Breaking through the illusion of the mortal world

Chapter 87 Drowning Sorrows in Alcohol, Mistaking Someone for Someone Else

The light from the teleportation array in Fufeng City faded, and Lu Ming once again set foot on the land of Tianque City.

Compared to the hurried pace of life two years ago, my state of mind is completely different now.

He no longer felt the alienation and bewilderment of returning to the world for the first time, nor the embarrassment of being penniless.

He found a well-known place called Xianyuanju in the city and asked for a superior room with a private courtyard.

The inn is quiet and elegant, with artificial hills and rocks in the courtyard, and the sound of flowing water. Several hibiscus trees stretch their branches and leaves under the soft moonlight, exuding a faint and pleasant fragrance.

After closing the door, Lu Ming sat quietly for a moment and took out an ordinary green bamboo writing brush.

This was a farewell gift from Hu Zhen to him years ago, which he named Xianxian.

Past images flooded my mind like a tide, so clear it felt like it happened just yesterday.

At that time, the girl's eyes were curved, but she was reluctant to part: "When I was in school, Grandpa let you sit at my desk and taught me how to study. If I achieve success in my cultivation in the future, will you take me with you?"

"But Grandpa said that this departure might not be for decades, or even ever come back."

"I don't know when we'll meet again. Please accept this pen as a keepsake; I hope you can reach me through Daoqi..."

At that time, the young boys and girls were innocent and naive, and thought it was just an ordinary thing.

Perhaps Hu Zhen only ever considered him a close friend, while he quietly kept those feelings hidden in his heart as time went by.

At the age of twelve, nearly forty years have passed in the blink of an eye. Six years of cultivation at the Taoist academy, thirty years of hardship in the land of immortal ruins, and more than two years of travel and seclusion at the Zhenwu Sect.

More than thirty years have passed in a flash, like a lifetime ago, but Hu Zhen's words remain clearly etched in my memory.

The beauty is far away, and the pain of longing lingers...

Lu Ming's fingertips caressed the pen, his heart churning with longing and unspeakable regret. His gaze gradually became unfocused.

People who run and gasp for breath in the flow of time keep moving forward, never able to go back.

Lu Ming took a jar of strong liquor, uncorked it, and drank it down in large gulps. The spicy liquor burned his chest, but Lu Ming didn't care.

He drank one sip after another, and the effects of the alcohol quickly took hold. Leaning against the vermilion railing, gazing at the lonely moon in the sky, he felt completely dizzy.

It's not the wine that intoxicates, but the person themselves.

The moonlight before Lu Ming's eyes blurred into a hazy glow, with only the soft sound of silver bells, seemingly both near and far.

The hibiscus in the corner of the courtyard was as white as snow, swaying gently in the wind, its fragrance wafting in the air. Such a beautiful scene fell into his eyes, but he was left with only loneliness.

Just as I was drifting off to sleep, a clear, melodious sound like silver bells broke the stillness of the night.

Immediately afterwards, a charming yet arrogant voice rang out from behind: "You naive fool, what a coincidence to run into you here."

Lu Ming felt the effects of the alcohol, his head was heavy and his feet were light. Hearing this, he slowly turned around. In his blurred vision, he only saw a fair figure standing at the gate of the courtyard.

The girl's figure was graceful and lithe, with a silver thread tied to a jade hairpin in her hair, and the rest of her black hair hanging down her shoulders, covered by a plain shawl as thin as a cicada's wing.

Her skin was as white as snow, her eyes were cool and aloof, and she possessed an innate nobility.

The string of silver bells on her wrist swayed gently, tinkling softly, adding a touch of girlish liveliness.

The blurry, delicate silhouette gradually overlapped with the girl from Qinghe Village in his memory. Lu Ming's eyes grew increasingly unfocused, and he blurted out, "Hu Zhen... is that you?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Ning Qingxue, who was standing at the gate of the courtyard, was taken aback for a moment. Then, a playful smile appeared on her lips as she slowly walked into the courtyard.

The silver bells jingled, and each step was crisp and clear.

She raised her hand to cover her nose, glancing disdainfully at the shards of the wine glass on the floor, her tone tinged with anger: "Hu Zhen? You idiot, are you drunk? Who do you think I am?"

Her voice was clear and crisp, like jade shattering on stone, which suddenly jolted Lu Ming awake.

Lu Ming blinked, his vision gradually clearing, and when he saw the person's face clearly, his face instantly burned even hotter.

He clutched the wine jar in his hand awkwardly, stammering, "I'm sorry, I... I had too much to drink and mistook you for someone else."

Seeing his embarrassed expression, Ning Qingxue's anger instantly dissipated. Instead, she smiled broadly, her eyes crinkling, and the silver bells jingled even louder with her movements.

She took a few steps closer, looking down at him with her chin slightly raised, her arrogance tinged with a hint of willfulness: "I can tell, you're completely drunk, you can't even recognize people, you really are a greenhorn."

"Is she so desperate for her lover? Hiding in this little courtyard drowning her sorrows in alcohol, it's utterly unsightly."

Lu Ming was so embarrassed by her words that he sobered up considerably. He leaned against the railing, hugging the edge of the wine jar.

Looking at Ning Qingxue's aloof and arrogant face, a surge of regret welled up in his heart, and he inexplicably blurted out:

"You said...don't people always miss out on the people they care about? If you meet someone only to miss them anyway, then what's the point of meeting them?"

Ning Qingxue's smile faltered. She raised an eyebrow at him, a hint of surprise in her eyes, and her silvery voice tinkled softly: "What? Did I hit the nail on the head? You're really troubled by love? You naive boy, you actually have such worries?"

She had only meant it as a casual joke, but Lu Ming seemed to have found an outlet for his feelings. He took another gulp of wine, his gaze drifting to the hibiscus in the corner of the courtyard, and said softly:

"She was my childhood friend. We studied and grew up together. I thought I would have a chance to express my feelings, but more than 30 years have passed since then. When I heard about her again, it was no longer related to me."

He turned to look at Ning Qingxue, his eyes filled with struggle as he earnestly asked, "Will unspoken feelings ultimately remain only hidden in the heart, becoming a lifelong regret?"

The question was asked with far too much seriousness, completely lacking the composure of the past, leaving only the bewilderment of a young boy.

Ning Qingxue felt somewhat uncomfortable under his focused gaze and listening to his tender questions.

She frowned slightly, feeling a surge of annoyance that this hothead had taken her as someone to confide in.

She raised her chin, her tone turning colder and tinged with impatience: "What's with all this talk about sentiments and regrets? Stop dawdling."

"She was just a sweetheart; once she's gone, she's gone. There are plenty of other women in the world; is she really worth all this heartbreak?"

Her words were blunt and cold, like a bucket of cold water poured on Lu Ming's heart.

Looking at Ning Qingxue's unsympathetic face, his sense of loss deepened, yet he couldn't help but press on, with a hint of stubbornness:

"You don't understand. That kind of missed opportunity is one you can never go back to. She's unique. Haven't you ever cared about someone, never worried about missing out?"

"Me?" Ning Qingxue scoffed as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world, put her hands on her hips, and made the silver bells on her wrists ring rapidly with her movements.

"I've never failed to get what I want, so how can I say I've missed out? It's you, a dignified cultivator, who's so easily discouraged by these trivial matters of love and romance. You're truly pathetic."

She paused, looking at Lu Ming's still bewildered expression, her anger flared even more. She felt she had wasted so much time talking to this clueless fool. She spoke with rage:

"I don't care about your mistakes or errors; mistaking me for someone else today is already an offense."

"If you dare spout this nonsense in front of me again, don't blame me for throwing you out!"

Lu Ming felt a pang of pain in his heart at her words, and seeing her angry expression, he felt nothing but helplessness.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but saw Ning Qingxue's eyebrows furrow and she shatter his wine jar with a flick of her sleeve.

Then she turned and left, throwing down a parting remark as she reached the courtyard gate: "You greenhorn, don't let me see you looking so pathetic again! It's unsightly!"

Ning Qingxue's figure quickly disappeared into the night, and the sound of the silver bells gradually faded away, leaving only Lu Ming standing alone in the courtyard.

The wine at the bottom of the jar spilled all over the ground, and I felt a mix of emotions.

On the other side, Ning Qingxue returned to her courtyard in a huff, where the woman in purple was already waiting.

Seeing that her complexion was not good and the silver bell on her wrist was still trembling slightly, he called softly, "Qingxue, what's wrong? Did someone make you angry?"

Ning Qingxue kicked a stone bench in the courtyard, making her silver bell jingle. Her voice was full of anger: "Who else could it be but that hothead Lu Ming!"

"How awful! He was completely drunk and mistook me for his sweetheart, spouting all that rambling nonsense. It was so annoying!"

Upon hearing this, the woman in purple slowly walked forward, her gaze sweeping towards the courtyard where Lu Ming was:

"Oh? He actually mistook you for his sweetheart? Hehehe..." The woman in purple covered her mouth and chuckled.

"In just two short years, his cultivation level has suddenly increased from the early stage of Foundation Establishment to the Great Perfection, and his martial arts have even reached the Five Qi Realm. He also possesses a hidden Qi treasure, so he is no ordinary person. You should avoid conflicts with him in the future to prevent it from interfering with important matters."

"I can't be bothered with him." Ning Qingxue turned her face away, still with that arrogant look, and flicked her sleeve. "He's just a hothead. Even if his cultivation is good, so what? If he messes with me, I'll still teach him a lesson!"

The woman in purple gently shook her head: "The ruins of the Heavenly Pivot Holy Land are about to appear, and the aura of the Divine Continent Cauldron is growing stronger."

"Li Jingyun, who is known as one of the two prodigies of the Dao Academy, has also arrived in Tianque City."

"And this Lu Ming clearly has a close relationship with the Zhenwu Sect, and is very likely a personal disciple of some reclusive old monster."

"With all forces gathered here, Tianque City is about to descend into chaos. Remember to be cautious in your future actions and avoid causing unnecessary trouble due to momentary impulses."

Ning Qingxue pouted, though she was impatient, she knew Aunt Zi's intention. She gently stroked the silver bell on her wrist with her fingertips and replied in a muffled voice, "I know, Aunt Zi."

In Lu Ming's courtyard, the night breeze carried the subtle fragrance of hibiscus and dispelled the last trace of alcohol.

Lu Ming leaned against the railing, gazing in the direction Ning Qingxue had left, and sighed softly.

He carefully wiped the wine-stained bamboo brush clean and put it deep inside his storage bag.

For some reason, he always felt so embarrassed and helpless whenever he saw Ning Qingxue.

He looked up at the lonely moon in the sky. The moonlight was cold and clear, and it fell on the courtyard, reflecting the mess on the ground.