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Three months later.
After Wen Yao burned Elder Yu Ling’s beard for the seventeenth time, that night, Elder Yu Ling brought out the ruler passed down by Baiyun Temple’s ancestors and beat Zhong Xu severely, saying, “Either Wen Yao leaves or I die—choose one!”
Zhong Xu naturally couldn’t let Elder Yu Ling, who had raised him, die. Thus, he could only go to Di Jiang again.
At this moment, Di Jiang was sitting on a large tree at the top of the Hualing Pool.
The view from the tree was boundless, encompassing all the scenery below Qingyun Mountain. A crescent moon hung in the vast sky; not a single star could be seen, and for miles around there were no signs of human habitation. Looking down, only islands of various sizes shimmered faintly under the moonlight.
Di Jiang sat here every night, lost in thought.
“Let’s return. Perhaps in Taiping Prefecture, we can find extraordinary people and a way to save him,” Zhong Xu quickly jumped onto the treetop and stood behind Di Jiang.
Without turning her head, Di Jiang knew who it was. She gently shook her head, still refusing, “I know how to save Wu Rui’an, but I haven’t found the person who can do it.”
“What are you waiting for?” Zhong Xu asked.
After Zhong Xu spoke, Di Jiang fell into deep thought.
Yes, what was she waiting for?
She was so persistent in waiting for Wu Rui’an to return, but what could she do once he came back?
They weren’t meant to be together after all…
Di Jiang sat atop the tree for a very long time, watching the sun rise and set, the clouds roll and unfold. In the end, she didn’t think of a way to save Wu Rui’an. Instead, she remembered something Shiye had said to her long, long ago.
Shiye had said, “I will hold your hand and take you to see the bridges and flowing water of Jiangnan, the yellow sands of the Gobi, the waves crashing against the shore by the sea, and the waterfalls like the Milky Way falling from the heavens. I will take you through the four seasons and show you the ever-changing wonders of the world. Whether fleeting as a white horse passing through a crevice or as enduring as the transformation of seas into mulberry fields, I want to spend my life with you, forever and ever. We will always be together, never to part.”
But Shiye hadn’t done it.
Now, the person accompanying her to see the bridges and flowing water of Jiangnan, the yellow sands of the Gobi, and taking her through the four seasons was Wu Rui’an.
A deep sense of helplessness enveloped her entire being.
She hated this feeling.
Hated it immensely.
In the middle of the night, while everyone was asleep, Di Jiang pulled out a small golden whistle from her sleeve. The handle of the whistle was silver-plated, intricately carved with patterns resembling the flowers blooming by the banks of the River Styx.
Di Jiang placed the whistle to her lips and blew.
A sharp shriek disrupted the peace of the parallel world. In the underground realm, it was noon for the ghost clan. Though it was midday, there was no sunlight, no wind, none of the things of the mortal world—only boats shuttling along the River Styx and judges and shadow soldiers coming and going in Yama’s Hall.
Upon hearing the sound, Little King Yan immediately teleported to Di Jiang’s side.
He appeared like a wisp of black smoke, carried by the wind.
“You could have sent someone with a message; was it necessary to use the Soul Bell?” Little King Yan looked bitter and resentful, sitting beside Di Jiang.
Di Jiang didn’t turn her head but put away the bell and got straight to the point, “I have a friend who entered Tai Xiao’s Sword Tomb. Is there any way to save him?”
Little King Yan’s expression darkened, then he burst out laughing, “Such a trivial matter, and you need to ask me? You sought me out just for this?”
“...” Di Jiang was silent for a moment, then said, “It must not involve dismantling the Sword Tomb, alarming the Daoists on Qingyun Mountain, or arousing Zhong Xu’s suspicion. Wu Rui’an must return completely intact, with both body and soul unharmed.”
“...”
After Di Jiang finished speaking, it was Little King Yan’s turn to fall silent. He laughed even louder, “Then you definitely shouldn’t have come to me because I can’t do it!”
“Who can do it?” Di Jiang frowned.
“If even you can’t do it, how could I?” Little King Yan thought for a moment, then added, “But I do know someone who might…”
“The Artisan.” Before Little King Yan could finish, Di Jiang interrupted.
“Yes,” Little King Yan nodded, irritated, “The methods I can think of, you surely already know. Why bother troubling me?”
“Haven’t seen you in a long time; isn’t it okay to chat?” Di Jiang blinked innocently, smiling.
Little King Yan squinted, studying her for a while. Seeing her sincerity, he sat beside her, looking at the millions of islands of Yunmeng Marsh, his expression dreamy, and said, “Is he that important? Important enough for you to exhaust yourself trying to save someone who might already be gone?”
“His importance is not the key. The key is, I can’t let anyone else around me get hurt for me. In the past, I wasn’t able to protect them, but now it’s different. I can protect them and keep them alive.”
“...” Little King Yan understood the pain in Di Jiang’s heart and had heard rumors about her past.
But he didn’t know how to comfort her.
“You’ll help me, right?” After Di Jiang spoke, she turned her head, staring at Little King Yan’s face, and smiled faintly, “Help me bring out the Artisan.”
“...” Little King Yan gritted his teeth, finally bursting out angrily, “I knew it! Whenever you seek me, it’s never anything good!”
“I had no choice but to trouble you. For so many years, when have I ever asked anything of you? Just this once, for the sake of me never asking anything of you before!” Di Jiang pleaded earnestly, leaving Little King Yan defenseless.
“Alright, alright, stop talking. I’ll help you this time!” Little King Yan waved impatiently, trying to distance himself from Di Jiang.
Seeing he agreed, Di Jiang released him and smiled, “Thank you, Lord Ghost. May you achieve success and live as long as heaven itself!”
“Tch, stop sweet-talking me. I’m not falling for it.” Little King Yan glared at her, but his expression softened considerably.
It was clear that he enjoyed flattery from others, especially from Di Jiang.
Before leaving, Little King Yan added, “I can only promise to try. As for how long it will take, I can’t be certain.”
“The sooner, the better!” Di Jiang made a pleading gesture, causing Little King Yan’s brows to furrow again.
“You… sigh!” Little King Yan didn’t continue, looking utterly exasperated. He quickly transformed back into a wisp of black smoke and disappeared.
A month later, Di Jiang received a letter from Little King Yan. There were only ten words written on it: Gong Lingyue, male, search southeastward.
A month… She had waited an entire month for such an ambiguous message?
Southeast? Gongzhou, Liangzhou, Yuezhou, Qiantang… more than twenty prefectures were southeast of Yunmeng Marsh. How long would it take to search?
Di Jiang stomped her feet in anger, crumpling the letter into a ball. Unsatisfied, she tore it into pieces.
“Boss, why are you suddenly so angry? Who sent it? What did it say?” Wen Yao was startled by her reaction.
Even Zhong Xu, practicing swordsmanship in the distance, couldn’t help but look back several times and shout, “Are you alright?”
Seeing Zhong Xu’s attention, Di Jiang had to restrain herself, shaking her head and smiling, “I’m fine.”
Hearing this, Zhong Xu turned back to continue practicing.
Zhong Xu wielded a jet-black longsword, longer than any sword Di Jiang had ever seen. Holding the hilt, his sleeves fluttered, his movements swift and precise, earning continuous cheers from Wen Yao, who entirely forgot Di Jiang’s earlier frustration.
Di Jiang watched quietly, her mood slightly calmer than before.
But the more she watched, memories of another person flooded her mind.
Once upon a time, Wu Rui’an practiced swordsmanship early in the morning before having breakfast.
During his stay at the coffin shop, he always practiced in the apothecary’s courtyard after waking up. After sweating profusely, he would take off his shirt, revealing muscles and scars, then sit by the large rock in the backyard, gazing dreamily upstairs until Di Jiang came downstairs, still refusing to put his shirt back on.
Most of the time, Di Jiang was either picking vegetables or grinding medicine, ignoring him. When ignored, he would pretend to have a stomachache and groan loudly, actually showing off his muscles to catch Di Jiang’s eye.
Every time, Wen Yao would stand by the door with a lovesick expression, unaware of her nosebleed.
But this man, whose clothes showed slimness and muscles when taken off, had vanished right before her eyes. His body was torn apart by the malevolent qi, his features no longer handsome as before. Even living became a luxury…
Di Jiang wanted to overturn this mountain.
But she couldn’t.
She couldn’t fight the whole world for one person, nor could she drag everyone down with one person’s sacrifice.
Di Jiang looked at the scraps of paper scattered on the ground, indifferently saying, “Do you feel like going down the mountain for some fun?”
“What? Boss, what did you say?” Wen Yao was overjoyed, afraid she had misheard, repeatedly asking, “You’re finally willing to go down the mountain?”
“Mm.” Di Jiang nodded, though her expression wasn’t as excited as Wen Yao’s.
“Where to?” Wen Yao asked.
Di Jiang shook her head, “Southeast, wherever we please, adapting as we go.”
“When do we set off?”
“The sooner, the better. Tonight,” Di Jiang said.
“Boss is so carefree! I’m sticking with you!” Overwhelmed with excitement, Wen Yao rushed to the front yard to share this great news with everyone.
Soon, Elder Yu Ling drummed and rang gongs, instructing the young Daoists to prepare a table full of delicious food—four dishes and a soup—to warmly send off Di Jiang and her servant. During the meal, Elder Yu Ling was elated, almost wanting to buy firecrackers to celebrate.
“You seem very happy?” Wen Yao, full and satisfied, stared at Elder Yu Ling.
“Wen Yao is finally leaving the mountain; I’m happy for you!”
“Really? I’m quite happy too.” Wen Yao squinted, then broke into a smile, making Elder Yu Ling finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Di Jiang saw everyone in the room was joyful, except for Zhong Xu.
“Where’s Master Zhong?” Di Jiang asked.
Elder Yu Ling looked puzzled, shaking his head, “I don’t know. He and Changsheng haven’t appeared; they might be taking a nap inside.”
“I’ll go check.” Di Jiang slipped out and went to the backyard, where she saw Changsheng drying quilts in the courtyard.
“Where’s your abbot?” Di Jiang asked.
“In the room, packing things,” Changsheng answered respectfully, keeping his head low.
“Packing? Why?” Di Jiang was puzzled.
“This…I’m not quite sure. Whatever the abbot orders, I follow. These quilts are also items to take.”
“...”
Di Jiang stopped questioning Changsheng and walked straight into Zhong Xu’s room.
Inside, Zhong Xu was packing Daoist robes, each equally worn-out and grayish-white.
“Master Zhong planning a long journey?” Di Jiang leaned against the door, doubting.
Hearing this, Zhong Xu stopped what he was doing, turned around, and said indifferently, “Having stayed on Qingyun Mountain for so long, it’s time to go out and cultivate.”
“Where are you going?” Di Jiang asked.
Zhong Xu didn’t answer immediately but walked over, looked into Di Jiang’s eyes, and said word by word, “Wherever you go, I will go.”
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