The Journey of Flower - chapter 55

“Teacher?” Hua Qian Gu drowsily opened her eyes, looking at the dim shadow of the white figure under the candlelight.

Bai Zi Hua turned around, walking to her bed, his hands held a cup of tea.

“Do you feel better? Do you feel bad anywhere?”

“I’m a little dizzy, how long did I sleep?” Hua Qian Gu looked around her, the room was not large, simply furnished but clean and comfortable.

“Not long, you drank very little, you only slept for three days.”

“Three days?!” Hua Qian Gu was scared and said, “I only had a tiny sip.”

“After the Qun Xian Feast, immortals usually sleep for three years.” Bai Zi Hua handed her the tea, Hua Qian Gu drank it noisily.

“Where’s Tang Bao?”

“It also stole some wine to drink, it tasted a little and immediately felt dizzy, falling into the cup. It already lost consciousness when it was taken out, it is sleeping now, it will probably sleep at least a few more days before it can wake up.”

Hua Qian Gu laughed: “Teacher, what is this place? Why do I feel the world moving, am I still drunk?”

“We are on a boat.”

Hua Qian Gu was happily surprised, immediately jumping out of bed, pushing aside the curtains and running outside, they were really on a boat in the middle of a wide river. The water surged against the boat, seeming to stretch on forever, both sides of the riverbank twisted thousands of miles, hauntingly beautiful. The crescent moon curved like a hook, the night sky was high above, the stars reflected in the river, gleaming brightly like crystals.

The night wind was strong, everywhere was complete silence, she ran to the front of boat to feel the wind.

“Teacher, Teacher, let me tell you something, I just had a dream.”

“Oh?”

“I’ve been dreaming for the past three days, I dreamed I was first a stone that was bored every day under a tree. Around me were grass, flowers, plants, a lot of friends. However, I was never happy because I envied the birds in the sky, they had wings so they could fly and see the world. I became a bird in the second dream, but I was still not happy because I wanted to go higher and further, I was jealous of the sun. Finally in the third dream, I became the sun, but I did not realize that I would be more sad. Every day, I was high in the sky, looking down at the grass, flowers and plants playing with each other, I was alone hanging high up in the sky. I was very sad, I was regretful, it turned out my ultimate wish was that I could return to being a little stone.”

Bai Zi Hua walked over to her, patting her head.

“Then what happened?”

Hua Qian Gu gently leaned against him.

“Nothing else happened because I only had three dreams, I couldn’t return to being a stone, I had to stay as the sun. However, I understood that even if I was lonely in the sky, I’m satisfied that I can see everyone every day, warming everyone, I can also see a lot of interesting things in the world, I was very happy in the end.”

“Dreaming about three lifetimes, that is the effect of the Wang You wine, do you understand the meaning of what you dreamed?”

“Yes.” Hua Qian Gu nodded firmly, “Teacher, I do understand, the beginning is the best. Also, as long as the heart doesn’t have obsessions, people can live happily.”

Bai Zi Hua knelt down, looked at her and nodded: “Xiao Gu, everyone has a different dream at each stage, sometimes it is to be free, sometimes it is deep like an ocean or high in the sky. Even if you will have the wings of an eagle, the power of the sun, you must remember how you felt when you were a little stone, blessing everyone in the world.”

“Yes!” Hua Qian Gu did not fully understand Bai Zi Hua’s meaning, but she swore to herself that she did not want to be a bird or the sun, she only wanted to be a little stone next to Teacher forever.

“Xiao Gu, the sword manual I gave you, have you been practicing?”

“Yes.”

“I will teach you another sword technique, it should not be used to fight enemies, it is meant for self-cultivation and purifying the heart, beneficial for increasing internal energy. I will demonstrate for you once, you must watch carefully.”

Hua Qian Gu heard this and felt joy, she followed Teacher for many years, he had not taught her anything except how to play the zither, the rest of the time he left her to study on her own. She had never seen Teacher fight with someone, she never even saw him practice swordsmanship. How strange, did Teacher take the wrong medicine today?

“This sword technique is called ‘Jing Hua Shui Yue,’ it is based on the idea of ‘nothingness.’”

Bai Zi Hua flew to stand on the water, his white robe seemed more pure under the moonlight, his body was surrounded by a silver glow. He was reflected in the water, beautiful like a mirage, causing Hua Qian Gu to take a deep breath.

Bai Zi Hua suddenly moved in harmony with the wind, walking on water like it was the ground. The white figure flashed by, the hair black like ebony, calmly and quietly, powerful like a dragon, light like a sparrow, like an deity from Heaven.

Hua Qian Gu was stunned, frozen at where she stood, remembering the first time she saw him at the Qun Xian Feast.

He did not bring a sword, but it seemed like he had a sword. The stars reflecting in the water began to glow brighter, they flew up and surrounded Bai Zi Hua. The silver blade in his hand that appeared and disappeared pointed to the sky and pointed to the water. The water suddenly stopped flowing in the river, the river solidified. He flew up into the air, using the power of the sword, the river immediately fragmented into pieces.

Many years later, Hua Qian Gu often recalled the memory from this night watching Teacher showing her a sword technique on the river, it was the most beautiful memory, most beautiful dream in her life. If possible, she would not mind giving up her life, just so she could return to being a little stone next to him.

“Do you remember all of it?”

Hua Qian Gu looked up at Bai Zi Hua, like admiring a god, full of awe.

Her heart, he only needed to look down, it would calm down like a river stop flowing.

“I’ve remembered everything.”

That night, Bai Zi Hua sat on one side, occasionally giving pointers. Hua Qian Gu practiced the sword technique on the river, she laid down near him when tired and watched the stars. She never though life could be more perfect than this moment.

The following days, they continued their travel. Passing mountains and rivers, dropping by to visit the places of other immortals. To give her experience, they even went to swamps, monster caves and tombs. Although the fragrance from Hua Qian Gu’s body attracted terrible evil spirits that not even Xiao Hong and Xiao Bai could get rid of, the immortal aura from Bai Zi Hua scared monsters and demons so much they knelt down to beg for mercy. Hence Bai Zi Hua occasionally did not stay with her, forcing her to go to places where there were a lot of monsters and demons so she could fight them, they also went to the cracks between the monster realm, demon realm and human realm so she could seal the cracks.

Hua Qian Gu was used to evil spirits but still felt fearful. However, Bai Zi Hua refused to allow Xiao Hong and Xiao Bai to help her! Poor Hua Qian Gu had to continue fighting them off, including being chased and bit by the evil spirits.

Under Bai Zi Hua’s teaching but more like torture, Hua Qian Gu’s body began to show more marks of being bit by evil spirits.

Bai Zi Hua repeatedly said as long as the heart was not afraid, that was the powerful thing.

Hua Qian Gu thought in distress that as long as Teacher was alive, she could never become the most powerful. Because he was more frightening than evil spirits! She could run away and hide from the evil spirits, but her legs always became weak if she saw Teacher, she did not have the strength to run away.

Bai Zi Hua had the aura of an immortal so he usually had to use mystic arts to disguise himself around human beings. Hua Qian Gu was the only one who saw his real appearance, human beings only saw a normal man.

But using mystic arts to disguise or transform could easily be exposed if met with specialized instruments or someone more powerful. That was the reason Sha Qian Mo had to wear a mask when going to Mount Chang Liu.

Hua Qian Gu followed Bai Zi Hua to Hang Zhou today, crying out that she was starving, hence the two of them went into an inn called Yue Lai to rest.

Everyone in the martial arts world knew, stepping into Yue Lai Inn was the same as stepping one foot into the martial arts world. When eating, it was not unusual to see plates and chopsticks flying everywhere……

Hua Qian Gu ordered enough food to fill a big table, busy devouring the food along with Tang Bao. A butcher knife flew over and embedded itself into the middle of the table.

Bai Zi Hua elegantly put some cauliflowers into his mouth, not bothering to raise his eyebrows. Hua Qian Gu did not care about anything else while she was busy eating, when she realized what was happening, the butcher knife already landed in front of her face, no more than 10 centimeters from her nose.

Hua Qian Gu was stunned for a moment, then took a deep breath, finished the soup bowl and half a plate of vegetables.

A short man with a fat head, big ears, shiny face and bare chest ran up to them, bowing his head and apologizing over and over: “So sorry, so sorry, it’s a mistake, it’s a mistake.”

He pulled out the butcher knife, spat saliva two times into his hands, then took aim carefully. This time, the knife inserted itself precisely into the corner of another table.

Everyone at that table froze for a moment, then withdrew their swords. They glared at the butcher.

The butcher saw the enemy side had five people, but he only had two people, not even considering they had more people, those people were even taller than him. Seeing he was at a disadvantage, he quickly climbed onto Hua Qian Gu’s table.

“Hey! My cabbage!” Hua Qian Gu painfully looked at his big feet stepping on their food.

The server was bringing out the food, he learned long ago to be quiet in this type of situation. However, was the cook in the kitchen lazy and did not wash the vegetables carefully because there was a fat worm in one of the plates? Never mind, they would not die if they ate it.

The server brought out some caramelized meat: “Guests, take your time.”

Hua Qian Gu quickly accepted the dish, not allowing the server to put it on the table out of fear that the fat man would step on it. She took her bowl and chopsticks, then retreated to a corner to enjoy. Having to fight evil spirits all day yesterday, she was tired and in pain. She usually had to eat vegetables when following Teacher, she had to replenish her strength now.

Hua Qian Gu used a chopstick to pierce a piece of meat, had not put it into her mouth yet when there was a sudden shout: “Bao Yu Li Hua darts!”

Countless darts that were thin like ox hair shot forward like rain. When Hua Qian Gu previously practiced with hidden weapons, she was attacked many times by water droplets from Bai Zi Hua. Out of reflex, she picked up eight meatballs between 10 fingers, absorbing the needles with her internal energy.

When she realized what was happening, her eight lovely meatballs looked like hedgehogs. Hua Qian Gu roared in frustration, losing her cool. Although Teacher said many times not to attract attention, not to cause trouble, not to bully human beings……

But she could not tolerate this, could not tolerate what happened to her meatballs!

Hua Qian Gu used the most dangerous weapon among the seven popular weapons in the martial arts world – a folding chair – jumping into the fight against the two groups.

“Huhuhu! My meatballs! Give me back my meatballs!”

Bai Zi Hua lightly leaned sideways, deftly avoiding the flying vegetables. He close his eyes and ignored everything, sigh, this was the result of recklessly accepting a disciple, this was the result of recklessly accepting a disciple.

“Please have mercy, Miss Heroine, please have mercy!”

The matter was settled after those people agreed to compensate Hua Qian Gu with 20 plates of large meatballs.

Sprawling on the table to eat meat while solving a dispute between two gangs, she felt like the auntie of the neighborhood.

The reason for the fight was an invitation to the Martial Arts Tournament.

The invitation was handed to Miss Heroine in the end, the two gangs would no longer need to fight each other.

Eating and drinking until bursting, and squeezing in some exercise, Hua Qian Gu kicked her arms and stretch her legs, oh wait, it should be stretched her arms and kicked her legs.

“Teacher, can we go watch the Martial Arts Tournament?”

“I have told you many times, do not interfere with matters in the human realm, do not stir up trouble, they are only ordinary people.”

“Yes, that’s why I solved the problem the same way they solve everything.” Hua Qian Gu bared her teeth as she laughed, putting up her piggie hands, “Which is, with my fists!”

She walked around Bai Zi Hua: “Teacher, let’s go there, I’m tired from fighting evil spirits, I’m a better fighter now. Now when I see evil spirits, I’m not slow like before, I’ll use mystic spells to destroy them when they’re not paying attention. The Martial Arts Tournament sounds so interesting, I’ve never seen it. Let’s go, if I accidentally become the leader of the martial arts world, you’ll be the teacher of the martial arts world’s leader, that’s very impressive!”

Bai Zi Hua shook his head helplessly, he wanted to go traveling so she could gain more experience, it should be all right if she wanted to see this.

“You can only watch……”

“You are not allowed to participate……” Hua Qian Gu automatically finished what he wanted to say, she happily jumped up, acting like a piglet that escaped from its cage. Tang Bao laid on her shoulder, holding onto a piece of caramelized meat and laughing joyfully.

Bai Zi Hua walked slowly behind her, seeing her bouncing up and down, he could not help but smiled too. They had been traveling for two months, Hua Qian Gu was more outgoing than before. If he were not an immortal, exploring the world with this mischievous kid every day, maybe that would not be such a bad thing after all.

Looking up at the blue sky and white clouds high above, they were happy.

In less than six months, his fatal curse would arrive. Perhaps that was why he taught her rapidly, easing off from disciplining her and indulging her a little more. Bai Zi Hua deliberately left the mountain with her because he wanted to teach her as much as he could in these last days.

He did not care if he could survive the fatal curse, he had cultivated to this level, life and death no longer mattered to him. Years ago when he first saw her, he knew she would be the catalyst of the fatal curse, but he still chose her as his disciple. At that moment, he was prepared to accept the consequences.

It was difficult to change fate, but the right to make the decisions was in his hands.

He used to worry that Xiao Gu would be lonely if he were no longer with her, it was doubtful he could change her unfortunate destiny. Then he saw that she slowly made many friends, more people began to love her, he was gradually reassured. There were Tang Bao, Qing Shui, Luo Shi Yi, Shuo Feng, Dong Fang Yu Qing, Xuan Yuan Lang, even Sha Qian Mo……

There were grass, flowers and plants so even if she became the sun, she would not be lonely, she would not be held back, she would not worry.

And all he could do, was be with her as much as possible.

His face that was usually cold like frost now appeared warmer, his fathomless eyes were still so black that it was difficult to guess his thoughts. His lips were like a merciful lotus that knew the future.