Three
“Let’s continue. There are 150 left. I’ll carry you and jump to the end.” On the other side, Xuan Ye’s voice remained gentle, his gaze clear as he extended a hand toward her. “Release that sister, and I won’t make things difficult for you.”
“I don’t believe you! I don’t trust a single word from a Taoist priest!” The girl’s voice grew even shriller, her fingers tightening around Ban Xia’s neck.
Ban Xia gasped, the burning sensation at her neck intensifying. The most terrifying part was that the heat was spreading downward, as if a pot of boiling water was flowing from the girl’s fingertips, slowly scalding her shoulders and creeping toward her chest.
Blisters spread inch by inch toward her heart, each one rapidly festering and emitting a pungent, foul odor.
It seemed the girl had made up her mind to make her experience the agony of being scalded by boiling water and having her wounds rot.
The pain was unbearable. Even someone as tough and resilient as Ban Xia couldn’t suppress a cry of alarm.
“Fine! I won’t capture you. Release her!” Xuan Ye’s voice finally lost its calm.
The girl looked up, letting out a venomous, eerie laugh. Her voice was light but dripping with malice. “This sister is very beautiful. I wonder if she’d still look as pretty as she does now if her face rotted away like mine.”
With that, she exerted force, and Ban Xia immediately felt a wave of scorching heat, as if flames were rushing toward her face.
Like all women, her heart trembled violently at that moment.
For a woman, something even more terrifying than death was dying in an ugly way.
She tried to scream, but found her throat seemingly burned away, unable to utter a single sound. She could only watch helplessly as the heat crept closer, gradually approaching her snow-white skin, which she spent two thousand taels of silver on each month to maintain.
Extreme fear churned within her, and after about two seconds, it broke through her limits, transforming into a surge of heat that coursed through her limbs.
This was her innate ability since childhood—in moments of extreme danger or tension, a latent energy seemed to awaken within her, capable of repelling evil spirits.
Not long ago, when she was nearly strangled by that half-person, it was this ability that had driven the creature away.
Now, the same situation repeated itself. Her body leaned back slightly, every pore feeling as if it had opened to its fullest. Suddenly, a faint white light leaped from deep within her, confronting the girl before her.
The girl’s cultivation was clearly more advanced than that of the half-person. The strike didn’t drive her back but only forced her hand away from Ban Xia’s neck by half an inch.
Half an inch was enough. At that moment, a brilliant light filled the cave. Xuan Ye’s fingers spread slightly as he manipulated the crescent-shaped blade, which seemed to possess a soul of its own. In an instant, it flew to the girl’s forehead, forcing her to take a step back.
Unwilling to yield, the girl tried to advance and restrain Ban Xia again, but the blade immediately asserted its power, piercing half an inch into her forehead.
Xuan Ye’s body swayed slightly as his robes fluttered. He stepped forward to stand before the girl, grasping the hilt of the blade and returning to his gentle tone. “You’d better listen to me. Step back and don’t advance any further.”
Feeling despair, the girl’s voice rose sharply again. “She’s been scalded by me, injured by ghost fire! Only I can heal her!”
“Not necessarily.” Xuan Ye’s reply was crisp and decisive.
“Don’t capture me! I didn’t want this either! I just wanted someone to stay with me, to never leave me, to accompany me to the end. That’s all, just that!”
After these words, Xuan Ye visibly hesitated. The blade in his hand gradually stilled, ceasing its advance.Ban Xia stamped her foot, her throat burning with pain, unable to utter a sound, yet in her heart she cursed him dozens of times as a foolish bodhisattva, a dull-minded Tang Monk.
"I am not a bodhisattva, nor am I soft-hearted." Xuan Ye beside her seemed to read her thoughts, slowly loosening his fingers before turning around, his back facing the girl. "It's just that I once promised someone to keep my word, to do good, and to live properly."
"I promised to finish jumping with her, so I must keep my promise." After a pause, he added this, bending down—apparently meaning for the girl to climb onto his back and continue their unfinished game.
"Don't even think about troubling that sister again. Otherwise, I will sever your Seven Souls one by one and make you suffer immensely." After the girl climbed onto his shoulders, Xuan Ye added this, his voice gentle but his tone overwhelmingly authoritative.
The girl shrank back, half-believing and half-doubting as she leaned against his shoulder, tentatively reaching her fingers to wrap around his neck. "Do you really... really want to finish jumping with me?"
"350!" Xuan Ye called out clearly, ignoring her question as he swung the Flower rope with both hands.
The girl blinked, then quickly grasped the situation and began channeling all her spiritual power, pressing down on his shoulders like a mountain.
This was a matter of life and death—no longer a game. She was now truly weighing down on Xuan Ye's shoulders with the force of a small hill.
"389!"
At this count, Xuan Ye paused slightly, clearly hearing a faint crack from his shoulder blade—it had actually fractured under the pressure.
Without stopping, he continued.
"410!"
After this count, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, a crimson stream that splattered onto Ban Xia's sandals two meters away.
Without stopping, he continued.
"450!"
By this count, the girl had exhausted all her spiritual power and could no longer press down on his back. Instead, she tentatively placed her fingers on his neck.
Invisible dark flames began to burn, blisters spread, flesh corroded inch by inch, climbing up to his temples and further, until even his hair gradually burned away.
Without stopping, he continued.
The girl tilted her head, beginning to feel puzzled as she lay on his shoulder, the ferocity in her eyes slightly receding. She whispered, "Do you really... really... want to finish jumping with me? Why? You could have just captured me."
Xuan Ye gasped rapidly, unable to answer, raising his eyes to fix them on Ban Xia beside him.
Ban Xia jolted awake, clutching her throat, straining to produce a voice as she mimicked preaching: "In this world, there is good and evil in people. You must believe that hearts hold warmth and dark nights hold light. Not everyone is like your father..."
"Bullshit! I don't believe it! All you adults say one thing and do another!"
The girl's reaction showed that preaching remained as ineffective as ever.
Ban Xia gritted her teeth, stamped her foot, and simply stepped in front of her, rasping, "Then what do you want? Your father wronged you, and he must have long been killed by you. Then just kill him too—make this person who kept his promise to you die as miserably as your father!"
The girl paused, glanced at Xuan Ye, and timidly said, "I didn't kill my father. When I returned, my whole family had died of the plague. I..."
"Then perhaps, just perhaps, this person is your father reincarnated... If he can carry you to the end, think about it—could you forgive him?" Ban Xia quickly softened her voice.
The girl paused again, slowly turning her face to stare at Xuan Ye's bloodied and mangled cheek, whispering, "Really... are you really my father reincarnated? I..."
"Think about it—didn't your father ever treat you well? Not even once?"The girl fell silent at the words, her narrow face tilting upward as if transported back to the past.
There had been times when he was good to her.
Once, when she went out to herd sheep and sprained her ankle in a ditch, Father carried her all the way home on his back.
His shoulders had been warm and broad back then, just like Xuan Ye's before her now.
"482!"
Xuan Ye shouted the count, finally exhausted, sinking to one knee. The impact of the descent nearly shattered his kneecap.
Yet the girl didn't rage at this pause. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him, almost timidly, and asked, "Father... this time, will you really... stay with me till the end?"
Xuan Ye didn't answer, merely rose to his feet, straightened up, and swung the rope to his side.
The weight on his back lightened slightly, making it easier to stand this time. The girl slipped her hands inside his collar.
In winter, when her hands were covered in chilblains, Father had warmed them too, tucking them inside his own clothes.
There had been times when he was good to her, though they were few. Father was always busy and exhausted, working like an ox in the fields to feed so many mouths.
"Perhaps, just perhaps, your father abandoned you because he didn't want you to suffer any longer," Ban Xia interjected.
The girl curled her lips in a cold sneer.
Who would believe such lies about ending her suffering? Though she still wore a child's appearance, she had existed in this world for decades—she was no fool.
What she needed to consider now was whether to forgive him, if this man before her truly was her father, truly willing to stay with her and keep his promise this time without abandonment.
Maybe Ban Xia was right—people in this world could be good or evil. Perhaps in this lifetime, Father wasn't as heartless as in the last.
With this thought, she finally fell silent, matching Xuan Ye's rhythm, pressing her face against his back. The blue mole beneath her eye shimmered faintly as she whispered, "This time, Father, you won't cast me aside, will you? No matter what?"
Xuan Ye could no longer answer. His internal organs were clearly damaged, blood now seeping from his ears.
The girl reached out, wiping the blood from his ears, her voice ethereal and suddenly docile: "If only it had been like this sooner, Father. Had you been like this earlier, I wouldn't harbor any resentment toward you."
"497!" Ban Xia shouted from nearby.
The weight on Xuan Ye's shoulders lightened. A cool stream flowed from the girl's fingers, and the burns on his face began miraculously healing, gradually revealing his original features.
"498!"
The girl spoke no more, slightly closing her eyes and resting her head in the hollow of Xuan Ye's shoulder.
Just like that time when Father carried her with her sprained ankle—bumping along the road, she had gradually fallen asleep.
Very well. She had hated enough, resented enough. After decades, wasn't today what she had been waiting for? Someone who would keep their promise, never abandoning her.
"499!"
"500!"
It was over. Xuan Ye ceased his movements, covering his mouth and nose as he coughed weakly. The crescent-shaped blade glowed increasingly brighter, illuminating his pallid, wretched appearance.
The girl lifted her head, her voice faint but still sweet and docile: "After being captured, where will I go? Can I see Mother and Father again?"
Xuan Ye gasped: "Those subdued by Moon Glow are evil spirits. You will be sealed away forever, never to be reincarnated."
This statement left both Ban Xia and the girl stunned.The girl steadied herself, sighed as if resigning to her fate, and spoke slowly: "Very well, I'll go. It's just... I pity my godfather. Once Ling'er leaves... he'll be alone again, having lived in solitude for centuries, destined to remain lonely..."
Before she could finish, Xuan Ye had already turned around. His pale fingertips gripped the curved blade, its tip moving deliberately yet unerringly to pierce the girl's forehead.
As her resentment faded, so did her spiritual power, leaving her unable to resist. In an instant, her soul was drawn into the blade, materializing as a faint glimmer along the edge.
The curved blade was sheathed by Xuan Ye, its radiance contained within the scabbard in the dark night.
It was at this moment that Ban Xia first sensed Xuan Ye's regal aura—a commanding presence hidden deep within, like the subtle glow of midnight.
While descending the mountain, Xuan Ye walked extremely slowly. Ban Xia, walking ahead of him, shivered as the night wind brushed past.
Xuan Ye quickened his pace, removed his outer garment, and draped it over her shoulders as he caught up. "What are your plans, miss?" he asked.
Ban Xia halted, about to respond when she realized her throat still burned, making speech difficult.
Not only that, the festering wounds from her chest to her neck remained, though the pain had lessened slightly, their appearance was still horrifying.
Before being subdued, the girl had healed Xuan Ye's injuries from the Yin fire, but Ban Xia's wounds persisted!
"I can treat these injuries," Xuan Ye spoke from beside her. "But true healing requires time—at least seven times seven days."
Seven times seven days.
Meaning for these forty-nine days, Ban Xia had to stay with him, with no other options.
Ban Xia raised her hands to cover her face, calming herself for a long moment before accepting this reality.
She had to follow this Onmyoji, and following him meant inevitably encountering spirits.
It seemed transmigration hadn't altered her destiny; in this life, she was fated to be entangled with ghosts.
"Alright, let's go," she inhaled deeply, as always without complaint or hesitation.
"We can't leave."
Only after a long pause did Xuan Ye reply, leaning against a birch tree by the path and slowly sitting down.
"Why not?"
"Because my power hasn't truly recovered. I can't break the Barrier."
Ban Xia froze, processing this for a while before understanding slowly dawned. "Earlier, you were acting? Making the girl believe you'd regained your power but chose not to capture her, so her resentment would dissipate along with her spiritual power?"
Xuan Ye nodded, crossing his legs and closing his eyes. "Not only do you possess innate spiritual power, miss, but you also have remarkable insight and intelligence."
Indeed, there were no living bodhisattvas in this world. And this historically handsome Onmyoji before her was far from as gentle and harmless as he appeared.
Ban Xia let out a cold laugh and quickly changed the subject. "Then how much longer do you need? And earlier... are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Xuan Ye coughed again. "It won't take me long. Don't wander off—the Barrier is just ten steps ahead. Be careful."
Ban Xia nodded, watching him for a moment before suddenly remembering something and turning to run.
"I need to find my sanitary pads! That ghost brother has probably ascended to heaven by now—I have to retrieve my thirty-three centimeters!"
Her explanation drifted on the wind, quickly fading into the night sky.
Aside from her atypical transmigration, Ban Xia had another unconventional trait: she wasn't absent-minded or directionally challenged. She knew east from west and soon returned carrying her box of thirty-three centimeters, finding Xuan Ye already back on his feet.Xuan Ye seemed to have been waiting for her. When she returned, he smiled faintly and raised his right index finger.
The air stirred ten paces away, and Ban Xia clearly sensed a shift in the energy field.
It appeared Xuan Ye had fully recovered this time. They could finally leave the mountains.
Just then, a black shadow swept past outside the Barrier—a pitch-dark silhouette that actually pierced through the Barrier with a "swish," drifting in like a leaf and landing atop a coniferous pine.
Ban Xia looked up and saw clearly that it was a man—a rather seductively built man wearing tight pants and a fitted top, with a cape fluttering behind him.
After a long while, this seductive man still hadn’t descended. He remained perched on the branch, striking a pose with professional flair.
Xuan Ye couldn’t help but chuckle. "The wind is chilly and the dew is heavy. We know you’re devastatingly handsome. You may come down now."
The man in the tree let out a light laugh before finally landing, positioning himself gracefully in front of Ban Xia. His eyes, cold and bright like stars, fixed intently on her.
"Greetings, fair lady. My humble name is You Huang."
After staring for a moment, he bent down and actually lifted the back of Ban Xia’s hand, planting a courteous kiss upon it.
Ban Xia was speechless, seriously suspecting that this one might also be a time traveler—judging by his style, he seemed like a modern vampire.
"You Huang? Which You... which Huang?" she stammered after a long pause.
Brother You Huang immediately touched his forehead, looking utterly distressed. "Every beautiful woman asks this question. I truly have a hard life. You Huang means bamboo grove, and bamboo grove means You Huang. Fair lady, you may call me Bamboo."
"A tall, handsome, and elegant bamboo," Xuan Ye added from the side, narrowing his eyes as he drew his blade.
"Devastatingly handsome Brother Bamboo, the Moonlight Scimitar has been restored. Would you like to test whether it can vanquish an Immortal Asura like you?"
A moment later, he continued, unsheathing the curved blade. A gleam of moonlight-like radiance pointed directly at You Huang’s chest.
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