Chapter 733: Starlight Like Gossamer
In the mountain area bathed by the sunset, three young men and women sat atop a peak, gazing at the distant sunset that gradually dyed the world in beautiful red.
“Tell me, do you believe in fate?” asked one of them.
“How could there be such a thing as fate? If there were, wouldn’t everything I do be predetermined by heaven? That would make life so dull. I don’t believe it,” replied a boy with a handsome face lying on the grassy slope. He lay with his arms behind his head, looking at the distant sunset.
“But sometimes, I feel that many things were already decided long ago. After that, I’m just following the path laid out for me,” another boy said, sitting on a rock with his legs dangling, gazing at the sky.
“Even though there seem to be endless choices, the person making those choices and the circumstances around them were already set. What follows afterward won’t deviate much.”
“Copper Candle is contemplating life again,” a girl came over, holding a bundle of freshly picked wheat. She sat on the grass between the two boys.
“Is there anything wrong with that?” The girl counted the grains of wheat in her hand under the sunset.
“The world is what I see, the road is what I walk. Everything is within the changes of heaven and earth, and all comes from my choices and desires.”
“So, isn’t this way of living good?”
“But if such choices lead to bad things in the future,” the boy on the rock looked at the girl and asked.
“That too would be acceptable, because I am doing what I want. To regret past actions until death would be far more terrifying,” the girl’s face was warm from the sunset, her eyes filled with serenity.
“Haha, Copper Candle has once again outdebated Glo.”
“You silly guy,” the boy on the rock jumped down, and they began wrestling on the grass.
The girl beside them watched helplessly but did not intervene, as she was used to such scenes. She bundled the wheat in her hand and stood up, dusting off her skirt.
“I’ll go back to cook dinner. I still need to learn from that witch tonight.”
“Wait, don’t leave, Glo. Why don’t we all go to your place for dinner? I’ll bring some meat. They say these mountains have become quite barren recently.”
“Alright, but hurry back. If you’re late, I might not be here.”
The two boys agreed loudly and then ran playfully up the hill, their shadows stretching long and swaying in the sunset. Occasionally, their arguments echoed through the air.
—
In the mountain area, heavy black clouds covered the sky, making it pitch-black beneath.
At this moment, these thick clouds seemed to be pushed aside by a giant hand, revealing a stunningly beautiful starry sky.
The vast Milky Way spread across the night sky, with countless stars dotting the heavens. Below, the continuous mountain range resembled building blocks, while the battling beasts and black birds appeared as tiny specks of dust.
Tiny starlight, having traveled millions of light-years, appeared in the sky and then fell to earth.
The vast Milky Way seemed like a gossamer veil hanging from the sky, dreamlike and exquisite.
Underneath, the entire continent was enveloped. Whether it was the desolate north, the coastal southern border, the eastern cloud mountains, or the western Longquan Bay, one could see the aurora curtains descending from the night sky.
Fresh winds rose from the seas, sweeping across the continent, carrying the beautiful starlight.
Lolan Hill, with her silver hair, soared from the mountain, her body resembling a beautiful kite, riding the vast wind.
Her hair danced freely, her eyes shimmering with the brilliance of the starry river. Countless stars and winds were held in the hands of this witch, known as a miracle worker.
The dark clouds covering thousands of miles were dispelled by the starlight and wind, disappearing completely.
The night sky had never been clearer and brighter, like frosted glass polished to clarity. The starry river revealed itself in an unprecedentedly beautiful manner.
As the girl’s fingers swept across the sky, the flames on earth extinguished, and countless frenzied and scorching sensations were removed. All creatures became calm and peaceful.
The corpses of the battling beasts and ghostly birds were forced to stop, gazing at the beautiful starry sky.
A gentle breeze rose from the girl’s palm, sweeping downward, carrying star dust everywhere.
The entire night seemed to be enveloped by fireflies, becoming hazy and dreamlike.
Then, those departed souls gradually turned into star dust, dissipating in the gentle breeze.
The towering corpse of the beast now crumbled like ashes, layer by layer, turning into smoke and dust, vanishing into the air. Finally, a hexagonal stone cabinet hung alone in the sky.
Soon after, this stone cabinet also disintegrated into dust, revealing its contents.
Of the six deceased corpses, only one remained active; the rest turned to dust and vanished.
This sole survivor, with white hair and a withered figure, still had a glimmer of light in his eyes. He was exposed in panic and weakness to the night sky, gently lowered by the breeze, landing on the ground.
The ghostly birds that had been soaring earlier had long since ceased flying, perched on a hill, their heads bowed in awe before the small figure amidst the starlight.
Soon, a melodious west wind arose from the sea, carrying countless droplets of water, surging over mountains, arriving at this moment.
The starlit night, without clouds or moon, saw raindrops fall amidst the clear wind.
Clear streams flowed through the mountains, washing away the dust, mud, blood, and countless sorrows on the earth.
Then, the silver-haired figure strummed the emerald strings, and seven-colored butterflies carried seeds to the fresh wilderness after the rain.
Gentle music echoed through the mountains, soothing and soft, calming the restless hearts.
Subsequently, tender buds sprouted in the mountains, fields, and valleys.
These tender green shoots swayed gently in the breeze, growing and rising steadily.
The lush green color gradually covered the barren land, adorning it with richness and beauty.
The Chibi people emerged from the ruins, curiously and astonishingly watching the growing trees beside them.
Fresh green leaves, enticing red berries, and pure white flowers blooming in the treetops.
Pushing through the thick grass and shrubs, some climbed to the mountaintop, gazing at the magnificent starry sky below.
The mountainside was covered with lush vegetation, like an emerald courtyard.
The starlight danced and moved above, like a procession accompanying the beautiful silver-haired figure as she toured the mountain scenery under the night sky. Holding a seven-stringed zither, she sat in the night wind, playing a melodious tune.
Beautiful orchids bloomed from the darkness, their stamens glowing faintly with a pale yellow tinged with blue, beautiful and dreamlike.
On the ground, these orchids spread like ripples, blooming wherever they went, their glow like sand, decorating the night.
At the places where these glowing flowers bloomed, the complex and chaotic necromantic magic was absorbed, the turbid atmosphere in the soil gradually disappearing, making the land fertile and normal.
Thus, numerous plants grew even more luxuriantly.
Finally, the night sky gradually calmed, and the girl slowly descended. She walked through the sea of glowing flowers, her steps brushing against the petals, coming to an incredibly aged figure.
Crane Feather struggled to open his eyes, looking around, then at the girl among the flowers, revealing a smile of realization and regret.
“So it is. So it is. How wrong I was.”
“Isn’t this the life and world I yearned for? I discarded it completely and failed to fulfill my master Copper Candle’s trust.”
“Wu… cough… wu…”
Tears streamed down uncontrollably, he grabbed the small jade feather at his waist, piercing his heart, and fell slowly, lifeless.
The girl watched this departing figure, her fingers gently passing over him, his body turning into dust and dispersing into the world.
At this moment, the sun rose again on the horizon, its morning light gradually illuminating the flower sea, lighting up this new world.
(The End)
