When the autumn sparrow chirped three times, He Liansheng woke up. He pressed his throbbing forehead as he sat up in bed, vaguely seeing a figure outside his curtain.
His first thought was to call out for Xing Shuishui.
But sensing the person’s aura, He Liansheng’s eyes narrowed as his fingers touched the Taoyuan sword.
Noticing he was awake, Li Guanyu stood up with his sword and said gently, “Senior Sister felt you wouldn’t want to see her, so she had Guanxing and me take turns watching you. Now that you’re awake, we’ll escort Shangguan Houyue back to Lingshan tomorrow for questioning.”
He had no interest in that and only asked, “Where’s Xing Shuishui?”
Li Guanyu remained silent.
He Liansheng’s tone turned cold: “I asked you. Where is Xing Shuishui?”
After hesitating for a moment, Li Guanyu finally said, “Shuishui left… She left a letter beside you. It’s her farewell letter to you. Take a look.”
He Liansheng froze.
She had been by his side when he was unconscious, she had been there before, she said she followed them because of him, yet now she suddenly left.
The young man glanced at the intact envelope by his pillow, but didn’t even look at it before raising his hand to burn it.
Like hell she left.
Like hell it’s farewell.
In your dreams.
The spiritual fire devoured the envelope, its ashes floating outside the tent. Li Guanyu sensed the unusual spiritual fire fluctuations and looked up in shock: “He Lian… you!”
“Your wounds haven’t healed.”
He Liansheng threw aside his blanket and sneered, “What wounds?”
Guan Mulan came at the sound. He Liansheng got out of bed, their eyes met, and Guan Mulan stopped after a few steps, asking bluntly: “What are you doing now? We’re returning to Lingshan tomorrow.”
He Liansheng replied coldly, lifting his eyes: “Go back if you want. I lost my Spirit Suppression Pagoda. I need to find it.”
Li Guanxing was startled: “How could you lose something so important?”
He Liansheng stared at the Taoyuan sword, and after a long while said: “I also wonder… how I could lose something so important.”
Guan Mulan dropped a sentence: “We leave early tomorrow morning. I won’t wait for you, neither will they. If you don’t return, whatever happens after has nothing to do with you.”
An attitude that suggested she didn’t care if he died.
The wind blew the window shut. He Liansheng’s knuckles gripped the bed edge, not sparing her another glance.
On another hillside.
Xing Shuishui caught a falling leaf, then let it go, watching it drift to the ground. The celestial bell pointed to Lingshan – was it because of that person and Lingshan, or were they hiding in Lingshan?
She pondered for a long time but couldn’t figure it out.
But running back to go to Lingshan with Li Guanyu and the others was impossible now. She had stolen He Liansheng’s Spirit Suppression Pagoda – when he wakes up and discovers this, not tearing her to pieces would already be merciful. How could she possibly run back into the trap!
Xing Shuishui sat there, planning to hide for a while and find a way to Lingshan after these Lingshan people left. But of all her calculations, she never expected others to come this way.
“Lingshan is making quite a show of force this time. Even Guan Mulan personally came down the mountain to capture that Hua Yue. Master, what do you think… what are they really planning?”
The person addressed as Master replied: “Hua Yue’s techniques seemed familiar. But the situation was chaotic then, I couldn’t see clearly. More than that though, I’m curious if she personally set up the Ghost Summoning Formation.”
“Indeed, such forbidden techniques should have been lost long ago. Yet they appeared in little Qingzhou.”
As their voices drew closer, she could only hide behind a tree. Unexpectedly, a force suddenly grabbed her ankle, pressing her hair against her face.
Xing Shuishui was instantly hung upside down from the tree. Looking up, she saw: Xue Sansi.
Her blood ran cold.
Xue Sansi also stopped in his tracks: “It’s you?”
The person speaking with Xue Sansi also stared in shock, pointing at her: “This person!!! She’s that mortal who follows He Liansheng! Supposedly He Liansheng’s lover! Master! She’s been eavesdropping on our conversation! We must interrogate her severely, who knows what we might learn! Or we could use her to threaten He Liansheng!”
Xing Shuishui: “…”
This was even worse than falling into He Liansheng’s hands.
Xue Sansi raised his hand and let her down. Xing Shuishui crouched on the ground, raising her hands in defense: “I know nothing! I only followed them because it was safer near them, but I’ve parted ways with them now. I really know nothing!”
Xue Sansi smiled: “You’ve parted ways with them?”
Xing Shuishui nodded.
Xue Sansi turned to his subordinate: “Take her.”
Xing Shuishui couldn’t smile anymore.
Xue Sansi brought her back to Qingzhou city. Blindfolded, Xing Shuishui didn’t know where she was taken. When the blindfold was removed, she found herself in a side room with all doors and windows sealed.
Were they really going to torture her?!
She considered confessing everything to Xue Sansi, crying while selling the hardships of these years, wondering if there was any possibility of reconciliation.
But thinking carefully, the knot in her heart couldn’t be untied. He would most likely just tell her to get lost.
Xing Shuishui was forced to kneel on the ground. Looking up, she pretended to be scared: “What… what are you going to do? Kidnapping a civilian woman in broad daylight – if they find out, you’re finished! I really know nothing.”
The person beside him laughed: “Go ahead and shout. This place has a sound-blocking formation. Even if you scream your throat raw, no one will save you.”
Xing Shuishui: “…”
She wasn’t afraid of being beaten to death by these people. With Xiangyun present, no one could harm her.
What she feared most came when Xue Sansi calmly picked up his tea and coldly smiled: “Xue Jiuling, why keep pretending?”
Her greatest fear had come.
Xing Shuishui froze, looking up at him.
Had that bastard really told Xue Sansi about her reincarnation? No, Xue Sansi hated him to the bone too, he was probably just saying it…
She stayed silent for a moment, then asked: “Who is Xue Jiuling?”
This brief moment was enough to make Xue Sansi suspicious.
He grabbed Xing Shuishui. She thought he was going to kill her and was determined not to speak. But unexpectedly, he ordered someone to bring a bowl of noodles covered in green onions and cilantro. Xing Shuishui nearly died just smelling the cilantro.
Xue Sansi insisted: “Eat it.”
So cruel.
Xing Shuishui refused: “I’m very full right now, I don’t want to eat.”
“Really, I ate lots of flatbread on the road, haven’t digested yet, I’m still not hungry.”
Xue Sansi said coolly: “She loved flatbread too. Red bean filling, you too?”
Xing Shuishui: “This… must be a coincidence, many people love flatbread. You’ve really got the wrong person, I don’t know any Xue Jiuling.”
“I’m just an ordinary mortal, don’t eat me!”
“Eat you?”
Xue Sansi almost laughed in anger: “Then I’ll just find a pond and throw you in now.”
His fan pressed against Xing Shuishui’s chin, forcing her to look up as he searched for flaws in her eyes.
But just then, the window shattered as someone stepped through. His expression barely concealed his killing intent as his fingers pressed against the windowsill, his hair flying in the air.
He Liansheng…
Xing Shuishui looked up, her heart skipping a beat.
The young man’s headband tangled with his hair tie, his gaze drifting toward her until their eyes met.
The Taoyuan sword fully unsheathed, slashing toward Xue Sansi as the surrounding wooden boards shattered into ash.
“Xue Sansi, you’re seeking death.”
Xue Sansi grabbed Xing Shuishui to avoid his blade. The Taoyuan sword almost grazed her cheek, feeling cold. Xing Shuishui struggled desperately. Xue Sansi seemed determined to make things difficult for her as he coldly asked He Liansheng: “She’s just a mortal, not your dao partner, why are you so anxious? Even coming here yourself.”
“Did you two have a fight and she ran away from home?”
Xing Shuishui protested: “You’re the one who ran away from home! I told you we parted ways.”
The fan flew toward He Liansheng, who sliced it apart directly. The young man grabbed Xing Shuishui’s arm, forcefully pulling her back from Xue Sansi and gripping her shoulders.
“Xing Shuishui, who the hell said we parted ways?”
The spiritual fan damaged, Xue Sansi’s lips leaked a trace of blood as he disappeared with his broken fan. “Until we meet again.”
Xing Shuishui watched him leave wide-eyed. No, how could he just run! Being in Xue Sansi’s hands would be better than being caught by He Liansheng!
He Liansheng pinned her against the wall. She trembled, lowering her head, only to have He Liansheng force her to look up and meet his eyes. The young man pressed her arm, lowering his head with cold eyes.
Finally, Xing Shuishui spoke first: “He Liansheng, did you read the letter I wrote you?”
She actually thought he would read it?
He Liansheng said directly: “Burned it. You might find it if you look in the sky.”
He sneered: “Xing Shuishui, you steal my Spirit Suppression Pagoda and want to part ways? What dream are you living in?”
He was angry.
The young woman looked at him: “I was wrong.”
Suddenly he couldn’t stay angry anymore.
Xing Shuishui deliberately avoided his words: “How did you find me?”
He Liansheng gave a cold laugh, “kindly” explaining: “My soul imprint is on the Spirit Suppression Pagoda. I’ll know where you are even if you run to the ends of the earth.”
Xing Shuishui: “…”
Miscalculation.
She racked her brain: “I… I didn’t know it was the Spirit Suppression Pagoda. When it fell out, I thought it was just a small pendant. It looked pretty, so I kept it, forgot to return it to you. I didn’t mean to. I’ll give it back now.”
She stuffed the Spirit Suppression Pagoda into his hand. He Liansheng looked down at it, the gloom not leaving his eyes, unclear if he believed this clumsy lie.
Xing Shuishui said: “I’ve returned the Spirit Suppression Pagoda and explained everything, so I should be able to leave now, right?”
Afraid he would make things difficult, Xing Shuishui said seriously: “Don’t worry, I won’t cling to you anymore. You can go back to Lingshan with Sister Guanyu and the others without worry.”
Her eyes were clear, her words full of parting intent.
The young man replied without thinking: “Not allowed.”
Realizing what he said, his tone grew stiff, his grip on Xing Shuishui’s hand perhaps tightening. The young man said coldly: “When I say not allowed, it’s not allowed. You’ve been looking for your grandfather for so many years without finding him, have you considered he might be at Lingshan?”
Lingshan was a sacred mountain in the mortal realm. Every year many mortals went to Lingshan to pray for blessings, especially those who were ill or elderly. Over time it became a kind of faith, with many wealthy families spending fortunes just to visit Lingshan once.
But very few mortals actually reached Lingshan.
Xing Shuishui was stunned, taking a while to recover: “Maybe… he really could be at Lingshan.”
He Liansheng said: “Then I’ll take you there.”
She looked at him.
“Lingshan.”
Leave a Reply