Chapter 45 Freedom, a long, unruly stick...
The long staff swept through the black mist with unstoppable force, scattering it into pieces. It spun rapidly, sometimes flying to the left and sometimes to the right, completely protecting Shi Wenzhe from all sides. Shi Wenzhe swaggered behind the staff that had cleared the way, like a bullying dog, showing no fear or helplessness whatsoever.
A light appeared ahead, and Shi Wenzhe was excited. He ran towards the light. He didn't know when it started, but the fragrance of roses was carried by the wind, and the space was filled with that sweet, almost dizzying aroma.
Shi Wenzhe encountered that ray of light as if the clouds had parted to reveal the sun. The sounds of wind, water, and rain pattering on banana leaves all rushed into her mind.
The fragrance of flowers lingers around my nose, birds chirp, insects hum, and the green grass stretches as far as the eye can see, with the blue waves flowing gently at my feet and the sky above me so blue it's almost unbearable.
Shi Wenzhe really wanted to die; all this beautiful reality felt unreal.
It was a gentle and enchanting summer breeze, somewhat hot, carrying the salty smell of the sea. She walked forward obliviously, like countless people in the world who had been in darkness for a long time and then saw the light, so excited that they forgot themselves, chasing the light straight ahead, their steps firm, never looking back.
The beach was a little hot on her feet, and the setting sun had not yet sunk. In an instant, all the sticky, cold dampness on her body was dried, and warmth, along with a pleasant breeze, brushed over every pore of her body.
She suddenly felt sleepy and wanted to lie down on the ground and take a nap, letting the sand cover her body and let her soul rest there.
"But..." Shi Wen shook her head, shaking off the untimely drowsiness. The blue sea and sky were a bit dazzling, and she yawned.
The long stick stopped spinning and retracted into a short stick next to Shi Wenzhe, circling her body a few times as if trying to put it back in. Shi Wenzhe crossed her arms and watched it warily, issuing a stern warning.
The short stick ignored her and lazily hovered in the air near Shi Wenzhe's right shoulder.
Shi Wenzhe curiously touched its intricate patterns. The engravings were very hard, the stick was heavy, and it was hot. She felt like she was dreaming, a dream so smooth and beautiful that it was unreal.
Before me stretched an endless sea, the waves crashing against the sandy shore, creating white streaks. Occasionally, I would curl up, hugging my knees, and watch quietly, as if trying to memorize all the vibrant colors and imprint them on my soul.
She didn't know how much time had passed when a crescent moon hung above the treetops, twinkling stars hung low over the sea, the evening breeze was a bit chilly, and her cloak was long gone. Shi Wenzhe touched her empty arms and felt the coastline was eerily desolate; she felt somewhat lonely.
"What's your name?" she asked the short stick.
The short stick flashed red light, which then detached from the stick and formed the characters "逍遥" (Xiaoyao, meaning carefree/free) in mid-air.
Those two words even seemed elegant, and Shi Wenzhe still managed to discern a hint of carefree ease in them.
She touched her head, wondering if she had really gone mad.
"My name is Shi Wenzhe..." she introduced herself, but then suddenly stopped. She suddenly realized that she had known Sui Yuan all the way, but she had forgotten to tell him her name. There was really no fate between them. Maybe God really just wanted them to meet by chance.
The night was desolate and endless. She talked to Xiaoyao to herself, rambling on and on. She asked it, "How did you get out of my body?"
Xiaoyao probably felt there were too many words to write, so he simply stopped moving. Shi Wenzhe laughed and said, "You're so lazy."
"These clothes are almost worn out." She sighed and decided to walk in the shallow sea to wash them, but the seawater was salty and would be uncomfortable to wear after washing. However, Shi Wenzhe didn't care about that. As long as the mud was washed off and they looked better, that was fine. Otherwise, she was afraid she would be embarrassed to death when she saw Qin Wenxue again.
"Qinwenxue," she murmured, a hint of longing welling up within her.
Shi Wenzhe shook off her tattered clothes, caught a few crabs by the moonlight, and asked Xiaoyao for a light. Xiaoyao, a man of principle, refused her. Shi Wenzhe was unhappy, but there was nothing she could do. She could only beg and plead, using all her charm and cuteness, until Xiaoyao finally relented.
Without a word, Shi Wenzhe grabbed a stick and started skewering crabs. "Swish—" The sound of crab shells being pierced rang out, and sparks flew everywhere, landing on Shi Wenzhe's face. Shi Wenzhe hurriedly shook her hand away, and said in astonishment, "You...you're not still angry, are you?" She twisted her body, not daring to look Xiaoyao in the eye.
Xiaoyao kept banging on Shi Wenzhe's head, like hitting a crab shell, until she saw stars. Shi Wenzhe begged for mercy, "Good brother, I was wrong, oh, stop hitting me, or I'll really go crazy."
She fought with a stick all night long, and Shi Wenzhe didn't find it boring at all. She eventually ate the crabs, and in the end, Xiaoyao turned into a long stick. Shi Wenzhe picked up some wood, set up the long stick, and hung her clothes on it.
The chirping of insects was somewhat noisy, and the wind rustled through the leaves. Shi Wen, her body slightly curled up, lay asleep on the sand, her head resting on her arm. She was enveloped in a warm glow, and the heat wave seemed to support her soul in this unfamiliar place.
A white streak swept across the sea and landed beneath a lush tree. A man appeared beneath the tree, wearing an exquisite silver mask that covered most of his face, revealing only his handsome lips. The man's figure was slender and graceful, and he wore a white and gold robe, making him appear exceptionally holy.
The wind lifted the hem of his robe in a graceful arc, revealing a pair of antique-looking boots. The man stood with his back to the moonlight, the hidden patterns on his clothes shimmering in the moonlight. He stood lazily under the tree, arms crossed, staring at Shi Wenzhe for a long time.
Xiaoyao seemed to sense the visitor from beyond the sky. He turned to face the man, sparks flying from both ends, looking like a burst of fireworks. He was irritable and domineering, glaring at him as if about to deliver a blow.
The man smiled slightly. This stick seemed to have a spirit, and it even protected its owner. Moreover, it looked familiar.
He sensed human intrusion from the Mountain-less Pavilion on the other side of the Boundless Sea.
"No." He paused, his smile vanished, and his eyes sharpened as he scrutinized Shi Wenzhe.
Shi Wenzhe was oblivious and even comfortably turned over, facing the man directly.
Her face was indistinct in the red light, appearing hazy and flickering, even her eyebrows and eyes seemed more beautiful.
The man's pupils trembled, his face was filled with horror, and he kept smacking his lips, completely oblivious to the danger.
"Spirit Crossing Flower?"
"Weren't all these flowers dead?"
"Witch!" The man exclaimed, his body radiating intense killing intent. He drew his long sword and twirled it with a sharp flourish, the sword energy stirring the calm sea and causing the blue waves to ripple.
The man lightly touched the ground with his toes, wielding his sword as he swept forward, his long staff sweeping horizontally and spinning as he charged.
"Bang—" The sound of weapons clashing was extremely jarring, shaking the birds and beasts in the forest, the fish leaping on the sea, the trees rustling, and occasionally a carp could be heard sitting up abruptly.
She was still staring blankly ahead, her eyes unfocused, but her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of her throat.
"Slap!" Xiaoyao slapped Shi Wen across the face.
Shi Wenzhe looked shocked, covering his burning face and glaring angrily at him: "You hit me..."
Before he could finish speaking, Xiaoyao and a man were locked in a fierce battle, their sword energy stirring up waves that crashed and drenched Shi Wenzhe.
"...What are you doing?" Shi Wenzhe's throat tightened, and he spat out a mouthful of seawater, sighing inwardly at his ill-fated life, which was truly miserable and wretched.
"Good heavens! Who are you?!"
"Can't a person get any sleep?!" she snapped angrily, spouting nonsense. "Even if you want to kill me, can't you do it during the day? Isn't it better to sleep soundly at night?"
"Thump—" She covered her head and shed two cat tears, her voice trembling as she pitifully and sadly said, "Xiaoyao... why did you hit me again?"
Xiaoyao was very busy, but he still managed to find a moment to pretend to be about to make a quick buck.
I heard that he was agile and ran very fast.
She was quite self-aware, found a tree to hide under, and secretly observed the man.
The opponent seemed to be showing mercy to Xiaoyao. He did not use his full spiritual power. Instead, his swordsmanship was light and the force was not fierce. He was teasing Xiaoyao like a dog. Shi Wenzhe even grinned and silently lit a candle for Xiaoyao, hoping that it would not be too embarrassed.
Xiaoyao swept a gust of wind from his staff, cursing Shi Wenzhe as if he were furious. Shi Wenzhe was so shocked by the force of the wind that his soul seemed to float away, and he stood there like a fool.
They fought back and forth with their sticks, rising and falling on the boundless sea. The man's figure was graceful, his moves were sharp and decisive, and his actions were extremely beautiful. Shi Wenzhe didn't even want to blink, feeling that the magic he was using was really profound and mysterious. Her soul was drawn in and she was about to enter a meditative state.
Xiaoyao has a bad temper, and sparks fly everywhere. He was so amused that he almost exploded into fireworks.
"I pity you for the difficulty of cultivating a weapon spirit. Take care of yourself." The man sheathed his sword and lightly brushed Xiaoyao aside. Xiaoyao spun around so fast he was almost turning into a whirlwind of fire, looking extremely angry. Ignoring Xiaoyao's furious appearance, he cast a spell, freezing Xiaoyao in mid-air. Then, he patted non-existent dust off his arm and calmly flew down from the sky.
Shi Wenzhe was in a mysterious and profound state. She could sense what was happening in reality, but she couldn't react to it. Her mind began to be flooded with a lot of inexplicable information, about the Three Realms, the war between immortals and demons, and the Zhaoyao Continent. In an instant, Shi Wenzhe seemed to have witnessed the vicissitudes of the Zhaoyao Continent: the sprouting of green seedlings, tiny flowers, the slender willows, and the dandelions flying all over the sky. Every flower, every leaf, every blade of grass, every tree—life flourished and then withered quietly, a cycle of life and death.
When the memory was pulled away, her heart felt blocked, filled with melancholy and confusion. She felt a little reluctant and nostalgic, as if she had drunk two kilograms of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), feeling dizzy and unable to focus her eyes. But the clenched hands she unconsciously clenched revealed how much she cared.
"Am I blessed by heaven?" she murmured, the sound of waves crashing on the beach reaching her ears. Her heart settled back down, and the salty, fishy smell seemed like something she hadn't seen in a long time. When she smelled it again, it felt incredibly familiar.
"Clang—" The sound of the sword rang out incessantly, and the sword energy spread out in circles. Shi Wenzhe felt a huge killing intent. She suddenly looked up and saw the sharp sword tip flying straight towards her, its cold light flashing, determined to kill her with one blow.
Time seemed to slow down at that moment. Shi Wenzhe could even see the patterns engraved on the sword. The patterns seemed to have a Zen-like quality. With just that one glance, she almost entered that mysterious realm again.
Her heart was pounding so hard it was deafening. She was immobilized by the man's oppressive presence and couldn't move. Shi Wenzhe was anxious and her soul had cried out a thousand times.
"Run! Run! Run!"
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