In the land of Liangzhou, if you ask who An Liuli is, few people might know. But if you mention the "Immortal …
In the land of Liangzhou, if you ask who An Liuli is, few people might know. But if you mention the "Immortal Rope" from the acrobatic troupe, everyone will let out a knowing "Oh".
The Immortal Rope was one of the troupe's star performers, mainly specializing in high-wire walking. High-wire walking wasn't particularly rare, but with her stunning looks, sweet words, agile skills, and vague rumors of "possessing supernatural powers," it was only natural that she was beloved by the noble ladies of Liangzhou. However, it would be unfair to call her a playboy. The Immortal Rope was probably still too young to understand love, she had a childlike nature that valued drawing her dagger to face a general more than keeping a date with a beauty. It's not that no women had flirted with her, but such encounters always ended in absurdity.
So when the Immortal Rope sneaked out again to go to the Cao Manor, Zhuge Ha stopped her.
"What are you up to?"
The Immortal Rope's eyes wandered: "Nothing. I'm going out to play."
Zhuge Ha glanced at the acrobatic props on her back and frowned deeply: "Why are you bringing this stuff?"
"What else? I'm going to do tricks, of course."
"Oh" Zhuge Ha nodded meaningfully: "Planning to perform 'plucking the moon from the sky'... What are you really up to?"
"What do you mean what am I up to..."
"Hmph, you'd better not be up to anything. Otherwise, this old man won't be polite."
"You old fart! So boring!"
The Immortal Rope ran off in a flash.
Zhuge Ha watched An Liuli skip away. Around her waist was a sturdy red silk ribbon, her old friend, the "Immortal Rope" she used for her signature act.
People like them had cheap lives, not even noticed by heaven. They were born in obscurity and died silently. A single fall, a bitter cold wind, a run to chase someone they cared about, any of these could be the cause of their death.
His Liuli was a good child. Now she had stepped onto a shaky high wire, somersaulting joyfully thousands of feet above the ground, treading on thin ice without realizing it. If there really were immortals, Buddhas, or heaven, they should lower a straight Immortal Rope connecting to the sky when this child falls, save her.