Chapter 27 Little Peach Branch, do you want to drink peach juice?
In the "dream," Mingguang once again grabbed his mother and pleaded for mercy for the little peach branch figure.
She was even pulled back by her mother and gently embraced.
The "mother's" body was as fragrant and soft as in my imagination. Mingguang was immersed in it as if he were floating on clouds, and there was no longer any pain from his torn skin.
Mingguang tightened his short arms, even harboring a wish that he could stay in this warm and beautiful place forever.
Then he woke up.
He awoke from that extremely beautiful, so beautiful that it terrified him.
Because he could only feel the softness and fragrance of the person in his arms, but he couldn't imagine what his mother's expression would be when he looked up.
General Kunyi never smiled at him, nor did she ever show a gentle expression to anyone. She was like the thunder whip in her hand, tearing through the sky and splitting the earth, invincible in all directions.
All worldly desires and desires cannot surpass the fierce Five Thunderbolts, nor can they taint her in the slightest.
So the "dream" could no longer continue.
Or rather, from the moment he truly "grabbed" his mother and uttered words of pleading, Mingguang already knew it was time to wake up.
He opened his eyes and met the head struggling in his arms. The frizzy hair brushed against Mingguang's chin, instantly pulling him from such a beautiful dream into a "nightmare".
Mingguang, reluctant to wake up, felt the softness of her skin against his, which instantly felt like thousands of lightning rods piercing his body.
Almost the instant he opened his eyes, he "threw" the person he had been tightly holding in his arms away.
Yes, throw it out.
Bitao's body felt as light as a child in his arms. As she flew through the air, she complained in her heart—Doctor Wu's medicine doesn't need to be this effective!
This person's strength is terrifying after he recovered!
Fortunately, Bitao was prepared; she had never felt that Mingguang was "safe."
The sense of crisis was ever-present. Even when she was pulled into the other person's arms, she didn't relax. When Mingguang "threw" her out, she reacted quickly, arching her back like an agile little leopard. She twisted her waist in mid-air, adjusted her landing posture and position, and then landed steadily, rolling half a circle to dissipate the force before squatting down to stop.
She was quite proud of her graceful and swift movements. She stood up, brushed off imaginary dust from her body, and without even looking up, said to Mingguang, "Your epilepsy is really quite severe. The seizures are so unpredictable. You should get it treated! Luckily, I'm quick!"
He closed his eyes, hugged her affectionately, and called her "Mother." When he opened his eyes and saw her, he reacted as if a high monk had seen a demon, and immediately struck with a "decisive attack."
Mingguang was already sitting up against the headboard, pulling the blanket over his shoulders. His long hair, like silk, covered his shoulders and smelled of the bitter scent of herbal juice.
When Bitao settled these celestial maidens and celestial lords, the first thing she did after bringing them out of the cellar was to have them wash and groom each other.
Doctor Wu specially prescribed a shampoo, a shampoo made by boiling large and small scalps, which is said to cleanse and remove dirt, and also prevent the breeding of lice.
The cellar was damp and dirty, so they cleaned it carefully to prevent other illnesses from developing when they were infected with the plague, thus avoiding increasing the difficulty and duration of treatment.
Mingguang was cleaned up by two junior officers from Leibu. Because he had vomited blood earlier, he wasn't wearing a shirt, only a pair of underpants that were a little short above the knee, which was only slightly better than not wearing anything at all.
Anyway, no one can see it if it's covered by the blanket.
The way he was leaning against the wall, pulling the blanket over himself, reminded Bitao of how he would react so strongly whenever she touched him before.
When she first treated his wound, Bitao sensed that he probably disliked physical contact with others.
Later, she used him to evade capture. He was shaking so badly that his sweat could irrigate two acres of land. Bitao thought he had epilepsy.
Of course, Bitao now knows that Mingguang doesn't have it, and Doctor Wu has already diagnosed it based on her description.
He was very strong, at most a little depressed and troubled.
So, his behavior that night probably indicates he has a strange habit of not liking to be touched.
How will I manage to get married in the future?
Bitao is an unserious person and deliberately teases and flirts with him.
But thinking about how he had covered for her in the cellar, and how Bitao had promised to give him a physical examination no matter what, she had completely forgotten about it.
He contracted the disease, vomited blood, and "almost died."
So Bitao, who was about to say "What am I going to do? I've seen everything about you," quickly bit her lip and swallowed it back down.
never mind.
He couldn't resist teasing her, so she stopped.
Seeing his wary look, Bitao gently and politely dusted off her clothes, solemnly cupped her hands, and bowed to him.
"I haven't had a chance to thank them for what happened in the cellar that night."
"I will repay your kindness in protecting me in the future."
Bitao, unusually serious, and considering herself extremely considerate, said, "Your personal clothing was changed by the two 'Heavenly Lords' beside Bingjing."
The implication is—I didn't take advantage of you.
Mingguang: "..."
He wasn't devastated by the fact that he was almost "naked," nor was he thinking about whether he had been taken advantage of; rather, he was still unable to fully recover from the shock.
The shock of him having mistaken the person in front of him for his mother was great, but it was not as great as recognizing in his "dream" that the mark on his spiritual core was the Thunder Pattern Spell.
Thunder runes are usually used for sealing.
Therefore, his "dream" is not a dream, but a memory that has been sealed by the Thunder Pattern Curse for hundreds of years.
Mingguang remembered everything...
Peach Branch, a childhood playmate, we ate together, slept together, and went everywhere together...
But what distracted Mingguang even more than the fact that he had just been holding Bitao, who was calling him "Mother," that his mother had placed a lightning seal on him, and that he had a childhood playmate, was that he recognized Bitao the moment he regained his memories.
Bitao is the little peach branch person who once cultivated, formed hand seals, and caught red spirit crabs with him under the big peach tree in Juntian Dushuohai, accompanying him through his lonely and anxious childhood, before they were eventually forced to separate.
This was the first time Mingguang had ever smelled and felt her scent so closely.
Even though he was stripped of his immortal spirit and could not sense whether the hundred years that had passed in Bi Tao's immortal essence still carried the burns from when she devoured his immortal essence.
Even without the help of immortals, he was still a celestial being. With his memories restored, he could naturally recognize her aura from their daily interactions.
That's not a fragrance, but the essence of a person's soul that cannot be changed no matter how many times they reincarnate.
I see.
It turns out that she wasn't pestering him for no reason.
They had known each other for a long time; they were...close friends.
At that time, the Peach Branch Man forced Mingguang to swear an oath to become his close friend.
I see.
Although his mother never showed him any affection, she was an absolutely selfless and upright Heavenly Dao of all realms.
Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs.
Heaven and Earth are benevolent and will not harm the spirit of life born from the Five Elements for selfish desires.
She did not kill the peach branch effigy in order to allow him to focus on his cultivation, as the young Mingguang had speculated.
She even used her lightning spirit to help the peach branch figurine, dispersing the yin energy that had lingered in her body for many years and was difficult to remove, allowing her to condense immortal essence and become a true immortal.
As for the lightning rune that sealed his memories...
The Thunder Pattern Spell is probably the gentlest sealing spell in the Kunyi General's Encyclopedia of the Myriad Realms Heavenly Dao.
Its function is merely to seal, and not to completely seal it off, much less to destroy it.
Young Mingguang was unaware of this; his heart was filled with fear and despair.
Mingguang, who had now mastered all the techniques and incantations, knew that this kind of thunder pattern incantation could dissipate on its own, just like it was now, once it encountered a life-or-death situation.
However, high above in the heavens, he followed the rules and regulations, with servants guarding him. Everything was done for him, and every wish was spoken for him.
Over the course of a century, he never personally experienced any dangerous situations.
The thunder pattern seal that sealed his dear friend firmly resided on his celestial soul.
Only now, having descended to the mortal realm, has it finally dissipated by a stroke of luck.
Mingguang looked at Bitao with an extremely complicated expression.
I really wanted to ask her, "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me?"
Does she not remember either?
However, Mingguang quickly denied this conjecture.
If she didn't remember, why would she have been so persistent in looking for her?
Some of the things she said and did over the years that seemed inexplicable to Mingguang now seem to have a clear pattern.
Moreover, Mingguang knows himself well. If his Heavenly Soul Thunder Pattern Curse is not eliminated, even if Bitao tells him all sorts of tales, he will not believe it because he has never experienced it firsthand.
Even if I believed it, I wouldn't care.
Mingguang was overwhelmed with emotion, feeling as if he had missed a promise with his best friend.
He was "late," unable to break the seal for a century before remembering her.
But because that memory was so distant, so distant that whenever he thought of it, it was quickly overwhelmed by the century of desolation that had never brought him any interest or pleasure, leaving him unable to connect with the emotions.
I have no idea what expression or demeanor I should use when facing this former "close friend" now.
And it...she.
Mingguang then recalled how her friendship had deteriorated, and how every time she contacted him, she would express some absurd feelings of affection.
Back then, Mingguang had no idea that the Peach Branch Man, after transforming into human form, was actually a woman.
He never imagined it could transform into a human.
Otherwise, we would never have been so close to it.
Even as a belated realization dawned on Mingguang, after such a long period of time, he began to blush slowly due to the misplaced memories.
When they were young... they were simply companions.
Why did she develop feelings for him?
A thousand thoughts raced through my mind, those friendships and memories that could not be reunited flowing through my mind like the changing of the sea.
In fact, it only lasted a few breaths.
Before Bitao could finish explaining, Mingguang, still clutching the blanket, tried to speak: "...Little Peach Branch."
Bitao: "...Huh?"
Mingguang hadn't called that name in a long time, and for a moment, his thoughts and emotions choked him up, his voice trembling: "Little Peach Branch..."
Bitao: "You want to drink peach...juice?"
Mingguang: "..."
Bitao: "..."
Mingguang: "..."
Bitao: "...Although it's normal for someone recovering from a serious illness to want to eat something special, as far as I know, there are no peaches in the cult's kitchen."
"I can't squeeze out any peach juice."
Mingguang stared at her blankly, his expression a mixture of confusion and suspicion.
"cough."
Bitao coughed lightly, and amidst Mingguang's complex expression that she found hard to understand, and recalling the help he had given her before, she patiently asked, "Um... would radish juice be okay?"
Bitao knew that the cult members were wealthy, but they weren't so extravagant as to buy fresh peaches and plums to enjoy in the midst of a snow-covered winter.
Even Bitao, a village girl from a remote mountain village, knows that peaches are only available in summer and autumn.
Either you can only look at them, they're sour and hard, and if you throw one at them, you'll get a big bump on your head.
Bitao was abandoned under a wild peach tree after she was born, and that tree produced this kind of peach.
They either have thin skin and are very juicy, making them extremely prone to insects and rot, and thus very difficult to store.
That stuff is usually only "specially supplied" to royalty and a bunch of nobles in the capital during this season.
Even the Seventh Steward wasn't being unreasonable enough to demand peach juice.
Bitao had already guessed that Mingguang was a nobleman by the fabric of his clothes and his small white jade seal.
They seem to be from the imperial city? Otherwise, why would they ask for tribute so readily?
It was probably this incredible "radish juice" that scared Mingguang, this precious person.
Bitao noticed that the veins on his arm, which was gripping the blanket, were bulging.
She quickly added, "Then... what about sweet potato juice? That stuff is sweet, add some sugar... there is a sugar jar in the kitchen."
It shouldn't taste that bad, right?
What kind of ghost-seeing expression is that?
Bitao was at a loss; she couldn't handle this "noble lady" anymore.
Wanting to slip away, he said, "Then I'll go to the kitchen and see if I can squeeze out some juice for you..."
But as soon as he turned around, Mingguang spoke again.
"Zhu Mingxian Du".
Bitao: "..." Her first reaction was, "What kind of food is this that can't be bought now?"
But then she quickly remembered that this was the name her older brother often mentioned!
"Ah... Zhu Ming, Zhu Ming is doing well, he's in the Heavenly Realm." Bi Tao smiled as she leaned against the door.
Mingguang stared intently at her, his high, straight nose casting a small shadow on his handsome face. His eyes, hidden in the shadows, were full of scrutiny.
Bitao was positioned by the door, so she couldn't clearly see the changes in his expression.
Mingguang paused.
He then said, "Zhan Kui."
What is that?
Bitao couldn't figure out which two words the sound represented.
Does she really know how to read?
But based on experience, this should be a person's name.
Bitao smiled and said, "Yes, that's good too."
"Jade Dry".
Bitao nodded vaguely, "Not bad either."
Mingguang continued, "Xuanjia."
Bitao suddenly realized: "Ah! My 'big brother' said they're all busy."
What's fake?
The veins on Mingguang's arms slowly subsided. He changed to a cross-legged position, with the blanket draped over his shoulders and his long hair covering his bare upper body.
His panic and helplessness seemed to dissipate with these words, and he regained his usual composure.
He sat in the shadows watching Bitao's irrelevant and witty remarks, like a volcano that had erupted silently and then returned to dormancy.
He paused for a moment before confirming, "Prison Palace."
"Dushuo Mountain".
"The Boundless Sea".
Bitao: "..." She swallowed hard.
Oh no, this doesn't sound like a person's name!
"Are you hungry? I'll go get you something to eat!"
Bitao darted out the door in a flash.
She guessed that Mingguang was bluffing her, but Bitao really couldn't understand, so she could only run away.
Halfway through her frantic run, Bitao slowed down and laughed at herself.
Why should I panic?
"If you don't know, you don't know!"
She's not interested in knowing yet!
Bitao did not go to the kitchen to squeeze radish juice.
She didn't care whether Mingguang was hungry or not. She was grateful to him, but she wasn't his maid.
Now that the cult is finished, she needs to find the warehouse quickly, grab the money, and leave!
In fact, Bitao had been searching for a warehouse for several days and found a small one, but it was full of cult members' clothes, which were worthless.
Later, guessing that the money might be in the seventh steward's room, they stopped worrying.
After the Seventh Steward finally died, before she could even check on him, she was frightened by the Ice Mirror into believing that Mingguang was going to die, and rushed to Mingguang's place like a panicked chicken.
She stayed by his side for a whole day and night, but he was perfectly fine. Now that he's awake, he's even trying to outsmart her!
Tsk.
Bitao went straight into the Seventh Steward's room to find the storeroom.
The seventh steward had already been dragged away.
The room still smelled bad, but the scent of money filled the air. Bitao, drawn by the long-desired aroma of money, began her search.
Just as she expected!
The storeroom is inside the seventh steward's room!
It wasn't any fancy mechanism; just move the bookshelf aside, and there was a small, hidden room behind it.
The interior... is a bit small.
Fortunately, there were three large boxes placed side by side.
Bitao rushed over, rubbing her hands together excitedly, and opened the first box... It turned out to be a box full of tattered books.
Could it be that the Seventh Steward really was a schoolteacher?
Bitao quickly opened the second one...
"!"
This time it's money!
The neatly stacked silver ingots gleamed enchantingly in the dark room.
Bitao put everything else out of her mind, opened another box, found it was half a box of gold bars, and then happily swam in the sea of money.
Two taels of silver could buy two cartloads of paper money for my mother-in-law. With so many silver ingots and gold bars, how much paper money could that buy!
How many bowls of pure meat wontons and how many roasted pig's trotters could you buy with that!
Aaaaaaahh ...
As Bitao passionately imagined and planned her wonderful future, Mingguang found the robes prepared for him by the bedside and changed into them.
It was actually in the style of a cult, with a white background covered by a blue veil.
But now there's no other choice, at least the clothes are big enough.
Mingguang tidied himself up, tied his hair with a jade hairpin, and sat on the edge of the bed waiting.
He was waiting for Bitao to return.
He was hoping she would bring him something special.
Thinking of this, Mingguang couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth slightly.
Then, he quickly and habitually pursed his lips and analyzed the current situation.
She probably doesn't remember anything.
She even forgot her best friend, Zhan Kui.
Thunder Pattern Spell?
No, those immortals in Youtian value her like their own eyes; they would never give anyone a chance to harm her.
That is... damage to the Heavenly Soul.
Mingguang quickly realized what was happening, then his expression turned somewhat indignant, and he frowned.
It is estimated that the immortal essence was too weak and could not withstand the transmission, which led to the damage to the celestial soul.
But then he thought about the reason, and Mingguang was furious at his son's lack of ambition.
They're about to participate in the Immortal Selection Competition, why are you still so insistent on talking to him about love? If it weren't for her...
Thinking of this, Mingguang subconsciously reached out and touched the small mole on his chin.
Then, as if struck by lightning, his expression became indescribable, and he quickly removed the fingers that were pressing on the red mole on his chin.
Nonsense!
It used to love standing on his shoulder and poking his mole with its little hands made of peach branches, but Mingguang never imagined it would turn into a woman who could even bite him.
Lacking ambition, filled with unrealistic thoughts, taking shortcuts, and wasting time, he was clearly so intelligent, yet it took him so many years to reach the rank of Spirit Immortal.
Mingguang initially thought that the fairy Bitao who was entangled with him was a person who was obsessed with the five yin and willingly degenerate.
Now that they know she's a petty person, someone whose mind has been focused on self-cultivation for years, they haven't even felt the joy of "reuniting with an old friend," and have already started complaining about her years of idleness and complacency.
At that time, whenever the two of them practiced the new hand seals and techniques passed down from the ancient immortal clan, Mingguang was never as fast or as good at using them as she was.
Mingguang was used to following the map and taking steady steps, while Bitao, having only learned a little, ran off to fight the Red Spirit Crab.
If they won, the two of them ate crabs; if they lost, they would meticulously replicate Mingguang's posture without any difference.
At that time, Mingguang was also feeling his way across the river, and he didn't even know how to use the fairy spirit. He had no idea that the peach wood attribute was not suitable for copying his hand seals and moves.
The two had fought in the cellar earlier, and Mingguang was astonished that she had thoroughly studied his martial arts techniques.
Looking at it now...
She has simply stuck to it ever since, never bothering to modify it to suit her own personality.
Mingguang was at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Her cultivation is too superficial; given her talent, she should have ascended to the rank of immortal long ago.
Advancing to the celestial rank is as difficult as ascending to heaven, and the higher the rank, the harder it is to advance. The difference in celestial spirit between celestial ranks is like the difference between the ocean and a ditch.
However, if one puts in a little effort, it is not impossible to reach the level of a deity in a hundred years.
He has always been strict with himself. Born a celestial being, he did not know how to use his talents. Through years of tireless work day and night, he was only one opportunity away from becoming a Xuanxian, a celestial being above all others.
This is also why the Nine Heavens Immortal Clan submitted to him and why the younger generation took him as a role model.
Mingguang had been cultivating diligently for a hundred years, using the Five Thunder Formation to suppress human desires. Thinking of how Bitao, while bothering him, was making friends and indulging in debauchery in the Nine Heavens, he clenched his robes tightly and lost in thought.
He imagined her standing on his shoulder, holding a broken peach branch to his neck as a dagger, making him swear that he would only have the peach branch dummy as his closest friend for the rest of his life.
As a result, she had many friends, and they gathered together in one place.
They even formed cliques to oppose him.
Mingguang hadn't felt such a surge of emotions in many years, sitting there carefully sorting through everything that had happened over the years.
Sometimes she would purse her lips slightly, suppressing a smile.
At times, his brows furrowed tightly, his anger hard to quell.
He was secretly worried because Bitao had hurt his soul and he didn't even know it was happening during the competition. He also felt that Bitao was cunning but had a sense of proportion, and that it was really impressive that she had managed to wipe out the cultists in one fell swoop.
As the light outside the window gradually faded in the west, Mingguang adjusted his numb legs and looked towards the doorway.
Why hasn't he/she come back yet?
Why squeeze juice for him when you're not going to find him food?
When she arrives, Mingguang has already figured out how to interact and talk to her.
Now that her soul is damaged and she doesn't remember anything, Mingguang thinks it might not be a bad thing.
Firstly, many immortals who were born with memories of their past lives have been defeated because of those memories. She is intelligent and quick-witted; simply telling her the ultimate goal would not necessarily affect her competition.
This is an excellent opportunity to advance to the celestial realm. With her intelligence, it won't be difficult for her to win sooner or later.
Secondly, although Mingguang did not know the origin of her feelings in the Heavenly Realm and her obsession with him for a hundred years, looking back at their encounters in the mortal realm, although her behavior became increasingly bizarre, she had no romantic feelings for him.
That way, they can get along like before.
Mingguang finally understood and smiled, revealing a somewhat awkward but genuine smile—the first one he'd shown in so many years—in the empty room.
Like withered trees blossoming in spring, ice melting and snow thawing, the moon falling from the blue clouds, and jade trees and orchids flourishing.
She didn't die.
Very good.
The thought that they could be like they were before filled Mingguang with ecstatic joy.
The taste of joy is sweet, just like the honey she brought him after all the hardships she endured in his childhood in the heavens.
Yet he waited for Bitao with such overwhelming, even ecstatic, joy.
But he sat by the bedside all night, and never again did he wait for the little peach branch figure to "break the barrier" and come to his door on a stormy night, as he had done before.
Before dawn the next day, the first thing to shine into the house was the towering flames.
Bingjing and two junior officers from Leibu burst through the door and said to Mingguang, "The fire has started in the cellar, and everyone is escaping through the back door."
"Celestial Immortal Mingguang, do you have somewhere to go?"
For a moment, even with Bingjing and the others anxiously asking him questions, Mingguang couldn't understand the current situation.
Bingjing quickly explained, "Bitao has made arrangements with the city gate guards. Everyone in the courtyard will go directly out of the city and into the mountains through the back alley."
"She told me to ask you..."
As Bingjing spoke, her expression showed some resentment towards Bitao. How could she treat Mingguang like that!
What's the difference between this and abandoning someone?
But the situation was urgent; the fire outside was growing stronger and stronger, and there was a risk of danger if they did not evacuate immediately.
Bingjing had no choice but to follow Bitao's instructions: "She said that if you have somewhere to go, you can leave on your own, and... we'll meet again if fate allows."
Mingguang sat on the edge of the bed and smiled after a moment.
I was so angry I laughed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
