Tongchen Bracelet
Yun Wei raised her hand and lightly flicked Xie Lanchen's forehead with her fingertips, interrupting his gaze, which carried a strange hint of provocation.
"Stop fooling around." Her tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger. "Come with me to see someone." With that, she took the boy's hand and turned to walk towards the bamboo hut.
Xie Lanchen was stunned. The spot on his forehead where she had flicked him felt slightly hot. For a moment, he forgot to struggle and just let her pull him forward.
An indescribable surge of emotion swept through my heart, mixed with a long-suppressed longing for the person before me from a distant memory.
As the two walked near the bamboo hut, they saw Anian carrying a bag, looking dejected, about to leave.
"A-Nian?" Yun Wei stopped.
Anian looked up at the sound of her voice and saw Yunwei. Her eyes reddened slightly, and she forced a smile: "It's you, sister." She glanced at Xie Lanchen, who looked displeased beside Yunwei, and whispered, "I... I really failed. I prepared for three years, cultivating day and night, hoping to stand out in this competition and stay in Guiyun Sect to study more profound Taoist arts, so that I could avenge my benefactor in the future... Now, it's all just a pipe dream."
"I swore an oath to win the championship and prove her innocence to the world! She is not a demon!"
“I understand.” Yunwei interrupted her, her gaze calm as still water, but a faint ripple stirred in her heart because of A-Nian’s obsession. “It is precisely because I understand that I know your state of mind right now. However, the strength of one’s Dao heart does not lie in the name of a sect, but in one’s own will. Guiyun Sect is not the only place in the world to cultivate the Dao. The rules here are unfair, and the elders are biased. It may not be the best place for you.”
She paused, then continued, "You are still young, but you have a strong will and a solid foundation. In these three days, I have seen that although you have not been able to do everything you could, your spirit is more valuable than that of many who have advanced. There is no only one way to clear your name: the leader of Guiyun Sect. Strengthening yourself is the foundation."
Ah Nian listened intently, and the despair surging in her heart strangely subsided somewhat. "Thank you for your guidance, sister." Ah Nian took a deep breath, a glimmer of light rekindling in her eyes. "Sister is right, strengthening oneself is fundamental. I will remember your words and continue on this path. One day, I will rightfully vindicate my benefactor!"
Yun nodded slightly, watching her turn and leave.
Although the girl's back was slender, it was much straighter than before.
After A-Nian walked away, Xie Lanchen snorted coldly, crossed his arms, and looked at Yun Wei with deep eyes: "She keeps saying she'd go through fire and water for you, her 'benefactor,' and you can tolerate it without showing any sign of it?" He felt inexplicably irritated, both annoyed by others mentioning Yun Wei's past "glory" and vaguely displeased by her calm and aloofness at the moment.
Why not reveal your identity?
If she were to tell A-Nian now that she was Yun Wei, the "fallen demon," it would not benefit the girl in the slightest. It would only drag her into a deeper vortex and might even lead to her death.
She is now "nameless," someone who can't even remember her past, nothing more.
Yunwei glanced at him and simply said, "I'm leaving."
Tomorrow's arena battle is crucial, so why not find a quiet place to spar with Xie Lanchen and make sure everything goes smoothly?
The two walked side by side, Xie Lanchen on her right. As they passed a quiet and elegant residence with a faint scent of herbs, he suddenly spoke up: "Look, Ning Xihe's residence."
Yun Wei followed his gaze. Ning Xihe was a year younger than her. Due to damage to his innate foundation, he was weak and sickly. He was adopted by the sect at a young age and lived in Jingfeng to recuperate, rarely showing his face.
In the past, she focused on swordsmanship and rarely paid attention to others. Her impression of Ning Xihe was limited to a few distant encounters.
However, on the day of the competition registration, when Zhao Changsheng deliberately made things difficult for her, a "wild cultivator," Ning Xihe reprimanded Zhao Changsheng on her behalf, which surprised her quite a bit.
Just then, Ning Xihe came out of the house carrying a basin of water, seemingly about to tend to the medicinal herbs in front of the house.
Upon seeing Yun Wei, she paused slightly, then gave a gentle and slightly surprised smile: "Miss, we meet again." She gently put down the basin of water, wiped her hands, looked at Yun Wei, and said in a soft tone, "I left in a hurry last time and didn't have time to ask your name." When her gaze turned to Xie Lanchen, her smile remained unchanged, and her tone was still gentle, but with an appropriate sense of distance: "Junior Brother Xie." There was not much familiarity in her expression, but rather a bit of the usual politeness between fellow disciples.
The boy merely lifted his eyelids lazily, as if in response.
Ning Xihe asked with a hint of curiosity, "You two... came together?"
Just as Yun Wei was about to speak, Xie Lanchen subtly stepped aside, seemingly casually blocking Yun Wei's path. His tone was calm and even as he spoke first: "I met her outside Biyue Manor. She was severely injured and unconscious. After being rescued, she remembered nothing, not even her name. Seeing that she had nowhere to go, I brought her back to the sect. We named her Wuming (Nameless)."
Upon hearing this, Ning Xihe's face showed a hint of sympathy: "I see. If Miss Wuming doesn't mind, would you like to come in and sit down? I've recently been crafting magical artifacts for the sect to use in coordinated battles. I've made a pair of 'Tongchen Bracelets' based on ancient texts. They're said to be able to sense inner demons and protect the spiritual platform. I'm looking for someone to test their effects, as they might be helpful when I go down the mountain to eliminate demons and protect the righteous path in the future." She looked at Yun Wei with sincere eyes, "I see that Miss Yunwei has a pure aura and seems to have a particularly firm will. Perhaps you can give me some feedback."
Yun Wei paused slightly. She had intended to find a place to spar, but the words of polite refusal were already on the tip of her tongue.
"Able to sense inner demons? That's rare. But it wouldn't hurt to take a look," Xie Lanchen replied.
What he was thinking was that Yun Wei's remnant soul had just been stabilized, and although she had taken human form, it was still difficult to guarantee her safety. If the things Ning Xihe had concocted could truly protect the spiritual platform, it might be beneficial to Yun Wei. It wouldn't hurt to take a look.
Seeing that he had agreed, Yunwei said no more and nodded slightly.
The three of them then went into the house together.
The room was simply and neatly furnished, with some refining materials and semi-finished products scattered on the table, and several medical books placed to the side.
Ning Xihe picked up a pair of silver bracelets made of a special material, shimmering with a faint luster, from the table and introduced them: "These are called 'Tongchen Bracelets,' which I made based on a fragment of a scroll. The reason I chose this name is because I feel that the nature of these bracelets is somewhat like that of my late Senior Sister Yunwei. They are aloof, resilient, and seemingly unapproachable, but in reality, they possess inner brilliance and have their own way of protecting and upholding their principles."
Xie Lanchen, who had been absentmindedly looking around the room, suddenly focused his gaze on the pair of bracelets upon hearing this. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his fingers unconsciously tightened. "Like her? How so? They just look the same..." He instinctively wanted to say "the same cold-heartedness," but when he caught sight of Yun Wei's calm profile, that familiar aloofness made his heart skip a beat, and he swallowed the rest of his words.
Yun Wei's heart stirred; Ning Xihe seemed to have a good impression of her. But compared to this… in her current situation, how could she possibly protect or persevere?
Before she could think it through, something unexpected happened.
One of the Bracelets, seemingly triggered by Xie Lanchen's earlier aura, suddenly transformed into a silver light and slipped onto the boy's left wrist.
All three of them were taken aback.
Xie Lanchen shook his hand, but the bracelet didn't budge.
His face instantly darkened: "Senior Sister Ning, is this the magical artifact you wanted to show us?"
Yun frowned slightly, immediately stepped forward and grasped his wrist, gathering spiritual energy at her fingertips to probe and try to remove the bracelet, but it was unusually secure, and the spiritual energy poured in was like a stone sinking into the sea.
"Senior Sister Ning, what is the meaning of this?" Yun Wei turned her eyes slightly, her voice a little cold.
Xie Lanchen pushed her away and said urgently, "Stay away from me, be careful this thing doesn't hurt you." He was horrified. This unknown magical artifact was unpredictable. It would be one thing if he were affected, but what if Yunwei were also affected...? The sudden panic overwhelmed his anger at the artifact.
Ning Xihe's expression froze for a moment before she explained, "I haven't fully refined this bracelet yet. It seems to have mistaken the energy." Before she finished speaking, the other bracelet in her hand seemed to be strongly summoned. With a hum, it turned into silver light and attacked Yun Wei's right wrist.
Yun Wei reacted extremely quickly, turning sideways and retreating swiftly.
But the silver light was even faster, managing to wrap around her wrist and firmly lock her in place.
Ning Xihe covered her mouth and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh no..."
Xie Lanchen's eyes were terrifyingly gloomy: "Untie it immediately!"
Yunwei looked down at the silver bracelet on her wrist, then at the one on Xie Lanchen's wrist, and several thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant.
This bracelet is made of a special material, impervious to spiritual energy. It seems to be able to sense each other, and even... restrict movement?
Ning Xihe said it was an unfinished product, but it was able to trap both her and Xie Lanchen at the same time, so its power should not be underestimated.
Was it an unintentional mistake, or did she have ulterior motives? If the latter, what were they? What benefit would Ning Xihe gain from trapping them?
“I haven’t fully finished setting up this ‘Sharing the Dust Bracelet’ yet. It seems to have temporarily connected your auras. Right now, you probably can’t be more than a foot apart, otherwise the bracelet will forcibly pull you back,” Ning Xihe said in a deep voice.
"What?" Xie Lanchen's face darkened completely, and he tried to walk towards the door. He had barely gone a foot or so when the bracelets on their wrists shone brightly, and a powerful force pulled him back to Yun Wei's side.
The boy looked displeased: "How can you participate in tomorrow's competition looking like this?"
Yunwei frowned.
Tomorrow, under the watchful eyes of everyone, if they remain inseparable, they will be unable to fight. "Senior Sister Ning, do you have a way to immediately dispel this?"
Ning Xihe looked troubled: "Not for now. When this bracelet was made, special materials were added that could absorb spiritual energy and form a bond with its owner. It was originally intended for use in coordinated battles or to temporarily lock the energy of demons to prevent them from escaping or self-destructing. I didn't expect... it would form a bond with the two of you on its own." She added, "Give me some time, and I will do my best to find a way to unlock it before dawn."
Xie Lanchen wanted to lash out again, but Yun Wei raised her hand to stop him. At this point, scolding was useless.
She quickly weighed the options: Ning Xihe's anxious and guilty expression seemed genuine, and this action offered her no obvious benefit.
We can only trust her this once; forcibly breaking through might lead to worse consequences.
“Alright.” Yun Wei nodded decisively. “Then I’ll trouble Senior Sister Ning. If you need any assistance, please come to us.” After she finished speaking, she took Xie Lanchen’s left hand and nodded slightly to Ning Xihe. “Farewell.”
Xie Lanchen was pulled along by her, his face ashen as he followed her away.
As soon as they stepped out the door, the young man immediately grabbed her hand tightly, his voice quick and urgent: "What are we going to do tonight? This bracelet is very strange... How are you feeling? Are you feeling unwell?" His gaze anxiously scanned her body.
Yunwei let him hold her hand, her tone indifferent: "It's alright. You can sit in a chair tonight."
"Sit on a chair?" Xie Lanchen almost laughed in exasperation, but worry quickly overwhelmed his anger. "What if this bracelet behaves strangely again tonight? You'll be here tomorrow..."
Yun Wei didn't stop walking, thinking to herself: Although the bracelet is strange, I don't feel any ill will towards it for the time being. Forcibly breaking it would easily cause a backlash.
She glanced at him indifferently: "Otherwise? You want to sleep in the same bed?"
Xie Lanchen was speechless at her words, his ears burning instantly. After a long while, he managed to stammer out, "...What nonsense are you talking about!"
"Then sit quietly." Yunwei pushed open the door of the bamboo hut and pulled him inside.
Late at night, only a solitary lamp remained in the bamboo hut.
Xie Lanchen, his face tense, dragged the hard wooden chair to the bedside and sat down heavily.
He crossed his arms, his eyes shining brightly in the dim light, staring intently at the silver bracelet on Yun Wei's wrist, his brows furrowed with a mixture of irritability, annoyance, and a hint of worry.
Yunwei lay on the couch fully clothed, her expression silent.
With Xie Lanchen by her side, she naturally wouldn't change her clothes.
She closed her eyes to regulate her breathing, but her divine sense quietly probed the bracelet on her wrist, trying to find a way to break it.
Seeing her so calm, the boy's anger and worry burned even more intensely. He couldn't help but speak, his tone sharp: "If we are bound by this broken bracelet and become a laughing stock tomorrow, or encounter unknown dangers, are you not worried at all?"
“If anger can relieve my distress, I will follow suit. If not, I will save my energy and think about tomorrow’s strategy. Incompetent rage will only disturb my mind.” Yun Wei’s voice remained calm.
After a while, she felt that the boy beside her seemed to have quieted down.
A little while later, a hand suddenly grabbed her right hand, which was sticking out of the quilt.
Yunwei suddenly opened her eyes.
Xie Lanchen had somehow gotten close, bent down, and was holding her hand.
Seeing that she was awake, the young man's eyes flashed, and he said in a harsh tone, "Your hands are so cold, do you still want to hold a sword tomorrow?" As he spoke, he almost rudely stuffed her hands back under the covers, as if he was angry with someone.
After stuffing it in, he immediately sat back in his chair, his back stiff, and turned his head away from looking at her.
His actions just now...were it out of concern?
Xie Lanchen has always disliked and hated her. Being forced to form a life-sharing pact was already a struggle, and now being bound by this Dust-Sharing Bracelet must make him feel even more disgusted and resentful.
Yunwei silently closed her eyes, burying her surging thoughts deep within her heart, no longer revealing them.
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