After Feng Miaojun and Yun Ya left the garden, the Divine God also stood up, pushed open the vermilion small door, and walked out.
They had walked through the same door, yet the scene outside was completely different.
This was a library, with soft pearl lamps, and walls lined with antique wooden shelves that seemed to have no ceiling.
Indeed, this tower soared into the clouds without a top. Arranged on the shelves were books of varying thickness, as well as various strange and peculiar objects.
As soon as she walked in, two beautiful children about five or six years old came running with pattering steps, affectionately grabbing her sleeves:
“Mother!”
Their little faces were almost identical, like jade boys from a New Year painting. Their bright eyes flashed with golden light, long and slightly upturned, already showing the shape of phoenix eyes.
The Divine God took out a small round bottle from her sleeve and handed it to them: “Take this and put it away properly.”
“The Miniature Bottle? This bottle is so beautiful, with tiny houses and mountains inside.” The children competed to stroke the bottle, smiling and wheedling the Divine God. “Mother, let us play with it for a while.”
Everything in the bottle was like a static scene, seemingly unchanging throughout the years, except for the occasional fish leaping out of the water behind the house.
“Still thinking about playing?” The Divine God’s face darkened, her delicate features instantly becoming infinitely imposing. “Last time you two were playing, you broke the Three Lives Stone and snapped many people’s fate lines of marriage. Hmph, that was a serious offense—I haven’t yet settled accounts with you two!”
The two children shrank back, each pointing at the other, saying in unison: “Mother, it was all his fault!”
A smile played at the corners of the Divine God’s mouth: “Your father is about to return. If he hears that you two have caused trouble again, he’ll at least punish you by making you revert to your original forms, not allowing you to speak for a hundred years.”
The children exchanged glances, no longer passing the blame. They quickly placed the Miniature Bottle on the topmost shelf, then fawningly begged her: “Mother, we don’t want to make Father angry.”
She snorted: “Choose your punishment.”
“You can throw us to Grand Uncle’s place!” One of them, with quick-rolling bright eyes, showed the cleverness reminiscent of her own youthful spirit.
The other child quickly agreed: “Yes! Grand Uncle’s world of Huaxia has no spiritual energy. Demons going there is like imprisonment—the most severe punishment.”
“Grand Uncle always says he’s a mortal and that seeing us once means one less opportunity to see us.” The child clutched her sleeve corner, softly coaxing, “Good Mother, let us go keep him company and show our filial piety.”
The Divine God was torn between laughter and tears.
Is this punishment? These two little creatures were afraid of being disciplined, afraid of the hardships of cultivation, and still wanted to play. That’s why they thought of going to Huaxia. The flow of time there was vastly different from the Seven Heavenly Realms—a thousand years might pass in the Divine Tree world while only a few short years passed in Huaxia.
As they were speaking, a sudden gust of wind blew in from outside, and then the sky darkened—the light that had been shining through the window was blocked by a suddenly appearing black form. It was so enormous that looking out the window was like seeing a leopard through a tube; its full appearance could not be discerned, only that its back was more massive than mountains. It moved sinuously along the trunk of the Divine Tree, its scales appearing cold and hard in the sunlight.
The children squealed in fright: “Father is back! Mother, save us! Quick, send us away!”
The Divine God shook her head, ultimately unable to bear the thought of them with blistered bottoms. She waved her hand in the air as if cutting open a canvas, revealing a twinkling starry sky within, like another world.
She picked up the two children and threw them into the space-time rift, then dusted off her hands: “Stay there for twenty years before you’re allowed to return!” That would serve as their punishment.
The rift disappeared, and space returned to calmness as if nothing had happened.
The Divine God opened another door, smiling until her eyes narrowed: “You’re back?”
A deep, magnetic voice came from outside:
“Yes. Is everything well?”
“Uh, I suppose so.” She walked out, closing the door behind her. “The Heavenly Ladder in Jambudvipa was broken and has just been repaired.”
The library suddenly fell silent. A ray of sunlight peeked through the window, illuminating a line of small characters that had quietly formed beneath the Miniature Bottle:
“2018.5.1-2019.2.19, Jambudvipa, Feng Miaojun & Yun Ya.”
—
Happy Lantern Festival to all:
“State Preceptor” has been serialized until today, and is now complete.
This is Shuiyun’s second completed work, bringing both joy and infinite reflection. The previous book, “Ning Xiaoxian’s Divine Records,” ended on the eighteenth day of the first lunar month in 2018, which was Shuiyun’s birthday. Counting to now, we’ve gone through another book’s cycle.
“State Preceptor” contains many Easter eggs from “Ning Xiaoxian.” Interested readers can compare them one by one. Additionally, Yun Ya was born on the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, which is also the birthday of Shuiyun’s grandfather and husband; Yun Ya and Feng Miaojun married on the second day of the second month, which is also Shuiyun and Mr. Yun’s wedding anniversary.
Happiness exists not only in books but equally in the real world.
This epilogue chapter can be considered an Easter egg for readers of “State Preceptor,” while readers of “Ning Xiaoxian” can view it as a side story—consider it the “little bun” side story that Shuiyun owes everyone. Now readers probably understand that “State Preceptor” is a sister piece to “Ning Xiaoxian’s Divine Records,” with completely different stories but minor character crossovers.
Feng Miaojun’s love story is entirely different from Ning Xiaoxian’s. The latter affirmed her feelings with Chang Tian very early, and they loved each other steadily and solidly. The former had to repeatedly endure endless suspicion and wariness, always on edge.
However, in the end, they both reached the other shore.
As Shuiyun said at the end of the previous book, love takes countless forms, and no one can clearly define it. The love described in “State Preceptor” is not pure—there are personality clashes, opposing standpoints, entangled interests, and calculations everywhere—perhaps very close to our reality.
But that they can overcome all difficulties to be together in the end—isn’t that more moving than a prince-princess style of love?
What is true love? True love may not be what you initially thought it was.
At this point, Shuiyun would like to request that readers who have finished this book write long reviews in the comment section. Administrators will select those with unique insights, humorous language, and fair comments to highlight and pin, to accompany this book continuously.
New readers need your guidance.
There will be no additional side stories for this tale, as Shuiyun is truly tired and needs to empty her mind, adjust, rest, and prepare for the next book.
Next comes the natural announcement:
The new book will likely begin in early April 2019. The main element will still be fantasy, and it will be an independent and complete… series of stories. At that time, all reader groups and the Weibo account “Fengxing Shuiyun is a Foodie” will have preview notifications.
The ever-unsatisfied Shuiyun will try more innovative writing styles.
So, please stay tuned.