Chapter 223 The Tree's Memory: Eastern Azure Dragon, Western White Tiger.
After reaching the shore, although the fog had thinned, the light still couldn't penetrate much, casting a gloomy shadow over the place.
Shen Lixia said, "Be careful, there might be an array here." The group found a place to moor the boat and began to explore. Xi Mengsi took out a stick and tapped the ground. The other three did not see the array patterns that suddenly lit up, but they were startled by the sound of her tapping the ground that echoed in their ears.
Shen Lixia rubbed her temples: "You're scarier than a ghost."
I looked up.
A huge ruin.
Like a vast lake formed from forests, or Kunlun Mountain transformed into Kunlun Xu, it collapsed like a towering pavilion, crumbling into ruins. Moss covered everything, and wildflowers and grasses grew alongside, yet the scene felt utterly desolate. The wind rustled through the grass, stirring up a heavy, deathly atmosphere that swept over them, engulfing them completely.
A sour, musty smell filled the air. Cracks crisscrossed the shattered mountainside, offering no passageway. Simmons continued tapping with the stick, then after a moment, her expression changed: "Empty!"
She tapped twice, emphasizing each sound, and said, "Listen." Then she ran off to another spot to knock. The sound was faint, but there was definitely a difference. Qiao Yan closed her eyes tightly, her spiritual energy faintly radiating. Amidst the drifting blue light, she whispered, "There's a secret below."
Su Jiang bent down, almost prostrating herself on the ground. Her long hair spread out, resembling a soft, white blanket of snow more than the snowflakes that had fallen yesterday. After listening carefully, she said, "The sound of water. There is water—there is no land route, but perhaps a boat can find a river." The boat moored at the shore began to work again. It was quite old, slowly parting the water and drifting around the isolated island in the middle of the lake.
Legend has it that there are nine rivers in the Kunlun Mountains, but they are now indistinguishable, perhaps because they have been submerged at the bottom of the lake due to the terrain.
Concentrate intently. From an extremely narrow spot, a very faint sound of flowing water can be heard. The boat turns around, and the sound of the water becomes clearer and clearer.
Suddenly, with a jolt, the water plunged straight down, and as it sped along, the narrow channel gradually widened, until at the end, a bright and open view appeared.
This is a spacious underwater cave, which, for some reason, isolates it from the lake water.
The stalactites above were sharp and pointed like swords, surrounded by a faint, shimmering light. The rock face, jagged and uneven like a ghost's face, stared menacingly at the intruders.
The underground was cold, wisps of white mist rising from its mouth, and a thick, all-encompassing vapor hung in the air. A few droplets splashed onto it, making Chen Lixia shrink back from the cold, snuggling close to Qiao Yan. Compared to the water, her senior sister was actually much warmer. The caves were connected, and the vast expanse of water shimmered with a deep blue light. As they sailed through, the cold light dissipated, revealing an even more open cavern with a shore to dock at.
However, it was already dark all around, so dark that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, so they had to light torches.
The moment her feet touched the shore, Shen Lixia jumped back, nearly falling into the water. Qiao Yanshen, who was following behind, reached out and supported her lower back, letting out a soft "Eh," and said, "It's so hot." His boots hissed and steamed as they touched the ground.
She turned around and said, "Don't come down yet." She closed her eyes and made a hand seal, and blue light was distributed to the two of them.
Shen Lixia said, "It's like experiencing both ice and fire."
Unlike the water that's freezing cold, this land is so hot that ordinary people absolutely cannot walk on it; if you drop an egg on it, it will be fried instantly.
The land and water were completely separate, and the hot and cold were distinctly different. But after taking a few steps forward, the soles of her shoes suddenly felt wet and had a strange, supple texture. Shen Lixia couldn't help but look down.
The vines intertwined finely on the ground, spreading out like a net.
At first, there was a slightly fishy-sweet smell emanating from these roots. Then, a fragrance burst forth, and Shen Lixia's consciousness became slightly hazy without her realizing it.
They were so focused on walking forward that they didn't notice what was around them.
When I came to my senses—
The footsteps of the others had already faded into the distance.
The deep darkness before her eyes transformed into a narrow passage, with blinding white light ahead. Shen Lixia had a guess. She took a deep breath, reached for her waist, and stopped.
The fiery flames have disappeared.
She frowned, steeled her resolve, and continued walking forward. To hell with ghosts and evil spirits; Flowing Fire was a spiritual sword, it wouldn't be drawn for anyone but her, and right now, she was in greater danger.
She emerged from the narrow passage. Fresh, warm air rushed in; Shen Lixia, who had been in darkness for some time, felt a stinging pain in her eyes upon coming out, and tears welled up. Before she could rub her eyes, a voice reached her ears: "Ling Guang!"
Gentle yet playful, with a slight upturn at the end of her voice.
Someone put their arm around her shoulder, and a faint scent of herbs wafted in the breeze, gentle and elegant. Shen Lixia looked up.
She suddenly became much shorter.
This was a young man, dressed in bamboo green, with loose black hair and dark green eyes. Two long, branch-like horns, brownish-wood in color, pierced through his hair and were heavy.
Two bright golden lights shone from the pupils of his eyes.
The young man said affectionately, "We've finally found you. The little divine birds are all clamoring for you to play with them. Let's go."
Staring blankly at the person in front of him.
It's her.
Flowers bloom across the fields, spring trees sway in the breeze, and fragrance fills the air.
After searching high and low, I finally found it.
The boy opened his arms wide. Time rewinds to Kunlun Mountain, when she was still a fledgling child, and she lunged forward, only to be embraced by her older sister. The young man smiled, his eyes crinkling, and said, "Our Lingguang has grown strong!" He held her firmly in his arms. In truth, he had grown much taller, no longer at the age where she could sit on his shoulders and hold onto the branches to pick apricots.
"When my older sister carried me on her back, she said I was heavy." She leaned on the young man's shoulder, looking sullen.
Si Yue—still the Taiyin Lord at this moment—snorted lightly: "Her mouth is better off not having one. It's better to believe in my omnipotence than to believe in her."
“My sister is truly omnipotent.” Shen Lixia closed her eyes. In the illusion, she was conscious but had no will to resist, only wanting this moment to last longer, much longer. This was her family. Their mark was deeply etched into her very bones and soul.
They used to be so close.
The Moon God smiled, carrying her step by step across the river and vines, basking in the sunlight. He hummed a song softly, occasionally reciting, "Actually, the reason she's willing to carry you isn't because she loves you. This person is inarticulate, a silly cat."
Shen Lixia laughed joyfully, and Taiyin Jun laughed along with her. Their laughter echoed all the way to the front of their residence. In front of the main house in a small courtyard, a flock of colorful birds—some in human form, some in semi-human form, and some in their original form—chirped and hopped about. Taiyin Jun put the boy down and knelt upright. Shen Lixia leaned against her.
A little divine bird sidled up and sat on Shen Lixia's lap.
“Lord Lingguang.” She spoke with a hint of awe and timidity towards her creator, “I have encountered a human.”
Taiyin Jun asked in surprise, "You've come down from the mountain?"
The bird's feathers shimmered brilliantly; it must be the Biyue Bird from the Rain Master's tales. She nodded. "I want to go see, and then... that person, she's lost." Her voice was soft.
“I was afraid of frightening her, so I transformed into human form. She was very young, and when she saw me, she shouted: ‘I know you! You are the rain master who can summon wind and rain!’ Of course, I couldn’t reveal my own life, so she kept calling me ‘rain master’ all the way.”
The child saw that the person emerging from the mist was dressed in magnificent robes, exuding an ethereal aura, and must be a divine bird from the mountain. Long ago, there were rumors here that celestial beings rose from the immortal mountain, and birds and true dragons paid homage to them. For ancient creatures, once they had names, they were inextricably linked to their destiny, and could not be easily known by mortals. How to choose a name, what to name it, and how to pronounce it were all significant matters for both demons and gods. The child didn't mind, and from then on, called this little divine bird Rain Master. The two got along well, and before long, they became friends.
Gods are not allowed to contact humans and usually live in remote mountains. However, the Lord of the Moon did not shy away from this and directly built a mountain not far from the settlement, ordering: "No need to be reserved, just don't cause trouble in the human world!" The mischievous demons and minor gods could not suppress their curiosity and went down the mountain to contact the human race.
They tacitly agree to a rule that they should remain silent about their divine status.
Unfortunately, Yu Shi was recognized. Being a naive and inexperienced young bird, she was better off not saying anything. Once the other party pointed it out, she honestly admitted it.
Shen Lixia smiled and asked her, "Did you have fun?"
The little divine bird said sullenly, "Lord Lingguang, please stop teasing me. I went down the mountain without permission. I'm sorry." At this moment, Shen Lixia knew she was in an illusion, and to others, she appeared to be about the same age as the Rain Master. But these divine birds around her, being her creations, clung to her like mothers. This order forbidding young children from leaving the mountain seemed…
It was she who did it.
"It's alright, just be careful." The residents here are kind and honest; nothing should happen to you. Shen Lixia's thoughts overlapped with those of Hua Ying from the past at this moment.
The door was open, and the divine birds slept haphazardly on the wooden floor. Part of the eaves covered the room, and Shen Lixia cradled one of them in her arms, nestled on Taiyin Jun's lap. The young man lowered his head, softly humming a song. The familiar melody swayed her on the edge of sleep. Taiyin Jun's warm hand would sometimes stroke Shen Lixia's hair, sometimes casually ruffle the hair of some unknown little divine bird, completely at ease.
Shen Lixia couldn't help but let go of many things in her heart, and she drifted off to sleep in a hazy state. This was the best sleep she had had in a long time. No one died in her dream, no one left, as if everything she had lost in the past had returned, and she only needed to be the carefree child on her elder sister's lap.
That hand, which seemed capable of holding up the sky forever, stopped on her lapel and gently brushed it.
A leaf fell, and the boy drifted off to sleep.
When I woke up, the light was still there, but the scenery before my eyes had changed.
The intense white light blurred my vision, making many things appear hazy. Even a fluttering petal became a dandelion.
Shen Lixia found herself unable to move. She looked down and realized with surprise—
I became a tree.
The trees here are growing rapidly due to the abundant spiritual energy. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that some of the tree's roots had even sprouted; it was truly an incredibly tenacious tree!
These roots look very familiar.
Shen Lixia realized what was happening.
These are the strange roots she saw when she arrived.
She didn't enter the formation; instead, the tree created an illusion for her using its own memories!
What she saw was also what the tree saw. Perhaps, in turn, the tree knew some of her memories.
If it were just a tree, that would be one thing; Shen Lixia has always been a generous person when it comes to sharing. But since it can possess "memories" and give them to others, it can't possibly be just a harmless tree.
Good, it's a tree spirit; bad, it's an evil spirit. This tree, within Kunlun Mountain, has transformed into something unknown.
A rustling sound came from the bushes, and a figure slowly approached. Her black hair was tied back, her face was as beautiful as jade, and the corners of her eyes seemed to be naturally adorned with a touch of red. Her green dress, like a new bamboo shoot, swayed gently in the wind. If the world were to choose the person most worthy of the title "civil official," this young woman would undoubtedly be number one.
Behind her waist, a long dragon tail swayed leisurely.
The dragon's tail and golden mane were magnificent, and the red tinge in the young man's eyes reminded Shen Lixia of the murals she had seen at the Taiyin Temple. There, five-clawed golden dragons, painted in bold strokes, were depicted breathing clouds and mist, their eyes also reflecting this vibrant red paint, their spirits gleaming. The young man stood under the tree, and after a while, flicked the fallen petals from his shoulder. His gaze lingered, a hint of annoyance tinged with barely concealed patience, before he finally sighed.
A tabby cat ran past her. With quick reflexes, she grabbed the cat by the scruff of its neck, lifted it up, and kissed it.
"Kittens always keep us waiting."
"—Who is the kitten?"
A deep, resonant voice arrived beside her even before she did. Taiyin Jun put the tabby cat down, and it darted into the bushes. Heavy footsteps followed. The newcomer moved with the speed and strength of the wind. Shen Lixia glanced sideways and saw a tall woman.
It was so tall that even from her perspective as a tree, she could see that the woman could easily reach out and break off a branch.
What is particularly striking are the woman's furry ears on her head and the long, black and white tail behind her waist.
Shen Lixia felt a chill.
Lord Jianbing!
"It wasn't about you." The Moon God raised his eyes. "You're so narrow-minded that you feel like even the wind is insulting you!"
The military supervisor said coldly, "You invited me here just to talk about this? Then I'm leaving."
Taiyin Jun laughed heartily. Shen Lixia was slightly surprised—Taiyin Jun was the ruler of water and wood, and a supreme deity worshipped by civil officials and physicians. Wherever she was, her statues always appeared very gentle and refined. But now, the young man's laughter was clear and bright, and he seemed particularly happy, as if he were clutching his stomach. She felt happy too, thinking: This kind of older sister is good, especially good. She was meant to be like this.
"Don't go." She flicked her dragon tail, the tip of which gently hooked onto the other. The soldier froze, but instinctively wrapped his tail around hers affectionately.
There's a ghost.
Shen Lixia wanted to close her eyes. This didn't seem like something she should be seeing, but the tree spirit's eyes were wide open like copper bells.
The military supervisor muttered, "Others are making something really funny, and you're laughing so hard you're about to die."
The Moon Goddess said, "I'll only use you for my own amusement."
The soldier's expression changed: "You really are... sharp-tongued!"
The Moon Goddess laughed: "Then the Mountain Lord's teeth are the sharpest! He can eat a child in one bite! Hahahaha..."
The military supervisor exclaimed "Nonsense!" several times, which made the Moon God overjoyed.
They exchanged a sharp retort, and before they knew it, they were close together. Upon closer inspection, the supervising soldier, Jun Yu, wore a heavy cloak, silver armor, and two metal gauntlets, exuding an imposing aura—a classic image of a martial goddess, perhaps the attire of later military generals was modeled after her. Standing together, one a scholar, the other a warrior; one a refined gentleman, the other a mighty killing god, each guarding their respective domains. No wonder most courts favored having their totems and statues placed opposite each other—it was an intention to showcase their combined literary and military prowess.
Earlier, Wen Tao should have been a wise and benevolent ruler. But she disappeared without a trace, and the believers received no response. The array cultivators also noticed something was amiss, and naturally, the people's faith weakened.
Finally, the Moon Goddess waved her hand and said, "I know you've come despite your busy schedule." She extended her hand.
The woman held her hand, her expression suddenly softening, and whispered something. Her voice was soft, but it was carried by the wind, brushing past the branches, and reaching Shen Lixia.
Being able to be with you is more important than anything else.
The Moon Goddess paused, surprisingly refraining from stabbing her. Her ears flushed slightly, and she smiled faintly. They fell silent, with only the gentle sound of the wind remaining. Suddenly, their legs parted, fluttering and intertwining, following closely behind. The woman's feathered cloak billowed; the youth's dragon tail swayed in the breeze.
They are dancing.
The expressions on their faces changed slightly with each dance step, sometimes joyful, sometimes angry, sometimes clutching their hearts, and sometimes displeased.
A single dance seems to tell a whole story.
There is a legend about Tianchi, which says that the Moon Goddess Taiyin loved dance and music.
Shen Lixia now believes it.
Moreover, she was absolutely certain that the ritual dance at that festival was a portrayal of the two people in front of her.
She was somewhat dazed. Because the Moon Goddess... looked so incredibly happy. Even though she only retained a few memories of her, she could understand that she couldn't possibly be happier than she remembered at any time. Whether she enjoyed dancing with others or the person she danced with, perhaps a long time ago, Shen Lixia wouldn't have understood. But now, she could see it.
Both are true.
The woman behind her released her grip, and the young man danced gracefully alone for a while. Her clothes fluttered, her eyes were slightly narrowed, and she was bathed in sunlight, the jade pendants on her body clinking together. She was truly delighted. The military supervisor gazed at her gently, as if he were looking at the most beautiful and precious sight in the world.
He even softened his breathing slightly, not wanting to disturb her.
Deep affection is fleeting, but the most captivating moments are those that have passed, for the end is not far off. The dance quickly came to an end, and the Moon Goddess took a deep breath, facing the woman standing beside her: "How was it?"
"This story is very good," said the supervising soldier. She clapped her hands gently.
Shen Lixia was shocked. A story?
She didn't even realize it was a story, but Jianbingjun had already figured out the whole plot!
The Moon Goddess blushed and teased her with a smile, "When have you ever said anything bad?" But her expression clearly showed that she was very happy to receive such praise. The Supervising Soldier Goddess shook her head and said, "Because it's always good."
The two sat down against the tree. Suddenly, the military supervisor asked, "How has Ling Guang been lately?"
Upon hearing her talk about her favorite little sister, the Moon Goddess began to ramble on: "She's wonderful! At first, this mountain only had the little dragon I brought, but she thought it was too monotonous, so she created some little birds to keep me company. Those little birds are so incredibly cute, with fluffy, round feathers, and their calls have a thousand different patterns! Hey, don't always talk about her. Last time she was injured, you were clearly worried too, willing to carry her on your back, yet you still wouldn't let it go..."
“Taiyin.” The Supervisor interrupted her, his expression growing more serious. “Creation is a unique ability you and Lingguang possess, a gift from your mother. Do not abuse it. To create life at will is tantamount to creating more karma. If things go well, creation itself can bear the consequences; if they go badly, you will likely have to bear them. If things go even worse, it will be up to Heaven to mend things on its own…”
“I know,” Taiyin Jun said solemnly. “Don’t worry, I will keep these little ones in check.”
The military supervisor sighed and said softly, "I hope so."
There was a hint of worry in her eyes that she wanted to say but couldn't.
Shen Lixia's astonishment gradually turned into anger. She looked again and again, but she couldn't find it fake at all.
This is precisely what's most infuriating.
If she was genuinely worried about her, then why did her older sister say in the last letter that she had betrayed them?
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The author's note: Let's arrange the four elements in order of seniority: the eldest sister is Jianbing, the second sister is Xuanming, the third sister is Taiyin, and the last one is Lingguang, who is our Xia.
I can't take it anymore! I was planning to save up some chapters and update at 9 PM... From now on, no matter when I finish writing, I'll update at 9 PM! If I don't update, it'll be 9 PM tomorrow! I must finish this story by 2026!
Friends who follow me on Weibo don't need to worry about me. Nothing's wrong. I'll still write as usual. I just don't want to get involved in any more messy things. From now on, I'll go back to writing solo and focus on creating.
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