"Ugh! Blah!"
The pale moonlight cast its glow upon the darkened earth, illuminating a young man frantically spitting dirt from his mouth.
"Some 'thousand-year golden nanmu wood' that doesn't rot! It turned to dust in just a few years!" he cursed. "That damned Cripple Li! He dared to sell me a fake!"
After clearing his mouth, Chen Changsheng stretched his stiff limbs. In the hazy moonlight, the contours of his well-rounded buttocks were faintly visible. Yet, at this moment, he didn't seem particularly concerned about his state of undress under the moon.
"System, has the ten years passed?" he asked inwardly.
"Reply, Host: The ten-year slumber period has concluded. Attribute points have been distributed."
Hearing the system's confirmation, Chen Changsheng focused on the panel in his mind.
[Host: Chen Changsheng]
[Strength: 1]
[Speed: 1]
[Defense: 1]
[Spiritual Power: 0]
[Lifespan: 80]
That's right. Chen Changsheng was a bona fide transmigrator. His system wasn't some flashy sign-in system or an overwhelmingly powerful invincibility system—it was just the "ordinary" Longevity System.
As long as Chen Changsheng remained in slumber, he would gain corresponding lifespan and attribute points. However, there were restrictions: the slumber duration couldn't exceed his current lifespan limit. Moreover, the lifespan he had already lived would "recharge" after each slumber period.
In simpler terms, if Chen Changsheng lived for eighty years and then entered slumber, even if he slept for just one day, upon waking, his remaining lifespan would be eighty years plus that one day, not just the single day. Additionally, after awakening, the minimum interval before his next slumber couldn't be less than one-tenth of his total lifespan.
So, theoretically, as long as Chen Changsheng played it safe and developed steadily, he could truly live up to his name—Changsheng (Long Life)—and achieve genuine immortality.
Looking at the ten attribute points he'd acquired, Chen Changsheng chose not to allocate them immediately. Instead, he retrieved a set of clothes from his system space, dressed himself, oriented himself based on his memory, and quickly headed down the mountain.
Ten years… The war should be over by now. The sweetheart I was separated from because of the war… she should have returned too.
...
"Shaobing! Fresh, steaming shaobing!"
Walking through the bustling market, Chen Changsheng felt a profound sense of disorientation, as if he had stepped out of one era and into another. The town itself was still the same, but the faces had all changed. Ten years wasn't exactly short, nor was it terribly long, but it was enough to alter many things.
Observing the changes in the town, Chen Changsheng followed his memory to a once-familiar place.
Soon, he arrived at a small farmhouse on the edge of town. Seeing the familiar structure, a slight smile touched his lips. "Is Nianci here?" he called out.
Hearing his voice, a delicate, jade-like little girl peeked out from inside the house. "Who are you looking for?"
Seeing her, Chen Changsheng was taken aback. "Doesn't Nianci live here?"
"I don't know any Nianci. You have the wrong place."
Her words brought a flicker of disappointment to Chen Changsheng's eyes. Back then, during the war, Nianci was just an ordinary person. Perhaps she… is no longer among the living.
With that thought, he prepared to turn and leave.
"Changsheng? Is that you?"
A familiar voice sounded from behind him. Chen Changsheng froze as if struck by lightning.
Steadying his racing heart, he slowly turned around. The face he remembered so well now stood before him.
Thud!
The vegetable basket in the woman's hand fell to the ground. Once certain of his identity, Nianci covered her mouth with her hand, tears immediately welling up and streaming down her face.
"Don't bully my mama!"
Seeing her mother cry, the little girl rushed out of the house, spreading her small arms wide to stand protectively between them.
Hearing the child's address, Chen Changsheng looked questioningly at his childhood sweetheart.
Meeting his gaze, Nianci didn't look away. She slowly reached out and gently touched his face. "Ten years… and you look exactly the same as you did back then."
"Why?" Chen Changsheng finally voiced the question in his heart.
Hearing this, Nianci gave a soft smile and looked down, tenderly stroking the little girl's head. "After we were separated, I was chased by bandits. He… he saved me, pulled me from a pile of corpses. Half a year later, my injuries healed, and the war ended. He returned here with me. At that time, Cripple Li said you had bought a coffin from him… I waited for you for three years…"
Here, she paused, a complex mix of disappointment and resignation flashing in her eyes. Then, she let out a long breath and continued with a resolved smile, "During those three years, he was the one who took care of me. He… has been truly good to me."
Chen Changsheng was silent for a moment, taking it in. Then, he smiled—a understanding, yet bittersweet smile. Ten years of slumber feels short to me, but for Nianci… ten years is an eternity. How many decades does a mortal life hold? When we parted, we were both twenty. Now, a decade later, I still look twenty, but she is thirty. The truth is, from the moment I arrived in this world, our paths were destined to diverge.
With this realization, he crouched down to the little girl's level and smiled warmly. "Little one, what's your name?"
The girl glanced back at her mother, seeking permission.
"Tell this… tell this big brother," Nianci said softly. "He's an old friend of your mother's."
Having received her mother's consent, the girl replied in a clear, childish voice, "My name is Li Niansheng. I'm six years old."
"Niansheng…" Chen Changsheng repeated the name a few times, his smile softening. "That's a beautiful name. My name also has the character 'Sheng' (生) in it. But I'm called Chen Changsheng (长生). You can call me… Brother Changsheng."
Having said that, he stood up to leave.
Seeing this, Nianci instinctively called out, "Where will you go?"
Chen Changsheng's steps halted momentarily. He waved a hand without looking back, addressing the mother and daughter behind him. "My old house is gone, but I see Cripple Li's coffin shop is still there. I'll stay with him for a while."
His figure gradually receded into the distance.
Watching him leave, Li Niansheng looked up and asked, "Mama, is Brother Changsheng your friend?"
"Not just a friend… he's a familiar person from long ago."
"Then who was the Nianci he was looking for?"
"Perhaps she was his childhood sweetheart," Nianci mused, her voice distant. "After all, a name like 'Nianci' (Longing for Mercy/Grace) sounds like a private, affectionate name a young man would give his beloved."
"Oh, I see!" the little girl exclaimed. "Will Brother Changsheng find his beloved?"
"I don't know," Nianci whispered, more to herself. "Perhaps… he already has."
Then, shaking off her reverie, she looked down at Li Niansheng with a warm smile. "Alright now, your father will be home soon. Shall we go prepare dinner for him?"
"Okay!" Li Niansheng cheered, and skipped happily towards the kitchen.