Xie Lian collected the beads and looked down. Several priests emerged from the simple, shed-like hall and asked, "What happened to General Nanyang?"

All I heard was Feng Xin saying, "Look what I caught!"

He rushed out of the forest and rushed up, holding a man in black in his hand. The priests were shocked: "Lingwen!"

The object Feng Xin held in his hand was none other than Lingwen. He said to Xie Lian, "As you expected, Lingwen has indeed gone to fetch the Jinyixian!"

After removing the cursed shackles, Xie Lian's magical power surged to a point where he could rival Jun Wu, leaving the Jinyixian no longer able to harm him. Lingwen, beaten into a tumbler by Huacheng, was lost in the battle. Over time, her spells automatically dissolved, and she disappeared. But Xie Lian, realizing she would likely come to take the Jinyixian, took off her clothes and asked the ghost market to spread the word. Sure enough, Lingwen took the bait.

Lingwen, a fugitive, remained unfazed despite being apprehended and taken to the temporary meeting hall. Pei Ming immediately grasped her shoulder, forcing her to sit down at the table. He said in a deep voice, "I've finally found you! Lingwen, you'll pay the price!"

“…”

A dozen priests also gathered around, their eyes like wolves and tigers, their expressions hungry and thirsty, almost ferocious. Ling Wen then felt a little uneasy: "...What do you want to do?"

With a loud thud, a stack of documents nearly as tall as a person was dropped in front of her, shaking the table and chairs. Pei Ming slapped the files with his palm and said, "Take care of these."

“…”

Lingwen seemed to be relieved, but he felt that he couldn't put it into words. Unexpectedly, before he could completely relax, he heard "bang bang bang bang bang bang!"

After seventeen or eighteen loud bangs, seventeen or eighteen stacks of documents taller than a person were thrown towards her, surrounding her tightly.

Seventeen or eighteen priests spoke at once from the gaps between the files, saying to her, "We've been waiting for you for days! Come and help settle the accounts!" "Deal with these too." "Remember to fill in the missing parts." "You'd better finish our stack within an hour!"...

Lingwen: “…”

After a day and a night, Lingwen was finally released from the temporary meeting hall.

After a day and a night of hard work, the previously chaotic files had been processed and neatly sorted. The priests happily led their respective halls to review them, while Lingwen's face had turned pale, and the dark circles under his eyes that had disappeared for a while had reappeared.

After everyone finished their search, they were overjoyed. Pei Ming said, "Jie Qing is indeed more efficient! Now we can match them!"

"I understand! Thank you so much, Master Lingwen!"

Ling Wen, a prisoner, said in a chuckle, "I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it."

Seeing this, the priests who hadn't handed over the files yesterday and whose hall was still in a mess today could no longer sit still. They gathered around and said, "Well, actually, I have a few files here that I forgot to bring yesterday. You can take a look. Or maybe..."

Lingwen: “…”

Xie Lian squatted outside the temporary meeting hall, eating a steamed bun. After finishing, he clapped his hands, finally saving Lingwen from his misery. "Everyone, let's settle this later. Let Lingwen catch his breath first."

In the past, no one would have taken his words seriously, but now it was different. Several people said, "Your Highness is right." No one dared to say anything more. Lingwen sat in a chair, eyes closed, forehead in her hand. After the other priests had left and the meeting hall was deserted, she said to Xie Lian, "Congratulations, Your Highness, on your restoration of your Dharma body. It's a truly brilliant plan! I never imagined that even ghosts would become your followers, ready to obey your orders."

Xie Lian said, “Those aren’t my followers. They’re my friends from the Ghost Market. I just asked for their help.”

Lingwen nodded, his expression understanding. A moment later, Xie Lian said, "Lingwen, I have a question for you."

Ling Wen said, "Your Highness, please ask."

Xie Lian said, “Sanlang, I mean City Lord Hua. He wore your Jinyixian, but it didn’t work on him. Do you know why?”

Ling Wen said, "So that's the problem. I thought Your Highness the Crown Prince already knew it?"

Xie Lian was stunned for a moment, then asked, “Would you like to hear the details?”

Ling Wen raised his clothes and sat upright, saying, "Your Highness, have you heard the legend of the Jinyi Fairy?"

Xie Lian said, “I’ve heard of it. You did it yourself.”

Ling Wen said, "You can say that. Although I never thought that the resentment condensed in this clothing would turn it into such a monster, it is true that I killed Bai Jin in order to accelerate the destruction of Xuli Kingdom."

Xie Lian listened intently. Ling Wen continued, "This dress has passed through countless hands in the human world. Countless people have used it to kill, harm, and deceive others. While this could possibly alleviate its resentment, Bai Jin is not one for that."

"He doesn't like being used by these people; he really hates it. So, when he encounters a similar wearer or a specific giver, he doesn't feel resentful, but happy instead."

Xie Lian asked, "What's the difference between approximate and specific?"

Ling Wen said, "You dressed Xueyu Tanhua in the Jinyixian costume, but you didn't harbor the slightest resentment or intention to harm him. You trusted him wholeheartedly. And Xueyu Tanhua treated you the same way. No, I should say even more so. What really resonated with Xueyu Tanhua was that even if he wasn't wearing the Jinyixian costume, he would do anything you asked him to do for you without hesitation. Including dying for you."

“…”

Ling Wen said, "This is also why I was able to guess that the young man beside you was the reincarnation of Blood Rain Scholar. Although I don't know much about your affairs, I can't think of another person who would do this."

Xie Lian asked, “Why?”

Lingwen raised his finger and asked, "Your Highness, what is that hanging around your neck?"

Xie Lian was startled, his hand involuntarily reaching up to touch it.

Ling Wen said: "I have seen something similar before. It was the ashes of those desperate ghosts who gave to their lovers."

The Lingwen Palace had handled countless files, so it wasn't surprising that they had seen this before. But in reality, Xie Lian had guessed it.

But after hearing Lingwen's words, he still held the crystal clear ring tightly.

Ling Wen said, "This is something very rare and unique, but because it is so beautiful and usually very tragic, it leaves a deep impression."

Xie Lian asked, “What do you mean by usually tragic?”

Lingwen said: "If you let love cloud your mind and put things that are related to your life in the hands of others, many tragic and terrible things will happen.

"Sincerity and such are always abused. These tokens made from cremated ashes have either been stolen by others or broken by their owners. Basically, they don't have a good ending. However, Your Highness, you are an exception. You have preserved it very well, and it is almost leak-proof."

After a long silence, Xie Lian said, "You said 'similar' and 'resonating'. So, is General Bai Jin also such a person?"

Lingwen smiled slightly and said, "Otherwise, how could you be deceived by me?"

Xie Lian said, “It’s not really a lie. You wouldn’t have guessed I was the one who leaked the information on purpose, yet you still came to get it.”

Ling Wen said: "It's a weapon for self-defense."

Xie Lian said, “If it was just a weapon for self-defense, you wouldn’t have taken such a huge risk to steal it, and after failing, you wouldn’t have taken it to Tonglu Mountain.”

Ling Wen said indifferently, "What else can we do if we don't go to Tonglu Mountain? Because we've already been exposed. Your Highness, the Crown Prince has caught us red-handed."

Xie Lian said, “Actually, if you want to find an excuse to cover it up, it does make sense. With some scheming, even if you’re demoted and have your merits cut, you won’t become a fugitive. The main thing is… you want to help General Bai Jin achieve his goal, so he can come to his senses.”

Lingwen smiled and said, "Your Highness, please don't make it sound like I'd do anything for it. After all, I'm a heartless person, so why would I do such a thing?"

"is that so?"

"Is that so?"

·

Xie Lian cleaned up the ruins of the Imperial Temple's Prince Peak and built a simple hut as a temporary shelter. It was a remote place, so when he needed help, he would go to the temporary meeting hall. When he had nothing else to do, he would stay there quietly.

Seven or eight days later, Mu Qing finally mended Ruo Xie and brought her over. As Xie Lian opened the door, he saw something white rushing towards him. It blinded him, turning his vision into a blur. He reached out and ripped it off, but Ruo Xie began twisting the silk ribbon around again, as if to show him her beautiful new body. Xie Lian said, "Don't twist it around after you've just mended it. Be careful not to break it again."

Mu Qing was dissatisfied when she heard this: "How is this possible? Which piece of clothing I mended for you is torn again?"

Xie Lian said, “That’s true.”

He grabbed Ruo Xie, who had twisted into a seaweed, and examined her carefully. The mending was indeed very good, with almost no visible marks. He praised, "Your craftsmanship is still as good as ever."

Mu Qing said, "I wouldn't be happy if you praised me for something like this. This is just one time, and I won't do it again."

Xie Lian thought to himself, “You’re clearly quite pleased with yourself…”

Mu Qing muttered a few words and said, "Okay, I'm done. I'm leaving. I'm busy ordering things and people from Xuanzhen Palace."

Xie Lian said, “Are you leaving too? Okay, I’ll go over and help you later. Let me know when you leave, and I’ll see you off.”

After capturing the spiritual texts, checking for gaps, and clearing up several major messes, the priests decided to begin rebuilding the Immortal Capital. This meant that the temporary meeting hall on Mount Taicang could be left idle. Mu Qing waved his hand, neither refusing nor agreeing. He took a few steps, then paused and turned back, asking, "You...are you still going to stay on Mount Taicang?"

Xie Lian nodded and said, "Yes."

After hesitating for a moment, Mu Qing said, "Otherwise, you should come with us."

Xie Lian smiled and said, “No, I need to wait for someone.”

Mu Qing said, "You can also wait in the Upper Heaven Court in New Xianjing."

Xie Lian shook his head and said, “I think he might come here first when he returns, so we can see him first. If he doesn’t come back here, he might go back to Qiandeng Temple in the Ghost Market. It’s not far from the Ghost Market, so it’s more convenient than New Xianjing.”

“…”

Mu Qing seemed to have been holding back for a long time, and asked with a complicated expression: "Do you really believe that he will come back?"

Xie Lian said as a matter of course, “I believe it.”

·

People came and went like the tide, and Taicang Mountain returned to its desolate and lonely state.

On Mount Taicang, vast expanses of maple forests once ravaged by fire, only to be reborn thousands of years later. They were no longer the same trees where Xie Lian had practiced leaping through them thousands of years ago, but the scenery remained the same.

Xie Lian often wandered alone in the maple forest. The fiery red maples covering the mountains made him feel as if he were in a huge, warm embrace.

He had lived alone for over eight hundred years and was used to it. He would go down the mountain to answer prayers and collect scraps when he had something to do, and plant vegetables and cook when he had nothing to do.

But, strangely enough, living alone like this, which he had been accustomed to before, now became somewhat difficult, and it took Xie Lian a long time to get used to it again.

If a person eats bitter food all the time, he will get used to the bitter taste. But one day, someone gives him a bite of sweet food, and he remembers what sweet tastes like. Then he will frown when he tries to eat bitter food again.

In the past, when Xie Lian was living a lonely life, he always secretly hoped that someone would come to him. Whether it was to talk to him or ask for his help, at least he would have some popularity. But now, he didn't like it so much.

Because, when he heard a knock on the door, he would always feel a sudden surge of joy and anticipation. But when he ran to the door and opened it, the person inside or outside was never the one he was waiting for.

Sometimes it was Feng Xin, sometimes it was Mu Qing, sometimes it was Shi Qingxuan, and sometimes it was the ghosts from the ghost market who came to "pay their respects to him."

Everyone was fine. But, it wasn't the person he was waiting for.

·

In the first month, Xie Lian brought back a few flowering trees and planted them at the entrance, hoping to beautify the environment and hide the shabby appearance of the dilapidated house. He figured that perhaps they would be in bloom by the time Hua Cheng returned.

·

The next month, Xie Lian tore down the house and rebuilt it, and also pulled out all the weeds from the entire mountain. Otherwise, Hua Cheng would have sent someone to help him clean up the mess when he returned.

·

In the third month, the tree blossomed. The leaves were covered in crimson. Xie Lian stood beneath the tree, looking up, admiring the flowers alone. He thought to himself, “Now that they’re in bloom, it’s about time I come back.”

·

In the fourth month, all the mountain paths were rebuilt, so that when Hua Cheng came back to find him, he could get up the mountain faster.

·

In the fifth month, Feng Xin and Mu Qing came to see him again and asked if he wanted to leave here and go for a walk. Xie Lian treated them to a meal, and they ran away.

·

In the sixth month, the flowering period is over.

…

Xie Lian waited and waited. He didn't get anxious, didn't break down, and didn't burst into tears. Instead, he felt himself becoming calmer and more patient.

Think about it, who hasn’t experienced long years of being alone?

Huacheng has been waiting for him for more than eight hundred years. So what if he waits for Huacheng for another eight hundred years?

Even if it takes a thousand or ten thousand years, he will keep waiting.

Besides, it’s only been a year?

·

On this day, Xie Lian collected a large pile of junk as usual, filled the ox and cart he had just bought with his savings, and pulled them up the mountain.

Walking through the maple forest at night and on the path halfway up the mountain, Xie Lian inadvertently turned his head and saw a few points of light floating in the quiet night sky.

He looked intently and found that it was an eternal lantern. Suddenly he understood and said to himself, "So today is the Lantern Festival."

At this moment, the various priests in the Heavenly Palace were probably competing in lantern competitions at the Lantern Festival. Xie Lian couldn't help but pull on the rope, staying where he was, staring blankly at the bright lanterns.

He suddenly remembered that he and Huacheng met during the Lantern Festival.

That year, children with dirty and scarred faces crowded on the crowded city wall, looking down. The seventeen-year-old Xianle Prince Xie Lian was glowing all over. When he looked up, he saw a figure falling from the sky. Without thinking, he jumped.

Lantern Festival, Shenwu Street. A glimpse, a lifetime of captivation.

Xie Lian smiled and thought to himself, in the end, it wasn’t just one person who fell.

·

Turning around and lowering his head, Xie Lian prepared to continue walking up the mountain. The cart was pulled and creaked for a while, and suddenly, the front seemed to be illuminated by something in the distance.

Xie Lian raised his head again, his eyes wide open.

That light is the lamp.

Like millions of fish swimming across rivers and seas, countless bright lights slowly rose from the top of the mountain.

They shimmered and sparkled in the darkness, like floating souls, the most magnificent dreams, illuminating his path.

Xie Lian had seen this scene before, and seeing it again made his breath and heart stop. The road turned, the wheels curved, and Xie Lian saw the small, shabby house he had built.

Someone!

In front of the crooked little house stood a man in red, with a tall and slender figure and a silver scimitar hanging from his waist. He had his back to this side and was holding up the last eternal lamp in his hand, sending it flying into the sky.

Xie Lian sat frozen in thought, wondering if he was still dreaming, or if this was an illusion. But as the wheels turned, drawing closer, the man turned, and he could see more clearly.

In front of the three thousand bright lights that rose as the night progressed, that person turned around and looked at him. His clothes were redder than maple leaves, his skin was white as snow, and between his handsome and unapproachable eyebrows, there was still a wild and passionate spirit that was unquenchable and even proud.

Although he was wearing a black eye mask, his eyes, bright as stars, were fixed on Xie Lian.

Xie Lian rolled down.

Without a word, both of them walked towards each other.

Step by step, faster and faster, and then, he started running.

The man ran forward, tears falling behind him, remaining where he was. Xie Lian thought to himself, he believed it.

·

If you believe in this person, you will die for him again and again, and live for him again and again. Even if you fall into hell, you will break through it for your "belief in him".

The last time they ran towards each other, it took eight hundred years.

This time, we will embrace each other in the next moment.