Chapter 393: Old Loli, Tension Escalates
Within the Northern Region, the silver moon was like a hook, and vast amounts of white snow swept across the ten thousand miles of territory.
The deep forests of the snow mountains were desolate and uninhabited. There were no immortal cities or villages around, and occasionally, the cries of wolves and foxes could be heard in the wilderness.
Inside a hidden cave, no bonfire was lit; only the silvery moonlight shining in from the cave entrance served as illumination.
Ye Anping, clad in a snow-white, fluffy garment, sat cross-legged on a straw mat, his eyes closed, meditating to recuperate. The fatigue on his face gradually dissipated as his injuries healed.
Pei Lianxue, who was guarding him, noticed that her senior brother’s aura had calmed considerably. She then asked softly:
“Senior Brother, where are we going next?”
Ye Anping slowly opened his eyes. He glanced at Xiao Yunluo and Li Longling, who were hugging his leg and wrapped in blankets, then at Feng Yu Die, who was holding a roasted chicken. Finally, he looked at his junior sister, a hint of helplessness on his face. He smiled and asked:
“Junior Sister, why did you and Yunluo come to the Northern Region? What were you planning to do?”
Pei Lianxue lowered her head in guilt for a moment and replied softly:
“To… collect herbs…”
“And?”
“And…”
Xiao Yunluo immediately spoke up, helping Pei Lianxue defend herself:
“Anping, we just came to collect herbs. Didn’t Lianxue send you a jade slip earlier?”
Ye Anping turned to her: “Then where are the herbs?”
“Herbs…” Xiao Yunluo cowered, quickly turning to Feng Yu Die, “Second, where are the herbs?”
“Huh?”
Feng Yu Die looked confused, then nodded as if she had an epiphany. She took out a few spirit herbs emitting a faint blue light from her storage bag:
“Right, right, I dug up a lot! Enough for us to complete our mission. These are called… Snow Spirit Grass.”
‘They actually went and dug them up…’
Ye Anping was speechless. He shook his head, then raised his hand and tapped Pei Lianxue’s forehead, questioning:
“Besides that?”
Xiao Yunluo quickly replied: “That’s all~ We really just came to dig for spirit grass. This Snow Spirit Grass is only found in the Northern Region, and Hantian Kingdom doesn’t sell it, right, Lianxue?”
Ye Anping slightly shook his head and looked back at Pei Lianxue:
“Hm? Is that right? Junior Sister…”
Pei Lianxue pursed her lips, casting a fearful glance at her senior brother. She said:
“Senior Brother, I’m sorry…”
Seeing her apologize, Ye Anping breathed a sigh of relief and dotingly ruffled her head:
“Mm… Don’t lie to Senior Brother again next time. After Senior Brother survived the Core Formation Heavenly Tribulation, I learned you were in the Northern Region. I rushed here with Longling without even resting, fearing you might run into demonic cultivators.”
Pei Lianxue gently clutched her clothes:
“I’m sorry…”
“It’s fine, Senior Brother is also responsible for this matter,” Ye Anping said, shaking his head slightly. “I didn’t expect you to remember the name ‘Xiyue’ so clearly and come looking for her.”
“I was just afraid that after Senior Brother finds Xiyue, he won’t want me anymore.”
“…Silly girl.”
“Then, Senior Brother, are you going to look for Xiyue next?”
“Haven’t we found her already? Xu Xiyue, Xu Mulan’s sister.”
Upon hearing this, Pei Lianxue was stunned, and Xiao Yunluo knitted her brows. Both of them had previously thought Xu Xiyue was just a common name.
Xiao Yunluo incredulously retorted:
“Ah? Anping, isn’t she only twelve years old? Lianxue said you’ve missed her since you were little, but when you were little…”
“It’s hard to explain, but it is indeed her.”
“Then… will you take her back to the Western Regions?”
“No need.” Ye Anping shook his head. “This trip to the Northern Region, which has lasted over half a year, has made me understand one thing. For my past self, she and Junior Sister were the two most important people to me. But now…”
He trailed off mid-sentence.
Ye Anping felt it would be too sentimental to continue. He merely swept his gaze over the young women around him again. However, upon seeing Feng Yu Die with oil all over her mouth, he quickly lowered his head and sighed.
Cultivators often say, “Do not betray your original intention.”
Her original intention was Xiyue. He originally planned to form a second or third-grade Golden Core after surviving the “Wu You” calamity, then come to the Northern Region to find Xiyue and bring her back to the Hundred Lotus Sect to manage it peacefully with her.
Hundreds of years later, when he and Xiyue’s lifespans were nearing their end, his junior sister would likely have already become a Nascent Soul cultivator, or perhaps even a Deity Transformation cultivator. She might have inherited the position of the Hundred Lotus Sect’s founding ancestor, or established her own sect.
This was his initial plan.
However, who could have foreseen this?
When he saved Feng Yu Die back then, his original intention was to correct the timeline.
But during these repeated attempts to correct the timeline, the timeline itself reversed and headed in another direction.
As the saying goes, “The one in the game is confused, the bystander is clear.”
After this trip to the Northern Region, Ye Anping finally understood a simple and obvious truth:
—Ever since he and his junior sister killed “Wu You” in Longxi Town, this world was no longer the game world of “Heaven Sword Wonder Tale.”
It was also after that incident that Ye Anping, the Young Master of the Hundred Lotus Sect, was no longer a mere cannon fodder.
And after that incident, the original intention he had set for himself was no longer suitable for him.
Ye Anping’s gaze swept over Pei Lianxue, Xiao Yunluo, and Li Longling one by one. At this moment, only one thought remained in his heart:
—Protect them well and uphold the promises he had made to them.
Xu Xiyue was the original intention set by his past self.
But for his current self, his original intention was now his junior sisters and the others.
If, after the game ends, there is still fate to meet again…
If Xu Xiyue is willing, he will keep his promise and take good care of her for a lifetime.
If she is unwilling, he will end this connection, which would be an explanation to his past self as a cannon fodder.
“This is good… This is good…”
Ye Anping seemed to have let go of his burdens, his mood exceptionally light. He said:
“Rest well today. We’ll continue our journey tomorrow morning when it’s light. We need to return to the Western Regions as soon as possible. The winter in the Northern Region is not to be trifled with.”
… …
————
The cold wind swept across ten thousand miles, rustling over the prominent peaks on the southwestern border of the Northern Region.
Even the Western Regions, which were spring-like all year round, had become considerably cooler due to this cold wind blowing from the Northern Region.
The disciples of the Xuan Xing Sect were now wearing slightly thicker autumn clothes, and the spirit plants on all the mountain peaks were entering their mature stage.
In the Shui Tian Lake courtyard, amidst the bamboo forest on the mountainside of Dan Quan Peak—
Hum, hum, hum…
A mountain mosquito, smelling the scent of delicious food, flapped its wings and landed on the bare upper body of a girl lying on a cool mat, enjoying the sun.
Just as it was about to pierce its mouthpart into the girl’s fair skin, a Golden Crown Parrot descended from the sky. With a pecking motion, it turned the mosquito into its own dessert.
Si Xuanji lay listlessly on the cool mat, swinging her shoeless feet. She asked:
“How long has Young Master Ye been gone?”
Qiu Shu Rou, who was massaging her back with fragrant lotion, sighed helplessly. She shooed the parrot away and replied:
“Little Master, you’ve asked this for the seventh time today. Young Master Ye has been gone for a total of one hundred and seventy-three days since he last returned to Xuan Xing Sect.”
“Is that so…”
Si Xuanji listened, stunned, and then fell silent.
In truth, for someone who had lived for thousands of years like her, the concept of time had long ceased to exist. She hadn’t looked at something like a calendar for at least several hundred years.
Sometimes, when she went back to her cave dwelling in spring for a nap, she would wake up naturally and, upon exiting her cave, would find Xuan Xing Sect covered in white snow. She would then quickly close the door and return to add more clothes.
One hundred and seventy-three days, for Si Xuanji, was truly the blink of an eye.
But why was it that after blinking so many times, Young Master Ye still hadn’t returned?
Never mind… I’ll sleep a little longer.
Si Xuanji relaxed, closed her eyes, and sealed off her divine sense completely.
When she felt enough time had passed, she opened her eyes to find that Qiu Shu Rou had already moved her back into the room. Judging by the reflection in the window, night had fallen.
Si Xuanji paused for a moment and quickly sat up, calling out:
“Shu Rou!”
About five breaths after her voice fell, Qiu Shu Rou appeared from the adjoining bed, bowed politely, and asked:
“Little Master, what is it?”
“How long has Young Master Ye been gone?”
“…One hundred and seventy-four days. You asked me yesterday.”
“How can it only be one day…”
Si Xuanji twisted her brows, somewhat displeased. She even felt like speeding up time, but even a Void Refinement cultivator like her couldn’t interfere with the laws of heaven and earth.
She pursed her lips, closed her eyes, and lay back down.
Qiu Shu Rou, with a helpless expression, stepped forward, pulled the quilt over her, and then quietly withdrew from the room.
When Si Xuanji opened her eyes again, it was already dawn outside.
She felt that more than ten days must have passed. She quickly called out again:
“Shu Rou!!”
Tap, tap, tap—
Qiu Shu Rou, who was trimming the spirit saplings outside the cave dwelling, quickly put down the large pruning shears in her hand, appeared, and asked:
“Little Master, what are your orders?”
“Ye…”
Qiu Shu Rou interjected: “One hundred and seventy-nine days.”
“Hm? How can it only be five days?”
Plop—
Si Xuanji pursed her lips, a hint of dissatisfaction on her face, and then closed her eyes again, lying back down.
Qiu Shu Rou seemed to want to say something, but in the end, she held back and quietly withdrew from the room once more.
Arriving outside the room, Qiu Shu Rou couldn’t help but sigh.
The Qiu family had been serving Si Xuanji for over two thousand years. In order to serve Si Xuanji properly, each maidservant inherited a scroll.
This scroll was passed down from the first person in the Qiu family to serve Si Xuanji since ancient times. When their lifespan ended and they departed, it was passed to the next.
It was the eleventh generation to her, and that scroll had now become a tome of over two thousand pages, capable of being used as a weapon.
It recorded Si Xuanji’s preferences and hobbies at different periods.
For example, Si Xuanji liked to eat mung bean cakes a thousand years ago, but after the owner of the mung bean cake shop in the Xuan Xing Sect marketplace reached the end of their lifespan, Si Xuanji began to dislike mung bean cakes.
Therefore, Qiu Shu Rou was currently in quite a dilemma, struggling with how to record Ye Anping.
Without a doubt, Ye Anping was an outstanding young cultivator.
However, he only had the aptitude of dual spiritual roots.
In the future, let alone reaching Void Integration, even Deity Transformation would be extremely difficult.
It was possible that Si Xuanji would take a nap, and Ye Anping would perish somewhere.
However, Ye Anping was also Si Xuanji’s favorite junior he had ever had, and perhaps even the first person to share a bed with her.
Previously, no one had ever made Little Master miss them as much as Ye Anping did…
“Should I make a brief note, or record it in detail? Alas…”
Qiu Shu Rou sighed and picked up the large pruning shears to continue trimming the spirit trees in the courtyard. But just as she arrived in the cave dwelling’s garden and was about to start working…
—”Disciple Lei Wanjun, I have an urgent matter to meet the Sect Master!!”
Elder Lei’s voice echoed from outside the cave dwelling. Qiu Shu Rou knitted her brows upon hearing this and quickly glanced at the room where Si Xuanji was sleeping.
Elder Lei had only returned to Xuan Xing Sect two months ago. If he disturbed Little Master’s sleep again, she might be sent somewhere.
However, seeing that there was no unusual activity in Si Xuanji’s room, she breathed a sigh of relief, quickly put down the shears, and teleported outside the cave dwelling.
Just as Lei Wanjun was about to shout again, Qiu Shu Rou appeared before him and quickly raised her index finger to her lips:
“Shh—Elder Lei, Little Master is sleeping. If you have anything, write it down on a jade slip and send it over. I’ll give it to Little Master when she wakes up. Do you want to breed the Qinshui Flood Dragon again?”
Lei Wanjun’s face turned black. He quickly took a deep breath and said:
“Ah, this… Old man doesn’t want to come either, but Aunt Qiu… the Empress of Hantian Kingdom has already arrived outside the Xuan Xing Sect’s mountain gate.”
Qiu Shu Rou’s face showed shock: “What? Who?”
“Sun Juehu. Her exact words were that the Sect Master had invited her to Xuan Xing Sect as a guest before.”
“Little Master and her have incompatible fates. How could she have invited her? Besides, you know what happened before. That moon Little Master spat on…”
“I know, of course, but… she’s a Void Refinement cultivator, and she insists on seeing the Sect Master. How can we send her away? Mr. Qi has already gone…”
Qiu Shu Rou felt a sense of unease. After some thought, she nodded:
“Elder Lei, you go ahead. I’ll go wake the Sect Master…”
Lei Wanjun cupped his hands: “Thank you.”
Qiu Shu Rou nodded, then teleported back into the cave dwelling. She quietly pushed open the bedroom door, walked to the bedside, crouched down, and gently held Si Xuanji’s shoulder, shaking her.
“Little Master… Little Master…”
Si Xuanji’s tightly shut eyes instantly opened. A hint of joy flashed in her Yin-yang heteromorphic eyes:
“Ye…”
“No… it’s not.”
The joy in Si Xuanji’s eyes vanished completely. The corners of her mouth drooped slightly. She now stared at Qiu Shu Rou’s face like a teacher watching a student dallying in class.
Qiu Shu Rou felt a bead of sweat on her forehead and quickly explained:
“Little Master, Senior Sun has already arrived at the Xuan Xing Sect’s mountain gate.”
“Which Sun?”
“Hantian Kingdom, Sun Juehu.”
“Oh…”
Si Xuanji rolled her eyes at her and immediately closed her eyes, lying back down. She rolled over, pulled the quilt up to her waist, and waved her hand:
“Send her away.”
Qiu Shu Rou looked like she was about to cry but was unable to. She tried to persuade:
“Little Master…”
Si Xuanji pouted, hearing the helplessness in Qiu Shu Rou’s voice. She turned around:
“Where is Lei Wanjun? He’s usually so loud. If he shouts at her, won’t she be scared back?”
Qiu Shu Rou pouted and shook her head, not daring to answer. Instead, she quickly took out a set of Immortal Robes from her storage bag. Like dressing up a lazy little girl, she helped Si Xuanji, who was lying on the bed, to turn over and put on the dress.
Wearing a set of purple immortal robes, Si Xuanji glared resentfully at the ceiling, took a deep breath, sat up, jumped off the bed, and then transformed into a purple spiritual light, darting out of the door.
When her bare feet landed on the jade bricks in front of the Xuan Xing Sect’s main hall, Lei Wanjun on one side and all the elders at the Nascent Soul Stage or above currently in Xuan Xing Sect immediately cupped their hands and bowed:
” ” “Disciples pay respects to the Sect Master!!” ” ”
Her Yin-yang heteromorphic eyes swept across everyone. Her childish voice carried a hint of pressure:
“…Where is that old hag?”
Mr. Qi stepped forward: “She is already inside the hall.”
Si Xuanji nodded, then raised her foot high.
Boom!!
The nearly thirty-foot-tall, solid, double-doored iron gate of the main hall was directly kicked open by her.
Sun Juehu, sitting in the guest seat, heard the sound and turned her head, her eyes narrowing into a smile:
“Sister Danyue, you’re here? Didn’t you say before that you invited Sister to visit the Western Regions? Since Sister has some free time, I came along the way.”
“Oh.”
“Hey? Sister Danyue, why are you so unhappy?” Sun Juehu took out a scroll from her sleeve. “Take a look. Sister brought a gift for Sister. Sister Danyue will definitely like it.”
… …
