The winter sky darkened earlier than usual. The thick dark clouds in the distance covered the yellow sun. The sky suddenly darkened, and the cold wind became even more piercing. There were not many people on the small boats by the riverside, but there was a small boat under the canopy that flickered with a gentle light under the dim sky. p
The man under the canopy was slightly older. His sideburns were white, and his forehead was full of wrinkles. The deep wrinkles on his forehead showed the traces of time. He wore a green cotton robe that had been worn for a long time. The robe was already white, and it was full of patches. He wore a straw raincoat. He sat quietly around the stove and looked at the sparkling lake in the distance. p
He looked at the city in the distance. The lights were waning, and the dim sky was flickering. Snowflakes suddenly floated in the sky. The old man in the straw raincoat tightened his clothes and leaned closer. There were even fewer boats at the riverside. p
"Old Nie, it's snowing. You should go home early!" A small boat sailed in front of him. A middle-aged man at the bow of the boat held a bamboo stick and said loudly to the old man in the straw raincoat. Steam came out of his mouth, and his body was shivering in the dark because of the cold. p
"Old Li, wait a little longer! It's already so late. There should be people coming. You should go first. What if there are people who want to cross the river without a boat? " Old Nie handed a gourd at his waist to Old Li. Old Li did not refuse. He pulled out the stopper and gulped down a mouthful of wine. He let out a comfortable moan. p
"Sigh, why do you have to do this for such a small amount of money? Look at Gusu City. It's brightly lit like a paradise on earth. If you don't stay in your dreams, who would come to this river so late at night?" Old Li handed the wine gourd to Old Nie.
Although he was much younger than Old Nie, their relationship was the best. He knew this man's temperament, so he did not say much. He just reminded him and left with the boat. p
Snowflakes fell on the river. The moonlight shone down on Old Li's figure, and only the melodious singing echoed in the quiet night. "September wind, October rain, a fairy comes riding on a sword, splitting the river with a sword. A year of withering, a year of glory. I cross the river and return home, a wormwood without a shadow. " Again and again, the resentful song was mixed with a deep voice, and it traveled to the mountains outside Gusu City on a snowy night. p
Old Nie looked at Gusu City. The towering city walls blended in with the darkness of the night, and time seemed to have stopped. The snow outside the canopy was getting heavier and heavier, and the whistling wind caused the burning flames to sway. p
Suddenly, for some reason, Old Nie raised his head, and there was no light in his cloudy eyes. He saw a person walking toward him from the dock. Upon closer inspection, it was a woman with willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, and a straight nose. Her exquisite facial features had an unreal beauty to them. She was dressed in white, and her tall and slender figure was faintly discernible in the wind and snow, making her look like a fairy in a dream. She was truly a rare beauty in this world. Old Nie couldn't help but feel a bit flustered. p
The woman's black hair was casually draped over her shoulders. What was strange was that in such a cold winter night, the woman was dressed in white, and her expression was calm. The flying snow around her seemed to be separated by something. Old Nie's pupils shrank. He didn't expect this woman to be a martial artist. In the Eternal Continent, martial arts were respected, and martial arts were prevalent in every country. In this world, there was an imperial court and a martial world. p
Old Nie walked step by step to the bow of the boat, and only then did he realize that the woman was holding a child tightly wrapped in thick clothes. Looking at Old Nie, who was inside the canopy, the woman said, "Old man, can I cross the river?" Her voice was quiet, colder, and lonelier than the night wind. p
"Come on board and warm yourself up first!" Old Nie hesitated for a moment before agreeing. He didn't mention the price. The woman in front of him wasn't ordinary, and upon closer inspection, he realized that her face was pale and bloodless. If it wasn't for the light in her eyes, Old Nie would have thought that she was a ghost. He stood up and took a sip of wine, then walked to the back of the boat and let the woman sit inside the canopy. Even if she didn't need these things to warm herself up, the child did. p
The woman seemed to feel Old Nie's kindness. She looked at Old Nie carefully, and a strange light flashed in her eyes. She nodded and sat inside the canopy. Old Nie turned the boat around steadily in the wind and snow. The two of them didn't communicate at all. The snow outside fell on their straw raincoats and bamboo hats. Relying on the strong wine, Old Nie rowed faster and faster on the river. p
"Why are you crossing this river on such a cold night?" Old Nie finally asked. He could tell that the woman came from Gusu City, and slowly walked from heaven to this world. p
"Old man, may I know your surname?" The woman's cold voice rang out. She didn't answer Old Nie's question, and instead asked a very strange question. p
"Don't ask for my surname. This old man isn't that scholarly. My surname is Nie, and my name is Jiang Sheng." Nie Jiang Sheng smiled and glanced at the woman in white. He had experienced many ups and downs, and after such an incident, he could tell that the woman and the child must have some secrets that they couldn't talk about. p
"Jiang Sheng, I'm afraid the old man was born and raised by the Immortal Overlooking River!" The woman said again. Her words made Old Nie a little suspicious. She seemed to be asking about him, but from her clothes and temperament, he could tell that the woman was either rich or noble. Why would she want to know about him? p
Since he was willing to be cut into pieces, Nie Jiang Sheng wasn't on guard. He took advantage of the wine and said, "Miss, you are really smart. My father was a boatman. I remember he told me that when he was crossing the river, he found me flowing down from upstream. Then, he took me in." p
"Then does the old man know the story of the Immortal Overlooking River?" The woman changed the topic and talked about other things. She looked at the swaddling clothes in her arms from time to time, and her eyes were full of love. p
"The Immortal Overlooking River. I heard that a few hundred years ago, an immortal descended from the sky and slashed open heaven and earth with a sword. That day, wind and thunder rumbled, and the immortal disappeared after the slash. The rain fell for a few days and nights, and the sword mark was filled. That was the Immortal Overlooking River." Nie Jiang Sheng said straightforwardly. He firmly believed in the story passed down from his ancestors. p
"Then does the old man know why the immortal came here? Why did he leave behind a slash and then disappear?" The woman raised her head and looked into Nie Jiang Sheng's eyes. Nie Jiang Sheng's body trembled. He didn't know why, but he saw a different light in the woman's eyes. p
"Miss, I'm afraid you have me stumped. These are all legends. How would I know?" Nie Jiang Sheng shook his head and looked at the river, not saying a word. p
"The immortal came here to seek revenge. After severing his hatred, he left and wandered the world." The woman's words were shocking. Nie Jiang Sheng couldn't believe what he was hearing. But the woman was a martial artist. He was afraid that the immortal from a few hundred years ago was the same. p
"Whether it's a true immortal or seeking revenge, it has nothing to do with me, the old boatman. I've been at this ferry for decades. I've sent one wave and received another. I've lived a life of mediocrity in the mortal world. What does the heavens have to do with me? "Nie Jiang Sheng laughed. He believed the woman's words, but what did it have to do with him? p
"The old man is really free and easy. Today, I have a request." Nie Jiangsheng understood that from the very beginning, this woman had been aiming for this goal. p
"I think you should be a woman from a big family. What's the use of a small boatman like me?" Although Nie Jiang Sheng praised the woman, he didn't agree. Instead, he tactfully refused. p
"This matter must be done by the old man." The woman said firmly. Her strong aura made Nie Jiang Sheng's back shiver. He felt that the woman in front of him was like a sharp sword. p
"Oh, miss, tell me what it is first." Nie Jiang Sheng was in a trance. He felt that his life was in the woman's hands. Although he was not afraid of death, he also wanted to live. p
"I hope the old man can take in this child." The woman handed the swaddling clothes in her arms to Nie Jiang Sheng. Nie Jiang Sheng was shocked. He quickly walked into the boat and looked at the woman in shock. He could see the relationship between the two, but what was the reason for the mother to give her child to someone else? p
"This, this is not appropriate." Nie Jiang Sheng looked at the child in the swaddling clothes. His smart eyes made people want to love him. It was a lie to say that he didn't want to. He had been in the world for most of his life. He had married a wife, but things were unpredictable. Everything was not something he could resist. p
"I believe the old man can see it. To be honest, I am in a very dangerous situation now. Instead of letting him accompany me in this dark life, it is better to entrust him to a fated person and let him live an ordinary life. "The woman gently stroked the child's cheek with her hand. For some reason, the child suddenly smiled. p
"A fated person? I have never met you before. How can there be a fated person?" Nie Jiang Sheng was still unwilling. He didn't want to separate the mother and son. p
"Just because of your first sentence." The woman said and didn't explain more. Nie Jiang Sheng was stunned. His first sentence may have been nothing, but it touched the woman. He didn't say the price. It was just pure concern from the bottom of his heart. She didn't say anything more. She reached out and held the child in her arms. p
"I hope the old man can treat him well. I have nothing to repay him with, so I will leave this to you!" The woman took out a package from her arms and placed it on the table. Nie Jiang Sheng could tell that the amount inside was enough for him to live for the rest of his life. p
He didn't refuse. He also put the package in his arms. This action made the woman feel more at ease. She stood up and intended to leave. p
"Can you tell me your name and his father's name? Perhaps one day, he will need to know these things. "Nie Jiang Sheng saw the determination in the woman's eyes. p
"My surname is Lin, and my name is Qingshu. As for his father, it will be you in the future. " The woman didn't say the name of the child's father. However, Nie Jiang Sheng's actions made her eyes flash with satisfaction. Perhaps this was a good ending. After she finished speaking, she stood up and walked to the bow of the boat to look at Gusu City. p
In the next moment, she walked slowly on the surface of the river. She was like a fairy riding the clouds. Her lotus feet tapped lightly on the ground as she slowly walked to the surface of the river. "I, Lin Qingshu, am at Immortal Overlooking River. I welcome everyone." Her red lips parted slightly. Then, she slapped her palm towards Nie Jiang Sheng. The surging water pushed the boat far away. p
"Old man, leave quickly. Take this child with you. In the future, he will be your child. I hope he can be a boatman for the rest of his life, as peaceful as water. "Looking at the figure in the distance, he thought, Even the fairies of the Moon Palace can't be compared to her! Nie Jiang Sheng heard the voice beside his ear. He didn't say anything. He quickly pushed the boat forward and disappeared from Immortal Overlooking River. p
He returned to his home in a panic. This place was in a dense forest not far from the source of Immortal Overlooking River. That night, he heard the surging waves of Immortal Overlooking River. This was the first time in hundreds of years that he had heard this. p
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