Chapter 141 The Two Moons Draw Their Swords Against Each Other.
The faint aroma of alcohol lingered around me.
The lukewarm wine was unlikely to intoxicate; at most, it would warm the body. The young man sat at the table, took a sip from his glass, and turned to look out the window.
If only Xueya had brought some wine. He turned to find them for a drink. In his youth, he was arrogant and offended these women quite a bit, but they had settled their differences through friendly sparring and resolved their unpleasantness.
Thinking about it vaguely, she realized that a very, very long time had passed. She had been sent to a sect to cultivate and had become classmates with them; it had been so long.
How long did the elder sister remain a ghost? Having lost a part of her soul, she had to endure the pain of her soul being separated and her consciousness being hazy every day, and she had to accept that all her passion would turn into deathly silence. How long did she wander through such days?
Si Changxi lowered his head, put down his wine cup, and summoned his sword. His fingertips traced the deep red cracks on the blade, stopping at a certain spot on the surface, and he couldn't help but chuckle. In this small corner, someone had clumsily carved the three characters "肆不度" (meaning "unrestrained and immoral").
She secretly added it after the craftsman reforged the sword, for which Yi Xiaohan laughed at her, saying, "You really admire her." It was like the worship of a god by ancient people, devout, fervent—obsessive.
Now, these three characters are stained red with blood, gleaming with a cold, eerie light.
If she couldn't have her real name engraved on it, at least she could remember her elder sister in another way. This sword had a very bumpy life. From the moment Si Liuhua gave it to her, it had always been Si Changxi's natal sword. It broke down in the middle, and she had a craftsman reforge it on the original base. No matter what, she was unwilling to replace it.
After sheathing his sword, Si Changxi put away the wine and cups, and turned off the lamp. The window opened, and moonlight shone directly through, falling on the floor like snowflakes trapped in a barrier, a beauty beyond compare.
When we get back, I should be honest with them about these things. My sister has been lingering for too long; it's time to cut off her suffering.
From afar, a bitter yet soothing herbal scent drifted in. It grew stronger and stronger, the bitterness almost permeating her senses. The aroma comforted her, and she drifted off to sleep.
I had another dream.
Through the hazy vision, the young man in white, like a sinister ghost, gently leaned down and pressed his cheek against Si Changxi's chest.
Si Changxi's gaze remained fixed upwards, never looking at the other person. In the silence, her voice was chillingly cold.
I hate you.
At this moment, the young man sat up and met her gaze. Si Changxi remembered it too clearly... even after a thousand years, he had not forgotten it and could still clearly outline Si Liuhua's delicate features.
“You think your love is about sacrificing for me,” she said calmly. “I have no interest in what you’ve lost, and don’t assume I’ll understand your predicament.”
"Only one of us can survive... I hope that person is you. Because that way, you might still be able to suffer for a moment."
Si Liuhua's brows furrowed, and she looked deeply hurt. Si Changxi knew her words had stung her; that was precisely her intention. However, seeing the pain on Si Liuhua's face, she felt a pang of guilt.
Only in that instant did the young man's eyes, devoid of joy or sorrow, seem to come alive—not because of love, but because of pain.
Si Changxi stared at her silently for a long while, then regretted it, and the words of apology were about to slip out—
But the next moment, the kiss landed again.
As if finishing something left undone, his cold hands unbuttoned her clothes. Si Liuhua's kiss was light, yet it stole her breath, like a sudden downpour.
The soft, enchanting sound of water lingered between their intertwined lips. Suddenly, even the moonlight dimmed.
She reached out to push Si Liuhua away, but her wrist was gripped and she couldn't move. The heavy, pressing sensation of the dream was just like her strength. Only then did Si Changxi realize that when it came to causing each other pain, Si Liuhua had always been one step ahead of her.
Despair crept into my heart.
It wasn't because of the kiss, but because Si Liuhua always gave her what she wanted. She didn't kiss her intentionally, but knew that Si Changxi wanted her to kiss her, so she did it. They had truly been separated for too long, so long that Si Changxi no longer resented the bright moonlight that didn't shine on her alone, but instead resented its high position in the sky.
Lovers, family, any absurd relationship—for Si Liuhua, her other half can only be her. They couldn't be together at birth, but they can be entwined forever afterward.
Dreams can grant what one desires but cannot obtain. A slightly cool hand rested on her arm, as if noticing her injury, gently stroking it before slowly placing it on her collarbone. A soft murmur filled the air, a bitter scent lingering, warmth filling the embrace. The hand that usually held a sword slid down to her legs, tenderly covering them…
Si Changxi suddenly opened her eyes, sensing a certain presence approaching. Startled, she suddenly bit down hard.
Blood stained their lips, which met, and trickled down Si Liuhua's lips. She merely lowered her eyes and spread it with her fingertips, as if she were dabbing at a touch of rouge. In the bleak darkness, the blood was a bewitching red, the only vibrant color against the stark white.
As if regretting the hasty end of the kiss, she raised her eyebrows and smiled, saying, "I thought you would like it."
Si Changxi looked away. Even though it was Si Liuhua who had been bitten, she felt a burning pain on her own lips.
The scene before her shattered; she awoke from her dream and opened her eyes. As she sat up, something warm spilled from her lips and dripped onto her clothes.
With a flick of her fingertip, bright red blossoms appeared before her eyes. Si Changxi knew exactly what was happening. A rapid heartbeat pounded through her chest, battering the young man's faltering consciousness. The metallic taste of blood spreading in her mouth, combined with the damp heat at the base of her legs, transformed into a persistent, piercing pain, like needles pricking her.
She felt a mix of shame and remorse, using hand gestures to wipe away the sweat and erase all traces of emotion. They were clearly family in some sense… yet she kept having these dreams.
However, the unique aura emanating from Si Liuhua did not dissipate, but instead lingered around Si Changxi.
The young man frowned slightly, then his pupils suddenly contracted.
Something's not right.
...She's very close!
Si Changxi felt a chill in his heart, and cold sweat instantly poured down his back.
If she were alone, it wouldn't be so bad, but her students were here too. She hurriedly got out of bed and quickly unlocked the door.
It was already dawn, and the air was still mostly quiet. As Si Changxi came out, she happened to see Xi Mengsi standing in the corridor, so she quickly walked over and asked, "Where are Shen Lixia and the others?"
"She's still sleeping," Simmons said, surprised to hear her so serious for the first time. "She should be waking up soon."
Si Changxi took a deep breath, took out a talisman from his pocket, and handed it to her.
"Infuse spiritual energy into it, and you will be able to return to Taihui immediately. Now go and call the two of them, and leave this place immediately."
Before Simmons could respond, she added, "There's no time to lose, let's get going!"
Then, Si Changxi's figure flashed and disappeared from Simmons's sight.
-
A chilly morning mist hangs in the air. A person stands in the mist, their slender figure like a pure white night-blooming cereus swaying in the wind.
Not far from her, a young man dressed in a pine-green outfit slowly emerged from the mist.
Si Liuhua smiled slightly and said softly, "You've come."
"If you confess, I can still use my status as sect leader to detain you in Taihui, without needing anyone else to judge you," Si Changxi said coldly, releasing his sword.
The special connection between the two should have been their innate bond, used to sense and find each other, but now it has become the trigger for Si Changxi to hunt down Si Liuhua.
Everything is messed up.
Si Liuhua shook his head, his voice as gentle as ever, yet tinged with a chill: "Because of the fear of their impending doom, they became greedy and attempted to devour the flesh and blood of the Garan people to steal immortality, slaughtering innocent tribes to the last man... These people, and indeed all cultivators, deserve no pity for their deaths."
Her calm eyes were fixed on Si Changxi as she took a step forward.
“I have no remorse for this, Changxi.”
Therefore, she understood Heaven's unseen choice to strip away her spiritual roots. If one cannot suppress greed, then it is better to start with nothing. Once all cultivators disappear, there will be no more cultivation in the world.
Destroying the documents related to the Garan was not enough; it was only to keep the tribes within the chaotic rifts from being disturbed.
“Si Liuhua,” Si Changxi bit her lip, her spiritual energy swirling around her sword, “you’re really insane.”
The pale-faced youth smiled and said, "I've come to take you away."
"I won't be fooled by you again."
“You’ve lost 20% of your cultivation and are still injured. You’re no match for me, Chang Xi,” Si Liuhua said softly. “Why bother? Just rest and recover from your injuries. Let me take you back.”
"Go back?" As if she had heard a joke, Si Changxi curled her lips, but tears welled up in her eyes. "Where is our home, Si Liuhua? And who are you, an empty shell wearing her skin, yet pretending to care about me so much?"
She took a deep breath, swallowed back the bitterness, and after a long while said, "We can't go back, Si Liuhua."
In the end, she didn't utter the words "elder sister."
I had long thought that love and hate had become a part of my life, like a strange bone embedded in my body, like flesh and blood that did not belong to me, sewn onto my body. After a while, I got used to it.
I never imagined that seeing you again today would still cause me such heartache.
Si Liuhua sighed softly and said only, "I'll take you away."
Her silver-white longsword flashed, and without hesitation, she appeared in front of Si Changxi in the blink of an eye. Her opponent also intended to approach her and leap forward to strike.
There were no elaborate sword techniques, nor any probing with sword energy. They tacitly clashed in the most straightforward way, as if in doing so they could get a closer look at each other's unfamiliar yet familiar faces.
The sword light flashed before her eyes, and for a moment it felt like she had returned to the past. Back then, when she escaped from the rift to the demon realm, the young man had taught her swordsmanship in the same way. Beneath the lush trees, her dark eyes were filled with tenderness.
The swords are still the same two as before, unchanged.
After several rounds, Si Liuhua smiled and said, "You've mastered everything I taught you."
Si Changxi bit her lip and remained silent, knowing that her sword techniques were exactly the same as hers, and even if she learned other techniques later, her foundation would still be the same.
Two longswords, as white as moonlight, clashed.
The next moment, upon hearing a faint cracking sound, Si Changxi's expression changed slightly, and she hurriedly took a step back. Unexpectedly, this hesitation gave Si Liuhua an opportunity to clash with her sword once again.
She was right. Si Changxi's cultivation was damaged, and his arm injury had not fully healed, making the battle very difficult.
The young man, as if fearing something, desperately poured spiritual energy into the sword, trying to protect its already fragile blade layer by layer—
哢.
The crisp sound, under the sudden increase in force, felt like a knife slicing through my heart.
Si Liuhua lowered his eyes, and without hesitation, he slashed down.
The sword broke instantly.
The spiritual energy poured into her dissipated, her natal sword shattered, and Si Changxi felt her meridians churning. She immediately coughed up a mouthful of blood, her movements slightly sluggish. Si Liuhua seized the moment and plunged his sword into her abdomen.
As her consciousness began to fade, Si Changxi let out a muffled groan as a cold, sharp pain spread through her abdomen. Her gaze, however, remained fixed on the broken sword that had slipped from her grasp.
I can't even shed a tear.
He hated her for being heartless and cruel, leaving him heartbroken.
Even with her eyes closed, the sound of a broken sword still echoed in her ears. Si Changxi was about to step back when she was gently pulled into an embrace filled with the scent of herbs.
A cool hand gently caressed her cheek, just like the scene she had been longing for.
Si Liuhua hugged her tightly and whispered, "Why won't you come with me?"
As consciousness sank, the other person's voice gradually faded away.
"I didn't mean to hurt you, Chang Xi."
After pressing another acupoint, Si Liuhua placed the healing and hemostatic pill into Si Changxi's mouth.
She picked up the unconscious young man, glanced lightly at the broken sword on the ground, and turned to disappear into the vast white mist.
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Author's note: Alright, the sect leader is temporarily offline, time to stir things up.
I thought about the title of this chapter for a while... because Liuhua means moonlight, and Changxi means the moon, so they are indeed the twin moons of the tribe, bringing the blessings of Taiyin Jun, who symbolizes the moon.
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