Chapter 55: Questions and Answers

The guests were seated, the wine had been poured three times, the dishes had been tasted five times, and there were dancers swaying gracefully and the sound of strings and bamboo flutes. Those at the table included the three of them—Wu Pifu, Ya Made, and Xu Shilan—along with Prince Kang and Princess Yongfu, Zhao Fubao.

Wu Pifu now knew the young girl's name: Zhao Fubao. This name gave him a sense of causal connection.

It wasn't anything to do with romance—he had no such thoughts toward a girl so young—but the name reminded him of Little Mute.

Little Mute had been taken in by a nunnery; he didn't know her specific background. Either her family had all perished, leaving her as an orphan to enter the nunnery, or her parents couldn't afford to raise her and had left her at the nunnery gates. Regardless, she had a connection to Buddhism.

And the Princess Yongfu just happened to be named Zhao Fubao.

Just then, Zhao Gou, emboldened by a little wine, began to chat about immortals and strange phenomena, eventually steering the conversation toward the legendary overseas immortal mountains, specifically mentioning Penglai.

Immortals, longevity, transcendence...

Even in the 21st century of the modern era, people's longing for immortals had never vanished, let alone in this ancient, superstitious feudal era.

Moreover, the Emperor, the officials, and the princes—who didn't know the truth—had witnessed the massive display of power Chu Minghao had put on. If Wu Pifu hadn't known the truth, even he would have believed he had truly met a Sword Immortal.

Thus, Zhao Gou truly believed in the existence of immortals and Penglai, swearing by the fifty-meter-wide, three-hundred-meter-deep crater in the imperial palace's drill ground.

Wu Pifu naturally knew Zhao Gou's intention in bringing up Penglai. He glanced at Zhao Fubao again. The young girl was staring at him with shining eyes, and when she caught him looking, she immediately lowered her head in shyness.

To be fair, Zhao Fubao was very beautiful. Although she was young, she was a budding beauty. From her appearance alone, she didn't look like Little Mute...

(Not necessarily. Little Mute had suffered from long-term malnutrition, eating only coarse food, and her teeth were worn down. For a child, the development of teeth and gums has a huge impact on facial growth... Only the eyes, they were truly, exactly the same.)

After looking at Zhao Fubao, Wu Pifu smiled and said to Zhao Gou, "Is Prince Kang curious about what Penglai is like?"

Zhao Gou froze, his eyes immediately lighting up with surprise. However, he suppressed his excitement, raising his cup to hide it, and said, "How could I dare? How could a mere mortal like me dare to pry into the world of immortals?"

Wu Pifu continued with a smile, "Actually, there's nothing to hide. It's just that mortals can't enter Penglai. It doesn't hurt to talk about what it's like inside. But... since we are new here and there are many things we don't understand, how about this: you ask me a question about Penglai, and after I answer, I'll ask you a question about the Great Song or Bianliang. We'll be honest with each other, how about that?"

Zhao Gou was overjoyed. He glanced left and right; apart from the two eunuchs, the dancers and guards had all retreated from the hall. He bowed and said, "I truly yearn for the world of immortals and am deeply curious. My twenty-sixth sister is also curious, aren't you, Yongfu?"

The young girl's face was still flushed. At these words, she buried her head even lower, but she gave a gentle, obedient nod.

Zhao Gou laughed, "In that case, shall the Immortal ask first?"

Wu Pifu shook his head. "I'm no immortal. You can just call me Brother Wu. Prince Kang, you go first."

Zhao Gou didn't decline further. He immediately asked, "Brother Wu, I have heard people say, and have even seen it in ancient texts, that there is a legend of 'chickens and dogs ascending to heaven.' Is this truly the case?"

Wu Pifu nodded immediately. "Indeed. In Penglai, let alone immortals, even mortals can fly to an altitude of ten thousand meters, and chickens and dogs can fly up there too. That is absolutely true."

Zhao Gou couldn't believe it and asked immediately, "Chickens and dogs can fly in the sky? Is there truly such a thing as chickens and dogs ascending to heaven?"

"Yes."

Wu Pifu said firmly, "It is true. I'm not lying to you at all. And that's not all; you can even go to the Moon, or the Moon Palace. Speaking of which..."

Wu Pifu looked at Xu Shilan. "How long does it take to fly from Earth to the Moon in a manned vehicle?"

Xu Shilan gave Wu Pifu a sideways glance but said, "If it's a high-speed special flight vehicle, it takes about a minute. If it's a civilian transport, about three minutes."

Wu Pifu turned to Zhao Gou. "Did you hear that? It takes anywhere from one to three minutes to get to the Moon Palace."

Zhao Gou hesitated. "And what is a 'minute'?"

Wu Pifu realized his mistake. "One minute is sixty seconds—uh, sixty breaths. So, it takes between sixty and one hundred and eighty breaths to get to the Moon Palace."

Zhao Gou was shocked, Zhao Fubao was shocked, and the two eunuchs were shocked. None of them dared to believe it.

Zhao Gou swallowed, picked up his wine cup, and took a sip to hide his shock. He immediately asked urgently, "Is it truly possible to 'travel to the North Sea in the morning and the Cangwu Mountains by dusk'?"

Wu Pifu looked at Xu Shilan again. Xu Shilan said helplessly, "The fastest flight vehicle, without affecting stability or the passengers, can circle the equator in less than ten seconds. Flying from the South Pole to the North Pole also takes about ten seconds."

Wu Pifu turned to Zhao Gou. "It only takes about ten breaths. You don't need a whole day. Of course, if you want to play and sightsee, a day is plenty."

Zhao Gou swallowed several times, and even Zhao Fubao, sitting beside him, widened her crystal-clear eyes.

The two royal children were deeply shaken by the power of the immortals (science) at this moment.

Zhao Gou remained silent for at least ten seconds before coming to his senses. He immediately apologized, "Truly the means of an immortal, truly the means of an immortal. I have asked Brother Wu so many questions; please, Brother Wu, ask away."

Wu Pifu smiled. "Let's count that as one question. My first question is: how old is this Princess, Zhao Fubao? Has she ever traveled far from home?"

Zhao Gou revealed a knowing smile, and even the two eunuchs behind him smiled. Zhao Fubao buried her head under the table, her whole body trembling slightly. Zhao Gou laughed happily, "This is my twenty-sixth sister, Princess Yongfu. She is fourteen this year and will reach womanhood next year. She is not yet betrothed."

Wu Pifu: "?"

He didn't understand the meaning of the phrase after "fourteen," but that didn't stop him from continuing, "Has she ever traveled far?"

Zhao Gou immediately said sternly, "My twenty-sixth sister has studied the virtues and needlework of women since she was young; she is dignified and elegant. How could she travel far?"

"No, that's not what I meant," Wu Pifu waved his hand. "I mean... well, Zhao Miss looks so familiar, as if I've seen her somewhere else before."

Zhao Gou secretly laughed. It must have been at the Buddhist temple, where you peeked and caused the National Master Guo Jing to make a fool of himself. But he naturally couldn't say that. He said, "Perhaps it is a fate ordained by heaven? A feeling of meeting an old friend at first sight?"

The implication was already very clear. Zhao Fubao, the young girl, couldn't help but reach out from under the table to tug at Zhao Gou's sleeve.

No matter how slow Wu Pifu was, he naturally reacted by now. He said awkwardly, "No, that's not... this... never mind. Prince Kang, ask your next question."

Zhao Gou smiled lightly and continued, "I wonder, in Penglai, what is the lifespan of a mortal?"

Since there was the legend of chickens and dogs ascending to heaven, and Wu Pifu and his two fellow disciples, it proved that Penglai wasn't inhabited solely by immortals; there were likely descendants of immortals who had once been mortal, living and multiplying there. This was highly probable.

After Zhao Gou asked, his ears perked up, the two eunuchs were fully focused, and even Zhao Fubao stopped being shy and pricked up her ears.

!

Longevity was always the greatest luxury for mortals.

Wu Pifu looked at Xu Shilan again. Xu Shilan sighed and said, "The lifespan of an ordinary citizen is about eight hundred to twelve hundred years. For every level higher, the lifespan increases by two to three thousand years."

Zhao Gou, Zhao Fubao, and the two eunuchs all opened their mouths wide in disbelief.

Zhao Gou immediately asked urgently, "Is this truly the case?"

Xu Shilan didn't hide anything, looking at them frankly. "Indeed. First-level citizens live eight hundred to twelve hundred years, second-level citizens gain two to three thousand years, and third-level citizens gain four to five thousand years."

Zhao Gou and the others were too shocked to speak.

As for what first, second, or third level meant, although it sounded strange to them, it didn't prevent them from quickly understanding it.

After all, a hierarchical system was a universal value they were familiar with. Even officials were ranked from ninth to first grade. And immortals—whether Taoist or Buddhist—naturally had distinctions in rank and power.

Perhaps the relatives of powerful immortals were of a higher level, while those of weaker immortals were of a lower level.

Zhao Gou couldn't help but ask, "Then what about the Sword Immortal who just left? What level is he?"

Xu Shilan could only answer, "Level seven."

"Level seven!? Does that mean he is beyond ten thousand years of age!?"

For a time, Zhao Gou and the others were not just shocked into silence; their entire worldview began to crumble.

Wu Pifu then said, "Then it is my turn to ask, Prince Kang."

Zhao Gou bowed immediately. "Brother Wu, please ask."

Wu Pifu didn't speak immediately. He weighed his words in his mind before saying, "We three have been ordered by our master to travel the mortal world to refine our Dao hearts and to slay demons and eliminate evil. You are well aware of this, right?"

Zhao Gou nodded repeatedly, while Zhao Fubao looked at Wu Pifu with those crystal-clear eyes. Wu Pifu even felt as if stars were appearing in her pupils.

Wu Pifu ignored it and continued, "Although we haven't been in the Central Plains for long, we know there is great evil in this world. Unfortunately, we cannot find the traces of this evil, so we need the assistance of Prince Kang and the Emperor."

This was serious business. Zhao Gou said sternly, "Bound by the immortal-mortal covenant of your master, how could I dare not to help? How could I dare not to obey?"

Wu Pifu nodded. "Very well. We have heard that 'harvesting life and breaking bones' is one of the three great evils of this world. Since we know of it, we must investigate it. We must confront the various evils of this mortal world. So..."

"Prince Kang, do you know where these people who practice 'harvesting life and breaking bones' are? Do they have a headquarters? Do they have a faction?"

Zhao Gou's expression changed slightly. He glanced at the two eunuchs behind him. Both eunuchs lowered their heads, but one of them took a slight step forward.

Seeing this, Zhao Gou felt confident. He whispered, "This is indeed a great evil in this world, and I happen to know that the place where they practice this is right here in the Dongjing Bianliang, a land of great virtue!"

"The Ghost Fan Tower, the Carefree Cave!"

(End of chapter)