Dongyu Town (V)
The evil spirit has been eliminated, and the people are living their lives as normal. Yesterday, after Qingsang revealed the whereabouts of the missing fishermen, Yun Ce sent people to pick them up, and they have now been reunited with their families.
Lin Zhuo originally wanted to wait until Qingsang's injuries healed before going to Jiao Palace, but Qingsang shook his head and politely declined her kindness.
"Zhao Zhao, we must go, it's too late." She could feel that the black energy that controlled her was still in the Jiao Palace.
The Jiao Palace was located at the deepest point in the center of the East China Sea. If the four hadn't stopped the controlled Qingsang yesterday, they would have likely been led there. Considering the wounded, You Jingjia found the long-forgotten flying boat.
"Junior Sister You's flying boat is quite impressive," Yun Ce exclaimed in admiration. The flying boat wasn't actually very large, but it was incredibly well-made and equipped with a defensive array, ensuring it was incredibly safe. The cost was definitely not low.
You Jingjia waved her hand, a little proudly: "It's just a flying boat."
Xie Zhitiao followed closely behind: "Yeah, I don't know who threatened Uncle Jing back then, saying that if he didn't give him the flying boat, all the black iron from Qingyun Peak would be thrown into the Beast Valley." The second elder Jing Qi was old-fashioned and spoke little, and You Jingjia often "bullied" this most honest elder of Xuanxiao Sect when he was young.
"..." You Jingjia smiled wryly and kicked Xie Zhitiao, "Will you die if I don't speak?"
Ling Qingqiu held down Xie Zhitiao, and Lin Zhuo pulled You Jingjia, avoiding a quarrel that was about to break out.
Qingsang smiled faintly: "Jingjia and Zhitiao have a really good relationship."
"Who has a good relationship with her?! My relationship with my senior sister is the best." Xie Zhitiao curled his lips. He always addressed You Jingjia by name, and only called her "Second Senior Sister" in front of his elders. Only in front of Lin Zhuo was he obedient.
You Jingjia rolled her eyes. "Who cares about being close to you?" She turned and smiled at Qingsang. "Ignore him. Ah Sang, let's go upstairs."
Qingsang nodded, reached out, and tugged at Yunce's sleeve. Yunce's back stiffened. You Jingjia, with her sharp eyes, noticed the two's little trick and was about to speak when Lin Zhuo called out.
Lin Zhuo glanced at Yun Ce and coughed lightly: "Ahem, Senior Sister, who will drive the flying boat?"
You Jingjia turned away and forgot what she wanted to say: "Of course it's the elder..." She wanted to say Ling Qingqiu, but when she saw the person clinging to Lin Zhuo, she immediately changed her mind, "Of course it's the junior brother."
Xie Zhitiao: “……?”
He glared at You Jingjia, then turned to Lin Zhuo and complained, "Senior Sister, look at her!"
Everyone in the sect knew that Xie Zhitiao had the worst sense of direction. Normally, it was fine when he was ordered to go out with the coordinates of the mission location, but now he was asked to drive a flying boat to a place where he didn't pay attention to the direction yesterday. You Jingjia was deliberately making things difficult for him.
Seeing the two about to quarrel again, Ling Qingqiu finally couldn't hold it in any longer. He grabbed Xie Zhitiao by the collar and boarded the flying boat, expressionless: "I'll drive. You two stay away from each other."
He was really crazy, actually agreeing to let the master bring them both out at the same time.
You Jingjia made a face and said, "Okay! Thank you for your hard work, Senior Brother."
Lin Zhuo boarded the flying boat and tried to pull the sad young man who was lying on the side.
"She just relies on the fact that my senior brother doesn't attack women." Seeing Lin Zhuo coming over, Xie Zhitiao pretended to frown and pout pitifully.
Lin Zhuo smiled and pulled his wrist: "Then please let Senior Sister take over. Senior Sister is a girl."
Xie Zhitiao dodged, put his hand into her palm, and stood up straight with the help of her strength.
"I won't give in to her." He looked at Lin Zhuo, "I'll only give in to you."
Seeing the four brothers and sisters boarding the flying boat, Yun Ce coughed lightly and said, "Miss Qing, can you let go?"
Qingsang's lips curled slightly: "Ace, you've already carried Bandu, why don't you let me hold his hand?" Yun Ce coughed a few more times.
He said nothing more, but walked forward. The girl behind him didn't move. Yun Ce paused, sighed almost imperceptibly, raised his hand slightly, and through her sleeve, took a finger from hers, then took another step. This time, he moved.
The warmth in the young man's palm, undeniable through his clothes, overwhelmed the coolness of Qingsang's fingertips. His eyes curved beneath the white silk, and Qingsang couldn't help but think, he really was just like he was three hundred years ago, the first time he held her hand, through her clothes.
——
Spiritual weapons created by Jing Qi would always be sought after by everyone, so the flying boat You Jingjia had requested from him was naturally no ordinary item. Within a few minutes, they had arrived at the site of the final battle between the two men.
The Jiao Palace was hidden in the deepest part of the East China Sea, and the only way out was through the water. Water-repellent beads were expensive, and while Lin Zhuo and the others had some given by their master, Yun Ce could only rely on spiritual energy to breathe.
Just as Yun Ce was about to enter the water, Qing Sang stopped him. "Ace," she pursed her lips, "You can breathe underwater."
Yun Ce paused, turned his head to look at her, and subconsciously asked, "What?"
Qingsang touched his left hand and felt the silk thread on his wrist: "Didn't you take it off? It can keep you in the water as if you were on land."
This was something her mother gave him.
Yun Ce followed her hand and saw the silk thread on his wrist. He suddenly remembered that he had worn this red thread three hundred years ago and never took it off. Was it her who gave it to him?
Yun Ce didn't say anything else, took her hand and fell into the water.
After entering the water, Qingsang revealed his true form and led the group towards the Jiao Palace. The light on the surface of the water gradually faded, leaving only the ball of light conjured by Qingsang's spiritual power. Soon, the group saw a shimmering light deep within.
We have arrived at Jiao Palace.
A flash of green light appeared, and Qingsang stood at the palace gate. She removed her white silk and gazed intently at the palace door. She turned away, then put it back on again. She smiled at the group and said, "There aren't many extremely rare treasures in Jiao Palace, but there are still quite a few treasures accumulated over thousands of years. If you don't mind, please go in and take a look."
Lin Zhuo and the others looked at each other in bewilderment. Qingsang had said she was going back to Jiao Palace and insisted they come along, thinking she was worried about the evil spirits still lurking around. She hadn't imagined she was giving them something to give.
Finally, Lin Zhuo spoke up: "A-Sang, there's no need to be like this. Eliminating evil and demons is what we should do. We would save anyone else, not just you."
Qingsang shook her head. "If someone else had saved me, I would have done the same." She lowered her voice. "Besides, this place will be gone soon."
Yun Ce's heart skipped a beat, and he had a bad feeling: "What did you say?"
Qingsang still looked at him with a smile: "Nothing. Zhaozhao, you guys go in. The good stuff is in the main hall. Ah Ce, come with me for a walk."
Xie Zhitiao and Ling Qingqiu exchanged a glance. Lin Zhuo turned to look at them. He had received Ling Qingqiu's message and dragged the remaining clueless person into the Jiao Palace. Qingsang clearly had something to say to Yun Ce, so they were giving them a chance to be alone.
Seeing them go in, Qingsang tugged at Yunce's sleeve and said, "Ace."
Yun Ce looked at her, trying to smile like he always did, but the corners of his lips were heavy. He whispered to her, "What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry." Qingsang's voice was soft, but loud enough for him to hear. "Actually, I blamed you back then. I don't know why you stopped coming to see me, but my father and uncle are gone, my mother is seriously injured, and I'm the only one left in the Jiao Clan. I can't leave here."
"I don't know the truth about the death of my father and uncle. Mother never told me, and I also lost that memory. Now that I think about it, maybe Mother sealed it." She smiled.
"There's a soul-binding lotus in the Jiao Palace, serving as the centerpiece of the defensive formation. My mother told me to return it to someone if possible, and now that I think about it, that person should be you." She was still laughing. "Ace, I'm sorry for making you suffer for the Jiao Clan for so many years."
Yun Ce said nothing. He reached out, cupped her hand in his, and led her into the Jiao Palace. Suffering or not no longer mattered. After he noticed Qingsang's forced smile, he just wanted to follow his heart and hold her tight.
"When I was little, my parents wouldn't let me leave Jiao Palace, so I often sat here and chatted with the little fish and shrimp outside." She pointed to a stone by the palace gate. "My uncle loved me and always took me out to play without telling my parents. We often went to the market in Dongyu Town."
"Every time we came back from playing, my mother would always scold us. My father would always coax her and protect me from my mother. My uncles and aunts would always come up with some lame excuse to send my mother away, and then secretly give me the treasures they had saved up."
"I am the only cub of the Jiao clan. I have no friends of my age to accompany me, so I want to raise a small pet. That iron cage was brought back from the shore by my uncle when I was eight years old. He also caught a very beautiful blue fish for me and locked it in it." The iron cage in the corner was rusty. Qingsang pulled him and immersed himself in memories.
"Then the little fish died. My mother was afraid I would be sad, so she asked my father to catch another little fish. She lied to me that the little fish had grown up and changed its appearance."
"Those two little fish didn't look alike at all, but I still believed in my father and mother."
"In the past, Jiao Palace wasn't always lit. Like the shore, it had day and night. When I was little, I was afraid of the dark and didn't dare sleep alone, so my father took out a night-shining pearl and stayed by my bed all night to comfort me. Later, he and my mother went out for two days. When they came back, he and my uncles and other uncles hung night-shining pearls in every corner of Jiao Palace. There was no longer any darkness in Jiao Palace."
"When I was ten, I learned how to transform, and my uncle gave me a box of clothes and jewelry. The gifts I received that day filled up an entire side hall."
"When I was twelve, I sneaked ashore for the first time. When I came back, my mother beat me up, and I stayed on the couch for two days."
The Jiao Palace had so few rooms, so few that each one held Qingsang's memories. She held Yun Ce's hand, and they walked and talked, the curve of her lips barely changing. But her hands were cold, a chill that couldn't be overcome by the burning warmth of Yun Ce's palms.
The two of them walked slowly to the main hall. Qingsang paused and pulled her hand away. "Ace." She looked up, removing the white silk. Her left eye was no longer injured, but it was still dull and lifeless. Her eyes were watery, as if she had been crying. Yun Ce couldn't help but raise his hand to touch her eyes, but she dodged him.
"Your soul is in there, do you want to go in?" She was still smiling, but tears were overflowing, and Yun Ce saw it clearly.
He couldn't hold back his temper and embraced the girl in his arms for a few seconds before stepping away: "Wait for me."
He turned around and walked back out the way he had come, storage bag in hand, packing up all the things Qingsang had mentioned, from small, mottled iron cages to large, night-shining pearls embedded in the wall.
Qingsang finally couldn't hold on any longer and crouched on the ground, crying. She clutched the storage bag Yun Ce had brought back, choking with sobs and unable to articulate clearly, "What are you doing?"
Yun Ce squatted in front of her, holding her face and wiping away her tears that had dissipated into the sea. "Once I take your soul away, Jiao Palace will be gone, right?"
Qingsang buried her head in his arms, shaking her head with sobs. Yun Ce held her in his arms, stroking her long hair with his hands, his eyes a little sore.
"Asan, I'm sorry."
He remembered that he had indeed called her Asan before.
——
To make room for Qingsang and Yunce, Lin Zhuo and the other three headed straight for the main hall after entering Jiao Palace. There was a throne on a high platform in the main hall, and the four of them walked around below it without picking up anything.
Lin Zhuo walked over to the bookshelf, which was filled with various books. A formation protected the books, preserving them intact. She skimmed through them one by one, finally stopping in front of one. Chu Xiao had heard yesterday that they had encountered a dragon and asked her to bring back some elixir recipes. Since she didn't need anything, she might as well take back one of the recipes from the Dragon Palace.
The books on the shelf were meticulously organized, likely by Qingsang or her family. Lin Zhuo pulled out the alchemy book, flipping through a few pages at random, then suddenly clenched the pages. She beckoned the three of them over, "Take a look at this recipe."
The four of them gathered together, staring at the old pages of the book, and no one spoke for a while.
"Take him back." Ling Qingqiu made the final decision.
Qingsang and Yunce walked into the main hall at this time. Seeing the four people gathered together, Qingsang smiled and asked, "What's wrong?"
Lin Zhuo waved the red book at her and said, "A-Sang, can we take this book with us?"
"Of course." Qingsang's smile did not fade. "You can take anything."
Lin Zhuo still felt a little embarrassed. He had clearly agreed not to take other people's things, but this pill recipe was indeed important.
She looked up at the throne high above. Round black beads inlaid on the white jade seemed to shimmer faintly. Lin Zhuo couldn't help but put down the book in his hands and walked towards the throne.
"Senior Sister?" Xie Zhitiao called her.
Lin Zhuo ignored him; she couldn't hear the other voices. She walked towards the throne in a daze, her eyes slightly unfocused. Xie Zhitiao reached out and pulled her back to his side, his tone becoming more urgent: "Senior Sister, what's wrong with you?"
Ling Qingqiu stood in the front, his eyes sharp, the Wuxia sword unsheathed, held in his palm.
You Jingjia's Moon-Chasing Sword pointed at the throne, humming and clanging. She placed her hands on Lin Zhao's shoulders and spoke in a more serious tone, "Zhao Zhao, what did you hear?"
Qingsang and Yunce sensed something was wrong and quickly teleported to the group. Lin Zhuo was surrounded, and his vision gradually cleared.
She blinked, meeting the worried gazes of her senior sisters and brothers, then her senior brother standing in front of her, and suddenly came back to her senses. The hand hanging by her side suddenly tightened. She no longer looked at the black beads on the throne, and lowered her head: "Didn't you hear someone talking?"
Several people froze, shaking their heads. Lin Zhuo closed her eyes. Someone was speaking to her through the bead. She could clearly hear a gloomy male voice.
He came for her.
He said, "Come, come to me and give me everything you have."
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