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Hearing that Lu Feng was fine, Aoxinchin happily ate the Peach of Immortality and immediately felt much better. Aoxinchin expressed immense gratitude, while Bai Tang and Hua Manlou quickly waved their hands to refuse.
Bai Tang changed the subject: "Third Princess, do you know which family Xun Huan was sent to in the mortal realm? We are about to head to the human world and can visit Xun Huan for you."
Aoxinchin was overjoyed upon hearing this: "That family has some connection with my Western Sea Dragon Palace."
Bai Tang caught the scent of gossip: "What kind of connection? Can you tell us, Princess?"
Aoxinchin, who was originally a lively person, had been imprisoned by the Western Sea for many years without seeing a single soul, feeling quite stifled. Now that the conversation had opened up, she couldn't help but share.
"My second cousin is the Dragon King of Qiantang River. He told us these stories: there is a small village by Qiantang River where a gentleman named Ma Yuan lives a life of semi-farming and semi-studying. Ma Yuan, in his middle age, had only one daughter who was virtuous and beautiful, known as Ma Aunt. When Ma Aunt turned eighteen, she married a scholar from the same village named Gu. Although Gu's family was impoverished, he had a fierce stepmother from the Yu Clan. This stepmother was very unpopular in the village, while Ma Aunt was well-liked and praised by everyone. Out of jealousy, Yu Clan often bullied Ma Aunt, making her chop firewood, farm, fetch water, wash clothes, and cook without respite, yet she could only eat wild vegetables."
Aoxinchin took a sip of the drink Bai Tang provided and continued: "Gu naturally knew that his stepmother mistreated his wife but couldn't stand up for her due to filial piety. He lamented his own inability that led to such poverty at home and thought that if they became wealthy, he could hire some maids to serve his stepmother so that his wife would no longer suffer. Just then, an opportunity arose when a friend recommended him to assist a merchant with trade affairs. Although this meant lowering his status from farmer to merchant, Gu didn't care much about that at this point; what he needed most was to earn money to support his family and relieve both his stepmother and wife from hardship. He was capable and of good character; switching from scholar to merchant was a great use of talent. He gained the trust of his employer and worked for over half a year, sending home his earnings."
"However, Gu underestimated his stepmother's nature. Such a fierce and greedy woman would only want more once she had money. It is easy to go from frugality to extravagance but hard to go back. Yu Clan began spending lavishly and soon found herself in financial trouble but refused to return to her previous impoverished life. She set her sights on her young and beautiful daughter-in-law. Coincidentally, there was a local bully named Zhang Laohu who had long coveted Ma Aunt's beauty but could never find an opportunity since Ma Aunt remained virtuous. After Yu Clan approached him, they colluded together; Yu Clan took Zhang Laohu's money and tricked Ma Aunt into getting into Zhang Laohu's carriage. Ma Aunt was clever; upon hearing the coachman's words, she realized what was happening and jumped into Jiangzhong to preserve her virtue."
"At that time, there happened to be a Daoist who was nearly a hundred years old with white hair and beard but still full of spirit. By chance, he noticed a woman flowing downstream who seemed lifeless. The Daoist felt compassion and wanted to save her; however, he had never touched a woman in his life and was reluctant to break his lifelong vow at such an old age. But as the water rushed swiftly by, the chance to save her slipped away quickly. After some hesitation, he said: 'I would rather lose my cultivation than watch someone die without helping.' He moved the boat closer, used a bamboo pole to poke at Aunt's body, crouched down, and pulled her with all his might. Unfortunately, Aunt had been submerged for too long; she had already passed away."
"The Daoist thought that since she was dead, he should at least retrieve her body and bury it properly on land. So he exerted himself to drag her onto the boat; however, her body had swollen from drowning. Just as he managed to pull half of her aboard, a sudden wave hit and broke one of her legs. Then several large waves came crashing in and overturned the Daoist's boat. The Daoist only knew how to swim slightly but had to consider Aunt's body; in an instant of distraction, he too drowned in Qiantang Jiangzhong."
"My cousin happened to be touring Jiangzhong at that time and discovered that both souls had origins; thus he collected them and brought them back to the Crystal Palace. The Daoist regained memories of his past life; it turned out he was Xuan Du Da Fa Shi, a disciple of Supreme Elder Lord sent down to experience tribulations due to this karmic incident. Because of his unintentional actions leading to Ma Aunt's body being damaged, she would carry disabilities in her next life."
"Not long after Ma Aunt jumped into the river, Gu returned home with all the wealth he had earned only to find his wife’s lamentation for loyalty. Heartbroken beyond measure, Gu sank all his gold and jewels into Jiangzhong where his wife drowned and abandoned home to seek enlightenment without knowing where he went. The place where he threw in jewels unexpectedly erupted into a mountain filled with gold light; thus this mountain became known as Golden Mountain."
Bai Suzhen and Azure Water Mist originally belonged to the immortal ruins; could they really be suppressed beneath Leifeng Pagoda?
"My cousin formed a good relationship with the two because of this matter and personally sent them to reincarnate. Aunt Ma, unable to forget that Golden Mountain, was reborn in a family with the surname He at the foot of Golden Mountain, named He Yuxian. This He Yuxian, being aware of the divine, could speak upon falling to the ground. As she grew older, she aspired to cultivate her path and eventually left her hometown to encounter immortal opportunities, achieving an immortal body, known as He Xian Gu."
Bai Tang and Hua Manlou listened with great interest. They had heard of the Eight Immortals' tales, in which He Xian Gu was a disciple of the Nine Mysterious Maidens, but they did not expect her previous life to have such a backstory. They wondered if her husband from her past life would become an immortal after cultivating and whether there would still be any entanglements between them in the future!
Aoxinchin continued, "The Grand Master Xuandu was reincarnated into a family of officials in Taiyuan, named Li Xuan."
Surely, this must be Tie Guai Li.
"When Lady Li gave birth, she dreamt of a Daoist embracing her. Upon waking, the room was filled with an unusual fragrance, and the child was born smoothly. The couple knew their child had some background and cherished him greatly. However, Li Xuan had a peculiar nature; he did not wish to be an official but only sought to become a monk and cultivate his path. He claimed that in his previous life he was a Daoist who did good deeds and never committed any wrongdoing. Unexpectedly, at the end of his life, he caused a woman's body to be incomplete while saving her, which weighed heavily on his heart ever since. In this life, after attaining enlightenment, he must find that woman and repent before her to achieve true transcendence. Li's father thought he was speaking nonsense and scolded him repeatedly, forbidding Li Xuan from saying such things again. Lady Li believed in the immortal path and thought her son must have an extraordinary background, always comforting him with kind words. In just over ten years, Tai Bai Jin Xing was entrusted by the Supreme Elder Lord to take Li Xuan away from the mortal realm. My cousin, the Dragon King of Qiantang River, formed a good relationship by sending Li Xuan to reincarnate and accompanied Tai Bai Jin Xing to Li Mansion. When Lord Li saw their arrival at his home, he finally believed that his son was not an ordinary person. Lord Li even ordered someone to paint images of Tai Bai Jin Xing and my cousin to be worshipped daily in hopes of blessing the entire family. In truth, there is no need for other deities to bless the Li Family; having the Grand Master Xuandu reborn into the Li Family is already their blessing. The saying goes that when one person achieves enlightenment, even chickens and dogs rise in status; although it may be exaggerated, as long as there is an immortal like Li Xuan present, as long as the Li Family does not commit any heinous acts that anger others, they will surely prosper for generations. Fortunately, the Li Family is known for their good deeds and does not become complacent because they have an immortal among them; they continue to pass down poetry and benevolence through six generations..."
"Is Xun Huan then sent to the Li Family?" Bai Tang asked; Tie Guai Li's maternal family indeed knew how to find support for their grandson.
"Yes. My mother asked my cousin to accompany her there. The Li Family keeps my cousin's portrait; regarding my cousin's and mother's request, they will surely fulfill it wholeheartedly and treat Huan'er well." Aoxinchin said this for herself as a form of self-comfort.
Bai Tang patted Aoxinchin's shoulder, comforting this mother separated from her son: "Is there anything we should bring for Xun Huan?"
Aoxinchin wiped her tears and got up to fetch a few pieces of clothing from beside the bed: "Please help me bring these clothes to Huan'er!"
The clothing material was hard to discern but appeared very delicate, looking both comfortable and exquisite.
"Great craftsmanship!" Bai Tang couldn't help but praise.
Aoxinchin smiled bitterly at herself: "When I was at the West Sea Dragon Palace, I didn't know how to cook or do needlework. During the thousand years I lived with Yang Jian, I learned needlework and cooking. I wanted Yang Jian to wear the clothes I made and eat the meals I cooked, but unfortunately, he never gave me the chance. For this thousand years, I could only keep doing needlework to pass the time; it’s hard to say my skills were poor."
Bai Tang and Hua Man Lou sighed after hearing this. Hua Man Lou had never met Yang Jian but already had a poor impression of this respected deity. In ancient times, having multiple wives and concubines was normal, but if a favored concubine overshadowed the wife, it would lead to serious consequences; officials could even lose their positions over such matters. Yet Yang Jian, for a woman who wasn't even his, treated his wife so coldly. His wife even took the blame for him, and he remained indifferent—what a shame for a husband.
The two asked for the specific address of the Li Family and left the West Sea Shore. Bai Tang took out a sword that expanded to accommodate three people and jumped onto it with Hua Man Lou. Although they had flown on swords twice before, Hua Man Lou still found it novel and interesting.
"If you want to learn, I can teach you," Bai Tang said.
Hua Man Lou shook her head with a smile: "No thanks, I lack spiritual power and celestial energy. Even if I learned how to control it, I wouldn't be able to use it."
Bai Tang grinned but didn’t press Hua Man Lou about becoming an immortal. The two remained silent until they reached Taiyuan. Taiyuan, known in ancient times as Taiyuan, was the place where the Tang Emperor's Li Family rose to prominence; it was bustling and prosperous. As soon as Bai Tang entered the city gate, he was drawn in by the food stalls lining the street—noodles, sauced meat, pastries, Mengfeng cakes, sweet rice wine, rice porridge, old tofu, halal steamed dumplings, rat hole tangyuan, fish and mutton buns, sausage… As they walked along, Bai Tang's backpack was filled with various delicacies.
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