Xing Shuishui snapped back to reality and stuffed the pomegranate He Liansheng had peeled into her mouth. The juice made her tongue curl from its tartness.
He Liansheng moved the bowl of pomegranates away and said harshly, “My food.”
“Stop being lazy,” the young man stared at her, “Xing Shuishui.”
This meant… no work, no food.
Xing Shuishui grumbled as she forcefully stitched, sewing a small goldfish that she was very satisfied with. She bit off the thread and held it up before him: “Look!”
She lifted her face proudly: “If you criticize this one, I won’t give it to you.”
He Liansheng held the goldfish sachet between two fingers to examine it. Moonlight filtered through the yellow floral fabric onto his hand. The sachet gave off a faint peach blossom fragrance. Though the stitches were crooked, it was much better than her previous half-hearted attempt.
He stared at it absently, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Xing Shuishui tilted her head: “Praise me.”
He Liansheng: “…”
Xing Shuishui demanded gruffly: “Praise me.”
He Liansheng: “…”
How boring.
Seeing he wouldn’t respond, Xing Shuishui yawned and said listlessly: “Fine, I’m going to sleep.”
As she turned her head away, the young man suddenly said: “It’s acceptable.”
Xing Shuishui froze and looked back at him abruptly.
He Liansheng tucked the sachet into his sleeve. His dark eyes fixed on her as he said irritably: “Weren’t you going to sleep? Suddenly energetic again?” His tone was so cold it was as if she had imagined what she’d heard.
Xing Shuishui came back to her senses: “Of course I’m going to sleep.”
She stood up from her seat and picked up the remaining flower petals. After walking a few steps, something crossed her mind. She paused under the withered peach tree, turned back, and spoke softly.
“He Liansheng.”
Don’t like me.
He Liansheng looked up, unable to make out her expression.
“You should sleep too,” she said.
So stubborn.
So cute.
He was starting to like it.
After a night of sweet dreams, the autumn rain stopped.
Xing Shuishui had packed up early and was crouching under the peach tree waiting. The courtyard was full of peach trees, but it wasn’t the season – only bare branches remained.
They had gathered many petals yesterday, making it look even more desolate.
Li Guanxing looked up and said: “Mortal realm peach blossoms fall so quickly. Unlike Lingshan – the peach blossoms there don’t wither even in harsh winter.”
Xing Shuishui turned her head: “Why? Is it because your Lingshan peach trees are spirit trees?”
Li Guanxing explained: “They’re ordinary trees. We just maintain them with spiritual power so they bloom year-round. We have dedicated elders from the Herbal Hall in charge. Although—”
Xing Shuishui asked: “Although what?”
Li Guanxing: “The elder is very forgetful. The mountain lord is also casual about it, especially lately.”
Xing Shuishui nodded.
Li Guanxing grew interested and continued: “But there is one person whose courtyard peach trees never wither.”
Xing Shuishui asked: “Who?”
Li Guanxing fell silent and pointed to one side, his meaning clear.
The young man walked over slowly, gripping his sword, his high-tied hair swaying along with the crimson sword tassel of the Taoyuan sword. He glanced at Xing Shuishui and Li Guanxing, his gaze landing on Li Guanxing as he smirked: “Where’s your sister?”
Li Guanxing’s eyes widened: “I’ll go check!”
After he left, only Xing Shuishui and He Liansheng remained.
Xing Shuishui stared at the peach tree before her and said: “I just heard Li Guanxing say that the peach trees in Lingshan never wither. Especially the ones in your courtyard – they don’t wither even in winter?”
“Isn’t that obvious?” He Liansheng looked down at her head and said flatly: “The first technique I learned was making peach trees bloom. They’ll bloom no matter what.”
Xing Shuishui rubbed her chin: “I thought it would be killing pe— er, killing demons.”
“Ignorant.”
The young man sneered, raised a few fingers, and lifted his eyelids to look at the peach tree. Silver-white light shot from between his fingers. New buds instantly sprouted from the bare branches, quickly turning into flower buds. In the blink of an eye, brilliant peach blossoms covered the tree, creating a stark contrast with the desolate autumn scenery.
!
Xing Shuishui clutched her chest, eyes wide. The light blue ribbons on her arms fluttered in the sudden breeze.
Thump thump thump—
It was her heartbeat.
He Liansheng stared at her delighted expression. His hand, which was about to lower, raised again. Even he didn’t notice the hint of tenderness that had appeared in his eyes.
The young man lifted his lips scornfully: “Want me to teach you?”
“Yes, yes!”
Xing Shuishui thought for a moment: “But I’m a mortal. Even if I learn your cultivator techniques, I won’t be able to use them.”
He pulled her up from the ground. Xing Shuishui’s legs were still sore from crouching so long when He Liansheng grabbed her wrist. Her eyelashes trembled as he lifted her arm above her head, revealing the white Xian Cloud bracelet on her wrist.
The young man’s fingertip touched the Xian Cloud, and Xing Shuishui felt spiritual power flow into her bracelet. It was warm, strangely warm.
She asked knowingly: “What’s this?”
“There’s my spiritual power in the Xian Cloud now. Whether you’re mortal or not doesn’t matter – if you want it to bloom, it will.”
He Liansheng completely disregarded the Xian Cloud’s rejection of foreign energy. He taught her the incantation, which Xing Shuishui memorized in one try. She looked at the bare peach tree by the wall and stammered out the spell.
He Liansheng listened to what could barely be called an incantation from the side, somewhat bewildered.
After all, this was supposed to be the simplest spell.
The peach branches showed no response for a long time before finally producing a few blossoms.
But for Xing Shuishui, who usually just set things on fire and was mediocre at both talismans and spells, this result was already quite satisfying. Being able to learn it after hearing it once was truly genius.
She clapped her hands contentedly: “I’m done learning.”
The next second, He Liansheng caught her and sneered: “You think you can just stop whenever you want? Dream on.”
She regretted agreeing…
The young man tormented her for a long time, making her repeat it several times until she recited it correctly before letting her go. Xing Shuishui suffered for quite a while, holding her head and shaking it. These Lingshan people were really… stubborn about spells.
The suddenly blooming peach blossoms naturally attracted attention. Li Guanyu stopped as soon as she arrived, sensing the spiritual energy in the peach blossoms, and suddenly looked at He Liansheng.
The young man stood under the peach tree, his figure striking and outstanding. He glanced at her, his eyes showing no emotion. Li Guanxing ran over, his tone strange: “What? I was only gone for a moment, and these peach blossoms are already blooming?”
Guan Mulan also saw the peach tree and looked between He Liansheng and Xing Shuishui, her gaze cold.
Only the innkeeper’s boy exclaimed: “The immortals have shown their power! The flowers that withered yesterday have bloomed overnight – it’s an auspicious sign for our inn!”
Those who knew better couldn’t be bothered to explain.
The innkeeper’s boy smiled: “Peach blossoms are truly auspicious!”
“Daoists, you don’t know, but when I was young, I had a strange illness. My mother searched everywhere for famous doctors without success, and nearly died on the long journey back. At her lowest point, she stumbled into a grove of blooming peach trees. She survived thanks to the stream water and fallen peaches there. I’m so grateful! Before leaving, my mother knelt in thanks for a long time and took a peach branch home. After I drank water steeped with that peach branch, my illness was cured.
Thanks to the blessing of that peach grove’s owner, I survived until today.”
Xing Shuishui, always interested in supernatural tales, asked: “Peach blossoms can cure illness?”
Li Guanxing: “You actually believe such made-up stories?”
The innkeeper’s boy shook his head: “Everything I said is true. Later when my mother told my grandmother about this, my old grandmother said it must not have been an ordinary peach grove, but the legendary Xishan Peach Blossom Spring.”
That sounded familiar to Xing Shuishui.
Xishan? Wait, where had she heard that before?
On the boat to Qingzhou earlier. The boatman had mentioned in passing that Taoyuan Spirit Brew originated from Xishan. No wonder it sounded familiar.
The innkeeper’s boy said: “Xishan has quite a history.”
“Legend has it that it was a peach grove planted by General Fu Qi of the Luodan Kingdom himself. General Fu Qi achieved fame at a young age and had glorious military achievements, but sadly died young. After his death, no one knew where Xishan was.
Over the years, there have been constant folk rumors about Xishan being haunted, having deadly formations that kill any trespassers. Some even say Xishan contains the bones of a beautiful woman! They say the peach blossoms bloom so vigorously because they’re nourished by these bones.”
“What nonsense, how ridiculous! None of that is true! It saved my mother and me – it must be a good place!”
Xing Shuishui said: “I agree. It sounds like a paradise on earth. I must visit if I get the chance!”
Being a peach blossom spirit herself, she naturally loved anything to do with peach blossoms.
However, when she turned to look at He Liansheng, she saw his brows were furrowed.
Xing Shuishui asked softly: “You don’t like it?”
He Liansheng said: “It’s fine.”
The young man crossed his arms, his voice betraying no particular emotion: “Just seems fake.”
Xing Shuishui thought for a moment and smiled: “Legends are always mixed with truth and fiction. Just enjoy the story. Besides, we’re going to Lingshan, not Xishan.”
Li Guanxing said: “I thought you would actually believe it.”
Xing Shuishui gave him an unhappy look.
The innkeeper’s boy smiled helplessly.
Guan Mulan’s impatient voice cut through the atmosphere: “Are you here to travel or listen to stories? How long have you been dawdling? If we arrive after Lingshan’s curfew, don’t come crying to me.”
Li Guanyu started: “Yes, Master-aunt.”
“Guanxing, He Liansheng, Shuishui, it’s time to go.”
The peach blossoms bloomed in the autumn rain – a rare sight seen once in a hundred years. People filled the streets, and the city was lively. The overflowing peach blossoms drifted with the wind, forming a path of petals.
Xing Shuishui left the inn with them, getting closer and closer to Lingshan.
Come to think of it, this had been her most relaxed day since being reborn.
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