Chapter 326 Regret (Part 2) If everything could start over...
Everyone who saw this scene was at a loss for words.
Qiu Tong leaned against the table beside her, her expression somber, her lips tightly pressed together. She slowly pulled her hand away from Lin Feiran's grasp, tears welling in her eyes.
Perhaps because the Wei couple had fallen into a deep sleep, and no longer had that gentle gaze enveloping him, Wei Changzai's condition had mostly recovered. He straightened up, though his face was still somewhat pale.
Throughout the entire ordeal, he only met Qiu Tong's gaze when she was overcome with grief, and withdrew his eyes when she was too weak to support herself on the edge of the table.
He lowered his eyes, looking at the smear of water that had just passed by the back of his hand, and suddenly said, "I have always been just me. It is you who have insisted on treating me as someone else."
He is the forgotten Wei Yun, the aloof and unapproachable junior brother of Daohe Palace, and the Wei Changzai who is difficult for others to understand, but in his heart, he has always accepted himself this way.
He accepted his current role as "Wei Changzai," and aside from regrets about Lin Feiran, he didn't think there was anything wrong with being himself.
Zhang Chunhe and Qiu Tong, eager to find a trace of someone else, excitedly peeled back the layers, only to discover another pair of cold, indifferent eyes beneath the skin. They were immediately disappointed and filled with regret...
But what does that have to do with him?
The trembling voice of Qiu Tong reached his ears, but his eyes were fixed on the water stain on his hand.
It had just dripped from Lin Feiran's chin, silently landing on the back of his hand, still warm, carrying a heat as it passed over him—a temperature he knew all too well.
From beginning to end, the only person who would grieve for him was Lin Feiran.
That's enough, that's more than enough.
A drop of water slid down the back of his hand and dripped down, a little frost gradually condensing, finally solidifying into an ice bead the size of a fish eye just before it fell to the ground, returning to his hand.
He looked up and saw Lin Feiran wiping away her tears, while Ru Xian was whispering something beside her.
He looked down at the beads in his palm, his eyebrows slightly curved, and when he looked at the sleeping Wei couple, the shock in his heart subsided considerably.
He looked up at Qiu Tong and finally spoke, as if addressing her, or perhaps Zhang Chunhe, Ji Changying, and others who knew the past.
"I'm sorry, I'm not the person you're looking for."
Through her tear-filled eyes, Qiu Tong saw Wei Chang standing there like a pine tree, his black hair adorned with a plum blossom hairpin, two swords strapped to his back, his brows relaxed, his cool gaze slightly shifting, and the corners of his lips slightly upturned. He already bore the shadow of "him".
But she knew in her heart that no matter how similar they were, the person who would play with her in the fields and call Qiu Tong a cute little fox would never appear again.
Qiu Tong's eyes were already dim. She wiped away her tears and walked out of the hall like a wandering soul, without looking at anyone. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Qing Yao who had been waiting outside.
She was clearly worried about Qiu Tong, fearing that she, a demon, would be bullied here, so she had been waiting here.
"What's wrong?" Qingyao asked immediately when she saw her absent-minded look. There was a magic array in the room, so she couldn't hear anything.
The moment Qiu Tong saw her, she could no longer hold back and threw herself onto her shoulder, bursting into tears.
"Big sister, I... I'll never see my sweetheart again..."
Qingyao couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. While comforting Qiutong, she led her away: "So that's what it was about. It's alright. There are plenty of good men in the demon race. As long as this turmoil passes, you can choose whichever you like. In the face of life and death, everything else is trivial..."
Lin Feiran watched her departing figure quietly, and couldn't help but recall the scene of her first meeting with Qiu Tong. It hadn't been long since then, but everything had changed.
She turned back, and Master Xun, who was also sighing with regret, looked out the door. He couldn't help but sigh, and his words were somewhat melancholy.
"Life is always full of regrets, and it's hard to look back..."
The people in the room fell silent for a moment, and just as they were about to fall, footsteps slowly came from outside. A moment later, the door that had just been closed was knocked on again.
"Master, I've arrived."
Her voice was gentle and clear; it belonged to Ji Changying.
Zhou Shushu came to her senses, stepped forward to undo the magic array, pushed open the door, and saw the indigo figure outside.
Ji Changying stood tall and elegant, his black hair half-tied up, a bamboo hat hanging from his waist. When he saw the people in the room, he smiled, revealing a small mole under his lip, which was his true appearance. A thin, long line ran down from between his eyebrows, but it did not affect his appearance in the slightest.
His gaze swept across Lin Feiran's face before he entered the house and smiled.
Why do you all look so sad? What just happened?
Ji Changying is a very unique person. He is beautiful and has a bright and clear appearance, yet he also has the vitality of spring breeze. No matter how sad the scene is, as long as it is reflected in his smiling eyes, everything seems to become easier.
He now appears to be in much better condition, showing no signs of serious illness or fatigue.
Master Xun shook his head and did not bring up the matter again: "Come in. The matter has reached an important point, and we need you to say something."
Several important figures present had read Zhang Chunhe's letter, which naturally mentioned Ji Changying. Everyone knew his identity and that he had once been one of the Nine Swords, but they were still willing to give him this trust today.
"Feiran has already found the way to the Heavenly Palace on the Cloud Top. You've come at the right time. You've been to the Heavenly Palace before, so you can tell us what might happen once you enter it."
"Oh? Junior sister has been found?"
Only then did his gaze fall openly upon Lin Feiran, his eyes brimming with affection, no longer showing the turmoil of that night. He truly looked like a senior brother looking at his junior sister, completely innocent.
Lin Feiran nodded: "I said I would find it."
She will find it, so there's no need for Ji Changying to do anything more.
The unspoken meaning in those words was clear to everyone present. Ji Changying's eyes flickered slightly, and his slightly parted lips parted slightly as he smiled and said, "Of course, with my junior sister being so capable, I knew you would definitely find her."
As he spoke, he had walked to a short distance from Lin Feiran and said jokingly, "Your eyes are bloodshot from staying up all night. You must have had a hard time finding them."
Upon hearing this, Lin Feiran paused, then looked away, first touching his nose, then pretending to casually wipe his chin, without saying a word, while Ru Xian smiled first.
If Ji Changying hadn't said it, he would have definitely found an opportunity to say it later.
After saying this, Ji Changying smiled, but stopped there and changed the subject.
“Every time we go to the Heavenly Palace on the Clouds, our eyes are covered, and we don’t know where we came from or where we are going. Now I’m a little curious, how do we get in?”
All eyes then turned to Lin Feiran.
She raised her hand, and a magical light swirled in her palm, unfolding a rather large map before everyone's eyes.
"As we all know, if a secret realm is created by oneself, there is only one exit and one entrance, and one's entry and exit are at the master's discretion. However, a naturally formed secret realm is different. A naturally formed secret realm must have a natural entrance and exit, which is not under human control."
"The path to the Dao is controlled by him, so we can embark on another innate path. This path, though not fixed, can be calculated."
Bi Sheng and the Dao Lord have been reborn too many times; that many times is enough for them to find the pattern of the entrance and exit of the secret realm.
As everyone looked at the map of the five continents, they saw Lin Feiran with his brows furrowed, using some kind of geomancy method to survey and calculate on it.
Ji Changying stood diagonally opposite her. His gaze did not fall on the map, but silently looked at Lin Feiran, his eyes filled with complex emotions, as if reluctant to part, as if smiling.
A few breaths later, his gaze suddenly met Ru Xian's. The two stared at each other for a moment, their unspoken words mingling, before withdrawing their gazes.
On the map, Lin Feiran's fingertip landed on one of the spots.
"The passage to the next secret realm is right here."
Master Xun nodded: "Good!"
Lin Feiran added, "Although we have found the path, we are still missing one thing."
Zhou Shushu asked, "What is it?"
Lin Feiran put away the map, glanced at Wei Changzai, and said, "Do any of you seniors have any treasures for collecting fortune? The Heavenly Gate of the Secret Realm requires this item to knock on."
Master Xun pondered for a moment: "No wonder you mentioned the fortunes of Wei Changzai and the other two. You mean you want to borrow their luck? But collecting things that can absorb the luck of others has always been taboo... Wait a moment, I'll go find some right now!"
Without hesitation, Master Xun hurriedly left after receiving the news. Zhou Shushu and the others also said goodbye and went out to search.
Lin Feiran looked at the water clock in the room; water droplets fell, and the hands were about to point north.
Midnight is approaching.
Throughout the entire Imperial Academy, various golden characters floated about, like ribbons linked together, drifting above the academy.
Inside the university, many people are waiting anxiously.
Some were taking calming pills, not wanting to sleep, and even less wanting to encounter the Daoist Master. Others, however, had already found a room and lay down early, perhaps wanting to meet this legendary figure, or perhaps having other thoughts after listening to the advice of Master Xun and others.
Inside the main room, Pao Tang and the others lay down with pursed lips, holding a pen and a piece of paper in their hands, their eyes unable to resist looking at the water clock.
Before they parted ways, Master Xun said that if one met the Daoist Master in a dream, whatever was said or done with him, one should write it down on paper and present it to the academy upon waking.
Although it is unknown what the others will do, they will certainly keep their promise.
Amid the dripping sound of water, Wei Changzai did not lie down like the others. He simply sat on the stool next to Lin Feiran, looking down at the table, lost in thought.
With the final tick, midnight arrived, and drowsiness surged in, almost irresistible.
...
Qiu Tong was still grieving when she fell into a deep sleep at midnight, sobbing uncontrollably, leaving her with almost no other choice.
She woke up from her dream and looked at the white expanse around her. She thought she must have been dreaming. She should feel uneasy or anxious, but at this moment she felt as if she had lost all her strength. She felt numb and could not feel any emotion.
She sat there listlessly, staring blankly ahead. In the distance, a gray figure gradually appeared.
The Daoist Master walked out, leaning on a wooden cane. He wore a gray linen robe, with several jade pendants hanging from his waist. His black hair was loose, and his appearance was not bad, but he was somewhat pale, making him look sickly.
He walked up to Qiu Tong, his expression not changing much, only his tone of voice fluctuated slightly.
"We've finally met, Qiu Tong."
Qiu Tong looked up at the person in front of her, wanting to say something to him. She should question him about why he had made the world like this, or tell him to stop, because everything could no longer continue.
But she didn't have the energy for that right now; what she really wanted to know was something else entirely.
"Is this truly the last time I'll be reborn?"
The Dao Lord looked down at her, then slowly began to pace back and forth: "What if I told you it's not certain? If this is the last time I'm reborn, I have no reason to ask you to meet me in my dreams."
Qiu Tong's gaze followed him as she slowly stood up: "What do you mean?"
The Dao Lord stopped and looked back. He had a very elegant face, which was actually quite pleasing to the eye. The only flaw was his eyes. His right eye was very bright, but his left eye was empty.
There was nothing there, like a bottomless abyss, which was inexplicably terrifying and did not match his sickly appearance.
He said, "What I mean is, if you're willing to lend me a bit of your energy, then we'll have a chance to start over."
"..." Qiu Tong pursed her lips and looked at him without answering, her hands slowly tightening around the side of her skirt.
She took a deep breath, her eyes still a little red and swollen, and asked another question: "Now that we've met today, let's lay everything out in the open. I want to ask you, is my rebirth in this life related to you?"
The Dao Lord looked at her quietly, surrounded by billowing clouds and mist. He withdrew his gaze, turned around, and waved his hand. A stone platform appeared in his dream. As if he couldn't stand for long, he sat down and then said.
"no."
He looked at the long staff in his hand, and a small knife formed from condensed clouds appeared in his hand. He slowly shaved off the wooden splinters on the staff.
"Your rebirth, like Lin Feiran's change, was unexpected and I was unaware of it."
Perhaps, like her, your life trajectory also changed after Wei Changzai's fate was altered.
"You didn't know? You actually didn't know either..."
Qiu Tong clenched her fists, slowly closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them again.
Wei Changzai grew up oblivious to everything, unaware of the past. She couldn't blame him for everything, so she couldn't help but think how wonderful it would be if she hadn't been reborn in this life... At least Wei Changzai would still be here, and perhaps there would still be a chance to bring him back...
Instead of the present situation, where everything is beyond repair and she is the only one left in the past.
The Dao Lord looked at her, somewhat puzzled by her complex emotions, but after thinking for a moment, he said, "My purpose in coming to see you this time is not entirely for the sake of Qi. I just wanted to see you before everything comes to an end."
After all, I've known you all for far too long.
What's this called... what you usually call visiting relatives?
He brushed the splinters off his body, leaned on his cane, and walked towards Qiu Tong, saying, "You never used to look like this. From birth, you've been running around Qingqiu like you have no head. Of the nine children, you were the most innocent and carefree."
Qiu Tong pursed her lips, but did not back away when he approached; instead, she looked straight at him.
The Daoist Master stopped and continued, "I like to observe people, especially children. Among all the children I have seen, there are very few as carefree as you. You are a person who is very blessed by Heaven."
"Favor?" Qiu Tong's voice trembled slightly. "Favor me, so you give me a chance to be reborn? Favor me, so you throw me into this world that I don't even know?"
The Dao Lord looked at her, somewhat puzzled: "Even if you were not reborn, there would still be a you here. However, the path you walked today, that 'Qiu Tong' might not need to walk again."
In other words, you've been given the chance to live until now, so why aren't you happy?
He asked in confusion, "Because things didn't go as you expected? Qiu Tong, life is a very important thing. If you have the chance to live, you will inevitably lose something. Now it seems that you have only lost someone who exists in your memory."
Hearing this, Qiu Tong was naturally angered and seized on the other person's words to retaliate.
"Since you cherish life so much, why do so many things?"
The Daoist Master paused, then nodded and said, "It is precisely because I cherish my life that I have done so many things."
"You!" Qiu Tong was speechless for a moment.
The Dao Lord looked at her, feeling a surge of emotion. His face contorted for a moment, and he awkwardly forced a smile, his voice flat and emotionless: "Very interesting."
The smile vanished in an instant: "I've only recently learned this expression, or rather, grasped this mindset; this should be a smile. You used to smile like this a lot when you were little."
Although the Dao Lord has a human-like appearance, his speech, actions, and demeanor are almost entirely different from those of a human.
The scene was strangely eerie, and Qiu Tong felt a chill run down her spine, unable to resist swallowing hard.
The Dao Master composed himself, regaining some composure: "I've been wondering what it would be like to meet you all, but this scene is quite nice. However, Qiu Tong, you are an exception among these people; this isn't our first meeting."
Hearing his words, Qiu Tong didn't even have time to feel her sadness. She felt a chill run down her spine. She quickly recalled the people she knew and couldn't help but ask, "When did we meet?"
The Dao Lord tilted his head and thought for a moment: "It's normal that you don't remember, after all, I didn't have a body back then."
Qiu Tong has begun to suspect the people around her.
The Dao Lord continued, "You can't enter the Spring City Flying Flower Festival as a demon, so go to the bottom of the cliff to find the jade token based on your memories from your previous life. The old man who gave you the token is me."
"What!" Qiu Tong exclaimed in surprise.
The Dao Lord observed her expression and then nodded: "This jade token is very important. Without it, your relationship with Wei Changzai cannot progress further, so I will personally deliver it to you."
Actually, you shouldn't be angry with me today. We've done a lot of work to ensure you and Consort Wei can be together happily."
Qiu Tong couldn't hold back any longer and took several steps back: "Are you crazy?! Why are you doing these things? Why are you spying on me?!"
Is it really because of her strong luck, as Lin Feiran said?!
The Dao Master didn't explain, but instead looked at her and said, "This expression is very much like yours from before."
Before Qiu Tong could recover from the shock and confusion, the Dao Lord had already taken out a square box from his sleeve and placed it on the stone platform where they had been.
"I don't have anything to do today, I just want to meet someone I've known for a very long time."
Qiu Tong, do you know what I've seen most often in my long life?
He withdrew his hand, his right eye quietly looking at Qiu Tong, golden light occasionally flickering in his eyes.
"The most abundant thing in the world is regret."
"Regret for a wrong word, regret for leaving someone, regret for doing something."
I always hear people say 'what if'.
If only I had saved him; if I had known they would end up together, I shouldn't have done that; if I could do it all over again, I would never have made that mistake.
Even before anyone knows what regret is, the feeling of remorse already exists in a person from childhood.
Qiu Tong gripped the side of her skirt tightly, bit her lower lip lightly, and her eyes flickered for a moment.
"What if there were a chance to start over?" The Dao Lord turned and left, his figure gradually disappearing. "Time hasn't caught up to this point yet, so there's a chance to turn back. There's a chance to return to the previous life. Now, the only person who can let you see him is me."
Before he left completely, Qiu Tong asked, "Is it true that we can start over?"
The Daoist Master paused briefly, then continued forward: "Of course."
...
Meanwhile, Wei Changzai was also lost in a dream, sitting opposite the person in front of him, and the two had been talking for a long time.
The Daoist Master continued, "...It was precisely because of this that I was momentarily careless, allowing Zhang Chunhe to steal the day and change your fate."
The Daoist Master recounted many past events, but Wei Changzai kept his eyes down the whole time, and it was unclear whether he had actually listened or not.
Seeing his expression, the Daoist Master couldn't help but pause and said softly, "Talking to you feels like talking to someone else who is completely unyielding. It's quite strange."
At this moment, Wei Changzai finally looked up at him, his expression not showing much emotion. Of all that had been said, he only cared about one particular sentence.
"What do you mean by 'starting over'?"
The Daoist Master chuckled softly, seemingly imitating someone else. Although his tone was strange, neither of them noticed anything amiss because Wei Changzai was sitting opposite him.
He replied, "Whether in your past life or this one, you are a very intelligent person, and you wouldn't fail to understand what I mean. Don't you have regrets in your heart?"
"I regret not being nicer to Lin Feiran when we were young."
He regretted acting on his own initiative and not telling her about taking the sword bone, which made her dislike him.
He regretted that he hadn't understood love before, and that he had mistakenly believed that love was eternal, so he agreed to break off the engagement with her, thus missing the opportunity.
He regretted letting her go down the mountain.
Wei Changzai: "..."
He lowered his eyes again, staring quietly at the box on the table, his usually indifferent expression seeming to change for a moment.
The Daoist Master pressed his fingers against the box: "I saw her the day she confessed her feelings to you. Her eyes were only for you. Don't you want to see Lin Feiran like that again?"
"If we could do it all over again, nothing would turn out the way it is today."
The Dao Lord stood up, no longer remaining in the dream, and his figure gradually faded away.
...
At midnight, those who received the letters at the Imperial Academy fell asleep almost simultaneously, but two quarters of an hour later, they woke up at the same time.
Everyone who woke up said they had seen the Daoist Master in their dreams, and their descriptions of him were exactly the same. Everyone held a piece of paper in their hand, but at this moment, not many people picked up a pen.
Under the watchful eyes of several people, Wei Changzai woke up from his dream. The first thing he did after getting up was to look for Lin Feiran's gaze.
But she wasn't among those people.
He paused slightly and glanced to the side. The person who had been sitting next to her had fallen asleep at some point.
Lin Feiran was the only one among those who knew them who hadn't received a letter, but while everyone else had woken up, she was the only one still asleep.
She leaned on Ru Hai's shoulder, in a posture of utmost trust and relaxation.
Ru Xian held her up, her gaze almost entirely fixed on her face, her brows furrowed slightly with worry, not even noticing that the others in the room had already woken up.
Wei Changzai sat to the side, holding a box in his hand, his gaze lightly but firmly fixed on the arm that was around her.
In a daze, the gold and white sleeves seemed to turn pale blue, the long hair that fell to her shoulders turned black, and the color of his lips, which were almost touching her forehead, changed from red to light pale, becoming his lips.
In a daze, it was him holding Lin Feiran.
His throat moved slightly, but the voice that came out was a little hoarse: "Slowly, did you also go to see the Dao Master in your dreams?"
Ji Changying, sitting to the side, also frowned slightly and replied, "Just before you all woke up, she suddenly fell asleep. We think that the last person the Dao Lord saw was her."
He sighed softly and turned to look at Wei Changzai: "Just now, what did the Daoist Master say to you in your dream?"
Wei Changzai lowered her eyelashes and did not answer directly, but instead asked him a question.
"Senior brother, if we could go back to our youth, would you still watch me slowly get together with you?"
Ji Changying's expression paused slightly, and the smile in her eyes faded considerably: "What, is this what the Dao Lord told you?"
Wei Changzai shook his head, and for a moment, neither of them spoke again.
...
At the same time, Lin Feiran stood in a vast expanse of white, looking ahead, when a gray figure emerged from the mist.
The sound of the bamboo cane clattering gradually revealed his figure.
He stopped and looked at Lin Feiran, saying, "Nice to meet you, Lin Feiran."
Author's Note: Finally, finally...
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