Chapter 90 A light breath beside me in the sunlight
The pearl shattered, the secret realm vanished, and the brilliant sunlight finally shone on every corner of the Spring City.
At first glance, Kunming appears as before, with houses standing side by side without the slightest damage. No pillars remain in the sky, and the sun hangs high in the sky, showing no signs of falling.
A gentle autumn breeze blew, and the sky was clear and blue, presenting a scene of peace and tranquility. However, the cultivators and commoners who had escaped death from the secret realm did not share this sentiment. They were still shaken, and the shadow of death was etched into their hearts, lingering there.
Many people sat on the ground, leaning crookedly by the bridge and the roadside. They silently gazed at the rising sun until the chill in their bodies subsided, at which point their eyes gradually reddened, and they basked in the warm sunlight.
The moonlight may be bright and beautiful, but it is too serene and lonely. If you stay too long, your passion will gradually cool down. The world must still have sunlight. The moment when you see the first light of dawn in the dark night is called hope.
A moment later, many people came out of the inns and houses, pushing their carts. Seeing the crowd, they exclaimed in surprise, "The immortals have returned!"
Besides the many cultivators, there were also many ordinary people in Spring City who came to the city to seek spiritual herbs. When the Flying Flower Gathering selected flower farmers this time, only eighty-one of them were chosen, and the rest were left outside the secret realm.
One of the vendors, as if seeing a familiar face, brightened up and quickly stepped forward to help the man up, asking curiously, "Old Zhang, you've struck gold! You were both sucked into that bead earlier, what happened? What treasure did you get?"
He was somewhat agitated, asking questions quickly and urgently. The man called Old Zhang opened his mouth slightly, but only managed to utter a few gurgling sounds before realizing he couldn't speak. He then waved his hand and stopped replying.
Just as everyone was marveling at the scene, several more exclamations came from a dark alley not far away. The group hurried over, afraid of missing any of the excitement.
Upon entering the alley, they found several corpses lying haphazardly, likely the result of a brutal murder. However, the wounds were whitish and swollen from being soaked in water, as if the victims had drowned.
"Judging by these clothes, I wonder which sect or school of immortals this is, that they died such a pitiful death!"
What exactly happened to them?
"Ask whose disciples they are and tell them to collect the corpse. Heavenly Venerable is boundless, Heavenly Venerable is boundless!"
The flower grower is still alive, but the deceased cultivator will never return. The people who know the truth watch silently, sighing in regret, but many still feel a touch of satisfaction.
Even if someone survives being brutally murdered multiple times, the pain is real, and who can remain without resentment?
If they weren't powerless to fight back, they would have long ago returned this fear and pain in full.
Under the sun there is hope, there is gloom, there is resentment, and there is joy; all things flourish, but there is nothing new.
As everyone continued to bask in the sunlight, a figure suddenly appeared at the end of the long street, walking slowly towards them.
She was extremely tall, and her white and gold robe flowed smoothly down to her ankles, revealing half of her cloud-patterned boots.
Above the long boots, the silk trousers fit her figure perfectly, and as the hem of the robe opened and closed, a few glimpses of light would occasionally flash across her legs. The waist belt was not an ordinary style, but rather several golden lotuses intertwined along the waistline, making it extremely gorgeous.
His attire already exuded an otherworldly beauty, and upon looking up at his face, everyone gasped in shock; even a celestial being descending to earth couldn't compare.
Even though he was carrying someone in his arms, he didn't look bulky at all; on the contrary, he seemed quite agile. When someone peeked out, they saw that the person in his arms was buried in his chest, and their face was not visible. So everyone moved their gaze upwards.
Ru Xian was already used to being stared at and didn't care. His gaze wandered around and finally stopped when he saw a small shop.
It was an excellent pastry shop. The morning market had just opened, and the pastries on display were still warm and fragrant.
He could have gone straight back to his lodgings, but thinking that the inn might be empty and without food, he chose to walk back through the streets and alleys.
He carried the person to the shop, and with a flick of his wrist, a snow fox leaped out. The shopkeeper was immediately drawn to it and kicked its rear end. The fox immediately stretched and transformed into a little panda, standing in front of the shop with its fists clenched.
The shopkeeper immediately exclaimed, "A spirit pet! This must be the kind of spirit pet described in storybooks; it's truly magical and adorable!"
Ru Xian glanced at him, but didn't answer. She just said in a cool voice, "Give me a pack of each of the pastries in your shop."
After speaking, he lifted his leg and moved the heavy object. It opened its two round eyes and looked up, then jumped onto the table and pulled out two gold coins from somewhere, pushing them in front of the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper, beaming with delight, took the opportunity to nudge the head of the heavy goods as he received the gold. Only then did he begin packing with satisfaction. Having finally met such a remarkable person, he became quite talkative.
"Master, my pastries are from a century-old brand, their aroma wafts through ten streets. Even if someone is bedridden, they can still whet his appetite..."
It smells so good.
Lin Feiran was sleeping soundly, but suddenly she smelled a sweet fragrance, which aroused her appetite and brought her to a semi-conscious state. However, because her body was too tired to wake up, she was in a half-dreaming and half-awake state, feeling drowsy and floating.
"Keep all cakes and pastries separate, and don't mix sweet and savory ones."
"Of course, of course, Immortal Master, do you prefer sweet or savory? With your size, it's normal for you to eat more. Our pastries are made with the finest ingredients..."
In her dream, she heard a sound like hailstones, and a man was talking incessantly. It was quite noisy. She turned her head slightly, intending to avoid it, but suddenly buried herself in a soft, resilient place.
"..."
Ru Xian paused slightly, then looked down at Lin Feiran, who was buried in his chest. Lin Feiran had only moved slightly and showed no signs of waking up.
The shopkeeper kept talking, and although Ru Xian didn't stop him, he didn't actually hear a word he said. He was just thinking about what had happened to Lin Feiran at the Flying Flower Gathering that could make her so sad.
"Master, it's done."
The shopkeeper tied a series of oil paper packages together and was about to hand them to him when the spirit pet snatched them away. It took the ribbon, draped it over its shoulder, and was about to help its master with his work.
"Incredible! Absolutely amazing! It's practically a spirit!" The shopkeeper's eyes lit up. "May I ask, sir, where can one find such a spiritual pet?"
Ru Xian glanced at the clown and said, "No need to look for it, just wait for it to come crashing into the door."
The burly creature leaped across the hail of snowflakes, took a few steps to clear the way, puffed out its chest and held its head high, looking quite smug. After a moment, it started playing around again.
It was suppressed by spiritual power in Spring City and could not move. The whole beast was stiff. Now that it was free, it immediately began to run wild.
It's early morning market time, and while many people are lying on the street, still reeling from the Feihua Festival, many shops are open to customers.
The man and the beast strolled through the streets and alleys, stopping and starting as they went. After buying some pastries, they would also want some hot autumn food. When they passed by a hearth, they would order a few more pastries. Occasionally, they would stop and buy some unique ornaments they saw in the shops.
In her half-awake state, Lin Feiran only heard a series of "wrap it up," "all of it," "it doesn't look good," and even the merciless "ugly."
The usual hustle and bustle of the street filled my ears, each voice different but full of life. I listened for an unknown amount of time, and then the sounds gradually faded away, until only the sound of the wind and birdsong remained.
A few withered osmanthus branches extend from the courtyards in the streets and alleys, where birds hop about. With a tremor, the remaining osmanthus petals scatter sparsely, landing like hailstones.
He glanced up but didn't pay any attention. The bracelet made of hair on his wrist swayed slightly as the man and the beast slowly walked forward.
In order to properly carry the items that Ru Xian had previously bought, Han Huo transformed back into a fox, growing larger to waist height, with many things jingling on its back, and hopping forward.
This movement caused the string of silver bells on her back to ring, their melodious sound echoing through the alley, and Lin Feiran fell into a deep sleep once more.
Before long, they entered the inn they had booked earlier. Sure enough, apart from a few cultivators resting in the lobby, there was no sign of the innkeeper or servants. Fortunately, they had bought quite a few things.
He walked through the hall with his eyes fixed straight ahead. One of the monks saw him and was initially surprised, but then, remembering something, looked at his arms.
"This...this must be Fellow Daoist Wenran!"
The cultivator recognized Ru Xian; he had seen Lin Feiran several times and naturally had also seen the handsome man beside her, so there was no way he could have misremembered.
"Fellow Daoist Wenran, how are you feeling after breaking the Li Pearl?"
As soon as he finished speaking, many cultivators in the hall looked over, their eyes filled with curiosity, surprise, or joy.
Ru Xian turned to look at him, scrutinizing him thoughtfully for a few moments, then a golden-red light flashed in her eyes, and she said softly, "You've mistaken me for someone else."
The cultivator paused slightly, blinked slowly, and then smiled, "I'm sorry, I was too hasty and mistook her for someone else. She is not Wen Ran. Please don't be offended, fellow Daoist."
Ru Xian slightly raised her chin and arched her eyebrows: "It's good that you've apologized."
His demeanor was indeed somewhat arrogant, but not in an annoying way. He led his men upstairs, with the burly fellow huffing and puffing behind him, leaving behind a group of suspicious cultivators.
Someone stepped forward and asked, "Are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else?"
The cultivator suddenly came to his senses, scratched his head and recalled for a moment, only to find that the two people just now had ordinary appearances and did not resemble Wen Ran and the other two at all.
"I'm sure you're wrong. I've seen Wenran with my own eyes. That's not her."
Hearing this, the group left, feeling bored.
Once inside the room, Ru Xian placed the person on the bed, then took her pulse with both hands.
Every time Lin Feiran breaks through a realm, it causes a backflow of spiritual energy, temporarily filling her up. However, after a few days, six or seven tenths of the spiritual energy in her meridians will dissipate. Therefore, her pulse often appears strong on the outside but weak on the inside.
But this time was different. Her spiritual veins were strong and supple. The pure spiritual energy that had flowed in earlier showed no signs of being lost after her brief exhalation, which was truly astonishing.
He withdrew his hand, crossed his arms and sat on the side of the bed, crossed his legs, and looked down at Lin Feiran. He saw that she had a calm expression, but her face was flushed and she was sweating profusely. This was the blissful look after her spiritual energy was abundant. She had looked like this the last time she broke through to a higher realm.
He stared at it for a long time, then clicked his tongue and said, "It's true that fools have good fortune."
The little rascal scurried to the pillow, looked at Lin Feiran with its big eyes, and nudged her with the tip of its nose.
Ru Xian looked up and said in a cool voice, "Go and fetch some hot water."
"Woof?" The silly dog's beady eyes widened suddenly, and it barked pitifully.
Ru Xian smiled, then took out a gold stone and tossed it into the burly man's mouth: "If you dare to take the golden soup, can't you even get a basin of hot water?"
"Woof!" Having received the reward, the stubborn fellow stopped making excuses and rushed downstairs to fetch hot water.
Once only the two of them were left in the room, his gaze fell entirely on Lin Feiran.
His swaying legs stopped, and the sunlight climbed in through the window, lifting the veil to reveal the person inside the tent, but then blowing through his long hair, obscuring his face and eyes.
The person in the tent slept very soundly, her body upright, just like her personality. She was not very active when she was asleep, her hands were quietly placed at her sides, and half of her face was buried in the pillow, making no sound.
He didn't know how long he had been watching until the burly man, carrying a basin of hot water on his head, burst through the door. Only then did he look away and turn to look behind him.
Knowing it had acted rashly, the dog put down the water and whimpered softly. Ru Xian didn't scold it; it simply stroked the dog's head, tossed out a fist-sized gold ingot, and then sat back down on the side of the bed.
Although the person in her sleep couldn't understand, she seemed to know that she was being called. Her brow twitched slightly, and she opened her mouth slightly with pure trust, taking the pill into her mouth before turning over and falling asleep again.
Ru Xian raised her hand to take her pulse. After a moment of diagnosis, she took out a brocade pouch, pulled out a few acupuncture needles, and placed them on her arms and abdomen. After a while, a few wisps of heat emanated from the silver needles, and her feverish complexion finally eased considerably.
He lowered his eyes and silently repeated the words, his focused expression making him appear somewhat aloof, like snow falling on plum blossoms, possessing a unique and elegant beauty.
The silver needles in his hand fell on Lin Feiran's legs, ankles, and back again, almost piercing her entire body. Wherever they touched, heat emanated. The acupuncture was only completed after she returned to normal and the spiritual energy in her meridians gradually subsided.
This helps her expel excess spiritual energy from her body, so she won't feel hot and sweaty, or feel unwell all over.
As he stood up to put away the needles, he suddenly felt something strange. He looked down and saw that the gold rings on his wrists and the base of his legs were shaking violently, sometimes big and sometimes small. The next moment, they tightened around his skin, leaving a deep mark.
He glanced at it indifferently, not caring much, but still raised his hand to hold onto the bed rail, exerting a little force, his eyes filled with coldness.
"Woof..." The blue-eyed fox approached his leg, its eyes showing no surprise, only a hint of careful concern.
Ru Xian glanced sideways and, seeing that Lin Feiran had not woken up, withdrew her gaze and said in a cold voice, "What are you yelling for? You won't die."
Now, the one with a sweat-soaked back was him. Ru Xian walked to the side, wiped away the thin layer of sweat with hot water, changed into a new set of clothes, and then returned to the bedside.
The sunlight was just right, and the city was gradually becoming lively, but he didn't care. He simply raised his hand to form a seal, releasing a soundproof array, and then lay down fully clothed on the only bed.
With no one else present, he simply reverted to his original appearance. As he closed his eyes, his snow-white hair spread out, half of it trailing on the ground. He didn't look after it, but simply closed his eyes and fell asleep.
The only sound in the room was shallow breathing. After finishing the gold ingot, the fox flicked its tail and looked at it for a moment before leaping to the head of the bed. It picked up the drooping snow hair in its mouth, stuffed it under its body with its paw, and then lay down on the round stool to rest with its eyes closed. Its long, fluffy fox tail hung down to the ground, occasionally sweeping across it.
...
Lin Feiran slept very well and felt rejuvenated. She opened her eyes, looked at the top of the tent, and couldn't help but let out a comfortable sigh.
But soon, the sigh caught in his throat, unable to escape.
There was a light, shallow breath beside me, unlike the usual warm breath, it instead exuded a coolness that felt like gold and jade were beside me.
Without turning around, one knows who this person is.
Lin Feiran remained silent for a moment, then quickly turned her head and glanced over. She didn't even see his face clearly, but after seeing a bright white light in her eyes, she immediately threw off the covers and got up. First, she pressed herself against the wall, and the next moment she leaped to the table. Her movements were smooth and fluid, and she did it all in one go. The idiot was dumbfounded.
Lin Feiran breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, she was trained and landed silently, so as not to wake Ru Xue. Otherwise, if he woke up and found that the two of them were in the same bed, she would probably be so embarrassed that she would want to crawl into a hole in the ground.
During the Feihua Society trip, Ruxian had put in a lot of effort and hadn't rested for a long time, so she must have been exhausted. In the end, she had to be taken back to the inn, so it was understandable that she lay down next to Ruxian in a daze.
Lin Feiran drank several cups of tea, and her wildly beating heart finally calmed down. She went to the bedside, covered him with a thin blanket, and then turned around and went behind the screen to change her clothes.
Even she couldn't help but feel a bit disgusted when she saw his tattered, blood-stained black clothes. But Ru Xian not only endured it, but also lay down on one side fully clothed, which showed that he was really exhausted.
If she felt five parts apologetic before, that apologetic feeling suddenly rose to ten parts when she saw the pile of things on the table.
The dog whimpered softly, then leaped onto the table, raised its head and puffed out its chest, constantly wagging its tail, implying that it had played a part in the action.
Lin Feiran's eyes lit up, and he took a few steps forward to pull the idiot into his arms, whispering, "Idiot, you're finally awake!"
The man and the fox paused slightly, and looked towards the bed at the same time. Fortunately, the man was not in any unusual condition and was still buried in the thin quilt, breathing peacefully.
Lin Feiran let out a sigh of relief, got up and opened the window to let more sunlight shine on him, then said softly, "Let's go out first and not disturb him."
It was already dusk outside, and there weren't many pedestrians. It seemed that most people, like them, were still resting in their rooms.
Lin Feiran walked down the street, carrying his heavy load of goods. He asked several vendors for directions before finally finding a shop selling the Four Treasures of the Study (writing brush, ink stick, inkstone, and paper), from which he bought a lot of scraps of gold paper and ink.
They calculated the time and returned to the inn as dusk approached. As soon as they opened the door, they saw Ru Xian sitting on the edge of the bed, arms crossed, legs crossed, her emerald eyes staring straight at them.
Lin Feiran paused, then immediately raised the object in his hand and explained, "I went with Hanhuo to buy some writing brushes and ink."
"Woof." The blue-eyed fox nodded.
Ru Xian glanced over, nodded slightly, and only spoke after Lin Feiran closed the door: "There are some things I've never liked to beat around the bush with people."
His tone was serious, and Lin Feiran felt a little nervous. She straightened her back and began to wonder if she had done something to displease him.
The atmosphere froze for a moment. Ru Xian looked up and said softly, "Why were you crying at the Flying Flower Gathering earlier?"
"..." Lin Feiran's expression went blank for a moment, "Huh?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
