Chapter 3: Star and Lotus (Part 3) Over the years, the thing she lacked the most was…
Lian Qiang didn't care whether he was leaving or not. As she walked, she explained, "You beat them without explanation. If they don't accept it and go out to spread rumors, there are more of them after all. You will be known as someone who deliberately mistreats your fellow disciples, which is not good..."
She wanted to continue, but couldn't. Chi Xingji held her wrist tightly, looked at her intently for a moment, and asked softly, "What about you?"
"Me?" Lian Qiang was a little amused. "You mean, what should I do if they say that? I don't care. They're telling the truth, and I won't lose a single cent if I listen to them. Besides, haven't I heard such things often before?"
Chi Xingji's grip on her wrist was so tight that it made her feel a dull pain. She tried to break free from Chi Xingji's grip, but failed. She moved again, and then, not knowing whether he had just realized it or was persuaded by her, he slowly loosened his fingers.
"Lian Qiang," he lowered his eyes, his eyelashes covering them, "I'll find a way to solve it."
Lian Qiang didn't even turn his head and walked into the courtyard.
——Many years ago, Chi Xingji said the same thing to her in person.
It’s a pity that her trouble has not been solved to this day, and it is gradually turning into a big trouble.
-
Lian Qiang originally thought that Chi Xingji had just said it casually that day and quickly put the matter behind her.
Until one morning, when she got up lazily, she found Chi Xingji, neatly dressed, standing quietly at the head of the bed looking at her.
"You scared me," Lian Qiang's sleepiness was mostly scared away. She quickly patted her chest, and even regained some of her old temper. "Why are you staying here instead of practicing? You've changed today. Don't you think this is a waste of time? Or did you stay here just to scare me?"
Chi Xingji was scolded by her like this, but he didn't get angry. He just said a few words: "We are moving today."
Lian Qiang wondered if she had heard something wrong. Although this courtyard was not as rich in spiritual energy as the one previously assigned by the sect master, it was still one of the most precious places in the sect. Chi Xingji had always been afraid of trouble. What was wrong with him that he came up with the idea of moving?
That's not right. Maybe he was tired of the apricot blossoms, or maybe he felt that this place was not good enough and wanted to move back to his original place, which was more suitable for cultivation. It was natural for him to regret it... In just a moment, Lian Qiang found an excuse for Chi Xingji, but he didn't expect that he would say something shocking the next moment.
"Let's move outside the sect," Chi Xingji said softly but firmly, "Pack your things quickly."
Lian Qiang blinked, still not coming back to her senses.
Seeing her like this, Chi Xingji sat down, looked her in the eye, and repeated, "I have bought a cave outside the sect. Hurry up and pack your things. We will move today."
After thinking for a moment, he seemed dissatisfied and added, "Time is short. If you have forgotten anything, it's okay for us to clean it up slowly another day."
Lian Qiang was still speechless. She couldn't understand why Chi Xingji did this. Was it just because he promised her that day that he would find a way to resolve those rumors?
...He didn't have to go to this extent. Lian Qiang felt a pang of pain in his heart, but then he changed his mind and said quickly, "It's all for no reason. I'm afraid if I move, I'll be unfamiliar and not be able to adapt to the new place."
Chi Xingji's attitude was very firm: "You go and take a look first, and you don't have to pack your things. It may not be to your liking. If you really don't like it, it's not too late for us to come back."
Lian Qiang knew Chi Xingji had made up his mind and she was determined not to change his mind, so she nodded in agreement. At worst, she could just use the excuse that she didn't like him and move back.
It was settled, and the two of them set off. Chi Xingji's cultivation was far superior to hers, and using spatial magic to move was effortless. Lian Qiang was thinking this when she saw him... take out his sword.
Chi Xingji kept looking at her for as long as she waited patiently. Lian Qiang realized something was wrong: "You want to fly on a sword?"
"Well," Chi Xingji explained succinctly, "Even if we just travel together, the energy consumption of the moving technique is too great. I'm afraid you can't bear it."
Pursing her lips, Lian Qiang forced out a smile, not knowing the meaning: "...Okay."
Lian Qiang had learned to fly with a sword before, though not as well as Chi Xingji, she was quite adept at it. But since the accident, she had long since abandoned these skills. Now, high in the sky, the wind whistling in her ears, Lian Qiang felt no fear, only a sense of the freedom and carefree days of the past returning.
She let out a soft sigh, and Chi Xingji suddenly said, "Hold on tight."
Lian Qiang was still pondering his intention when the next moment, the sudden increase in speed made her scream. She had no choice but to hold onto Chi Xingji's sleeve to maintain her balance.
The dark fabric was tightly clenched in her hand, but she behaved properly, not making any unnecessary contact with Chi Xingji. Perhaps it was an illusion, but Lian Qiang felt that Tong Bei's speed had increased significantly. The sleeve she was holding swayed back and forth, barely able to support her. She couldn't help but complain, "Slow down!"
From Lian Qiang's perspective, she could only see Chi Xingji's jade-like profile, with the corners of his lips seeming to be lowered a little. Lian Qiang realized it belatedly - he never liked others giving him orders.
She was offended again.
Arriving at their new home, the first thing that caught their eye was a forest of apricot blossoms, stretching endlessly, even more luxuriant than the one outside their own home in the sect. Lian Qiang was immediately struck by the beauty, and her prepared excuses were no longer necessary.
"You..." Lian Qiang's nose felt sore, and surprise replaced the annoyance in her heart. She wanted to ask Chi Xingji if he knew she liked apricot blossoms, but then she remembered that Chi Xingji had always known. What he didn't know was that her true love wasn't the apricot blossoms, but the young man who had read under the apricot tree all those years, holding a scroll and reciting word for word.
She had never let Chi Xingji know about this, nor did she intend to let him know.
"Don't you want to go inside and take a look?" Chi Xingji reminded. Lian Qiang came back to his senses and pushed open the door.
What she saw was a furnishing similar to that of their original home. The bed curtains were the kind she liked, slightly translucent but not glaring. The pillows were much softer than usual. Lian Qiang was very delicate and would get a headache if the pillows were too hard. In addition, Chi Xingji also set up a much larger dressing table for her, with excellent lighting.
Even the vase decorating the dressing table had the same pattern as the one at home that Lian Qiang had described to him a long time ago. However, they had been unable to find it before and had to give up. They didn't expect to see it again today.
Lian Qiang's eyes were filled with tears, almost rolling down. Despite the overwhelming joy, she still tried her best to restrain herself, repeatedly reminding herself that she was a mature girl, she had to be strong, and she must not cry because of being too moved.
But Chi Xingji wanted to ask for her opinion: "Do you like it?"
This question made Lian Qiang burst into tears and she threw herself into Chi Xingji's arms. He froze for a moment, then gently embraced her and touched the back of her head.
"I like it..." Lian Qiang wiped her tears desperately on the clothes on his chest, not thinking about what Chi Xingji would do if his clothes got soaked.
She hadn't cried for a long time, let alone crying in Chi Xingji's arms. This made Lian Qiang inexplicably recall the past.
At that time, she repeatedly encountered obstacles in her cultivation, while Chi Xingji, on the other hand, had smooth sailing. The gap between them grew wider and wider, and she couldn't help complaining to him. As she complained, she became angry and frustrated, her mouth drooped and she began to cry. In the end, she ended up pulling Chi Xingji's sleeve as a handkerchief to wipe her tears.
Every time Chi Xingji tried to refute her, she would retort with "That's how everyone in the family makes her cry." Chi Xingji had no choice. The two of them depended on each other in such a large sect, so he could only consciously take on the responsibility of being her older brother.
It was just a pity that a piece of nice clothes wiped her tears, and I had to comfort her again and again.
Lian Qiang walked around the house three times, exploring it thoroughly from top to bottom before she gave up. Not long after sitting down, she stood up briskly to take another look at the apricot blossom forest.
Chi Xingji deliberately indulged her. Lian Qiang strolled around and noticed a clearing among the apricot trees, seemingly purposefully cleared. The soil in the middle showed signs of being loosened, and traces of residual spiritual energy were visible. She squatted down, patted the dirt, and asked, "What is this?"
After she finished speaking, she realized that she had said something wrong. Chi Xingji had already met many of her requests. Besides, he always had his reasons for doing things. Why did he need to explain them to her one by one?
But Chi Xingji didn't think her question was unnecessary. He squatted down like Lian Qiang and introduced it to her: "This is a spiritual plant. As long as you water it with spiritual power every day, it will grow into a towering tree."
Chi Xingji had never been interested in these things. Lian Qiang wanted to respond, but after racking her brains, she managed to utter a dry sentence: "With your cultivation level, it should be able to grow quickly."
"No." Unexpectedly, Chi Xingji denied her.
After a long silence, Chi Xingji continued reluctantly, "You still need to use your spiritual power."
Lian Qiang unconsciously paused in touching the ground with her fingertips. She didn't have much spiritual power left, so it wasn't impossible for her to divide it a little more. At most, she would suffer a little more.
But for them, cultivating spiritual plants was nothing more than a superfluous endeavor. To put it nicely, it was a leisurely pursuit; to put it bluntly, it was just a waste of time. Lian Qiang wasn't angry about Chi Xingji asking her to do this; she was simply confused.
"Why?" Lian Qiang asked very calmly, and even her gaze towards Chi Xingji was very calm.
However, he avoided her gaze and said, "Trust me. I have my reasons for doing this."
After saying that, Chi Xingji pursed his lips tightly.
...He was unwilling to talk about it. Lian Qiang knew his temper well, so she just smiled and said, "Okay."
When her fingertips touched the soil, Lian Qiang gritted her teeth, gathering her spiritual power bit by bit, and poured it into the unknown seed. She felt the vitality in her body surging out, and her body gradually became lighter.
Chi Xingji hurriedly supported her, saving her from the risk of falling to the ground.
This wasn't a good sign. In a trance, Lian Qiang smelled a hint of blood. She blinked, realizing it was indeed there. She thought it came from her, but she soon realized something was wrong.
When Chi Xingji touched her, the blood energy became stronger.
Lian Qiang grabbed Chi Xingji's wrist without saying anything. He tried to pull back, but she angrily shouted, "Don't move!"
Chi Xingji was obediently stopped by her. Lian Qiang took the opportunity to pull open his sleeve, and sure enough, there was a bloody mark on his arm. Although it had been healed with spiritual power, it was still a bloody mess.
...like being repeatedly cut open by a sharp weapon and then forced to heal. Lian Qiang made a judgment.
"You poured your own blood on it?" There were very few people in the world who could hurt Chi Xingji. Combining what he had just said, Lian Qiang could easily figure out what he had done.
Chi Xingji hesitated, and finally nodded.
Lian Qiang was in a complicated mood. She had just been wondering why Chi Xingji asked her to pay these prices, but at this moment, she realized that he had paid much more than that.
For a cultivator at his level, blood isn't just blood; it's a form of strength. Every drop holds pure spiritual energy, a kind of causal bond. Judging by the size of the wound, the bleeding must have been significant. Chi Xingji bled daily to irrigate it, and while his cultivation hasn't improved at all, at least he's managed to avoid regression.
Why would Chi Xingji use his own blood to feed this spiritual plant? Lian Qiang felt that she could no longer see through him. This realization made her feel depressed. Her hand loosened and slipped down, but Chi Xingji was quick to grab her hand and hold it.
"Trust me," he said again, a determined look in his eyes, "I can make it grow."
His lips moved silently a few more times, and Qiang couldn't see clearly. She wanted to make a joke to ease the almost serious atmosphere: "What if it's like me, half dead no matter how hard we try to save it?"
The hand holding hers suddenly tightened, almost causing her pain. Lian Qiang felt the pain and tried to signal Chi Xingji to let go, but he didn't move.
"No. If that's the case, don't say it again in the future." Chi Xingji said, pulling her up and then letting go of her hand.
Lian Qiang didn't respond, but just gently rubbed her already red wrist.
"...I'm sorry." Chi Xingji realized his mistake and took Lian Qiang's hand to rub the redness and swelling for her.
Chi Xingji's fingers were long and slender, with distinct joints. His hands looked most beautiful when he wielded a sword. Such beautiful hands, however, were now carefully rubbing her wrist, their expression as focused as if they were caressing a fine sword. Lian Qiang remained silent. She rarely saw Chi Xingji show his emotions, or even get angry about anything.
What was he referring to? Lian Qiang wondered quietly in her heart: was he saying the tree wouldn't grow, or was she mocking her own half-dead nature?
Unfortunately, the answer to this question will only be known to Chi Xingji himself.
——She would never ask him.
What she lacked the least over the years was self-knowledge.
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