Chapter 54 Chuncheng Feihua stood between the two, hesitant to speak. ...
A long gust of wind once swept over my face, ruffling my features.
After several months apart, when they met again, she seemed much more relaxed and open-minded.
She wore a slender silver hairpin in her hair, and her black robe was tailored and elegant, with double bracelets binding her sleeves. The hem of her robe was decorated with patterns embroidered with silver thread, exquisite yet not eye-catching. Although her face had changed drastically, her expression and her eyes remained the same.
Of all the people in the world, he would never see a trace of filth or a hint of darkness in Lin Feiran's eyes. Of all the people in the world, only she would look at him with such eyes.
The moment their eyes met, the seed of longing planted in his heart suddenly burned. His inner energy circulated on its own, and a familiar warmth surged through his already stiff and cold limbs. So, his fingers twitched slightly, and his dormant heart finally pounded. He was once again captivated by that quiet and resolute gaze, unable to extricate himself.
When the two first got together, there wasn't much physical contact, and he felt it was unnecessary.
Daohe Palace has many disciples who are secretly in love. He has seen many of them. Most of them just put their hands together or touch their shoulders, say some boring things, and then look at each other meaninglessly, without knowing what they are looking at.
No matter how deep the gaze or how tight the grip, if paths diverge, they will eventually go their separate ways; only by walking the same path can there be eternity.
In his opinion, this kind of interaction was not as interesting as meditating and practicing swordsmanship together.
That's what he's always thought.
Until that day, he and Lin Feiran were meditating in the small pine forest. She was still troubled by the matter of circulating her spiritual energy. After all, she had worked hard for half a day, but only one-tenth of her spiritual energy remained. She couldn't help but feel frustrated. Even though she knew it was related to the spiritual veins, she was still unwilling to give up and wanted to explore another path. So she asked him to circulate his spiritual energy while she observed it.
Wei Changzai did as instructed, breathing in spiritual energy as usual. His cultivation method was the same as Zhang Chunhe's. When breathing, one should not close one's eyes completely, but only half-close them, which is derived from the idea of half-closing one's eyes to see the world.
As spiritual energy flowed into his body, the girl, who had been observing him from a distance, paused slightly and stopped in front of him.
She first bent down to examine him, her long hair, which was casually tied up, fell down and gently brushed against his face, bringing a chilling yet indescribable gentleness to the snow wind. As if she couldn't see very clearly, she simply knelt in the snow and looked up, her clear eyes quickly approaching his half-closed eyes.
She came into view just like that. Wei Changzai's eyelashes trembled slightly, and his breath hitched slightly, but he remained calm and composed, as if he were still in a meditative state.
They were inches apart, their breaths mingling. His eyes were fixed on her, on those eyes that had intruded into his gaze—eyes that she herself had chosen to look in.
Her eyes were clear and bright, with her eyelashes drawing a line between them. However, her pupils were not as black as his; under the snow's light, they were a light brown. If you got close, you could see her pupils, which shrunk and expanded with the changing light, and see yourself reflected in her eyes.
As you get closer, you can see the curiosity in her eyes, the stray hairs fluttering at her temples, her lips with their fine lines, and so on... She turns away, and everything vanishes in an instant, leaving only ice and snow in her eyes.
At her call, Wei Chang finished his hand seal and looked up. She stood under the clear sky, her eyes clear and fearless, her pupils slightly moving as she sized him up.
As you get further away, even the once clear scenes seem to become blurry.
Since then, he seemed to understand those boring fellow disciples. Also since then, he liked to quietly and wantonly observe her when she was unaware, or to look into her eyes without any concealment while meditating.
Not satisfied with the daytime, he sought out the moonlit night at the Twenty-Four Bridges, where he peered into her eyes through a bronze mirror to satisfy his craving. Only then did he become immersed in her gaze and fall into a deep sleep.
No one knows that when he looks into her eyes, he can hardly think of anything. Only when he looks at her for a long time, or when she looks away, can he detach himself from her gaze.
She had no idea how she looked in his eyes. Just like now, relying on her drastically changed appearance, she calmly withdrew her gaze, shielded the person behind her, and took two steps back to avoid the dust.
As my heart pounded, tiny vines sprouted from my internal organs, winding their way down and instantly covering my entire heart before suddenly constricting.
Wei Changzai's eyes flickered slightly, and his hand gripping the reins tightened. He silently endured the sudden pain, and when he looked up again, all his emotions had faded away and were buried deep in his heart.
The mind-controlling vine was something he obtained from the love bean.
The forbidden book, in its eight volumes, says that longing can become a knot, and a single thought can take root. Nourishing it with the five flavors can stimulate the threads of affection to entwine the heart. Controlling the mind can relieve longing.
Whether or not he can relieve his longing is irrelevant, but what he needs is something to control himself and punish himself.
Lin Feiran said that he and she were not on the same path, but she didn't even know her own path, so how could she be sure that they were different? She was just angry.
She wouldn't say how she would forgive him, but that's okay; he'll punish himself, just like every time before.
...
Wei Changzai dismounted, performed a Daoist salute, and said with a cold and aloof expression, "I apologize, carriages and horses cannot cross the bridge, so I had to order the caravan to stop here. I apologize for disturbing you, fellow Daoist."
Gradually, her heart softened, and she no longer felt guilty towards a stranger, nor did she try to stop a stranger from getting closer.
Lin Feiran's hand was still blocking the person behind him. Hearing this, he looked at him and thought to himself that he probably didn't recognize him. He then suppressed the emotions in his eyes and said, "There are many mortals here, and the roads and bridges are congested. If you want to ride a horse, you should slow down before entering the main road."
Her voice was hoarse and deep, a technique she learned from Ping An, completely different from her original tone.
Wei Changzai nodded in agreement, but his gaze wandered over her again, finally settling on her still-raised hand.
Behind her stood a man with his arms crossed, dressed in white with gold ornaments, exuding unparalleled nobility and possessing an exceptionally beautiful face that was unforgettable. He looked at her with a half-smile, but his half-closed eyes were filled with displeasure.
He placed his hand on Lin Feiran's shoulder and said slowly, "He almost injured you on horseback. You're not going to turn the page again, are you?"
Lin Feiran was originally feeling unsettled and was thinking of getting away from him as soon as possible, but she didn't expect Ru Xian to speak. She glanced at the hand on her shoulder and then looked down at his face.
"ah?"
He's not going to back her up now, is he?!
Lin Feiran immediately pressed down on his wrist, which was throbbing like hailstones, and turned his back, saying, "It's a small matter. I am a cultivator; how could I be injured by a mere mortal horse? It's more important to get into the city as soon as possible..."
She tried to leave with Ru Xian, but he pulled her back to her original position.
Lin Feiran stood between the two, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating.
Wei Changzai watched the two men's hands clasping back and forth, his eyes filled with a profound melancholy.
Unlike the celestial horse, the ordinary horse was not intelligent. After landing and regaining its senses, it suddenly neighed in shock, its hooves pounding, snorting, and drooling. Lin Feiran subconsciously blocked Ru Xian behind it, but Wei Changzai ended up getting the taste of it instead.
His gaze paused slightly, and he couldn't help but glance at Lin Feiran. Just as he was about to turn around and stop the runaway horse, a man stepped forward and extended a palm, which landed lightly on the horse's face. Although it was more than half an inch away, it still calmed the horse down.
A gust of wind swept across her forehead, revealing her eyebrows and eyes. The surrounding noise suddenly ceased, and everyone felt that such a face, such demeanor, and such natural power were exactly like the immortals described in legends descending to earth.
Lin Feiran glanced sideways and was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Ru Xian to have such a kind heart. However, after a short while, the big horse closed its eyes, drooped its head as if it could no longer support itself, and remained motionless.
Ru Xian said in a cool voice, "Like master, like beast. Disobedient animals always need to be taught a lesson."
This isn't really about horses; it's clearly a veiled attack.
After he finished speaking, a cold wind rose behind him. Wei Changzai turned around and saw that the horse, which had been keeping its eyes closed, was now raising its front hooves high, neighing loudly, and its two feet were slamming down with the force of a thousand pounds, as if it wanted to trample the person in front of it into a meat pie.
Wei Changzai dodged to the side and saw that the bricks he had just stood on were trampled and scattered with stones, showing how much help this man had given the horse.
Missing his first strike, the horse galloped a few more steps, its hooves pounding the ground. He spun around and pulled on the reins, intending to stop the oncoming momentum, but suddenly lost control and let the reins slip, exposing himself to the horse's hooves, unable to dodge in time.
Lin Feiran's eyebrows twitched slightly, but before he could make a move, a man staggered forward and stopped the horse's hooves. A long sword flashed, and the horse neighed and retreated, only to be restrained by the other disciples who caught up.
The newcomer was Ji Changying. His steps were unsteady, his lips were pale, and his straw hat was askew, hanging down the back of his neck. He looked as if his life force had been drained. However, he still mustered his spirits, bowed and smiled apologetically: "Carriages and horses cannot cross the bridge. We had to rein in our horses when we reached the bridgehead. I apologize on behalf of my junior brother for disturbing you two fellow Daoists."
Ji Changying, the senior disciple of Daohe Palace, is highly respected by everyone. He is skilled in both magic and swordsmanship, but he has a well-known weakness: he is very prone to dizziness.
He gets seasick on horseback, seasick on boats, and flying on a sword is slightly better, but still inevitably makes him feel dizzy. If not necessary, he prefers to walk, which is why he doesn't participate in the Flying Flower Gathering, but still chooses to lead the team.
He thought he could suffer less on the way, but who would have thought that Wei Changzai felt walking was too slow and changed horses halfway, making him bumpy all the way to Chuncheng.
After saying this, she immediately grabbed Ru Xian's wrist and dragged him half a step away. Before they could leave, another hand blocked her way. She turned her eyes and saw that it was Wei Changzai.
He looked down, his eyelashes half-closed, and sparse shadows falling into his eyes: "It was my fault that I almost hurt you, fellow Daoist. No matter what, I hope you will allow me to atone for my sins."
Atonement?
Lin Feiran didn't want to make a mountain out of a molehill, so she subconsciously pushed his hand away: "It's not that serious, fellow Daoist, just be more careful in the future."
Ru Xian looked at her displeasedly: "Just leaving like that?"
Lin Feiran sighed: "Let's stop this entanglement..."
She almost blurted out the words "young lady," unaware that she was still holding his wrist, and the two parted ways.
Wei Changzai stared at his hands, his limbs growing cold. His heart suddenly sank, and although the tendrils on his heart remained still, he felt a strange, unfamiliar palpitation.
She gave Ji Changying ice dew and stood in front of the man, but remained unmoved when she saw him exposed under the horse's hooves.
Why?
Lin Feiran would never sit idly by and ignore him, so why didn't she take a look at him?
Is she still angry? But he's already punishing himself.
Is it not enough? How can it be enough?
The unfamiliar emotions surged even more intensely, like a turbulent undercurrent beneath a calm sea. His eyes were half-closed, and the tendrils in his heart rose again, crawling out densely, squeezing and contracting. Despite the excruciating pain, he still couldn't hide that strange, astringent feeling.
Ji Changying held the ice dew and looked at Wei Changzai, understanding in her heart: "Junior brother, you must be exhausted after traveling all this way. Otherwise, you wouldn't have almost injured someone by riding your horse, and you wouldn't have almost become a victim of that horse. If I didn't know your temperament, I would have thought that you deliberately bumped into the horse's hoof."
Upon hearing this, Wei Changzai glanced at him.
The two figures walked side by side to the bridge. Wei Changzai watched from afar, watching intently. The wind blowing from the depths of the dense forest lifted his robes, and his loose hair obscured his eyes. Through the gaps, he finally saw her let go of his hand.
*
Lin Feiran walked forward with her head down, her steps very fast. Despite the blazing sun overhead, she felt two inexplicable chills coexisting within her, making her shiver all over and afraid to stop.
One stream, like a cold, secluded well, was hidden from the sunlight and chilled to the bone; the other, like snowmelt from a mountain peak, rolled over every icicle with sunlight in it, and was incredibly cold.
They were both cold, yet quite different. But Lin Feiran, who was usually bold and eager to learn, lost her curiosity at this moment. She didn't even try to sense them carefully, just flipped through them without noticing anything.
"How long are you going to hold on?" Ru Xian suddenly spoke, her slightly cold voice pouring over you.
Lin Feiran glanced around and realized she was still tightly gripping his wrist. Her brow twitched, and she immediately let go, saying, "I was in a moment of panic just now, which is why I dragged the Venerable One away. I didn't mean to!"
He let go of her hand, gave her a deep look, and slowly looked away.
Suddenly, the two intertwined chills strangely dissipated at the same time, and Lin Feiran felt a sudden sense of relief, as if she had seen the light of day again.
After withdrawing his gaze, Ru Xian raised his left wrist, the lotus ring on his wrist slightly enlarging. He lifted his sleeve and glanced at it, instantly gasping.
"...Lin Feiran, if you have this much energy, why don't you go out and help people crack walnuts on the street!"
Lin Feiran peeked over and saw five conspicuous finger marks on her fair wrist, which would likely swell up in a few moments.
...
She was silent for a moment, then looked up to see who this person was. He could pierce through the Demon King with a single spear, but it turned out he was a fragile person who couldn't even withstand her strength.
Ru Xian looked down at her and said in a cold voice, "What are you looking at? Did you make this?"
Lin Feiran glanced at it a few more times, a pang of guilt rising in her heart: "I'll look for the medicine..."
As she spoke, she rummaged through her mustard seed pouch, withdrew her hand like a hailstone, tied a lotus ring around her neck, and stopped her movements: "You should keep those minor wound medicines. They're just bruises; they'll dissipate on their own."
He was just showing her.
Lin Feiran, unaware of this person's thoughts, recalled his earlier actions and explained, "You should know that those two people were from Daohe Palace. I know them well and didn't want to expose myself, so I wanted to leave quickly. In my haste, I used a bit more force."
Ru Xian glanced at her sideways, raised an eyebrow, and teased, "In a moment of panic? What panic, and how panicked?"
"..." Lin Feiran was speechless.
Like this person, he usually lives a solitary life, aloof and unrestrained, as if nothing catches his eye and he looks down on everyone equally. But sometimes he has some inexplicable interest, likes to say unexpected things, and his ideas are strange and unpredictable.
When they first met, she could never have imagined that this person would one day ask her why she was in such a hurry.
Seeing that he was about to speak again, Lin Feiran immediately pointed upwards: "We've arrived."
The four characters "Everlasting Spring City" hang upside down, exuding a majestic aura. In particular, the two characters "Everlasting Spring" are deeply engraved, and the strokes at the end are not concealed. The downward stroke is like an upside-down long knife, sharp and unparalleled.
Below the city gate were disciples selected from various sects and families, all of whom had passed the test of their spiritual state and were ineligible to participate in this pilgrimage ceremony.
Upon entering the sect, the two were stopped by a disciple in yellow robes. Judging from their attire, they were disciples of the Taiji Immortal Sect.
"Since you two are new to Spring City, you must not be very familiar with it. I will guide you."
Lin Feiran asked, "Why are you leading the way? Are the roads in the city different from usual?"
Upon hearing this, the disciple smiled and said, "From what I can tell, you are still young. Spring City is just an ordinary small city. It is only because it is close to the Pilgrimage Valley and has hosted the Flying Flower Festival in the past that it has more people and is more prosperous than other places. Apart from that, there is nothing special about it."
The reason for leading the way is that to participate in the Flying Flower Festival, one needs to go to the small pavilion to obtain an identity card and a chart.
Lin Feiran paused slightly: "What spectrum?"
After the three passed through the city gate and arrived at the inner city, they saw a four-story building on the far right of the city. The building was decorated with fragrant grass, and the roof was covered with an octagonal flying eave. A sword was hanging under the eave. There was no way to go up. If they wanted to enter the flying pavilion on the top floor, they had to leap up or ride a magical artifact.
The disciple turned to look at Lin Feiran and smiled, "When you receive a copy of the 'Twelve Beauties Manual,' remember that the day when night falls in Chuncheng will be the day when all the cultivation techniques are lost. At that time, everything will have to start over, and the only thing you will have left is the manual."
Author's Note: Wei Changzai: Mocking fellow disciples, understanding fellow disciples, surpassing fellow disciples.
Like Scatter: Another Princess and the Pea (X)
P.S.: They all have muscles, albeit thin muscles. Lin Feiran also has thin muscles.
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