Chapter 28 The Heart Forged from Sinking Silver (Part 3) The pain of breaking the curse is like emerging from a cocoon...

"Fool, what kind of person uses such sinister techniques? You dare to bite without even opening your mouth?" Ru Xian glanced sideways, a half-smile on her face, and tossed out a silk handkerchief. "Wipe yourself, what are you whining about?"

The blue-eyed fox whimpered twice and wiped its mouth on the brocade handkerchief.

Wei Changzai took half a step forward, blocking Lin Feiran's path, and drew his sword, its blade gleaming: "And who are you, sir?"

The other party did not answer, but simply walked past the fox and strolled towards this place at a leisurely pace.

"The method of tracing souls, combined with the efforts of both sides, uses the sinking silver thunder and water as a crossing point and the bright mirror as a bridge to lure people into the formation. Young man, water is a benevolent substance, yet it is used in such a sinister method. Be careful of the backlash."

Back then, when Wei Chang was planting love beans, he took three drops of his heart's blood from each of them. He extracted one of the drops to make this Soul-Chasing Array. The array was infused with his and Lin Feiran's blood, so only their faces could be seen. Uninvited guests like Ru Xian, who forced their way in, could only see a blurry white figure. Even their voices seemed to be muffled by a veil, making them unclear and difficult to distinguish as male or female.

As for the fox, it had no blood or flesh and could not be considered a living being, so its appearance was very clear.

After wiping its mouth, it fawned over Ruxian's feet. There was no other reason than that Ruxian had too many ornaments on her body, which smelled extremely good. It couldn't help but sniff and lick them until it was swept away by the wind above its head and then it became obedient.

As if the hail had stopped, he stood three feet away from the two of them. He glanced at Lin Feiran and couldn't help but sigh, "Truly divine flesh. This is the fourth time so far. Four times someone has tried to kill you."

As if knowing that the two could not hear him, he deliberately spoke slowly and forcefully.

Lin Feiran: "..."

She felt that both of them spoke rudely, each with their own way of choking.

Upon hearing this, Wei Changzai turned to look at her, his brows furrowed slightly, seemingly lost in thought. After a moment, he said to the white-clad figure, "Regardless of your purpose in coming here, please leave."

He always talked about politeness, but Lin Feiran knew in his heart that Wei Changzai's etiquette was just a necessary prelude, like blowing on noodles symbolically before eating them. After blowing on them, he would eat them regardless of whether they were hot or cold.

As expected, seeing that he was about to draw his sword, Lin Feiran immediately stepped forward and pressed his hand down, and with a clang, the sword was sheathed.

His dark eyes looked back, revealing not only confusion but also an indescribable emotion.

Lin Feiran looked straight at him: "Wei Changzai, it's you who should leave."

Wei Changzai looked at her, slowly straightened up, his dark eyes unblinking, and said, "We are kindred spirits..."

Lin Feiran didn't speak, but a clear gasp came from the side.

"I've heard enough."

Ru Xian was extremely impatient. The place was dark and windless, and extremely damp, which he already disliked. Moreover, he had never been interested in such talk, and listening to it only gave him a headache.

Before the two could react, Ru Xian raised her hand, gathered spiritual power, and the water rope binding Lin Feiran instantly froze and rose upwards, shattering like broken jade.

Almost instantly, Wei Changzai drew his sword again, with lightning speed.

In some ways, he and Lin Feiran are indeed very similar; no matter what level the other is at, they both dare to take a gamble.

The long row of ever-burning lamps suddenly burst into flames, the firelight splashing into the thunderous water. In an instant, a rune flowed out, and streaks of lightning mixed with wind and thunder entered Wei Changzai's feet. Water arrows suddenly rose up, following him and attacking together with his sword.

A gust of wind and thunder swept by, whipping his robes and hair like hailstones, but he did not dodge. Instead, he raised his hand and calmly commented, "You do have the capital to be arrogant and reckless, but compared to the one you want to capture, your talent is still lacking."

Her snow-white hair fluttered and her robes billowed. Her emerald eyes shone brightly in the darkness. With a flick of her wrist, immense spiritual power poured down like a celestial river.

In an instant, the gloomy, dark silver water rose from beneath his feet and receded as if dried by the wind. The ever-burning lamp went out abruptly, leaving only a single lamp. The air was no longer damp, only a faint, secret fragrance remained.

This attack was not aimed at Wei Changzai, but because it drained the magic array that Wei Changzai had created with his lifeblood, it seriously injured him.

Ru Xian glanced at him and looked at the collapsing magic array: "Since you have talent, don't waste it on such evil arts. Only in this way can you achieve the Great Dao."

After speaking, he was unwilling to stay there any longer and immediately turned to leave. The green-eyed fox turned its head and howled twice at Lin Feiran, signaling her to follow. Then it trotted over to Ru Xian's side, held its head high, and left smugly.

Wei Changzai lay prone on the ground, his expression not much changed, as if he wasn't the one who was injured and vomiting blood. Only when he heard the departing footsteps did he subconsciously look up and happen to meet Lin Feiran's eyes.

She stopped and watched him from a distance, with only a dim, ever-burning lamp illuminating the surroundings, barely outlining her figure.

Strangely, he wasn't thinking about the person's identity or his inability to take her away; instead, he was wondering if she would leave him, who was seriously injured, behind.

Lin Feiran stood not far away, her waist cinched and her sleeves narrow, her long hair half-tied up, the remaining wisps of wind ruffling the hem of her robe. It was a style completely different from that of the human world, and it made her look very tall and straight.

Compared to Sanqingshan, she now feels much more open and expansive.

He looked at her quietly, silently counting in his mind, ten, twenty... His eyes flickered slightly.

Lin Feiran strode over and half-squatted in front of him, but only took out a string of red rope from his mustard seed bag, with a jade bead on the rope: "Do you remember? These are the mayfly butterflies we caught before. Mine has already been released, and I forgot that yours is still here with me."

In Wei Changzai's silent gaze, the jade bead shattered, and a translucent mayfly butterfly fluttered out. He twitched his fingertips slightly, but found it difficult to get up.

“Wei Changzai, I have already descended the mountain and am no longer a disciple of Daohe Palace. I will not go back. I want to find my Dao, and it is definitely not on the mountain.”

She got up to leave, but he grabbed the hem of her robe. His voice was hoarse as he asked, "What kind of path do you follow?"

Lin Feiran watched the magic array gradually dissipate. Outside the array, two inverted hues of sky appeared, a brilliant blend of twilight and the vast expanse of sunshine. Lost in thought, she turned and walked towards the sunset.

"It's definitely a different path from yours."

The magic array dissipated, the darkness faded, and her figure finally disappeared, revealing the boundless snow and wind of Mount Sanqing all around.

The wind and snow poured in through the window, and the person outside finally entered. But upon seeing his injuries, they paused, then exclaimed, "Wei Changzai, are you alright?!"

Qiu Tong ran towards him, as if she were seeing Wei Changzai lying dead in her previous life again, her eyes filled with heartache: "How did you get hurt like this..."

She half-squatted down, about to reach out and help him up, when she suddenly met his eyes, like black jade washed clean, silent and cold, a gaze she had never seen in Wei Changzai's eyes before.

It wasn't that I was deliberately cold to her; it was simply that looking at her evoked a sense of desolation, and I couldn't ignite even the slightest spark of passion.

"It's just a backlash from the formation, nothing serious," he explained, wiping the blood from the corner of his lips.

Qiu Tong's hand paused for a moment. In that instant, Wei Changzai had already stood up. His Taoist robe was soaked through, and his bare feet were covered with frost, but he seemed oblivious. He simply asked, "What is it?"

Qiu Tong's gaze swept quickly across the eerie bronze mirrors. Suppressing her shock, she explained, "I was looking for you earlier, but you weren't in the main house. I also heard noises coming from the side room, so I came here."

I wanted to ask if we could go together during the Flower Festival...

“Okay.” He answered without hesitation, turned around and walked to the cabinet, taking out a set of robes.

"I wonder how the Flying Flower Gathering will be organized this time. If there are any difficulties, could you please lend me a hand, Senior Brother?" Qiu Tong looked somewhat embarrassed and cautious, as she was actually unsure of Wei Changzai's attitude.

"Okay." He answered quickly, unusually quickly, as if without thinking.

Qiu Tong sensed something was amiss, but his expression remained unchanged. He simply held his robes and looked at her, saying, "I need to change my clothes."

Qiu Tong was taken aback, then immediately realized: "Then your injury..."

"Thank you for your concern, junior sister. It's just a minor injury, I'll take care of it."

Qiu Tong looked at him for a few moments, lowered her eyes, whispered "Take care of yourself" and left, but the door was not closed properly, leaving a three-finger-width gap.

Wei Changzai only glanced at it briefly. He had no sense of shame and never cared about such things. Even though the door was not closed properly and there was still a gap, he took off his clothes and changed his robe without caring.

After changing, he stopped all movement.

He did want Qiu Tong to leave, but not because of changing clothes. He hadn't even heard what Qiu Tong had said; those few words were just repeating in his mind.

"It's you who should leave."

"It's definitely a different path from yours."

Furthermore, as the person who said earlier, whose gender was unclear, had mentioned, three people had attempted to kill her before him.

After an unknown amount of time, he finally made a move. He turned his stiff eyes to look in the mirror, where the wounds he had deliberately ignored were once again soaking his robes, indicating that she had not held back. He looked for a long time before taking the pill, turning back to sit in meditation, and closing his eyes to regulate his breathing.

He was indeed seriously injured in this battle.

His spiritual energy flowed gently through his eight extraordinary meridians. He opened his eyes and looked at the bronze mirror hanging down.

These twenty-four bronze mirrors are treasures he collected over many years. They have an elegant name, and people at the time called them the Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moon. They can reflect the past and show the present, and can be used as bridges, but they cannot see into the future.

His cultivation level was insufficient; if he were to manifest in the present, he would only have a few breaths to do so. Therefore, he often used it to illuminate the past.

Based on his own past.

With a bang, the door slammed shut, plunging the room into darkness. The bronze mirrors lit up, each reflecting his memories. In each mirror, a figure was etched, standing before him, sword in one hand, unmoved by his presence.

Like a stone in the wind, or a boat on the water, it cannot be destroyed by the wind or sunk by the water.

He was always on the rock, in the boat; in her eyes, it was always like this, it was always meant to be like this.

After a long period of calming his breathing, the palpitations in his heart still did not subside. All he could think about was her gaze towards the vast world, and all he could hear was a phrase that spoke of different paths.

He straightened up and used a handkerchief to wipe away the grime. Even though the blockage had been cleared, his mind was still in turmoil and he couldn't calm down for a long time.

Recalling the covenant he made with his master and the past with Lin Feiran, he opened his eyes again, his dark eyes fixed on the silent room. Then he pointed and summoned a paper crane.

"Respectfully yours, Master, I wish to enter into seclusion for three months for quiet contemplation. I will emerge from seclusion at the Flying Flower Gathering. Respectfully yours."

The paper crane vanished into the wind and snow. He slowly closed his eyes, and the room fell silent, with only his reflection in the mirror remaining constant.

*

As the endless twilight descended, the setting sun shone like gold. Ruoshan, dressed in a jade-colored robe, sat cross-legged on the roof. Under the direct sunlight, his silver ornaments became even more dazzling, and his slightly furrowed brows were clearly visible.

Beside him, the blue-eyed white fox was running around, mistaking the golden, glossy sycamore leaves for real gold, biting one and spitting it out, seemingly enjoying it immensely.

Upon hearing the footsteps of the approaching person, it immediately turned its head and barked excitedly at Lin Feiran twice.

Lin Feiran pursed her lips, walked to Ru Xian's side, looked at his slightly furrowed brows, and said, "I'm sorry to have dragged you into this again."

Ru Xian didn't open his eyes. Bathed in sunlight, he asked in a cool voice, "Your arms are very long?"

"What?" Lin Feiran responded in confusion.

Ru Xian then lifted her eyelids to look at her, the red marks on her eyes forming a line, like the crimson sunset: "All you ever say is 'sorry,' how can you carry so many if your arms aren't long enough?"

Unexpectedly, he answered like that, and Lin Feiran almost laughed, but she didn't want to make it too obvious. She just pursed her lips and sat down next to him.

The blue-eyed white fox nestled in her arms, pawing at the fallen leaves in the wind. It shook it a few times but couldn't touch them; the leaves continued to drift in the wind. Just as it let out two soft whimpers, she caught the glossy sycamore leaf between her fingers.

Its two fingers are long and strong, with a few rough calluses at the base. With a deft flip, the leaf is placed on its nose.

Even if it doesn't feel itchy, it will still pretend to twitch its ears and look up.

The girl lowered her eyes, her wispy hair outlined in the golden light, her clear black and white eyes, unlike the sharpness of her hands, instead revealing a sense of calm and vastness.

It immediately nestled in her arms a few times, clearly liking it very much.

"Don't overthink it. This displeasure has nothing to do with you. It's just that I love the bright sunshine and dislike the damp and cold magic array from before." Ru Xian finally got enough sunlight and her expression softened.

He looked at Lin Feiran, casually raised his hand, and a silver cup with a jade rabbit pounding medicine appeared between his fingers, its design quite adorable.

Lin Feiran reached out and took it. The cup looked small, but it felt as heavy as a hammer in his hand.

“It’s perfectly normal for someone to harbor resentment and then hunt you down. You don’t need to apologize to anyone for it.” He turned to look at Lin Feiran, his emerald eyes reflecting a gleam in the sunlight. “This doesn’t mean you did anything wrong. On the contrary, it’s an honor, an honor that belongs only to the strong.”

"If one person kills him, he is a fish on a chopping board; if ten people kill him, he is a defeated soldier; if a hundred people kill him, he is a local scourge; but if a thousand people kill him, he is a warlord in a chaotic world; if ten thousand people kill him, then he is right and wrong himself."

Sometimes, killing is actually a form of praise.

Lin Feiran looked up to meet his gaze and said bluntly, "They killed you because they were afraid of you, jealous of you, and hated you. Therefore, you don't need to apologize to anyone for your uniqueness and strength, and I won't accept it either."

These words weren't even meant to be comforting; he was merely explaining the unspoken meaning of "not accepting an apology" with his own philosophy—a path of self-sacrifice and unparalleled destruction. Lin Feiran might not agree with it, but at this moment, it did offer her a unique kind of solace.

As dusk fell, she felt a long-lost sense of sitting and discussing philosophy.

She gazed at the silver liquid in her hand and asked, "Lord, how did you find the path to breakthrough back then?"

As the sun sets, a sliver of crimson remains on the horizon, like a dying ember.

He did not answer until night fell, then he stood up and said, "I forgot. Like you, I have a bad memory. However, for you, the first step in seeking the Dao is at least to treat your spiritual veins."

“Night has fallen, we can begin the exorcism.” He lowered his eyes and said, “The pain of exorcism is like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, long and painful. Can you endure it?”

Lin Feiran stood up, his gaze clear and bright: "Okay."

Author's Note: The weather is getting cold and Wei Po is broken.

Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-07-21 22:23:08 and 2024-07-23 01:22:17!

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