Chapter 215 The Chase "Since we're both petty, it seems we are..."
The warmth emanating from Qiao Yanshen's body came from behind him.
She had clearly just woken up not long ago; her body still carried the lively warmth of someone asleep, making her feel even softer and warmer than usual. Her palms were sweaty from a little nervousness, and as she hugged Shen Lixia tightly, her hands pressed against Shen Lixia's waist. Suddenly, it felt like being burned, causing Shen Lixia to tremble slightly.
Qiao Yanshen noticed this and, somewhat strangely, loosened his grip for a moment, then gently rubbed her lower abdomen twice as if to soothe her. Her breath brushed through her hair and touched the boy's ear.
Shen Lixia's ears burned. In the cold darkness, she was glad that everything was slightly blurry, so Qiao Yanshen wouldn't notice that her face was already red.
The two were pressed close together, and Shen Lixia could almost feel the softness and reassurance in her arms. Despite the inappropriateness of the occasion, what flashed through her mind now was not fear of the outside world, but an impulse to turn around and embrace her. They were so close, yet lately, when they were alone together, they always fell into inexplicable silences—their nighttime conversations, their half-asleep, intimate whispers, all seemed to have become endlessly distant in the short span of time.
Even though it's winter, just sticking together makes us warmer than ever before.
The knocking on the door suddenly stopped.
Instead, her heartbeat, which was faint at this moment, gradually became clearer.
Qiao Yanshen released her hand from her waist and cautiously stood up. She didn't explain her purpose to Shen Lixia, but their thoughts were always aligned.
Shen Lixia knew that her caution wasn't due to the power of the thing outside the door, but rather a desire to avoid alerting it before making a move. She too tiptoed to the door, and just then, the thing outside finally spoke.
It was the voice of a young child. It should have been delicate and clear, but it carried an indescribable eeriness. The words lacked the breath of a living person, as if the upper and lower teeth were chattering, uttering a few indistinct words.
An ordinary person would likely not be able to understand what was being said, but Shen Lixia, with her keen senses, quickly picked up on the sounds that drifted away on the wind:
"mother......"
"Mother..."
A chill ran through her, and she felt a deep sadness, as if the thing was calling out those two words from the bottom of its heart. After calling out a few times intermittently, the other person's voice suddenly paused, then became more lively and natural when it spoke again.
Like a daughter returning home late, she cheerfully greets, "Mother, open the door! I'm home!" She takes two more steps in front of the door and knocks again.
Shen Lixia recalled that the houses here had a custom of having side doors, partly for ventilation and partly for the mischievous children. Although there were often power struggles among the chieftains in Tianchi, they rarely affected the common people. Even if they played until late at night, the children could freely roam the rainforest. They often carried sachets to ward off snakes, insects, and wild beasts, so the only thing to worry about was their mothers' scolding.
But a small door makes it very convenient for these children to sneak back without going through the main entrance and without disturbing others.
The fact that the mother opens the side door is basically a sign that she spoils her child.
No wonder Isabella Leung seemed particularly regretful when she mentioned the evil spirits in the dead of night—their freedom at night had been taken away, bringing widespread fear and unease.
"Mother, open the door!" the girl repeated. "I'm back."
At this moment, Qiao Yanshen had already reached the door. Her steps were extremely light; in an instant, she released her sword, its cold gleam reflecting the moonlight, almost dazzling, flashing past her eyes—
The sword pierced straight through the wooden door in front of her, yet its energy was perfectly concealed, causing no harm to those around her. She lowered her brows and coldly turned to listen.
Sure enough, the calling stopped abruptly, replaced by hurried footsteps and a soft rustling sound like snakes crawling across the ground. Qiao Yanshen quickly drew his sword, kicked the door open, and chased after them.
The loud bang startled the others who were still sleeping in the room. Shen Lixia knew that all of this was a meticulous plan. First, she wanted to make the evil spirit outside flee because of this fierce attack, and then chase after it, and maybe find a nest. But if the two of them left, there would be no one guarding the house, so she had to remind them without wasting time going back.
Hearing the sounds of fighting, most people would understand that something was wrong. Sure enough, a woman's loud and powerful voice pierced the night sky: "Enemy attack!"
...Why does Simmons's speech always make her want to laugh?
Zhao Yu responded to Simmons with the same roar: "Burn firewood to ward off evil spirits! Don't run out!"
In human civilization, fire is closely associated with light, and naturally, it is also believed to dispel darkness and evil spirits. The two women, as if singing a folk song, shouted a few lines through the door, and their soaring voices were enough to scare away any demons or monsters.
Shen Lixia leaped forward, intending to catch up, but then she heard someone push open the door behind her. She turned around and saw that it was Zhao Yu holding a torch.
Their attire differed from that of the people of Tianchi, but in reality, it was not much different from that of the people of the Central Plains. Since they did not mention it, Zhao Yu and the others naturally did not know that these travelers staying there were actually cultivators.
Upon hearing the commotion, she rushed over with a torch, breaking out in a cold sweat, fearing that something might have happened to Shen Lixia and the others.
Seeing the sword marks on the door and the dark, menacing Flowing Fire Sword in Shen Lixia's hand, Zhao Yu was astonished. His cold sweat turned into hot sweat, sticking to his back.
She stared at Shen Lixia for a moment, then suddenly let out a sigh of relief.
It's good that you're alright.
Shen Lixia smiled at her, then turned and ran into the night.
Ahead, a graceful white figure darted through the lush rainforest, as swift as a feather fluttering, as fleeting as a startled swan. The longsword in its hand stirred a whistling wind, radiating a chilling, gleaming silver light.
Shen Lixia chased after him closely, only the sound of her boots stomping on the grass and withered branches could be heard.
They traveled under the stars and moon, their eyes like needles piercing the trembling evil spirits running ahead in the dimly lit rainforest.
It was indeed the figure of a short child, yet it possessed agility beyond its years, preventing them from catching up. As they chased it deeper into the dense forest, they could hear hoarse bird calls and hissing noises from time to time, indicating that it had disturbed the wild animals that inhabited the forest.
Qiao Yan took a deep breath and suddenly stopped in his tracks: "Use a bow and arrow."
Her voice sounded cold at that moment, like a secluded spring flowing in the dead of winter, mixed with fine ice.
Shen Lixia understood her meaning. With a flash, she took out the dark red longbow, exerted her strength, and drew the bow. Several arrows condensed, and with a whoosh, the boundless golden spiritual power on them landed precisely in the four directions around the figure. Then, they burst into dazzling light, blocking all her paths.
Qiao Yanshen glanced at her with a hint of surprise.
Shen Lixia put away the bow, took the talismans she was holding in her mouth, and breathed a sigh of relief.
The talisman depicted a low-level locking formation, capable of attaching itself to a specific attack and temporarily restricting a person's movements.
"Just now, Liang Shi said that the daughter of a family she knew was also taken away. In a place like this, if you know someone, you probably live nearby. Maybe she wasn't eaten, but became a puppet of evil spirits to deceive people. There is still hope of being rescued."
She smiled and walked forward.
"You didn't point your sword directly at her just now, you must have considered this beforehand, right? How could I hold you back?"
Now, deep inside, there was little light left, and it was pitch black. In this cramped space, her eyes were like steady lamplight, yet because she had just finished chasing through the forest, they trembled slightly, revealing a wildness like that of a raptor seizing its prey.
Qiao Yanshen's heart trembled slightly, and a smile appeared in his voice: "Junior Sister Shen has always been so perceptive."
Shen Lixia took a couple of deep breaths, turned around, seemingly angered again by her calling him "Junior Sister Shen," and strode forward. The arrow dissipated like water, leaving only spiritual energy bound to the child by golden threads drawn from talismans.
Upon closer inspection, she saw that the child was indeed dressed in simple clothes, with a bracelet on his wrist that the locals were skilled at weaving. The knots on these bracelets resembled the sword tassels her master had woven for her. While they appeared similar, they were subtly different, stemming from a primitive language and containing many of a mother's blessings for her child.
Shen Lixia said, "Let's take her back first."
She made a hand seal to break the spell and kept an eye on her surroundings. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept in, and Shen Lixia's pupils contracted. She wanted to protect the child in front of her first, but her sleeves were suddenly tightened, and she was pulled back a few steps by a force.
Qiao Yanshen pulled her back a short distance. A swift shadow pierced the spot where Shen Lixia had been standing, splashing up a large amount of fine grass and mud, like a rampaging python. Seeing that its attack had failed, it suddenly coiled around the girl, swept her away, and quickly disappeared from their sight through the dense forest.
The sound of panting echoed in the quiet air.
"Chase—" Shen Lixia had barely uttered the words when she coughed again, startled and breaking out in a cold sweat. Qiao Yanshen released her hand and calmly brushed the fine leaves off her clothes.
She glanced at the dense forest, which resembled a deep, gaping maw. Besides the darkness, there seemed to be something else obscuring her vision. Although her cultivation had regressed, she could still control her spiritual power to see beyond her sight, but it was as if she were blocked, and she couldn't see anything clearly.
A chilling atmosphere permeated the surroundings, and all was deathly silent. Qiao Yanshen turned around. "We can't catch up. Let's go back."
Shen Lixia stared intently ahead, unwilling to give up. Like Qiao Yanshen, she couldn't see what lay beyond.
If she had acted just a little faster, at least the child wouldn't have been taken away. That family must be in so much pain to lose their daughter, and she clearly had the chance to bring her back...
But it was late at night, and they had somehow strayed far from Zhao Yu's residence. Simmons and the others weren't spiritual cultivators and couldn't sense subtle fluctuations in spiritual energy, so finding them would be very difficult. Under these circumstances, they had no idea what kind of enemy they were facing, and in any case, they shouldn't go any further.
Moreover, since the evil spirit's purpose is to lure more people, it will certainly not give up this useful physical body, and the child may be fine—at least not for the next few days.
A thick frost gradually rose, brushing against my body. The moon was bright in the sky; it was probably already past midnight.
Shen Lixia then realized that they had indeed gone too far in their pursuit. They had been running along the path of evil spirits, and had unknowingly covered a considerable distance in this unfamiliar dense forest.
Just then, a hand was stretched out in front of her, its knuckles distinct, looking strong and steady. Qiao Yanshen walked up to her, the hem of his white sleeve fluttering slightly in the wind.
“Hold my hand tightly,” she said briefly. “I don’t want to turn around and find you’ve disappeared again. It’s foggy here, and evil spirits love to roam in the cold fog.”
This was the first time they had held hands since their argument. Before she knew it, Shen Lixia had already placed her hand firmly in Qiao Yanshen's palm.
“…Let’s go.” Her face flushed red, she looked away and secretly tightened her grip on Qiao Yanshen’s hand.
He then emphasized, "It's cold and dangerous now, I only held her hand because I had no other choice." The implication was that he didn't really want to hold her hand.
Qiao Yanshen replied calmly, "Yes, it's cold."
With a nimble twist of her slightly cool fingertips, she slipped between the boy's warm fingers and, before she could react, firmly interlocked them, transforming their loose hand-holding into a clasp of fingers.
“Hmm,” Qiao Yanshen said again, “dangerous.” There was a hint of coldness in his voice, as if if Shen Lixia withdrew her hand at this moment, some immeasurable consequences would occur.
"Since it's so dangerous, we should hold onto him like this."
"..." Shen Lixia remained silent, feeling a warmth in her heart. She lowered her head and walked forward with her, exploring the path.
"Are you scared?" Shen Lixia asked. Her heart was pounding, and she couldn't tell if it was nervousness or affection for the person in front of her. She could only try to find something to talk about to ease the feeling.
"I'm not afraid with you here."
The fog thickened, taking on an eerie appearance. It seemed that some formidable evil spirits were indeed lurking here, but they hadn't attacked out of fear of their power. Both women were extremely vigilant; if there were no footsteps on the ground, it was as if they could hear a pin drop.
Silence reigned all around, except for the clear, constant warmth emanating from her tightly clenched hands. Even the ticklish sensation from the calluses on her sword, and the slightest movement of her fingertips, felt like drops of water falling into her heart. As they walked side by side, she could see Qiao Yanshen's features, illuminated by the silvery moonlight, shimmering with a chilling light.
She must be bothered by it too.
Is that—
Shen Lixia suddenly spoke up: "I don't want to be angry with you anymore."
Qiao Yanshen did not reply, so they continued walking. His words seemed like a gentle breeze, immediately dissipating into the seemingly frozen air.
A wave of grievance washed over Shen Lixia, pounding against her chest. After a long while, Qiao Yanshen finally responded softly, "So you're just angry with me?"
She curved her lips into a smile, but there was no smile in her eyes. "I thought you were planning to break up with me." It was the first time she had said that word, and Shen Lixia's heart tightened upon hearing it.
The next sentence, however, was unexpected.
"However, I was actually prepared to pester them relentlessly."
Qiao Yanshen said slowly, "Isn't it true that storybooks love to write that if I keep bothering you, you might change your mind?"
Shen Lixia gripped her hand tightly, held it in for a long time, and finally sighed, saying softly, "You won't pester me. You'll just stay far away and wait for me to come find you."
She didn't want to see Qiao Yanshen do these things either. How could someone who cherishes another person allow them to abandon all their self-respect for the sake of their feelings for them?
She was constantly regretting it, but if a momentary tantrum could delay the separation or even prevent it from happening, she would rather be more willful.
"Why don't you think so? You keep calling her 'Senior Sister Qiao,' and you seem quite happy about it?"
"And what about Senior Sister? You were the one who started calling me Junior Sister Shen first." The boy bit his lip, stopped, and turned to look at her.
Qiao Yanshen said calmly, "Don't talk to me first."
"You tell me you're leaving first."
"You slept against me all afternoon, then ran away as soon as you woke up, and even said I was putting up with you." Qiao Yanshen started listing things off one by one, as if counting accounts on his fingers. "You know perfectly well that I like sleeping with you, and that craving warmth is only part of it. I wouldn't mind holding you even if you were freezing cold one day, but you said you wanted to buy a hand warmer; every time I look over, you avoid my gaze and pretend to talk to someone else..."
Shen Lixia was speechless.
She wanted to say something else, but if this continued, it would just be like elementary school kids arguing. But seeing her senior sister being so calculating for the first time, she found it incredibly cute.
Qiao Yanshen's eyes were clear and bright, like a piece of smooth blue jade, strangely allowing gentleness and coldness to coexist.
“I don’t want you to leave. I’ve said it before, every time you leave me, you will be hurt and suffer. Maybe I can’t prevent you from suffering those things, but at least I can share them with you.” Shen Lixia lowered her head because of her indifferent eyes, her voice soft and sad, “I’m a petty person. I wish I could kill anyone who makes you sad, even if they have their reasons. Even if I don’t actually do it, I will never like these people again.”
Her thoughtfulness stemmed from a change in Qiao Yanshen's attitude, not from genuine reconciliation.
“I’m also a petty person,” Qiao Yanshen paused, “Since we’re both petty, it seems we’re a match made in heaven.”
Shen Lixia was both angry and amused by her retort. Qiao Yanshen's eyes curved into a smile, and his tone finally softened.
She said, "The future is indeed dangerous and unknown, but there is someone in this world that I care about very much, and she makes me realize that I can no longer wallow in pain. Even in the darkest abyss, she will light my way forward and light up the little light in my heart. I am not walking alone. From the moment she said 'I love you,' no matter where we are, we are no longer alone because of our mutual concern."
She saw the boy look up, his golden pupils trembling like dazzling gems, and his voice growing softer.
“Every time we part, it is for a better reunion in the future. You also know why I insisted that you stay here. There are many opportunities for you in the Seven Realms. These are fragments buried in your past life, and you must find them one by one. As for my trials, they will definitely be in the Demon Realm.”
She raised their clasped hands and pressed them against her heart. "Trust me, okay? I like you, I really, truly like you, and I won't break my promise."
Shen Lixia pursed her lips, lowered her eyes for a moment, and then said, "I need to think about it. But you can't call me Junior Sister Shen anymore."
"You are not allowed to call me Senior Sister Qiao either."
The two talked back and forth until dawn when they finally found their way back.
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Author's note: I was laughing the whole time I was writing about their argument...
I had a strange dream before that my senior and junior sisters were kissing and being intimate. The junior sister was cleaning things on the desk (I don't know why they were cleaning the desk, maybe it was desk play). Before she finished cleaning, she was suddenly kissed by her senior sister, and she closed her eyes and quickly became immersed in the kiss. Then her senior sister took off her top and pressed her against the desk.
But I didn't dream about what happened next because my alarm went off.
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