Chapter 23 The Red Spider Lily Blooms
The next day, Mu Yao woke up in the morning. Although she learned that Yun Niang still insisted on leaving, she was very satisfied knowing that Yun Niang could stay with her for another two months.
Two months later, it was the height of summer. The vibrant peach blossoms at the foot of Fox Ridge Mountain had quietly transformed into lush, verdant trees, their shade abundant, and fragrant grasses carpeting the banks. With the green hills faintly visible and the clear waters stretching far and wide, Fox Ridge Mountain remained a place brimming with life.
The sound of hooves echoed along the mountain road, raising clouds of dust. Qin Wuyan, leading more than ten disciples, rode slowly along the mountain path. Behind them was a carriage carrying a mother and daughter; the group was heading southeast towards Heyang City.
The area around Heyang City is located in the Central Plains, with a constant flow of people coming and going. Yunniang's hometown is a town about forty miles away from Heyang City, so there is no need to enter the city. Qin Wuyan had other matters to attend to in Heyang City, so he only escorted Yunniang to the city gate before stopping the carriage.
"Mother, it's a promise, you'll come back to see me regularly."
After getting off the carriage, Mu Yao still held Yun Niang tightly, reluctant to part.
Yunniang stroked her head and smiled, "Alright, alright, I will definitely come back to see you. You must also listen to the sect leader and cultivate diligently. Don't be too picky about food; you're still growing, so you can't just eat what you like. Fox Ridge Mountain is so big; don't run around aimlessly, understand?"
Mu Yao chuckled, "Mother, you've said these words almost ten times already."
Yunniang sighed and hugged her daughter even tighter: "I just can't bear to part with you."
The mother and daughter spoke for a while longer, reluctant to part, but even after a thousand miles of farewell, they had to say goodbye. Yunniang finally boarded the carriage with a heavy heart.
Mu Yao stood there for a long time, watching the carriage go, the faint sound of hooves fading into the distance.
Knowing she was upset, Qin Wuyan stepped forward and gently put his arm around her shoulder to comfort her.
"Master..." Mu Yao called out to him softly.
"I am here."
A gentle voice responded to her; though it was only two words, it gave her the strongest sense of security.
The separation of life and death happened within half a year, but it felt like four or five years had passed.
Her voice choked with emotion: "From now on, I'll only have my master."
To cheer her up, Qin Wuyan took her to Shanhaiyuan, the largest restaurant in Heyang City.
The main banquet hall of Shanhaiyuan Garden has three floors, each representing a different social status from the top to the bottom. The third floor is where VIPs receive guests and hold banquets. The back garden has four courtyards in the east, west, south, and north, which are also mostly used as residences for distinguished guests. To avoid being disturbed, Qin Wuyan ordered that the third floor and the West Courtyard in the back garden be reserved.
It was the height of summer, and the West Garden of Shanhaiyuan was filled with the most flowers and trees. In the past few days, Heyang City had experienced a lot of rain, and the paths were covered with petals broken and fallen by the wind and rain. Only the large lotus flowers planted in the pond, sheltered by the lotus leaves, still stood tall and bloomed, their red and white petals spreading far and wide with their fragrance.
Qin Wuyan had come here to discuss something with someone. Mu Yao wasn't very interested in sect matters and had just parted from her mother, so she was feeling down. He then ordered Tang Yuan to accompany her to the back garden to cheer her up.
Mu Yao stood by the pillar, feeling a sense of familiarity with every flower and tree in the courtyard, as if she had been here before. Her gaze fell on an unnamed red flower beside the path. The flower was shaped like a dragon's claw, and its color was extremely bright and eye-catching. Although it had been through a night of wind and rain, and the branches were bent and the flowers were almost touching the ground, the petals still bravely maintained their upright posture.
Mu Yao asked Tang Yuan, who was standing next to her, curiously, "Brother Tang, do you know what kind of flower that is?"
Tang Yuan followed her gaze and said, "Those are spider lilies."
"The other shore flower? What a strange name."
Mu Yao walked over, squatted down, and looked at the flower. Its color was so vibrant that it was hard to ignore. It was beautiful yet alluring, with a kind of seductive charm. She couldn't help but wonder, "This flower is so beautiful, why is there only one bloom?"
Tang Yuandao said, "The other shore flower is also known as the soul-guiding flower. It is a flower that blooms on the banks of the River of Oblivion in the underworld, guiding the souls of the underworld. Therefore, this flower is not common in the human world. And if this flower appears in the human world, there is only one possibility."
What is it?
"There are wandering souls that do not enter the underworld. When the red spider lily blooms, it serves as a guide for ghost generals to collect their souls."
Mu Yao was startled. "So, does that mean there are wandering spirits here? And ghost generals too?"
She looked around in fright, feeling that the once quiet and elegant courtyard was now filled with a sinister and ghostly aura, which sent chills down her spine.
Tang Yuan laughed and said, "You can't see it. Don't be afraid. Lonely spirits are the weakest type of soul and cannot harm people. A person's three souls and seven spirits transform into the Heavenly Soul, Earthly Soul, and Life Soul after death. But if the soul is injured or separated, it may become a lonely spirit. Ghost generals only collect souls at night. You are human, so don't worry. However..."
Tang Yuan stared at the spider lily, his brows furrowing slightly. "This spider lily is very weak now, it seems about to wither. The ghost general uses the flower to find the soul, but he only has one chance. If the spider lily withers prematurely, the ghost general will never find that lonely soul. The soul of the deceased will never be able to reunite and will be unable to enter reincarnation again."
Mu Yao had never heard of these things before and found them both novel and strange. "Brother Tang, how do you know all this?"
Tang Yuan smiled and said, "Naturally, I learned it from a book."
He reached out his right hand and lifted the stem of the spider lily, trying to make it stand upright. But no matter how many times he tried, the stem remained weak and frail, like an old man in his twilight years, drooping and unable to straighten up.
He sighed, "Unfortunately, my spiritual power is not of the Wood Spirit lineage, so I cannot bring this flower back to life."
Mu Yao's eyes lit up: "Ah! Master said my spiritual power belongs to wood, let me try it!"
She stretched out her slender hand, her fingertips lightly touching the branches of the spider lily, and slowly infused it with her spiritual power.
The flower seemed to spring back to life, slowly straightening its stem and turning even more vibrant red, like a proud beauty reborn, standing gracefully in the wind.
What's even more surprising is that as Mu Yao poured more and more spiritual energy into the branch, two long, narrow, willow-like green leaves even sprouted.
Tang Yuan stared intently at the two leaves, his eyes filled with deep tremor.
Mu Yao didn't notice anything unusual about his expression. She was overjoyed to see that the spider lily had actually stood up, and excitedly said, "Brother Tang, it's alive! I've saved the spider lily!"
She stood up, cheering and jumping for joy, extremely happy.
It took her a while to calm down. She looked at the red spider lily again and said, "Although I can't see anything, I hope what Brother Tang said is true. I hope that a ghost will follow this red spider lily to find that lonely soul and take him to be reincarnated."
Tang Yuandao said, "Yes, it will. When the red spider lily withers but leaves grow, it means that the lonely soul has entered the underworld."
Mu Yao exclaimed in delight, "Then isn't now? Look, it has already sprouted leaves."
Tang Yuan shook his head: "No, the leaves and flowers of the red spider lily can never coexist. The leaves fall and the flowers bloom, and the flowers fall and the leaves grow. The flowers and leaves can never meet in any lifetime."
Mu Yao was puzzled: "But it's already blooming and has grown leaves!"
Tang Yuan looked at her intently for a moment, then slowly said, "That's because of you..."
He didn't continue, but changed the subject, saying, "Yao'er, let me tell you a story about the red spider lily."
Mu Yao got excited as soon as she heard the story being told, clapping her hands and saying, "Okay, okay!"
Tang Yuan's voice was clear, resonant, and lingering, as he spoke in a gentle, flowing manner:
"Long, long ago, a flower goddess cultivated the spider lily. Back then, as long as the soil and climate were suitable, the flower could be planted throughout the six realms. The flowers and leaves of the spider lily could also appear simultaneously. Later, another god, in order to steal the credit, not only claimed the spider lily she had cultivated for himself but also murdered the flower goddess and usurped her divine position. Before her death, the murdered flower goddess placed a curse in her divine name, cursing that the spider lily cultivated by the god who murdered her would forever only grow in the underworld, and that its flowers and leaves could never appear at the same time."
The curse came true; the spider lilies cultivated by the new Flower Goddess would never have both flowers and leaves appearing together. They could only grow in the underworld as soul-guiding flowers. Later, a great war broke out within the divine realm, in which many gods perished, including the new Flower Goddess.
Some of the divine spirits scattered into the underworld, and the Red Spider Lily was able to absorb these scattered divine spirits. Thus, the flower and leaf each developed sentience, and the flower spirit and leaf spirit transformed into a man and a woman, their hearts connected. Yama, the ruler of the underworld, discovered them and appointed them as ghost generals. However, they remained bound by the properties of the Red Spider Lily, unable to meet.
In the long, agonizing process, the flower and leaves began to devour the souls of those living along the River of Oblivion, for only by becoming human could the curse of the Red Spider Lily be lifted. However, this plan was discovered by the gods before it could succeed. Devouring the souls of mortals was intolerable to the gods, but the Red Spider Lily was an indispensable soul-guiding flower in the underworld. Therefore, the gods decided to destroy the leaf spirit, leaving only the flower spirit. From then on, the Red Spider Lily in the underworld could only bloom, but could never grow leaves.
Mu Yao was shocked. She looked at the spider lily on the ground and asked, "Then why can this flower grow leaves? And why can it appear here?"
Tang Yuandao said, "Because your power belongs to the wood element in the Five Elements. Flowers and trees are of one nature. Legend has it that the flower goddess who first planted the red spider lily had the power of the wood element. In this world, only the power of the wood element can truly bring the red spider lily back to life and make it grow new leaves."
Mu Yao looked at her hands in astonishment, finding it unbelievable: "My strength is actually this great?"
Tang Yuan nodded and said, "Your spiritual power is extremely rare. If you cultivate diligently, in time you will not only be able to revive flowers and plants, but you might even be able to bring people back to life."
"Really? I'm that good?"
Although it was a question, the little girl's words and expression were filled with joy, and she felt that she was extremely capable, without giving the matter any deeper thought.
"Since this young girl possesses such extraordinary spiritual power, why not join our sect and dedicate herself to helping the world and saving lives?"
The conversation between Mu Yao and Tang Yuan was overheard by a man standing not far away.
Mu Yao turned around and saw that the man had already walked up to her. He looked to be about the same age as Qin Wuyan, wearing a blue and white brocade robe, with a silver sword at his waist. He was tall and elegant, like a row of green pines.
His appearance and temperament were just as handsome and charming as Qin Wuyan's, and he also had a sense of majesty. However, Qin Wuyan always had a faint smile on his face, which seemed gentle and kind but was mysterious and dangerous.
The man in front of her had an indifferent expression, and his temperament was as cold and aloof as the snow and ice of the Tianshan Mountains, pure and holy, exuding a sense of detachment.
His gaze was calm and profound as he looked at Mu Yao and said, "The Tianli Divine Sect of Fox Ridge Mountain is a gathering place for demonic sects. With your talent, you should enter the immortal sect to cultivate and save the world, instead of following Qin Wuyan to do evil and bring disaster to the world."
Mu Yao was initially startled by him, but then realized his appearance was very familiar. However, when she heard him scolding Qin Wuyan, she showed her displeasure: "Who are you? What right do you have to talk about my master behind his back?"
The man chuckled upon hearing this: "Your master? Qin Wuyan has actually started taking on disciples?"
"What's wrong with me taking on apprentices?"
A familiar voice came from behind Mu Yao. Qin Wuyan had also arrived in the back garden at some point. He stepped forward, pulled Mu Yao to his side, and continued to laugh, "Sect Leader Lin, I asked you to meet me in the small pavilion on the third floor, but you came here instead to try and poach my girl. What are you up to?"
It turns out that the man was Lin Jingyu, the youngest leader of the Qingyun Sect.
Lin Jingyu smiled and said, "I came here heading towards the pavilion, but as soon as I arrived, I sensed a very unique aura, so I came here first. I didn't expect that this aura would come from this young girl."
Upon hearing this, Mu Yao moved closer to Qin Wuyan in fear.
Qin Wuyan sensed her fear and put his arm around her shoulder to protect her. His brow furrowed, and he said, "Lin Jingyu, don't forget our previous agreement."
Lin Jingyu said coldly, "I haven't forgotten, but when we made our three-point agreement, we said that if the Tianli Divine Sect doesn't cause trouble, our righteous path won't provoke any incidents. But in recent months, the people in the Yudu and Heyang areas have been suffering from a disease of losing their souls. This kind of evil technique that absorbs souls can only be practiced by your demonic sect."
Qin Wuyan retorted without backing down, "Sect Leader Lin's knowledge is truly shallow. The art of absorbing souls isn't unique to our Tianli Divine Sect. If your righteous disciples suffer a cultivation deviation and become possessed, they also rely on absorbing the souls of living people to sustain their lives in order to resist the backlash. You can't be unaware of this, can you?"
Lin Jingyu was taken aback. He was naturally familiar with the cultivation methods of the Qingyun Sect. The Qingyun Sect's cultivation manuals did indeed record that if one's mind was not stable during cultivation, or if one's protective formation was disturbed during seclusion, one could suffer a qi deviation. However, the methods of cultivating each spell were different, and the reactions to a qi deviation naturally varied. At best, one's cultivation would be completely destroyed, requiring a complete restart. At worst, one would suffer intermittent backlash from the spell, enduring excruciating pain day and night. And some people would need to consume the blood or even souls of living people to resist the backlash…
However, everything had been normal at Qingyun Sect all these years, and he absolutely did not believe that someone in his sect had gone mad from practicing qi deviation.
Before Lin Jingyu could figure it out, Qin Wuyan continued, "I wonder if Sect Leader Lin is aware that those who have developed the Soul Loss Syndrome have all appeared in your Qingyun Sect's territory. As the Sect Leader of Qingyun, instead of thoroughly investigating your own sect, you have suspected the Tianli Divine Sect, which is a hundred miles away. As the leader of the righteous path, you are far too foolish!"
"You..." Even with Lin Jingyu's good temper, he couldn't help but get angry upon hearing this: "Qin Wuyan, what evidence do you have?"
Qin Wuyan laughed and said, "I have no evidence. But your Qingyun Sect also has no evidence to prove that the Soul Loss Disease was caused by my Tianli Divine Sect, doesn't it?"
Lin Jingyu remained silent. He had indeed not found any concrete evidence to prove that this matter was related to the Tianli Divine Sect. In fact, they hadn't found any clues at all in the past few months.
Seeing that he remained silent with a cold face, Qin Wuyan felt a sense of satisfaction. However, when he thought of Yunniang's experience with soul loss at Fox Ridge Mountain, he realized that this matter could not be ignored. If Qingyun Sect could find any clues, it would be beneficial to him. So, he said, "If you can't find anything for the time being, I can give you a hint. Zhou Xiaohuan is skilled in the art of summoning souls. Perhaps she can lend you a hand."
Seeing that Qin Wuyan was willing to help, Lin Jingyu temporarily suppressed his dissatisfaction and frowned slightly: "But Zhou Xiaohuan has been missing for many years, how can we find her?"
Qin Wuyan said unhurriedly, "She is in the Hehuan Sect."
Lin Jingyu was momentarily stunned.
Qin Wuyan was delighted to see his reaction, and with a smile on his lips, he continued, "By the way, I also gave the Xuanhuo Mirror to the Jin Sect Leader of the Hehuan Sect, asking her to pass it on to you. She is currently waiting for you in the small pavilion we agreed upon. She is much gentler than me, and she will naturally help you if she can."
When he said the last sentence, his eyes clearly showed a sense of enjoying the drama.
Lin Jingyu's face darkened, and for a moment he didn't know what to say. But the image of the graceful woman in red floated into his mind…
Qin Wuyan said, "Sect Leader Lin, you wouldn't be afraid to see her, would you?"
Lin Jingyu glared at him, "Mind your own business!"
Qin Wuyan laughed, "I didn't originally intend to get involved in your entanglement. But the Hehuan Sect and my Tianli Divine Sect are allies. She helped me once, and I'm returning the favor. However, Sect Leader Lin, I advise you, if you have no ulterior motives, then draw a clear line as soon as possible. Don't be like Zhang Xiaofan back then, indecisive and ultimately harming yourself and others!"
The mere mention of Zhang Xiaofan ignited a surge of anger within him, but seeing Mu Yao by his side brought him some relief.
He took Mu Yao's hand and said, "Yao'er, let's go."
As he passed by Lin Jingyu, he suddenly stopped and said, "Sect Leader Lin, I have not broken the contract. When you return the Xuanhuo Mirror to Li Xun, please warn him for me that my Tianli Divine Sect is not one to be trifled with. If he dares to offend me again, I will make sure that the Fenxiang Valley sect ceases to exist in this world."
He spoke slowly and deliberately, but every word was filled with murderous intent and was sharp and intimidating.
Lin Jingyu said indifferently, "Qingyun and Fenxiang are also allies. If you make a move against Fenxiang Valley, Qingyun Sect will not stand idly by."
Qin Wuyan uttered two words indifferently: "Whatever you say."
He had barely finished speaking when he hurriedly left with Mu Yao.
In a refined and elegant little pavilion on the third floor of Shanhaiyuan, a woman in red leaned against the window, while rain beat down on withered flowers outside, and countless petals fell.
From her position, she could clearly see the scenery of the back garden, and she could also hear the conversation of the people in the garden clearly with her magic. At this moment, only Lin Jingyu was left in the garden. He stood alone for a long time, then suddenly looked up and his gaze came in her direction.
Through the misty drizzle, their eyes met in mid-air.
We gaze at each other from atop the wall and on horseback, and the moment I see you, my heart breaks.
She suddenly remembered this poem, and the story of Li Qianjin and Pei Shaojun in the theater. Her heart stirred with inexplicable emotions, and she didn't know whether to feel sad or happy.
In the hall not far away, a singer was softly singing:
Rain-soaked flowers fall, their red petals scattered, their fragrance fading on both banks of the pond. Parting sorrows linger, spring songs cease, and the silver screen is drawn back.
A lone sail departs Chu sooner or later; idly tuning the jeweled zither, how much sorrow remains? The emotions in the melody, the words on the strings, are unbearable to hear!
Amidst the lingering, tender melody, she heard the sound of a man's footsteps, approaching her step by step.
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