The Useless and the New

When Li Xian woke up, it was already dusk three days later.

My consciousness seemed to have sunk to the bottom of deep water, and it took a great deal of effort to surface. Opening my eyes, I saw the familiar wooden roof—the second floor of Qixia Pavilion. Outside the window, the shimmering water of Peach Blossom Pool shattered into countless golden scales in the twilight.

He tried to move, but found his body as heavy as lead. He tried to circulate his internal energy—his dantian was empty, and his meridians stung as if being pierced by countless fine needles at the same time.

"Don't move."

Miss Chunmeng's voice came from beside the bed. She was sitting on a low stool, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with a damp cloth. After not seeing him for three days, she looked much more haggard, and her left arm was wrapped in bandages, from which dark red blood seeped.

"You..." Li began to speak, his voice hoarse.

"Seventy percent of your meridians are shattered, and your internal energy is completely dissipated." Miss Chunmeng said succinctly, "The Shen family boy and Miss Peng joined forces, along with my internal energy, to barely preserve your heart meridian. But your martial arts... are ruined."

obsolete.

The two words pierced my heart like icicles.

Li Xian closed his eyes, and the last scene in the Starship Control Room flashed through his mind—the dark red crystal shattered, the administrator fell asleep, and his consciousness was torn apart by two high-dimensional forces.

"What about outside?" he asked.

"It's a mess." Miss Chunmeng dipped a damp cloth into a basin of water, the water of which was slightly reddish, indicating blood. "Aunt Xiao took advantage of the Star Chariot's energy rampage to break the protective array of Qihuang Island, steal the Green Wood Token, and retreat with the people of Linghan Palace. More than thirty people were killed or injured in Peach Blossom Village, and Patriarch Peng Huaishan was seriously injured and unconscious. Shen Aonan and several elders are now in charge."

She paused for a moment: "The orthodox members of the Demonic Sect also appeared yesterday evening. The leader was an old man wearing a bronze mask who called himself 'Master of the Withered Bones.' They tried to break into the Star Chariot in the chaos, but Shen Aonan and his men stopped them. However... they also lost seven or eight skilled fighters."

Li Xian remained silent. All of this, more or less, was related to him.

"What about the drone?"

"Recharge downstairs. Those five little guys haven't slept for three days, taking turns watching over you." Miss Chunmeng rarely showed a hint of gentleness. "Da Ya almost dismantled Peng Shitao's medicine furnace—she insisted on preparing medicine for you according to some 'nano-repair theory,' and ended up blowing up the whole room."

Imagining that scene, Li Xian's lips twitched, but he couldn't manage a smile.

"Was anyone here while I was unconscious?"

Miss Chunmeng paused, looked up at him, and asked, "You want to ask about Xiao Lingshan?"

Li did not deny it.

"She's back." Miss Chunmeng said calmly. "She arrived yesterday evening and stood outside the door for half an hour without coming in. Peng Shitao went to persuade her, but she only said, 'Let me know when he wakes up,' and then went to the cold pool on Yingyue Island and hasn't shown up since."

She came back, but he was nowhere to be seen.

A bitter feeling welled up in Li Xian's heart. Was it anger that he had chosen Madam Meng? Or... was it disappointment at knowing that his martial arts were completely crippled?

"Oh, right." Miss Chunmeng took something out of her bosom and placed it beside Li Xian's pillow. "She asked me to give this to her."

It's that little pine tree.

Three days ago, after releasing its last bit of life force in the starry sky, the little pine tree had completely withered and turned yellow, its needles crumbling at the slightest touch. But now, it has been carefully planted in a palm-sized purple clay pot, the soil moist, and tiny, almost invisible green buds have sprouted from its roots.

"Peng Shitao said that the pine tree's spirit has not been extinguished, and if it is carefully nurtured, it may still live," Miss Chunmeng said softly. "Xiao Lingshan guarded it by the cold pool all night, using wood-type techniques to nourish it, but she herself also suffered considerable losses."

Li Xian reached out and gently touched the green sprout with his fingertips. A faint, familiar pulse of life emanated from it, like a heartbeat.

"What else did she say?"

Miss Chunmeng looked at him, then suddenly smiled, a smile tinged with complexity: "She said, 'Tell him, as long as he's alive, that's enough.' Just that one sentence."

Just live.

Li Xian felt a lump in his throat and quickly turned his face away.

Footsteps came from outside the window, light and bouncy; it was Peng Shitao.

"Brother Li is awake?!" The young girl pushed open the door, carrying a bowl of medicine. Her eyes were red and swollen, clearly from crying, but her face was full of joy. "That's wonderful! I was so worried! Quickly drink your medicine. This is 'Pulse-Regenerating Decoction' that I prepared according to an ancient book. It's a bit bitter, but it's very effective..."

She suddenly stopped, because she saw Li Xianzheng carefully stroking the pine tree, and she also saw a fleeting sadness in Miss Chunmeng's eyes.

The atmosphere was subtle.

"Ahem, well..." Peng Shitao put down the medicine bowl, feigning ease, "Brother Shen Aonan said that he has important matters to discuss with you when you wake up. It concerns... the future of Peach Blossom Village."

Evening, first floor of Qixia Pavilion.

Shen Aonan, Peng Shutao, Miss Chunmeng, and the two elders of Peach Blossom Village who were still in charge—Elder Lin of the Wood element and Elder Shi of the Earth element—sat together. Li Xian leaned back in a bamboo chair, covered with a thin blanket, his face pale but his eyes clear.

"Three days ago, the Star Chariot's energy went berserk, causing 30% of the island's protective formation to break down." Shen Aonan said solemnly. "When Aunt Xiao left, she also used the Green Wood Token to forcibly extract 30% of the Cold Pool's energy. Now, the energy well of Reflecting Moon Island is unstable. If it is not repaired, it will be completely depleted in at most six months."

Elder Shi sighed, "What's even more troublesome is that the orthodox sect of the Demonic Sect already knows the location of the Star Chariot's entrance. Although the Bone Master has temporarily retreated, he will surely return. With Peach Blossom Village's current strength... we can't hold it."

Peng Shutao said softly, "Ao Nan and I have discussed it and would like to ask Young Master Li... and Madam Meng to stay and lend us a hand. Although Young Master Li has temporarily lost his martial arts, his understanding of energy manipulation is unparalleled; Madam Meng's secret techniques of the Demonic Sect may be able to restrain the Bone Master."

Miss Chunmeng shook her head: "Staying here is a dead end. The Bone Master is one of the three orthodox elders of the Demonic Sect, and his cultivation has reached the initial stage of the Divine Origin Realm. He also has evil creatures such as the 'Five Elements Corpse Puppets' under his command. Even if we gather all the power of Peach Blossom Village, we may not be able to stop him."

She looked at Li Xian: "My suggestion is—withdraw."

"Withdraw?" Elder Lin frowned. "Withdraw to where? Peach Blossom Village's three-hundred-year-old foundation..."

"Is your legacy more important than human lives?" Miss Chunmeng sneered. "The secret of the Star Chariot has been exposed. From now on, this place will become the target of all ambitious figures in the martial world. Stay here, or the Demonic Sect will breach the city and everyone will become sacrifices; or the imperial court will discover you and annihilate you on charges of 'concealing the secrets of the previous dynasty.' Which do you choose?"

Everyone fell silent.

Li Xian slowly began, "Madam Meng's words may be unpleasant to hear, but they make sense. However... perhaps there is a third way."

All eyes were on him.

"The entrance to the Star Chariot can be sealed," Li Xian said. "Although I cannot fully control the restrictions left by Xingyunzi, the administrator... the consciousness within me, left behind some energy manipulation techniques before it went into slumber. If we use holy water as a guide, combined with the earth veins of Peach Blossom Village, we can set up a 'Reversal of Reality Array' at the entrance. Once the array is complete, the entrance will disappear from the real world, and only those who master a specific resonance frequency can find it."

Peng Shutao's eyes lit up: "Just like... the original concealment array of our Peach Blossom Village?"

"It's even more sophisticated." Li Xian nodded, "But setting up this formation requires three things: sufficiently pure holy water energy, a magic artifact that resonates with the earth's veins, and... at least three experts at the Heavenly Origin Realm working together."

He could try to recreate the holy water energy; although he had no internal energy left, his knowledge remained. The magical artifact—he looked at Miss Chunmeng.

Miss Chunmeng understood and took out the Star Envoy Token: "Will this work? It originates from the same source as the Star Chariot."

"Alright." Li Xian looked at Shen Aonan and Peng Shutao, "Tianyuan Realm experts, Brother Shen, Miss Peng, plus..."

"Me," Miss Chunmeng interjected, "Although I am not at the Heavenly Origin Realm, the Demonic Sect's techniques are special. When unleashed at full power, I can reach the power of the high-level Heavenly Origin Realm for a short period of time. Three people are enough."

The initial plan has been finalized.

"What happens after the formation is sealed?" Shen Aonan asked. "What will become of the people of Peach Blossom Village?"

Li Xian paused for a moment, then looked out the window at Peach Blossom Pool in the twilight: "Three hundred years ago, your ancestors found this paradise to escape war. Now, war has broken out again—not a war between mortals, but a contest between cultivators, demonic sects, and even higher-level forces. The paradise... is no longer the paradise it once was."

He turned to the crowd and said, “My suggestion is to break it up. The younger generation, those with talent, can travel and learn from masters; the older ones, those who wish to stay, can stay and live ordinary lives. After the entrance to the Starship is sealed, this place will return to peace. Although the energy will not be as strong as before, it will be enough for people to live and work in peace.”

"And what about you?" Peng Shutao suddenly asked.

Li Xian paused for a moment.

"Young Master Li, what are your plans for the future?" Shen Aonan also looked over. "Having lost all my martial arts skills, the martial world is treacherous..."

"I need to find a way to restore my power," Li Xian said calmly. "The Pool of Life and Fortune that Xingyunzi mentioned is just one within the Star Chariot. There may be other opportunities in this world. Besides—"

He stroked the little pine tree in his arms: "I promised to complete the Boltzmann brain experiment. Those little puppets are still waiting for me to bring them to life."

This is both an obsession and a promise.

Miss Chunmeng looked at him and suddenly said, "I'll go with you."

Everyone was taken aback.

"Madam Meng, you..." Shen Aonan hesitated, unable to finish his sentence.

"I am a descendant of the Demonic Sect, and I'm used to wandering the martial world." Miss Chunmeng smiled, but there was little warmth in her smile. "Besides, Master Kugu won't let me go. Following Li Xian might allow us to look out for each other."

She spoke casually, but Li Xian understood what she meant—she couldn't let go of revenge, and now he needed her protection.

A very pragmatic alliance.

"I'll go too!" Peng Shitao suddenly raised her hand.

"Shitao!" Peng Shutao exclaimed urgently, "Stop fooling around!"

"I'm not being silly!" The girl puffed out her chest. "Brother Li saved my sister; he's my benefactor. Now that he's lost all his martial arts skills, he needs someone with medical knowledge to take care of him, right? Besides—"

She looked at Li Xian, her eyes sparkling: "I want to see how you bring those little people to life. This is much more interesting than staying in Peach Blossom Village learning embroidery!"

This reason is both laughable and pathetic.

Li Xian shook his head: "The world is dangerous, you're still young..."

"I'm not a child anymore! I'll be of marriageable age in three months!" Peng Shitao protested. "Besides, I can protect myself! Although wood-based martial arts aren't good for fighting, I'm skilled in using incense, tracking, and healing! Taking me along will be a good deal for you!"

Shen Aonan and Peng Shutao looked at each other and finally sighed.

"Let her go," Peng Shutao said softly. "Shitao is lively by nature. Keeping her confined in Peach Blossom Village is only restricting her. It would be good for her to go out and see the world."

That's settled.

The formation was sealed seven days later, after which Li Xian, Miss Chunmeng, and Peng Shitao left. The drone team naturally followed.

After the meeting, Li Xian sat alone on the stone steps outside Qixia Pavilion.

As dusk deepened, a thin mist rose over Peach Blossom Pool. The lights on the distant islands lit up one by one, like an inverted starry sky.

Footsteps came from behind, very light.

Li Xian didn't turn around: "Ling Shan."

Xiao Lingshan sat down beside him. She had changed back into the blue dress she wore when they first met, her hair was simply tied up, and although she looked tired, her eyes were bright.

"Are you... alright?" she asked.

"I won't die," Li Xian smiled. "It's just that becoming a cripple will take some getting used to."

"Even a cripple is still a person." Xiao Lingshan looked at the lake. "My father often said that in the martial arts world, what matters is not only martial arts skills, but also this place." She pointed to her heart.

Li fell silent.

"That night... I saw it," Xiao Lingshan suddenly said, "when you were choosing Mrs. Dream."

Li Xian's breath hitched.

"At first I was very angry, I felt that you..." She paused, "but then I thought about it, and realized that at that time, you didn't have any other choice. Miss Chunmeng could protect you, while I... would only be a burden to you."

"You're not a burden," Li said anxiously.

"I know." Xiao Lingshan turned to look at him, her eyes showing no blame, only calmness. "That's why I came back. Li Xian, I like you, that's the truth. But I also know that the path you're on now is different from mine."

She reached out and gently took his hand. It felt cool to the touch, yet firm.

"I won't go with you," she said. "Han Family Fort needs me, Father needs me. Besides... my cultivation has reached a crucial moment. I can sense that the little pine tree is with you, and that both it and you will be alright."

Li Xian's throat tightened, and he couldn't speak.

"But you have to promise me one thing," Xiao Lingshan said, looking at him. "Live. No matter what you become, no matter where you go, you must live. And one day... if you complete that experiment to create humans, remember to tell me. I want to see how life is born."

Dusk fell completely.

The lights of Peach Blossom Village spread out in the mist, warm yet distant.

Li nodded emphatically: "I promise you."

Xiao Lingshan smiled, a smile as pure and clean as a peach blossom in early spring. She stood up and dusted off the corner of her clothes.

"Then I'll be going. The formation will be sealed in seven days, so I won't come to see you off." She turned around, took a few steps, then turned back. "Oh, right, those little dolls... I've named them. The boy is called 'Musheng,' and the girl is called 'Lingyu.' I hope they can truly come to life, just like their names suggest."

The figure in green gradually walked away and disappeared into the depths of the peach grove.

Mr. Li sat on the stone steps for a very long time.

In my arms, the tiny green bud of the pine tree glowed faintly in the night.

Deep within my consciousness, the cracked, dark red crystal suddenly trembled very faintly.

Like a heartbeat.