After rebirth, the eldest sister voluntarily abdicated and gave way to the wise.

Chapter 425 The Spirit Sea Lanterns Remain Untouched by Mortal World

Qin Beiyao blushed and hurriedly explained, "I... I'm not trying to steal anyone's work. I just want to help you do everything you want to do, so you can be happy every day."

Under the swaying river lanterns, the young man's eyes were sincere and passionate, just like those in the stories of talented scholars and beautiful women, meeting under the moon and spending the rest of their lives together.

Shui Lian'er felt her heart beating extremely fast, "thump-thump," "thump-thump," as if it were thundering.

She didn't dare look at Qin Beiyao's expression, so she lowered her head and quickly wrote down her wish. Then, when he wasn't looking, she threw it into the middle of the river.

He then clasped his hands together in front of his chest and closed his eyes reverently.

Qin Beiyao hadn't even seen what she had written yet when he anxiously tried to retrieve the lotus lantern, but Shui Lian'er grabbed him.

She laughed and scolded, "You idiot!"

She then pursed her lips, grabbed his clothes, took a step forward, and quickly placed a kiss on his cheek.

Before Qin Beiyao could react, she had already fluttered away like a butterfly into the bustling crowd.

He stood there stunned for several seconds, then touched his face in shock. His ears, cheeks, and even his neck turned bright red, as if they were on fire.

It took him a long time to remember to chase after the person.

"Lian'er!"

"Wait for me!"

The delicate lotus flowers sway gently in the river, their graceful characters reflected in the shimmering water:

May you be safe and sound on your path to immortality.

May I live a long and healthy life, and be with you for eternity.

Shi Tou stood by the water's edge, watching the two of them playfully bicker. The lantern he held trembled slightly as he turned his gaze away, looking elsewhere.

There, Jiang Liqian and Xu Youan were squatting.

Jiang Liqian had many lanterns in her hands. She didn't write any prayers on them, but instead drew pictures on each one. There were people, objects, birds, beasts, insects, fish, leisurely white clouds, and babbling brooks. In short, she drew whatever came to mind, and then put the lanterns into the water after she finished drawing them.

Xu Youan gave her all the lanterns he had, watching her paint and release them one by one. Only the Linghai lantern was held carefully in his hands.

After Jiang Liqian finished releasing the lanterns, she turned her head and looked at him curiously: "Aren't you going to release any lanterns?"

Although it's not very useful, it's still a kind of emotional support.

The lights illuminate people's wishes for a better future, don't they?

Xu Youan smiled, held the Spirit Sea Flower Lantern in his hand in front of her, and flipped his palm over, revealing a small cyan array plate hidden in the heart of the flower.

"Senior sister, do you believe that human will can overcome nature?"

Jiang Liqian's eyelashes trembled, she looked away, and nodded after a long while.

Xu Youan's smile widened.

"Then my wish will definitely come true. I don't need to rely on God; I can do it myself."

Jiang Liqian didn't understand the meaning behind his words, and asked curiously, "What is your wish...?"

Instead of answering, Xu Youan asked, "Does Senior Sister have a wish?"

Jiang Liqian was stunned.

Does she have a wish?

Have.

In my previous life, I cultivated Taoism and became an immortal, ensuring the eternal prosperity of my sect.

In this life, she wants to add one more thing: peace and well-being for her relatives and friends, and prosperity for all generations.

As she read this, she felt an urge to prostrate herself before the bright moon and pray for Heaven's mercy and favor.

But in the end, she did nothing.

She doesn't believe in that.

I didn't believe it in my past life, and I don't believe it in this life either.

Life and death are preordained, but man proposes, God disposes. If she only waits for Heaven's mercy, she will never become an immortal or attain enlightenment in her lifetime.

Xu Youan certainly knew what his senior sister's pride and ambition were. In the past, he resented fate and heaven, and what he hated most was his shabby life. But later, he still resented fate and heaven, but not for himself.

His senior sister refused to bow to heaven, so he bowed for her.

He prayed for her eternal happiness, that she would become an immortal and attain enlightenment, and that she would be joyful year after year.

Xu Youan stood up, holding the Linghai Flower Lantern in both hands, and slowly released it under the bright moonlight.

The Linghai lanterns do not descend to the mortal world, but slowly rotate upwards toward the high blue sky.

Xu Youan stared at it steadily, then bent down, knelt down, and kowtowed deeply.

Heavens above, if you truly look down upon us insignificant ants, if you have even a shred of pity, I beg you, I'm willing to give anything for it, please grant me a little luck, grant me a little grace to save her.

Let her become an immortal or a god, and let her achieve her path.

"Junior Brother, you..." Jiang Liqian was stunned, completely unexpected that Xu Youan would kowtow and kneel so sincerely. In her opinion, he should be even less inclined to believe in heaven and fate than she was.

She even absurdly felt that making him kneel before heaven and earth was tantamount to breaking his spine, trampling on his self-esteem, and negating all the meaning of his life.

How could he...?

What desire did he have that made him willing to go to such lengths?

Xu Youan smiled at her with arched eyebrows, and only when the Linghai Flower Lantern floated into the sky and could no longer be seen did he stand up, take two steps in one to walk to her side, raise his hand, and gently tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Senior sister," he paused, then suddenly pulled something from his back and showed it to her, "look what this is."

Jiang Liqian was stunned for a moment, then slowly opened her eyes wide, looking at the thing in his hand with surprise: "Tangren?! How did you know I wanted this?"

Xu Youan raised an eyebrow smugly.

His gaze never left his senior sister. How could he not know what those five seconds of her gaze lingered on the sugar figurine stall meant?

Jiang Liqian inexplicably felt that the other party had seen through her. Her face flushed, she coughed loudly, deliberately put on a stern face, established the dignity of the senior sister, and solemnly warned him: "Those who cultivate the Dao should put their minds on cultivation. Stop playing these petty tricks in the future, as they will affect the Great Dao."

But her hand honestly snatched the sugar figurine depicting Chang'e flying to the moon from his hand and took a bite.

It's so sweet, just like the one my mother used to buy for me when I remembered it.

Standing on the rocks on the riverbank, watching the two of them happily eating candy and talking, my gaze shifted again and landed on Su Yanqing, who had been silent ever since they arrived at the river.

He was looking up at the lanterns floating on the river, their light and shadow rising and falling, illuminating his eyes inch by inch, only to be reflected back by the deep shimmer of the water. The evening breeze blew on him like endless, chilling rain.

The rising sun is gone, and the morning star has never shone.

Is he... missing someone?

On the bustling street, surrounded by people and amidst the hustle and bustle, he couldn't help but feel lonely and couldn't help but think of someone.

But that person was no longer by his side.

The stone stopped looking at him, loosened its grip, and the lantern fell to the ground with a crash, shattering into pieces.

-

The six of them had a blast at the Lantern Festival, and it didn't end until very late. Instead, they went into a teahouse, sat by the window, and watched the opera being performed on the water stage.