Chapter 112 Sugar Rice Cake: Love and Pain Are Inseparable
The flames engulfed the entire smoky house. The two turned and left. The splattered blood and mangled corpses spontaneously combusted as Shen Lixia walked by. Faintly, one could hear the souls emitting extremely faint screams.
Qiao Yanshen followed behind her, watching the flames meander, like the bright tail feathers of a bird, burning fiercely.
The two soon walked side by side. The boy's pace slowed, then suddenly stopped completely, followed by a stumble.
A hand caught her just in time. Qiao Yanshen sensed something was wrong, but before he could ask a question, a sharp, burning pain spread instantly. He heard a faint sound on his arm as a large, fine burn mark appeared on his arm.
Without making a sound, she channeled a stream of spiritual energy into his meridians, then swept Shen Lixia up in her arms. The boy was burning hot, and the spot where they were pressed together felt like it was on fire. Even though he could endure the pain, Qiao Yanshen couldn't help but let out a low hiss.
While supporting the back of the person's head with their fingers, they suddenly heard a sizzling sound. Upon closer inspection, they saw that the ends of the hair were also slightly burned, turning a charred black color.
Qiao Yanshen frowned, summoned Yu Feng to fly back on his sword, and bumped into Si Liuhua taking a patient's pulse. When the young man's gaze fell on Shen Lixia, his expression suddenly became serious, and without saying a word, he pointed her in a direction.
"That's where I'm staying temporarily. Let her rest there."
She was referring to the small hut in the village used for entertaining outsiders. Qiao Yanshen nodded, thanked her, and then carried Shen Lixia in that direction.
Behind them, Si Liuhua watched their figures disappear through the door, lost in thought.
—This is indeed divine fire, there's no mistake.
So the boy in the other person's arms is the one Wu Zhuyue was talking about.
The Four Symbols have not appeared in the world for a long time, and their relatives have also disappeared. Now that we are fortunate enough to see them, regardless of whether their bloodline is pure or diluted, they should have a soul that is stronger than that of ordinary people.
We must not let her go, but it would be best to let her grow for a while longer until she reaches the Nascent Soul stage, at which point we can harvest her.
Inside the room, the two sat cross-legged on the bed. Shen Lixia was still not fully conscious when Qiao Yanshen reached out to support her, letting the young girl lean on his shoulder, her burning cheeks buried in his neck.
Their jet-black hair fell down, their temples intertwined, strands tangled, a vibrant life force emanating from them. Even though she was not fully conscious, Shen Lixia felt at ease with Qiao Yanshen's presence and was completely attached to her.
The flames surging within his body were not a violent rage seeking to shatter everything, but rather an upward struggle pushing him to his limit. Qiao Yanshen's mind stirred; he extended his other hand, placing his palm on the boy's abdomen, and probed inside with his divine sense.
A glimpse of a radiant golden object was taking shape, drawing power from the divine fire and attracting a surge of spiritual energy from heaven and earth. While invisible to ordinary people, she could sense the intense spiritual energy around her, which was creating a whooshing sound.
Because she is the Vermilion Bird, each breakthrough is like a rebirth, requiring her to shatter all her bones and melt her flesh before she can be rebuilt.
Qiao Yanshen's cold spiritual energy flowed continuously over her, which seemed to stimulate Shen Lixia, causing her to struggle to open her mouth and mumble, "I can't hurt her..."
She raised her hand, wanting to push Qiao Yanshen away and face this special tribulation alone, but he gripped her wrist tightly, almost like a vise, making it impossible for her to exert any force. The excruciating pain of her bones and blood shattering was piercing and bone-deep. Shen Lixia was utterly exhausted, and cold sweat had soaked through her inner shirt.
Tears fell again, like beads from a broken string, making Qiao Yan feel a dampness on her neck, which was quickly evaporated by the heat.
Shen Lixia whispered, "Don't hurt her anymore, don't let her suffer any more pain..."
Neither you nor Shenhuo should hurt her anymore. How much pain must they endure before they achieve that happy ending?
Qiao Yanshen simply held her tightly, listening to the hissing sound of the flames, and suddenly remembered the song she had sung for him in his past life under the flowering tree in that long dream long ago.
If love is pain, then she is willing to endure the pain.
After a long while, the boy's face, which had been pressed tightly against her shoulder, was lifted up. Qiao Yanshen gazed into her bright golden eyes, which were no longer clear, trembling with pain. She sighed softly, then lowered her head and gently kissed him.
The flames, felt only by their shared connection, surged upwards, gradually enveloping their figures until they were completely consumed. The same stinging pain assaulted them, yet Qiao Yanshen never loosened his grip, never severed their intertwined spiritual energy. She felt an indescribable sense of peace, as if her very soul trembled, telling her—
They should have been so close, inseparable.
-
When I came out of the house, it was already noon and the sky was bright.
In the makeshift clinic, Gu Zeshan had woken up and was taking care of the patients with Si Liuhua and Chi, feeding them rice porridge and meat broth.
Just then, the door opened, and Shen Lixia walked in first, followed closely by Qiao Yanshen. Si Liuhua turned his head, his gaze falling on the ends of her hair. "Young friend, how did your hair get singed?"
Shen Lixia quickly reached out and pinched off the charred strand of hair, saying helplessly, "It was an accident during cultivation..."
"It's good that you're alright." Si Liuhua nodded. "Your cultivation seems to have deepened compared to before. Have you broken through to a higher realm?"
She didn't mention anything related to what she had just witnessed, which allowed Shen Lixia to breathe a sigh of relief. She knew the principle that the fewer people who saw the divine fire, the better; possessing such a treasure could be a crime.
“Yes,” she said.
As agreed yesterday, Qiao Yanshen and the others would stay inside to light the patient's way, while Shen Lixia and Si Liuhua would go up the mountain to find the "miracle herb" that could cure all diseases. The two packed up briefly and were about to set off. Si Liuhua went out first, but Shen Lixia suddenly turned back just as she was about to step out, her deep blue shawl fluttering in the wind.
She pursed her lips and smiled, "Senior Sister, am I leaving?"
The demon beside him crossed its arms and scoffed, "Are you a three-year-old who needs to ask his mother before going out to buy candy? It's just going up a mountain—"
"Okay." But Qiao Yanshen reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Come back safe and sound."
The boy's smile brightened. "You guys have been working so hard lately. You should go get some hot pot when you're done."
She turned nimbly, and the brightly colored shawl, as white as a tail feather, quickly disappeared through the doorway, leaving only the speechless Chi, choked by the fumes, and Qiao Yanshen, staring at the soup pot. Gu Zeshan had just finished feeding the patient and was sitting on a stool wiping away sweat.
After thinking for a while, Chi swallowed the unwelcome questions like "Where did you two go this morning?" and "Are you really her mother?" and changed the subject: "What is hot pot?"
As Qiao Yanshen added firewood, he replied, "Boil a pot of hot soup, put all kinds of vegetables in to blanch, and then make a dipping sauce for them to eat."
She took out some herbs from her mustard seed bag, along with the remaining spices that Yan Jueshu had given her last time, crushed them, and threw them into the soup. The fire burned brightly, and the soup pot bubbled and steamed, emitting a mellow and warm aroma.
Qiao Yanshen added the remaining rice and slowly started cooking porridge.
"You're also an expert in alchemy?" Chi leaned closer. "Are you cooking or refining pills?"
"I have indeed looked into the relevant aspects... alchemy, arrays, talismans, and medicine. To win, one must first understand them." She was learning these not for the things themselves, but for how to dismantle and control them. "However... this is just cooking."
She ladled out a bowl, saying, "I've been working hard and stressed lately, so I added some medicinal herbs to it to help replenish my energy... It's a little hot, be careful."
Before she could finish her sentence, the demon had already snatched the bowl from her hands and was frantically tossing the porridge around like a ladle, gasping for breath from the heat. Strangely enough, despite her frantic activity, not a drop spilled.
"You've been plotting to kill me for a long time!" She put the bowl on the table and blew on her palm.
Qiao Yanshen glanced at her and said helplessly, "Who told you to be so impatient? Besides, you're not without cultivation, so stop pretending."
After cooling another bowl of porridge, she served it to Gu Zeshan. The woman, who had been busy for several days and nights, had dark circles under her eyes and had not recovered much from the night's rest. Although Si Liuhua must have used his spiritual power to clear the stagnation in her body, she was, after all, a mortal body and could not withstand such hardship. She had endured it all with her strong will.
"Thank you." Gu Zeshan took the bowl. "Master's cooking is excellent."
"My junior sister is a very good teacher."
She wasn't familiar with those things at first because she hadn't spent much time in the kitchen in the past and only knew some basics. Now, she has many opportunities to try various dishes with Shen Lixia, and her cooking skills have naturally improved a lot.
Not for anyone else, but simply immersing oneself in the process of cooking and enjoying the food one makes is a wonderful process in itself, and it is no longer a constraint.
"After you finish eating, come with me to find the old village doctor who ran away."
"Okay," Chi agreed readily.
Qiao Yanshen left a communication talisman with Gu Zeshan, saying, "If anything happens, you can use this to communicate with me. Just crush it."
After making the arrangements, they quickly set off, using the stained map that Shen Lixia had left behind to search in the mountains and fields.
On the other side, to the south of the village, the sound of glutinous rice cakes being fried in a pot filled the small house, along with the aroma of rice.
Shang Ying was still unwell and couldn't walk too far. After the group left, she stood in the courtyard for a while before returning to the house and sitting down to rest. Shang He saw her turn her face away and lower her eyes, knowing that her sister was feeling bored.
He called out to the demon in his mind, asking this demon who had lived for countless years to come up with some ways to make his sister happy.
This is not Shang Ying's fault, because she used to love taking the children to observe everywhere. Her classroom was not limited to books and desks, but extended to every corner of the village, every working woman, and every unusual flower and plant. From these small and ordinary things, she helped the boys develop an eye for finding light. Over time, even late at night, Shang Ying could walk back in the dark without a lamp.
She had always been kind to her students. After she fell ill, the boys spontaneously came to take care of her until Shanghe closed the door and no longer allowed anyone to enter. The boys had swallowed countless bitter feelings because of this, always feeling that their sister's love had been taken away. Her loving gaze was no longer focused only on them; she was equally kind to everyone, like the bright moon shining in the sky, not just illuminating them.
As a child, Shang He was unhappy about the group of young boys. He refused to befriend them and always sat the furthest away. On holidays, he would secretly hide snacks so that they wouldn't take away any of the sweet treats his sister had specially prepared for him.
Young people can't hide their feelings, and Shang Ying quickly noticed her distress. One afternoon after school, she took the girl's hand and led her to buy candied hawthorns and pairs of sachets. Then, she slowly took her to all the places the girl had noted down in her diary that she liked.
When she returned, it was dinnertime. She was heating up the oil when she heard the boy mumble a few words, and finally, after a long silence, he whispered, "Thank you, sister."
Shang Ying smiled and said gently, "Sister loves Ahe the most."
She put down her chopsticks, walked over and hugged Shang He, kissing the boy's face hard, pressing her cheek against his: "Hmm... So A-He, don't be angry with others, okay? Talk to them more, go out and play together, and make friends."
"Your world can't always be just me." She said softly, cutting off the second half of the sentence and swallowing it.
Otherwise, if I leave you one day, how will you grow up?
Shang He's small face flushed red, and her voice was barely audible: "I understand..."
That day, they also fried glutinous rice cakes for dinner. Their laughter and conversation were immersed in the rich aroma of rice. Taste is the easiest thing to evoke memories. The scent of Shang Ying, the aroma of the glutinous rice cakes, the dampness emanating from the ancient well in the courtyard—so many things intertwined, highlighting the irretrievable nature of the past.
When Mei heard her request, she hesitated for a long time until the boy said confidently, "I'm about to die, so please grant this ant's little wish."
This person was clearly easily swayed, and upon hearing her say that, he reluctantly replied, "I'll tell you a few stories, and you can read them to her. It's okay if you don't understand them; just read them as I say."
She thought Shang He was a child from a village and probably unfamiliar with many words, but unexpectedly, Shang Ying taught her very well. She could understand even the obscure parts and slowly explained them to Shang Ying in her own language.
Time flowed by in one ancient story after another, and the young man's furrowed brows gradually relaxed, a smile appearing on his lips.
Even now, Shang Ying is frying glutinous rice cakes. When the outer skin is crispy, she turns off the heat, pokes the middle with chopsticks, and the soft glutinous rice stretches out in strands, releasing steam.
She was skilled at frying these glutinous rice cakes, but unlike the usual way Yingzhou ate them with pickled vegetables or fermented bean curd, she paired them with white sugar like a child. This was also Shang He's favorite food, and only her sister could fry them so well; you couldn't find the same taste anywhere else.
Shang Ying placed the glutinous rice cakes in a bowl, sprinkled them with white sugar, and then served them on the table.
The boy's eyes lit up, but then he noticed there was only one pair of chopsticks and asked in confusion, "Aren't you going to eat, sister?"
Shang Ying said, "I'm not very hungry right now, Ahe, you eat first."
She rested her cheek on her hand, watching with a smile as the boy picked up the glutinous rice cake with his chopsticks, took a big bite, and then scalded himself by the heat, exhaling sharply. After a while, a mist suddenly rose from his innocent eyes, turning into tears that were about to fall.
Shang Ying was slightly taken aback and reached out to wipe away her tears, but the boy gently turned his head away to avoid it.
"It's too hot." Shang He stuck out his tongue, sniffed hard, and wiped away his tears. "But it tastes delicious."
"Is Ahe scared?"
Shang Ying asked softly, and seeing the boy's body stiffen, she immediately understood.
With her keen intuition, she guessed to some extent why Shang He was crying. Her finger hovered in mid-air, but she still touched the corner of the boy's eye and gently pinched his cheek, which was still full of food.
“Life and death, separation and parting are common occurrences in the world.” Shang Ying sighed softly. “But, although I don’t know what Ahe has been hiding from me, if I were in the same situation as you… I might, no, I definitely would make the same choice as you.”
So that's why.
Shang Ying leaned in and embraced the boy, letting her bury herself in his arms.
"I still hope that A-He can live a good life, okay?"
She was not a cultivator and could not sense the boy's life fading away. She simply patted his back gently, her voice very soft.
Because her life belongs only to herself, because she deserves to spend the rest of her life leaving this place to see the vast Nine Realms and taste the food from further afield. Perhaps one day, with a stroke of luck, she can embark on the path of cultivation, and when she returns from the River Styx, they can be sisters again in this life.
A gentle voice reached her ears, and the two embraced, unable to see each other's faces. Shang Ying was also unaware that the boy slowly and peacefully closed his eyes.
Therefore, she is happy, especially at this moment.
In her mind, she said to the demon, "Look, what a good person my sister is, she should live on... You must protect her after I die."
Mei remained silent.
"You must protect her," Shang He repeated, "I beg you."
"I understand." Mei's tone was stiff. "...I understand."
She was speechless, unsure how to respond. Someone had once taught her that a promise is a heavy thing, and if you can't keep it, never make it.
Shang He continued babbling on, "Was the scene in your dream the River Styx? Legend says it's dark and cold there, and it turns out it's true. My sister is actually very afraid of the dark—so let her prepare for a few more decades before going..."
The two clung to each other for a long time before separating. Since Shang He hadn't said anything, Shang Ying didn't ask any more questions.
From the very beginning, this question, like the oath the boy carried, had only one answer.
The answer is coming soon.
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Author's Note: This section should end in the next chapter, I think. So I'm releasing this part first.
Sugar glutinous rice cakes hold a deep meaning for me, and besides that, they're really delicious (I really love writing about food, sorry everyone).
I devoted a lot of space to the sisters, partly to enrich their characters (I went completely at my own pace, so let it be if it's lukewarm), and partly as a metaphor. If their story is similar to the two people with the surname Si, you can probably guess what happened…! But they're not exactly the same, definitely not.
Hope you enjoy reading this :3 because I had a lot of fun writing it (not really).
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