Chapter 52: Rebirth (VI) After a long, long time, no one posted...

Originally, everyone thought that this unseasonal beauty was a work of nature, but now, it would not be surprising if it was supported by demonic power.

Fu Yiran suggested starting the investigation at the spot where the peach trees first withered. Jiang Ruzhen objected, "It happened in a split second, how can we tell when it happened first?"

Fu Yiran, unashamed by his suggestion's rejection, simply rubbed his head and chuckled, saying he'd been ill-considered. Lian Qiang suggested exploring the area for any remaining demonic energy; there should be some results.

After a long investigation and the evacuation of many ordinary people with no cultivation, everyone found nothing.

Finally, Chi Xingji summoned his spiritual energy, lightly enveloping the entire mountain. After a moment, he opened his eyes and headed in one direction: "This is where the demonic power is strongest."

Everyone cheered up and walked towards that place. After walking for a while, they only witnessed the last peach blossom falling into the mud.

Lian Qiang closed his eyes, raised his hand to feel it, and said solemnly: "...It has weakened."

They had always assumed that the demon hidden in the shadows, having gone to such great lengths to make the peach trees bloom, must have some ulterior motive. Perhaps to attract tourists to devour them, or perhaps something else entirely. But now it seemed the demon had only one goal: to make the peach blossoms bloom.

As they looked at each other, the withered peach blossoms seemed to be infused with vitality again, blooming desperately.

Lian Qiang simply spread out her five fingers to lend it a helping hand. In a flash, she turned to Chi Xingji and shouted, "It's not the most prosperous place!"

——And this must be the place where the demon's power is weakest! Since the demon is trying so hard to make the flower bloom, it must be exhausted!

Needless to say, Chi Xingji understood what she meant. He held a sword in his right hand and pointed it towards the ground. After a while, he said, "Found it!"

Everyone rushed forward, finally spotting a peach tree…stubbornly climbing out of a hidden cave. Lian Qiang hesitated to step in first, but was stopped by a figure who calmly stepped in. Chi Xingji beat her to the punch and entered first.

Leading the charge, he waved his sleeves, and the cave suddenly lit up with light. Suddenly, a faint voice came from the deep darkness: "...Who is it? Who is coming?"

The dying girl lying on a protruding boulder jumped into their sight.

She had a delicate face, with a peach-colored flower on her forehead—no, it was a tiny peach blossom. The dress she wore was even more vibrant and delicate.

"You're a demon!" Fu Yiran immediately drew his sword and protected Jiang Ruzhen behind him. Lian Qiang looked closely and saw that the tangled roots extended from under her skirt. The peach blossoms outside the cave were indeed her.

She tried to hold her upper body up to make herself look less disheveled. She hadn't seen bright light for a long time, and her eyes narrowed involuntarily as she focused on the four people. "Are you monks? Are you... coming here to kill me?"

Jiang Ruzhen pressed down Fu Yiran's sword-holding hand and said gently, "We are not here to kill you. We have no grudges against each other. Even if you are a demon, we have absolutely no reason to attack you."

"Then why are you doing this?" The girl was already exhausted. She finally leaned back on the boulder, looking up at them slightly. But despite this, she still did not forget to transfer her magic power to the peach tree outside the cave.

Lian Qiang stepped over Chi Xingji, crouched down, and felt her pulse. The girl didn't struggle, or perhaps she was already too weak to do anything. Lian Qiang channeled a surge of strength into her, saying, "If you insist on making the flower bloom again, you will die."

"...I know, I don't care." After regaining some strength, the girl stood up slightly. "Are the peach blossoms outside blooming well?"

Lian Qiang wanted to tell her the truth, but seeing the twinkle in her eyes, she paused and said, "It's blooming beautifully. That's why we came here."

"...That's good, that's good." The girl breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that.

Lian Qiang wanted to say something else, but someone patted her shoulder gently. She turned around and saw it was Chi Xingji.

"Move aside first," he said solemnly. Lian Qiang obeyed, and Chi Xingji took her place, resting his fingertips on the girl's wrist. After a moment, Chi Xingji stood up and, from an angle where the girl couldn't see, mouthed the words to the three of them: "Last Light Return."

The three of them were all stunned. A dying demon probably couldn't cause any big trouble. Besides, she didn't seem to have the intention or ability to harm anyone.

The girl in front of him had cultivated for no more than a hundred years. She had tried her best to make the peach trees on the mountain bloom for these days, but the end must be her failure. But Lian Qiang didn't understand.

Lian Qiang had already shown her kindness by transferring some of her cultivation to her. She could have left at that point, but the peach blossoms she saw today were so beautiful that she wanted to thank the girl, so she squatted down again and asked, "What's your name?"

The girl looked up at her and tried to force a kind smile: "...My name is Luo Wu."

"Wu" often refers to overgrown weeds. It's clearly a sign of strong vitality, yet she's about to perish before him. Lian Qiang sighed inwardly, then smiled and said, "My name is Lian Qiang. Our names are somewhat similar."

From behind, they could vaguely hear Fu Yiran trying to pull Jiang Ruzhen away first. He was worried about her, but she righteously rejected their suggestion. They kept their voices low, but everyone still heard them intermittently.

"Yeah..." Luo Wu smiled again, "Meeting today, maybe it's our destiny."

"Yes," Lian Qiang responded, and then said, "Luo Wu, do you have any wishes?"

"Wish, do I have any wish? Why... do you ask this?" Luo Wu was a little confused.

Lian Qiang pondered for a moment, then softened her voice and replied, "I see that you're determined to make the flowers bloom even if it costs you your life... your whole strength. You must have some unfulfilled wish."

Luo Wu seemed to be distracted for a while, and after a long while he said sullenly: "Yes, I do have an unfulfilled wish."

She lay back down to preserve her strength for the story she told: "I have been waiting for my benefactor, for his return."

This is an extremely common story in the storybook. The little demon who could not transform was saved by a passerby who happened to pass by. From then on, he remembered it in his heart and was deeply moved.

Luo Wu was just a small seedling at that time. It was windy and rainy. Her cultivation was not as good as her sisters. She almost thought she was going to drown. But a man passed by and saw her in such a miserable state, staggering in the rain, so he left an open oil-paper umbrella to protect her from the wind and rain.

From beginning to end, the man remained silent. But Luo Wu knew that he was a mortal with no cultivation, but he had a pair of very beautiful hands and a kind heart.

She cultivated with all her might and finally transformed into a human form. The other sisters felt that the spiritual energy in this place was too poor to support their cultivation, so when they reached adulthood, they left and settled elsewhere.

The sisters all said that Luo Wu was still young, but he transformed with them, so he would definitely have great achievements in the future. He should not be confined to this world, but go out and explore the world.

Luo Wu hesitated, but she gazed at the plants and trees around her. They were all familiar to her. She had spoken to them and lived with them for a long time.

Then stay, she said to herself, because this is her home and where she met her benefactor.

Day after day, year after year. Luo Wu had the strength to repay the place that had nurtured her, but she sensed that the spiritual energy of this land was about to dry up, meaning that everything here would fall into a deep slumber. Perhaps they would awaken tomorrow, or perhaps even after thousands of years, they would never wake up.

Luo Wu, on the other hand, had already acquired sufficient cultivation to protect herself. The plants and trees here, like sisters, once again urged her to leave, but she smiled and refused. She was single-mindedly determined to revive this land.

If the decline of this place is destined, then her actions are against fate.

Luo Wu was aware that her end was nearing, and that leaving this place might offer a new opportunity. But she didn't. Every blooming peach tree here was made of her flesh and blood, and a manifestation of her sincerity.

At the end of her life, Luo Wu was not without regrets. She longed to see her benefactor again, but unfortunately, she didn't know what he looked like, or even whether he was a man or a woman. But she didn't want to give up. So, out of her last bit of selfishness, she created this peach blossom that bloomed against the season.

"...This was when I first met my benefactor. I was wondering if he could hear others say that there was a beautiful peach blossom blooming here..." Luo Wu narrowed his eyes, as if reminiscing, and even spoke softly, not wanting to disturb anything.

"I wanted to hold on longer, longer...but I can't do it..." She looked frustrated and touched the little flower on her forehead. As if it had anticipated its owner's imminent death, it also withered.

It takes a monster several decades to transform, and even a hundred years. If Luo Wu's benefactor were just a mortal, I'm afraid...

But she only had this tiny wish. Lian Qiang was moved and gently placed her hand against hers, half-asking whether to hold it or not: "I'll help you."

She couldn't save Luo Wu's life, but she could make her flowering period longer and longer.

At the same time, a person squatted down on the other side of Luo Wu. It was Jiang Ruzhen.

"I also want to do my best for you." Although her voice was soft, her eyes were firm, and she interlocked her fingers with Luo Wu.

The completely different power belonging to demons and humans slowly flowed into the monster's body.

The flower on her forehead glowed once more, the tree roots entwined on the ground transformed into legs, and the rosy glow returned to Luo Wu's face. She tried to stand up with the help of the two and succeeded.

"I, I want to go back to where I saw my benefactor and wait a while..." She was a little shy, and her words were choked with excitement. The two nodded in understanding.

The three girls were in front, Chi Xingji and Fu Yiran were behind. It was already night, and Luo Wu led them to a secluded spot. He introduced them, "This is where my benefactor saved me. Even in such a remote place, he still noticed me. Isn't this a kind of fate?"

Lian Qiang smiled knowingly: "You are right."

Luo Wu chattered on and on to the two of them, and they patiently answered her one by one. This night was extremely long.

It wasn't until the dawn was about to appear in the east that Luo Wu slowly exhaled, rested his head on Lian Qiang's shoulder, and said in a somewhat depressed tone: "...I'm a little tired and sleepy. I can't see the road ahead anymore."

She wasn't sleepy at all, she was clearly... Lian Qiang wanted to say something to change the subject, but Jiang Ruzhen said firmly, "Hold on a little longer, don't fall asleep yet. I think I see someone coming."

"Really?" Luo Wu forced herself to open her eyes, but she couldn't even do such a simple thing. She could only rely on their eyes and words, "Who is coming?"

"I couldn't see clearly. He was holding an umbrella, covering his face. I could only see one hand. Yeah, it was the white umbrella. Was the umbrella your benefactor used to cover you white?"

"Yes, yes!" Luo Wu was happy and moved his head slightly away from Lian Qiang's shoulder, but he couldn't lift his eyelids no matter how hard he tried. "...My flowers, are they still beautiful?"

"Beautiful," Lian Qiang said this time in a deep voice. The surroundings were covered with withered branches and yellow leaves, but she didn't point it out. "It's even more beautiful than the one I saw yesterday."

"Really... then..." Lian Qiang felt something hit her shoulder hard, her breathing stagnated, and something warm and cool slid across her face.

After a long, long time, no one made a sound, and... no one came.

Only the grass and trees around were swaying gently, as if mourning someone's departure.

A gust of wind blew by, and only a thin peach branch was left between Lian Qiang and Jiang Ruzhen.

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The author has something to say: Finished it before the deadline, woo woo woo, I'll revise it tomorrow~