[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-dark-and-dawn-light-years":3,"chapter-dark-and-dawn-light-years-dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-132":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Dark and Dawn Light-Years",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2264732,4420,"Chapter 132: Fifty Autumns of the Mortal World","dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-132",132,"\u003Cp>Dusk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin cut down a dozen leafy branches beside the road and erected them into a simple triangular shelter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sprinkled a circle of Defense Powder beside it, then dug a pit inside the shelter and lit a fire within it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He roasted a piece of cured pork beside it, then pulled out the red talisman paper and infused it with yin energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jing flowed out from within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First a wisp of white mist, then finally coalescing into a human form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After stepping out, she glanced around and smiled: “Looks like you know how to survive in the wild—unlike some noble brat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin shrugged and smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This simple shelter was something he’d learned from videos before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It offered some resistance to rain… though heavy downpours would still overwhelm it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You brought me out just to guard against wild Gui , right?” Yan Jing smiled. “I’m your pet Gui  now, and it’s night—feel free to do whatever you want.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She reached out and lightly touched Li Lin’s arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin held a piece of cured pork before her and asked: “Eat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jing rolled her eyes: “You know I’m a Gui —I don’t eat this stuff.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then by the same logic, you know I won’t touch you—why keep tempting me?” Li Lin smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jing sighed softly: “You just think I’m dirty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin said nothing, showed no expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jing sighed again and sat aside in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin didn’t bother with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was now his own “pet Gui ”—harmless to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she meant him harm, he’d sense it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason he brought Yan Jing along was simple: as a second layer of backup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On this journey, he couldn’t always find suitable camping spots; if caught in a night rain outdoors, the Defense Powder would wash away, leaving him to rely solely on his Stealth Technique to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, Li Lin didn’t feel safe enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were strange people in this world who could pierce through Stealth Technique—perhaps some wild Gui  could too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So… having Yan Jing along gave him more peace of mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing the cured pork, just as Li Lin was about to sleep, Yan Jing drifted closer and asked: “You’re out here alone—what are you really after?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin feigned sleep with his eyes closed: “To seek Immortal Fortune.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re actually going?” Yan Jing leaned in, unable to hide her surprise. “I was just joking last time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin replied calmly: “Everyone needs ideals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your ideal is to cultivate?” Yan Jing covered her mouth with her sleeve. “Not impossible—but why do you think you’re special? So many fail, even unable to enter the first stage of the Hui Character Scripture.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin smiled: “Just try. At least I’ve got something to do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jing gazed at him with her sultry, Yao  eyes, then shook her head slightly and moved to sit apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night passed in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At dawn, Li Lin ate two bites of dried rations and continued his journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five days later, he arrived at Guicheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to Jincheng, Guicheng had slightly fewer people, but roughly the same level of prosperity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin paid a copper coin head tax and entered the city to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After bathing at the inn, just as he was about to lie down, he felt the talisman paper tremble—he infused it with yin energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jing appeared and said: “Someone’s watching you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know,” Li Lin nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the head tax checkpoint, a man on the city wall had stared at him for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why don’t you leave?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s a Spirit Hunter too,” Li Lin sat on the edge of the bed, pulling on his coat. “If I’m not mistaken, he’s from the Ding family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How do you know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin explained: “His gaze held no malice. And I know the Ding family holds great power in Guicheng—nearly all Spirit Hunters here come from them. Ding Xun from our side knew I was coming here; she must have already sent word via pigeon letter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You told Ding Xun about this? Aren’t you inviting trouble?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s inevitable,” Li Lin smiled. “One mind is limited; more hands make lighter work. Clues matter—but I lack resources. I must trade with others.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jing smiled: “You’re…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, someone knocked on the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jing dissolved into a streak of light and returned to the talisman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin tucked the talisman away and opened the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young man stood before him. Seeing Li Lin, he bowed: “Are you Li Lin, County Warden of Yulin County, Jincheng Prefecture?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My cousin Ding Yingqiu sent a pigeon letter saying you’re our friend—if you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin returned the bow and smiled: “Thank you. If I need help, I’ll come calling.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man bowed again and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jing reappeared from the talisman and said: “The Ding family really does have noble manners.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin smiled: “Because there’s no need—they’ve probably scoured the place countless times already, and found nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why go?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They found nothing—doesn’t mean I won’t.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jing finally sneered: “I’ve noticed—you’re incredibly arrogant. Why think you can do what an entire family couldn’t?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin said nothing. Some things didn’t need others’ approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this attitude made Yan Jing even more displeased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jing shook her head: “I thought you were a gentle, humble gentleman—soft as jade, humble as the void. I never expected you to be so conceited.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing he offered no rebuttal, she huffed, dissolved into a streak of light, and vanished back into the talisman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin paid it no mind. After resting two hours on his bed, he bought more rations at the market and set off again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the map, Li Lin began searching for the cave dwelling outside the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All cities now, except those under the True Lord’s protection, were wild, untamed lands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially in the south, trees and vines intertwined, forming layered green barriers over the hills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Traveling through such terrain was extremely difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many places required detours—or brute force, hacking paths open with firewood axes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drawing on past experience, Li Lin now carried a sharp firewood axe; with his blood qi, he cut through vines like mud—each swing, wrapped in green blood qi, severed every vine without resistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it saved energy too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By day’s end, Li Lin had advanced only a short distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He checked the sky, then found a shallow cave nearby—just big enough for three or four people, with a very shallow entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sprinkled Defense Powder inside, lit a fire, and ate cured pork and dried rations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jing was let out again, as backup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, when she emerged, she no longer spoke or chattered—she simply sat aside, gazing at the sky outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin sensed her coldness through the Pet Gui  Technique—but no malice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin slept soundly again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At dawn, Yan Jing watched Li Lin stretch, gave a quiet huff, and returned to the talisman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin packed up, extinguished the fire, and released a dozen paper figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The small paper figures darted off in one direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin resumed hacking his path with the axe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time neared noon. Li Lin paused, then smiled, continuing forward in that direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through thorns and brambles, he reached a cave entrance hidden beneath weeds by late afternoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The paper figures danced wildly before it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above the entrance, a smooth square stone bore faintly carved characters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too much time had passed—the weathering had blurred them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin brushed aside weeds beside it, then used Willow Fluff Thirteen to wipe the surface twice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weed juice darkened the grooves—clearly engraved in yin script.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tai Xuan Cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, darkness. Li Lin lit a firestarter and stepped in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entrance had been artificially carved into uneven steps, using the terrain—awkward to climb, but better than none.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cave was a standard karst formation… holding the firestarter, he saw the walls composed of crystalline minerals, reflecting countless tiny glimmers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The passage twisted, rose and fell—many places required Li Lin to crouch to pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After walking about two incense sticks’ time, he finally reached the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a circular space, its layout similar to the Goulu Cave Mansion: a stone table, several stone chairs, and a small pond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no sunlight or moonlight pouring down from above; here, it was utterly dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing else existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jing materialized, a faint sneer on her face: “It does look like a cave mansion, but there seems to be no clue at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Lin was not in a hurry; he held a fire starter and looked left and right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he walked to the right, then to the left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jing crossed her arms, watching from the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After watching Li Lin wander aimlessly for a while, she couldn’t help speaking: “There’s no point looking. As far as I know, the Ding family has sought immortal traces for centuries—generations of them failed. How could you possibly succeed alone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin still ignored her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he suddenly leapt onto the stone table, spun around, and after a moment, smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leapt down and placed the four round stools in four different positions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doing?” Yan Jing couldn’t help asking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment she finished speaking, bright light burst forth, blindingly intense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a phantom, Yan Jing was nearly erased by the glare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after she managed to stabilize her nearly dissolving form and opened her eyes did she discover, in shock, that she and Li Lin stood inside a brightly lit secret chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a white jade bed, a blue jade table, and a glass wine flask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A painting adorned the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, a meditation mat lay on the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There really is…” Yan Jing stared at Li Lin in astonishment, then awkwardly said, “So you weren’t just talking nonsense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin still ignored her; he stared at the painting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brushwork resembled that of the painting in the Goulu Cave Mansion, but this one depicted a Daoist standing atop a high peak, overlooking all lesser mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the lower right corner, an inscription read:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Illusion passes in an instant; fifty autumns of mortal dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1712,"2026-06-19T19:39:18.782Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7f4dff64eb0d05409dedacf9cb43fc411d7e12ff3c1e54b12cee1cfca833927c","dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-133","dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-131",221,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdark-and-dawn-light-years-cover.jpg"]