Seven years.

Time flies in the world. For plants and insects, a short autumn can make them experience a reincarnation. For humans, seven years is not too long or too short, but it is enough for many things to happen.

For example, the Emperor Yuxian, who had been in power for less than ten years in the Dayu Dynasty in the center of the world, suddenly fell seriously ill and abdicated. The fourth princess who had never done anything succeeded to the throne. Her sudden appearance made Dayu the first empress in history. Another example is that in Yunzhou, a wild and uncivilized place, there is a Confucian scholar who is independent and unique. The Confucianism he practices is a school of his own. He advocates that there is no distinction between classes and no morality, which has caused an uproar in Yunzhou and even in Dayu. When he preached by the Canghai Sea, he attracted nearly a thousand people from all ethnic groups. The momentum was so great that it was called Canghai Academy. This great scholar called himself Mr. Zhou, but never revealed his name to anyone. Confucianism has been silent for nearly a thousand years, and it seems that another Taoist king is just around the corner; for example, an astrological Taoist who drifted to the capital claimed that he spent seven years to deduce that the great way would change in seven years. As for what it would become, he did not say much. When more people questioned him, he only said two words, "return." But no one knew who he was referring to when he said return.

Strangely, all the major astrological schools kept silent about this matter, and even the high-ranking Jiantianyuntai, which was said to have a royal background, was silent. For a time, this guest from the east became famous and was treated as a guest of honor by all the major families in Kyoto...

However, these things were too far away from the boy living in the valley outside the world. Seven years, for a child who was eager to grow up, was just a moment of a snap of the fingers. Camden, who had grown from a stubborn boy to a handsome boy, lay under the fruit forest in front of the Taoist temple, holding broken gold leaves in his mouth, enjoying the afternoon sunshine with some comfort. The golden light stroked his thin eyebrows and narrowed eyes, flickering and dimming, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking.

"Little Gu, have you had enough fun!" Camden lazily raised his body, stared at the drool on the ground for a long time, then yawned and shouted listlessly.

Camden seemed to have changed in the past seven years. The boy who climbed up Luoyun Mountain for three days and three nights without sleep and with bloodshot eyes was gone. Now he is more and more sleepy. If it weren't for the teachers' urging in the morning, I'm afraid he could sleep for most of the day. And noon every day is his happiest time. Often at this time, he would use a little trick to escape a teacher's class, and then let Little Gu quietly pick him up and come here to take a comfortable nap. But Little Gu didn't seem to be interested in sleeping. Every time Camden took a nap, the big bird would start to disguise himself as a fish...

I saw a dark shadow gradually floating from the river, and the whole river seemed to be painted black by it. With a "splash", the huge bird's head splashed water three or four feet high and rushed out of the water. The unsatisfied Liefeng grumbled twice and spread his wings and flew away. The water flowed down from the gaps between its fiery red feathers, densely and cascading in the sun, like a waterfall.

"Are you a fish or a bird? You don't want to stay in the sky, but like to go into the water all day long! Since you rolled around in Yiyi's lotus pond last time, she hasn't fed the fish for half a month. She used to either supervise me doing my homework, or be in a daze, or feed the fish all day long. Now, you rolled around, and she doesn't feed the fish anymore. She's busy supervising my homework or being in a daze while supervising... Hey, dead bird, don't pretend to sleep! You won't listen to me when your wings are hard!" Camden looked at the huge Liefeng lying on the grass with his big belly like a hill, imitating him. He saw its pink belly moving up and down exaggeratedly, and he didn't know if the fish and shrimp inside were still running around in a daze. "Puff~~~~" With an embarrassing loud noise, a strange smell came. Camden frowned, covered his nose tightly, and looked at Liefeng, who was full and digesting, with a look of contempt. But it stopped pretending, opened its eyes, and its three-color pupils turned twice, revealing a hint of cunning. Then it laughed twice, folded its wings, and rolled to the grass beside it.

"You dead bird, you are getting worse every year, I will pluck all your feathers!" Camden cursed and pounced on it.

Just as the two birdmen were fighting, a man staggered out from the entrance of the Taoist temple, wearing a tall hat and a fat robe, and holding a book in his hand.

"You bastard, why don't you get back here! Humph, the saints say that three times a day is not enough. You are so good, you only know how to be lazy all day long, and you dare to cheat me and replace tea with yellow soup. Humph, even if Miss Yiyi begs for mercy this time, it will be useless!" The teacher at the entrance of the Taoist temple leaned against the pillar, forced his sleepy eyes open, and shouted angrily to Camden not far away with a smell of alcohol.

The old man who was playing with the lottery next to him frowned and said dissatisfiedly, "Master Jian, can you speak a little more quietly? The guests who come here will be scared away by you!" When he turned his head and saw Master Jian, his face became very strange and he couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Hahaha, Master Jian, Master Jian, I have only heard of a monkey wearing a crown, what you call... this is called... You envy Yi Yi for wanting to be a woman, but don't be so cheap... It's a pity that no one can continue the upright way." "What? Old Jia, I was just drunk by that kid, and I'm a little hard of hearing. Say it again." Master Jian looked at Taoist Jia blankly. Taoist Jia hummed a little tune, ignored him, and started playing with counting sticks again. Master Jian looked to the side helplessly, and when his eyes turned to the old face with black eyebrows and red lips in the bronze mirror beside the table, he was stunned. In an instant, he realized that it must be his "good disciple" who secretly painted it while he was asleep. Mr. Jian panted, and his face changed from blue to red and then to dark purple.

"Zhou! Ji! Jun! You little beast, get over here!"

The man and the bird hiding behind the orchard looked at the Taoist temple nervously, and saw Master Jian, who was exaggeratedly painted with heavy makeup and looked extremely weird, stomping his feet and shouting angrily. The forehead crown on his head, which had been dirty and black for many years, was pushed up high by his hair, and his eyebrows, which were painted blue by Camden, looked like an old monster dancing with unidentified eyebrows.

"No! I didn't expect him to wake up so early. It's bad. Mr. Jian hasn't been so angry for a long time. It's over this time. I have to ask Yiyi to save me again." Camden pretended to be panicked and scared Liefeng beside him. There was a flash of laughter between his eyebrows, and then suddenly dimmed, "If I don't sleep more, I may not live for these seven years. I don't want to die so early. If I die, I will never see my parents again, and there will be no day for revenge." "Yiyi... do you like to call me like that? It's unruly." A soft whisper came to his ears, but Camden was startled and turned around hurriedly. He saw that the beautiful woman in white had come behind them without knowing when, looking at him coldly. Camden turned his head to look at Gugu, but saw that it shuddered when it saw Yiyi suddenly appear, and then raised its wings without loyalty and soared into the sky, decisively abandoning Camden. "No way. Master Yiyi, isn't this a sign of affection?" Camden said with a helpless smile.

"There are rules between heaven and earth, which cannot be broken. If you really regard me as your master, you are not allowed to call me that. Also, don't tease your Master Jian all the time, he is doing it for your own good."

"Yes." Camden smiled and bowed, and the frivolity between his eyebrows was still undisguised.

Looking at the boy in front of her quietly, Yiyi couldn't help but sigh.

It has been seven years, and he seems to have changed a lot, but in her eyes, he has not changed at all, and he is still the stubborn and strong boy back then. Although he is extremely sleepy now, he has reached a level of evil, but everyone knows his difficulties.

The energy of mortals is limited. If you consume too much in the past, you will lose more in the future, which is harmful to the body. During the years when Camden escaped from the capital and climbed Luoyun Mountain, he often stayed up for three days and three nights without rest, eating pancakes without nutrition, and was attacked by the cold wind on the top of the mountain. The Yin Qi entered his body and seriously damaged his vitality. If Yiyi had not taught him the way to concentrate his mind and enter dreams, Camden, who could not practice Taoism, would have died of exhaustion several years ago.

However, I don’t know when he started to realize something, or he was too sensitive because he had a rough life since childhood, or he seemed to know something. Anyway, unconsciously, he began to learn to cover up, using frivolousness that was revealed in his words. But his clever way of covering up was not very clever, or it could be said that it was ridiculous and a little cute in the eyes of her master. It has been seven years. This is the first time I have stayed with a real person for so long, and it is my apprentice, a man who is gradually growing up...

As I thought about it, Yiyi felt a wonderful warmth in her heart. This is a strange feeling that had never appeared before Camden came. I need to hold my breath to enjoy it.

"Jun'er, in three days, it will be two thousand one hundred and ninety-nine days. According to the masters' calculations, it will arrive in three days. Are you... ready?"

Camden was slightly startled, and suddenly looked up at Yiyi. The eyes of the woman he called Master were clear and sincere, like a clear water, not enchanting, and so beautiful that people felt ashamed of themselves. But deep in that look, there was a hint of deep worry.

Is it coming? It is said that only half of the people in a million have the opportunity to get it. No wonder the masters have been so nervous these days. In their hearts, they must think that those talented practitioners who can't get it, how can I, a waste, get it. But...

Camden clenched his fists and raised his head, glanced at Bai Yiyi indifferently, and then turned and walked out of the orchard.