Is it my senior sister Yan who is coming to see you?
June is rainy, and the majestic Tianyan Mountain is surprisingly gentle, like the Jiangnan region.
As the month drew to a close, the rain continued for days on end. Standing on Shouzhuo Plain and looking north, one could see layers of misty green mountains hidden in the rain and fog, like an ethereal ink painting, cool and refreshing.
The Zhijing Hall has a nine-day schedule with one day off, and this round of classes happened to fall on a rainy day.
Yan Huanyue entered the Heavenly Stele at dawn. When she came out, the sky was still somewhat gloomy. She looked up at the mountain scenery in the rain and calculated that Yu Zhao would be returning soon with the Fushan Token.
On the way to the dining hall, Xue Jingnian also came from the direction of the blue stone tablet, holding an umbrella and catching up with her from behind. He strode confidently beside her, saying in a light tone:
"Seeing you every day, you've really changed your ways. What's your ranking on the Heavenly Stele Ranking now?"
In midsummer, this slightly cool weather is the most pleasant.
Xue Jingnian glanced at her casually. The edge of the umbrella obscured her eyes and brows, and he could only see a few strands of her dark hair hanging down her temples, floating on her snow-white neck.
They had been together since childhood. Xue Jingnian had never paid attention to these things that he himself felt were frivolous. But the rain was fine, her black hair was swaying, and the girl was enveloped in a misty haze, like an unreal dream.
It was only then that he suddenly realized something: many years had passed since she used to lead him around the sect with her hair in two little buns.
His gaze shifted slightly upwards, and he saw the girl's red lips part slightly as she casually said, "Outer disciples are not required to reveal their rankings."
"oh……"
Yan Huanyue lifted the umbrella and scrutinized him. Seeing that the usually smug man was unusually silent, she asked, "Have you been captured by a ghost?"
Xue Jingnian withdrew his gaze, gripped the umbrella handle tightly, and scoffed at the rain-soaked sky, "Tch, what do you know... I just think you're dressed too plainly."
Yan Huanyue was quite bored, and seeing that she didn't react, Xue Jingnian continued:
“When I was in Linjiang before, I saw a flower hairpin made of blue and pink tourmaline. I gave a pair to my friend Tan. She liked them very much and invited me to Chunyu Tower for drinks, to see the fireworks and thousands of lanterns, and to listen to the flutes and drums all night long.”
Yan Huanyue had just come out of the Heavenly Stele, and this time, because her ranking had risen again, the difficulties she faced were different from before.
She hadn't won today; she had only managed to avoid injury after desperately holding on for an hour. Therefore, she couldn't muster much emotion to show to others at this moment, and simply said casually, "Really? That's great."
But it was still funny. Why did he only mind that Yu Zhao was engaged to her, but not that Yu Zhao liked Tan Guiyi? Or did he think, like in her previous life, that Yu Zhao was just another "brother" with a very good personality?
A smile flickered across Xue Jingnian's eyebrows and eyes as he walked around to the other side, holding his umbrella, and followed her. "Yan Huanyue, if you also want to go out and play, I can take you to Minchuan City today. Didn't you say you wanted to try the dishes from Bieyunjian? And..."
Yan Huanyue stopped and turned to look at him, saying frankly, "What is it you want? Please speak plainly."
Xue Jingnian was much taller than her, and as she looked up at him, he turned to face her, his umbrella involuntarily tilting towards the edge of hers. "I..."
Ultimately, youthful pride prevailed; he suppressed the words that were almost out of his mouth and provocatively said:
"You have been diligent in your cultivation lately. Do you have the courage to fight me? If I lose within twenty moves, you must give me all your money. If you win, I will give you a tourmaline flower hairpin, two gold hairpins, and a high-grade spirit stone."
Yan Huanyue really wanted to reach out and feel his forehead to see if she could heat up a pot of water; she simply had no idea what was going on inside his head.
She sighed, "Xue Jingnian, are you alright? I only have a few coins in my pocket, how did I manage to dazzle you, young master? You set up such a big stake just for my few strings of copper coins? You want to hit me, and you want me to pay up? Do you think I'm a gambler who's drunk on black blood?"
Xue Jingnian said in surprise, "We've known each other for over ten years, do you think I'm that kind of person? I..."
Yan Huanyue said firmly, "You are someone who used to steal three candied hawthorns from me for every one candied hawthorn. If you want to talk about friendship, I can tolerate it for a while and we can have a word or two. But talking about money is absolutely out of the question!"
She glanced at him again and asked, "Is something wrong? Did you borrow money from someone and are afraid to tell your family?"
"Yan Huanyue!"
Xue Jingnian suddenly took a step forward and moved directly opposite her, the raindrops on the edge of the umbrella scattering into a crystal-clear beaded curtain.
Is that how you see me?
Yan Huanyue simply looked at him calmly, as if looking at a child throwing a tantrum, and asked, "What do you think?"
Xue Jingnian was somewhat hurt. In her eyes, this was the kind of person a direct descendant of the eldest branch of the prestigious Xue family of Chang'an was.
Just as he was about to speak, a woman dressed in plain clothes, holding an oil-paper umbrella and carrying a bamboo basket, emerged from the bamboo grove path in front of the library. Through the bamboo breeze and the light rain, she called out from afar:
"Junior Sister Yan, Junior Brother, what a coincidence! I was just looking for someone to keep me company. Would you two like some wine and tea?"
Yan Huanyue turned around and saw Su Henghua standing leisurely in front of the lush bamboo forest.
Su was originally a retainer of the Xue family, but due to some reason, he fell out with the Xue family and fled Chang'an to live in Xianyang.
Because most of the Pei clan died at the hands of the demons in the battle for the natural barrier, their descendants are few and far between. The former territory of Xianyang and the protective array that originally belonged to the Pei clan have been taken over by the Su clan.
Who would have thought that the descendants of the Su and Xue families, who disliked each other, would become close martial arts siblings?
Just as Yan Huanyue was about to refuse, Su Henghua walked over and said, "I also called Shuangying and Yuxiao. They are at Xiwu Pavilion. I went to find some melons and fruits from Shanxi Qin. They have probably arrived by now."
Yuanxu Peak is where Elder Yin, the teacher of Su and Xue, lived. Xiwu Pavilion is built on a cliff that extends outward from the golden summit of Yuanxu Peak.
On a clear day, the sunlight illuminates the drifting clouds and mist, turning them golden. Standing on the Xiwu Pavilion, one feels as if standing in a golden palace.
Yan Huanyue had never seen what it was like in the rain, and she had only seen it in the sunshine when she helped Senior Sister Han deliver things.
Since Senior Sister Han is here too, then...
.
Behind the half-open window on the second floor of the library, Pei Xuanzhi watched the three figures disappear into the rain before closing the window completely.
Then, after putting on his cloak, he picked up his brush and began adding the necessary talismans for each direction to the paper on which he was strategizing the formation.
A moment later, a boy sat down opposite them and gently pushed a piece of paper across a pot of orchids.
He glanced at it and saw that it read: "May I ask, what kind of formation has been drawn by you?"
He slowly finished drawing the formation, wrote "Gathering Evil and Killing Demon Formation" on it, and handed it to the other side.
A moment later, another piece of paper was passed from the other side: "Truly ingenious, but I don't quite understand some of it."
He took the paper, and with a bit of leisure, briefly listed the key points of the formation and handed it over.
After a while, a piece of paper was handed over from the other side. "Your writing is indeed concise and to the point. Thank you for your guidance. Also, may I ask if you are Senior Sister Yan's fiancé?"
He glanced at the paper casually, then continued reading with his eyes down, without looking back.
Soon, another piece of paper was handed over, "I apologize, I mistook you for someone else, please don't be offended."
Pei Xuanzhi glanced at the paper, continued reading, and after a while, expressionless, took the paper and wrote, "It is indeed I."
Just as he was about to hand it over, he pulled it back, replaced it with another piece of paper, wrote, "You have not admitted your mistake," and then finally handed it over.
Unexpectedly, another piece of paper was quickly sent from the other side: "There are some other things about this formation that I would like to ask you. I just don't know if Senior Sister Yan will come to see you today since it's a day off. If it's too much of a bother, I'll ask you another day."
Pei Xuanzhi looked calmly at the paper, then glanced at the window that had already been closed, confirming that the other person had just arrived and was not there to deliberately provoke or provoke him.
After a long pause, he reached out and wrote: "Okay."
Upon receiving the paper, Mu Huage looked up at him with a cheerful smile. Pei Xuanzhi got up, put away his things, and also smiled as he gestured towards the door, indicating "please".
.
Yan Huanyue consulted Han Shuangying about the difficulties she encountered at the Heavenly Stele this morning. The three people beside her also offered her some solutions. The rain still hadn't stopped, but she got up to say goodbye and headed to the Heavenly Stele.
Seeing this, Xue Jingnian wanted to follow, but Su Henghua casually told him to go up the mountain.
Han Shuangying glanced at Xue Jingnian silently, and only after he left did she say, "I heard that Junior Brother Yu obtained the Fushan Token in Jianan, and it was your Su family who helped him out."
Su Henghua sat down, poured herself a cup of tea amidst the misty rain, and said with a smile, "Oh, someone sent a message about this. They said that when they reached Jianan Taigong Mountain, demonic energy suddenly filled the area, and someone came seeking help. Seeing that they were from the Tianyan Sect, they helped out. What's going on?"
Han Shuangying said calmly, "I obtained the Fushan Token back in Jianan. I left it there to suppress a dead demon, purify its demonic energy, and nurture the mountain. I also inscribed its ownership on the cave wall next to it."
"If no one deliberately dismantled my formation and entered the cave, and also shattered the Mountain-Subduing Token, how could demonic energy have leaked out?"
Su Henghua was slightly surprised. "It's hard to say. Let's ask when we get back."
Han Shuangying said, "If it was truly due to my oversight in setting up the formation that the demonic energy leaked out over time, and they were worried that there were living demons below, then the Fushan Token should have been his."
.
Yan Huanyue left the Heavenly Stele at noon. After having lunch, she took advantage of her rare holiday to go back and rest for a while. When she woke up at noon, she heard the rain still falling softly outside the eaves.
She packed her things, took an umbrella, and prepared to head to the library. But as soon as she opened the courtyard gate, she saw Pei Xuanzhi standing under the eaves outside the gate, holding a box, with a folded umbrella beside him.
The water stains on the ground under the umbrella tip were half-dry, but the rain had soaked half of his cloak, and water droplets were splashed on his face. It was unclear how long he had been standing there.
Yan Huanyue originally guessed that he was deliberately avoiding her because of what happened that night, so she didn't bother him too much.
After so long, his sudden visit left her momentarily at a loss for how to react.
"I ran into Senior Brother Mu Huage today. He said he's in the same dormitory as you, Senior Sister. I haven't visited you in a long time, and I heard you're free today..."
His eyes sparkled with a clear smile, and he exuded a calm and composed demeanor, as if he had never been distant from her.
It was as if that night had never happened, and he had never avoided her because of it. After thinking about it for so long, he had finally overcome that hurdle in his heart.
They're getting married soon, so he has to get through this hurdle. It wouldn't be right for him not to come out and see her when it's time to exchange vows.
Yan Huanyue acted as if nothing had happened, pushed open the door, and said, "Come in and sit down."
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 00:56:10 on November 8, 2023 and 23:48:38 on November 9, 2023!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Not a newbie 30 bottles; T 16 bottles; Did you think seriously today? 15 bottles; Xie De 10 bottles; Did the author add roots today? 8 bottles; Radon 6 bottles; Never retreat from the original intention, Smiling face 3 bottles; Drop * not *, AAA special chef 2 bottles; Bu Jie, A serious person, Pigsy, This word is spoken, Yang Erniu, 30225879, Zhou Man's sword bone 1 bottle;
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