Chapter 58 Unexpected Turn of Events: Senior Sister is Angry; Good Luck to Herself
In the capital city, flowers bloom in profusion, and the closer one gets to the imperial city, the more vibrant the red hues become.
On the street, several women carrying large and small packages looked delighted with each other and chatted amongst themselves.
"I have never seen immortals before. I wonder if they wear red clothes like ordinary people?"
"Red has always been the national color of the South. I heard that one of them is from the South, so he must also love red."
"The imperial city is open to the public today! I've never seen the inside before!"
The summer heat lingered, and perhaps because only women were invited, and others were forbidden from approaching, the streets remained pristine and fragrant. Children ran past carrying flower baskets, the blossoms bursting forth like flames, their vibrant colors releasing a rich, intoxicating aroma.
When Shen Lixia and her group arrived, the marriage ceremony was about to begin. The young man dismounted from his horse, then reached out to the other person sitting on it to hold his hand, and slowly lowered his feet to the ground.
Since they weren't very strong, they chose to ride horses instead of swords to avoid drawing too much attention. Qiao Yanshen wasn't good at riding, and hesitated for a long time. In the end, Shen Lixia simply carried her onto the horse, gripped the reins tightly, and galloped over.
The faint red glow that had been burning since the horse was mounted was now like peach blossoms blooming on the face of the woman dressed in white.
She stumbled two steps, muttering under her breath, "How could it be so fast..."
Shen Lixia thought it was about riding skills and smiled smugly, wanting to take Qiao Yanshen's hand as usual, "I learn quickly, right? I should be very steady on the road."
Her hand reached out but didn't touch his fingertips. Instead, the wind from his fluttering sleeve brushed her wrist, leaving a slightly warm sensation. Shen Lixia, finding herself missing her target, looked over in confusion and saw that Qiao Yanshen had avoided her and was heading into the city.
Her dark hair couldn't hide the vibrant color spreading past her ears, nor could it escape the boy's gaze, causing her to pause slightly, her hand instinctively clutching the fabric at her chest.
Once again, that wonderful, soft, tingling sensation gently slid across her body, accompanied by a burning heat that made her throat itch. Only then did she belatedly recall the feeling of holding Qiao Yan tightly in her arms, the outline of her figure that could be seen through her clothes, and the gentle rise and fall of her breath.
Someone leaned in from behind, patted her on the shoulder, and teased, "It seems that riding a horse together in this hot summer is still too hot. Fellow Daoists, your faces are all red."
As Simmons spoke, she nudged Chen Lixia.
"The bond is about to begin, let's go."
Shen Lixia raised her hand and patted her face, then hurriedly followed with Xi Mengsi, blending into the bustling crowd.
Today, Qin Shiying chose to first lead his troops outside the city to clear away the surrounding obstacles so that he could attack the imperial city in one fell swoop after the evil spirits were dealt with.
You only get one chance.
As everyone gathered in the imperial city, a streak of light suddenly appeared on the horizon, followed by several figures breaking through the clouds. They all stood on long swords, impeccably dressed, exuding the air of immortals. Some below gasped in surprise, but were quickly subdued by an invisible pressure, and quieted down as they continued their previous discussion.
Shen Lixia looked in their direction and couldn't help but sigh, "I thought the Wuji Sword Sect was full of people obsessed with sword practice, but I didn't expect that the attire of these people is so ceremonial."
If it weren't for the serious expression on his face when he sheathed his sword, it would be almost impossible to tell that he was a swordsman.
“We dressed up too, didn’t we? This is, after all, a contract-forming ceremony. Those people look quite imposing; they must be seniors from the same sect.”
Simmons tugged at the golden ribbon on her body and then touched the smooth fabric on her arm.
"This is my most precious outfit."
The other two didn't change their outfits much, but they did wear new belts. Shen Lixia bought a pair of tassel earrings and wore them; the two red streaks swayed as she walked, attracting attention. Qiao Yanshen styled his hair into a bun and inserted a flower hairpin, giving him a more down-to-earth look than usual.
The place was packed with guests, and the atmosphere was lively.
When those people arrived, one of them waved his hand, seemingly with a light touch.
The once bright sky was instantly engulfed by fluttering petals. Red filled the air; ribbons and hydrangeas were also a vibrant crimson. Amidst this overwhelming red, even more dazzling colors emerged from the depths of the palace, stepping on carpets and hand in hand.
Yun Zhixiao had rouge on her lips, a pigeon blood stone between her brows, and her body was adorned with pearls and glittering gold. Her clothes were gorgeous, as if all her love had been poured into the dense stitches, and now they were displayed before everyone.
She always wore red, so her presence was less striking than that of Yue Qifeng beside her. The tall woman had a face like a peach blossom and smiling eyes. Her long dress was vibrant, unlike the pale blue, which instead softened her sharp features.
A disciple of the Wuji Sword Sect immediately shouted, "Senior Sister!"
The others joined in the shouting. The people of Xihe Palace also became restless, calling out Yun Zhixiao's name.
"It's the first time I've seen my senior sister dressed in red, it's blinding!"
"Look at the young palace master's waist ornament, isn't that the one that Senior Sister Yue always wears?"
As the crowd grew louder, the atmosphere became lively and enthusiastic.
The boy stood in the crowd and saw that familiar face, and his guess was suddenly confirmed.
Unexpectedly, the woman I met that day was indeed Yun Zhixiao. However, the phrase "spring slumber unaware of dawn" is indeed quite amusing.
The shop was filled with a sweet, lingering scent. Shen Lixia felt the fragrance was familiar, but when she saw the bouquets on the banquet table, she was slightly taken aback and realized where the feeling came from.
That exotic and intense fragrance could be nothing other than rose.
Whether it was the overpowering fragrance or the rich aroma of the wine, her face flushed, as if she were about to become intoxicated. Her gaze wandered around, and before she knew it, she had fallen onto Qiao Yanshen along with the swirling petals, sliding down his black hair and coming to a stop.
Strands of hair cast fine shadows as Qiao Yanshen listened quietly to the guests' conversation, glancing occasionally at the stage. His eyes, brightened by the joyful atmosphere, shimmered with moisture when he lowered them.
I wonder what she would look like in red.
Normally, I only see her in cool colors, even in my dreams she's white. If I could see her wearing bright red, it would surely be more passionate and stunning than anything else.
But on what occasions would she wear red?
Shen Lixia suddenly stopped thinking and clenched her sleeve.
She didn't want her to wear red for anyone else, nor did she want her to wear red with anyone else. She thought to herself.
"Li Xia, we've formed a pact."
This gentle sound shattered Shen Lixia's swirling thoughts, pulling her back to reality. The group quickly approached the stage; having only recently reached the Foundation Establishment stage, they blended in unnoticed among the other cultivators.
After exchanging vows, the two slowly approached, their fingers intertwined, their foreheads pressed together, and a dual-colored radiance shone forth, gradually merging into one. In an instant, a surge of spiritual energy emanated, silently nourishing everything like rain, enveloping everyone present and bringing a sense of peace and tranquility.
A blood-red line snaked out from where they met, wrapping around their little fingers. Then, bright red runes appeared faintly on the backs of their hands, shimmering with a soft glow, before quickly disappearing into their skin.
The red thread was tightly bound, and its color became brighter and brighter, as if blood from the heart was flowing out. It made Shen Lixia feel as if she had a hallucination and smelled a slightly sweet and fishy smell.
Their faces suddenly turned pale, but their smiles remained unchanged. In fact, they seemed to understand each other's feelings in an instant, and became even happier.
Then, as the palace emerged, a sliver of darkness shot out. Shen Lixia caught sight of it, immediately summoned Liu Huo and flew up on her sword, unleashing a talisman imbued with spiritual power.
She leaped onto her sword, divine fire surging forth instantly, time seemingly slowing down a thousandfold, leaving only the scorching heat flowing on the longbow formed from flames in her hand. The shouts and clamor of the crowd vanished completely, leaving only the restless flames, roaring and burning in her ears, raging wildly within her body. The young man's eyes, like stars, seemed to hold a tangible hunting ground, trapping the evil spirits below.
She drew her bow to its fullest extent, and the rocket shot off with lightning speed, hurtling towards the evil spirit!
Before the black mist could react, it was engulfed by the raging flames that touched it. Its charge towards Qi Feng and the others abruptly stopped, and then it let out a barely audible, shrill cry.
Seeing that his figure had faded, Shen Lixia breathed a sigh of relief, placed her toes on the Blazing Fire Sword, and prepared to put away the longbow.
However, a piercing pain overwhelmed the previous burning sensation, amplifying the feeling caused by the divine fire a thousandfold, causing Shen Lixia to freeze, lose her footing, and suddenly kneel on one knee on the sword.
Fortunately, the fire recognized its master and held the person firmly, preventing them from falling.
Before she could say anything, her face turned ashen, and she coughed up a mouthful of hot blood.
This situation was strange. Ignoring the dizziness before her eyes, Shen Lixia quickly focused her attention and looked in the direction of the evil spirit. She saw that although the dark shadow had faded a lot, it had not disappeared. It seemed to be rushing towards Yue Qifeng with all its might, even faster than before.
The demon-sealing formation failed to trap them; instead, it was shattered by the shockwave.
She inwardly cried out in alarm, but immediately stopped considering the consequences, her spiritual power surged, and she forcibly summoned the divine fire, drawing her bow and shooting an arrow once more.
Blood gushed from her mouth, dripping onto her clothes and leaving large, dark stains. At first, it was just vomiting blood, but after the second arrow was truly released, Shen Lixia's eyes reddened, and when she raised her hand to wipe them, she found that warm tears were also flowing from the corners of her eyes.
But how could the current situation allow her to take her eyes off that evil spirit for even a moment? The boy vigorously wiped away the scalding liquid, biting his lip and staring intently at the situation on the stage.
The arrow was a fraction too slow. The evil spirit, having just wounded the two and was about to devour their cultivation, was interrupted by the arrow. Its already weakened form became even more ethereal, and it even seemed about to burst into flames. Having confirmed that the powerful cultivators had not approached the safe zone, it assumed that an even more powerful being was hiding silently. Not daring to linger any longer, it hastily retreated into the hall.
Seeing that Yue Qifeng and the others were seriously injured but their lives were not in danger, Shen Lixia finally relaxed a little.
Unable to sustain her spiritual energy any longer, Liu Huo could no longer remain suspended in the air and was forced to return to her body. She was left alone, like a kite with a broken string, drifting and falling from mid-air.
Just then, a streak of light flew over and caught her steadily. Qiao Yanshen's face was pale, not much better than the person in his arms, and his face darkened even more when he touched the other's burning hot body.
The demon-sealing array shattered, and the divine fire backfired...
"This evil spirit is at least at the Nascent Soul stage." Qiao Yanshen heard Shen Lixia whisper weakly in his ear, expressing his guess.
The longsword stopped when it was close to the ground. At this moment, everyone's attention was drawn to the Daoist couple who had suddenly been injured on the stage. Those with higher cultivation noticed the abnormality and immediately looked towards the hidden place.
Runes slowly appeared on the pillars and the ground. Unlike the evil demonic energy, they shimmered with golden light and intertwined into lines, firmly trapping several Nascent Soul and Divine Transformation cultivators.
One of them straightened up and said in a deep voice, "This is the power of incense offerings."
Demons are born from the evil thoughts of humankind, while gods are born from the devout faith of the people. The power of incense is the embodiment of faith, possessing a more powerful effect than spiritual energy, and it is said that only gods beloved by all can obtain it.
However, another person, after carefully examining the golden light, said, "This is not the true power of incense offerings; it is impure, the faith of corrupt people."
Qiao Yanshen listened to these words and took them to heart. He then bent down to place Shen Lixia under a tree so that she could rest.
A pair of hands, burning hot, wrapped around her neck, and a young man's low voice reached her ears: "Senior Sister, take me with you."
As if afraid that Qiao Yanshen would simply refuse, she hurriedly endured the pain and hugged him even tighter, "It's too dangerous, I can make the odds of winning even better."
Qiao Yanshen held her in his arms, and being hung up like that, he naturally couldn't put her down. Time waits for no one, so she held Shen Lixia in her arms, neither saying good nor bad, and simply flew into the palace on the rain-soaked peaks.
If there were others around, they would see that her face was a mixture of emotions, growing colder and colder until it could be described as gloomy.
Given the current situation, they do need Shen Lixia. However, bringing Shen Lixia along would mean tacitly agreeing that she might risk using divine fire to fight against evil spirits again.
Qiao Yanshen had only experienced a little bit of the pain of divine fire backlash, yet he already felt a stabbing pain in his heart.
Why is she needed—why does it always end up in a situation where she has to be sacrificed?
This time, what surged up was neither sorrow nor helplessness, but rather an overwhelming, cold pain that pierced her inch by inch, as if sadness had transformed into anger, which she couldn't quite explain how long it had been suppressed before erupting in an instant.
Qiao Yanshen finally realized that she seemed to be angry.
Unbeknownst to him, spiritual energy surged and flowed gently over his white robes. The blue that was originally just a light shade of water deepened imperceptibly.
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Author's note: As we all know, the person who is usually the most gentle can be the most terrifying when they get angry!
However, since the eldest sister is only at the Foundation Establishment stage, it is impossible for her to forcibly cross two realms to defeat the enemy, so there will be no such outrageous plot.
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