Chapter 156: Tears Flowed Down Peach-Blossom Cheeks

Wang Bo replied:

"I have precisely that intention. Just now, Swordsman Yan and Swordsman Bai flew through the high heavens on their swords, swift as swimming dragons and with an aura reaching the rainbow. It fully displayed a heroic spirit, leaving me filled with the utmost admiration and envy. Therefore, I wish to practice the Art of Sword Flight—so that once my cultivation is successful, I may soar on a sword and travel far and wide, just as the verse says: 'From the imperial capital I leave the golden stem; to Fufeng I come to the stone pillar. Mountains and rivers stretch endlessly on; my journey is leisurely and long.'"

"Hahaha..." Before Wang Bo could finish, Yan Chixia laughed heartily. "What a wonderful line: 'Mountains and rivers stretch endlessly on; my journey is leisurely and long!' Brother Zi'an's transcendent and refined state of mind commands our utmost admiration. If it comes to composing poetry and prose, Brother Zi'an is second to none, peerless and incomparable; however, when it comes to the cultivation of truth and the refinement of breath, Brother Zi'an is worlds apart and certainly not cut out for this path!"

Yan Chixia's words were blunt and unsparing, ruthlessly dashing cold water upon Wang Bo's enthusiasm for cultivation.

Hearing this, Bai Xiaoyue broke into a cold sweat, fearing that Wang Bo would feel humiliated. Unexpectedly, upon hearing these words, Wang Bo burst into hearty laughter as well:

"Hahaha... What Swordsman Yan says is entirely true. Regarding the Daoist art of the Sword Flight, I truly possess only soaring ambitions and merely boast empty words. To speak the truth, I am truly not the material for practicing Sword Flight—although I wear a sword at my waist, I am far too far from soaring through the air on it... Very well! Swordsman Yan, Swordsman Bai, you are eager to return home, and I shall delay your journey no longer. The green mountains remain unchanged, and the emerald waters flow endlessly; in days to come, we shall surely meet again!"

"Very well, until we meet again!" Yan Chixia and Bai Xiaoyue said in unison, "Brother Zi'an, farewell!"

With that, the two of them leaped once more onto their precious swords. After waving reluctantly and affectionately to Wang Bo, they resumed their flight.

It was currently late autumn. Across the rolling Yanshan Mountains, vibrant maple groves stretched everywhere, layer upon layer, burning as red as fire; amidst the ancient pines and verdant cypresses, countless egrets beat their wings, flying back and forth while calling out loudly, appearing as though they were singing and dancing. The stream in the valley murmured as it flowed, exhaling wisps of chilly mist. Ribbon-like white clouds coiled among the red maples and green cypresses, truly filled with a rich autumn ambiance and stunning colors that refreshed the spirit and made one reluctant to leave.

As Yan Chixia carried Bai Xiaoyue on their flying sword, they admired the breathtaking scenery of the Yanshan Mountains. Soon, they crossed the range and headed straight in the direction of Mount Dagu.

A quarter of an hour later, the towering Mount Dagu, the serene Gushan Temple, and the Kaoshan Village nestled at the foot of the mountain came into view for Yan Chixia and Bai Xiaoyue. The moment Yan Chixia laid eyes on those familiar silhouettes, his heart leaped with joy, and he cried out in an excited voice:

"Mingzi, look quickly! That mountain ahead is Mount Dagu; the temple halfway up the slope is Gushan Temple, and the village at the foot of the mountain is Kaoshan Village!"

"Ah!" Bai Xiaoyue could not help exclaiming, "What a breathtaking Mount Dagu, what a serene Gushan Temple, what a charming Kaoshan Village—it is far more beautiful than I had ever imagined! Danzi, no wonder you have yearned for your hometown day and night, never able to forget it. It turns out to be truly magnificent and lovely!"

"Indeed!" Yan Chixia said, radiant with joy, "Mingzi, this is the Kaoshan Village that I have yearned for day and night, bound to my soul in dreams!" At this, he suddenly raised his voice and called out, "Greetings, Kaoshan Village! Kaoshan Village, I have returned!"

At the entrance of Kaoshan Village stood the "Grandmother Bridge," and beside the bridge was a "Divine Shrine," which legend said was transformed through the guidance of immortals. Whenever the villagers encountered disaster, they would come here to burn incense and offer prayers, seeking the blessings of the immortals to ward off illness and avert calamity.

When Yan Chixia and Bai Xiaoyue arrived at the village entrance on their flying sword, they saw a young woman burning incense and praying before the altar in front of the Divine Shrine, bowing incessantly to the deity's statue within.

Looking closely, Yan Chixia recognized the woman as Taohua, and feeling a surge of intense excitement, he immediately called out loudly:

"Taohua! Taohua! Taohua!"

"Ah?" Hearing the sound, Taohua hurriedly raised her head. She saw two people standing atop a precious sword, their robes fluttering as they descended from the sky. Not recognizing Yan Chixia, she mistook them for immortals descending to the mortal realm, and she cried out in overwhelming surprise and joy, "An immortal is calling my name? Heavens! The divine shrine is truly miraculous! The moment I kowtowed and prayed here, the immortals have appeared! O two immortals above, I kowtow to you! I beg of you, please save my mother..."

"Taohua, stop kowtowing! It's me, your Brother Chixia!" Yan Chixia quickly called out in a loud voice.

Taohua was just about to kneel and kowtow when, upon hearing Yan Chixia's words, she froze in place...

In an instant, Yan Chixia maneuvered the flying sword right before Taohua, halting it a man's height above the ground. He leaped down to stand beside her, grasped her hands with intense emotion, gazed into her exceptionally pretty face, and asked with a trembling voice:

"Taohua, how are you? It's me, your Brother Chixia... What is this? Taohua, do you no longer recognize me?"

Only then did Taohua snap back to her senses. Looking at Yan Chixia's face—at once unfamiliar yet deeply familiar—a myriad of emotions welled up within her, and tears burst from her eyes as she cried out:

"Brother Chixia, you've finally returned! Sob..."

"Don't cry, Taohua!" Yan Chixia hastily said, "Let me introduce her to you: her name is Bai Xiaoyue. We practiced the Dao together on Mount Zhongnan. You should call her elder sister."

Before Taohua could speak, Bai Xiaoyue flashed a radiant smile and said to her:

"Hello, Taohua!"

"Ah, hello, Sister!" Taohua hurriedly wiped away her tears and smiled through them, saying, "Sister is so pretty!"

"Hehe, Little Sister Taohua certainly knows how to flatter!" Bai Xiaoyue said with a gentle laugh. With that, she reached out and tenderly wiped the lingering tears from Taohua's face.

Instantly, a warm current surged into Taohua's heart! Blushing with embarrassment, she murmured, "Sister is so kind!" Then, turning her gaze back to Yan Chixia, she could no longer contain her boundless joy:

"Brother Chixia, in the blink of an eye, you've been gone for thirteen years! My mother and I have spoken of you every single day... Whenever I fell asleep, I would always dream of you! Yet, in my wildest dreams, I never imagined you would actually return—and fly back at that! Brother Chixia, have you cultivated yourself into an immortal? I..."

"Hahaha," before Taohua could finish, Yan Chixia interrupted her with a laugh, "Taohua, I have not yet cultivated into an immortal; I have only mastered certain Daoist arts. Just now, I wasn't flying in the sky by magic alone—that was 'Sword Flight.'"

"Ah?" Taohua asked, utterly perplexed, "Brother Chixia, what is 'Sword Flight'?"

"'Sword Flight' is a Daoist art I have cultivated," Yan Chixia replied. "Taohua, you and Auntie have missed me every day, and I have longed for you both just as constantly! Just as you always dreamed of me, I have always dreamed of you too!"

As he spoke with deep emotion, he gazed affectionately at Taohua's peach-blossom-like pretty face, his heart overflowing with joy. At that very moment, he truly longed to pull Taohua into his arms—to cuddle and dote on her just as they used to do in their innocent childhood days! Yet, he suddenly realized that those years had truly gone forever—for Taohua had now grown up into a graceful, elegant young woman! With this thought, Yan Chixia sighed softly with a myriad of lingering emotions:

"Ah! Truly it is:
The peach tree has now begun to grow,
Its blossoms blooming in brilliant red pairs.
Long dwelling in mountains to seek the true Dao,
The parting affection as strong as it shares.
Once tasting green plums as children together,
Once riding bamboo steeds through wind and weather.
Who knew mortal life would so shift and estrange?
Only dreams bring back scenes that will never change."

Hearing this, Taohua had no idea what it meant and hurriedly asked:

"Ah? Brother Chixia, what are you saying? Why can't I understand a single word?"

Before Yan Chixia could answer, Bai Xiaoyue could not help chiming in:

"A long parting with peach blossoms, the past is no more—Danzi, you've even learned to compose acrostic poems!"

"Hehe, inspired by the scenery, the feeling simply welled up," Yan Chixia said with a wide smile. "Mingzi, you make a laughingstock of me!" At this, he suddenly remembered the words Taohua had uttered when she mistook them for immortals: *"I beg of you, please save my mother."* His heart shuddered, and casting his gaze back onto Taohua's face, he asked urgently, "Taohua, what has happened to Auntie?"