Xu Qing still stood in place, her fingers lightly pinching her white dress, seeming a bit lost.
Jiang Huai leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, resting. After a short while, when he opened his eyes, Xu Qing was still standing there, covertly observing him from the corner of her eye. When he looked at her, her eyes would quickly dart away.
“Why don’t you sit for a while too, instead of standing?” Jiang Huai said softly. So Xu Qing moved her snow-white calf and slowly walked towards him, sitting on a chair beside Jiang Huai. A tea table separated them, and Jiang Huai leaned against the bedside, continuing to rest with his eyes closed.
“You…” Xu Qing took a deep breath.
As if to alleviate her stutter, she tried to slow down her speech, her voice gentle and pleasant, “Would you like some tea?”
“Have some?” Jiang Huai was slightly tempted.
So Xu Qing prepared tea with the tea set on the table. She was brewing a specialty from Aolai Continent. As the boiling water poured into the teacup, the faint aroma of tea quickly wafted into Jiang Huai’s nostrils. He opened his eyes. The Xu Qing in front of him was diligently scraping foam from the teapot’s mouth with the lid, her movements skillful, her jet-black eyes incredibly serious. After a while, she pushed the teacup towards Jiang Huai.
Jiang Huai picked up the teacup and took a gentle sip, the fragrance filling his mouth and teeth.
Gradually, he realized that the throbbing pain in his head seemed to be easing considerably under the effect of this tea. He looked at Xu Qing with some surprise, “What did you add to the tea?”
“It’s the unique Snow Kite Flower Tea from Aolai Continent, it has a spirit-nourishing effect.” Xu Qing answered flusteredly, then added in a small voice, “I can see that your soul is overdrawn…”
Jiang Huai finally remembered that Xu Qing, the Saintess of Guanxue Sect, possessed the eternally rare Clear Moon Sacred Body. She could absorb the power of lunar yin into her body when cultivating, and she had Moon Eyes, capable of seeing through illusions, formations, and the weak points of others’ vital spots.
He looked into her eyes. Her eyes were no different from anyone else’s, just with jet-black pupils and clear, bright eyes. But as soon as he cast his gaze upon her, she couldn’t help but avoid it.
“Thank you for your trouble.” Jiang Huai took another sip of tea, offering a small courtesy.
After a little while longer, Xu Qing cautiously asked, “Your lifespan… has it truly recovered?”
“Yes, I found some secret techniques, and I have another one or two hundred years to find a way to recast my sea of qi.”
Xu Qing nodded gently, “That’s good then.”
She remembered how Jiang Huai had crippled his cultivation. When she first heard the rumors about him crippling his cultivation, she was distraught for a long, long time. She met Jiang Huai at Daoji Ancestral Land when she was sixteen and was defeated by him. From then on, she made him her goal for cultivation, even willing to imprison her own sea of qi and pour all her energy into tempering her physique, all in order to form a Heavenly Way Spirit Pill superior to Jiang Huai’s, so that she could fight him again in the future.
Perhaps she wasn’t competing with Jiang Huai, but with the proud self of the past. Her cultivation path had always been exceptionally smooth; she had outstanding talent, noble birth, and doting parents. The entire sect cared for her immensely. In all the years, she had encountered almost no opponents. That was the first time she lost, defeated in her most proud sword techniques, her pride completely shattered, unable to muster a single ounce of fighting spirit.
She didn’t know when it started, but seeing Jiang Huai again and defeating him became a sort of obsession for her. However, those obsessions seemed to be subtly changing. Now, she couldn’t see clearly what she was thinking in her heart. It was a hazy mist, and within that pile of mist, she couldn’t see her own eyes.
Before coming to Ziyun Pavilion, she had asked her parents for a large sum of spirit stones to purchase this Life Spirit Fruit. When she was leaving, her mother pulled her aside and softly asked if she had fallen for that guy. At that time, her cheeks flushed, but she stammered, unable to speak.
Had she fallen for him? That phantom she had chased for so many years, that young man who drew his sword when she was in despair? Xu Qing couldn’t say for sure. It was just that when she was by his side, she seemed to change. At the sect, she was always calm and composed, the Senior Disciple Sister of Guanxue Sect, undisturbed. But in front of him, she seemed like a young girl in love.
The room fell silent, so silent that she could almost hear each other’s heartbeats.
Jiang Huai sipped his tea in small sips; he couldn’t drink it too hot, so he blew on it gently. He sat quietly for a while. Jiang Huai felt the atmosphere seemed a bit awkward, so he stood up, “Let’s go, we’ll go to Ziyun Pavilion to get that Life Fruit.”
Xu Qing also hurriedly stood up and followed him, walking out of the room together.
***
Upon arriving at Ziyun Pavilion, a server quickly led the two to the treasure room for storage. Jiang Huai obtained the Life Fruit, and the Cold Soul Snow Spirit was also put away by him. All the spirit stones in Jiang Huai’s card were almost completely spent, leaving him with only five hundred thousand as his remaining fortune.
Jiang Huai took out the Life Fruit and handed it to Xu Qing. Xu Qing hesitated for a moment, then looked up, meeting Jiang Huai’s eyes.
“Why don’t you still…”
“Take it.”
“Oh.” Xu Qing lowered her head again, not daring to refuse, and obediently took the Life Fruit. The two walked side by side back to Ziyun Inn. After tonight, they would have to part ways again.
“The Eastern Region Grand Competition this year, will you come?”
“Yes.” Jiang Huai replied softly, “I will represent Moon Wave Continent.”
“But your cultivation level…”
“Didn’t I practice the Overlord Art back then? It should be enough.” Jiang Huai replied casually. The two walked a few more steps, and Xu Qing suddenly whispered again, “That…”
“What?”
“I want to ask you about some sword techniques, I wonder if you…”
“No time.”
“Oh.” Xu Qing lowered her head again, her hard-won courage shattered by Jiang Huai’s words.
Ziyun Pavilion seemed to be holding some fireworks festival tonight. Crackling sounds gradually sounded in the night sky. As the two walked on the streets of Ziyun Pavilion, Jiang Huai heard the sounds and looked up. The sky was filled with fireworks, reflecting in his eyeballs. He couldn’t help but stop and gaze at them.
Xu Qing also looked up, gazing at the brilliant fireworks in the night sky with him. The two remained silent for a long time, until Jiang Huai walked on again. Xu Qing then hurried to catch up with his steps, but she didn’t dare to say anything more.
Jiang Huai suddenly felt a sense of inexplicable guilt. Logically speaking, Xu Qing treated him well, and he shouldn’t be so indifferent to her. She hadn’t done anything wrong, so why be so cold to her? If he was pretending by deliberately making the other person hate him, he seemed so stupid.
“What sword techniques do you want to ask about?” Jiang Huai suddenly asked.
“Three years ago, in True Person Qingxuan’s trial, your last few moves, I found a way to break them.” Xu Qing said softly.
“So you’re not asking for advice, are you trying to find an excuse to beat me up?”
“No…” Xu Qing replied aggrievedly, “I just feel… after three years, you must have gained a lot of insights, and I’ve learned two new moves, but I still can’t grasp the essentials in some places, so I want to ask for your guidance.”
“What did you learn?”
“My mother’s sword techniques.”
“Do you have the Sword Manual?”
“Yes.”
“Can I take a look?”
Xu Qing obediently handed the Sword Manual to Jiang Huai. Jiang Huai took it and flipped through it for a few glances. It was indeed a profound sword technique. He thought for a moment, “If you don’t mind, can I return it to you tomorrow morning?”
“Okay.”
So the two continued to walk forward.
Fireworks bloomed in clusters above their heads. As they passed a small stall, Jiang Huai saw the candied hawthorn made from spirit fruits sold by vendors in Ziyun Pavilion. He suddenly had a craving and leaned in to buy one. After thinking for a moment, he bought another one and handed the extra one to Xu Qing beside him.
Xu Qing nervously took it and took a small bite. It was so sweet.
The two had already walked to the downstairs of Ziyun Inn; they had to part ways here. Jiang Huai inadvertently looked up at the pavilion above. Several windows were open, but Jiang Huai’s gaze quickly caught sight of Luo Yueguan by the window. She was looking up at the fireworks in the night sky, her snow-white profile illuminated by the light, appearing and disappearing, the light and shadow beneath her eyelashes flickering.
But she suddenly lowered her head.
In her sight, Jiang Huai and Xu Qing stood side by side, each holding a candied hawthorn. Xu Qing’s cheeks were flushed, her shyness evident and nowhere to hide.
Luo Yueguan glanced once and then withdrew her gaze, turning to close the window.
Jiang Huai felt a bad premonition. He looked at Xu Qing beside him, “Then I’ll go back to rest. We’ll meet here tomorrow morning, and I’ll return the Sword Manual to you.”
“En, okay.” Xu Qing nodded gently, and they walked in different directions.
Jiang Huai went up to the pavilion. He remembered Luo Yueguan saying her room was next to his.
But standing at the door, he didn’t know whether to knock and disturb her. Or should he explain? But he and Xu Qing were innocent, so what was there to explain? Besides, even if they weren’t innocent, why should he explain to Luo Yueguan? What was his relationship with Luo Yueguan?
He stood outside the door, hesitating for half the time it takes an incense stick to burn, and finally decided to knock. But before his hand could fall, the door opened.
Luo Yueguan, in a purple dress, stood at the doorway, her eyes looking at him with a cold, detached gaze. Her jet-black pupils held an inexpressible sense of grievance at this moment.
“I made a bet with myself in my heart,” she said.
“Bet on what?” Jiang Huai was startled.
“I bet on whether you outside the door would knock first, or whether I would be unable to resist opening the door and calling you in. I bet on myself winning, but I lost. I was afraid you’d go back to sleep in a moment and ignore me.”
Jiang Huai looked at her face and felt that her eyes seemed to hold a hint of grievance. He replied softly, “Xu Qing and I went to get the Life Fruit and the Cold Soul Snow Spirit, so we came back together.”
“Were the candied hawthorns delicious?”
Jiang Huai still had half a skewer left. He handed it to Luo Yueguan, “Try it?”
“I don’t eat them. Little girls like to eat these. You should buy two more to coax little girls.” Luo Yueguan turned her face away. Jiang Huai was at a loss for words for a moment. He took out the Cold Soul Snow Spirit and handed it to Luo Yueguan, “Hold onto this first, and don’t be angry with me.”
“What if I insist on being angry?”
“Then I’ll smash it.”
“Smash it then.” Luo Yueguan’s eyes turned red.
The Cold Soul Snow Spirit was stored in a special container. Once the container was damaged and it wasn’t refined quickly, it would dissipate into the world. This was something bought with twenty million spirit stones. Jiang Huai would truly be reluctant to smash it.
However, with Luo Yueguan being so petulant, he was gradually becoming suffocated.
“I was just saying, I wouldn’t smash it.” Jiang Huai sighed, “But I also have my own emotions. I can’t always tolerate and care for your little thoughts. If you expect me to coax you every time you get angry, over time I’ll also develop a bad temper.”
“When your good temper is completely worn out and only a bad temper remains, it will be a bad ending.” Jiang Huai once again handed the Cold Soul Snow Spirit to Luo Yueguan, “You can’t expect me to unconditionally coax and tolerate everything you do. No one likes a willful little girl all the time.”
Luo Yueguan’s body trembled, “I am willful…”
“Then learn to change.” Jiang Huai looked at her red eyes, “I am someone who doesn’t pay much attention to many things, and I’m not in a hurry to get anything. There is still a very, very long time ahead. I can have a lot of patience to wait for you. I will always be by your side to accompany you, but you cannot rely on me, because I am also a child. I also have many things I don’t understand. I can figure them out with you slowly.”
“What if we never figure them out?”
“It won’t be any worse than it is now anyway.” Jiang Huai shrugged, “The Cold Soul Snow Spirit should be easy to refine. You refine it first. It should be safe to refine it in Ziyun City. I’ll stay by your side and accompany you.”
