Бессмертие, Бессмертие - Глава 39
Guangzhou in 2004 was a chaotic traffic jam. The day we met, the sun was shining brightly. Sitting on a chair with flowing flowers, she told me that she liked elderly people.
Later, when we were in different cities again, she sent me a lyric from her novel on QQ: "Please keep my beauty unchanged."
I instinctively felt it was somewhat tangled, yet within that tangled understanding lay a deeper meaning. My impression of her was a chaotic overlap between the online and real worlds. Online, she was the girl named Teng, who had written many books, including one with a title I particularly liked: *The Locked Sandalwood Sutra*. She not only imprinted the natural fragrance of a woody plant into the sutra scrolls but also locked them until they yellowed, until the memories faded, only to reread them as if they were new. Life is so ordinary, yet so unpredictable; what girl doesn't possess a touch of wisdom? I was delighted that she had finally found a way to lock a touch of sandalwood into old, forgotten scrolls, preserving them.
In reality, she's a woman who likes to proclaim herself ordinary. She often feels that this self-proclaimed ordinariness is actually a sign of some kind of abnormality. In the smoky, hazy atmosphere of Guangzhou, she spent two years studying at university, surrounded by women her age, all smiling radiantly. The rapid, exaggerated flow of people surged like a tidal wave outside the university. Back then, she retreated into the world of words, indulging in writing, but even books have an end. When she opened her eyes in front of the screen and returned to reality, it was like a firework display fading away. In the stagnant, gray life, her eyes had nowhere to rest, and she could only say: "I like old people."
The old woman exudes a sense of peace; in her youthful yet weary eyes, a longing for the tranquility of twilight flickers.
Teng can be quite amusing sometimes. I remember once she described a girlfriend's boyfriend as "1.6 meters tall, but with an arrogance of 1.6 meters." I was deeply impressed by that description; it was so apt that it felt like she had brought the man right to my face with just one sentence.
She's been in Guangzhou for two years and still doesn't know how to take the subway. This May, Teng, a friend from out of town, and I had a small get-together in Guangzhou. I left early because I was in a hurry to catch my train. When I got back, she emailed me saying that she and her friend had walked for three hours under the scorching sun but still couldn't find the People's Park I'd told her about. She used the phrase "legendary" to describe it: "The legendary People's Park." I suddenly felt a sense of awe for someone so directionally challenged—a place I often stopped to rest, only a ten-minute walk from where we parted ways, held such a mythical, legendary status in her mind. Knowing a girl like that really boosts a man's pride! Haha.
She often talked about the chatter of the girls in her forum. There, she was "Sister Teng," a name that immediately evoked the air of someone who had long been immersed in the world of martial arts, like Song Dandan from "House of Flying Daggers." She was also a frequent lurker, mysterious and unpredictable—because she would announce at least ten times a year that she had gone into hiding, detached from worldly affairs. I haven't read any of her martial arts novels yet, but in that respect alone, she already possessed the unconventional, rule-breaking style of a master. Also, she told me that once, she and a few other girls arranged a gathering in the Guangzhou forum, turning the Tianhe subway station into a real-life Tomb of the Dead. The girls, clutching their phones, some with out-of-charge credit and others with dead batteries, searched and searched for an hour or two in that underground city with only two or three exits, finally discovering with a joyful surprise: Ah! "No need to worry about having no friends on the road ahead, even if we're at the ends of the earth, we'll meet again!" Then, with tears in their eyes, they shook hands, a poignant reunion, as if from another world. This ability to turn even inevitable encounters into low-probability events that bring surprise is certainly enough to create classic scenes in martial arts novels—hehe.
Oops, I've rambled on too much. This is just a short introduction. I simply want to introduce to readers what I see as "vines."
In conclusion, she was actually a woman somewhat out of touch with reality, the times, and society. I often heard her marvel at the ideas of girls two or three years younger than her, exclaiming, "These girls!" She quickly placed herself in the same "advanced age" category as me, which gave me a sense of being recognized and appreciated, like a substitute for someone else. That's why I was asked to write this preface.
I remember she had a screen name called "Luyanjiuyun" (炉烟酒晕), which I really liked. I even used those four characters to write a poem. Whether it fits the rhyme scheme or not is another matter. I'll just copy it here for everyone to see. After all, she was going to give me a book, so I'll post something I gave her here first to show that I don't need to be grateful and don't intend to accept any thanks.
That was late at night online, when time was slipping away like a ticking time bomb, and we wasting it without a second thought:
I remember the time when I was still tipsy.
Her temples brushed against her fair cheeks,
It's easy to feel depressed upon returning home.
Small characters depict the charm of Xicha tea.
The porcelain cracked with ice and snow patterns.
Now that I am haggard, who will ask about my plight?
Old wine in a new shop
Weary eyes are framed by the smoke from the stove.
Ronghua, the governor of the province, was already exhausted.
The letter, once written on a piece of paper, has been torn to shreds and reduced to ashes.
Whether it's good or bad, let's not worry about it. Let's just record this here, to remember the days we met on the Internet, in our fleeting lives.
Small Linden
September 14, 2004
Teng's note: That "friend from out of town," who is also terrible with directions, is named "Believe in Accidents," and also has another name, "Shi Weihan." (Looking up at the sky—)
wedge
"The Azure Heaven has its throne, the Yellow Heaven obscures the light. Jiang Chong's calamity is sealed, Li's oppression brings disaster. Bearing the pain of past injustices, now bestowed with honors. Offering sacrifices to the spirits in order, we offer music to welcome them." This "Welcoming the Gods Song" signifies that those who suffered in the human world were granted sincere blessings by the court. Thus, "Four Powers and Five Saints" were appointed to respond to the shock of the Heavenly Soul and the spirits of Heaven and Earth. In the first month of the seventh year of Xiande in the Later Zhou Dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin, the Commander of the Palace Guards, staged a mutiny at Chenqiao Post Station, establishing the Song Dynasty. He changed the era name to Jianlong and set the capital at Kaifeng. Several years later, Zhao Kuangyin, a member of the imperial clan, ascended the throne, later known as Emperor Taizong of Song. In the fourth year of Taiping Xingguo, Emperor Taizong led troops to Yanyun, capturing Yizhou and Zhuozhou, reaching as far as the Gaoliang River.
"The mournful wind cuts through the frontier, the Jiaohe River is frozen solid. The vast sea is filled with waves, the Yinshan Mountains are covered in snow for a thousand miles. The beacon fires burn fiercely on the remote outposts, the towering peaks inspire lofty integrity. The banners flutter leisurely, the horses drink water at the Great Wall." This is Emperor Taizong of Tang's "Drinking Water at the Great Wall Cave," which can be used to describe the heroic spirit of the Song dynasty at this time.
The Great Song Dynasty
At this time, the "Four Powerful Figures and Five Saints" shone brightly in the court, subtly creating a trend of mutual resistance and support. Some of them were powerful nobles, while others were not, but the influence these nine individuals had on the imperial family and the Song Dynasty was beyond anyone's comprehension.
Four powers
They are Ze Ning, the third son of Prince Qin and commander of the palace guards; Shang Xuan, the eldest son of Prince Yan and commander of the imperial cavalry; Liu Yin, the music official in charge of singing, dancing and music in the palace; and Tong Wei, the master of the wind.
Five Saints
It is the spirits of Yu Xiu, the Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate; Sheng Xiang, the son of Zhao Jin, the current Prime Minister; Qi Yang, the Imperial Physician of the Imperial Medical Academy; Rong Yin, the Privy Councilor; and the ancient ghosts of the sacrificial altar.
Chapter Twelve: Killing Intent Soars High Across Ten Thousand Miles, Love Remains
Wudang Taoist Temple.
Rong Yin remained lurking atop the Taoist temple. Below, aside from the 113 men in black trapped in the fire, the remaining 59 were still engaged in fierce battle with the Taoist priests inside the Wudang Taoist temple and the rabble who had gradually recovered from their injuries and retreated from Junshan.
The situation was evenly matched; these fifty-nine men possessed diverse martial arts skills, clearly a temporary force trained by different masters. The battle cries were deafening, and the two sides were evenly matched, resulting in a stalemate. However, if the stalemate continued, casualties were inevitable. Rong Yin remained hidden atop the observation tower. Although some knew he was there, they were too preoccupied to pay attention, and no one was given the chance to think about such matters at the moment.
Rong Yin remained inactive because he didn't believe Li Lingyan's nighttime attack consisted of only 172 ragtag men. While numerous, they would be utterly useless against experts like Nan Ge and Bi Qiuhan. Li Lingyan, cunning and shrewd, would never resort to such an inefficient method. His command of these men to wreak havoc on the mountain must have a purpose! Perhaps it was a feint, or perhaps a show of force. Rong Yin needed a calm and collected approach to seize any fleeting opening in the darkness.
"What a remarkable talent." In the woods outside the Wudang Taoist temple, a person exhaled a warm breath full of admiration. "Two hundred lives were in imminent danger, and he just stood by and watched without saying a word. What a ruthless 'white-haired man'."
“He’s holding that position; he’ll delay our plans,” another, somewhat muffled voice said. This voice was very soft. Wan Yuyue’s voice was already quite gentle, but this person’s voice was so soft it was almost indistinguishable. The source of the voice was on the ground.
A person stood in the dark forest.
Wearing a simple cloth robe and grey soft shoes, with a delicate, almost baby-faced chin, it was Li Lingyan.
Beside him was a strange soft couch, on which lay a person.
The man lying down was about thirty-five years old and had a strong scholarly air about him. His eyelashes were slightly raised, and the slight bloodshot in his eyes made them appear less clear and bright, giving them a kind of blood-stained handsomeness.
He was Tang Tianshu, Ye Xianchou's adopted son, the owner of the Leshan Weng Treasure, and probably the richest man in the world.
He willingly submitted to Li Lingyan.
“That proves he lives up to his reputation, unlike those old Taoist priests who leave their rooms at will.” Li Lingyan smiled. “He is now a coiled snake; he will see the slightest movement from us immediately.”
"Since it's a snake, it must have a seven-inch mark," Tang Tianshu said vaguely.