"Okay, okay," Hua Xiangwan coaxed him, took the initiative to reach out and hug him, and rubbed his back, "Let's go back first. If we continue talking, you will really die here."

Xie Changji was comforted by her and gradually calmed down.

Hua Xiangwan then took his hand, gave him some spiritual power to warm his body, carried him on his back, and walked towards the cave.

Carried on Hua Xiangwan's back, Xie Changji seemed unusually calm. Hua Xiangwan carried him back to the cave and treated his wounds. She couldn't help but wonder, "What's wrong with you all of a sudden? If you can't find me, just wait patiently. How could I just abandon you?"

"I'm afraid."

Xie Changji was being wiped with a hot towel by her. He couldn't see and could only quietly feel her every touch.

Hua Xiangwan couldn't help but laugh: "What are you afraid of?"

Xie Changji lowered his eyes and whispered, "I had a nightmare."

"What dream frightened you like this?"

"I dreamed that you... were gone."

Hearing this, Hua Xiangwan paused, wondering if he remembered something. Xie Changji did not notice her movement. Only when she was there did he have the courage to talk about the dream.

"You fell off a cliff and I couldn't save you. Then you ended up in a place where there was blood everywhere and I kept killing people there and couldn't stop."

"What's there to be afraid of?"

Hua Xiangwan came back to her senses and knew that he was about to remember something. She quickly cherished her few moments of unbridledness and grabbed his other hand: "Everyone will die one day. Either you go first or I go first. Death is death. What is there to be afraid of?"

“It hurts so much.”

Xie Changji said in a hoarse voice: "This road with no end is too difficult to walk on. But fortunately..."

Xie Changji turned his head and looked at Hua Xiangwan. He seemed a little dazed: "It's just a nightmare. You are still here and you will not leave me."

Listening to Xie Changji's words, Hua Xiangwan felt a little guilty, wondering if the seventeen-year-old Xie Changji was a little too fragile?

Wasn't he so clingy back then?

Come to think of it, it’s probably because I forgot everything.

I don't remember anything, not even the education given by the Heavenly Sword Sect or their consistent forbearance.

It's like a child, a child who has never experienced anything, how strong can you expect him to be?

Anyway, everything will return to normal once we get out, so let him be.

Hua Xiangwan lowered her head and treated his wounds, and then prepared the spirit beast meat for him. He couldn't see, so she fed him with her hands.

After they finished eating, she led him to meditate.

At night, he was tired, and the two of them rested together.

After her sudden disappearance, he seemed extremely uneasy. He held her in his arms when he slept, like a child, wanting to hold her and touch her all the time.

After some time, the poison in his body finally dissipated and he began to see things. Hua Xiangwan led him out of the cave and walked outside.

They knew the Spring Entanglement Sword Moves by heart, what they lacked was practice. The two of them moved forward in the snow, from the first move to the last move - it took them almost half a year to master it completely.

Early that morning, Hua Xiangwan vaguely sensed that the spiritual energy in the secret realm was beginning to thin. She and Xie Changji learned the last move together, and after they easily killed a giant snow beast, a light gate appeared in front of them.

Xie Changji turned around to look at her and naturally took her hand: "Sister, you can go out now."

"Um."

Hua Xiangwan nodded, and the two of them walked out towards the light gate together. After they passed through the light gate, they saw that the wall where the sword was originally placed in the stone chamber had disappeared. The two of them walked out from the exit following the light. When they reached the end, they heard the sound of birds singing and trees rustling. Colors gradually fell into their eyes, and they realized that they had reached the exit of the cave, and there was a forest in front of them.

"Sister," Xie Changji glanced ahead, "Should we go first or wait for Senior Sister Humian?"

Hua Xiangwan thought about it, took out the sound transmission jade token, and called Hu Mian: "Senior Sister?"

There was no response from the voice transmission jade token, presumably because she was still in the secret realm of cultivation, and no one knew when she would come out. Hua Xiangwan was just about to take him away when he heard footsteps behind him.

Hua Xiangwan and Xie Changji looked back and saw Hu Mian pulling someone slowly towards them from the darkness.

Hu Mian was still the same, but her expression was a little gloomier. Qin Xinsheng, who was holding her from behind, was still wearing the same cloth clothes, but his eyes were covered with a piece of white silk, and he was obviously injured.

The two of them stopped and looked at Hua Xiangwan and Xie Changji. After a moment, Hua Xiangwan spoke hesitantly: "What is he doing..."

"It's hard to put it into words."

Hu Mian shook his head and said, "Forget it, let's find a place to rest first."

Hua Xiangwan nodded, and the two sisters each took one person with them and walked out of the cave.

Hu Mian was very quiet along the way, lacking some of her usual liveliness. Hua Xiangwan looked at her and Qin Xiansheng, thinking about the situation back then.

When she came back from Yunlai that year, she discovered that Hu Mian was missing an eye, but she had made a fake eye that was real enough. If Hu Mian hadn't brought it up, she would have known nothing about it.

But now it seems... the one who injured his eyes was Qin Xiansheng?

She speculated in her heart, constantly recalling the eyes of the two people back then.

In fact, all signs pointed to the fact that the poison in Hehuan Palace was caused by Qin Xiansheng, but when she thought of how he stood behind Hu Mian, she found it hard to believe.

Can a person pretend to be so perfect in their relationship?

The four of them walked in silence all the way, and when they came out of the dense forest, they realized that this was actually near the Duanchang Village.

Hu Mian took a look around, then turned to discuss with Hua Xiangwan: "Shall we go to the village and find a house to rest?"

"Listen to Senior Sister."

Hua Xiangwan nodded, and the four of them entered the village. Xie Changji went to find the village chief, rented a house, bought some basic necessities and food, cleaned the bedroom, and let Hua Xiangwan and Hu Mian rest first.

Then he started to tidy up the yard, busying himself up and down.

Hu Mian led Qin Xiansheng into the house to rest, then turned around to look for Hua Xiangwan. Hua Xiangwan was sitting in the house, drinking the wine bought by Xie Changji, and watching Xie Changji who was cleaning the yard.

During the half year in the secret realm, except for the time when he was blind when she took care of him, the rest of the time it was Xie Changji who took care of her.

The disciples of the Sky Sword Sect all seem to have the ability to take care of their lives. Back in Yunlai, he could manage everything perfectly. Although he has forgotten everything now, his instinct is still there, so she enjoys his care as usual and has gotten used to it.

Hu Mian walked into the room, glanced at Hua Xiangwan, and couldn't help but laugh: "Your 'little brother' is really worry-free."

"It's OK."

Hua Xiangwan raised her hands to set up a barrier, then turned to look at her: "What's going on between you and Qin Xinsheng? Where are his eyes?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Mian's face darkened slightly. She sat opposite her, thought for a moment, and sighed, "Junior sister, to be honest, I'm afraid I'm in trouble this time."

"oh?"

Hua Xiangwan was not surprised and poured her a glass of wine: "What do you mean by failed?"

"He has these eyes... because I don't have them." Hu Mian drank and talked about the things in the secret realm.

There is nothing new about it. It is nothing more than teasing others. Instead, they fall in love with each other in the secret place for a long time.

Just like when she pursued Xie Changji, at first she just wanted to have some fun and get close to him. With his identity as a disciple of the Tianjian Sect, she could enter and leave the Tianjian Sect more easily, and in the future she could go to the realm of life and death to prevent the ghost spirit from being born.

But these people who appear to be quiet but are extremely gentle inside are often the Achilles' heel of people like them.

Hua Xiangwan listened to Hu Mian talking about their relationship, how Qin Xiansheng protected her at the critical moment of life and death, and how he injured his eyes for her.

She listened for a long time, and finally asked, "Senior Sister, I would like to ask you a question."

"Um?"

"Do you like him because of the person, or because of the dependence and touching feeling when he protects you?"

Hu Mian was stunned. She thought for a moment and said, "I... first realized I liked him when he called me mom after he fell asleep."

Hu Mian smiled bitterly: "At that time, I suddenly felt that I should have met him earlier and brought him out of humiliation earlier."

When a woman starts to feel sorry for a man, that is the beginning of her emotional downfall.

Hua Xiangwan stroked the rim of his wine glass and asked, "What humiliation has he suffered? Isn't he the Sky-piercing Sword?"

Hu Mian fell silent. After a long while, she spoke with some difficulty: "His mother... was a prostitute, and his father was a monk. After a night of debauchery, his mother unexpectedly became pregnant and gave birth to him."

After hearing this, Hua Xiangwan understood.

That cultivator was probably Wu Chu. It was shameful for the leader of a sect to have a child with a mortal, and it was even more shameful that the other party was a prostitute.

It was a miracle that Qin Xiansheng survived.

Perhaps it was precisely because of this background that he had a stronger belief in climbing up, becoming a superior person, tracing his ancestors and becoming a descendant of the Wu family.

Hua Xiangwan lowered her eyes to hide the coldness in them and said, "Then what? You like him, what does he think?"

"I haven't dared to tell him yet," Hu Mian was rarely nervous, "and he's injured now, so... let me cultivate our relationship for a while before I tell him about this. His eyes won't heal easily..."

Hu Mian frowned and muttered, "I sent a message to Shen Yichen. He said he would come over, but I don't know when he will arrive..."

"What did you say?"

Hua Xiangwan heard the familiar name and turned back in surprise: "Who did you send the message to?"

Hu Mian didn't expect "Wan Qiu" to react so strongly. She turned back in confusion and said, "Shen Yichen, although he is not from our He Huan Palace, he has been following Ah Wan all the time. He eats and uses the things from our He Huan Palace. Isn't it natural for me to use him? His medical skills are so good. Can you help me check what happened to Qin Xiansheng?"

Hua Xiangwan stared at Hu Mian in a daze. Hu Mian thought she was worried that Shen Yichen would not agree, so he comforted her: "Don't worry, if he doesn't agree, I will send a message to Ah Wan. If Ah Wan asks, how can he not listen? And now he has agreed, he will probably be here tomorrow."

"tomorrow?!"

Hua Xiangwan stood up suddenly. Hu Mian was stunned for a moment. "He's not far away. He's shopping nearby. He's going to Yunlai to find Ah Wan in two days. With his temper," Hu Mian sneered, "if Ah Wan likes something, he will go all over the Western Territory to find it."

Hua Xiangwan didn't say anything. As she listened to Hu Mian talking about Shen Yichen, her eyes couldn't help but feel a little sore.

She lowered her head and said nothing. Hu Mian's face was full of worry. "Alas, if he can't cure Qin Xinsheng, we have to go to the Medicine Sect. I heard that the young master of the Medicine Sect, Xue Zidan, is also a miraculous healer, but compared to Shen Yichen, he is probably still..."

"Senior sister," Hua Xiangwan was in a state of confusion. She couldn't bear to hear Hu Mian's nagging any more, so she just said, "I'm going out for a walk."

Hu Mian was a little surprised, then nodded: "Ah, go ahead."

Hua Xiangwan nodded, she turned her head to look at the sky, thought for a while, and then walked out alone.

After Xie Changji finished sweeping the backyard, he walked out with a broom. He didn't see Hua Xiangwan, so he looked at Hu Mian who was walking towards Qin Xinsheng's room, and asked in confusion, "Senior Sister Hu Mian, where is my sister?"

"Oh, her," Hu Mian pointed outside, "seems to be in a bad mood, so she went out."

Xie Changji was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "Oh, thank you, Senior Sister."

As he said this, he put down his broom, took off his apron, turned around and followed Hua Xiangwan.

Hua Xiangwan went to the nearest town and walked along the long street, feeling a little dazed.

She had forgotten that she would be able to see Shen Yichen when she came back.

She had been in Yunlai for three years, and Shen Yichen would visit her every year.

He was originally a mermaid living in Dingli Sea, so it was not difficult for him to cross the entire Dingli Sea. However, he did not go back in the last six months.

At that time, liking Xie Changji had begun to become a kind of pain, but she couldn't let go and struggled in pain every day. At that time, Shen Yichen brought all the things she liked from the Western Territory to celebrate her birthday, which became her happiest moment at that time.

He originally just came to see her, but after he came and saw her, he didn't leave.

She asked back then why not go back.

He poured her a glass of wine and said in a gentle voice, "My Ah Wan is unhappy, I can't go back. Ah Wan, come back with me someday," he looked up at her with a calm gaze, "I will go back then."

She looked into his eyes, and it was the only time her love for Xie Changji wavered.

She couldn't help but say, "Okay."

As she spoke, she raised her head and smiled: "Wait until my mission is completed. If there is still no result, I will go back with you."

"I will never go out again, I will never like anyone again, and I don't want to marry anyone. I will stay with you forever, just like before, okay?"

"good."

Shen Yichen's eyes were gentle: "I will always be with Ah Wan."

But later he didn't wait for her to come back.

Hua Xiangwan closed her eyes slightly and thought about the time when he died.

He died for her.

He advised her countless times not to like Xie Changji anymore, but she didn't listen.

She always felt that liking this person was her own business, and whatever she did was her own fault. She was open-minded and could let it go. Even if Xie Changji didn't like her in the end, she could accept this result.

But in the end Shen Yichen died.

He died on the day he reached adulthood. On that day, he finally had his own face and gender, but he fell forever in her arms.

However, she is still living well, saying that she will bear all the consequences by herself.

She knew that Yaoguang was at fault, but she also wondered -

If only she had listened to Shen Yichen.

If she didn't like Xie Changji, she wouldn't have offended Yao Guang. If she hadn't offended Yao Guang, Yao Guang wouldn't have wanted to kill her, and Shen Yichen wouldn't have died.

She was the one who deserved to die, and she was the one who should bear the consequences. How could she let Shen Yichen lie alone under the glacier while she lived a peaceful life as if she had completely forgotten about him?

She raised her hand and gently touched the aqua blue silk satin, feeling her emotions sinking into the ice bit by bit.

The owner of the clothing store next to him looked at Hua Xiangwan with a smile and said, "Sir, would you like to buy some clothes?"

As she spoke, a young man's calm voice sounded from behind: "Sister, are you here to buy clothes?"

This voice made Hua Xiangwan shudder. She felt the other person walk up to her. She turned to look at him and saw Xie Chang looking down at the fabric she was touching. He smiled and said to her, "Sister likes it..."

Before he could finish his words, Xie Changji was stunned.

Hua Xiangwan looked at him with a cold look, a kind of coldness that kept him at a distance. She had never looked at him like this before, which made Xie Changji feel a little confused: "Sister?"

"Why are you here?"

Hua Xiangwan restrained herself and looked away.

This was her own business and had nothing to do with him.

Hearing her question, Xie Changji put away the momentary discomfort, thinking that he must have seen it wrong, and followed behind Hua Xiangwan: "I heard that my sister went out to relax, so I followed her."

"I'm relaxing, you shouldn't follow me."

Hua Xiangwan's voice was cold. Xie Changji noticed that she was different from usual. He thought that she was in a bad mood and said, "Then I won't say anything. I will just follow my sister and definitely won't disturb her."

Hua Xiangwan turned around and wanted to chase him away, but looking at Xie Changji's clear and blank eyes, she was speechless for a moment.

What does it have to do with him?

Hua Xiangwan looked at him quietly.

It has nothing to do with Xie Changji two hundred years later, and even less to do with Xie Changji at the age of seventeen.

She lowered her eyes slightly to hide her emotions, turned her head to the store, and responded, "Yeah."

She will see Shen Yichen again tomorrow, even if it is in a painting, she wants to meet him properly.

She had never treated him well when he was alive.

She hadn't spent any extra time on him, and only when he left did she realize what a huge regret it was.

She bought several new clothes, matched them with hairpins, jewelry, and even bought rouge, powder, and eyebrow pencil...

I finally went back when the lights on the street went out.

Xie Changji didn't dare to say anything, so he quietly followed behind to pay and carry the things. When they returned to the courtyard, Xie Changji put down the things and wanted to go to bed with her after washing up as before. Then he heard her suddenly say, "You go to the next door."

Xie Changji was stunned. He looked at Hua Xiangwan blankly. Hua Xiangwan sat on the dressing table and took off her hair accessories. She said calmly, "We are no longer in the cultivation realm. There is a gap between you and me as men and women. Your injury has healed. You don't need my care. Go sleep next door."

Listening to this, there is nothing wrong.

But Xie Changji felt something was wrong. He felt sad and painful, but he didn't dare to say much. He just said, "My sister is not here. I am afraid. Can't I stay with her?"

"Can't."

Hua Xiangwan turned her back to him and said with a smile: "You are not a child, why are you guarding me?"

Xie Changji said nothing, he lowered his head for a long time, then he asked, "What did I do wrong?"

"Why do you ask?" Hua Xiangwan stood up, and she pushed Xie Changji out of the door with a smile, looking up at him, "It was special before, but now, it's the way it should be."

She smiled gently, and there was nothing wrong with her. Xie Changji stared at her and saw her wave her hand: "Good night."

With that, she slammed the door shut.

Xie Changji stood at the door, feeling uncomfortable in his heart.

He lowered his head and thought for a while, comforting himself that Hua Xiangwan was in a bad mood, and then went next door.

After reaching the next room, he tossed and turned on his bed.

Accustomed to the company of Hua Xiangwan, he could not fall asleep alone. He was in a daze until the early morning, when he finally felt vaguely asleep.

But he had a dream as soon as he fell asleep. In the dream, there was a man wearing a light blue robe with silver patterns, and a white jade mask with a golden lotus painted on it. His eyes and temperament were extremely gentle.

Hua Xiangwan still looked like a young girl. She held his arm, looked up and talked to him, her eyes full of dependence.

He followed behind, quietly accompanying them as they walked through the long street lined with lanterns and through the narrow alleys.

Finally, they were in a tavern. He went downstairs to look for her, and saw her drunk, looking intently at the young man.

"I will never go out again, I will never like anyone again, and I don't want to marry anyone. I will stay with you forever, just like before, okay?"

"good."

The young man's eyes were filled with her shadow: "I will always be with Ah Wan."

At that moment, he stood far away, looking at the two people who were inseparable.

He seemed like an extra person and shouldn't be here at all.

In fact, his mind told him to leave, telling him that this was the best outcome. However, when he saw her lying on the table and the young man reaching up to touch her hair, he couldn't help himself, so he walked up to the young man, grabbed his hand, and said coldly, "Don't touch her."

The young man looked up in confusion: "Xie Daojun?"

Xie Changji said nothing. He turned his head and looked at the drunk Hua Xiangwan on the table. After hesitating for a long time, he finally reached out his hand, picked her up, and carried her to the room upstairs.

The young man followed him all the way, watching him place Hua Xiangwan in place, and leaning against the door, with a smile in his eyes: "She said she liked you, but you didn't say anything. Now she's following me, and you won't let her leave. Xie Changji, are you sick?"

Xie Changji said nothing. He used a handkerchief to soak the water and wiped her face.

The young man continued to tell her: "She is still here because she has a mission to accomplish. When she completes the mission, she will leave with me."

"You like her."

Xie Changji raised his eyes and looked at the person standing at the door.

There was no response.

Xie Changji affirmed: "Shen Yichen, you like her."

The dream came to an abrupt end, and Xie Changji closed his eyes suddenly.

He sat up, panting, and it took him a long time to calm down a little.

Why did I have such a nightmare?

He raised his hand to his forehead, feeling a little ridiculous.

I actually dreamed that someone coveted Wanwan, and Wanwan wanted to leave with him?

How could that be?

There has never been such a person around her before, and she said that she would always be with him and they were each other's only ones.

This thought made him breathe a sigh of relief. He looked at the sky, quickly got up to wash up, and just as he went out, he saw Hua Xiangwan had already stood up.

She was exceptionally beautiful today, wearing a light blue dress that she matched with her dress, and a pearl pendant hairpin on her head. She lacked her usual flamboyance and had a gentleness like the sea water.

Hearing Xie Changji leave, she turned to look at him with a gentle expression: "Are you up?"

Xie Changji's heart skipped a beat, and he was a little afraid to look at her. He suppressed his heartbeat and boasted, "Sister, you look so good today."

"real?"

Hua Xiangwan seemed a little happy. Xie Changji nodded, then looked a little surprised: "What day is today, sister..."

Before he could finish his words, there was a knock on the door.

Hua Xiangwan's expression changed instantly, and Hu Mian shouted excitedly from the side room: "Here it comes!"

Xie Changji stared blankly at Hu Mian rushing to the door and opening it.

A young man appeared at the door, wearing a light blue gown and a white jade lotus mask.

He slowly raised his head in the morning light, with a hint of smile in his eyes: "Senior Sister, I'm here."

As he spoke, he seemed to notice someone in the courtyard. Looking over, he saw Hua Xiangwan standing on the corridor.

Shen Yichen's clothes were of the same color as Hua Xiangwan's. The two of them stood across the courtyard, as if they were a match made in heaven.

Hua Xiangwan couldn't help but clench her fists. She suppressed all her emotions and tried hard to play the role of "Late Autumn" well.

But all her restraint and pretense were of no effect in Xie Changji's eyes.

The moment Shen Yichen looked over, she controlled herself to lower her head and saluted: "Mr. Shen."

At that moment, Xie Changji suddenly realized——

That was not a dream.

It turns out that the person who wanted to take her away really existed.

It turns out that she is not unhappy.

She chased him away, disliked him, put on beautiful clothes and put on exquisite makeup, not because he did anything wrong.

Just because Shen Yichen came.