Chapter 256 The Price of Longevity

The Shrine Mountain Realm was shrouded in mist.

Li Qingci sat quietly atop the mountain.

Today, she wasn't hunched over, deciphering ancient texts, nor was she tending to her flower garden. She simply sat there, watching the waterfall cascade down, a thousand feet drop, its crashing echoes reverberating, the snow-white spray soaking her white robes.

Yes.

The words she hadn't dared to say to Gu Shen that day... was that her time was running out.

As the guardian of the Li Clan's Shrine.

She had a premonition.

Her life, which had never been long, was nearing its end.

And these days, she no longer agonized.

If her time was short.

Then cherish the present.

Do the things she wanted to do, say the things she wanted to say.

When the Frozen Lake mission was over, and Gu Shen returned, she would tell the young Mr. Gu the news... the Li Clan's Shrine had birthed a goddess, and the future Black Flowers would one day be eradicated.

It was a pity she probably wouldn't see it.

"Swish!"

The mist connecting the Shrine to the 447 highway suddenly broke open –

Had Little Gu arrived?

Li Qingci raised her eyebrows slightly, instinctively stood up, preparing to greet him.

However, what broke through the mist was a Wraith, speeding towards the Shrine!

"Qingsui?"

The moment she saw the Wraith, Li Qingci's expression became flustered.

The Wraith stopped before the Shrine Mountain.

Before Uncle Gao could open the door, Li Qingsui opened it herself, hiking up her ruqun (traditional Chinese dress) as she ran up the mountain...

Gu Shen got out of the passenger seat.

He watched Li Qingsui's retreating figure and sighed, "Uncle Gao... should I not have told her?"

"It's useless, Miss would have found out sooner or later."

Gao Tian lowered his head, lit a cigarette, and gently exhaled a puff of smoke, "Besides, we don't have the right to hide something like this from her. If we waited until it was too late to tell her, she'd hate you forever."

"..."

Gu Shen's expression was quiet.

Chu Ling had told him that Li Qingci didn't have much time left...

Now that he knew, he had to do something.

These past few days, he had been urging the Tomb Ghoul to complete a portion of the dissection of the "Longevity Technique," preparing to take the dissected "True Longevity Scripture" straight to the Shrine Mountain Realm.

But after careful consideration, he went to the Li Clan's ancestral hall and contacted Uncle Gao.

After the Frozen Lake mission, Li Qingsui had helped him greatly –

He couldn't bear to hide such an important secret.

And so... there was the scene before them, Li Qingsui had been dealing with internal affairs of the Council of Elders, and upon hearing the news, she had immediately left, and angrily hiked up Shrine Mountain to demand an explanation.

Gu Shen didn't rush to climb the mountain.

These sisters, one standing in the light, one immersed in darkness... they were more like twins, inseparable, their destined bond thicker than blood.

Without Li Qingci's sacrifice, it would have been difficult for Qingsui to ascend to the position of clan head so smoothly.

Li Qingci was willing to be her sister's shadow, willing to dedicate her life to the clan.

Those chips piled on the scales of fate, during the Prayer Technique.

It wasn't just her lifespan.

It was the hope of the Li Clan.

But... the most ruthless thing in the world was separation by death.

The guardians of each generation were destined to be short-lived.

Standing on the mountaintop, Li Qingci looked at her sister with a complex expression, then at Gu Shen in the distance.

She knew.

Little Gu probably guessed what she was going to say.

And then... he told all of this to Qingsui.

...

...

After Qingsui reached the mountaintop, gentle "array light" rose from the flower garden in all directions.

Li Qingci activated the array.

Gu Shen tactfully sat at the foot of the mountain, which was why he hadn't rushed to climb it earlier...

He and Uncle Gao leaned against either side of the Wraith's hood.

"Miss has helped you a lot."

Uncle Gao silently lit a cigarette, his voice muffled, "You shouldn't treat her like this... at least, you should tell her some good news."

He never smoked when he was with the Miss.

But today... was an exception.

Gu Shen could only lower his head helplessly, he was speechless.

Uncle Gao was right.

Of course, he knew this.

But... some news couldn't be hidden, and the more he hid it, the more wrong he became.

"Actually, there is good news."

Gu Shen rested his hands on the hood and said softly, "The fact that I'm here at the Shrine means I have a way..."

"Hmm?"

Uncle Gao's fingers, holding the cigarette, trembled slightly.

He frowned, looking at Gu Shen in surprise.

Was this kid... drunk? Did he know what he was saying?

Gu Shen turned his head and asked calmly, "Let's wait for those two up there to finish arguing before I go up... do you want to come with me?"

"I..."

Gao was clearly wanted to go up with him, but he glanced at the activity on the mountaintop and shook his head, "I'd better not."

"But,"

Gao Tian frowned and asked, "What kind of medicine are you selling in your gourd, kid? Do you know that Miss Qingci's lifespan is running out? This is fate, it's life and death, it's an iron law!"

"It is."

Gu Shen said lightly, "Fate, life and death, iron law, how would we know if these things... can't be rewritten unless we try?"

"I have the legendary 'Longevity Technique' in my hands, although it's only a part of it, it can still 'defy heaven and change fate'."

Gu Shen said seriously, "The reason I called Qingsui here today is to have your Li Clan prepare in advance... although this technique is called 'Longevity', it's actually a demonic art. Its price is very real and very cruel, it requires sacrificing living beings, and the caster can exchange it for one-twentieth of their lifespan."

"???"

Gao Tian was stunned, and the cigarette butt and ashes fell to the ground.

Sparks scattered.

"I only obtained an incomplete portion of the True Longevity Scripture." Gu Shen said seriously, "Perhaps as the dissection progresses, its cost will become smaller and the conversion efficiency will increase... but at least for now, it's like this."

Longevity Technique...

As the top-ranked enforcer in Nagano, Gao Tian knew a little about ancient texts and forbidden arts.

Whether it was Miss Qingci's "Prayer Technique" or Master Chino's "Divination Technique" in the cemetery... they were essentially exchanging fate through the forbidden power contained in ancient texts.

It seemed.

Like an alternative superpower.

But in reality... forbidden arts all required a price, either blood, flesh, or soul.

The Scales of Fate were fair.

But fair meant cruel.

Humanity’s small life, forever unable to bear the huge desire.

Therefore, there was a legendary art that could break the forbidden rules of exchange.

Longevity.

Even the God Seats who had fused with the Fire Seed could not guarantee that they would live forever. "They" might live longer, might maintain their youth and beauty, but they would eventually die.

If a person... possessed "longevity," then what was there that he could not possess?

"You shouldn't have told me something like this."

Gao Tian squatted down.

He wore a clean suit, a neat tie, and snow-white gloves... he was known for his cleanliness, but at this moment, he actually picked up the cigarette butt from the ground and finished the last puff.

"The Longevity Technique... is a secret that even God Seats would covet..."

"Perhaps it's not as useful as the legends say," Gu Shen smiled, "If the Longevity Technique was really that good, with the power of the Seven Gods, they would have taken it into their hands long ago."

That made sense.

Uncle Gao clapped his hands, his expression complicated, "You didn't tell anyone else this, did you?"

"Of course."

Gu Shen smiled, "What do you take me for? What do you take yourself for?"

Since he wanted to save Li Qingci.

Then he had to let the Li Clan act...

Then Li Qingsui would know, and Uncle Gao would know. Gu Shen had no need to hide anything. These two would eventually be part of the "plan," and it was better to tell them sooner rather than later.

"Hoo..."

Gao Tian copied Gu Shen's posture, leaning back with his hands on the hood, and murmured, "If I were Miss, as long as it could keep Qingci alive... I would accept any cruel price. With the power of the Li Clan, we can still find many 'dying people.' If I'm not mistaken, the price the caster has to pay is to absorb life while also assimilating these people's souls, right?"

"...Yes."

As expected of a mental enforcer, he guessed accurately.

Gu Shen nodded.

In fact, this part of the price was not difficult to guess.

Gaining life was destined to bear the corresponding "weight," and the soul was the greatest weight in this transaction.

"This is very dangerous. Even if the Li Clan desperately searches throughout Eastern Continent for those young 'death row inmates,' with a life exchange rate of twenty to one, sacrificing one would only bring Miss Qingci three to four years of life at most." Gao Tian said quietly, "And the price is to absorb 'twenty years' worth of memories. Miss Qingci's life will be extended, but her soul will no longer be pure."

"That's the price of longevity."

Gu Shen said calmly, "Ian, a scholar from Central Continent University, lived to be one hundred and twenty-one years old with the 'Longevity Technique'."

"Is that so?"

Uncle Gao said lightly, "So, you went to Central Continent to do this..."

He didn't mean to explore any more secrets.

Gao Tian was the most "free" enforcer in Nagano, without exception.

He was not controlled by the will of any force.

He stayed in the Li Clan entirely voluntarily.

On the one hand, it was to repay the kindness of the former clan head, Li Quhu, and on the other hand, he regarded Li Qingsui as the most important part of his life. The meaning of staying in the Li Clan was to witness this little girl grow up safely and eventually become the new head of the Li Clan.

Everything else was unimportant.

Longevity Technique? Ian?

He had only heard of these things and didn't care.

"Actually, the price of the Longevity Technique may not be that serious..."

Gao Tian lowered his eyes and said, "As long as the Li Clan is more 'ruthless,' the biggest drawback of the Longevity Technique is the need to assimilate souls... Miss Qingci practices the 'Prayer Technique,' and her mental strength is stronger than ordinary people, but if she wants to extend her life in this way, she will eventually become muddled and unable to distinguish which is the real self."

"So..."

"Just find newborn babies and sacrifice them directly."

Uncle Gao slowly looked at Gu Shen and said calmly, "As long as you can get past the moral barrier, the Longevity Technique can provide 'longevity' to the caster at the lowest cost..."

...

...

At the foot of Shrine Mountain.

The two looked at each other in silence.

"Mr. Gu, with your wisdom... you probably thought of this, right?"

Uncle Gao smiled softly.

Minimize costs and maximize the use of the Longevity Technique –

Gu Shen had certainly thought of this.

When he finally killed "Ian," he realized this.

This old man, who had lived to be one hundred and twenty-one years old, seemed to be insane, but in reality, he had a last bit of humanity left.

At least he didn't sacrifice babies...

But who could say for sure?

In these long one hundred and twenty-one years, no one knew if Ian had done anything that crossed the line, but what Gu Shen knew was... Ian had chosen "Hooper" as a sacrifice.

If he had chosen to absorb the life of babies earlier, perhaps he wouldn't have taken a liking to this disciple.

No matter how young he was, he couldn't be younger than a baby.

No matter how pure a soul was, it couldn't be purer than a baby's.

"The Li Clan has many enemies."

Gao Tian said casually, "Not just the Li Clan, Nagano, Jiangbei, the entire Eastern Continent... has common enemies."

"Although I don't care about what's happening in Nagano, I know that Eastern Continent is allying with Central City, and the envoys from the two continents have recently begun close talks. The source-energy boats of the Northern Continent Fortress can legally enter the Tundra border... this series of events is enough to prove that the closer our relationship with the Lin Clan is, the closer the enemy is."

Gu Shen didn't nod or shake his head, but asked calmly, "So?"

"So, if there is a need, I can be this 'villain'." Gao Tian looked at Gu Shen, "Central Continent's Source Tower, Western Continent's Light City, Southern Continent's Holy City, these places are heavily guarded, but other places can't stop me... I heard that during the Scarlet War, the Church of Light plundered many innocent children on the fringes of Northern Continent. Since these demonic acts have always been done by someone, Eastern Continent can replicate them as well."

"..."

Gu Shen silently looked at this Li Clan butler.

For a moment.

He couldn't tell if Gao Tian's words were serious or a joke.

"Miss Qingci needs fresh life, and the Li Clan can bring her fresh life... of course, these are all plundered from the 'enemies.' Perhaps Eastern Continent should never have portrayed itself as so noble. The reason Mr. Gu Changzhi died was because he regarded himself as the 'righteous' sun."

Gao asked, word by word, "Do you agree with what I just said?"

"I..."

Gu Shen shook his head.

"It's hard to agree."

Gao Tian quietly looked at the young man before him.

"Baseness is the passport of the base, nobility is the epitaph of the noble."

Gu Shen said calmly, "I never deny this, and I even agree with it very much. But the reason Mr. Gu Changzhi died was not because he was the sun, he was too noble, he made sacrifices, so he deserved to die... the reason he died was simply because everyone will die, and everyone has the right to choose their own way of dying."

"What I'm doing is just making the 'Longevity Technique' known to the Li Clan. I won't stop you from taking any measures. You can plan to 'sacrifice' from other continents. But if possible, I hope the Li Clan will set its sights on the 'deserving to die,' at least don't plunder babies..."

"The reason is simple."

Gu Shen said, "The meaning of living is not just to live. Everything Miss Qingci has done by sacrificing her life... is not for this. She wants to see the light outside Shrine Mountain simply because she has hope and wants to see the clean world outside."

"..."

Gao Tian looked at Gu Shen, shook his head, and showed a complex smile.

The array on the mountaintop dissipated.

This meant... the conversation between Qingci and Qingsui was over.

Uncle Gao walked towards Gu Shen.

"Outside, they all say that you are the 'absolute hub' for the future merger of the two continents, qualified to hold the helm of the fate of tens of millions of people. If you were given a Fire Seed, you might become the next Gu Changzhi..."

He patted the young man on the shoulder and said with a gratified smile, "But I don't think so. What similarities do you and Gu Changzhi have? If I had said this to him just now, he would have given me a punch without hesitation and knocked me to the ground... oh, I'm sorry, you can't beat me yet."

Gu Shen was stunned.

"Miss and the others are waiting for you, hurry up the mountain."

Gao Tian rubbed the cigarette ashes hard with his shoe sole, shook his lapels, and brushed off the dust.

He said easily, "Just pretend you never told me this, I'll forget everything about the conversation just now."

...

...

(ps: I had a bit of writer's block today, the transition chapter is almost complete, and I will update more tomorrow! Asking for monthly tickets!)