The time when she liked Ye Ye was mostly shrouded in gloom. Baili Gelin had never truly understood what she wanted. Did she want to replace her sister? Did she wish he had never liked her sister and had been with her from the start?
It wasn’t until she awoke from the Mirage Dragon’s illusions that she finally realized what she truly desired most in her heart—to have never liked Ye Ye at all.
If she had never liked him, her life would have been entirely different. She wouldn’t have been so fragile, desperately seeking comfort in the slightest affection from others. She wouldn’t have been so afraid of loving someone, terrified of being hurt again.
But life doesn’t offer second chances.
She had once longed for Lu Li’s salvation, only to give away her heart in exchange for distrust and mockery. Her life seemed to revolve endlessly in these despairing emotions—always yearning for mutual love, yet never attaining it.
“Ge Lin?” Baili Changyue called her several times. She had stopped speaking after mentioning Ye Ye being hunted down, her expression shifting through countless emotions, unsettling to witness.
Baili Gelin smiled faintly at her, her expression gradually calming. Softly, she said, “Sis, can we stop talking about this? Do you want to see me break down in tears? Do you think that would mean I’ve vented my feelings? Just let me be quiet. Everything will pass.”
Baili Changyue was deeply moved. She pulled her into a tight embrace, unable to speak for a long moment. Baili Gelin said calmly, “It’s not that I didn’t want to write letters this past year—I couldn’t. It wasn’t until near August, when Lu Li went on a training expedition with the elders and was far away, that I could sneak out. Anyway, it’s just like that. I’m so glad to see you all again. Let’s never be apart from now on, okay?”
Baili Changyue nodded, large teardrops falling onto her hair.
Ge Lin wrapped her arms around her sister’s neck, her restless heart settling into quietude. As long as her sister was still in this world, as long as Ye Ye was here, as long as her family remained—no matter what wounds she suffered, she could be healed.
“It’s been so long since we last slept together,” she chuckled. “I don’t want to send you back to Ye Ye’s side. He’s monopolized you all these years. Sis, stay with me tonight?”
Baili Changyue flicked her forehead lightly before spreading out the bedding, just like when they were children. The sisters helped each other remove their jeweled hair accessories, combed each other’s hair, and slipped under the same blanket to whisper secrets.
“Sis, does Ye Ye ever bully you?”
“I’m the one who bullies him, if anything.”
Baili Gelin snorted with laughter, but then Changyue murmured, “Ge Lin, no matter what kind of love it is, loving someone isn’t something to be ashamed of. You should hold your head high. The fact that you can still love means your heart is still alive—that’s so much stronger than those whose hearts have died.”
Baili Gelin hugged her tightly, grinning. “Of course my heart’s alive! Haven’t I always loved my wonderful sister?”
Baili Changyue pinched her nose. “Such smooth talk. Go to sleep now. Tomorrow we still have to pack and interrogate Xiao Bangchui.”
Interrogate Li Fei? Baili Gelin shook her head inwardly. That girl wouldn’t reveal anything she didn’t want to, no matter how much pressure was applied—soft or hard. She had no intention of wasting her effort.The sky gradually darkened, and the long-quiet outside the window was once again filled with the howling wind and the crisp, crackling sounds of hailstones striking the glass. The candle flame on the table flickered faintly as Li Fei, bathed in its glow, carefully inserted the jeweled hair accessories into her bun before the bronze mirror. She had already washed and tidied herself meticulously, clean and fresh from head to toe, without a speck of dust.
The bronze mirror reflected her face—eyebrows like distant mountains, pupils like autumn waters. She tried to find traces of her Master in that face, but at some point, she could no longer detect even a hint of his resemblance. Once, she had looked so much like him.
What kind of body was this? One that concealed her Source Spiritual Qi, her innate talents, and her true appearance, allowing her to live smoothly in the Central Land until the age of seventeen.
On the chair lay a bundle. Li Fei walked over slowly and unwrapped it. Over the years, no matter where she went, the bundle always contained the same three things: the only pink silk dress her Master had ever bought for her, a jade-colored swaddling cloth, and the letter and painting he had left her.
She first held the bloodstained swaddling cloth in her hands for a moment, then pulled out the silk dress. She had outgrown it by the age of fourteen, yet every year she would take it out, wash it carefully, smooth out the wrinkles, and store it away properly.
She couldn’t bear to throw it away.
Finally, she slowly unfolded the long-yellowed letter. The familiar handwriting appeared before her eyes once more, much rounder than the characters in the notebook. Had her Master been happy during those ten years with her? The sharp edges of his writing had softened into kindness.
Li Fei packed these items back into the bundle, tied it carefully, and slung it over her shoulder. She glanced back—Lei Xiuyuan lay motionless on the bed, deep in sleep. She approached and placed a letter on his chest, gazing down at him for a moment. His face bore that innocent, guileless expression he only wore when asleep.
"...I’ll go first," she murmured, as if speaking to herself. "You’ll probably catch up soon, but... let me be alone for a while."
She just wanted some time to herself, to think things through properly.
Li Fei turned and walked toward the door. With a thought, the strange fragrance emanating from her body suddenly vanished without a trace. After her near-shedding had failed, her cultivation had advanced considerably—she could now control this innate fragrance at will. If she intensified it, those around her would fall into slumber within a few breaths. If she locked it within her body, no one could detect even a hint of it, no matter how close they came.
She raised a hand, and several Earthen Guardians swiftly wrapped around her body. The Li Fire Art incinerated all the hailstones and rain within three feet of her. In the shadows of the courtyard, the Centipede demon raised by Baili Gelin whimpered silently in fear. Though she still couldn’t sense its Demon Qi, no matter how small or hidden a monstrous creature was, it could never escape her eyes.
The Horn of the Rhinoceros lifted her high into the air, and in the blink of an eye, she vanished into the night sky. Countless strands of Spiritual Energy surged from all directions—likely the Immortals of the Mountain Sect rushing over. The Horn trembled slightly with hunger, eager to devour that vast, domineering Spiritual Energy of the Celestials. Just as a wolf could never forget the taste of blood after its first kill, the Horn, having once absorbed a Celestial’s energy, could never forget it either.
Li Fei patted it soothingly, and it reluctantly quieted down.
"There’ll be plenty of chances for you to feast," she whispered.Ji Tongzhou stood before the Prince Ying's residence, quietly surveying the familiar yet extravagant estate. Since leaving for Star Rectitude Hall, it had been nearly six years since his last visit—the same occasion when Jiang Li Fei had also come.
Six years, yet the memories felt as though they had happened just yesterday. He could recall every minute detail with startling clarity.
The guards at the gate had long noticed this young nobleman exuding an aristocratic air. After scrutinizing him for a while, they finally realized he bore an uncanny resemblance to their own prince. Flustered, they immediately knelt in unison, declaring, "Welcome back, Your Highness!"
Ji Tongzhou waved them off casually and slowly stepped into the estate, dismissing the hastily approaching maids and stewards with a gesture. He walked step by step along the pebbled path. At that gate, he had once fought with Lei Xiuyuan. Beneath that willow tree, Jiang Li Fei had once plucked a branch to play with.
As he made his way back to his own courtyard, he suddenly felt a sense of inescapability. In his own residence, every corner reminded him of Jiang Li Fei. How absurd—no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t forget her.
At the courtyard gate stood two stunning maids, around fifteen or sixteen years old, unfamiliar faces likely newly hired. They greeted him with shy, bashful curtsies. Ji Tongzhou paused. The one on the left bore a faint resemblance to Jiang Li Fei in the eyes and brows. Under his gaze, her expression turned both flustered and hopeful, stirring a long-buried fantasy in his heart.
"What is your name?" Ji Tongzhou asked softly.
The maid trembled, nearly losing her balance from sheer excitement. "Th-This humble servant is Miaoqing..."
"Miaoqing." He gave a slight nod, seized her arm, and pulled her into the courtyard. The gate swung open abruptly, then shut just as suddenly. The stewards trailing behind dared not enter—yet none dared leave either. They could only bow their heads and wait outside.
They waited until dusk fell before the gate finally reopened. Ji Tongzhou emerged, now clad in resplendent robes. No longer a child, he carried himself with an entirely different presence. The stewards immediately filed in, kneeling in reverence. The head steward spoke respectfully, "Your Highness, His Majesty has been waiting in the main hall for some time."
A faint smile finally broke through Ji Tongzhou’s otherwise expressionless face. "The Emperor is here? Why wasn’t I informed sooner?"
He strode briskly toward the main hall. Six years had aged his elder brother considerably—streaks of white now threaded through his temples. At the sight of him, the Emperor of Yue even seemed to glisten with tears, grasping his arm with warmth and joy.
"You’ve grown so tall!" The Emperor brushed the hair from his chest to his back. "How fares your cultivation?"
Ji Tongzhou helped him sit down, frowning at how his brother appeared to have aged a decade in just six years. "Never mind me—what troubles you, Brother?"
The Emperor let out a bitter chuckle and glanced around. The attendants on either side immediately withdrew, and the doors to the hall closed softly. Only then did the Emperor speak in a hushed, tearful voice, "Master Xuanshan Zi’s cultivation has yet to recover. These years, I’ve been consumed with worry day and night. Had it not been for the Academy’s intervention when Long Mingzuo came to provoke us last time, the consequences would have been dire! Tongzhou, though Mr. Suquan is Master Xuanshan Zi’s disciple and occasionally lends his aid, these immortals care only for their own cultivation—we cannot always rely on them. You must redouble your efforts. I wonder if, in my lifetime, I shall see you attain an Immortal Body."Ji Tongzhou's frown deepened. "Imperial Brother, you're keeping something from me. Has someone been causing trouble again these years?"
The emperor wiped away his tears and sighed heavily. "You've grown up and become much more perceptive than before. I shouldn't hide it from you. That Wugou has been repeatedly harassing our borders, annexing dozens of commanderies and cities large and small. Moreover, our capital has frequently been visited by Immortals who come to provoke and spy. Previously, Mr. Suquan would occasionally come to our aid, but we haven't seen him in the past year or two. Tongzhou, I have nightmares every day, living in constant fear. Yet when I think of how hard you've been cultivating, how could I bear to make further demands of you?"
Wugou? Long Mingzuo again! With the Sea Fall imminent, while the major Immortal sects are busy dealing with the celestial disaster, Long Mingzuo is taking the opportunity to stab us in the back! Recalling the visions that had driven him to madness, Ji Tongzhou felt a sudden surge of killing intent. He rose to his feet, ready to leave.
Unexpectedly, the steward's voice sounded at the door once more: "Your Majesty, Your Highness, Xuanshan Zi has sent word that he will arrive at the prince's residence in three quarters of an hour."
OpenNovel