Chapter 25
Xie Wen stood on the deep blue lake, looking down, and saw Chu Xianyue's shadow reflected on the surface of the lake, indistinct and vague. The black dragon and the formation had completely sunk to the bottom of the lake. The surroundings were dark and quiet, desolate, and she saw his hair gently scattered in the twilight.
Xie Wen suddenly remembered this scene.
It was in the illusion, at a time of deep twilight, with the moonlight shining brightly. She squatted arrogantly in front of Chu Xianyue, her eyes even colder than Chu Xianyue's, who was always indifferent. She used her whip to lift his chin and said to him, "Come here and kiss me."
Xie Wen thought that thinking about this would give her goosebumps and make her feel ashamed and indignant, but she didn't.
Xie Wen simply opened his eyes and looked at the person in front of him, standing on the lake, his figure desolate, as if overlapping with the person in the illusion.
In the illusion, he tilted his head and kissed her cheek, his face as expressionless as ever, almost cold. Even the kiss on her cheek seemed to carry a chill. Xie Wen lowered his head, his feet stepping on Chu Xianyue's reflection in the water, then looked up to meet Chu Xianyue's indifferent eyes. He asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Xie Wen chuckled, suddenly finding herself genuinely curious whether Chu Xianyue was still conscious within the illusion. She wondered how he would react if he learned how she had treated him in the illusion.
Even though he was in a hallucination, having lost his mind and consciousness, he remained just as cold-hearted.
Xie Wen resumed his usual carefree demeanor, walking slowly across the lake with his hands behind his back, leaving Chu Xianyue behind. After a few steps, he turned back and smiled brightly at Chu Xianyue, "Master."
"Hmm?" Chu Xianyue responded, looking up at her as her shadow swayed on the lake, like a dream he could never grasp. He looked up and saw Xie Wen smiling genuinely at him.
After hesitating for a while, Xie Wen said, "I'm hungry."
Chu Xianyue breathed a slight sigh of relief; he was just hungry. "Let's go back and eat."
"Mm." Xie Wen nodded, took a few steps back, and skipped and hopped away, leaving Chu Xianyue behind. These days, she had gotten used to eating with Chu Xianyue.
Neither of them realized that, despite not reaching a consensus, they had both tacitly agreed to have dinner together.
Soon after Xiaojing Lake was closed, a notice was issued and spread throughout the mountains.
Everyone knows how important Little Mirror Lake is for cultivation. Regardless of the reason for closing Little Mirror Lake, there was absolutely no warning beforehand, which inevitably caused dissatisfaction among the people.
Chi Yufei, with some unknown supernatural ability, immediately concluded upon seeing the notice that it must be Xie Wen's doing! "Think about it, who in this sect would least want our cultivation to improve? Who has the highest cultivation level and who can't stand to see us progress? Xie Wen is afraid we'll surpass her, so she sabotaged Little Mirror Lake, preventing everyone from participating in the trial!"
Hearing this, Xie Wen thought, "Huh? Is this an insult? How come she seems to enjoy it?" Yes, yes, Xie Wen is the most powerful disciple of the Sword Sect. She, Xie Wen, had no way to refute it.
In a moment of swaying by Chi Yufei, some people began to doubt Xie Wen. Regardless of whether Xie Wen was really behind it, there were always those who disliked him in the first place. Now that they had found an accomplice and an opportunity, they would condemn and attack him first.
Yun Yan swore he wasn't speaking up for Xie Wen, but these people were just too outrageous, so he stepped forward and said, "What evidence do you have? Does Xie Wen need to do this? What benefit would it bring her?"
Chi Yufei said, "The evidence is that I have seen Xie Wen sneaking out of Xiaojing Lake several times recently. Everyone knows that Xiaojing Lake is not open to the public on weekdays. Why can she come and go freely every now and then? Just this is enough to send Xie Wen to the Discipline Department for a good scolding."
Xie Wen's first reaction: No? Every time I come out, Chu Xianyue, that living person, is transformed away by you? Disappeared?
Xie Wen: "Yes, I sealed off Little Mirror Lake. I just won't let you, Chi Yufei, go for the trial. Sigh, so what? What do you want? I'm not going to unseal it for you, I just want to prevent you from improving your cultivation."
Everyone was speechless at Xie Wen's shameless retort. Chi Yufei wanted to retaliate against Xie Wen, but then realized that Xie Wen seemed to be a pile of shit. She had eaten shit.
Xie Wen crossed her arms and chuckled disdainfully. This level of attack power was still a bit lacking compared to hers.
On the narrow path connecting the inner and outer gates of the Tianyan Sword Sect, Pei Xuan was about to enter the inner gate to fertilize and water the spiritual herbs and medicines when he saw a group of people arguing incessantly, seemingly having a dispute. Pei Xuan put down his water bucket, and after inquiring about what had happened, he immediately rushed over like an ox, pushing through the crowd, "I won't allow you to talk about Miss Xie like that!"
Xie Wen was completely bewildered. Who was this guy? Pei Xuan looked up, revealing his face, which had been hidden by a straw hat.
Xie Wen: "Tsk."
Pei Xuanyi stood firmly in front of Xie Wen, saying sternly, "Miss Xie is definitely not that kind of person. I believe her!"
Xie Wen: Hey, is it you who calls me Miss Xie?
But Xie Wen couldn't resist Pei Xuan's reckless charge, and since he had no choice but to let him go, he was caught off guard.
What Xie Wen didn't see was that Yun Yan looked at Pei Xuan and then at Xie Wen with a strange expression, seemingly coming to a very difficult conclusion to accept.
However, could it be that Xie Wen has gotten together with her "brother-in-law"? After all, since the last time she met Pei Xuan with Xie Wen's sister, the impression of Pei Xuan as Xie Wen's brother-in-law has been etched into her mind.
That's why Yun Yan was so shocked when he was indulging in fantasies.
If Xie Wen knew that Yun Yan was thinking about these "hellish things," she would definitely shovel him to death.
However, Xie Wen crossed her arms, remaining aloof and looking down on this person who stood firmly on her side and spoke up for her. It seemed to feel quite good.
Xie Wen: Pei Xuan's appearance has suddenly become much more pleasing to the eye.
As dusk settled, Xie Wen finished learning the incantation from Chu Xianyue and told him that he probably wouldn't be home for dinner that night. Xie Wen then swaggered down the winding mountain path to find Xie Yichun.
She played with the Spring Grass in her hand, which was radiating spiritual energy. It only bloomed once every hundred years and was a very precious tonic. Eating it could help increase one's cultivation level.
Pei Xuan had asked her to deliver this to her elder sister today, and instructed her not to mention that it was a gift from him. He said the gift was a personal matter and he didn't want to put Xie Yichun in a difficult or stressful position. Xie Wen noticed the injuries on his arms, which he had sustained while picking the flowers on the cliff.
Xie Wen raised an eyebrow. Although Pei Xuan, from a humble background, was indeed unworthy of her older sister, he seemed to care for her quite a bit. He seemed genuinely sincere.
From afar, Xie Yichun could be seen sitting calmly in the courtyard, her gaze fixed on the kitchen, smiling and talking. In an instant, Xie Wen scoffed. She knew it! It was Pei Xuan! Xie Wen thought bitterly to herself: He comes to see her sister every day, yet he pretends to ask her to pass on this worthless spirit herb! That brat's got a deep mind.
It was now evening, and Xie Yichun should have been cooking dinner. However, someone else had taken over the kitchen and was busy with other tasks. Meanwhile, Xie Yichun was leisurely sitting in the courtyard, chatting and laughing with Pei Xuan while playing with her side ponytail that reached her chest.
Xie Wen quietly walked over and sat down next to her. "Sister, what are we having for dinner tonight?"
Xie Yichun turned her head. "Awen, you're here." As she spoke, Xie Yichun answered Xie Wen's question with a slightly shy tone, her voice low. "Tonight, try Young Master Pei's cooking."
Xie Wen: Tsk.
Look at you, sister! It's just cooking a meal! Look at yourself, you're so shy.
She, Xie Wen, kept her eyes fixed on him. As long as she lived, she would keep her eyes on him! Even as a ghost, she would keep her eyes on him.
A cool evening breeze blew, the sun set in the west, and weary birds returned to their nests. Pei Xuan saw Xie Wen arrive and greeted her warmly, but Xie Wen didn't give him a friendly look, acting as if he were her family. What was he welcoming her for? This was her home!
Not long after, Pei Xuan brought out a hot meal and placed it on the stone bench in the courtyard. Above the bench was a plum tree that had just sprouted, its tender green buds stretching in the twilight. Under the tree, the three of them sat together at a table. Although Xie Wen did not give Pei Xuan a good look, he could not be rude to the food.
These are all simple home-style dishes, but Xie Wen loves them the most. Seriously, why does it suddenly remind her of her mother's cooking?
Xie Yichun kept putting food on Xie Wen's plate, and Pei Xuan would casually put food on Xie Yichun's plate as well, passing it around. Tsk.
However, it must be admitted that Pei Xuan is quite skilled at cooking. Xie Wen is a straightforward person; good is good, and bad is bad. She wouldn't hesitate to praise Pei Xuan, saying, "Much better than what you get in the canteen. Not bad, but don't get too proud. Compared to my older sister, you're still a bit lacking."
This was the first time Pei Xuan had heard Xie Wen praise her. After all, she was his senior sister. Pei Xuan scratched his head, feeling somewhat proud.
Xie Wen interrupted Pei Xuan's modest words first, "However, it is precisely because your cooking skills are not as good as my older sister's that you need to work harder and cook more diligently. The early bird catches the worm, and diligence can make up for lack of talent."
After Xie Wen's spiel, looking at Pei Xuan's expression of wanting him to fall into Xie Yichun's eyes, Xie Wen couldn't be sure how much he had actually taken in. Tsk.
Xie Wen thought Pei Xuan was a complete idiot. Xie Yichun had just put down her chopsticks when he grinned and was about to show off the swordsmanship he had recently learned. A cool breeze blew as Xie Wen lazily leaned against the plum tree with his arms crossed, squinting as he watched the two of them practicing their swordsmanship with great enjoyment. Was it sword practice or flirting? What a brat! He's really cunning!
Unbeknownst to Xie Wen, on the other side of Feiying Pavilion, Chu Xianyue stood alone in the vast pavilion. The river was still, and he looked at a table full of delicacies, but found no taste in them. Something seemed to be missing.
So quiet. So empty.
Under the plum tree at dusk, Xie Wen hugged his arms, facing the cool breeze, closed his eyes, and took a nap. Not long after, the person under the tree suddenly opened his eyes.
The bead of blood close to her chest was warm and trembling, its residual warmth even seeping through her skin into the depths of her heart. Xie Wen clutched her chest, covering the trembling bead of blood. She took it out, brought it close to her cheek, and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
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