Chapter 133 Old Bow Madly Picks Up My Own Legacy
Perhaps it was because the feeling of sharing a pillow with her beloved was so wonderful, and she was immersed in the gentle breath of the young man, that Shen Lixia also had a dream.
She was lost in the bustling crowd, the capital city vibrant and lively. The black-haired, red-eyed boy was but a solitary figure among them. Yet, someone always managed to find her. With a gentle call, the boy turned around, meeting a pair of smiling, pale eyes.
Shen Lixia was fully conscious. She knew she was watching Hua Ying's memories again; perhaps the divine fire had sent her a dream, or perhaps the lingering aura of this place had stirred up the past.
"Try it." Luo Yang handed Hua Ying a string of candied hawthorns. "This is delicious."
The boy at this time was not like he would be later; the only distinct feature was a red dot between his eyebrows, and his other sharp features had not yet taken shape. He exuded a wooden aura and seemed a bit silly. She stared blankly at the candied hawthorn until Luo Yang confusedly pressed the candy coating to her lips, at which point she finally reacted, hurriedly opened her mouth, and took a big bite.
The crackling sound of the sugar coating bursting accompanied the sweet taste onto her tongue, but the next moment the sourness of the hawthorn made Hua Ying frown. She seemed particularly averse to this sour and bitter taste; even with the sugar, she frowned. Seeing her chewing with difficulty, Luo Yang smiled slightly and reached out to gently flick the tip of her nose.
"Is it that sour?" Luo Yang's fingertips were cold; she still carried that chill from the water. She took the candied hawthorn back and bit into the spot where Hua Ying had just taken a bite.
The unusual sour and bitter taste made Luo Yang hesitate, though not as much as Hua Ying. She frowned slightly and said helplessly, "Maybe it's not the right time for hawthorns to ripen yet. Let's try something else. We'll just eat the sugar coating."
The coating made from rock sugar is different from that made from granulated sugar; it has a unique, mellow aroma. Hua Ying listened absentmindedly as she spoke slowly, her ear focused on one side, but her gaze remained fixed on the bitten spot on the candied hawthorn. It was clearly unintentional, and besides, it's perfectly normal for friends to share food, but for some reason, it still stirred a faint, fuzzy feeling in her heart, like the sensation of ripples gently lapping at your finger when you dip it in water.
But she felt awkward and couldn't find the words to describe it, so she didn't tell Luo Yang.
When the other person asked her with a smile if she wanted something sweet, her words took a different turn, and the "yes" that was on the tip of her tongue turned into "I'm not a child anymore," which was a polite way of declining.
Luo Yang glanced at her after hearing this dishonest answer, knowing she had a way to deal with this person.
"I'll go buy it then. There's a water chestnut cake shop nearby that always has a long line—"
Hua Ying couldn't hold back any longer: "I'll go with you!"
After a moment, seeing Luo Yang's smiling eyes, she seemed to realize that she had been tricked. Her face flushed slightly, but she stubbornly said, "Just one bite."
In the end, wouldn't it still be split in half? Luo Yang didn't say anything, but simply took her hand and slowly walked towards their destination. The colors red and white intertwined, vibrant and elegant, harmoniously connected.
Shen Lixia watched it like a movie and found it very interesting.
I wonder what Qiao Yanshen was like as a child? If they had met when they were young, would they have been lucky enough to become good friends—the kind who could exchange letters even if they were thousands of miles apart? She would send Qiao Yanshen fresh pine nuts, homemade maltose and nougat, a dried leaf...
Qiao Yanshen might send Shen Lixia a book, a good fountain pen, and many snacks from places she doesn't know about.
Yes, if she had met her senior sister earlier... she would probably have experienced warmth sooner and taken a different path in life.
Even now, her encounter with Qiao Yanshen was invaluable and changed her life.
Thinking about this, she felt something was off, but she didn't know how to put it. "Meeting earlier," she vaguely felt that deep in her memory, this had happened like a dream, but when—or was it just a hazy dream?
Only the gentle sound of water echoed.
When they opened their eyes, it was still dark outside, dawn was approaching, and the surroundings were bathed in a bluish-white light like ripples on water. A thin ray of light shone through the gauze curtains onto Qiao Yanshen's side, spreading to their hands.
Shen Lixia gazed quietly at the person sleeping soundly before her. Strands of hair fell loose, Qiao Yanshen rested one hand on her cheek, her eyes closed, her lips gently pursed in a serene manner. She must not be dreaming, for her breathing was steady, like a beautiful, clear pool of water, like melted snow, no longer sharp or distant, its gentle breath soothing her heart.
The boy moved slightly closer to her, finding for the first time that even observing the rise and fall of a person's breath was such an interesting thing. Their hands were still clasped together, and Qiao Yanshen's hands were the only part that hadn't loosened, his fingers still holding some strength as they rested on Shen Lixia's knuckles.
So quiet that only their breathing could be heard, as if the world had shrunk to just the two of them. This moment was so warm that Shen Lixia couldn't help but smile, her eyes burning with a tender warmth that almost melted away.
She felt happy. Waking up at the crack of dawn was peaceful enough, but to be able to gaze into her lover's sleeping eyes was the most beautiful morning ever.
Seemingly sensing her gaze, Qiao Yanshen's eyelashes trembled slightly after a moment, then she opened her eyes slightly. Still somewhat dazed, she gave a soft "hmm" and asked, "What time is it?"
"You can sleep a little longer," Shen Lixia said softly.
Upon hearing her say this, Qiao Yanshen closed his eyes again and mumbled, "I had a dream."
The boy blinked. "What dream?" Was she in your dream?
"I dreamt I was in a body of water, and then you took my hand..." Her voice grew softer, each word gentle, tinged with a slight breath, "and then you..."
Before she could finish speaking, Qiao Yanshen fell asleep again. Shen Lixia rubbed her lips against Qiao Yanshen's knuckles, then closed her eyes as well.
They didn't fully wake up until daylight had completely arrived. Si Changxi used his spiritual power to send a message, summoning them to a place behind the palace called the Holy Land. After washing up and changing their clothes, the two felt exceptionally refreshed after a good night's sleep.
"Senior Sister." After Qiao Yanshen finished fastening her belt, Shen Lixia suddenly walked up to her and called out.
Qiao Yanshen raised his eyes. "Hmm?"
The boy clutched at his clothes, hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath, lowered his head, and whispered, "Good morning..."
I want a good morning kiss.
Qiao Yan understood her meaning, and smiled as he narrowed his eyes.
"So clingy." He said, but then reached out and lifted her chin, placing a light kiss on her lips.
Good morning, Li Xia.
-
"You're saying this is the bow that Lord Lingguang once used?"
Inside the spacious hall, Si Changxi looked at the longbow placed on the square platform and asked a question.
The top is not sealed, leaving a circular skylight that allows the beam of light cast by the bow to illuminate a mysterious and elegant dark red hue. The inscriptions on it are ancient and severely worn, seemingly beyond traceability.
Hua Sheng nodded, "Yes." She gestured to Hua Yun, who then presented a long, narrow wooden box.
The wooden box was decorated with talismans drawn in cinnabar, but the color had faded considerably. Just as Si Changxi was about to ask what they were for, Hua Yun sighed, "It can't be opened."
All the remnants of the Four Symbols are like the lingering divine consciousness of the celestial gods, holding extraordinary significance from both the perspective of spiritual cultivation and worldly culture. Moreover, they are inextricably linked to the ancestors and their tribes, who may spend their entire lives pursuing the traces of the stars.
Si Changxi understood. "Is this what you wanted to ask my student to try?"
She took the wooden box, examined it carefully, and found that it indeed could not be opened. The divine seal was strong, but the wooden box was quite old.
"How did you know that she had a deep connection with Lord Lingguang?" Si Changxi asked.
Hua Yun smiled. "She said it herself. However, it can also be recognized from the divine fire. Apart from the few divine bird clans that were once loyal to Lord Lingguang and were protected, the divine fire has not appeared in the world for a long time."
Just then, footsteps echoed in the corridor. A lively boy's voice rang out: "Master Aunt!"
Shen Lixia and Qiao Yanshen quickly walked to Si Changxi's side, and then greeted Hua Sheng and Hua Yun. She naturally saw the longbow as well, and when her gaze fell on it, her heart warmed involuntarily.
It's very familiar.
—I can almost picture what it would feel like to hold it. A tight grip, two fingers pinching the fruit, eyes locked on the target…
She is currently unable to wield the bow formed from divine fire, but if she could obtain a suitable longbow, she might be able to use it to carry some of the power of the divine fire, allowing the flames that slay evil to scatter across the earth.
Shen Lixia slowly walked towards the square platform. The longbow was fixed to the pristine white platform, having traversed time and space from the billowing dust to the present tranquility, and returned to her hands once more.
She picked up the bow, and divine fire surged within her, flowing from her fingertips and instantly condensing into a sharp arrow. Just then, she looked up and saw a skylight, surrounded by cloud-shaped reliefs, the sun encircled by the openwork.
The sun was dazzling. The next moment, Shen Lixia exerted force with her hands, her eyes shining brightly with gold, staring intently at the blinding sunlight.
She was fearless. Even when she was stabbed and couldn't help but shed tears, she did not close her eyes. Adhering to the archer's principle, she never looked away for a moment.
The bowstring, which had been sealed away for countless years, was slowly pulled.
Then it sank deep into the boy's fingertips and released an arrow in an instant!
Brilliant flames, like pillars of light, pierced through the dome, cutting through layers of clouds and shooting directly at the sun. The divine fire burned ever brighter, carrying an aura that nearly tore through the sky, surging through obstacles before exploding with a deafening roar, scattering countless brilliant meteors.
This scene was breathtaking and awe-inspiring, leaving one speechless. A fireworks display woven from divine fire burst forth, its brilliance eclipsing the daytime and engulfing the sun, briefly dimming this eternal and colossal presence.
Immediately afterwards, a tremendous cracking sound came from somewhere in the distant sky, shaking the hearts of everyone.
Although this place was tiny compared to the entire sky, it was still enough to cause a sensation. For a moment, the others were speechless, and Qiao Yanshen, who had seen her once before, felt a tightness in his heart and looked at Shen Lixia with worry.
Seeing that she didn't show any pain on her face, Qiao Yanshen breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't immersed in the spectacle—or rather, she only spared a moment for the magnificent fireworks before focusing solely on whether Shen Lixia would still suffer from it.
Having seen it once, I can depict it perfectly without needing to see it again and again. My junior sister has always been able to do that, whether in Quebec or here.
As if exhaling a long-accumulated breath, Shen Lixia lowered her hand and carefully examined the bow once more.
All things in the world have a spirit, even weapons, which will develop intelligence after being with their master for a long time. At this moment, the wisp of divine consciousness in the bow seemed to have finally awakened after a long slumber, and the joy of reunion naturally flowed into Shen Lixia's heart.
She stroked the surface of the bow, caressing the tattered inscriptions, unable to put it down.
Suddenly, she saw a passage that looked somewhat familiar. Shen Lixia leaned closer to look, and in surprise, she and Qiao Yanshen, who had walked up to her, read the obscure text aloud together:
"Did the Lord of Taiyin give this to my sister, Lingguang?"
—Thinking back on past dreams, it seems I've learned something extraordinary about the past in the realm of gods.
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