Chapter 10
Xie Wen felt that they had been in the illusion for most of the day, but when they came out, her disciples told her that only a quarter of an hour had actually passed.
Xie Wen turned her gaze to Chu Xianyue, who seemed expressionless and emotionless. If it weren't for him, she really didn't know how long she would have stayed in that wretched place.
Although, Xie Wen also deserves credit!
To put it another way, she was the one who lured the flower demon out. Without her, would Chu Xianyue have been able to find and kill it? In that sense, she was a crucial link. Xie Wen thought to himself.
However, Xie Wen was still a little curious about what she had done during the time she was unconscious, and why Chu Xianyue acted that way. She felt a little embarrassed and awkward, and tried to appear relaxed despite her awkwardness.
He was very reluctant to discuss this, which made Xie Wen even more curious. But it was clear that this matter couldn't be asked of Chu Xianyue directly, and only Chu Xianyue and the flower fairy knew about it, but the flower fairy was dead.
Xie Wen suppressed his curiosity, determined to pry Chu Xianyue's words open when the opportunity arose.
The fact that the others are still in the illusion and haven't come out shows that the illusion trial at Little Mirror Lake is really quite difficult, and getting first place in the trial is quite prestigious.
Under a clear blue sky above Little Mirror Lake, the three masters and disciples looked at each other for a moment. Xie Wen's gaze met Yun Yan's. Before Yun Yan could even draw his sword, Xie Wen anticipated this and flashed behind Chu Xianyue.
For a moment, it was like an eagle catching chicks again. Xie Wen and Yun Yan seemed to be having a good time, but no one cared whether Chu Xianyue, the "mother hen," agreed or not.
Chu Xianyue desperately wanted to get rid of both of his apprentices. He couldn't believe they were the ones he had trained.
Relying on Chu Xianyue's presence, Xie Wen provoked Yun Yan from afar, "Are you ever going to stop? I only recently woke up from a coma, and my vitality was greatly depleted. If we're going to compete, shouldn't we wait until I've recovered? Junior brother, you're taking advantage of my weakness, don't you know that?"
At this point, she deliberately raised her voice, which echoed across the entire Little Mirror Lake, so that all the disciples present could hear it. "Oh! I see. Junior brother, are you feeling guilty? You know you can't beat me, so you insist on competing with me when I'm weak?"
As expected, Yun Yan snorted, sheathed his sword, and said coldly, "Fine, I'll wait until Senior Sister recovers before we compete. Then, Senior Sister, please don't refuse!"
Xie Wen smiled indifferently. Anyway, she was safe now, so she might as well take it easy for a few days.
Chu Xianyue had no intention of dealing with these two people, so he turned and left. He saw a woman in green, her reflection shimmering on the water.
Xie Wen looked towards Chu Xianyue.
It is said that someone of Chu Xianyue's level no longer needs to go through the Little Mirror Lake Trial to improve his cultivation. His cultivation has not had much room for improvement. The only thing he needs to do is break through that Heavenly Dao Trial.
So, he made a special trip into the illusion, could it be to accompany Xie Wen? Was he afraid something might happen to her in the illusion?
Xie Wen also left and went to the outer sect's Half Moon Peak.
He remained silent as always, perched high on the wall of Xie Yichun's courtyard, swinging his legs. Xie Yichun was not there. He should be practicing his sword at this time.
Like a leader on an inspection tour of the countryside, Xie Wen wandered aimlessly around Xie Yichun's courtyard. The courtyard was quite large, and although the things were old, Xie Yichun had kept it in an orderly manner and it was very warm.
Xie Wen dreamt of returning to their home in the modern world. This little house was actually a bit better than their home in the modern world; it had several rooms, a living room, a separate kitchen, and a separate courtyard. The courtyard was so big that it even had a plum tree planted in it.
In summer, you can lie in the shade under the tree, enjoy the breeze, and take a nap. In winter, you can sit under the tree, brew tea, chat, and warm yourself by the fire. Sometimes you can even eat the desserts that your older sister has just invented. Just thinking about it makes me happy.
Xie Wen was happily thinking about it, already considering when to move in. She didn't want to stay in that dilapidated building at the foot of Feiying Pavilion for even a day longer.
In the evening, Xie Wen slunk back to her old, run-down place, sprawled out on the straw mat, too exhausted to move. The day's events had left her utterly worn out. Xie Wen was completely worn out; it was like working a day in disguise. She had no time to complain about the living conditions and quickly fell asleep.
In the dim light, moonlight shone through, its cool rays illuminating the blood-red bead on Xie Wen's neck.
The blood bead flickered twice, its red light trembling and swaying slightly. After a short while, it automatically detached from Xie Wen's neck, rose into the air, and its radiance shimmered faintly. After pausing for a few seconds, it flew out of the window and disappeared into the Flying Cherry Pavilion's barrier.
Unimpeded by the Flying Cherry Blossom Pavilion, the blood droplets slowly descended in no time.
Beneath the cherry blossoms, in the pavilion on the river, a drop of blood lay in Chu Xianyue's palm, passing through the window frame.
Chu Xianyue looked at the blood bead and tilted his head in surprise. He was meditating with his eyes closed, pondering the suspicious points of the illusion he had encountered earlier that day. He knew there was something wrong with the illusion. How could an illusion cause real harm to a person? The teeth marks on Chu Xianyue's arm hadn't faded yet; they were left by "Xie Wen" underwater. They hadn't disappeared even after he left the illusion.
Logically, the events that occur in the illusion should not affect them in reality.
Whether there's something fishy about Xiaojing Lake itself, or if someone is behind it, requires further investigation.
The blood droplets on Chu Xianyue's palm, which had been clinging to Xie Wen's neck and refusing to leave, suddenly appeared here late at night. Something must have happened again.
Could it be that he has passed the test? Or is it to inform him of a major breakthrough and progress in his mission?
Sure enough, Chu Xianyue heard a familiar voice. The light of the blood bead shifted with the voice, "Please wait for the test taker and speed up the task. Otherwise, if the time limit is exceeded, effectiveness cannot be guaranteed."
Chu Xianyue: ?
Chu Xianyue asked, "What's the current progress?"
Blood Bead: 0%
Chu Xianyue: ?!
Mission progress 0%? But Xie Wen treated him like that in the illusion today? And it's still 0%?
Chu Xianyue took a deep breath and told himself that Xie Wen was no ordinary woman, and it was understandable that she didn't play by the rules. This matter needed to be considered carefully and should not be rushed.
The voice of the blood bead rang out, "You may not be in a hurry, but Heaven will not wait for you."
You decide what to do.
If it weren't for the fact that it was a divine artifact and also a part of Chu Xianyue, Chu Xianyue would have really wanted to crush it! The veins on the hand holding the blood bead stood out.
Because it is a part of him, it understands him best. Sometimes it can clearly sense Chu Xianyue's inner thoughts and react with the same strong emotions. For example, when Chu Xianyue's heart palpitates and his heart races, the blood droplets will glow brightly red and tremble incessantly.
This is not something the Blood Bead can control. As a part of Chu Xianyue, it naturally reflects the most hidden and forbidden things in Chu Xianyue's heart. In other words, in front of the Blood Bead, Chu Xianyue is completely naked, not even having a pair of underwear left.
Blood Pearl, however, paid no attention to Chu Xianyue's emotions and said in a childish voice, "Friendly reminder, more contact can strengthen your relationship. This Flying Cherry Pavilion is empty; more people will make it more lively."
Chu Xianyue sneered, "You worthless bead, do you even know what 'the smell of fireworks' means?"
The blood droplet choked, and without speaking, it lay quietly in Chu Xianyue's palm, pretending to be dead.
Chu Xianyue tossed the blood bead into the air and said coldly, "Go back." You traitor!
I'm just making him unhappy.
After the blood droplets flew far away, Chu Xianyue stood by the bed, gazing at the night view of the river. Under the moonlight, cherry blossoms flowed with the night, and the entire Feiying Pavilion was quiet and desolate, adding to the bleakness under the moonlight.
Suddenly, the words from Blood Bead popped into Chu Xianyue's mind—this Flying Cherry Blossom Pavilion is empty; more people would make it more lively.
Chu Xianyue never craved any worldly comforts. He didn't need them, nor did he care.
He lived alone in this vast riverside pavilion, and had meticulously set up a protective barrier for its tranquility. Neither Xie Wen nor Yun Yan, nor even his own disciples, had ever spent a night here.
Chu Xianyue leaned against the window alone. Cherry blossoms flew by and landed on his shoulder. The blue color was carried by the wind, making him look even more lonely and desolate.
The sun rose amidst the fluttering cherry blossoms, its rays falling on Xie Wen's face as she slept soundly. She was completely unaware that the bloodstain on her neck had "gone on a trip" the night before. Xie Wen slept comfortably until the sun was high in the sky before she finally woke up.
Therefore, she missed the morning's classes, but for direct disciples of their level, not attending classes wasn't a big deal. Disciplining her was Chu Xianyue's responsibility. The other elders couldn't overstep their bounds.
Xie Wen got up, her stomach starting to rumble. She had already gone to her older sister's place for a meal yesterday, but her sister hadn't moved in yet, so she couldn't go there for meals every day, could she?
She decided to make do and eat at the disciples' canteen.
Unexpectedly, the dining hall was so crowded. Xie Wen obediently joined the queue. He then caught sight of someone, his eyes widening in surprise. Sikong Mingxue was carrying a large quantity of various delicacies, emerging from the inner kitchen?
Xie Wen, with her keen senses, noticed something was wrong! Fine, let's treat them differently.
Just because she's the female lead doesn't mean she gets special treatment! Xie Wen can compromise on other things, but not on this.
Xie Wen broke away from the group, turned around and kidnapped Sikong Mingxue, taking her to a secluded place. Xie Wen's eyes gleamed as he stared at Sikong Mingxue.
Sikong Mingxue hugged herself tightly, "Senior Sister Xie Wen? What are you going to do?"
Xie Wen gave a slightly sinister smile, "You'd better behave... or else..."
Sikong Mingxue looked up, her clear, bewildered eyes meeting Xie Wen's.
This scene was witnessed by Yun Yan, who was eating in a corner. Everything he heard and saw told him that Xie Wen had revealed his true colors; he had always known that Xie Wen was not a kind-hearted person. Now he was definitely doing something bad, threatening Ming Xue.
By the way, in the original work, Yun Yan also seemed to have a crush on Sikong Mingxue.
Suddenly, Xie Wen's wrist was grabbed, and he was shoved into a chair by Yun Yan without any politeness. Yun Yan turned around and shielded Sikong Mingxue behind him. "Xie Wen, what do you want to do to Mingxue? What are you threatening her with?"
Xie Wen: ? I didn't even get a bite of food. What bad luck.
She only asked Sikong Mingxue to make her the same one too. Otherwise, she would tell everyone that she was getting special treatment.
Xie Wen sighed, straightened his clothes, and thought, "This child really needs a good talking to and some discipline." Xie Wen decided to teach Yun Yan a lesson about how to behave properly when he had the chance.
Fortunately, Sikong Mingxue explained the whole story to Xie Wen first, and happily offered to make him the same dish. Xie Wen called out to Sikong Mingxue, "Wait, junior sister, please make me some extra meat."
"good."
Xie Wen smiled, thinking, "As expected of the female lead! Even Xie Wen is starting to fall for Sikong Mingxue, what am I going to do! It has to be said that there's a reason why so many people like her despite her being a good-for-nothing."
Meanwhile, Yun Yan, listening to Xie Wen's nauseatingly sycophantic tone, felt utterly disdainful. When Xie Wen turned to look at Yun Yan, his face immediately darkened.
He had just misunderstood Xie Wen, yet he showed no remorse whatsoever. Xie Wen truly admired Yun Yan's shamelessness. Yun Yan, seeing Xie Wen's gaze, felt her insults were quite vulgar. Yun Yan said, "Senior Sister, don't try anything funny with me."
Xie Wenyin smiled and leaned closer, saying, "Junior brother, shouldn't I be the one saying this to you?"
Xie Wen thought for a moment, and since he had upset her today, she wanted to provoke him in return. In Zai Yunyan's heart, her master would always be number one, even surpassing Sikong Mingxue.
Her bright eyes darted around, her hand touching the bead of blood on her neck, and she said in a high-pitched voice, "Hey, junior brother, do you know what this is? A divine artifact. Master gave it to me~"
Yun Yan scoffed, "Senior Sister, are you daydreaming again?"
Xie Wen wasn't angry; she smiled charmingly and said, "Believe it or not. Anyway, you didn't have it."
Yun Yan's expression changed slightly. Regardless of whether it was a divine artifact dropped by the Heavenly Dao before his ascension, as long as his senior sister had something he didn't, no matter what it was, he felt uneasy. However, what made Yun Yan feel a little better was that who knew if this thing was actually a gift from his master?
At this moment, a voice completely different from the two of them appeared in the air, "I'm not fake. I'm the one Chu Xianyue gave to Awen. Hehe." The bead of blood on Xie Wen's neck glistened.
Yun Yan looked around for a long time before finally confirming, with despair and disbelief, that this was indeed the sound coming from the blood bead on Xie Wen's neck. If it weren't a divine artifact, how could it have developed sentience?
Whether it was true or false, Yun Yan already knew the answer. His face became even more unpleasant, turning slightly green with extreme displeasure, his sword-like eyebrows stood on end, and the corners of his mouth never lifted in a smile.
Sikong Mingxue went to the inner kitchen to get some meat and came back to find Yun Yan leaving with a long face. "Sigh, Junior Brother Yun Yan, you're leaving already?"
Yun Yan was so angry she couldn't say anything. She turned and walked out without looking back. Xie Wen guessed she was probably going to complain to Chu Xianyue.
Xie Wen felt great just thinking about it!
At Feiying Pavilion, Chu Xianyue assumed Yun Yan's serious yet somewhat distressed expression meant something important had happened. However, he immediately asked Chu Xianyue with a pitiful look, "Divine artifacts... why does Senior Sister have one, but I don't?"
Chu Xianyue was now in a real bind. What exactly had Xie Wen done this time?
His eyes turned cold, and he said icily, "Since when have I needed your permission to do anything?"
Yun Yan looked like he was about to cry, his grievances overflowing, but he still forced himself to hold back, as if he was using all his strength to suppress them, and said in a deep voice without changing his expression, "It is Master. Master has his own reasons for doing everything. It was this disciple who was presumptuous."
Chu Xianyue glanced at Yun Yan and said, "It's good that you know."
He was inwardly urging his foolish apprentice to leave quickly and avoid causing him any more trouble.
*
Xie Wen went to Half-Moon Peak but didn't run into Xie Yichun. Xie Yichun seemed quite busy lately, Xie Wen thought. With nothing else to do, he decided to go find Chu Xianyue to learn his academic methods and improve his swordsmanship. After all, his strength was undeniable.
Upon arriving, Xie Wen saw Yun Yan there as well. He chuckled to himself, knowing this was going to be a good show.
Seeing Yun Yan unhappy made her happy. She skipped over and asked, "Master, Junior Brother. What's wrong?"
Yun Yan remained silent. He turned and bid farewell to Chu Xianyue before leaving.
Xie Wen called out to Yun Yan, "Hey, where are you going, Junior Brother?"
Chu Xianyue pressed Xie Wen down, "It's just in time that you've come. I have something to tell you."
Xie Wen grinned, "What's up?"
"We'll move to Feiying Pavilion tomorrow."
Xie Wen: "What's the matter that requires you to move? How many days will it take?"
Chu Xianyue: "I've been living here all along."
Xie Wen's smile slowed and gradually froze.
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