Chapter 75 Neither of them are good people in the fishing arena.
After Lin Feiran entered the thatched hut, Ru Xian withdrew her gaze, carefully examined the peach blossom grove, and then strolled into it leisurely.
Upon entering, one sees several people standing far apart, each with a different expression. Some are beaming with joy, some stand still, and some have already abandoned everything to investigate intently.
He was different; he was the last to wake up, the last to enter, and the one with the most radiant smile, like a traveler returning home through wind and snow, finally able to enjoy a good night's sleep.
He was of high spirits and saw through the illusion early on, so he was not troubled by it. In addition, now that he was familiar with Lin Feiran, when he saw her as a child again, he couldn't help but ignore the excruciating pain all over his body. He filled his heart with three parts genuine feelings of familiarity and seven parts unnoticed curiosity.
For Yu Ruxian, such sentiments are actually somewhat reversed.
He originally met Xiaolin Feiran first, spent seven days with her, and was saved by her. He also developed a sense of appreciation for her talent. That's why he felt more appreciative and tolerant when he recognized her as the woman who had come to marry in place of him.
This gratitude from the past should supersede everything else, so that when he sees her again, he will feel only pure thanks and remembrance, rather than be overwhelmed by other complicated emotions, so that he can feel as if it were the first time he saw her and search for Lin Feiran's shadow in her.
Although she has many similarities with her childhood self, she has changed too much. For example, he would never have seen Lin Feiran laughing with her teeth showing.
He walked over, looking around as he asked, "Have you found anything?"
Lin Feiran had already recovered from the brief embarrassment and was focused on the thatched hut, so he shook his head: "No, but the bowls and chopsticks in this cabinet are clean, and the bed on the side is also very tidy and free of dust, so someone lives here."
Qiu Tong's joy faltered, clearly recalling the man with the strangely deformed limbs from before. She moved closer to Lin Feiran, then looked under the bed and breathed a sigh of relief: "There's no one under the bed."
"This must be the home of an old man."
Wei Changzai finally spoke. He had somehow composed himself, and his expression had returned to normal. With his snow-white, shimmering sword strapped to his back, he once again exuded that aloof and cold demeanor, keeping everyone at arm's length.
He walked slowly to the side of the door, looked at the fish basket behind him, and said, "It seems they went out fishing. Since someone lives here, the way to break the formation is not inside the house."
He approached the group, his gaze sweeping over them before settling on Lin Feiran: "Should we go out to look for someone?"
Lin Feiran had no idea what kind of turmoil had been brewing in his heart, or how he had managed to calm himself down. All she knew was that his thoughts had finally settled on this secret realm, and he began to break the formation.
She then looked at the other two men, and seeing that they had no objections, she nodded and said, "Let's go out together."
Here, the sun hangs high, peach blossoms rustle, and everything is quiet and still, except for a seemingly endless peach stream that flows gently.
The group walked along the stream for about fifteen minutes before they saw an old man wearing a straw raincoat, sitting in meditation and fishing by the stream.
However, a dark cloud loomed overhead, blocking out the sun and drizzling down, a stark contrast to the bright scenery around him.
The group exchanged glances, then each took out a paper umbrella from their storage bags and walked away slowly. As they got closer, Lin Feiran realized that he wasn't fishing for fish, but for a wine jug.
Below Peach Creek, there are brown porcelain jars of varying sizes, densely packed together, probably numbering in the hundreds. The mud seal on the jars has not been washed away by the flowing water, but has remained obediently submerged in the water.
The old man, with a ruddy complexion and a slightly plump figure, glanced back at the group and then shook his fishing rod, shouting loudly as if calling out, "The people are here, where are the fish!"
A tinkling sound came from the bottom of the stream, a few bubbles rose to the surface, and a porcelain jar the size of a fist leaped out of the water. A small hook cast on the mud seal hooked onto a fishing rod, and with a clatter, the old man retrieved it.
He took the jar, shook the water droplets off his raincoat, and like an acrobat, pulled out a fishing rod about ten feet long from the small porcelain jar. He turned back and grinned at the group, then pulled out another one.
He seemed to be performing a juggling act, glancing at them after each stick he pulled out. When Lin Feiran and the others' expressions shifted from initial curiosity and surprise to a state of calm, he muttered a few words, then pulled out four sticks in one go and tossed them in front of them.
"They all look like children, but they have no childlike fun at all. Here's the fishing rod, find a spot yourself. I don't want to make things difficult for anyone. I've been in Pilgrimage Valley for too long, so I just want someone to keep me company and have a chat. After you catch the wine jar, have a meal with me, and then we'll all go our separate ways."
Lin Feiran reached out and took it, then asked, "May I ask, senior, how can one catch it, and what is in the jar?"
What do you want?
The group of people had different expressions and fell silent. They found a spot near the old man and sat quietly casting their fishing rods under the strange weather that was both sunny and rainy.
As Lin Feiran gazed at the water, pondering what she wanted, the old man sitting to her left suddenly shifted his body and plopped down beside her, splashing water droplets from his raincoat onto half of Lin Feiran's body.
He exclaimed in surprise, handed her a handkerchief, and said in a low voice.
"I was careless, I was careless. I didn't mean to splash you with water. Young lady, is your name Wen Ran?"
Lin Feiran was surprised, but she didn't show it on her face. She took the handkerchief and said calmly, "It's nothing, just a few drops of water. Does Senior know me?"
Knowing that he did not want to be exposed, Lin Feiran did not reply, but nodded in response.
The old man continued, “You’ve become famous. When you destroyed the formation with pure spiritual power in the Baoying Chess Game, many sages noticed you, but they didn’t know your name. Later, your grandmaster was strolling around the streets and learned about this. He mentioned you to everyone he met, saying that you are a rare talent and that we should pay more attention to you!”
Lin Feiran: "..."
Previously, when Xuanzhen was summoned by her for a literary contest, he told her before leaving that there was a huge mirror platform where they were, and the scene in the mirror was ever-changing. It could see the actions of every cultivator, and it always seemed to stop on her, so she was told to keep a low profile and be careful.
...
She tried to keep a low profile, but her master revealed everything. Fortunately, he still had some sense and didn't tell the whole story.
Lin Feiran said in a low voice, "Grandmaster, you flatter me. I am just an ordinary person."
The old man gestured towards Ruxian and Wei Changzai, then shook his head and said, "The moment I saw them, I knew that neither of them were good people."
The man in white wore numerous gold ornaments, yet they didn't seem cumbersome at all. He had a pair of amorous, smiling peach blossom eyes, but they somehow revealed a hint of coldness and disdain, indicating that he had extremely high aspirations, would never submit to anyone, and loved luxury. Furthermore, the corners of his lips were slightly upturned, and his nose was straight with a slight peak. There was not a trace of bitterness in his eyes, indicating that he never wronged himself and was born to be a master.
Such a person usually finds nothing appealing or pleasing, but once they see something they like, they are captivated at first sight, like Du Kang (a legendary Chinese poet) finding wine and becoming hopelessly addicted.
Lin Feiran felt a chill run down her spine and couldn't help but cough lightly to stop him from speaking: "Senior, he's looking over here!"
The old man awkwardly fell silent, then suddenly remembered something, straightened his back and said, "I am a Holy Spirit, how could he possibly understand my ways? There is no need to be afraid. I am just teaching you how to recognize people."
The man in blue had a neatly arranged coat and a tightly sealed collar, exuding an air of aloofness and inviolability. However, upon closer inspection, one could see that his waistband was tightly bound yet casually fastened, easily undone, indicating that he didn't actually care at all.
And his eyes, clearly those of Feng Qing, yet with his eyelashes drawn down, and his cold, thin lips, yet with faint traces of licking, indicating that he was used to looking at people this way, used to secretly licking his lips, and was secretly flirtatious and unruly, a very clingy and twisted person.
Once he's hooked up with you, you'll likely never be able to shake him off for the rest of your life.
"Is that so?"
Lin Feiran was somewhat surprised. She couldn't help but look at the old man with a probing look in her eyes. Wei Chang glanced at her slightly to the side for a moment, then turned his gaze back to her.
"Look, he doesn't show it on his face, but he sits up straight, clearly doing it on purpose," the old man exclaimed.
Lin Feiran looked at Qiu Tong, her curiosity piqued: "Senior, what about her?"
The old man turned his head and touched his chin: "This girl has a pure face and clear eyes. She seems to be loved by her family. She has no major problems with her temperament, but she is also prone to being stubborn."
The old man turned to look at her: "And you? Don't you want to know how you look?"
Lin Feiran was also a little curious: "How do I look?"
The old man chuckled: "I won't tell you!"
Lin Feiran: "..."
No wonder he got along so well with his grandmaster.
After saying a lot, the old man was in a good mood, but he was also a little tired, so he rested and sighed. Lin Feiran also began to think about what she wanted.
She slowly closed her eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air into the babbling brook.
Suddenly, all was silent. When she opened her eyes again, she felt as if she had turned into a fishhook, drifting on the bottom of the stream, occasionally tapping on the altar, but never managing to hook a single fish.
Along the way, doubts arose and everything became a mystery. There were so many things she wanted to know, and so many things she didn't understand.
The matter of the protective jade pendant, the Taoist boy, her mother, her memories, the Iron Khitan Book, the Sword Mountain... all these things floated before her eyes, dazzling her and leaving her at a loss.
But after much back and forth, she finally stopped in front of a quiet altar.
The longer I thought about it, the clearer my mind became. Only one thing lingered in my mind: what was the truth behind my mother's death?
For a moment, the still altar trembled slightly, making a clanging sound, and Lin Feiran suddenly came back to his senses amidst the turbulent stream.
The old man looked at the water and laughed. Suddenly, a huge wine jar got caught on her fishing hook. Its weight was so heavy that the fishing rod made a teeth-grinding creaking sound, as if it wanted to drag her into the water as well.
Lin Feiran immediately stood up, her paper umbrella overturned, and she began to wrestle with the wine jar in the rain. The others looked up and their expressions changed slightly.
The wine jar in the stream was still growing. At first, it was only the size of a copper basin and could still move, but as she pulled hard, it grew to the size of a large vat, unable to stay above the water's surface. Instead, it gradually sank and even showed signs of growing larger.
Lin Feiran had already been pulled to the stream, her face covered in raindrops, her shoes soaked with water, and the pebbles beneath her feet making a dull thud, yet she still did not let go.
Ru Xian remained expressionless, but had already stood up. Wei Changzai also took a step forward, his brows slightly furrowed.
The old man looked through them one by one, laughed heartily, and said meaningfully, "Some things are beyond your control right now. If you can't handle it, you might as well ask for an easier one."
"No need for help!"
Lin Feiran did not give up. She stopped Ru Xian and the others, drew her disciple's sword, spun around, and scattered water droplets. A cold sword light flashed and deeply embedded itself in the rocky ground.
She stood at the side, holding a sword in one hand and a staff in the other, and with the strength of a drawn bow, she stopped the wine jar from sinking.
The long sword left a long mark on the rocky ground, and she was slowly dragged into the depths of Peach Creek.
The stream water rose past her ankles, knees, and thighs, until it submerged her waist, before she finally gave up, thinking to herself, "I want to know if my mother died of a serious illness?"
With a loud bang, the wine jar, as large as a rooftop, shattered and shrank. Lin Feiran, unable to dissipate the force in time, fell backward into the water, getting thoroughly drenched.
Without hesitation, she immediately wiped her face, got up, hurriedly pulled the wine jar back onto the fishing rod, and broke the mud seal, only to find that there was no wine or water in the jar, but only a neatly written note.
Even though she already had a guess in her heart, Lin Feiran was still stunned. She stared intently at the word "no". After a moment, the note scattered into peach blossoms and drifted away with the water.
She remained silent for a moment, then walked over and sat down beside the old man, her body still damp, like a small animal that had fallen into the water. Her eyes flickered slightly, but her expression was one of feigned calm.
He chuckled and waved his hand, and her dripping clothes dried, the dark clouds above her head dispersed, leaving her with only half a patch of sunshine.
Qiu Tong glanced at her, her expression shifting slightly, before turning back to look at the fishing rod in her hand.
Without a doubt, this old man must be a saint, and one of her purposes in entering Spring City was to meet the saint after her victory and find out the true identity of the Prince of Qingping. Now that such a good opportunity is before her, she cannot let it go.
Was the father replaced, as the mother claimed?
With the answer she wanted in mind, her fishing rod bobbed up and down. She hurriedly peered over the edge and saw that the wine jar floating on the bottom of the stream was not as terrifying as the one Lin Feiran had pulled up, but it was still about the size of a wooden bucket.
She pursed her lips and remained silent, forcefully pulling out the wine jar and hastily breaking the mud seal. Inside, there was only a note. As she reached out to take it out, a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead. The paper slowly unfolded, revealing writing on both sides.
One side says "Yes", and the other side says "No".
Qiu Tong looked at it with suspicion, flipping it over and over several times, and was sure that there were no other words besides it. Her doubts rose again, and just as she was about to cast the line to ask again, the originally very tough fishing rod broke.
The old man laughed heartily: "I won't ask about it again."
Lin Feiran and Qiu Tong cast their lines one after the other. Although an unexpected incident occurred, they were not slow. Wei Changzai and Ru Xian, however, did not make a move for a long time. The two seemed to be in a trance, as if they were really fishing by the stream.
A long time passed, long enough for Lin Feiran to regain her composure and sort out her thoughts, but they still made no move.
The old man chuckled a few times, then leaned close to Lin Feiran's ear and whispered, "Look at that man in white. He seems focused, but his eyes are actually empty. He doesn't have what he wants most, so he can't catch anything. It's really strange."
And then there was that snowman in blue, his eyes filled with complex emotions, his lips slightly pursed—such a conflicted person couldn't even understand what he wanted himself.
He said loudly, "Fishing for wine jars is easier than slaying demons. If you can't catch them, then stay here and keep this old man company."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ru Xian slightly moved the fishing rod in his hand, raised his right hand, and a wine jar the size of two fists leaped lightly out of the water and landed in his hand with a splash.
He removed the clay seal, glanced inside, his eyes slightly curved, and looked at Tao Xi with a hint of arrogance before commenting, "Not bad."
However, he did not take the contents out of the jar, and no one knew whether it was an object or a note.
Elsewhere, Wei Changzai finally opened his eyes. He had fished up an even smaller wine jar, almost the size of a fist.
He broke the mud seal and took out something that looked like a pea or a pill from a distance. He lowered his eyes, put the thing into his mustard seed bag, and did not explain.
"Great!" The old man clapped his hands and laughed. "Finally, we can have something to eat together. We've been waiting for you to go fishing until we're starving!"
He stood up, shook his raincoat, and the dark clouds in the sky disappeared, the drizzle stopped. He picked up the remaining wine jars at his feet, shouldered his fishing rod, and led the group toward the thatched hut like a true fisherman.
As soon as he entered the room, he invited everyone to sit down, completely disregarding their mood. He then happily picked up one of the wine pots, from which a continuous stream of bluefish swam out.
"I am not very talented, but I love to cook fish. This whole fish feast is my specialty. You all must try it... No help is allowed. You know nothing about fish!"
Lin Feiran withdrew his hand and nodded, saying, "Thank you, senior."
Like Xue, she nodded and sat down next to Lin Feiran. Qiu Tong was puzzled and was still thinking about the note she had just read. She thanked him listlessly and sat down casually. Wei Changzai, like Lin Feiran, thanked him before sitting down.
The old man was in a great mood and hummed randomly while cooking. The group started chatting at the table, but it was mainly Lin Feiran and Ru Xian who were talking.
Of course, it was Ru Xian who started the conversation; he always treated others as if they didn't exist.
Ru Xian asked, "Speaking of which, you haven't eaten in a long time, aren't you hungry?"
Lin Feiran shook her head: "It hasn't been too long, but I am indeed a bit hungry."
Ru Xian slightly curved the corners of her lips: "Just a little?"
Lin Feiran was a little embarrassed: "Okay, there are a lot."
She wasn't just a little hungry, she was extremely hungry. Fortunately, she was used to enduring it and was able to suppress the restlessness brought on by the hunger. If it were an ordinary person, they would have lost their temper and gone berserk long ago.
Ru Xian's gaze fell on her arm again: "I noticed you have good arm strength just now. Have you studied archery?"
Lin Feiran glanced at Wei Changzai and the other two and nodded: "I have studied it, but my arm strength comes from sword practice. I am not used to archery."
His questions weren't over yet; he seemed to know nothing, but wanted to know everything: "Your lower body is stable, how's your body training going?"
Before Lin Feiran could speak, a chilling voice interrupted: "As her contracted demon, aren't you observing too closely?"
Ru Xian paused, then turned to look at Wei Changzai, her lips still curved in a smile: "So what?"
Just as tensions were about to rise, an oblivious voice interrupted: "It is indeed beautiful, with a special kind of fluid beauty. I've been watching it for a long time."
The two turned to look at Qiu Tong, then silently looked away, focusing only on the few inches in front of them on the table.
Lin Feiran looked at the three of them, and belatedly realized that they had all seen her so clearly. Just now, her face was contorted with rage, and she was baring her teeth...
Her face felt like it was on fire, and she dared not think any further.
It wasn't until a real whole fish feast was laid out that everyone realized the old man's words were true. He wiped his hands and set out the bowls and chopsticks.
"Eat up, and I'll send you on your way!"
Qiu Tong paused, her chopsticks still in her hand. She looked over silently. The old man realized he had said the wrong thing and laughed loudly, "After you've eaten, I'll see you out. I need to wait for the next group to arrive!"
Fried, stir-fried, braised, stewed, and sautéed, the eighteen kinds of fish dishes were all different and delicious. At first, the group ate with great relish, but after a while, when everyone was full and put down their chopsticks, the whole fish feast had not changed much, as if it had only suffered some minor damage.
The old man put down his chopsticks, looking disappointed: "Is that all you're full for? Four growing boys, and you only need a few bites?"
“I’m past the age of growing up,” Ru Xian said in a cool voice, then raised her chin and pointed at Lin Feiran, “She’s the only one who’s still growing.”
Everyone looked over and saw that Lin Feiran ate quite well, slowly and methodically, but without stopping.
Wei Changzai and Qiu Tong remained calm and waited silently until Quan Yuyan was seriously injured, at which point they realized something was wrong.
Qiu Tong was secretly alarmed. How come Lin Feiran's appetite had increased tenfold after coming down the mountain? Had she never eaten her fill since coming down the mountain?
Compared to Qiu Tong, Wei Changzai was even more surprised. He had never known that Lin Feiran loved to eat so much, and even began to doubt whether she had ever really eaten her fill when she ate with him before.
Surprised as he was, he still raised his hand and quietly removed the empty plate in front of her, replacing it with the fish in front of him.
Of all the people at the table, only the old man was both surprised and delighted.
"Good, good, good!" he exclaimed three times with delight. "This is my good young man, with such an appetite! Eat as much as you can, there's plenty of fish and meat!"
Lin Feiran: "..."
I was unsure whether I should eat it or not.
Ru Xian looked away, but the smile in her eyes hadn't faded.
Lin Feiran actually ate the whole fish feast on the table, leaving only half a fish bone. The old man looked on with a ruddy complexion and invited the others to rest there for a while.
"The gate is here. Whether you've had your fill of sleep or not, you may leave as you see fit. This old man is off to go fishing again!"
The old man left with a smile on his face, his head covered in dark clouds. Lin Feiran and the others had been searching for flowers for a long time and were indeed a little tired, so they rested for a while.
Peach blossoms swayed gently, and the stream murmured softly. After eating and drinking their fill in the room, the group bid farewell to the old man and walked to the door.
The wooden door, carved from peach wood, had the words "Heaven and Earth" written on it, and an iron nail was driven into it. Lin Feiran and Wei Changzai hung their respective doorplates on the iron nail, and a bell rang all around.
A moment later, there was a knocking sound from behind the wooden door.
"Are you checking out, guests?"
It was the shopkeeper's voice.
Lin Feiran replied, "Yes."
Then the wooden door opened wide, and the shopkeeper waited outside with a lantern, saying, "Congratulations on leaving your rooms, you will receive three Peach Blossom Tokens."
Lin Feiran and his companions stepped out of the peach grove and into the dimly lit inn. Qiu Tong suddenly wondered, "What night is it now?"
The shopkeeper led the group down the stairs to the counter to collect their game tokens, saying only, "This is the third night."
He walked behind the counter, took out nine flower tokens, and before he could hand them to the group, he heard a gust of wind and the four of them immediately spun around and scattered.
Lin Feiran turned his head and saw seven or eight unidentified cultivators standing in front of him.
Almost instantly, she turned back to the counter and incorporated all the flower games into the score, catching the group off guard.
Someone said, "Senior Brother Ding, she swallowed the Flower Token!"
The leader looked at Wei Changzai and suddenly grinned, "Isn't this the top-ranked person on the Azure Cloud Ranking? Fellow Daoist Wei, this person actually swallowed your Flower Tokens. I will get them back for you!"
With a clang, the longsword was drawn. Wei Changzai did not speak, but only blocked with his sword, frowning as he said, "Fellow Daoist, cultivators should not fight among themselves, have you forgotten?"
Ding Ming's smile remained unchanged, only growing colder. He cursed his bad luck inwardly, having run into Wei Changzai. He knew this man was formidable, and even though there were many of them, he dared not confront him directly, fearing that if he made a move, Wei would escape and report him to the sacrificial official...
He glanced at Lin Feiran with a sinister look, suppressing his murderous intent.
"Fellow Daoist Wei, aren't you afraid that she'll swallow your Flower Tokens and never return them?"
Someone tried to sow discord, but Wei Changzai didn't buy it at all. His dark eyes were fixed on him, then he looked past him and turned to Ding Ming: "Please step aside."
Ding Ming sneered, raised his hand, and made way for them.
Wei Changzai led the way, followed by Qiu Tong, and the two walked out together. Ru Xian also stepped forward, her brows slightly furrowed. Only Lin Feiran walked at the back, but she felt something was wrong.
As soon as the four of them stepped out of the inn, Lin Feiran suddenly heard a faint buzzing sound. She immediately drew her sword and turned around, lightly touching the ground with her toes, trying to intercept the cold light, but she was too late.
Under Ding Ming's sword, the shopkeeper who had been smiling just moments before was now lying in a pool of blood, his body half-slit open, his expression slightly changed, as if he were passing away with a smile.
On his corpse, his internal organs were clearly visible, and veins spread and grew, flourishing and finally climbing and converging at his heart, blooming into a pink and red spring peach.
Ding Ming picked the flower without hesitation, smiled, and glanced at the others, seemingly mocking their stunned expressions.
"What kind of mission is this? Wouldn't killing and picking flowers be simpler?"
As Lin Feiran stepped forward with his sword, they summoned the Book of Flowers. Amidst the constant mockery, a summer lotus bloomed out of thin air, and in the next instant, the eight people vanished before their eyes.
Lin Feiran turned to look at the person in the pool of blood, pursed her lips and remained silent, her right hand clenched tightly.
Standing outside the door, Qiu Tong exclaimed in surprise, "Look!" after seeing something.
Lin Feiran strode out, stood outside the door, and looked at the street where the lights were always on. Peace was gone; everywhere there was the glint of swords and the shadows of gunfire. Flower farmers lay in pools of blood, their faces still bearing smiles.
A night breeze blew by, carrying with it a strong, pungent smell of blood that was so intense it made one want to vomit.
Just as she was stunned, the magnificent sound of bells rang out again in Kunming.
With a cracking sound, a few soft sounds came from inside the inn. A chill ran down Lin Feiran's spine. She turned her head and saw that behind the blood-soaked counter, the shopkeeper, whose body had been cut open, had stood up again.
He looked at the group of people outside the door with a smile and said, "Welcome to our hotel. We have four types of rooms: Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow. Which room would you like to stay in?"
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