Chapter 108 Wangshu Twin Lotus, a pair of flowers.
"After that, around May, rumors started circulating that many people had contracted a strange disease. Several people came to me, but the disease was so bizarre that treatment for several days had no effect. Later, people discovered that the disease seemed to have originated from the mountains, and that one could not contract it as long as one did not go up the mountain. As far as I know, the only people living in the mountains are the people of that village."
She composed herself and slowly continued speaking.
“A couple of days ago, a celestial master also came to me because of the rumors about this disease, and I told her about the situation in Xiaoshang Village. Perhaps the people there have long been unable to leave the mountain because of the disease... I thought that since she is a celestial being, she might have more methods than us ordinary doctors, and I hoped that she could save the people in the village.”
"What does that immortal master look like?" Shen Lixia asked.
Perhaps the village those young men were talking about is this Xiaoshang Village. But I didn't expect other independent cultivators to get involved. I'll remember the characteristics so I can recognize it later and avoid some trouble.
I just hope it's not some bad person or scammer.
The doctor recalled for a moment and roughly described the woman's features, which were almost identical to what the street vendor who sold pancakes had described. He added a rather gratified compliment: "She has an incredibly thorough memory for all kinds of medicinal herbs, and she even told me about many of their uses, which I've never heard of in books. And her way of handling the medicine—her hands are like a scale!"
Upon hearing this, Chi, who was next to Shen Lixia, suddenly lowered his voice to a level that only the two of them could hear, and muttered, "Where in this world are there so many good people for no reason?"
"How come it's gone?"
Qiao Yanshen glanced at her, but also became suspicious of this "immortal master" in his heart, so he asked, "Did she say her name?"
She said to just call her Wangshu.
It seems there are many people in this world who love the moon, and the moonlight is often bright at night. The group silently noted down the name, finished their tea, thanked the doctor, and then placed some money under the oil paper wrapping the cakes before leaving.
After leaving, Shen Lixia sighed, "I hope that child named Shang He is still alive."
The other two didn't respond this time. Chi seemed to be thinking about something, and Qiao Yanshen rarely made guarantees about uncertain things. Even if a guarantee brought a glimmer of hope for something impossible, it was like a mirage, shattering the moment it was touched.
Darkness fell quickly after sunset, and it was already quite gloomy when they left the clinic. The demon transformed into a black mist on Qiao Yanshen's shoulder, faintly glowing red within. Shen Lixia widened the flowing fire slightly, then sat cross-legged on the sword and slowly made her way into the mountains.
This time, Qiao Yanshen came to scout the way. His senior sister's divine sense was as fine as rain and as vast as the sea, able to notice the villages hidden in the mountains. With nothing to do, the young man took advantage of Qiao Yanshen's concentration on scouting the way and plunged into the forest by himself, picking a flower before following closely behind.
She pinched the flower stem, playing a game she used to play as a child, tearing off the petals one by one, muttering, "Like...don't like? Like..."
"First, she should have forbidden you from doing this; second, who are you doing this for?"
A voice rang in his ears, and the black mist had somehow settled on his shoulder. Although the words were strange, this time the demon did not use a mocking tone.
"You want to know who likes you or not?"
"...Senior Sister. Who else could it be?" Shen Lixia waved her hand, letting the petals drift away in the wind. "It's your fault, I can't remember where I left off."
“You remember, but since there’s only one petal left, you don’t want to ask anymore.” The black mist hovered lightly beside the flower stem with only one petal remaining. “Your last sentence was, ‘I like it.’”
Shen Lixia tossed the flower branch aside, gathered the wisp of black mist, placed it on her shoulder, and then hugged her knees, burying her face in it. Fortunately, Liu Huo was her natal sword, and her spiritual energy was tightly connected when she wielded it; otherwise, the boy would have already fallen.
She muttered, "Can't I comfort myself?"
The demon's voice carried a strange undertone: "But she does like you, you know that in your heart. There were signs of it a long time ago—otherwise, why would she have been so anxious about your injury, even almost falling into demonic possession?"
Even someone as emotionless as her could see that this child in front of her couldn't understand.
Shen Lixia thought to herself, "Not only that, my senior sister would also shed tears, hold my hand, and tell me again and again... to take better care of myself."
While I was thinking this, the words that came out of my mouth were a complete mess, as if I had found someone to confide in for the first time and couldn't help but exaggerate a bit.
"Senior Sister is so kind to everyone... She's too good, even better than the moon in the sky. I used to not believe people who said she was so good, even though it was a long time ago... Didn't you also say, where do so many good people come from for no reason? But I have indeed seen her, like rain, gentle enough to nourish all things, yet with a firm bottom line."
As she spoke, her voice gradually grew hoarse, as if she were about to choke up, suddenly becoming distant and weak. "When the flowers bloom," the vague answer was hard to guess. Although Shen Lixia had made up her mind to stay by her senior sister's side, she was still afraid that the final result would not be as tender as her words suggested.
She was very uneasy.
In front of someone as good as Qiao Yanshen, her selfishness and her infatuation seemed too sharp, like needles that first pricked her heart, causing her burning feelings to flow uncontrollably, and then to sting her senior sister as well. The red thread that she had hoped would bind them together was tightened, but the pain was even greater than that of flesh and blood.
Why she liked her was something Shen Lixia couldn't explain anymore. Was it because Qiao Yanshen made her feel that she was special and outstanding, or because they had truly spent so much time together? Perhaps it was both, but it also contained much more, much more that couldn't be expressed. For the first time, she felt that language was inadequate; she wanted to describe it, but she could never find the right words.
It is always presumptuous to reveal one's feelings without permission, and she truly regretted it for it.
But even if I don't say it, the tears won't stop. I don't want her to suffer anymore, yet I've become the one who might cause her distress and pain—it's such a contradiction.
As suppressed emotions surged, the girl's ears and cheeks quickly burned. She swallowed her words, lest the person ahead hear—even if it was barely audible. Her senior sister was probably focused on finding the path ahead.
Chi said in a low voice, "You're better off the way you were before, without any worries... Or is it that you appear carefree on the surface, but in reality, you've been overwhelmed by anxiety many times? Never mind, I don't know what happened between you two, but I know she likes you, and you like her in the same way."
She couldn't stand the atmosphere any longer and remained silent for a while, unable to say anything. Finally, she and Shen Lixia spoke at the same time, saying "thank you" to each other.
Shen Lixia asked, "Why are you thanking me? I thought you didn't know the word."
If it weren't for the fact that she was eyeless in this form, she would definitely have given Shen Lixia a sharp look. However, considering that the other party's nose and the corners of her eyes were a little red, making her look particularly pitiful, Chi barely suppressed the urge to mock her and calmly said, "You gave me some snacks, so isn't it only right that I say thank you? Humans are more fragile than I thought. I'm afraid that if I don't say some things now, I won't have the chance later."
"Hey, don't be a jinx," Shen Lixia waved her hand as if to shoo something away, "I said thank you because you comforted me. Even though you said you have no feelings, isn't what you're doing now empathizing?"
“Empathy…” Chi held the word in her mouth, pondering it as if chewing on it, still not quite understanding. She didn’t reply, drifting back to Qiao Yanshen’s side.
The young man's white robes fluttered, his long hair billowing in the wind. His deep blue eyes, illuminated by the clear moonlight, shone like a tranquil lake, radiating a vibrant yet soft blue. As the black mist settled on her shoulder, she sighed softly.
So they heard it.
Chi was speechless at their subtle and ever-present ambiguous feelings. She thanked Qiao Yanshen on her own, explaining that it was "the grace of not killing"—clearly a made-up excuse. Then she quietly rested on her shoulder and ignored the two conflicted people.
No, she should have said something like, "Be careful not to bump into a tree if you get distracted while controlling your weapon."
However, once I got the words out, I felt relieved and no longer felt conflicted.
Why can't those two just talk things out properly?
We drove through the mountains and forests, winding our way into the deep mountains, until the clouds completely covered the sky, leaving only the moonlight to shine down, and only then could we see the sparse lights below.
When they landed near the village entrance, they were stopped by several farmers.
"What brings you three here?" the leader asked. "This isn't an easy place to find. Are you lost?"
Qiao Yanshen smiled gently and said, "We are cultivators from a sect, entrusted to come here. We heard there is an epidemic here and wanted to see what the situation is like."
"That's strange." The woman turned to the others and discussed, "A celestial master also came here last night... Could it be that someone went to seek help?"
"Perhaps A-He secretly ran away—she's not infected."
“Have you forgotten? The new doctor said she sent a letter, or perhaps it was actually sent. She said the disease is very dangerous, and it’s very risky to run away without knowing anything.”
A new doctor? Shen Lixia and Qiao Yanshen exchanged glances, feeling that the situation in the village seemed to have changed again after some time.
After discussing it for a while, the farmers decided to let them into the village. One of them volunteered to lead the way, and they walked together towards the village.
Qiao Yanshen asked, "How is the situation in the village now?"
The farmer hesitated for a moment before replying, "Actually, it's alright. Only the men and the old village doctor are seriously ill... that old beast. They've all been driven to the outhouse to fend for themselves. Although some people have recently contracted the disease, the overall situation is still good. Everyone in the village is forbidden from going out; the doctor said it would be bad if the disease spread outside..."
They walked and talked, and soon arrived at a spacious house.
"This is where the newcomer, Immortal Master Wangshu, and the village doctor take care of the patients together." The woman bowed slightly after speaking, "We are truly grateful to the immortal masters."
She couldn't stay there long; she had to guard the village entrance to prevent anyone from accidentally entering the village or other men from sneaking out.
Shen Lixia pushed open the door and entered the house first. Inside, many beds had been moved in, along with a simple makeshift mat on the floor. From the moment she entered the village, she had sensed the heavy demonic energy here, which, for the Divine Fire, was almost infused into the air, omnipresent.
Strangely, the people she saw so far were all in good condition, and the people on the beds seemed to be only unconscious due to the influence of demonic energy. The decay on their bodies was very mild, even less severe than the few she had seen in her sect before.
Furthermore, the source of the demonic energy is not here.
Hearing the noise, the two people inside, who were discussing something, turned around. One of them was wearing a simple, easy-to-move-in short shirt, his long hair was tied up, and his skin had a healthy, sun-kissed bronze sheen; the other was dressed in white and was not wearing a mask at the moment, revealing the scar that ran across one of his eyes.
What was most surprising was not the scar, but those calm, peaceful, and utterly devoid of any trace of joy or sorrow in their dark eyes. The cool moonlight streamed in through the window, flowing like water over their shoulders, reflecting the shimmering patterns on their clothes.
Shen Lixia took a step back, ignoring the person behind her who stumbled. Horror filled her eyes, and her blood seemed to freeze instantly. She coldly swallowed her words.
There is only one moon in the world, so the beams of light that fall every night are merely its gentle shadows, forever separated from the moon itself, never to overlap, never to meet, like a dried-up waterway that can never return to the true ocean.
Even though they are both moons, one is the moon itself, and the other is moonlight. The latter is ethereal and bright; how can it be compared to the former?
The person before him did not resemble Si Changxi in appearance, but her every move, even in a fleeting moment, was remarkably similar to Si Changxi's, even—
same.
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Author's Note: *This was written while watching a movie, so it might be a bit rough. I'll revise it later.
I've discovered that I really enjoy writing about eyes.
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