Chapter 132 Night Stroll (10) That was her sword, her umbrella…
With a loud bang, sparks flew in the night, the reflected light flashing across his snow-white hair—a fleeting glimpse of gold.
She lowered her head slightly, her eyes seeing only his waist and legs, and that unmistakable gold ring.
The hand behind her neck was cool as jade, yet its breath was warm, brushing against her cheek again and again, bringing a unique, subtle, cool fragrance.
Lin Feiran was momentarily stunned.
She had done this before, but back then it was a terrifying feeling, like being stared at by a wild beast, that made her feel uneasy all over.
It's strange now, but it's less frightening and has more of a different meaning.
"I'm glad you're satisfied with this return gift."
Lin Feiran shifted his shoulders and neck, finally seizing the opportunity to voice his question: "Master, why do you always like to press on the back of people's necks?"
She had heard Biqing say that this was the state of hunting, but she always felt that for Ruxian, it was more than that.
The breaths beside my ear suddenly became lighter, like laughter, but I heard no sound. After a moment, he answered in my ear.
"Because the back of the neck is the most vulnerable. In the demon race, bowing one's head and exposing this area to the strong signifies hunting and submission. But in the race I grew up in, in addition to submission, touching this area also signifies recognition, reward, comfort, and blessing."
He spoke in a rare, detailed manner.
“You revealed your injury to me earlier, looking lost and confused. I took action then to comfort you, but now I am rewarding you for your return gift.”
Lin Feiran thought to herself, just as she had suspected, this action had another purpose.
"My lord, don't you dislike contact with people? Could it be that you actually have a good relationship with your people, and often fight with them?"
Like a sudden gust of wind, her long, hanging hair swayed slightly, as if she were turning her head to look.
"Don't bring up people I don't like at times like this, and I've never done that to anyone before."
But you are the brightest pearl in my hand, the sharpest sword, I just can't help it..."
He just couldn't help but refrain from taking action.
Whether out of affection or pleasure, his hand always landed on the back of her neck before she even realized it.
"..." Lin Feiran was silent for a moment, then, freeing himself from the hail of palms, asked according to his own understanding, "Can't resist giving a reward?"
Ru Xian's eyes flickered slightly, she lowered her hand, and did not deny it: "If you think that way, you're not wrong."
It must be said that this reward is very much in line with his personality.
Lin Feiran sighed slightly. Although she didn't quite agree with the idea of submission, she thought that if she stayed in the demon realm, she would eventually have to adapt to local customs. Besides, she didn't dislike this action; it was no different from patting someone's head, so she might as well let it pat her.
She half-squatted in the car and looked up to see Ru Xian sitting cross-legged. He had obviously been there for a long time. Hadn't he seen her sneaking into the car earlier and trying to lift the curtain?
Fortunately, they didn't actually take action at the time.
She asked again, "My Lord, how did you end up in the cloud chariot? I thought you were somewhere in the marketplace."
Like a hail of snowflakes brushing against the hem of her dress, he gathered up the thin veil that had fallen. Hearing this, he looked at her thoughtfully and said, "I told you before that I wouldn't come, so why did you think I was in the street?"
Lin Feiran felt a little embarrassed and instead raised her hand to touch the back of her neck to cover up the lingering chill.
"Actually... I had already guessed that you wouldn't miss this night tour. Although you won't appear in public, you might sit alone on some rooftop and observe, then offer a few cool comments."
Ru Xian crossed her arms, raised her eyebrows, and teased, "Why? Because you're the protector this time?"
Lin Feiran's ears turned slightly red. Her gaze wandered for a moment before quickly returning. Given her personality, she actually nodded.
"During the Flying Flower Gathering, you said yourself that we were good friends and even allowed me to call you by your name. I thought we had a good relationship and that you would definitely come to see us. I just didn't expect you to be here in the cloud chariot."
Ru Xian's eyes held a smile, but he wasn't surprised; on the contrary, he felt it was how it should be. He said confidently, "You trust me a lot."
Lin Feiran did not deny it: "Biqing and the others trust you very much."
Ru Xian smiled without saying a word, then raised the object in his hand. Just as Lin Feiran opened her mouth in confusion, he put the pill into her mouth.
"That was a good fight."
In just a few moments, all the tiny cuts on her body had healed.
Lin Feiran doesn't know much about pharmacology, but she has a great eye for food. Almost the instant a pill enters her mouth, she can tell what kind of elixir it is.
The reason is simple: Ru Xian never interferes with her battles and rarely helps her, but she likes to feed her medicine, most of which have the effects of healing injuries and nourishing the meridians, which is very rare.
During the Flying Flower Gathering, she practically ate these pills like food. Just now, she tasted this one and knew it was the Snow White Pill.
Since the snowflakes were delivered so readily, and she felt somewhat obligated to help, she asked, "My lord, how was the night tour this year? Was it not too boring?"
Like a hailstone, feigning hesitation, he drawled out, "It's alright."
Night tours were nothing new to him, and he didn't usually like joining in the fun. But when Xun Feifei mentioned night tours, he immediately thought of Lin Feiran.
He initially found it amusing, but upon seeing her reflection in the mirror, a strange thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Why not go and take a look? Why not travel together?
If that's the case, where is closer than the cloud chariot?
This position was originally created for him.
Getting into the car quietly was not difficult for him. He didn't intend to tell anyone, so when the children were talking outside the car, he just smiled silently.
Unexpectedly, Lin Feiran took advantage of the fact that no one was around and sneaked into the car, attempting to lift the curtain.
His usually calm eyes were unusually curious and more lively than usual. At that moment, he was indeed a little nervous, but more than that, he was looking forward to seeing her reaction.
But the veil was never removed.
She was so disciplined that as soon as the drum sounded, she immediately withdrew her hand to prepare, unwilling to waste a moment longer.
There was indeed a vague sense of disappointment in my heart, but it was quickly erased, simply because that dance performance was truly captivating.
It is not as graceful as ordinary dance moves, but it has a kind of resilience.
He stared at it for a long time.
However, he did not expect that there would be an unexpected surprise today.
He looked out of the car and said, "The fireworks are about to end."
Lin Feiran turned around and saw sparks flying everywhere, suddenly illuminating the darkness: "There are still quite a few..."
“Those aren’t for me,” he said calmly. “I want to see my fireworks.”
Lin Feiran wholeheartedly agreed. This was her return gift, and if someone else had done it for her, it would have been like offering a flower to a Buddha through a borrowed flower.
"Lord, you wait!"
After saying that, she leaped out, and a moment later flipped back into the car. Amidst Ru Xian's puzzled expression, she took the veil and covered his head again, restoring everything to its original state before truly leaving.
Ru Xie: "..."
Since things have come to this point, why bother with hiding it?
He stood up, raised his hand to lift the thin veil, then lightly touched the ground with his toes and leaped out like a willow in a gentle breeze, landing on the roof of the car.
Her platinum robes fluttered in the night breeze, and the light veil on her hair moved slightly, blending into her snow-white hair and faintly glowing.
This figure was already remarkable, but under the dazzling golden sparks, it became even more eye-catching.
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty!"
Someone recognized him and exclaimed in surprise, drawing the attention of the surrounding demons.
"He never left the palace in previous years, so why did he actually show up here this year!"
Why did he participate in the night tour?
"Has he finally decided he doesn't want to be a mascot anymore?!"
There were many different opinions, but none of them caught my attention.
He stood high up, looking up at the sparks of iron blooming in the air, his face only briefly appearing in the fireworks. The crowd was both amazed and disappointed.
Among the crowd, Qiu Tong also looked up at the roof of the car. Her expression was not as amazed as the others, but rather somewhat wistful.
She had seen Ru Xian in her past life.
At that time, the fox clan was in turmoil, and the bandits were chasing her and Wei Changzai from afar. In desperation, the two could only flee to the most peaceful demon capital, Lan City, for refuge, which is how they met.
...In fact, they had only known each other for a few days. Perhaps in Ru Xian's eyes, this could not be considered an acquaintance at all, but just a win-win transaction between the two parties.
Although they had only known each other for a short time, Qiu Tong was deeply impressed by him.
This person is exceptional in both appearance and temperament, and few can rival him.
In order to get his help, she and Wei Chang suffered a lot at the time, but fortunately the result was not bad, so she still had a good impression of Ru Xian.
It was precisely because of this that when they later traveled between the two worlds and happened to hear the last news of this legendary figure, they couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
Thinking of this, Qiu Tong recalled Wei Changzai from her previous life, and a few traces of melancholy suddenly rose in her heart.
She glanced quietly to her side.
Just now, when Lin Feiran asked the Azure-Eyed Golden-Eyed Beast for fire, Wei Changzai quietly took out the Phoenix Button he had bought earlier and threw it into the air, after which the Fire Phoenix appeared.
With just one sentence, he knew what Lin Feiran intended to do; such tacit understanding was something they had never had before.
She unconsciously shook the mandarin duck bracelet on her wrist, secretly encouraging herself, thinking that the time was not yet right and she should not be too hasty.
But his gaze drifted to Lin Feiran.
She thought to herself that she looked very happy.
The cheerful Lin Feiran was still performing the iron flower dance.
The molten red flames hovered in mid-air. As the silver figure passed by, a piece was struck by the longsword and burst open, flashing brightly and dimly, like a tree of fire and flowers.
The thought of Ru Xian watching filled her with boundless energy, but she was so focused on using her sword that she didn't even notice the golden umbrella drifting to the side.
"This is the treasure that Lin Feiran just used. It's been moved here. I wonder what it feels like to touch..."
Some people looked up, while others were eager to try, but before anyone could make a move, a pale blue figure leaped up first and took the Golden Ripples Umbrella.
Everyone turned to look, only to see that the person's face was mostly obscured by the red umbrella, making it unclear; only a pair of cold and gleaming dark eyes were visible behind the umbrella.
His eyes were not calm.
No one knows what turmoil was churning within him at that moment.
He had been right next to the cloud carriage the whole time, watching Lin Feiran as she landed and went inside.
Even though there was some distance between them, he did not go blind.
He didn't miss a single move Lin Feiran and Ru Xian made in the car.
He saw her lift the veil out of curiosity, saw the moment when the two of them were stunned, saw Ru Xian place his hand on the back of her neck, saw him lean in, and saw that she did not resist, but even seemed somewhat helpless.
Until the very end, he saw Lin Feiran return to the car, covering him with light gauze again, covering him with light gauze again, covering him with light gauze again!
At that moment, he could feel the joy that came from his heart, a joy that belonged only to her.
His throat tightened more than ever before, and a sudden sense of bewilderment rose in his heart, which he could not dispel. He could only grip the umbrella handle tightly and hold the Golden Wave Sword that belonged only to Lin Feiran.
It's as if by doing this, you can grasp something in your hands.
In a daze, the golden-red umbrella opened and closed for a moment, and an irresistible spiritual force immediately spread out, repelling the restless demons around him and him!
The Golden Wave Sword is a spiritual weapon, containing a sword spirit. Naturally, it cannot be coveted by anyone, nor will it fall into the hands of others.
After being released, it rose into the air amidst everyone's astonishment, heading towards Lin Feiran.
The golden-red umbrella that was drifting away was intercepted by a slender, jade-like hand.
The man easily grasped the umbrella handle, then casually draped it over his shoulder, treating it purely as a paper umbrella to shield himself from the falling sparks in the night.
The sound of the fire hitting the umbrella was incessant and discordant; Wei Chang couldn't immediately tell whether it was the sound of fireflies or the noise in his own ears.
But from beginning to end, the golden umbrella seemed to acquiesce, quietly shielding him without making any moves or breaking away.
What a perfect match between a spirit sword and its master! Why can that person touch it, but I can't?
Those were Lin Feiran's sword and Lin Feiran's umbrella, but now they're shielding someone else's head.
Just then, Ru Xian, who had been quietly gazing at the iron flowers, stirred slightly, as if sensing something, and glanced sideways at the left side of the cloud chariot.
In the noisy crowd, he met a pair of cold, lonely eyes.
This wasn't the first time the two had met; they had crossed paths before, during the Flying Flower Gathering.
One of them thought the other was Lin Feiran's contracted demon, and the other thought the other was Lin Feiran's former fellow disciple. At that time, although they looked down on each other, they both believed that they had a better relationship with Lin Feiran, so they did not take the other seriously and treated them as strangers.
But now, both of them have a new understanding.
For a moment, both of their expressions turned pale as they looked at each other thoughtfully before quickly looking away, lost in thought.
Their gazes fell to the front, where Lin Feiran was still happily performing the iron flower dance.
She was quite pleased with the return gift, Ru Xue, but in fact, she was also very happy to give it. Since she entered the Daoist temple to cultivate, she had never seen such a scene again and missed it very much.
The demons who rode the cloud chariot were even more amazed.
They had never seen fireworks before, and upon seeing such dazzling colors, they suddenly realized that what Lin Feiran and the others had done was probably part of a parade, with the purpose of setting off fireworks to celebrate the night tour.
The chaotic crowd was quickly calmed down. After the iron clappers were fired, the Azure-Eyed Golden-Eyed Beast once again swallowed fire and breathed flames. The lotus lanterns in the market were lit again, and the streets were bright once more.
The crowd was still not satisfied, but they were able to see Ru Xian's true appearance and witness Lin Feiran and Qingzhu's battle of magic. So they followed the cloud carriage and headed towards Xingzhi Palace.
Midway through the parade, Lin Feiran took out a bouquet of flowers and a dagger, which were meant to symbolize blessings, and distributed them to those accompanying her.
This should have been done by Xu Xian, but he simply sat on the roof of the car with an umbrella, his gaze lowered, as if he were an outsider.
He had never done this before, and he dared not force it now.
As a protector, Lin Feiran squatted on the carriage shaft, distributing flowers or daggers to the crowd amidst their cheers. He looked busy and earnest, like a squirrel that had been hoarding food for a long time but was now eagerly sharing it with others.
These were distributed simply as a lucky charm, so most of those who reached out were teenagers or children, some of whom Lin Feiran recognized and some of whom she didn't.
She only looked up when a pair of hands adorned with mandarin duck bracelets were extended in front of her.
Qiu Tong suddenly realized something, silently withdrew her hand, and then offered the other one.
Lin Feiran looked at the two of them and asked only, "Do you want flowers or daggers?"
As soon as he finished speaking, some noises came from behind him, and the demons beside the cloud chariot became excited.
She turned her head and first saw a pair of long, slender legs. Then, looking up, she saw Ru Xian's face, hidden under the umbrella.
A pair of emerald eyes, like dark jade, were quietly watching him, but she didn't say anything.
Lin Feiran was completely confused and could only guess that he might want to be more approachable, so she turned back and asked again, "Which one do you want?"
Lin Feiran held a bunch of purple orchids in his left hand and a golden dagger in his right.
One symbolizes beauty, the other symbolizes power.
Both are the things that the demon race cares about most. No matter which tribe, they will pray to their ancestors during festivals and sacrifices. However, few people in the world can have both. Being able to have one is already considered very good.
In her past life, Qiu Tong chose the purple orchid without hesitation, but now, she hesitated as she reached out her hand.
The purple orchid is indeed elegant and beautiful, but upon closer inspection, the sharp, gleaming golden dagger is no less impressive, possessing its own unique beauty.
The crowd moved slowly along with the cloud vehicle. Some people around were impatient and shouted, "Stop dawdling, hurry up!"
Suddenly her heart skipped a beat. Qiu Tong raised her hand to take the golden dagger, pursed her lips and looked at Lin Feiran.
Lin Feiran showed no surprise. She simply looked at Qiu Tong and said the prayer in a calm tone: "May the martial arts prosper."
Qiu Tong gripped the golden dagger, the iron weapon embedded in her palm, bringing an indescribable chill, but her heart suddenly calmed down.
Lin Feiran then turned to look at Wei Changzai, who now only held a purple orchid in her hand: "If you also want the Golden Light Dagger..."
"I want this flower," he said, his voice somewhat cold and harsh.
Lin Feiran remained noncommittal and handed over the purple orchid in her hand, but it was snatched away by a gust of wind just as it reached the middle of the way.
She turned around and saw that the man's jade-white fingers were holding a wisp of purple-blue.
"My lord, this is..."
"The Night Tour is to celebrate the day of the Venerable One, and the Venerable One can also take back this blessing at any time."
Under the shade of the umbrella, his expression was unclear, but his words clearly reached everyone's ears.
He looked down at Lin Feiran: "However, if the protector insists on sending it, I will not spoil the mood and stop him."
Lin Feiran's gaze swept over his face, then looked at Wei Changzai, only to find that he was also staring at her.
"..."
It's just a flower, so when did Wei Chang develop such an obsession with becoming beautiful?
Despite her thoughts, Lin Feiran had no intention of usurping the main event. This was originally a festival for Ru Xian and the people of Yaodu. She was merely distributing the gifts on their behalf. Since the main body had already given the order, she naturally could not act on her own initiative.
She nodded slightly to Wei Changzai, then looked at the demon beside him: "Do you want a flower or a dagger?"
Wei Changzai's eyes flickered slightly, and his gaze toward her was different from before.
As the cloud chariot moved forward, amidst the crowded masses, everyone suddenly felt an indescribable chill. The next moment, they saw the young man strike directly at the hail-like object.
Qiu Tong raised her hand in surprise, only to see that there was only one spiritual thread connecting the mandarin duck ring. When did he untie it?
Amidst gasps of amazement from those around him, Wei Changzai was ultimately no match for him. He was struck away by a palm and fell outside the crowd like a kite with a broken string before spinning to his feet.
Beneath the swaying shadows of the trees, the boy's lips were stained with a vibrant color, but a faint curve finally appeared at the corners of his lips.
He only looked at Lin Feiran, then walked back into the crowd, raised the half-bloomed purple orchid in his hand, and said in a hoarse voice, "My blessing."
All of this happened too fast, in just a few moves. Wei Changzai was no match for Ru Xian at all, yet he pounced on her in a way that was almost self-destructive, just to take half of Zilan. How could this not draw boos?
Lin Feiran stared at his expression, speechless for a moment.
She turned to look at Ru Xian, who also held the other half of a purple orchid in his hand. His expression was not gloomy. He raised his eyebrows and said, "This human has traveled thousands of miles to come here just for a purple orchid and a blessing. Since he has obtained half of it, then give it to him."
Silence fell, and everyone turned to look at Wei Changzai, their eyes filled with genuine admiration.
This reckless spirit is something even demons rarely possess.
Lin Feiran was quite surprised, but she had no time to think about it at the moment. As usual, she reached out and patted his head as he walked up to her.
"Wishing you... unparalleled beauty."
His dark eyes stared straight at him, shimmering in the lamplight. He raised his hand to wipe away the blood and simply replied softly, "Mm."
The turmoil in his heart finally subsided.
Lin Feiran stood up, looking hesitantly at the silent scene, speechless for a moment.
Unbeknownst to her, behind her, Ru Xian was looking at the crowd, a flash of golden-red light suddenly appearing in her eyes, and feathers suddenly appeared, but no one noticed.
In the crowd, someone suddenly stretched out his hand, immediately drawing everyone's attention. No one expected that this night tour would be so interesting!
Everyone else was overjoyed, but Lin Feiran had a headache.
She wanted to ignore it, but her conscience wouldn't let her go, and she asked, "Do you want flowers or a dagger?"
The man did not answer, but instead asked, "Your Excellency, why is there a display of iron fireworks tonight? This is the first time we've ever seen it. Is this part of the parade?"
Lin Feiran was caught off guard by the question, but she wasn't good at lying, so she turned around and glanced at Ru Xian.
He smiled, his gaze lingering briefly on Wei Changzai before sweeping over everyone, and said simply, "It's not a secret, there's no harm in saying it."
Lin Feiran then explained, "Originally, this wasn't there; it just appeared by chance..."
"Why?" the man pressed on.
Lin Feiran was moved by his bravery, and even more so by Ru Xian's tacit approval. When she looked back, she saw him twirling half a purple orchid in his hand, a smile on his lips.
Not speaking out to stop it implies agreement.
Did he actually want her to spread the word?
Given Ru Xian's temperament, it's understandable.
She glanced helplessly at Ru Xian and admitted, "Because I heard that he had never seen fireworks before, I thought of the smelting method earlier. These iron flowers are a gift I gave to the Lord."
These words caused an uproar in the room.
"So those sparks flying everywhere were for the Lord. No wonder they are human!"
"I'm starting to look at Lin Feiran in a completely new light!"
"When have people ever been so devoted to me..."
Amidst the murmurs and whispers around him, Wei Changzai remained unmoved.
He loosened his grip on Zilan's hand, and a surge of emotions welled up within him. He could hardly contain himself as he recalled the dazzling gold he had just seen and Lin Feiran's excited figure moving among it.
It's all for the sake of being like hailstones.
Author's Note: "One Hundred Uses of the Secret Technique of Scattered Snow"
Adding more information until midnight, the heavy truth finally delivered the final blow to Wei Changzai (not really).
P.S.: It seems like no one noticed, but in the previous chapter, all three of them made a move. The golden light at the very beginning was unleashed by Ru Hai.
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