The next day when Li Fei woke up, she found herself squeezed to the edge of the bed, with one arm and leg dangling off, nearly falling. Turning her head, she was startled to see Baili Gelin sleeping beside her, having stolen all the blankets and almost pushed her off the bed.
When had she come over? And what terrible sleeping habits... Li Fei yawned, rubbing her bleary eyes as she prepared to get up, when a familiar hoarse voice suddenly sounded by the bed: "Hmph! So young and already picking up bad habits—drinking alcohol!"
Li Fei jolted upright and saw the small snow-white fox perched on her shoes, glaring at her with its head held high. Overwhelmed with excitement, she tumbled right off the bed.
"Ri Yan! You're awake?!" she cried, ignoring the sharp pain in her head from the fall.
Baili Gelin, still deep in sleep, let out an unconscious murmur, making Li Fei quickly cover her mouth. But her eyes sparkled with excitement as she grinned at the little fox.
Ri Yan flicked his ears. "If I hadn't woken up, who knows how far you'd have fallen! The whole room reeks of alcohol!"
"It was just a little drink now and then," she said, reaching out to pat his tiny head, only for her fingers to pass through air again. As always, she could only touch him within his consciousness.
"How are you feeling? Any discomfort left? Will you sleep for another two months next time?" she fired off questions in rapid succession.
Ri Yan replied indifferently, "Why worry so much about me? Focus on yourself—your scent is leaking out early."
Scent? She lifted her sleeve and sniffed. What scent?
"Let others tell you about it. It's not a big deal anyway," Ri Yan twitched his nose. "But why must you court death like this? You can barely take care of yourself, yet you meddle in others' lives?"
Li Fei knew he was referring to her saving Ji Tongzhou. "What's done is done. We're all in the same group—how could I just watch him die?"
Ri Yan snorted. "So what if he died? You're still young! Why spend all day fooling around with boys? Focus on your cultivation! If you keep getting distracted, I'll pluck all your hair out!"
What kind of overbearing elder attitude was this? Li Fei was speechless. "The four of us are in the same group—how can we not spend time together?"
The fox haughtily turned his head away, as if she wasn't worth his time. "Enough chatter. I've slept too long this time. First, tell me what happened in the Restricted Area last time, then explain in detail why you suddenly needed to molt. Don't leave out a single word!"
With that, he settled on the floor, ears twitching sporadically.
Was he preparing for a story? Li Fei couldn't help but laugh. She proceeded to recount everything that had happened, sticking strictly to the facts. She wasn't one for embellishment, so even the most thrilling events were delivered plainly and concisely, wrapping up quickly.
Ri Yan flicked his ears and chuckled. "That Suanni monster got lucky—a dozen Demon Vermilion Fruits? It must be laughing in its dreams! Hmph, the Academy's founder is indeed formidable, trying to unite the Mountain and Sea sects against the Sea Fall. Not that no one's tried before, but human hearts are too complicated. So-called alliances always end up shattered, full of suspicion and discord..."
At this point, he seemed to grow tired and said dismissively, "Enough. I'm off."Li Fei was taken aback. "You just woke up and you're sleeping again? Aren't you tired from sleeping so much?"
"Who told you I just woke up? I was already awake last night while you were sleeping like a pig!"
He was awake last night? Then why didn't he call her? Li Fei smiled. "Ri Yan, you're staying awake longer and longer now. That's really great."
He snorted. "I'd rather sleep more to avoid having to clean up your messes when I'm awake."
Li Fei recalled the original form of the Nine-tailed Fox in his consciousness—there was a massive crimson Seal on his back, likely the one he mentioned where all his Demon Qi was sealed during the Year of Calamity. She asked, "By the way, Ri Yan, what is the Year of Calamity? Was your Demon Qi sealed by someone else? Can we find someone to undo it?"
She expected him to refuse to answer, but surprisingly, he replied quickly. "It wasn't sealed by someone else. I took a wrong path in my cultivation, and suddenly all my Demon Qi was sealed. Just as Celestials often face tribulations, Demons also have the concept of the Year of Calamity. As one's cultivation grows deeper, the tribulations become increasingly difficult to overcome. This year happens to be my Year of Calamity. That Seal can only be broken by me—no external force can help."
Li Fei was puzzled. "Tribulations? I heard Celestials are struck by Heavenly Thunder. Isn't it the same for you?"
He sneered. "What ignorant rumors are those? If it were that simple, everyone would be a Celestial, and every bird, beast, fish, and insect would become Great Demons! Precisely because tribulations are strange and unpredictable, they are called tribulations. They often arrive when least expected, and only when one's soul is scattered does one realize it was a tribulation."
Strange and unpredictable? Li Fei grew nervous. What kind of tribulation would she face when she became a Celestial?
As if reading her thoughts, Ri Yan said, "You haven't even learned to crawl, and you're already thinking about flying! Why worry about tribulations now? By the time your hair turns white, you still won't have become a Celestial!"
He was definitely cursing her! If her hair turned white before she became a Celestial, did that mean she'd only become an old woman afterward? She suddenly remembered Baili Gelin once saying she didn't want to live a thousand years as a wrinkled, white-haired old Celestial. At the time, she hadn't thought much of it, but now it did sound terrifying.
Just then, Baili Gelin, who was sound asleep on the bed, let out a couple of sobs, murmuring incoherently as if trapped in a nightmare.
Ri Yan snorted again. "See? Too many worries at such a young age! Even if this fool becomes a Celestial someday, with her temperament, she won't escape the Love Tribulation! Don't follow her example!"
"Love Tribulation?" Li Fei was baffled. "What do you mean? What's wrong with Ge Lin?"
Ri Yan said coldly, "Though tribulations are unpredictable, they often reflect what one fears or cares about most. And among all tribulations, the Love Tribulation is the most perilous. As the saying goes, the human heart is unfathomable, and so are human emotions. Whether it's romantic love, friendship, or family bonds, being overly sentimental is never a good thing. This girl is too young, her heart awakened too early, and she's stubborn by nature. Getting entangled in romantic love so young is no auspicious sign. Over the millennia, I've seen countless brilliant Celestials meet tragic ends—most ruined by the Love Tribulation. Humans, as the wisest of all creatures, possess innate talents in cultivation that surpass those of Demons. Yet the human heart is too complex and fragile. In the end, only a rare few achieve the Great Dao. If you want to accomplish anything, stay away from such things! Lovers, friends, family—none compare to achieving the Great Dao."Why does it sound like Ge Lin is in great danger from what he said?
"Then... how can we help her?" Li Fei asked.
He sneered again, "Help? When a person is caught in the throes of love and desire, it's like holding a candle against the wind alone in the dark night—the pain is theirs alone to bear. Who can help? Human emotions, whether longing, fear, or dependence, are merely signs of the heart's fragility. Don't you go developing any dependence on me either. We're just using each other—you help me hide, I aid your cultivation. That's all!"
Here we go again with the "using each other" talk.
Li Fei said softly, "You're all important to me. If a person lives without family to depend on, friends to confide in, or even fears to hold onto, wouldn't achieving the Great Dao still feel terribly lonely? No wonder so few attain it—there probably aren't many with such single-minded determination. Ri Yan, you keep emphasizing this 'mutual use' idea. I don't want to ask what you truly think, but I could never see it that way, not now or ever."
His sickly green eyes narrowed as he snapped, "Truly, rotten wood cannot be carved!"
She laughed, "Yet you've carved this rotten wood quite well, haven't you? My cultivation is progressing smoothly."
"More sweet talk!" His pointed nose suddenly twitched. "She's waking up. I'm off. Just remember what I said! Don't get too close to those brats!"
His tone was oddly like a parent worrying about bad influences corrupting their child. With obvious reluctance, he dissolved into green smoke and vanished.
This fox was always so cryptic.
Li Fei had just sat by the bed when Baili Gelin opened her eyes. Looking dazed, she glanced at Li Fei, then at the ceiling, before finally saying after a long pause, "Huh? Did I get drunk last night and end up in your room?"
Feigning annoyance, Li Fei replied, "Yes! Not only did you steal my bed, you hogged all the blankets too."
Baili Gelin yawned as she sat up, then suddenly sniffed hard. "It smells amazing! That same fragrance again! I noticed it last time I was here too!"
Fragrance? Li Fei immediately recalled Ri Yan's comment about her scent beginning to emanate. She forced a bitter smile. "What smell? I don't notice anything."
Baili Gelin clung to her, sniffing enthusiastically. "It's wonderful, Li Fei! I've heard people with natural body fragrance are incredibly rare! You didn't have it before, but now you do—you must be extraordinary!"
Li Fei really didn't want to discuss this further. She jumped off the bed. "Let's get up. It's almost mao hour—we can't be late."
The two girls hurried through their morning routine. Just as they pushed the door to leave, they saw Lei Xiuyuan and Ji Tongzhou coincidentally emerge from their rooms at the same time. The four exchanged glances, and Ji Tongzhou asked in surprise, "What are you doing here?"
Baili Gelin grinned. "I got drunk last night and crashed in Li Fei's bed. You two just waking up too? Perfect timing—let's go together."
The four children chatted and laughed as they flew by sword to the Special Martial Arts Arena. Now, this group of four had truly become a team, with none of their past conflicts remaining.
"Jiang Li Fei, this is for you." Ji Tongzhou suddenly handed Li Fei a thin booklet, his expression somewhat bashful.
Li Fei flipped through it. The handwriting inside was unexpectedly neat and elegant, meticulously detailing new cultivation essentials. She blinked in surprise. "What's this?""You've been asleep for five days. To keep you from falling behind, I specifically wrote down the key points the teacher covered during that time. Read it carefully." Ji Tongzhou crossed his arms, once again adopting the demeanor of the leader of their four-person group. "You must read it!"
Who would have thought this little prince could be so meticulous? Li Fei was touched and carefully tucked the notebook into her robe, smiling. "Alright, thank you, Ji Tongzhou. I’ll definitely study it properly."
He nodded with an air of maturity and flew ahead alone on his sword. Baili Gelin stuck out her tongue at his retreating figure and muttered, "He must have a crush on you, haha."
Li Fei nearly laughed out loud. "What are you talking about? It’s rare for us all to get along better now—let’s not stir up any trouble."
Baili Gelin was about to reply when a boy called out eagerly from behind, "Ge Lin! I brought you red bean buns!"
Everyone turned to see the boy surnamed Zhao, who had fallen victim to Ge Lin’s antics, flying over with a flushed face. He handed her a steaming paper bag and added, "Um… if your group’s teacher makes you copy texts as punishment again today, I’ll help you with it!"
Baili Gelin beamed. "Really? Thank you so much! Have you eaten breakfast yet? Here, let’s each have a bun."
She passed him one, and the two flew side by side, chatting and laughing as they ate, soon disappearing into the distance. Li Fei was left standing there in stunned silence.
Somehow, she felt Ge Lin would grow up to be an incredibly formidable woman—yes, incredibly formidable.
But what exactly did Ri Yan mean by "tribulation of love"?
"Since it’s not yet mao hour, you should review the cultivation notes first," Lei Xiuyuan suddenly flew past her on his sword. "I’ll go ahead."
Li Fei hurried after him. "Lei Xiuyuan, you were the one who took me back last night, right? Thank you."
He glanced at her and said softly, "You’re so heavy, my arm still hurts from carrying you."
Li Fei was instantly speechless. Talking to this kid really required immense patience. Wasn’t he perfectly normal last night? Now he was back to his old habits—one moment polite and amiable, the next saying something infuriating enough to make her explode.
She replied coolly, "Let me tell you, if you keep this up, you won’t have any friends."
"There’s still a grain of rice stuck to your belt."
"Alright… let’s not talk about that. What I actually meant earlier was—"
"Your braid is crooked."
"......"
Their voices gradually faded into the distance. The snowstorm had subsided, and today might just be a sunny day.
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