Immortal Travel of Longevity

Publish Time: 2026-07-18 18:32:00

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«Chapter 568: It Was Getting Late

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Lihua looked at the flower petal. Unusually for it, quick to speak its mind as always, it stayed silent this time.

This was perhaps the only problem it had encountered in so long, leaving it struggling for a very, very long time. It even didn’t quite understand why some things only had one choice.

Even though the flower petal had decided the outcome in the end, it still felt a little unhappy.

“Good Human Chen…”

“Hm?”

“Lihua used to feel happy going anywhere, but now it feels happy going nowhere.”

Hearing this, Chen Changsheng froze and looked at it. Gently stroking its back, he said: “There is no path in this world that lets you keep everything. If one thing isn’t whole, none can be. Neither you, Lihua, nor I, can make everything satisfying. So the only way is to adapt. Try to forget some things, try to remember some others…”

“Good Human Chen speaks in such deep terms.”

Lihua lowered its head and mumbled, “Lihua doesn’t understand.”

Chen Changsheng smiled warmly and offered no further explanation.

It would understand slowly.

There would come a day when the cat would grow up.

………

Light showed faintly beyond the mountain, the break of dawn.

But unexpectedly, that pale light of dawn didn’t last long before dimming again. Wispy, thin clouds hid the light, making things look heavy. In moments, a misty drizzle began to fall.

It had been raining often this year, but the rains were just enough. It was a good omen, meaning the harvest might be bountiful.

Lihua lay sprawled on top of the wall, its gaze fixed on the empty narrow alley in front.

Raindrops landed on its fur, on the top of its head.

It raised its brow and glanced upward.

It didn’t like it much.

For some reason, after this thought rose in its mind, the rain around it seemed to change.

The rain parted around where Lihua lay, not letting a single drop touch it.

Lihua probably noticed this. Surprise flickered in its eyes, but it quickly settled down.

It closed its eyes. Rain and wind sounds echoed by its ears…

This felt strangely familiar.

That sense of closeness returned once more.

Lihua realized—this was probably the ‘friend’ Good Human Chen had mentioned before.

As if sensing Lihua’s unhappiness, the Four Seasons Spiritual Qi within the wind and rain gathered around it, blowing like gentle streams against its fur.

Lihua mumbled, “Are you comforting Lihua?”

The Four Seasons Spiritual Qi gave no answer.

Lihua whispered softly, “Thank you.”

It thought this was a wonderful friend.

“What’s your name?”

No reply came.

Lihua understood; this was a friend of few words.

It let out a breath, sprawled on the wall, watching the hazy rain while standing in the storm. No wind or rain touched it; the Four Seasons Spiritual Qi protected it.

When had the ever-innocent cat ever been so solemn?

It stayed there, lying on the wall in the rain, pondering for a long, long time. Thinking about questions it couldn’t grasp, those complex things it didn’t understand.

It was stubborn.

Across the alley, on the second floor of the opposite house, a window opened.

Inside, a woman dressed plainly, hair down, stood by the window.

It was Miss Yun.

She turned her head slightly, looking toward the courtyard beside hers.

Mr. Chen wasn’t awake yet.

But she saw the tabby cat that often perched on the wall.

Yun Xiang paused, observing the light morning rain, then looking at the cat on the rain-swept wall.

She opened her mouth, not understanding why the cat stayed out in the rain, and called out: “Cat.”

Her voice cut through the rain, reaching Lihua’s ears.

Lihua lifted its head, its eyes landing on the woman leaning out the window ahead.

They had met only yesterday, though they hadn’t spoken.

She was the sister of ‘Dried Fish’.

Lihua looked at her, a bit puzzled.

Yun Xiang asked, “Why stay out there in the rain?”

Lihua thought, then stood up and leaped straight from the wall.

A flicker of worry shot through Yun Xiang—she nearly called out ‘be careful!’—but the cat landed firmly on her own courtyard wall.

Lihua climbed the steps from the wall to Yun’s house and trotted to the windowsill.

Within seconds, it stood before Miss Yun.

Yun Xiang blinked, taking a moment before asking, “Are you hungry?”

Lihua shook its head.

Seeing this, Yun Xiang was briefly stunned. She hadn’t expected the cat to be so clever, actually understanding human speech.

Her mind stirred. She asked, “Can you speak?”

Lihua hesitated, then replied, “A little.”

Yun Xiang felt a flash of surprise but quickly smoothed her expression.

It seemed within expectations.

“It’s raining early in the morning, why didn’t you go inside?”

“They don’t wet me.”

“They?”

“Yes.”

It was only now that Yun Xiang noticed. Lihua’s fur was dry. Not a single drop of rain clung to it.

She felt a dawning understanding, marveling silently at the cat’s unusual nature.

But then again, if it was a cat often near Mr. Chen, it made sense.

Lihua blinked at her. “You wake up very early.”

“Ah, yes,” Yun Xiang answered.

Lihua added, “Why stop sleeping?”

Yun Xiang’s smile was gentle. “As one gets older, one just doesn’t need as much sleep.”

Lihua blinked again, struggling to grasp this.

“Can’t sleep when you get old?”

“Oldness brings that.”

“Then when Lihua is old, will Lihua also not sleep?”

Yun Xiang shook her head. “You are a monster. It won’t happen to you. Only mortals like me age this clearly.”

Lihua looked at her. The concept of ‘old’ still eluded its full understanding.

“Lihua just knows many people die when they get old. Like so many of Good Human Chen’s friends.”

“Friends?”

“Yeah. All the way along, Good Human Chen had many friends, but lots aren’t around anymore.”

Yun Xiang froze slightly. Her arm under her sleeve trembled the tiniest bit.

“Is that so…”

“Mm,” Lihua nodded.

Miss Yun let her gaze drift to the wind and rain of dawn, breathing out slowly.

She thought, perhaps in a few years, she too might become one of those departed ‘friends’ the cat spoke of.

It seemed inevitable, yet deeply regrettable.

Lihua seemed to sense her feelings. It blinked. “You seem unhappy too?”

Yun Xiang shook her head, but then caught the word. “Too?”

Lihua nodded. “Lihua is unhappy too.”

Yun Xiang drew her thoughts together and smiled gently. “Because of what?”

“Well…”

Lihua said, “Feels like going anywhere won’t make it happy now.”

Yun Xiang paused, then asked low, “Is Sir Chen… planning to go somewhere?”

Lihua nodded. “Good Human Chen is busy. Don’t know where. But Lihua can’t follow. Either go home or stay here. Was happy everywhere before, but having to choose… feels like choosing anywhere won’t make it happy.”

“Good Human Chen said something about no ‘complete paths’. Lihua didn’t understand. Thought so hard, for so long…”

Yun Xiang stood motionless, her thoughts drifting far.

Her eyes wandered toward the small courtyard.

‘Is Sir leaving again…’

«Chapter 568: It Was Getting Late

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