Chapter 419: Side Story 4: Yunxu Dreams of Lingxiang (Part 1)

Side Story 4: Yunxu Dreams of Lingxiang (Part 1)

Above the Thirty-Three Heavens sits the Doushuai Palace. The master of Doushuai Palace is the Taiqing Moral Heavenly Venerable, who is the legendary Supreme Old Lord; all the immortals respectfully address him as Laojun.

Doushuai Palace is also home to several immortal boys. Among them, the most widely known are the Golden Spirit Boy and Silver Spirit Boy, who often accompany Laojun's side; the two of them are responsible for guarding the Golden Furnace and Silver Furnace for Laojun, respectively. Although the other boys are not as highly valued by Laojun as Jinling and Yinling, they each perform their own duties, and every one of them can be considered law-abiding.

Among these many immortal boys, there is one whom everyone calls Xiaolongzi.

Xiaolongzi is not truly deaf. Laojun once bestowed upon him the name "Yunxu," but because he always likes to suddenly space out for no reason regardless of what he is doing, and no matter how others call him, they cannot bring him back to his senses, he earned this nickname.

No one knows what he is actually thinking about, and it is precisely because he is always like this that he often misses the timing for Laojun's Pill Furnace, ruining several furnaces of immortal pills for no reason.

It would be one thing if it were just a normal day, but if it were a task commissioned by the Divine Court, it would be a major disaster.

Fortunately, Laojun has never punished him too severely; he just laughs and scolds him a few times before sending him off to sweep the courtyard.

As for this Thirty-Three Heavens, what else is there that needs sweeping? It is just that Laojun found an excuse and let him be.

One must cherish one's own boy, must one not?

This actually provided convenience for Xiaolongzi. Every time a group of boys goes to work, one can always see him clutching a broom, sitting motionless under the Divine Tree in the courtyard. When he is mocked by the other boys as a "dullard," he does not get angry, just continues to space out on his own, paying them no mind at all.

I do not know how many days like this passed, but suddenly one day, just as Xiaolongzi was sitting under the Divine Tree spacing out as usual, a strange fragrance drifted into his nose.

He has stayed here all day long and never smelled any fragrance; why is it so unusual today? Could it be that this old tree is about to become a spirit?

The rich fragrance clears one's mind. Xiaolongzi looks curiously at the Divine Tree, but the old tree is still the same, without the slightest change.

How truly strange. Could it be an illusion?

Xiaolongzi rubs his nose in suspicion and sits back down, but inadvertently touches a small blade of grass.

The grass leaf is as broad as an egg, with a round and sharp tip. If a mortal saw it, they would only think it ordinary, but Xiaolongzi has lived in Doushuai Palace since birth and has never been out, so he feels doubly curious in his heart.

Moreover, the fragrance actually originates from this small blade of grass, but for some reason, the grass is a bit wilted, its broad leaves slightly curled, looking like it is about to die.

Could it be lacking water? That shouldn't be!

Above the Divine Court, mist swirls; although there is no clear water, it is not to the point of lacking water, so even ordinary grass can survive as usual.

Since it is not caused by a lack of water, then what is it because of?

Xiaolongzi is puzzled, but in a flash, he feels it is somewhat superfluous.

The sweeping of Doushuai Palace is meant to clear away these miscellaneous things.

Often there are some seeds that come riding the wind from the mortal world. Things from the mortal world are mostly born from Turbid Qi; to avoid disturbing the Clear Qi of Laojun's spirit-refining, they must be cleaned away.

He is very diligent and responsible!

Xiaolongzi reaches out, wanting to pull it, but hesitates the moment he reaches out, and for no reason, he begins to feel irritable.

Amidst the shrouding divine light, a small immortal boy sits under the Divine Tree, one hand leaning on a broom, the other reaching toward the grass leaf, as motionless as a painting.

Yes, that's right, Xiaolongzi is spacing out again...

As for why Xiaolongzi always suddenly spaces out for no reason, no one has ever looked into it deeply. Those boys only think it is quite amusing; after all, the days in the Divine Court are long and slow, and it is quite boring, so they just treat it as an extra pastime.

A wisp of clear breeze rises abruptly, blowing the Golden Leaf and Silver Fruit on the Divine Tree until they jingle. Xiaolongzi also returns to his senses amidst this sound. He shakes his head, saying it was a close call; if his senior brothers saw him, they would say he was slacking off again.

Xiaolongzi wrinkles his nose, making a move to pull that small blade of grass, but stops again when he touches the leaf.

He is dazed again!

Just as Xiaolongzi is in a daze, a voice comes faintly from behind him, scaring him so much he nearly jumps once, twice, three times.

"Thinking about things again?"

The person who arrived has neatly groomed hair and a long beard reaching his waist; his whole body is filled with an imposing divine aura, naturally dignified without anger. It is actually the Ziwei Dijun of the North Pole of the Middle Heaven.

Xiaolongzi naturally recognizes such a big shot. When he first saw him, he only felt that Ziwei Dijun was awe-inspiring and was even a bit afraid in his heart, but after seeing him more often, he discovered that this old man is actually a bit improper.

Little does Xiaolongzi know that such an intimate Ziwei Dijun is only like this toward him alone.

"Why is it you again? You always love to come to our Doushuai Palace when you have nothing to do; you aren't here to sponge off us, are you?" Xiaolongzi gives a perfunctory bow and mutters, rolling his eyes.

"Hey—what nonsense are you spouting? You have no filter; be careful, or I will report you to Laojun and see if he gives you a caning!" Ziwei Dijun feigns anger, gently pats Xiaolongzi on the head with one palm, then strokes his long beard and says solemnly, "I have come specifically to discuss the Dao with Laojun; it is a serious matter!"

Xiaolongzi curls his lip in disbelief and says perfunctorily, "Yes, yes, yes, it is a serious matter; after the serious matter, you will be asking for immortal pills." As he speaks, he pouts, "Master should still be teaching in the main hall right now; if you go quickly, you should be able to catch the conclusion." Saying this, he sits down and stops paying attention to Ziwei Dijun.

Ziwei Dijun is not annoyed, laughing aloud as he heads toward the main hall, leaving Xiaolongzi alone under the tree to continue spacing out.

I do not know how much time passed before Xiaolongzi returned to his senses again. Only then did he remember that there was still work left unfinished, and he immediately reached out to pull at that grass leaf.

Just at this moment, a sharp shout from behind interrupted the movement of Xiaolongzi's hand, followed by a series of messy and hurried footsteps.

"Boy, do not move!"

Xiaolongzi naturally knows who the person is; it is his master, the Supreme Old Lord.

Laojun's hair and beard are all white. His originally kind face is now full of panic, as if he has received a tremendous shock. He walks toward Xiaolongzi in two or three steps, but looks past him at the small blade of grass, his hands rubbing together helplessly, wanting to touch the grass but fearing he might hurt it.

"Master, what has happened to you?" Xiaolongzi is full of curiosity; he has never seen Laojun like this.

"Boy! This is... this is..." Laojun is so excited that his face turns red. After saying "this is" for a long time, he still does not say what it is.

At this time, Ziwei Dijun appears from nowhere, stroking his beard with the expression of someone watching a show: "I said just now that I saw this grass shrouded in brilliant light; it really is true!"

Brilliant light? Where is the brilliant light? Why didn't he see it?

Xiaolongzi is confused and looks at Ziwei Dijun with a blank face. The Dijun smiles and strokes his head.

"In ancient times, there was a spirit medicine that was born from the essence of heaven and earth. It has the effect of bringing the dead back to life and is called 'Lingxiang'; it is hard to see once in ten thousand years." As he speaks, he leans into Xiaolongzi's ear, acting mysterious: "It is rumored that Xingtian only survived being beheaded because he took this medicine."

Lingxiang?

Xiaolongzi turns his face to look at that blade of grass, his eyes clear.

"But it is about to die..."

Since it can bring the dead back to life, why can it not even save itself?