Chapter 275: Worldly Connections
In the blink of an eye, it was already the latter half of February, and the weather had gradually warmed, with specks of new green emerging in the mountain forests.
On the ancient forest path of Jade Void Mountain, Feng Yu Die, clad in white, trod upon the weathered stone steps, heading deeper into the mountain forest.
Three years ago, Taixu Zi had passed away in this very place. She had then bid farewell to the home she had lived in for fourteen years and, guided by a rudimentary map and Xiao Tian’s directions, rode a small horse towards Xuan Xing Sect.
As she ascended the mountain, she saw a sapling she had personally planted three years ago, which was then only waist-high. Now, it had grown into a small tree capable of weathering storms.
She also saw the tree where her master had measured her height. Every February, her master would bring her here, have her lean against a very old apricot tree, and use a small knife to mark her head against the bark.
Feng Yu Die arrived at that apricot tree and, with her slender jade fingers, traced the knife marks on the bark that told tales of time. Her heart was filled with affection, yet also with a sense of lament for the changing times.
Three years was a short time, a mere blink of an eye for cultivators, but it was enough to transform a fragile sapling into a tree that could face the cold alone and shelter birds from the wind and rain.
She pressed her forehead against the tree trunk, closed her eyes, and concentrated on recalling every moment with her master, biting her lips lightly.
A gentle breeze brushed through her silver hair, revealing the innate ethereal aura that Feng Yu Die possessed.
Pei Lianxue was also slightly surprised. She honestly found Feng Yu Die quite annoying, always chattering incessantly. But looking at her now, she seemed to sense her emotions and felt a twinge of sympathy. She kindly asked, “Do you want me to measure it for you?”
“!”
Upon hearing Pei Lianxue’s voice from behind, Feng Yu Die’s eyes snapped open, and she immediately forgot about her master.
—Junior Sister Pei is proactively showing concern for me!!
She turned around, blinked at Junior Sister Pei, and grinned foolishly, “I’d rather have a kiss from Junior Sister Pei…”
Ye Anping, who had been silent all this time, shot her a glare and interjected, “It’s getting late, let’s hurry up the mountain.”
“Oh, come on~ Just one kiss, *muah*~~~”
Feng Yu Die pouted like a little pig and leaned in towards Pei Lianxue’s face.
As expected, Pei Lianxue furrowed her brows and instinctively used her hands to push her face away. However, this was a diversionary tactic. She pecked Pei Lianxue’s palm, then retracted her head, “…I kissed Junior Sister Pei’s hand, *heheh*.”
“Ugh~~”
Pei Lianxue’s face was filled with disgust, and she rubbed her hand against a nearby tree.
Ye Anping frowned slightly, but remembering that they were there to pay respects today, he decided not to say anything more, simply stating, “Let’s go!”
“Okay, *heheh*…”
… …
After walking along the mountain path for about thirty minutes, the group passed through the forest and arrived at a wide, open mountain peak cliff.
A dirt mound stood at the edge of the cliff, its tombstone facing the magnificent mountains beyond. A few lines were carved on it, bearing a posthumous title and birth and death years.
Besides the tomb, there was a short girl in a coarse linen dress who was diligently sweeping away droppings left by mountain beasts near the tombstone.
Hearing the footsteps, the girl became alert and turned to look. Upon seeing Feng Yu Die’s silver hair, her eyes lit up with joy and disbelief. She rubbed her eyes and looked several times before exclaiming, “Sister Feng?!”
Feng Yu Die squinted, as if she didn’t recognize her, and asked uncertainly, “Could it be… Xiao Qiu?”
“It’s me!”
The girl, called “Xiao Qiu,” immediately dropped the broom and rushed towards Feng Yu Die, who caught her and spun her around.
Behind them, Ye Anping casually scanned the girl and, realizing she was a mortal without spiritual roots, guessed her identity. She was likely a girl from a nearby village who used to play with Feng Yu Die often when they were young.
“Sister Feng, you said you’d come back every year when you left! It’s been three years!”
“Well… I said I’d come back every year, but a lot has happened.”
Feng Yu Die looked her up and down, feeling a strange sense of wonder. The girl had changed so much in three years. She remembered that when she left, Xiao Qiu was half a head shorter than her. Now, after three years, Xiao Qiu reached her chin. She had truly “grown up.”
“Sister Feng, it’s been three years, why do you look like you haven’t changed at all?”
“I’m a cultivator, it’s normal for me to grow slowly.” Feng Yu Die paused, then quickly pulled her over to Pei Lianxue and Ye Anping. “Xiao Qiu, this is Pei Lianxue. She’s very capable. And this is Ye Anping. They are both disciples of Xuan Xing Sect.”
Xiao Qiu observed Pei Lianxue with a hint of jealousy in her eyes. But upon seeing Ye Anping beside her, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she shyly cupped her hands in a greeting, “Greetings to the two immortals.”
Ye Anping politely returned the greeting and then said, “Senior Sister Feng, go pay your respects. The sun is about to set.”
“Oh! Right, right, right!”
Feng Yu Die snapped back to reality, ran to the tombstone at the cliff’s edge, took out Yun Tianchong’s “egg” from her Storage Bag, placed it on the stone altar in front of the tombstone, knelt down, and clasped her hands.
“Master, I’ve come back to see you.”
Then, she pursed her lips, looked at the tombstone she had carved herself, glanced back at Pei Lianxue and Ye Anping standing in the distance, and fearing Ye Anping might overhear, she leaned close to the tombstone and whispered, “Master, I’ve also brought my future wife to see you. Her name is Pei Lianxue. She’s a very gentle and capable girl. If you met her, you would definitely like her.”
Taixu Zi: “…”
“Right? Junior Sister Pei is both beautiful and capable, you think so too, don’t you?”
Taixu Zi: “…”
Feng Yu Die turned to look at Ye Anping and continued, “Him? His name is Ye Anping. He’s the Young Master of Hundred Lotus Sect…”
Taixu Zi: “…”
“No, no, no… Disciple wasn’t tricked by him. He’s different from the men you told me about, Master. He’s exceptionally good to me, and he doesn’t want to marry me. He’s just genuinely good to me…”
Taixu Zi: “…”
Feng Yu Die tilted her head and looked back at Ye Anping, “Is he handsome? Disciple thinks he’s alright. Although he’s more handsome than many men, he’s not as handsome as Pei Lianxue…”
Taixu Zi: “…”
“Disciple won’t let that happen! Disciple is very clever. If he really tricks me, Disciple will chop him up immediately! He can’t beat Disciple. Also, this *Que Que*… it’s from that person who tricked Master back then. He helped me get it.”
Taixu Zi: “…”
“Disciple will be careful and remember Master’s teachings! But Ye Anping is truly different from other men. Disciple thinks he’s really good.”
Taixu Zi: “…”
Suddenly, Feng Yu Die’s face crumpled with grievance, “Ah… Disciple won’t talk anymore. He’s not good! He’s not good!”
Taixu Zi: “…”
“Hoo…” Feng Yu Die stood up, clasped her hands in a bow, “Then I’ll come again next year. I won’t disturb your rest, Master.”
As she spoke, two tears welled up from the corners of her eyes. As if she couldn’t hold back, she raised her sleeve to cover her eyes.
She still had so much she wanted to tell her master. In the three years she had been away, she had visited Xuan Xing Sect, Chi Long Mansion, and Moon Shadow Sword Sect, and had defeated a demonic cultivator…
But she also knew that these words were merely a longing for the past. Her master could not hear them.
Feng Yu Die sniffled, wiped away her tears, patted her cheeks, then picked up Yun Tianchong’s egg, turned around, and walked back towards Ye Anping, a playful smile on her face, “Alright! Young Master Ye, let’s go! I’m done…”
Ye Anping looked at Feng Yu Die’s reddened eyes, “Aren’t you staying a little longer?”
“Master finds me annoying and told me to scram.”
“You know you’re annoying?” Ye Anping chuckled and shook his head. He then looked at Xiao Qiu, who stood trembling and afraid to speak, and sighed, “Miss Xiao Qiu…”
“Ah…? Immortal, is there something you need?”
“Don’t dwell on the past.”
“…”
Xiao Qiu frowned slightly, not understanding, and tilted her head.
However, Feng Yu Die understood what he meant. She pouted, looked at Xiao Qiu in silence, and said, “Xiao Qiu, I’ll take you back to the village. Have you ever experienced flying on a sword?”
Xiao Qiu’s eyes lit up, “Can I?”
“Of course!” Feng Yu Die gave a thumbs-up, then summoned her flying sword, picked her up, and soared towards the sky, “Hold on tight~~”
Watching the two of them fly away, Ye Anping sighed softly. He didn’t want to meddle, but seeing that girl embark on such a difficult path filled him with mixed emotions.
The girl named Xiao Qiu was a mortal without any spiritual roots, destined to never step onto the path of immortality in her lifetime. Therefore, it would be best for Feng Yu Die to sever her connection with her now.
He himself had been entangled by her fate simply by saving her with his junior sister, and he couldn’t break free.
That mortal girl had no power to resist. If she were drawn into Feng Yu Die’s fate and karma, she would undoubtedly meet a tragic end.
“Hoo…”
Pei Lianxue, standing beside him, looked at her senior brother’s face and seemed to understand. She asked, “Should I go talk to her later?”
“No, she should know what to do. We’ve only met that girl once. It’s better for her to speak for herself.”
Pei Lianxue pursed her lips and smiled, resting her head on Ye Anping’s shoulder. “Senior Brother, if Sect Master Ye doesn’t come to my village, would I also end up looking like that? Wearing a rough cloth skirt, dirty, ugly, and never meeting Senior Brother in my life?”
“There are no ‘what ifs’ in this world.”
“Mmm…”
Ye Anping fell silent for a moment, then asked, “When you have free time, I’ll take you back to see your parents one last time. We can also arrange the engagement. The Pei family should be doing well now. To reach Core Formation, one must sever worldly ties. You may have to completely forget your mortal parents then.”
“Mmm, I’ve been mentally prepared for this for a long time. After I marry Senior Brother, I will be Madam Ye, and I will have no connection to the Pei family.”
“Aren’t you going to miss them? Many cultivators who ascend from the mortal realm find severing worldly ties very difficult.”
“It’s alright. Sect Master Ye and Madam Kong treat me like their own daughter, and I have Senior Brother. Besides, I’ve repaid my parents’ kindness in raising me. They are living very well now, in luxury and comfort…”
“Mmm…”
