Eternal Tale

The area beneath the city tower remained bustling, with people coming and going.

Chen Xun quietly carved decayed wood, blending into the marketplace yet seeming detached from the world, out of place amidst the bustling crowd.

Beside him, Xiao Wuhen was energetically shouting and selling, with the wooden sign still standing next to him. He had become much more cheerful and lively, without any embarrassment, as everyone was shouting.

Moreover, his father had always said that earning spirit stones through one’s own skills, without stealing or robbing, was never shameful.

This saying had a profound impact on him, especially since his father truly lived by it, whether it was farming, selling grilled skewers, or writing herbal remedies... he did everything himself.

Though not as wealthy as the affluent families in the city, it was enough for their daily expenses. He had never seen anyone as capable as his father.

While Xiao Wuhen shouted, he also tidied up the wood carvings that passersby had disturbed.

After a moment, two shadows slowly approached.

Xiao Wuhen, smiling, was about to greet them when he was startled and turned his head to shout, ”Dad, it’s that young man with the horse.”

He remembered this person quite well, as it was rare for his father to praise someone, which was harder than reaching the heavens!”Boss.” The young man from before approached slowly, a gentle smile on his lips. ”I never expected to meet you here after so many years.”

”Hehe.” Chen Xun’s amiable laughter rang out, but he didn’t look up. ”It seems we are fated to meet. Let me finish this wood carving, and then I’ll attend to you.”

”Boss, we’re not in a hurry.” The man nodded with a smile, no longer as reserved as before. His gaze shifted downward, intently watching the unfinished wood carving.

It was a statue of an old man... but the eyes seemed to have been carved incorrectly.

However, the man was no longer the naive youth he once was. A hint of imperceptible shock appeared in his eyes as he continued to look at the array of wood carvings.

People, beasts, all were present.

But to use the term ”lifelike” to praise them seemed insufficient!

The man took a deep breath. These mythical beast-like creatures couldn’t possibly be ordinary beasts; they must be the legendary fierce beasts and spirit beasts...

The horse beside him seemed completely captivated, its eyes unblinking.

”Boss...” The man couldn’t help but speak.

”Go ahead,” Chen Xun said softly, still meticulously carving the decayed wood.

”The forms of these wood carvings must have significant origins, not like ordinary creatures.”

”Young man, what are ordinary creatures?” Chen Xun asked casually.

The man’s face showed a trace of embarrassment and awkwardness, as if his previous calm demeanor was just an act.

He instinctively patted the nose of the horse beside him, coughed lightly, and said, ”Well... creatures that can’t cultivate immortality. Have you ever been to the world of cultivating immortality, Boss?”

The horse gave the man a disdainful look, as if to say, ”What kind of question is that? Do you even know how to talk?”

It nudged its head, quickly shaking off the man’s hand. The man widened his eyes, glaring at the horse, as if to say, ”Can’t you see your big brother is handling business here? You’ll pay for this later!”

The horse displayed a very human-like expression, conveying only one meaning: ”Hmph.”

It then ignored the man, focusing again on the displayed wood carvings. It had to buy a few today; why hadn’t the boss thought to give it one last time...

Chen Xun’s eyes flickered, his steady demeanor unyielding as he continued carving without looking up, yet he inadvertently glanced at them, though no one noticed this subtle action.

He spoke softly, ”I’ve never been there, only seen some mountains and rivers, and that’s all I remember. These mythical wood carvings are just based on stories from the mortal world.”

Xiao Wuhen remained silent, knowing he couldn’t interrupt when his father spoke; it was a family rule.

He actually wanted to tell this brother that although his father hadn’t been to the world of cultivating immortality, he did farm for the immortal sects, and many of these carvings depicted the weaker beasts of the sects.

Xiao Wuhen also wanted to boast about his father, but his father never gave him the chance!

The man realized, nodding, ”I see. It seems those who do this kind of craft have truly boundless imaginations. I can’t do it, but I’m decent at raising this stubborn horse...”

He then continued, ”So it seems these wood carvings are pieced together from stories in the books.”

Chen Xun’s nimble hands paused suddenly. After a moment of silence, he smiled, ”Indeed, what you see is a long story from the books, though many wood carvings have been bought, making it seem incomplete.”

”Boss, that’s truly a shame.” The man shook his head regretfully, with a hint of sighing, but he still seemed to be putting on an adult-like demeanor. ”With your extraordinary craftsmanship, a complete ensemble of wood carvings would surely be quite stunning.”

He was actually curious about the story the boss mentioned, with so many strange creatures present.

However, Chen Xun shook his head, his expression serious, ”It’s not a shame. They have only temporarily left this path and have not decayed, nor disappeared from my memory, so they remain complete.”

His tone was solemn and profound, each word resonating with an indescribable strength.

As he finished speaking, Chen Xun’s gaze became clear and profound, as if he could see through the passage of time, understanding the ebb and flow of life, slowly transforming the decayed wood in his hands into something miraculous.

Hearing this, the man was shaken, and even the horse beside him had its hair standing on end, while Xiao Wuhen’s eyes were filled with an inexplicable shock...

In their ears, Chen Xun’s voice was like the ancient tolling of a bell, echoing in their minds, involuntarily making them feel the grandeur and depth of the passage of time!

The man and his horse finally understood what it meant to have their skin crawl. Who exactly was this reclusive master in disguise as a vendor?

If they still considered him an ordinary vendor, they would indeed be the fools.

”Boss... you could carve the same wood carving again...” The man’s speech became somewhat stilted, ”With your skills, I’m sure it would be quite simple.”

”Hehe.” Chen Xun chuckled lightly, ”I never carve the same thing twice. Each piece is unique, and no matter how advanced the skill, it cannot recreate an identical wood carving, so there’s no need.”

Xiao Wuhen swallowed secretly; he had asked this question before, but his father had never answered him.

”Oh... oh.” The man’s mouth twitched, nodding quickly. In truth, he didn’t understand at all and couldn’t grasp the meaning.

He just felt that every word the boss said was profound, as if laden with deeper meaning.

The man glanced at the horse beside him, as if asking, ”What does it mean?”

The horse responded with a look, as if saying, ”You’re asking me? Who should I ask? I don’t get it either!”

As the saying goes, where there’s a crouching dragon, there must be a phoenix chick...