Outside the Spirit Mirror.
Xue Sansi grabbed He Liansheng and attacked, swinging his spirit fan to create wind blades without mercy. He Liansheng didn’t use his Peach Source Sword, dodging sideways and catching the fan with his bare hands. The spirit fan hummed between his fingers as the surrounding air shattered.
Xue Sansi sneered, “He Liansheng, whatever your ulterior motives are, stay away from little Nine.”
He Liansheng looked at him coldly and mocked, “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
The young man’s tied-up hair flew in the wind. Xue Sansi’s smile almost cracked as he shot out several more wind blades. At that moment, there was movement inside the room. He Liansheng glanced back and stopped dodging, taking the wind blades head-on. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
Xue Sansi clearly hadn’t expected a few wind blades to hurt him. He checked his pulse with the fan and frowned, “What’s wrong with you? Didn’t Lingshan teach you inner power? Your internal energy is completely chaotic.”
He Liansheng brushed his hand away and said quietly, “It will be fine after some time. The dead fox spirit had placed a spell on Xing Shuishui earlier. I used my heart blood to help her break it.”
Xue Sansi was stunned. After a long while, he only said two words: “You’re crazy.”
He Liansheng smiled indifferently: “Is that a compliment?”
Xue Sansi laughed dryly.
Those fools at Lingshan were right—he really was insane.
Creak—
The door opened, and Xing Shuishui walked out holding a mirror, looking up at them. Though she had spent several days in the Spirit Mirror, only a few hours had passed in reality. The sky had changed from dawn’s white to a bruised purple, with sunset’s golden light touching one corner.
Xue Sansi casually draped a cloak over her shoulders and asked, “Xiaojiu, did you find out what kind of poison it was?”
Xing Shuishui shook her head and said, “I only know it’s the Cangchuan poison, left to He Tangzhou by his mother.”
Xue Sansi pondered for a moment: “Jing Wushuang died at the Endless Sea in Cangchuan years ago. This journey will be dangerous.”
Xing Shuishui looked at him: “That’s not what I’m worried about. Mainly—Wuxiang Mountain is also in that area. Du Dizhu will definitely try to stop us in every way possible.”
Xue Sansi: “…”
Just thinking about Du Dizhu made his expression sour.
He Liansheng had been staring at the cloak on her shoulders, his face displeased. He crossed his arms and reminded her: “Wasn’t Du Dizhu beaten up? Even if he knows you’re going to Cangchuan, he can’t cause much trouble.”
Xing Shuishui vaguely remembered this and smiled: “Then whoever beat him up is really great. If I ever meet them, I’ll definitely thank them.”
Feeling He Liansheng’s constant gaze, Xing Shuishui paused, touched her face, felt nothing wrong, thought her braid might be loose, then touched her hair tie, but that was fine too. She looked up.
By then, He Liansheng had already looked away.
It must have been her imagination.
When the Xue family learned that Miss Xue was Xue Zhuangxin’s reincarnation, they nearly fainted. The infamous reputation of Wuxiang Mountain and Lihuo Manor was well-known throughout the mortal realm. Even cultivators dared not provoke them, let alone ordinary people. They couldn’t wait for these powerful figures to leave.
Xing Shuishui successfully brought Xue Zhuangxin away, but throughout the journey, her sister’s condition worsened. Initially, there had been color in her face, but by the time they reached the manor, she looked like a walking corpse. Xing Shuishui clenched her fists—they couldn’t delay any longer, they had to get to Cangchuan quickly.
She didn’t go in, instead handing the unconscious Xue Zhuangxin to Xue Sansi.
Xue Sansi looked at her questioningly.
Xing Shuishui said, “I won’t go in.”
Xue Sansi quickly understood what she was avoiding. Years ago, when He Liansheng stormed Lihuo Manor, many people had seen him. If they went in together now, it would cause chaos inside for quite some time.
Afraid he would worry, Xing Shuishui added, “Don’t worry, Third Brother! I’ll definitely find a way to cure the poison and come back.”
“Alright, I’ll keep waiting for you. Don’t be like before.”
Back then, she went to Wuxiang Mountain and never returned. Only news of her death came back.
Xing Shuishui paused for a moment, then said softly, “It won’t be like that…”
Xue Sansi patted her head, then suddenly seemed to remember something. After hesitating for a moment, he grabbed Xing Shuishui’s arm and flew to a tower: “Come with me. There’s something I need to tell you.”
The view from the tower was broad, offering a panorama of the entire manor. Pavilions and waterside galleries rose and fell in succession, water flowed under small bridges, and peach blossoms bloomed abundantly on every wall, as if spring itself were ablaze.
Xue Sansi asked, “Do you remember this tower?”
Xing Shuishui said, “Yes.”
The tower had been built long ago. There used to be a temple here with many monks who would ring the bell at set times. Since childhood, Xing Shuishui had loved listening to the bell’s sound, imagining what the world beyond the walls was like. Until one day the bell’s sound disturbed Guan Yinzi, who went out and massacred the entire temple.
After that, she never heard the bell sound again.
Xue Sansi pointed at the ruined temple beside the tower and said, “During those five years you were at the bottom of the Ice Lake, I had them rebuild the temple. Then under the Bodhi tree in the ruins, we found some prayer ribbons with your name written on them.”
He took out these red silk ribbons.
They were covered densely with writing.
Xing Shuishui was stunned—how could anyone pray for her? Her reputation wasn’t good in either her past or present life! She took the prayer ribbons, wracking her brain but could only think of her sister. It must have been her sister…
But the date was the year 3722 of the Imperial Calendar.
The second year after her reincarnation.
That year, she was exposed in front of Lingshan, He Liansheng protected her, she stabbed him and ran, then sank into the Ice Lake for five years. After that, she vanished without a trace.
Someone had hunted her for five years.
While also praying for her at the ruined temple for five years. Perhaps they thought this place was peaceful, or perhaps because it was close to where she grew up. That person had many thoughts and was awkward.
Anyway, every word on the prayer ribbons was sincere.
“I have killed too much in this life, my remaining merits are few. I wish to offer my remaining merits to meet her again. I will change, I won’t let her fear me again. She doesn’t need to do anything, I will walk towards her. Whether it means betraying the way or falling into demon-hood, even if it’s one-sided, it doesn’t matter.”
“May Xing Shuishui always smile.”
“May Xing Shuishui live a thousand years without worry.”
“May I see her year after year.”
The signature at the end of each prayer ribbon was He Liansheng.
He used up all his merits, asking only to see her often.
Xing Shuishui clutched these prayer ribbons tightly, feeling as if someone had squeezed her heart hard. She could no longer find peace.
The prayer ribbons floated quietly in her hands.
Xue Sansi sighed: “I originally didn’t want to tell you.”
If he hadn’t known that He Liansheng had actually fed her his heart blood.
Xue Sansi stared at the young woman who had lowered her eyes.
It really was, just as written above, completely one-sided.
After a long while, Xing Shuishui suppressed the sourness in her heart and said, “Thank you, Third Brother.”
Xue Sansi took out a blank prayer ribbon and began writing on it, saying gently: “Since the ruined temple is being rebuilt, more people will come to pray in the future. While there are still few people, I’ll also make a prayer for Xiaojiu—may you go forth safely.”
Xing Shuishui looked at him, and as she smiled, she began to cry.
Then may she go forth safely.
After saying goodbye to Xue Sansi, Xing Shuishui and He Liansheng stayed outside for one night, planning to head to Cangchuan the next day.
Who knows what Xue Sansi had said to her before parting, but when Xing Shuishui returned, her eyes were red.
He Liansheng coldly glanced in the direction Xue Sansi had left, then took Xing Shuishui into an inn. He asked the attendant: “Are all the rooms empty?”
The attendant looked up from his abacus and casually replied, “They’re all empty. How many do you need?”
He Liansheng: “Two rooms.”
Xing Shuishui stood on tiptoe at the counter: “One room.”
He Liansheng: “?”
Xing Shuishui turned her head, smiling as she met his gaze: “To save money.”
He Liansheng let her have her way.
The scenery of Yin Mountain was actually very beautiful, especially after Guan Yin’s death. The four seasons here were like spring, with many peach blossoms. Gently pushing open the room’s window revealed peach branches. Xing Shuishui leaned on the window for a while and noticed one unique peach tree still in bud, yet to bloom.
She called He Liansheng’s name.
He Liansheng looked at her.
She asked, “What’s the real incantation to make peach blossoms bloom?”
He Liansheng asked back, “So curious?”
She answered, “Yes. Don’t deceive me this time.”
The young woman rested her chin in her hands, her clear black and white eyes fixed on him.
He Liansheng lowered his eyes and said, “Do you have any rice paper?”
She looked back: “There’s some in the room.”
She brought the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone to the small wooden table by the window. Xing Shuishui found grinding the ink entertaining, and soon both her palms were covered in ink stains.
He Liansheng propped his chin up and quickly recited the incantation. The peach tree by the window instantly bloomed.
Xing Shuishui listened for a moment, writing the incantation halfway.
Then forgot again.
Just as she was about to put down the brush, she looked up to find He Liansheng no longer across from her. She felt warmth on the back of her hand, her body stiffening as someone held her hand, writing down the second half of the incantation. The handwriting was elegant, as beautiful as the person.
The sensation of his fingertips against the back of her hand was very warm.
Xing Shuishui felt as if ants were crawling in her heart. She glanced sideways at He Liansheng’s face—his skin was very fair, his brow bones elegant. After five years apart, his appearance was still stunning.
The young man suddenly asked, “Have you memorized it?”
Xing Shuishui came back to her senses and said somewhat guiltily, “Maybe… let me recite it for a while…”
She held the rice paper with both hands, lying on the table to recite the incantation. The paper covered her face, and whether her eyes were open or closed, it felt like reading a heavenly book. Soon her voice grew softer and softer, as faint as mosquitoes and ants.
She had fallen asleep again.
He Liansheng stared at her sleeping face for a while.
When he got bored of staring, he finally picked her up by the waist and placed her on the bed.
Xing Shuishui was in a half-awake state, feeling her body being moved. She mumbled drowsily, “He Liansheng… I’ll finish memorizing it… I’ll definitely remember it, don’t look down on me.”
He Liansheng said indifferently, “Mm.”
Xing Shuishui continued, “Don’t deceive me again… don’t tell me later that this is the sword technique of the Peach Source Sword.”
He Liansheng said, “It’s not the Peach Source Sword technique.”
She said, “That’s great then. I’m going to sleep now… I’ll memorize it tomorrow.”
He Liansheng gave her a sardonic look—so this was what she really thought.
Xing Shuishui raised her hand to grab the blanket but ended up pulling off her headband again. She remained completely unaware, taking a long time to realize she had grabbed the wrong thing, but having cried so much earlier had left her too tired to open her eyes now. After fumbling around for a moment, she became completely immobile.
He Liansheng looked at her hands tangled in the headband and growled, “Xing Shuishui!” How could anyone be this stupid?
Xing Shuishui was displeased: “Don’t call my full name, it sounds like you’re calling an enemy. Call me Shuishui.”
She lay on the bed, the white curtains falling around her, her figure appearing faint like a shadow.
The young man froze, tugging at her braid, but not hard.
He wanted to confirm: “Don’t deceive me.”
Xing Shuishui hummed: “What if I do deceive you?”
He Liansheng threatened: “I’ll throw you out the window.”
Xing Shuishui said: “Is it that serious? Falling from such a height, I’ll turn into a peach blossom pancake… then… I better not deceive you, just call me Shuishui from now on!”
Shuishui. Shuishui. Shuishui. Shuishui. …
He loved calling her that.
She couldn’t hear his thoughts. From then on, He Liansheng became unrestrained.
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