My Dreams Connect to Ancient Times

Carrying the little girl who was sound asleep, he walked out of the courtyard. In silence, he returned to the outskirts of the village. The Cyan Bull was prostrated on the ground, and the Eighty-One Armors stood respectfully, silent and unmoving.

The Cyan Bull raised its head, its gaze falling upon the little girl in Lu Xuan's arms. A look of surprise flickered across its face.

"Master, this is…"

Lu Xuan smiled and said softly,

"I was entrusted with her care. Besides, she and I are bound by fate."

The Cyan Bull nodded thoughtfully and said in its simple way,

"Then that is a truly great fated bond."

Lu Xuan smiled without another word. He just held the little girl, his gaze sweeping around, piercing through the void. An illusory eye manifested in the Celestial Vault, looking down upon this hundred-thousand-li expanse of ice and snow.

The sight that met his eyes was utterly horrifying.

He sighed softly. With a tremor of his Divine Thought, he changed the Peach Blossom Spring and the Original Heaven and Earth to summer. He then opened two Acupoints, reflecting and resonating with the Great Heaven and Earth.

At the same time, Lu Xuan silently activated the Great Divine Technique known as Star Shifting. This Dharma was said to be capable of moving the stars and moon, but it could also change the seasons.

Under the resonance of Star Shifting and the two Acupoint Heaven and Earth, a wisp of summer wind began to blow across the hundred-thousand-li of ice and snow. Suddenly, a scorching Great Sun appeared in the sky, brazenly spilling its blazing light and melting the ice.

Three quarters of an hour later, under the radiance of the intensely hot Great Sun, the hundred-thousand-li region was finally no longer a monotonous expanse of white. The snow melted, revealing the brown Earth beneath.

Then, Lu Xuan used Star Shifting again, changing the season within his Acupoint Heaven and Earth to resonate with the Great Heaven and Earth. He lowered his eyelids slightly, his voice booming like thunder:

"Spring arrives."

As his voice fell, a spring breeze truly began to blow. The eight hundred plants and beasts following not far behind all either bowed their trunks or lowered their heads, every one of them trembling in shock.

Scorching summer with a single thought, burgeoning spring with a single word.

The gentle spring breeze swept across this disaster-stricken land, which had been devoid of scenery for years, raising millions of green shoots.

Cradling the little girl, Lu Xuan glanced sideways and said,

"This land has suffered disaster for several years. Everything is in ruins and waiting to be rebuilt. Will you all remain here for one year to help the people rebuild?"

The Eighty-One Armors bowed in unison.

"As Lu Zi commands!"

Lu Xuan nodded. He then looked toward the bowing plants and prostrated beasts not far away and asked softly,

"All life has vanished from this place. Might you all also stay here for one year? Let the plants provide shade and the beasts become guardians, protecting this hundred-thousand-li land for one year's time?"

"As Lu Zi commands!"

The eight hundred plant spirits, beasts, and birds, who had all attained a considerable level of Cultivation from listening to his sermons, all spoke in unison. They bowed and prostrated themselves again, not daring to rise.

The old Daoist smiled.

"In that case, I will preach the Great Dao again in the capital of the Chu Kingdom one year from now."

With that, he cradled the girl, mounted the Cyan Bull, and had Zhao Zheng lead the way. The Eighty-One Armors and the eight hundred plants and beasts waited respectfully until the Cyan Bull carrying the old Daoist had completely disappeared.

Only then did they begin to carry out the old Daoist's instructions—some providing disaster relief, some pacifying the populace, some nurturing a region with new growth, and others protecting a locality.

They were all diligent, not daring to slack off.

......

「Three days to cross the hundred-thousand-li disaster zone, and another half a year later, they were already near the border of the Chu Kingdom.」

"Miss, we're almost at the Chu Kingdom's border. I estimate it'll be another two days before we reach Jiangling."

As she spoke, the handmaiden couldn't help but ask curiously,

"Miss, why did you have to personally escort this shipment? The caravan has traveled this road countless times. There really shouldn't be any mishaps…"

Lü Niangrong shook her head and said,

"The Lü's Trading Company branch in Jiangling has taken a hit. The situation is not good, and I'm going to take charge… Of course, the main reason is that I heard a few rumors."

"Rumors? What rumors?" The handmaiden had grown up with Lü Niangrong, so they were quite close and she wasn't reserved.

Lü Niangrong pondered for a moment before answering,

"There are two. One is that the Ghost Valley Master, who has become famous in recent years, is living in seclusion near Jiangling. The other is that Confucius, who is traveling among the states, is also about to arrive in Jiangling. These two can be said to be among the top three of all the masters under heaven. If I have the fortune to meet them, it would be a tremendous opportunity."

The handmaiden, only half-understanding, asked curiously,

"The top three masters… then the first must be the legendary Lu Zi, right? Miss, instead of searching for Confucius and the Ghost Valley Master, why not search for Lu Zi?"

She blinked and smiled.

"I've heard that Lu Zi is followed by the Eighty-One Armors and eight hundred plant and beast spirits. He should be very easy to find…"

"Oh, you." Lü Niangrong gave a helpless smile. "Who would dare to spy on Lu Zi's whereabouts?"

After a pause, she continued,

"The main reason is still that the trading company in Jiangling itself ran into some problems that someone needed to handle. Then I heard that two Great Virtues might be there, so I came…"

The handmaiden nodded, still only half-understanding.

Glancing at the darkening sky, Lü Niangrong turned to the caravan leader and ordered,

"It's getting late. For now, make camp nearby. The wilderness is full of vicious beasts and Demons, so be careful."

"Yes, Miss."

The caravan leader nodded respectfully and called for the guards and merchants to get moving. They quickly set up a simple camp.

After lighting torches in all directions, the caravan leader finally piled up firewood in the center of the camp, started a fire, and began roasting some small animals they had hunted along the way for dinner.

Throughout this time, the guards didn't dare to relax their vigilance. This great wilderness was already teeming with Demons, and night was precisely when many of the most ferocious ones came out to hunt.

This was also why they dared not travel any further once the Great Sun had set.

The meat sizzled as it roasted, dripping with fat. Its aroma billowed out in all directions, attracting many vicious beasts to circle the camp. However, they were afraid of the firelight and several powerful auras within, so they only circled, none daring to approach.

"It smells so good…"

On the mountain path not far from the camp, a soft, sweet voice sounded. It wasn't loud, but in the silent night, it was particularly noticeable.

In addition, most of the people in the camp had some degree of Cultivation, so naturally, they all heard it.

'It's so late. How is there someone still out in the great wilderness?'

Some of the guards looked over warily. Lü Niangrong, who was sitting by the bonfire, also looked up curiously.

They saw a young man who looked to be in his twenties or thirties slowly leading a cyan bull. On the bull's back was an old man in a Daoist Robe, and in the old man's arms was a little girl as delicate as a jade carving.

The one who had just spoken was this little girl.

Lü Niangrong was startled when she saw the Cyan Bull and the old Daoist, but she breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest when she saw that they weren't followed by the legendary Eighty-One Armors.

At that moment, not far away, the little girl in the old man's arms sniffed the air and swallowed hard.

"Grandpa Lu, it really, really smells so good…"

"You little rascal." The old Daoist chuckled helplessly, rubbing Little Jianxue's head.

Lu Jianxue was the name he had given her. The little girl's mind had been damaged by the frost, and her past memories were extremely hazy. She had been on the verge of death, saved by Lu Xuan with what were practically her last few breaths, and had no idea what her own name was.

So, Lu Xuan had given her this name.

Zhao Zheng, leading Niu'Er, hesitated for a moment before smiling. "Adoptive Grandfather, why don't I go to that camp and trade for some roasted meat? I have some money on me."

Gulping, Lu Jianxue's eyes sparkled. In a sweet, childish voice, she said,

"Yes, yes! Brother Zheng is the best!"

The old Daoist gave another helpless smile and tapped the little girl's head.

"I haven't even said anything, and you've already accepted for me… Alright, Xiaozheng, go to the camp and trade for some roasted meat."

The clueless Lu Jianxue laughed excitedly, scrambled out of Lu Xuan's arms, and leaned over the bull's back, grabbing the Cyan Bull's two horns.

"Grandpa Bull, charge, charge, charge! Roasted meat, roasted meat!"

"MOO!"

The Cyan Bull wasn't annoyed. It happily went along with Little Jianxue's command, shaking its head as it slowly walked toward the camp.

The guards in the camp grew slightly warier. The caravan leader placed his hand on the hilt of his saber, but was immediately stopped by Lü Niangrong.

"They're just passersby. There's no need for that."

"Miss," the caravan leader reminded her. "People who can travel alone in the great wilderness, especially with a two or three-year-old toddler, are never simple…"

"I know." Lü Niangrong smiled gently. "But didn't you hear them? They just want to trade for some roasted meat… Let's give them some."

As she spoke, her gaze drifted to the little girl who was gleefully grabbing the bull's horns, and a smile appeared on her face.

Even she couldn't help but be fond of such an adorable, jade-like little girl.

The Cyan Bull approached the camp. The young man leading it spoke politely, "We are just passing through, but the child has a craving… We'd like to trade for some roasted meat, if we may…"

"There's no need."

Lü Niangrong gracefully walked up to them, nodding with a smile.

"To meet by chance is a kind of fate. It's just a bit of roasted meat…"

As she spoke, she gestured for a guard to skewer a piece of the sizzling, dripping meat. Lu Jianxue's eyes were glued to it, and drool unconsciously trickled down, dripping onto the bull's head.

"MOO!!" The Cyan Bull snorted.

After the meat was skewered, Lü Niangrong found herself in a bit of a pickle. Not only was the meat scalding hot, but it was also a question of whether the little girl could even chew it…

After some thought, she looked at the old Daoist on the bull's back and spoke politely, "Daoist Master, it's a bit difficult to divide this meat… At night, the great wilderness is fraught with danger and unsuitable for travel. If you don't mind, Daoist Master, why not stay the night at our camp?"

Beside her, the caravan leader's lips moved, but after glancing at the tiny little girl, he said nothing.

The old Daoist on the bull's back thought for a moment, then nodded gently.

"Then we will be imposing. Thank you."

With that, he patted Lu Jianxue's little head and smiled. "Aren't you going to thank the lady?"

"Oh, oh!" Lu Jianxue slurped up her drool, her face blooming into a smile. She chirped, "Thank you, big sister!!"

Lü Niangrong returned the smile.

A guard moved aside the temporary wooden fence. The old Daoist, holding Lu Jianxue, slowly dismounted from the bull. The three people and one bull walked into the camp.

Before long, the Cyan Bull was dozing off at the edge of the camp. Lu Xuan and Zhao Zheng, with Lu Jianxue, took a seat by the bonfire without any reservation. The little girl lay in Lu Xuan's arms, dazed by the aroma, drooling nonstop.

Lü Niangrong chuckled behind her hand. After cutting off a small piece of meat with a knife and handing it to Lu Jianxue, she smiled and said,

"My name is Lü Niangrong. We've come from the Wei Kingdom and are headed to Jiangling in the Chu Kingdom."

As she spoke, she saw the old Daoist holding the little girl look up. He smiled peacefully and also said,

"This humble Daoist's surname is Lu. This is Lu Jianxue, and this is Zhao Zheng. We have all come from the Qin Kingdom, but as it happens, we also wish to go to Jiangling. What a coincidence."

"Oh?"

A flicker of curiosity passed through Lü Niangrong's eyes.

"Is the Daoist Master also going to Jiangling? I wonder if your trip is for…"

She still maintained a basic level of caution, asking a probing question.

Lu Xuan rubbed the head of Lu Jianxue, who was munching and crunching on the roasted meat, and replied softly,

"I have heard that the Ghost Valley Master resides near Jiangling. I wish to pay him a visit."

'He was telling the truth. Lu Xuan had always been curious: if he could change the past of others, could he change his own?'

'Grandpa Chu had torn off a piece of a Little World and thrown Senior Brother Zhang into it. For the people of this era, that was the future. But for me, it was the past.'

'Of course, in a certain sense, it was also the future.'

Hearing the old Daoist's words, the caravan leader beside them visibly relaxed. Lü Niangrong, on the other hand, was pleasantly surprised.

"What a coincidence indeed! To be honest with you, Daoist Master, I'm also going to Jiangling to see if I might be able to visit the Ghost Valley Master. I also heard that Confucius will be traveling to Jiangling, and I was thinking of visiting him as well…"

"Confucius?" Lu Xuan smiled with some surprise. 'Hm, that is quite the coincidence.'

'It really has been many Years since I last saw Confucius.'

Just as Lü Niangrong was about to say more, Zhao Zheng, who had been silent all this time, spoke up thoughtfully, "Coming from the Wei Kingdom, engaging in trade, with the surname Lü… If I'm not mistaken, Miss Lü must be the legitimate daughter of the great merchant Lü Buwei, correct?"