Chapter 1146: The Yuling Inside the Stone

Then, when Gu Qiaoqiao picked up one of the stones about the size of an egg, she suddenly paused.

This stone, among the colorful stones, wasn’t particularly unusual. Its color was a pale green, somewhat resembling a peeled egg.

Such stones are similar to pebbles, often found along the banks of many rivers like the Da Jiang.

However, for some reason, when Gu Qiaoqiao held this stone, all the other stones seemed to lose their luster instantly.

And most importantly, there seemed to be some kind of aura inside the stone that she quite liked, suggesting there was Spiritual Energy inside.

Could there be jade inside?

Gu Qiaoqiao examined it carefully again and felt it was unlikely.

Then Gu Qiaoqiao placed her finger on it and carefully sensed it once more.

There’s no jade inside; this time she was certain, but at the same time, she also confirmed something: there was indeed something inside this stone. It was shapeless, resembling a cloud of mist.

What could this be?

Gu Qiaoqiao lifted the stone high in surprise. At this moment, although the sun was setting, its residual glow still enveloped the land.

So, Gu Qiaoqiao clearly saw that there seemed to be a cloud-like mist inside the stone. This was really bizarre. How could there be such a thing inside a stone?

She knew that stones could contain jade.

But this stone was an inanimate object, so it’s impossible for it to contain a mist-like thing.

This thing seemed to carry a hint of vitality, but Gu Qiaoqiao currently couldn’t communicate with it, not even with the Spiritual Energy in her hands.

Gu Qiaoqiao tilted her head and looked at Qin Yize beside her, curiously asking, "Ah Ze, where did you find this stone?"

Qin Yize glanced at the stone in Gu Qiaoqiao’s hand and said softly, "I found it in a small cave on a rock wall."

"A small cave?" Gu Qiaoqiao asked in surprise, "How small is this cave?"

Qin Yize gestured with his hands, "Strictly speaking, it can’t be called a cave, just a small stone pit. But there was a stone covering the small pit. At first, I thought it was a bird egg from some bird, but when I got it, I realized it was a stone. It looks like this stone has been there for a long time..."

At this point, Qin Yize paused, watching Gu Qiaoqiao’s expression. Then he took the egg-like stone from her hand and, like Gu Qiaoqiao, held it up to the sunset glow. Unfortunately, he naturally couldn’t perceive everything Gu Qiaoqiao sensed, let alone see it.

In his eyes, this stone was only smoother and more rounded than the others and seemed no different.

He lowered his voice and asked, "Qiaoqiao, is there something inside?"

Gu Qiaoqiao hesitated slightly and replied softly, "There isn’t jade inside, but there seems to be a cloud-like thing, with some signs of life, but I can’t determine what it is."

"A cloud-like thing..." Qin Yize carefully looked again, joking, "Could it be there’s a Yuling inside?"

Yuling?

Gu Qiaoqiao was taken aback, looking at Qin Yize seriously, "Why did you say there might be a Yuling inside? Did you see it?"

Qin Yize shook his head, "Of course, I can’t see anything. I was just speaking casually."

Then Qin Yize placed the stone beside the others, leaned against the table, crossed his arms, and glanced at the serious Gu Qiaoqiao, "I once heard an old man say that if a stone containing jade remains in a secluded mountain and water area untouched over the years, the stone might slowly give birth to a spiritual creature. The old man said it’s called Yuling, but it’s only a legend because no one has actually seen what a Yuling looks like."

Gu Qiaoqiao chuckled, picked up the stone, and said playfully, "Maybe there really is a Yuling inside."

Qin Yize reached out, gently stroked Gu Qiaoqiao’s hair affectionately, and teased, "If it’s true, my dear Qiaoqiao has quite the luck to encounter a once-in-a-millennium Yuling."

"Why say I’m lucky?" Gu Qiaoqiao objected, "You’re the lucky one. If not for you, how would this stone even come back?"

Qin Yize shook his head, speaking leisurely, "Wrong. If not for your liking of this thing, I wouldn’t have taken it."

Then he pointed to the stones, "When leaving, make sure to pack them in the backpack." Qin Yize then straightened up, glanced outside, and said, "Qiaoqiao, it’s time to eat. I’ll take you to dinner."

...

Meanwhile, in a residential area of the Imperial Capital.

This area consists entirely of detached single-story houses with winding alleyways, and the houses are somewhat dilapidated.

At the very end of the alley is a household.

Their house was partitioned out of a courtyard, covering only about thirty square meters.

At this moment, a middle-aged woman was cooking in the yard.

And a young man stood dazed at the yard’s gate.

The middle-aged woman was washing rice, asking while washing, "Jiansheng, where’s Yalan?"

This woman is Gu Cheng’s wife, now with the surname Chang, named Chang Yicheng.

Everyone else naturally changed their surname as well, except the eldest son, Jianhua, who had disappeared, not contacted for a long time. It was unknown whether he was dead or alive.

Currently living with Li Fen are the other four children.

Chang Jiansheng didn’t lift his head, speaking quietly, "Sleeping inside."

His voice was calm, showing neither sadness nor joy.

Li Fen angrily slammed the basin on the table, pointing to her daughter’s room, "One’s always foolish and muddleheaded, one’s either eating or sleeping, turning into a living dead..."

As she spoke, tears began to flow, lamenting, "What have I done to deserve such a fate, to suffer so much even in old age? What’s the point of living?"

Chang Jiansheng continued to stare silently outside, realizing at this moment how much he had changed.

The bright spark in his eyes had long dimmed into gray.

Beyond life and surroundings, nothing seemed to interest him anymore, leaving him looking lifeless.

Li Fen cried harder, becoming more distressed.

The eldest son’s whereabouts were unknown, the second son failed in business and even lost his job.

The eldest daughter went insane; after the second daughter regained her senses, she did nothing but eat and sleep daily, behaving like a fool and weighing over two hundred pounds now.

It was simply unbearable to witness.