Light Fortress
Chapter 698 - 197: The Tide of the Times (Mega - )

Chapter 698: Chapter 197: The Tide of the Times (Mega Chapter)

Some people, the longer they live, the more detached they become from worldly affairs.

They come into this world with empty hands, and they leave the mortal realm just the same.

But some people are the opposite.

After their eyes are blinded by desire and greed... the longer they live, the more they possess, the more reluctant they are to let go, even though they know full well that they can take nothing with them in the end.

Elder Li, Li Changsheng, was such a person who "couldn’t let go."

He once had everything this world could offer.

Identity, status, respect, wealth, power, realm.

In all of Snow Forbidden City, there was no one older than he... It was unimaginable to anyone that an old man, who watched the flowers bloom and fade over a hundred years, would personally initiate a subversive plan involving the entire Li Family.

In the last attic of the ancestral hall, the Elder, with the divine power of the Wine God’s Throne "returning to his peak," engaged in a spirit combat with Gao Tian—a long and torturous war that ended with Gao Tian’s tragic victory.

Or rather... it ended when the Divine Throne withdrew its divine power.

"I can’t understand."

Chu Ling stood shoulder to shoulder with Gu Shen outside the wooden doors of the ancestral hall, gazing at the slowly collapsing attic, and asked in confusion, "At his age, could he still be obsessed with the power of the Li Family?"

The last attic collapsed.

The ashes of the old man were blown by the wind, scattering along with the ruins of this "relic."

"Perhaps... it’s because of fear."

Gu Shen said, "The longer one lives, the less they want to die. Before leaving, they always want to hold onto something."

Gu Nanfeng extended a hand and caught a handful of ashes.

His expression was somewhat complicated.

He opened his palm.

Lan Qie controlled the breeze to gradually disperse the dust and grains of sand within his palm... Gu Nanfeng didn’t know if the "dust" on his hand was the old man’s ashes or the debris from the collapsing attic.

"When I was little, I met this Great Elder. Back then, he was very nice to people. Although he was old and his movements were slow, he exuded a comfortable twilight air. That meeting left me feeling very comfortable, so I’ve always thought he was a very, very good old man, and even now, that impression remains unchanged."

Gu Nanfeng said softly, "It’s just that no wind remains the same in this world, time changes a person... Perhaps he became senile, or perhaps he was deceived by the Wine God’s Throne. Whatever the reason, he destroyed himself with his own hands."

All that he had desperately tried to hold onto.

Had all dissipated into smoke.

The Li Family would nail this sinner to the pillar of shame.

"The ancestral halls of the five major families have always been well protected." He looked towards Gu Shen and said, "Except for the Mu Family... the streets of the Mu Family Ancestral Hall have been damaged several times, but those are minor issues. By comparison..."

His voice abruptly stopped.

The Li’s Ancestral Hall was completely burnt down, a damage that cannot be repaired.

"Is this a very serious matter?"

Chu Ling looked towards the collapsing wooden house and whispered to Gu Shen, "Rebuilding such a wooden house should only take a month, maybe even less. The hanging plaques can be rewritten, trees can be replanted, and every single thing here can be replicated based on the images captured by the Wind Eye."

Gu Shen looked towards the burnt ancestral hall and said softly, "The ancestral hall can be rebuilt, and ancient trees can be replanted, but these will all be brand-new objects. I think the most valuable property is the lengthy history of over six hundred years that lies beneath this ancient ancestral hall."

Chu Ling seemed to understand a bit more.

She nodded her head and then asked earnestly, "So... the shell is more important than the spirit, right?"

Gu Shen was taken aback.

He sharply caught the meaning behind Chu Ling’s question.

The Prayer Technique had reshaped her body.

But her spirit had never changed.

"It’s not quite the same."

Gu Shen smiled and slowly said, "To me, your spirit means more than any shell in the world."

That was an answer from the bottom of his heart.

Chu Ling looked at him blankly and asked, "Why suddenly so cheesy?"

"..."

Gu Shen fell silent, thinking he might have overestimated the "[source code]" in terms of understanding worldly wisdom.

"I was just thinking, that so-called long history of the Li’s Ancestral Hall may not be so precious after all." Chu Ling smiled, "Six hundred years is but a tiny wave in the vast river of time."

Gu Shen began to ponder seriously.

Indeed.

Standing in this long river, everyone is merely a "moment" that vanishes in a blink; thus, six years or six hundred years, are all waves destined to burst.

Gu Nanfeng crossed his arms and also furrowed his brows in deep thought.

He looked at Miss Chu with surprise... true to being a successor of Master Qianye, the angle of her comments was indeed unique.

Chu Ling then looked at Gu Nanfeng and consoled him, "From the perspective of overlooking the river of history, the ancestral halls of the five great families will sooner or later fall into ruin, and the Gu Family will also face decay."

These ordinary "words of comfort" frightened Gu Nanfeng into a shiver.

He quickly bowed with his sword and asked seriously, "Did Miss Chu see this using the ’Divination Skill’?"

Chu Ling was taken aback.

Gu Shen hurriedly placed his hand on Gu Nanfeng’s shoulder, signaling not to worry, and awkwardly laughed, "Brother Nanfeng... that is something of the far, far future."

...

...

Gao Tian’s injuries were not serious.