Longevity Begins With Zongmen Handyman

Chapter 58: The Meaning of Fallen Blossoms

Li An's return brought immense joy to Gu Hong.

After some conversation, Li An learned that Gu Hong had been chased by a Soul Beast that day. Thanks to Li An's Thunderous Shock Talisman and the fact that the Soul Beast didn't pursue too far, she managed to save her life.

After the Soul Beast returned, she searched for Li An in the surrounding area but found no trace of him.

She had no choice but to return and wait here.

But seeing that Li An still hadn't returned, she entered the Cloud Illusion Mountain Range multiple times in desperation.

She was anxious and almost despaired.

Unexpectedly, Li An had returned on his own today.

"After I escaped that day, I tried to flee into the stream, but I accidentally entered the territory of a second-stage Spirit Crocodile. I was injured in the crocodile group and barely managed to escape. Because of my injuries, I took shelter in a cave and waited for them to heal before reluctantly leaving the mountain..." Li An spoke.

There was a terrifying bite mark on his calf, indeed caused by the Spirit Crocodile!

Based on the severity of the injury, it would take about two months to heal.

-- In reality, he used the Life-Preserving Immortal Technique to recover, which only took a few days.

"It's a pity about the Soul Beast..." Li An sighed.

"It's good that you're back. Nothing else matters."

After experiencing a near-death separation, Gu Hong's eyes had clearly changed. She said, "Fellow Daoist Li, it's not suitable to stay here for long. Let's go back first--"

As she spoke, without saying another word, she carried Li An on her back.

Li An was somewhat reluctant, but she was determined, so Li An could only silently lie on her back, smelling the fragrance of her hair, and a hint of tenderness flashed through his heart.

After leaving the Cloud Illusion Mountain Range, the two rested in a safe place for a few days. Li An's injuries completely healed, and then they hurried back to the Moon Tempering Valley.

Upon returning to the Moon Tempering Valley, Li An heard about what had happened. Gu Songxi's eyes were filled with regret, lamenting that things didn't go as planned, but he didn't say much.

However, that night, after Li An fell asleep, a faint fragrance filled the room, captivating him. A figure arrived and checked his storage bag.

Then, the figure left.

Li An was well aware of the entire process but pretended to be asleep.

The other party used a high-level fragrance, but Li An's Life Seed had the ability to neutralize poison.

"As expected," Li An wasn't surprised by this.

He didn't doubt Gu Hong's trust in him, but Gu Songxi was not an easy person to deal with.

Considering this, when they were in the Cloud Illusion Mountain Range, he found a safe place and hid the Soul Beast's corpse, the Soul Suppressing Talisman, Thunderous Shock Talisman, the magic treasures of the demonic cultivator, and spiritual herbs.

The items he carried were all innocuous.

The next day, Gu Songxi acted as usual, but Li An noticed that he was much more sincere.

Gu Songxi didn't go back on his word and really gave Li An a comprehensive guide to alchemy, which was the essence of his hard work.

"Fellow Daoist Li, my master and I are going to White Tiger City," Gu Hong said.

Since Gu Songxi didn't obtain the Soul Beast's crystal core, he could only try his luck in White Tiger City, which was a holy land for wandering cultivators. People from all walks of life could be found there, and perhaps they could find some opportunities.

"The Moon Tempering Valley will be temporarily empty. I've told my master about it, and he entrusted this place to you. With you here, it won't become a desolate place. If my master wants to come back in the future, there will be a place for him to stay."

Her words were calm, and she smiled, saying, "Will Fellow Daoist Li refuse this favor?"

Li An nodded repeatedly. In fact, Gu Hong had won him a great opportunity.

The Moon Tempering Valley itself possessed a second-stage spiritual vein. Although it wasn't as powerful as the average Foundation Building family, it was still valuable. With such a place, Li An could establish a cultivation family and have a place to settle.

Even if it wasn't a direct gift, what Gu Hong could give Li An at the moment was already a great trust.

"There's a second-stage formation in the valley that relies on the operation of the spiritual vein, but it still requires some spiritual stones. Currently, the spiritual stones can only support half a year. After half a year, Fellow Daoist Li will have to pay for it himself, but with Fellow Daoist Li's proficiency in talismans, I believe it won't be a problem."

The two strolled in the valley, surrounded by the sounds of birds and the fragrance of flowers. It was tranquil and serene. From behind, they looked like a couple.

"Fellow Daoist Li, we will set off tomorrow," Gu Hong suddenly stopped. She reached out and plucked a flower, lost in thought. She said, "This flower is so beautiful, but it's a pity it's so short-lived."

Li An also said, "The fleeting moment of a mourning flower, envious of the boundless Yangtze River."

Gu Hong said, "So what Li Fellow Daoist seeks is eternity, like the endless Yangtze River, not the fleeting beauty of this moment, right?"

Li An remained silent for a long time.

Gu Hong turned around and suddenly leaned gently into Li An's embrace, giving him a hug.

Li An did not refuse, reaching out to hold her waist, their eyes meeting as Li An kissed her red lips.

For a long, long time, Gu Hong voluntarily broke free from Li An's embrace. She suddenly smiled freely and said, "Li Fellow Daoist, goodbye."

"May we meet again in this lifetime, and may both of us have everlasting cultivation in the immortal path."

After saying this, she left.

Li An stood still, watching the petals wither, everything feeling like a dream.

He stood there for a long time, picking up a fallen petal, which was already damaged.

After hesitating for a moment, he put the fallen petal into his pocket.

...

In the attic of the valley, Gu Hong leaned against the railing, gazing at Li An.

"Hong'er, if you truly like him, why not just take him and bring him to Baihu City? There's no need to be so conflicted," said Gu Songxi with a smile behind her.

"Master, no," Gu Hong shook her head. "Although his cultivation is low, he has aspirations to pursue the immortal path and is not entangled in worldly affections."

"Although I have already reached Foundation Building, I... I am not worthy of him. Forcing it would only be a sin, so this is for the best."

Although she said this, she couldn't help but feel a bit self-pity. If she hadn't fallen into the hands of that demonic cultivator in the past, ending up with a body that was like a withered flower, perhaps she could be braver today?

But if it weren't for that demonic cultivator, she and Li An would never have had the chance to meet.

"You don't have to force it, but I've spent so much on my alchemy experience and this Moon Tempering Valley," Gu Songxi shook her head repeatedly, feeling very distressed.

"This Moon Tempering Valley is not for him. When we go to Baihu City, you will definitely be able to successfully extend your life. You can come back and enjoy your remaining years then."

"Whether I can extend my life or not depends on fate... Your senior brother has been managing things there for many years, and I'm not sure if he is as reliable as you. I don't have much confidence in my heart."

"Let's just wait and see," Gu Songxi sighed and spoke.

...

Early the next morning, Gu Hong and Gu Songxi left.

Before leaving, she had already told Li An everything about activating the formation in the valley.

After watching them leave, Li An returned to the valley, feeling quite delighted.

This trip... was really worth it.

He obtained the corpse of a second-order soul beast and also gained such a good cultivation place.

It was truly great.

Moreover, he had also found a way out for himself on this trip.

When Xunyang Sect really encountered trouble, he could temporarily stay in this Moon Tempering Valley and then go to Baihu City.

He left the Moon Tempering Valley and began to inquire about the situation of Xunyang Sect.

To his surprise, Xunyang Sect was fine. The Yin Yang Demon Sect had suddenly disappeared because they had gone to attack the middle-grade spiritual mine controlled by the three major sects.

This caused quite a stir and sparked discussions.

After much hesitation, Li An decided to return to Qingyang Fangshi first.

The situation in Xunyang Sect should still be stable, and he couldn't directly leave Xunyang Sect at the moment. Besides, he still needed to obtain spirit stones there.

For the next six months, the formation in the Moon Tempering Valley did not require spirit stones, but after six months, he would have to support it on his own!

This made him quite worried.

Although he relied very little on the second-order spiritual vein in the valley, he still had to spend about ten spirit stones every day.

He had to save money, save money like crazy!

Immediately, he headed towards Qingyang Fangshi.

...

(End of this chapter)