Chapter 122 The Person in the Painting (Bonus Chapter for 28,000 Favorites) Actually, it's Lin...

Snow blankets the mountains, and the warm pools are draped in gauze.

Wei Changzai sheathed his sword, got up and walked to the window, looking southeast, where Ji Changying's residence was located.

Senior Brother has always been Master's right-hand man, and rarely has any free time. Without an order, let alone going to the Demon Realm, he would probably have difficulty even leaving Mount Sanqing. How could he possibly have time to go to the Demon Realm?

He was just in a hurry.

"Boy, which sword are you wiping?"

The spirit of the Kunwu sword leaped out of the sword, its pupil-less eyes fixed on the figure by the window, filled with anger.

Since returning to Daohe Palace, he has been polishing that shimmering sword all day long, completely ignoring Kunwu.

Although that ordinary sword possessed a slight spiritual energy and was not exactly common, it was worlds apart from the Kunwu Sword. It was truly a case of having eyes but not recognizing gold and jade, mistaking ordinary mud for treasure!

Wei Changzai stood by the window, letting the cold wind brush against the stray hairs on his cheeks and a few snowflakes fall onto his eyelashes, but he just stood there quietly and did not answer.

Having gotten to know Wei Changzai over the past few days, the Kunwu Sword Spirit had gained some understanding of him, so he was not surprised by his silence.

"Now that you have Kunwu, you should cherish it. If you become greedy, you might end up with nothing left."

He had not been born for a long time, and his former master was a sage. Therefore, although he was arrogant, he was pure in heart and had no bad intentions. Moreover, Wei Changzai was exceptionally talented, and he actually appreciated him very much. His words just now were merely imitating the words of the sage and giving him some pointers.

But these words reached the ears of Consort Wei.

He glanced back and saw a young boy, about waist-high, wandering around the room. The boy spoke rudely, but his face showed the unique curiosity of a child.

Kunwu Sword Spirit had never seen a room like this before.

The ceiling is covered with mirrors, completely opaque, with only a narrow light source shining through from the roof to illuminate the twenty-four bronze mirrors in sequence.

Although strange, it is also quite ingenious. This kind of secluded place is actually very similar to the grotto of immortals from long ago, which is beneficial for quiet cultivation.

But today was the first time Wei Changzai opened the window, and the room was finally brightly lit, allowing him to see the whole scene.

The house is divided into inner and outer chambers, complete with tables, bookshelves, sword racks, and beds. The furnishings are very neat, but they also exude a sense of desolation. However, the draped curtains and gauze around the house dispel much of this coldness.

The Kunwu Sword Spirit suddenly stopped and looked at the portraits plastered all around.

Looking from left to right, the first few paintings all depict a young child with hair in tufts.

Although she had no facial features, the sword spirit could still tell from the tiny flower beside her ear that she was a girl.

The figures in the painting, whether in their movements or clothing, are depicted with extremely light ink, appearing ethereal and indistinct.

But gradually, as you look further back, you can see several extremely clear portraits.

She also has no facial features, but she is either meditating or squatting down to water flowers.

After three or four clearer images, the painting became blurry again, and the figure and movements were no longer visible.

Looking slowly backward, the person in the painting gradually grows up, eventually becoming a girl of medium height with long hair tied up.

However, it still lacks facial features.

Sometimes she runs and chases deer in the mountains, very cunning; other times she sits and meditates by the stream, as still as a deep current.

The sword spirit stroked its hairless chin, admiring it to itself.

He thought this painting was contradictory.

The figures in the painting are sometimes dressed in loose skirts, and sometimes in light and fitted clothing.

Judging from their clothing, they don't seem to be the same person.

However, judging from their postures, whether they are chasing deer or meditating, their hand seals are exactly the same, as if indicating that they are one person.

The Kunwu Sword Spirit looked somewhat confused.

However, as can be seen with the naked eye, the further back in the painting you look, the clearer it becomes.

The lines used to draw are no longer as ethereal and blurry as before. Even with light ink and only a gray shadow, the sharpness of her strokes is still clearly depicted in the turns and twists of the brush.

The Kunwu Sword Spirit nodded secretly.

It seems that this person's image has been etched into the mind of the writer, so no matter how the pen is written, whether the ink is thick or thin, it cannot be erased.

No matter how you draw it, it's just one person.

"Wonderful, wonderful!"

The Kunwu Sword Spirit spoke in a deliberately profound tone.

His original master, though learned, had no interest in poetry or painting and was unskilled in both. Whenever he discussed poetry and painting with others, he would utter these four words with a headache.

He's now following suit.

After reflecting on this, just as he was about to turn and leave, a shadow fell upon him.

He turned around and saw that Wei Changzai had somehow appeared behind him and was quietly looking at the portraits covering the wall.

He asked, "What's so wonderful about it?"

Kunwu Sword Spirit had a bit of a headache.

He had a sudden inspiration and threw the question back at him: "Do you think this is the same person?"

He really didn't know.

Wei Changzai looked at them, his lips slightly parted: "Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn't."

"You don't even know who you drew?" The Kunwu Sword Spirit looked him up and down, then suddenly realized.

"Did you steal this painting? Was it done by a fellow disciple? Or by a female cultivator?"

Wei Changzai looked down at him, his dark eyes seeming to hold a thin, icy lake.

The sword spirit had only asked casually and hadn't expected him to answer, but Wei Changzai actually spoke up.

“This is not a stolen painting; from the beginning, it was just an image from our imagination.”

The Kunwu Sword Spirit was shocked: "Imagine... you, you cultivate the Unity of Heaven and Man, don't you! Be careful your Dao heart might go astray!"

Wei Changzai glanced down at him. He hadn't wanted to speak, but some things had been hidden in his heart for too long, so it wouldn't hurt to say them.

Moreover, this is a sword spirit with whom he has made a pact.

“When I was six years old, my master told me that I had a destined person.”

He wanted me to keep an eye on her.

I didn't know what my destined person looked like, so I just drew a picture. Although it was blurry, it was enough for me to stare at 'her' all day long.

The painting that was created was the very first one.

I've watched her for three years.

The Kunwu Sword Spirit listened intently, feeling a chill in its heart, fearing that a person might suddenly fly out of the painting. So it walked behind Wei Changzai and looked at the first painting.

"Then, did you see anything?"

"No, in my eyes, it was just a piece of paper, a meaningless piece of paper."

The name on that piece of paper is Qiu Tong.

He should fall in love with Qiu Tong; he should love Qiu Tong; he should gaze upon her.

He recited the name a thousand times, as if he were doing evening prayers.

Lin Feiran went up the mountain when he was nine years old.

So in the fourth year, he returned to his room to meditate and cultivate. Looking at the painting again, he silently recited the name "Qiu Tong" and called out "Lin Feiran".

That night, he suddenly opened his eyes and drew a second portrait.

He specifically wrote the words "Qiu Tong" in the lower right corner of the portrait, thinking that this way he wouldn't mispronounce it again.

"Qiu Tong?"

The Kunwu Sword Spirit clearly noticed his gaze, so it leaned closer to look and saw the two small characters.

"Isn't this the Sword Master of Tai'a? You...you are in love with her?"

At this point, the Kunwu Sword Spirit suddenly realized: "No wonder you see each other every day, it turns out you have this kind of fate."

Wei Changzai did not answer. He just looked at the wall and suddenly asked a question.

"Look at them, don't they resemble Qiu Tong?"

The Kunwu Sword Spirit scanned the area and muttered to itself.

The essence of a portrait lies in its spirit, but this painting has no face, so how can one distinguish the subject based on just a few gestures?

But he wasn't a spoilsport sword spirit, so he said, "It's like it, especially that painting of the Chasing Deer. It's so light and full of vitality, it's practically the Tai'a Sword Master himself."

Wei Changzai looked at the portrait.

Undeniably, the person in the painting does resemble Qiu Tong, but this painting was done before I met her.

The person in the painting is actually Lin Feiran.

She used to roam the snowy plains like this, like a light bird, a drifting breeze.

She said that the white deer would surely find the plum blossoms if it went to the plum tree, so she took him with her as they climbed the mountain, following the deer from a distance, until they finally encountered a withered old plum tree.

The branches were rotten and hollow inside, and it was unknown how long it had been dead. If they hadn't been so familiar with plum branches, they probably wouldn't have recognized it as a plum tree.

That was the closest they ever came to a plum tree during their search for plum blossoms in Sanqing Mountain.

Later, Qiu Tong joined Daohe Palace and became their junior sister.

The Kunwu Sword Spirit finally understood, having guessed that Wei Changzai and Qiu Tong had feelings for each other.

"No wonder you weren't angry at all when she confessed to you yesterday that she was a demon. It turns out that you were in love and didn't care whether she was human or demon."

Wei Changzai glanced at him but did not explain.

Yesterday, Qiu Tong came to him to practice swordsmanship as usual, but she seemed a little absent-minded, and she practiced the sword-splitting move for a long time without making any progress.

He told her to get some rest.

Just that one sentence touched her, and she revealed that she was a demon and asked him to cover it up for her.

Wei Changzai had known about this for a long time, but he didn't show much emotion on his face. Fortunately, he always did this, so Qiu Tong didn't suspect anything.

The Kunwu Sword Spirit spoke up: "It seems that the Tai'a Sword Master trusts you a lot, otherwise she wouldn't have spoken so casually about such an important matter concerning her identity."

Wei Changzai turned around and walked to the table, carrying the Lianyan Sword behind his back.

"She told me this because she wanted me to go to the demon realm with her and help her."

Indeed, Kunwu Sword Spirit could not refute that.

Seeing Wei Changzai get up and leave, he immediately asked, "Where are you taking that Radiant Sword again?"

He should be using the Kunwu Sword now, not the Lianyan Sword!

Wei Changzai glanced back at him, then beckoned with his hand, and saw that Taiwu Sword had been taken into his hand.

He pushed open the door and locked the side hall where he usually lived, saying in a calm voice, "Of course I'm going to see where my senior brother is right now."

...

With a bang, the door slammed shut.

Qiu Tong paced back and forth in the room, her mind unsettled. She bit her lower lip until it turned pale, and her clothes were wrinkled.

She only received the news yesterday that her older sister might be going to intercept and kill Lin Feiran in a couple of days, accompanied by a master of the secret sect.

Even though Lin Feiran has now reached the realm of enlightenment, he will inevitably suffer losses if he were to fight against many masters.

But she has already become an envoy of the demon realm. If she reveals her plan in its entirety, that demon lord will certainly not stand idly by. He will send a bunch of people to her side, and it is likely that the eldest sister will be the one who suffers the loss.

After some hesitation, she lit the incense stick and contacted her older sister.

Soon, that cold and beautiful face appeared in the green smoke.

Qingyao looked at her and asked, "What is it? Did you encounter any danger in the human realm?"

Qiu Tong sat upright, not as relaxed as when facing her mother: "Elder sister, I heard from Mother that you are going to intercept and kill that human envoy?"

Qingyao nodded, then noticed her strange expression and asked, "What, do you know her?"

Caught off guard by her sudden revelation, Qiu Tong looked somewhat embarrassed: "Yes, I don't know why Father wanted to kill her, but she... she's not so bad now, her crimes don't warrant this, and besides, she's much stronger than before..."

Qiu Tong said a lot, but it was all off-topic, and she kept glancing at Qing Yao. After a moment's thought, Qing Yao spoke frankly.

"It seems that your trip to the human realm has allowed you to master those strange euphemisms and decency perfectly. After all this circling around, isn't it just to get me to make an exception for you?"

Qiu Tong had always been afraid of Qing Yao, so upon hearing this, she could only lower her head and say, "Yes, I... don't really want her to die now."

Qingyao remained unmoved: "Qiutong, you're nineteen now. Many things aren't as you think. If you don't want to, you don't have to do them."

Qiu Tong looked dejected: "But she has never done anything to us. Are we supposed to submit to her just because of an order from a cult?"

Qingyao frowned slightly and corrected, "We are not bowing down to the Secret Sect, but for the Fox Clan and for Father."

“But Father wasn’t like this before.” Qiu Tong was still somewhat discouraged.

Qingyao immediately looked around, then released her spiritual energy to make sure no one was around before looking at her younger sister, who was already slumped on the table in the green smoke, looking listless.

"Don't say such things again. As for that human envoy, she is quite powerful. It's still unknown who will win or lose, so you don't need to worry too much. What if I'm the one who dies?"

Qiu Tong suddenly looked up, her eyes slightly open, but before she could speak, Qing Yao interrupted her.

"Alright, I know what I'm doing. As things stand, you'd better stay in the human realm and not get involved in this mess."

After saying that, Qingyao extinguished the incense and sat on the couch, lost in thought. Her beautiful face showed a composure beyond her years.

As the smoke dissipated, leaving only a faint sweet fragrance, Qiu Tong stared blankly at the table before finally taking out the communication jade token.

According to her mother, the person who married into the demon realm that day was not Princess Mingyue. If she guessed correctly, that person was probably Lin Feiran.

That's why she became an envoy of the demon realm.

Therefore, the person who possesses this voice transmission jade token is undoubtedly Lin Feiran.

Thinking about it again, the "Princess Bright Moon" who debated with me all night was also Lin Feiran.

She bit her lower lip, looked at the communication jade token in her hand, and finally made her move, issuing her first secret command in a long time.

...

The sun was shining brightly, and Lin Feiran was sitting on the roof practicing spiritual breathing exercises when he saw Qingzhu push open the door and come out, looking relaxed, as if she had had a good sleep.

He walked into the courtyard, shifted his body, looked up at the roof ridge, narrowed his eyes, and smiled.

"Good fortune awaits you upon leaving home; today is an auspicious day."

Lin Feiran didn't hear those words. She rolled down and landed in front of Qingzhu: "The sun has just risen, and you're already all washed and dressed?"

Qingzhu unfolded her folding fan and feigned a sigh: "You waited for me for a long time in the courtyard last night, and I already felt guilty. Today I have to return to the Demon Capital, so how could I let you wait any longer?"

Lin Feiran was now somewhat familiar with him and knew he was joking, so he replied, "Since I accidentally made you feel guilty all night, to make up for it, it's fine to let you sleep in this morning."

Qingzhu shook her head and smiled knowingly, saying, "It seems Feiran has become quite familiar with me, and has even learned to joke around."

The two walked outside together, and Lin Feiran said, "One is influenced by one's company. You all love to joke around, so I've naturally picked up a few of those skills too."

"Oh?" Qingzhu looked at her with a smile. "Who else likes to joke around?"

Lin Feiran was about to say Ru Xian's name, but then felt it was inconsistent with his usual style, so he pointed ahead.

"And then there's Biqing, she and Xuanzhen love to joke around the most."

Just outside the courtyard of the two, the person who usually disliked getting up early was squatting on a tree, looking around furtively like a thief, before tiptoeing over.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! I received your message last night and immediately packed up. I'm just waiting to leave first thing this morning. We can't delay any longer!"

Qingzhu chuckled: "When did you start doing this?"

Biqing looked sorrowful: "You should ask me when I went to sleep; I didn't sleep a wink all night!"

My spendthrift brother, who is not related to me by blood, revealed all the methods to break the city's formation in order to get the cultists to come to my rescue. This angered the clan chief so much that he changed the formation overnight. The method to break the formation that I had memorized for a day was now useless, and I had to memorize it all over again!

Now that you've asked all the questions you needed to, let's leave quickly!

Biqing gave the two no chance to hesitate, grabbed one in each hand, and ran through the corridor to the city walls.

Just as the three were about to leave the city, they were suddenly grabbed by a hand.

Biqing turned her head and bumped into a somewhat aged face.

It was Elder Da Shi.

The old man leaned on his dragon-subduing staff, his hood flapping in the wind, revealing a head of gray hair worn down by the years.

His gaze toward Biqing held no resentment or attempt to hold her back, only pure affection.

"You only get up early at times like this. Luckily, I noticed last night and prepared these for you in advance."

He placed the bag of mustard seeds in his hand into Biqing's hand.

"Stay by the Lord's side, cultivate diligently, and eat well."

Since you've chosen the path of archery, don't give it up easily. After you left, I sharpened quite a few arrows for you, and they're all in a mustard seed bag.

Biqing immediately felt envious. She had only been back for about a day, and she hadn't actually spent much time with him.

Before the emotion in his heart could even rise for a moment, Elder Da Shi poked his head and said, "You must remember the magic seal for returning home!"

Biqing took the mustard seed bag, and the little bit of gratitude in her heart instantly turned into green smoke: "I know, I know!"

She dodged Elder Da Shi, and with Lin Feiran and Qingzhu, leaped out and landed on the plains outside the city.

She looked back and saw Elder Da Shi quietly watching her from behind the expanded magic circle.

The formation gradually closed in. She raised her hand and beckoned. Da Shi smiled, waved to her, signaling her to leave quickly, and then turned and left.

Bi Qing sighed softly, "When I was in Luoyu City, all I wanted was to get out, but once I was out, I inexplicably wanted to go back. If the elder had beckoned to me just now, I would have gone back immediately."

Lin Feiran looked at that figure and was also somewhat moved.

"But he didn't. Young birds eventually leave the nest. Perhaps when you first left Luoyu City, he stopped insisting that you come back."

Biqing glanced at her, then immediately snuggled up to her, putting one arm around Lin Feiran, and began to ramble on about her story with Dashi.

Lin Feiran and Qingzhu listened attentively, occasionally offering a word or two in response, which made the journey less boring.

The three quickly returned to the Demon Capital. As soon as they entered the city, they saw many purple orchids planted along the Jade Belt Stream that ran around the city. The demons living in the city also looked excited and kept flying around in the streets.

Lin Feiran asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"

Qingzhu looked up and said knowingly, "They're preparing for the night tour."

This was the first time Lin Feiran had heard of this festival: "What is a Night Tour Day?"

Biqing had bought a string of candied hawthorns at some point. While eating them, she pointed with a bamboo skewer: "Night Tour Day is a festival unique to the Demon Capital. Originally, it was to celebrate the Lord's slaying of the licentious Demon King, allowing everyone to travel at night. Later, it became a New Year's festival."

Lin Feiran suddenly realized: "I see. So, which day exactly?"

"the day after tomorrow."

Author's Note: The description of the portrait is somewhat like a montage, actually depicting Wei Changzai's changing emotions, but this chapter won't explain it too clearly.

P.S.: Lin Feiran's return gift is finally about to appear. Let's return the gift first, then fight (X).

P.S.: The author is better at writing romance than plot, but the plot plays a significant role in this book. So, when I started writing, I estimated that 30,000 favorites by the end would be great. Now it's already at 28,000! To celebrate, I'll add an extra chapter! Hehe [droopy-eared rabbit head][droopy-eared rabbit head]