Chapter 24 Anger "That child is probably angry."...
Nine-Tiered Divine Lord stared blankly for a moment as he looked at the child who was tightly hugging his waist and buried in front of him.
Perhaps it was because the sensation of her passing through the protective divine light and crashing into his arms last night was too vivid, but he felt that this embrace was subtly different now.
The deity initially guessed that she might have been frightened by what Chen Changyan experienced in his dream. After all, she had only been formally cultivating for a short time, and it was not easy for her to go on a training journey alone.
Hearing her say with a wronged expression, "The plum blossom is gone," the deity chuckled softly, "It's good to make the best use of a single plum blossom."
As he spoke, pure magical power overflowed from his fingertips, invisibly soothing the disordered energy within her meridians.
Making the best use of resources?
Hua Xun paused, raised her head from in front of the deity, and looked at his ever-gentle smile.
With a "bang," the carved window frame cracked in half and fell to the ground with a crisp sound.
"Master Jin, what's wrong?" Li's surprised voice came.
Hua Xun came to her senses, slowly loosened her grip on the God, and looked diagonally behind her.
Jin Huan, standing by the window, stared at her expressionlessly. After a while, he met her gaze and then casually looked away, saying indifferently, "My hand slipped."
Li said with a forced smile, "Yes, the window frame is indeed not sturdy."
Jin Huan gave a casual reply and turned to walk outside.
"Master Jin, where are you going?" Li asked, taking two steps forward in confusion.
Hua Xun stared blankly at his back, and that familiar feeling that terrified her surged up again.
Li was naturally unable to catch up with the cultivator and soon returned empty-handed. Meeting the gazes of the people inside the house, she forced a smile and said, "I don't know what's wrong with cultivator Jin. He suddenly left."
"Master Hua, did you manage to find Changyan's soul just now?"
When Hua Xun saw Li Shi again, she couldn't help but recall the scene in Chen Changyan's dream.
In the dream, Li doted on Chen Changyan and would often cover up his visits to brothels.
Even after Chen Changyan laid a hand on Fang Qinglian, Li initially pretended to bring a doctor to persuade Fang Qinglian to be patient, saying that which man in the world is not fickle, and that he would naturally settle down in the future.
Later on, they turned a blind eye to the matter and acted as if nothing had happened.
It can be said that the Li family were also accomplices.
Hua Xun looked away, got off the tea table, and walked towards Fang Qinglian, who was standing silently in the corner: "I have explored almost all of Young Master Chen's memories, but there is still one thing I haven't found out. Is the young mistress still unwilling to tell me the truth?"
"What is this cultivator Hua saying?" Madam Li chuckled dryly as she stepped forward. "If you find my son's soul..."
“I only want to speak with the young mistress,” Hua Xun said firmly. “Would the young mistress like to come back to Tingxue Pavilion with me for a chat?”
Fang Qinglian paused, staring blankly at her. After a long while, she gave a bitter smile and nodded.
In Fang Qinglian's words, this is a story of "the fickle nature of old friends".
It is true that Fang Qinglian and Chen Changyan have known each other since childhood, and it is also true that they grew up together as childhood sweethearts. When they reached a certain age, they got married, which made their relationship even more genuine.
However, although Chen Changyan was always stubborn when he was young, he would always soften his heart whenever Fang Qinglian showed a wronged look.
Chen Changyan would jokingly call Fang Qinglian "Little Lotus Seedling" because of her name and her love of wearing green clothes.
However, when Fang Qinglian was bullied, Chen Changyan would stand up for her;
Fang Qinglian got lost in the mountains, and Chen Changyan searched for her in the forest for a day and a night and found her.
Fang Qinglian was always prone to crying, and Chen Changyan would mutter "trouble" while waiting patiently by the side, scratching his head and holding a stack of handkerchiefs...
Even as she spoke of these things, Fang Qinglian still wore a faint smile.
Everything changed on their wedding night.
Chen Changyan seemed to have become a different person. He casually lifted her bridal veil, calling her "Madam Fang" and showing disdain for her blandness.
Taking advantage of his drunkenness, Chen Changyan attempted to force himself on Fang Qinglian. When Fang Qinglian, sensing his discomfort, refused, Chen Changyan became enraged and went to a brothel, making the newlywed Fang Qinglian a laughingstock.
After that, Chen Changyan became increasingly ruthless, and eventually even started physically assaulting her...
Just as Hua Xun saw in Chen Changyan's memory.
“I’ve always believed that they are not one person,” Fang Qinglian said stubbornly, her eyes red-rimmed. “But I feel like I won’t be able to wait for my Changyan to come back.”
Hua Xun paused, his gaze involuntarily drifting to her little finger and ankle.
So, even after being hurt like this, she doesn't leave. Is she waiting for the old Chen Changyan to come back?
Her prayers at the temple were not for the return of that terrible Chen Changyan, but for the return of her husband—the one she was truly waiting for.
Hua Xun handed over a handkerchief, unsure of what to say. Only after Fang Qinglian calmed down did she ask, "Do you know if anyone in the Chen family has ever kept a fox? Or if a fox has ever visited the mansion?"
"A fox?" Fang Qinglian pondered quietly for a moment. "I remember, my mother-in-law had raised a red fox for many years. She doted on it and took care of it day and night. But that red fox met with misfortune on the night I married Changyan; it was murdered."
Hua Xun was slightly taken aback.
The red fox that Li had raised for many years was murdered on her wedding night.
Chen Changyan's personality changed drastically on his wedding night...
“Master Hua, could that red fox be related to my husband’s coma?” A glimmer of hope appeared in Fang Qinglian’s eyes.
"I cannot confirm yet," Hua Xun said apologetically.
The light in Fang Qinglian's eyes gradually dimmed, but she still managed a smile: "It's good that you've done your best, Flower Cultivator."
Having finished speaking, Fang Qinglian didn't linger any longer and was helped away.
Hua Xun stared at her back until he could no longer see her, then turned to look at the God who had been sitting quietly in his chair since the beginning.
When Fang Qinglian spoke emotionally just now, she couldn't help but feel her eyes well up with tears, but the God remained calm and undisturbed.
“My Lord,” Hua Xun recounted her discovery in her dream, “I did not find Chen Changyan’s soul in my dream.”
"Hmm," the deity said gently, "the soul must be hidden in a secret place. If it could be found easily, why would the spirit fox go to such lengths to hide it?"
"A spirit fox?" Hua Xun asked, puzzled, then realized, "You know that the fox is hiding inside Chen Changyan's body?"
The deity nodded.
Hua Xun speculated: "Could it be that after the marriage, the fox possessed Chen Changyan, which caused Chen Changyan's personality to change drastically?"
"But later, the spirit fox and Chen Changyan's physical body repelled each other, which caused Chen Changyan to fall into a coma?"
Some evil cultivators do possess this kind of evil body-snatching technique, but if the original body's will is strong and refuses to submit, they cannot fully control the body.
"It shouldn't be," the deity said slowly.
Why?
"I sensed Luo He's celestial soul aura on the spirit fox," the divine lord patiently replied. "The divine soul is formless, the earthly soul is extremely turbid, while the celestial soul is extremely pure."
"If a spirit fox harbors evil thoughts and commits acts of killing, it will be devoured by the Heavenly Soul."
“How could Chen Changyan suddenly become such a different person…” Hua Xun murmured, then suddenly widened her eyes, “Unless, this is Chen Changyan’s true nature!”
The deity did not respond.
“But if that’s the case, then wouldn’t Chen Changyan from the previous eighteen years be…that fox?” Hua Xun couldn’t believe it. “Before the wedding night, the body was always occupied by the fox. Something must have happened on the wedding night to awaken the real Chen Changyan…”
"In two days, it will be the winter solstice for humans, which is also the day with the longest night and the strongest yin energy," the Divine Lord reminded with a smile. "Li will ask for talismans to suppress the soul. You can try to ask her about it then."
winter solstice?
Hua Xun was slightly taken aback.
She recalled the day she took human form, when she saw two woodcutters in the mountains. They laughed and said, "Today is the winter solstice. Let's go home and have a good drink together."
Later, Baili Sheng asked her what day she was born.
She did not know the exact date of her birth, so she took the day she took human form as her birthday, which corresponds to the "Winter Solstice".
At that time, perhaps for his own benefit, Baili Sheng said that the first centennial birthday was an extremely important day for the demon race.
He also said he would stay with her through it.
"Hmm?" The deity looked at her.
Hua Xun snapped out of her daze, pursed her lips, and asked, "How did the Divine Lord know that the Li family would use talismans to suppress the soul?"
The deity smiled gently and said, "She prayed to me yesterday and mentioned this matter unintentionally."
Hua Xun responded softly, then, remembering something, cautiously asked, "My Lord, if the person who spent the previous eighteen years with Fang Qinglian was indeed that fox, and the real Chen Changyan was the villain, what should we do?"
The deity spoke slowly and deliberately, with a compassionate yet impartial tone: "I will separate Luohe's Heavenly Soul."
"What about Chen Changyan?"
The deity replied, "Chen Changyan's fate is not yet over."
Hua Xun was puzzled: "But he is a very evil person."
The deity looked at her and said, "Everyone has their own destiny, and so do the wicked."
For the first time, Hua Xun found the God's words difficult to understand and couldn't help but ask, "What about those who are harmed by evil people? Is that also their fate?"
"yes."
"And what about the God-King?" Hua Xun blurted out, "Is the God-King's fate also unchangeable? Will he be alone forever for thousands of years?"
The deity looked at the child, who was so excited for the first time, and sighed, "It should be this way."
That's how it should be.
Hua Xun froze on the spot upon hearing this. Her restless mind was as if a bucket of warm water had been poured over her head. It was still so gentle, but a gust of cool wind brought a chill.
Her chest felt increasingly heavy, and she pressed her lips tightly together before speaking again after a long while: "Did the Divine Lord already know that the fox that attacked last night was hiding inside Chen Changyan's body, which is why he sent me that plum blossom?"
The deity paused for a moment, then nodded: "The spirit fox possesses a celestial soul; you alone cannot defeat it."
Hua Xun's eyes welled up with tears, and she quickly lowered her head.
So, that wasn't a gift for her.
It was only to "make the most of what it has" to protect her in a critical moment.
She knew that thinking like this was being too sentimental, after all, the God had protected her once again.
But... gifts and protection are different things to God.
The gift was a unique and special favor given to her by the deity.
The God-King can provide protection to everyone in the Three Realms.
She presumptuously assumed that the fact that the deity gave her a plum branch meant that she was somewhat special to him.
In reality, I was just like that parrot.
“I understand, Lord,” Hua Xun replied obediently. “Then I will go back and prepare to inquire about the Li family on the Winter Solstice.”
This time, before the deity could respond, Hua Xun quickly turned and ran out.
The deity's gaze lingered on the closed door for a few moments before he looked away.
*
Hua Xun returned to her room and buried herself in the bedding.
Embracing the soft, ethereal silk, she gently rubbed her burning eyes.
Within his sea of consciousness, the Spirit Rhinoceros Gu also weakened.
Hua Xun couldn't tell whether it was her heart that infected her, or her heart that infected her.
Looking at the listless Gu worm that didn't even bother to move, she couldn't help but use a burst of magic to pinch its soft body: "Are you unhappy too?"
The worm, of course, could not respond; it merely raised its eyelids listlessly before falling back down.
Hua Xun poked it a few more times as usual, and when it didn't react, she gradually stopped.
“I’m a little upset too,” she muttered to herself, “It shouldn’t have been like this…”
No matter how hard she cultivates, she is still a demon, possessing the greed inherent in the demon race.
Not content with receiving God's great love and care, they also want special favor.
Too greedy.
Greed creates mental demons that obstruct the earth's veins.
When the earth's veins trembled and fractured, it was the divine lord who sacrificed himself to mend them.
Hua Xun tried hard to control her thoughts, but those intangible ideas kept growing.
Cultivate yourself.
It will be fine once you enter a meditative state.
Thinking this, Hua Xun sat up and forced herself to concentrate on cultivating the mental technique.
That wretched parrot flew over to befriend the deity once again, and for the first time, Hua Xun didn't feel the urge to go out and chase it away.
She thought that she didn't want to see the God-King appear emotionless, without joy or sorrow, without desire or ambition.
And so, Hua Xun cultivated in her room for two nights and a day. Except for a brief glimpse of the Divine Lord through the crack in the window when the Spirit Rhinoceros Gu became agitated, she did not go out again.
Hua Xun didn't leave her room until the winter solstice, when she needed to prepare to inquire about the items belonging to the Li family.
The deity still stood alone under the plum branch, calmly admiring the flowers on the ground, just as he had done a few days before.
Not only that, just like he did on White Mist Cliff thousands of years ago.
The green parrot was comfortably nestled in his arms, dozing off, its head bobbing up and down. Suddenly startled awake by the sound of the door opening, it stared at her with wide eyes.
The deity also looked at her.
Hua Xun hesitated slightly. Even though nearly two days had passed, seeing the God's face again still made her feel bitter. In the end, she only softly said "God" before hurriedly running away.
Her mind wandered the whole way. One moment she thought the deity must find her strange, the next she thought she had been too rude and wondered if the deity would dislike her because of it...
It wasn't until she bumped into Li, who was ordering people to move the soul-suppressing objects, that Hua Xun gradually cleared her mind of distractions.
Winter should be a time for families to celebrate together, but Li was suppressing her spirit on this extremely yin day, perhaps out of fear that a spirit might come looking for her.
These kinds of people are the easiest to deal with. Just dress up as a ghost and scare them, and they'll be able to tell you pretty much everything.
With that thought in mind, Hua Xun quickened her pace.
But just as they turned the corner of the corridor, everything went dark, and they bumped straight into a figure.
Hua Xun felt a sharp pain on her forehead and quickly took a step back. When she saw who it was, she frowned and asked, "Jin Huan, what are you doing here?"
*
Listening to Snow Pavilion.
Shenjun Jiuqing still stood under the plum branch. Even though he had concealed his divine light, his snow-white robes still seemed to exude a soft mist of light.
He gazed at the blooming red flowers on the ground, gently stroking the parrot in his arms, a smile playing on his lips, untouched by worldly dust.
It resembles a deity being enshrined high.
After a moment, he spoke slowly, as if he were talking to himself or asking the parrot in his arms, his voice as gentle as a babbling brook: "That child is probably angry."
Although he had long forgotten what anger felt like, he could tell from the child's forced smile that the child must be feeling terrible.
Hearing the sound above, the parrot raised its head, glanced up, blinked its round eyes, and cooed twice.
The deity lowered his eyes and said with a smile, "You noticed it too?"
The parrot chirped a few more times and nuzzled his palm affectionately and obediently.
The deity felt the touch in his palm and looked at it: "You also think that I should go and find her?"
The parrot couldn't understand, it just turned its nimble little head, shook its wings, and still wanted to lie in his arms.
The deity patted the parrot's head, loosened his grip slightly, and an invisible force lifted it up to the branch.
The deity turned around and slowly walked outside.
He greeted the servants of the Chen family along the way with a smile, and they simply responded.
When they reached the gate of the Chen residence, the deity stopped and looked at the two figures in front of him.
The child was walking out with "Jin Huan".
The deity remained calm, his smile unwavering, gazing at the child's smile until, after a few moments, his eyelids drooped, and he quietly turned away.
-----------------------
Author's note: God: That child is angry.
Parrot: Chirp chirp.
God: You also think I should go find her?
Parrot: Chirp chirp.
God: Alright.
Parrot:……
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