Chapter 43 The Two-Headed Serpent of Life and Bones
When Lin Chengye uttered that word, Guan Xiaoxian suddenly could no longer hear any other sounds in the world. Before her eyes, the rain-soaked leaves seemed to freeze in mid-air, neither falling nor stopping.
The word was carefully uttered by the girl before him, as if he were tearing out his own heart, waiting for her response.
In Guan Xiaoxian's eyes, Lin Chengye has always been a child.
Even if she's smarter and more composed, in the eyes of these elders, she's still just a child who's only lived for eighteen years.
When Guan Xiaoxian was at the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Sect, she couldn't help but think of that figure who risked everything to break through the Ninefold Formation. At first, it was the joy of finding a genius, the ease of finding a successor.
Occasionally, she would stop by the window when passing by the academy. She was always very careful, and each time she would put her finger to her lips before the teacher and servants could call out "Master," so that they would not make a sound.
Actually, she didn't do anything else; she just wanted to see Lin Chengye. She wanted to know if he had made any friends, if he had eaten well, and even if he was happier that day.
Over time, that joy somehow turned into heartache.
Her sect had many young men, most of whom were as proud and vibrant as lotuses in full bloom in the Heavenly Mystery Sect. But Lin Chengye was sometimes like a flower in full bloom, and sometimes like a flower withering and drooping. Guan Xiaoxian looked at Lin Chengye's often furrowed brows, but could do nothing about it.
She could see that an invisible mountain was pressing down on Lin Chengye. The position of young master of the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Sect was not an honor for her at the moment, but a burden.
The two of them were perhaps just not meant to be, Guan Xiaoxian once lamented, but she couldn't resist and asked Lin Chengye that night if he would take her in as his goddaughter.
She thought there would be no outcome to this matter.
Guan Xiaoxian's eyes also reddened, and she gradually smiled. She threw down her umbrella, ignoring the increasing rain, and stretched out her arms to hug Lin Chengye's shoulders tightly.
Lin Chengye heard the pounding of their hearts gradually merge, making her hands and feet go numb. Trembling, she reached out her drooping arms and hugged Guan Xiaoxian back, resting her forehead on her shoulder, trying to hide her own disheveled expression and her slightly red and swollen eyes.
Lin Chengye was actually a little short of breath from crying, and her vision was blurring. Guan Xiaoxian supported her with her strong arms, gently stroking her half-disheveled hair.
The rain was heavy, yet the world fell silent as a result. Guan Xiaoxian's voice was gentle as she comforted her, telling her not to be sad anymore, as crying easily would harm her health.
Suddenly Guan Xiaoxian sighed, and after that, Lin Chengye clearly heard a similarly sincere and tender response.
“My daughter Chengye is my beloved daughter.”
The rain around me is no longer a damp cry.
...
It was quite late when Lin Chengye returned to her and Bian Yi's courtyard. Guan Xiaoxian escorted her back, instructed someone to warm a bowl of ginger soup for her to ward off the cold, and told her to rest early and talk about other things tomorrow.
"I'll have someone pick an auspicious day and prepare a gift for you."
As Guan Xiaoxian was about to leave, she raised an eyebrow and patted Lin Chengye's shoulder with considerable pride. She was rather curious about who Lin Chengye's biological mother was and how she had raised such a child.
"This is a big deal. Everyone in the martial arts world should know that the leader of the Tianji Sect has a daughter."
"Then I..."
To formally acknowledge Guan Xiaoxian as his godmother, the exchange of tokens, the kowtow, and the formal address are all essential rituals. Lin Chengye was momentarily flustered and patted herself on the back. She wasn't short of money, but she truly had nothing meaningful to give Guan Xiaoxian.
"Don't worry about that, it's just a formality. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to formally call me Mother in front of others. Even if you and I both know it's just a formality, I still need to tell the whole world to put my mind at ease."
Guan Xiaoxian whispered mysteriously in her ear again.
"Don't worry about that yet, you have other things to do."
Lin Chengye smiled and agreed, then watched Guan Xiaoxian walk into the heavy rain with an umbrella. The head of the Shen Shu Tian Ji Sect stood tall and straight, his magnificent robes adorned with jade and gold belts, yet still the practical attire of a martial artist.
Lin Chengye kept staring at that person's back, watching her gradually blur into a deep blue. That deep blue turned around at the corner and waved her sleeve at her, so she hurriedly responded, until that bright color disappeared and the world turned into a gray shadow again.
Suddenly, she heard a very faint sob. She wasn't even sure if it was her imagination. Lin Chengye snapped out of her daze, quickly walked across the corridor, and stopped in front of the house on the edge of the corridor.
After thinking it over, she decided not to go in directly. Instead, she poked a hole in the window with her finger and secretly peeked inside.
Bian Yi's eyes were tightly closed, her expression one of extreme pain. Sweat soaked her temples, tears welled up under her right eye, and her lower lip was bitten so hard it turned purple, the blood seeping from the corner of her lips staining her white collar a dark red.
She sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, her hands gripping her knees tightly, the veins on her hands bulging and even turning blood red. Bian Yi's internal energy was inexplicably chaotic and uncontrollable, rampaging through the room, scattering porcelain bottles and books all over the floor, leaving it in a mess.
The blue veins looked like a long worm wriggling, crawling out from Bian Yi's neck and approaching his head step by step, until they reached his chin.
This is a sign of internal energy going astray and demonic possession!
This only happens when one's mind is unsettled or one's emotions fluctuate too much during internal energy cultivation. Now, the internal energy has already reversed its flow to the neck, making it difficult to suppress.
If the cultivation technique is reversed and affects the brain, the person will bleed from all seven orifices due to the impact of the technique, become insane and unconscious, and may even eat their own limbs, dying in an extremely undignified manner.
Lin Chengye was startled and was about to push the door open when Bian Yi suddenly reached out and pressed several acupoints on her body. The bulging veins finally stopped, and the reversed power was forcibly suppressed, stopping at her neck. She suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood that had been stuck in her chest, the bright red blood standing out against the moonlight, a truly shocking sight.
Lin Chengye breathed a sigh of relief, but felt even more sorrowful, fearing that the two women would both be sleepless tonight due to similar feelings.
Bian Yi took a few heavy breaths, without even opening her eyes, and just whispered.
"Chengye, I'm fine. You should go back and rest first."
Lin Chengye's fingers, which were resting on the door, paused for a moment, and then he let his hands fall limply to his sides. She responded.
"...Okay, you should go to sleep early too."
It seems like they're growing further and further apart. Even though Bian Yi is hiding less and less, and she's learning more and more, they should understand each other perfectly.
Lin Chengye felt that the corridor was very long this time, and the house at the end was quite far away; she would have to put in some effort to get there. Suddenly, as if thinking of something, Lin Chengye stopped and looked back.
She suddenly realized that their separation was not necessarily a contradiction.
Just like now, she is constantly meeting new people and forming new connections.
She was simply moving forward, while Bian Yi remained stationary.
...
"Mom, why are you waking me so early in the morning..."
As dawn broke, the first rays of sunlight struggled to pierce through the thick layers of dark clouds and finally landed on the eaves of the house.
Guan Yue was still a little dazed, yawning as he pushed open the door to the main hall of the Tianji Sect, his tone still carrying a hint of intimacy. But suddenly, when he saw that all the elders were inside, his eyes widened abruptly, and he snapped out of his reverie, swallowing back the half-joking complaint that was about to follow.
Guan Nan first looked at Guan Xiaoxian at the top of the main hall. Although the man's expression was serious, his brows were relaxed. Guan Nan breathed a sigh of relief, but when he saw Lin Chengye and Bian Yi standing on the left and right sides of Guan Xiaoxian, he rubbed his eyes in surprise.
What's going on? Guan Yuenan frantically winked at Bian Yi, who blinked blankly, her face quite pale, almost as pale as her moon-white robes. He then looked at Lin Chengye, who also shook his head slightly.
"Sect Master." Guan Yue finally suppressed his doubts, changed his expression, and respectfully bowed to Guan Xiaoxian before retreating to the last seat of the elders' seats on both sides.
Seeing that everyone had gathered, Guan Xiaoxian didn't waste any words and spoke.
"I have gathered you all here today to use you as witnesses. This is because it concerns our family's treasures, and I must show them to you."
These words echoed through the silent and empty hall, reverberating among the pillars. Everyone understood their meaning, but the elders still looked up at each other in surprise, none daring to voice their doubts.
This was no tone for negotiation. Guan Yue blinked; he wasn't about to contradict his mother. Guan Xiaoxian was known for her iron-fisted methods in managing her family, and while she didn't often speak in this tone, each time her words were firm and left no room for argument.
Moreover... he suddenly looked up at a square box covered with red silk that Guan Xiaoxian had placed behind him. It was at least six feet long and wide, and he could not hide the joy in his eyes.
Guan Xiaoxian ripped off the red silk, startling the creature in the cage. It suddenly opened its blood-red mouth, revealing sharp teeth that bit into the cage. However, its body was bound by a mechanism and could not move. Its neck was forked in two, like coral branches protruding, its tongue hissing as it extended and retracted, and its four eyes constantly darted in different directions.
The two-headed snake! Just as Guan Yuenan said, one head is black and purple, the other gray and white, and both heads share a single black tail.
"Shutting down the gatekeeper is unacceptable!"
Before the elders could say anything, Lin Chengye's expression changed, and he hurriedly knelt down in front of Guan Xiaoxian.
This favor was too great for her to bear immediately. Besides, she was worried that doing so might cause dissatisfaction among the sect members towards Guan Xiaoxian. Lin Chengye looked anxious and was about to refuse.
“My mind is made up, unless you refuse to acknowledge me as your mother.”
Guan Xiaoxian remained calm, clearly having anticipated Lin Chengye's words. She did not speak again, but simply gazed gently at the girl kneeling in the main hall.
"I……"
Lin Chengye's throat tightened. She dreamed of restoring her meridians and returning to the way she could ride a horse across the grasslands. But when this opportunity was within her grasp, she hesitated time and again.
Guan Xiaoxian is now saving her, but also forcing her to make a promise in front of others.
The morning sunlight drifted in softly through the palace gates, gently enveloping Lin Chengye's body in its warmth, while the dust motes before him slowly condensed into a light veil in the golden light.
Lin Chengye gently closed his eyes and bowed to the ground. When he stood up again, a smile flickered in his eyes, but tears streamed down his face.
Guan Xiaoxian understood him at a glance. She was secretly delighted, gently closed her eyes, and heard the young man's sincere and passionate promise tremble in the hall as he spoke each word.
"My mother's plans for her daughter are far-reaching, and her kindness is as heavy as a mountain. I will never forget it. However, the blood feud has not yet been avenged. If I am still alive, when the day comes that the shame is wiped out, I will surely inherit the seal of the sect leader and share my mother's burden!"
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