Chapter 30 The soul is only because of the love potion.
On the paper crane flying boat, Hua Xun suddenly stood up.
Perhaps because she stood up so suddenly, even the flying boat swayed from side to side.
Xiao Yunxi glanced at her, casually channeling a burst of immortal power into the flying boat to stabilize it, and said irritably, "What are you doing, making such a fuss?"
Hua Xun didn't speak, but just kept looking towards White Mist Cliff.
Just now, as the clouds and mist swirled, she seemed to have seen the figure of the deity under the peach tree.
Has he finished refining Lord Luohe's Heavenly Soul?
Thinking this, she couldn't help but feel eager to return home, and urged, "Could Immortal Lord Yunxi's flying boat go faster?"
Xiao Yunxi raised an eyebrow slightly, displeased, as she urged him on, and said, "This flying boat used to only carry me, the Immortal Lord. Who made you so heavy?"
Hua Xun paused for a moment, then fell silent.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the flying boat finally passed through layers of clouds and landed on the White Mist Cliff.
Ignoring the wound on her ankle, Hua Xun quickly disembarked from the flying boat and looked towards the peach grove not far away.
But apart from that small patch of flowers and colorful petals, the peach grove was empty; there wasn't a single person in sight.
Hua Xun's eyes dimmed.
Xiao Yunxi noticed that her expectant expression had turned somber, and followed her gaze.
At first, he looked at the empty peach grove and didn't understand what was going on. Then, he suddenly realized something and felt a strange, inexplicable tightness in his chest.
"What's with that expression?" Xiao Yunxi couldn't help but ask. "Do you expect the Divine Lord to come and greet you personally?"
Hua Xun looked at him strangely, frowned, and said, "How do you know that the Divine Lord wouldn't come to pick me up before?"
"You..." Xiao Yunxi's face darkened. He couldn't tell if it was the fact that the deity had come to pick her up that angered him, or something else. He simply raised an eyebrow and asked, "I brought you back, and this is how you repay your benefactor?"
Hua Xun was also somewhat displeased: "Didn't Immortal Lord Yunxi say himself that he sent me back to repay my kindness?"
Xiao Yunxi was speechless.
Hua Xun didn't want to say anything more to him, so she casually thanked him and went to find the Divine Lord: "Thank you, Immortal Lord Yunxi, for bringing me back."
Xiao Yunxi stared at her unnatural gait, frowned, and clicked her tongue in annoyance: "Hey!"
Hua Xun turned around in confusion, only to see a white porcelain bottle hurtling towards her. She caught it in a fluster and looked at him with bewilderment.
“The injuries caused by the immortal sect’s magic array cannot be cured by ordinary medicine,” Xiao Yunxi said impatiently. “Don’t misunderstand, it’s just that you applied medicine to this immortal lord before.”
Hua Xun opened the porcelain bottle and sniffed it. A fresh, light fragrance wafted out, very similar to the elixir that Fairy Qingjiao had given her.
Without any hesitation, she accepted the gift and her thanks were much more sincere: "Thank you, Immortal Lord."
Xiao Yunxi looked into her eyes, remained silent for a moment, and muttered, "Who knows if you'll use your injuries to bother the Divine Lord? This Immortal Lord is just taking precautions..."
Hua Xun was quiet for a moment, then suppressed his smile: "Farewell, Immortal Lord."
Xiao Yunxi's expression stiffened slightly. After a long while, she let out a cold snort, waved her sleeve to put away the paper crane flying boat, and transformed into a ball of light that disappeared into the white mist.
Hua Xun quickly withdrew his gaze and looked towards the Divine Lord's palace.
Did she really see things wrong just now?
If she goes there now, will she disturb the deity?
Catching a glimpse of the flower wreath in her purse, Hua Xun's eyes lit up; she had finally found a reason to go see the God.
After tidying up the flower wreath, Hua Xun walked towards the palace gate: "God..."
Before she could even speak, Hua Xun froze on the spot.
The deity sat on a high platform behind a celestial canopy, surrounded by countless stars and divine light, casting an indistinct shadow of his unapproachable figure.
Even though there was a celestial veil between them, she felt as if she were being quietly watched by a god.
That kind of gaze is like a god looking down upon all living beings, peaceful and compassionate, unrelated to love.
But Hua Xun still felt that something was different.
It seems... to have become even more aloof.
Under such a vast gaze, Hua Xun felt breathless for a moment, and her mind went blank for a brief time.
Until a divine voice echoed from behind the celestial veil: "Hmm?"
Hua Xun came to her senses, hesitated for a moment, took out the wreath from her purse, and said softly, "I made a wreath and wanted to give it to you."
As she finished speaking, she felt the deity's gaze fall on the flower wreath in her hand, not immediately leaving it, but rather as if... lost in thought?
Hua Xun glanced down at the wreath. She had specially chosen delicate flower branches with bright petals and lush green leaves, making it quite exquisite.
Hua Xun unconsciously curled her fingers. Seeing that the deity had not spoken for a long time, she placed the flower wreath on the desk beside her and said in a low voice, "If the deity is busy, I will come again later."
She silently put those words down, endured the pain in her ankle, and tried her best to walk outside as usual.
A gentle voice, tinged with hesitation, came from behind the veil: "Ankle injury?"
Hua Xun stopped and turned around.
The voice paused for a moment, then said, "To give me a flower wreath?"
Hua Xun stood there in a daze, and after a long while, she nodded gently.
A soft sigh rang out, and in the next instant, the celestial curtain was lifted by an invisible divine force, revealing a gap.
A beam of golden light pierced through the gap and circled around her ankle.
Hua Xun felt the sharp pain in her ankle gradually subside, and soon she was completely unaware of it.
Hua Xun looked up in surprise, only to find that the aloofness and distance surrounding the deity seemed to have lessened somewhat, and he had returned to the gentle deity she knew who would smile and gaze at her.
Hua Xun was overjoyed. Remembering the purpose of her visit, she turned to look at the desk, only to find that the wreath above it had disappeared.
She hurriedly looked behind the celestial curtain and saw that the deity was holding a flower wreath in his hand, and he seemed to be looking down at it.
"Do you like it?" Hua Xun asked expectantly.
The deity raised his eyes and said gently, "Very good."
Hua Xun felt a sweet warmth in her heart.
She keenly sensed that this time the deity did not say the words "the deity has no favoritism".
People tend to take advantage of others, and seeing that the deity had accepted the gift, Hua Xun couldn't help but ask, "Deity, were you angry just now?"
She always felt that the deity was exceptionally different when he first entered the door, making people hesitate to approach him.
The deity was silent for a moment: "I will not be angry."
"Did you go to the peach tree just now?" Hua Xun asked again. "I think I saw you when I came back."
This time, the deity did not respond.
Hua Xun wasn't annoyed. Seeing that the Divine Lord remained silent, she changed the subject: "Have you finished refining Divine Lord Luo He's Heavenly Soul?"
God: "Hmm."
Hua Xun pursed her lips, feeling as if there was an insurmountable chasm between them by the celestial veil. So she mustered her courage and asked, "May I see what's behind your celestial veil?"
The deity lowered his eyes, gazing at the curious girl below. After a moment of silence, he slightly raised his right hand.
The celestial veil was parted by an invisible force, revealing the true form within.
On a jade-white platform as tall as a person, a jade snow lotus platform floats quietly, surrounded by holy light, serene and tranquil.
It resembles a human shrine, but is more understated and elegant.
The deity sat upright on the lotus throne, his eyebrows and eyes slightly lowered like a divine statue, looking down upon all living beings.
Hua Xun's breathing became cautious. She stared quietly for a long time before suddenly asking, "Has the Divine Lord stayed here like this for thousands of years?"
The deity nodded.
A bittersweet feeling gradually welled up in Hua Xun's heart: "Don't you feel lonely?"
For thousands of years, it has stood alone here, letting generations come and go, and the world change.
It has been so long that even the peach tree at the foot of the cliff, which blooms only once every hundred years, has seen its flowers bloom and fade countless times.
Shenjun Jiuqing's gaze stopped.
In the eyes of the world, he should have been sitting alone on the high platform.
But she wondered if he was lonely.
Will it?
For thousands of years, perhaps they have become so accustomed to being alone here that they no longer feel lonely.
Seeing the overwhelming emotion in the girl's eyes, the deity raised his hand.
Hua Xun's body suddenly felt light. She took a deep breath and felt herself fly up, landing gently on the high platform below the lotus throne.
"God Lord?" Hua Xun asked in surprise.
"Perhaps you can experience it for yourself," the deity said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Hua Xun paused for a moment, then turned to look outside the fairy curtain.
Only then did she realize that she could see everything outside from inside the fairy curtain, but from the outside, she could only vaguely see the outline of the inside.
Just like his one-sided protection of all living beings.
Hua Xun reached out and touched the lotus platform; it was icy cold, as if he had grasped a block of ice.
She touched the fairy curtain again, but her hand passed through it as if passing through a cloud.
"My Lord, this celestial canopy has no physical form?" Hua Xun exclaimed in surprise.
The deity smiled and said, "It was created by my consciousness."
"Does the God not like others seeing your appearance?" Hua Xun asked in confusion. "But the God is very handsome."
"Appearance is but a shell," the deity said gently, glancing at her with a hint of admonition in his eyes. "People will not want to see an entity that knows all their desires."
Hua Xun disagreed: "I really want to see it."
The deity observed her for a moment, then smiled and sighed softly.
Yes, she has always wanted to see him.
"My Lord, shall I put this flower wreath on your head?" Hua Xun glanced at the flower wreath in the Lord's hand and eagerly took it.
Seeing that the deity did not refuse, Hua Xun carefully stepped forward, held her breath, and placed the flower wreath on his hair.
The deity then sat upright on the lotus platform, letting her wear it.
Her long, flowing black hair, paired with an exquisite floral wreath, added a touch of glamour to her flawless face.
This kind of splendor transcends gender boundaries, leaving only a breathtaking "beauty".
Hua Xun was stunned. It took her a long time to come back to her senses. She blinked quickly and coughed, but she couldn't stop her heart from beating so violently.
The Lingxi Gu lay comfortably in her sea of consciousness, her whole body feeling as if it were being soaked in warm water.
"Hmm?" The deity looked at the girl who had been silent for a long time.
Hua Xun's voice faltered: "The Divine Lord... is very beautiful."
After saying that, before the deity could say "it's just a physical body," she hurriedly took something out of her purse: "Deity, I have something else to give you."
The deity lowered his eyes to look.
Hua Xun took out the image-recording mirror he bought from the Spirit Treasure Pavilion in the human realm, infused it with a little spiritual power, and the mirror surface rippled like water, then the human street market appeared.
“This is something I left behind when I was wandering around the human world,” Hua Xun said with great interest. “The streets of the human world are very lively, and there are many people selling all kinds of things. Look, over there, a group of people are playing pitch-pot…”
The deity looked at the mirror.
The bustling markets of the human race are just an ordinary sight.
His clone had experienced those scenes, so he naturally felt as if he had witnessed them himself.
However, the girl beside him always seemed to think that his true form remained at White Mist Cliff, so he knew nothing about the outside world.
The deity sighed inwardly and did not correct her thinking.
"My Lord, there are even magic tricks!" Hua Xun exclaimed happily.
The image on the mirror changed. At first, there was a circle of figures blocking the way, but then Hua Xun said, "Excuse me, please make way," and the image suddenly became clear.
In the center of the crowd, the magician, holding a torch, spat out a mouthful of wine, instantly filling the air with flames, and cheers erupted all around.
"There are also opera singers..."
The scene shifts back to the stage, where the actors' melodious and enchanting singing voices can be heard.
The play being performed is a long-standing excerpt from a traditional opera about a love story between a human and a demon.
The deity looked at the mirror that was treasured by cultivators or immortals, but had become a toy for Hua Xun to amuse him, and smiled helplessly.
"Which one does the Divine Lord prefer?" Hua Xun asked, sitting down beside the lotus platform with her legs dangling over the edge, looking up at the lotus.
The girl's head seemed to be resting against his knee.
The deity observed the almost imperceptible distance between the two and then cast a golden light into the mirror with a flick of his finger.
Hua Xun stared intently, and the image froze on the figure of the storyteller she had left behind in the restaurant.
The storyteller, holding his gavel, was about to begin a tale of love between a celestial being and a mortal.
Hua Xun remembered that she had gone to the human market that day and left behind many lively scenes, thinking of taking them back to White Mist Cliff to show the God.
The restaurant was the last place she went. She was already tired from investigating the fox spirit, and she fell asleep before the story was finished.
Hua Xun listened with great interest.
The storyteller's expressions were exceptionally rich, and his storytelling was incredibly vivid. As Hua Xun listened, she regretted that she had fallen asleep that day and missed the whole story.
Until the storyteller used his magic again, vividly depicting the comical scene of the mortal scholar being startled by the fairy's magic, she couldn't help but laugh and fell to the ground beside the cool lotus platform, her head seemingly bumping into something...
Hua Xun turned her head to look while laughing, then her smile abruptly stopped.
She found herself leaning unceremoniously on the god's lap.
The deity smiled tolerantly, showing no sign of annoyance.
He even looked at her with a hint of doubt when her laughter stopped: "Are you bored?"
Hua Xun's heart pounded, and she quickly sat up straight, shaking her head: "No, I like it very much."
But she couldn't hear the rest of the story; her mind was filled with the image of herself resting on the god's lap.
Even now, she only needs to move a little to the side to be able to lean on the god's lap again.
Hua Xun looked up at the Divine Lord and saw him smiling as he looked at the mirror. She carefully moved closer, glanced at the Divine Lord again, and then moved even closer...
Until it touched the protective divine light belonging to the God-King, a sudden "snap" of a gavel rang out in the image mirror.
"To find out what happens next, you will have to wait until this time tomorrow," the storyteller said with a smile, stroking his beard.
Hua Xun sat there stiffly, her face both red and black.
The deity noticed something was amiss and, seeing her downcast expression, softly asked, "What's wrong?"
Hua Xun remained silent for a long while before finally managing to say, "This story... is not yet finished."
Seeing this, the deity chuckled and bent down to lightly touch the mirror.
The mirror emitted a dazzling golden halo, which faded away after a few breaths.
Hua Xun looked at the mirror in confusion, only to see that after the water rippled on the surface, the image of the storyteller reappeared.
At this moment, the storyteller is wiping the long table's gavel and tidying up his folding fans.
Hua Xun watched for a while, then exclaimed in surprise, "Is this something that is happening to the human race? How did the Divine Lord manage to do this?"
“I project a thought into the mirror,” the deity explained, “but this mirror can only see this moment and this scene, and cannot see anything else.”
"Thank you, Divine Lord!" Hua Xun laughed, looking up.
The deity looked at her smiling face, paused for a few moments, and slowly lowered his eyes.
*
The border of the demon race.
Qingjiao concealed her presence and stood quietly in front of a mountain.
After an unknown amount of time, a fiery figure flew in from afar. The flamboyant young man concealed the flames around him and stopped in front of Qingjiao: "Senior Sister."
Qingjiao smiled and asked, "Yunxi, how has the immortal sect been these days?"
Xiao Yunxi shrugged: "Master is extremely angry about your unauthorized escape from the immortal sect and has ordered that no one be allowed to look for you anymore."
"If I hadn't needed to go to the human realm, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to come."
Qingjiao's eyes darkened: "I knew this would be the outcome as soon as I left the Immortal Realm. This was my own choice."
"Are you really not going back to the Immortal Sect because of that Baili Sheng?" Xiao Yunxi asked, puzzled.
Qingjiao paused slightly: "Yunxi, you have always been arrogant and don't understand matters of love."
“I once deceived him for the sake of the Immortal Sect and almost killed him. Now I only want to make amends. Even if he has never forgiven me, I must do it.”
Xiao Yunxi frowned, genuinely wondering why she would do such a thing, yet a picture of a little demon's angry face inexplicably appeared before her eyes.
He shivered and quickly brushed the face away.
"Did you bring the item I asked you to deliver?" Qingjiao asked.
Xiao Yunxi came to her senses, hesitated for a moment, then raised her long finger, and a bluish-white mustard seed bag appeared out of thin air: "All your alchemy tools are here."
Qingjiao took it in her palm and gazed at it quietly.
“Master is currently in a bad mood. Perhaps you can return to the Immortal Sect after a few days,” Xiao Yunxi reminded her.
Qingjiao clutched the mustard seed bag and smiled reassuringly, "I have my own considerations, Yunxi, thank you."
Seeing that she had made up her mind, Xiao Yunxi did not try to persuade her further.
"I heard that the Divine Lord recently brought a mortal cultivator to his side?" Qingjiao asked, remembering something.
Xiao Yunxi's expression changed slightly, and she replied irritably, "An ordinary... mortal cultivator."
Qingjiao knew that this matter was probably related to the bottle of pills that Baili Sheng gave to the Divine Lord, but if she revealed it, it would only deepen the immortal sects' resentment towards Baili Sheng.
“I know you have always revered the Divine Lord,” Qingjiao said softly, “but that mortal cultivator may also have her own unspeakable difficulties, so don’t bully her.”
"This immortal lord bullied her? If she's not angry, then I'll..." Xiao Yunxi's overly aggressive voice stopped abruptly when she met Qing Jiao's questioning gaze, and she said in a muffled voice, "...It's nothing, anyway, I didn't bully her."
“It seems you already know her,” Qingjiao smiled. “In that case, I’m relieved.”
Qingjiao asked some more questions about the immortal sects before the two said their goodbyes.
When we returned to the Demon Palace, the sky was a familiar night.
As soon as Qingjiao returned to her palace, she heard the demon guards say, "Your Majesty has returned to the palace."
She paused for a moment, then walked towards the main hall.
As soon as Qingjiao reached the main hall, she saw a dark figure leaning calmly against a stone chair, its dark demonic energy churning around it, silently filling the entire palace.
"My centennial birthday is so important, Baili Sheng, can you celebrate it with me?"
"My Lord, you haven't wished me a happy birthday yet."
"Baili Sheng, you are not a cripple."
"The gentleman is not a heartless person. He cares for all living beings, loves all things, and is very good to me..."
"When I return to the Demon Palace, I will never fail you."
"Bai Lisheng, I rarely recall those past events anymore, so you've probably forgotten them too."
Baili Sheng's eyes were tightly closed, but his mind was churning violently.
Memories of the past and present kept alternating, squeezing every inch of his thoughts.
You've forgotten about it too.
Forget about it.
As the last words, "Forget it," echoed repeatedly, Baili Sheng suddenly opened his eyes.
"Did you have another nightmare?" Qingjiao asked softly.
Baili Sheng gradually came to his senses and looked at the familiar palace.
Yes, he has returned to the Demon Palace.
Seeing that he did not respond, Qingjiao asked softly after a moment of silence, "Where have you been these past few dozen days?"
Baili Sheng's faintly reddish pupils suddenly contracted. He didn't answer her question, but only said, "Did Fairy Qingjiao go to see someone from the immortal sect?"
Qingjiao paused slightly, then took out her mustard seed bag: "I just had my junior brother bring over the materials for alchemy."
As she said this, she kept looking at his expression.
She remembered that when she mentioned her junior brother, the one who was a celestial being, he would always frown slightly, showing a hint of displeasure.
But this time, he seemed not to hear, sitting there without changing his expression.
Baili Sheng stared at the mustard seed bag, and for a moment, he felt that he could detect a very faint familiar aura on it.
"Baili," Qingjiao called to him, "and you? Who did you go to see?"
Perhaps feeling guilty, Baili Sheng avoided her gaze: "I just went to the human realm."
Qingjiao's eyes gradually dimmed. She could tell that he was not honest with her, but between them lay deception and life and death. It was already difficult enough to ease the tension, so she did not ask any further questions.
After a moment of silence, Qingjiao remembered something and asked gently, "Baili, what did you give the Divine Lord to drink at the Demon-Slaying Platform?"
With just one sentence, Baili Sheng suddenly looked up.
Lingxi Gu.
The little demon who easily changed her mind.
Ten years that I could forget so easily...
So, it's all because of the Lingxi Gu.
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Author's note: Just a casual stroll through my daily routine today~
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