Chapter 41 Loving her is a sin
Ling Shu reached out and pulled Yin Yu's hand down, and the temperature around them, which had been dropping, began to rise again.
"You've already softened your heart?" Yin Yu whispered.
"Hmm... I don't want to upset her."
Yin Yu reluctantly let go. Ling Shu turned and walked away. Zhuang Jin Fu had no expression, but it was clear that she was angry. Ling Shu walked to her side and took the hand that she had bitten earlier. There were two teeth marks on her fair hand, and the blood had congealed, looking like two twisted grass roots.
Ling Shu frowned and asked, "Why isn't Master using healing techniques?"
"I want to keep it."
What kind of talk is this...?
"How ugly! Master's delicate hands shouldn't be scarred." Ling Shu tried to cast a healing spell on herself, but the pinkish-purple magic power was shattered by an ice crystal as soon as it landed on the back of her hand.
"No need to exert yourself."
He seems quite angry.
"I'm sorry, Master." Ling Shu looked over with her captivating peach blossom eyes, as if filled with endless regret. Her voice was sweet and charming, and when she spoke in a soft tone, the last syllable had a touch of innocent girlish naivety, which made people feel endless affection for her.
This naughty little madman...
"Never mind," Zhuang Jinfu said, her heart softening.
"You're not angry anymore?" Ling Shu's eyes lit up.
Zhuang Jinfu's eyes flickered slightly, and she said gently, "A teacher for a day is a mother for life. I'm afraid you'll make the wrong choice. Once you decide to stay and absorb the Yin energy, there's no turning back. I don't want you to regret it."
Ling Shu took Zhuang Jinfu's arm, nodded and smiled, "Mhm."
Ling Shu lowered her eyes, still looking at the injury on the back of her hand. "Master, you should get your hand treated."
"It's nothing." She remained silent, not really wanting her wound to be healed.
Let this be the wound scorched by her sunlight, leaving some indelible marks to accompany her through the lonely years. So-called sex and so-called love are locked in a cage for her. If they were just ordinary master and disciple, she would be willing to break through the shackles of the world for her. What does it matter if they are master and disciple, or if they are both women? Love is love. But she cannot.
The Path of Ruthlessness cannot be broken. How insignificant humans are in the face of natural disasters! She possesses power that humans lack. The power she cultivated through the Path of Ruthlessness can resist natural disasters. The fate of heaven and earth is intertwined with hers.
Loving her is a sin.
Ling Shu is a worldly person who can make a fuss, laugh, and throw tantrums. She speaks her mind about what she wants, even about desires that everyone fears. She is not a devout follower who grovels at her feet; she is a challenger to her unwavering faith, a denier of existing rules. She represents another possibility, another faith, another world.
Is ascension to immortality a transcendence of the mortal world? No, the mortal world only confines her deeper.
The conflict between humans and demons reached its peak in her life, and she could only save herself by cultivating the Path of Ruthlessness. Unlike others who ascended to immortality, boundless power, or an unsurpassable status, she ascended to prevent the sword that could casually take lives from falling into the hands of others. She wanted to personally sever the grudges between humans and demons that had lasted for thousands of lifetimes.
She hoped for peaceful coexistence between humans and demons. When demons were almost extinct, Ling Shu became the only hope for the realization of her beautiful ideal. She placed her grief for her deceased childhood friend on Ling Shu, who was a substitute for all the demons and humans she couldn't save. Ling Shu's survival comforted her shattered heart, which was the reason why she insisted on saving Ling Shu.
The first demon she couldn't save was the little fox, and the last demon she saved was also the little fox, so she could finally rest easy.
Ling Shu's survival was her last line of defense; she couldn't imagine how devastated she would be if Ling Shu died.
Ling Shu was unaware of these thoughts; all she knew was that she couldn't help but like Zhuang Jinfu, the immortal who had saved her in the darkness.
Ling Shu's love was pure, untainted by fame, status, money, or power, and he did not desire anything from her.
Love is simply love.
Ling Shu wasn't paying attention to where she was going. Looking down at the bite she had taken, she felt a little regretful, but she would still angrily bite her again if she had to do it again. She hated Zhuang Jin Fu's awkwardness. If he didn't like her, why did he care who she was with?
Suddenly, I saw a white snake's belly, with its curved tail hanging behind it.
Yin Yu pulled Ling Shu over and said to Zhuang Jinfu with a sarcastic tone, "Master has no right to interfere in his disciple's marriage. Ling Shu will not be bullied if she follows me. She is getting old and should learn to let go."
Zhuang Jinfu: "Hmm, it's none of my business." Then she strode past the two and continued walking towards the village. Although they saw the small mountain village, they were still some distance from entering it. There were vegetable fields along the roadside, and in the distance, there were patches of rice paddies.
Hu Shi followed along.
Ling Shu said dejectedly, "She doesn't care who I'm with..."
Yin Yu touched Ling Shu's fox ears and laughed, "That's impossible. Why would I care if she gets angry?"
Ling said dejectedly, "She's angry that I chose my Daoist partner too hastily."
Yin Yu put her hands on her hips and said, "My beautiful granddaughter, usually when elders disagree with the person their daughter chooses, they will directly say that they disagree and that it is not allowed. But she is different. She is awkward, does not speak directly, and sulks."
Ling Shu pondered blankly for a moment, then said, "Oh, it is a bit different. Maybe she's just reserved by nature, so it's awkward."
Yin Yu pinched Ling Shu's ear and lifted her up. Ling Shu cried out, "It hurts! It hurts! Great-Grandma, let go!"
Yin Yu released her hand and said, "Are you made of wood? Can't you even tell the difference?"
Ling Shu covered her ears and muttered softly, "I just... haven't seen many people before."
“In the next town, Grandma will take you to see a beauty.” Yin Yu looked at her chubby cheeks, which were still very cute, and pinched her tender face. “She’s just unhappy because her sweetheart likes someone else. But when asked, she doesn’t want to disagree.”
Ling Shu grunted twice, "Don't pinch my face!" She slapped the claw away, and it took her a while to free her face from the demon's claw's torment. Ling Shu touched her face and said, "I don't believe it. She's just an unmelting block of ice. Let's hurry on our way. I need to find my grandma."
"Turn left after entering the village, and it's the second house."
Zhuang Jinfu and Hu Shi were waiting for them at the village entrance. Ling Shu quickly walked over, told them the location of her grandmother's house, and the four of them headed towards that house.
There are five steps leading to the small door, made of stone. Spring Festival couplets are pasted on the wooden door, and the brass rings on the door are worn smooth from being touched.
Little Yellow had been following Yin Yu closely. When it saw Yin Yu stop at the door, it knew she was going in. It barked twice at the door. Just as Yin Yu was about to walk up, Hu Shi happened to be leaning against the door and simply knocked on it with his sword.
"Coming." First came the sound of a voice, then the sound of a door latch being removed. The door opened, revealing a young woman.
Upon opening the door and seeing the four people, his pupils dilated, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Living people?!" Then he quickly closed the door.
Yin Yu knocked on the door again: "It's me, Chunxi."
Chunxi opened a small crack, peeking out one eye to sized up the three people.
“They have official business; they came to find the token and then go to see the lord of the territory.”
Chunxi then opened the door and welcomed them inside.
The courtyard was square and small, but it was kept very clean. The earthen walls and gray tiles were quite old. When I looked into the main house, I was dumbfounded.
Two coffins were placed in the center, their lids tightly sealed. Behind the threshold and in front of the two coffins, there was a table with two memorial tablets on it, inscribed with "The Tablet of My Late Mother Chunlanqiu" and "The Tablet of My Late Wife Chunxi". In front of the tablets was an incense burner and various high-quality offerings, which contrasted sharply with the poor hut.
"Mother," Chunxi called out. The old woman, wearing an apron, came out from the small kitchen room next door, wiping her hands on the apron as she walked. She smiled when she saw everyone and said, "Are you staying for dinner at my house tonight?"
Yin Yu said, "No, we still have to travel. They're looking for the token."
The old woman laughed and said, "Looking, looking, looking, it's good to have official business."
Ling Shu felt uneasy, but mustered her courage and asked the old woman, "Grandma, do you have a token?"
The old woman waved her hand and said, "How could an ordinary person like me carry such things? I don't have any. I do have some vegetables, though. Are you hungry? Would you like an apple?" As she spoke, the old woman walked towards the offering table.
Ling Shu said, "No, no, I won't eat it..." How could she dare to eat it?
If Grandma isn't a person, then who is? The first person she met was Grandma. It can't be that Little Yellow is a person, can it?
Grandma came over with four offerings, stuffed them into Ling Shu's hands, and then gave some to Zhuang Jinfu, Hu Shi, and Yin Yu. Ling Shu declined, but Zhuang Jinfu took them and didn't return them. Hu Shi was terrified and quickly retreated five steps away. Yin Yu took one and took a bite.
Lingshu pushed her grandmother's hand and said, "No, no! You're too kind!" Her grandmother kept saying, "Take it, girl, you should eat more fruit." Finally, her grandmother grabbed Lingshu's bag, stuffed it inside, and said, "Remember to eat."
Yin Yu said, “Take it. This is an offering from the mortal realm. Whatever is offered on the altar in the mortal realm is what is here. No matter how good or bad the offering is, it is a family’s love for their deceased family. This is not something that grows naturally in the Tongxuan Secret Realm. It is an offering given by the master. It is the only food you can eat before you leave the village and go to the town.”
Upon hearing this, Ling Shu shamelessly approached her grandmother and said, "Grandma, I want more."
Grandma smiled and nodded, saying okay. She packed a chicken and a fish for her, along with a big bag of naan biscuits, apples, and oranges.
Ling Shu carried the food in both hands, used magic to keep it fresh, and left satisfied.
Ling Shu asked Yin Yu, "Great-Grandma, do you know where the token is? Otherwise, how can you be so sure I have to go to the town?"
Yin Yu laughed and said, "My dear grandson is so clever. There's a token in this little round village, and another one in the town."
"What about the third one?" Ling Shu asked.
Yin Yu took a bite of the crisp, fragrant apple: "Outside the main city of the Tongxuan Secret Realm."
"They're all in people?"
Yes, that's right.
Hu Shi rarely took the initiative: "So who was the first person we met?"
"Woof woof!" Little Yellow barked twice, and suddenly two women walked over from the opposite side.
The first woman was a tall, dark-haired woman with wrinkles around her eyes, but the skin on her cheeks was not sagging, and the withered skin on her neck indicated that she was not young. The second woman looked like a young girl, with a red chili pepper hairpin in her hair.
"I heard that distinguished guests have arrived, I apologize for not welcoming you properly." She said this to Zhuang Jinfu, glancing at Ling Shu first before turning her gaze to Zhuang Jinfu.
Zhuang Jinfu: "Who are you?"
The black-haired woman said, "I am the village chief of Xiaoyuan Village."
Who told her that?
Yin Yu chewed on an apple, swallowed a bite, and said, "I sent a message to the village chief, asking her to arrange accommodations for you."
“There are 112 households here. You definitely can’t find them all in one day. I think we should find a place to stay and settle down first.”
The village chief nodded and led the four to his house in the east of the village, saying as they walked, "What a coincidence, a person from the living world also came to our village yesterday and stayed at my house."
Ling Shu became alert. Could this person be observing them in secret? They had encountered her, and even if they hadn't seen her, Xiang assumed it was the first person they had met.
As expected, there were more coffins upon entering. The village chief led them to an empty room in the newly built house next door. The empty rooms were arranged in pairs, with the first one on the left upon entering. The door was closed. The village chief said, "There were originally four empty rooms, but one was given to the person who came yesterday, so now there are only three. You are all women, so it's alright if you sleep in one room. Just make do."
The four of them pondered their options. Since there were only four of them, two people would inevitably have to share a room. First of all, no one wanted to live with Hu Shi. Secondly, Ling Shu wanted to live with Zhuang Jinfu, but she was too embarrassed to say it directly and always felt that she should keep some distance from her.
Zhuang Jinfu said, "You guys choose, the rest are for me." Hu Shi would be a fool not to take advantage of a good deal, so he went straight into the second room on the right, while Yin Yu led Ling Shu into the first room on the right without hesitation.
Zhuang Jinfu watched silently, then walked into the second room on the left.
As soon as Ling Shu entered the room, she wanted to lie down on the bed. However, when she lay down, she ended up under the bed, facing the bed frame. When she got up, her body passed right through the bed.
No, how can I sleep here?
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