Chapter 202 The sword tassel is missing.

But her wings were broken. With both wings destroyed, the bird's only fate is to die trembling and in agony.

The divine fire of Nirvana can heal physical wounds, but can she truly forget the pain of having her wings severed?

Qiao Yanshen's hand stopped near the wound, the sticky texture of the ointment accompanied by a cool sensation on her fingertips. Finally, she gently supported Shen Lixia, letting her lie down smoothly again, her movements as careful as if handling something fragile and threatening.

She didn't know if the little bird would ever be able to fly again.

With each flap of her wings, she would recall the excruciating pain of her back being mangled and bloodied. Qiao Yanshen could almost picture the horrific scene: crimson feathers scattered on the ground covered in blood, their feather dust like golden petals growing under the sun, yet broken and mangled beyond recognition.

Just like every time I pick up the rain-proof sword, the first thing I feel is a chill that rushes straight to my heart.

The hurt will not be erased by time, nor will it be forgotten; it will simply become a part of their lives that they have grown accustomed to.

The stagnant smell of blood mingled with the bitterness of the ointment. Qiao Yanshen gently stroked the corner of Chen Lixia's eye, his knuckles curling up to lightly brush against the other's soft cheek.

The lingering dampness from her tears made her pause, then she slightly turned her wrist, pressing her palm against the cool skin. After caressing it for a while, Qiao Yanshen bent down and gently pressed his lips to her forehead.

Let the nightmare go away quickly.

Her long, jet-black hair fell smoothly like silk, then quickly receded as she rose, like the receding tide, leaving only a few cool, soft strands resembling snake scales.

one way or another......

They always shared joys and sorrows. Now, she will also accompany Shen Lixia through this period.

The fleeting thought from just moments ago suddenly surged back, and Qiao Yanshen felt as if he had grasped a glimmer of hope, his heart, which had been gloomy since waking up, suddenly brightened for a moment.

--sword.

She left in such a hurry that she didn't have time to retrieve Yu Feng, who had been detained.

That shimmering aquamarine jumped into my mind, lingering there. The tassels were tied into an exquisite knot, the knot of which was said to be unique to Yan Xueya; it looked simple, but there was quite a bit of skill involved.

If you want to learn, you might have to travel thousands of miles to the snowy plains and ask the elders...

That was a sword tassel that her master had made for her; it was unique in the world.

Even if it were no longer warm, Qiao Yanshen wanted to take it off, tuck it tightly inside her clothes, and wear it as an ornament forever. She was always afraid of ruining it if it was tied to the sword hilt.

After all, there will never be another one like it.

She couldn't wait any longer and was wondering whether she should go to find some immortal, when she heard footsteps at the courtyard gate. The barrier was activated, rippling with a water-like luster, and someone was guarding outside, quietly waiting for her to open the door. The aura was very familiar. Qiao Yanshen pushed open the door and immediately saw a figure in black standing outside the courtyard.

With a thought, the barrier opened a passage.

"Master Chi."

Chi Yueying only came in after hearing her call out. Her gaze had been on the ground, perhaps watching the ants moving house before the cold winter, or perhaps looking at the listless withered leaves. Now, her gaze shifted, still swaying and not settling on Qiao Yanshen's side, drifting over for a moment and then looking away, like a startled waterbird shivering, its heart filled with unknown turmoil.

Qiao Yanshen smiled gently and asked, "Master Aunt's injuries haven't healed yet, why have you suddenly come to see your disciple?" It would have been easier to send a message; is there something that requires her to come in person...?

Hearing her calm voice, Chi Yueying looked up and saw that Qiao Yanshen's expression was normal. She was slightly taken aback before speaking, "There are some things..."

Before she could finish speaking, her eyes reddened slightly. Perhaps it was the pristine white robes before her, the familiar chill, or the withered persimmons and fallen leaves filling the courtyard, coupled with the oppressive gray sky, that made it feel suffocating. The eve of the war had ended, but the thick black fog seemed to linger. When she glanced upwards, her gaze would still catch glimpses of dappled shadows, which she ultimately realized were just dense clouds and dust.

Qiao Yanshen took a step forward and supported her, only to find that the other woman's thin body under her heavy robes was somewhat unsteady, and she looked haggard, as if she had just recovered from a serious illness. Her gaze swept over Chi Yueying's raised hand, the wrist bones appearing bony against the pale skin.

She was really weak.

Emperor Taihui seemed to be doing as usual, but Qiao Yanshen understood from these details that once the turmoil truly subsided, the cultivation world would definitely change dramatically.

The forces in the south will rise rapidly, and the smaller sects in various places will emerge like bamboo shoots that have survived the heavy rain and been nourished.

And she...

Perhaps Chi Yueying came to urge her to leave the sect as soon as possible.

The remnants of the demon army have retreated, but people will always remember that Qiao Yanshen once revealed her connection with the demons. Hatred has reached its peak, and the sect has already become the target of everyone's ire, not to mention that she was once tainted by demonic energy in front of everyone.

Unexpectedly, Chi Yueying did not continue speaking. Instead, she remained silent for a while before asking in a low voice, "Is the recovery going well?"

She actually had an air of inability to hide anything, and was the least weathered of the group. This question was like an abrupt turn of events, concealing what she was about to say.

"You can move around freely now." Qiao Yanshen smiled, pursing his lips. "Li Xia hasn't woken up yet, but she's fine."

Chi Yueying nodded, seemingly relieved, then frowned and carefully examined Qiao Yanshen: "Your cultivation level—"

Qiao Yanshen said, "It's alright. We lost some money before, but it will recover within a year at most."

She wasn't really sure how long it would take, but even if it didn't, Qiao Yanshen would try his best to shorten it to a year.

She doesn't have that much time to waste.

Seeing that Chi Yueying was holding back her thoughts and didn't know what to say, Qiao Yanshen spoke first: "Master Aunt, could you take me to Xuanxu Peak? My Tusheng Sword and personal belongings were confiscated earlier and I haven't had time to retrieve them yet."

Chi Yueying nodded, gesturing for her to take her hand. The two of them flashed and arrived at the foot of the tower on Xuanxu Peak in the blink of an eye. The cultivators imprisoned here were not spared either. The tower was filled with a thick, unyielding stench of blood. The corpses of guards and the bloodstains of prisoners were everywhere, and even the steps were covered with dark, red satin-like stains.

"Someone will come later," Chi Yueying said dryly. "This place hasn't been cleaned up yet..."

She still didn't reveal the purpose of her visit, but Qiao Yanshen knew that even if her aunt concealed it, it wouldn't be anything that would harm her. She simply walked silently down the desolate corridor until a small room came into view, at which point she slowly stopped. The lock was broken, and the door was ajar. Qiao Yanshen went inside first.

Chi Yueying stood outside the door, guarding the corridor.

The oil in the lamps hadn't burned out yet, and these were the only lights remaining in the dimly lit prison, as always.

Time passed by, bit by bit.

Chi Yueying gradually felt uneasy—this amount of time was enough for her divine sense to scan the entire tower prison inside and out a dozen times, but she only heard the sounds of searching coming from inside, and did not see Qiao Yanshen come out.

The noise varied in volume, sometimes loud, sometimes soft. At its loudest, it sounded like a tea set being swept onto the floor, creating a series of sounds of varying pitch and volume. She could sense the urgency of the person making the noise.

Did someone embed her sword into a crack in the wall, or what? Are they going to pry it out bit by bit? That would be an incredibly cunning trick.

A soft rustling sound lingered for a moment, then vanished completely, leaving only a deathly silence in the space, except for the flickering lights. A wisp of black mist drifted through, escaping from the slightly ajar door, only to immediately dissipate into the air.

A chilling cold flowed through her, like a layer of seawater rising under the moonlight, silently seeping into Chi Yueying's feet. She realized this was a sign of her spiritual energy going out of control, and hurriedly stepped over the thin ice that was about to freeze into water, then abruptly pushed open the door that was winding with silver frost.

The place was a complete mess.

Scattered debris lay on the ground, and some tables and chairs were dismantled beyond recognition.

As far as the eye could see, there was only thick black fog and a pallid, chilling aura that had materialized. Her heart clenched suddenly, and she couldn't help but look at the figure that was faintly visible behind the fog. The black fog seemed to sense someone's arrival and slowly retreated, gradually revealing the hem of the young man's white robe, as white as moonlight, followed by her long, flowing hair.

The bluish veins stood out prominently on the back of his hand in the dim light. Qiao Yanshen was kneeling on the ground, holding Yu Feng in his hand and examining it repeatedly. His fingertips seemed to want to trace every metallic luster on it, frantically searching back and forth, finally stopping at the empty end of the hilt.

She raised her head, her lips moving slightly.

Chi Yueying finally heard what she was saying:

"Sword tassel..."

At this moment, all the rationality he had been holding onto finally crumbled. Qiao Yanshen felt as if his bones had been pulled out, his eyes wide open in a daze and pain, unable to even shed a tear.

She gazed at Chi Yueying, like a helpless child, and murmured, "Master... I can't find it... the sword tassel, the sword tassel Master made for me—why can't I find it? It should be on the sword..."

A chill permeated the air, and the thick, dark blue fog rose uncontrollably, transforming into dripping water droplets, bringing a cold rain to this cramped place. Each drop of rain was a spiritual force connected to her, each drop pouring out an endless torrent of sorrow.

She can't bring herself to spend time with anyone.

She needed companionship. She couldn't take it anymore.

The disappearance of the sword tassel removed the last thread Qiao Yanshen used to bind herself. She repeated it softly:

"Never again..."

The pain came sooner than she expected, tearing open her heart, and blood gushed out uncontrollably, leaving her helpless.

Chi Yueying held her hand, which was covered with fine scars, her lips trembling, but in the end she didn't say anything.

The woman's warm embrace came along with the crook of her arm, holding her tightly.

There was no biting wind and snow, no aroma of butter tea, and the fire in the palace would never be lit again. Yet Yan Xueya had held her like this before.

She would tell him how much she had suffered, and she would let Qiao Yanshen lean on her shoulder, gently wiping away her tears with her sleeve. Yan Xueya was like a second mother to her, even giving her the warmth she had never received from her own mother, because she knew how to express love.

It is not a weakness that makes one vulnerable, but a strong armor.

Even now, with bitterness filling his heart, Qiao Yanshen had nowhere to confide in.

Everyone is suffering the same grief of loss; they are too busy taking care of themselves to have a haven reserved just for themselves.

No one will tell her again that it's okay to stop, like Yan Xueya did; she has to walk her own path from now on.

The reality of death arrived completely at that moment. Qiao Yanshen bit his lip, leaned gently on Chi Yueying's shoulder for a while, and then stood up.

Rainblade was withdrawn, and the dripping spiritual energy returned to her body along with the black mist. As she stepped out of the tower prison, she looked up at Frostblade Peak.

Under the sunlight, the snow-covered mountains shone brightly and cleanly, yet there was no howling wind or snow. Instead, melted snow water flowed down the mountainside in blue ribbons, fine and clear.

The snow is melting.

......

A few days have passed.

Smoke rose from the stove, and the aroma of hot oil splashing onto scallions and garlic wafted out from in front of the cooker. Qiao Yan glanced at the kneaded dough in the bowl, covered it, and walked out.

She and her other disciples have been busy rebuilding the sect recently, and perhaps due to exhaustion, she always feels a bit hungry when she comes back.

After all that work, I changed out of my robe into a short-sleeved shirt, which made things much more convenient.

The room remained quiet as usual, except for the soft thud of her pushing open the door, which lingered for a moment before returning to stillness. Qiao Yanshen sat on the edge of the bed, habitually leaning down slightly to check on her condition.

The wounds on her back healed quickly, and the feathers naturally fell off and decayed into a substance like withered grass. It seemed that no one could keep her feathers unless they were given to her by the divine bird itself. The places where her wings had grown were now covered with scars of varying depths.

There were still sword marks, and also new flesh.

Qiao Yanshen didn't find it unsightly. When her fingertips lightly brushed over her, Shen Lixia would flinch slightly, but as if she knew who was touching her, she would willingly let her undulating back press against Qiao Yanshen's palm.

Through a layer of warm skin, the flesh beneath was taut, and the outline of two bones was clearly protruding. They were not thin, but their beautiful and solid curves concealed explosive power.

It is a fertile ground for the growth of wings strong enough to soar through the sky.

Touching her skin felt like touching soft, fine sand; the lingering warmth, along with the rise and fall of her breath, conveyed the fact that she was still alive and slowly recovering her health.

This put Qiao Yanshen at ease.

She brushed aside her messy hair, sighed softly, and was about to say a few words to Shen Lixia as usual, hoping that she would hear it in her dream and wake up quickly, when she saw the other's eyelashes tremble.

Like sunlight rising from the desert, its radiance finally illuminates the shifting sands, and a brilliant gold slowly emerges.

Then, a pair of hands wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her down forcefully. Before Qiao Yanshen could react, she was already tightly held in his arms.

The boy's breath was damp. Their hair intertwined, and Chen Lixia buried her face in Qiao Yanshen's neck, gently rubbing her nose against the skin beneath her hair. Her arms tightened around him, and after a while, her slightly hoarse voice, still groggy from just waking up, softly reached Qiao Yanshen's ears:

"Senior sister."

The warmth and comforting scent told her that the night was over. Beneath the skin pressed against hers, her pulse beat steadily, conveying the subtle sounds of life.

Before Qiao Yanshen could respond, Shen Lixia whispered again, "You're not happy."

Qiao Yanshen's voice came out after a while, muffled: "Why do you say that?"

At this moment, the feeling of spiritual energy dissipating from the token close to her body finally came through, and Shen Lixia understood the reason for her mood.

"I can feel it." She lowered her eyes. "You're just unhappy. There's a smell of tears... I'm sorry, I think I woke up too late."

The two embraced in silence for a while, then Shen Lixia suddenly twitched her nose and smiled, "It smells so good, is it plain noodles?"

She gently glossed over the previous topic, deciding to leave the time and the choice of whether or not to confide in Qiao Yanshen.

Qiao Yanshen paused, his fingers stroking her hair, then smiled.

"Well, since you're awake, let's have dinner together."

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Author's Note: Well, actually, I felt a little melancholy as I wrote this.

Because I think eating is a very important thing. Whether a person wants to live and be happy has a lot to do with whether they have an appetite. Although everyone in the article no longer needs to eat, the meaning of eating itself has gone beyond just filling one's stomach.

So in the end, they sat together eating plain noodles, just like when they first arrived. But this time, it was the senior student who cooked, and they were no longer the passive yet seemingly unaffected individuals they once were.

But life goes on, so let's have dinner together.