“I hope you’re feeling better now, He Lian…”
Lingshan.
Towering above the clouds like an unshakeable shadow.
Xing Shuishui looked up, seeing the tall mountain through the clouds. A waterfall cascaded down its face, mist spreading everywhere, refracting light that from afar looked like stars embracing the moon.
Great land.
How has this broken place not collapsed after so many years…
She glanced around casually, following He Liansheng and the others up the spirit steps, showing no restraint. Countless gazes had been following her since entering Cloud City.
“The Peach Source Sword! He Lian senior brother has returned!”
“Elder Guan is back too! And Guan Yu senior sister, ah, still looking as pure and flawless as ever. Too bad she’s from the Li family proper, beyond our reach.”
“Just being able to see her beauty is enough! But their timing coming back is interesting, could it be for the Dao Discussion Conference!”
“Wait—” someone pointed at Xing Shuishui, “Why is there an ordinary person next to He Lian senior brother?”
“?!!!!”
The young girl wore a light peach-colored dress with pale blue sleeves and hem. Peach blossoms adorned her temples, her eyes bright, braids tied back with red string. She had a rather scholarly appearance.
Not a cultivator, not from Lingshan.
Indeed, she was an ordinary person without a trace of spiritual power.
She walked without watching where she was going. Not paying attention, she stepped on some moss and nearly tumbled down the spirit steps.
Surprisingly, He Liansheng didn’t stand idly by but turned back to grab her arm. Without avoiding contact or hesitation. The girl steadied herself, staring at his face from very close.
“Thank you…”
Unexpectedly, He Liansheng didn’t throw her down. This immediately sparked much speculation.
“This is bad. The Mountain Lord and the He Lian family will be furious. Senior brother He Lian really can’t tell what’s important – finding a lover in the mortal realm is one thing, but bringing them back to Lingshan? What is he thinking?!”
“Wasn’t senior brother He Lian supposed to be cold-hearted, impossible to form a Dao partnership with anyone in this life?”
“Don’t spread rumors, maybe it’s not that kind of relationship!”
“What kind of relationship is that kind of relationship?”
Xing Shuishui felt they had greatly misunderstood and it was giving her a headache. Just as she was about to clarify, she took one step forward when suddenly a beam fell from above, crushing the people who had just been speaking beneath it as they cried out in pain.
Xing Shuishui froze, looking at He Liansheng. The young man crouched in front of those people, raising his hand to strike.
Guan Mulan stopped him, saying coldly: “Don’t forget where you are.”
He Liansheng mocked: “You can’t control me.”
Guan Mulan laughed in anger: “Consider the consequences. The Mountain Lord will find you later.”
But from his expression, he clearly wasn’t taking it seriously.
Li Guanyu shook her head and said to Xing Shuishui: “Shuishui, would you like to stay in my courtyard during this time? My place is quiet and has empty rooms.”
Just as Xing Shuishui was about to nod, He Liansheng grabbed her hand, somewhat fiercely: “You’re staying in my courtyard.”
As Li Guanyu was about to say something else, Xing Shuishui worried the two would argue again. She grabbed Li Guanyu’s hand and said: “Sister Guanyu, don’t worry. It doesn’t matter where I stay.”
Li Guanyu seemed somewhat helpless.
He Liansheng’s courtyard was eye-catching, the grandest in Lingshan. Though it was autumn, peach blossoms bloomed abundantly. Many were planted beside the room prepared for Xing Shuishui. When she pushed open the door, she found the writing desk covered in fallen petals.
Xing Shuishui raised her hand to sweep away the peach petals on the desk.
The young man leaned against the window and asked: “Do you like it?”
Xing Shuishui looked at him, wanting to ask: “Did you deliberately let them see?”
But looking into his pitch-black eyes.
She answered instead: “I like it very much.” If sister were here, she would definitely love this place too.
He Liansheng walked to the desk, leaning his hand on it, asking as if casually: “What do you like about it?”
“The peach blossoms outside, the birds in the trees, and everything inside the room…”
She paused, pinching a fallen peach petal: “Everything in the room.”
Speaking to this point, Xing Shuishui propped her chin: “Just feels like something’s missing.”
He Liansheng looked at her. Xing Shuishui turned to look outside: “Dried persimmons!”
She pointed out the window, smiling: “He Liansheng, look at how this room faces the sun, the eaves are so empty, perfect for hanging dried persimmons! And it won’t be long before we can eat them!”
He Liansheng: “Lingshan has no persimmon trees.”
Xing Shuishui: “Oh, is that so…”
He Liansheng played with a fallen flower, saying indifferently: “But in a few days is the Dao Discussion Conference, when people can freely go up and down the mountain. If you want some, we can buy them then.”
Xing Shuishui’s interest was piqued: “What’s the Dao Discussion Conference? Will you participate?”
He Liansheng said: “A boring martial arts competition held every hundred years. The winner can make one request to Lingshan. Generally it won’t be refused.”
Xing Shuishui lifted her face.
He answered her second question: “I will participate.”
“You must come watch.”
Xing Shuishui pondered: “What if I don’t come?”
He Liansheng replied bluntly: “I’ll throw you off the mountain. Consider it carefully.”
How harsh.
Before Xing Shuishui could react.
Someone came to the door and knocked: “Young Master, the Mountain Lord and Family Head summon you.”
After He Liansheng left, Xing Shuishui sighed, leaning her hand on the desk, gathering the peach blossoms into a pile then blowing them apart. With today’s commotion being so great, that person should know by now.
But this time, she wouldn’t let herself be passive again.
The pressure in Lingshan’s main hall was heavy.
Clearly there had just been an intense argument.
Mountain Lord Sui Xu sat above, chin raised, expression displeased. The He Lian family head held his sword, looking sidelong at He Liansheng with some disappointment.
Sui Xu: “Why suddenly participate in the Dao Discussion Conference? Weren’t you not going to?”
“Or is it—for that mortal?”
He Liansheng remained unmoved: “You caught Shangguan Houyue back, what happens after is my business.”
“Your business?” The He Lian family head almost laughed in anger, “You’re not surnamed He Lian?”
He Liansheng didn’t answer.
The family head grew angrier as he spoke: “So many excellent female cultivators you won’t look at! Bringing a mortal back to Lingshan, are you trying to make the entire He Lian family a joke? Do you know what people are saying outside? I won’t even repeat what they’re saying in Qingzhou, it’s unspeakable! Are you worthy of your deceased parents! How can I feel at ease passing the family to you!”
Li Guanyu stood between them: “Uncle, calm down. He Lian… He Lian just values relationships deeply. Didn’t you all say before his personality was too cold? Him changing is a good thing.”
He Liansheng looked up: “Why are you butting in?”
The family head raged: “Guanyu speaks up for you and this is your attitude! Fine, if you insist on joining the Dao Discussion Conference I won’t stop you! Alright, I’ll participate too. If you lose, she leaves Lingshan.”
They parted unhappily.
Leaving the hall, He Liansheng emanated coldness. Li Guanyu caught up and stopped him: “He Lian.”
He Liansheng stopped, turning to look at her.
Li Guanyu asked: “Does Shuishui know?”
He Liansheng: “Know what?”
“She doesn’t need to know.”
Li Guanyu frowned: “Why not tell her? She only came to Lingshan to find her grandfather. If you force her and she doesn’t want to, what can you do? Feelings can’t be forced.”
He Liansheng snapped: “I’m not forcing her!”
The young man looked toward his courtyard, expression indifferent, just wanting her to be a little happier.
Another unhappy parting.
Channeling demon power into the spirit bell, the results were still scattered. Puppet techniques… really annoying. Impossible to eliminate possibilities one by one. Even a fool would notice that way.
Xing Shuishui suddenly remembered that time in Fengdu when Li Guanyu, trying to catch Li Shixu, shared sensations with Li Shixu’s puppet and finally discovered the real body was in Fengdu.
Perhaps she could try that approach.
She wanted to find Li Guanyu, but unexpectedly opened the door to find He Liansheng. The young man had been gone a long time, his expression not good.
Xing Shuishui pretended to be sleepy, rubbing her eyes and asking: “Did you argue with your master? You don’t look happy.”
Is it because of me?
Do you regret it?
He Liansheng’s form stiffened, looking away: “No argument.”
Lying.
Xing Shuishui examined the sachet at his waist, muttering: “How did it come unstitched?”
The young man looked down and only then noticed the sachet at his waist had somehow split a few stitches, creating a small hole. Probably from earlier in the hall when his master was angry and sent some wind blades.
His tone was somewhat unnatural: “Not careful.”
Xing Shuishui walked in front of him, reaching out to take it. He Liansheng froze as she lifted her face, her eyes round and clear.
“Do you have needle and thread? I’ll sew it for you.”
I can’t decide what happens later, but I still hope you can be happier now.
He Liansheng.
Xing Shuishui lowered her eyes to open the sachet, seeing the flower petals hadn’t decayed at all, and wondered why. Until she saw the spirit pearl at the bottom of the sachet. So that’s why…
He Liansheng handed her needle and thread. She pretended not to recognize what it was, threading the fine needle. As she gripped the needle end, the young man suddenly grabbed her hand.
She froze.
“I’ll teach you,” he said.
Xing Shuishui dared not look up: “Oh.”
Skin touching skin, her hand was very warm. He Liansheng held her fingers that gripped the needle, piercing the gap, passing through, picking up thread, continuing.
The back of her head rested against his arm as she held up the mended sachet overhead. Sewn so well!
She tilted her head: “Who taught you? Almost as good as my sister.”
He Liansheng: “Born knowing how.”
Xing Shuishui: “Then you were born knowing quite a lot. Excellent at swordplay, talisman arts, and even decent at needlework.”
He Liansheng was indifferent, clearly used to it.
Xing Shuishui stepped forward, reaching out to tie the mended sachet at his waist, looking at him: “Don’t break it again!”
Or I’ll kill you.
He Liansheng’s fingers brushed over the sachet, turning to ask her: “Where were you going just now?”
Xing Shuishui remembered she had originally wanted to find Li Guanyu, but not wanting him to notice anything amiss, she lay on the desk with drooping eyes: “Nowhere! Just feeling sleepy, the room was stuffy so I came out to rest a bit.”
He didn’t pursue it further. Xing Shuishui hadn’t even managed to stay awake until He Liansheng left before somehow falling asleep. He Liansheng rested his hand against his face looking at her, the evening breeze gentle.
He took a blanket and covered Xing Shuishui with it. Wrapped in the blanket, her face peaceful, occasionally sleep-talking.
So cute.
He Liansheng didn’t leave immediately but stayed by her side. When Xing Shuishui suddenly awoke the next day, He Liansheng was already gone. Looking at the blanket wrapped around her, she seemed to understand something.
She hadn’t forgotten about finding Li Guanyu. After putting the blanket back in the room, she left her quarters.
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