Chapter 503
Years
Chapter 503 Ten Years
The long river of time rushes by.
Time flies, spring goes and autumn comes.
In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed away.
This year, more than [-] days and nights have passed since Wang Chongsheng met the Seven Immortals.
Therefore, no matter how huge the waves are, no matter how uproarious the shocking changes are, in the scouring of time, they have also turned into the bottom layer of precipitation.
For many cultivators, ten years is probably just a retreat, passing by in the blink of an eye.
But for the tens of thousands of Liming people who have left the Tao, ten years is enough for the bastard who played mud in the fields to grow up and carry the burden of the family; Graceful; a porter who is strong enough to have a strong back has white temples, and a stooped body...
In short, to this day, few people in the [-] states of Li Dao have mentioned the events of those years.
Only occasionally when going to the market can I hear the storyteller under the flyover cadenced and impassioned.
Ten years later, Jiangnan was completely integrated into the Li Palace.
When it is mentioned again, what people think of is not the genius monk who turned out to suppress the five directions, but the main hall of the sky, which is one of the three halls.
As for Li Gong, apart from the terrifying movement caused by His Majesty's reintegration of Taoism after the Seven Immortals' martial arts meeting, the next ten years will be peaceful and calm.
This behemoth that ruled the [-] states in Li Dao finally got back on the right track after experiencing several turbulences.
In no hurry.
And the Tianque Wufang Lord under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Palace really did what many powerful officials had guessed—after that snowy winter, he obeyed the words of the new Heavenly Palace, and never dared to disobey the slightest bit from the beginning to the end.
This day, it was snowing again.
Tianque North City, Wutong Lane.
Originally, Wutong Lane was just an inconspicuous alley in Beicheng, with no more than a hundred households on both sides, cold and quiet.
But I don't know when, some strange faces began to appear frequently in this street.
At first, the neighbors were a little worried, but as time passed, they found that these were just faces passing by in a hurry, and there was nothing unusual, so they were relieved.
After all, this place is the hinterland of Li Palace. In Tianque City, not to mention murderers, even low-level thieves rarely appear.
It's just that what they didn't pay attention to was that in a classical mansion deep in Wutong Lane, a family of three moved in at some time and settled here.
Because in Tianque City, moving between houses is normal, and no one cares.
Because of this, they also didn't know that the final destination of those strange faces was this quaint mansion.
On this day, the snow just stopped.
Su Xue wrapped the whole street in new clothes overnight, and the snow was more than a foot deep, to the extent that adults would drown their calves if they had ever done so.
Until noon, few people went out for a stroll.
But such a snow scene made many children overjoyed.
In the silvery white snow, groups of little guys in Wutong Lane were cheering and laughing, leaving many messy and lively footprints on the snow.
Between laughter and laughter, it is full of childlike fun.
At the end of the alley, Chen's house.
The owner of this house moved to Tianque City ten years ago, and he is inconspicuous among hundreds of families.
At this moment, a couple with gray temples are sitting in front of the stone table in front of the courtyard, holding hands, some silver hair fluttering in the snow wind, two pairs of calm and serene eyes, looking at the children playing outside the door them.
The woman couldn't help showing a smile from the corner of her eyes, and sighed, "Wei Xuan, it's been ten years in the blink of an eye..."
"Yeah, Xiaoyue'er can run and jump now."
The man also smiled slightly, "That girl who only knows how to cry has grown up..."
The identity revealed between the words is the Chen couple who were brought back from Wuzhou by the six-eyed anaconda.
In the beginning, their family of three lived in Tiandian Floating Island, Zhengwei Palace.
But because the couple couldn't adapt to the solemn and slightly harsh atmosphere of Tiandian, after discussing with Jiangnan, they moved to Tianque North City, Wutong Lane, and settled down.
"Yesterday I bought two fur coats and three pairs of embroidered shoes for Xiaoyue'er. When she comes back later, let her wear them for us to see..."
Chu's face was filled with joy, and she kept talking, "That girl is growing up, if you don't pay attention, the clothes you used to wear won't fit..."
"Ma'am, it's time."
But before she finished speaking, Chen Weixuan interrupted her, looking up at the sky, "When you went to the market in the morning, the main hall came down."
Chu's face froze suddenly, "Your Majesty...what did you say?"
Chen Weixuan shook his head, "Your Majesty said, that... is about to leave the customs, and Xiaoyue'er should also embark on the road of cultivation. I'm afraid she won't be able to live in Wutong Lane in the future."
After a pause, he let out a long sigh, "Chicken, after all, it's going to fly to the sky..."
After a long time, the Chu family sighed, "Weixuan, enough is enough—we watched Xiaoyue'er grow up in ten years, and it is enough. Besides, even if she really embarks on the path of cultivation, it is not impossible for her to come back. It’s just that they can’t live with us.”
But as she spoke, tears fell from the corners of her eyes.
——When the children are about to leave, which parent can be completely willing?
But Chen Weixuan and his wife knew that their own daughter was not just their own daughter.
She is an extremely important existence to the entire Li Palace.
And when the couple were sad about the upcoming parting, the "Xiaoyue'er" whom they had been thinking about did not have the slightest parting sorrow.
In the snow field one street away from Chen's house, several young-looking children were playing around.
The leader was a boy about twelve or thirteen years old, wearing a big coat and walking in the front, holding a straight wooden stick in his hand, quite mighty, looking like a group of little boys The head of the child.
And behind him, there are three younger children, one by one, pretending to be adults, following the leading boy around in the snow.
And at the back of the line is the shortest little girl, looking around, looking like a guard patrolling the street.
"stop!"
The boy suddenly pointed to a snowman made by someone in the snow, and shouted immaturely, "This man is a thief who transports and steals jewels, catch him!"
As soon as the voice fell, the little ones rushed forward and fell on the snowman with a few slaps!
"Don't run!"
"Caught you!"
"Hurry up and grab it!"
"..."
Cheerful frolic sounds echoed in the snow, and the little ones' catch-and-play game ended under the collapse of the poor snowman.
After enough trouble, several children lay panting in the snow, facing the sky.
"Let me tell you, it was like this when my uncle caught the thief last year, it was so majestic!" The oldest boy held the wooden stick tightly in his hand, and swung it up and down like a sword, with a look on his face. The color of pride.
"Brother Song Yuan's uncle... is an errand?" After the words fell, another boy who looked younger looked envious and muttered, "That's a big shot! If you don't talk to my uncle, he will only drink and play cards... "
"Of course!" Song Yuan was suddenly opened up, and patted his chest to promise, "If someone bullies you in the future, just tell me, I will let my uncle catch him!"
"I also know great people!" At this time, a short-haired little girl who refused to admit defeat said, "My grandfather knows Lord Chengwei!"
"That's what your father knew, not you."
Song Yuan shook his head, then turned to look at the youngest girl in the team, "Where's Xiaoyue'er?"
So, all the little guys looked at the last little girl with shofar braids, red lips and white teeth, carved in powder and jade.
The latter clenched his fists, and after a moment's pause, he pointed to a distant shadow in the sky, "Yue'er has a little uncle, he seems to come from there."
——That is, the direction of the Temple of Heaven.
After the voice fell, many children were stunned.
Then, he burst out laughing!
"Xiao Yue'er, it's wrong to lie!" The short-haired girl shook her head slowly, "I heard from my father that the people living there are all immortals, and we will never see them in our lifetime!"
"That's right, I've been to Xiaoyue'er's house - there are only three people in the house, this little uncle is a fake!" Another little boy also shook his head.
"Xiaoyue'er, it's an exaggeration to come from the sky." Song Yuan, the oldest, looked serious, "If you want to talk about bragging, we won't play with you anymore!"
Facing the doubts from her friends, Xiao Yue'er clenched her fists, bit her lips, and said anxiously, "It's true! Yue'er didn't lie! Mother also said that Yue'er came down from the sky before!"
"I don't believe it, unless you let us meet your little uncle." The child fought hard, but he didn't admit defeat at all, Song Yuan looked at Xiaoyue'er with burning eyes, "Otherwise, you are lying! "
"Yue'er... Yue'er didn't lie!" The little girl flushed with anxiety, "Little uncle...Little uncle is in the sky, and Yue'er can't see him now..."
"Lie! That's lying!" The short-haired girl said firmly, "Xiaoyue'er is lying!"
"The king of lies! Xiaoyue'er is the king of lies!" The boy also spoke.
"Yue'er...no!!" Xiaoyue'er was so anxious that tears rolled in her eyes, but she wanted to argue without words.
Originally, this was just an insignificant dispute between children, not even a quarrel, maybe it was just going home for a meal at noon, and it was forgotten when we got together in the afternoon.
But at a certain moment, a figure in black suddenly appeared in the plain white snow, standing behind several children.
"Xiao Yue'er, what are you lying about?" The gentle voice echoed in the ears of several children.
Suddenly, several people were startled and turned around.
Quelian was a young man in his twenties, looking at them with a smile on his face.
"Uncle!"
The little girl swooped and hugged the man's waist, "Little uncle, Yue'er did not lie! Little uncle proved to Song Yuan that little uncle is real! Little uncle is not fake!"
Jiang Nan was stunned, what is this all about?
Then, under the little girl's tearful explanation, Jiang Nan understood the whole story.
Due to the particularity of the identities of the three members of the Chen family, the fact that the three of them live in Tianque North City is kept secret, and no more than three digits of people in the entire Li Palace know about this.
This is also to maximize the safety of this girl.
Therefore, it is naturally impossible for the neighbors in Wutong Lane to know Xiaoyue'er's true identity.
No wonder they didn't believe it.
And looking at the little girl who was crying pear blossoms with rain, Jiang Nan rubbed her head, "Okay, okay, little uncle is real, not fake, Xiaoyue'er really didn't lie."
But Song Yuan and the other two children on the side were not happy. They stared at Jiangnan up and down, pointed at the shadow in the sky, and asked suspiciously, "Big brother...you really came from the sky?"
"Of course." Looking at their serious expressions, Jiang Nan couldn't help laughing, "It's not called Heaven, it's called Tiandian."
Obviously, the three children didn't know what the Temple of Heaven was.
Song Yuan looked suspicious, "People say that the immortals live in the sky, and they know how to do immortals. You...can you?"
"Oh?" Jiang Nan asked with great interest, "What kind of immortality?"
"Hmm... Summoning thunder and rain, making fire out of thin air?" Song Yuan pondered for a long time before he said what the fairy art in his mind should look like.
"Summoning thunder and calling for rain? That probably won't work—it's sunny today, but it's good weather after dozens of days of heavy snow."
Jiang Nan shook his head slowly, then stretched out his hand under the disappointed eyes of Song Yuan and the other three children,
"As for making a fire out of thin air...does this count?"
When the voice fell, there was a bang!
The crimson flames that are about ten feet high rose from between the fingers, beating happily like a quiet spirit, and like flowing crimson wall jade, magnificent and beautiful!
At that moment, the eyes of the three children showed great longing.
At the same time, a warm air flow seemed to emerge from the fire, following their limbs and bones, as if burning away some filth.
After the warm current passed, the three little fellows of Song and Yuan felt the chill around them was swept away, and they were indescribably brisk and full of energy!
Cleanse the marrow!
——Use the power of fire to remove impurities and filth from the body, transforming from acquired to innate!If you embark on the path of cultivation, you will get twice the result with half the effort; even if you don't follow the path of immortality, you can strengthen your foundation and cultivate your vitality and prolong your life.
Since Jiangnan made a move, it is naturally impossible to just ignite a small flame.
These three little guys are considered lucky.
But at this moment, they didn't pay attention to the changes, but concentrated on the beating flame!
"It's... really a fairy!"
"Xiaoyue'er... We wrongly blamed you..."
"I'm sorry, Xiaoyue'er..."
After the three of them were amazed, they looked at the little girl with shame on their faces.
Then, after saying goodbye, he couldn't wait to turn around and run home.
Today, I want to tell everyone I meet—they met the fairy in the sky!
And Jiang Nan also took Xiao Yue'er and walked towards Chen's house.
"Little uncle is just so amazing! Hmm... are you staying at Yue'er's house for dinner today?" The little girl tightly held his index finger, looking expectant.
"Okay." Jiang Nan nodded slightly, then looked at the happy little Chen Yue, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
——If he didn't know the inside story, who would have thought that this lively and active little girl would be the reincarnation of the unparalleled Fairy Xinyue?
After a pause, thinking of the purpose of this trip, Jiang Nan stopped in his tracks.
"Xiao Yue'er, do you... want to be a fairy?"
(End of this chapter)
The long river of time rushes by.
Time flies, spring goes and autumn comes.
In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed away.
This year, more than [-] days and nights have passed since Wang Chongsheng met the Seven Immortals.
Therefore, no matter how huge the waves are, no matter how uproarious the shocking changes are, in the scouring of time, they have also turned into the bottom layer of precipitation.
For many cultivators, ten years is probably just a retreat, passing by in the blink of an eye.
But for the tens of thousands of Liming people who have left the Tao, ten years is enough for the bastard who played mud in the fields to grow up and carry the burden of the family; Graceful; a porter who is strong enough to have a strong back has white temples, and a stooped body...
In short, to this day, few people in the [-] states of Li Dao have mentioned the events of those years.
Only occasionally when going to the market can I hear the storyteller under the flyover cadenced and impassioned.
Ten years later, Jiangnan was completely integrated into the Li Palace.
When it is mentioned again, what people think of is not the genius monk who turned out to suppress the five directions, but the main hall of the sky, which is one of the three halls.
As for Li Gong, apart from the terrifying movement caused by His Majesty's reintegration of Taoism after the Seven Immortals' martial arts meeting, the next ten years will be peaceful and calm.
This behemoth that ruled the [-] states in Li Dao finally got back on the right track after experiencing several turbulences.
In no hurry.
And the Tianque Wufang Lord under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Palace really did what many powerful officials had guessed—after that snowy winter, he obeyed the words of the new Heavenly Palace, and never dared to disobey the slightest bit from the beginning to the end.
This day, it was snowing again.
Tianque North City, Wutong Lane.
Originally, Wutong Lane was just an inconspicuous alley in Beicheng, with no more than a hundred households on both sides, cold and quiet.
But I don't know when, some strange faces began to appear frequently in this street.
At first, the neighbors were a little worried, but as time passed, they found that these were just faces passing by in a hurry, and there was nothing unusual, so they were relieved.
After all, this place is the hinterland of Li Palace. In Tianque City, not to mention murderers, even low-level thieves rarely appear.
It's just that what they didn't pay attention to was that in a classical mansion deep in Wutong Lane, a family of three moved in at some time and settled here.
Because in Tianque City, moving between houses is normal, and no one cares.
Because of this, they also didn't know that the final destination of those strange faces was this quaint mansion.
On this day, the snow just stopped.
Su Xue wrapped the whole street in new clothes overnight, and the snow was more than a foot deep, to the extent that adults would drown their calves if they had ever done so.
Until noon, few people went out for a stroll.
But such a snow scene made many children overjoyed.
In the silvery white snow, groups of little guys in Wutong Lane were cheering and laughing, leaving many messy and lively footprints on the snow.
Between laughter and laughter, it is full of childlike fun.
At the end of the alley, Chen's house.
The owner of this house moved to Tianque City ten years ago, and he is inconspicuous among hundreds of families.
At this moment, a couple with gray temples are sitting in front of the stone table in front of the courtyard, holding hands, some silver hair fluttering in the snow wind, two pairs of calm and serene eyes, looking at the children playing outside the door them.
The woman couldn't help showing a smile from the corner of her eyes, and sighed, "Wei Xuan, it's been ten years in the blink of an eye..."
"Yeah, Xiaoyue'er can run and jump now."
The man also smiled slightly, "That girl who only knows how to cry has grown up..."
The identity revealed between the words is the Chen couple who were brought back from Wuzhou by the six-eyed anaconda.
In the beginning, their family of three lived in Tiandian Floating Island, Zhengwei Palace.
But because the couple couldn't adapt to the solemn and slightly harsh atmosphere of Tiandian, after discussing with Jiangnan, they moved to Tianque North City, Wutong Lane, and settled down.
"Yesterday I bought two fur coats and three pairs of embroidered shoes for Xiaoyue'er. When she comes back later, let her wear them for us to see..."
Chu's face was filled with joy, and she kept talking, "That girl is growing up, if you don't pay attention, the clothes you used to wear won't fit..."
"Ma'am, it's time."
But before she finished speaking, Chen Weixuan interrupted her, looking up at the sky, "When you went to the market in the morning, the main hall came down."
Chu's face froze suddenly, "Your Majesty...what did you say?"
Chen Weixuan shook his head, "Your Majesty said, that... is about to leave the customs, and Xiaoyue'er should also embark on the road of cultivation. I'm afraid she won't be able to live in Wutong Lane in the future."
After a pause, he let out a long sigh, "Chicken, after all, it's going to fly to the sky..."
After a long time, the Chu family sighed, "Weixuan, enough is enough—we watched Xiaoyue'er grow up in ten years, and it is enough. Besides, even if she really embarks on the path of cultivation, it is not impossible for her to come back. It’s just that they can’t live with us.”
But as she spoke, tears fell from the corners of her eyes.
——When the children are about to leave, which parent can be completely willing?
But Chen Weixuan and his wife knew that their own daughter was not just their own daughter.
She is an extremely important existence to the entire Li Palace.
And when the couple were sad about the upcoming parting, the "Xiaoyue'er" whom they had been thinking about did not have the slightest parting sorrow.
In the snow field one street away from Chen's house, several young-looking children were playing around.
The leader was a boy about twelve or thirteen years old, wearing a big coat and walking in the front, holding a straight wooden stick in his hand, quite mighty, looking like a group of little boys The head of the child.
And behind him, there are three younger children, one by one, pretending to be adults, following the leading boy around in the snow.
And at the back of the line is the shortest little girl, looking around, looking like a guard patrolling the street.
"stop!"
The boy suddenly pointed to a snowman made by someone in the snow, and shouted immaturely, "This man is a thief who transports and steals jewels, catch him!"
As soon as the voice fell, the little ones rushed forward and fell on the snowman with a few slaps!
"Don't run!"
"Caught you!"
"Hurry up and grab it!"
"..."
Cheerful frolic sounds echoed in the snow, and the little ones' catch-and-play game ended under the collapse of the poor snowman.
After enough trouble, several children lay panting in the snow, facing the sky.
"Let me tell you, it was like this when my uncle caught the thief last year, it was so majestic!" The oldest boy held the wooden stick tightly in his hand, and swung it up and down like a sword, with a look on his face. The color of pride.
"Brother Song Yuan's uncle... is an errand?" After the words fell, another boy who looked younger looked envious and muttered, "That's a big shot! If you don't talk to my uncle, he will only drink and play cards... "
"Of course!" Song Yuan was suddenly opened up, and patted his chest to promise, "If someone bullies you in the future, just tell me, I will let my uncle catch him!"
"I also know great people!" At this time, a short-haired little girl who refused to admit defeat said, "My grandfather knows Lord Chengwei!"
"That's what your father knew, not you."
Song Yuan shook his head, then turned to look at the youngest girl in the team, "Where's Xiaoyue'er?"
So, all the little guys looked at the last little girl with shofar braids, red lips and white teeth, carved in powder and jade.
The latter clenched his fists, and after a moment's pause, he pointed to a distant shadow in the sky, "Yue'er has a little uncle, he seems to come from there."
——That is, the direction of the Temple of Heaven.
After the voice fell, many children were stunned.
Then, he burst out laughing!
"Xiao Yue'er, it's wrong to lie!" The short-haired girl shook her head slowly, "I heard from my father that the people living there are all immortals, and we will never see them in our lifetime!"
"That's right, I've been to Xiaoyue'er's house - there are only three people in the house, this little uncle is a fake!" Another little boy also shook his head.
"Xiaoyue'er, it's an exaggeration to come from the sky." Song Yuan, the oldest, looked serious, "If you want to talk about bragging, we won't play with you anymore!"
Facing the doubts from her friends, Xiao Yue'er clenched her fists, bit her lips, and said anxiously, "It's true! Yue'er didn't lie! Mother also said that Yue'er came down from the sky before!"
"I don't believe it, unless you let us meet your little uncle." The child fought hard, but he didn't admit defeat at all, Song Yuan looked at Xiaoyue'er with burning eyes, "Otherwise, you are lying! "
"Yue'er... Yue'er didn't lie!" The little girl flushed with anxiety, "Little uncle...Little uncle is in the sky, and Yue'er can't see him now..."
"Lie! That's lying!" The short-haired girl said firmly, "Xiaoyue'er is lying!"
"The king of lies! Xiaoyue'er is the king of lies!" The boy also spoke.
"Yue'er...no!!" Xiaoyue'er was so anxious that tears rolled in her eyes, but she wanted to argue without words.
Originally, this was just an insignificant dispute between children, not even a quarrel, maybe it was just going home for a meal at noon, and it was forgotten when we got together in the afternoon.
But at a certain moment, a figure in black suddenly appeared in the plain white snow, standing behind several children.
"Xiao Yue'er, what are you lying about?" The gentle voice echoed in the ears of several children.
Suddenly, several people were startled and turned around.
Quelian was a young man in his twenties, looking at them with a smile on his face.
"Uncle!"
The little girl swooped and hugged the man's waist, "Little uncle, Yue'er did not lie! Little uncle proved to Song Yuan that little uncle is real! Little uncle is not fake!"
Jiang Nan was stunned, what is this all about?
Then, under the little girl's tearful explanation, Jiang Nan understood the whole story.
Due to the particularity of the identities of the three members of the Chen family, the fact that the three of them live in Tianque North City is kept secret, and no more than three digits of people in the entire Li Palace know about this.
This is also to maximize the safety of this girl.
Therefore, it is naturally impossible for the neighbors in Wutong Lane to know Xiaoyue'er's true identity.
No wonder they didn't believe it.
And looking at the little girl who was crying pear blossoms with rain, Jiang Nan rubbed her head, "Okay, okay, little uncle is real, not fake, Xiaoyue'er really didn't lie."
But Song Yuan and the other two children on the side were not happy. They stared at Jiangnan up and down, pointed at the shadow in the sky, and asked suspiciously, "Big brother...you really came from the sky?"
"Of course." Looking at their serious expressions, Jiang Nan couldn't help laughing, "It's not called Heaven, it's called Tiandian."
Obviously, the three children didn't know what the Temple of Heaven was.
Song Yuan looked suspicious, "People say that the immortals live in the sky, and they know how to do immortals. You...can you?"
"Oh?" Jiang Nan asked with great interest, "What kind of immortality?"
"Hmm... Summoning thunder and rain, making fire out of thin air?" Song Yuan pondered for a long time before he said what the fairy art in his mind should look like.
"Summoning thunder and calling for rain? That probably won't work—it's sunny today, but it's good weather after dozens of days of heavy snow."
Jiang Nan shook his head slowly, then stretched out his hand under the disappointed eyes of Song Yuan and the other three children,
"As for making a fire out of thin air...does this count?"
When the voice fell, there was a bang!
The crimson flames that are about ten feet high rose from between the fingers, beating happily like a quiet spirit, and like flowing crimson wall jade, magnificent and beautiful!
At that moment, the eyes of the three children showed great longing.
At the same time, a warm air flow seemed to emerge from the fire, following their limbs and bones, as if burning away some filth.
After the warm current passed, the three little fellows of Song and Yuan felt the chill around them was swept away, and they were indescribably brisk and full of energy!
Cleanse the marrow!
——Use the power of fire to remove impurities and filth from the body, transforming from acquired to innate!If you embark on the path of cultivation, you will get twice the result with half the effort; even if you don't follow the path of immortality, you can strengthen your foundation and cultivate your vitality and prolong your life.
Since Jiangnan made a move, it is naturally impossible to just ignite a small flame.
These three little guys are considered lucky.
But at this moment, they didn't pay attention to the changes, but concentrated on the beating flame!
"It's... really a fairy!"
"Xiaoyue'er... We wrongly blamed you..."
"I'm sorry, Xiaoyue'er..."
After the three of them were amazed, they looked at the little girl with shame on their faces.
Then, after saying goodbye, he couldn't wait to turn around and run home.
Today, I want to tell everyone I meet—they met the fairy in the sky!
And Jiang Nan also took Xiao Yue'er and walked towards Chen's house.
"Little uncle is just so amazing! Hmm... are you staying at Yue'er's house for dinner today?" The little girl tightly held his index finger, looking expectant.
"Okay." Jiang Nan nodded slightly, then looked at the happy little Chen Yue, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
——If he didn't know the inside story, who would have thought that this lively and active little girl would be the reincarnation of the unparalleled Fairy Xinyue?
After a pause, thinking of the purpose of this trip, Jiang Nan stopped in his tracks.
"Xiao Yue'er, do you... want to be a fairy?"
(End of this chapter)