TSFLIP Chapter 376

Feng Guang asked, “What do you think Chisongzi’s answer meant?”

Fang Yue replied, “Chisongzi sought only the Dao, so he abandoned mortal attachments.”

“You’re right, but not entirely,” Feng Guang said, gazing at the pristine sky. “Chisongzi described himself as a thousand-year-old pine tree that never changes. But why was the woman content with his answer? Because he also said he grew up in the South, where such trees aren’t meant to survive. The woman realized she wasn’t the only one trapped in that painful love—Chisongzi suffered just as much. Her feelings were acknowledged and reciprocated. But why did she still choose to leave? Because someone had to let go. In every choice, there is a price to pay. That’s the first lesson of Zen: detachment.”

“Your interpretation is indeed more comprehensive.” To him, the tale of the celestial pine was merely a cautionary story—one meant to remind disciples to rid themselves of worldly emotions.

Feng Guang frowned. “But I still don’t understand. Humans are born with emotions and desires. If one must abandon them before attaining immortality, then how can they still be considered human? And if they are no longer human, how can they truly ascend?”

“That question… even I don’t have an answer to.” A breeze rustled through the bamboo, carrying his voice in a way that made it sound even more pleasant. “It seems you’ve encountered a dilemma on your path to enlightenment.”

“Exactly! There are so many things I don’t understand. Like, why must we abandon emotions and desires to become immortals? And once we do ascend, spending eternity in the clouds, watching the world shift and change… is that supposed to be fulfilling?”

“I don’t know the answers to those questions either. But I do know one thing—I cultivate not for ascension, but to rid the world of evil and bring peace to the land.”

“World peace, huh? That’s quite the noble ambition.”

“You sound quite young.”

Feng Guang giggled. “I just turned fifteen.”

In reality, she had long lost track of how old she truly was.

Fang Yue hesitated for a moment. “You’re only fifteen, yet you’ve already reached the Nascent Soul stage. At this rate, it won’t be long before you undergo tribulation and ascend.”

“I don’t want to ascend. Being a deity sounds boring. Finding my future husband sounds much more fun.”

“Future… husband?”

“Yeah, that man named Chu Yu. I’ve been waiting for him for fifteen years. I don’t even know if he’s good-looking or not. Sigh… even if he’s not, I’ll just have to work hard to fall for him—and make him fall for me too.”

She spoke with a wistful sigh, but on the other end, he fell into a strange silence.

“Fang Yue? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

After a brief pause, he spoke. “Perhaps… this Chu Yu isn’t particularly good-looking. Maybe you shouldn’t waste your time searching for him.”

“If giving up were that easy, then it wouldn’t be worth the effort in the first place.” Feng Guang sat up from the lounge chair, full of determination. “I’ve already decided—once I find him, I’ll do whatever it takes to make him fall for me.”

“Guniang…”

“Don’t try to talk me out of it. You wouldn’t understand.” She thought of Chu Yu’s ultimate fate—how he sacrificed himself to save Ye Jin, giving up his life for the sake of Li Qing and Ye Jin’s happiness. Clenching her fists, she declared, “I’m going to teach him to cherish his own life. He has to live happily with me. No tragic endings—he’s not allowed to just throw his life away like that.”

A happy ending—that was always her ultimate goal.