Chapter 20 It turns out that after all the twists and turns, everything...
“You mean…” Meng Chiwan hesitated for a moment, then asked uncertainly.
"The Life-Saving Lamp," Huai Ji said calmly, as if recounting something commonplace, yet his tone carried a hint of relief or contentment. "The third lamp has finally found its owner. So many years..."
“But I…” Meng Chiwan hesitated. She was actually thinking that perhaps she was not the best candidate to be the owner of this third lamp.
She couldn't even fulfill the condition of offering a sacrifice. Giving her that lamp might not be able to make it as effective as possible.
It would simply turn her into a wandering ghost, trapping her in one place and letting her resentment accumulate.
"Sister Dong'er is giving you this as a hope, a blessing. If you can live a smooth and carefree life, then it would be best if that lamp could be a truly ordinary lamp," Huaiji said earnestly, something seemingly flashing in her eyes, but it was hard to see clearly.
He knew what she was thinking.
He continued, "If you happen to light it up, perhaps you'll find someone who would value your life above their own. Don't jump to conclusions too quickly. Perhaps, in the future, you won't be as alone as you think?"
He seemed lost in thought for a moment, then spoke again with utmost seriousness: “Don’t give up. There will always be someone willing to give you a new life. You deserve to be the master of that lamp.”
Meng Chiwan turned her head and met Yun Xianqing's clear eyes, which were like a mirror.
She saw Yun Xianqing smiling, but she couldn't understand what he meant. Yet, she inexplicably felt an urge to worship the Life-Giving Lamp and become its master.
She thought. What if, what if her life went smoothly afterward? Or what if she wasn't so lucky and ended up as a wandering ghost? In that case, with the Life-Saving Lamp, she could return here, not as a lost soul, but as a malevolent spirit causing trouble in the area.
Why is she called an evil spirit? Because she has indeed accumulated a lot of resentment. If it were visible, the entire mansion would probably be too big to contain her, and she would probably rush all the way to the sky.
Her eyebrows curved into a smile, and her heart softened, as if melting into a ball of cotton.
Huaiji carefully took the lamp from the storage bag, held it in his palm, and then handed it to her.
"Why... is the lamp here with you?" Meng Chiwan took the life-saving lamp and couldn't help but ask.
Before Lin Yudong disappeared, she clearly told her that the life lamp was enshrined in the Buddha statue underground in the house.
“Sister Dong’er has forgotten that if no one worships that lamp, it will become ineffective after ten years. One year, I took it out in broad daylight and have been worshipping it for many years. Sister Dong’er’s lamp…” Huai Ji smiled slightly when she mentioned Lin Yu Dong, but her eyes were shrouded in sadness, just like the morning mist.
"It's shattered." He paused for a long time before finally speaking, "It happened today."
Therefore, he came today.
Actually, we had already made preparations long ago.
“I’ve actually been staying in the nearby courtyard the whole time. Sister Dong’er must have sensed it, which is why she’s never crossed that line. She’s extremely reluctant to see me.”
Meng Chiwan fell silent. She didn't know what else to say. She felt as if her hands holding the lamp were frozen, but the lamp itself wasn't cold at all.
Then, the warmth started coming from the fingertips of my right hand.
She lowered her eyes, and Yun Xianqing's fingertip ignited a talisman, which was very close to her hand, warm but not hot enough to burn her.
She suddenly remembered the heat-generating talisman she had put on Yun Xianqing when she first met him, fearing he would be cold.
It turns out that after all the twists and turns, there's always a way to turn things around.
Huaiji watched from the side until she looked up at him, at which point he snapped out of his daze and said, "As long as the blood oath is performed, I won't bother you any longer."
The door creaked as it closed, signifying the end of many matters. Huaiji did not bring up anything about Lingjiang Palace, nor did he mention Lin Shuchun.
She didn't ask him directly. Even if she did, she might only get the same thing he once said: "You'll know what you need to know in the end. Don't deliberately seek out the answers."
Since he doesn't speak, then the time hasn't come yet.
She was just Meng Chiwan, an ordinary person. When she couldn't strike with a single blow, the first thing she had to do was to quiet down and become stronger.
Even now, knowing about Lingjiang Palace and everything behind it, Meng Chiwan is powerless to do anything about it.
Huaiji left, and the two boys at the door also disappeared.
She gently pricked her fingertip, watching the blood drip onto the lamp and then be absorbed, and an unavoidable unease rose within her. She didn't know what would happen next, yet she was also somewhat curious.
What is it like to place your soul inside a lamp? Is it light and airy, or heavy and heavy?
She imagined it in her mind, but her eyes remained fixed on the life-saving lamp, afraid of missing anything.
Then she felt her breathing catch, as if something was choking her, and she also felt a strange sense of detachment from her body.
What happened?
The next moment, someone caught her and asked her with concern how she was. But she couldn't hear them.
Then I came to my senses again, and the roaring sound in my ears faded away.
My vision cleared, and the light in front of me went out again, as if the bright red color from before was just an illusion, but there seemed to be some red residue left on it.
She reached out to touch it, but her knuckles were grasped and then released.
She looked up and met Yun Xianqing's concerned gaze; he seemed somewhat nervous.
But something's strange.
She looked down and noticed that the hand Yun Xianqing was holding had a small cut on it.
"How did you get hurt?" she asked naturally.
"I don't know." Yun Xianqing answered her this way for the first time ever, as if she hadn't had time to react yet.
Fortunately, it was just a minor wound. Meng Chiwan insisted on applying medicine for him and then didn't dwell on it too much.
As for the Life-Giving Lamp, in Lin Yudong's memory as she knew it, this situation did not seem to have occurred during the recognition of the master.
However, she had no way of verifying what had happened. Furthermore, she did not experience any other discomfort afterward.
Unfortunately, I had no choice but to put it out of my mind.
Meng Chiwan suddenly remembered the storage bag she hadn't finished examining earlier, so she couldn't wait to take it to the courtyard and examine it with Yun Xianqing, so that Yun Xianqing could help her identify these items from the immortal sect.
At first glance, inside were a few scattered sword techniques, a set of teaching books on breathing exercises to gather spiritual energy, some pills that Yun Xianqing said could gather spiritual energy and unblock meridians, and some magical artifacts that she probably wouldn't need for the time being.
To be honest, she was actually a little disappointed because it fell short of the expectations the young man had placed on her when he promised to help her cultivate immortality.
These things can be bought anywhere in the Immortal Sect. It's just that she can't afford them.
Things I couldn't afford before, I got just like that.
Thinking about it this way, she comforted herself. Although she had gone through a lot of hardships, what she finally got was at least somewhat satisfactory.
Just as she was about to rummage through the storage bag, a small, inconspicuous wooden box caught her attention.
Then she opened it.
Inside lay a small pill.
She stared at it for a few seconds, sensing something unusual. It was crimson, like a drop of congealed blood.
What exactly is this?
Meng Chiwan was stunned for a moment, her gaze following Yun Xianqing's movements from her empty hands to Yun Xianqing's face.
Yun Xianqing's breathing seemed to quicken, her face was pale, and her expression was somber.
The next moment he suddenly lowered his head, covered his head with his hands, and looked pained.
Meng Chiwan stood there at a loss, thinking of taking him to find Old Master Fang or to a clinic, but she couldn't move Yun Xianqing.
She considered going to find Old Master Fang herself, but she was worried about leaving Yun Xianqing behind.
Just as she hesitated, she heard Yun Xianqing speak, each word carrying a clear hint of mockery: "Blood Spirit Pill."
Before Meng Chiwan could speak, he continued, "The thing he mentioned that can help you cultivate immortality is the Blood Spirit Pill."
"Blood Spirit Pill?" Meng Chiwan asked in confusion.
But Yun Xianqing chuckled lightly, her tone full of mockery: "That is indeed a shortcut."
Meng Chiwan's eyes widened, and a chill ran through her body involuntarily. When she looked at the pill again, it was as if she saw a demon with blood on his hands.
It now looks more like a congealed bead of blood.
"As for its origin, or how it was formed, it's best if Chi Wan doesn't know." Yun Xianqing seemed to have regained her composure, her breathing even and her tone gentle.
"Does Chi Wan want to eat?" he asked.
Meng Chiwan shook her head. It wouldn't be worth getting tainted with sins for the sake of so-called cultivation or a smooth path to immortality.
She also believed that Yun Xianqing would not lie to her or harm her.
Yun Xianqing smiled, her expression unreadable: "Let me guide Chi Wan in her cultivation journey. First, I need to ask Chi Wan why she hasn't been able to enter the Qi Refining stage after all these years."
"I don't think Chi Wan is lacking in talent. She has spiritual meridians and her meridians aren't blocked. So why is that? Is there something on Chi Wan's mind that she can't let go of? What is it?"
"Tell me. If you want to cultivate immortality." His voice was still slow and gentle, with a hint of a smile.
"I want to know everything about Chi Wan. I want to be the best and most important guide on Chi Wan's path of cultivation."
A note from the author:
Yun Xianqing: Shall we...warm each other? [Milk Tea]
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