One person guards the lonely city, invincible in the world

Chapter 46 [First Update]

In the dark at dusk, large flakes of wet snow fluttered around the peach trees and fell on the petals of the branches, forming a soft and thin layer.

Gu Changan wandered around the peach tree for a few times, and slowly sat down against the tree, staring at the brilliant stamens for a long time.

It's ridiculous, he can't even kill himself.

I have thought about it countless times, and when the sword reached my neck, I was handcuffed by the city again.

Now that the mission has been completed and the story of 64 years has a happy ending, I can finally get rid of it but find that there is nowhere to start.

How to destroy the soul?

This is the rage of a wild dog.

It was also Gu Changan's own doubts.

But he is very clear that the obsession with guarding the family is gradually disintegrating. As long as the physical body is not condensed, the countdown will enter the countdown to the death of the soul.

It's really tiring to walk all the way. It's enough for me to be worthy of the nation in my life, and to live up to the veterans of the city.

There was a sound of "creaking" in the silent desert, and the traces of two rows of wheels were left on the snow, and a carriage gradually came into view.

Facing the wind and snow, the empress showed a smile on her delicate and flawless cheeks, pretending to greet casually:

"meet again."

Gu Changan didn't speak, just stared at her.

"I want to find a quiet place to practice, and the lonely city is the most suitable." Li Wan was a little cautious, and then drove his horse close to the peach blossom tree.

"You don't have to feel guilty." Hu Ying didn't look at her again, and said in a deep voice:
"The ruler of a country does not care about the country, don't you think your actions are stupid and absurd?"

"Oh." Li Wan nodded his chin, didn't make any explanation, just continued to drive towards the city gate, and asked a question:
"I should have the right to live in the land of the Tang Dynasty for a long time, right?"

Without waiting for an answer, he went to the city to settle down on his own initiative.

Although she didn't dare to say that she was Yao and Shun among women, she was far from stupid and ignorant.

After making a decision, it was natural that various stability maintenance measures were secretly arranged. Moreover, Pei Jingshu was fully capable of handling the government affairs of the three states with ease.

Looking at her back, Gu Changan's eyes were bewildered, he had no reason to expel her, maybe deep down in his heart he didn't want to reject the care from the Central Plains.

He suddenly smiled, it's a pity for a person to die alone, and it's good to have someone watching him.

……

Li Wan was busy for several hours, and walked up to the top of the city in the middle of the night. There was no moonlight tonight, and the phantom and darkness merged into one. With the faint light of the lantern, he could distinguish the motionless black mist of the watchtower.

"The barbarians definitely don't dare to come again, do you want to hang around?" She sat beside her, her tone seemed to be chatting with an old friend, dancing like a waterfall of blue hair in the wind.

"I'm used to it." Gu Changan said.

"You can try to change it." Li Wan watched him.

Quiet and silent.

Seemingly unaware of the silence after just a few words, Li Wan's expression was a little unnatural, and he changed the topic and asked:
"Tell me about your childhood, and listen to you slowly."

Gu Changan was still silent, his youth was lackluster, he suddenly noticed a Buddhist altar lying alone in the corner of the watchtower.

Shaking the wrist, the Buddhist altar fell into the palm of the hand.

"You gave it back to a monk named Sibian, thanking him for his gift on my behalf, but it doesn't belong to me."

Gu Changan handed it to the Empress.

Li Wan was slightly stunned, hummed lightly, and then talked about her girlhood, the journey of traveling the world with a sword will always accumulate many memories, experiencing interesting things in the world, and witnessing all kinds of life.

Gu Chang'an listened carefully to her trivial narration, and also sketched out the picture of the world in his mind.

Carrying a three-foot green edge with one's hand can make all the injustices, wandering in a boat to enjoy the scenery of the two gorges, unfettered and free, this is the life of a chivalrous man in his dream.

Seeing his quiet listening posture, Li Wan's eyes were in a daze for a moment, and he asked in a strange way:
"If you left the lonely city when you were ten years old, what would happen to the rest of your life?"

Gu Changan didn't answer.

"Possessing an unparalleled talent in martial arts, I live my life wantonly and happily, even going to the moon for nine days, pursuing the avenue of longevity."

Li Wan's voice became lower and lower, and at the end he turned his head away, the candlelight reflected a pair of red eyes.

Completely opposite life.

On the one hand, there is suffering and despair, on the other hand, he is free and unrestrained, and the righteousness of the nation completely destroyed him.

Gu Chang'an left the city and floated under the peach tree. He didn't want to be entangled in the past memories. He would still make the same choice again. He just wanted to live happily in the remaining time.

This is the only day in his life that he lives for himself.

Li Wan moved his lips, looked up at the never-ending heavy snow, and after hesitating for a moment, he said sonorously:
"You take me away!"

Like the sound of gold and stone, it echoes endlessly in the snowy night.

"Resurrecting the dead, don't mind that I'm a woman." Her eyes were full of expectation, and she stared straight at the peach tree.

"Having searched so many Taoist classics, do you think any bizarre conjecture can come true?" Gu Changan asked back.

"I'm willing to try." Li Wan's attitude was decisive, and there was no sign of flinching in his eyes.

It doesn't matter if you fail, she repays the debt with her death.

If it succeeds, Gu Chang'an will lead the rise of the Tang Dynasty and recast the glorious glory of the Kingdom of Nations.

For the Chinese nation, Gu Changan must be more important than her Li Wan.

"I don't have the right to deprive you of your life, and if you say anything outlandish, I will ask you to leave." Gu Changan was indifferent.

It seems that only Grandpa Qin knows that he doesn't want to die, but he doesn't want to live.

Li Wan's eyes dimmed, and finally he let out a soft sigh.

The ghost had never been seen before, and it might be nonsense to seize the house, but she was willing to try with her life in exchange for that man to live a brand new life.

But Gu Chang'an didn't think about it at all, and his tough attitude directly cut off her thoughts.

Li Wan stood there silently, twitching her fingers from time to time, as if she was looking for a new topic, leading the conversation was still too painful for her, she was cold and withdrawn when she was young, and she didn't know how to show her enthusiasm.

"Stop talking, do your own thing." Gu Changan sensed her embarrassment and said calmly.

Li Wan felt like he was relieved from a heavy burden, he sat cross-legged to meditate, he was not bound by state affairs for the time being, and concentrated on concentrating his inner energy.

……

As the days passed, Li Wan gradually liked this boring life. The two of them couldn't even speak a word for a whole day. They sat on the top of the wall like sculptures, but being quiet was a kind of comfort.

Her cultivation is improving rapidly, Pei Jingshu sends letters every now and then, and nothing happens in the court and society. In the Central Plains, there are many good families who take the initiative to join the army. Protecting the family and defending the country is not just a slogan, it seems to be a sign of faith.

As time goes by, everything seems to be getting better, but why is he getting dimmer and darker, the once dense black mist is now becoming shallower.

Two voices sounded from heaven and earth, one clearer and the other hoarse.

"The master of the academy is about to knock on the gate of heaven. He said that you gave him the courage to put all his eggs in one basket. Either he is a land god or he dies;

A long river of purple energy gushes out from Jinling Academy, and for more than a month at most, the land of China will usher in the first half-open gate of heaven. "

"Ah."

"The barbarians invaded both Zhao and Shu seven days ago. With the advantages of the Hexi Corridor, Beiliang can quickly support Zhao."

"Ah."

Li Wan narrated the recent big and small things in the Central Plains together, occasionally there would be a reply from the opposite side, but I don't know if he was listening seriously.

"Sometimes I'm afraid, maybe one day the Chinese nation will be defeated, maybe we can't continue the ancient civilization even if we fight to the death, maybe the heaven really wants to destroy our hardworking people."

Her voice dropped suddenly, and watching the shadow of her soul that was fading day by day, she would always feel powerless and even despair.

"Think about where you are standing. A group of old soldiers can swear to the death for decades. There are 7000 million people in China, and the bones are like hills, and the blood is like a river. They must also drive out the barbarians!"

A hoarse and determined voice came from under the peach tree.

Li Wan was silent, it seemed that only when national righteousness was mentioned would he have strong mood swings.

Gu Chang'an laughed at himself, always thought that the chains of the nation would be removed after completing the mission, but the chains had already entangled the soul.

It was just like this that he didn't dare to recast his body, and he couldn't live freely, but another reincarnation of wounded and bruised, killing the enemy and killing the enemy again, without end.

There was no choice in being born in an isolated city, nor in taking on heavy responsibilities. At the last moment of his life, he always had a choice.

……

In the twinkling of an eye, it was winter, and last night a strange scene suddenly appeared in the isolated city, and the nineteen sword qi hung in the air, and Li Wan broke through the realm of enlightenment.

But breaking through the realm couldn't bring any joy, and the ghost was getting worse and worse, and he could hardly see that face clearly, and he missed the peach blossom tree more and more.

"Who will save him..." Li Wan stood on the railing. She knew that Gu Changan's demise was irreversible, but she still hoped for a miracle.

He has never been out of the city, but he understands a lot of truths, ranging from astronomy and philosophy to folk customs and farming. Li Wan feels that he has benefited a lot from what he said occasionally.

Gu Chang'an sees farther than anyone else, but the more she is like this, the more sad she is. If she had known about Wanli Gucheng earlier, she would rather have a thousand years of infamy and order it not to guard.

The sky-colored pigeons flew over through the snow, landed on the railing and chirped non-stop.

Li Wan took off the silk scroll tied to its leg as usual, with a piece of letterhead sandwiched between the silk scroll.

She took a cursory look, and suddenly felt that the blue sky was pale, and the letter was tightly clutched in her hand, almost tearing the paper with enough strength.

Li Wan tried his best to restrain his grief, pretended to be calm, slowly came to the tree, and said softly:
"Carpenter Qin is gone."

The black mist stiffened at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if bound by an invisible force, and had not moved for a long time.

"How did you die?" Gu Changan turned around, and seemed to ask very plainly.

Li Wan didn't answer him directly, but said: "The imperial court took care of the funeral and buried it in the Zhonglie Cemetery."

For a long time after that, the two of them didn't speak any more, they just quietly watched the crow circling the peach branch.

Gu Chang'an seemed indifferent to the scene of crows eating peach petals, but he kept listening to Luo Xue's voice.

He paused for a while without opening his mouth, then suddenly asked:

"Suicide?"

Li Wan looked sad: "Yes."

After speaking, he handed over the folded letterhead.

Gu Chang'an was expressionless, and he browsed calmly, his handwriting was like a crab walking in a mess.

"Chang'an, the moment you saw the letter, the old man was already smiling."

"I remember we told a joke. During the Zhenguan period, there was an unlucky prisoner named Cui. Every time the court gave him an amnesty, he couldn't turn to him. He has been in prison for 40 years."

"It's finally come out. Prisoner Cui should change his mind and start a new life? A few days later, he deliberately stole a shop and wanted to go to jail, but he was very old, and the court felt pity for him, so he let him go with just a verbal lesson."

"The next day, Prisoner Choi hanged himself at home."

"He left a suicide note, saying that he couldn't leave the prison, and the life outside made him suffer all the time."

"The old man didn't understand before, how stupid would he be to kill himself?"

"Hahahaha, I'm going to hang myself after writing the letter."

"Living in 64 years is like making a wooden box with my eyes closed. The details of the traces have been carved into my heart. I just went back to my hometown for a few days. I can still walk around the streets with a smile. .”

"The only thing in my mind is the city of Kucha. Eating a sea bass feels like the meat smells of yellow sand, and everything looks like bricks and stones of a city wall. When my chess friends see me often in dementia, they comfort me to learn to adapt to a good life first."

"Sigh, 64 years is too long, so long that the soul of the old man is also imprisoned in the city."

"That's right, the government notified the old man the day before yesterday that your grandma Xu hanged herself. She said that life is meaningless. There is no lonely city, no Chang'an, and no yellow sand all over the sky. She doesn't know how to live."

"She wove a lot of thick clothes, ran to the government and begged to send them to the Western Regions, and died after returning home."

"Don't be sad, it's our Anxi people's dream to die in our hometown."

Gu Changan's eyes gradually blurred, and a misty white mist seemed to rise in front of his eyes, but no matter what, no tears rolled down.

"The old man must have a beginning and an end in his life. I can die in the ancestral house in my hometown, and I can have the folks from Qin's Village carry the coffin for the funeral. I don't know how many old soldiers will be envious."

"It's just...just, the old man misses you every day. Did you sleep well? Are there still barbarians attacking the city? Are you still there?"

"If you can see the letter, please fulfill the old man's last wish."

"Go to the Central Plains. If you really don't want to live anymore, you should go to Chang'an City to say goodbye."

"This is your wish when you were a child, and you have to have a beginning and an end."

"Anyway, the old man is forcing you. If you don't go to Chang'an City, the old man will die with regret."

"If there is a next life, I can't be a disabled person. I will definitely defend the city with you. Let's kill happily."

"gone."

The phantom seemed to be splitting apart gradually, and his limbs were twitching violently. Gu Changan quickly leaned against the tree trunk, tearing up the letters one after another.

Suddenly, the old man reappeared in the wind and sand all over the sky, walking bumpily, showing a mouthful of old yellow teeth, but he was clearly dripping hot blood.

Looking at the crazily writhing black mist, Li Wan felt that it was difficult to breathe, as if a heavy weight was placed on her chest, she opened her mouth, but there was no sound.

Gathering up her courage, she walked to her side step by step, raised her arms and hugged Gu Changan, just wanting to convey even the slightest bit of warmth.

Gu Changan was silent, his shoulder blades trembled and twitched, his sobbing voice almost whispered:

"My relatives were all buried by me. I buried them all with my own hands. Grandpa Qin accompanied me the longest, but I failed to bury him."

"I can't live a comfortable life with a hard life, so why do I have to die before me!!"

Such a sentence seemed like a needle piercing through the cold night and nailed into Li Wan's heart. She held back her tears and patted Gu Chang'an's back lightly, every time she patted away a lot of mist.

The fog became thinner and thinner, and Li Wan was afraid that it would be blown away by a gust of wind.

Can it last until next spring?

Gu Changan murmured in pain: "Grandpa Qin, I promise you, I will go to Chang'an City."

Li Wan was startled suddenly, and slowly let go of him, staring blankly with red eyes:
"I'll take you home."

……

(End of this chapter)