Chapter 75: Know That a Man Is a Youth Until Death

The house that Assistant Magistrate Li prepared for Gu Jiangming outside the village was a large residence, long neglected and uninhabited.

Houses like this, by all accounts, would normally become a place for some idlers in Leping County to settle down; at the very least, it would provide shelter from the wind and rain.

But I don't know when it started, rumors began to spread that this courtyard was haunted.

Of course, many people had never seen this so-called ghost and naturally didn't believe in such nonsense, until later, when someone actually died here, the residence's reputation for being cursed spread far and wide.

It could be said that absolutely no one dared to live here anymore.

The locals kept a respectful distance from this house.

Gu Jiangming didn't know about this; he had no identity when he transmigrated here, and in order not to starve to death or end up on the streets, he plucked up the courage to go to the yamen and, relying on his skills, secured a job as a temporary clerk.

He even felt that Assistant Magistrate Li was a rather good person, not only for preparing a large, undisturbed courtyard for him but also for finding him a job to make ends meet.

Now, Gu Jiangming had carefully cleaned the large residence; although it looked like no one had lived there for quite a while, under his care, it had gained a touch of domestic warmth.

After all, this place might be his home in this world for a very long time.

"My humble abode is simple, so I cannot brew tea for you, sir." Gu Jiangming wore an awkward smile.

Tea leaves were a luxury item in this day and age, and the copper coins he earned as a clerk were all exchanged for daily necessities.

Take that damn wooden bed, for instance; that thing was simply not something a normal person could sleep on, so he spent his copper coins to buy two sets of bedding, using one to pad the bottom thickly.

If not for that layer of padding, his bones would truly feel like they were about to break.

If he ever succeeded in his cultivation, the first thing he would do was get himself a mattress he could sleep comfortably on.

A handmade Simmons.

This wasn't because Gu Jiangming was greedy for comfort, but if you have the conditions to make yourself more comfortable, why not try? Did he really think of himself as a corporate slave who couldn't help but brew a pot of coffee while working overtime to continue slaving away for the boss? Gu Jiangming studied archaeology precisely because he didn't want to be a corporate slave who died at his workbench.

It's just that he didn't expect archaeology to be even worse than being a corporate slave.

Xu Qingyun, standing to the side, didn't mind not being able to drink tea, but seeing Gu Jiangming wanting to burn wood in the woodshed to prepare a pot of hot water for him, he immediately smiled bitterly: "You mustn't, you really mustn't."

Having his mentor pour water for him—to him, this would shorten his lifespan.

Gu Jiangming hadn't expected Xu Qingyun to have such a humble attitude, but since the guest had arrived, you couldn't just do nothing; that was a matter of etiquette.

Bai Hu's expression was full of schadenfreude; seeing Xu Qingyun get rebuffed gave him, who was full of gloom, a bit of a better mood.

"What is there that I mustn't do?" From Gu Jiangming's perspective, Xu Qingyun was now the elder, and seeing that aged, weary appearance, he subconsciously wanted to show respect to the other party.

Seeing that Xu Qingyun couldn't speak, Bai Hu spoke up for him directly: "You are the reincarnation of his master; for a master to pour water for his disciple, according to your human etiquette, would invite a lightning strike from the heavens."

"How could he dare to drink it, and how could he dare to let you pour water for him?"

Seeing that Bai Hu had told the truth, Xu Qingyun immediately bowed with cupped hands, swept the hem of his robe aside, and sank to his knees on the ground.

"Disciple Xu Qingyun pays respects to Master."

"In all my life, I have never failed to live up to Master's teachings."

His voice was resonant and powerful, his words ringing with conviction.

In Xu Qingyun's voice, he was full of pride, as if he had a clear conscience regarding everything he had done in his life.

For some reason, the impact of this scene before him was incredibly strong for Gu Jiangming.

He had actually never thought that the influence he had on Xu Qingyun could be so deep and so heavy.

Because in the Reincarnation Simulation, the master-disciple bond between Gu Jiangming and Xu Qingyun was not long, just a few short sentences.

But... those few sentences had transformed into Xu Qingyun's entire life.

This couldn't help but make Gu Jiangming think of a saying.

The page you lightly turn in the history books might be their entire magnificent life.

The few words in the Reincarnation were exactly the entire path Xu Qingyun had walked, unchanging throughout his life.

Gu Jiangming didn't speak; he was slightly dazed. At this moment, everything written in those cold, icy words appeared before his eyes, vivid and lifelike, as if they were flesh and blood history.

"There is no need for such a grand gesture." After Gu Jiangming came to his senses, he immediately helped Xu Qingyun up.

He actually hadn't expected that the Shushan he had envisioned was merely intended to cast a ray of light named Shushan in that era where no sun could be seen.

A momentary attempt had turned into reality.

He had also become that ray of light in Xu Qingyun's heart.

What an unintentional planting of a willow that grew into shade.

But then again, could he really become the ray of light they wanted in their hearts?

Wanting to be a great person does not mean you will necessarily become such a great person.

That was what Gu Jiangming thought and longed for in his heart, but when it truly fell into his own hands, he might not be able to reach that height.

This is the greatest difference between ideals and reality.

Looking at Xu Qingyun, who was infinitely submissive to him, Gu Jiangming finally understood: the person he was submissive to might not be him, this 'reincarnation', but the Shushan Dao Venerable Gu Jiangming who truly took the world's common people as his own responsibility.

I am me, yet I am not me.

So that's how it is.

The chance to rewrite the past from 【Mie Changsheng】.

It might not even be about letting him change the many regrets in the Reincarnation, but for Gu Jiangming himself, it is about letting the illusions in the mirror and the moon truly become reality.

Do you have the courage to become the perfect person in that Reincarnation, shaped by your own will... and walk through the life he once lived?

If you do.

Then you are the true Shushan Dao Venerable.

And you will also make everything that happened in 【Mie Changsheng】 an unchangeable fact.

Of course, you can also choose to give up this opportunity, let everything stop here, and enjoy the many benefits brought by 【Mie Changsheng】.

Because in the end, the person who accomplished all these things is still the reincarnation performed by Gu Jiangming's true self.

Gu Jiangming is still that Shushan Dao Venerable who takes the world as his own responsibility.

But Gu Jiangming is very unhappy.

Don't underestimate people too much.

The romance of childhood is right before my eyes.

How can you underestimate a man's determination to become a legend; if it were truly that cool, I, Gu Jiangming, would be willing to pay any price.

One must know that a man is a youth until he dies.

Accept this bow from me; I, Gu Jiangming, am that Shushan Dao Venerable, I will not treat you thinly, nor will I betray your heart.

Xu Qingyun did not know what kind of mental struggle the Gu Jiangming before him had gone through; he only felt that a significant sense of responsibility seemed to have been added to Gu Jiangming.

And that sense of responsibility to live up to expectations was something he had once seen in someone else.

His name was also Gu Jiangming.

"The person you are grateful for in your heart is not me, as far as you are concerned," Gu Jiangming deliberated, "so you don't need to be so submissive to me."

On the Mie Changsheng interface, a small line of text appeared.

【Born with Proud Bones effect triggered.】

This was an effect that had already been triggered when Xu Qingyun was grateful to the 'past life' Gu Jiangming.

And Long Xi did not quite understand what Gu Jiangming was saying.

Where would he have come from to be reincarnated? Tasting it closely, Long Xi felt that the aura on Gu Jiangming was not much different from the one from ten thousand years ago; this was clearly the same person.

The belief linked between them also proved this point.

As for these thoughts, when it comes down to it, it was the proud nature in Gu Jiangming's bones at work; he himself disliked this feeling very much, and 【Born with Proud Bones】 intensified his perception. I'll be damned if I don't personally use the name of Shushan to smash that reincarnation from hundreds of years ago sooner or later.

I said it! Xu Qingyun was a bit startled upon hearing what Gu Jiangming said, but after thinking for a moment, he understood the reason, "It was my rudeness."

"It doesn't count as rudeness." Gu Jiangming thought for a moment and added: "I wonder if you have any cultivation techniques on you, old sir; the current world is chaotic, and I want some methods for self-preservation."

Xu Qingyun was somewhat fearful and trembling; everything he had learned in his life was taught by Gu Jiangming. Once Gu Jiangming spoke, Xu Qingyun immediately took an ancient book out from his bosom.

"Many thanks," Gu Jiangming said again.

He took a look, and it was indeed the Gu Family Heart Method 【Facing the Heavenly Palace】; later, after he had refined it, 【Facing the Heavenly Palace】 became the introductory heart method for Shushan Disciples, also known as the 【Shushan Heart Method】.

Gu Jiangming planned to practice it first, then inquire about the background of the group that besieged Shushan back then, trying his best to achieve a one-life speedrun and preserve the otherwise destroyed Shushan.

Looking at the familiar passages above.

With just one glance, Gu Jiangming felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity surge within his body.

The scattered Qi in Heaven and Earth suddenly entered his body, and a warm current poured in from the Heavenly Sun point on the top of his head, sinking into his dantian, and then wandering through his four limbs and hundred skeletons.

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, the speed at which that Qi circulated became faster and faster.

Moreover, his body seemed to have memorized the circulation route of 【Facing the Heavenly Palace】 after just one pass.

Not only that, its running speed directly exceeded Gu Jiangming's imagination; the speed of the second circulation was twice as fast as the first, and the third was faster than the second, as if it were engaged in some kind of special competition.

Xu Qingyun watched Gu Jiangming's earth-shattering cultivation speed, and his gaze slowly began to fall into a state of confusion.

Then he reached out and scratched his head, not quite understanding.

Gu Jiangming also didn't know what had happened; he guessed that the person in every reincarnation was his own true self, but he couldn't figure out what his current situation meant.

Looking at Xu Qingyun's gaze, which did not understand what was happening, Gu Jiangming returned a blank look that said he also didn't know what was happening.

"Qi Refining is done just like that?" The White Tiger swallowed its saliva, "Isn't your Human Race's cultivation famously slow?"

"You surnamed Xu, how many days did it take you to refine Qi?"

"Three days." Xu Qingyun smiled bitterly, "In my Shushan, being able to refine Qi in three days is still an outstanding talent; many people take a month to sense the Qi in Heaven and Earth, and most are disciples who start with Body Refining."

With Spirit Qi so scarce now, being able to refine Qi in three days is already considered a formidable person.

"Let's go outside; don't disturb the Master's cultivation here." Xu Qingyun fixed his gaze on the White Tiger and said in a commanding tone.

"What about her?" The White Tiger's claw pointed at Long Xi, who was beside Gu Jiangming.

"She is the Master's wife in this life; it is fine to leave her here to take care of the Master." Xu Qingyun implied something, "Besides, we still have some things to discuss."

Xu Qingyun turned and left, and the White Tiger had no choice but to follow silently.

The two walked out of the courtyard, and Xu Qingyun moved a few steps, flying onto a large tree outside the courtyard to lean against it.

"Aren't you going to report to that eccentric Master's wife of mine?" Xu Qingyun lay on it and said leisurely: "I might have a way to save your life."

The White Tiger took a look and asked in an incredibly suspicious tone: "Really?"

"If that crazy woman gets ruthless, both you and I will lose our lives."

Xu Qingyun flew over with his sword scabbard, and the scabbard knocked hard on the White Tiger's head from above, "Although I don't like my Master's wife's style, you cannot slander her like this behind her back; she is, after all, the person my Master once loved most."

"Go back, as long as you honestly explain the situation, I think your life can be preserved."

Xu Qingyun stated his thoughts using his own logical reasoning.

People like them who have achieved success in seeking the Dao actually mostly have this kind of realization.

"What do you mean by that?" The White Tiger paused, "She is not someone ordinary people can fathom."

"One life, one fate; the past red dust has already vanished like smoke. This is destiny. Since it has already become this situation, forcing the fate within it is to go against destiny, and she will ultimately not end up well."

"With my Master's wife's cultivation, she should be able to understand this."

And in the courtyard.

Long Xi suddenly exhaled a breath, and that special Soul Qi, following Long Xi's exhalation, immediately flew toward the distance.

What kind of strange thing is this?

How could it be hidden in Gu Jiangming's body?

What exactly is its use? Long Xi did not understand.

But what was stained on it was an aura mixed with both Demon Power and divine energy; it was not like a demon, nor was it like a god, and it seemed to have some kind of mysterious contract effect.

Just because of this, she didn't like it.

Because only she and Gu Jiangming could have such a contract; she didn't want others to have this kind of unique contract with Gu Jiangming.

Where did this god come from? Is it here to snatch Believers from me?

Isn't it bad to snatch other people's Believers? Why must she fixate on her only Believer? And at the very instant Long Xi spat out that mouthful of demonic Qi.

Jiu Jiu's closed eyes snapped open immediately; she sensed something was returning, returning from a place very, very far away.

"That mouthful of Soul Qi I left for Gu Jiangming back then... how, how has it returned on its own now?"

"And wasn't this mouthful of Soul Qi supposed to have dissipated long ago?"

That mouthful of Soul Qi landed back in Jiu Jiu's mouth, and the next second, she felt an aura originating from the Dragon Race within this mouthful of Soul Qi.

"He is still alive?"

"He is really still alive?" Jiu Jiu's expression changed from initial astonishment to joy, because this mouthful of Soul Qi undoubtedly proved one thing.

That is, Gu Jiangming did not die; he is even still living in the present world.

The only thing she did not know was how Gu Jiangming survived.

"So... was the reason our daughter's spirit body previously appeared to be dissipating and collapsing because Gu Jiangming met with an accident?"

As long as Gu Jiangming does not exist, then the spirit body of this daughter of hers would cease to exist.

Now this mouthful of Soul Qi has returned, yet Mingyue's spirit body is even more stable than before.

In fact, this also indirectly proves that Gu Jiangming is very safe right now.

This is a counter-logic.

Having confirmed the news that Gu Jiangming is still alive, Jiu Jiu was quickly able to think of this possibility.

Because only if Gu Jiangming encountered a life-or-death crisis would it cause Gu Mingyue's spirit body to show abnormalities from time to time.

Hahahaha—

My husband is still alive!

He! Is! Still! Alive!

The thing Jiu Jiu had been most despondent about before was this; what she feared most was that what she found would be Gu Jiangming's reincarnation, a shell that could not remember the entire past, but now she no longer had this worry.

Find him... must find him.

However, Jiu Jiu suddenly realized a problem.

Why was there an aura of the Dragon Race within that mouthful of Soul Qi?

That's right.

Why would there be the scent of the Dragon Race? And judging by this fluctuation and scent, it is even a female.

Jiu Jiu's expression suddenly sank.

This is very wrong.

(End of chapter)