Chapter 72 Mortal Worth?

Southern Border, Qingyang Mountain, Zhang Family

Floating clouds drifted across the night sky, gradually revealing the crescent moon that had been partially concealed. It hung high above like a white jade cup, pouring clear, water-like moonlight over the courtyard below.

Two young women sat together inside a stone pavilion. The slightly older woman wore a sea-blue palace dress, with lightly powdered cheeks and rouge upon her lips. Her bright eyes seemed perpetually filled with affection, while laughter naturally accompanied her words. There was an innate charm between her brows, and even the slightest movement of her eyes seemed capable of expressing countless emotions.

The younger woman wore a light-blue dress with wide, flowing sleeves. Her face was bright beneath the moonlight, her complexion delicate, her dark sideburns neatly arranged, and her slender brows resembled strokes of ink. With peach-like cheeks and clear eyes resembling autumn waters, she possessed a gentle and virtuous temperament that made her a rare beauty.

“That little rascal… It’s already been several months since he left, yet he hasn’t sent back a single message. Who knows what he’s been doing all this time?” Lin Zhiyao raised her head toward the silver moon, melancholy appearing in her eyes. However, the moment she remembered that Lin Feng had not even bothered to send word back, that melancholy quickly turned into irritation.

Zhang Xinci, sitting beside her, gently comforted her. “Sister Zhiyao, Brother Lin Feng must have encountered something that delayed him. Besides, even if he sent a message back to the village using a Gu Worm, we’re only mortals. We might never know about it.”

Lin Zhiyao sighed softly. “It’s still because I’m useless. If I had the aptitude to become a Gu Master, my younger brother wouldn’t have to go through all this.”

In her eyes, everything had begun because she was merely a mortal. If she had possessed enough strength to protect herself instead of being someone others could manipulate at will, Lin Feng would never have been forced into his current situation.

After Zhang Xinci rescued her, Lin Zhiyao had followed the merchant caravan to Zhang Family Village. At the time, one of the village’s young masters had been plotting against Zhang Xinci. After discovering that Lin Feng had already reached Rank Three, he wanted to recruit him into his faction and therefore attempted to forcibly take Lin Zhiyao as his concubine, using her to control Lin Feng.

Even Zhang Xinci had been unable to resolve the matter. In the end, Lin Feng agreed to the Zhang Family’s unreasonable demands and took responsibility for representing their merchants in the annual caravan trade. Every journey required crossing vast stretches of wilderness filled with wild beasts, hostile Gu Masters, and countless other dangers. Lin Zhiyao could only imagine how much danger her younger brother had faced during the past several months.

“Xinci…” Lin Zhiyao hesitated before finally asking, her voice noticeably quieter than before. “Do you think I’m holding him back?”

Her younger brother was the only family she had left. Yet not only could she do nothing to help him, she had instead become a weakness others could exploit against him. The thought had weighed heavily on her heart ever since he left.

Such was the nature of this world. Compared with Gu Masters who could control Gu, wield extraordinary powers, and even move mountains and overturn rivers at higher ranks, mortals were simply too weak. Without cultivation, their lives could be swept away as easily as dust in the wind.

Zhang Xinci fell silent for a moment, unsure how to comfort her. She had yet to undergo the awakening ceremony herself and did not even know whether she possessed the aptitude to become a Gu Master. However, she understood better than most how powerless an ordinary mortal could be. As she lowered her gaze toward the moonlight covering the courtyard, she suddenly thought of something.

“Sister Zhiyao, do you still remember the customs of the Moon Festival?”

“Of course. On this day, whether mortals or Gu Masters, people gather in pavilions to admire the moon, drink tea, compose poetry, and examine stones together.”

“Then Sister Zhiyao surely hasn’t forgotten the story behind the Moon Festival either?”

Lin Zhiyao’s expression softened as memories gradually surfaced in her mind. The story was unusual because its protagonists were not powerful Gu Masters nor legendary experts, but ordinary mortals. It had been created and passed down among mortals, carrying their hopes and yearning for a better life. Because of this, it resonated deeply with the common people and had spread throughout the relatively isolated Southern Border. Among mortals, its popularity could almost rival some stories from The Legends of Ren Zu, although few people in the other four regions had ever heard of it.

The story began long ago in a remote mountain village within the Southern Border. A mortal young man fell in love with the daughter of a Gu Master, and she loved him in return. Gathering his courage, the young man approached her father to ask for her hand in marriage, only to be rejected because he was merely a mortal.

Yet the young man refused to give up. With only the limited means available to someone without cultivation, he brewed an exquisite cup of tea from the gifts of nature, composed a poem from everything he had experienced in life, and eventually obtained a precious Gu as a betrothal gift. Through these, he overcame three trials set before him and finally earned the right to marry the woman he loved. Throughout the trials, the Gu Master never relied upon his cultivation to suppress the mortal youth, and in the end, the two lovers were able to remain together.

Lin Zhiyao remained silent for a long while before a faint smile finally appeared on her face. She understood why Zhang Xinci had reminded her of this particular story.

“Xinci, I understand what you’re trying to tell me. Mortals have their own strengths as well. Just because I can’t become a Gu Master doesn’t mean I can do nothing.” Her earlier frustration gradually faded as she looked at the girl beside her. “Thank you.”

Zhang Xinci nodded. Seeing Lin Zhiyao’s expression finally relax, she also felt relieved. “Sister Zhiyao is intelligent and kind-hearted. I believe that even without becoming a Gu Master, you can still accomplish great things.”

Yet both of them understood the cruel truth hidden behind those comforting words. The tale of the Moon Festival was ultimately nothing more than a beautiful story created by mortals to express their hopes. Such an ending was almost impossible in reality.

In this world, the difference between mortals and Gu Masters was simply too great. No matter how intelligent or hardworking a mortal might be, without the power of cultivation, they could never truly stand on equal footing with a Gu Master.