Chapter 97 The Fiery Sacrifice is Great! Senior Sister is the Avoidant Type
After the preliminary competition officially ended, the three champions were Qiao Yanshen, Shen Lixia, and Lu Changqing.
As expected, no one expressed dissatisfaction. Even the competitive Yan Jueshu said that they would see the results again in the grand competition.
The prizes were to be awarded the following day, and the party was scheduled for after sunset.
Shen Lixia and Qiao Yanshen returned to the small courtyard in the woods. The young man walked quickly, holding Qiao Yanshen's hand tightly, and led her into the house without even closing the door.
Just as she was wondering what was going on, Shen Lixia pulled her to sit in the place where the two of them usually talked and cultivated. Facing her, the boy had bright golden eyes and wore a bright red robe, which seemed to overlap with her past life, but also had a different feel to it.
Shen Lixia neither wore nor liked to wear such a bright red. This color, which she had been accustomed to in her previous life, appeared for the first time on this person who had been reborn after the passage of time, and it became solemn.
Qiao Yanshen suddenly felt a little flustered, and unconsciously held his breath. He couldn't help but let his eyes gleam, and a faint blush spread across his cheeks. Golden light shone down, falling on his junior sister's hair, as if veiled by a thin gauze.
She was just a little bit drunk and a flickering candlelight away; even if it weren't night, she would have leaned in and kissed him.
Her desires were in turmoil, so she could only silently recite the Heart-Cleansing Mantra. However, her junior sister was not going to let her off the hook. After sitting up straight, she reached out and slipped her hand into her palm, gently lifting it up. Then, she turned her wrist and easily intertwined her fingers with hers. The spiritual energy was scorching hot, and when it surged in, it didn't feel like cultivation at all. Instead, it felt like a caress that went beyond the skin and reached right to the blood and bones.
Qiao Yanshen trembled, his ears, hidden under his dark hair, turned completely red, and his hair felt icy cold from the heat.
Shen Lixia blinked, sensing her absent-mindedness, which she found quite novel. She was usually the one most easily distracted, but now that this person was the senior sister, she found her rather endearing.
"Senior sister, senior sister?" she called out with a smile, raising her other hand to brush aside the long, drooping hair of the woman in front of her. But the woman suddenly looked up when she heard the call, causing her fingers to miss their mark.
Forcing himself to suppress his other thoughts, Qiao Yanshen softly replied, "Mm."
Seeing that she had finally recovered from her dazed state, Shen Lixia withdrew her hand and said, "Senior sister, we haven't cultivated together for a long time. Recently, the Divine Fire Shackles have been broken, so perhaps we can make further progress in our cultivation together."
Perhaps due to the increase in cultivation level, the gradual recovery of memories, and the complete restoration of the soul, the pain brought by the divine fire was no longer intense.
However, if overused, it will probably still hurt just as much.
Qiao Yanshen understood her intention, calmed himself, and mobilized his spiritual power, transmitting it through his intertwined fingers. Initially, the threads were connected, but gradually they became flowing, and after circulating for a while, they became increasingly full and substantial.
Their feelings were not yet clear, but they were already so compatible in every way.
Concentrating intently during cultivation, time flew by. When she opened her eyes again, twilight had fallen, her white robes had turned golden-red, and her red robes had darkened further, like silent blood. Her previously unstable cultivation had become completely stable. Shen Lixia let out a long sigh, looked out the window, and said, "Senior Sister, the Flowing Fire Festival is about to begin. Shall we go?"
After she finished speaking, she was about to let go of his hand, but Qiao Yanshen held her fingers tightly, not with much force, but like a kind of restraint that was almost like trying to keep her.
When she was with her senior, she felt completely at ease, even down to the last strand of her hair. Naturally, she wasn't startled and let the other person hold her hand so tightly. Her usually cold hands seemed to be warmed up, becoming even softer to the touch, which stirred ripples in her heart.
Realizing he had crossed the line, Qiao Yanshen belatedly let go, even hiding his fingertips under his wide sleeve.
Just then, a snowy owl landed on the windowsill and laid down the letter in its claws. Qiao Yanshen picked up the letter, unfolded it, and found Yan Xueya's handwriting on the inside:
"Come to Frostblade Peak to learn the final move. Tonight, we'll take the stage."
Shen Lixia didn't peek. After all, her senior sister would show her if she wanted to; it was better not to steal a glance at things like this without permission.
Qiao Yanshen put away the letter. "My master summoned me to Frostblade Peak."
Shen Lixia said, "Then I'll go to Jiming Peak to help Senior Sister Tang and the others. Senior Sister, will you come?"
She asked this question with a hint of uncertainty, as if she was afraid that Qiao Yanshen would run away again and not attend the long-awaited banquet together. As she spoke, she reached for Qiao Yanshen's hand again, her brows furrowing involuntarily, making her appear both pleading and pitiful.
Qiao Yanshen smiled, squeezed her hand, and said, "See you tonight, Li Xia."
The boy was relieved. The two went outside and each rode their swords in different directions.
Now that she was quite skilled at flying on her sword, Shen Lixia was no longer afraid. She adapted quickly, but she still remembered the time when she had to rely on her senior sister.
It's only been a few years; there are still hundreds or even thousands of years to go. Who knows when this situation between her and her senior sister will end?
He used to be able to get close to her without thinking; now he can't, and the familiar intimacy has become unfamiliar.
Liking someone can completely change how you see the world. She reflected to herself, as if she were groping in the dark about something unfamiliar, constantly learning. How does one like someone? How does one love someone?
Perhaps when she has the answer, she can find her senior sister and tell her how she feels.
Upon arriving at Jiming Peak, it was indeed bustling with people. They were busy lighting lamps, setting up tables and chairs, and a bonfire was burning brightly, illuminating the entire spacious area. Surrounded by dense forest, the simple stage that had been set up a while ago had been decorated by several students, making it much more impressive.
The babbling brook carried the scent of late summer. Night deepened, and after observing for a while, Shen Lixia finally went to the apprentices in charge of cooking to help them prepare the ingredients. In reality, many of the ingredients were ready-made side dishes bought from outside; they weren't fancy, but they were enough to accompany drinks. They had cultivated for countless days, so they didn't need a good meal, especially since many were still in the Foundation Establishment stage and couldn't eat too much meat.
Therefore, it was less of a cooking session and more of an impromptu barbecue. A basket of fish was caught, gutted and deboned, and then placed over the campfire to roast. Shen Lixia and the others roasted the fish together, the oil dripping into the fire and sizzling.
If only this moment could last forever. And then, forever and ever...
Shen Lixia fell into deep thought, but she didn't forget to flip the fish over. Everyone gathered their branches together, but the fish in her hand was the most fragrant when grilled. With the addition of seasonings, the aroma wafted far and wide, attracting acquaintances.
"Junior Sister Shen."
"Senior Sister Shen!"
Two of Gu Yufeng's disciples appeared together, both dressed in blue robes, and each surrounded Shen Lixia.
Tang Huairou missed out on grilled fish last time, so she naturally wouldn't miss it this time. Before she could speak, Shen Lixia had already divided the fish, which was grilled to a crispy exterior, and skewered it with a sharpened twig before handing it to the two of them. Lu Changqing's eyes sparkled in the campfire, but when she received the grilled fish, she didn't rush to take a bite. Instead, she smiled and said, "Thank you, Senior Sister Shen," before slowly enjoying it.
Tang Huairou sat down next to her. "The fish that Junior Sister grilled was really delicious."
"I know, you can only choose one, either fish or your beloved, Senior Sister." Shen Lixia clapped her hands with a smile and stopped bringing out more raw fish.
Teased by her like that, Tang Huairou almost dropped what she was holding and waved her hands in a panic: "No, no... no. It's just that the fish that Master raises are very precious."
She glanced at Lu Changqing, who was focused on eating fish, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Lu Changqing hadn't noticed. She whispered, "Junior sister, don't talk nonsense."
Even if Emperor Taihui didn't mind these kinds of things, stories like this never had a happy ending in folk tales. She just wanted to live a peaceful life with her master; whether she told him or not was largely irrelevant.
Although it was initially difficult to swallow, after all, two hundred years is no different from a teenager in the mortal realm for a cultivator, especially a Nascent Soul True Monarch like Ruan Luoying. Moreover, she had been diligently cultivating, and her youthful spirit had not been worn away for a long time. Several times she almost blurted it out or crossed the line, but in the end she restrained herself.
Seeing that the person in front of her was wearing her heart on her face, Shen Lixia stopped teasing her and asked seriously, "Senior sister, why can't you be honest about liking someone?"
Tang Huairou was taken aback, and after a long while, she said softly, "Perhaps it's because of fear."
"Fear?"
"Fear of rejection, fear of drastic changes afterward, fear of growing apart and harboring resentment. Or perhaps fear of being mocked by fate, that once spoken, something bad might come true..."
"So, not saying it is a good thing?" Shen Lixia lowered her head, her fingers twisting together. She had thought that saying anything was a good thing, but now, hearing Tang Huairou say this, she was glad that she hadn't said it.
Who knows, she might not even be able to distinguish between liking and being grateful.
Tang Huairou remained silent for a while, then shook her head.
“No,” she said. “It’s not good if we don’t tell each other and the other person never finds out. If she really doesn’t know, that’s fine; but if we both know about it and are waiting for the other to tell us… what kind of situation is that?”
Life is unpredictable. Shen Lixia knew what she meant by the second half of her sentence—lovers are always easy to miss.
But if that's the case, what would be considered good?
"What are you senior sisters saying?" A head suddenly squeezed in between them, and then a boy popped out and stood close to the two of them. "Okay, now I can hear from both sides."
Shen Lixia thought that perhaps she shouldn't talk to the child about this, and then she recalled Lu Changqing's attitude towards Wu Zhuyue, so she smiled and said, "Why doesn't Junior Sister Lu go to find Junior Sister Wu? Isn't she always the one who loves to pester her?"
“Xiao Wu is helping the other students set up their tables and chairs.” Lu Changqing swung his legs. “Although I like her very much, I can’t be with her all the time.”
"Doesn't Junior Sister Lu want to be with her all the time?" Shen Lixia asked, intrigued.
Lu Changqing pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "I don't want to for now. Xiao Wu has her own things to do, and so do I. Just because we have a good relationship doesn't mean we have to be closely connected for life. But it's quite interesting when she shows a different expression because of me."
She broke the aloofness that applied to everyone. When she revealed expressions of anger or complexity, it was as if a porcelain doll had come to life, possessing human emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, rather than just a cloud or a wisp of fog.
This was when Wu Zhuyue seemed truly alive, which was her favorite moment. The price was that she might get a light scolding, or even a couple of taps, but it was still better than always having to face the obedient side.
Looking into her eyes, which shone brightly in the flickering firelight, Shen Lixia couldn't help but think of herself. So many regrets made her want to never miss out again in this life.
Therefore, she not only desires perfection, but also wants everything to be fulfilled according to her wishes.
But she was also afraid that her senior sister would become estranged from her again because of this.
As the group fell into silence, they suddenly heard the melodious sound of a zither, gentle and graceful, accompanied by the sound of jade being struck, clear yet carrying a touch of tenderness.
The strings played softly, and someone on the other side broke the clay seal and poured a full cup of sake. The four friends sat around a table, and Yi Xiaohan, in high spirits, nudged Yan Xueya with his shoulder and said, "Since you're here, why don't you go up and perform a sword dance?"
In their youth, they were too busy to attend festivals. However, whenever they did, someone would always be encouraged to go on stage, and even if it was an awkward performance, no one would boo; instead, everyone would cheer them on. Yan Xueya was one of those people who were pushed onto the stage.
Her only performance on stage was sword dancing. Sword dancing, besides being pleasing to the eye, could also enlighten students and help them to gain a deeper understanding of the movement techniques combined with swordsmanship.
Centuries have passed; it's time for a change of personnel. Yan Xueya raised her eyes, watching the unsuspecting student take the stage, and said calmly:
"Don't be impatient, someone will come to perform the sword dance."
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Author's Note: I'm a little curious about how it's being received so far, so if you have any thoughts, please let me know in the comments...TvT
I've cut some of the later parts, so the pace should be a bit faster!
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