Chapter 308: The Scheme of Self-Inflicted Injury
Early morning.
Jiang Huai woke up, pulled aside the curtain, and saw a vast expanse of white snow in the courtyard outside the window.
He was stunned for a moment, pinched his face, and was sure he was awake. Yet, it was the end of summer, and it shouldn’t be snowing yet. However, the snow before him was real. He walked into the snow, gently scooped up a large handful of snowflakes, and instantly felt a chilling touch in his palm.
He didn’t know what had happened, but he didn’t pay it much mind. He went to the kitchen and made several baskets of xiaolongbao. He sent a basket each to Wanwan and Qingyu, and then went to the edge of the large lake at Qingmu Immortal Palace. Fat snowflakes were falling onto the lake’s surface, and a man in a green robe sat in a pavilion, his fishing rod still.
“True Person, you’re here early today.” Jiang Huai walked on the water and arrived beside Fang Qingmu. He casually took out the steamed xiaolongbao and, to tease, looked at Fang Qingmu beside him. Fang Qingmu hesitated for a moment before accepting. He picked one up, brought it to his lips, and chewed slowly. Then, he asked curiously, “Pork, mushroom, water chestnut, scallion, ginger, salt, what else did you put in?”
“A rich broth I previously simmered with pork bones, chicken bones, and various light spices.”
“No wonder.” True Person Qingmu unceremoniously picked up another and brought it to his mouth. Jiang Huai simply placed the basket there, and he also took out his fishing rod.
Recently, he often met True Person Qingmu here to fish. No, it wasn’t exactly a meeting; it was just that whenever Jiang Huai came, True Person Qingmu was already there. In the past few days, he had drunk wine with True Person Qingmu many times, tasting many of the fine wines Fang Qingmu had treasured over the years.
In Fang Qingmu’s words, he had so much wine, and it would be a shame not to finish it before he died.
Jiang Huai had also been very happy these past few days. He and Fang Qingmu had gradually become familiar with each other. To him, Fang Qingmu was more like a mentor and a friend. He enjoyed asking Fang Qingmu about the principles of things, and Fang Qingmu would patiently answer. Jiang Huai felt greatly benefited.
In the past few days, Jiang Huai had also seen Xia Wanyu twice. Xia Wanyu spent most of her time sleeping. During the one shichen she was awake, she would sit quietly beside Fang Qingmu, drinking with him.
As they became more familiar, Jiang Huai finally understood why Fang Qingmu said that by the end of the month, after the Eastern Region Grand Competition, it would be his funeral.
Over the past thousand years, he had shielded Xia Wanyu from nearly twenty lightning tribulations. Xia Wanyu’s cultivation had long since been extinguished in the lightning tribulations. She should have turned into a skeleton in the woods a thousand years ago. But Fang Qingmu’s appearance had rewritten her fate, and Fang Qingmu himself had become entangled with the karma of heaven and earth.
He was now at the Eighth Realm Mahayana cultivation level. Even if he stopped cultivating, the spiritual energy in his sea of qi had already turned into a vortex, constantly absorbing the worldly spiritual energy. Therefore, the end of the month was the time for him to break through to the Ninth Realm. However, because he had become entangled with the karma of heaven and earth, he had absolutely no possibility of breaking through to the Ninth Realm. And Xia Wanyu’s lightning tribulation would descend along with his.
The karma between the two of them was already completely intertwined. By the end of the month, the hidden forces in the Heavenly Way would come to settle the score with them.
When Fang Qingmu recounted this to Jiang Huai, he was smiling.
Jiang Huai did not see any regret, sadness, or unwillingness in his eyes. He seemed to have accepted this outcome calmly. As an outsider, Jiang Huai could do nothing to help him, so he could only drink a couple more cups with him.
“Last night, I found another bottle of vintage wine bought three hundred years ago from the bottom of the cellar. Shall we try it together tonight?” Fang Qingmu turned to Jiang Huai beside him. Jiang Huai nodded lightly, “Okay, I’ll prepare the dishes.”
They both smiled and then turned their gaze to the lake in the distance. At this moment, Jiang Huai suddenly remembered and asked, “Why is it snowing so heavily today?”
“Last night, Wanyu woke up and suddenly started talking about the snow in the Eastern Region many, many years ago. The days we admired the snow on Bird Stream Mountain. While chatting, she said she wanted to see snow, so I made it snow for her.”
Jiang Huai instantly understood and nodded lightly.
They sat by the lake for most of the day. Today, Jiang Huai had a bountiful harvest, while Fang Qingmu only caught a small fish. He released the small fish. Jiang Huai carried the fish he caught back to his courtyard, fried some crispy dried fish, and made a stir-fried fish fillet. Then, he took out the ingredients he had brought from his storage space and made some small dishes to go with the wine, and then brought these dishes to the appointment.
In Fang Qingmu’s small courtyard, he had already set out the wine cups, waiting for Jiang Huai to arrive.
They got drunk again. On the way back to the courtyard, the wind and snow were fierce. Jiang Huai held up an umbrella and walked back to the courtyard. As he walked, he took a wrong turn and ended up at Chu Xianning’s courtyard door.
Jiang Huai reached out and gently knocked on the door.
“Who?”
Chu Xianning outside the door asked softly.
“It’s me.” Jiang Huai replied softly.
“What are you doing here?” Chu Xianning’s voice was a little cold, with a hint of awkwardness.
Ever since Chu Xianning had leaned down and kissed Jiang Huai that time, and Jiang Huai had held her waist and kissed her until she couldn’t breathe, Jiang Huai hadn’t had a chance to pave the way for another kiss. Luo Yueguan had then barged in unceremoniously. After that, Chu Xianning hadn’t spoken to Jiang Huai, and Jiang Huai hadn’t dared to disturb Chu Xianning. Given Chu Xianning’s personality, she needed time to calm down by herself.
“It’s snowing…”
Jiang Huai had thought of a reason on the way, but standing there now, the alcohol he had drunk surged up again, and his mind became hazy, making him unable to articulate a reason.
“It’s snowing?”
Chu Xianning naturally knew it was snowing. She just softly murmured the words again.
Because it was snowing, she wanted to see her Master.
“Did you drink again?”
Only then did she notice Jiang Huai’s voice trembling slightly.
“I drank two pots with True Person Qingmu. Not much, I’m still quite clear-headed.” Jiang Huai replied immediately. The wind and snow fell on his umbrella. He suddenly realized that it seemed to be like this every time he came to see Chu Xianning. He both hoped she would open the door and also seemed to hope she wouldn’t open the door. He couldn’t explain this conflicted feeling until the door opened.
Chu Xianning, wearing a thin white dress, stood in the wind and snow, not holding an umbrella, nor using spiritual energy to resist the wind and snow. Snowflakes fell on her jet-black hair, and the wind made her dress cling more tightly to her slender and tall body. Her face was slightly cold. She looked at Jiang Huai for several seconds before speaking, “If you misbehave after coming in…”
Her words trailed off there, but she couldn’t think of anything else to say, so she said coldly, “You know the consequences.”
Jiang Huai nodded obediently and followed Chu Xianning inside. He sat in the pavilion in the courtyard. The courtyard was covered in white snow. Jiang Huai, behind Chu Xianning, stepped into the pavilion, following her footprints.
“Master, were you just admiring the snow?” Jiang Huai suddenly said softly.
“Yes.”
Since childhood, on snowy days, Chu Xianning would often sit alone in the pavilion to watch the snow. Snowy days were always exceptionally quiet, with everything covered in a blanket of white, making the entire world seem incredibly tranquil.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
Chu Xianning casually glanced at him, “What do you think?”
Jiang Huai suddenly came to his senses. With Chu Xianning’s Eighth Realm cultivation, she was naturally no longer afraid of cold and heat, so how could she be afraid of the cold? As expected, he had drunk too much, and his mind was starting to get a little muddled.
He probably asked that question only because he felt a bit cold.
Chu Xianning began to brew her jasmine tea. Steam quickly rose from the porcelain cup. She pushed the cup towards Jiang Huai. Jiang Huai picked up the cup and took a gentle sip.
The tea was sweet, but not as sweet and delicious as Chu Xianning’s lips.
Jiang Huai’s gaze fell again on Chu Xianning’s delicate pink and moist lips. Chu Xianning was stunned at first. After a few seconds, seeing that he still hadn’t moved his gaze, she coldly said, “If you keep looking like that, I’ll dig your eyes out.”
Jiang Huai just chuckled foolishly.
This made Chu Xianning feel unspeakably shy and annoyed.
In the past, when Jiang Huai turned into a little brat, she would always say these harsh words. Every time, the little brat would act intimidated and obediently comply. But now it seemed to be another situation. She knew she wouldn’t do it, and the little brat also knew she wouldn’t do it, so her threats became meaningless.
She couldn’t help but lift her porcelain-white little feet from under the table and gently kick Jiang Huai’s leg. Jiang Huai then withdrew his gaze and looked elsewhere.
Jiang Huai still hadn’t stated his purpose, and Chu Xianning didn’t ask again. Neither of them spoke. They just silently sipped the tea on the table, watching the snowflakes flash and dance under the light of the firefly stones.
Snowflakes fell one by one. Jiang Huai began counting the begonia flowers on the begonia tree in the courtyard. But even counting begonia flowers couldn’t calm him down. Although he was sitting opposite Chu Xianning now, appearing incredibly well-behaved, his mind was filled with many strange thoughts.
He wanted to pull Chu Xianning into his arms, bite her ear, and kiss her cheek. He wanted to see her cheeks blush, and he wanted to anger Chu Xianning, see her shyly and angrily kick him with her white and tender little feet. He also wanted to make Chu Xianning happy, see her try her best to hold back her smile while trying to appear serious. He also wanted to taste the sweetness of Chu Xianning’s lips. Indeed, once the first time of many things begins, one becomes immersed and can never go back.
He still had many, many things he wanted to do, but now they were just fantasies. He sat there quietly, as obedient as a baby, as if doing nothing was also beautiful. Chu Xianning held her porcelain cup and took a gentle sip of tea.
She was guessing what Jiang Huai would say next and thinking in her heart how to respond. But no matter how much she thought, she couldn’t find an answer. In the past, she could always remain calm as still water, without the slightest ripple. But now, every time she was with him, her heart was in a chaotic mess. She couldn’t tell if this feeling was good or bad, only that she seemed to be heading towards a completely unknown place she had never been to before.
She also didn’t know what kind of person she would become then.
Jiang Huai looked up at Chu Xianning in front of him. After a few seconds, he suddenly muttered softly, “Master…”
“Hmm?” Chu Xianning’s eyelashes trembled slightly.
“Last time… I didn’t kiss enough…” Jiang Huai’s voice was extremely guilty, yet it seemed to carry a hint of acting spoiled. Looking at Chu Xianning in front of him, he carefully asked, “Can I… kiss you again…”
Chu Xianning’s knuckles gently clenched the hem of her dress and she turned her face away. She hesitated for a second or two, but still replied with a slightly cold expression, “No.”
If she continued to indulge him like this, Chu Xianning didn’t know what kind of person she would become in the future. She could hardly recognize her former self.
“Oh.” Jiang Huai had no choice but to nod obediently. Of course, he wouldn’t pester her relentlessly. Instead, he blinked innocently at Chu Xianning, “Can I hug you then?”
Chu Xianning gritted her teeth slightly.
She almost agreed. It seemed that kissing was not allowed, but a hug wasn’t so excessive. When she realized such a thought had entered her mind, she understood that she had fallen into Jiang Huai’s trap again. Just as she was about to refuse, she looked up and accidentally met his eyes.
“I’m a little cold… Master.”
His body trembled slightly in the cold wind. Chu Xianning suddenly couldn’t help but soften.
Damn it… You know this is a scheme of self-inflicted injury, Chu Xianning.
