The child's words also caused a stir of low whispers.
Compared to a god who created the world in seven days, gods like Cangxuan and the Red Kite seemed more like living people.
Perhaps history books once recorded evidence of their existence; maybe they were just ordinary humans who did things ordinary people couldn't, and were gradually mythologized through generations of inheritance.
Of course, this was just a guess, and the children were eager to get Yunduo's answer.
"Does the Red Kite Immortal really exist in this world?"
"Yeah, yeah, is there really a human who has lived for thousands of years?"
"I don't think it's possible. Living for thousands of years, that would be an old hag!"
"Shh~ You're being too impolite. That's that teacher's faith."
"Ah~ Sorry, sorry, I just think it's unlikely..."
Listening to these low whispers, Yunduo looked at Kiana and saw her blinking.
Lowering her head, she also saw Fu Hua.
At this moment, this legendary 'old hag' had a complex expression on her face, looking as if she wanted to sigh.
Noticing Yunduo's gaze, a hint of helplessness appeared in her eyes.
"Why don't we let classmate Fu Hua answer this question?"
Yunduo took the initiative to suggest.
Hearing this, Kiana's expression was a bit comical. She pretended to be serious and said to the discussing children below, "Quiet! Cough cough~ Next, classmate Fu Hua will answer this question. What do you all say?"
"Okay!!!"
The children below said in unison with enthusiasm.
"Yunduo... I..."
Fu Hua listened to everyone's voices, her silence carrying a bit of bewilderment.
This was a rare moment of panic in her infinite time.
Facing the world-shaking Herrschers, she hadn't been moved.
Facing the reality of life and death separations, she hadn't been moved.
But at this moment, Fu Hua suddenly realized for some reason that her heart was in a panic.
Her eyes looked at Yunduo and suddenly discovered that the gaze of this usually lazy girl now seemed to span the long river of history, gentle yet containing endless determination. As their ink-black eyes met, the two gazes intertwined, as if the gaze of the Immortal looking back five thousand years overlapped with the hesitant Fu Hua of now.
They say the Immortal is heartless, but Fu Hua found that the girl was the heartless one. She liked to put those originally hidden matters on the stage, tearing open the wounds with a knife merged into the body, then carefully bandaging them with cotton cloth, before finally letting out a soft sigh.
Flowers bloom and fade, all return to dust.
Fu Hua didn't want to look back at her past.
She had grown accustomed to loneliness and isolation.
"Never mind. It seems classmate Fu Hua doesn't believe in the legend of the Red Kite Immortal either. Why don't I tell you this story instead?"
Yunduo smiled slightly and looked at the curious children.
Fu Hua turned her face away, only to see Theresa's concerned gaze.
"What's wrong? Does classmate Fu Hua not like listening to stories?"
"No—I just..." Fu Hua let out a breath and refocused her gaze on Yunduo.
At this moment, Yunduo cleared her throat and raised her voice:
"Where should I start? Since everyone is interested, I'll start from the very beginning."
"Many, many years ago, legend has it that Danzhu, Cangxuan, and the Red Kite Immortal appeared together. In that dark ancient era where there was no use of fire, where people ate plants and the meat of birds and beasts, and drank their blood, they were the ones who taught the people of that time how to use fire, how to wear clothes, and how to use sea shells as currency."
"I heard that many years ago, cultural relics were unearthed, among which was a clay sculpture of the Red Kite Immortal. It's very similar to the figurines we've had in recent years—gentle personality, good figure. If it were a real figurine, it would surely be very popular, wouldn't it?"
Noticing the faint gaze scanning her body, Fu Hua used an expressionless look to warn the mischievous Kiana.
She continued to listen to Yunduo's words.
Although some words were slightly different from the truth.
However, many of them are true.
—For example, the figure.
"However, things don't always develop for the better."
"Legend has it that in 2100 BC, because Cangxuan and Danzhu taught humans knowledge beyond their current era, a divine punishment occurred, and demons appeared. As we all know, these were Honkai Beasts. The Red Kite was far away and unable to intervene. As a result, Danzhu and Cangxuan died in battle, and Ji Xuanyuan sacrificed herself to seal Chi You."
"From then on, the Red Kite Immortal lost her best friends."
Listening to Yunduo's words, the children below the stage felt a wave of sadness.
Even such a wonderful Red Kite Immortal would experience the parting of life and death and witness the death of her friends.
At that time, how sad she must have been!
Many empathetic children were already teary-eyed.
Fu Hua uncomfortably clenched her palms, her fingertips turning white.
"Thereafter, the Red Kite traveled through Shenzhou with the doll made by Cangxuan, slaying demons and monsters to ensure the country's peace and prosperity. She lived in harmony with the people of Shenzhou, leaving behind many beautiful stories."
"Later, as time passed, the old friends around her also left her. Over time, in order to prevent herself from developing unnecessary emotions, the Red Kite no longer became close to mortals."
"In 551 BC, the Red Kite defeated the demon beast 'Qiongqi' in the Northern Desolation, saving Xiao Yun, who had fought until exhaustion."
"In 549 BC, Xiao Yun ascended Mount Taixu. Over a decade later, Xiao Yun left Taixu and no longer dressed in red. Carrying the sword 'Ruoshui,' she traveled the world, teaching swordsmanship and Taoist arts to the people. Xiao Yun returned to Taixu at the age of one hundred and was buried by the Red Kite under a pine tree at the mountain peak after her death."
"In 718 AD, a century after the founding of the Great Tang Dynasty, the Honkai became increasingly rampant. The Red Kite went to Chang'an City every year to fight demons alongside the Tang army. During the centuries she stood guard, the Great Tang stood firm amidst the Honkai, becoming the most brilliant pearl of the East."
"In 1400 AD, due to the frequent occurrence of Honkai disasters, the Red Kite walked throughout Shenzhou as the Red Kite Zhenren. Because of her immortality and eternal youthful appearance, she was called an Immortal."
"Under the guidance of the Red Kite, the people of Shenzhou learned how to use Honkai Energy for themselves, calling it 'Qi.' This gave rise to various techniques. After thousands of years of evolution, Shenzhou gradually formed a special ecological circle independent of the imperial court called the 'Jianghu.' Within it, Shenzhou's chivalrous warriors spontaneously gathered, forming sects that treated 'Wugong'—the refinement and application of Qi—as an intangible cultural asset."
"The Red Kite Immortal often wandered the world, slaying demons. Sometimes she turned a blind eye to the turmoil in Shenzhou, while other times she actively participated in it. The people regarded her as the guardian of Shenzhou, and for thousands of years, she was recognized as the number one person in the martial world."
"The Red Kite has a detached temperament. Occasionally, someone would accompany her, but she spent more years alone. To keep her promise to Cangxuan, the Red Kite continued to guard Shenzhou throughout the long years, even if she was alone and abandoned by everyone."
"The Ming Imperial Court officially bestowed the title of Celestial upon the Red Kite, but she ignored political affairs and the change of dynasties. Yet, whenever a new emperor ascended the throne, he would always visit Mount Taixu to pay his respects to her."
"Those who saw the Red Kite would enjoy longevity and a prosperous dynasty, while monarchs who failed to see the Immortal's face would either die prematurely or lose their kingdom; none came to a good end. In 1475, the Red Kite went alone to the Kipchak Steppe, single-handedly defeating the Valkyrie units that had swept across Eurasia, destroying most of the effective strength of the Schicksal army at the time and blocking Schicksal outside the empire's borders."
"Later on, the Red Kite Immortal's tracks vanished. Martial legends say the Red Kite achieved perfection in her cultivation and ascended to heaven."
Yunduo finished recounting the events recorded in the unofficial history books of Shenzhou, her voice calm and slow, drawing everyone in.
In her words, the long river of history flowed boundlessly, and the eternity of time recorded the great deeds of historical biographies.
The image of a lonely Immortal silently guarding the common people of Shenzhou appeared in everyone's hearts.
The children listened very seriously, without even blinking.
"So, do you think the Red Kite Immortal really exists?"
Saying this, Yunduo asked the children who were listening.
Her voice also woke Kiana, who had been listening entranced. She quickly wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth and said, "Right, that~ the child who asked the question just now, yes you, tell us what you think."
The child who had asked the question initially stood up nervously, her legs trembling slightly, appearing a bit uneasy under everyone's gaze.
Then, when she saw Yunduo's calm and gentle gaze, she felt calm again.
If the Red Kite Immortal really lived until today, she would probably be similar to this big sister, right?
"I think, um~ I think she really does exist, the Red Kite Immortal, even though I don't think a person could live for so long."
"But..."
Fu Hua had been listening from beginning to end, and her expression was also very tense.
Even as an Immortal of thousands of years, she had never felt such inexplicable emotions as she did today.
Nervousness, unease, hesitation... Being an Immortal was just her task, her responsibility.
She was just trying hard to play the role of an Immortal.
And how should the world judge her?
Cold and detached, without emotions, unable to even save her own disciples?
"But, I think she is a good person, and I like her very much."
"If she could stand in front of me, I would want to give her a hug."
The nervous child finally spoke the words buried in her heart. After speaking, her face turned red, and she ducked back into the crowd.
The children below the stage all agreed, saying that the Immortal didn't need to be so devoted to her duty and should also consider herself.
At this moment, Fu Hua's clenched fist suddenly relaxed in an instant.
She looked at the smiling Yunduo and felt as if she had crossed the traces of time; Cangxuan's cleverness appeared before her eyes.
Yunduo's words continued, concluding with:
"In general, although the Immortal does not involve herself in worldly affairs and travels throughout Shenzhou all year round, whenever the Honkai invades Shenzhou, people will surely see her figure, fighting on the front lines, guarding the peace of Shenzhou."
"But the Immortal is also lonely, because she knows that no matter how close a friend is, they will eventually leave her one day due to the end of their lifespan. So she avoided the secular world and took upon herself the heavy burden of guarding Shenzhou alone, accompanied only by the bird calls drifting in the mountains and the ever-flowing water."
"In the Red Kite Immortal's long life, these memories have gradually been buried in the deepest parts of her mind. Those familiar figures and the life she experienced firsthand have all become strange. Gradually, she learned to discard her emotions, learned loneliness, learned how to be an excellent guardian, learned..."
"To imprison herself within that so-called 'mission.'"
"The Red Kite Immortal breathes in the essence of truth, using supreme immortal arts to circulate Yin and Yang, and controlling the power of the Five Elements for her own use."
"The Immortals are ethereal and private to the Great Void; the secular world has no reason to see them."
"As time passed, the old friends who knew her origins all withered away."
These few paragraphs once again painted a vivid image of the Red Kite Immortal.
Yunduo's tone, sometimes melodious and sometimes passionate, echoed in the classroom.
But suddenly, her voice shifted, and she sighed:
"And putting aside the name of the Red Kite Immortal and looking back at the past, perhaps the Red Kite Immortal was just an introverted little girl."
"She might have managed her father's martial arts hall and practiced martial arts from a young age. Her father hoped she would walk a path of her own choosing."
"She might have been taciturn due to her personality, using her martial arts to help her classmates, and even saving them from demon attacks."
"She might have made many friends and wanted to save her best friend, but was powerless against the demons and hid deep in an alley."
"As the only survivor at the time, she might have been isolated by her comrades and other warriors who viewed her as a witch."
"Over the long years, the title of Shenzhou's Guardian became widely spread."
"Her past battles were written into history, then history blurred into legends, and finally, legends became ballads that no one sang."
"One day, no one in the world will remember she was here."
"The world mocks those who hold onto their beliefs in this heartless way."
"However, for those who hold onto their beliefs, the world is but a footnote she wrote for herself."
"Many, many years ago."
"She was still a fearful little girl."
"At that time, the safety of the world and the survival of humanity had nothing to do with her."
"She always thinks of that little girl, always in her heart."
"Whenever the Red Kite Immortal has a moment of leisure, it's as if she sees her in the darkness, lost and bewildered, looking back at her."
Yunduo smiled slightly, letting her voice trail off.
"Two voices have always lingered in her ears, one passionate like fire, the other calm like water."
"I~ am not that great. I'm just doing what I was entrusted to do."
"But I like Hua."
"Mm~ I hope she has a life of her own."
"Not to eliminate the Honkai, not to live for the sake of guarding humanity, not as a tool. Even if it means disobeying orders, I want to stop the Red Kite from becoming like that."
"We will all die, but the Red Kite will live on. She will meet many, many more people, and they will treat her with sincerity."
"This is her story; our part ends here."
"The Immortal rests her forehead as memories surge from her mind. Rubbing her aching head, she wants to say to herself:"
"I seem to have forgotten many important things."
"But looking back, she vaguely sees her younger self walking out of the village, looking toward the school with expectant eyes."
"The sky is very dark. The rising sun breaks through the layers of tall buildings, followed by an instant of light."
"That little girl, in the floating light, looks at the Red Kite Immortal and says:"
"I want to... be myself."
Yunduo finished speaking.
The children below the stage were also unusually quiet.
Only Fu Hua, in a daze, noticed the hot sunlight outside the window.
Today's light was just like the last day she said goodbye to her final friend—the Book of Fuxi.
-------------------------------
Hope you enjoy this fanfiction if you do and would like to read the next 30 chapters in advance, pls do check out my Patreon.
patreon.com/TLScarlet
Also don't forget to give me a Power Stone if you do like this fiction. Your support really motivates me to continue doing my best in translating, Thanks!!