Chapter 106 Cloud Soul and Rain Spirit (Part 5) How can one glimpse the cracks in the world? Nothing more than grass…
Lin Feiran took the Golden Wave from behind her, raised her right hand, and the crimson umbrella spun open, its golden spots dazzling, slowly floating above.
She told Ru Xian about the teleportation, but he did not stop her. He only pondered for a moment, then the golden thread in his hand fell and covered her wrists.
Shen Qi, who had been listening from the side, felt somewhat worried: "These clouds and mist are strange and unpredictable. Putting aside whether the umbrella sword and spiritual treasures can be used, if we only use rope binding as a backup plan, we may not be able to pull the person back."
He glanced to the side, his voice flat: "I'm the backup plan."
"If I cannot bring her back, I will go into the sea of clouds with her."
Lin Feiran turned her head to look, but Ru Xian had already withdrawn her gaze from Chen Qi and turned it to her.
"You want to give it a try, don't you?"
Lin Feiran nodded, but then added, "We can also think of other methods."
Ru Xian remained noncommittal, simply walking to the edge of the cliff, her five fingers slightly clenched, and the gold thread binding her wrist tightened a little.
"At eighteen or nineteen, it's the perfect age to be adventurous and reckless. If not now, when? Go wherever you want, without having to consider everything carefully."
His tone was gentle and there was no hint of sarcasm.
Compared to her peers, Lin Feiran is more like an ascetic, overly cautious, which is both good and bad. He always wishes she could be more indulgent and relax a bit.
"Besides, trust those you employ, and the same applies to you and your sword. Now that you have chosen each other, there is no need to hesitate; just move forward."
Lin Feiran felt a mix of emotions.
When she sparred with Pei Yu, she lost to him by three moves, but at the moment of defeat, her master caught her, and everyone comforted her with words of advice.
She was also competitive, but when she saw that scene, she couldn't help but think that if someone caught her like that, she wouldn't mind losing three moves.
She looked at Ru Xian and said earnestly, "Thank you."
As Xian just said, the words of the sword and its master were exactly what Lin Feiran was thinking.
Since we have chosen each other, there is no need for further suspicion.
Lin Feiran crouched down to the edge of the cliff and carefully observed, finally spotting a faint glimmer of light somewhere in the thin mist.
She stood up, and the golden umbrella slowly rose as well. A touch of crimson red blended into her dark figure, and she disappeared in an instant. The next moment, Lin Feiran leaped out.
Qi Chen and the cultivators not far away watched quietly. The snow rabbit, with its claws twitching, moved its tail very fast, showing great anxiety.
The dark figure fell into the pale white clouds and just landed on a branch of the hibiscus tree when the clouds suddenly surged and swallowed her up.
The golden threads suddenly tightened, and it was as if one could even feel the uncontrollable downward force. So, it gripped the threads with its five fingers and then looked up at the red umbrella.
"Calm your mind."
Hidden among the clouds and mist, the sword spirit's figure appeared. She stood behind Lin Feiran, as if gently supporting her, or perhaps giving her a lesson.
"Jinlan is the essence of the late lord's life, and it is no exaggeration to say that it is the greatest treasure in the world. You must learn to control it, and it will be your best help."
The sword spirit quickly formed hand seals in front of her, and Lin Feiran also suppressed her pounding heart and followed her in forming hand seals and making incantations.
After a while, Shen Qi even started calculating in his mind, roughly counting to thirty, when a crimson light appeared, and Lin Feiran suddenly appeared under the umbrella.
She was covered in frost, and as soon as she landed, she immediately brushed off the frost. Before anyone could speak, she leaped into the sea of clouds.
This time, Lin Feiran was still heading for the Cloud Soul Rain Spirit Grass.
The sea of clouds will still engulf and swallow her, so she must seize the opportunity and move back within ten counts.
The Cloud Soul Rain Spirit Grass was hidden behind the Fusang tree, amidst the ice and snow. Lin Feiran had to break off a branch first. As soon as he touched it, the branch was filled with yang energy, which was incredibly hot.
When Lin Feiran returned to the cliff, she was no longer covered in frost, but she was covered in sweat. She stuffed the hibiscus branches into Chen Qi's arms and then plunged into the sea of clouds.
After two such exchanges, she became much more at ease and even had the energy to talk with the sword spirit.
"Senior Sword Spirit, may I ask which saint my former master was?"
The sword spirit remained silent for a moment before saying, "The former lord was not a saint, but just an ordinary person with a very cold heart and a strange temper. He just happened to be a bit skillful. It's infuriating, and you wouldn't like him if you met him."
She swayed to Lin Feiran's side, her veil lowered, and her voice softened: "Whether in terms of temperament or personality, you are much better than the former master."
Lin Feiran was at a loss for words. She couldn't comfort him, nor could she agree with him. In the end, she could only say...
"Sword spirits and sword masters are often similar in temperament. I think you are very good. I suppose the former lord was not like that either."
“You’re better at talking than the late lord,” the sword spirit chuckled, but still said, “but the late lord was indeed not good; you wouldn’t like him.”
Her voice was somewhat ethereal, her tone sighing, it was hard to tell whether it was regret or longing.
Lin Feiran didn't know why she had to bring up whether she liked it or not. She fell silent and stopped bothering her, focusing on picking hibiscus trees.
After several trips back and forth, she dismantled almost the entire Hibiscus tree, and the Cloud Soul Rain Spirit Grass, which had been hidden in the roots, finally came to light.
Ru Xian had not mentioned the name of the herb before, only describing its appearance. Now, upon closer inspection, she realized that the herb was actually a pair of twins.
The sword spirit then explained to her, "The left side contains the Cloud Soul, and the right side contains the Rain Soul. If taken together, the medicinal effects are extremely potent. If taken separately, it will have an aphrodisiac effect. If that person just told you to take half of it, you must not believe him."
The sword spirit didn't want to say these things, but fearing that Lin Feiran was completely unaware and might be misled, it gave him a hint.
Lin Feiran paused, and it took her a while to realize what "arousing affection" meant. She couldn't help but smile.
"Senior, you may not know this, but he has a peculiar temperament and does not like to get close to people. Rather than having romantic thoughts about others, he would prefer to be alone and would not let anyone take it indiscriminately."
Besides, he had been searching for this spiritual herb for a long time, intending to use it for medicinal purposes. To have to endure all this while taking the medicine was rather...
To say she was pitiful wouldn't be quite right. Lin Feiran struggled to describe her feelings at that moment, and after much thought, she could only let out a sigh.
Lin Feiran needed at least three Cloud Soul Rain Spirit Grasses, so she repeatedly searched along the cliff edge and amidst the sea of clouds. In addition to the spiritual herbs, she also brought back many Fusang tree branches.
Shen Qi was initially worried, but seeing that she was alright, he flipped through his notes and began to count the branches. The cultivators beside him, observing her actions, gradually began to consider descending the cliff.
Only Ru Xian stood quietly on the cliff side, his five fingers never moving, the golden thread firmly holding them, his gaze always fixed on Lin Feiran.
He wasn't thinking about anything; his eyes were only fixed on that mysterious figure.
After an unknown amount of time, Lin Feiran finally gathered all three Cloud Soul Rain Spirit Grasses and placed them in the jade box that Ru Xian had given her earlier.
She handed the box to Ruxian, then counted the contents with Chenqi, glanced back, and jumped off the cliff again.
Shen Qi subconsciously raised his hand, but missed. "They're all here. Why did you go down again? You're so tired..."
A few moments later, Lin Feiran returned to the umbrella, holding a hibiscus branch that was an arm's length long in her hand.
Instead of handing it to Shen Qi, she walked to the back, glanced at Cheng Hua, and then handed the piece of hibiscus wood in her hand to Qi Chen.
“You should need it too.”
This back-and-forth movement was extremely taxing on her spiritual energy. In addition, she had touched too many Fusang trees, leaving her palms covered in red marks from the burns. The thin layer of sweat on her forehead was quickly dried by the cliff wind, leaving her with a slight chill.
Qi Chen's eyes flickered slightly as he took the hibiscus wood. He looked up at Lin Feiran, a thoughtful expression crossing his beautiful face, and then suddenly spoke.
"After you return to the Demon Capital, someone will definitely try to take your life, so be careful. If you want to know anything, you can ask me at the teahouse."
Qi Chen didn't speak, but Lin Feiran heard these words. She raised her eyebrows slightly, but before she could ask any further questions, he lowered his eyelashes and turned around to drape Chenghua's cloak tightly.
Chenghua was looking at Lin Feiran, with tears welling up in her eyes.
Lin Feiran looked back and then stopped talking. He just smiled at her, quietly raised his hand and patted her head. Then he returned to Ru Xian's side, and the three of them tidied up together before leaving.
Once again, the narrow passage stretched before us, but the snowflakes seemed to fall before us.
Lin Feiran had been secretly observing his expression, but he only glanced at the carvings on the wall, his expression remaining largely unchanged.
Phoenix County... what exactly is this place?
*
Once they emerged from the narrow passage, the three of them considered their task largely complete.
Lin Feiran and Shen Qi began searching for spiritual herbs according to the notes, but neither of them were skilled in medicine, and the herbs growing in the Sacred Valley were extraordinary. They had to hold the notes in one hand and the medical book in the other, and compare the two.
Lin Feiran felt that the process was too slow after searching for only one type of herb.
At this moment, both the Cloud Soul Rain Spirit Grass and her sword were in her hands. Even though the valley had been open for three days, all she wanted was the medicinal herbs recorded in the notebook.
If we could find it all in one day...
Ru Xian couldn't stand it anymore, so he simply took the letter and read it all in a quarter of an hour.
"Hysteria, ear disease, muteness..."
Upon seeing the necessary medicinal herbs, he softly described his symptoms. Finally, he closed the notebook in his hand and brushed the herbs off his face.
"Although there are many people seeking medicine, they all suffer from incurable diseases that are beyond the reach of ordinary people. There are only nineteen kinds of spiritual herbs in total. We found a few of them on the way here. There is no need to count them. Just pick them when you see them."
Different spiritual herbs grow in different places, and so does the wild grass. Taking advantage of this characteristic, the wild grass led the two of them to search for it in the dense forest.
Lin Feiran believed Ru Xian, and Shen Qi was particularly obedient. The three of them worked together very well. By sunset, they had moved from the dense forest to the open field and found the last three medicinal herbs.
Shen Qi's gaze toward Ru Xian had changed from embarrassment to admiration.
He stepped forward and performed a Taoist salute.
"Thank you so much for your help, fellow Daoist! If it weren't for you, we would have had to search the valley for another three days!"
Ru Xian did not accept the praise. He closed the note and handed it to Lin Feiran, saying in a cool voice, "You recorded the herbs and you collected them. I only identified them and cannot be considered to be helping you."
There were still many cultivators harvesting here, their faces beaming with joy as the wind blew the grass low.
Ru Xian glanced around and then looked at Lin Feiran: "Actually, there are still two days left. There may be other spiritual treasures in the valley. There is no need to rush."
Lin Feiran shook his head: "Many of the people who came to the city this time are suffering from illness. I saw them when they registered earlier, and their condition is not optimistic. I want to leave the valley as soon as possible."
Since Xue had come solely for the Cloud Soul Rain Spirit Grass, and Chen Qi had no other desires, the two had no objections upon hearing this, and thus headed out of the valley together.
There weren't many people like them who left the valley on the first day; there were only about a dozen. They met at the entrance of the valley and, at a glance, most of them were the ones who had come to retrieve their swords that day.
They did come for the sword, but some stumbled upon the opportunity while others did not.
As the setting sun cast its golden light upon the valley entrance, layers of fiery crimson clouds reflected the ground. The twelve saints still stood before them, and in this rich glow, their spirits appeared far more real.
Three days later, the Pilgrimage Valley will be completely closed, and the mountain spiritual veins here will be given back to me. Who knows when it will be reopened?
Between the Holy Spirits, the mad Taoist was watching her with a half-smile, his gaze distant.
Lin Feiran suddenly remembered that he had said that after the valley was closed, even the wind from the outside world could not blow into this place, and he could no longer know about things outside the boundary.
She paused, took something out of her bag, and stuck it crookedly by the roadside before catching up with the other two.
Ru Xian glanced at him sideways, somewhat puzzled: "Why are you putting up a wooden windmill?"
Lin Feiran looked at the mad Taoist with a calm gaze, and then said, "There is a clear bell hanging below. When the wind comes, the sound of the bell will spread throughout the valley and tell everyone."
Ru Xian knew immediately that this was not an answer to him.
He raised the corners of his lips slightly, looked away, and inadvertently glanced at the Holy Spirit standing to his side.
These people may have known his identity, yet they still did not stop him. Their turning a blind eye to this is self-evident.
He thought that these Holy Spirits were just as tasteful as he was.
Before long, the three of them finally left the Pilgrimage Valley. Before leaving, Lin Feiran still looked back one last time.
The ancient road stretches far and wide, a solitary figure stands majestically, but ultimately disappears into the soft glow of the sunset.
A warmth suddenly crept onto her wrist. She glanced to the side and saw that the spiritual vein was halfway out of the mustard seed bag, like a wanderer looking back, but it quickly retracted and never reappeared.
Remembering something, Lin Feiran couldn't help but ask, "Why do these spiritual herbs only grow in the Pilgrimage Valley? Even if the spiritual energy outside the realm is not as good as inside the valley, and cannot support many, it shouldn't be that there are none at all."
Shen Qi nodded repeatedly: "I have the same question."
As Xian said, "A long time ago, they were indeed not unique to the Pilgrimage Valley. Although they were rare in both the human and demon realms, a few would still grow under favorable conditions."
The reason why the people who entered the city knew that He Lingcao could cure hysteria and muteness was because it was recorded in many ancient medical books.
However, since my childhood, many of the legendary fine herbs have disappeared between the two realms, with only a few traces remaining in the Pilgrimage Valley.
To date, only more of these magical herbs have disappeared.
"Why?" Lin Feiran didn't quite understand. "Could it be because the spiritual energy is scarce? But there's no such claim."
Ru Xian shook his head: "The growth of such rare and precious materials is complicated, and the conditions for their growth are quite complicated. They cannot be cultivated simply because there is sufficient spiritual energy. I do not know why they disappeared."
Many years ago, hibiscus trees grew in Saigo and Kitahara, and I even went there to collect them for medicinal purposes. But I don't know when it happened, these sacred trees that had existed for thousands of years withered and died, leaving only remnants in the Pilgrimage Valley.
"Broken branches?" Shen Qi asked in surprise. "Would the hibiscus trees covering the cliff face also count as broken branches?"
As if reminiscing about the past: "There is only one Fusang tree in Saigo and Kitahara, but each one is as tall as a house and has a canopy as tall as a parasol. Although the branches are cracked, they do not appear withered. The leaves on them are round and shimmer with a golden-red light, just like the rising sun."
Then look at those on the cliff face, short as shrubs, thin and withered, growing only in clumps—what else could they be but remnants of branches?
Shen Qi was stunned by what he heard, while Lin Feiran secretly touched the mustard seed bag, feeling somewhat alarmed.
The rare and precious natural treasures have disappeared, the Fusang tree has inexplicably withered, and the Pilgrimage Valley, also a spiritual land, is about to be sealed off, yet she took the spiritual vein with her. Moreover, as Qi Chen just mentioned, she might be in mortal danger...
Could they have come for the spiritual vein?
Not to mention that very few people in the world know about the spiritual veins, this matter is about to happen, and only the Sage and she know about it. Therefore, it is impossible for anyone to have foreseen it, and it is even more impossible for anyone to have schemes against "Wenran".
She thought again of the three cultivators who were searching for the spiritual veins, wondering whether they had been driven out of the city by the Holy Spirit, intercepted and killed on the spot, or had escaped.
To find out their identities, we must ask the Holy Maiden of the Goddess Sect...
"Wenran, we've arrived," Shen Qi said.
Lin Feiran looked back and saw that they had arrived in Chuncheng. There were fewer cultivators in the city now, so it seemed a bit empty. Only the refugees who had not yet found a place to stay were leaning against the dark alleys.
The sunset glow was particularly vibrant today, but with the sun already half-hidden behind the mountains, it cast a shadow of darkness over the crimson glow.
As the half-bright, half-faded sunset fell, it carved a gray, lifeless look onto the numb expressions of the crowd.
Shen Qi stepped forward excitedly: "Everyone, we have brought back the spiritual herbs! Those who made their names here earlier can come and collect them. Even those who didn't make their names still have plenty to spare!"
As soon as the words were spoken, a glimmer of light finally appeared in the eyes of many people, and they staggered toward Chen Qi, asking questions about the spiritual herb.
Lin Feiran's gaze fell deeper into the dark alley, where some people were just squatting in the shadows, constantly tidying up. After a short while, a middle-aged man walked out of the alley.
His expression flickered between the light and shadow of the setting sun.
He carried a basket and walked straight toward Lin Feiran, who also remembered him.
As she was registering someone, the man approached, carrying his daughter.
He said that his wife and daughter had lung disease and wanted a white egret grass that used to be plentiful but is now endangered. He heard that it could only be found in the Valley of the Pilgrims, and he was afraid that he would not be able to make it back in time, so he took his wife and daughter with him into the city.
When registering, his daughter even handed Lin Feiran a root candy.
...
Lin Feiran picked out two herbs from the spiritual herbs, compared them, and confirmed that they were white egret herbs before waiting for him to arrive.
The man's clothes were tattered, the empty pieces of cloth barely covering his body, revealing half of his bony frame. He quickly walked up to me, the carrying pole on his shoulder creaking, and gave me a smile, but the smile was empty and hollow.
"Little Immortal, I have been waiting for you."
He didn't mention the spirit herb, but spoke first.
He said, “My wife and daughter couldn’t hold on. They coughed up blood the night before last and passed away. The next morning, I saw a celestial being performing a ritual not far away, so I shamelessly begged him to help them. It was the celestial being who sent them away. They will surely not suffer from illness in their next life.”
I sat in the city all day, intending to leave, but then I remembered I hadn't thanked you yet, and I was afraid you wouldn't be able to find me, so I waited here."
He still had a smile on his face, lifted the carrying pole, and the two ash jars in the basket clinked softly: "Thank you, I'm leaving now."
Lin Feiran looked at the two porcelain jars, feeling a mix of emotions. With a slight shift in her gaze, she asked, "Are you going home now?"
Upon hearing the word "home," the man's eyes became even more blank and helpless. He seemed to hunch over for a moment, but he no longer looked at her. He simply surveyed the ground, and after a long while, he finally spoke hesitantly, "I...I want to go home."
“I am from Xiaomu Village. You probably haven’t heard of it, Little Immortal. It’s a very small village. If you have time to come and visit, we… I will certainly treat you to a good meal.”
He thanked Lin Feiran a few more times and slowly backed away.
The basket contained only a few children's clothes and women's skirts, along with two small porcelain jars, yet it made the carrying pole on his shoulders creak under the weight.
His thin, hunched figure walked along the main road, like one of the millions of others who left with regret, gradually disappearing into the crowds of people returning home.
Shen Qi stood to one side and watched, his heart moved, his eyes shining. He lowered his head and wiped for a moment before turning around and releasing the spiritual herb.
Lin Feiran looked down at the egret grass she had taken out, the creaking sound of the carrying pole pressing down still ringing in her ears, making her teeth ache, yet it seemed to rise from her heart.
Lin Feiran looked towards the city gate again, but the figure was no longer there.
The author's note: Life is like a willow catkin in the wind.
Joy was sporadic.
Sorrow is also scattered.
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