This chapter includes visual illustration and cinematic scene.
[Illustration ↓]
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At this moment, the morning light shone diagonally, spilling crushed gold through the gaps in the wooden window and onto the piles of cloth. The dyehouse had a faint scent, mixed with the smell of grass pulp and lime, as several pieces of un-dried plain cloth hung from the beams, swaying gently in the breeze.
It was a young girl. She lay still as if sleeping, her black hair scattered across her shoulders, her hair color like ink reflecting the sunlight like flowing shadows. Her skin was like first snow, so white it was almost transparent; her lips were a faint red, and her breath was fine and faint. She wore robes with a brownish-gray base and faint black-gold woven patterns at the waist; she possessed a certain extraordinary quality in her delicacy, vaguely revealing an aura that was incompatible with this mountain village. The fabric of her clothes was thin and the lines were soft, showing a bit of light and spiritual elegance. The patterns on her clothes moved slightly with her breath; the whole person seemed to be shrouded in a thin mist. There was a slight chill in the air, like a spring just beginning to melt, causing one's mind to trance for a moment.
Lin Dalu was stunned, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him.
"Where... where did this girl come from?" he murmured in a low voice, his gaze shifting between her and the piles of cloth.
The girl remained silent, as if even time was slowed down by her breath. Lin Dalu leaned down and called softly,"Hey... Miss?" No one answered.
He pondered for a moment and waved his hand before her eyes. Still no reaction.
Lin Dalu gathered his courage and tried to support her, but he didn't expect her weight to be surprisingly heavy. He secretly clicked his tongue, thinking, For someone so petite, how can she be as heavy as a stone?
It took all his strength to pick her up, his arms trembling slightly as he muttered to himself, "Could it be... that girls from the cloth shop are all this sturdy?"
As he was thinking, his arm slipped, and the girl's body tilted slightly. In that instant, an unprecedented softness was transmitted through his robes, and he felt a roar in his head.
"Wu—"
A trace of faint fragrance lingered in the air, making his heart sway slightly. Lin Dalu's face instantly flushed to the roots of his ears. He hurriedly steadied her, his eyes not daring to look sideways, only feeling his heart beating like a drum.
"This fragrance..."
He nervously held her steady, not daring to look again, his lips slightly pursed and his steps hurried, his heart in a state of panic.
The furnishings in the room were extremely simple, with only a bed and a basin, both old items, mixed with the scent of wood and dampness. Lin Dalu carefully laid her down. Just as he was about to stand up, his palm accidentally brushed her sleeve, which felt as light as nothing. He was so startled that he quickly withdrew his hand and shifted his gaze, yet he couldn't help but look again.
He froze for a moment before backing away two steps. Because he was in such a rush, he knocked over a wooden bucket nearby. Clear water splashed, flowing into a puddle of fragmented light on the floor. He looked up, happening to meet that face lying still—eyebrows like distant mountains, eyelashes like autumn feathers, and lips slightly parted with a natural coldness. That kind of beauty was not like the gaudiness of the mortal world's rouge but like a lotus first blooming in the morning mist, making one reluctant to disturb it.
Lin Dalu stared blankly, his heart racing, and he couldn't help but murmur, "So... so beautiful..." As the words left his lips, he felt he had misspeaking, suddenly remembering Liu Hai's laughing words that day—"Brother Lin Dalu, I'm afraid you haven't even touched a girl's hand, have you? I've touched the hand of Old Liu's daughter, and it was so smooth—"
At this thought, his face turned red and his ears grew hot. Yet his gaze couldn't help but fall upon the maiden's hand—white and fine as jade, with fingertips showing a hint of pink, like morning dew that had not yet dispersed. He swallowed, hesitated for a moment, and tentatively touched it with his fingertip. A slight touch felt as if he were wrapped in soft clouds, yet he was startled by the cold sensation, making his heart skip a beat, and he hurriedly withdrew his hand.
His heart tightened suddenly, "So... it really is like this..." he whispered.
Suddenly—the maiden's brow furrowed. Lin Dalu's heart jumped, his hand retreating as if it had touched lightning, almost losing his footing. "Oh no..." he whispered, panicked and at a loss. He could only lean over to pick up a quilt and cover her.
"I... I meant no offense..." he murmured, his voice trembling.
In the next instant, the maiden's eyelashes fluttered like a butterfly first waking. Outside the window, the wind moved the curtain shadows and the light wavered. She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze cold and blurred, as if she had not yet returned from a dream. "Where... is this place?" Her voice was soft, like the wind brushing through pine trees.
Lin Dalu was stunned, his tongue tied, "I... my name is Lin Dalu... this is my home... you just fainted in a wooden crate, I... I moved you out..." Halfway through, he felt his words were a mess and hurried to get water, "Are you... thirsty? I'll get some water..." His foot slipped again, the water in the bowl spilling all over the floor, as he hurriedly said, "I'll get another bowl—this bowl... is hot, be careful."
The maiden took it, her hands trembling slightly as she said softly, "Thank you." Her tone was so light as if she feared disturbing the air, yet it also revealed a natural sense of detachment.
Lin Dalu scratched his head and smiled, "It's... it's nothing. I'll go cook; you must be hungry, right?"
The maiden gave a faint smile, her expression gentle, "I'll do it."
Before long, the stove fire was lit. Smoke swirled under the eaves, and the maiden's shadow was reflected in the firelight like a dream. The fragrance of rice gradually rose, mixed with the smell of firewood, adding a bit of warmth. Lin Dalu leaned against the door, watching quietly, suddenly feeling a sense of peace in his heart he had never felt before. Perhaps...
A moment later, the aroma of porridge filled the room. The maiden scooped a spoonful and handed it over, "Try it."
Lin Dalu took it and took a small sip, his eyes lighting up, "It's so fragrant."
The maiden's smile was faint, her eyes like a morning breeze brushing against willows, "Your name is Lin Dalu?"
"Yes."
"As for me... I don't seem to remember who I am." She paused, her fingertips trembling slightly.
Lin Dalu quickly comforted her, "Don't worry, Miss; if you can't remember, then don't. Just think about it slowly in the future." He scratched his head and laughed again, "The food you cook is so fragrant... why don't I call you 'Xiang'er'? Is that alright?"
"Xiang'er..." she repeated softly, her eyes curving slightly with a soft smile, "That is also good."
Lin Dalu was stunned, his heart feeling an inexplicable warmth. The name "Xiang'er" felt as if it carried a sweetness upon his lips.
After the meal, Xiang'er recovered some strength, holding a broom to wipe the table and tidy the house. Lin Dalu watched her, his gaze following her every move. Every time she bent down, he would hurriedly shift his eyes; every time she turned her head, he couldn't help but peek.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Ah? I... I'm afraid you might fall."
Xiang'er gave a low laugh, her eyes brimming with a faint light, her tone hiding a bit of shyness and a bit of teasing. In that laugh, the air seemed soft enough to drip water.
Lin Dalu's face flushed and his heart beat like a drum, as if all the heat in the room was surging in his chest.
Suddenly—footsteps were heard in the courtyard.
"Hey, Brother Lin Dalu—" It was Liu Hai.
Lin Dalu was startled and was about to go out to meet him.
Liu Hai's voice was already near, "My mother said Uncle Lin and Auntie are away and feared you wouldn't take care of yourself, so she made a clay pot stew and asked me to bring it over—"
Before the words finished, the door creaked open.
A "clatter" was heard as the clay pot fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.
Liu Hai stood at the door, frozen, his eyes wide and round.
Inside, Xiang'er was turning to hand over a bowl, while Lin Dalu was hurriedly tidying the table. The air was so silent that the crackling of the flames could be heard.
Liu Hai's mouth opened and closed. After a long while, he stammered.
"Brother Lin Dalu... your house... has a girl?"
In the eastern part of the Luozhou of the Qi Kingdom, in a place surrounded by mountains, peaks tower aloft, all made of dark, stubborn stones without a trace of life or greenery. Looking out, one only sees withered trees and the scattered remains of birds and beasts. Looking at the sky, black clouds hang low every day, so oppressive that one can hardly breathe. From the air or afar, one can vaguely see an eerie and grand mountain gate standing at the main peak—it is the Gui Chi Gate location.
Within the Gui Chi Gate, the main hall is particularly majestic yet exceptionally dark. Only a few flickering blue soul lamps jump, stretching human shadows into twisted forms and casting them onto the cold black walls like ghostly figures. In the center of the hall, on the polished black stone floor that is as cold as ice, a person lies prostrate. This person wears a Indigo Woad brocade robe with complex cloud patterns embroidered in gold thread, looking very distinguished and clearly of no ordinary status. This person is the Pavilion Master of the Yin Spirit Pavilion—a Mid Core FormationCultivator of some renown in Luozhou, Qiu Shengshui.
He appears to be about thirty years old, with a handsome face and originally an outstanding demeanor. At this moment, however, his face is as pale as paper, his dark hair scattered messily on the cold floor, his whole person pressed against the ground in a posture of extreme humility. His body even trembles uncontrollably, like a sieve, filled with dread.
At the front of the hall, upon a high platform, a person stands with his hands behind his back, facing away from him. The light is dim, his face unseen, only a deep black robe visible, with what seems to be a dark undercurrent moving upon it and an aura as deep as the sea. Glancing at his cultivation, he has reached the Early Nascent Soul stage.
He did not turn around, but a voice, old and carrying an invisible pressure, echoed through the empty hall. Every word was like a heavy hammer striking Qiu Shengshui's heart, "Though I am the Grand Elder of the Gui Chi Gate, I still do not understand why the Upper Sect did not immediately descend with thunderous wrath to investigate this time..."
The voice paused slightly, and the brief silence felt as if the air had solidified. Qiu Shengshui's prostrate body trembled even more violently. The old voice sounded again, cold as a knife.
"However, the loss of the Sacred Relic is a matter of shocking proportions! Its implications are so great and the consequences so heavy, how can a small Yin Spirit Pavilion like yours bear it?"
On the ground, Qiu Shengshui buried his head even lower, his forehead tightly pressed against the cold floor, his voice trembling with extreme fear, "Please... please, Grand Elder, forgive me! I know my crime, a crime punishable by ten thousand deaths... I only beg the Grand Elder for mercy, considering the five hundred years that the Yin Spirit Pavilion has worked diligently without the slightest neglect, exhausting our efforts to nourish the Sacred Relic... Give... give me another chance! I will surely do my utmost to find the Sacred Relic!"
"Hmph!" A cold snort came from the high platform, like ice shattering.
"Five hundred years ago, if the Upper Sect had not favored your Yin Spirit Pavilion's Spirit-Tranquilizing Art, which can cultivate the purest Profound Yin Spirit most suitable for nourishing the Sacred Relic, how could such a heavy responsibility concerning the sect's Fate and supreme glory fall upon your small Yin Spirit Pavilion!"
The black-robed old man's voice suddenly grew sharp, with unquestionable authority, "Now, the Sacred Relic has been lost right under your eyes! Although the Upper Sect has not explicitly set a deadline for its recovery, do you still dare to be negligent in such a catastrophic matter?!"
"I dare not! I absolutely dare not!" Qiu Shengshui hurriedly defended himself, almost in a crying tone, "I understand, I understand! Upon my return, I will immediately increase the personnel; even if I have to turn Luozhou and its neighboring provinces upside down, I will surely find the traces of that abominable person, and I dare not delay for a moment!"
On the high platform, the Grand Elder slowly turned around. In the dim light, only his blurred silhouette and his eyes as deep as a cold pool could be vaguely seen. That gaze fell upon Qiu Shengshui's back, as if a mountain were pressing down, causing even the circulation of his Core to stagnate.
"Qiu Shengshui," the Grand Elder's voice calmed down, but it added a sense of chilling coldness, "listen well—this is the last chance for you and your Yin Spirit Pavilion. If the Sacred Relic is still not recovered... when the Sect Master personally inquires, not to mention your position as Pavilion Master, it will be at its end. At that time—everything of yours will be erased together; even if I step forward, I will be powerless."
Qiu Shengshui felt a chill through his whole body, repeatedly striking his head against the ground with a thumping sound, saying hurriedly, "Yes! Yes! Thank you, Grand Elder, for your grace! Thank you, Grand Elder, for giving me another chance! I... I will go look for it now, right now!"
He felt as if he had been granted a great pardon and dared not stay. A blue light flashed around him, turning into a swift blue streak that scrambled out of the hall as if fleeing for his life.
Not until he had flown dozens of miles away from the Gui Chi Gate mountain gate, standing atop a desolate mountain peak, did Qiu Shengshui stop. Standing on the black stone summit, recalling the fear in the hall and then thinking of the catastrophic disaster brought by the lost Sacred Relic, an uncontrollable wave of resentment rushed to his head.
His handsome face twisted with extreme anger, and he suddenly roared at the sky, his voice filled with violence and malice, "Abominable person! No matter where you hide at the ends of the earth! When I find you, I will surely suppress you with Netherflame Sealing Art, breaking your cultivation and leaving you with no chance of ever rising again!"
The roar echoed through the barren mountains, startling a few carrion-eating vultures. Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, a wisp of white gas trembled slightly...
——(End of Chapter)