Chapter 242 Though Dead, Still Alive (The Rift) The house may be small, but it has everything one needs…
The moon was high in the sky. A somewhat withered peach tree grew by the stream. There were few petals on its branches, and its bark was cracked, giving it a look of impending death.
Wei Changzai stood to the side, continuously channeling spiritual energy into his palm. Array patterns were drawn in the damp soil. These actions seemed to cause the branches to close up a bit, but they were still withered.
He watched quietly, a glimmer of moonlight in his dark eyes, reflecting this illusion, but his gaze was blurred.
He had secluded himself in the house for a long time to create this place.
Back in Luoyang, when he and Lin Feiran ventured into the Infernal Land, he was captivated by this secluded, remote, and eternally tranquil place.
Bailu created the Wujian Land not only to bring in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, but also to live in solitude and compile the book "The Great Sound is Silent" without any disturbance.
That was her refuge, her sanctuary.
What if Lin Feiran were brought here, and it's just the two of them?
In this small world, the cultivator is the creator of this place. Whatever she wants, she can create, generate, and bring to life from nothing.
But when it was finally completed, he looked at the empty place and moved the side hall that he had decorated for many years, transplanted the peach grove where the two of them had poured out their hearts to each other. As for the rest, they were all just illusions.
He never did anything unnecessary before. This place was originally built for Lin Feiran, and she should decide what to include and what to fill in.
Because Wei Changzai wouldn't have any unnecessary thoughts.
Just like eating, he can eat, but if someone else suggests it, he can choose not to eat.
For him, there is rarely a question of "thinking" or "not thinking."
But as he looked at this hidden place, he inexplicably moved all these things there, and spent time pruning and watering each tree, and tying flower knots in front of the side hall.
It was very tangled, but it was Lin Feiran's favorite way of tying knots.
He even built a small kitchen and decorated it.
If Zhang Chunhe were to see this creative, heartfelt act, he would probably clap his hands and laugh with delight, though he may never see it.
When he finished, a rare sense of satisfaction and anticipation welled up inside him.
This feeling was almost fleeting, like the moment a raindrop falls onto a lake and leaps back up—light and joyful, but before you can even see it clearly, it has already melted into the flowing water.
During the days he didn't see Lin Feiran, he stayed here almost all the time; he could even distinguish every single tree.
He cultivated and slept here, and surprisingly, he made great progress. In his spare time, he would go to Lin Feiran's disciples' quarters and bring back the things she didn't want to continue decorating this somewhat crowded side hall.
After Lin Feiran went down the mountain, he actually went there many times. He originally wanted to bring her things back so that the junior disciples would not throw them away when cleaning. But for some reason, her room was kept, with no one going in or out.
Later, that place also became his resting place.
Lin Feiran had lived in the dormitory for more than ten years. Every time he thought he had found everything, he would find other old things and move them to his side hall.
In fact, it wasn't just the peach grove, but also the stream, the pink lotus and green leaves, the dragonflies flying by, the osmanthus milk cake she loved, and the two mayfly butterflies she had painstakingly caught—all of them were kept here.
Over time, this seamless space became increasingly fulfilling, and his heart seemed to slowly fill up as well, giving rise to a sense of "peace of mind" for the first time.
Until that day, his master summoned him and told him, "Changzai, it's time to take action on that matter. You shall set off for the demon race today and bring Qiutong back."
As Wei Changzai pondered this, he closed his eyes slightly. Two transparent mayfly butterflies flew into the peach grove, fluttering and dancing around him. Their faint fluorescence illuminated his face and the warm jade pendant in his hand.
He smiled calmly, placed the mayfly butterflies on a peach branch, and then took out some jade dew for them to drink.
The next moment, a familiar voice came from the jade tablet.
"Changzai, why haven't you said anything?"
Looking at the two butterflies, Wei Changzai replied, "Master, I apologize. A fox clan guard walked by just now, and I was unable to speak, so I did not answer."
Zhang Chunhe on the other end of the jade tablet did not speak, nor could even his breathing be heard. In the quiet night, the only sound could be the sound of him dusting off the ashes with a duster.
"Since it's convenient now, tell me when you and Qiu Tong will be back? There shouldn't be any major events in the fox clan recently, so how long are you going to stay there?"
After feeding the jade dew, Wei Changzai took out a roll of cloth and tied it to the peach tree, round and round.
He said, "Recently, the snow clouds in the demon realm have been rampant, and Qingqiu is also not peaceful. Qiu Tong is worried about her family, so we have to delay for a while."
"I see."
Zhang Chunhe's tone remained calm and composed. He did not urge him, but gave a few more instructions and mentioned the fluctuations at Guanlantai to Wei Changzai.
"You've broken through to a higher realm, haven't you?"
"Yes, thanks to Master's teachings." After wrapping the cloth, Wei Chang poured out a large amount of spiritual liquid to nourish the peach tree that grew in the mortal world and had no spirituality.
The breakthrough was indeed confirmed, but Zhang Chunhe's tone was not as excited as before. He even said, "I told you before that breaking through quickly is a good thing, but before you step into the realm of carefree wandering, you must do that thing, otherwise, your future path will be uncertain."
Wei Changzai took the bottle back, and it was unclear whether he had actually listened to her or not. He simply said, "This disciple understands."
Zhang Chunhe said no more to him: "But no matter what, I still want to congratulate you on your successful breakthrough. Among the younger generation today, no one is faster than you. I feel at ease knowing that you will lead Daohe Palace from now on."
Time is running out. While the demon realm is in chaos and the fox clan is preoccupied, we must bring her back as soon as possible.
"yes."
Wei Changzai responded. He knew he didn't intend to do that, but he needed some time to come up with a solution, so he couldn't return to the mountain for the time being.
He lowered his eyes and saw that the peach tree was recovering visibly. He breathed a sigh of relief, reached out and stroked the butterfly's wings before turning around and walking back.
On his way back, he picked the most lush pink peach branch. He had specifically checked the size of the pearl before he left; it was only the size of a pearl. At her speed, she must have already refined it almost completely.
She should wake up.
He made a lot of osmanthus milk cakes today, so Lin Feiran will be able to eat her fill when she wakes up.
Thinking this way, he deliberately ignored the other person's presence, and his steps back became much lighter.
He was immersed in his own imagination, just as he was now peacefully in this fabricated fantasy world.
He thought he would slowly savor the milk cakes he made and gradually swallow the things he made.
As he passed through the peach grove and approached the small courtyard with lights on, he heard two people inside, their laughter deliberately lowered but still escaping.
He stood in front of the courtyard and looked inside.
Another small house with rune construction had been built in the courtyard. After this refining process, Lin Feiran's body was almost back to normal, so he was able to climb up the branches in a few steps, kneel down in front of her, and ask her something in a low voice.
The person had already woken up, his brows still bearing his usual arrogance, but his eyes held an indescribable gentleness.
He crossed his arms, about to answer, but his gaze first fell warily to the outside of the courtyard, where he saw the person standing in the night, staring intently at them, and then met his eyes.
Then, she raised her eyebrows slightly.
It wasn't mockery, but it clearly wasn't kind at all.
He said something to Lin Feiran, and a moment later, she leaned slightly forward, picked him up, and jumped down from the branch.
Wei Changzai had never seen Lin Feiran with such a cautious expression, as if he were holding a fragile glass cup rather than a cultivator in the Divine Travel Realm.
She put the person down on the ground, turned her back to the outside of the yard, and went into the small house. Her figure moved back and forth behind the window, as if she was tidying up something.
Wei Changzai could barely move his feet. He saw the man's clothes, black with silver patterns, not fitting well, clearly Lin Feiran's outer robe.
Those things he had carefully collected are now openly displayed in his hands!
He couldn't control his emotions and strode into the courtyard. The question was almost out of his throat when he bumped into Lin Feiran, who was coming out of the door.
"You're back?"
After three days of focused refinement, Lin Feiran was no longer as confrontational as before. However, although she spoke like this, her tone was devoid of any intimacy.
She explained, "There's only one room here, which definitely can't fit three people, so we set this up. If you're tired, go back to your room to rest. We'll stay here."
With just this one sentence, Wei Changzai knew that her anger had not subsided. Because of this, he dared not object anymore. After a few breaths, he heard himself respond.
Get some rest.
After saying that, Lin Feiran and Ru Xian went inside together. The house constructed of runes was unusual. As soon as the two closed the door, the small house became blurry and faint, like an ink painting splashed with water. The lights and sounds were all covered up, and no part of the scene could be seen anymore.
Wei Changzai felt as if he were living alone here, but at this moment, he no longer felt that sense of satisfaction.
He stood there for an unknown amount of time before slowly turning around and entering the room. The room was brightly lit, and twenty-four bronze mirrors swayed gently. He saw a woman with her face covered sitting at the table, seemingly looking through something.
He knew that this was Lin Feiran's sword spirit.
There is a subtle connection between sword masters, so it's not surprising that he can see the sword spirit.
He wandered to the side like a ghost, but still managed to say, "Senior, it doesn't seem appropriate to casually flip through the Sword Master's diary."
The Golden Wave Sword Spirit raised its head, seemingly sizing him up, and then said, "Since you know it's not good, why are you staying here?"
Wei Changzai pursed his lips, a ripple appearing in his dark eyes: "Not all the old things in this room were found by me. This diary was a gift from her."
“She must have liked you a lot before she was willing to give this to you.” The sword spirit smiled. “But that’s how it is in our lineage. Liking someone is real, and disliking someone is also real. Her mother was like that, and so is she.”
Wei Changzai didn't want to argue about this: "Senior, aren't you staying by the Sword Master's side?"
The Golden Wave Sword Spirit laughed loudly: "They're all so sweet and loving, why would I get in their way? Put away your little schemes."
"Young man, judging from your dejected appearance, you're sure you won't be able to sleep tonight. Come and sit down, and tell me about the Sword Master's past; it'll help pass the long night."
Wei Chang didn't want to speak, but since the sword spirit was closely related to Lin Feiran, he also sat down opposite the sword spirit and began to tell the story of the old things, word by word.
However, he couldn't hide his gaze, and would frequently look towards the courtyard.
...
The house may be small, but it has everything you need.
These were Ru Xian's original words, but Lin Feiran didn't think they were small.
Constructed from runes, the room naturally contains a vast universe, complete with tables and chairs, a spacious soft bed, a dressing table, and even a bath on the left side.
A misty fog drifted to the rooftop, escaping as if floating away, filling the room with a faint, cool fragrance. To the left, there was the sound of running water, followed by a soft, rustling sound, which then emerged like scattered snowflakes.
Lin Feiran then turned her head to look, and he had already changed into his own clothes. The black robe was draped over his arm, and before she could even reach out, he had already taken it into his pocket.
Lin Feiran paused, then withdrew her hand and touched her nose. No matter what, everyone liked to accept her things.
"Is it warmer now?" she asked.
Ru Xian shook his head and waved his hand at her. The grayish veins on his wrist were still visible, and their shape and trend were somewhat similar to the strange patterns that appeared when his spiritual power was in a state of chaos.
He combed his loose, snowy hair, walked to the bedside, turned his head to look at her, and said with a slight smirk, "What are you doing sitting at the table? Aren't you planning to rest tonight?"
"Resting."
Lin Feiran suddenly stood up, and under the watchful eyes of Ru Xue, she repeatedly lifted and closed the quilt, making many movements, but she didn't get in no matter how busy she was.
Ru Xian suddenly laughed and tilted her head to look at her: "Are you planning to fan me with the blanket and let me freeze here?"
Lin Feiran paused, didn't look up, coughed lightly, and lay down.
Ru Xian is actually very casual about this and is very close to her, unexpectedly enjoying physical contact with her.
She was used to it all, but today she saw a different scene, which was as deeply engraved in her mind as a sword manual, and she could see it with her eyes open and closed.
He became so engrossed in his fantasies that he felt guilty, and thus became reserved again.
Ru Xian never imagined that simply exposing her body would have such a huge impact on a newbie like Lin Feiran. He thought she was just being reserved because she had seen Wei Changzai again.
He stared at her for a moment, then, remembering her earlier actions, he looked away and lay down as usual.
The lights in the room went out, leaving only a faint glow. The two men were lost in their own thoughts, and neither made a move.
As if her body was filled with ice and frost, she felt extremely uncomfortable, but she seemed unaccustomed to it at the moment. He kept his distance and did not get close, but after a few breaths, Lin Feiran quietly approached, and the heat continued to emanate from her.
She whispered.
“I didn’t see or recall anything today, so you don’t need to worry about it.”
Ru Xian remained silent for a moment, but still couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
...
Meanwhile, the communication array broke down, and Wei Chang's cold, jade-like voice echoed in the hall for a moment before falling silent.
Zhang Chunhe stood before the incense burner, his wide sleeves half-rolled up, his eyes calm and serene. In his hand, a clean white whisk swept away the incense ash, the rustling sound like overlapping branches in the night, or like a long snake moving among withered leaves.
This is the hall of Daohe Palace for worshipping ancestors. After he devoutly swept away the incense ash, he placed the whisk horizontally on his arm, bowed to the many jade tablets, uttered the word "Boundless", and then turned to look.
In the center of the hall sat a young girl trying to appear calm. She was wearing a pink dress but was trembling uncontrollably. She was tightly bound by long ropes and stared at them in surprise.
Zhang Chunhe looked at him calmly and said, "Changzai said that he is with you in Qingqiu right now, but it seems that this is not the case. Why would he lie?"
"Miss Qiutong, do you know the answer?"
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