Chapter 164 Parting Flowers and Scattering Willows (Supplement) "Then he really is useless."...
The night breeze brushed against my sleeve, ruffling a few strands of silver hair that had fallen out.
As she got up to leave, Wei Changzai stared straight at her, his hands gripping so tightly that they tore apart several embroidered patterns on her sleeves, but she still pulled them back.
Lin Feiran raised her hand and looked at it, speechless for a moment. The scattered lines tangled in the night wind, but eventually separated.
She casually rolled up her sleeves, fastened her wristband, and glanced back.
He remained kneeling alone in the snow, his eyes fixed on her, like a bottomless pool, not the look of someone willing to watch her leave.
Lin Feiran lowered his eyes, finally turned and left, his figure disappearing into the night.
She was about to go find Ru Xian.
Earlier at sunset, she followed her heart and went to find Ru Xian first.
It was just sunset, and Ru Xue woke up from her afternoon nap, lying on the long couch with a thin book beside her, occasionally turning a page.
Seeing her enter, a look of satisfaction visibly appeared in his eyes and brows. He then stood up and gestured with his chin toward a table not far away.
"Have someone prepare dinner for you. Eat more, as there's quite a bit to do tonight."
"Actually, I just had dinner with Biqing and the others."
Lin Feiran glanced at him and immediately replied,
"But I'm still a bit hungry, having another meal won't be a problem."
But halfway through eating, she still managed to voice what was on her mind.
"My lord, after I finish eating, I still want to see Consort Wei one last time."
I have many questions in my mind now, and I am very curious about Tantric Buddhism. I want to know who else is behind this incantation besides Tantric Buddhism.
Don't worry, I'll definitely be back before midnight. I'll accompany you to whatever you want to do tonight.
Ru Xian sat down next to her, crossed her arms and leaned against the back of the chair, casually crossing her legs, her expression still showing some weariness from just waking up.
"Then let's go."
She has her own path to follow, and he won't interfere with Lin Feiran's actions, whether good or bad. He just needs her to come and inform him first today.
Lin Feiran paused, glanced around his room out of the corner of her eye, lowered her head and ate for a while, then just shook her head.
Ru Xian found it amusing, but her gaze fell on her with a light touch: "That sprig of winter plum blossom, either put it in my room, or keep it in your hands."
These words were almost blunt, but Lin Feiran glanced at him and quickly lowered his head to eat again: "It's just a sprig of winter plum blossom, and it might not be very suitable for your room."
Ru Xian glanced at her intently, as if pondering the meaning behind her words, but he didn't speak again until Lin Feiran finished eating.
After finishing their dinner, each lost in their own thoughts, Lin Feiran decided not to stay any longer and prepared to leave for the medicine hut. However, halfway there, a rascal grabbed the corner of her robe.
She turned around and saw that the idiot was just whimpering and wagging its tail. So she looked up at Ruxian, who was still sitting there, his fingertips occasionally tapping the armrest.
After staring at her for a moment, Ru Xian looked at her with a half-smile, then raised his finger to lightly touch the red mark on his eye.
“In the Xingzhi Palace, I have about ten residences, each with a different layout, and countless treasures hidden within. But there is only one thing that I must see no matter which room I go to.”
Lin Feiran followed his gaze and her eyes flickered slightly.
Behind the carved wooden windowsill, there is a celadon jar with several clumps of crystal blue dandelions growing inside.
That was something she brought back from the Sword Realm.
Originally there were only three plants, but now, under his care, they have split into four or five clumps, growing very lushly.
Ru Xian got up and walked to the window, twirling a few dandelions between her fingers, but didn't continue the topic.
"Although the appointed time is 11:45 AM, since you came to find me first, I will give you a maximum of one hour."
"What if it exceeds that?" Lin Feiran couldn't help but ask, after all, anything can happen.
Ru Xian turned to look at her, her features blurred in the twilight: "Then I'll have to go and see for myself what it is that has kept that little Taoist priest from you for so long."
...
Night fell, and the early winter wind was already quite biting.
As usual, Ru Xian sat leaning against the windowsill, still wearing a light gold and white robe. Although it was a civil and military style, there was a gold ring around each wrist.
He waved the gold ingots in his hand, tossing them out one by one. The glutton jumped around following his movements, eating them one after another with great relish.
When he was almost done, he put his hand down, and the hamster immediately swung its tail and came up to him, burying its head and rubbing against his leg, but he pushed it away with his foot.
"I've fed you, now it's time to feed the flowers."
He casually tossed a dozen gold ingots out, but the glutton didn't pounce on them. Instead, it looked at him, leaped onto the windowsill, and paced around the dandelion.
Ru Xian glanced at it, chuckled slightly, then stretched out her right hand, her fingertips twitched slightly, and a thin crack appeared in her palm.
In a short while, vibrant colors flowed down, like pearls and jade falling and hitting the dandelions, causing them to bend and sway.
The clown let out a sob, but Ru Xian just laughed: "She's a bit naive. She only knows that this flower is unique and pleasing to the eye, but she hasn't thought about why it only grows in the Sword Realm, which is full of stone tablets."
Only blood with sufficiently rich spiritual energy can nurture such a flower.
“But I like it very much. No one else but her would see a flower and want to bring it to me.”
The idiot squatted down next to the celadon, tilted his head to look at him, then got up and walked to his palm, stuck out his tongue and licked it. In a short while, the fine mark healed completely.
Ru Shan patted it and looked out the window, where a dark figure was rapidly approaching.
Seeing him sitting by the window, Lin Feiran decided not to go through the main entrance. Instead, she leaped to the top of the tree, flipped down, and landed right on the windowsill, bringing a cool night breeze.
She held onto the window frame and half-squatted in front of Ru Xian.
"I'm back."
Ru Xian looked her up and down, pausing for a moment at her cuff before saying, "You're fairly punctual. What did you ask?"
Lin Feiran touched her wrist somewhat awkwardly: "He's not in a good state right now, so I didn't get anything out of him."
Ru Hai lowered his eyes and said without any attempt to hide his true feelings, "Then he really is useless."
Lin Feiran chuckled, no longer mentioning Wei Changzai to him. She shifted her position and leaned closer: "Your Majesty, what are you going to do tonight?"
Ru Xian patted the heavy goods: "Naturally, I'm going to see those little kings from before."
How many people are there, including the Slim Waist King? Lin Feiran was somewhat surprised.
Ru Xian stood up and stepped onto the windowsill just like her.
“Since the rules of the battle have been set, I will accept them regardless of the outcome. But they have set up runes and are using a tag-team method to compete, which breaks the rules. I cannot let them leave.”
I had planned to go last night, but you kept pulling me along while you were half asleep.
"I had to accompany you and clear your spiritual meridians, so I let it go for now. But now that I have time, I'll naturally go and get my revenge."
Lin Feiran blushed slightly upon hearing this, tightening her grip on the window frame and looking away, saying, "Are you only taking me? What about Ping An and the others...?"
She suddenly stopped speaking at this point.
Ping An's injuries were similar to hers, but she had just broken through to a higher realm and absorbed a lot of pure spiritual energy to repair her body, which is why she was able to be unharmed today. However, Ping An still needs to recuperate for a few days.
Xun Feifei was busy leading people to repair the outer city. When Xuan Zhen returned with her, he also successfully broke through to the next realm. However, his legs were overloaded and he was still receiving acupuncture. In recent days, he could only walk slowly and could not walk fast.
Biqing is fine, but it's her turn to be on duty tomorrow.
So, if you calculate it like this...
Lin Feiran paused, then asked, "Should we invite Qingzhu along?"
Ru Xian tilted her head to look at her, then stood up, the corner of her gold and white robe brushing against the back of her hand.
He personally selected those to accompany him on his nighttime excursions, but a mishap occurred, and many members of the esoteric sect infiltrated the group. He was negligent in his duties and should be punished, but recent unforeseen events have delayed the punishment until now.
Lin Feiran was taken aback, and couldn't help but think of the green bamboo today, and that bowl of snow lychee soup.
For some reason, this sweet soup tasted somewhat familiar. Unlike other desserts that are cloying, it was quite refreshing.
...This unique flavor reminded her of an old friend.
He suddenly smiled and looked up at the night sky.
"Haven't you made progress? This time, you'll pilot the sword. I want to see what the difference is between a sword cultivator in the Ascending Realm and the Questioning Heart Realm."
"Shall I take you there?"
Lin Feiran was somewhat surprised. Under his gaze, she slowly stood up, and the corners of her lips couldn't help but curl up.
Being young, the mention of swordsmanship and progress filled him with excitement and pride, causing him to forget everything else.
She said in a light tone, "Of course it's faster than before."
She raised her hand and made a hand seal. The Golden Wave Sword rang out with a clang and immediately flew out of its sheath, hovering steadily in front of the two of them. The sword was even more translucent than before.
She spun around and climbed up with excellent agility, almost showing off. She chuckled and stepped onto the platform, stopping behind Lin Feiran. The two were only inches apart, yet they never actually got close.
The dog barked and leaped from the windowsill to Lin Feiran, its soft ears flattened by the night breeze.
Lin Feiran picked it up and asked, "Lord, they are all seriously injured, and we are afraid of implicating the clan. They may not have returned to the territory yet. How can we find them?"
Use this.
As if a yellowed pagoda appeared in his palm, he raised his hand to form a seal, and a sea of stars appeared in the pagoda, with several star lines extending out and converging into three points in the sea of stars.
He said, "It's in these three places."
Looking at the map, Lin Feiran couldn't help but recall the map and letter her mother had left her, and asked, "What is this?"
“It doesn’t have a special name, it’s just called ‘Map’.” Ru Xian looked at her. “Xun Feifei found it, and it’s pretty useful.”
Lin Feiran secretly noted this down and then stopped. She made a hand gesture and led Ru Xian and Han Huo toward the intersection of the star lines.
Although flying on swords is fast, they can also use the Wind Avoidance Technique together. The two stand on the swords, and only occasionally does a gust of wind whistle past their robes and hair, landing on Ru Hai's body, giving them a sense of immortals flying across the sky.
...
Halfway through the journey, Lin Feiran couldn't help but look back.
Most people stand on the blade when wielding a sword, which is a common practice, just like using chopsticks with your right hand.
But it's different from sleet.
He disliked standing for long periods, so he had already bent down and sat on the sword, even having the leisure to cross his legs and study the map in his hand. He didn't seem to be in the air, but rather sitting on some soft chair.
Lin Feiran suddenly felt that having him ride the sword with her was like enduring hardship.
She remained silent for a moment, then couldn't help but speak.
"My lord, although you used to practice the way of the spear, have you ever flown through the air with a weapon?"
Never.
As Xue looked down at the map in her hand, she answered very decisively: "Since the day I began to travel in the human world, I have always traveled by carriage."
"And what about before going to the human world?"
“There is a phoenix.”
"..."
Why don't we let him go down?
Ultimately, it's all about capturing the leaders of various tribes; it's still more impressive to ride in a royal carriage.
Just as she was about to speak, Ru Xian put away the map, looked at the mountains and rivers that were moving past under her sword, and asked a completely unrelated question.
"How did that bowl of lychee soup taste?"
Lin Feiran was still thinking about flying on a sword, and absentmindedly replied, "It tastes good."
He replied, "Then next time we eat, I'll have someone make some more for you."
Speaking of this, Lin Feiran also squatted down, hugged his knees and looked at him: "Lord, did you recruit Qingzhu after you became the Demon Lord?"
There was a three-finger gap between them. He glanced at her casually, as if a hail of snowflakes had been falling, and then looked up at her.
"At that time, Xun Feifei was too busy to handle everything by himself, and he happened to meet him, so he made him an envoy as well."
However, I had known him for a long time.
Lin Feiran couldn't help but lean closer, asking curiously, "How did you two meet?"
"...Are you shielding me from the wind?"
Ru Xian glanced at her, and when she looked away, he smiled and let it go, without continuing to expose her.
"When I first went to the human realm, I couldn't find the gate to the Endless Sea Realm. While wandering around, I accidentally stumbled into the territory of the Spirit Bamboo Clan. Most of their people are kind-hearted. After hearing about it, they sent someone to guide me. This person was Qingzhu."
"At that time, he was a very enthusiastic child, but quite clumsy, as are all the young people of the Lingzhu clan."
He chatted with me frequently along the way. He was a novice, quite inexperienced, but a kind-hearted person. After dropping me off at Jihai, he quickly left.
"I met him a second time when I was traveling in the human world."
At that time, I happened to have drawn up a prescription and was preparing to go to the Mysterious Mist Abyss to find the medicine. On the way, I encountered many cultivators who were looking for spirit herbs, including him.
The people of their tribe are all the same; their hearts develop gradually, so they might be a bit foolish at first. But since he didn't have any bad intentions, I tolerated it, and we developed some friendship along the way.
Later, I became the supreme ruler of a realm, and by some twist of fate, I met him again. Since I was short of men, I invited him to join me. As he learned, he became the most intelligent of them all.
It turns out they first met a long time ago.
Lin Feiran couldn't help but wonder, Qingzhu was indeed very clever, but how did Qiutong's sister and Chiya manage to sneak in?
Does he really not know?
Moreover, when things went wrong, it's quite unlike their usual style to punish people without thoroughly investigating the cause and effect...
Or perhaps this punishment was merely a reminder to Qingzhu?
Interpersonal relationships are never as simple as black and white. Lin Feiran couldn't fathom it, so she just sighed silently and didn't mention the matter again.
She leaned closer, and even though no one was around, she whispered a question about something even more puzzling.
"My Lord, why didn't the Skywalker's spell work on you? Was it because you broke the spell the moment it was cast?"
She had faced the Skywalker more than once, but had been repeatedly defeated. She didn't even need to use her sword; as long as he uttered a single word, she would be almost powerless to fight back.
If she has already become a thorn in the side of the esoteric sects, and there will inevitably be battles in the future, it would be better to take this opportunity to ask her for advice.
"My Lord, if it were me, having already reached the Advanced Realm, would it be possible to break such a curse?"
Ru Xian replied without hesitation, "If you're talking about breaking it, you can't do it."
He turned to look at Lin Feiran, his gaze faintly visible in the night.
"The reason it's useless against me is because this person's incantation is not pure, so I have a way to resist it, but your level is not high enough to break it like I do."
Lin Feiran asked in confusion, "What is a pure incantation?"
Ru Xian's gaze lowered, landing on her arms and body: "The purest incantation is the one etched in your spiritual veins."
He suddenly smiled, raised his chin, and looked down at her: "Did you go back and toss and turn at night, rehearsing many times, but still couldn't figure out how to defeat him when you face him in the future?"
Lin Feiran nodded: "Actually, I thought of many ways, but no matter which one, I would have to draw my sword to fight or make hand seals. But he only needs to say the word 'freeze' before I can act, and then I will be helpless."
As if raising an eyebrow slightly, Ru Shan took out an ancient book from her mustard seed bag and handed it over.
"That's why I brought you out today."
Lin Feiran took it and saw four large characters casually written on the cover of the ancient book.
Parting flowers and brushing willows.
She felt the name sounded familiar.
“I once heard about it in elementary school. The teachers said it was an extremely difficult skill to learn, and there was only an incomplete version, so they didn’t explain it in much detail, lest people be tempted to learn it secretly and go astray.”
Ru Xian nodded: "He's right. Although the one I have is more complete, it's still an incomplete copy. But even if you study and practice it, you won't go astray."
"Do you still remember the Flying Flowers Gathering? In the Twelve Beauties Compendium, the last one is the Golden and Silver Terrace, which can be used to create clones."
The techniques applied on those golden and silver platforms were actually the unique "Parting Flowers and Sweeping Willows" created by the sage.
The missing page in this book is the method of spiritual energy flow, but you have used it in the Flying Flower Society, so it is certainly not unfamiliar to you, and you will not go astray.
The Slender Waist King and his companions are of considerable skill, and now that they are seriously injured, it would be perfect for you to use them for practice.
After mastering the technique, one can then use it when facing a Skywalker like this.
Several Lin Feirans will appear at that time, and the impure spell can only be effective on one of them; you will no longer be restricted.
Lin Feiran lowered her head and flipped through the ancient book fragments in her hands. For a moment, she was in a daze. She never thought that one day when she was facing a powerful overlord, she would be able to use the word "practice" to describe it.
As they flew along on their swords, the two landed above a dense forest, where a glimmer of firelight could be faintly seen amidst the overlapping shadows of the branches.
Lin Feiran squatted on the sword and couldn't help but ask, "Are you just learning and applying it now?"
Ru Xian showed no worry on her face, but looked at her with eyes full of light.
He brushed a stray hair from her cheek and whispered, "Can't you?"
Lin Feiran smiled slightly, stood up and said, "Of course."
...
...
Within the Sword Realm, ten miles of ice had formed, which should have been an endless, desolate, and lonely landscape, but instead, five or six rugged hills covered with snow-covered pines had appeared out of nowhere.
The hills are not scattered, but rather clustered around a mirror-like lake, completely surrounding it.
As Wei Changzai walked down from the mountaintop and passed through this pine forest, he suddenly caught sight of a bent branch.
It stands right in the center, several meters away from the surrounding solitary pine trees.
It was a slender plum tree, less than half a person tall, but its branches were strong and full of vitality. It had no leaves, only small flower buds, but no intention of blooming.
Flowers never bloom again...
He stood there, watching quietly for a long time, before continuing down the mountain.
Zhang Chunhe's voice continued to emanate from the jade tablet in his hand. He was telling him about the various signs that his master had shown when he broke through to a higher realm, wishing he could experience the same signs.
"Only disciples who cultivate the Path of Ruthlessness can see the Sword Heart in the Sword Realm; this is an unparalleled honor."
"My grandmaster once glimpsed a clear mirror within the Sword Realm. In that mirror, countless worlds could be seen, but upon closer inspection, it was actually a perfectly clear mirror..."
Unfortunately, he could only hear it, not understand it.
The wounds all over my body and around my eyes still ached, but in this extreme cold, they finally became numb, leaving only a faint chill in my heart.
He walked to the edge of Mirror Lake and, almost without hesitation, stepped straight into it. The lake water spread outwards, but there was not a drop of moisture in it.
This wasn't water, but an illusion within the Sword Realm. He eventually came down.
The bottom of the lake was completely empty, except for a faint candle and a piece of floating debris.
That was his sword heart.
As Zhang Chunhe continued his incessant chatter, he took a step closer.
The silver mirror shimmered, reflecting the faint, warm candlelight and bringing everything into his eyes.
The mirror contained no myriad worlds, no supreme Dao, only Lin Feiran.
This is his sword heart.
"...The reason why our grandmaster was able to break through several realms in succession was precisely because he had no emotions or desires, no distracting thoughts, and was single-minded in pursuing the Dao. He was willing to accept what he thought and desired, only for what is reflected in the mirror and for the sake of all living beings in the mirror."
By accepting what you think and desire, you can attain supreme freedom...
It turns out that his breakthrough wasn't because he severed his emotional ties, but because of Lin Feiran.
"How is it? Can the common people be seen in the mirror? Can the world be seen in it?"
“…Yes.” Wei Chang’s throat moved slightly, his phoenix eyes were slightly veiled, and he looked quietly at the person in the mirror. His voice was hoarse. “He can see my people, he can see my world.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chunhe clapped his hands and exclaimed in a high-spirited tone, "Excellent! From now on, you will surely reach the realm of harmony between heaven and man and restore the glory of Daohe Palace!"
After a moment of silence, Wei Chang finally voiced the question that had been buried in his heart for many years.
"Master, why were you so certain back then that I was destined to be with Qiu Tong?"
The person on the other side of the jade tablet seemed somewhat surprised. After a moment's pause, they replied, "Of course, it was obtained through divination and deduction. Your Uncle-Master Yuqing is skilled in this art. If it weren't for him, how would I have known?"
"Is fate predetermined and therefore unchangeable?"
“It can be changed, but it cannot be changed for you. Even if everyone in the world finds it difficult to follow this path, even without me, your fate will never change.”
Wei Changzai closed his eyes slightly: "Is that so?"
"Don't overthink it. Is there anything about your destiny that needs to be changed? Changzai, shouldn't you and Qiutong get engaged and be bound by marriage?"
Author's Note: Happy New Year! I was planning a giveaway, but since I already did on the 1st, and JJ (the platform) stipulates that you can only participate once every 30 days, I'll try again tomorrow. [Lop-eared rabbit head]
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