Chapter 220 Jinling Cannot Cross (Part 6) I miss you.

On the snow-covered plain, the north wind howled fiercely; this was the fourth day since the snowflakes arrived.

The Northern Plains were vast, and it took him two days to move from the south to the southwest. On the way, he passed by the garrison of the human border guards and even saw Murong Qiudi, but he did not approach her. He only glanced at her from afar before telling Lin Feiran about it.

She always pays a lot of attention to people who are not very important.

On the third day, he approached the so-called heartland of the Northern Plains, where, just as she had said, a thin, frosty mist hung in the air. Though faint, it was so thin that even he could not see through it. Many esoteric Buddhist monks were stationed around the mist.

He didn't want to get close, but considering Lin Feiran's keen interest in the matter, he went around to a deserted place and tried to penetrate the thick fog, but to no avail.

He also told Lin Feiran about this.

Since entering the Northern Plains, this snow-white yin-yang fish has never looked back at him. It always hovers around his lips and cheeks. Occasionally, when a strong wind blows and he feels cold, it can only hide in his loose hair.

After four days of cold winds, they finally arrived near Lin Yuan in the southwest this afternoon.

This place is equally vast, with the gaping abyss perhaps stretching for thousands of miles, almost encircling the edge of the Northern Plains. Yin Yang Fish and Ru Xian searched here for several hours until night fell and Lin Feiran's voice came from afar, at which point he slowly stopped.

Ru Xian walked to a sparse cedar forest, found a few decent rocks to sit on, lit a few fire stones, and flipped through the travelogue of the Mad Taoist, trying to figure out the exact location, but then heard someone say that they missed Lin Feiran.

He paused, leaned back against the cedar tree, and a smile appeared on his lips as he couldn't help but tease him.

"You're so popular, Lin Feiran."

Why are so many people missing you?

Hearing the slight pause and urging in her voice, he chuckled but didn't interrupt. Her voice sounded like that of the demon girl he had met at the Flying Flower Gathering.

He listened to their conversation while simultaneously reading a book and calculating directions.

He had only seen half of it when he heard several sounds, some urgent and some fearful, coming from the north wind. He glanced to the side and saw dark figures moving in the snowfield, but he did not move and looked away.

Lin Feiran heard the faint sound of the wind from Beiyuan and the very clear sound of his breathing, so light that it almost blended into the wind.

She composed herself slightly, looked at Qiu Tong through the smoke, then surveyed the surroundings behind her, and asked, "Where are you? It looks like some kind of secret room?"

Qiu Tong sat against the wall, the flickering firelight reflecting on her face. She still held the Tai'a sword in her hand, looking somewhat surprised and uncertain.

"I returned to the demon realm a few days ago, and I have something to tell you in the clan's secret chamber."

Lin Feiran sat up straight involuntarily: "What is it?"

Do you remember what I told you last time?

Qiu Tong seemed to be wary of something, glancing to the side without saying anything, but Lin Feiran knew she was referring to the matter of rebirth, so he nodded.

Qiu Tong continued, "I told you before that my father is acting strangely. I wanted to investigate by starting with an elder in the clan, but he has been possessed by a nightmare and is now mentally unstable."

Lin Feiran's eyes flickered slightly, and her brows furrowed slightly. After a moment's thought, she asked again, "Was it also during your travels?"

Qiu Tong glanced at her, hesitated, but nodded nonetheless, saying somewhat vaguely, "It was because of the sword bone incident. He suddenly learned that you had your sword bone removed because of him and had fallen into a trance..."

Lin Feiran remained silent for a moment before immediately realizing that something was amiss.

Wei Changzai clearly knew about the sword bone all along, so how could it be sudden?

Qiu Tong continued, "Back then, in order to save him, Zhang Chunhe found a solution in an ancient book. I recently returned to the human world to retrieve this book so that I could help my uncles regain their senses. However, there is something strange about it."

Lin Feiran looked up and saw Qiu Tong stroking the hilt of a sword, her gaze somewhat fixed.

"This book is divided into two volumes. I found the first volume in the library, but the real method for breaking through obstacles is recorded in the second volume."

Lin Feiran's eyelids suddenly twitched.

Seeing her expression, Qiu Tong immediately put down the Tai'a sword and went to the incense burner. So, in the smoke, only her wide-open fox eyes were visible.

"You were surprised too, weren't you! This was originally an ordinary old book, and the library was full of books like this, but he kept this second volume. It's hard for me not to be suspicious, and I'm sure you think the same way!"

Lin Feiran sat cross-legged on the bed, her fingertips slowly rubbing together. Her gaze was slightly lowered, but she said, "This is just a speculation for now, and it hasn't been confirmed. Now that you've returned to the Demon Realm, have you obtained the second volume?"

Qiu Tong nodded hesitantly.

Lin Feiran could no longer sit still. She got up and paced around the room, with the black fish following beside her. She tapped the table lightly and suddenly asked, "How did you get into his study?"

Qiu Tong moved away slightly, her worried face reappearing: "It's a long story. I originally wanted to follow Elder Qingyu to infiltrate and then have the sword spirit steal the book, but I was overestimating myself and he caught me red-handed."

Panicked, I hastily made up a lie, saying that an elder in my clan wanted to study this ancient book, and I had intended to use this as an excuse to leave, but he actually gave it to me!

Lin Feiran stopped in her tracks, a sense of absurdity rising within her. This was definitely not Zhang Chunhe's style, but the unusual nature of the situation made her feel uncertain.

What did he say to you back then?

Qiu Tong immediately took out a piece of stationery and pointed to it, saying, "Just these few sentences. I was even afraid that I might have misremembered them, so I wrote them down early on."

[As my master said, "Education should be given to all without discrimination." This musical score does indeed contain elements of Zen meditation. I may lend it to you, but you must return it to Daohe Palace in half a month.]

There was nothing wrong with the words, and Lin Feiran couldn't figure out anything special about them, but they did reveal a kind of absurdity that didn't require deep thought.

Qiu Tong patted the paper, not without indignation: "Before he said that, he stared at me for a long, long time. You should understand that look. It made me break out in a cold sweat. I've had this book for several days now, and I haven't dared to even glance at it."

But if I don't look at it now, I'll have to return it soon, and I'm unsure what to do, so I came to ask you.

Lin Feiran couldn't quite figure out what Zhang Chunhe meant, so she simply said, "Let me think about it."

The two fell silent for a moment, with only a barely perceptible sound of wind and snow echoing in the room.

Meanwhile, Ru Xian was still leaning against the pine trunk, flipping through the book in his hand. What Lin Feiran and the other person were saying was indeed a bit confusing, but he just listened without interrupting or asking any questions.

He felt a pang of emotion, realizing that the Lin Feiran he saw was subtly different from the one she presented to others.

The difference is hard to articulate, but it is somewhat pleasing.

As the two remained silent, the rustling sounds on the snowfield grew closer and closer, and three or four dark figures rushed towards them, their outlines already visible in the darkness.

Only then did they realize that the figure at the front was not running, but rolling on the snow track, with several wolf shadows crouching low behind it. This was a nighttime hunt.

In the dim light, the person scrambled to their feet, revealing a young girl with a flustered expression. She carried a basket on her back, the herbs inside of which were scattered all over the ground. She grabbed a few at random and ran desperately toward the only source of fire.

He sighed softly. Lin Feiran's gentle breathing was right next to his ear. He really didn't want to disconnect, but these sounds would inevitably disturb her. After a moment's consideration, he stood up.

Beneath the snowy moon, a crescent moon streaked across the sky, carrying almost no killing intent, like an ordinary ray of moonlight gently falling. But when one looked up, their head had already been pierced by that radiance.

A snow wolf demon beast, half the height of a person, fell down. Like a hailstone, it retracted its bronze spear, raised a finger to the person, and placed it to its lips, signaling her to be quiet.

Then, with the hem of his robe fluttering slightly and his spear turning around, the other two pursuing horses were also cut off from their lives.

For Ru Xian, such a monster was nothing, but when he finished, he paused slightly. He seemed to see something out of the corner of his eye, so he squatted down to look.

Among the fur of this ordinary snow wolf demon beast, there was not only long down, but also countless ice shards, which grew out of the flesh like hair, and its eyes were also covered with cold mist.

Cold-related illness.

He immediately concluded.

Ru Xian had heard of this strange illness long ago, after all, he was famous for his medical skills, and there were also people in the demon realm suffering from this disease. Many people had come to the demon capital to seek medical treatment from him.

He had examined the patients several times and found that there was no decay in their bodies, but they always had cold air coming out for no reason, which could even condense into solid ice shards. Over time, these ice shards would gradually turn gray.

He didn't know what it was, but he was certain it wasn't an illness.

It's not an illness, and he can't cure it either.

I originally thought it would only appear on humans, but I never imagined that animals could get it too.

He pondered for a moment, then got up and left, intending to return to the tree. Seeing him leave, the girl immediately picked up her basket and followed. She didn't dare to speak, so she sat down far away by the flame stone.

Ru Xian seemed to just tidy up casually, and stopped looking at the travelogue, waiting for Lin Feiran to speak.

He knew she wouldn't think about it for long.

As expected, the breathing sound fluctuated slightly, and Lin Feiran spoke up the next moment, saying firmly, "No matter what he plans to do later, since he has given out the book, we cannot let this opportunity pass."

If he has any other tricks up his sleeve, contact me anytime.

It has to be said that Qiu Tong almost breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't really want Lin Feiran to take any responsibility, but knowing that someone was on her side gave her a lot more confidence.

Qiu Tong nodded: "Wait for me for two days. Whatever the result is, I will tell you. I guess you must want to know too."

"Okay." Lin Feiran did not deny it.

Just as Qiu Tong was about to break the incense pill, Lin Feiran suddenly stopped, looked at her seriously, and asked, "Qiu Tong, there's something I've never asked you before."

"What?" Seeing her like this, Qiu Tong couldn't help but be on high alert.

"I want to know the whole story of Wei Changzai regarding the sword bone, and also, 'her' fate."

When Lin Feiran mentioned "her," she was referring to herself.

It wasn't just because Ru Xian was listening, but also because she and the "Lin Feiran" in the original book were ultimately not the same person.

The book never mentions Lin Feiran's whereabouts, what happened to her after she went down the mountain, or where she went until the very end.

Qiu Tong didn't find it strange that Lin Feiran referred to herself as "she," after all, for Lin Feiran, this was another life.

She sat back down in the corner, rested her head on her knees, and looked at Lin Feiran through the smoke. She slowly recounted how she and Wei Chang had met "her" during their travels.

"...In the end, she perished under the Three Bridges."

She had gone through countless hardships to find this ancient path to the afterlife, hoping it would help repair her damaged body, but before she could even activate it...

Until her death, she believed that the sword bone was in Wei Changzai's body, but it wasn't; he never knew about it.

The sword bone has long since disappeared.

Lin Feiran pursed her lips, unsure of what to say. In the silence, she suddenly realized something was amiss.

"You mean, after experiencing this incident, Wei Changzai fell into a nightmare?"

Qiu Tong nodded slowly, only to say with a bitter smile, "I've been thinking that maybe he realized his true feelings at that moment, couldn't accept her death, and thus fell into a nightmare."

Lin Feiran shook his head, slowly closed his eyes, and felt a sense of absurdity welling up in his heart.

Her memories of the past were sealed, so she didn't feel anything was different when she was with Wei Changzai. She just felt that although he was a bit strange, he was still somewhat cute, and she even accepted his personality.

Later, by a twist of fate, I remembered the original book, and because of my fluctuating emotions, I found it difficult to focus my attention on anything else unusual.

But at this moment, after listening to Qiu Tong recount her past, she almost immediately realized the difference between the "Wei Changzai" Qiu Tong spoke of and the Wei Changzai she knew.

The character Qiu Tong was referring to was Wei Changzai, the male protagonist in the book who appeared cold on the outside but was actually kind-hearted.

The female protagonist is reborn, while the male protagonist's identity is unknown. With so many inconsistencies and misalignments, Lin Feiran suddenly feels that her own identity isn't so strange after all.

She exhaled, pondered for a long time, and offered another, more fitting possibility.

Perhaps he had actually seen the sword bone by chance and even used it, but he didn't know what it was, which is why his Dao heart collapsed when he suddenly heard about the sword bone.

Upon hearing this, Qiu Tong was suddenly stunned. She had never thought of this possibility before, but if this explanation was correct, everything made sense.

"he……"

Qiu Tong didn't say anything more, and the light in her eyes dimmed considerably. She twisted her sash, hurriedly gave Lin Feiran a forced smile, said goodbye, and then quickly extinguished the pill.

She sat in the corner, her gaze fixed on something, but unfocused.

The book she had been clutching for so long fell from her hands and scattered on the ground.

...

Lin Feiran's mind was not at peace either.

Although her experiences after descending the mountain differed in the original book, they were equally arduous, as she had once sought out the ancient path to rebirth.

And what about Wei Changzai?

She hadn't wanted to think about it before, but now she was shocked to realize that the man in the book and the man she knew were not exactly the same, but completely unrelated.

If this inhuman Wei Changzai were to become the male lead in a sweet romance novel, she simply couldn't imagine what it would turn out like.

"What are you thinking about?" someone suddenly asked.

Lost in thought, Lin Feiran casually replied, "Thinking of Consort Wei."

"..." Ru Xian pondered for a moment, "I see."

Lin Feiran immediately shook his head at the yin-yang symbol: "It's not that I was thinking about it! It's just that Qiu Tong suddenly mentioned it, and it reminded me of the past!"

Ru Xian chuckled softly, but the meaning behind it was unclear. Lin Feiran didn't dare to continue the conversation, so he changed the subject and asked, "Have you found the secret realm?"

"Never mind, it's no fun joking around if you're not here." He twirled his fingertips, and the yin-yang fish followed and circled. "We haven't found the secret realm yet. After all, it's getting late, not a good time to search."

As he spoke, his gaze slowly fell on the girl's basket, where she was still sorting through the herbs. He noticed one particular spot and suddenly changed his mind.

"No, maybe we'll find it soon."

He stood up and walked forward, half-squatting down to meet the girl's gaze. He picked up one of the herbs and, using his hearing, asked, "Where did you pick this?"

The girl paused, looked at him timidly, and only after realizing she could speak did she begin to say, "The snowy region near our village."

"Take me there." He stood up. "What kind of reward do you want?"

The girl shook her head: "You saved me just now and even let me stay here overnight, which is already a great favor. I don't need any reward."

"Let's keep things separate. I wasn't trying to save you just now. Let's think about the reward first. I'll pay you back once I find the source of this herb."

He put the herbs back and sat back down under the tree. This time, he put the yin-yang symbol away and communicated only through telepathy.

"Did you hear that?" he suddenly asked Lin Feiran.

Lin Feiran was feeling guilty at the moment, and was almost completely focused on listening to what was happening on his end. When he asked in his mind, he immediately answered.

"I heard you."

Ru Xue remained silent for a moment, but there was no further news. She couldn't help but sigh, "It seems that some people will only be jealous when they pass away."

Lin Feiran panicked and said, "I'm too busy trying to make you angry to think about anything else."

As she slightly opened her eyes, looking at the silent snowfield, she felt a light melancholy she had never felt before, like a gentle breeze blowing across the wilderness, empty and lonely.

They hadn't seen each other for several days.

"Make it up to me," he readily agreed.

Lin Feiran lay on the bed and asked, "How will you compensate me?"

It must be the language he mentioned before. Lin Feiran tried to learn the pronunciation and even said it several times to make it easier to say.

Ru Xian was finally satisfied.

Lin Feiran was always eager to learn and wanted to know a little about everything. After learning a couple of sentences, he asked curiously, "What does this mean?"

As if teasing the white fish in front of her, she circled around it and replied, "It means, I missed you."

Lin Feiran's ears suddenly turned red. She looked at the top of the tent, and neither of them spoke for a moment, but the snowfield was no longer cold and desolate.

...

The next day, Lin Feiran got up in high spirits and practiced swordsmanship for an hour in the morning.

Ru Niang stood in the courtyard for a long time, still looking somewhat incredulous. Xun Feifei walked to the side, put on the silver mask, and casually pressed her adoptive mother's open mouth back down.

"She's always been like this, isn't she different from that person?"

Ru Niang exclaimed, "They say dragons beget dragons and phoenixes beget phoenixes. I never dreamed her child would be so diligent. It must be incredibly lucky."

Xun Feifei chuckled softly, then turned and went to the kitchen to fetch a bamboo basket, asking, "Mother, what would you like to eat today?"

Ru Niang glanced at the sky: "With this weather, let's cook in a copper pot tonight, and make some stir-fries and stewed fish for lunch. Ask her what she wants to eat."

Xun Fei leaped onto the roof and knew that Lin Feiran had other things to do and might not stay for a meal, but he still asked anyway.

If it were someone else, Lin Feiran might feel a little embarrassed, but she and Xun Feifei were used to eating together: "It's fine, but we won't have lunch."

Xun Feifei was somewhat surprised, but nodded nonetheless and quickly left.

Granny Wang from the next courtyard also got up early. While Lin Feiran practiced her sword, she was carving a long wooden bench, but she would occasionally look up at her.

Unaware that she had arranged a time with Li Changfeng yesterday to infiltrate the secret sect under a different identity today, Lin Feiran put her sword into her storage bag, bid farewell to Ru Niang, and leaped away.

Beyond the dense forest, a crystal-white Taoist temple stands majestically on Mirror Lake, awaiting visitors.

Author's Note: Like a wisp of smoke: Mishu Mishu! (Just kidding!)

The correct pronunciation is: tepha mo lamia