising me at all. You're the one who's responsible for managing the Xu River at the foot of Bashan Mountain. You're the one who fixes leaky houses and collapsed walls. And you're not only good at teaching children to read and write, you teach them martial arts for self-defense. It's a shame such a versatile person doesn't become an official."

Li Zhixing was nearly in tears from the praise. He said hastily, "Tang Qing asked me to do all this. She taught me my studies, too..."

Before he could finish, Aunt Zhao said with regret, "Who says she isn't? Teacher Hu is a first-rate teacher, but these old rules and regulations forbid women from serving in the court! All those big-bellied good-for-nothings are left to dine and die, accomplices to the evil. How despicable your politeness! If officials could be like you two, how much more benefit the people would receive!"

As Aunt Zhao spoke, Hu Tangqing's expression changed, and

Li Zhixing noticed.

As the sky darkened, after Aunt Zhao finished pouring out her unhappiness, she found Bao'er, who was eating a pear, asleep on the table. She hurriedly got up and said to the two of them, "Oh, I couldn't help but say so much. You two just listen. I'm just a woman who can only grow pears. How can I understand the ins and outs of being an official? Bao'er is used to sleeping on her bed. I'll take her back first."

Hu Tangqing and Li Zhixing stood up to see her off. Ye Qingzhan heard the noise and hurriedly pulled Wen Gu away, hiding behind a tree.

She saw Hu Tangqing, who had seen Aunt Zhao off, standing next to Li Zhixing. The two looked at the lonely moon in the sky together.

The bright moon was clear and outstanding.

Hu Tangqing suddenly asked, "Brother Li, do you want to be an official?"