Chapter 163: Li Longling, I Want a Home
Unknowingly, the sun had risen directly overhead, and a cicada’s song could be heard in the quiet courtyard.
*Chirp chirp chirp—*
Li Longling lay on the couch, her rosy skin dotted with sparkling sweat drops. Her hair and white long dress were completely soaked, making her look like a ripe autumn peach, exuding a refreshing fragrance.
She didn’t know how long had passed. She vaguely recalled fainting several times in between, only to be forcefully awakened by Senior Ye pinching her philtrum.
A disoriented sensation spread throughout her body. She felt utterly weak, unable to even lift a hand, yet strangely comfortable, as if she were nestled in cotton.
Senior Ye’s treatment process seemed long, yet also felt very short.
Li Longling recalled her prior feelings. Initially, there was tension and fear, but under Senior Ye’s comforting words, these emotions gradually dissipated.
What followed was a progressive pain, so severe that she could not bear it and cried out loudly.
She could feel Senior Ye’s spiritual sense moving within her body, a strong sensation of being invaded by something foreign.
Amidst this pain, her perception of time was stretched infinitely.
However, just as she was about to break down and could no longer endure, a sudden turn occurred. It felt as if her body had adapted to the intense pain, and it gradually transformed into a gentle, moist sensation and comfort, like flowing water.
Unfortunately, this final comfort did not last long before she fainted.
Now, with her consciousness clear, she felt inexplicably captivated, even wishing to experience that final sensation again.
To put it simply, it was a desire for “more.”
Compared to the comfort at the end of the treatment, the preceding pain seemed trivial.
Suddenly, a feminine, youthful voice sounded in her ear as if gently knocking on a door:
— “Awake? Come, take this pill.”
Ye Anping saw her move and walked back to the bedside with the pill bottle. He took out a Spirit Gathering Pill and squeezed it into her mouth. Startled, she flinched back, but after realizing what it was, she relaxed again and swallowed the pill.
*Gulp—*
Then, Ye Anping helped her up from the couch and sat beside her. He took her left wrist and checked her pulse, confirming there were no issues. He then began to explain how to activate the “Eye Shifting Talisman Treasure” within her body.
“Submerge your spiritual sense within, gather spiritual energy in your eyes, and channel it into the Jingming, Tianyin, and Taibai acupoints. They are located at your…”
Ye Anping pointed out the locations of the acupoints with his finger.
Li Longling listened intently but also felt a sense of strangeness.
This strangeness wasn’t about her eyes, but rather the arm supporting her as she sat up felt very familiar.
The skin was smooth, yet also firm.
It was… it was just like Senior Sister Xiao’s.
A few days ago, when she was bathing with Xiao Yunluo in the spiritual pool, the arm she leaned on felt exactly like this one.
Could it be that she wasn’t leaning on Senior Sister Xiao’s shoulder then, but on Senior Ye’s? And Senior Ye had remained silent, so she hadn’t recognized him?
If that were the case, wouldn’t she have bathed naked with Senior Ye and leaned on him?
This…
Why hadn’t Senior Sister Xiao told her at the time?
Or perhaps, Senior Sister Xiao’s physique was very similar to Senior Ye’s, and she had made a mistake?
— “Young Master Li?”
“Ah…” Ye Anping’s voice brought Li Longling back to her senses. “What is it?”
“Did you remember what I said?”
“Mmm…”
“Then try it.”
Li Longling cast aside her stray thoughts, deciding it must have been her mistake. She calmed herself and, following Ye Anping’s instructions, channeled spiritual energy into the acupoints around her eyes.
In an instant, a faint light emerged from the boundless darkness that enveloped her.
Though faint, it was somewhat dazzling.
— “Alright, slowly open your eyes and adjust.”
The rough yet warm touch on her hand, and the calm, warm voice encouraged her to open her eyelids.
Two symmetrical Eye Shifting Talisman patterns adorned her cloudy grey eyes with faint glows.
The inner hall’s doors and windows were tightly shut, and without any candlelight, it was very dim. Yet, she could see.
She could see the embroidered screen adorned with a Chi Dragon pattern in front of her, the Liang Zhu supporting the hall’s roof, her own hands, and the large hand holding her left hand…
So the screen was this exquisite…
So the palace dome was this vast…
So the Chi Long Mansion’s totem was this majestic…
…
What her father and the maidservants had described to her since childhood was so different from her own impression…
Li Longling’s lips parted slightly, a lump forming in her throat. A wave of sadness washed over her, and her nose twitched slightly.
“Inhale—”
Ye Anping, who was sitting beside her, also breathed a sigh of relief.
He extended his right index finger, placing it in front of his shoulder, and gestured for the young phoenix on his right shoulder to jump onto his finger. He then placed it on Li Longling’s shoulder and said,
“Young Master Li, the young phoenix on your shoulder is now your eyes. You see through its eyes. In the future, you can also gather more spirit pets; as long as you affix an Eye Shifting Talisman, they can serve as your eyes.”
…
“There are many sects in the Western Regions that specialize in beast taming. In the future, you can cultivate the way of rituals and beast taming as your own.** While different from sword cultivators like your father, it is the most suitable path for you.”
…
“Furthermore, this Eye Shifting Talisman Treasure is not a complete cure. It is a compromise I devised and should last for thirty years. In other words, you will need to find me every thirty years for me to re-engrave the talisman script for you.”
…
Ye Anping spoke on his own, like a doctor giving post-treatment advice, discussing precautions for her eyes and methods for their care, and explaining solutions for potential problems he had foreseen.
But Li Longling had no mind to listen at this moment. Through the eyes of the young phoenix on her shoulder, she gazed at the handsome young man beside her.
This was the first person she had ever seen since her birth.
Though not related by blood and having only met a few times, he treated her with such gentleness.
She had previously said she wanted to marry Ye Anping, but that was just a feeling she had that Ye Anping was an upright and kind person.
And now, this was no longer a feeling or a guess, but a fact.
“Hoo—” Li Longling placed her hand on her chest and lowered her eyes in silence for a moment. While Ye Anping was still rambling on about the precautions, she took a deep breath and interrupted, “Senior Ye…”
“…What is it?”
“I want a home.”
…
She gently took Ye Anping’s hand, turned her head to face him, and smiled with narrowed eyes:
“You have me, and I have a home.”
…
