Chapter 251 Though Dead, Still Alive (At the Ends of the Earth) "A few moments later..."
Apart from Gu Yu's residence, all the other houses in Yu Luo City are built with water and Yuhua stones, creating a fresh and unique style. Walking through the city, you'll experience rain every three steps and a waterfall every five steps.
The giant Kun was originally a sea creature, so it naturally liked it very much. Therefore, the Shennv Sect members who came and went in the alley rarely carried umbrellas. They walked alone, and the rain flowed down their hair and arms, but left no trace.
Lin Feiran walked among them, holding a golden umbrella, her expression unchanged, and she even had the mind to look at the flower pots on the side of the street.
"The flowers here must have been transplanted from Jihai; they are quite unusual."
The spirit of the Golden Wave Sword appeared under the umbrella, its face veil fluttering in the rain and wind, a shawl wrapped around its shoulders, and its leather-armored hands resting on the umbrella handle.
Lin Feiran felt embarrassed to let her senior shield her from the umbrella, so she said, "Senior, I'll take care of it."
The Golden Wave Sword Spirit did not stop. She laughed and said, "I haven't even held an umbrella for you yet, so there's no need to refuse. I am a senior, after all. How can I let a junior take care of me?"
Lin Feiran was taken aback, then smiled and said, "Then I, the junior, will take a break."
The two walked side by side onto the stone path. After a while, the sword spirit suddenly spoke up: "Aren't you worried?"
"Did you hear that?"
Lin Feiran deftly twirled the silver coins in his right hand, glancing around as he spoke, though his tone was far from indifferent.
"Of course I'm worried; that's a death sentence."
Death and certain death are worlds apart.
The sword spirit was somewhat surprised and turned her head to look at him. If she had eyes, she should be looking at Lin Feiran right now.
"Is this a bit unexpected? But I don't want to die not because of worry or fear, but because I can't bear to leave."
Lin Feiran was still looking at the flowerpots along the street, her voice soft and gentle, almost blending into the drizzle.
"I've met some really good friends, acquired an incredibly powerful weapon, and found someone I love. Compared to the past, I'm actually quite reluctant to die."
Her voice was calm, yet there was a subtle undercurrent of emotion: "I couldn't bear to leave, so I came out for a walk to clear my head."
The sword spirit remained silent upon hearing this, but tightened its grip on the umbrella handle slightly.
Lin Feiran suddenly stopped and stood in front of one of the flower shops.
This place is inhabited by the Great Kun clan, and there aren't many people, only about two or three hundred. As a result, some small shops have sprung up here.
The flowers along the street were grown by one of the shops. In front of the shop where she stood, a pot of purple flowers was hanging, with a few snowy stamens hanging down, spreading a delicate fragrance in the rain.
Lin Feiran looked up and saw raindrops rolling down the edge of the umbrella, forming a curtain that intermittently separated the inside from the outside.
"I won't let anything happen to you," the sword spirit suddenly said.
Lin Feiran smiled and asked, "If I'm gone, where are you going? Pilgrimage Valley is completely closed, and there's no way to go back now. How about going to Yaodu? Biqing and the others like you quite a bit."
The sword spirit did not answer, but the two were not far apart, so the slightly heavy breathing that was different from usual reached Lin Feiran's ears. It seemed that the sword spirit had been holding back these words for a long time, but finally could not hold back.
"If anything happens to you, I will no longer remain in this world."
Lin Feiran had only asked a question initially, but now she looked at him with some surprise: "Why?"
Although sword spirits are born from the sword master, they also have their own will. They rarely choose to die because of the sword master's death. While the sword master is alive, they will be the most loyal companions and are even willing to die in his place. However, after the sword master dies, all ties are severed, and they will not be buried with him. They will only slumber, waiting to be awakened again.
Ultimately, it is a spirit, different from humans, and cannot be measured or understood by human laws. Lin Feiran never thought that the sword spirit would say such a thing.
The sword spirit calmed down and paused for a long time before replying, "The reason I stayed in this world was because your mother said she wanted to see what you would look like when you grew up, and if fate allowed, she wanted me to accompany you for a while."
If it weren't for this, I wouldn't have stayed here for so many years.
"So she said something like that before."
Lin Feiran blinked, wiped the water splashed on her chin, and spoke in her usual voice, it was unclear whether she was speaking to the sword spirit or to herself.
"It's hard to look back on what happened in the past, but I've always believed that as long as people move forward, they will definitely find a way out, and I have indeed found one."
Look, I should have died long ago, but I'm still alive.
"Then I will live on."
She turned to look at the sword spirit and smiled, "It seems you'll have to endure many more years of hardship with me; you won't be able to dissipate easily."
"New fellow Daoist, are you here to buy flowers?"
The shopkeeper came out; she was a tall female cultivator, even taller than Lin Feiran.
She followed the gaze and saw the drooping bouquet, and smiled apologetically.
"Want this? It's called a silky kite. It's supposed to grow on the coast, but it doesn't live long here. I've planted it many times."
Lin Feiran just smiled and said, "But I've seen it. It's the most beautiful one on this street. It even shines when it gets wet."
The shopkeeper smiled and said, "You have a good eye. The pheasant becomes bright when it is in water, and it is also called the Pearl of the Sea. When you see it underwater, you know that the other shore is ahead."
Lin Feiran looked up, her eyes slightly narrowed, and her brows slowly relaxed.
Sometimes, enlightenment comes in an instant, perhaps from seeing a flower bloom or from being drenched in a light rain.
With two clinking sounds, Lin Feiran tossed the money in her hand into the shopkeeper's hand: "I'll take them all."
She smiled and held two pots of flowers, then held up one and handed it to the sword spirit.
"I said something unpleasant and made you angry. Is this potted plant a way to atone for my sins?"
The cloying fragrance filled the air, becoming lighter in the rain. The sword spirit seemed to have not expected this action and stood there stunned for a moment. After a while, she let out a long sigh, as if she was somewhat unable to resist.
She reached out and took it, then brought it close to her nose and sniffed it before exclaiming, "Your mother isn't as eloquent as you. If it were her, she would definitely have stuck her neck out today and made a scene that would have made people grit their teeth."
Lin Feiran was somewhat surprised: "I'm very good at talking?"
The two turned to go back, but the sword spirit didn't say anything, only glancing at the potted flower: "Can't you speak? Let me ask you, did you really come out for a walk?"
Lin Feiran, holding the flowerpot, nodded blankly: "My death is imminent, and my mind is in turmoil, so I came out to clear my head. What's wrong with that?"
"So, are you planning to keep this other potted pheasant for yourself?"
Lin Feiran glanced at it and said frankly, "Of course not, this pot is for Ruxian. It's the prettiest one on the whole street."
After speaking, she paused, realizing the unspoken meaning in the sword spirit's words. Her face flushed slightly, and she quickly explained, "I didn't come for that. I just saw some pretty flowers along the way, so I brought a bouquet for him."
The sword spirit chuckled, shook his head, and said nothing more.
Compared to their slow and deliberate pace, the two walked back much more briskly. Lin Feiran had spent quite a bit of time outside pondering and clearing her mind. When she pushed open the gate of Guyu Courtyard, it was already evening. A light drizzle was falling, and a few corner lanterns were lit between the long corridor and the rockery.
There was a person standing in the courtyard, but it was not Ruxian, but Miaoshan who had just returned.
She looked somewhat tired, with noticeable scars on her wrists and her skirt torn to shreds, but her expression remained ethereal as she gazed silently at the lights in the corridor.
Hearing footsteps, she turned around and nodded slightly: "You're back."
Lin Feiran immediately stepped forward and sheltered her under the umbrella, looking apologetic: "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were coming now. I hope I haven't been waiting too long? Is Senior Guyu here?"
Miao Shan shook her head, glanced down at the flowerpot in her hand, and answered in one breath, "I just arrived too. Gu Yu went to make medicine. I am a sea creature, and not using an umbrella is more conducive to wound healing."
Lin Feiran took two steps back, but after thinking for a moment, he still invited her into the room.
As she passed the left wing, she paused and glanced inside. Ru Xian was still lying on the long couch, showing no signs of waking up. Her eyes flickered slightly, and she placed the kite on the windowsill, then held up an umbrella to shield it from the rain before turning around and entering with Miao Shan.
A single lamp was lit in the room. Miaoshan sat down with her hands clasped together, uttered a greeting, and then spoke directly.
“My mother is guarding the object of divine punishment all day long and cannot get away, so she asked me to apologize to you and thank you for bringing the fire, allowing the Goddess Sect and her people to see the light of day again. To express her gratitude, she has something to give you.”
She stretched out her right hand, and amidst the swirling mist, a simple, unremarkable stone appeared. It was the size of a brick, grayish-blue in color, with many small holes carved along its edges, like a weathered mountain rock, seemingly fragile enough to crumble at the slightest touch.
Lin Feiran didn't accept it easily. If it were just a rock, that wouldn't be a problem, but he was afraid it might be a spiritual treasure from their sect: "What is this?"
Miao Shan lowered her eyes and looked down. This time, she remained silent for a long time. After her lips moved slightly, she said with certainty, "This should be a stone."
"..." The two looked at each other, then looked away.
Miao Shan blinked: "I asked too, but my mother insisted it was a stone. However, your mother used to be very interested in it."
She looked at Lin Feiran: "I've already asked my mother about the matter at the ends of the earth."
She said that the female cultivator who crossed those restrictive magic arrays to reach the Goddess Sect was named Jin Lan, and she was indeed your mother. You two bear a striking resemblance; she vaguely recognized you when she saw you in the secret chamber.”
Miaoshan placed the bluestone in Lin Feiran's hand, preventing her from refusing it.
"Back then, your mother stayed at the Goddess Sect for several months. Apart from trying to find the location of Tianya Haijiao, she spent the rest of her time trying to pry this stone off. She even broke several magical artifacts, but to no avail."
Not long ago, my mother simply leveled the mountain, unearthed this blue stone, and gave it to you.
Lin Feiran paused, looked at the stone, and didn't know how to speak.
Judging from the descriptions of acquaintances, my mother was not a conventional person. She pried open this stone, perhaps because it was a treasure, or perhaps simply because it caught her eye, so she tried every means to take it away.
The stone was nothing special, but Lin Feiran couldn't easily judge its quality, so he simply accepted it and planned to ask the sword spirit later.
"Miss Lin, don't overthink it. The Goddess Sect has been trapped here for years and has nothing left. This is all we have to offer."
Miao Shan spoke sincerely, her face slightly flushed. She avoided Lin Feiran's gaze, raised her hand to brighten the candlelight, and continued.
"To get back to the point, the place your mother was looking for wasn't actually called the End of the World or the Corner of the Sea. It was a name she came up with herself because she didn't know where it was, so she called it that."
Lin Feiran put the bluestone away and pondered for a moment: "But do you know this place?"
"yes."
Miao Shan raised her hand, and water mist immediately gathered in her palm, condensing into a misty sky, from which the ice pillar fell.
"According to the records passed down from our ancestors, the so-called ends of the sky and the corners of the sea are actually at the end of the things that are punished by heaven."
Lin Feiran's gaze fell upon the swirling clouds behind the curtain of clouds, his brows furrowing slightly: "What's at the end?"
"have no idea."
Miao Shan withdrew her hand, and the condensed water mist fell down in a fine drizzle.
"According to the records, the end of the divine punishment object is still clouds and mist. There is nothing there except a snow cloud. However, one of the clan members once climbed up there by mistake."
Upon his return, his personality changed drastically; he remained silent all day. Then one day, he suddenly spoke to his people, telling them that the strange event was taking place there, and then he committed suicide.
Lin Feiran was somewhat surprised: "Suicide?"
Miao Shan sighed, "Yes, this matter is strange, but he didn't say anything, and his death was sudden. His clansmen know nothing about it. Later, one after another, people climbed to the top, trying to find the reason, but after climbing up, they only saw clouds."
To this day, the only one who has actually gone there and found this place is your mother.
"At that time, she climbed to the end of the Heavenly Punishment object and disappeared for a day and a night. When she reappeared, her face was no longer as relaxed as before, but her brows were furrowed and her body was covered in wounds."
She didn't say what was there. Her people were afraid she might suddenly try to kill herself, so they kept an eye on her. Fortunately, nothing happened, and her temperament didn't change.
She paused slightly: "However, ever since then, your mother has had to go through layers of illusions every year to come to the Goddess Sect, climb to the end, disappear for a few days, and then reappear covered in wounds."
At this point, Miao Shan herself felt confused. Seeing that Lin Feiran had also frowned, she sighed slightly and carefully chose what to say next.
"Later, about a year or two after I was born, your mother went to the Goddess Sect again. However, before she could repeat the same thing, she was ambushed by the secret sect near the snow mountain and was seriously injured. Later, with the cover of her clansmen, she was able to escape."
Lin Feiran paused, calculating the time in her mind. Miaoshan was only a few years older than her, so it must have been a few years before she was born.
She immediately pressed on, "And then? Did she come again?"
"Yes, she came one last time, a few years after she fled."
Miao Shan remained silent for a long time, her gaze falling on Lin Feiran. She seemed unsure how to speak, but she still uttered a Buddhist chant before speaking.
"This time, before the esoteric sects received the news, she had already gone to the end. But it only took her half a day. Half a day later, she appeared in the snowfield covered in blood."
Her clansmen offered to treat her, but she refused, saying that her injuries were too severe and beyond saving, and she didn't want to waste her time there. She wanted to go home and see her family one last time.
The Goddess Sect was trapped here and unable to help, so they could only watch her leave. Later, their people never saw her again.
Outside the window, the rain pattered softly, its sound like pearls falling onto a plate, melodious and clear. Inside, no one spoke for a moment, leaving only a gentle tranquility.
After a long while, Lin Feiran looked at the blue stone and raised her lips: "In that case, I must thank the Goddess Sect for taking care of my mother all these years. I will find an opportunity to put this stone at her grave."
Just then, the sound of rain came from outside, growing louder as it approached.
"Here she is, here she is. What could possibly happen to her? She's just a young girl, how can she stay cooped up in the house all day? Can't she go out for a walk? Can't she see the scenery of my Rainfall City?"
When did you become so dependent on others?
As they were speaking, two footsteps stopped in front of the door.
Gu Yu carried the ointment and stepped into the room in a few steps. The person who was muttering to herself suddenly changed her expression: "Miao Shan, why are you inside? You've worked hard today too, come and apply the medicine."
Miao Shan nodded slightly, said thank you, and then got up and moved half a seat.
The two moved in front of Lin Feiran, blocking most of his view. After they sat down, the tall and slender figure in front of the door was revealed.
Ru Xian looked at Lin Feiran, walked straight to her side, leaned against the table, and tilted her head to examine her for a moment.
He then raised his hand and touched her forehead: "Why do you look so worried after just a short while?"
Author's note: I could have updated before midnight! [crying emoji]
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