3 Our Measly Lives
If not a human, then what was she? An immortal? Definitely not! Compared to immortals, Xinyu's humble life could only be compared to that of a bug—easily squashed at the whims of immortals!
In the Five Realms, one rule stood above all: the strongest always wins! Those with the ability to cultivate Qing energy could raise their powers and become a revered immortal. Those who couldn't cultivate could only be named trash!
Unfortunately, that meant that mortals stood at the bottom of the power chain. Mortals were naturally born without Qing energy and only lived up to a mere hundred years. Approximately, only one in a few hundred mortal children would be able to cultivate. But even if they could cultivate, they would have to work twice as hard if they wanted to become an immortal. Some wouldn't even be able to pass the threshold to eternal life after spending a whole lifetime cultivating and would only die in vain!
Luckily for Xinyu, she was not a mortal, but a plant spirit instead!
As a natural part of the world itself, spirits were naturally born with a fair amount of Qing energy. Although nothing compared to immortals, they were still gifted with a lifespan of nearly a thousand years! But even with their innate ability to cultivate, spirits were unambitious and modest by nature, so most chose not to cultivate—living out their thousand years in peace only to become one with the Earth again.
Usually, spirits could only be found in the other four realms, but due to complications, Xinyu, Aunt Yanfei, and Old Deng had come to dwell in the Mortal Realm. Because of their unnatural existence in the Mortal Realm, they lived in hiding all these years.
But how did a group of spirits manage to live in the Mortal Realm for several decades without being discovered by the mortals? Easy! It was because they lived near Shuijing City!
Shuijing City was a port town right off the Great Flowing River, and with that came great business. Merchants and customers came and went like the winding rivers that never turned back. New faces showed up every day except for the few regulars and locals that came occasionally to check out the new merchandise and exotic goods. Even if some familiar faces showed up, no one paid heed to their existence.
This fact made Shuijing City the perfect location for plant spirits like Xinyu, Aunt Yanfei, and Old Deng to mingle within the Mortal Realm. If it were anywhere else, faces that barely showed traces of aging over several human generations would spark the unwanted suspicions of measly mortals, especially the ones with powdered faces and generous bosoms.
Xinyu walked past a small group of the said creatures, all of whom were just barely over the suitable age for marriage. They gossiped obnoxiously with each other as if no one could hear them.
Xinyu shook her head in disapproval. She could never understand why female mortals loved idle talk so much.
Today, they talked about the woman who stood by the dock.
Xinyu glanced towards the docks.
Upon the shore, a woman stood solemnly with an unwavering composure as she stared off into the never-ending river. She had a slim build and a pale, ghastly complexion that hinted at her poverty.
"Did you hear about what happened to her?" One of the obnoxious girls asked eagerly. "I heard her husband of five years left her for the arms of a young, wealthy maiden!"
"Yes! I heard about it recently too. He even left her with his two kids! Poor woman!" Another added with a look of pity.
"I hear she sells her body at the brothel every night! Yet, she still has the audacity to come to the docks to await her estranged husband during the day. Despicable!" A girl spat with contempt.
"Now, now, don't be too harsh on her. She's only trying to provide for her children," one tried to placate and sighed with sympathy. "After all, we're only women. How else could a single mother make a living in this world?"
"She's just a fool!" The disdainful girl scorned. "Does she really think he'll return to her? Of course, he would choose a young, wealthy maiden over an old hag!"
Xinyu merely walked past their gossip, a mask of no emotions hiding her true thoughts.
"How pitiful," Xinyu mused.
All these events were predestined by Fate already; it was merely the natural flow of the world. Why must mortals always dwell in the past—about matters out of their power the moment they were born? By not accepting their fate and moving on to the present, they were only torturing themselves.
She silently sighed and continued her stroll.
Upon reaching the center of the bustling city, Xinyu stopped at the city board. Often it would be filled with indistinguishable flyers that ranged from shop advertisements to shipment updates at the dock, but today a large, white scroll replaced the usual mess. The scroll read:
"Greetings, fellow people of the Mortal Realm,
It is my honor to announce the commencement of the Annual White Cloud Sect Entrance Qualification Exam. The first day of the examination will take place at the base of Mount Reverence on the 25th day of the 4th Moon. You must arrive before the peak of noon, or you will not be able to enter the testing zone. No exceptions will be made. I look forward to seeing new talents this year.
May the stars be upon you.
Head Disciple Anguo"
"25th of the 4th Moon? Isn't that just a few weeks from today?" Xinyu quietly contemplated as her hazel eyes appraised the handiwork.
The calligraphy was elegant and graceful, each stroke flowed like the effortless dancing of willow leaves; yet, it also emitted strength and precision with each decisive stroke showing no signs of hesitation. Whoever this Head Disciple Anguo was, he must be someone of integrity and worthy of respect!
Xinyu nodded her head in approval. Truly magnificent!
It was only then that she noticed the stench that whiffed under her nose—a crowd had gathered to read the announcement. Her freckled face frowned in displeasure.
It seemed she had admired the work of art a moment too long because when she tried to squeeze out of the growing horde of sweaty bodies, Xinyu could not escape without being tossed and pushed around like a bag of rice.
When she finally got out of the smelly assembly, Xinyu gasped desperately for fresh air. Never once has she been so thankful for air in her seventy years of life!
She quickly straightened her robe, touched the plum blossom hairpin on her messy top-knot to make sure it wasn't misplaced in the mob, and walked away as fast as she could without seeming suspicious.
Humans should take time to wash more!
⁎⁎⁎⁎
For the next few hours, Xinyu continued to observe the mortals, never daring to interact with them, only watching them with afar. But despite her attempt at detachment, she had to admit, mortals were quite intriguing!
Not even a day has passed, and she had already witnessed a beggar reveal himself to be the long-lost father of a sophisticated, young man, a poor family forced into selling their only daughter into prostitution for a mere month's worth of rice, and a local official quickly going from fortune to dishonor after being exposed for corruption.
So many lives intertwined in this small city!
However, in Xinyu's heart, none of this beat the taste of the sweet glutinous rice balls in her hands. She had managed to sneak the desserts into her sleeves earlier when the owner of a food stand shifted his attention to another customer. Her usual blank expression when dealing with mortals would gleam with satisfaction upon every bite. Indeed, it was the simple things in life that brought true happiness.
When the Sun finally descended down the vast Sky, Xinyu took a bite out of the last rice ball and prepared to head back home. Aunt Yanfei ought to have cooled off by now!
But even when the Sun laid down to rest, Shuijing City still stirred with life as people fervently hustled about the streets. To avoid any interactions, Xinyu evaded the main streets and took the long route through some small alleys.
As she approached the backway, however, a loud, sharp slapping noise caught her attention; it was followed by a painful yelp.
Xinyu turned to look at the commotion.
