Xue Zhuangxin pondered for a while.
Was the Lingshan he mentioned the same one from her memories? The young cultivator spoke of the He Lian family… He Lian family… wasn’t that Lingshan’s He Lian family?
The previously noisy area suddenly fell silent.
Xing Shuishui pulled her hand back. He had just rattled off this shocking string of names for Sister to hear. She might think she’d done something earth-shattering – not seeing someone for two hundred years and making the righteous path’s leader turn traitor. Well, it was true.
But… it damaged her image of being well-behaved in front of Sister.
Looking at Sister’s expression, she felt uneasy. Sister raised an eyebrow, resting her elbow on the table, her beautiful face showing a hint of smile.
Xing Shuishui’s eyes moved, noticing worry mixed in Sister’s smile.
Xue Zhuangxin said: “This young master is so accomplished at such a young age, handsome too – clearly extraordinary. If he truly cares for Little Nine, whether human or spirit, I as her sister have no objections. It seems I’ve missed so much these years. I had no idea how you two met.”
Xing Shuishui quickly replied: “Sister, don’t be sad. You just recovered your memories – you should focus on getting better. When you have time, I’ll tell you everything slowly.”
There was so much to tell about these past two hundred years – from misunderstanding Du Dizhu to her rebirth, meeting many people, hearing many stories, solving many mysteries.
There was too much to say.
Especially reconciling with Xue Sansi.
Thinking of him.
Xing Shuishui suddenly realized – they had gone straight to Sister’s quarters after returning from Fengdu. Xue Sansi didn’t know Sister had successfully remembered everything.
Taking out a communication talisman, she sent him a message. After waiting a long time with no response, she frowned. Usually Xue Sansi replied instantly – was he napping?
Many overlooked details from earlier came back to her.
Something wasn’t right… the collapsed wall outside was clearly made by Xue Sansi’s fan! Ordinary minor spirits couldn’t create such large-scale damage!
An outsider had broken in!
Xing Shuishui gripped the knife in her sleeve, glancing at He Liansheng. He Liansheng’s dark eyes turned to her, clearly wanting to say something.
It seemed he hadn’t been idle outside either.
Only Xue Zhuangxin hadn’t noticed anything wrong, saying gently: “Won’t you two stay a while before leaving?”
Xing Shuishui asked: “Sister, has anything unusual happened while we were away these past few days?”
Xue Zhuangxin: “I think I heard a huge noise, then someone told me not to leave the courtyard. That voice seemed like Sansi’s. Oh right, where is Sansi?”
An ominous feeling spread.
Xing Shuishui smiled: “Perhaps he’s resting!”
After hurriedly bidding Sister farewell and closing the door, she turned back to set up protective formations in Xue Zhuangxin’s courtyard, only to find: there was already a formation there. It was very high-level, requiring a great sacrifice to set up – not something used lightly. She crouched down, seeing Xue Sansi’s soul imprint on it.
What had happened in the manor during these days they were down in Fengdu? They still hadn’t seen any of the minor spirits who usually followed them.
Where was Xue Sansi now?
He Liansheng took out puppet strings he’d found in a corner. Xing Shuishui took them, seeing the blood on the silver threads had congealed. She gripped them so hard she almost cut herself.
He Liansheng said coldly: “Someone took advantage of the opportunity to break in.”
More than just breaking in – Guan Wushan. How did he know they would be away these days?
Xing Shuishui summoned Separation Fire to burn the puppet strings, her eyes cold, wanting nothing more than to tear Guan Wushan to pieces. He kept pushing her buttons – did he really think he was safe?
Besides helping Sister recover her memories, their biggest gain from going to Fengdu was learning Guan Wushan’s hideout was in Buwen City. No wonder neither Lingshan nor Du Dizhu could find him…
His good days were numbered.
After searching for a long time, Xing Shuishui and He Liansheng finally found the hiding peach spirits in a courtyard, also protected by special formations set up by Xue Sansi using his heart’s blood.
Seeing Xing Shuishui arrive, the peach spirits of Lifire Manor rushed to hug her, crying: “Little Nine! You’re finally back! The Manor Lord… he…”
Xing Shuishui patted their backs, comforting them: “Don’t be afraid. Tell me slowly what happened here. I won’t let him get away with this.”
The peach spirit’s eyes were full of tears: “After you and that spirit-hunter went to Fengdu City, a man who looked a bit like Guan Yinzi came out of the mirror. He injured many of our family, and immediately tried to get at your yin-yang candles…”
The yin-yang candles were connected to their souls – if the candles went out, living people could never return from Fengdu.
“The Manor Lord set up formations and gave us your yin-yang candles to protect, then went out himself and was seriously injured by that man. Now we don’t know where he is! Little Nine waaah… such a powerful spirit like the Manor Lord should be okay, right?”
With Xue Sansi’s cultivation level he shouldn’t be seriously injured, but he had to protect both the yin-yang candles and Sister… she couldn’t bear to think further.
Xing Shuishui clenched her fists, hugging them, saying seriously: “He’ll be fine. Because I’m back now. Everything will be fine from now on.”
There was no sign of Xue Sansi in the manor and no response to messages – he was probably taken hostage by Guan Wushan.
As long as Guan Wushan lived, they would never know peace.
Xing Shuishui looked at the darkening sky, lowering her brows. The grudges of these generations needed a final resolution.
That day, Xing Shuishui sat under the eaves for a long time, tossing a light pink ball in her hand. The ball bounced up and down – she got distracted and missed catching it, letting it roll down her arm to the ground.
He Liansheng picked it up and sat beside her. Xing Shuishui reached for it but he mischievously kept it from her.
“Still worried about your brother?”
Xing Shuishui paused, saying: “Guan Wushan has blood parasites… I’m afraid he’ll use them to torture my brother… My brother is innocent. He hates me but never attacks me directly, always going after people close to me – my sister in the past life, breaking in here in this life. I’m afraid one day he’ll come after you too. He Liansheng… besides my family, you’re the person who’s been best to me…”
He Liansheng said scornfully: “If life-and-death trials couldn’t defeat me, how could one Guan Wushan? Do you really think I can’t beat someone with the surname Guan?”
Xing Shuishui answered seriously: “I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”
The young man leaned down, his fingers gripping her arm. Xing Shuishui knelt on the ground, looking up at He Liansheng’s face so close to hers.
He was truly flawless – his jawline smooth and clean, his other hand on the railing, light and shadow playing on his sleeves, his posture tall and straight. It felt like they were the only two people in the world.
The young man’s expression was calm, but his eyes held only her.
He Liansheng said softly: “Shuishui. Sometimes I wonder if I met you in a past life. I had such a strange feeling when I first saw you – otherwise, if it had been anyone else falling, I wouldn’t have caught them.”
Xing Shuishui thought of their first meeting, when she was caught mid-air by that dead toad’s tongue. She thought she would fall to her death then. But unexpectedly He Liansheng, even at his worst temper, still reached out to catch her.
It was never that the cold-hearted one softened – rather, the one in trouble was special.
And those lanterns on the Forgetting River, the handwriting and habits so similar to this life’s He Liansheng. Spirits lived much longer than humans – in such a long time, perhaps they really had met…
She had just forgotten.
She smiled: “It doesn’t matter if we met before or not. Because I’m already yours now!”
The young woman’s features were delicate, making her look sweet and lovable. She looked at him with wide eyes, and seeing He Liansheng distracted, tried to grab the ball again.
He Liansheng still wouldn’t give it to her.
Xing Shuishui pretended to be angry, tilting her head: “Give it to me!”
He Liansheng stared at her, smirking: “Who do you want to give it to you?”
Xing Shuishui faced him, enunciating clearly: “He Liansheng.”
The young man said firmly: “Not giving it.”
Xing Shuishui thought for a moment, testing: “Dao partner?”
He Liansheng’s tone became much more pleased: “Think again.”
Xing Shuishui moved closer, suddenly grabbing his collar and kissing his cheek very lightly and carefully: “I’m done thinking! You just like bullying me!”
It was her first time being so forward. After the light kiss, she lowered her head, her cheeks red.
He Liansheng’s body suddenly froze, the ball dropping from his hand with a deep, dull thud, as if hitting his heart.
Her lips were so soft. Too sweet.
In their relationship, He Liansheng had always been more proactive. She stood still, and he would walk to her, not caring whether the steps between them were life and death or storms from the outside world.
So kisses and dual cultivation and such were assumed to be initiated by He Liansheng. He did want to initiate, but couldn’t forget her gradually disappearing eyes in the dream cicada. Before he could get past that mental block, Xing Shuishui took the first step.
Moving close, telling him.
See? Nothing bad will happen, and I won’t disappear.
Because I’m right here by your side.
Longing suddenly filled He Liansheng’s eyes as he revealed the answer: “It’s — A’sheng.”
Xing Shuishui obediently said: “Okay. I’ll remember, A’sheng.”
She turned her face, her jade-white little face blending with the night, her eyes curved in happiness.
He Liansheng couldn’t look away.
It was as if a wish from many years ago had been fulfilled.
Xing Shuishui summoned paper and brush, lying on the ground to write a letter to Du Dizhu. Her handwriting was crooked and messy – Du Dizhu would probably curse when he got the letter before finding some unlucky subordinate to read it to him.
After writing, she showed it to He Liansheng, asking with a smile: “Hasn’t my writing improved a lot?”
She bit the brush handle, almost dripping ink on her sleeve.
He Liansheng glanced at it, telling a blatant lie: “It’s written very well. If Du Dizhu can’t read it, that’s his eyes being blind.”
Hearing this, Xing Shuishui dried the ink, folded the letter, and cast a spell on it. A spirit crane appeared in mid-air, flicked its tail, and quickly disappeared into the night sky.
The night was flawless. She looked up at the river of stars and realized this was no longer Fengdu, but the mortal realm. Staying below too long made it easy to lose track of time.
Du Dizhu should reply soon, or maybe show up in person through a mirror.
Hopefully this journey to Buwen City would resolve everything smoothly.
And hopefully her brother would be safe and sound.
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