Chapter 68 The three chimes, though not dazzling, were nonetheless quite endearing. ...
The small cabinet, which should have been dark and boundless, was now filled with rays of light thanks to the scattered golden osmanthus blossoms. They were not dazzling, but they were enough for the cabinet.
Though he did not speak, Ru Xian indeed loosened his arms, leaned back against the cabinet wall, and glimmers of light rose from the ends of his hair, turning his black hair white, with a thin strand of silver flowing out, before he returned to his original appearance.
He hadn't spoken a word, only his snow-white eyelashes fluttered slightly as he looked at Lin Feiran, leaving her completely bewildered and extinguishing the smile on her lips.
"Am I overthinking it, and the sunlight is actually only helping you sleep?"
She hugged his legs and bent over on the opposite side, trying to make room for him.
Ru Xian remained silent, looking at Lin Feiran's puzzled expression, feeling an indescribable sense of helplessness for the first time.
Something seemed to be churning inside me, yet it wasn't turbulent; it was just a series of rhythmic beats, sometimes high, sometimes low, like the ebb and flow of tides.
After a long while, he whispered a sentence, his tone peculiar and his pronunciation different from others, but the emotions contained within were very full.
Was he criticizing himself? But it didn't quite sound like it.
Lin Feiran was even more puzzled: "...Is this an ancient language of the demon race?"
The demon race also has its own language and script, but since the gate between the two worlds opened and humans and demons began to coexist, the ancient language of the demon race has gradually been lost. The demon realm now uses the script of the human race.
"It's not an ancient saying of the demon race."
Ru Xian suddenly crossed her arms and looked at her. As if she had figured something out, she straightened up her body, which had been half-curled up. She stretched her left leg straight to Lin Feiran's right side and pressed it against the cabinet wall. She raised her right leg and crossed it, which made most of the space for her.
The cabinet wasn't large, and with his movement, his robes hung down, the gold ring brushing against the back of her hand, sending a cool sensation through it. Yet his legs were warm, creating a momentary alternation of hot and cold, like water and fire mingling.
Lin Feiran had long since lost interest in the ancient demon language and didn't care whether the sunlight was useful or not. She turned to the side, about to rush out of the cabinet, when the leg that was bent at her side immediately crossed over on her right side, blocking her way.
As if he had expected this, he stopped her abruptly, then looked up, picked a few delicate osmanthus blossoms, and said in a cool voice, "Why are you running? Are you afraid I'll eat you in the cupboard and no one will notice?"
He turned to look at her again, swung his crossed leg, touched her shoulder, and said, "Come here."
Lin Feiran didn't understand what he was thinking, but she never refused anyone, so she stood up slightly, awkwardly changed to a half-kneeling position, supported herself against the cabinet wall, and leaned forward.
"Is there anything you want to say?"
Ru Xian continued in the same manner, but now, looking down, she exuded an arrogant air as if she had everything under control.
As if awarding her, he raised his hand and gently stroked her chin, then tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear and pulled it out from behind her ear.
Her slender hands skillfully braided her hair, incorporating the fragrant blossoms in her palms. Her black hair, set against the golden osmanthus, resembled stars in the night sky or flowers blooming on a vine.
He finished up and pulled out a bronze mirror to show her: "How is it?"
The cabinet was cramped, and Lin Feiran's forehead was covered in sweat, her breath becoming hot. She glanced at it and said earnestly, "It's beautiful."
He nodded in agreement: "Though not glamorous, she is very endearing."
The next instant, a blade flashed, and she instinctively turned her head, her braid being neatly severed and falling into his palm.
He said casually, "It's mine."
After speaking, he picked a few more osmanthus blossoms, braided the two ends of his black hair together to make a bracelet, and tied it to his wrist.
Lin Feiran's words were suddenly stuck in her throat. She looked at the osmanthus blossoms that had not fallen for a long time, and then remembered the blade light. She couldn't help but ask, "You...you've recovered your spiritual power?"
"The pulse is still blocked; it's just a matter of asking about one's state of mind." Ru Xian nodded in agreement, then shook her wrist, her eyes crinkling into a smile, clearly in a good mood.
The formation here was set up by a sage. Lin Feiran never thought that any cultivator at the Illumination Sea Realm or the Questioning Heart Realm could unravel it. But then he thought, this person is Ru Xian, who has ruled a realm for many years. It is not surprising that he has some unorthodox methods.
However, Lin Feiran did not intend to ask him to lift the seal on her, since it was a condition for participating in the Flying Flower Gathering, and she would not wantonly break the rules.
So she focused on the wristband: "This is my hair."
"No need."
Although his hair is indeed beautiful, what is she here for?
However, Lin Feiran dared not say this, and could only remain silent and retreat, shrinking into a corner, waiting with him for the sun to fade.
As if truly exhausted, he clasped his hands together, covering the "wrist rope," and slowly closed his eyes, but his legs were firmly pressed against the outside, preventing her from coming out of the closet.
...
Xinghai Inn in Kunming.
Qiu Tong returned to her room early. She had originally planned to go out to find flowers, but after receiving an apricot blossom token from the old man, she had a change of heart.
The Apricot Blossom Song: A Return to Youthful Dreams.
If it were anyone else, they would surely scoff at this, but for Qiu Tong, the appearance of this flower token was like sending charcoal in the snow, bringing a breath of spring to her tired and exhausted state.
The king's instructions before entering the city, the mother's entrustment, the coded messages from the elder brother and sister, the unresolved troubles hidden within the fox clan, and the fact that the relationship with Consort Wei could never progress further...
Everything weighed heavily on her shoulders. She was exhausted, like an ant trapped in a swarm, frantic rush with no way out. So she could only rely on her dreams for now.
"A spring outing, apricot blossoms blowing in the wind, a young man on the roadside, so dashing and charming..."
As Shiwen gently called out, countless pink apricot blossoms immediately blew out from inside the tent, burying the sleeping woman among them.
As the dawn broke, she saw apricot blossoms one moment and sunlight the next. Gradually, the two blended together, and all she could see was blue sky and white clouds; it was no longer the eternal night of the Spring City.
"Qiu Tong, wake up?"
Someone entered our field of vision, taking over the clear blue sky.
"Wei Changzai?" Qiu Tong was taken aback, only then realizing that she was sleeping on his lap. She immediately got up, rubbed her eyes, and looked carefully.
The boy's black hair was neatly combed up and gathered into the jade crown on his head, revealing a section of his slender neck.
His expression was calm, but not cold; there was a hint of concern in his eyes. He raised his hand to brush the grass off her forehead and smiled, "Finally awake? Your father has been sending messages to you, but you haven't returned. He thought I had kidnapped you."
Wei Chang held a few paper foxes between his fingers, gently touched the tip of her nose, and smiled.
Qiu Tong looked at him, her eyes suddenly reddening, and she rushed over to hug him, crying, "Little Taoist priest, I missed you so much!"
Although Wei Changzai was somewhat surprised, he quickly regained his composure. His face flushed slightly, and he seemed a little flustered despite his innocent expression. He asked, "What's wrong? Did you... dream about me?"
Qiu Tong snapped out of her daze and suddenly realized that this was just a dream. Her heart ached even more, but she couldn't tell him. She just looked around and said, "I dreamt about you... Where am I?"
Wei Chang was taken aback, lowered his eyelashes, and hugged himself tighter, only replying, "This is the grassland, your fox clan's territory. You've forgotten all about it after waking up?"
Qiu Tong then recalled that after everything was over, Wei Changzai did not take over as the head of Daohe Palace as Zhang Chunhe had expected. Instead, he went down the mountain on his own and went with her to the Fox Clan to discuss the engagement with her father.
Thinking of this, she asked again, "Are you discussing our marriage with Father now?"
Wei Changzai nodded: "Of course, but if you don't reply soon, he will probably disagree."
He twirled the paper fox between his fingers.
Qiu Tong took the card, and one of them caught fire. From it came her father's furious roar: "You damned Taoist priest, where did you secretly take my daughter? Were you planning to elope? I won't allow it!"
Another card ignited: "Qiu Tong is my precious child. If you take her to the main road, won't she suffer? You're a real scoundrel! I'll have her brother arrest you right now!"
Seemingly extremely angry, the voice of the Prince of Qingping grew louder and louder, like muffled thunder in summer, until it was almost a roar.
Wei Changzai sighed softly: "Now that your brother has arrived, doesn't that mean he wants to have a showdown with me? Let's go back."
Hearing the familiar voice, Qiu Tong's eyes welled up with tears again. She couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Wei Changzai, do you really like me? When did it start?"
Thinking of the coldness of Wei Changzai now, she began to have doubts.
Wei Chang was taken aback, looked away, but the corners of his lips curled up slightly: "If I didn't like you, why would I come to the demon race? As for the second question, I've asked you many times but you still can't remember, so I won't say it again."
Qiu Tong leaned on his shoulder, looking somewhat worried: "Sometimes, I feel like you're not yourself. It's as if you're just going through the motions with me and could leave at any moment."
She wasn't referring to the person in front of her.
Wei Chang brushed a strand of hair from her forehead and asked doubtfully, "If I leave you, where can I go? Qiu Tong, the place where you are is my home."
Qiu Tong said indignantly, "But when we first met, you were always so cold! If I saw you again, I wouldn't want to talk to you at all!"
Wei Changzai coughed lightly and looked away somewhat uncomfortably: "Back then, I was focused on cultivating the Dao, and I treated everyone the same way. Besides, I wasn't familiar with you at first... Qiu Tong, actually, I liked you a little when I first saw you. If you see me again, why not give me more chances?"
You know, I'm just a little clumsy.
Qiu Tong's heart had already melted into his arms, but she was still somewhat unconvinced, and her words finally carried that familiar air of unbridled arrogance: "Then I'll give you some more chances, you'd better fall in love with me quickly!"
Wei Chang put his arm around her shoulder and said, "Okay, Qiu Tong."
She added, "Wei Changzai, I'm so tired. Why do people have to deal with so many complicated things? Wouldn't it be better to just travel and enjoy life all day?"
Wei Changzai's eyes were gentle as he stroked her long hair: "Of course, didn't we agree that after the wedding, we would travel around? As for other troublesome matters, leave them to me."
In her dream, she was embraced warmly, surrounded by the scent of grass. As they talked, Qiu Tong's heart calmed down.
A sudden chime pulled Qiu Tong from her apricot-colored dream. She pushed aside the petals covering her and looked out at the boundless night, sighing softly.
She thought she should give Wei Chang a chance. He had said he would protect her on this trip, and she should go out and look for him now, especially since he was still injured...
He's still injured!
Qiu Tong's heart tightened. She patted her head, secretly annoyed that she had forgotten about this matter. She hurriedly put on her shoes, pushed open the door, and went out.
As soon as she stepped out, she bumped into a cold, icy embrace. When she raised her hand, it felt as if she had touched a block of ice that she could not melt. The coldness made her shiver.
The two touched, and the person in front of her immediately took a half step back. Qiu Tong was slightly startled and looked up, only to see Wei Changzai looking down at her. Her brown plum blossom hairpin held her hair up halfway, and the rest of her dark hair was draped down in strands, mixed with the bloodstains on her robes, making her look like a beautiful ghost.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she slowly withdrew her hand, asking, "How is your injury? Did you get the medicine?"
Wei Changzai nodded and showed her the porcelain bottle in his hand: "She said that this medicine is excellent, and that the condition will improve after just one application."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Tong gently put down the mustard seed bag she had picked up and smiled, "That's good. You take the medicine first, and we'll go find flowers later."
Wei Changzai nodded and then walked into the room without saying another word to her.
As if falling from the clouds, the emotions that had just been soothed in her dream gradually surged up again, but Qiu Tong did not give up. She thought that Wei Changzai was just a little clumsy, and she should slow down a bit more, since they were not familiar with each other yet.
As the second bell rang, Wei Changzai looked out the window and saw that, without realizing it, lights had been lit in several streets and markets throughout the city, and voices were gradually filling the air, making the quiet night suddenly lively.
Wei Changzai turned around and took off his robe, looking at the wounds all over his body in the mirror. In fact, in addition to the forty-six wounds, there were also many small sword wounds that had healed. These were all evidence left from his sword fight with Lin Feiran.
Every time he was cut, she would approach him with surprise and guilt, apologizing as she took out medicine to treat his wounds.
She gently blew over every sword mark that remained.
Call him gloomy or impure, he didn't want to erase it, so these wounds remained as a memento.
He had buried many secret treasures in the past, some on his person, and many more in the side room where he usually lived, where they stayed every day.
He had long since discarded the bottle of medicine like trash, tossing it onto the table, its whereabouts unknown.
After everything was over, he picked up the pearl and looked at himself in the mirror. His long, black hair was loose, but it did not hide his cold and indifferent expression. Then he inexplicably thought of Lin Feiran and Ruxian.
He lowered his eyes and took out another plum blossom hairpin from his dressing case, this one even more vibrant and solitary.
He raised his hand and earnestly used a plum branch to half-tie his dark hair, causing wispy strands of hair to fall from his temples, landing on his eyelashes and scattering a patch of light.
He pursed his lips, nodded at the mirror, and thought to himself.
The third bell rang out, and the words of the sage echoed outside the Spring City.
"The second night begins."
Suddenly, a huge black shadow passed by the window. Wei Changzai paused, got up and pushed open the window. He saw dozens of Holy Spirits wandering in the Spring City. They were huge and quite frightening.
He looked up and suddenly thought of something. He turned around and walked to the table, took out many paper birds from his mustard seed bag, and drew a letter seal based on the most special one. In a short while, dozens of paper birds that could communicate with Lin Feiran were drawn.
He picked up a card, pondered for a few moments, and then spoke.
The messenger bird carrying the message took flight and disappeared into the night. Only then did he pick up Lianyan, call Qiutong, and the two of them walked together toward the lights.
...
There were a few knocking sounds; something was knocking on the cabinet door.
By this time, the sunlight that had escaped from the laurel tree had dissipated, and only a bright pearl remained to illuminate the cabinet. However, Ru Xian was still resting with her eyes closed, and her legs, exhausted, leaned against Lin Feiran, blocking her way.
Lin Feiran opened his eyes upon hearing the sound. He had just raised his hand to push the cabinet door open a crack when a paper bird squeezed in.
It flew toward her, and as soon as it touched her, it heard Wei Changzai's voice coming from within.
“Fellow Daoist Wen, the second night begins, the Holy Spirit appears, did you see it?”
Lin Feiran: "..."
Is that all there is to it regarding a letter seal?
As she remained silent, another hand reached out, snatched the carrier bird, and with a slight movement of its two fingers, a blazing fire instantly ignited inside the cabinet, and the carrier bird, which was about to fly away, vanished into thin air.
Ru Xian glanced at her, but didn't mention the messenger bird. He got up and walked out of the wardrobe. With a wave of his hand, the scattered, some yellowed and curled osmanthus flowers flew into his mustard bag.
Lin Feiran was slightly taken aback, but then she saw him walk to the window, look at the city lights, and turn back to her, saying, "Let's go and see what's going on."
Lin Feiran walked to his side, about to say "good", when a Holy Spirit bent down, his huge body blocking out the moonlight, and the room instantly darkened.
Just as the two were about to look outside, they suddenly met a pair of huge eyes looking out the window, staring straight at Lin Feiran.
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