Chapter 00252: Impressions of the Immortals
# Impressions of the Immortals
Chapter 252
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 252: Impressions of the Immortals
She chewed the poria cake slowly, "Are you trying to be a thief? Just to be clear, I don’t know you. What you’ve said or done, I have no idea!"
"Is it really so heartless?" She continued chewing on the snacks he had bought.
"It takes considerable courage to break the law in Panlong City."
"Am I really that desperate for just a few books?" He Lingchuan replied sincerely, "I've been lingering around the Wenxuan Pavilion these past few days and found that the collection of books inside isn’t as rich as I imagined. Even travelogues and local chronicles are quite rare."
Sun Fuling kicked a small stone on the ground, "Though the Chipa Plateau is rich in resources and suitable for habitation, Panlong City was merely one of the many barren cities of the Panlong Wilderness. Many merchants pass through here, but not many stay. Moreover, the local culture is tough; everyone values martial prowess. How many people do you think will take the initiative to read?" There were few literate people, so how could the collection be abundant?
He Lingchuan thought about it and felt it made sense.
Was his expectation too high?
"Zhong Zhihui took over Panlong City only fifteen years ago. Even if he teaches people to compile books and promotes popular education, the inventory of Wenxuan Pavilion wouldn’t grow rapidly. As for the travelogues and local chronicles you've mentioned, I’ve heard that in the past, merchants and travelers specifically brought them to Panlong City to sell; the demand was high, and they would often be sold out as soon as they were put on the shelves."
She continued slowly, "Later, Panlong City prohibited the circulation of these kinds of books."
He Lingchuan was quite surprised, "Why?"
"You learn from these books that the outside world is vast and fascinating. Would you want to have a look?"
He Lingchuan hesitated but nodded.
He understood what Sun Fuling was hinting at.
"But you can’t go."
Sun Fuling seemed to force a smile, "When one yearns too much for something far beyond their capabilities, it turns into an obsession."
"The more such people exist, the less it is what Panlong City desires."
She sighed softly, almost to herself, "Sometimes, ignorance is a form of happiness."
The Panlong Wilderness was an exclave of the Xiluo Kingdom, isolated from the world outside, surrounded by unfriendly nations.
Such a geographical environment destined the people of Panlong City to be trapped, unable to go anywhere.
The more they were attracted to the colorful outside world, the more easily they fell into the quagmire of unfulfilled desires.
He Lingchuan recalled an old saying, "The more you know, the more you suffer."
He remained silent for a while before asking her, "What do you think after reading these travelogues?"
"I only want to see the sea. I’ve heard it is countless times larger than lakes and has its ceaseless tides."
Sun Fuling’s voice was filled with longing, "Then I want to taste the seawater and see if it is as salty and bitter as the legends say."
The word "yes" lingered on the tip of He Lingchuan’s tongue for a long time but never came out.
What qualification did he have to say "yes"? His identity here was also that of a resident of the Panlong Wilderness, destined to never see the sea.
"There will be opportunities."
He said weakly, even though everyone was somewhat confused, he was well aware of the eventual fate of Panlong City.
Everyone here wouldn’t live past twenty years!
Including this girl with bright eyes in front of him.
Not only in life but even in death, they would be trapped in the vast wilderness, an unending confinement.
Sun Fuling's almond-shaped eyes curved into crescents, "Thank you for your kind words."
"And..."
He Lingchuan seized the opportunity, "Have you seen any divination texts in Wenxuan Pavilion?"
Sun Fuling thought for a moment and said, "What kind of divination?"
"Divination for fortune and misfortune, predicting the future."
"Those won’t exist."
He Lingchuan was taken aback, the way she said "won’t" was quite insightful.
"Why not?"
Sun Fuling replied indifferently, "Knowing too much just adds to your troubles. Going with the flow is what's suitable for most people."
He Lingchuan was completely at a loss for words.
There was another saying: the more awake you are, the more you suffer.
Sun Fuling glanced at him, "Why are you curious about this?"
He Lingchuan scratched his head, "Someone said I've been beset by disasters and will soon meet an untimely death."
"Do you believe it?"
"His predictions have been quite accurate."
He Lingchuan forced a smile, "He even predicted some things from my past accurately."
"Sounds like the words of a wandering doctor."
Sun Fuling obviously didn’t believe it.
But then she added, "Although there are no such books in Wenxuan Pavilion, Zhong Zhihui has a strategist by the name of Wen Daolun, who seems to study this matter deeply. He has come to the Shumin Academy to lecture twice and has casually mentioned a few things about divination; I’ve heard that Lord Zhong values him greatly."
He Lingchuan became excited, "Will he come a third time?"
"That I wouldn’t know."
Sun Fuling smiled, "People as busy as him are too far removed from us. It would be better to seek advice at the official hall than hoping he’ll return to the Shumin Academy."
He Lingchuan’s eyes flickered, "Where does he live?" How about going directly to find him?
"I’m not clear on that; you’d have to inquire yourself."
Sun Fuling changed the topic, "By the way, does Wenxuan Pavilion have many hand-copied texts of immortal language? Have you looked at them?"
She had previously taught He Lingchuan how to use Wenxuan Pavilion, and there were indeed many books written in the immortal language.
"Uh, not yet."
He Lingchuan rubbed his head, "I’m a beginner, and it's too hard to read."
After all, he had only studied for a few days? He could recognize individual archaic characters, but when they were strung together densely, it made him anxious and out of breath.
"Never mind."
Sun Fuling shook her head, "I’ve read many books; you can ask me first."
"Where did those hand-copied texts come from?" He Lingchuan became direct, "Are they really written by immortals?"
"One could say they are written by immortals and their disciples."
Sun Fuling explained, "These texts were all copied from ancient classics. And the ancient texts… either preserved and passed down by the Daoist sects or excavated from the immortal caves and ruins. Didn’t you also bring back rubbings from an immortal’s cave?"
"Preserved by the Daoist sect?" He Lingchuan recalled something, "I’ve heard that the Immortal Sect is the predecessor of the Daoist sect."
"Indeed."
Sun Fuling nodded, "This is a recognized fact. After the immortals vanished from the world, that ‘immortal’ character in the name of the Immortal Sect could no longer be held, so it was eventually demoted and reluctantly changed to Daoist sect."
"In these past few days at Wenxuan Pavilion, I discovered that some books praised the high moral character of the immortals, saying that after the great calamity of heaven and earth, they wholeheartedly taught the remaining mortals and helped them resist the invasion of demonic beasts, preserving the flame of culture so that the future generations would not fall back into ignorance."
"However, there are many books that use vehement language to harshly criticize the immortals for enslaving mortals, accusing them of treating common people like ants, wielding life and death."
He Lingchuan shrugged, "Both types of books can provide ample evidence, such as how the immortals would personally test poisons for the common people, or how members of the immortal sect slaughtered thousands just to obtain souls for refining flags."
"If you can understand the ancient texts left by the immortals and their disciples, you will realize that both kinds of statements are not without merit, but they are also one-sided."
The two of them left the long street, heading towards the wooden house, and the flow of people on the way started to dwindle.
"After that calamity changed everything, the spiritual energy of the world rapidly weakened, but the abilities of the immortals did not disappear immediately. Do you understand why?"
He Lingchuan thought for a moment, "They still have cultivation, and there are still mysterious crystals in the world?"
"Exactly. It’s like walking in a desert; even though the environment is hot and dry without a water source, if your water bag is still mostly full, you can last a little longer."
Sun Fuling spoke slowly, "From the records I have read about the immortals, at least two to three hundred years after the calamity, the immortals still had the ability to traverse heaven and earth."
"But this is a source-less water; it cannot last long."
He Lingchuan thought of the original form of Zhu Erniang he had seen in the spider cave, "The ancient demonic spider on the other side of the ghost needle stone forest continually sheds its heavy old shell and replaces it with smaller and weaker ones to survive to this day."
To maintain the immortal and demon bodies, the consumption of spiritual energy is enormous, and after the calamity, it is like a giant whale stranded on the beach, certain to die without the tides to assist them.
"Immortals and other demons cannot adapt like the spider demons; once their stored spiritual energy is depleted, the only fate is extinction."
Sun Fuling said, "Immortals also originated from mortals, and humanity has always valued inheritance. They know their time is limited, so educating mortals and passing on the fire of culture is not surprising at all, right? Look at the Shumin Academy, look at me; aren’t we doing just that?"
"As for what you read in the books about the Immortal Sect enslaving mortals and committing all sorts of evil—" She sighed, "There is certainly truth to it, and it has been recorded. But think about it, when the spiritual energy of heaven and earth weakens to the point where it is hard for the immortals to sustain themselves, what will the Immortal Sect do to compete for the last bit of limited resources?"
He Lingchuan did not hesitate, "If it were me, I would spare no effort."
"Exactly."
Sun Fuling smiled slightly, "Immortals originally seemed ethereal and detached because they had few desires; when they also must exert all their strength to barely survive, what difference is there between them and us mortals?"
He Lingchuan sighed as well.
When the immortals fall from the clouds, the darkness of humanity can no longer be hidden.
In the end, all beings suffer.
"I have one more thing unclear."
"Go ahead."
Sun Fuling showed no impatience.
"Where does Yuan Power come from?" He Lingchuan had flipped through many books but still couldn’t understand, "I’ve seen some say this is granted to humans by the immortals to resist the demonic beasts; there are also records stating that this is a method taught to humans by the divine beings to counter the oppression from the immortals, along with the demonic beasts."
"The earliest records of Yuan Power seem to be from over two thousand years ago. If no older evidence surfaces, it is likely a force discovered after the calamity."
Sun Fuling shrugged, "As for the true source of Yuan Power, there is still no conclusion to this day. The old men at the Shumin Academy, Panlong City, and the Wensian Platform argue back and forth every day, with no consensus."
"Setting others aside, what does Miss Sun think?"
"Me?" Sun Fuling tilted her head and thought deeply, "I lean towards the idea that it is a method imparted to humans by divine beings."
He Lingchuan's heart stirred; this thought resonated with him: "Why?"
"Yuan Power is formed through the concerted efforts of countless mortals; if this is taught to humans by the immortals, it’s like shooting oneself in the foot by giving mortals a way to counteract them."
Not long ago, when writing about “the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needle,” you all unanimously claimed it was by Tang San.
What should I say about that?
Something so powerful, of course, is the original creation of the legendary writer Gu Long.
From "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang":
The Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needle was crafted by Zhou Shiming, son of the "South Lake Twin Swords."
He gathered the most famous craftsmen from across the land, taking three years to accomplish it.
Twenty-seven silver needles with incredible speed and power could be said to be the first in the world; every shot would undoubtedly draw blood.
Completion time: The 1960s-70s.
(End of Chapter)