Chapter 136 Hibiscus Tree: Seeing the tree is like seeing you.
After staying for a few days, Shen Lixia learned how to fold her wings, and her time staying in the Vermilion Bird Tribe came to an end.
The domestic architecture follows the customs of the Garan people, with many openwork windows and sand barriers on the outside, which are opened during the day to facilitate their passage. Sunlight casts numerous shadows on the white bricks and stones.
A lively scene unfolded along the waterway, where a woman in a dark blue dress stood out among the winged Garan people. Washing old clothes, she chatted casually with a group of older folks. Having spent so much time in the martial world, she had honed her wit and charm, each word striking a chord with the elderly, making them laugh heartily and feel deeply satisfied.
"What are dragon descendants like?" asked someone who was also washing clothes nearby.
Simmons raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled, "There's nothing unusual about it. It's just that they have mastered the power of words and the art of bewitching, but they don't have the ability to fly freely in the sky."
After speaking, she carefully examined the other party's wings and sincerely exclaimed, "Your wings are truly broad and powerful, and the color of your feathers is also extraordinary, making one envious."
Who doesn't love to hear such sweet words? Birds, in particular, cherish their feathers, as the color and condition of their plumage reflect their health, and they all hope to be healthy and strong. The group laughed heartily at her compliments, and, having enjoyed their time together for several days, they removed some of the brightest gemstones from their clothes and handed them to Simmons.
Simmons was momentarily dazed, managing to soften her gaze, which was now somewhat direct and intense. One hand was placed to her side, the other outstretched, and she said, "Such a generous gift is unnecessary..."
When he withdrew his hand, it was already full of glittering gold and silver jewelry.
Like a raccoon that has rummaged through every nook and cranny, she contentedly packed everything away. She washed the clothes, wrung them out, and magically dried them in the bucket beside her. After putting everything away, Simmons got up to leave when a sudden gust of wind swept up from behind, nearly making her eat a mouthful of her own hair—
Suddenly, she lost her footing and was in mid-air in the blink of an eye. A pair of hands caught her tightly, and above her came the soft laughter of a young man and the whooshing sound of wings flapping.
Without even thinking, Xi Meng knew who it was and shouted, "Shen Lixia, put me down!"
"Just want to experience a different perspective," Shen Lixia said with a smile. "By the way, aren't you going to congratulate me?"
Suddenly lifted into the air, Simmons was momentarily stunned before she realized what was happening. "You've become so adept at flying so quickly? That's amazing!" Just two days ago, she had been shaken to see the boy's newly grown wings, and at the time, they seemed rather clumsy. She never imagined that he could now fly as freely as the local Garan people.
The view was expansive, revealing the clear blue water below, the bustling crowds, and the many facets of the ancient city. Shen Lixia steadied the Simmons mattress and raised her voice: "Get ready—"
After saying that, she spread her wings and transformed into a bright red light, carrying the Simmons mattress swiftly through the spacious window.
The Garan people below clapped and cheered, shouting, "Holy Maiden!"
"Your Majesty's feathers are so beautiful! Let me apply the ointment for you!"
Among the Kalamites, close friends often smear each other with ointments to protect their wings from wind and sand erosion.
Shen Lixia lowered her head and smiled as she replied, "Okay, let me buy a jar while I'm at it, so that every time I open it, I'll think of everyone!"
The crowd couldn't help but smile, understanding the unspoken message that she was about to leave, and they raised their hands to wave vigorously. Some were perhaps moved, tears welling in their eyes; others took off the flower crowns from their hair, broke them into individual pieces, and threw them at the spirited young man.
Shen Lixia slowed down, accepting the gifts from them alongside Simmons. The saintess's friends were also friends of her people; several older Garan people came over and placed their feathers and flowers into Simmons' sleeves and boots. The woman sighed repeatedly, but did not refuse.
The title "Saintess" doesn't seem so offensive here.
“We’ll wait for you to come back.” One of them gazed at Shen Lixia with tender and ardent eyes. As they looked at each other, the young man realized that although they didn’t know each other well, they were already very close—otherwise, how could they have such burning eyes and frank hearts?
With the Simmons mattress in hand, Shen Lixia twirled gracefully in the air, paying homage to the elders with the etiquette of the Garan people, and called out, "Of course I will come back, Ami!"
She has many, many relatives, many mothers and sisters.
A scene of joy and harmony unfolded. Only after flying over numerous buildings and bidding farewell to them did Shen Lixia pause slightly. At this moment, Xi Mengsi's expression turned slightly pale, and she said weakly, "Fellow Daoist, I'm about to throw up."
She got along well with the warm-hearted Garan people, so she was more happy than regretful when she said goodbye. But Shen Lixia's speed was really hard to keep up with.
"Don't throw up, hold it in," Shen Lixia quickly interrupted her. "I don't want to see a rainbow in the sky."
Simmons, already used to her constant stream of new words, rolled her eyes and snapped, "Let me down!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Lixia swooped down and put her down just before she reached the ground. Her boots sank into the sand and gravel; Simmons took a couple of steps to make sure she was standing firmly before letting out a sigh of relief. She staggered a few steps, feeling as if she had been granted a reprieve.
"If only we flew slower," she said, rubbing her temples. "Actually, it felt pretty good."
"I remember." Shen Lixia looked ahead and saw Qiao Yanshen and the others standing by a tree not far away. The tree was in a worrying state; even from her perspective, she could tell it was withered and decaying, its dry branches swaying in the yellow sand, devoid of any vitality. She had heard that many deserts were once forests before they became barren, and she always felt that this place was the same, perhaps because the spiritual energy had gradually thinned and could no longer sustain the soil and water.
But this dead tree gave her a very special feeling.
Shen Lixia quickened her pace and walked over. Si Changxi and Hua Sheng were talking when her voice reached her ears: "...If we could have sufficient spiritual power—"
As she drew closer, the full view of the withered tree slowly came into focus. It was formed by two trees growing from the same root, intertwined and interdependent. A sense of bewilderment washed over her, and memories drifted away like willow catkins in the sky. Shen Lixia stood there stunned for a long while, then suddenly felt her body lose control. In the blink of an eye, she had spread her wings and landed among the branches.
The hibiscus tree did not give up growing; just as its name, the tree of the sun god, suggests, it continued to sprout small, thin branches until its vitality completely dissipated. The branches came into view, trembling gently, as if the tree spirit had awakened, entrusting her with fragments of the past, allowing Shen Lixia to catch those ethereal memories.
A flash before my eyes.
I remember it was at the beginning of that great war in ancient times, not long after she—or rather, Hua Ying—was summoned back. A hazy figure gradually became clear; it was a young man with black hair. She wore a bamboo-green robe and walked quickly to me.
The young woman had a pair of soft black eyes, with a calm, shimmering gold in the pupils and a touch of rouge-like red at the corners. Her face was gentle, and two tufts of dragon horns, resembling tree branches, emerged from her hair. They were long, graceful, and exceptionally beautiful—a unique pair of horned crowns in the world.
"Lingguang," she called out with a smile.
At this point, it was no longer just Ling Guang, but the gods, led by Jianbingjun who represented the Heavenly Dao, basically did not recognize any "names".
Just as he was about to reply, the young man suddenly frowned and muttered, "That's not right."
...What's wrong?
She pondered for a moment, then smiled again, her voice gentle: "Ah Ying... right? I'm not mistaken, am I?" She was used to calling her by the title of High Goddess, and it took her a while to realize it.
After a long silence, Shen Lixia slowly said, "Yes, but you don't need to remember this... it's not important anyway."
"How can it not be important? It's clearly special to you, and what you cherish, I should also cherish." The young man raised his hand and rubbed her face. "Hmm, you're not telling the truth again, are you? You're not still afraid of that person, are you?"
That person—are you referring to my eldest sister? The stern and unsmiling Jianbingjun, whose very name can stop a child from crying at night.
Having said that, she straightened her face, put on a fierce expression, and deliberately lowered her voice: "Ling Guang is Ling Guang, why are you making so many tricks? You are a god, not a child from the Earthly Chaos Realm!" As soon as she finished speaking, the young man couldn't help but laugh, as if he couldn't hold back his laughter.
She herself chuckled. In her memory, the person before her was a very gentle person… and strangely enough. Unlike many gods and immortals who had renounced the mortal world, this Taiyin Jun was very interested in everything in the mortal realm and the celestial realm, and was skilled in writing poetry, painting, playing the zither, and singing. Before she went to the mortal realm, Hua Ying had no appetite, and she loved to make strangely shaped pastries. Sometimes they were too sweet, sometimes too salty. When she served them to the four of them, Jianbing Jun would always frown and say they were hard to swallow, while Zhiming Jun would frankly say, "Too salty." Only Hua Ying would blankly eat them bite by bite, and after thinking for a long time, she would mutter, "Delicious."
At this point, the young man would hug her and kiss her twice, and happily say under the disapproving gaze of the soldier, "My darling little bird, I love you the most."
But in the end, she still finished her food. Even the most unapproachable eldest sister, despite her harsh words, always finished her portion. Back then, they were still family, and occasionally they could get together. As the youngest child, she naturally received the most attention from the other three. She was held in her eldest sister's arms when she was born from the stars, her armor was personally crafted by the Wise Ruler, and she was accompanied by the Moon Lord as she grew up.
When exactly did they begin to drift apart?
After laughing for a while, the young man took something out of his pocket and spread it out in front of her.
It is a seed.
“Thanks to you, I’ve also thought of a name for myself.” The young man lowered his eyes, his fingertips gently tracing the seed. “So I want to plant a tree for you, a perch just for you.”
A tree given to Huaying. Her youngest and dearest sister, her sun.
Then, to everyone's surprise, the tree was named the Sun God Tree and became the Fusang Tree, inseparable from Lord Lingguang.
The person who planted the tree has been forgotten, just like the bond between siblings, which has been torn apart and disappeared over the long years.
The boy looked down at the seed and whispered, "Name?"
"Um?"
"I want to know the name my sister chose for herself. Can you tell me?"
The young man smiled slightly, his eyes sparkling, and in that instant, they seemed more vibrant and full of life than ever before.
"Si Yue," she said, "I'll call you Si Yue."
The first character belongs to the mother who was not yet the God of Heaven in the past, so she took this as her surname, wishing that she would always remember that she was a child created and brought into this world by her mother.
The hibiscus tree sprouts, and even if we are separated in the future, we can still remember each other by looking at the tree, for seeing the tree is like seeing you.
The four of us are family, the only family we have in this world. No matter how many barriers or obstacles lie between us, we will eventually understand each other and meet again. A gentle voice rang in his ears, and the memory slowly faded away. In just a moment, the boy felt his face wet with tears.
Tears fell drop by drop, landing on the slender branches.
The Fusang tree withered, and the celestial realm was shrouded in turmoil. The Wise Ruler sacrificed himself as a shield, losing consciousness forever; the Moon Lord vanished without a trace, and his tribe perished. She, having already died once, was no longer the Lingguang Lord of the past.
Ultimately, things didn't go as planned, and they never understood each other until their deaths.
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Author's note: Sigh, I've finally managed to gradually bring back the foreshadowing that Xia said she "has no relatives" earlier!
In both their past and present lives, the two characters will form bonds with many people, but they are unique to each other. Romance will definitely be a central theme, but I will also explore family and friendship relationships, which will be related to the main storyline!
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