Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 259: Phoenix Rising from Fire, Rekindling Hope

The night was as cold as water. Wu Tao sat alone in the courtyard, tightly holding the dull jade pendant in her hand. The moonlight shone down, illuminating her pale face. The traces of tears had long dried up, leaving only two clear marks.

"Child, you should cheer up." The old man's illusory figure appeared beside her, and his tone was filled with a bit of heartache and encouragement.

Wu Tao raised his head, staring at the old man with empty eyes, and said in a hoarse voice: "He has already...what should I do?"

The old man sighed softly, "Child, I know you are sad, but you can't just give up like this. He was willing to give up everything for you, even his own life. Do you want to live up to his sacrifice?"

Wu Tao's body trembled, and the figure of Hu Bugui emerged in her mind: his warm smile, his affectionate eyes, and his determination to block the fatal blow for her...

"No, I can't let him down! I will take him back. I promised him!" The flame of hope rekindled in Wu Tao's eyes. She held the jade pendant tightly, as if she was holding the last straw of life.

The old man nodded with satisfaction: "This is the Wu Tao I know. Child, you must believe that hope will always exist. As long as you are willing to work hard, there will definitely be a way."

"But the magic weapon is damaged. How can I repair it?" Wu Tao asked anxiously.

"Everything in the world is interdependent and mutually exclusive. There will always be a way." The old man pondered for a moment and said, "I remember that in the far west, there is a mysterious ore that has extremely powerful energy. Perhaps it can replace the core components of magic weapons."

"Really? Then where can I find this kind of ore?" Wu Tao asked anxiously.

The old man pointed to the distance and said slowly: "You need to find a skilled craftsman who lives in seclusion. He may know the whereabouts of this ore. Child, the road ahead is long, you must be mentally prepared."

Wu Tao nodded solemnly, with a determined light in his eyes: "For him, I am willing to do anything!"

When the news spread, Tang Chao's friends came one after another. They looked at Wu Tao worriedly, wanting to comfort her but not knowing how to start.

"Tao'er, we will definitely help you!" Young Master Li was the first to step forward, clenching his fists and saying, "Don't worry, we will definitely find a way to repair the magic weapon!"

"Sister Taoer, don't worry, I will ask Daddy to use all his strength to help you find that kind of ore!" Miss Wang also said.

The support and encouragement from her friends flowed into Wu Tao's heart like a warm current, allowing her to feel a touch of warmth and strength in her despair.

She took a deep breath, wiped away her tears, and gave everyone a grateful smile: "Thank you, I will definitely work hard!"

The next morning, Wu Tao said goodbye to her friends in Tang Dynasty and set out on a journey to find materials. She got on her horse and took a last look at this city that carried countless memories of her and Hu Bugui, her eyes full of determination and hope.

"Wait for me, I will definitely come back to pick you up..." She murmured softly, squeezed her legs against the horse's belly, and galloped towards the west, leaving behind only a receding back.

At dawn, the sky was turning pale, and Wu Tao had already set out on her journey westward. The horse's hooves raised dust as she headed westward, and the scenery gradually changed from prosperous and lush to desolate and rugged. She asked around along the way, and based on the few words provided by the old man, she crossed mountains and ridges, crossed deserts, and searched for the mysterious ore that was said to have powerful energy.

Along the way, she encountered sandstorms and wild beasts, but none of these could stop her from moving forward. Whenever she felt tired and desperate, she would take out the dim jade pendant, thinking of Hu Bugui's gentle smile and affectionate eyes, and a strong force would surge in her heart, supporting her to keep moving forward.

"I will definitely find it, definitely..." she said to herself silently in her heart.

Finally, after months of arduous journey, she came to a mysterious valley. According to the legends along the way, this was the origin of the mysterious ore.

Wu Tao dismounted and walked carefully into the valley. The valley was filled with a strange atmosphere that was invigorating. She searched carefully in the valley and finally found the legendary ore in a hidden cave.

The ore emitted a faint light, and Wu Tao could feel a strong energy surging in her hand. She was ecstatic, this was exactly what she had been looking for!

However, when she was about to leave the valley, she found herself lost. The terrain of the valley was complex and changeable, and she was like a headless fly, but she could not find a way out.

"What should I do? Am I going to be trapped here and die?" Despair and fear once again struck Wu Tao's heart, and he collapsed on the ground powerlessly.

At this moment, she accidentally touched a copper coin on her waist. This was a token of love given to her by Hu Bugui. He once said that this copper coin would bless her safety.

"Yes, how could I forget it!" Wu Tao seemed to have grabbed a life-saving straw. She held the coin tightly, closed her eyes, and prayed silently.

A miracle happened! The copper coin suddenly became hot and emitted a dazzling light, guiding her to find the way out of the valley.

Wu Tao was ecstatic, she knew that Hu Bugui was blessing her in the dark.

She rushed back to the Central Plains with the ore. However, a new problem was placed before her: although this ore has powerful energy, it requires special technology to be processed into the parts needed to repair the magic weapon.

Wu Tao was unwilling to give up, so she began to ask around and learn ancient forging techniques. She visited many skilled craftsmen, humbly asked for advice, constantly tried and improved, failed again and again, and started again and again.

Her hands were covered with scars, but she didn't care because she always had hope and faith in her heart.

"I believe that as long as I persist, I will find a way!"

Finally, by chance, she heard that in the deep mountains, there lived a master craftsman who had lived in seclusion for many years...

In the cold twelfth month of winter, heavy snow fluttered down, covering the towering mountains with a layer of silver. Wu Tao wrapped her thick cloak tightly and walked with difficulty on the rugged mountain road. The biting cold wind whistled past, making her cheeks red, but she didn't care, because she knew that the legendary master craftsman's residence was ahead.

Finally, she found a simple wooden house deep in a bamboo forest. Wu Tao knocked on the door gently, and soon a white-haired old man opened the door.

"Excuse me, who are you..." Wu Tao asked tentatively.

"I am the person you are looking for." The old man smiled and invited her into the house.

Although the wooden house was simple, it was very tidy. The old man made a pot of hot tea for Wu Tao, and then listened quietly to her story. When he heard that Wu Tao was willing to give up the opportunity to return to the modern world at all costs in order to find a way to repair the magic weapon, a trace of admiration flashed in the old man's eyes.

"You are very brave and persistent." The old man said slowly, "I haven't met someone like you in many years."

Wu Tao stood up excitedly and bowed deeply to the old man, "Please help me!"

The old man pondered for a moment and said slowly: "I can teach you, but I have one condition."

"Whatever the conditions are, just tell me!"

"I want you to promise me that you will never give up hope and keep going bravely no matter what difficulties you encounter."

"I promise you!" Wu Tao agreed without hesitation.

In this way, Wu Tao stayed with the old man and began to learn exquisite forging techniques. The old man taught her everything he had learned throughout his life without reservation, and Wu Tao also absorbed new knowledge greedily like a sponge.

Day after day, year after year, under the guidance of the old man, Wu Tao's skills improved by leaps and bounds. She repeatedly smelted and hammered the mysterious ore, tried again and again, and failed again and again, but she never gave up.

Finally, on a moonlit night, Wu Tao completed the last step. She inserted the component in her hand into the magic weapon, and the magic weapon suddenly burst into dazzling light, illuminating the entire wooden house.

"Success!" Wu Tao jumped up excitedly, tears glistening in his eyes.

The old man looked at her with a gratified smile on his face, "Go, child, and complete your mission."

Wu Tao bowed deeply to the old man again, then walked out of the wooden house with the repaired magic weapon. She knew it was time to go back to find him...

Wu Tao jumped onto the horse's back, looking into the distance with a determined gaze, tightly holding the jade pendant that was emitting a warm glow. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on her body, as if she was coated with a layer of gold. What was waiting for her ahead?

Peach blossoms shine brightly in Chang'an

Chapter 259: Phoenix Rising from Fire, Rekindling Hope

Wu Tao spurred her horse and galloped along, with only one thought in her mind: to return to him. The cold wind was biting, but it could not stop the heat surging in her heart. The magic weapon of time travel was slightly hot in her hand, as if responding to her anxious mood.

Finally, the familiar city gate came into view. Wu Tao dismounted from her horse, not bothering to tidy up her messy hair, and rushed straight to the palace. The guards at the gate recognized her and let her pass immediately.

Wu Tao ran all the way to Hu Bugui's room, pushed open the door, and the familiar room was filled with a faint scent of medicine, but there was no sign of him.

"He..." Wu Tao's voice trembled, and an ominous premonition arose in his heart.

"Miss Wu Tao, you're back!" A maid's surprised voice came from behind, "The prince is waiting for you in the study."

Wu Tao's heart finally calmed down. She took a deep breath and walked quickly towards the study.

The door of the study was ajar. Wu Tao gently pushed it open and saw Hu Bugui sitting by the window with his back to her. He had lost a lot of weight, and his back revealed an indescribable loneliness.

"Bugui..." Wu Tao called softly.

Hu Bugui turned around suddenly, and when he saw Wu Tao, a flash of disbelief flashed across his eyes, followed by ecstasy. He stood up suddenly, but because of his big movements, his eyes went dark and he almost fell down.

Wu Tao quickly stepped forward to support him, and finally couldn't hold back her tears, "How are you? Are you hurt?"

Hu Bugui held her hand tightly, his voice hoarse, "I'm fine, I'm glad you're back, I'm glad you're back..."

He held Wu Tao in his arms, greedily breathing in the fragrance of her hair, as if he wanted to rub her into his bones and blood. Wu Tao also hugged him tightly, feeling his body temperature and his heartbeat. At this moment, she realized very clearly that he was the most important person in her life.

"I found a way to repair the time-travel magic weapon." Wu Tao whispered in his ear.

Hu Bugui's body was visibly shaken. He let go of Wu Tao and looked at her in disbelief. "Really?"

Wu Tao nodded and took out the jade pendant that was emitting warm light from his arms, "I have repaired it."

Hu Bugui took the jade pendant and examined it carefully, his eyes full of excitement and hope. He knew that this was their last hope and also their new beginning.

"Let's go back to the modern world first and take care of things there." Wu Tao said, "Then we'll make a decision."

Hu Bugui nodded. He knew that no matter where they were, their hearts would always be together.

They walked out of the study hand in hand, and were greeted by their friends' worried yet delighted gazes.

"I'm so glad you're okay!"

"We always believed that you would come back!"

Friends surrounded them, asking about their well-being, and everyone had a happy smile on their face.

However, in this warm atmosphere, Wu Tao suddenly felt an inexplicable uneasiness in his heart, as if something was about to happen...

She held Hu Bugui's hand tightly and whispered, "I feel something is wrong."

Hu Bugui also noticed something strange. He looked around and his eyes fell on the gate of the palace. There, a figure in a black cloak slowly walked towards him...