Chapter 161 Firelight... Do you want me to apologize to him too?
The room fell silent for a moment, with only the half-person-high alchemy furnace in the center emitting hissing sounds. Biqing and Xuanzhen looked on with curiosity, secretly observing the place.
The ginseng boy, with his hair tied in a high bun and his cheeks painted red, continued to administer acupuncture methodically, occasionally glancing at them.
Anyone could tell that something was off about the atmosphere.
“There’s no need for words like ‘punishing’,” Lin Feiran said, lowering his eyes. “You just need to tell me the origin of the rune matter.”
Before this, Wei Changzai had never heard such a tone. It was not dislike, nor was it cold or hard, but it was no longer a tone he was familiar with. It was as if he were talking to a stranger.
He thought he would never hear Lin Feiran question him with such words in his life.
"...You are clearly accusing someone."
"Yes, I entered the Demon Capital a few days ago on orders from my master to perform the final ten runes, but I did not know that those runes would have such consequences."
His eyes dimmed, his throat moved slightly, and his loose black hair fell to his chest, obscuring his expression.
"Manman, who are you angry about and standing up for right now?"
Wei Changzai looked at her quietly, his gaze falling on her peaceful brows and eyes, his pale hands unconsciously clenching together.
From a very young age, he always thought that someone like Lin Feiran was not suited for cultivating Taoism.
When he and Taihui Qingyu went down the mountain together and met in the rain, they looked at each other for a long time, and he had a premonition.
She was crouching in the corner, looking up.
Her clear, lake-like eyes reflected the sky, clouds, and birds. In her hand, she held a withered leaf, on which ants crawled, following her movements back to a higher place.
She was clearly quiet, yet she possessed such a vibrant energy and vitality that she could see everything around her.
He was different; he couldn't see anything, only a cold, lifeless stillness.
When the mind is free of attachments and delusions, the path to enlightenment is smooth and easy.
Even without Zhang Chunhe's guidance, he already understood this principle.
At that time, he thought that she was destined to have many things and many people in her heart, and her eyes would be tired and she would not be able to see the way forward.
A cultivator can appear warm-hearted but be cold-hearted, or appear cold-hearted but be cold-hearted, but never appear cold-hearted but be warm-hearted.
Her path of spiritual practice will not be smooth.
Later, Lin Feiran joined Daohe Palace and was looked after by Ji Changying. When they reached a certain age, they entered Xiaoxue Palace and began to learn about cultivation with other disciples of the same age.
Perhaps the teachers thought the two of them were acquainted, or perhaps it was the master's intention, in any case, they were arranged to study together, with only an inch between their desks.
Lin Feiran had by then recovered from the grief of losing her father, at least on the surface.
She was a disciple unlike anyone else; she was diligent in her studies, inquisitive, intelligent, and quick-witted, yet unassuming.
Many of the disciples were chosen from the foot of the mountain. Like her, they had never been exposed to cultivation before, so they often came here to ask for guidance. She never held back and was always willing to teach them everything she knew.
At that time, many people had a good relationship with Lin Feiran.
The first two months are the novelty period for novice disciples, but as time goes on, they will unconsciously form different schools and factions.
Wei Changzai was not surprised. The elders all had their own factions, so how could they be demanding of their disciples?
He didn't care who was with whom; he only knew that Lin Feiran would accompany him to the primary school palace every day, return to Ji Changying's residence for meals together, and practice swordsmanship with him.
He doesn't care, but Lin Feiran does.
Her eyes were always far more discerning than his, so she spotted the oddball who stood apart from the crowd at a glance.
It was a timid and silent child. Wei Changzai could no longer remember whether it was a boy or a girl. He only remembered that every time Lin Feiran asked him to study the law books together or have a meal together, the person would lower his head and look around.
There was another person among them, which Wei Changzai was not used to, but that person was even more reserved and fearful than him.
Lin Feiran never asked the reason why that person was excluded. She just continued to study and practice swordsmanship with that person as usual. In fact, her attitude was the same as that towards others, with nothing special about it. However, fewer people came to her for advice.
While they were learning runes, their master was out slaying demons and couldn't return in time, so he asked everyone to elect the disciple with the best rune skills to be tested by everyone.
The chosen person got up to inspect, which was actually quite responsible, but he simply walked past the person without paying any attention to him.
No one spoke at that moment; he was examining the runes drawn by Lin Feiran and paid no attention to his surroundings.
In the silence, a shadow fell across the yellowed talisman paper—it was Lin Feiran's raised hand.
She spoke frankly and clearly: "Fellow Daoist Xiao Zhou, there is still one person you have not yet examined."
All eyes suddenly turned to Lin Feiran, as if scrutinizing her or watching a show. The man paused, but simply smiled at her and said, "The runes are only half drawn, so why bother to examine them?"
Lin Feiran stood up, and the shadow that fell over him enveloped Wei Changzai.
She said, "Whether it is completed or not, it must be inspected and recorded. Otherwise, if the commander comes back to check and finds no results, wouldn't that mean he was absent? Please inspect it for him."
The crowd gasped in surprise, not for Fellow Daoist Xiao Zhou, but for Lin Feiran.
When the unspoken understanding was exposed, she "chose" to associate with those who were different. As a result, her relationship with everyone became delicate, but not too bad.
From then on, the man suddenly straightened his back, dared to look people in the eye, and even dared to joke with them when the three of them were having a meal together.
"Senior Brother Wei."
When the man spoke, his tone was not as respectful as the title suggested.
"We've known each other for a long time, but I still don't know your past. I heard that your parents were killed by demonic beasts, and that you met the Chief and several elders when you were on the verge of death. They saved you, which is how you were able to become the Chief's disciple. Is that true?"
Before the two could answer, he asked Lin Feiran.
"I also heard from others that he actually killed his parents, because both of them had knife marks on their necks and chests."
Feiran, have you heard of him?
Wei Changzai paused with his right hand, looked up, but not because of the words, but because the person had sat down next to Lin Feiran and even leaned closer to ask.
With each word he spoke, he moved a little closer to her.
An unpleasant gaze drifted towards him again, seemingly a provocation, but actually an attempt to sow discord.
It seems that the other person also couldn't stand this way of getting along and wanted to get rid of him.
Lin Feiran didn't notice his gaze, but looked at the man with a slight frown: "Where did you hear that from?"
The man had anticipated this: "Many people are saying the same thing."
Lin Feiran nodded in agreement and earnestly told him that it was a rumor and should not be believed. Then he stopped talking and just buried his head in his food, ending the topic.
Wei Chang thought at that time that her vision was too complicated. The more she saw, the less room there would be for him. Her heart was also too vast. The more she embraced, the less she could find her way.
For the sake of her future, perhaps that person should leave.
Wei Changzai was not a kind person, but faced with Lin Feiran's personality, he seemed to be at a loss as to how to get rid of the other person.
He thought about it day and night, and finally, during one of his sword practice sessions, he lost focus and accidentally injured his bones.
It wasn't actually that serious, but he couldn't tell Zhang Chunhe or get any medicine; he could only wait for it to heal on its own.
Those few days happened to be a period of physical training, and everyone's spiritual meridians were sealed. However, they had to climb from the bottom of the cliff to the top of the peak. His speed was extremely slow. Lin Feiran seemed to have noticed something was wrong and would turn back to look at him after climbing a few feet.
The man turned around and urged Lin Feiran on, intentionally or unintentionally obscuring his figure. She was initially hesitant, but after the man's sweet talk, her expression changed slightly. She jumped in front of him in a few steps and hurriedly threw out a sentence.
"I'll wait for you upstairs. Take your time, don't rush."
After saying that, she left with that person, moving very quickly, almost at the head of the group.
Soon, her figure disappeared on the cliff top.
At that time, he stood at the bottom of the cliff for almost half an hour before setting off again. Although he did not understand himself, he did not believe Lin Feiran's words.
She had no reason to wait for him.
That was the slowest he had ever been. It took him from noon until sunset to barely reach the mountainside. His superiors found it strange, but out of respect for Zhang Chunhe, they didn't dare to reprimand him. They simply offered a few words of encouragement and left him a few talismans before leading the group away.
He simply watched the cliff top quietly, climbing from sunset to the first light of night.
As dusk settled and the sky darkened, a flame suddenly ignited on the cliff top, seemingly about to be extinguished by the mountain wind, yet always managing to blaze back brightly.
His eyes flickered, as if he realized something, and he looked carefully in that direction, but saw nothing.
What could it be? What might happen?
He felt that he had developed unfounded expectations, which was not a good sign.
Perhaps it was just a spark left for him by his superiors.
Thinking this, he quickened his pace, ignoring the pain in his muscles and bones, and climbed straight to the top of the cliff.
The firelight burned for as long as he climbed.
When he reached the top, he finally saw the person behind the torch.
Lin Feiran sat atop the cliff, a smile in her eyes, and extended her hand to him: "Why are you so surprised? I said I would wait for you at the top of the cliff, and I always keep my word."
With the firelight reflected in his eyes, Wei Chang reached out and grasped her palm, finally reaching the top of the mountain.
Before he could even ask about the man's whereabouts, Lin Feiran grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward.
"Come with me quickly!"
She walked ahead, the blazing firelight dissipating in the mountain wind, splitting into sparks in his eyes.
"Look!"
Under the big pine tree at the top of the cliff, a person was tightly tied up. Wei Chang looked him over for a moment and wondered to herself, could this be another of her "friends"?
"……who is he?"
The disciple flew into a rage: "Wei Changzai! I am Chen Chen, a disciple of Elder Tingfeng. We are both direct disciples, we entered the sect together, we cultivated together, and we've even spoken quite a bit. How can you not remember me like this?!"
Wei Changzai recalled some unimportant fragments of memory: "So it was you... What did you want with him?"
The words were addressed to Lin Feiran.
Lin Feiran, beaming with pride, pointed at the man and said, "After my thorough investigation, I have found that he is the culprit who spread your rumors! I have brought him here today to formally apologize to you!"
"A formal apology?"
Wei Changzai was unusually stunned. There were countless rumors about him in Daohe Palace. His master had always taught him not to take them seriously and not to let them disturb his mind.
And that's exactly what he did.
When rumors were rampant, he remained calm and composed; when whispers and attacks circulated, he remained steadfast. But at this very moment, a slight ripple stirred within him.
Lin Feiran spoke up: "We're friends, how can I stand by and watch you be the subject of rumors? Let me start by catching the source and then take them down one by one!"
"...Where is that person?"
"I recently discovered that this person is dishonest and keeps saying things I don't understand, both openly and secretly. After finding out who was spreading rumors about him, I told him the truth."
Lin Feiran did something that made Chen Chen willingly apologize to him.
"My master was one of those who slew the demon beasts back then. He mentioned the knife marks when he was drunk, that's true. But the part about you doing the deed was all fabricated by me. Such conjecture is my fault..."
He added a few more sincere apologies, and only left sheepishly after Lin Feiran nodded.
That was the first time he had been protected by someone, and his feelings were not as calm as he had thought.
He looked at the torch burning in the night wind and suddenly understood why the man's attitude had changed overnight and he was able to straighten his back.
Having someone like Lin Feiran around can easily make people feel emboldened.
Evil people don't trust other evil people. They only secretly entrust what little trust they have left to purely good people after provoking them, and never ask for it back.
That night, he suddenly wondered if someone like her was truly cultivating Taoism.
From then on, in that dark night when the torches were lit silently, he entrusted his trust to her. Lin Feiran did not disappoint him; whether before or after they got together, she was always by his side.
She would be angry when he was slandered; she would sit with him in a tree and replace the jade crown bestowed upon him by Zhang Chunhe with a plum blossom hairpin; she would look at him with a smile and ask him if he wanted to go fishing in the clear stream.
"Slowly, tell me, who are you angry about right now, and who are you indignant about?" Wei Changzai spoke again, stubbornly wanting to get an answer.
Lin Feiran paused slightly with her pen, but did not answer. Suddenly, a cold voice rang out from outside.
"Naturally, they are angry on my behalf and are standing up for me."
Bi Qingxuan immediately stood up and looked at the figure that walked in: "Lord!"
The newcomer was no ordinary person; almost the instant he entered, he drew everyone's attention, including Lin Feiran's.
It was a subconscious, instinctive attention; it seemed that before she even realized it, she had already shifted her gaze to the person, her eyes and brows relaxed.
That gaze should have been directed at him!
He stared intently at Lin Feiran, his voice still hoarse: "Manman... do you also want me to apologize to him?"
For a moment, the room fell silent.
...
Apologize.
These four words quickly stirred up Lin Feiran's memories, reminding her of her two fellow disciples named Cen Lang and Chen Chen.
She helped Cen Lang at that time, but after it was made clear, that person became extremely resentful and slandered her everywhere, which led to many unfounded assumptions and speculations about Lin Feiran.
For example, she was about to be selected as Taihui Qingyu's personal disciple; for example, Ji Changying took good care of her and gave her extra lessons before the sect's assessment, which made her rank among the top; for example, her rapid progress was because Wei Changzai accompanied her in sword practice.
At the same time, he used these rumors to unite with the crowd and become one of them. After that, Wei Chang imitated her, bringing a man to her with him, making him cry and apologize. After that, she never saw him again, only hearing from others that he had gone down the mountain.
Ru Xian chuckled softly upon hearing this, but did not turn her head. Instead, she walked slowly to Xuan Zhen and Bi Qing's side, lowered her eyes to examine them using the suture technique, and smiled slightly.
"It's better to ask me than her. Given her personality, she'll naturally prioritize herself. She can do whatever she wants."
Only then did he raise his eyes and look directly at Wei Changzai.
"You should have a deep understanding of this feeling of indulgence."
Wei Changzai's eyes flickered, and he recalled the flame that shone on the cliff top. It just waited there quietly and patiently, never urging anyone. As long as he looked up or reached out, he could see her and hold her palm.
...
Only this thing could silently burn and spread in his cold eyes, burning brightly and inextinguishably.
Bi Qingxuan and Zhen exchanged a glance. Although they didn't quite understand the verbal sparring going on, the two of them sat in the room, barely daring to speak, only fiddling with the leaves in their hands, acting as puppets.
Just as the tension was building, a series of footsteps suddenly came from outside, unhurried and slow, accompanied by the light clinking of spoons.
Everyone turned around and saw Qingzhu carrying a wooden tray into the house. She had a warm expression and seemed a little surprised when she saw the people in the house, but the surprise quickly turned into a smile in her eyes.
"Oh dear, why are there so many people?"
He nodded to Ru Xian and performed a Taoist salute before turning to Lin Feiran and smiling, "Young friend Feiran, you've come too? Earlier, Xuan Zhen Bi Qing said she was hungry, so I made some snow lychee soup. Would you like to try some?"
His words showed that he completely disregarded Wei Changzai.
Lin Feiran held the booklet in his hands, speechless for a moment.
Before she could speak, a ginseng boy rushed into the house, bumping into a green bamboo in his haste, causing the porcelain bowl in his hand to clatter.
Lin Feiran took a deep breath, a strange premonition rising in her heart, and said, "Let me guess, you're here to see me?"
The ginseng boy nodded hurriedly, raising the mustard seed bag in his hand: "Just now, the Spirit Flower Clan sent someone to tell you that they are congratulating Lord Feiran on turning the tide and breaking through two realms in one day. They will give you the Cold Cicada Plum as a thank-you gift. We would never dare to drain your private treasury, and we will return all the jade coins!"
If you wish to take more plum blossoms as gifts, you may travel south; they may offer you a branch there as well!
The people in the room immediately turned to look at Lin Feiran.
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