Chapter 93 Deep Affection
The three-day catastrophe did not cause too much disaster; in fact, many people who died from the flooding suddenly came back to life.
To die and be reborn, to lose and regain. Some believe that their miraculous survival will bring them good fortune, while others have come to a profound realization that life and death are but a fleeting moment, and that living in the present and cherishing what we have is the most important thing.
Qin Wuyan and Qinglong returned to Fox Hill. Although the Tianli Divine Sect was missing Tang Yuan and Xie Qingqiu, its foundation remained, so the two quickly recruited many more people to join.
However, the Qingyun Sect encountered the biggest crisis since its founding.
The mountain demon insisted on returning to Qingyun Mountain, intending to continue her cultivation there, but she was unwilling to live on Qingyun Mountain with the sect founded by Ye Xuan any longer. So she directly made a demand to Shuiyue: either she kill everyone, or the leaders of the various peaks of the Qingyun Sect lead their disciples to find another sect to settle down in.
She was the mountain goddess, and had also regained her divine power. Shuiyue, Lin Jingyu, and the others dared not provoke her, so they had no choice but to agree to leave Qingyun Mountain with their disciples.
The mandrill has reclaimed its territory, wiping away the shame of its thousand-year imprisonment!
But she soon discovered that being alone on Qingyun Mountain was incredibly boring...
So she would go to Fox Hill every few days to discuss with Qin Wuyan the methods of cultivating the divine tree.
Did you water it today?
"Water it! Hey, hey, stop watering it! This tree was exposed to the sun a few days ago; if you water it too much, it'll die!"
Qin Wuyan hurriedly stopped the mountain demon, fearing that her good intentions might backfire.
The mandrill said sullenly, "Trees aren't that delicate. I watched all those trees on Qingyun Mountain grow up. Has anyone ever watered or fertilized any of them? They still grew up well, didn't they? If you ask me, you're just too concerned. Just let them grow freely!"
Qin Wuyan rolled his eyes: "Can the Divine Tree be compared to those ordinary trees on your Qingyun Mountain? Besides, you were the one who told me to cultivate it carefully! Now you're blaming me for being too concerned?"
"Alright, alright!" the mountain demon said. "I won't compete with you for this job. Hey, is there anything else fun to do on Fox Ridge Mountain? I'm all alone on Qingyun Mountain, it's so boring. Can I stay here for a while?"
Qin Wuyan couldn't help but laugh: "Your Excellency the Mountain God, you were the one who said you wanted to cultivate in peace and drove away those people from the Qingyun Sect! Now you're bored again, why don't you call Lin Jingyu and the others back to sweep the floor for you?"
The mountain demon huffed and puffed, "Impossible! I'd rather die of boredom by myself than see Ye Xuan's disciples and their followers hanging around in front of me! I've decided, I'll come to Fox Ridge Mountain for a few days every month from now on, and I'll go back after I've had my fill of fun!"
Qin Wuyan thought for a moment and said, "I have an idea. Why don't you go and help my brother Qinglong? He's short-handed right now! Surely you can help him fight a few people, arrange some manpower, do some accounting, and so on!"
The mandrill's eyes lit up with joy: "That's right! How could I forget about the Azure Dragon? This sounds interesting! I'm going to find him!!"
Before she finished speaking, she transformed into a ball of blue light and left in a whirlwind.
Qin Wuyan rubbed his forehead, shook his head and sighed, feeling that things were probably not going to be peaceful on Qinglong's side again.
After returning to Fox Ridge Mountain, he devoted himself to cultivating the divine tree, handing over the position of sect leader to Azure Dragon. He himself only held the nominal title of deputy sect leader and spent his days tending to the tree in Peach Blossom Garden.
At first, he filled a small, exquisite flowerpot with plenty of fertile soil and buried the tree seed. Six months later, a tiny green sprout emerged from the dark soil. He was overjoyed and wanted to sleep with the flowerpot in his arms. After that, he found many books on tree cultivation and studied them day and night, afraid that he might do something wrong and kill the tree.
A year later, the bud in the flowerpot had gradually grown into a small tree. Although the branches looked very thin in the wind, the green leaves showed its vitality.
Two years later, the flowerpots could no longer contain the roots of the divine tree, and Peach Blossom Garden was already filled with peach trees. After much thought, Qin Wuyan changed his residence and moved to Lingyan Pavilion. He cleared out a space in the backyard and transplanted the divine tree into the ground.
Spring comes and autumn goes, day after day, year after year. Except for the occasional few days when he goes out to help Qinglong with some matters, he locks himself in the backyard of Lingyan Pavilion, either cultivating or loosening the soil, watering and fertilizing the trees.
The Ruomu Divine Tree also grew taller and taller, and after ten years, it had become a magnificent canopy.
Biyao was awakened by the pain.
She opened her eyes and saw a sword embedded in her arm. She tried to pull the sword out, but found herself unable to move.
Then, she looked around blankly.
What place is this?
At first glance, it looks like a courtyard, and the undulating mountains and pavilions scattered among them in the distance are very similar to Fox Hill.
What happened? Is she dead or alive?
Then she finally understood why she couldn't move: she was trapped inside a tree.
She was resurrected in the past by the Ruomu Divine Tree. Could it be that she has survived again this time by relying on the tree?
The courtyard gate creaked open, and several girls sneaked in.
One of the women in blue pointed at Biyao and said, "Look! The sword is stuck in that tree!"
"Wanrong! Go and get it right now! You're the one who made it fly away!"
The girl in pink named Wanrong shook her head: "I...I'm not good at light footwork, I'm afraid I can't get it."
"Useless! Watch this!" The girl in blue leaped up like a swallow and in the blink of an eye took the sword down from the tree branch.
Biyao felt a sharp pain, but thankfully the sword hadn't penetrated deeply. She then discovered that the wound on her arm was healing rapidly. After that, she could move her hand again!
With a great effort, she managed to free her entire body from the tree trunk.
Finally free, Biyao couldn't help but ask, "Who are you people? And where is this place?"
However, she discovered that those people could neither see her nor hear her.
The woman who received the sword said smugly, "How about that! Aren't I amazing!"
The girls nearby cheered excitedly: "Sister Lanzhu is the best!"
Even more sycophants said, "Sister Lan will definitely win first place at the Heavenly Fox Assembly this time!"
"Yes, yes! In the past two years, Sister Lan has been the most amazing."
Another woman in white said worriedly, "Now that we have the sword, shouldn't we leave? What if the deputy sect leader comes back and finds out we've sneaked into his courtyard without permission? That would be bad!"
The woman named Lanzhu said, "What's there to be afraid of! I already found out that the vice sect leader and the sect leader have both gone out on business and won't be back until at least tonight."
She looked around the courtyard curiously. "I heard that the vice sect leader usually cultivates in seclusion here! It seems that he planted these trees himself! Why would he plant trees for no reason?"
The others shook their heads: "We don't know!"
Lan Zhu returned to the Ruomu Divine Tree and exclaimed in surprise, "What kind of tree is this? I've never seen it before! Hey, look, it's even blooming! What kind of flower is this? It's so beautiful!"
She tiptoed, reached out and plucked a red Ruomu flower from the branch above her head, then tucked it into her hair.
Wanrong exclaimed, "Sister looks even more beautiful wearing this flower!"
The others chimed in, praising her beauty. The girls wandered around the courtyard again, and some of the bolder ones even opened the other gate, discovering that it was a hot spring pool inside.
"Wow! Our Vice Sect Master really knows how to enjoy himself, he's taken over this huge bath all by himself!"
Biyao followed in their footsteps and suddenly realized that this was Lingyan Pavilion on Fox Hill! She had lived here after marrying Qin Wuyan in the illusion.
She couldn't help but wonder, where did Qin Wuyan go? In which world was she now?
The girls couldn't resist taking off their shoes to test the water in the pool. Lan Zhu sat on the steps by the pool, swinging her two slender, white legs, and smiled sweetly: "Do you think if you married the vice sect leader, you could live here with him?"
Wanrong's eyes widened. "Sister Lan, you actually like the Vice Sect Master? Don't you think he's cold and scary?"
Lan Zhu laughed and said, "You're such a coward, afraid of everyone! Although the Vice Sect Master looks cold, he's actually quite gentle and handsome when he smiles!"
Wanrong was shocked: "How do you know? Have you ever seen him smile? He rarely goes out, how could you have seen him?"
Lan Zhu smiled smugly: "This is a secret between me and the Vice Sect Master, I won't tell you!"
The more Biyao listened, the more her brows furrowed. Could the vice sect leader these people were talking about be Qin Wuyan?
Before she could think any further, she heard a familiar yet chilling voice: "Who are you? How dare you trespass here?"
She turned around and looked back, and for a moment it seemed as if time stood still.
He was still dressed in a deep purple robe, with a jade belt around his waist that accentuated his tall and straight figure. His face was as handsome and refined as ever, but now his brows were furrowed, his expression was cold and stern, and he exuded a chilling killing intent.
Qin Wuyan! It really is Qin Wuyan!!!
Biyao stood frozen in place, her heart pounding! She dared not move, fearing that this was just another dream, a fleeting illusion.
However, Qin Wuyan did not see her; he walked straight towards the girls.
Lan Zhu, Wan Rong, and the others were startled. They hurriedly put on their shoes and knelt down in front of Qin Wuyan.
Lan Zhu explained, "Vice Sect Master! We...we just accidentally knocked our swords into this courtyard while we were practicing. We've come to retrieve them! We didn't mean to barge in!"
"Is that so?" Qin Wuyan sneered. The next moment, he stepped forward and grabbed Lan Zhu by the neck. "Why didn't you leave after taking the sword? Why did you run here? What's most hateful is... you actually dared to pick my flower!!!"
flower? ? ?
Lan Zhu was shocked. It was just a flower. Was she really that stingy?
But she clearly saw Qin Wuyan gritting his teeth, seemingly filled with boundless rage, saying each word with utter defiance: "He's simply courting death!"
He increased the pressure on his hand, and Lanzhu immediately choked so hard that the veins on her forehead bulged, and she almost suffocated.
"Spare...spare my life..." she tried desperately to beg for mercy.
The girls standing nearby were so frightened they didn't dare to breathe, and seeing Qin Wuyan's terrifying appearance, they dared not plead for him.
Qin Wuyan looked at the flower on Lan Zhu's head and felt a surge of anger, wishing he could tear the person in front of him to pieces.
The sacred tree he had carefully nurtured for ten years had finally begun to bloom, yet someone dared to pick its flowers.
His eyes flashed with murderous intent, and just as he was about to strangle Lan Zhu to death, he suddenly remembered something and abruptly let go.
Too much killing intent will affect the growth of the divine tree!
He recalled the mandrill's instructions.
Qin Wuyan closed his eyes briefly, suppressing the surging anger in his chest. He gently removed the vibrant Ruomu flower from Lan Zhu's head and said in a deep voice, "For her sake, I'll spare you today. If there's a next time, you won't deserve to die ten thousand times over!"
"Yes, yes, yes!!! Thank you, Sect Master, for sparing our lives! We will never dare to do it again!!"
The girls hurriedly kowtowed and thanked them.
"Get out of here now!!"
After the women scrambled out of the courtyard, silence returned.
Qin Wuyan returned to the Ruomu Divine Tree and tried to put the Ruomu flower he had picked back onto the branch, but the flower kept falling to the ground.
"Biyao," Qin Wuyan looked up, his eyes glistening with tears, "I'm sorry... I didn't protect you well!"
Biyao couldn't help but laugh. Was he mistaking this tree for her?
But as she got closer, seeing his forlorn expression and tears in his eyes, a wave of sorrow washed over her, and she could no longer smile.
"Hey, Qin Wuyan!!!"
Biyao tried calling him a few more times, but he still didn't hear her.
well!
Biyao sighed, "Am I going to become a wandering ghost?"
“Biyao…”
Qin Wuyan gazed at the lush, verdant divine tree before him and muttered to himself, "Ten years have passed. Why haven't you returned yet? The mountain demon said that as long as you can't bear to part with me, the Ruomu Divine Tree will surely be able to find your soul again. Is it because you no longer love me that you refuse to come back?"
Upon hearing this, Biyao finally understood why she had come back to life.
Ten years... It turns out he had waited another ten years...
Although she witnessed Qin Wuyan vanish into thin air and was heartbroken, she soon saw him again in the illusion created by the Five Emotions Flower.
Therefore, she never felt that she had lost him for very long.
But Qin Wuyan is different.
Although cultivators can live to be a hundred years old, if we consider ten years as a unit of time, how many decades does a person have in their lifetime?
"Wu Yan, I'm back!"
Biyao walked up to him and gently stroked his eyebrows and eyes: "I just don't know how to make you see me!"
For the next few days, Biyao followed Qin Wuyan in and out, but he never left Lingyan Pavilion, so she didn't go out either.
He gets up very early every day, and the first thing he does is check on the sacred tree in the yard to see if it is alright, and whether it has lost any leaves or petals.
If leaves and petals fall, he will carefully pick them up one by one, loosen the soil slightly, and bury them all under the tree roots.
Then he began watering, fertilizing, and pruning the other flowers and plants in the yard. After a busy morning, he would sit under the sacred tree in the afternoon to read or practice his skills. When he got tired, he would go to the backyard to grind medicinal herbs and spices to make elixirs and medicines.
In the evening, he likes to play the demon-controlling flute under the tree for a while, then take a bath in the hot spring before going to sleep.
At this point, Biyao was always conflicted, wondering whether she should go to the hot spring with him.
In fact, the two were already husband and wife, but...
She looks like a female hooligan like that!!!
never mind! !
Biyao suppressed her wicked thoughts; her most urgent task was to find a way to cultivate a physical body as soon as possible.
Otherwise, wouldn't it be even more frustrating to only be able to watch but not enjoy?
While Qin Wuyan was taking a bath, she went to the study in Lingyan Pavilion to look through various books on body cultivation.
Fortunately, Qin Wuyan had a rich collection of books over the years, and she quickly found quite a few. She read them all night long. After she understood the cultivation method, she began to cultivate diligently every morning, just like when she entered the Tianli Divine Sect in her childhood.
Qin Wuyan found it strange. He was a person who liked cleanliness and tidiness. He would tidy up his room every time he came out, but for several days in a row, he found that his room was often ransacked.
After much thought, I could only suspect that there was a thief.
But he didn't realize he had lost something.
What kind of thief doesn't steal anything, but just reads books?
Could it be that Emperor Tianli Shenzong produced a studious person who burned the midnight oil and "stole books by chiseling a hole in the wall"?
He went to Qinglong and asked if any outstanding or exceptionally talented disciples had recently emerged within the Divine Sect. Qinglong told him no, the Divine Sect hadn't accepted any new disciples in the past two years. The existing disciples showed no unusual behavior.
Qin Wuyan initially felt there was no need to worry, since he hadn't lost anything. However, he was naturally suspicious, and given that Lan Zhu and the other girls had picked the flowers of the Ruomu Divine Tree while he was away, he was still uneasy. So, he decided to wait and see, sleeping in his study every night.
Biyao felt both annoyed and amused. She had originally intended to take this opportunity to write a few words on a piece of paper to tell him that she had actually returned long ago and had been by his side the whole time.
But upon closer reflection, given Qin Wuyan's suspicious nature, he probably wouldn't believe her until he saw her in person. He might even mistake her for a demon.
She has only been cultivating for a short time. If he accidentally shatters her soul again, wouldn't that be a loss?
She had no choice but to continue her diligent cultivation. In the past few days, she had memorized the mental cultivation method and no longer needed to refer to the book.
Qin Wuyan slept in the study for a month and found that none of the strange things that had happened before had occurred again.
The person who stole the knowledge must have seen him guarding the study day and night and dared not come again.
He softened slightly, wondering if he was overthinking things, and if this person might really just be interested in studying.
So, the next day, he simply ordered people to move a lot of the ancient books from his study to the library of the Tianli Divine Sect.
If someone truly wants to learn, they should go to the library.
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