Chapter 91 The Secret: "I'm Not Curious Anymore"
As dusk settled and all was quiet, only the faint shadow of the wind swept past the window, and even the usually pristine white clouds took on an old and rustic hue.
This was the scene Ruxian saw when she awoke.
Desolate and lonely.
A thin blanket covered him, but it was already cold inside. There was a slight indentation in the center of another pillow, confirming that someone had indeed been there.
Ru Xian got up and walked to the window, her snow-white eyelashes drooping. Looking at the bustling crowd below, her expression was not good.
Having not basked in the sun for so long, I should be happy now that my wish has come true, but all I can see in my mind are those thin, red eyes.
It's like the shattered sunset glow, the deep rosy clouds washing over the water.
She, a person of such calm and uneventful nature, possesses such intense emotions.
He has seen it before.
Not only at the wedding banquet, but also when the two of them were fighting for their lives in the snowy mountains, she once hugged him and cried bitterly, saying, "Fairy, my life is over!"
He might have found it interesting or slightly touching the first two times, but neither time could compare to this moment.
He couldn't describe what that feeling was like.
I just had this random thought: I cried as a child to survive, and I shed tears later because I was betrayed by my closest relatives.
And now? What's the purpose now?
I have many guesses in my mind, but I can never put them into practice.
Although he and Lin Feiran had a past connection, they didn't actually know each other that well. They had only met again a few months ago.
But he knew in his heart that if he didn't ask her directly, he might not hear her speak until he was buried.
Sometimes, Lin Feiran isn't a straightforward person; she's good at concealing her true feelings.
Like a small beast in the forest, it charges recklessly, always showing people its majestic and fearless side, but when it needs to lick its wounds, it suddenly disappears.
To this day, all he knows is that her sect, which had raised her, wanted to take her sword bone, so she fled to the demon realm.
But he knew nothing about her feelings at that time, how she escaped from Sanqing Mountain, or what her thoughts were when she arrived in the demon realm.
She would never mention it.
Just like now.
...
Lin Feiran, holding a pen and paper, asked, "Huh?"
The tone of doubt was less like being caught off guard and more like a deep-seated secret being bluntly exposed, hence the meaningless utterance as a cover-up.
Why do you say that?
Lin Feiran looked away, put the things in her hand on the table, and took out all the neatly wrapped gold foil and casually tidied them up.
She looked somewhat busy, seemingly preoccupied, but her somewhat wandering gaze betrayed her inner thoughts.
On a cold, rainy night, plum blossoms flutter down, their cold light fading, each drop like a mournful lament.
She had no idea that, with the rain still falling, he would also see something.
Just as Lin Feiran was pondering to himself and thus appeared somewhat flustered, Ru Xian's pent-up frustration inexplicably dissipated.
Young people are never without moments of panic.
He couldn't help but smile, a soft laugh escaping his throat like pearls falling onto a plate.
Lin Feiran glanced at it quickly, her expression seemingly both angry and amused, yet also seemingly not.
She lowered her eyes and pursed her lips slightly.
Unfortunately, although Ru Xian was in a much better mood, she had no intention of turning the page.
He leaned back in his chair, elbows on the armrests, palms supporting his chin, his right leg dangling and swinging slightly, his eyes narrowed, his posture relaxed.
"I ask you this because I have seen it."
As the person in front of him drew closer, Lin Feiran felt an inexplicable sense that there was nowhere left to retreat.
"Because I learned some things from the past."
My heart is wounded, but I don't know how to express it, from what source to express it, or why to express it.
The burly man squatted in the middle, looking left and right, and couldn't help but spin around in place a few times.
The atmosphere wasn't actually stagnant or tense, but rather had a strangely sticky feel to it.
The wind that swirled rapidly past Lin Feiran's side would suddenly slow down once it reached Ru Shiong's eyes, his hand that was lightly tapping near him, or his swaying legs.
As the pace of life shifted, the animals tangled together, pushing and shoving, creating a damp and stifling atmosphere.
A moment later, Ru Xian stood up, casually tossing her long hair behind her. As she moved, her snow-white hair, which reached her waist, opened and closed slightly, like a gentle breeze rustling willow branches.
"What happened before?" He walked to the table and sat down, glancing up at her and gesturing for her to sit down as well.
"You've been awake for so long, aren't you hungry? Or did you get full after eating that pearl?"
"Huh?" This time it was a genuine question. She paused for a moment and said slowly, "I'm not too hungry, but I can still eat."
After speaking, she sat down at the table and began to unpack the various paper packages.
Rice cakes, sweet persimmons, shortbread, layered buns... almost all the light and delicate foods that can be found in Kunming are displayed on the table.
Ru Xian remained in his sight, staring straight at her, then picked up a persimmon and began to eat it.
His way of eating was very elegant; the icing on the cake brushed against his lips, leaving a faint white mark, before he sipped it into his mouth.
Lin Feiran couldn't resist and took one too. She had just taken a bite when she quickly poured herself a cup of tea.
I've never tasted such cloyingly sweet persimmons!
He actually ate the whole thing!
Ru Xian was slightly taken aback upon seeing this, glanced at the persimmon cake, and then said, "Don't imitate me when I eat."
He moved another pot of tea in front of Lin Feiran, speaking in a nonchalant tone.
"I have no sense of taste."
It's as if the weather is fine today.
Lin Feiran was somewhat surprised. He had always eaten mainly vegetarian food, which was bland in taste. He had thought it was just a habit of his clan, but he didn't expect it to be something he was born with.
She couldn't help but ask, "Has it been like this since you were little?"
His medical skills are so good, there might still be a chance for him to recover.
"Want to know?"
Ru Xian looked at her, leaned back in her chair, crossed her right leg over her left, and crossed her arms, adopting a dignified posture.
Lin Feiran suddenly turned to look at him, surprised by his straightforwardness and intelligence.
Ru Xian is actually carefree, yet he has a particular fondness for beautiful colors. His speech and mannerisms have a unique charm, and coupled with his captivating appearance, people always forget that he is a Venerable of the Divine Travel Realm who has cultivated for a long time.
After a moment, he said slowly, "If you're not curious, then I'm not curious either."
He looked away from Lin Feiran, picked up the plate of cloying persimmons, tapped the back of his chair, and summoned the glutton.
These popular items are unusual.
As its master resembles its animal, it considers itself superior to all other mythical beasts.
It can devour gold and silver, and when all else fails, a few mouthfuls of refined iron will suffice. Only when it is desperate will it eat ordinary food like a common spirit beast.
But on the other hand, it actually eats everything.
Having followed Ru Xian for many years, it has hardly suffered any hardship. Its life consists only of gold, and even silver ornaments are rare. It even gives others the false impression of being a noble creature who eats nothing but gold and sleeps only on goose down.
Faced with such soft and sticky persimmons, it shouldn't have opened its mouth, but since being fed by hand like a wild goose was a rare treat, it ate them without hesitation.
For a moment, the only sounds in the room were its chewing of persimmon cakes and Lin Feiran's crunching sounds.
The chubby dog's brow twitched when it saw its owner.
"Woof?"
Ru Xian still looked at it with a half-smile, as if he was waiting for something, or as if he wasn't waiting for anything at all.
The room was silent, save for the passing autumn wind.
Lin Feiran had no idea what Ru Xian was thinking. She looked up but couldn't see anything except his loose, snowy hair.
She couldn't help but think of that strange dream she had just had.
In the dream, a person emerges from the flames, amidst towering immortal mountains with flowing springs, yet everywhere is stained red, causing blood to soak the ground and the mountains to be filled with a sweet, fishy smell.
It's impossible not to be curious.
Seeing the chubby guy with bulging cheeks from being stuffed with persimmons, Lin Feiran suddenly spoke up.
"Actually, it's not a secret. I just ran into an old friend at the Flying Flower Gathering and was lucky enough to learn the truth about my mother's death. There's nothing else."
Ru Hai's hand paused, and he turned his head slightly to look at her, his eyelashes tinged with gold in the twilight.
"Your mother?"
This was somewhat unexpected.
Lin Feiran responded, still feeling somewhat uncomfortable. Since her parents passed away, she had rarely had such a deep conversation with anyone.
“I used to think she died of a serious illness, but I learned from an old friend that she was actually murdered. But I don’t know who it was.”
Ru Xian stuffed the remaining persimmon into the hands of Han Huo, then turned to face Lin Feiran.
When she was in a state of confusion, she had twice mistaken him for her mother.
That touching expression reveals the profound place her mother held in her heart.
"When I was young, I traveled through the human world for many years and met countless people. I may have met your mother and know some of the details. What is your mother's name?
Lin Feiran's eyes suddenly lit up, and he immediately moved from the seat opposite to the side, as if he had just realized something.
"I completely forgot to ask the Venerable One for guidance! Her Taoist skills are extraordinary, and her talent is extremely high. She must have had a great reputation back then!"
It's not that I forgot, but that I didn't want to.
Lin Feiran is happy to help others, but rarely expects help from others.
I don't know how they developed this personality.
Ru Xian didn't say much, but simply pointed her finger at her brow and pushed her away by half an arm's length.
"Don't get too close to me when you're eating."
Lin Feiran nodded, moved the stool back a few inches, put the pastry back, and wiped his hands again.
"I don't know her surname, but my father called her either 'elder sister' or 'Qingqing.' Her name must have 'Qing' in it, the 'Qing' of high-ranking officials and nobles!"
"He was silent just now, but now he seems to be in the mood."
Ru Xian made a few sarcastic remarks, then looked at her and slowly shook his head: "I have never heard of any female cultivator whose name contains 'Qing'. What kind of weapon does she use?"
Lin Feiran replied quickly: "Jade ruler! An arm's length long, bluish-green!"
Ru Xian shook her head again, stroking the gold ring on her wrist, lost in thought: "There are quite a few cultivators who use jade rulers, but those with some reputation are still alive. Have you seen that jade ruler?"
Lin Feiran nodded abruptly, then remembered something, immediately stood up, pulled out a piece of gold-flecked paper, poured ink to moisten his brush, and was unusually flustered.
“I used the Apricot Blossom Order at the time, and I had seen it in that person’s memory.”
She spread out the drawing paper, quickly dipped her brush in ink, and didn't even notice the few drops of ink she spilled, as she painted on the small piece of gold-flecked paper.
It was a small portrait, but the lines were broken and the transitions were not smooth. I always had to think for a few moments before I could put pen to paper.
It wasn't that she was inexperienced, but rather that she wasn't familiar enough with the people in her memory, which made her writing hesitant and her movements awkward.
It seems that her lost memories have ultimately affected her.
He had investigated before and found that Lin Feiran had an extremely complex array seal in his mind, which seemed to be naturally formed, yet also as if it had been pieced together.
It would both protect her and prevent anyone from finding out. If it weren't for the intervention of a sage who cultivated the mystical arts, it would probably be impossible to solve this problem in this lifetime.
Unfortunately, there are no more masters of Qimen Dao in the world today.
However, in order to break the formation, besides painstakingly dismantling it, there is also the option of destroying it with spiritual power.
But if he were to act like this, Lin Feiran might become mentally disabled in the future.
As she picked up her brush to paint, Ru Xian carefully observed her profile and suddenly asked a question.
"During the Flying Flowers Gathering, you didn't seem to use the Apricot Blossom Order on yourself?"
He and Lin Feiran weren't always together, but in her memories of spending time together, she never used that term.
Upon hearing this, Lin Feiran paused in his writing and said slowly, "I've used it."
The moment she learned of the effects of the Apricot Blossom Token, how could she not think of her lost past?
She had tried to retrieve her memories with a sprig of apricot blossom, but at the same time, she was prepared that it might be useless.
At first, the Apricot Blossom Order was not blocked as she had expected; instead, it did return to the past. At that moment, she was overjoyed, but after a few breaths, the light in her eyes gradually dimmed.
Although she had lost her memory, she had not forgotten it completely. After using the Apricot Blossom Order, she kept going back to the memories she remembered, while the rest were just separated by a thin layer of mist, vague and illusory.
As the ink was about to fall, she moved the shredded gold paper in front of Ru Xian's eyes.
"How about it? A person of her stature and high level of cultivation, it's impossible for her to be unknown."
She rushed over, leaving behind a scent of ink. In her agitation, she reached out and tucked his snowy hair behind his ear to keep him from getting a view.
Ru Xian's gaze paused slightly. He turned to look at Lin Feiran with a meaningful look, then slightly raised his hand. She then brought the portrait closer as if by divine inspiration and presented it to him like a treasure.
The "young lady" doesn't like to lift a finger. We had already set a precedent by carrying her home and buying her lots of food. So what if we raise a painting now?
Ru Xian then withdrew her gaze from her and turned it to the portrait, carefully examining the female cultivator's face.
Her eyebrows and eyes were clear and bright, large and spirited, much like Lin Feiran, except that her lips were thinner than Lin Feiran's, like a blade with a sharp edge. When she looked at Lin Feiran with a smile, she appeared imposing, but when she wore a dance costume, she added a touch of willow-like agility, and had a different kind of unrestrained charm.
She was indeed a beauty, but he had no recollection of her.
“I don’t remember ever seeing this person.” He said truthfully, but seeing Lin Feiran’s eyes darken, he added, “I never remember human faces, so I may have missed one.”
Lin Feiran knew he was trying to comfort her. Although she was somewhat unwilling, she pursed her lips and said, "She's a very capable person. People will remember her."
She held the shredded gold paper to her lips and blew on it until the ink dried before carefully putting it away.
She immediately looked up.
"However, that jade ruler reminds me of some past events. Many cultivators use such a green and sharp object, but only one of them is a female cultivator."
Lin Feiran's breath hitched, and her heart pounded as she heard him speak again.
“That person now holds a high position and is kept in the deep palace; she is the Holy Palace Lady whom your human race reveres.”
Lin Feiran's gaze suddenly sharpened, her eyelashes drooping slightly. The moment she heard this title, she suddenly felt a strange chill run through her.
Ru Xian, unaware of her feelings at that moment, suddenly raised her lips and said in a cool voice, "You're still just curious after all."
Lin Feiran paused, then realized what he had said earlier.
Lin Feiran turned around and sat down, gathering her thoughts. She felt more at ease now that she wasn't talking about her own affairs.
"Of course I'm curious about your affairs."
As Ru Xian raised her eyebrows in surprise, she said again.
"Your background is mysterious. You appeared out of nowhere and subdued the licentious demon king with a single move, becoming the supreme ruler of a realm. However, almost no one in the demon realm knows your origins, and you are rarely seen among the peacock clan..."
She recited it without any emotion, but as if she knew it by heart. Ru Xian found it amusing and tilted her head to ask, "Where did you memorize this from?"
He knew almost immediately after she opened her mouth that these were things someone else had said.
Lin Feiran continued eating, and very consciously moved a little further away, replying, "Xuan Zhen Bi Qing said so."
Ru Xian smiled without saying a word. Lin Feiran waited quietly for a while, but he still didn't speak. After a long while, she said in a muffled voice.
"My lord, you said you'd exchange one secret for another, and I've already told you. But what about your sense of taste? Is it something you were born with?"
Ru Xian murmured, her suspended foot swayed slightly, and she looked at Lin Feiran with her chin in her hand, saying only.
"no."
Lin Feiran's eyes widened, as if she had discovered some secret: "Why is that? Is someone trying to harm you?"
Ru Xian said calmly, "No one harmed me. I just fell ill and woke up like this."
Lin Feiran pressed on, "Why are you sick?"
Ru Xian stood up, walked to her side, leaned slightly forward, and a subtle fragrance wafted over.
Lin Feiran was speechless for a moment, even forgetting the distance between them. She said, "Why? I've told you everything."
Ru Xian looked down at her, her eyes smiling: "You only asked me if I was born without a taste. I already said it wasn't congenital, but caused by illness. Didn't I tell you the whole story?"
She took a deep breath, stood up, her lips moved a few times, then she sat back down. But after a short while, she stood up again, seemingly wanting to say something to him, but then she held back her words. This went on for a while until finally she managed to say something.
"This is not fair!"
Seeing this, Ru Xian looked away, and as if she couldn't help it, she smiled softly with her eyes crinkled.
Seeing this, the hobbyist couldn't resist jumping onto the table, trying to blend into the cheerful atmosphere.
After a long while, long enough for Lin Feiran to sit back down and reflect in his heart, resolving to explain the conditions in the most detailed way in the future, Ru Xian finally stopped speaking, though a smile still remained on her face.
He looked at Lin Feiran, a strange light flashing in his eyes. Then he sat down next to her, tucked her hair behind her ear, and placed his hand on the back of her neck. This was actually a common hunting posture for demons.
He had laughed so hard that his voice was a little hoarse.
Lin Feiran's back immediately tensed up. The gesture, which was not intimate and even made one's hair stand on end, had a strangely comforting effect, at least to her.
Just as she felt inexplicably at ease yet strangely uneasy, she heard Ruo Xian speak again.
Lin Feiran turned to look at him, ignoring the strange feeling she had just experienced. She had learned her lesson and was now more concerned with the unspoken meaning behind his words.
"What constitutes a bigger secret? Where is the line drawn?"
As Xue naturally said, "Of course, my opinion matters. If I think it counts, then it counts."
Lin Feiran remained silent, then raised an eyebrow. Qingling looked at her, and a rare, lively expression appeared on her face: "Then I'm not curious anymore. This qualification should be given to the wise man."
Ru Xian laughed again upon hearing this.
With a bang, someone burst through the door, laughing before even speaking, and then said, "What's so funny? I want to hear it too!"
Lin Feiran turned her head and saw Xuan Zhen standing at the door, peeking in and out. The dog was acting suspiciously. Bi Qing was standing inside, her smile frozen on her lips. Xun Feifei was standing alone outside the door, her back to the door, as if she didn't recognize the people inside.
The moment Ru Xian looked up, Bi Qing immediately took a step back, slamming the door shut with a deafening roar. Then she stuffed the candy skewer in her hand into her mouth, chewing it with a crunching sound.
Biqing, calm down!
That pose...
That posture... the Lord actually wanted to devour Lin Feiran!
Author's note: Lin Feiran, in danger!
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