Chapter 121 Teacher. "You're just a child. So, trust your teacher more..."
After their seclusion, time flew by. The three were all busy with their own things. Simmons was translating the Garan documents that Si Changxi had collected from various places, while Qiao Yanshen and Shen Lixia were in seclusion, occasionally going to Frostblade Peak to receive personal guidance from Yan Xueya.
Their relationship didn't fade because of this. Occasionally, when Simmons had some free time, she would leisurely stroll around the market town, buy some snacks, and leave one for each of them in front of their doors. A few days later, when she opened her eyes, she could see a bunch of flowers covered in autumn dew on the windowsill, or a piece of paper with a sad-looking little figure drawn on it.
Sometimes they are two bright yellow persimmons, but after winter comes they turn into green tangerines.
The gifts you give are all so interesting.
Winter came quickly; one moment it was the beginning of winter, and the next it was almost snowing.
One morning, Simmons went up the mountain to collect snow and brewed some herbal tea to cool off the pent-up anger from the past few days. Little did she know that someone else needed to cool down even more. Early in the morning, Simmons stormed into the neighboring house with a sword in hand, her voice as angry as a tiger's roar, which sent three birds flying from the branches.
"Shen Lixia!"
Holding a sheathed longsword, she appeared before Simmons in the blink of an eye, having searched for no one on this side.
Simmons saw that the newcomer's white hair was the same color as frost and snow, and his long robe was also dazzlingly plain. However, the trousers and boots he wore were contrary to his status as a celestial being, making him look as if he was about to mount a horse. The True Lord of the Transformation Realm was extraordinary when he was angry; his aura was overwhelming even when he was just standing there.
She smiled apologetically and said, "Immortal Lord, why not have a pot of tea to cool down? Chrysanthemum, honeysuckle, and prunella vulgaris are all excellent for clearing heat and brightening the eyes." With that, she cupped the tea in both hands and offered it to the Immortal Lord.
Yan Xueya remained silent for a moment, then took the cup of tea, drank it all in one gulp, and then steadily tapped the teacup on the table, asking in a deep voice, "Where has my rebellious disciple gone?"
"What is she doing?" Simmons hurriedly poured her another cup, but was refused. "She's been missing since early morning. If she's not sleeping in the house, she's probably gone to the bamboo forest."
The bitter taste of honeysuckle blossoms was followed by a sweet aftertaste. When Yan Xueya was asked this question, the veins on her forehead bulged again, and she seemed even more angry: "You went astray in your cultivation and burned down my library."
Simmons felt that her impression of Shen Lixia had been refreshed once again.
Yan Xueya said she had already searched the bamboo forest, and unless she dug three feet into the ground and buried herself alive, she would never be found.
She was furious, and her words were chilling: "I want to see him alive or dead."
Simmons suddenly remembered a silly remark someone had made while they were traveling: "If the three of us die, we'll all be buried together." She felt a chill run down her spine, laughed, and thought to herself that it was better not to die so young.
"Why don't you go and look for it at Qiao Yanshen's place?" she said.
These words jolted Yan Xueya awake. She gripped her sword tighter and stood up abruptly. After Simmons finished saying "Take care," Yan Xueya suddenly glanced at the pot of cold tea and said, "The tea is good." It's just a bit bitter; after drinking it for a few days, even plain water will taste sweet.
She made a hand seal, and in the blink of an eye, her figure disappeared.
-
After coming to this world, I put most of my clothes in storage bags. I don't need to take them out by hand. I can change into them with just a thought and a hand seal.
Qiao Yanshen never imagined that she would still need a wardrobe, and not for storing clothes, but for storing people.
The last concealment talisman was affixed to the inner cabinet door, and in the radiance of spiritual energy, the cabinet was completely transformed into the most secure and hidden space in the world, as if in this way it could escape the search of the Nascent Soul True Lord.
Shen Lixia stood close to her, the cool scent of wood lingering between them. Their breaths mingled, and Qiao Yanshen looked away, refusing to see her rubbing her forehead where she had just bumped it, and raised his hand to cover his face.
They huddled silently in the closet. Shen Lixia, still shaken and panting, darted her golden eyes around like a kitten that had gotten into trouble—and she certainly had.
Qiao Yanshen looked back at her and asked, "What did you do?"
Shen Lixia clung to the edge, trying not to forget to keep her distance from Qiao Yanshen and maintain some dignity. However, as her knees touched and her breath fell on him, she could feel his warmth and hear the helplessness in his voice, which made her blush.
"I'm sorry," she apologized first, "I... had another problem with my cultivation, and I even accidentally burned the letter written by my master."
She tried to bluff her way out of it, but she couldn't lie to Qiao Yanshen.
"What's the problem?" Qiao Yanshen suddenly laughed—he was angry.
At first, she was determined to move out, and when she left, she looked like she was about to cry but couldn't, which made people feel sorry for her. She was stubborn and didn't speak for more than a month, and when she was sparring, she would only apologize for being lost in thought.
Now you run to her whenever there's a problem, do you think she won't get angry? I've told you so many times to take care of yourself, but after a few months of peace, it's all gone in one ear and out the other.
Shen Lixia was too close to her, making it difficult to look away. Staring at the pair of deep blue eyes in front of her, she murmured, "I was struggling with the divine fire, trying to get more cultivation from it, but I didn't expect it to be unable to suppress me."
"Then you can go out," Qiao Yanshen said softly. "Apologize to your master and don't let her look for you everywhere. It's not proper for children to refuse to admit their mistakes."
"I'm afraid she'll get even angrier if she sees me, so I want to wait until she calms down," Shen Lixia said softly.
“The concealment talisman won’t block her spiritual sense; it’s only a matter of time before she discovers you,” Qiao Yanshen patted the boy’s knee. “Do you want her to pretend she didn’t find you and go back?”
“That’s true…” Shen Lixia said dejectedly, “Okay, I’ll go.”
After speaking, and lingering for a while, Shen Lixia slowly tore apart the talisman paper.
As she worked, she chatted with Qiao Yanshen, asking her what she had been doing lately, whether she had eaten any green tangerines, and whether they tasted sour...
Qiao Yanshen was halfway through answering when he noticed her extremely slow movements and said, "If you're any slower, Master will be here. Do you regret it now?"
Shen Lixia paused, tearing the talismans faster. Soon the talismans were gone, and the wardrobe could be opened. Only then did she whisper:
"I want to talk to my senior sister a little longer."
“I’m angry too,” Qiao Yanshen said. “Go ahead, and remember to bring back a bag of green tangerines later. Choose carefully, and make sure they’re not so sour that they’re bitter.”
Shen Lixia nodded, opened the wardrobe, and walked out with Qiao Yanshen. Before she could even fix her wrinkled collar, a hand grabbed her by the back of the neck, and she disappeared into the room in an instant. Qiao Yanshen watched as she was gripped by the back of the neck as if her fate had been seized, his expression momentarily dazed. He couldn't help but laugh, then his heart sank in worry.
Why the rush? Clearly, there was no need to rush to improve cultivation before. Although there was a goal, Si Changxi had not mentioned when to set off, so naturally, the more solid the foundation, the better.
She's prone to making trouble when she's anxious. Qiao Yanshen rubbed his temples, went into the inner room, sat cross-legged on a futon, and glanced at the peach tree outside.
It is already more than two people tall, with its branches fully extended and thriving, just waiting for the moment to bloom.
Will next year be too long?
She picked up a strand of hair, twirled it twice around her fingertips, and finally thought to herself: It has been too long.
On the other side, the bamboo forest was silent, except for the boy's apologetic voice, which uttered words of apology intermittently.
Yan Xueya didn't want to hear any more nonsense. Using her sword as a whip, she lashed out at the boy's shoulder and asked coldly, "You know you're wrong? The first time you suffered a qi deviation, I only punished you by making you copy a book. You even copied the Heart-Cleansing Mantra a hundred times in two separate sessions, and you didn't even listen to the last sentence. Now tell me, why is it this time?"
She was only holding an iron sword, not Frost Sky Sword; otherwise, if she had swung it, she probably would have broken two bones. The boy bit his lip in pain, trying not to groan, and replied, "I want to become stronger, I want my cultivation to improve quickly, and I want to stand shoulder to shoulder with my senior sister."
She answered sincerely, especially the last sentence, in which her eyes revealed her stubbornness.
Yan Xueya's brows furrowed so tightly they seemed about to snap, and she rebuked him in a deep voice: "You want to become stronger, but you're so eager for quick results that you're almost destroying your own meridians; you want to improve your cultivation, but instead of comprehending it step by step, you try to take what others have already done. What's the difference between you and a demonic cultivator? You are the host of the Divine Fire, but it hasn't recognized you yet—this kind of thing is proud and unyielding. Do you think you can discount it?"
She struck Shen Lixia's other shoulder with her sword again.
"You want to stand shoulder to shoulder with your senior sister? She got here step by step, never taking shortcuts. If you had even half her sense of responsibility, you wouldn't be here today. But what are you doing? Does it even remotely align with your goals?"
Shen Lixia lowered her head and waited for her to finish speaking before carefully saying, "I'm sorry."
She had nothing more to say. The initial enthusiasm of the adventure had cooled, and recalling the process of the divine fire going out of control, she belatedly felt fear. Yan Xueya was right to scold her; she was indeed irresponsible, not even a fraction as good as Qiao Yanshen in this respect.
"I'm just so afraid of falling behind, and afraid of being caught off guard if something happens to the people around me..." Shen Lixia took a deep breath, "I know I'm just like a child—"
“You’re just a child,” Yan Xueya interrupted her coldly.
Shen Lixia paused for a moment, then lowered her head, bracing herself for another scolding.
To everyone's surprise, Yan Xueya sheathed her sword. "Do you think I can't sense it? Even if I could feel your bones, I could tell that you and your senior sister have only lived for a little over twenty years. Half of the people in the sect are ten times older than you, let alone me. In front of me, you disciples will always be children."
Her voice finally softened, like frost melting and water gently flowing.
"You have good qualities. You are a man of your word, sincere to others, and responsible for your actions. When you first became my disciple, you said you wanted to eliminate a few people. I was worried that you were too violent, but later I found that you were resolute and not bloodthirsty. But why do you never take yourself seriously? Your senior sister, your fellow disciples, and the person living next to you all worry about you, but you keep putting yourself in danger. Don't you value your life? If you die, where will your cultivation come from? Where will you have the chance to stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone again? You have already done enough. Reaching the Core Formation at this age is something few people throughout history can achieve."
Yan Xueya pressed her temples, sighed, and finally said, "So don't be so impatient. Don't take on every great responsibility. Even if the sky falls, we'll be the ones to hold it up first. Just let the child be protected and make sure he doesn't die. At least trust your master a little more—"
Before she could finish speaking, she felt a warm sensation on her waist. The boy was holding her waist, tears streaming down his face. His sobs broke his speech, and after a long pause, he burst into a wail:
"Waaaaaah, Master..."
"I...I believe in Master. I will not...try again. I will live well..."
Yan Xueya placed her hand on the top of her head, and for some reason recalled how Qiao Yanshen had held back his tears earlier, and sighed inwardly.
Shen Lixia is good in this respect.
She has clear likes and dislikes, joy is joy, and sorrow is sorrow. She is honest, without deceit or concealment, as clear as a clean mirror. If someone is kind to her, she remembers it deeply; if someone does evil, she retaliates a hundredfold. She is neither hypocritical nor self-pitying, and she is unambiguous.
She cried for a long time, the entire bamboo forest serving as her audience, with leaves falling softly. Yan Xueya, annoyed that she looked like a cat with a painted face and having not brought a handkerchief, could only raise his sleeve to wipe her tears.
Shen Lixia's eyes were swollen from crying, and she was still sobbing after letting go. Suddenly remembering something, she asked nervously, "Master's letter..."
Yan Xueya quickly interrupted her apology: "It's nothing, I just wrote it casually in my spare time, and I never intended to send it out."
Seeing that Shen Lixia had calmed down and realized her mistake, she decided to leave.
Before leaving, he added, "Don't be impatient. If you're really feeling agitated, go to your neighbor's place and have some herbal tea to cool down."
Shen Lixia nodded vigorously, bowed respectfully to her master to express her gratitude, and watched her leave. Next, she needed to buy some green tangerines. The young man's mood improved, and ignoring the burning, stinging pain in his eyes, he hummed a song as he walked towards the market town.
However, she still felt indebted to the letter. When she came to her senses, she could still see a corner of the letter, right at the beginning, where the three characters of her name were written with such force that they seemed to penetrate the paper, as if her longing was etched into her bones.
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