Chapter 66 What if she returned to Dahe Village?
As evening fell, a layer of mist gradually rose in the depths of Cuiling Mountain, covering the mountains and fields.
Carrying a bamboo basket, Hua Xun walked lightly down the mountain path, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.
As they approached the foot of the mountain, Hua Xun stopped, curiously probing his dantian, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
For some reason, she used to be exhausted and out of breath by the time she got here, but today she felt extremely relaxed.
She even felt that the spiritual energy in her meridians was exceptionally abundant today, and her dantian and demon core were also much stronger.
When casting spells, the stagnant pain in the meridians also disappears without a trace.
strangeness.
Hua Xun frowned.
Yesterday, she asked Baili Sheng to teach her some more because her magic was still stagnant. How come she has made such rapid progress today?
With a slight thought, Hua Xun channeled her spiritual energy within her body, and in the next instant, a pure and solid azure barrier condensed in her palm.
Hua Xun was startled and shook his hand in alarm, dispelling the barrier. After a moment's hesitation, he still wanted to try circulating his magic power.
"Ah Xun." In the distance, someone gently called her name.
Hua Xun looked up and saw a figure in snow-white walking towards her. The person's face was pale yet translucent, and their eyebrows and eyes were stunning and beautiful.
It was Baili Sheng.
Hua Xun smiled, her eyes crinkling with joy: "Baili Sheng!"
After calling out, she hesitated and glanced at his clothes: "Why are you dressed like this today?"
In the past, wasn't he the one who hated white the most?
He said that white is the favorite color of those hypocritical gods and immortals in the upper realm.
Baili Sheng walked up to her step by step, gazing intently at her as if he hadn't seen her in a long time, and then smiled gently: "I want to try on different clothes today, doesn't A-Xun like them?"
“I like it,” Hua Xun nodded, feeling a strange sense of familiarity with the white-clad figure. Then she noticed something else, “You’re acting a bit strange today. Why are you suddenly calling me A-Xun?”
"Call me if you want," Baili Sheng said quietly, pausing for a moment before raising his hand to take hers.
Hua Xun involuntarily pulled her hand back behind her to avoid his movement.
Baili Sheng's hand froze in mid-air. After a long while, he looked up as if nothing had happened: "A-Xun?"
Hua Xun didn't know why, but just now she felt a strange sense of rejection and fear towards Baili Sheng.
Baili Sheng continued forward, taking the bamboo basket from behind her and holding it in his left hand, while his right hand grasped the girl's hand and held it in his palm.
He tried his best to ignore the stiffness in her hands and still smiled, saying, "Ah Xun has had a very fruitful day."
Hua Xun looked at the bamboo basket, which was filled with herbs, and a trace of confusion reappeared in her eyes.
She didn't remember how she gathered the herbs, nor how she got to the mountains.
She only remembered that a cultivator had come to Dahe Village two days ago. Fearing that Baili Sheng's whereabouts would be exposed, she lured the cultivator away herself and was injured in the process.
And then... I appeared here.
Did she fall into a coma after being injured? Does she not remember what happened in between?
A sudden, dull pain shot through Hua Xun's temple, and her face paled slightly. She raised her free right hand and pressed hard on her forehead.
"What's wrong?" Baili Sheng's expression tightened slightly. He raised his hand to stroke her eyebrows and eyes, and an invisible magic flowed into her brow.
Hua Xun's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and she shook her head: "It's nothing, I just had a bit of a headache."
"It must be because A-Xun was injured by a cultivator a few days ago while protecting me, and she hasn't fully recovered yet." Baili Sheng smoothed her hair. "Shall we not gather herbs tomorrow?"
Hua Xun nodded, then looked up at Baili Sheng, who was standing right in front of him: "Baili Sheng."
"Um?"
“You look much thinner,” Hua Xun muttered softly, “like you haven’t had a break in ages.”
Baili Sheng's fingertips trembled slightly. He looked at her for a while and then smiled, "You'll be able to get a good rest tonight."
Upon hearing this, Hua Xun felt a pang of guilt: "Did you look pale because you were taking care of me?"
Baili Sheng paused for a moment: "It's my own fault."
Hua Xun was puzzled.
Baili Sheng said nothing more, and took her hand as they walked down the mountain.
Hua Xun glanced at her hand that was being held, curled her fingers, and became increasingly puzzled as to why she only wanted to escape from Baili Sheng today.
"By the way, why are you out today?" Hua Xun forced herself to look away.
"I've come to pick you up," Baili Sheng smiled. "From now on, I'll come to pick you up every day, okay?"
Hua Xun was stunned. The scene she had once looked forward to had actually come true, but she couldn't find any joy in her heart.
She pursed her lips and remained silent.
The two soon descended the mountain. A great river stretched out in the distance, and the afterglow of the setting sun shone on its surface, creating a shimmering, ancient scene.
But... Hua Xun looked into the distance.
Her hearing and eyesight had also inexplicably improved a lot. For example, at this moment, her consciousness easily covered the entire Dahe Village and she keenly realized that there were no other villagers in Dahe Village.
"Why is Dahe Village so deserted today?" Hua Xun asked.
Baili Sheng followed her gaze and looked away slightly: "Those cultivators said there were demons here, and the villagers moved away overnight after hearing that."
Is that so?
Hua Xun nodded hesitantly.
Baili Sheng had already taken her hand and walked into that familiar little courtyard.
The courtyard remained exactly as she had left it, with balsam flowers, silvergrass, and other small flowers filling the small yard. Medicinal herbs and ginseng were neatly drying outside the woodshed, and several pieces of clothing were hanging on the ropes strung along the window frames.
Hua Xun's gaze swept over every plant and tree in the courtyard, her doubts deepening.
She loved her little home, but for some reason, she felt no attachment to it at this moment, and even felt a sense of unfamiliarity she had never felt before.
"What's wrong?" Baili Sheng asked slowly.
Hua Xun quickly shook her head, afraid that she would hurt his feelings by speaking the truth, and forced a smile: "You actually still remember to dry the medicinal herbs."
“How could I forget what you told me to do?” Baili Sheng chuckled and put down the bamboo basket. “You’ve only recently recovered, so go back to your room and rest. I’ll take care of these herbs.”
Hua Xun did not insist and nodded as she went into the house.
On her bed in the outer room, there was a storybook lying face down.
Hua Xun stepped forward and took the storybook in her hand; it was a tale she had read about a fox and a scholar.
Hua Xun frowned. She remembered this story. Because the scholar was indecisive, she was so angry that she stuffed the book into a corner before she finished reading it.
Did she pick it up again?
Hua Xun put the storybook back where it was and looked around.
It was clearly her residence, yet it felt strangely unfamiliar.
"Ah Xun." Baili Sheng suddenly appeared at the door.
Hua Xun looked back in confusion.
Baili Sheng stood there against the light, but his gaze seemed to pierce through the darkness, focusing intently on her face: "Tomorrow, I'll accompany you to town to deliver the medicinal herbs."
Hua Xun then remembered that the dried medicinal herbs and ginseng needed to be sent to Wufang Town.
Wufang Town...
When the name flashed through her mind, she felt as if she had been transported to another world.
"Okay." Hua Xun nodded.
Baili Sheng laughed.
“Oh, right,” Hua Xun suddenly remembered something, “did you teach me my magic?”
Baili Sheng's smile faded slightly: "...What?"
"It's nothing," Hua Xun shook her head and smiled. "I feel that the spiritual energy in my body is much smoother, and my demon core is also much stronger."
Baili Sheng's Adam's apple bobbed forcefully: "Do you want to become stronger?"
"Huh?" Hua Xun asked, puzzled.
Baili Sheng stepped forward, gently took her hand, and the pure power of the primordial demon surged into her body through his palm.
Hua Xun felt her body becoming lighter and lighter, her meridians expanding silently, and her magical power gradually growing stronger.
She quickly withdrew her hand, "What are you doing..." Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly remembered something and exclaimed with delight, "Your magic has been restored?"
Baili Sheng stared blankly into the girl's clear eyes, which were filled with innocent joy.
The joy that arose because of him.
In that instant, he suddenly realized that what he had been longing for was just this tiny glimmer of light.
“Hmm,” Baili Sheng swallowed his surging emotions, “It recovered a few days ago.”
"That's great," Hua Xun's joy didn't last long. She pursed her lips. "Then... are you going back to the Demon Realm?"
“No,” Baili Sheng shook his head, “I will not return to the Demon Clan.”
"I said I would never let you down."
Hua Xun was stunned. An unfamiliar image flashed through her mind. In the image, Baili Sheng... seemed to look down on her.
“Actually,” Hua Xun said softly, “if you don’t want to, it’s fine to go back…”
"I don't want to go back." Baili Sheng quickly interrupted her, then realized her overreaction and softened her tone, "A-Xun, isn't it good for just the two of us to stay here?"
Hua Xun looked at him with confusion, then nodded hesitantly.
Baili Sheng smiled and said, "You must be tired from gathering herbs today. After dinner, get some rest."
Hua Xun didn't feel tired, but still responded.
Dinner was prepared by Baili Sheng, and Hua Xun went to sleep after eating.
But lying on the bed, she couldn't fall asleep no matter what she did.
Her magical powers do not seem to require her to sleep every day.
Even... Hua Xun frowned; this place made her feel uneasy.
Until a faint red light flashed, Hua Xun's originally clear mind gradually became hazy, and soon she fell into a deep sleep.
Baili Sheng walked out from the inner room, went to the bedside, and stared intently at the girl on the bed, his eyes filled with an unrestrained darkness and obsession.
After a long while, he gently lay down beside her, curled up, and fell asleep for the first time in more than half a year.
*
The next morning, when Hua Xun woke up, Baili Sheng was already waiting in the courtyard.
He was still dressed in a snow-white robe, standing in the morning light, like an immortal.
Hua Xun snapped out of her daze and happened to meet his gaze: "A-Xun".
"Have you been waiting long?" Hua Xun asked. "Why didn't you call me?"
"It didn't take long," Baili Sheng said with a smile.
What he didn't say was that the time spent waiting for her to wake up was also filled with hope and beauty.
Baili Sheng had already gathered the medicinal herbs, and Hua Xun activated his Wind Control Technique, and the two flew together toward Wufang Town.
As I walked through the entire Dahe Village, the village seemed to have long since fallen silent, leaving only a perfectly intact facade, devoid of any vitality or life.
Hua Xun glanced down with a sigh, then exclaimed in confusion, "Huh? Was that kid Erzhu's house burned down?"
She seemed to see faint charred marks at the base of the wall.
Baili Sheng's long eyelashes furrowed slightly. Without lowering her head, she quietly said, "Perhaps it was left behind by the children playing with fire earlier."
Hua Xun thought about it and realized it made sense. That Erzhu had always been dishonest and had even thrown stones at her before.
Hua Xun no longer wanted to think about the past when she was ostracized by the villagers, and focused her attention on the future.
Before long, the two landed on a deserted street in Wufang Town.
To Hua Xun's delight, Wufang Town seemed to have a market today, with many pedestrians on the town's only two wide stone-paved streets.
The cries of vendors on both sides of the street were incessant.
Hua Xun looked around curiously, the sense of unfamiliarity she had felt in Dahe Village earlier was now much less intense.
"How lively!" Hua Xun exclaimed, turning her head to find a paper package in front of her.
Hua Xun was taken aback: "What is this?"
"Didn't you say you wanted to eat osmanthus cake?" Baili Sheng said with a smile, "How about we buy them all today?"
Hua Xun's eyes lit up: "Really?"
Baili Sheng nodded: "Of course."
Hua Xun happily accepted the pastries, but then remembered something: "We don't have much money, so let's forget about it..."
“Don’t worry about the money,” Baili Sheng said with a slight bitterness in his heart. He had never thought about how she had saved up the money for the medicine to heal him. “I went back to the Demon Palace last night and brought back a lot of money and jewelry.”
Hua Xun was relieved. She picked up a pastry and took a bite. It was sweet, soft, and delicious.
However, it lacked the sense of surprise and delight of getting what you wanted.
Hua Xun put those inexplicable thoughts aside and continued strolling through the market.
Baili Sheng followed closely behind her on the outside, silently blocking the surging crowd.
He glanced at the girl beside him and felt a warmth welling up in his eyes.
They should have done this a long time ago.
Walking side by side with her amidst the everyday life she loves, we felt an unprecedented sense of fulfillment.
It should have been done a long time ago...
"You should try some too..." Hua Xun excitedly picked up a candied hawthorn and handed it to the person next to her, but then paused when she saw the person's face clearly.
Whose name was she trying to call? Why did she use the formal "you"? Why did such a deep sense of loss well up inside her?
Countless confusions arose in her heart until a hand took the candied hawthorn from her, and she suddenly came back to her senses.
Baili Sheng's face seemed to turn pale for a moment. He put the candied hawthorn in his mouth, and the sugar coating could not hide the sourness of the hawthorn. He still smiled gently and said, "It's very sweet."
Hua Xun stared at his actions in a daze, and after a long while responded softly. She was about to continue forward when her hand was pulled back.
Hua Xun looked back in confusion.
Baili Sheng pursed his lips, then forced a smile: "Let's deliver the medicinal herbs first; the owner of the pharmacy is probably getting impatient."
Hua Xun looked ahead, puzzled. There was nothing special about it, except for the most magnificent temple of the God of the Five Directions Town.
She looked away: "Okay."
There weren't many people at the pharmacy today. When Hua Xun arrived, Master Li wasn't there; only an unfamiliar shop assistant was grinding medicinal herbs.
Has Mr. Li hired a new employee? Just a few days ago it was the same old employee…
Hua Xun handed the medicinal herbs to the new shop assistant, took the money, and was about to leave when she heard a voice: "Miss Hua Xun?"
Hua Xun turned her head, and Li Dongjia was coming out of the inner room, looking at her with surprise and delight: "Miss Hua Xun, it's been a long time, you're finally back?"
Hua Xun looked at Li Dongjia in confusion. Hadn't she just seen him a few days ago?
“During the time you were unconscious, Master Li asked you about it many times,” Baili Sheng suddenly said.
Hua Xun glanced at him, hesitated, and nodded: "Yes, I... am back."
"That's great! The ginseng you picked is truly unmatched by anyone else," Li Dongjia waved his hands repeatedly. He glanced at Baili Sheng beside him, paused, and pointed at him, saying, "I remember you. You're Miss Hua Xun's fiancé, aren't you?"
Hua Xun looked up in surprise: "No, we..."
“We haven’t officially finalized anything yet,” Baili Sheng said first, glancing at her with a smile. “If there’s any good news, we will definitely inform the employer.”
“Great!” Mr. Li nodded repeatedly. “That’s really good.”
"May lovers be united in the end..."
Hua Xun frowned slightly as she listened to the sighs.
Even though she had already accepted Baili Sheng's words that "he would not let her down," why did she feel an inexplicable irritation when she heard others say the same thing?
She didn't answer, but quietly turned around, then her body suddenly stiffened.
At the entrance of the pharmacy, sunlight streamed over the threshold, and a snow-white figure stood quietly in the interplay of light and shadow.
His face was beyond the reach of ordinary paintings; his skin was like jade formed from snow, radiating a pure and bright glow.
His flawless face and gentle eyes gazed at her, and in that instant, the ancient loneliness vanished, as if she were the only one in his eyes.
Hua Xun unconsciously held her breath, as if something had hit her chest hard.
who is he?
Has she... seen him before?
"Ah Xun!" Baili Sheng's voice was somewhat out of control, mixed with unfamiliar panic.
Hua Xun snapped out of her daze, only to find her hand being gripped tightly.
She turned her gaze to look at him.
Baili Sheng gripped her hand tightly, his smile forced and strained: "Now that the medicinal herbs have been delivered, we should go home."
Hua Xun glanced at the white figure at the door again and nodded almost imperceptibly.
Baili Sheng pulled her along and quickly walked towards the door.
Hua Xun glanced at Baili Sheng strangely. As she passed the white figure at the door, her gaze once again fell uncontrollably on that person. When she met the other person's gentle gaze, she panicked and quickly looked away.
But in the instant they brushed past each other, her hand was grasped by a cool, warm hand.
Hua Xun turned her head in surprise and saw that the snow-white figure was holding her hand and pulling her along.
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