Chapter 145 There Has Never Been a Sword (Thirteen) Like a hailstorm, he laughed. (Two parts...)
Fairy?
These words passed silently between his lips, and a faint smile suddenly appeared in his eyes, but it was not friendly. His gaze remained cold and indifferent, sending a chill down one's spine.
But in that instant of pause, the hooked gold ring slipped from her fingertip, tinkling as it rolled down the stone, stopping right in front of her shoe.
She stood up, picked up the gold ring, took two steps forward, and finally saw his face clearly in the shimmering light of the cave.
Despite the perilous situation and the difficulty of thinking clearly, she was still mesmerized by that appearance.
But it was only for a moment.
She stepped forward, holding the gold ring, and under his cold, oppressive gaze, she grasped it with both hands and slipped it back onto his finger.
"..."
He simply looked down at her, his gaze unreadable, and said nothing.
With these movements, she easily saw the wound on his abdomen, and the spiritual veins that were tightly bound under the bandages and occasionally shifted.
Thankfully, it was indeed a person, not some mountain spirit or monster.
Her thoughts, which had been swayed by his appearance, slowly returned, and she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
"My immortal, you are injured."
She pointed it out directly, intending to show that she could help him, but he gave her a cold look.
"Give me back my golden ring. It was for peeping. You may be small in stature, but you're quite cunning."
He bent his left leg, the bandages loosening and tightening again, revealing more of his wounds. He leaned against the stone and began to spin the gold ring again.
"Get out if you've seen enough."
She was about to say something more when her gaze suddenly flickered, a piercing pain seeping into her mind, and everything before her eyes suddenly sped up, yet also became fragmented.
Outside the cave, the sword's cry rang out once more.
This cave was practically a dead end. With him blocking the entrance, there was no way to escape. So she couldn't help but move closer to the person in front of her. Her heart was pounding, but she managed to regain her composure amidst her fear and stared intently at the outside of the cave.
The man stood before the cave, his hem and boots visible, clearly a male. He was about to rush into the cave when he seemed to be stopped by something, lingering at the entrance. He used his sword to clear away the snow piled up to half a person's height, but found nothing inside.
After searching back and forth for several breaths without finding any trace of her, he drew his sword again and followed the falling snow.
The person she was holding tightly turned around and seemed to say something, but she couldn't hear clearly. Everything in front of her was still intermittent and even suddenly changed.
The next moment, she was no longer in the cave. Dusk reversed, and the blazing sun hung high in the sky, dividing the shadow of a tree in front of her into three beams.
A woman in white, wearing a veil, sat opposite him. Her fingernails and face were stained with various colors of rouge. She raised her hand and formed an extremely complex hand seal with flowing grace. Suddenly, it was as if the world lost its color, and only she could be seen in the eyes.
Pavilions, carnage, pursuit, snowy nights, desolate mountains, seven days, fragmented memories, and the immortal whose long hair she cut off...
After burning ten clusters in this way, he put his hands together and combined them into one flower in his palm.
The flames were sent into his brow, and immediately dispersed in his altar, spinning and burning. There was no pain, only a faint, intricate hand seal. In an instant, his mind went blank.
My thoughts were somewhat muddled.
Lin Feiran suddenly couldn't tell if she was reminiscing or in reality. The flames burned past, and she didn't know whether she should remember or forget.
"Concentrate!"
A soft shout suddenly jolted her awake; she hadn't even realized when she had closed her eyes and become lost in thought!
"This is her magic circle. If you look at it again, all the past events will reappear as if they happened yesterday, and be sealed away once more!"
Lin Feiran was startled and immediately opened her eyes to look at the pear blossom table. The reflections of the two people were still clearly visible, which made her feel a little bit of reality.
The unsealing process continues, the scenes before my eyes are still jumping around, and only a few faces appear sporadically in the fragmented memories, like fleeting shadows.
She saw her mother running towards her, her father embracing her tightly, the Emperor's deep gaze, and the half-face of the Holy Palace Consort hidden behind the veil—she was truly astonished by her beauty.
In the blink of an eye, a torrential downpour was falling outside the window, raindrops pounding against the windowpane, and the wind howled furiously.
The mother sat on the couch, blood seeping from her body, her lips pale, yet she still smiled at him.
She said, "This shouldn't be the last time we see each other."
Her father sat on the edge of the bed, holding her tightly, and murmured her name indistinctly. It was no longer the affectionate "Qingqing" but her mother's real name.
Lin Feiran couldn't hear his words clearly, only vaguely discerning "no" from his intermittent murmurs.
But she didn't care what her father said; at that moment, she was just looking at her mother and saying the same futile words.
"Mother, don't go..."
The mother just smiled, patted the father's head, and tapped her nose: "I'm sorry, this is my choice. Because I couldn't bear to leave you, I gave myself six years of indulgence, but some things must be done eventually."
This is our last meeting, so let's not make it awkward. Always remember the good things about me.
Lin Feiran sobbed uncontrollably, speaking haltingly, "Mother, who hurt you? Who! How can I save you? I'll go and ask the disciples of the Langhuan Sect to heal you!"
Lin Feiran was already flustered and at a loss. She had just stood up when her mother pulled her back.
"Slowly."
She gave a reassuring smile, "Even disciples of the Langhuan Sect cannot bring the dead back to life, so please don't make things difficult for them. If it weren't for wanting to prove myself and come back to see you, I wouldn't have made it this far."
She raised her hand to touch Lin Feiran's eyes, which were once clear, innocent, and extremely intelligent, but were now stained red with anger and helplessness, bloodshot and showing a hint of ferocity.
As she looked on, a hint of sorrow and grief suddenly welled up in her eyes, and her voice trembled.
"Gradually, what your mother fears most is seeing such a heartbreaking look in your eyes."
The world is vast; you can be a wandering knight-errant, a free-spirited cultivator, instead of dwelling on my death and growing up in hatred.
Each generation has its own tasks to complete. This is my choice, and I shouldn't let you bear it...
Her hand moved from Lin Feiran's eyes to the top of her head.
Suddenly, a magic array appeared.
Forget it, slowly. Remember the wind, remember the flowers, remember the osmanthus blossoms you and I picked, but don't remember my death.
Don't hate anyone; no one is worth your hatred.
Lin Feiran realized what was happening and immediately reached out to grab her mother's wrist, but she couldn't pull away.
"No, I can't forget..."
Just like her mother's inescapable and powerless death, she was powerless to stop her mother's actions.
The imprint sealed in her mind was brought to light, and the mother gave a reassuring smile. Then, she added another layer of seal on top of the original imprint.
This mark will seal away today and the past, and protect you, blocking several attacks without any problem... In the future, when I'm not by your side, I'll have to rely on them to protect you.
There's nothing for you to hate. Just walk your own path, hold your own sword. I've always only wanted you to be happy.
The hand seal was formed, and the mother withdrew her hand. Lin Feiran just looked at her with sorrow in her eyes. She choked up and said, "I will be obedient and will not hate. I just... don't want to forget you."
“You won’t forget me. Besides, I wasn’t a good mother. Even if you were to forget me… that would be understandable.”
She straightened up, put her arm around Lin Lang, and looked at him with a smile: "And you, even if you want to commit suicide for love, you should raise her slowly until she grows up. She is still so young. She can't lose her mother and then her father."
Lin Lang was already sobbing uncontrollably, just holding her tightly, his hands trembling uncontrollably.
She looked out at the heavy rain, formed a hand seal, placed it on the back of Lin Feiran and Lin Lang's necks, and sighed, "We haven't seen the sunset in so long, let's watch it one more time."
In the illusion created by magic, Lin Feiran believed that her mother was seriously ill and had not been cured for a long time. Finally, one day, she could not hold on any longer and passed away with a smile.
At that time, the three of them were sitting on the roof, watching the setting sun sink into the abyss, the afterglow like blood.
Lin Feiran's eyes reddened, her heart filled with turmoil. She stared intently at the table, the setting sun in her memory finally sinking, leaving only boundless darkness.
The azure seal was mostly extinguished, leaving only the last two places. Just then, the King of Brocade withdrew his hand, handed her a piece of brocade cloth, and then made a hand seal.
“I have left you two doors. When you decide to completely dispel them, you can open them using the hand seals I gave you earlier.”
Lin Feiran responded and thanked him before taking the brocade cloth and wiping away the water droplets that were about to fall.
The King of Brocade observed her expression, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Do you remember why Bailu sealed your memories?"
Lin Feiran shook his head: "The memories that surfaced just now were too chaotic, many of them flashed by and could not be connected. Why she sealed my memories, perhaps we will only know after the seal is completely lifted and I sort out all the memories."
However, I do remember some things clearly.
It turns out that the final seal was placed by the mother.
No wonder...
Previously, she was trapped in the beast cave with Wei Changzai and Qiu Tong. She was hit hard and slammed into the stone wall. She only had bruises on her body and was a little dizzy, but she was actually unharmed.
Later, when Zhang Chunhe trapped her in the Mirror High Above, a bolt of golden lightning struck her head, yet she remained unharmed.
It turns out that it wasn't just her good physique that was protecting her; there was also this magical seal protecting her.
Her mother didn't want her to remember, didn't want her to grow up in hatred, but she has still embarked on the path of seeking the truth, still following in the footsteps of her predecessors.
Each generation has its own things to do, so what are the things a mother has to do?
Lin Feiran closed her eyes slightly, feeling as if something was being pressed down on her shoulders, and she had no choice but to shoulder it.
The King of Brocade looked at her, stood up and said, "If you are really curious about the truth of the memories and want to find out now, that's not impossible."
Lin Feiran shook his head: "I can't do it here. I need to go back to the Demon Capital before I untie it."
"Oh?" King Jinxiu glanced sideways. "It seems that the Demon Capital is a very safe place for you. Only there can you safely break the seal?"
Lin Feiran did not answer, but that was tantamount to acquiescing.
She was still somewhat unsettled, so she remained silent. The King of Brocade simply gazed at the tree with its golden branches reaching its top by the waterside pavilion, his eyes filled with longing.
After an unknown amount of time, she suddenly spoke.
"Actually, Bai Lu is a very soft-hearted person. Even if she knows that you have lifted the seal, she will not tell anyone immediately. According to her nature, she will wait for you silently, or she will come and seal it for you again."
Lin Feiran's emotions had gradually calmed down, but she still didn't speak. She didn't want to say anything more to the Prince of Jinxiu about this matter.
Everyone has their own place, and their words and actions are all based on their own perspectives. It's impossible to argue about right or wrong, let alone distinguish between truth and falsehood.
King Jinxiu, realizing he was being frivolous, chuckled self-deprecatingly and shook his head, saying, "Our contract is now in effect. There are only two steps left to break the seal. There's nothing else to do. You may leave now. If you wish to find that human, walk a hundred paces east. She is there selecting flower seeds."
Lin Feiran paused upon hearing this, looked up, and suddenly asked, "Are there any snow plum blossoms here?"
“The demon realm is rich in spiritual energy, and most places are like spring all year round with very little snowfall, so plum trees are not common here.” The Brocade King turned around and walked over, the peony at his waist dazzling.
"However, our Spirit Flower Clan happens to have one. Public matters are public matters, private matters are private matters. I can take you to see it, but if you want to buy it, it will cost a lot of money."
Lin Feiran smiled slightly: "Please lead the way."
After passing several waterside pavilions and climbing over several flower sheds, the Brocade King led Lin Feiran to a heavily guarded snow-covered hut.
“This is considered our tribe’s most prized treasure, the Cold Cicada Plum. You may have heard of it.” The guard stepped forward and bowed. King Jinxiu nodded slightly, then pushed open the door of the Snow Pavilion and led her inside.
“We wouldn’t bring someone here unless they were a distinguished guest.”
Beyond the white jade gate lies a frozen, snowy landscape created by magic.
There are many pine trees planted all around, covered with ice and frost, but in the very center, a plum tree with a canopy-like shape is blooming proudly.
“Sword Realm.” King Jinxiu accepted it casually and led her to the tree. “Ordinary spells are not very effective. If snow were to be transported from the north, it would be extremely expensive. The Spirit Flower Clan could not afford it in the past. Therefore, the Sword Realm of our master is the most cost-effective. It only requires one sword to preserve it until now.”
Lin Feiran looked surprised and subconsciously touched his storage pouch: "Why would Grandmaster leave a sword realm here?"
Jinxiu Wang walked to the tree, his purple robes fluttering, and asked in confusion, "You really haven't heard of this? I've heard rumors that you used to be a disciple of Daohe Palace, how come you've never heard of it?"
This winter plum tree was transported from Daohe Palace.
Lin Feiran paused, then asked, "You mean, there used to be winter plum trees growing on Sanqing Mountain?"
“It’s the cicada and plum blossom,” the King of Brocade corrected her, and seeing that her expression didn’t seem to be feigning, he explained.
It turns out that when the Grandmaster founded Daohe Palace, he traveled all over the Sanqing Mountains in search of an excellent location to begin construction. However, he discovered something strange along the way: such a large snow-capped mountain did not have a single plum tree.
While feeling amazed, he was also intrigued. He thought, if there isn't one, then he will plant one himself, and make sure it blooms with a dignified color in the snow.
He transplanted many kinds of plum trees from the foot of the mountain, but for some reason, they all withered and died within a month or two of planting.
He was puzzled, so he invited the ancestors of the Flower Clan to come and take a look. When it came to cultivating flowers, no one knew more about it than them.
Upon arriving there, the Flower Clan's ancestor immediately discerned the secret, explaining that the snowmelt from Sanqing Mountain was so special that ordinary plum trees could not survive, thus dissuading him from pursuing the idea.
But my master was a very strange person. He was just planting whatever he wanted and wasn't attached to it. He didn't care if the mountain was full of pine trees. But when others said that plum blossoms couldn't be grown here, he insisted on trying it.
Under duress, the Flower Clan's ancestor told him that in the far north there was a kind of cicada plum blossom, with petals as thin as cicada wings, a very dignified brownish-red trunk with lightning strike patterns inside, and plum blossoms with a red center and pale white outer edges. It was said to have a calming and soothing effect, and that it was perfect for planting in this place.
However, the far north is dangerous and inhabited by strange beasts. The Cicada Plum Blossom is also extremely rare, and very few people can bring it back. There is no need to take the risk.
But the grandmaster turned around and went to the far north. He stayed for several months and dug up seven or eight winter cicada plum trees, which he planted in Sanqing Mountain.
"This plum tree is a treasure from head to toe. Its flowers can be used as medicine, its branches and trunks are excellent raw materials for refining weapons, and its roots can even nurture spiritual energy."
During that period, Daohe Palace became famous, and many cultivators from all over the world flocked there, eager to catch a glimpse of the true beauty of the Cold Cicada Plum Blossom.
Later, our ancestors, envious of this small plum tree, mustered their courage and went to great lengths to obtain it. It was originally the weakest branch, but through generations of care, it has grown to its current height.
The King of Brocade raised his hand and touched the plum tree, sighing with emotion: "It's a pity that the Cicada Plum Blossom has long since disappeared in the far north, and the remaining plum trees on Mount Sanqing have also withered away silently. Now, perhaps only this one Cicada Plum Blossom remains in the world."
You definitely can't take it with you, but it's no problem for you to cut off a few sections and take them back.
Once you return, use magic to preserve it properly, and it may remain immortal for thousands of years.
Lin Feiran was somewhat moved.
She once asked Wei Changzai, "How come there isn't a single plum tree growing in such a vast snowy area as Sanqing Mountain, but instead, there are pine trees everywhere?"
It turns out that the grandmaster had also had the same doubts.
However, instead of searching all over the mountain, he chose to transplant it elsewhere.
For some reason, having lived in Sanqing Mountain for many years, I have never heard anyone mention the Cold Cicada Plum, nor do I know what happened back then that caused such resilient plum trees to disappear one by one without a sound, to the point that there is no trace of them left on the mountain.
She had searched high and low for plum trees all over the mountains, but to no avail. Yet today, she encountered one in such an unexpected situation, leaving her speechless with emotion.
Such priceless treasures are usually only seen by distinguished guests of the Flower Clan. It is already a great honor that they brought her here to obtain a few branches, so she naturally could not take them for free.
Lin Feiran looked at the King of Brocade and asked, "Approximately how many jade coins would it cost to take one branch?"
The King of Brocade twirled a strand of hair behind his ear and made a gesture. Lin Feiran gasped. She immediately looked down and rummaged through her mustard seed bag. After calculating for a while, she could only awkwardly say...
"I'll take one."
The Prince of Jinxiu was somewhat surprised: "At such a young age, you have quite a lot of money, and you can even buy a branch?"
Lin Feiran said helplessly, "We can only buy one branch. Should I pick it myself, or will you do it?"
The King of Brocade took a half step back and gestured with his chin toward the tree: "Of course you can take it yourself. Take whichever branch you like, but you can't take more than half an arm's length. If you accidentally cut too many, you'll have to stay here and do hard labor for me for decades."
Lin Feiran scanned the area, trying to find the most prosperous section: "If that's the case, then there's nothing we can do."
Jinxiu Wang smiled. During his time with Lin Feiran, he couldn't help but tease her for some reason: "However, the Demon Lord has mountains of gold and silver. He can still afford a few plum branches. You can write him a letter and ask him to redeem you."
After all, they're people who come and go in secret; why wouldn't they be willing to spend a little money?
Lin Feiran paused, not turning to look at her: "Even if others were trapped here, the Lord would spend money to ransom them."
After all, he is not short of money.
For him, problems that can be solved with money are the simplest.
After looking for a while, with the same enthusiasm she had when searching for plum blossoms in Sanqing Mountain, she finally selected the most abundant cluster from the intertwined branches, right at the very top of the plum tree.
Lin Feiran smiled slightly, leaped up, lightly touched the branch with her toes, and began to sway up and down.
She bent down and plucked the sprig of winter cicada plum. The petals were indeed as thin as cicada wings, with clearly visible pale white veins. There was still some snow piled up in the center of the petals, giving it a somewhat translucent appearance.
She placed it in front of her and exhaled silently.
After searching for plum blossoms for many years, I have finally received a response today!
She made a hand seal with one hand to carefully preserve the plum branch before leaping down from it. The King of Brocade raised his hand to compare, and finding it to be exactly half an arm's length, he regretfully withdrew his hand.
She looked at Lin Feiran's relaxed and happy face and asked, "Are you planning to keep this plum blossom for yourself, or give it away?"
Lin Feiran was puzzled. She had been searching for plum blossoms for a long time, and her obsession had dissipated. Of course, she would accept this plum blossom herself...
She paused for a moment, put the plum blossom back into her bag, turned to look at the winter cicada plum tree, and said with a look of grim determination, "I will take another branch."
The King of Brocade couldn't help but laugh: "You still have money? Do you really intend to work for me for decades?"
The young man before him pursed his lips, then yanked open his storage pouch and rummaged around for a long time before finally finding a wooden treasure box. Although his expression was somewhat nostalgic, he didn't seem to regret it.
"I don't go down the mountain often, so I've saved up some human silver. Gold and silver can also be exchanged for jade coins. This is enough to get another branch."
The King of Brocade took the box, opened it, and his eyes lit up: "You really know how to save! Is there any more? Shake it again, maybe some more money will fall out?"
Lin Feiran blushed slightly and said shyly, "I still have some money for food, but I definitely can't even afford a single winter plum blossom."
The King of Brocade couldn't help but gasp: "I've heard about your appetite and how much you spend. You haven't even squeezed yourself dry yet. How much have you saved? I've only ever heard of the custom of human men saving money to get married. You don't need to do that, so what are you saving so much money for?"
Lin Feiran's lips parted and then slowly closed. She did not answer, but her face visibly grew redder and redder.
Does she want to tell others that she saved this money to do good deeds, help those in need, and be a little hero?
After hesitating for a moment, she stammered, "In order to prevent problems before they arise."
The King of Brocade was somewhat speechless: "At your age, you should be spending money like water, yet you are so tolerant. You are truly an ascetic monk of our time. Fine, pick another branch. However, it seems you intend to give this second branch away?"
Lin Feiran's face was already as red as it could possibly be, so she simply pretended not to hear, jumped straight up to the branch, picked the one she had already set her sights on, and put it back into her mustard seed bag.
Having found the Cicada Plum, she disregarded the curious and inquisitive gaze of the Brocade King, exchanged message birds with him, and hurriedly bid farewell, fleeing to find the Bright Moon.
As they walked past the waterside pavilion, Lin Feiran couldn't resist activating the Yin-Yang Fish to secretly contact Ru Xian, but fearing that his actions might disturb Ru Xian at the crucial moment of the refining process, he immediately disconnected.
In a short while, the yin-yang fish began to swim in the depths of his eyes, and the heart's voice, like scattered snowflakes, followed.
"do what?"
His tone was relaxed, as if he had expected it all along.
Lin Feiran was silent for a moment: "Lord, aren't you refining the pills you took? Won't that affect you?"
Ru Xian responded, "I am currently using my inner fire to melt it, which is indeed refining it. However, multitasking is not strenuous for me."
After a pause, he spoke again, his voice rising slightly at the end.
"When you called my name today, I guessed that you wanted to communicate with me telepathically, so I was prepared and it won't cause any problems."
Lin Feiran was puzzled, but then suddenly remembered that when she called his name, lightning would flow through his fingertips.
"You react even from this distance... It's just that when I was discussing things with the King of Jinxiu, I inevitably mentioned you, but I didn't say anything else."
"No, no! Only I mentioned it; they all called him Demon Lord." Lin Feiran quickly explained, fearing there might be some tension between the two sides.
As she turned the page, her eyebrows slightly curved, she asked in a light tone, "What do you want to tell me?"
Lin Feiran felt a little embarrassed when the topic came up, but thinking about his meals next month, he still asked, "Your Majesty, I would like to ask, it's almost December, when will the jade coins for the envoys in November be issued?"
...
There was almost a long silence, so long that Lin Feiran had walked around the waterside pavilion and through the long corridor, and had already spotted Mingyue's figure in the crowd, when a sound finally came from the other side.
"Oh."
Ru Xian laughed.
Author's Note: The little hero has been completely drained of his resources...
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