“Senior Brother Jiang Huai, don’t you think…”
“Think what?”
“Wanwan’s ‘Tuantuan’ seems to have grown a little bigger.”
“Perhaps it’s been infected by being around Qingyu for too long.”
Wen Wanwan’s small fist landed on Jiang Huai’s chest, and Jiang Huai laughed heartily. He looked down at her, “Wanwan’s body is still going to grow a bit, isn’t that normal?”
“Wanwan doesn’t like it too big…” Wen Wanwan said softly, “It’s just right to be barely held by Senior Brother Jiang Huai’s hand like this.”
As she spoke, Wanwan’s ‘Tuantuan’ was being held and played with by Jiang Huai. The girl’s skin was soft and tender, and once his hand was placed there, Jiang Huai didn’t want to move it away.
Wanwan was always very well-behaved. During their rest time, no matter how Jiang Huai touched her body, she wouldn’t get angry. It was just that after gradually getting used to it, if Jiang Huai stopped touching her, she would act spoiled and rub against him until Jiang Huai hugged her.
“Speaking of which, there’s something I’ve always wanted to ask Wanwan…”
“You want to know if Qingyu knows about Senior Brother Jiang Huai’s intimate relationship with Fufu, right?”
“You guessed that too?”
“Otherwise, I wouldn’t have thought of anything else. Qingyu knows. Wanwan told Qingyu, and even if she didn’t, Qingyu would have guessed something. That time when Qingyu was in the courtyard, Qingyu saw the look in Senior Brother Jiang Huai’s eyes when he was talking with Fufu.”
“So you can really tell these things from a look?”
“Of course.” Wen Wanwan pouted slightly as Jiang Huai pinched her gently. She slid into Jiang Huai’s arms and bit him lightly, saying, “The look of liking someone can’t be hidden.”
“That accurate?”
“For example, the way Xu Qing looks at Senior Brother Jiang Huai… she must like Senior Brother Jiang Huai.”
“So what does Wanwan think?”
“As long as Senior Brother Jiang Huai likes it.” Wen Wanwan replied softly, “Wanwan doesn’t mind.”
“The more you say that…” Jiang Huai scratched his head.
“The more Wanwan says that, the more guilty Senior Brother Jiang Huai feels, right?” Wen Wanwan looked up, her innocent eyes meeting his. “But if Wanwan insists on controlling Senior Brother Jiang Huai and arguing with him every day, Senior Brother Jiang Huai will get annoyed, right?”
“That wouldn’t be the case…”
“Anyway, Wanwan doesn’t want Senior Brother Jiang Huai’s liking for her to decrease even a little. Wanwan just wants Senior Brother Jiang Huai to like her more every day.”
Wen Wanwan leaned closer again, her dark pupils gazing at Jiang Huai’s eyes, and chuckled softly. “Wanwan knows that Senior Brother Jiang Huai’s liking for Wanwan will not be taken by another woman.”
“But there’s nothing between her and me right now.”
“Wanwan knows.”
“You know that too?”
“Because of the way Senior Brother Jiang Huai looks at her.”
“Good heavens, are all you women this formidable?”
“Hmph, Qingyu can tell too.”
“Then if Qingyu were the one who bumped into us today, would she kill me on the spot?”
“Of course not. Why do you think Qingyu is so terrifying, Senior Brother Jiang Huai?”
“Am I thinking too terribly?”
“Qingyu would probably hide it in her heart and then plan a way to secretly prevent it without Senior Brother Jiang Huai knowing. If she realized she couldn’t stop it, she would just let Senior Brother Jiang Huai be. Doesn’t Senior Brother Jiang Huai realize? Qingyu’s personality has become softer and softer.”
“That’s true…” Jiang Huai slid into Wen Wanwan’s arms again, and this time, he was the one who gently bit Wen Wanwan. Wen Wanwan’s body trembled slightly. He looked up at Wen Wanwan, “But Wanwan seems to be getting more and more cunning.”
“Not at all.” Wen Wanwan gently stroked the back of his head. “It’s because those little thoughts don’t need to be hidden from Senior Brother Jiang Huai anymore. Wanwan has always been a cunning woman full of little schemes, racking her brains to seduce Senior Brother Jiang Huai into liking her.”
“Don’t say that.” Jiang Huai rubbed his cheek against Wen Wanwan’s. “I willingly took the bait.”
***
Jiang Huai saw a withered leaf in the courtyard.
The tail end of summer had quietly slipped away, and the first withered leaf had appeared. Tomorrow was the last day of the Eastern Region Grand Competition. Many matches had already been held these past few days, and the cultivators who would participate in the Five Regions Grand Competition at the end of the year had been decided.
Mu Jiaoyang, Jiang Huai, Mu Yao, Gu Ci, and Xu Qing.
Tomorrow, there would be one last match, between Jiang Huai and Mu Jiaoyang.
Mu Jiaoyang had been challenging various trials left by True Person Qingmu like a madman recently. His state was no longer as indifferent and arrogant as before. Instead, he looked like he was deeply wronged and resentful of everything in the world. Jiang Huai had only heard about this, but he had indeed seen the fire in Mu Jiaoyang’s eyes during the Grand Competition these past few days, as if he wanted to devour Jiang Huai alive.
Alas, poor child.
Jiang Huai had no desire to comfort him. He was usually quite patient with strangers, and he liked to maintain his gentlemanly image for the sake of face. However, once he fell out with someone, he wished them dead day and night.
He wasn’t worried that Mu Jiaoyang’s recent arduous cultivation would make the next match difficult. Instead, he was secretly pleased. The Soul Secret Technique he practiced was more powerful the stronger the opponent’s obsession. The more anxious Mu Jiaoyang became, the more effective that move would be. If possible, Jiang Huai even wanted to save the last four Experience Scrolls.
However, once the match tomorrow ended, it would mean that True Person Qingmu’s lifespan was also coming to an end.
Today, Jiang Huai went to the lakeside again. By the lake, True Person Qingmu and Xia Wanyu were sitting quietly in the heart of the lake. It was snowing heavily again today. In the pavilion by the lake, the two leaned against each other, not holding umbrellas. Snowflakes danced around them, some landing on their hair, making them look as if they had both turned white-haired.
Jiang Huai sat at a distance and didn’t go forward to disturb them. True Person Qingmu noticed him, smiled, and beckoned him over. He then came to the pavilion in the heart of the lake. Fang Qingmu looked at his face and asked, “Do you have confidence in tomorrow’s battle?”
Jiang Huai nodded gently. “Yes.”
“That’s good.” Fang Qingmu smiled. “Giving Qingmu Immortal Palace to you feels much better than giving it to Mu Jiaoyang. That child is too arrogant, I don’t like that.”
Jiang Huai hesitated for a moment and asked softly, “Is there no other way… to escape this tribulation?”
Fang Qingmu’s face showed no trace of regret, only a helpless smile. “Tomorrow will be the Eighth and Ninth Lightning Tribulation. The Heavenly Way has been brewing this for many years. It’s a sure death.”
“You don’t need to worry about me about this. Forty percent of the Spirit Treasures in Qingmu Immortal Palace belong to you. However, to imprint your soul onto the main body of Qingmu Immortal Palace, you need to reach at least the Eighth Realm in cultivation. Until then, you can let someone you trust keep it for you.”
Qingmu Immortal Palace itself was a Spirit Treasure, even a Small World. Fang Qingmu had inherited it from someone else back then and then transformed many of its courtyards and landscapes into his preferred style.
Seeing the unconcealed loss in Jiang Huai’s eyes, Fang Qingmu chuckled instead. “You are different from me. You are in your prime, so you still fear death. But I have lived for many, many years and seen too many life and death separations. A person dying is like a falling leaf, gently landing.”
As he spoke, he held Xia Wanyu’s hand and gazed into her eyes. “Having accompanied Wan Yu for many years, I have no regrets in this life.”
Xia Wanyu’s expression was gentle as she gently squeezed his hand back.
***
Jiang Huai, Fang Qingmu, and Xia Wanyu fished by the lake for an entire morning. At noon, Fang Qingmu invited Jiang Huai to the courtyard for lunch. He also told him that he could invite both of his Dao Companions. Jiang Huai went to pick up Luo Qingyu and Wen Wanwan. Xia Wanyu took out two jewelry-like Spirit Treasures and gifted them to Wen Wanwan and Luo Qingyu.
After lunch, Jiang Huai wandered around Qingmu Immortal Palace alone.
He didn’t know what to do, so he just thought of it as a way to relax. These past few days, he had fished and drunk with Fang Qingmu many times. Perhaps Fang Qingmu had truly come to terms with his impending demise, yet Jiang Huai always felt an indescribable sense of loss.
If one had a loved one in their heart, they would naturally want to live a little longer, even if it was just for a day, an hour, or a moment. In the past, he always felt that death was nothing to fear. But ever since he realized the existence of love, he had become greedy and wanted to live for a very long time, and began to fear death.
Was Fang Qingmu’s fearlessness due to his acceptance, or was it because he was completely powerless to resist, and thus accepted his unavoidable fate?
But Jiang Huai could do nothing about it. He could seemingly only calmly watch Fang Qingmu leave. Should he also feel a sliver of joy? After Fang Qingmu left, Qingmu Immortal Palace would be his. It was one of the few remaining Saint-grade Spirit Treasures in the world. He could also choose many of True Person Qingmu’s belongings, but his heart felt a little heavy.
As he walked, he arrived at a lotus pond and quietly looked at the withered lotuses in the mud. The lotus leaves were still lush green, swaying gently in the wind and exuding vitality.
He watched there for a while, and then, as if by chance, he looked back and suddenly noticed a figure in the pavilion not far away.
The pavilion had been empty just moments ago. When had she arrived?
Jiang Zhi was now sitting on the long bench in the pavilion. Today, she was wearing a pure white dress. The loose white dress did not fit snugly, as if it had instantly shed all its alluring charm and coldness, becoming gentle and serene. She still wore a mask, but the dark gold mask had been replaced by pure white.
Jiang Huai didn’t know if he should greet her, but she raised her eyes slightly and spoke first, “You seem to be in a low mood?”
“A little.”
“Tell older sister about it?”
“Older sister?” Jiang Huai was doubtful about this address.
Jiang Zhi also froze for a moment, then looked at him innocently, “If you call me older sister, I’m not taking advantage of you, am I?”
“No, it just feels a bit strange… Senior Jiang Zhi.”
“Call me older sister.” Jiang Zhi’s eyes narrowed slightly, and suddenly Jiang Huai’s mind was once again inexplicably confused. The moment he looked into her eyes, his mind was filled with what seemed like an infinite collection of erotic paintings, and the main characters in those paintings became him and her. He shook his head frantically, temporarily forgetting these terrifying things, and obediently called out, “Older sister.”
The fair, slender legs beneath Jiang Zhi’s white dress crossed, and the tip of her silver open-toed high heels curled upwards. She looked at him, “Tell older sister what’s making you unhappy?”
“Nothing.” Jiang Huai shook his head gently.
He felt there was no need to talk about it. It was just a slight disappointment, and perhaps it would gradually fade.
“As the owner of a Purple Jade Card, if you are looking so dejected right now, then I have not been a good host. There is almost nothing that Ziyun Pavilion cannot do in this world, as long as you ask.”
Jiang Zhi’s tone was particularly assured, and a hint of arrogance flashed in her dark pupils.
