Chapter 230 Though Dead, Still Alive (Mirror of the Heart) Supplement: This is about being kidnapped...
It hadn't been long since they arrived at Jinling Ferry, but Lin Feiran seemed to be constantly on the go. She hadn't slept so soundly in a long time.
She hasn't dreamed in a long time either.
In her dream, she stood on a deserted wilderness, with no mountains in sight, stretching for miles. The soil beneath her feet was unusually soft, and with each step she seemed to sink into it.
Lin Feiran staggered forward, feeling as if she were walking upwards, getting closer and closer to the clouds on the horizon.
She walked for an unknown amount of time before finally reaching the edge of the wilderness. At the edge of the wilderness was an extremely high cliff, below which was a surging torrent of water. The dampness even splashed onto her face, bringing a chill.
Lin Feiran suddenly thought of this word and for a moment couldn't distinguish between dream and reality.
As she stepped from the grassy field onto the cliff top, grass clippings mixed with water droplets scattered all around, reflecting rainbows in the sunlight. In the rainbows, she saw a tall figure standing alone on the cliff edge.
She had her hair unbound, dressed only in a red dress, her jet-black hair blowing back in the wind. The familiar golden umbrella was carried on her shoulder with one hand, her left leg stepping on the broken bones beside her, and she looked towards the edge of the cliff with high spirits.
Lin Feiran had never seen this figure before, but upon seeing the golden umbrella, he already knew who it was.
She suddenly spoke up: "Is that you?"
She hadn't dreamed of her mother for a very, very long time.
In her memory, her mother didn't like to put her hair up; she would just casually tie it up with a silver hairpin. However, she loved to look beautiful, always wearing light gauze dresses and never lacking in rouge and lipstick. She always smiled when she looked at people.
However, the figure before him was quite unfamiliar.
All told, Lin Feiran had only spent a little over six years with her mother. At an age when she should still be able to cuddle in her mother's arms, they were already separated by death.
"Mother, Mother..."
It was a frozen face, younger than I remembered, with raised eyebrows, bright eyes, and slightly parted lips, revealing a kind of determination and sharpness just like Lin Feiran, but with a touch more flamboyance.
Lin Feiran immediately realized that this was not a dream, at least not her dream.
Above the boundless ocean, the swirling clouds suddenly began to surge, turning into a pale eye once more, like a flowing stream.
It hangs in the sky, as if watching a person frozen in time, or as if watching Lin Feiran.
Lin Feiran recalled the single eye she had seen hanging there when she escaped from Jinling Ferry, and immediately realized that it was this eye that had invaded her dream.
She casually drew the Golden Wave Sword from the side, but before she could act, the entire cliff began to melt and collapse. The eye just watched, watching them fall into the ocean of rocks.
With a crash, she fell off the bed.
Lin Feiran paused for a moment, then stood up and looked around, only to find himself in an extremely unfamiliar room.
Pale blue or pure white fabrics are pieced together and hung around the room, becoming curtains that can be found everywhere.
The bed wasn't small, but it was crammed with faceless rag dolls. The stitches, from clumsy to skillful, were arranged on the side, leaving only a small space, just enough for one person to sleep in.
Lin Feiran was initially wary, but when she saw the dolls, she relaxed a little. Could this be a woman's bedroom?
She lifted the layers of curtains and silently walked towards the outer room, but the further she walked, the stranger she felt.
Behind the curtains, the window peeks out, and slanting sunlight, along with peach petals, blows into the room.
Outside the window, there was a peach blossom grove with a rosy hue.
The room, which was originally somewhat dim, was suddenly illuminated by such a bright light, and the reflection of the many mirrors hanging from the beams made it much clearer.
Lin Feiran was looking out the window and then at the dozen or so strange mirrors. As she was pondering what was going on, she suddenly caught a glimpse of some strange objects on the table out of the corner of her eye.
She rubbed her sore arms, turned around and walked away, looking down at the surroundings.
It was a table that wasn't very long, and neatly piled on it were books that looked very familiar.
The reason they looked familiar was that she had actually read all of these books before, and even the worn-out covers were strikingly similar to those in the Daohe Palace Library...
Lin Feiran's brow twitched, and she immediately went forward to flip through a few pages. She then saw a bamboo basket on the table, which contained many scarecrows that looked very familiar to her.
That was something she made casually when she was a child.
Lin Feiran found it strange, and seeing so many familiar objects suddenly made him start searching. He found quite a few things that he had lost in the past.
Previous drafts of my spiritual practice.
The exquisite sword tassel that I secretly bought down the mountain, but accidentally lost.
The beast tooth that fell out during her first battle against the monster had a mark she had personally carved on it.
Discarded combs, bracelets, and hair ties.
The long hair was cut off to practice swordsmanship.
There were also notes she secretly passed between people.
...
More and more are being unearthed.
These things, either thrown away by her or lost and never looked for again, have all appeared here now.
Lin Feiran was not surprised, but shocked. She even wondered if she had woken up and returned to the past.
Lin Feiran closed the cluttered drawers, feeling there was no need to search any further; these were all her things.
She turned her gaze to the side and looked at the wardrobe with the door half open. On a whim, she immediately went forward to open the door.
Inside were robes hung up, categorized by type.
On the left is a light blue Taoist robe, identical in style and even in length, with the only difference being the subtle pattern at the cuffs.
The moment Lin Feiran saw these robes, he immediately recognized their owner, and a hint of surprise flashed through his mind.
Looking deeper into the wardrobe, one finds dresses of varying lengths hanging there.
The shortest might only reach her waist, while the longest was no different from her current size.
However, looking from shortest to longest, they were all outer skirts she had worn since childhood, with even the matching sleeve ties and waist belts neatly arranged.
These clothes were clearly very well preserved; even after so many years, they still looked brand new.
When Lin Feiran was around ten years old, she didn't like wearing black. Like other children, she preferred clothes with different colors.
As they grew older, their robes became predominantly black, and they rarely wore such colorful clothes anymore.
Looking at the gradient strip in front of her, which transitioned from colorful to grayish-white and then to black, she was unsure whether to reminisce about her past or be surprised that he had picked up these old things.
As Lin Feiran lifted one of the sleeves to examine it, the door was slowly pushed open. She turned around and met the gaze of the person outside in the dappled sunlight.
Indeed, this garment truly belongs to its owner.
"You're awake."
How did you get here?
The two spoke in unison, and then paused slightly after speaking.
Noticing the subtle surprise in her tone, Wei Changzai lowered his eyes, placed the plate in his hand on the table, and simply said, "This is my room."
He looked up again, his voice slightly lower: "Who do you think will come in?"
This wasn't a sarcastic remark, but a simple question, because he also saw Lin Feiran peering out, seemingly searching for someone.
"Isn't it like hail?"
Lin Feiran answered very naturally, and at the same time, she let down most of her guard.
"I remember contacting him before I fainted in Beiyuan. He was on his way to the heart of Beiyuan. Logically, I should have met him. Why are you here instead of at Daohe Palace?"
When Wei Changzai heard her say that name so naturally, his lips pressed tightly together. He felt as if his heart had been suddenly clenched and then released—a swift and intense feeling.
It was so fast that he didn't even have time to react before it vanished in an instant.
But he knew it was jealousy.
I still remember the first time I tasted this flavor, it was because of her.
Before he could even speak, Lin Feiran brushed past him like the wind and walked away, her voice unusually urgent.
"Your room? You brought me back to Daohe Palace, why did you bring me back here..."
Upon seeing the scenery outside the room, her voice relaxed: "So it wasn't Daohe Palace after all."
She went back into the room, still asking, "Where is this? Why are there so many peach trees?"
Wei Changzai turned to look at her, his dark eyes seemingly holding a deep, still pool of water, now rippling slightly.
She was very nervous.
He knew Lin Feiran too well.
When she is seriously injured, in an unfamiliar environment, and facing someone she doesn't trust, she becomes so eager and talkative.
A pair of dark eyes darted around, carefully observing the surroundings so that they could evade danger as quickly as possible in the event of a sudden crisis.
When did he become a stranger?
Wei Changzai did not point out this fact. He looked straight at Lin Feiran with his phoenix eyes, saying nothing, yet it seemed as if he had said everything. Only when Lin Feiran stopped speaking and gradually relaxed his shoulders to look at him did he lower his gaze and look at the table.
"Come and drink your medicine, you are badly injured."
Lin Feiran pondered for a moment, glanced outside the room again, and sensed the presence of the Golden Wave Sword before sitting down at the table and picking up the bowl of medicine.
Wei Changzai parted his lips slightly, quietly watching her. He paused for a few breaths until she drank the medicine in one gulp, then spoke as if he had come back to his senses.
"Meeting you was no coincidence. Before yesterday, I had been looking for you, traveling to many places before finally finding you in the heart of the Northern Plains, where I happened to stumble upon that scene..."
Your sword spirit was no match for that female cultivator, and even with my combined strength, we couldn't withstand it. So, before the three of us were annihilated by a single arrow, I brought you here.”
"This is indeed my room, but it is not in Sanqing Mountain, nor anywhere in the human or demon realms."
This is the Boundless Realm I crafted and built. After seeing it beneath Luoyang City, I wanted to create a place like this.
"A place where it's just you and me."
Lin Feiran paused slightly when she heard "only you and me", but still looked away and stood up to look out the window.
"No wonder, even though it's already the first month of winter, the peach blossoms here are blooming so beautifully. It turns out to be the Boundless Land."
The topic shift was so abrupt that even Wei Changzai could sense the unease in it.
He wanted to speak, but said nothing. He hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "You've just woken up from a serious illness, you need to rest more. What would you like to eat? I'll make it."
At this point, he added, "The Infernal Affairs is very safe, you know. If you can't find the 'key,' then no one can get in."
Lin Feiran was filled with mixed emotions and didn't know how to respond for a moment. She just turned to look at him, her hand unconsciously gripping the window frame, and nodded blankly, saying, "Then... thank you, Fellow Daoist Wei."
"..."
"Fellow Daoist" was the title he had always wanted, but now it sounded particularly jarring.
Wei Changzai paused, responded, and left. He silently made some of Lin Feiran's favorite dishes, and then sat across the table watching her.
Back then, Lin Feiran was busy practicing swordsmanship and often missed meals. Since she was also growing and eating a lot, she would go to Ji Changying's place to eat with her to fill her stomach.
He didn't try to stop him, but he secretly looked at a few cookbooks.
He was indifferent to food, but fortunately he wasn't stupid, and he could learn to do it quite well.
He did this originally for the purpose of spiritual practice.
Because Lin Feiran no longer needs to go to Ji Changying, staying by his side allows him to focus on his cultivation without being distracted or overthinking, which is beneficial for his practice.
But now he knows the real reason.
There was a moment of silence between them, broken only by the occasional clinking of bowls and chopsticks. In the past, they would not have been so silent.
Lin Feiran knew that she had consumed too much energy and needed to replenish it with this spiritual rice, so she ate while glancing at him.
To this day, Lin Feiran still doesn't know why Wei Changzai cooks. He only assumes that Zhang Chunhe's strict teaching has kept his culinary skills up.
After all, Zhang Chunhe's own cooking skills were quite good.
Taking advantage of the quiet atmosphere, Lin Feiran was trying to contact Ru Xian through the yin-yang symbol.
The Demon-Summoning Edict was indeed a unique legal code in the world. Even in this insurmountable land between the two worlds, she still managed to connect with Ru Xian through their hearts.
Where is it?
Almost instantly after the connection was established, she heard Ru Shi's question. She couldn't discern the tone of the voice, but she could glean a hint of urgency from the speed of the speech.
Lin Feiran paused for a moment, but still said frankly, "Wei Changzai has created a place of no return, and I am currently staying here. What is the situation outside?"
After a long pause, she finally heard Ru Xian's reply. He seemed to finally relax, and his speech became much gentler: "...It's good that everything is alright."
“The esoteric sects are searching for you like madmen right now. The Infernal Realm is actually quite safe. Stay there for now, I'll come find you.” He paused, then asked, “How are your injuries?”
Lin Feiran moved his shoulders: "Aside from the soreness, there doesn't seem to be anything too unusual."
Although she had studied medicine with Ru Xian for a period of time, it was only superficial. Her pulse was always complicated and strange, and even after probing her pulse for a long time, she could only get a general idea, but there should be no major problem.
Ru Xian responded with a sound, and after a moment, asked in an ambiguous tone, "Are you with him now?"
It's self-evident who "he" refers to.
Lin Feiran coughed, and Wei Changzai reached out. She immediately dodged and poured herself a cup of tea.
"I can go out today."
"Do you think he'll let you out?" Ru Xian didn't expose Wei Changzai's thoughts, only saying, "Even if he wants you to come out, he'll have to examine your injuries first and wait for me."
"..."
Lin Feiran suddenly paused, looked up at the small house, then at Wei Changzai, and suddenly realized that if Ru Xian also came here, wouldn't there only be the three of them?
What would that scene be like?
Thinking of this, Lin Feiran felt dizzy, not psychologically, but actually dizzy.
Wei Changzai also noticed the abnormality. He reached out again, which had stopped halfway, and helped her to the bed. He circulated his spiritual energy until her complexion improved slightly before taking out a pill for her to take.
He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her quietly, his eyelashes lowered, his eyes reflecting her image.
Although he had some knowledge of medicine, he was not an expert. He knew that someone else should be here at this time.
He closed his eyes slightly, and with a slight movement of his fingertips, a pure black yin-yang fish leaped out of her eyes and floated fearlessly between the two of them.
One moment it arched towards Lin Feiran, the next it swished its tail in front of him, quite majestic.
Wei Changzai watched quietly, a faint chill emanating from him. The yin-yang fish paused, then immediately swam away as if fleeing, hiding in Lin Feiran's hair, revealing only its pair of eyes.
The Boundless Land is a place outside the formation researched by the Sage of Gengan. For the two of them, it is only familiar but not well-known. Therefore, they did not know about it beforehand. Through the spiritual energy fluctuations within the realm, it will be transmitted to the realm lord.
In short, he heard Lin Feiran and Ru Xian's conversation clearly.
Their familiarity and intimacy led him to make an absurd conjecture about their current relationship.
"..."
His thin, red lips opened and closed, his eyelashes trembled. At this moment, the emotions in his heart were too chaotic and intense, unlike anything he had ever experienced before. He was unable to think, or even comprehend any of them.
I just subconsciously knew that Lin Feiran needed medical treatment.
So he pointed out with his fingers, holding a peach petal between them, which was the 'key' to this place of no return.
He imbued the key with the aura of the yin-yang symbol and sent it to Ru Xue.
Lin Feiran fell into a deep sleep for another day. During this time, the sword spirit appeared several times to investigate her condition, and then disappeared when she woke up.
When she woke up again, it was already dusk.
Wei Changzai sat on the side of the bed, his eyes fixed on her. When she opened her eyes, he immediately poured a cup of prepared herbal liquid and brought it to her lips.
Unlike the ease she felt during the day, Lin Feiran felt as if a thousand-pound boulder was pressing down on her, her whole body aching so much that she couldn't even lift her arms. She could only drink the herbal liquid from Wei Changzai's hand to moisten her parched mouth.
There were no lights on in the room, but a few rays of light reflected from the mirrors made it not completely dark.
She lay on the narrow bed, facing the dolls, with the shadowy peach branches overlapping outside the window. There was a strange feeling that was both fitting and somewhat reassuring.
She always felt that this was the place Wei Changzai loved to live.
After pausing for a moment, Lin Feiran still didn't mention the many old things in the room. She deliberately ignored them and looked up at Wei Changzai.
Just as he knew her very well, she was equally familiar with him, and so she hit the nail on the head.
Why have you come looking for me?
Her voice was a little hoarse, and her face was half-lit and half-shadowed in the moonlight, but her eyes were still bright.
Wei Changzai paused in his hand as he lifted the bowl, his dark eyes fixed on her. When he spoke again, his voice was hoarse, just like hers.
"I will slowly carry out my duties."
Author's Note: Finally... finally we've reached the final chapters of this volume!! [Crying][Crying]
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