Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
While Shi Luoyi was rushing to the barren mountain to fetch Bian Lingyu, Hui Xiang returned to the Wei family estate to deliver the Long Pearl.
She hurried as fast as she could and finally arrived on the day of Lady Hua Zhen’s burial. Recalling that Shi Luoyi had entrusted her with the pearl to sever the last thread of fate between herself and Wei Changyuan, Hui Xiang decided not to hand it directly to Wei Changyuan but instead presented it to Sect Leader Wei.
“This is my young mistress’s final gesture of respect for Lady Hua Zhen. May she rest in eternal light and find peace on her journey,” Hui Xiang said.
Sect Leader Wei accepted the Long Pearl and placed it gently into the half-open palm of Lady Hua Zhen’s lifeless hand.
He looked at Hui Xiang with a complicated expression but merely nodded without saying a word. If only the Dao Lord hadn’t met with misfortune—how much better things would have been.
Hui Xiang turned her gaze toward Wei Changyuan. He had remained silent for several days, standing behind his father. His eyes lingered on the Long Pearl for a long while before he finally spoke in a hoarse voice: “Thank you, Miss Hui Xiang, for making this trip.”
Hui Xiang gave a slight nod.
Wei Changyuan understood the significance of the pearl far better than anyone else. With this, their ill-fated connection was truly severed.
When Hui Xiang prepared to leave, Wei Changyuan fulfilled his duties as the young master of the sect by personally escorting her down the immortal mountain, much to the chagrin of Xue Rao, who stomped her feet in frustration.
Hui Xiang knew how Wei Changyuan and her young mistress had reached this point. The rift between them had begun when Bian Qingxuan entered the picture.
Hui Xiang had tried her best to reconcile them, but all she could do was watch as they drifted further apart.
By now, even Hui Xiang no longer harbored hopes of persuading Wei Changyuan. Perhaps over these three years, she had come to terms with reality just as her young mistress had. If their bond had truly been unbreakable, how could someone like Bian Qingxuan have torn them apart?
“Master Wei, please return. Take care of yourself.”
“Very well. Miss Hui Xiang, may your journey back to the sect be safe.” Wei Changyuan replied.
Hui Xiang took one last look at him. The young man stood atop the mountain peak, his figure slim, his features refined. Whether as a child or now, Wei Changyuan had always maintained the grace of a nobleman.
Shi Luoyi hadn’t even accompanied him for this final stretch of the journey.
Hui Xiang couldn’t tell if Wei Changyuan harbored any regrets in his heart. From afar, she couldn’t make out his expression.
Long ago, when Luo Yi was still young, Hui Xiang had told the young boy: “You’re protecting the young mistress now. Her heart as a sword cultivator is both fiercely loyal and pure. When she grows up, she’ll surely treat her future Dao partner well.”
But though the person remained, memories had faded, and hearts had grown distant.
Hui Xiang sighed. She knew Wei Changyuan wasn’t a bad person at heart. She could only hope that whether he ended up with Bian Qingxuan or Xue Rao, he would never regret his choices.
________________________________________
Shi Luoyi was indeed treating her future Dao partner well.
She was very proactive about pushing Bian Lingyu’s wheelchair down the mountain, but he refused. He pressed his lips together and said, “I’ll manage on my own.”
“Oh.”
Shi Luoyi didn’t understand why he insisted. The barren mountain was quite a distance from Ming You Mountain, and Bian Lingyu struggled to walk. A thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead, but his expression remained calm and composed throughout the long journey. He didn’t allow her to lend a hand even once.
Shi Luoyi grew anxious watching him, nearly reaching out several times to help.
But she was destitute and burdened with troubles now, and since her Dao partner didn’t despise her for it, she was willing to indulge him in this small matter. She knew Bian Lingyu was a determined and thoughtful person, so she kept a close eye on him to ensure he didn’t trip over rocks.
By the time they returned to Ming You Mountain, it was already late at night.
This raised another question: where would Bian Lingyu stay tonight?
His previous courtyard, after his falling-out with Bian Qingxuan, had fallen into disrepair. Not only had the plants and trees withered, but everything inside had been stripped away. It was bleak and dilapidated.
Shi Luoyi couldn’t bear to let him return to such a place, especially since it was still chilly in early spring. She suggested, “Why don’t you stay in my courtyard? I can spend the night in Elder Sister’s quarters.”
Bian Lingyu’s back was damp with sweat, but he sat upright, his posture unwavering.
Shi Luoyi knew nothing of his circumstances, which allowed him to face her with dignity and clarity. His dark pupils carried a trace of fatigue, lacking their usual coldness, and seemed more human now.
Upon hearing her suggestion, he shook his head: “I can stay in my old courtyard. The bedding is still there.”
Bian Lingyu knew that because of Bian Qingxuan, Shi Luoyi had few allies left in the sect. It was entirely possible she’d casually find a mountaintop to meditate on for the night.
Unable to dissuade him, Shi Luoyi said, “Then wait a moment.”
She escorted Bian Lingyu to the courtyard gate and fetched Xiao Ding Bai, who had just fallen asleep.
Ding Bai’s eyes widened: “Elder Sister Luo Yi.”
“It’s me. Your master has returned. Are you still willing to take care of him? I know Bian Qingxuan used to give you plenty of benefits. I’m not a pill cultivator, so I don’t have much to offer, but I do have a Blood Spirit Mushroom. If you take good care of him for a while, I’ll give it to you. Does that sound fair?”
Ding Bai had heard that Bian Lingyu had been exiled to the barren mountain, and it had pained him deeply. Meanwhile, his return to the outer disciples hadn’t gone well either. Others bullied him for being young and plotted to steal his belongings.
Though Bian Lingyu was cold, he had never truly mistreated Ding Bai. Without hesitation, Ding Bai nodded eagerly.
Guilt had nearly drowned him these past few days. Every night, he dreamed of Bian Lingyu dying on the barren mountain, and yesterday, he woke up with tears soaking his pillow. He had desperately wanted to see Bian Lingyu again.
As Shi Luoyi led Ding Bai back, he finally woke up fully and realized something was amiss.
Bian Qingxuan had cared for Bian Lingyu because she was his sister—but why was Luo Yi taking care of him? What was her relationship to Master Bian?
“I’m his future Dao partner,” Shi Luoyi said cheerfully, patting the boy’s head. The child’s face was filled with shock.
“D-Dao partner?” Was he still dreaming? Did she mean what he thought she meant?
Shi Luoyi placed Ding Bai beside Bian Lingyu and, using the clay rabbit figurine, set up an even stronger barrier than before.
She bustled about like a busy little bee gathering nectar.
Bian Lingyu silently watched her.
The night breeze cleared his mind, yet the scene before him made it impossible for him to remain detached. Once she finished, the girl approached him: “There, the courtyard is temporarily safe. Unfortunately, I can’t restore it to its original state. But it doesn’t matter—you’ll soon be moving out of here to go with me to Bu Ye Mountain. Bu Ye Mountain is beautiful, with everything you could ever want.”
Bian Lingyu looked at her and softly responded, “It’s fine.”
He still felt as if he were in a dream, yet she happily arranged everything for him.
“I’ll be going then? Rest well tonight, and I’ll come to pick you up early tomorrow morning. We’ll go to the sect leader to discuss our marriage.” Though she had never married before, the orphaned sword cultivator confidently declared, “Cultivators don’t pay much attention to auspicious dates, but mortals seem to value them greatly. In five days, it will be the Awakening of Insects in the mortal realm. When I was young, my mother told me about farming. She said spring rain is precious, and after the Awakening of Insects, rainfall increases, warming the earth and bringing vitality. If you don’t mind, shall we set our wedding date for that day?”
The Awakening of Insects was just five days away.
The girl’s bright eyes showed no trace of doubt.
Ding Bai stared blankly at Shi Luoyi. This… so fast, so casual? It wasn’t right. He had heard that mortals first calculated whether their birth charts were compatible, then required the approval of parents or a matchmaker, followed by the exchange of the three letters and six rites, and finally chose an auspicious date for the wedding… Only after all these steps could they proceed with the grand ceremony.
Ding Bai looked at Bian Lingyu, waiting for him to correct or object.
What was terrifying was that his master, who was usually as cold and aloof as a deity, glanced at Shi Luoyi and silently nodded.
Ding Bai: “….” Was it him who was abnormal, or were they the ones being irrational?
Shi Luoyi was satisfied and prepared to leave. Bian Lingyu’s gaze followed her departing figure.
After the rain, there was no moon in the sky. Her skirt fluttered in the wind, the Moonlight Dress tied at the waist with a silk ribbon, resembling a fleeting and uncatchable ray of moonlight.
He watched her from afar. Today’s events were absurd beyond words, as if this farcical affair would shatter the moment she stepped out of the courtyard.
“Shi Luoyi,” Bian Lingyu suddenly called out to stop her.
The girl turned her head upon hearing his voice. “What is it?”
“Have you really thought this through?”
Shi Luoyi nodded but looked puzzled by his complicated expression. “Are you having second thoughts?” Should she let him back out?
Bian Lingyu took a deep breath. “No, you may go.”
Only then did she nod in relief.
Bian Lingyu kept his gaze on her until her figure disappeared completely from sight.
Ding Bai rushed in to make the bed. Fortunately, some of the less valuable items in the courtyard were still there, so they could manage for a few days.
As Ding Bai arranged the bedding, he muttered under his breath, “Master, why have you suddenly decided to form a Dao partnership with Elder Sister Luo Yi?”
Bian Lingyu didn’t answer him.
Ding Bai shook his head like a little adult. Fine, it was still the same cold and indifferent Bian Lingyu.
Only when Ding Bai was about to light the charcoal brazier did Bian Lingyu speak: “No need.”
“But it will be cold at night.”
Bian Lingyu closed his eyes. “Hmm, I want to think about some things and stay awake for a while.”
Ding Bai was used to following his instructions. Though he was uneasy about Bian Lingyu’s current physical condition, he obediently returned to the room.
Perhaps returning to the familiar courtyard made Ding Bai drowsy in the middle of the night. He woke up groggily, intending to add more charcoal, only to see a figure sitting by the window.
The room was pitch-black, devoid of light and warmth.
Bian Lingyu’s jet-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, his long eyelashes resembling the cold curtain of the night, akin to the first frost of dawn.
It only just occurred to Ding Bai that Bian Lingyu might not have slept all night.
“Master, why aren’t you resting?”
Bian Lingyu rarely answered him but now spoke softly: “I couldn’t sleep.”
He gazed at the empty courtyard outside, not instructing Ding Bai to lock the door, lost in thought.
He could endure, but Ding Bai trembled slightly from the cold.
Looking at the desolate courtyard, Bian Lingyu suddenly spoke in a calm voice: “I might have at most five years left to live.”
Ding Bai was jolted fully awake, stunned where he stood: “Wh-what?”
In truth, if nothing intervened, even as a mortal, Bian Lingyu could have lived a peaceful life. But there was the matter of the untransformed toad, the backlash from the Soul Purification Pill, the bite from the Cangwu Beast, and the yet-to-be-seen Zhu Yan whom he vowed to kill. Under such circumstances, even five years was a luxury.
Shi Luoyi’s proposal had shattered nearly all of Bian Lingyu’s plans. Originally, he had come to the barren mountain to wait for Zhu Yan’s appearance and fulfill his final mission.
Regarding this, Bian Lingyu had never felt sorrow or harbored any resentment—it was as calm as snowfall in the mortal realm. But precisely this life, which had been as still as a cold lake, had been stirred into chaos by Shi Luoyi.
Bian Lingyu couldn’t bring himself to blame her for her impulsiveness. After a long pause, he said to Ding Bai, “Never mind. If she comes tomorrow, dig out the Nv’er Hong buried beneath the tree.”
Such statements often came with a follow-up. Ding Bai grew inexplicably nervous and stammered, “Then… what if she doesn’t come?”
He heard Bian Lingyu respond calmly, “If she doesn’t come, it’s fine too.”
In the end, life would continue as it always had. He would carry on with his tasks, without lingering regrets or obsessive thoughts.
________________________________________
Shi Luoyi slept soundly through the night. Searching for the Long Pearl had exhausted her greatly before, but now that Bian Lingyu’s matters were settled, she felt completely at ease.
Her heart hadn’t felt this peaceful in a long time. Even though her inner demons had stirred again yesterday, it didn’t affect her restful sleep.
At the hour of Mao, she opened her eyes on time.
Remembering she needed to pick up Bian Lingyu, Shi Luoyi quickly left the house. Hui Xiang happened to return at this moment and reported on the matter of the Long Pearl.
Shi Luoyi nodded and then solemnly said, “There’s something I want to tell you—I’m getting married in a few days.”
Hui Xiang froze, dumbfounded: “What? With… with whom?”
Hadn’t she only been gone for two days? Not twenty years? What was her young mistress talking about?
“With Bian Lingyu.” Shi Luoyi briefly explained her plan to Hui Xiang and then sighed, “Bian Lingyu is truly a very good person!”
“…” After listening, Hui Xiang hesitated and stammered, “A fake marriage—can that really work? Young Mistress, shouldn’t you reconsider? He’s Bian Qingxuan’s brother, and you’ve always hated her the most. Even if we’re faking a marriage, couldn’t we choose someone else?”
Shi Luoyi thought Hui Xiang was still worried about her grudge with Bian Qingxuan. She confidently reassured her: “Don’t worry. Bian Lingyu has nothing to do with Bian Qingxuan anymore. And even if he did, I wouldn’t take it out on him. I don’t have any ulterior motives toward Bian Lingyu—I won’t harm him.”
“It’s not that you don’t have any ulterior motives—it’s him…”
Hui Xiang didn’t know what to say. Unlike Shi Luoyi, who knew nothing, Hui Xiang had glimpsed fragments of the truth and found it all the more absurd.
Hui Xiang didn’t comment on Shi Luoyi’s decision. After all, facing off against the sect leader was like pitting an egg against a rock—they needed to try anything and use any means necessary. Shi Luoyi’s intentions weren’t wrong. If they could reclaim Bu Ye Mountain, they wouldn’t have to constantly struggle. But why had she specifically chosen Bian Lingyu?
Hui Xiang calmed herself and said, “Let me accompany you to fetch him.”
Upon reflection, if it really was Bian Lingyu, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. He wasn’t likely to betray or harm her. Since he had never voiced any feelings, it proved that he also understood that nothing could happen between them.
Sword cultivators were both slow-witted and decisive. Shi Luoyi didn’t know his thoughts, but they could still coexist peacefully—she wouldn’t avoid him. If she knew and didn’t love him, she wouldn’t see him again, and that would be truly hopeless.
Young Mistress protecting him, and he assisting her—they walking this path together might just be the best choice for both of them to live well.
Before leaving, Shi Luoyi said, “Hui Xiang, wait for me.”
She went inside and retrieved a cloak: “Alright, let’s go. It’s windy today, and his health isn’t good—don’t let him catch a chill.”
“…” Hui Xiang sighed inwardly. If you keep acting like this, with him facing you every day, his health will only worsen. Are you even giving him a chance to live? But Hui Xiang swallowed her words. She belonged to Shi Luoyi, and as long as these feelings didn’t harm her young mistress, it was fine.
After all, all the pain—that cold, jade-like person had already shouldered it from the very beginning.
When they reached the courtyard outside Bian Lingyu’s residence, Shi Luoyi stepped forward and knocked on the door. The wooden door slowly opened.
Through the morning light, Shi Luoyi smiled at the person behind the door.
“Bian Lingyu, I’ve come to pick you up.”
After visiting the courtyard so many times, her smile was radiant and cheerful for the first time.
Hui Xiang observed Bian Lingyu’s expression. He appeared cold and silent, but it was clear that he was somewhat distracted. After a while, he softly acknowledged her: “Mm.”
The spring chill was biting, and the strong winds outside were blowing the remaining dead trees in the courtyard every which way. Shi Luoyi tried to drape the cloak over him.
Bian Lingyu’s face, carved from cold jade, was exquisite in every detail. He looked at Shi Luoyi, his hand blocking the cloak, not allowing her to touch him. After a moment of silence, he said, “I’ll do it myself.”
Hui Xiang could only sigh at the sight.
Cold, composed, and refusing to indulge—he was torturing himself for no reason.
Shi Luoyi felt troubled, thinking he still rejected her touch. She didn’t necessarily have to touch Bian Lingyu, but the situation ahead would be severe.
As they walked out together, Shi Luoyi explained: “Later, we’ll go to Qingzheng Hall to discuss our marriage with the sect leader. Since my father is in slumber, I am now the master of Bu Ye Mountain. Bu Ye Mountain and Ming You Mountain together form the Hengwu Sect. A mountain lord’s wedding is a significant matter. I used my father’s seal early this morning to summon the eight great elders. The sect leader has no way out, and neither do we. As I told you before, the sect leader isn’t a good person to me. He won’t easily agree to let me return to Bu Ye Mountain. He’ll definitely claim I’m being reckless and won’t believe there’s genuine affection between us. He always speaks of righteousness and compassion, so he’ll use the excuse of caring for me and fearing I’m acting recklessly to reject us. At that point, I might have no choice but to…”
She glanced cautiously at Bian Lingyu, who was listening calmly, and suppressed a laugh as she finished: “…do something to you. Just bear with it and don’t retaliate against me on the spot, alright?”
Bian Lingyu remained silent for a moment: “What will you do?”
Shi Luoyi knew Bian Lingyu cared about this, so she couldn’t act completely indifferent. She patiently explained.
“I’m not sure. It might depend on how severe the situation becomes. I originally hoped you’d cooperate with me and pretend to be deeply fond of me, but I know that’s difficult for you, so I’ll handle it.”
Bian Lingyu lowered his eyes, neither opposing nor responding.
Hui Xiang: “…” This is going to be trouble.
Young Mistress, you might as well kill him—it would be kinder.
Google Sites
Report abuse