After losing too much blood, Xing Shuishui, who was on his mind, remained unconscious for some time. When she awoke, she found herself trapped within a formation. The light inside was dim, as if covered by a layer of mist.
Her wrists and ankles were bound in shackles, her spiritual power sealed. She couldn’t tell where she was within the formation.
Although Xiangyun could block all fatal wounds, that palm strike from Guan Wushan had still damaged her meridians.
Her entire body ached. She lifted her head, examining the blood talismans around her, and suddenly understood everything.
This was the Twelve Earth Demon Transformation Formation.
It was a formation that Guan Yinzi had spent his entire life researching but died before he could use it against others. Who would have thought it would see the light of day again.
He did this on purpose – he must be planning to use her as bait to lure He Liansheng.
Xing Shuishui gritted her teeth and gathered her strength, trying to break free from the shackles. But she hadn’t had water for so long – her lips were parched, her body extremely weak. The sharp pain in her chest soon made her curl up into a ball.
While her consciousness wasn’t completely scattered, she tried hard to recall the details of the Twelve Earth Demon Transformation Formation.
This formation had only one exit – all other paths led to death, and they constantly changed.
Forcing your way through would be suicide.
That dead Guan Wushan wanted to use her as bait to make He Liansheng charge into the formation.
The young woman’s hanging arms were pale, with Xiangyun continuously helping her block the wind blades in the formation. It was because of this that even if Guan Wushan wanted to kill her and take the Lifire, he had no way to do so.
But that young man was different.
Please don’t charge in, He Liansheng.
Guan Wushan wants your cultivation.
She struggled to stand up, looking toward the formation’s entrance, her knees pressed together.
—But she knew He Liansheng would definitely come.
There was movement at the entrance. Seeming to realize something, Xing Shuishui’s calm expression wavered.
She didn’t know which corner of the formation Guan Wushan was hiding in, waiting for a chance to deliver a fatal blow to He Liansheng.
Please, don’t come.
She wanted to shout, but her mouth was sealed.
Boom boom boom—With each explosion of talismans, high temperatures distorted everything as the formation began to change.
She clenched her fists, hearing He Liansheng’s voice through the mist – as always, it made one want to cry.
“Shuishui, I’m coming in. Everything will be fine. First, promise me you’ll keep yourself safe. Wear the bracelet well and don’t take it off, understand?”
“If he hurts you, bite him hard. No matter where you are in the formation, I will find you.”
Okay. I promise you.
“Shuishui, don’t worry about me. I’m fine. You must first stabilize your inner breath using the method I taught you before. If that doesn’t work, use the Floating Spirit Mirror. You must take care of yourself—promise me. You must be okay.”
Okay. I promise you.
I promise you everything.
…
A dull sound quietly reached her ears – the sound of wind blades piercing human flesh.
Xing Shuishui wiped away her tears, enduring the pain as she picked up a nearby stone and smashed it down. The shackles at her feet clinked with her struggling movements.
He heard her sound and ran wildly toward her.
“Shuishui, I think I heard your heartbeat. Don’t move around anymore. Conserve your strength. I know where you are now. Focus and don’t give him any openings.”
Another tear slid from Xing Shuishui’s eye socket as she bit her trembling lips, her throat making a whimpering sound.
He Liansheng… you should be the one being careful!
Mottled light nearly filled her entire field of vision. The world spun in her pupils, the starlight above seemed to fall, silently whispering.
She opened her eyes hazily.
The young man walked toward her through the mist, his fingers tightly gripping talismans, his white robe dripping blood. His expression was fierce, like a savior descending to the mortal world. Just like when they first met, yellow talismans floated down around him gracefully.
Finally found her.
He forcefully lifted her from the ground. The shackles and the talisman sealing her mouth all shattered. Their two worlds came together as Xing Shuishui held him tight, quickly wetting his chest.
The young man gazed at her intently, both fierce and gentle: “Why has your chin become so thin, your arms so slender, your cheeks no longer round? But it doesn’t matter, I still love you. After we get out, I’ll nurse you back to health.”
Xing Shuishui’s eyes were very red: “Why are you always so foolish…”
He Liansheng: “I’m very good at nurturing peach blossoms.”
Xing Shuishui: “Why did you charge into the formation?”
He Liansheng: “You’ll be fine, Shuishui.”
Completely avoiding the question.
Xing Shuishui grabbed the young man’s collar and said softly: “What about you, He Liansheng, will you be fine too?”
The young man didn’t answer, staring at a certain spot with murderous intent, his eyelids lifted, suppressing his fury.
Guan Wushan walked out from the misty formation, several bandages wrapped around his throat, a curved blade glinting coldly in his hand, his expression mocking, as if saying neither of you will escape today.
He Liansheng had suffered serious injuries forcing his way through eleven death gates, his body long past its limit, still holding on, yet he still told her: “Don’t worry too much about me,Shuishui.”
His eyes narrowed: “I’ll take you—and kill our way out.”
His five fingers grasped at the air, sword energy condensing into a transparent sword. The pressure instantly spread, changing heaven and earth – this was his true strength, the strength of the number one swordsman. Xing Shuishui wanted to help him, but her soul ached as if about to split apart. When she probed her inner core at this moment, she discovered another person’s heart blood inside her body. She suddenly turned her head – it was He Liansheng’s heart blood. Her heart crumbled into ruins several times over.
He Liansheng gently covered her eyes, not letting her see his sorry state.
For you, I violate principles, For you, I abandon faith, For you, I rewrite talismans, For you, I slaughter all ghosts, For you, I pave the way for five years, For you, I scatter all merit, For you, the Path of Non-Attachment shatters, For you, the Peach Garden Sword breaks, For you, I willingly face death, For you, I stand against the world.
Xing Shuishui, it’s all for you.
His voice was hoarse: “That time when you kissed me underwater, I suddenly remembered some fragments from my past life. I don’t know who I was, but I saw you from the previous life sitting on top of me, gripping my neck, demanding angrily that I help you mend clothes.”
“Shuishui, perhaps fate was already determined in the vast unknown. We met in our previous life, only then, I wasn’t a very important person to you.”
“So, if I die here, we should still be able to meet in the next life.”
His forehead brushed against her cheek, as if comforting her not to cry.
When she cries, he falls apart completely.
Xing Shuishui suddenly remembered that night in Luodan Kingdom in her previous life – the alley was quiet, peach blossoms falling, as she was pulled by that young general, pressed against him, their lips barely touching.
Tears slid from her eyes.
She thought softly, but He Liansheng, you don’t know how your previous life truly ended. So please don’t say goodbye anymore, okay?
Let’s say we’ll meet again often.
Blood and tears intertwined, silently dropping onto the Floating Spirit Mirror at her waist.
The Floating Spirit Mirror suddenly burst forth with brilliant white light, dispersing all the surrounding mist. Guan Wushan’s expression changed as he threw his curved blade, but it was knocked away by He Liansheng’s sword.
Guan Wushan coldly watched, about to make his next move when five dragon bone claws seized his throat.
The newcomer retracted the dragon bone claws, glaring hatefully at Guan Wushan while cursing: “Finally caught you, you dead bastard! You killed Jing Wushuang, and then had the nerve to splash the filthy water of killing Xue Zhuangxin onto me! Did you really think I wouldn’t deal with you?”
Du Dizhu raised his chin, having arrived just in time. Li Guanhang and Li Guanyu followed closely behind, having suffered no light injuries.
Xing Shuishui seemed to sense something as she touched the Floating Spirit Mirror, its light enveloping them both. His previous life… she should have realized earlier.
Ancient patterns appeared on the mirror’s surface, magnificent light flying toward the sky, forming a beautiful rainbow ribbon. She tightly held He Liansheng’s hand as they both pressed their hands against the mirror’s surface.
The Floating Spirit Mirror actually opened on its own.
The story’s true beginning wasn’t when she met him, but when he met her, in a season when mortal realm peach blossoms were in full bloom.
The little boy had no parents from a young age and was taken in by a young novice monk from Yinshan. Homeless children all crowded in a dilapidated temple, fighting over pitiful alms.
Not long ago, a cultivator who found the temple bells too noisy had massacred the entire temple. When the children opened the doors, the temple was full of bloody corpses, red little flowers blooming on the bodies, both gorgeous and eerie.
That was He Liansheng’s first life.
There was no food, always hungry, especially after the temple was massacred. The little boy had been hungry for many days. He took the temple’s incense to sell on the long street that seemed endless. Spice-laden carts stumbled along, copper coins clanging as they fell to the ground. He bent down to pick them up but was beaten to it by the coins’ owner, receiving a look of contempt. This street had soldiers, nobles, peddlers, thieves, and the aroma of steamed buns.
Unable to sell the incense, his pockets empty, he was too hungry. Seeing steamed buns nearby, he tried to grab one, his fingers painfully scalded by the freshly steamed bun.
Several strong men pinned him to the ground. The incense rolled into the gutter as the little boy was drenched in black water, still clutching the bun in his mouth, coldly watching the shop owner.
The shop owner raised his stick and cursed: “You motherless little thief! Eat! Go ahead and eat! Consider it eating all your family’s merit! You’ll be an ill omen for all lifetimes.”
He remained completely indifferent, which clearly angered the other party. The stick fell on his spine as he spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, showing a mocking smile.
That’s when it happened.
He heard someone speaking, as if coming from the horizon, the voice spoiled yet clear and crisp, making him momentarily forget to resist.
“Sister, look, there are peaches on this peach tree! I want to pick them! If I fall, remember to catch me! No, call Third Brother! I’m afraid I’ll crush you, Sister!”
“Little Nine… better not… it’s almost mealtime, the steward will scold you again.”
“Sister—my dear sister, please indulge me, look at all these peaches on the tree, so fresh and juicy, wouldn’t it be a waste not to pick them? I’ll count them out – one for mother, one for Third Thought Brother, and… and one for Sister Qing, she’s been sick recently and needs nutritious food. Besides, this peach tree is right in our courtyard, the owner won’t say anything if they see.”
The person speaking to her said helplessly: “Eh, Little Nine, just be careful then.”
The shop people left after venting their anger, cursing as they went. The little boy got up from the ground with his bloodied hands, glancing back at them without any extra expression.
He walked forward on the bluestone slabs, vendors’ calls rising and falling, the long street bustling, filled with peach blossom fragrance. The voice seemed to come from this direction.
Stopping at a white wall, he sat by the street, and finally the voice appeared again—
“Sister, don’t you want to come up too? The view is so open up here! There are so many peaches!”
“Little Nine… why don’t you come down?”
This voice clearly held some worry.
“Sister, catch this!”
Plop—She picked the peach, but unfortunately her aim wasn’t very good. She threw it off course, and it rolled down the wall top, falling to the other side, hitting his head.
The boy had a bump on the back of his head. He picked up the fallen peach, about to yell at someone, but looking up he saw the young woman with a regretful expression picking more peaches in the tree. Her expression was lively, sleeves rolled up revealing fair arms, wiping sweat from her forehead, nearly half her body hanging on the peach tree, looking like she might fall at any moment.
That year the sun blazed like fire, peach blossoms laughed in the spring wind.
He held the peach in his hand, watching the red ribbon flutter at her temples.
From then on, trapped for life.
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