Chapter 47 Strange Things Happen on the Road: The Fox Worships the Moon, the Old Fish Jumps in the Waves
The expressions of the people present were all different. Lin Feiran then realized the ambiguity in the words and was about to explain when he saw Biqing and Xuanzhen rummaging through their mustard seed bags.
"What are you doing?" Lin Feiran asked.
Biqing didn't even look up: "I'm thinking about how much to give in the red envelopes."
Xuan Zhen was somewhat melancholy: "I haven't saved up many jade coins."
"...Wait a minute!" Lin Feiran grabbed the two people's hands with both hands. "It's a bit too fast...No, everyone misunderstood. It's just that the Lord has trouble sleeping at night and is looking for someone to chat with to relieve his fatigue! If any of you have trouble sleeping at night, you can also ask me to keep you company."
Compared to Xuan Zhen Bi Qing's teasing, Xun Fei Fei was much calmer: "The Lord has never sought our company to relieve his boredom over the years. He prefers to be alone."
Ping An agreed: "I have known the Lord for many years, and I have only ever seen him find others annoying. I have never seen him actively seek out people."
Upon hearing this familiar description, Lin Feiran remained silent for a moment before saying, "Are you all going to say that you haven't seen the Venerable One laugh like this in many years?"
Ping An was amused by these remarks and couldn't help but snort: "It's not that bad. I still laugh often, it's just that I'm quite arrogant."
Xun Feifei removed her mask and sat down beside Bi Qing, still somewhat rational: "The Lord's temperament is unpredictable, and he often does surprising things. We are just a little surprised, and we have no other intentions."
Biqing took out several jade knives, all green and three inches long, and couldn't help but laugh: "What I want is not a red envelope, but a skirt-pressing knife. It was sent by the clan elders. It is made of clear water jade and engraved with runes. It can be used for protection and also for drawing blades."
She handed the jade knives to Lin Feiran and Ping An, teasingly saying, "We know the Lord's temperament; we're just surprised, we won't overthink it."
Xuanzhen chuckled twice, then raised her head and said, "That's what I think too. What I want to take is..."
Before Xuanzhen could even display the items, a mist gathered in the room, as hazy as the drizzle outside the window, with a faint fragrance of plum blossoms that was refreshing and delightful.
The next moment, Ru Xian appeared in the private room.
Xuan Zhen stared blankly, momentarily distracted, and slammed the paper package in her hand heavily on the table: "Lord, Lord!"
Ru Xian glanced at everyone, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Not welcome?"
Xuanzhen immediately shook her head, quite delighted: "No, why would the Venerable One come today!"
The demon race has always loved lively gatherings. In the past, whenever they got together, they always wanted to invite Ru Xian to join them. However, his daily routine was different from that of ordinary people. He did not sleep at night and needed to catch up on sleep during the day. In addition, he preferred quiet and rarely participated in such gatherings. Therefore, they rarely had the opportunity to enjoy themselves with him.
Upon hearing this, Ru Xian's gaze slowly fell on Lin Feiran, her captivating peach blossom eyes narrowing slightly: "Ask her."
Everyone gasped, their intense gazes fixed on Lin Feiran.
Xun Feifei recalled Lin Feiran's earlier words and couldn't help but smile, saying meaningfully, "It's been many years since I've seen the Venerable One go out to a banquet. It's probably because of the rain."
Lin Feiran: "..."
She hesitated for a moment: "Because of the previous mention of the welcoming banquet, and everyone wanting the Lord to attend, I invited him."
Biqing patted her shoulder and nodded emphatically: "We understand."
Now he can't explain himself.
The conversation came first, followed by the invitation. If it were just one thing, it would be fine, but the fact that two things happened in quick succession makes it all the more intriguing.
Xuanzhen thoughtfully moved her paper bag to the left, making room for Ruxian, a space next to Lin Feiran.
Ru Xian remained silent and calmly sat down. The hem of her golden-white robe fell onto Lin Feiran's shoes, reminding her of that burning dream. She suddenly pulled her legs back under the stool, looked up at everyone, and felt inexplicably guilty.
In my dream, the same robes were engulfed by flames in an instant and turned to ashes.
The difference is that the robe in the dream was not only embroidered with peacock feathers in gold thread, but also with a picture of a goddess sleeping.
A picture of a goddess sleeping, which she had never seen before.
Above the gleaming feathers, a goddess draped in brocade and adorned with gold and jade is surrounded, but her face is completely bare. She reaches out to grasp the sun as if to fly to heaven, yet she leans against a branch, actually asleep.
Vines intertwined on the tree, tightly binding her bare feet and slender waist, so that she wouldn't fall from the branches. The scene was peaceful, yet shrouded in a faint sense of melancholy and eeriness.
"Does the hem of your robe look good?" A slightly cool voice came from beside me.
Lin Feiran then came to her senses. She raised her head, her guilt gone, and asked, "Your Majesty, is the embroidery on your robe always lotus?"
Ru Xian looked at her closely for a moment and said, "Yes, why are you suddenly asking this?"
Lin Feiran shook her head: "I'm just curious."
She thought that in the past, a king dreamed of a goddess at night, so lifelike that he felt as if he were there. He even ordered his ministers to compose poems to describe the goddess's beauty. Perhaps she was the same, and it was all just a dream.
"Is that so?" Ru Xian looked at her, her emerald eyes flickering slightly, as if she were thinking about something.
...
Ru Xian's arrival had no effect; on the contrary, it aroused Xuan Zhen and Bi Qing's desire to confide even more. Between serving dishes, they were already gesturing wildly and vividly talking about their trip to Daohe Palace.
His words were slightly exaggerated, yet extremely moving. If he hadn't become an envoy, but a storyteller, he would surely have been a rising star. In particular, when he talked about the destruction of Liuzhu Pavilion, Ping An was full of amazement.
She put down her chopsticks and looked at Lin Feiran with a curious expression: "I had heard about it before in Jingchuan, and I thought it was some kind of technique. But now, after listening to their description, you can release it without forming hand seals or incantations. It seems more like pure spirit control?"
Lin Feiran explained, "It is indeed not from the cultivation technique; those exploding white lights are spiritual energy itself."
Her spiritual veins were unusual, much deeper than those of ordinary people, allowing her to absorb several times more spiritual energy and convert it into spiritual power. However, she could only retain a fraction of it; any more she absorbed would quickly dissipate. Thus, she devised a technique during a magical duel in Jingchuan.
Since a large amount of spiritual energy cannot be retained, it should be gathered and released as pure spiritual energy in the instant of breathing. Without the guidance of hand seals and incantations, the spiritual energy will fall into chaos. The more spiritual energy that surges out, the stronger the chaos will be.
Upon hearing this, Ping An exclaimed, "What a rare method! It's a pity that our spiritual veins are different from yours. If we were to use this method, our spiritual veins would surely explode and we would die."
Biqing clapped her hands and asked, "Has this technique been named? What is it called?"
Lin Feiran shook his head: "It's just a trick, quite unorthodox compared to traditional techniques, so there's no need to name it."
Seeing her enthusiasm, Lin Feiran nodded in agreement and placed a piece of roasted pork into her bowl: "This is a token of my gratitude."
Bi Qing chuckled and readily accepted: "With this secret technique, you will surely dominate the battlefield and become a vanguard after entering Spring City!"
She was extremely pleased with the name she came up with in a flash of inspiration; her eyes and brows were beaming with joy. If she had a tail, it would be wagging it happily right now!
The wind outside the window gradually subsided, and a light rain began to fall, dispelling the summer heat. Xuanzhen got up and opened the window, letting a cool breeze into the room.
Ru Xian suddenly said, "If anyone wishes to accompany me on this trip to Chuncheng, they are welcome to come along."
Xuanzhen's eyes widened: "But the Pilgrimage Ceremony is a grand event for the human race; the demon race cannot participate..."
Xun Feifei pondered and said, "This year's Pilgrimage Ceremony coincides with the Flying Flower Gathering. The Holy Spirit is involved, and the rules have changed. Although we don't know the details of the changes, it certainly won't be like the past when we compete on stage. Besides, while demons are not allowed to participate in the Pilgrimage Ceremony, there is no rule prohibiting demons from entering Spring City. In any case, it won't hurt to give it a try."
Biqing was still somewhat hesitant: "If we all leave, how will the demon capital be protected?"
Ping An, who was engrossed in eating, immediately raised his hand and said indifferently, "I'm here too. I have no relatives, no demands, and I've always been content with my lot since I was a child. I've never suffered. A trip to Chuncheng is meaningless to me. I might as well stay in Yaodu and be a local tyrant!"
As she finished speaking, she rubbed her hands together with a hint of excitement: "At that time, I will have people plant golden bamboo all over the Demon Capital, and live a life like that of immortals!"
Xun Feifei immediately shot her a sharp look: "No, it's already late summer. By the time we get to Chuncheng, it will be autumn. The bamboo leaves will be yellow and falling, covering the ground, which will be harmful..."
Ping An immediately covered her ears: "We'll finish eating before you head back!"
Xuanzhen began to fantasize: "If I had the chance, would I be able to see my mother and brothers and sisters again?"
Lin Feiran stared at him blankly, thinking of Xuanzhen's past, and comforted him, "They definitely will. They might have already established their territory in the demon realm."
Xuanzhen stared in disbelief: "You mean dogs can... oh, you mean the Greyhound clan? They're in the Southeast Border, I met them when I was patrolling the border with Brother Fei. I'm talking about my mother who raised me."
Xuan was raised by a stray dog that happened to be passing by.
Thinking of this, Lin Feiran looked apologetic: "I'm sorry, I thought you would want to find your original clansmen."
"It's alright, everyone thinks that way." Xuanzhen patted her reassuringly. "I don't want to find them, but I am indeed a little curious as to why they didn't want me back then. My mother said it's normal for a puppy to be a little curious!"
Lin Feiran smiled: "That's normal."
Bi Qing added, "Lin Feiran, you should practice more with Sister Ping these days. Who knows, you might be able to break through to the next realm!"
Before Lin Feiran could speak, Ru Xian said, "It's difficult. If I were her, I would hone my magic skills properly."
Before Biqing could retort, he deftly cut her off.
"In the past, there was a sage among the human race who, in order to attain enlightenment, sat in a bamboo forest for seven days in his mortal body, vomiting three liters of blood, but gained nothing and became increasingly confused. However, after experiencing all kinds of things in the world and seeing all kinds of people, he suddenly had an epiphany in a cave one day, entered the fasting of the mind, ascended to the state of sitting in oblivion, broke through ten realms in succession, stepped into the return to truth, and became a sage overnight."
This is how humans attain enlightenment; it doesn't rely on life and death, but rather on that elusive mind.
Xun Feifei seemed to share the same sentiment and said, "No need to rush. Perhaps you will be like this sage, slow to understand, but once you do, you will understand something profound that will astound the world."
Lin Feiran: "...Thank you for your kind words."
He certainly knows how to comfort people.
"Then why did you come to Spring City?"
Xun Feifei raised the corners of his slightly lowered eyes, and his usually indifferent expression finally showed some fluctuation. He said, "I want to ask for a medicine."
Seeing Lin Feiran's puzzled expression, he smiled faintly: "You probably don't know that the demon race is distinguished by bloodline, so there is no difference in surnames, just like Xuanzhen and Biqing. But I am different. I was raised by humans in the human realm from a young age. My family is the Xun family, who hoped that I would soar high, so I was named Xun Feifei."
Lin Feiran then realized: "No wonder... then why did you get the medicine?"
Xun Feifei chuckled helplessly and raised her hand to touch the sides of her cheeks: "You probably haven't looked closely. There are two thin marks on my cheeks. They are the wounds that the Venerable One stitched up for me when I was lacerated back then."
A scissor without roots will not heal once severed, but this punishment was not enough; they also wanted to silence me. I fled to the human world and was rescued by the Xun family. My enemies were furious and had my parents also subjected to the punishment of having their mouths split open.
"I am a cultivator, and after being stitched up, I can still use my own spiritual power to repair myself. But they are mortals; without spiritual medicine, they will have to live with these crippled bodies for the rest of their lives."
The private room fell silent. It was already night outside the window, and the rain had stopped, leaving only the dripping of water from the eaves.
Upon closer inspection under the light, Lin Feiran could indeed see two thin, silver-like scars. No wonder he always wore a silver face; he had long been accustomed to it.
After a long pause, she finally asked, "Why did you suffer such a terrible misfortune?"
Xun Feifei laughed, a rare occurrence for him. He tapped his lips and said in a low voice, "Because we are the Spirit Raven lineage of the Feather Clan. Ravens are always considered unlucky."
Lin Feiran, however, was not as nonchalant as him. She frowned slightly and said, "Don't worry, if the demon race cannot operate in Chuncheng, you can tell me the medicinal herbs and I will find them for you."
Xun Feifei was taken aback, not expecting her to say such a thing, but then she thought about her usual behavior and felt there was no need to be surprised: "I also sincerely wish you success in breaking through several realms. In the clan, my mouth is the most eloquent."
Lin Feiran readily accepted: "Thank you for your kind words."
At this point in the conversation, Biqing suddenly asked, "If you were to meet a sage, what would you want?"
Lin Feiran's eyes flickered slightly. She stood up and walked to the window, looking at the bright moon. Her voice was distant: "Yes, but it's not anything lofty. Like Xuanzhen, I just want to see my family."
Under the moonlight, one could vaguely see the light figure of her mother dancing. She was a dancer from Jinling Ferry, performing the most beautiful sand-walking dance she had ever seen in her life.
...
The moon hangs high in the sky, a fox worships the moon, and an old fish leaps in the waves.
Amidst this eerie scene, Lin Feiran huddled uneasily beside her father, gazing wistfully at the woman dressed in light gauze, who seemed like a fairy descended from the lake.
"Mother, do we have to jump here? Can't we do it inside the mansion?"
The mother's voice was clear and crisp as she waved her hand, "No, no, nothing in the mansion is as beautiful as this place. What is the Sand-Treading Dance? It means that in the most dangerous places, one must walk on sand!"
“That’s right!” Lin Lang naturally supported it; he would support whatever Qingqing said!
Lin Feiran could only sigh and cling tightly to Lin Lang.
At her signal, Lin Lang took out a drum and struck the side of it a few times, startling Baiyue's fox tail, which bristled and it bared its teeth and arched its back in that direction.
She took her first step, her bare feet touching the light sand without making a sound, but suddenly a gentle breeze swirled up, lifting the shawl around her wrist.
The second step is that thin clouds surge up, obscuring half of the moonlight.
The third step: the wind stopped and the clouds ceased, everything was silent. Several foxes rushed from the mountaintop towards her, extremely ferocious. In the still lake behind her, countless blue fish leaped out, only to crash back onto the surface as if dying.
The sound of water, accompanied by light and bright drumbeats, is like a harmonic embellishment, or a stubborn resistance.
She slowly closed her eyes, her posture moving with the drumbeats, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, as light as the ethereal clouds, as soft as newly blossoming flowers and leaves. Suddenly, her steps stopped, she spun around, and her aura changed dramatically. The ethereal clouds seemed to gather into mountains, resounding like a great bell amidst the vast righteous energy. The blossoming flowers and leaves were sharper than blades, slicing through the air, their shadows endless.
The sand swirled beneath her feet, the moon's shadow was hazy in the air, and she went faster and faster until the drumbeats abruptly stopped, at which point she suddenly opened her eyes.
A flash of golden light appeared in his eyes, causing the pack of foxes to stop in their tracks. They retracted their fangs, lowered their bodies, and slowly retreated as if in worship. The fish in the lake also gradually fell silent and disappeared underwater.
In the mountains and fields, something seemed to break free from its constraints, and suddenly everything became clear, even the wind carrying the fragrance of warm flowers.
Lin Feiran stared blankly at everything, watching her mother walk towards her. As her mother got closer and closer, perhaps due to her impaired memory, her mother's face became increasingly blurry, and Lin Feiran couldn't even hear what she said.
Just as she was feeling wistful, she suddenly heard a few gurgling sounds coming from the lake. Lin Feiran immediately looked over, but the two people in her dream seemed not to have noticed and were still talking to her.
Suddenly, a pair of enormous eyes slowly rose from the lake, their pupils moving as they carefully examined the dreamlike scene, sending chills down one's spine.
Lin Feiran was genuinely frightened. She cried out and searched for her sword everywhere, but to no avail. Instead, her eyes peered over the dead fish floating on the water's surface, getting closer and closer until they reached the shore.
"Don't be afraid, child, it's just me gurgling!"
The sound was like someone choking on water, and it seemed somewhat familiar. Lin Feiran's heart pounded, but she forced herself to calm down.
She tentatively asked, "Grandmaster?"
"Yes!" The Grandmaster said somewhat embarrassedly, "If I were to meet you now, it would only be in my dreams. I apologize for disturbing your reunion with your family."
The enormous eyes floated on the lake, blinking occasionally, which was so terrifying that Lin Feiran simply looked away, but her hands still instinctively gripped her parents in her dream.
"Grandmaster, what is it?"
Knowing that he was no longer handsome, the master sank into the water, but little did he know that his appearance would be even more terrifying.
"I've come here today to tell you that if you want to go to Spring City, you must change your appearance and identity so that no one can recognize you."
Lin Feiran turned her gaze back upon hearing this, looking utterly puzzled: "Why?"
The grandmaster looked at her and said seriously, "Because, no matter what, the Iron Khitan Book has been tainted by you. Possessing a treasure is a crime, and someone will likely come looking for trouble for you."
"Is that the reason?" She had already realized it when she took the alchemical book.
"No, the most important thing is not to let them see you."
Author's Note: Grandmaster: oooOOooOOOO
Lin Feiran: ...
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