She rushed to the kitchen, and watching Lian’er’s retreating figure, Yue Lianyi smiled at this grandfather she had never met before. “Grandpa, I know my own condition. Even with the herb, it just delays the inevitable, doesn’t it?” Her serene smile was like the blooming peach blossoms, though pale, still intoxicating like the peach flowers… yet it couldn’t hide her inner loneliness, despair, and melancholy.
Yue Zhongshan was surprised by her intelligence, wondering if it was a blessing or a curse. “My child, I can’t hide it from you. This is the Life-Extending Herb from Tianshan, but it cannot cure your illness.” He didn’t tell her the whole truth, as it was too harsh. At fifteen, she was in the prime of her youth, yet to experience the joys of youth…
“Ai, my lifespan has reached its end, hasn’t it, Grandpa?” she asked, resigned yet unable to face death. She would panic. With a bitter smile, she acknowledged that the herb only prolonged life, not curing her condition. The inevitable would still come.
“Ai, there’s no hiding it from you. There is a way to preserve your life, but it’s extremely difficult. You must take the celestial herb from Tianshan every day, but Tianshan is steep and perilous, guarded by immortals. It’s not a place an ordinary person can go, and the journey alone would be too taxing for your body,” he sighed, the peach blossoms around them seemed to droop, as if sensing his regret. They were nurtured by Lianyi, how could they not feel grateful, yet as plants, how could others understand their sentiments?
“Hahaha, that’s not difficult at all.” A hearty laugh filled the air, accompanied by a rich aroma of incense. A green-robed Taoist appeared before them, stroking his beard. He was the revered immortal, Liu Huaixu. “Immortal,” Yue Zhongshan bowed respectfully.
