The first signs of trouble appeared when the wind rose over Qinshan.
Fu Lin paused for a moment, then looked at Xuan Ye and said with a smug smile, "On the contrary, you shouldn't be here. There's no room for you here."
From just a few words, Fu Lin gleaned a great deal of information. His disciple apparently knew that this was the Demon King, yet he still brought him in, let him sleep in the room, and had been doing so for several days!
"The hot water is here."
Oni Slayer and Onikiri each carried a basin of hot water into the room. After placing the basins by the bedside, Oni Slayer glanced at Furin and Genye, and then spoke up: "Lord Genye, let us take care of this. We know how to take care of Lord A-Jun."
Xuan Ye nodded, made way, and quietly watched as Onikiri wiped Huaiwen's face and hands. Meanwhile, Fulin, who was standing nearby, finally felt relieved after hearing Onikiri call Xuan Ye by his name.
He hadn't expected Huaiwen to trust Lingshan Xuanye so much that even her close little ghosts knew his true identity. In fact, these two little ghosts weren't afraid of him and trusted him just the same.
Fu Lin looked out the window again. The sky was getting dark, the bamboo leaves were no longer falling, and the previous feeling of depression was gone. At this moment, there were gusts of cool air blowing in.
Something seemed to streak across the sky, leaving a white shadow. Fu Lin remained silent, then turned to look at the busy little ghosts and the demon king.
He seemed to have made up his mind, stood up, gave Onimusha and Onikiri some instructions, and then left.
Xuan Ye saw that he left so readily, so he didn't say anything. He simply closed the door after Fu Lin left the room.
This earned him a mental record of being impolite, and one day, he would criticize him.
That night, Fu Lin learned many things from Bai Yuqi. For example, rumors were circulating that Ling Shan Xuan Ye wanted to kill Huai Wen. Huai Wen had brought back two little ghosts and a little white dog.
Fu Lin paused for a moment, which meant that apart from Huai Wen's house, no one in the entire Fengqin Mountain knew that Ling Shan Xuan Ye was here.
He unconsciously frowned.
Bai Yuqi cautiously probed Fu Lin, wondering if the little ghost and the little white dog couldn't stay on Fengqin Mountain.
Fu Lin snapped out of his reverie, looked at Bai Yuqi's worried expression, and smiled faintly. If that little white dog hadn't been a transformation of Ling Shan Xuan Ye, he would have agreed.
“I will talk to A-Jun about this. It’s getting late, you should go back and rest. I’ve just come out of seclusion and need to rest for a few days, so I’ll have to trouble you to take care of everything at Fengqin Mountain.”
"Yes, Master."
The red candlelight inside the room suddenly brightened, a subtle shift that interrupted Fu Lin's thoughts. He dismissed Bai Yuqi. After Bai Yuqi left, Fu Lin extinguished the candlelight, stepped out of the room, and into the darkness.
Sunlight streamed onto the eaves, and the clouds gradually dispersed. Huaiwen awoke in the early morning.
She glanced at Onikiri, who was sleeping face down on the tatami mat beside her, and Gen Ye, who was lying by the bedside. She subconsciously touched her chest first, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that she was dressed.
They were sleeping soundly, and Huaiwen couldn't bear to wake them, so he carefully tried to pull away, but he still disturbed Xuan Ye.
"You're awake!"
Huaiwen made a shushing gesture, and Xuanye helped her sit up, asking softly, "Is there anything else that's bothering you?"
Huaiwen shook her head, then asked Xuan Ye to pour her a glass of water before saying, "Do you want to go back to sleep?"
Xuan Ye shook his head: "Tell me first, what happened? Why did you faint?"
Was it all a dream? Huaiwen wondered. Was all that happening while she was immersed in the clear pool just a dream? If it was, then this dream, guided by Pei Suqin, felt far too real.
Therefore, she felt that it was not a dream.
But this matter concerns the reputation of Fengqin Mountain and involves many things, so Huaiwen cannot tell Xuan Ye everything. Moreover, she wanted to kiss Xuan Ye in that dream, which she really couldn't say.
Therefore, Huaiwen only said that she was bewitched by the red spider lily, fainted in the clear water, and had a dream about Pei Suqin. She didn't go into any further details.
Xuan Ye could see that Huai Wen was being evasive, but he didn't press for answers. He simply said gently, "A-Jun, you can't leave me for too long in the future."
Even faster than Huaiwen's reply came Fulin. He brought some food, placed it on the table, and woke the two little ghosts to eat together.
Huaiwen felt like a child who had made a mistake. How could she explain that Lingshan Xuanye was here, and that the two little devils were also here?
“Master…” Huaiwen bit his lip, his eyes sparkling.
Seeing Huaiwen's expression, Fulin knew what she was thinking and said, "I know everything. Come and eat."
Huaiwen glanced at Xuan Ye and smiled brightly: "Okay."
Everyone at this meal had their own ulterior motives. Xuan Ye was displeased when he saw Fu Lin serving food to Huai Wen, his brows furrowed. What was even more infuriating was that Fu Lin not only served food to Huai Wen, but also served food to him.
He did everything he could to be a good person.
He hates people who pretend to be nice.
Huaiwen and Onikiri were enjoying their meal and conversation, completely unaware that Xuanye hadn't touched his chopsticks. Xuanye, still sulking, nudged Huaiwen's foot under the table.
Huaiwen then peeked out and saw that Xuan Ye had a long face, looking not only unhappy but also aggrieved.
While they were down the mountain, everyone was going to catch demons, and he was thinking about eating. Now that there's food readily available, he doesn't want to eat it anymore. Huaiwen sighed helplessly. This Lingshan Xuanye was really too different from what people outside said!
Well, she brought the person in, so she had a responsibility to take charge. Of course, she also had to give face to her master and try to please both sides. So, in front of Fulin, Huaiwen picked up a piece of meat and put it into Xuanye's bowl.
Under Xuan Ye's aggrieved yet stubborn gaze, she blinked and asked, "These are all my favorite foods. So my master thought you could eat them, and that's why he put them on your plate. Don't you like them?"
Xuan Ye's lips curled up instantly: "I love to eat."
"Then I'll put two more pieces on your plate."
Watching Huaiwen adorably coaxing Xuan Ye's purse, he sighed, "Your teacher doesn't even serve me any food."
Huaiwen suppressed a laugh, picked up a piece of green vegetable and put it into Fulin's bowl: "Master, I just came out of seclusion, so please eat something light."
"Outsiders eat meat, but Master eats vegetables!"
Huaiwen shook his head and replied with a smile, "There's still plenty of food left. Master likes it, so we won't waste it."
Fu Lin pretended to be angry and shouted, "I've raised you for nothing!"
Xuan Ye quickly answered before Huai Wen could, "Then I'll take care of it."
Huaiwen pouted and shook her head at the two of them, jokingly saying, "I'm not a pig that doesn't need to be fed. I can cook delicious food."
Demon Slayer and Demon Cutter then joined the conversation, saying that even without Fuuka Mountain, there was still the Kama Bureau. They even patted their chests and said that if Huaiwen were to inherit the Kama Bureau in the future, the two of them would follow him to the death.
The meal proceeded fairly pleasantly amidst laughter and conversation. However, after the meal, Fu Lin prepared to take Huai Wen's pulse and asked Xuan Ye and Gui Mie Gui Qie to leave.
Taking the pulse is real, but more importantly, the palpation should be discussed in detail with Huaiwen.
The master and disciple each went over the events surrounding Huaiwen's fainting spell. The conclusion, however, ultimately fell to Pei Suqin.
Huaiwen had too many questions about Pei Suqin. She wanted to know everything. After recounting what had happened underground about Pei Suqin, she tentatively asked Fulin, "Master, is there really a stone tablet under the Clear Water Pool?"
Fu Lin glanced at Huai Wen and chuckled, "I didn't expect her to have cultivated to this level as a ghost."
Fu Lin's expression turned serious, and Huai Wen frowned as he asked, "Master, what happened between you and her afterward?"
"Later..." Fu Lin paused, then chuckled again, "she lost her true self and made a mistake."
Huaiwen's eyes widened, and he asked incredulously, "Just because you don't love her? Has she lost her true self?"
For a long time, only the sound of the wind could be heard. Fu Lin pondered for a long time before slowly answering: "Love is terrifying. It brings not only happiness, excitement, and courage, but also sadness, heartbreak, and regret. All the beauty that love bestows can, at some point, become a sharp sword piercing the beloved. Emotion is this thing, the most difficult thing in the world to unravel. It is ever-changing; it can allow you to strike at the root of the problem when hope is slim, and achieve victory. It can also cause you to fail when victory is within your grasp."
If even love is two-sided, then what has brought peace to this world? But love is indeed two-sided, yet the world hasn't become too bad because of it.
Huaiwen thought for a long time, so long that there was a knock at the door. Fulin did not get up, but simply replied that it was not ready yet and told Xuanye outside not to come in.
“Master…” Huaiwen’s eyes were slightly red. She stood up and stared straight at Fulin. “You said that those who are without feelings and love are not worthy of attaining immortality. Then—Pei Suqin is your disciple. She is now a ghost and has brought disaster to the human world. What do you plan to do about it?”
Fu Lin closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them to look at Huai Wen: "Lingering in the human world will only intensify the resentment of a ghost. So let her start anew. A new life will be better."
This is also what Huaiwen wanted.
Only by starting anew can one find a new home in the next life.
"Ah-Jun, regarding the matter of Pei Suqin being reincarnated, I think..."
Before Fu Lin could finish speaking, Huai Wen spoke first: "Let me do it."
"you?"
Huaiwen forced a smile: "Eight hundred years ago, she was able to attain immortality in her early twenties. I think someone with such talent shouldn't be forgotten in the past. And the person who can empathize with her emotions is neither you, Master, nor me. But I am your disciple, which is why she tried to attach herself to me, so naturally it's most appropriate for me to handle this matter. But I hope that you will come before I persuade her to reincarnate."
Fu Lin was very pleased, and his heart was filled with endless emotions. From the moment he met Huai Wen, he knew that she was definitely different from his previous disciples.
In fact, Fu Lin takes on disciples only about once every hundred years, and each time the number is very small. In the past, he took on his disciples either by chance or because he glimpsed their spiritual roots.
But Huaiwen was different; he found it himself.
When Fu Lin looked at Huai Wen, there was a hint of sorrow and reluctance in her eyes: "A-Jun, don't go alone. You should go with your senior brother."
Huaiwen nodded, then stroked the bamboo slip and said, "Demon Slayer and Demon Slayer will remain here for now, waiting for your return. As for Lingshan Xuanye, what are your thoughts on him?"
Huaiwen looked towards the door, wondering if Xuan Ye was standing there. She felt that Xuan Ye's eyes could see everything clearly in the night, so his hearing must be very sharp as well.
She wasn't afraid that Xuan Ye had overheard something, but rather that she hadn't yet confirmed anything. However, she inevitably realized that Xuan Ye was a different kind of man to her than her master.
She knew what this difference represented.
To figure out these thoughts, she probably needs some time, some time to spend with Xuan Ye.
It's said that love has two sides, for humans and for demons alike. She didn't know what the other side of Lingshan Xuanye's current attitude towards her was. Perhaps, she wanted to know how he would choose on the opposite side.
In the end, Huaiwen could only silently communicate with Fulin: "Master, is he my calamity?"
Fu Lin frowned and nodded helplessly.
Huaiwen chuckled and continued his spiritual communication: "What you told Pei Suqin eight hundred years ago has now come back to haunt me. But what I cultivate is not ruthlessness and composure in this life. What I cultivate is the inherent goodness of the human heart and the peace of the world. Master, this tribulation is not a fateful one."
In that case, no matter how worried or reluctant Fu Lin was, it probably wouldn't have much effect. He slightly raised the corners of his mouth and said, "Your fate is approaching. Your master is behind you. Don't be afraid."
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