A harmonious relationship: "In youth, one does not cherish the east wind's favor; only in years does one understand..."
The two arrived at Changqing Palace, where Su Xianqing was practicing his sword on the jade platform in front of the palace. Upon seeing them, he leaped down and said, "Why did you come so quickly? Weren't you going to enter the secret realm?"
Ning Wuyang shook his head and sighed, as if he had a lot of regret. "I was disturbed and missed the time to go in, so I just came over first."
Yan Huanyue obediently bowed and said, "Greetings, Senior Brother Su."
Su Xianqing strongly suspected that the two of them had conspired to help Yan Huanyue slack off, "Master is still meditating."
Ning Wuyang looked indifferent, walked past Su Xianqing, waved to Yan Huanyue, and said with a smile, "Come on, let me introduce you to your younger brother Xuanzhi. He might think we're too old and want to talk to you a bit more."
Su Xianqing, sword in hand, stepped in front of him, saying, "Xuanzhi is still ill; do not disturb him."
Ning Wuyang frowned and said, "Senior brother? Even you dislike him?"
Su Xianqing gripped his sword tightly, looked past Ning Wuyang to Yan Huanyue, and said softly, "Yan Baoying, Junior Brother Yu is a perfect match that is hard to find in the entire Tianyan Sect. You can't act rashly."
This is the third one.
Yan Huanyue closed her eyes helplessly and said, "Thank you for reminding me, Senior Brother Su. I am very clear-headed and I know what I am doing."
Ning Wuyang scoffed, "Yu Zhao is hardly a perfect match, so what are you regretting, Senior Brother? Not long ago in Rongcheng, I saw him stick a gold hairpin into Tan Guiyi's hair. I hate pretentious people like him the most."
Yan Huanyue was unaware of this matter. In her previous life, her senior brother Ning seemed to have subtly or overtly reminded her to be wary of the relationship between Yu Zhao and Tan Guiyi, but she had never considered it in this regard.
Su Xianqing asked, "Didn't you say you were going to Nanjing? Why are you in Chengdu?"
Ning Wuyang mumbled, "Let me ask Rongcheng too... Senior brother, can you please listen to the important points?"
Su Xianqing's concluding remark: "Just spouting nonsense."
Ning Wuyang knew that with Yu Zhao's usual gentlemanly demeanor, no one would believe him. He simply bypassed Su Xianqing and called out as he walked, just like when they were children, "Baoying, keep up."
Yan Huanyue followed behind him, her hands hanging down.
Su Xianqing was so angry that the veins on her forehead were bulging. She wished she could crack open her brain to see if it was all scrambled together. Such a good marriage had to be ruined. She treated such a big matter like a joke.
If she hadn't agreed, her master wouldn't have blamed her. As for Xuanzhi...
If it weren't for the fact that Master was abducted by a demon after expending too much cultivation at Mingde Sect back then, where would he be now?
For both the father and mother, Xuanzhi was a burden, and should not have existed in the first place, let alone be saved or not.
Ning Wuyang led Yan Huanyue into the east side room of Changqing Palace with ease. After passing a gauze screen depicting a fairy palace, they suddenly saw the brilliant spring light spreading throughout the room from the south window, shining on all the tables and chairs, scattering golden light.
A rocking chair sits under the south window, and a low table is placed next to it.
The young man, dressed in a snow-white robe, with his hair tied with a golden rope and a jade belt around his waist, was quietly reclining in a rocking chair, basking in the soft sunlight streaming through the window. He was holding a book in his hand.
His face was pale, and he looked sickly. His clothes were covered with a thin layer of warm golden light, and the gold necklace and longevity lock hanging on his lapel added to the warmth.
Despite being bathed in the beautiful spring sunshine, he was like a fine porcelain piece covered in fine snow and frost on a winter night, cold, sparse, and pure as crystal.
Hearing the sound of their light footsteps, the young man pursed his thin lips, glanced at them calmly from between the pages of his book, put the book away, and slowly sat up, leaning on the armrest of his rocking chair.
Ning Wuyang took a step back and pointed to Pei Xuanzhi, introducing him as, "This is your younger brother, Xuanzhi."
He then pointed to Yan Huanyue and said, "Xuanzhi, you should call this woman 'elder sister.' Her surname is Yan and her given name is Huanyue. You can call her Huanyue elder sister or just elder sister. In any case, you must always show her some respect in the future."
A thin, pale boy sat in a rocking chair, holding a book, his misty eyes filled with youthful innocence.
He looked at Yan Huanyue, and quickly and obediently called out, "Sister."
They were supposed to be the same age, but the respectful greeting made Yan Huanyue hesitate to respond. She subconsciously looked away and her gaze fell on his hand holding the book.
His hands were slender and pale with distinct knuckles, and the blue veins were clearly visible beneath the thin skin.
Hidden behind his sleeves, a pair of black jade bracelets, bathed in golden sunlight, hung loosely on his wrists.
These are not hands fit to wield weapons, but they are perfectly suited for hand seals and talismans.
Yan Huanyue could almost imagine how those slender fingers could so easily weave together intricate and difficult-to-form hand seals, and then unleash a surge of spiritual power.
But none of this concerns him.
It's a pity that the sect leader's son, who is also half-demon, is so weak.
Ning Wuyang smiled and said to Yan Huanyue, "Look how obedient my brother is, and how handsome he is. Although he is not in good health now, he is learning self-protection talismans. Once he recovers, he will definitely be able to do your laundry and cook for you without any problem."
Pei Xuanzhi was still sitting there, and Yan Huanyue felt so embarrassed that her scalp tingled. "Senior Brother Ning, shall we go outside to talk?"
Ning Wuyang waved his hand, "You all sit here for a while, I still need to go and invite a few elders."
After he left, Yan Huanyue couldn't just turn around and leave immediately.
The room was silent. Pei Xuanzhi leaned against the armrest and coughed a few times. Perhaps unable to hold on any longer, he lay back down in the rocking chair.
The rocking chair swayed gently, and the small bell under the longevity lock on his lapel jingled softly in the warm light.
He might not be a talkative person, and he probably wouldn't be anxious about the awkward silence. He simply asked her to sit wherever she wanted, and continued to slowly turn the pages of his book.
Yan Huanyue could roughly guess that the sect leader was probably going to discuss their marriage with the elders today.
Originally, this matter only required the agreement of both families, but now that the Yu family's reply has not arrived, and it also involves the annulment of the engagement with Yu Zhao, who is also a disciple of Tianyan, we have to talk to his master about this matter to avoid making enemies on the surface.
She was definitely going to help Pei Xuanzhi, but Pei Xuanzhi had not been raised in the Tianyan Sect since childhood, and even his biological father was not familiar with him.
She knew nothing about this person in both her past lives combined. Since they were destined to become Daoist partners, she couldn't possibly be completely indifferent to his past.
Most importantly, how he lived in Chang'an from childhood to the present, and what principles his adoptive parents taught him, are inevitably closely related to his current attitude towards things, people, and himself.
Whether it's more joy, resentment, sorrow, or anger, ask yourself this question at least to get a general idea of the situation.
Too lazy to move a stool, she simply walked to the rocking chair, lifted her skirt, half-squatted beside it, placed her hands on the armrests, looked at him, and asked with a smile, "Junior Brother Pei, I heard you grew up in Chang'an, is that right?"
Pei Xuanzhi looked up from the book, barely managing to sit up by supporting himself on the armrest. He looked down at her and saw his own reflection in her bright eyes.
His long eyelashes trembled slightly, and he withdrew his gaze a little, looking at the small white jade bead swaying by her ear, and said softly, "Yes."
"What are the most authentic and delicious dishes in Chang'an? Anything you like is fine. Or, are there any places to visit?"
Pei Xuanzhi said calmly, "I don't go out often, so I don't know much."
A subtle emotion stirred within Yan Huanyue, and she asked with concern, "Are your parents at home alright? Now that you're here, they must miss you."
Pei Xuanzhi lowered his eyes and did not answer, nor did he show any signs of homesickness.
Yan Huanyue had a rough guess, and then asked, "What medicine do you usually take at home?"
Pei Xuanzhi replied, "I saw a doctor once when I was young. He said I was born with a weak constitution and prescribed a few doses of medicine. I haven't taken any more medicine since I finished them."
The Lu family of Chang'an was considered to have insufficient spiritual roots and had to rely on officialdom. Therefore, she probably knew how he was doing in Chang'an.
She pointed to the longevity lock on his gold necklace and said with a smile, "Your lock is really beautiful. I don't think I've ever seen this kind of lock before. Is it a style commonly used by people in Chang'an?"
Pei Xuanzhi shook his head. "I've worn it since I was a child. No matter how hard I try, no one can take it off. A few days ago, my father came to Chang'an to pick me up. Only then did I realize that it was left to me by him when he left. Perhaps my mother put it on for me."
Yan Huanyue laughed innocently and naively, "Perhaps they didn't really intend to take it off. Who would take off a child's longevity lock?"
Pei Xuanzhi suddenly lifted her eyelids and asked softly, "Sister, do you want to know how the Lu family in Chang'an treats me?"
Yan Huanyue had been very careful, but she didn't expect him to see through her, so she simply nodded in agreement.
Pei Xuanzhi bluntly stated, "It's not that good."
He answered frankly, his tone remaining cool and calm. Yan Huanyue could not discern any joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness in his voice; she could only sense a certain indifference.
Perhaps he hated that family intensely, or perhaps he genuinely didn't care.
But the people who grow up under these two different emotions are completely different.
"Have you been engaged in Chang'an? Do you have someone you like?"
The boy paused, clearly not expecting her to suddenly take such a roundabout way and ask the question so directly.
Although he didn't think anything of it, and even deliberately raised his chin to show his solemnity, his fair eyelids still couldn't help but show a thin layer of pink.
On the contrary, his tone was unusually solemn: "None."
Yan Huanyue leaned on the armrest, looked up at his profile, and continued to ask, "Then are you willing to become my Daoist partner?"
This was the first time in the young man's life that a woman had asked him such a question in person, and in such a casual and open manner.
Although he considered himself to have seen a lot, he lacked such experience and was not sure how to respond to such questions.
"Um......"
With a low groan, he pressed his fist to his lips, turned away, and began to cough intermittently, one cough after another, without stopping.
Yan Huanyue guessed that he was probably shy. If she stayed by his side, she didn't know how long he would keep coughing.
She got up to pour him a glass of warm water and placed it on a small table beside him. As soon as she turned around, his coughing stopped immediately.
Yan Huanyue turned around and saw him with red eyes, slumped listlessly in the rocking chair, panting slightly, trying to calm his breathing. She wondered how much effort he had put into coughing to avoid her.
A tender feeling, like seeing a kitten, washed over her. She had to admit that his gentle stubbornness and composure made her feel relaxed in a way.
At least, he's not a difficult person to communicate with.
She stopped asking him anything and sat down at the desk by the north wall, facing the south window.
Seeing a stack of books on the table, she asked, "May I look at these books?"
Under the bright spring sunshine by the south window, the young man said softly, "Please, sister."
She glanced through them; they were all old books stamped with the library's seal.
Two books on formations, one on talismans, one on Qimen Dunjia, three books on the history of the Xianmo sect, and one book on magic formulas.
She picked out the collection of magic formulas and began to read it carefully from the first page.
This collection discusses the origins, applications, and variations of various techniques. It contains many scattered notes from predecessors, likely dating back over fifty years.
Starting fifty years ago, the Tianyan Sect Library has prohibited scribbling on books, but each book comes with a blank copy to record thoughts and feelings to be passed down to future generations.
Once these empty volumes are filled, the elders and disciples of the library will select the best ones to compile into volumes.
At the end of each year, the most valuable books and records of the year are selected and displayed on the Xuanji List of the Library for disciples to study, a practice that is followed by many other sects.
The value gained from clinging to secret manuals is far less than that from collaborative research. One person's wisdom and strength are always limited, and being too conservative often backfires.
As Yan Huanyue turned the pages to memorize the essentials of the incantation, she also used her hands to perform the hand seals without focusing her spiritual energy, following the instructions drawn next to the incantation.
At first, it took several readings to memorize a single technique. Later, by following the notes and finding connections, I was able to memorize it much faster.
However, the desk was not her size, so her feet could not fully touch the ground. Her legs were unconsciously bent or crossed, which was not very comfortable, but she did not pay too much attention to it.
There were a few slight noises. She looked up at the white fingers curled up on the edge of the table. Just as she was about to look down to see what he was going to do when she suddenly felt something gently bump her toes.
She moved the stool back a little, looked down under the table, and saw that the toe of her embroidered shoe was pressed against a long footrest.
She crouched down, her gaze meeting that of Pei Xuanzhi, who was also under the table.
She was engrossed in her book for a while when she saw him. She paused for a moment, then realized that he had helped her put her feet up.
She smiled and said, "Thank you."
Pei Xuanzhi had no intention of speaking. He calmly withdrew his gaze, slowly got up, and strolled to the bright, clear window to sit and continue reading.
Yan Huanyue stepped on the footrest and felt much more comfortable. She turned a page of the book and continued to silently memorize the key points of the formula.
In the late spring afternoon, in the gentle breeze and warm sunshine, the boy lay half-reclined by the window, lazily turning a page of a book.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a wisp of black hair slipping down her temple, fluttering gently against her snowy cheek. She didn't notice, her gaze fixed on the pages of her book, silently reciting something, her fingers wrapped in white gauze forming hand seals.
He turned his gaze back to the pages of the book, his expression focused.
Spring light gradually spread from his soft boots, which he carried on a stool, to the hem of his snow-white robe with gold trim, the tiny golden rays dazzlingly brilliant.
In the dim light, someone had written a poem on the yellowed corner of a book about Qimen Dunjia: "A young man, white as jade, breaks a willow branch by the roadside, not looking for pearls but seeking the fragrance of wine. In his youth, he did not cherish the east wind's favor, only after years did he understand the wind, snow, and frost."
He glanced at it briefly and knew it was a poem encouraging learning, but it was worthless to him, so he simply turned the page.
The room was bathed in warm, bright spring sunlight, so pleasant that it seemed to melt one into the warm spring day.
As the sunlight gradually shifted, a figure was reflected on the screen.
Su Xianqing walked around from behind the screen and saw that the room was filled with the desolate glow of the setting sun, but the two children were busy with their own things and getting along well.
"Master and several elders are in the west hall. Please come over."
A note from the author:
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