Immortal Travel of Longevity-Chapter 158: A Clever Answer to the Books Riddle

Black Pagoda felt puzzled.
“She wasn’t waiting for you, was she?”
Chen Changsheng picked up the book The Story of the Western Wing and flipped through it. “What do you think?”
Black Pagoda felt something was off. “You’re so boring, and she was even worse. Two boring people obviously can’t walk the same path.”
Chen Changsheng chuckled. “Am I boring?”
“Aren’t you?”
Chen Changsheng carefully recalled the things that happened since he woke up these past years. It seemed he really had become less and less interesting.
He understood well that this was inevitable, yet it was something he couldn’t control.
The cycles of slumber and awakening were destined to create a completely different Chen Changsheng.
“Seems you’re right,” Chen Changsheng replied, then simply stopped chatting with Black Pagoda. He sat back in the rocking chair and began reading The Story of the Western Wing.
Seeing Chen Changsheng engrossed, Black Pagoda didn’t say anything more.
He often couldn’t grasp Chen Changsheng’s thoughts. Just like now—clearly searching for something, yet not searching thoroughly, instead sitting there reading a random book.
Only the sound of turning pages filled the courtyard.
Chen Changsheng flipped page after page, reading story after story.
He rather liked The Story of the Western Wing. After all, among the many classics he had read, it was the only one with a truly happy ending.
“She probably wanted a happy ending too,” he murmured.
Black Pagoda asked, “Happy ending for what?”
“Nothing.”
Chen Changsheng shook his head and closed the book. Yet, he kept holding it, not putting it down.
Seeing this, Black Pagoda couldn’t help asking, “Is there something special about this book?”
“A bit different,” Chen Changsheng said vaguely.
Black Pagoda was startled. “Are you sure?”
“Do you want to see?” Chen Changsheng offered.
“I’ve looked before,” Black Pagoda replied. “Didn’t notice anything odd.”
Chen Changsheng explained, “If it were that easy to spot, this book would have been taken away long ago.”
Getting a definite answer, Black Pagoda grew intensely curious about the book’s secret. “What is it? Does it hide some divine ability? Or a secret technique?”
“I have no idea,” Chen Changsheng answered.
“Huh? But you said you saw something!”
“I did see something different.”
“You’re messing with me!” Black Pagoda found talking to Chen Changsheng increasingly frustrating.
He realized then that even if this guy knew, he probably wouldn’t tell him anyway.
Chen Changsheng shook his head. “I’m not messing with you. I did see something unusual, but I haven’t yet unraveled what it means.”
“Who believes you?”
“Don’t believe me? Fine.”
Chen Changsheng raised his hand. A sealing spell landed on Black Pagoda.
“Eh?” Black Pagoda felt the outside world being blocked. “So you really didn’t want me to know! Chen! You’re SO petty!”
With the chattering Black Pagoda silenced, Chen Changsheng instantly felt the surroundings became much quieter.
He then took out the other two books to examine them. But there was nothing hidden within those.
Only this Story of the Western Wing seemed special. It needed further study when he got back.
Chen Changsheng stood up and walked towards the Main Hall.
It felt less like a tomb, and more like a home.
A painting, a few books; that was all she had left behind.
Chen Changsheng opened The Story of the Western Wing again.
The writing in this book was done by one person, yet the content had subtle differences.
Only someone intimately familiar with the original text would notice these discrepancies.
That was why Black Pagoda and the Badger Demon both dismissed it as useless nonsense.
In the original story, Madam Cui promises her daughter Cui Yingying to whoever can solve a military crisis. Zhang Sheng steps forward and saves everyone.
Yet Madam Cui breaks her word, refusing the marriage, instead telling them they can only call each other brother and sister. Zhang Sheng falls ill from despair.
Hongniang advises Zhang Sheng to play the zither beneath the moon. Moved by his music, Cui Yingying sends Hongniang to comfort him.
Zhang Sheng asks Hongniang to take a letter to Cui Yingying. Cui Yingying replies:
“Beneath the Moon by Western Chamber, Half-open door awaits the breeze; Flower shadows sway across the wall, Tis my fair lord, no doubt.”
But in the book Chen Changsheng held now, Cui Yingying’s reply was different:
“Endless hurdles pave the road ahead, But clever methods answer plight; Half-open door by Western Moon awaits, Flower shadows bring my fair lord nigh.”
Viewed alone, the difference might not stand out.
Yet after the line “But clever methods answer plight”, there were two smudged characters that had been scratched out.
The entire book was littered with such misspellings and alterations. Disguised this way, the two smudged characters didn’t seem particularly unusual.
Chen Changsheng reached out and gently rubbed the smudged spots.
The characters underneath emerged: “Shuyuan” (Book Affinity).
“A Clever Answer to Shuyuan.”
Chen Changsheng extended a finger, channeling a wisp of Magical Power into the book.
Suddenly, The Story of the Western Wing began flipping pages before him on its own! The ink characters seemed to wriggle off the paper.
The ink merged into a swirling pool, then reassembled itself, sinking back into the pages.
Chen Changsheng watched this transformation, a sense of awe stirring within him.
This method of concealing the text was far from ordinary.
“No wonder it looked like a normal book.”
A Formation Array was hidden inside. External Magical Power could infuse spirit into the ink, bringing the written words to life—literally awakening the dead ink.
Moreover, this wasn’t something just anyone’s Magical Power could achieve. Awaking the ink required pristine Magical Power, utterly pure. The slightest impurity would fail to unlock the book’s secret.
It felt like…
This book was meant specifically for him to unravel.
Once the contents of The Story of the Western Wing had entirely rearranged and reassembled, a completely different book materialized before Chen Changsheng.
He looked at the first page and was taken aback.
“The Six Paths exist, Reincarnation never ceases. Reincarnation signifies the floating and sinking between life and death, thus creating past, present, future…”
“The past ceases with Reincarnation, the mundane world perishes, vanishing like smoke, only to appear again in future rebirths, as either human or beast…”
The first half elaborates on these concepts, explaining the core subject of this scripture.
Chen Changsheng continued turning pages. On the eleventh page, he saw the most crucial words:
“The Sutra of the Future Rebirth escapes the dissolution of the mundane world, allowing rebirth in future lives. Untouched by cycles, the past isn’t forgotten, Karma remains unbroken.”
“This seeks to escape the Great Dao’s Reincarnation!”
Chen Changsheng was shocked. The realization hit him suddenly.
He flipped the book over to look at its title.
The once familiar “The Story of the Western Wing” had morphed into…
“Sutra of Rebirth”
Chen Changsheng stared, stunned.