Chapter 709 - 710: Life Is Fleeting

Chapter 709: Chapter 710: Life Is Fleeting

Southern Zhanbu Continent, Xuanwu Kingdom.

In a small countryside courtyard.

Li Junzi’s hair, mostly white with some black, was tied up with a hairpin. A few deep lines of age had appeared on her face. She wore somewhat plain hemp clothes, holding the Confucian supreme treasure, the Down-and-Out Brush, writing something at her desk.

Outside the courtyard, many Confucian scholars wearing the same hemp clothes were busy in the small vegetable garden.

Time was a flood. Whether it had feelings or not, whether regrets could be passed down for a thousand years, all would be washed away.

Li Junzi was not a cultivator. To accomplish great things, lifespan was actually the biggest difficulty.

Chu Xingchen would naturally provide pill assistance to Li Junzi, but mortals were mortals after all. Many pills with excellent effects were not suitable for mortals to consume—using them was like poison, just as the mortal realm said—too weak to accept tonics.

Naturally, within an acceptable range, Li Junzi also accepted the nourishment of pills.

After all, Li Junzi also understood that to walk the path she wanted to walk in her heart, sometimes she had to accept others’ help.

Otherwise, by age, Li Junzi should already have white hair.

Naturally, the support Chu Xingchen could provide was nominally unlimited, but Li Junzi was not someone who deceived herself.

Some things couldn’t be accomplished just by having a big fist.

Especially for Confucian cultivators.

So Li Junzi’s greatest support now actually came from Junzi Mountain.

The Confucian sect had always maintained a supportive attitude toward someone stepping onto the pioneering path.

After all, the Confucian sect also needed a Sub-Sage to reorganize the Confucian path.

Besides, anyone who could step onto the Sub-Sage path should at least be a great Confucian scholar of the mortal realm. Junzi Mountain would naturally provide help to great Confucian scholars, especially this great scholar who had gained the Down-and-Out Brush’s recognition.

Denying what this great scholar had decided to do would be equivalent to Junzi Mountain cutting off the Sub-Sage inheritance.

After all, if the Sub-Sage’s remaining will had recognized her, and Junzi Mountain, which claimed to inherit the Sub-Sage’s ideology, raised objections, anyone could see who had the problem.

So regardless of what Junzi Mountain’s ideology actually was, they all had to support Li Junzi.

It was just that this time, Junzi Mountain’s support seemed to be genuinely from top to bottom.

A short distance away was a densely forested low hill.

Lin Luoyu’s gaze looked at Li Junzi writing with her brush inside the courtyard. Her lips pressed lightly together, her eyes slightly misty, as if recalling something.

But an excited voice came from behind.

"Fourth Senior Sister, I’m here!"

Cui Hao landed, his expression joyful as he looked at Lin Luoyu’s back:

"Third Senior Sister doesn’t know what she’s doing—she said she’ll come in two days. I’ll meet up with you first. Fourth Senior Sister, when did you get here?"

Lin Luoyu turned to look back: "I arrived two days ago."

Cui Hao nodded with understanding, then also looked out into the distance. After watching for a moment, he asked with some confusion:

"Senior Sister, what are you standing here looking at?"

"Naturally looking at Teacher. What else would I look at?"

"Whoa, Senior Sister, you’re telling me you’ve been standing here watching without even greeting Mr. Li?"

Lin Luoyu said helplessly:

"And you call yourself a Confucian cultivator. If I go greet her now, it might disturb Teacher’s current state of mind. Besides... Teacher’s proposal to promote the Great Learning for governance was just suppressed by various factions not long ago. At this moment..."

"Concern leads to confusion." Cui Hao directly interrupted what Lin Luoyu was about to say. His tone grew heavier. "Senior Sister is also underestimating Mr. Li too much, isn’t she?"

Hearing this, Lin Luoyu’s expression became somewhat speechless, her gaze looking at Cui Hao.

Seeing Lin Luoyu’s expression, Cui Hao’s expression relaxed somewhat. He smiled lightly and said:

"Senior Sister shouldn’t forget what path Mr. Li is walking. If it were that easy to succeed, the world would already be full of Sub-Sages. So many people have walked for so many years, countless people turned to bones without success. On this path, failure is the norm."

"If Mr. Li couldn’t see through even this, then she definitely wouldn’t be able to walk this path to the end."

"So naturally we should meet. Not only should we meet, we should also tell her exactly why we came."

"If Mr. Li is unsettled in heart because of this matter, then what I should do is persuade Mr. Li to give up."

"So Senior Sister, you shouldn’t be standing here. You should go meet her openly and confidently."

Hearing this, Lin Luoyu breathed out heavily, then nodded firmly:

"You’re right. I was letting concern lead to confusion."

Cui Hao chuckled twice:

"When it comes to cultivation, Senior Sister is naturally a genius. But when it comes to Confucian cultivation, Senior Sister is far behind me."

Lin Luoyu’s expression recovered, the corners of her mouth curving slightly:

"Third Senior Sister told me. Your self-introduction was all about me being a genius."

Hearing this, Cui Hao felt his face grow hot. Some things felt completely different when you said them yourself versus when others teased you about them.

His expression showed some dissatisfaction:

"Why does Third Senior Sister always say this kind of thing... She doesn’t know to say some words praising me."

"There were some." Lin Luoyu’s figure darted toward the courtyard.

Cui Hao followed, asking: "What did Third Senior Sister praise me for?"

"Third Senior Sister praised you for having thick skin."

"Is that called praising?"

"If you heard Third Senior Sister’s other evaluations of you, then it probably counts? Do you want to hear them?"

"... Then forget it. It’ll affect my mood."

As the two conversed, they had already landed in the courtyard.

The Confucian cultivators of Junzi Mountain all looked at the two with vigilant gazes.

Li Junzi also looked up, seeing the two land from the window.

Cui Hao’s face was brightly smiling as he waved to Li Junzi. Lin Luoyu bowed slightly with cupped hands.

Joy appeared in Li Junzi’s eyes. She casually tossed the Down-and-Out Brush onto the desk and walked out toward the courtyard.

"Long time no see. Does Mr. Li still remember me?" Cui Hao smiled lightly, watching Li Junzi walk out of the room.

"Naturally I remember. I’m not that old and confused yet." Li Junzi nodded and smiled in response, but her hand reached toward Lin Luoyu beside her. Then she looked at Lin Luoyu, studying her carefully for a moment before saying softly:

"You really haven’t changed at all in appearance..."

Lin Luoyu felt the warmth in her hand, her eyes lowering slightly, her tone gentle:

"I was wrong. I haven’t come to see Teacher for so long."

"You can’t say that. I know your nature. It’s just that you felt you shouldn’t disturb me. Besides, you probably have quite a few things to handle yourself, and time is tight and not enough." Li Junzi’s face had a kind and gentle smile, her hand gripping Lin Luoyu’s firmly. "It’s enough that you have me in your heart. Besides, I really don’t have much time to receive you anyway."

Lin Luoyu nodded heavily and turned to ask: "How has Teacher been lately?"

"The person is fine." Li Junzi held Lin Luoyu’s hand while also beckoning Cui Hao to come inside as she answered. "It’s just that things aren’t going well. It’s wasted everyone’s effort somewhat."

Li Junzi’s expression was enthusiastic, far more gentle than at the beginning.

Lin Luoyu felt guilt in her heart.

Ten-plus years—for cultivators, it might just be a snap of the fingers.

But for mortals, it was half a lifetime.

Fifteen years of ignorance, fifteen years of powerlessness.

Fifteen years of bitter study, fifteen years of understanding principles.

Life was fleeting. True brilliant life.

Was only ten-plus years.

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