Mu Wan originally thought that Qinglian Town was an isolated village, but this was not the case. Its development is no different from the cities in the outside world, at least it is more prosperous than imagined compared to the isolated places she has experienced. The sky was getting a little dark, and the dusky sky that had not been seen for a long time enveloped everything with a thin golden gauze.
What a beautiful town. Under the blue tiles are white walls, and the roads paved with bluestone are neat and flat. You can see the whole thing from a high place, it's not big, but everything is in order. There are teahouses, inns, theaters, dyeing workshops, blacksmith shops, rouge houses... everything you need here, and you will never feel bored.
It was getting late, and lanterns were hung at the door of the shops. As soon as night falls in an ordinary small town, all shops will close their doors one after another. Qinglian Town is different. It is more like a large and prosperous city, full of vitality.
Everyone who sees Qingnv on the street will smile and salute her, even those carrying things in their hands will smile and nod to her. Mu Wan felt that what she said earlier was right. The respect of the townspeople came from the bottom of their hearts and came naturally.
"You can stay in this store temporarily." Qingnv pointed to an inn, "Ah, it doesn't matter if you don't have money. I'll tell them and you can stay as long as you want."
The gratitude was beyond words, and Mu Wan just thanked him repeatedly in a daze.
After nightfall, she tossed and turned.
The beds are soft and the rooms are large. Perhaps it was because it was so big that she felt empty in her heart. She didn't know how long it had been since she had a good rest, or rather, she had rested for so long that she couldn't sleep now.
The gentle sound of the piano came from the quiet night.
She didn't understand the piano and couldn't hear any fingering or techniques. She just felt it was vaguely similar to the daytime. So, Mu Wan followed the sound of the lyre and looked for the owner of the beautiful lyre.
The young girl was playing on the roof of the inn. When she climbed up, the sound of the piano had not stopped. It wasn't until Mu Wan sat next to her that she held down the restless strings with her slender hands. Under the night light, Mu Wan vaguely saw that the fingertips she was playing were crimson. She wondered if they were tortoise shells that she had never seen before, or maybe they were rare agates.
"Can't you sleep?"
"Yes... I was very tired during the day. But for some reason, I'm not sleepy now."
Qingnv sneered: "Is it the first time to sleep alone? I'm scared and can't sleep?"
"It's not the first time." Mu Wan said seriously, "But... I did sleep with my parents when I was a child. At that time, I was afraid of the dark. My brother laughed at me for being timid, so I laughed back and said that he couldn't sleep with me. Mom and Dad put a quilt over you."
The young girl's smile was as pleasant as the sound of her piano.
"You still have a brother."
"Yes, he is an official in a far away place now. We have... not had much contact. He will send some scraps of silver during the holidays, but he doesn't come back very often. When he comes back, I won't return."
"Is the relationship bad?"
"not too good."
"Why?"
"...My father left early and was framed by someone in the court. He was sent to the border and was said to be an official, but he just farmed the land with a group of barbaric and unruly people. He didn't say a word about my father. I I’m really angry. My father relied on his connections and the fact that he was quite promising in his studies to help him get up. After my father died, he did nothing. I look down on him."
Qingnv thought for a while and said nothing. She just patted her shoulder gently, as if she were combing the fur of a small animal.
"It's not that I hate him, I just... can't get used to that submissive look. He was very good to me. He also bullied me when I was a child, but he was a coward when he grew up."
"You have to think so." Qingnv took her hand, "He lives in a place where there is no grass, and every year he still thinks about saving the few rations and sending them to you. Regardless of whether he is wrong or not, whether you hate it or not He, he still loves you."
Mu Wan knew. She was just sad, too sad to let go.
"I didn't hate him. I just... wanted him to give him some credit. At that time, I thought it would be great if he were like my senior brother. But now... well, I don't know what I'm thinking. I just, just It’s very confusing, and the more I think about it, the more chaotic it becomes!”
"Is your senior brother treating you badly?"
"He used to be very good...but it was all on the surface. I only realized not long ago that everything was not what I thought!"
Mu Wan had been alone for too long, and suddenly met such a caring fairy sister, and his sorrowful feelings poured out. She told what happened in Xueyan Valley, what happened to her master when she was young, what happened to her senior sister, and what happened when she returned to the valley, without reservation. When she said these words, her tone was surprisingly calm. She originally thought that she would want to cry once she counted these unbearable past events. But no, she was like a bystander in her own life, slowly smoothing out these stories and slowly dumping them onto another clean piece of paper.
"Oh, I thought I would cry after I finished speaking." She whispered, raising her head to look at the high moon, "Maybe the tears dried up in Senior Sister Yao's arms."
"Well...don't think so." Qingnv said, "This proves that you are stronger than before."
Mu Wan shook his head: "I don't know if I'm strong or not... I haven't made any progress at all. Why have I accomplished nothing like this? I'm so mentally numb, and my martial arts has not improved much. When I'm usually with them, I don't Think about these things. Now that I am away from them, this bad feeling comes up all at once."
"This is normal. People are always holding their breath while they are alive." She comforted her gently. "I just never thought that in less than a year, you would be a fledgling and experienced so many storms in one breath."
"Hey, when I look back, I realize that in the past twenty years, I have been living stupidly in the undercurrent." Mu Wan laughed at himself.
Neither of them spoke anymore. They raised their heads and looked at the cold moonlight together. The sparse stars flickered one after another, like small eyes, staring at each other in the silence.
"What about you?" Mu Wan suddenly asked, "Are you born a goddess?"
Qingnv's eyes rolled back, as if she was trying to form words.
"I...how should I put it, pretty much. I have never experienced human life. I have always spent thousands of years as an inhuman thing—the god or demon you call me."
Mu Wan thought of Han Xiao and felt a little guilty for some reason. She reflected for a while and felt that what she said at that time was a bit ugly. But she wasn't sure whether the guilt she felt now had something to do with letting herself end up like this. She was still a little angry, but it wasn't too bad to meet such a friend and confidant.
"Then you...are you alone?"
Qingnv stood there stunned and said nothing.
Mu Wan didn't know whether she said the wrong thing or whether the other party didn't hear her at all. She wasn't sure. The young girl was silent for a long time, then replied:
"Not necessarily. There are always many interesting people and interesting things in the world. I like to watch them and watch them take various paths... But you are the first to ask me this."
"Ah, that's right... Let me ask you something, approximately... how old are you?"
Qingnv smiled again: "Who can say for sure. I think I have had consciousness since the birth of human beings. In another place, I witnessed the prosperity and decline of the world and the changes of dynasties. But when I really came to The human world is only... less than a few hundred years old."
"Huh? I thought the legend of Qingnv was older."
"Indeed. The legend appeared much earlier than I actually came here. By the way, don't you dare to talk about your family's affairs to everyone?"
"I didn't!" Mu Wan was a little anxious, "I'm not stupid. I just... thought you were a goddess and a good person, that's why I said these things. Although Junior Sister Ling lied to me and stole my letter at that time. I I don’t hate her, and I don’t intend to accuse her, but I should still be wary of people—even acquaintances!”
Mu Wan was not really defenseless against her. For example, she didn't say anything about Dai Luan's copying of the map. But this was also because the map was still with Aluan. If she kept it to herself, she might actually take it out and show it to her, and ask Qingnv if she knew how to get there. She just told Qingnv about Yun Waijing.
"Really? I see you are unsuspecting. After saying so much, are you afraid that I will poke your wounds in the future?"
"Ah, how could you do such a thing - you can't, right?" Mu Wan deliberately questioned her.
"Oh, who can say for sure?"
"I can't stay for a few days anyway... I'll take a break for two days and then leave. I don't know when I'll see you again."
"But you probably don't know where they are, so how do you find them?"
"I'll figure it out. It's not my style to sit back and wait."
"That's right... the road in Qinglian Town is not easy. If you want to leave, you have to walk through the lotus pond. There are karmic obstacles in that pond, so not everyone can go back and forth easily."
Mu Wan sighed deeply and said nothing. So Qingnu continued:
"But after listening to what you said, you probably don't have any sins and can leave easily. As for the Yun Wai Jing, it is indeed in the rumors, but I have never paid attention to it and can't help you. Uoyue-kun is really Okay, she actually put you in danger like this... But it’s hard to say, she can predict the future, maybe she did it intentionally.”
"I really feel that I have been tricked by her." Mu Wan smiled bitterly, "I hope...but do you know other impermanence? Is there anyone else who is easy to talk to and can help us?"
"You may be able to help, but not necessarily. I'm not very familiar with them, I just think they're all boring."
"According to your words, people with long lifespans are all boring, right?"
"That's natural. The shorter the life span, the easier it is for me to watch. I'm looking forward to whether people will spend their lives doing nothing in such a short time, or create something to the maximum extent."
"Hey, that's a bit of an annoying interest."
Qingnv smiled and shook her head and stopped talking. Mu Wan still raised his face somewhat sadly, committing himself to the long night.
"Are you still unhappy?"
"There's nothing to be happy about."
"Then stretch your hand over and I'll do a trick for you."
Mu Wan turned his head and stretched out his hand curiously. Qingnv pulled her over and drew dots on her palm with her bare hands, which made her feel a little itchy. She held back until she retracted her hand, only to see that there was a flower pattern on it for some reason.
"Hey, how...how did you do this?"
"It's not over yet. Please reach over again."
Mu Wan obediently handed it over, and Qing Nu held her palm in both hands and suddenly blew it towards her.
In her astonished eyes, the vermilion petals were flying toward her, carrying a unique fragrance that lingered on her astonished face for a long time.
She finally smiled.
Recommended: The Witch Doctor Awakens to read on your mobile phone.
