Chapter 85 Setting Up the Festival (End of Reverse V) Junior Sister, why are you doing this all by yourself...
The minor competition was imminent, followed by the Flowing Fire Ritual. Not long after dawn, Tang Huairou came to the courtyard to call Shen Lixia.
The courtyard was cool after the rain, and several clumps of slender bamboo were lush and green. Tang Huairou looked around the courtyard; although it was not as grand as a palace, it was very cozy and clearly someone lived there.
"Junior Sister Li Xia—"
The person she had called was sitting by the bed in the bedroom, combing the long hair of the person lying on it. She combed it carefully, gently tidying up the ends before getting up. After their conversation, Qiao Yanshen's condition had improved; his breathing was normal, and his complexion had become slightly rosy.
Hearing Tang Huairou's call from outside, Shen Lixia sighed softly, made a hand seal to cleanse the two of them, put on her outer robe, ran to the window to respond, and then returned to Qiao Yanshen's side.
She raised her hand, gathering spiritual energy that condensed into a small, fiery red bird. Her divine soul entered the bird, and it opened its eyes, flapped its wings from her hand, circled Qiao Yanshen once, and finally landed beside her pillow.
That way, if Qiao Yanshen encounters any problems, she can rush over immediately.
Despite her deep reluctance, she couldn't kiss him again. She had already kissed Qiao Yanshen once without permission; there couldn't be a second time. Shen Lixia had only taken two steps when she couldn't help but turn back for one last look before leaving the quiet room. She hadn't yet expressed her feelings, nor received a response, but the entanglement of their love and the long-standing affection they had shared made her taste the bittersweetness of parting.
Stepping out of the courtyard gate, she and Tang Huairou flew together on their swords towards Jiming Peak. Jiming Peak was the site of historical festivals, and its climate was unlike that of other mountains, which had a constant four seasons.
When they arrived at the summit, two other people had already begun making preparations before them.
A bright voice rang out, no longer as restrained as in her past memories, radiating the liveliness of youth. Shen Lixia recognized it immediately as Lu Changqing's voice.
"Xiao Wu, hang some more red flags over here!"
"Throw the lantern to me!"
Lu Changqing was busy and having a great time in the tree, which infected Shen Lixia, who also smiled. Her junior sister had changed her name and her personality had changed too.
Or perhaps, this is truly her nature. Unrestrained by anything, she lives freely as a young person, basking in the spring breeze, like a wildflower in full bloom, rather than a desolate crabapple in a courtyard.
Wu Zhuyue, who was being tormented by her, was clearly not having an easy time. She was being ordered around by Lu Changqing with a headache, fetching lanterns one moment and carrying colored paper and scissors the next. Once everything was ready, the colored paper was quickly transformed into beautiful patterns in Lu Changqing's nimble hands, and then hung on the treetops. Together with the lanterns and flags, they fluttered in the air, and the festive atmosphere immediately arrived.
She carefully put away the scissors and the remaining colored paper, her gaze falling on Wu Zhuyue, who was resting under the tree. She smiled slightly, her soft eyes curving into a mischievous arc, a playful idea popping into her mind.
"Xiao Wu!"
Wu Zhuyue was examining the arrangement before her, mentally calculating how much was still missing, when her shout interrupted her thoughts. Helplessly, she looked up at Lu Changqing among the branches, unable to even muster any anger: "What are you doing?"
Lu Changqing smiled brightly, revealing her white teeth. She then stood up from among the branches, opened her arms, leaned forward, and let herself fall down.
"—Catch me!"
The boy fell from the treetop like a petal. Time suddenly slowed down, flowing gently like a stream of water, and the surroundings quieted down. Under the bright sunlight, Lu Changqing watched as Wu Zhuyue went from being caught off guard to frantically reaching out her hand. Her usually cold face was once again filled with a mix of emotions because of her, and he felt an indescribable joy in his heart.
His calm eyes, in that instant, reflected only her figure, looking nowhere else, drawing ever closer. Until their eyes seemed to meet, their gazes almost touching, she landed firmly in Wu Zhuyue's arms, tumbling onto the soft grass along with the white-clad boy. Hearing her sudden, rapid breathing, hearing the soft creaking of the grass roots, Lu Changqing chuckled softly amidst Wu Zhuyue's muffled groans.
"Xiao Wu is really interesting, I like you."
This wouldn't hurt her, but it startled her. Perhaps because she had grown safely from a child into a teenager, Wu Zhuyue was no longer as bad-tempered as before, becoming much gentler, though she interacted with fewer people. Lu Changqing, on the other hand, was a wicked little deer, almost recklessly breaking through this protective aloofness, clinging tightly to Wu Zhuyue's side.
Already flustered, Wu Zhuyue's face flushed even more upon hearing the boy's clear laughter. She gripped the grass beneath her hands tightly, unsure what to do with the person clinging to her. The soft touch against her was like the vibrant life rising and falling with each breath, bestowing upon her equal joy.
Children speak without thinking... Children speak without thinking. Wu Zhuyue could only convince herself of this, never considering that she was a year younger than Lu Changqing.
But Lu Changqing noticed her embarrassment, propped himself up, lowered his eyes to meet Wu Zhuyue's gaze, raised his hand to gently brush away the stray hairs from her forehead, and whispered, "Could it be that Junior Sister, you are also in love with me?"
Upon hearing this, Wu Zhuyue's ears burned, and she felt like she was on fire. She took a deep breath, and regardless of whether Lu Changqing was steady or not, she pushed him away forcefully. Then she quickly got up, dusted herself off, and ran towards Shen Lixia and the others as if fleeing.
Lu Changqing was the only one left who was pushed aside. She was stunned for a moment before she came to her senses. She stood up from the grass, thoughtfully touched her chest, cleansed herself, and then slowly followed Wu Zhuyue.
Lu Changqing disliked warm jade and had little interest in luxurious jewelry, but he had a particular fondness for cold jade.
Just now, it felt like a piece of cold jade was placed in my arms.
On the other side, Shen Lixia and her friends were setting up a simple stage. The Flowing Fire Festival, also known as the Autumn Harvest Festival, is one of the four seasonal festivals of the Taihui Emperor. In addition to feasting on various grains and wines, a simple stage is set up for students to showcase their skills.
Tang Huairou introduced, a smile unconsciously appearing on her lips, "Previously, a senior sister who was a physical cultivator demonstrated her own boxing style on stage. It was a perfect blend of strength and gentleness, beauty and power, and it was quite impressive."
There were also people performing plays and telling jokes on stage... Shen Lixia listened quietly from the side, feeling that it was like a high school talent show. However, strictly speaking, everyone was indeed a student. Two or three hundred years was really nothing to cultivators.
Shen Lixia nodded as she tied the rope securely, only letting go after making sure it was stable. For some reason, her anticipation for the Flowing Fire Festival seemed to have faded; perhaps it was because several years had passed...
Tang Huairou immediately saw through her excuse: "By the way, hasn't Junior Sister Yanshen returned yet?"
It wasn't because of the time constraints, but because the person she wanted to spend it with wasn't there. Shen Lixia suddenly understood, concealing the disappointment in her eyes, and smiled, "Senior Sister is about to form her core, so it's inevitable that it will take longer."
"She's already approaching the Golden Core realm?" Tang Huairou exclaimed in surprise. "It hasn't been that long! Li Xia, what about you? I'm asking for your help, but you can't sacrifice your cultivation time to do these chores."
She could sense that the young man's cultivation was currently at the late Foundation Establishment stage, and perhaps in a few more days he would catch up with Qiao Yanshen. They had cultivated for less than a hundred years, yet they had already broken through to the Golden Core realm so early; they were truly born with immortal bones, a pair of geniuses that others envied.
Shen Lixia shook her head, "I'm not in a hurry."
After all, her cultivation is more about her mindset. Recently, she has been busy and her mood is chaotic. If she is too eager to improve, she is more likely to suffer a qi deviation.
Hearing her tone, Tang Huairou also recalled the time when Shen Lixia went into a state of demonic possession, and couldn't help but nod, but still teased, "Only you can say there's no rush, everyone else is rushing to break through to the next realm."
Breaking through a realm is no easy feat. Even a minor realm requires absorbing spiritual energy to a certain extent and comprehending the Dao with one's mind to achieve advancement.
Shen Lixia smiled and nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. The group then went back to their own tasks, bustling about.
In the afternoon, after the main part was finished, other people came to help after class. So Wu Zhuyue and Lu Changqing went back first to prepare for the competition.
"Xiao Wu, what are you going to do? This isn't the direction Zhu Mingfeng is going." Lu Changqing followed closely behind Wu Zhuyue, chattering incessantly. "Are you angry with me because I jumped down from the tree?"
Wu Zhuyue ignored her, so she apologized urgently: "I'm sorry, Xiao Wu... I'm sorry, I was wrong, please forgive me?"
What did I do wrong? Wu Zhuyue felt frustrated. Before Lu Changqing could tell her what she had done wrong, she noticed his voice gradually turning into a sob as they chased each other. Hearing this sob, her anger subsided by half, and her hardened heart softened a little.
For some reason, she was truly helpless against Lu Changqing.
Wu Zhuyue sighed softly and said, "I'll go get the clothes."
On the day she entered the sect, she stabbed herself in the illusion of the Heavenly Rank. The blood stained the outer robe that her master had draped over her. When Wu Zhuyue came to her senses, she was very remorseful. Not satisfied with washing it by hand, she gave it to the handyman who ran the laundry shop, asking him to wash it for her again.
Thinking of her master, Wu Zhuyue felt an indescribable unease again.
It was as if all the happiness she was experiencing now was nothing but a mirage, swaying illusoryly, destined to shatter at some point.
Suddenly, she felt a warmth in her hand. Turning her head, she saw that Lu Changqing's eyes were still slightly red, but he was smiling brightly and holding her hand tightly.
"I'll stay with you. Xiao Wu, don't be angry with me."
-
It wasn't until evening that Shen Lixia was able to finish her mission and return to her small courtyard in the mountains. The courtyard was quiet and peaceful, and she hadn't experienced any unusual thoughts or feelings throughout the day, so she should have felt relieved. However, as she approached the courtyard, she couldn't suppress her anticipation and her steps quickened.
The moment she stepped into the quiet room, this expectation reached its peak, making her feel as if she were walking on clouds, her heart soaring and pounding. Her body and mind, weary from a long day, suddenly felt relaxed. Replaced by exhaustion was the urge to cry.
Shen Lixia suppressed her emotions, inwardly laughing at her own childishness—so childish that she was about to cry upon seeing Qiao Yanshen, like a child unable to hold back her tears. She saw him lying on the bed, seemingly awake, holding the little bird to his heart with both hands. The bright little creature was very quiet at this moment, simply nestled quietly in her arms, gently pecking at her hair with its beak, as if preening its feathers.
"You seem quite content." A strange, burning sensation suddenly welled up in her chest, making Shen Lixia impatiently raise her hand and withdraw her attention.
Even a sliver of her soul was being used to steal her senior sister's affections. She felt a surge of resentment, then suddenly remembered the feather ornament on the white-clad woman's ear in Shen Yuanzhong's story. She felt a pang of bitterness that she wasn't a real bird; otherwise, she could have given Qiao Yanshen a bunch of feathers to make earrings, letting everyone know that her senior sister was hers...
Thinking of this, she snapped back to reality, her spirits suddenly deflated. Yes, her senior sister wasn't hers. She only had a one-sided love for Qiao Yanshen, and she had to carefully hide her feelings to avoid him finding out and then distancing himself from her. This was probably very unfair to Qiao Yanshen.
But Shen Lixia couldn't resist this selfish desire. She didn't want to be separated from Qiao Yanshen and wanted to stay with her forever... even if it meant never going back.
The boy gazed at the person on the bed for a long time, finally sighed, rubbed his temples, sat down at the small table next to him, and began to read.
As night fell, she rose from the table, performed a hand seal to cleanse herself, changed her clothes, and took off her boots. She lay down beside Qiao Yanshen. She curled up slightly, hesitated for a moment, and finally snuggled into Qiao Yanshen's arms, closing her eyes close to him.
She wants the same treatment as the little bird.
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Author's note: I've inserted a little bit of Wu Liu's scene!
Oh dear, who's jealous of themselves? Who is it? (It's not me.)
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