Soul Gathering (II)

However, when Xuan Tongzi raised his eyes and glanced at the lifeless dead tree, a faint, mixed emotion flashed across his eyes.

He shook his head and sighed into the wind:

"I just learned about Huaiguang and Chunfei's affairs... Alas, it was indeed my negligence. If I had noticed something unusual earlier, perhaps... it wouldn't have come to this..."

Xuan Tongzi stared at the withered peach tree, and the regret in his tone was so heavy that it almost bent the air around him.

Seeing that he seemed to be unaware of Qingshan's recent situation, Sang Li's eyes flashed slightly and he weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

She turned her head to glance at the stiff and silent figure in front of the tree, lowered her eyes and thought for a moment, then finally spoke softly:

"Master, we... met Qingshan's reincarnation. But he seems to be mentally ill and unconscious. I'm afraid his life is in danger."

She paused, lowering her voice even more.

"Furthermore, Huaiguang mentioned before her self-destruction... Qingshan's Earth Soul took over her place in the Pure Spirit Bottle. Now that they're dead, the Pure Spirit Bottle will also perish. I'm afraid Qingshan's Earth Soul..."

"Old mandrill."

He Shu's voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Sang Li. He did not turn around, still facing away from them.

"Why did you lie to me?"

His voice was filled with a deep sense of calmness, yet it was more heartbreaking than any cry.

"If I hadn't accidentally met the reincarnated Qingshan... would you have planned to... lie to me like this for the rest of my life?"

He remembered the vague words Xuan Tongzi said when he just came out of seclusion.

"It can't be considered an ordinary previous life..."

He Shu murmured and repeated, a bitter smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"So that's what you meant at the beginning..."

In each life, he peeled off a bit of the earth soul and sealed the memories related to him in a jade bottle. From then on, in every life, his soul was incomplete and his body was fragmented.

This kind of reincarnation is indeed unusual.

"Since you knew everything...why didn't you stop him? And why didn't you tell me?"

The sobs he had been trying to suppress could no longer be contained, causing his voice to tremble, filled with pain and confusion.

"Why should I stop you?"

Xuan Tongzi stood up and walked behind He Shu. He spoke in a calm tone, with a calmness that came from having seen a lot of vicissitudes of life.

"Wuming, you should understand the consequences of forcibly interfering with the fate of mortals. I have already tasted enough of the price of this."

He put his hands behind his back and looked up at the withered peach branches.

"Before this, I was unaware of Qingshan's choice. Although the Heavenly Rules state that I cannot actively interfere, I have already made it clear about the pros and cons. He knew all the consequences, yet he still willingly agreed."

“But…but…”

He Shu certainly understood what Xuan Tongzi said. The laws of nature and cause and effect are the most unpredictable.

But whenever he thought of the pain Qingshan had endured in every life because of him, his heart ached like a thousand ants gnawing at him. He would rather have never appeared than be a burden to Qingshan forever.

The shadow demon was right.

It is better to let go in time than to be entangled in this fruitless life after life, which only adds to the pain.

"Qingshan's soul has left his body. Without the protection of the Spirit Purifying Bottle, his soul will soon be shattered..."

He turned around, staring at Xuan Tongzi with red eyes, and his voice was filled with the last trace of struggling desire.

"Is this...this also his fate that he can't change? Can we just...just watch this happen?"

Xuan Tongzi did not answer immediately. He just took two steps forward slowly, gathered a very soft and warm light at his fingertips, and lightly tapped the dead wood.

The moment it was touched, the withered wood crumbled quietly like quicksand, transforming into thousands of tiny fluorescent lights interwoven and rising up, like a galaxy pouring down.

These light spots filled with vitality swirled and gathered in the air, gradually condensing and taking shape, turning into a translucent jade bottle.

The outer wall of the bottle seems to have stars flowing, shining brightly, exuding an ancient and quiet atmosphere, and quietly suspended in the air.

"Who said that the protection of the Spirit Purifying Bottle has been lost?"

Xuan Tongzi then spoke, and with a slight wave of his finger, the floating jade bottle slowly fell down and placed steadily in He Shu's trembling palm.

"The spirit of Qingshan will never dissipate, Wuming."

He put his hands behind his back and looked into the distance, his eyes becoming deep.

"The fate of all beings is never a dead end. Every thought and action can lead to a different path. Just like now—"

As he spoke, he suddenly squatted down and used his hands to dig up the soil where the roots of the peach tree had grown.

A bit of fresh green suddenly broke through the soil and poked out tremblingly.

It was a newborn sprout, stretching out two delicate petals flexibly and powerfully. The tips of the leaves were still covered with moist soil. They trembled slightly in the breeze, greedily breathing in the fresh vitality between heaven and earth.

“Desolation and rebirth, despair and hope, can often be completely reversed in just a moment.”

"The peach pit you casually planted absorbed most of the old tree's spiritual energy before its vitality dissipated, allowing it to sprout quickly. By some strange coincidence, it protected the very foundation of the Spirit Purification Bottle."

"Qingshan's earth soul was rejected by his physical body and happened to escape into this condensed bottle. Although it doesn't completely solve the problem, it can at least keep his soul safe in the short term."

"What we need now is to preserve Qingshan's body. Once this new peach tree grows strong and the Spirit Purification Bottle is fully repaired, we can begin to condense his soul again..."

——

Xuan Tongzi's words were still echoing in He Shu's mind.

The moonlight is like water, flowing quietly in the silent night forest.

He leaned against a thick branch high up, feeling the rough and solid texture of the bark on his back.

The dense treetops cast a deep shadow around him, and only the corner where he was was gently illuminated by the cold moonlight.

Looking from this point, the sky is dark blue, and the bright moon appears to be particularly close and bright. The light it sheds is like soft silver sand, dyeing the layers of treetops a hazy grayish-white.

"Why don't you rest? Even the strongest man would be tired after traveling for days."

Sang Li's voice came from under the tree. She leaned against the shadow of another old tree with her arms folded, looking up at him. His outline was a little blurry in the moonlight.

"The road to the cold pond is long. If you exhaust your energy and slow down your journey tomorrow, it will be detrimental."

He Shu shook his head, his eyes reflecting the moonlight like broken diamonds.

"Absorbing moonlight is also a form of cultivation, so why isn't it considered rest?"

His voice was a little low, and before he finished speaking, he stepped on the tiptoes, his body as light as a feather, flew down the tree, and quietly landed beside Sang Li.

"I want to ask, isn't it even more strange that you stay awake in the middle of the night and check whether I am asleep or not?"

He snorted unhappily and leaned against the tree trunk opposite her with his arms folded.

Sang Li's lips curved slightly:

"Master repeatedly told me to take good care of a certain 'sad person' to prevent him from getting depressed..."

The cold moonlight outlined a hint of ridicule between her brows.

"What a sad man! This old mandrill is plotting against me again!"

He Shu immediately retorted, but his voice unconsciously lowered.

"Aren't you sad yet?"

Sang Li chuckled, and the sound quickly faded into the night wind. She didn't continue the topic and asked:

"Wuming, I heard that you have decided not to return to the Heavenly Court to report. What are your plans after Qingshan's soul returns to his body?"

When He Shu heard this, his eyelashes drooped, casting a small shadow under his eyes.

He sat on the ground in silence, resting his head lightly against the cold, rough tree trunk, and closed his eyes, as if he didn't care at all.

"...What can I possibly plan? Things will work out when the time comes."

The night wind blew through the woods, carrying with it the sultry scent unique to early summer, mixed with the fragrance of soil and grass, ruffling the scattered hair on his forehead and causing the lush branches and leaves above his head to rustle.

Sang Li walked to his side, her skirt brushing against the grass on the ground, and sat down next to him.

She turned her head and raised her eyebrows in surprise:

"You gave up returning to Heaven for Qingshan. I thought you would choose to stay and accompany him for the rest of his life."

"Since you have a guess, why ask me again?"

"Guessing is just guessing."

Sang Li shook her head and sighed softly, her eyes fixed on He Shu's face, which was trying to be calm but could hardly hide the tension. Those deep eyes seemed to have the ability to see through everything.

"You're willing to do anything to keep him alive. If it's not so you can stay together forever, what else could it be?"

She paused, looked away,

"I still don't understand why you're so devoted to a mortal with a lifespan of only a hundred years. Even if we rescue him this time, the time he can spend with you will only be a fleeting moment for us."

"I stayed in the human world not for him. I saved him... but not to trap him."

He Shu responded in a low voice, burying his face deeply between his bent knees. His voice was muffled by the fabric of his clothes, and it seemed vague and suppressed.

"I just... don't want to owe him anything anymore. I shouldn't have... intruded into his fate and become his calamity. Besides..."

The tiny specks of light that leaked through the gaps between the branches and leaves swayed silently on his sky-blue robe. He Shu paused for a moment, and there was a barely perceptible tremor in his voice.

"When his soul is fully recovered and all past events are forgotten, whether he still remembers me is still unknown... so why should I... be so sentimental?"

"What if he remembers?"

Sang Li looked up at the bright moon, which was as bright as a mirror. Suddenly, he stood up and brushed off the dust and grass debris on his clothes.

"I don't think Qingshan is willing to forget you. He even endures the pain of his soul being torn apart. I'm afraid his obsession is too deep..."

"Even though immortals and mortals have different paths and the future is unpredictable, I don't think this is a wise move."

Her voice seemed exceptionally clear and calm in the deep night.

"But after going through so much, we finally earned a chance to be together. Even if it's only for a moment, shouldn't we strive to hold on? Why... do you want to let go?"

Yes, why?

He Shu didn't answer again.

There was only a deep silence in the forest.

In the distance, the sound of the forest waves rises and falls, low and distant. In the near distance, the occasional sound of a weary bird flying by at night makes the silence of the surrounding fields even more vivid.

The answer may have already been engraved in your heart.

It's because of fear, because of fear of the bone-wrenching separation after a moment of tenderness, so I would rather stop here than repeat the same mistake.