Chapter 378: Seclusion in Min Village, Secrets of the Past p2
Lin Tianlu frowned slightly: “Why are you showing me this image of myself, Miss Yang—”
“Looking at your past self, don’t you feel a sense of nostalgia?”
Yang Chanzhen looked at him, her lips moving slightly: “After all, decades have passed since those innocent and carefree days of your youth, everything has changed.”
Lin Tianlu was about to respond when he suddenly realized the meaning behind her words, his eyes widening.
“Miss Yang, did you just say… decades?”
He had only spent less than half a month on Mount Taiyi, when had so much time passed?!
Yang Chanzhen said softly, as if anticipating his reaction: “I don’t know what kind of extraordinary experiences you’ve had these past few decades, Master Lin, but after returning to the world, have you… revisited your hometown?”
Lin Tianlu’s expression changed, and he said in a deep voice: “No. I failed the imperial examinations and went into the mountains seeking immortality, almost falling to my death. Even though I survived, I… have no face to see my parents again.”
And after transmigrating to this world, he had decided to visit his family after establishing a stable life for himself.
But less than a year had passed since his transmigration, he hadn’t had the chance to return home yet—
“Actually, even if you return now, you won’t be able to see them anymore.”
Yang Chanzhen lowered her eyes and said calmly: “Fifty years have passed, and even if they weren’t affected by the war, they would probably have passed away from old age. Even my mother died a long time ago, mortal lifespans are short.”
Lin Tianlu still couldn’t believe it.
“Why are you so certain…”
But before he could ask, he suddenly froze, his hand on his forehead in surprise and uncertainty.
Fragmented memories began to surface in his mind—
—No.
Not memories.
More like the hazy and trance-like state he experienced during deep meditation, as if his spirit had left his body, roaming the universe.
A sudden enlightenment, like a flash of inspiration, made Lin Tianlu’s eyes widen abruptly.
He remembered everything.
He hadn’t just slept for a night in that cave on Mount Taiyi…
But had meditated for fifty years!
Unknowingly, he had achieved this extraordinary cultivation.
Lin Tianlu frowned slightly and said hesitantly: “But I heard the rumors about the immortals before climbing Mount Taiyi. And Shuya also heard those rumors, that’s why she went to the mountain and met me.”
“Those rumors about immortals have been circulating around Changling County for many years.”
Yang Chanzhen waved her sleeve again, and another ripple appeared beside them, reflecting the street scene of Changling County.
“And Changling County hasn’t been affected by the war, it’s still intact. It hasn’t changed much in the past fifty years. That’s why you felt like it was just yesterday, Master Lin, the scenery unchanged.”
Lin Tianlu was speechless.
After a moment of thought, he finally calmed down.
—Fifty years, it wasn’t a lie.
Those hazy and vague memories were real.
It was just that those fifty years of cultivation were still unclear.
Lin Tianlu sighed softly: “Can you also see what happened on Mount Taiyi, Miss Yang?”
But Yang Chanzhen shook her head.
“There’s an incredibly powerful force protecting that immortal mountain. Even with my methods… even with the secret techniques passed down through generations on Mount Min, I can’t see anything.”
Lin Tianlu exhaled softly.
Then, his expression turned serious as he cupped his hands towards the beautiful woman beside him: “Thank you for your guidance, Miss Yang, for helping me remember my lost past.”
“…It seems those fifty years were just a blink of an eye to you.”
Yang Chanzhen pursed her lips slightly, a ripple appearing in her purple eyes, her cold voice carrying a hint of melancholy: “My mother’s wait… was all for naught.”
Lin Tianlu exclaimed softly: “Your… mother?”
“Do you still remember this trinket, sir?”
Yang Chanzhen took out a piece of jade from her bosom.
Its color was mottled, its quality uneven, not a rare or valuable treasure.
But Lin Tianlu’s thoughts stirred, and he quickly said thoughtfully:
“This is… something I gave to a girl in my neighborhood.”
Saying this, his expression changed slightly, and he asked in surprise: “Could it be that you and that girl…”
“—She was my mother.”
Yang Chanzhen lowered her eyes slightly, a light flickering in her eyes, as she clutched the jade pendant tightly, as if she could still feel her mother’s warmth.
“Many years ago, she and you were neighbors, growing up together. After you left for the imperial examinations, she waited for your return.
But she waited for a long time, and you never came back. Years passed, and my mother reached marriageable age. My grandparents tried to persuade her, but she still held onto a sliver of hope.”
“But fate wasn’t kind. Chaos erupted, war broke out, and amidst the danger and turmoil, my mother and her family were forced to leave their home, separated from the Lin family. They wandered and suffered, experiencing loss and separation, and in the end, she accidentally fell into a river and was rescued by the kind villagers of Min Village.”
Lin Tianlu was silent, lost in thought.
Memories surged in his mind like a tidal wave.
Somehow, these “foreign memories,” which had seemed distant and unreal before, now felt incredibly real, as if he had experienced them personally.
A bright and cheerful smile vaguely appeared before his eyes.
Although that young woman’s appearance wasn’t particularly beautiful, even quite ordinary, her joy and excitement had warmed his heart.
“Then your mother, she…”
“My mother recuperated in Mount Min for several months. After she recovered, she left and returned to your hometown, searching for you.”
Yang Chanzhen sighed softly: “After waiting for a year without any news, she thought you had died, and she was brought back to Mount Min by my master, heartbroken.”
Lin Tianlu felt a lump in his throat, and he asked in a low voice: “Was she… alright afterward?”
“Perhaps she had already let go of her feelings, but she stayed in Mount Min, never marrying, until she peacefully passed away.”
Yang Chanzhen looked towards the window and said softly: “Her remains are now buried in the cemetery.”
“But since she never married, why are you…”
“My birth… was an anomaly.”
Yang Chanzhen took a deep breath.
Then, she waved her sleeves, and countless runes appeared, swirling around them, transforming into blurry and indistinct illusory ripples.
Lin Tianlu’s eyes widened, looking at the scenes appearing before him—
In silence, he witnessed that young woman in Mount Min gradually aging, then undergoing a strange ritual performed by an old woman, becoming pregnant, and finally, after three years, giving birth to a child.
“…”
Lin Tianlu was stunned for a long time.
As the fragmented images gradually faded, the events of the past seemed to be happening right before his eyes.
After a long while, he couldn’t help but sigh softly:
“So, you, Miss Yang, were born from your mother’s blood and soul, through a secret technique of Mount Min.”
Yang Chanzhen nodded slightly, her purple eyes shimmering: “Mount Min… My master didn’t take in my mother out of kindness, it was because of her talent and potential that she was allowed to stay.”
“Did you always know about this, Miss Yang?”
“I didn’t realize it at first.”
Yang Chanzhen clutched the jade pendant tightly, her voice becoming more and more complex: “But through our conversations and interactions, I gradually became certain that you, Master Lin, were the ‘Lin Tianlu’ she had been waiting for.”
Lin Tianlu’s expression turned serious, and he sighed: “It was my fault for being so impulsive and causing your mother—”
“There’s no need to blame yourself, sir.”
But Yang Chanzhen quickly interrupted him: “I’m not telling you this to make you feel guilty. I just want you to know…”
After a moment of hesitation, she murmured: “That decades ago, there was a woman who… cared about you deeply, that’s enough.”
“…”
Lin Tianlu’s heart was filled with emotion, and after a long silence, he let out a soft sigh.
His past self had been too young and impulsive.
Full of passion and stubbornness, he hadn’t realized that happiness had been waiting for him all along.
“Are you… sad, sir?”
“Her loyalty and devotion are truly admirable and… heartbreaking.”
Lin Tianlu looked up and sighed: “I’m not worthy of her.”
Yang Chanzhen carefully studied his profile, her heart stirring as she saw the emotions in his eyes, and she couldn’t help but say softly: “Actually, there’s no need for you to feel so sad, Master Lin.”
“Why?”
“Because I am…”
Yang Chanzhen pursed her lips slightly, putting the jade pendant back into her bosom, suppressing the words that were about to escape her lips, and sighed softly: “My mother’s spirit must be at peace… or perhaps she has already reincarnated, living a happy new life. There’s no need for us to dwell on the past.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled softly.
Although Miss Yang seemed cold and aloof, she was truly kind, considerate, and understanding.
“…Alright, let’s not talk about the past anymore.”
Yang Chanzhen’s expression gradually calmed down, returning to its usual indifference.
Then, she raised her hand and said, her eyes flickering:
“Now that we’ve talked about my personal matters, Master Lin, let’s talk about the true reason for your visit—
The ancient secrets passed down through generations on Mount Min.”
