Light Fortress
Chapter 713 - 201 - Life is as Fleeting as a Cicada (Requesting Monthly Votes)_3

Chapter 713: Chapter 201 - Life is as Fleeting as a Cicada (Requesting Monthly Votes)_3

The Transcendents from the Security Committee at the foot of the hill were busily repairing the broken array patterns, replenishing materials. The guiding voice of a woman in their minds suddenly ceased.

"Huh..."

Most members of the Security Committee subconsciously looked up, their expressions blank.

They instinctively looked toward the small hill shrouded in mist at the inner burial grounds.

"Let’s all take a break."

Du Wei’s voice sounded in the main control channel. He was standing in front of an array pattern not far from the inner burial grounds, intently staring at the mountaintop of the small hill, unable to see anything...

"Miss Chu must be tired!"

Du Wei couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head.

For some reason, when the voice in the main control channel stopped, he felt a bit relieved... That’s more like it, it shows Miss Chu is also flesh and blood, needing rest, commanding and taking care of array patterns in more than a dozen places, even a divine being incarnated wouldn’t manage that.

"Captain Du, Miss Chu might not be tired."

Someone whispered in the main control channel, "I saw Mr. Xiao Gu enter the tomb earlier."

"Oh..."

A chorus of meaningful voices resounded in the channel.

"I see..."

Du Wei also ’oh’ed silently to himself, then quickly coughed and said, "What ’oh’? Let’s be serious!"

In Changye City, the names Gu Shen and Chu Ling had become synonymous with "a match made in heaven."

Under the cloak of the Great Cold Disaster Realm,

Master Qianye’s two disciples saved almost a thousand lives.

After the massive explosion at Qingzhong, those entering the tomb for the mission were not ordinary; it could be said these Transcendents bore the future hopes of the five major families and three major institutions.

And, after the tomb incident, half of Changye owed a favor to Mr. Xiao Gu and Miss Chu.

Du Wei looked towards the mountaintop, lost in a deep trance for a long while.

"Captain Du... will Miss Chu come online again?"

Next to Du Wei, a young disciple scratched his head.

"I think... it’s doubtful."

Du Wei paused and looked toward the mist-enveloped inner burial hill, his eyebrows raised seriously, "Hurry up and wrap things up; we need to give Mr. Xiao Gu and Miss Chu a quiet environment to be alone!"

The team tacitly packed up their backpacks and tools, then quickly evacuated.

Soon, the burial grounds became empty.

...

...

The wind blew over the mountaintop.

It didn’t disperse the mist.

But it stirred the clothing.

Chu Ling caught Gu Shen’s scent, a combination of clothing frozen by ice shards and spirit cleansed by Chi Huo, with many complex scents intertwined... it wasn’t unpleasant.

Her sense of smell was very keen, unimaginable even in the smallest fraction of the Spirit Space.

She saw, she heard, she smelled, she touched.

Gu Shen’s hand was stretched out, suspended patiently in the air, back facing down, palm facing up, waiting for Chu Ling’s hand.

The woman in the red ritual dress carefully, oh so carefully, extended her hand.

Like a little cat.

Placed her hand in the young man’s palm.

She didn’t know why Gu Shen suddenly did this, so she quietly waited.

For a while, the mountaintop maintained a tranquil silence.

Tranquil, but not prolonged.

Gu Shen adjusted his posture, still holding Chu Ling’s hand without letting go. Gradually, he moved directly across from her. With his other hand propping his cheek, he earnestly gazed at Chu Ling’s face.

Holding hands at the quiet mountaintop, one could even hear heartbeats.

"Thump..."

"Thump..."

"Thump..."

Gu Shen suddenly spoke, "Do you want to eat roasted sweet potatoes from Lipu Street?"

Chu Ling was genuinely taken aback.

She had waited long, her scattered thoughts uncontrollably evolving in her mind, calculating what Gu Shen might say next... The database had listed dozens of possible sentences.

Only this one, was not calculated.

She hadn’t expected this to be what Gu Shen wanted to say to her.

But... it wasn’t as hard to answer as she imagined.

"... I do."

Chu Ling spoke the word with a bit of embarrassment.

"Clear broth beef hotpot, spicy hot oil hotpot, sesame pancakes, biangbiang noodles..." Gu Shen spoke again, asking, "What about these?"

"..."

Chu Ling thought of those tempting images she had seen long ago, her delicate throat slightly churned, and she subtly swallowed her saliva.

This time, the awkwardness wasn’t as intense.

She said softly and earnestly, "I want to eat all these."

"Understood," he responded.

Gu Shen nodded with equal seriousness.

Yet, Chu Ling was somewhat puzzled.

Why had Gu Shen suddenly asked this question?

Gu Shen smiled.

Lifting his palm, it wasn’t just to simply feel the heartbeat. Chi Huo clung to his palm, and Chu Ling had never consciously gotten so close to herself, and likewise... it was also the first time Gu Shen had seriously and calmly felt Chu Ling.

He felt the beating of Chu Ling’s chest.

He felt the surging of that "primal essence"... Without bone, without blood, without flesh, yet she was a living person, such a thing could only be described as a "Divine Miracle."

While Chu Ling was worried about Gu Shen being entangled by misfortune,

Gu Shen was also worried about Chu Ling... he was worried that Chu Ling had not much time left in this world.

How could a body made of "primal essence" last?

And when the palm touched, when Chi Huo blended with the primal essence,

Gu Shen clearly perceived this soft body... and discovered a "sad" truth: Chu Ling’s body at this moment was like a slowly melting snowman. Even if she continuously replenished primal essence and walked under the sunlight outside, she couldn’t escape the fate of melting.

Quickly or slowly,

She was bound to dissipate.

But this was not considered devastatingly bad news.

The disintegration of the physical body, for ordinary people, meant an unbearable extinction.

But for Chu Ling, it was different.

Her "spirit" would not be destroyed because of this.

As long as the Well Water World of Divine Temple Mountain was not destroyed, the transmitter responsible for connecting 001 with the outside world would still be effective. Even if her body met with thawing in the outside world... as long as there was enough primal essence and sufficient conditions, Chu Ling could still welcome her next "rebirth."

Theoretically speaking.

A person has a "long" life of nearly a hundred years.

Chu Ling’s life, however... was as brief as a cicada’s, possessing only fleeting moments one after another.

Taking a deep breath.

Gu Shen said, "Whatever else you want to eat, I’ll take you there."

At that moment,

Chu Ling understood the reason behind the "holding of palms," and also understood Gu Shen’s intentions for doing all this.

In Pure Land, Master Qianye had pointed out her issue before leaving.

Mortality comes with birth, aging, sickness, and death.

She was no exception.

As an existence birthed from the Prayer Technique of Divine Temple Mountain, Chu Ling’s birth itself was a miracle.

How could a being that defied the rules easily last a long time?

Actually, from the moment she left Divine Temple Mountain, she had anticipated the rough outcome.

The sunlight shining on her was a very warm feeling... however, she wasn’t able to experience every sunrise here.

Chu Ling sniffled.

It was somewhat sour.

Was that the emotion known as "being moved"?

She laughed and said, "...Yes, please."

"I want to eat roasted sweet potatoes from Lipu Street, I want to eat hotpot beef from Old Alley in Snow Forbidden City, I want to go to many, many places..."

The girl’s fingers slowly closed, holding the warm palm that supported her own. With an extremely soft voice, she silently said in her heart, "These things, these places... I want you to accompany me."

Simultaneously,

Gu Shen’s laughter echoed from the mountaintop.

"These things, these places, I’ll be with you."

Two figures embraced each other.

Gu Shen gently patted the girl’s back, feeling his shoulders grow wet from her tears, his expression turning slightly complex.

Some things, precisely because they have been experienced, are cherished.

Inside the Pure Land,

Master Qianye had spent a lengthy twenty years waiting for that final embrace.

Gu Shen didn’t want to miss out.

Meeting Chu Ling in this era was an incredibly fortunate event for him.

If life was as brief as a cicada’s,

Then he wanted to remember every minute, every second of this brief time.

Without leaving any regrets.

...

...

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