Huang Ling'er saw Mo Wenjie so shocked, and couldn't help but ask: Brother Wenjie, what did you discover that shocked you so much?
Mo Wenjie looked at Huang Ling'er and Qin Xiaodie, shaking his head. "You two shouldn't know about this. It's protection for you. If you know too much, it won't be good for the two of you. Those people will go crazy and try to kill or silence you! I think it's better if you don't know."
Huang Ling'er stubbornly said, "Brother Wenjie, we're not afraid. We're willing to face any danger with you." Qin Xiaodie nodded firmly beside her as well.
Mo Wenjie sighed helplessly and lowered his voice, "Alright, in fact, there is an ancient cultivation heritage hidden beneath this city. Inside, there are powerful treasures and cultivation techniques. However, an evil force has also targeted this place. They secretly control many factions and won't let you go unpunished if they find out you know about this."
Huang Ling'er's eyes lit up: "Then we can find the entrance to the relic first. That way, we won't have to worry about them." Mo Wenjie forced a smile: "It's not that easy. That evil force has spies everywhere, and there are numerous restrictions around the relic. However, since you two are determined to get involved, from now on, you must follow my instructions and avoid making any independent moves."
The two of them answered in unison, "Okay, Brother Wenjie." Mo Wenjie looked towards the distance, worried in his heart. He didn't know if involving them in this affair was right or wrong.
Mo Wenjie looked at Huang Ling'er and Qin Xiaodie, still very concerned about the two of them. After all, the power of these people was terrifying. He didn't know when he would be wiped out by them, let alone the two girls. He thought about it for a while and finally expressed his thoughts. "Ling'er and Xiaodie, you should go back to Feihuang City first. The people we saw before were just their footmen. Think about how strong their strength must be! You go back to Feihuang City, with your identity, those small guys won't dare to mess with you!"
Huang Ling'er, upon hearing this, her eyes reddened: "Brother Wenjie, we promised to face the same dangers together. How can we desert our post? Besides, although I am from Feihuang City, if I really encounter a formidable opponent, they might not care about my identity. It's better to stay with you than to live in fear and uncertainty." Qin Xiaodie echoed, "That's right. If the three of us join forces, we might even be able to resist the enemy."
Mo Wenjie's heart was touched, but his rationality told him it was too risky. Just as he was in a dilemma, suddenly a strange flash appeared in the sky, followed by a strong aura of oppression. Mo Wenjie's face changed: "Bad news, it seems they have discovered that we are aware of something. We must act quickly. You two, stick closely to me and don't move more than an inch from me." Huang Ling'er and Qin Xiaodie felt this oppression but nodded firmly in fear. Mo Wenjie secretly activated the inner spiritual energy within himself, cautiously observing his surroundings, thinking that they could only find a hidden place to hide first before making any further plans.
Mo Wenjie quickly led the two towards a dense forest. The branches and leaves intertwined, which might temporarily obscure their figures. However, as soon as they stepped into the forest, the air around them seemed to freeze instantly. Mo Wenjie felt that he was stepping on some sort of array symbol with his feet, and a force suddenly pulled them upwards violently.
The three of them hovered in mid-air as a group of people in black robes appeared, their leader laughing coldly, "Thought you could run?" Mo Wenjie gritted his teeth, "Who are you? Why do you secretly follow us?" The black-robed leader chuckled ominously, "There's something we want on you. Hand it over and perhaps we'll leave your bodies intact."
Mo Wenjie's spiritual energy surged out from his body. He roared and charged towards the black-robed people, trying to break through the encirclement. Huang Ling'er and Qin Xiaodie saw this and also activated their spells to attack the enemy's weak spots. For a moment, there was a tangled intersection of spiritual light and black shadows in the air. However, due to the numerous number and high strength of the black-robed crowd, Mo Wenjie began to feel strained, and when he was about to collapse, a melodious flute sound came from afar. Upon hearing it, the faces of the black-robed people turned pale instantly. The leader at the front exclaimed: "Quickly retreat!" They vanished into thin air in an instant.
Mo Wenjie and Huang Ling'er looked at the flute player in the sky, expressing their gratitude for the savior's life-saving grace. They asked, "May we know your name, honored immortal?"
The flute player looked at Mo Wenjie and said, "You are still a newly arrived immortal from the mortal world. How could you not recognize me, Master Han Xiangzi? I saw that you were in danger and felt that we were all from the same place that had been flying up together. That's why I saved you."
Mo Wenjie helplessly shook his head, "How can I be blamed? You are nothing like the Han Xiangzi I have seen in folklore stories. That's why I didn't recognize you. You should also think about it; the descriptions of your appearance in their stories are so different from reality!"
Hearing Mo Wenjie's words, Han Xiangzi laughed heartily, "Well then, tell me, how did they describe me?"
Mo Wenjie nodded and said: Whether it is the historical Han Xiang of reality, or Han Xiangzi, one of the eight immortals in Taoism legend, they are both relatives of Han Yu, a great scholar of the Tang Dynasty. However, the specific family relationship remains to be discussed: The first view is nephew theory. The father of Han Xiang, "Han Laocheng," was the nephew of Han Yu. In his "Mourning for Uncle Duan" (included in "Changli Master's Collection"), he explained that "Laocheng" had two children named Han Xiang and Han Tang, which was corroborated by the epitaph for "Han Tang." When Han Yu was demoted and on his way to Chaozhou, he wrote "A Night Stay by the River Mouth Showing My Nephew Sun," in which he explicitly identified Sun as his nephew. The second view is uncle-nephew theory. This mainly comes from the folklore novels after the Tang and Song dynasties, especially in segments Chengshi's "Youshuyi Cu" (Vol. 19) and "Staining Chrysanthemum," which mentions an odd incident involving distant relatives such as cousin or uncle-nephew relationships. It suggests that Sun Xianzi was the nephew of Han Yu. The third view is uncle-nephew theory. In late Tang to Five Dynasties period, Daoist Du Guangting's "Selections for Immortal Legends · Huàn Yu's Nephew," directly believes that Sun Xianzi was Huàn Yu's nephew. Regardless of which view it is, they share a common point: all believe that Sun Xianzi is a descendant of Huàn Yu and ranks among the Eight Immortals in Taoism folklore tradition; Huàn Yu converted him into an immortal.
It first appeared in the Tang Dynasty. While Han Yu was serving in Xuzhou, he wrote a poem "Present to a Cousin": "Knocking on the door, who's child there? I asked and found it was my clan. He claims to have strange skills, exploring the mysteries of heaven's craft." Later generations believed that Han Yu's cousin had certain "strange skills" based on this. In the contemporary collection of natural history and fantastical legends "Youyang Zaizu: Staining Peony," it was said that Han Xiang could not only change the color of peonies but also directly write poems on the petals of peonies. In Du Guangting's "Selections for Immortal Legends" during the late Tang and Five Dynasties period, Han Xiang appeared as Huàn Yu's nephew, having already become an image of an adept with extraordinary skills, selling his abilities and seeking immortality while also carrying a certain legendary charm.
During the reigns of Emperor Renzong and Emperor Zhe in the Northern Song Dynasty, Liu Fu, who compiled the collection of fantasy and legend novels "QingSu GaoYi," presented Han Xiangzi as the figure of Han Xiang. Not only could Han Xiangzi "circle around to offer drinks" and bloom flowers, but he could also write poems. The folk poet Zhang Yan and others even used this marvelous skill as material for their poetic creations. Subsequently, this extraordinary skill became a theme for literati's essays, literary notes, and other refined literature forms gradually spreading among the scholarly circle and becoming one of the most distinctive divine events attributed to Han Xiangzi at this time. It was clearly evident that Han Xiangzi possessed a distinctly divine aura and was included in literary works as an undeniable deity!
Mo Wenjie continued: "This is how later generations have described and evaluated you. Do you think the you in their descriptions is the same as the you now?"
Han Xiangzi lightly smiled, waved his long sleeves, and a gust of wind arose around him. "What later generations said is what they thought in their hearts. I was just a mortal, who stumbled upon the path of cultivation and learned some small skills. Nowadays, people depict me as incredibly powerful, but they don't know that I also have many troubles."
Mo Wenjie inquired curiously: "Even immortals have troubles?" Han Xiangzi looked towards the distance, his eyes somewhat melancholy, "The path of cultivation is long and lonely. Although I possess divine powers, I have also lost many ordinary pleasures. Moreover, the legends about me in this world are often misunderstood, and the true me is not as omnipotent as people believe."
Mo Wenjie nodded thoughtfully, "Then why not clarify it?" Han Xiangzi shook his head, "There is no need to clarify. That is also a kind of fate. Their stories about me allow me to gain some insights into Taoist truths. However, I hope they know that immortals are also born from ordinary people, and they all have emotions and desires." As he spoke, Han Xiangzi's figure gradually became faint and eventually disappeared, leaving Mo Wenjie and the other three people standing there to contemplate these words.
Huang Ling'er and Qin Xiaodie looked at Mo Wenjie, equally unsure of what to say!
Mo Wenjie smiled faintly and shook his head. "Everyone has moments of helplessness, be it ordinary people, immortals, superior immortals, or powerful beings. No one can escape the fate of being altered by myth and legend!"
Mo Wenjie turned to look at Huang Ling'er and Qin Xiaodie, and said, "Let's go. Today's events can be considered a wonderful encounter." The two nodded in agreement, and the three of them left together.
Along the way, Mo Wenjie silently reflected on Han Xiangzi's words. Suddenly, he felt his understanding of cultivation had deepened. When they returned to their residence, Mo Wenjie decided to seclude himself for a while. Huang Ling'er and Qin Xiaodie then stood guard outside the door to protect him.
During the period of seclusion, Mo Wenjie continually recalled Han Xiangzi's discussion of the helplessness and losses of cultivators. He realized that he could not just pursue power; he also needed to maintain his true heart. Several days later, Mo Wenjie emerged from his seclusion, and his entire demeanor became more stable and reserved.
Mo Wenjie addressed Huang Ling'er and Qin Xiaodie, saying, "This experience has shown me that we not only need to pursue the great path but also cherish the ordinary moments of life. No matter what happens in the future, we should face it with calmness." After saying this, he raised his head to the sky, his eyes filled with determination, as if he had already prepared himself to meet all challenges.
Huang Ling'er and Qin Xiaodie nodded when they heard Mo Wenjie's words. "Although we two do not have your insight, we have also gained some insights from Han Xiangzi's words. However, we are not sure how to start to contemplate and feel it!"
