Chapter 73 The Human Face and the Peach Blossom "Fairy!"
"he."
"he."
After they spoke in unison, they suddenly fell silent.
Lin Feiran remained calm. Fortunately, she had practiced a lot, so she could handle the weight of two people without much trouble. If it were someone else, they would probably have been crying out in pain and their body would have been torn apart.
"Listen to me, release them all at once."
After the two agreed, she finally spoke: "Three, two, one, release!"
...
No one let go!
Is there absolutely no trust between the two sides?
Lin Feiran then turned her head to look. The side where Ru Xian was was pitch black, and nothing could be seen. Wei Changzai just lowered his eyes and pursed his lips without saying a word. Qiu Tong stood not far away, his eyes somewhat unfocused, lost in thought.
She felt she was becoming the only conscious person in the area.
Lin Feiran stared at the door frame so close to him and sighed, "Fellow Daoist Wei, Bai Fei and I are of the same path. It's perfectly normal for him to pull me along. Why are you doing this?"
She really couldn't understand it.
Without hesitation, Wei Changzai said calmly, "Fellow Daoist Wen is extremely skilled and exceptionally intelligent. It would be safer for us to travel with you."
A cold laugh, like a hailstone, echoed from the darkness.
Lin Feiran was somewhat surprised; it was indeed the first time she had heard Wei Changzai say such a thing, and she looked at him with a slight pause.
Wei Changzai raised his eyes, his eyelashes drawing a faint line along his upper eyelids. His expression remained as cold as ever, his gaze calm and unwavering: "That's indeed what I think. I won't lie to you. Fellow Daoist Wen asked that question just now, so you must also be considering traveling together. Why don't we go together?"
"Fellow Daoist Wen, the Flying Flowers Gathering is more important; we'd better get out of here quickly."
Undeniably, that was indeed what Lin Feiran was thinking; otherwise, she wouldn't have spoken up just now.
Whether it was Wei Changzai or Qiu Tong, although they were not entirely virtuous, they still possessed a certain gentlemanly demeanor and would not do things like discarding someone after they have served their purpose or hiding a knife behind a smile. The four of them acting together were naturally much faster than the two of them.
In the brief moment of her silence, Ru Xian suddenly spoke, saying softly.
This time, Lin Feiran heard it clearly. It was the same light and airy tone as last time. It sounded like someone was saying something, but she couldn't imitate it or understand it. However, her intuition told her that it wasn't anything good.
Could it be their native Peacock language?
Lin Feiran didn't have the energy to guess right now. She glanced at Qiu Tong out of the corner of her eye and saw that Qiu Tong had been a little dazed at first, but after hearing Wei Changzai's explanation, she suddenly realized what was going on and immediately came up to grab her.
"Fellow Daoist Wen, Senior Brother Wei is right, let's go together!"
Lin Feiran is now relying on the efforts of three people.
Wei Changzai and Qiu Tong wanted to act together, but Ru Xian was unwilling. So why was she the one suffering?
Lin Feiran couldn't help but gasp: "Why don't we loosen up a bit and then discuss it? It really hurts a bit to be pulled like this..."
Just as the word "pain" was about to be uttered, Ru Xian and Wei Changzai immediately let go of each other's hands. Qiu Tong was caught off guard and fell into the darkness along with the staggering Lin Feiran. Thus, only Wei Changzai remained in the study, which was bathed in the faint sunlight.
Without much hesitation, he immediately drew his sword and leaped into the midst of it.
...
"ah!"
Everything was pitch black. Qiu Tong, holding the person beside her, screamed as they fell into an empty room together.
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Wen. Where is this...? Where are the others?" Qiu Tong looked around, her brows furrowing.
Lin Feiran placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and shook his head, saying, "I don't know, they must have been separated."
The room was spacious and bright. On the ground was a character “玄” written in clerical script. Before the two could see it completely, they heard a bell ring, which sounded like a set of chime bells. The room instantly turned upside down and the character “玄” moved to the right wall.
Suddenly, a gust of wind came from outside, making the window paper rattle and the wooden door creak. Lin Feiran immediately said to Qiu Tong, "Draw your sword!"
No sooner had the words left her lips than the carved wooden door was suddenly flung open, and a red wooden bird breathed fire as it entered. The two hurriedly dodged, and Qiu Tong instinctively formed a hand seal, but her spiritual power was blocked in her meridians and could not be used.
Seeing Lin Feiran rush forward with his sword at lightning speed, she also drew her disciple's sword, pursed her lips, and stepped forward.
She's actually not good at this.
Every demon has a spiritual vein, making them more reliant on magic. Moreover, she has little interest in swordsmanship. The path of fighting and killing, with blood flying everywhere, is not as graceful and elegant as casting spells. Therefore, she rarely practices swordsmanship.
He had spent many years with Consort Wei, and he had never forced her. If it came to drawing a sword, he would always strike first.
Her swordsmanship was poor, but in terms of magic, she was not outstanding either. The reason she had a smooth life in her previous life was all thanks to the opportunities and magical treasures she encountered. But now that she has to start over, she has not yet encountered any magical treasures, the masters are nowhere to be found, and she has forgotten most of the magic she had encountered.
She suddenly felt a little frustrated and even annoyed.
In the moment of distraction, the Red Wood Bird flapped its wings and took flight, its sharp claws knocking the longsword from her hand and suddenly attacking her.
In the nick of time, a long sword slashed in from the side, piercing through the claws. The next instant, the blade was reversed and plunged into the belly of the Red Wood Bird without hesitation, and a shrill cry rang out in the air.
Lin Feiran's expression remained unchanged. She pushed the bird back several feet, then suddenly gripped her sword and spun around. Her black robes billowed like ink lotus blossoms, and a long leg kicked straight at the Red Wood Bird's jaw. The flames that spewed from its throat rushed onto the roof, burning a patch of gray-black color.
Akagi fell backward out of the door. Just as she was about to chase after her, the wooden door that had been knocked open suddenly slammed shut, stopping her pursuit but also preventing Akagi from rushing in.
Lin Feiran turned to look at her, but didn't say anything. He simply picked up her disciple's sword from the ground and handed it to her, saying, "Your sword."
Qiu Tong's heart stirred slightly. She raised her hand to take it, her eyes showing apology: "I'm sorry, Fellow Daoist Wen, I've been a bit of a burden to you."
Lin Feiran shook his head upon hearing this: "There is no such thing as a burden. Don't overthink it. Even if you weren't here, I would still have to drive it out, otherwise it would be burned to ashes with a single burst of flame."
She looked at Qiu Tong and said, "Actually, your swordsmanship is quite good. You must have practiced it well. It's just that you're a bit timid and easily panic."
Qiu Tong's eyes lit up, and she said, "Really? I am indeed a little hesitant to draw my sword..."
After her previous battle with Pei Yu and subsequent rescue by Lin Feiran, she was deeply affected and practiced diligently upon returning home, but her progress was slow.
Lin Feiran nodded and smiled faintly, "Really?"
Qiu Tong was overjoyed and unconsciously gripped the long sword in her hand. But looking at Wen Ran's face and thinking of Lin Feiran, a sense of familiarity welled up in her heart and she could no longer suppress it.
Are there really two people in the world who look so alike?
But if she really is Lin Feiran, how could she have escaped the Hibiscus Flower Order?
For some reason, she thought of Wei Changzai's strange behavior again, and suddenly it dawned on her. Her gaze towards "Wenran" became complicated.
Lin Feiran was still unaware that her secret had been exposed and was still talking to her: "Being easily frightened is not a bad thing. In a way, it shows that you are a kind person, so you are afraid of drawing your sword and drawing blood."
But for a swordsman, the sword can be a spear or a shield; at all times, it must be firmly held in his hand to control the area around him. Calm your mind, and the sword is you; you need not fear yourself.
Qiu Tong looked at the disciple's sword in her hand. It was a common, dusty sword that she had never given a second glance.
"That is me..."
In her previous life, she entered Sword Mountain and obtained a famous sword called Tai'a. There was a sword spirit in Tai'a who often chatted with her. They had a very close relationship. Later... she rarely used it after that.
Every time she made a move, it was the sword spirit that controlled the sword for her.
She seemed to have never considered that the Blade Spirit would like this.
If its owner were someone like Lin Feiran, wouldn't the fight be even more exhilarating?
Qiu Tong looked up at her, her gaze softening. Just as she was about to say something, she heard another clear chime, and the atmosphere in the room changed once more.
The dark rooftop was gone, the scorching heat had vanished, leaving only a silent emptiness. Qiu Tong looked around suddenly and realized that Lin Feiran had also separated from her!
As before, a chilling rustling sound came from outside the door again. After a few bangs, the monster began to ram the door, sending up a lot of wood chips.
Alone, Qiu Tong panicked and took several steps back until she had nowhere left to retreat. Then she suddenly remembered Lin Feiran's words and looked down at the long sword in her hand. As she looked at it, her pounding heart calmed down.
“Lin Feiran said that it is me, it is me… I have practiced swordsmanship, and Tai'a has also taught me to dance. I should not have forgotten.”
As she silently chanted, she wiped the thin layer of sweat from her nose and drew her sword as the demonic beast broke through the door.
...
After the bell rang, the room changed, and the person sharing the room with Lin Feiran was no longer Qiu Tong, but Wei Changzai.
The two men looked at each other, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes. Just as he was about to say something, a demonic beast burst through the door, roaring as it attacked the two of them.
Lin Feiran and Wei Changzai grew up together and knew each other well. Even though they didn't communicate much, they attacked each other with perfect understanding, slashing and thrusting, their movements perfectly synchronized.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the monster was killed and sent outside.
The door suddenly closed, and Wei Changzai walked towards her, but then he heard another bell ring. The room changed again, and now only Lin Feiran was there.
This time, she had almost no time to hesitate. As soon as she moved into the new house, a demonic beast came right up to her face. If she hadn't been holding her sword the whole time and could have blocked it, she would probably have been torn in half by the beast's claws.
The chimes gradually quickened, and the rooms changed faster as well. Several times, before she could kill the monster, she was moved to another room, which was either empty or had a monster right next to her face. This always caught her off guard, and her mind gradually became tense, as if she were being held up by a string, forcing her to concentrate at all times.
As the house spun, she encountered two other people several times. One was Qiu Tong, who was rolling up her sleeves and shouting for battle, while the other was Wei Changzai, who remained calm and composed, as if waiting for her arrival. Each time, she fought alongside these two, but she never encountered Ru Xian.
Lin Feiran felt somewhat anxious.
She hoped the bell toll could change faster, to Ru Xian's side, but she didn't want it to be too fast, lest everyone be caught off guard and get hurt.
Finally, after a ding, a golden-white shadow appeared in her eyes, and Lin Feiran breathed a sigh of relief without realizing it.
Ru Xian retracted his spear, kicked the monster away, and suddenly turned around. When he saw that it was her, he relaxed and said in a cool voice, "I thought you weren't here."
Lin Feiran walked towards him and asked, "Why am I not here?"
Ru Xian raised an eyebrow at her and teased, "Who knows? Maybe she was dragged away by some ghost."
Lin Feiran walked to his side and simply replied, "You pulled me just now too. With that kind of strength, even ten of me couldn't match it."
Before they could finish speaking, another bell rang. This time, the two did not separate but went to another room. A thousand-legged venomous centipede suddenly attacked, and Lin Feiran and Ru Xian immediately went to meet it.
This was Lin Feiran's first time fighting alongside Ru Xian, and he felt a sense of novelty, so he couldn't help but glance at him.
Ru Xian rarely makes any grand gestures on a daily basis. He either leans against something or lies down directly. Even when he sits high on a jade platform, looking down on everyone, he still crosses his legs and supports his chin with his hand. He is both arrogant and quite casual.
Perhaps the poisonous centipede wasn't strong, or perhaps it was because she had arrived here; in any case, his expression wasn't very serious. He only occasionally helped her deflect a few attacks, acting more like an assistant than a helper. His face showed none of the excitement he had when he was slaying the wolf.
Later, he simply stepped back and stood aside to watch her make her move, which he found quite interesting.
For the first time, Lin Feiran had a thought: when could she have a serious competition with Ru Xian?
With a roar, the centipede crashed to the ground with a thud. Lin Feiran sheathed her sword, feeling a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, a complex emotion encompassing both admiration and awe). This centipede was indeed not strong; she had even won despite being distracted during the fight.
The next moment, the door slammed shut, leaving only the two people inside.
Looking at the empty room, Lin Feiran took a deep breath to calm himself down and said to Ru Xian, "'Xuanmen' is peculiar, we still need to find a way to break the deadlock as soon as possible."
Ru Xian looked at her and suddenly laughed, "I don't believe some people haven't noticed."
Lin Feiran smiled and the two of them walked to the left side and looked at the character "玄" on the wall.
Compared to what I first saw, it has faded considerably now, with the two dots at the beginning and end gradually disappearing, and the turning points of the radicals becoming even fainter.
Lin Feiran continued, "Profound and mysterious, the gateway to all wonders."
Each time a demon beast is eliminated, the "Xuan" character above it will fade a little. But if you think you have killed enough demon beasts and they gradually disappear, you will really be trapped here and have no way out.
The gate of the Xuanmen should be above the Xuan (mystery).
Lin Feiran tore off a corner of his clothes, dipped it in beast blood, and filled the character "Xuan" with it. After adding dots with the beast blood as ink, the character "Xuan" on the wall gradually flowed out. The black and red ink marks turned and drew down, forming the character "Men" (door). Behind the door, peach blossoms were gently floating.
The two entered together.
When one part of the Xuanmen was broken, it opened up everywhere else. When Qiu Tong and Wei Changzai saw this, they understood and stepped into it.
...
Peach blossoms fluttered in the breeze, their fragrance wafting through the air. Fallen petals drifted down the water, while a gentle breeze carried them to the treetops.
The four of them walked in together, and suddenly a riot of flowers dazzled their eyes, captivating them. There were also shimmering lights and golden shadows, creating a series of illusions. In the spring breeze, an old friend suddenly appeared.
Qiu Tong blinked and saw a young man carrying a sword squatting under a peach tree. He had his hair in a topknot, his back was straight, and his face was serene. He was treating a wild rabbit with a broken leg. His movements were gentle, showing that he was cold on the outside but warm on the inside.
He looked up and saw Qiu Tong. He smiled, not brightly, but as warm as the sunlight.
"Qiu Tong, come quick! A rabbit has bumped into your tree."
So Qiu Tong walked forward with a smile on her face.
Wei Changzai paused slightly, looked around, and saw that the sky was ablaze with brilliant red clouds, almost dyeing the peach grove in front of him crimson. Beside the clear Peach Stream, a person was pacing back and forth, looking slightly nervous, and muttering something to himself.
What is he doing here?
He thought for a moment and immediately remembered that it was Manman who had invited him here to tell him something.
She wanted to confess her feelings to him.
Wei Changzai stepped forward almost without hesitation, his steps lighter than ever before, and said, "I'm here."
Lin Feiran suddenly opened her eyes and felt a pleasant spring breeze on her face. As she opened her mouth to laugh, the peach petals that were blown by were put into her mouth, and she chewed out some bitter flower juice.
She frowned, turned around, and as if finally remembering what she was doing, said in a soft voice, "Stop, stop."
The swaying swing suddenly stopped, and Lin Lang turned to face her: "Manman, what's wrong? Don't you want to play anymore?"
Mother came over, her eyes filled with doubt: "You usually play all afternoon without stopping, have you caught a cold?"
After saying that, she raised her hand and touched Lin Feiran's forehead.
Xiao Linfei shook her head, spat out the flower petals from her mouth, and kept inhaling: "The peach blossoms are so beautiful, but they taste as bitter as lotus hearts."
Knowing the reason, Lin Lang burst into laughter, saying, "I told you to open your mouth when you laugh. You should learn from your mother. A lady should cover her mouth when she laughs. Or, you can learn from your father!"
He truly restrained himself, pulled out his sleeve to half-cover his face, looked shyly at the woman beside him, and chuckled.
Xiaolin Feiran: "..."
Her mother: "...Tsk."
The snow and wind blew in, swirling up the withered grass on the ground, turning it into a hemisphere, and making it roll up in clusters.
As if reclining in the cave, he glanced sideways, his expression paused slightly, as if he remembered something. He looked up at his surroundings, a look of nostalgia suddenly appearing on his face.
"It turns out there's more to this Peach Blossom Spring than meets the eye, causing people to fall into illusions and recall the past."
Since that's the case, he turned to look at the cave entrance, where a sliver of moonlight peeked in, very bright. He thought, the people who should be here should have arrived by now.
Sure enough, along with the clump of withered grass, there was another little ball of fluff that rolled into the cave. She tumbled into the cave and only stopped when she hit the mountain wall. There were many loose rocks and cliffs along the way, but she endured it without making a sound.
After stopping, she leaned against the mountain wall to stand up, still feeling a little dizzy, her eyes filled with confusion.
It was a small figure dressed in many layers, about six years old, with her hair in two buns adorned with pink peaches. The peach color was fresh and tender, but it seemed out of place against her peaceful expression and the blood-stained knife marks all over her body.
She looked up into the cave and saw him. She was stunned for a long time. Then she looked at the twinkling starlight around her and for a moment forgot about her injuries. She just stared at him with wide eyes and said blankly.
"Fairy Maiden!"
The author says: On this day last year, in this very place, faces and peach blossoms reflected each other's redness.
The face is gone, I know not where; but the peach blossoms still smile in the spring breeze.
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