Chapter 222 Confrontation: Senior Sister Discovers It Feels Comfortable to Close Her Eyes When Arguing...
In disbelief, she murmured, "Senior Sister?"
The next moment, another sword cleaved through the air, sending snowflakes swirling wildly. The cold blade pointed straight at her face, just as every sword move she made, once the probing phase was over, was deadly.
We're too familiar with each other; there's no need for a trial run.
Shen Lixia dodged quickly and urgently. Qiao Yanshen's sword followed closely, cold and smooth like a snake, coiling around her body, not letting go of every heartbeat or every tremor.
The sword flashed like a ghost. He had no choice but to hastily draw his own sword and parry the longsword.
The two swords clashed, creating a spark.
One black, one white; one hot, one cold; spiritual energy evaporated into billowing mist, rising whitely into the snow. Then the world turned white, and Qiao Yanshen's pure white robes fluttered and fluttered until they became the pristine snow, hazy and distant, so indistinct, impossible to see clearly.
—It turns out she was crying.
Tears fell drop by drop, burning even the snow. A bewildered pain swelled in her heart; Rain Peak and Flowing Fire seemed to mourn their mutual destruction. Shen Lixia called out again, "Senior Sister. Senior Sister... what's wrong?"
Qiao Yanshen coldly raised his eyes, his expression wooden. His lips trembled, and finally he let out a soft laugh.
That laughter was hers.
But she would never reveal such contemptuous and sharp malice, filled with resentment.
Shen Lixia understood.
She was furious: "It's you!"
With a forceful push, he deflected Qiao Yanshen's sword. A raging fire erupted on the snow, creating a prison around the young man. Qiao Yanshen stood silently in the roaring flames, a slight smile playing on her lips. She was naturally gentle and refined, her smile always soft and understated, reserved yet serene. Now, her eyes narrowed, a half-smile playing on her lips. Flames roared around her, whipping her long hair.
“You recognized him,” she said slowly, “Lingguang-kun.”
Hearing the sounds of fighting and the intense fluctuations of spiritual energy, Zhao Qiguang and the others rushed over. They had barely drawn their swords when Shen Lixia shouted, "Don't come any closer! You're no match for her!"
A dark blue mist surged, and Qiao Yanshen was surrounded by an intensely cold, deathly aura. Her cultivation had regressed, but now another force, far surpassing her spiritual power, was lifting her back to her original strength, or even stronger. Fortunately, she was only focused on Shen Lixia, and the two remained locked in a cold, tense standoff within the cage of fire.
Until Qiao Yanshen reached out and his fingertips lightly probed the edge of the flame, causing a soft crackling sound, Shen Lixia's expression changed drastically. She subconsciously extinguished the fire, and then another sword light swiftly slashed towards her.
Unable to dodge in time, her arm was instantly covered in blood. The chill pierced to the bone.
Shen Lixia's lips trembled with pain as she said bitterly, "You're so despicable...you're so despicable, how could you do this..."
He gritted his teeth and shouted her name—
"Luo You!"
The young woman smiled. Snowflakes were falling. She spoke in a manner very similar to Qiao Yanshen, yet slightly gentler and more tender, as if that made her words less cruel.
"Why are you angry?" she laughed heartily. "The teacher isn't in pain. She's enduring it, gritting her teeth, telling herself that she's not in pain and that no one needs to worry about her. She'd actually feel uncomfortable if someone cared. You don't need to worry, you don't need to worry."
Tears, unleashed, surged forth. Shen Lixia, in disbelief, choked back tears, her heart burning with anguish. Luo You, still embodying the person she deeply loved, said calmly, "Don't be sad. She doesn't want you to be sad for her. Your concern will only cause her pain, and then she'll push you away, Ling Guangjun. She sacrificed herself for her ideals, becoming the noblest person, dying for her ideals, abandoning us all. Why should you shed tears for her?"
Luo You's eyes flickered as he stared at her coldly, then suddenly laughed: "I had forgotten."
She swept her sword across the room.
You killed her!
Blue can also be a strange and lifeless color, like a flickering will-o'-the-wisp.
As she drew nearer, Shen Lixia froze at those words. Warm blood dripped down, scattering scattered crimson stains on the ground. The winding trail was shocking to behold.
The sword was a beat too slow and couldn't meet her attack. His hand went numb, and another wave of intense pain surged through him.
She snapped angrily, "You madman—" Her anger surged, and her eyes shone with an astonishing light as she added, "You don't understand her at all!"
Luo You smiled strangely: "I was raised by her, don't you remember, Lord Lingguang?"
Shen Lixia sneered, "Ingratitude!" She leaped forward, thrusting her sword, but avoided a fatal blow, cold sweat beading on her forehead. What to do? She didn't know. In any case, retaliating now would only hurt Qiao Yanshen.
Divine fire coiled around the sword, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws.
Luo You said, "Since you say I repay kindness with enmity, then I will be even more ruthless. Lord Lingguang, if it weren't for you, Luo Yang could have lived peacefully and safely in Luochuan, staying with us forever, and wouldn't have had to suffer this calamity. If it weren't for you..." As she spoke, she burst into tears, her words incoherent, a mix of regret, resentment, stubbornness, love... so many emotions intertwined.
Unfortunately, it was only for a moment. All the chaos dissipated into ashes, and her rekindled tenderness turned into an even more intense hatred.
"You are truly deserving of death."
"But thank you. She had sealed me away and had been struggling to suppress me. Unfortunately, you made her mind unstable and her will wavered for a moment, which gave me an opportunity to take advantage of her."
She raised her hand and grasped the tip of Chen Lixia's sword. The young man, shocked by her reaction, withdrew his sword and looked on in bewilderment and despair as his wrist guard was soaked with blood, tears streaming down his face. Love is hurt. Love is hurt. She was wrong; she had hurt Qiao Yanshen. She understood nothing, so naive and impulsive! She must have been enduring pain all along, trying to suppress Luo You, yet she had so recklessly provoked her, arguing with her over such trivial matters!
Shen Lixia dodged and avoided her, helplessly enduring her sword strikes one after another. Seeing the cold and hateful expression on Qiao Yanshen's face, she suddenly wondered if there was a trace of her true feelings in it.
The cold wind and the sword's aura tore through her clothes, quickly soaking her in blood, which clung to her hands. In an instant, she clashed swords again, but the young man before her groaned and released his grip at the moment of impact. Rainblade arced through the air before falling and disappearing into the pale white snow. Shen Lixia also lost her grip on Flowing Fire, and both swords fell to the ground.
Thick black mist emanated from Qiao Yanshen, gathering and appearing to smile faintly at Shen Lixia before swiftly dissipating. Qiao Yanshen was pale, panting heavily, his chest heaving. Tears glistened in his dark eyes. Before he could finish speaking, he instinctively and slowly staggered towards Shen Lixia. Shen Lixia stepped forward, quickly reaching out to embrace Qiao Yanshen tightly.
So warm.
It was the warmth of her bloodied body. Shen Lixia took a deep breath, but neither apologized nor listened to her apology. She only asked softly, "Does it hurt a lot? On this journey, Senior Sister... were you feeling very uncomfortable?"
Qiao Yanshen released all his strength.
A distant snow wind carries glistening snowflakes, like fireflies fluttering in the air. A vast expanse of stillness, the sky and earth a pale blue-black hue.
The boy's embrace was still warm and cozy.
She lowered her head, leaned on Shen Lixia's shoulder, closed her eyes, and softly hummed in agreement.
Shen Lixia hugged her even tighter, wincing in pain and hissing, but still couldn't help laughing. It was as if she had survived a disaster, or as if she had been relieved of a great burden.
She said, "Then let's go back inside. Get some rest and have a good night's sleep. I wish I had known sooner. Please tell me next time, okay?"
Qiao Yanshen whispered, "Luo You escaped..." She was habitually overwhelmed by guilt.
Shen Lixia said, "Let her escape. She will definitely come back. Next time, she won't be able to escape."
Qiao Yanshen reached out and hugged her tightly. They had clearly said they wanted to go back inside, but neither of them moved, remaining silent and embracing tightly in the snow. Shen Lixia closed her eyes, tears burning her cheeks, and took a deep breath.
Qiao Yanshen suddenly said, "I'm sorry." She paused for a moment, then continued, "I didn't have time to say it. I also remembered some things. I remember you... I remember your family from before. I know how important it is to you that you've been all alone for half your life and are fortunate enough to know that you actually have family in this world. I understand how painful it is to know that the people who love you have left."
She gently touched Shen Lixia's back and felt the boy begin to tremble slightly.
“I know you’ll say, ‘Don’t apologize.’ But I… I was too stubborn and didn’t consider you, that’s a fact.”
Shen Lixia bit her lip, tears silently welling up in her eyes again.
“You have to believe that you’re standing here not just because you ‘sacrificed others,’ but because they wanted you to live. You are loved by many people,” Qiao Yanshen said, his eyes crinkling into a smile. “Including me.”
"I miss my mother, but I might not want to go back to her. Because what you said is exactly how she made me feel—and I'm inevitably becoming more and more like her. It's really..."
She sighed softly, her smile bitter, and said nothing more. Shen Lixia finally understood the hidden pain lingering in her heart and said in a muffled voice, "No. Senior Sister has already been very considerate of my feelings."
They didn't bring up the issue they had been arguing about again. After a long while, they separated and returned to the house. Their appearance startled everyone inside.
Su Jiang said, "I'll go fetch some water. You two ladies, please go and take a bath first."
Zhao Qiguang waved his hand: "There are hot springs here. You've been traveling all day, why don't you go there directly? You can relax while you're at it."
The first snow was falling outside, while inside it was warm and cozy.
As night fell and the lights went out, only snowflakes fell one by one, making a soft, gentle sound like the tide.
They got up early the next day. When Zhao Qiguang rubbed his eyes and said to wait a moment, Shen Lixia said, "We can go by ourselves. There's no need to call your young master."
Taiyin Temple was peaceful and joyful, but also extremely busy.
Moreover, she can no longer trust others so easily.
Several people boarded a boat and used their spiritual power to manipulate the water, propelling it towards the center of the lake. There, mist filled the air, and several shadowy figures stood motionless. It is said that Kunlun Mountain is located there. The forest transformed into a body of water called the Great Swamp, which enveloped the ancient sacred mountain, from which nine rivers flowed.
I was worried that such a large lake, so rich in spiritual energy year-round, might harbor monsters. But halfway there, I saw no huge black shadows, not even fish or birds, only desolate lonely mountains and silent paths.
The lake surface is as smooth as a mirror, its clarity reflecting the clouds and sky.
With a soft "creak," the boat docked at the shore. The thick, milky-white fog had thinned out.
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Author's Note: Updates have resumed! Regular updates will resume, every other day/daily.
I'm so happy to be back writing. I'll put all the pre-orders back once I'm back to normal.
I recently reread the earlier chapters, and although they were quite awkward, I also revisited the side stories about the character Si Liuhua. I didn't feel the pain when I was writing them, but reading them again after so long made me sob uncontrollably in bed. [crying emoji]
"I wish to be her shadow, I wish to be the moonlight that chases and illuminates her entire life."
Isn't this the most heartfelt confession from an older sister to her younger sister?
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