Chapter Five, the road to Chang'an is long, and one may never reach it in a lifetime

Suddenly, Li Guo, not knowing what came to his mind, endured the pain from his numerous wounds, quickly turned on the light, opened the box containing the ancient paintings among the three wooden boxes, and laid out a long scroll of painting flat on the bed

The young swordswoman raised her head, her face still fair and clean, untouched by tears that would have smudged her makeup and mascara. While sobbing, she shyly glanced at Li Guo and said, "Do not worry about the hunger in my belly..."

Young master, are you well? The blind eyes of the bell tower's phantom aligned perfectly with Li Guo's gaze: I have been waiting here since early morning

"Young hero, what brings you here?" Mo Chou looked at Li Guo with a puzzled expression. "This painting that Mo Chou has seen is truly lifelike, but unfortunately, it is missing a piece; otherwise, it would surely be a treasured masterpiece."

Li Guo turned his head to look around and found that the aisle was filled with elderly men aged sixty-five and above. Unlike the bell tower's strange figure, these elderly men were neatly kneeling on both sides, not daring to make a sound.

Yet Li Guo stood there as if struck by lightning, staring blankly at the painting spread out on the bed

This should be a wealthy household near the outskirts of Chang'an. Mo Chou often gets lost, which is quite embarrassing. Mo Chou's purpose for this trip is to go to Chang'an, to meet with the young master of the Li family... At this point, the little fairy named Mo Chou's expression completely transformed into one of bashful modesty, so she quickly changed her tone: "For any damaged items, Mo Chou will certainly compensate."

In a hurry, Li Guo changed out of the tattered pajamas that had been pierced, and the wound on his back throbbed painfully with the slightest touch. Therefore, he put on a loose cotton shirt and hurriedly opened the door.

After he finished speaking, disregarding the pain in his body, he picked up the little girl who was eagerly watching the commotion and hid by the edge of the bed, quietly waiting for the subsequent developments

At this moment, the little girl also had a very unpleasant expression on her face, mumbling, "Vixen!"

However, in the blink of an eye, her expression became bewildered again as she raised her neck to look at the moon outside: "How exactly did I end up here? Why are you two dressed so peculiarly, and why is this house so strange, with invisible barriers for protection?"

Xinxin clearly had seen the world with her strange mother, and she solemnly nodded her little head: "Dad, don't be afraid, Xinxin will protect you!" As she spoke, she skillfully pulled a bullet from the pocket of her down jacket and loaded her little handgun.

As soon as she left, Li Guo collapsed onto the bed as if he were exhausted. The little girl looked at the gruesome sword wound on his back with a pained expression and gently touched it with her small hand, saying: "Daddy, be good, don't cry. When Xin Xin grows up, she will help you kill that bad woman"

No, Li Guo clearly remembers that the historical records and materials clearly state that Li Bai died in 762. Moreover, this painting was created four years after Li Bai's death.

The little girl pouted and muttered, "Country bumpkin."

Thus, there are only two possibilities. One is that this painting is a forgery, and the other is that Li Bai faked his death

Do not worry about the rosy cheeks, the delicate little hands fidgeting with the hem of the garment: "He is my master, the eldest son of the Qinglian recluse, and I have never met him before."

Li Guo chuckled twice in a daze and instinctively patted Mo Chou's shoulder: "I need to tell you something, and you must promise to remain calm and not lose your composure."

Li Guo was once again flustered, not knowing where to place his hands, even on https://www.hetushu.com. The fragrance emanating from the little sword immortal wafted in waves, making Li Guo's nose itch incessantly

I am the swordsman Mo Chou, traversing the world to uphold justice and eliminate those who deserve to die. As the young lady in white introduced herself, she excitedly summoned the sword behind her, which flew about on its own, and performed a flourish in mid-air, casting a silver glow throughout the room

This time when she went out, she finally remembered to signal Li Guo to open the window for her before she flew out

However, the moment he opened the door, I nearly had a heart attack.

The girl in the white dress didn't need Li Guo to respond at all; she just kept chattering away without pause. At first, Li Guo thought she would be a cold fairy, ethereal and untainted like Ximen Chui Xue, but to his surprise, she turned out to be quite the chatterbox and a gossip. If she continued like this, she would soon start discussing the types of flower petals that Yang Guifei used during her baths.

Li Guo made a sound of acknowledgment and casually dialed a number for a voice service using his phone. After activating the speakerphone, he quietly placed the phone on the bed

It is said that the social customs of the Tang Dynasty were open; I originally thought it was just nonsense, but it turns out to be true... Li Guo felt helpless and shivered, not daring to move. If he were to provoke this little sword immortal at this moment, it would definitely be a matter of life and death.

However, the first possibility was dismissed by Li Guo; if a counterfeit can produce a living person, what would become of the genuine works? Therefore, only the possibility of Li Bai faking his own death remains

In this painting, there are distant mountains and nearby bamboo, with a clear stream rushing by, reflecting on both sides. However, right in the middle, there is an empty space, and this space happens to be in the shape of a person

"Do not cry... things will eventually be resolved slowly." Li Guo, unable to bear seeing this clean and innocent young girl cry so sadly, approached her with trepidation and gently comforted her: "It seems that you won't be able to return for a while; you need to try to adapt first."

"Do not deceive Mo Chou," the words of the young sword immortal carried a hint of menace. "If you make a jest of my master's life, Mo Chou will surely not spare you."

Under the curious gaze of Mo Chou, Li Guo fumbled for a counterfeit phone beside his pillow and fiddled with it for a while before accessing Google. He directly searched for the year of Yongtai, which displayed that Yongtai was in the year 766. This means that this ancient painting was inscribed by Li Bai in the year 766.

Li Guo gave a wry smile and patted the little girl's head, then said to Mo Chou: "Wait a moment, I will get you something to eat right away"

What is this all about! Li Guo is already confused, and now seeing this group in such a state, he immediately got angry: "Everyone, get up, get up!"

It is now Beijing time, November 4th, Thursday. It is 1:18 AM. Welcome to all listeners' calls. Please choose your favorite voice companion: press 1 for An'an, 2 for Peipei, 3 for ... '' Li Guoguo decisively hung up the phone and called out to the little girl: '' Uncle has never made such a call ''

What is this? What is this! The little sword fairy was nearly on the verge of a breakdown, pointing at Li Guo in mid-air: "Let me investigate for a moment before making a decision!" With a wave of her hand, she departed, the sound of horses neighing in the distance. Draw your sword!

Speak, please. Li Guo quickly began to engage in a nearly formal manner: "Please let me know what you need; I will do my best to assist with the matter at hand."

Li Guo lifted the painting and placed it beside Mo Chou, making a comparison. Both the hairstyle and the abrupt box were almost identical to the blank outline in the painting, except that Mo Chou was a real person, with a better 3D effect and slightly larger.

This object is a miraculous item, how can it be so bright! Mo Chou stared at the energy-saving lamp above her head, exclaiming in wonder: "Even the barbaric outsiders are not without their skills."

"Do you know where this is? Do you know where you are going?" The little fairy spoke with such enthusiasm that it was only during a brief pause for her to catch her breath that Li Guo finally managed to interject a sentence.

Mo Chou's small face gradually changed from crimson to pale, and finally her entire delicate face faintly revealed a shade of ashen blue. The long sword, which had originally been sheathed, also began to make crackling sounds in its scabbard.

Li Guo took a deep breath, suppressing the pain in his back and the pressure in his heart: "Chang'an is long gone. The Tang Dynasty has also long ceased to exist. The Qinglian recluse is no more, his son is gone, Yang Guifei has vanished, Gao Lishi is no longer here, and Huaqing Pool now requires an entrance fee."

Are Mo Fei and the others the legendary people from beyond the borders? What brings them to our great Tang Dynasty? Mo Chou might be able to offer some assistance, having traveled extensively across the land of the Divine State. The young lady's eyes were clear and transparent, showing no signs of feigning ignorance: "Although the young hero's physique is frail, your daughter is skilled in hidden weapons, certainly not inferior to the masters of the Tang family in Shu. I presume the young hero is also a master of hidden weapons."

Unexpectedly, Li Guo's words made Xiao Jianxian cry even more intensely, and in the end, he simply threw himself onto Li Guo's shoulder, continuing to weep profusely.

"Xiaoxin, do not mention today's events to anyone! Otherwise, we will definitely get into trouble." Li Guo gently helped the little girl tidy her hair and carefully instructed, "As soon as dawn breaks tomorrow, we will leave!"

In less than five minutes, the heroine Mo Chou flew in through the window on her sword, swaying unsteadily. As soon as she landed, she burst into tears with a loud "wah." The intensity of her crying was even more fierce than that of a small child, and the sound of her heartbreak was extremely jarring in the room

I... the little sword immortal might have cried herself out, sliding from Li Guo's shoulder to the bed, sobbing so much that she couldn't utter a complete sentence: "I... I..."

"Who is the Young Master Li you mentioned?" Li Guo's expression was dark and gloomy; he was feeling somewhat flustered. If he were to inform Mo Chou that it is now the sixty-first anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, rather than some Lantern Festival in the Tianbao era, the little sword immortal might truly do something unpredictable.

Li Guo suddenly felt quite sympathetic towards this girl. According to her words, she seemed to be preparing to go to Chang'an City to meet someone else with the surname Li for a blind date or marriage, as her face was filled with a sense of happiness. It is likely that she has no idea that she has traveled over a thousand years on this journey. Even if she wanted to return, it would no longer be possible.

In the lower right corner of that calligraphy and painting, there are two inscriptions: "Year 2 of Yongtai" and "Qinglian Jushi." Qinglian Jushi, Li Guo is aware, is the courtesy name of his ancestor Li Bai. However, which year does "Year 2 of Yongtai" actually refer to?

"Yun, Mo Chou will definitely not get angry." The young girl stared with wide eyes, sparkling as she looked at Li Guo, waiting for his answer: "What does the young hero wish to discuss with Mo Chou?"

Li Guo did not respond to her words; he simply slapped his forehead and sat down on the bed in despair. He now understood why the old man had set a specific date for him to come. Whether it was a day earlier or a day later, this little vixen, who could easily take a life with a mere shout, truly did not know what kind of chaos she would cause.