chapter 5612: peace in your presence
âiâm just thirsty, thatâs all, and itâs been a while since i drank some wine, maybe a few million years or something. what do you say, young master? have a drink with your old pal?â niu fen defended himself.
âcoward.â li qiye said with disdain.
âwe-well...â niu fen turned red and stammered for a while, unable to speak.
li qiye gently patted his shoulder and said: âbeing a dao lord is an incredibly long and lonely journey, it is a great fortune to have a companion. even if they canât accompany you to the end, just part of the way will be joyous enough. the memories can be eternal.â
âthe dao is too long, nothing lasts forever.â niu fen said softly.
âyes, it is endless. seek not perfection but rather, live with no regrets. when the golden wind and jade dew meet, they share an experience second to none.â li qiye said. [1]
âwhat if they donât meet?â niu fen asked with hesitation.
âthen work harder.â li qiye smiled and said: âenough of this, what a sad sight for an apex dao lord. scram!â
âbam!â with that, he kicked niu fen and sent him flying like a meteor toward the chosen gateway.
âyoung master, you canât treat me like this---â niu fen shouted before disappearing into the phenomenon.
who knows if he would be able to meet the friend?
li qiye shook his head in amusement before shifting his focus onto empress star. however, a light flashed in another phenomenon, prompting him to enter it instead.
this was a remote island with few visitors - a true shame due to its striking scenery. the fair-sized island was surrounded by blue skies and pristine waters, looking like an emerald amidst the endless expanse.
an abundance of coconut trees could be seen from a distance. when the coconuts ripened, their fragrance wafted through the air.
âyes, the world changed drastically in the blink of an eye but youâre still here, your excellency.â the man reflected.
âarenât you still here too?â li qiye smiled.
âi was born in the mortal world and will be with it, the same canât be said about you, your excellency.â the man reminisced: âyou are an immortal and will leave in due time. as for me, i lead an unremarkable life and will chase unremarkable things.â
âit is wondrous, being able to pursue your desires while on the endless dao path. many have tried for a lifetime, only to fail. true success is intoxicating.â li qiye said.
âyour excellency, you told me this back then and i still havenât forgotten. i can see that your dao heart is still as firm as ever.â the man nodded.
âyour attachment to the mortal world is just as firm.â li qiye said: âi once thought about staying here for a while but as i walked, i felt detached.â
âit is because you do not belong here, just a passerby, but this is my home.â the man said.
âyes, that is why min ren handed the sword to you before leaving. he had been searching for a long time, someone to pass down the sword.â li qiye nodded.
âit should be in your possession, your excellency. itâs just that you have a high evaluation of me.â the man said.
âi can take it but it seems to be a waste. after all, a passerby has to leave eventually.â li qiye shook his head: âkeep it, perhaps one day, it will be of use.â
âi see.â the man said: âyour excellency, you have been planning for that day for a long time now.â
âjust an idea, thatâs all.â li qiye said: âa few things deserve a home so if min ren is gone, itâs time to pass it on. he wonât need it in the future.â
âwe canât compare to brother min renâs benevolence and aspiration.â the man said: âitâs a shame that i couldnât follow him on his journey.â
âyou belong here, so that trip wouldnât have necessarily brought you joy. everyone has a different pursuit, and the fact that yours hasnât changed is priceless.â li qiye said.
âitâs just that due to your presence, itâs been so peaceful.â the man said.
1. poem from the song dynasty ?