Chapter 964: After Li Qi disappears

Many years passed, the Reincarnation of the four seasons always remained constant.

Now, summer had arrived.

Summer always seemed melancholic, hot and noisy.

The sky was clear and cloudless, incredibly serene, and outside, various insect chirps could be heard.

The sun emitted a strong white light, and the air carried an uncomfortable heat, exuding the essence of summer.

Mystic Radiance Mountain's terrain was rugged, so the mountain peaks often flashed with ever-changing cloud formations, which then appeared magnificent under the sunlight.

The Mountain God of Mystic Radiance Mountain was named Niu Huang; his cultivation was at the Fifth Grade, making him a renowned Great Power in the surrounding area.

He often admonished others around Mystic Radiance Mountain not to ascend the mountain, as it would disturb the goddess residing there.

It was said that on the mountain lived a goddess with short hair and a vermillion complexion, her gaze shining with brilliance, as radiant as pure white light.

Many years ago, in Wuxian, there was a man named Zhang Zhi whose wife fell gravely ill. To pray for divine intervention, he secretly climbed Mystic Radiance Mountain and saw a woman standing on the southeastern corner of the cliff at the summit.

He walked over, only to find that there was merely a rock shaped like a person.

Zhang Zhi was disheartened and could only say to the rock, “You have a human form; are you an immortal? If you can cure my wife’s illness, I will amply repay you.”

That night, he dreamt that someone told him, “I will protect you.”

At that time, his wife gradually recovered, so Zhang Zhi built a shrine at the foot of the mountain and became a Shaman there.

Legend has it that he later wrote a volume on pulse diagnosis, a volume on herbal decoctions, and a volume on medicinal pills. He would teach anyone willing to learn, and his Disciples traveled far and wide, saving lives and curing illnesses, all with remarkable efficacy.

Someone reported this matter to Niu Huang, the true Mountain God of Mystic Radiance Mountain, saying that Zhang Zhi’s shrine was at the foot of Mystic Radiance Mountain but did not offer sacrifices to the Mountain God, requesting that the Mountain God punish him.

Niu Huang severely reprimanded the informant, saying, “He is curing illnesses and saving lives there. What if he does not offer sacrifices to me? If he commits evil, even if he offers sacrifices to me, I will still punish him.”

Later, when people heard this, they all praised the Mountain God for his wisdom.

However, for some, these were trivial matters.

One day, a pair of male and female figures suddenly appeared on the mountain.

The female’s aura carried a somber quality, as if one could see the dark stones beneath a desolate cape, illuminated by the pale red light of an endless day.

She was practically like a corpse lying beneath the ice and the shroud of darkness during the long night of winter.

The male, in contrast, was gentle and elegant, like spring sunlight, composed and handsome; only when he stood beside the desolate woman could he dispel the gloom surrounding her.

They walked to the summit, and the woman called out, “Mother…”

Indeed, this was Li Shiwei and Stone.

Many years had passed, and Li Shiwei remained at the Fifth Grade, but Stone had already reached the Fourth Grade.

Stone had long since learned to transform into human form, but ordinarily, he still preferred to appear in his true form, that of Mountain Xuan Jade.

However, coming to Mystic Radiance Mountain this time was for an important matter, so he naturally needed to dress up and could no longer be as lazy and casual as usual.

Shen Shuibi appeared quietly, looking no different from usual. She said, “Why are you back? Don’t you have important matters to attend to now?”

“Mother, I am preparing to get married. This time, I hope you will preside, as Father is not here,” Li Shiwei said.

“Empress, we have almost finished our preparations. This time, we hope to receive your blessing,” Stone stepped forward, bowing as he spoke.

Shen Shuibi sighed, “Can’t you wait until your Father returns?”

Stone gave a wry smile, “Empress, we have waited until now just to—”

Li Shiwei glared at Stone, pulled him back, and said, “Then let’s wait…”

However, Shen Shuibi suddenly said, “Forget it, no need to wait. You’ve waited long enough, haven’t you? This time, Stone Broke through to the Fourth Grade, and only then did you come to find me. If I were to send you back, I wouldn’t be much of a Mother. Where and when will it be?”

Li Shiwei handed over an invitation, saying, “It’s all written on this, and also… Mother, La Qi, he said he has always wanted to visit you.”

“La Qi… Will you invite him to your wedding banquet this time?” Shen Shuibi asked.

“Of course, La Qi is the Disciple of the Great Shaman; how could we not invite him?” Stone nodded.

His relationship with La Qi was quite good; to be precise, he was the second most helpful character in La Qi’s growth.

The first, naturally, was Li Qi.

Although Li Qi rarely interfered with La Qi, Li Qi gave La Qi the most important thing: a background.

Many times, this background could solve countless problems. As a Young Master of Shaman God Mountain, La Qi had a vast amount of resources at his disposal and countless True Knowledge to learn.

But Li Qi actually didn’t plan La Qi’s learning Dao much; he basically let him grow freely, as if he completely forgot how he himself had secretly cursed Zhu Fengdan back then.

Ultimately, La Qi, like Li Qi, needed to comprehend things on his own. Being taught by their Master at their side would instead make them cautious and apprehensive daily, suppressing their spiritual nature.

Imagine if Zhu Fengdan had taught Li Qi by her side every day; with Li Qi’s personality, he would probably have been scared to death halfway through. He was inherently a cautious person, always preparing four or five contingencies for everything. If he wasn't forced, Li Qi would never take risks.

Anyone who had dealt with Li Qi knew that this Great Shaman would never choose to take risks if there was even the slightest possibility. Staying by the Great Shaman’s side, he would certainly do whatever his Master said.

And La Qi, although his personality differed slightly, was generally almost identical to Li Qi.

Letting them grow freely was most suitable for such people; otherwise, they would only grow into the image of their Master step by step, unable to inherit and create their Master’s Dao.

Stone also knew that it was precisely because of this… that the Empress before him was unwilling to see La Qi.

Every time she saw La Qi, the Empress would be reminded of the Great Shaman.

The Disciple and the Master were too similar, just as Changqin, the Grand Director of Music, was reminded of Zhu Fengdan every time he saw Li Qi. It was precisely because of this that Changqin had helped Li Qi multiple times.

“Speaking of which, La Qi was also born because of the Empress and True Monarch Yang Ning. In a sense, he also has a half-kin relationship with the Empress,” Stone said at the appropriate moment.

Shen Shuibi didn’t say much more: “Alright, I will be there then.”

Stone breathed a sigh of relief: “Then, we will go to True Monarch Yang Ning’s place first. Empress, take care.”

“Mother, then we will go find Aunt. Later, why don’t I ask Aunt to come here first, and you and Aunt can come together?” Li Shiwei asked.

“That’s good. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Yang Ning,” Shen Shuibi replied.

“Then Mother, we’ll be leaving first,” Li Shiwei said, then left with Stone.

The young couple did not directly teleport away but instead strolled for a while in their shared hometown.

Stone was also born in Mystic Radiance Mountain; he was a large, clumsy local rock that couldn't learn a single character for thousands of years. Later, Li Shiwei broke through the stubborn outer rock, revealing the Mountain Xuan Jade inside, which then 'enlightened' it.

And Li Shiwei was also born in Mystic Radiance Mountain. When she was born, her personality was not as reserved as it is now; she was a very lively girl, running around the mountain every day, even riding Niu Huang ostentatiously all over the mountain.

At that time, Niu Huang was only at the Seventh Grade.

Now, with the passage of time, the two young people are no longer young, but compared to their parents’ generation, they are still full of hope and not so pessimistic.

Sometimes, the younger generation is not as sensitive to the pain of the older generation.

Li Shiwei sometimes thought of her Father, but she still had no real feeling about him.

Because Father often left, and when he occasionally returned, he would bring some tests and questions. If she answered them correctly, he would seem very happy. Even if she didn’t answer them correctly, he wouldn’t get angry but would tell her to go back and think about it again.

Therefore, Li Qi’s departure this time, although she knew he went to cultivate again, Li Shiwei surprisingly didn’t feel sad. Just like countless times in the past, Father was just temporarily gone and would always return.

Although she knew rationally that he might not return, emotionally, she wasn't particularly sad, so she wasn't afraid to touch Li Qi’s belongings.

The luggage that Shen Shuibi was too timid to pack, Father’s personal items, and such, were all packed by Li Shiwei. She carefully organized them one by one, sorting them into various mustard seed bags.

When she was organizing, she didn’t feel anything worth grieving, so she couldn’t quite understand why her Mother would lose composure because of it, becoming like a curled-up ball.

It was truly similar; at that time, she directly reverted to her true form.

Li Shiwei also had this form, but she didn’t like it; transforming into a rabbit seemed too weak, and her personality wasn’t like that.

However, regardless of personality, the body remained the same. For example, Li Shiwei’s eye color, her eyes would switch between black and silver, and how they changed depended mainly on the moon phase at the time, rotating according to the time of the Qi of the Great Yin.

Li Shiwei and Stone wandered around their home. The forests around Mystic Radiance Mountain were very beautiful. In the cloud-shrouded distant view, mountains of a strange hue would appear. Although distant and blurred, many splendid landscapes could often be seen under the sunlight.

Although these landscapes would only appear for a moment from a specific angle and never be seen again afterward.

But isn’t that the charm of scenery?

They walked shoulder to shoulder down Mystic Radiance Mountain. Beside the Human Race settlements around Mystic Radiance Mountain, there were very hot fields, and many blue-winged butterflies flew along the shaded paths.

In summer, it was a good time for pollination; flowers bloomed everywhere, showcasing the vigorous vitality within the Shaman God Mountain region. The Great Source of Heaven and Earth was incredibly abundant, and all beings shaped this natural world in their own ways.

The young couple came to the shrine outside. Various inscriptions were carved here, and some Shaman practiced, read, and did work like doctors. They also carved statues for sacrifices, such as Dragon and other Auspicious Beasts, and even monsters. The most prominent, of course, were the statues of the Mountain God Niu Huang, and various strange flowers and exotic plants that had been picked.

It was more like a garden than a shrine.

Stone and Li Shiwei enjoyed the tranquility of returning home. They chatted, discussing how to arrange their wedding banquet and who else to invite.

Mainly Li Shiwei was talking, while Stone was actually a gentle person, good at listening.

However, occasionally, Stone would suddenly interject with some True Knowledge, which usually received Li Shiwei’s approval, as Stone’s suggestions were indeed made after careful thought and consideration.

The two of them discussed their future plans in this way. For them, the future was full of light and joy. Although the past still held shadows, the eyes of young people always look forward.

Wandering in their hometown, in secluded places, she would sometimes secretly kiss him, passionately pressing her tender, still inexperienced lips against her fiancé’s lips.

Stone, always gently smiling and composed, would only become flustered at these moments; he could never handle Li Shiwei.

The wind and sunlight softly fell upon them, and the insects sang. This time, their song happened to come at just the right moment.

Even the hazy moisture rising from the heat transformed into a captivating scenery.

Shen Shuibi naturally saw all of this; she saw it very clearly.

She was happy that her daughter could move out of the gloom, but when she saw her daughter and Stone in such a state, she still felt a sense of suffocation.

This scene even made her gasp for breath with difficulty.

The water, air, and light, which seemed warm to the young couple, had a dull, unbearable atmosphere at the mountain peak. Even the joyfully chirping insects sounded so harsh. These fleeting moments of happiness seemed to mock Shen Shuibi’s eternal life.

Shen Shuibi was like a large pile of fallen leaves swept up by the wind, allowing people to grasp and caress them, no longer able to fly.

But she still stood up.

She needed to tidy her clothes; she couldn't appear at the wedding banquet like this, making her daughter feel depressed.

A few hours later, her daughter and Stone left.

About a year later, Yang Ning arrived here.

She was still as carefree as ever. Although she was at the Fourth Grade, it hadn’t affected her personality; she was still as impetuous as ever, with no long-term worries to speak of.

Seeing Shen Shuibi’s appearance, she merely frowned, then pulled her, ready to wander outside the domain for a while. Anyway, both of them were at the Fourth Grade, and few people dared to provoke them.

Li Qi’s cultivation was a secret known to very few, but his Breakthrough to the Second Grade was in plain sight, so everyone knew she was the wife of a Second Grade cultivator.

Such wandering relaxed Shen Shuibi’s mood; sometimes, she could even laugh with Yang Ning.

But when she was alone sometimes, she still felt the world was somewhat murky, hazy, and confused.

She didn't feel sad.

Just a little drowsy. (End of Chapter)