Everyone was momentarily stunned.
Baili Changyue suddenly stood up, exclaiming in shock, "Ge Lin!"
The girl also froze. She slowly turned around, gazing at Baili Changyue. After a long pause, she suddenly smiled softly and whispered, "My heavens, am I dreaming?"
Everyone stared at the girl before them in utter astonishment. The image of the carefree, endlessly chattering girl from five years ago surfaced in their minds—so vastly different from the alluring young woman standing before them now. Though her features were strikingly similar, her demeanor, bearing, and aura had completely transformed.
Baili Changyue hurried forward, throwing her arms around her tightly, her voice trembling, "Ge Lin!"
The tight embrace and the familiar scent in her arms made Baili Gelin realize this wasn’t a dream. She stiffened in shock, staring at Changyue for a long moment before murmuring softly, "Sis?"
Ye Ye, too, couldn’t contain his excitement. He strode to her side, raising his hand as if to flick her forehead like he used to. But the graceful young woman before him was no longer the immature little girl from five years ago. He withdrew his hand, gazing at her with overwhelming joy before finally whispering, "You little brat..."
Baili Gelin narrowed her eyes slightly, studying Ye Ye for a long while before murmuring even more softly, "Ye Ye?"
Baili Changyue was so overcome with emotion that tears streamed down her face, wishing she could meld her sister into her very being. Gelin, deeply moved, gently wrapped her arms around Changyue’s neck, her expression softening into the same gentle look she had worn five years ago at their parting. She whispered, "Sis, you’ve become such a beauty. Haha, and Ye Ye’s turned into a handsome man. Seeing you both feels like a dream."
"It’s not a dream!" Changyue choked out. "We’ve finally found you!"
Baili Gelin laughed brightly, sweeping her gaze over the five people before her. When her eyes landed on Li Fei, she paused, her gaze probing. Finally, as if realizing something, she smiled. "Li Fei?"
Li Fei was filled with awe and emotion. She whispered, "You... recognize me?"
Baili Gelin walked over slowly, linking arms with her, her smile sweet. "Silly, your eyes haven’t changed at all. How did you get so pretty? I’m almost jealous!"
Li Fei burst out laughing. "You’re the real beauty here! And that outfit is stunning!"
"You like it? I’ll get each of you ten sets later." Baili Gelin twirled lightly before them, grinning like a blooming flower. "Why are you all here? Wasn’t the gathering supposed to be next year? And why didn’t you tell me you were coming?"
"Many Immortals from the Central Land have come to challenge us Sea Sect Disciples in magical combat to determine superiority. Miss, as a distinguished Sea Sect Disciple, how can you be so chummy with the Mountain Sect? Lowering morale before the big battle isn’t good!"
A male disciple from the Guangshenghui suddenly interjected.
Baili Gelin glanced at him with a smile, and the young man immediately flushed, lowering his head to drink without another word. Ignoring him, she said, "This place reeks of miasma. Let’s go somewhere else. I know this area well—I’ll take you somewhere nice."
"Who are you calling miasma?!" A female disciple from the Guangshenghui, seeing how Baili Gelin’s radiant, charming demeanor had captivated the male disciples at the table, couldn’t contain her anger.
Baili Gelin acted as if she hadn’t heard. She flung aside the door curtain and strode out first.The female disciple angrily exclaimed, "Do any of you have any backbone?! Letting the Myriad Immortals Assembly people strut around on our Guangshenghui's turf?!"
The leading male disciple whispered, "She's just a young woman. How can we gang up on her? Let's sit down and drink."
The female disciple instantly flew into a rage, her voice icy. "Lustful fools! Disgusting!"
Baili Gelin glanced back at the male disciple with another smile, making his heart flutter with joy. He stood up and said, "Miss Gelin, I'm Shi Cheng Tian from Guangshenghui!"
Before he could finish, the beauty's figure had already vanished into the distance.
After walking for a long time, they finally came upon an even larger tavern, already filled with many patrons. At a glance, it was clear they were all cultivation disciples—some from the Mountain Sect, others from the Ocean Sect.
Baili Gelin was somewhat surprised and murmured, "So many people really came. Before I arrived, Master only mentioned sparring with Guangshenghui. Could it be they really intend to pit the Mountain and Ocean Sects against each other?"
"Did you come to the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly alone?" Li Fei asked curiously.
"Of course not," Baili Gelin replied, ordering some snacks and a jar of wine. "There are some senior brothers and sisters with me. I just came out alone to wander around."
Ye Ye marveled, "The Ocean Sect's Immortal Sects actually have such mundane cities. It’s truly very different from the Central Land."
"These places are essentially just disciple rooms and eateries, open to anyone. The areas rich in spiritual energy, invisible to mortals, are the cultivation zones. Disciples aren’t allowed to stay there after training." Baili Gelin took six large bowls and filled them to the brim with wine. "Come on, let’s drink! I never dreamed I’d see you all here! Bottoms up first!"
Everyone downed their bowls. Noticing that Baili Gelin no longer collapsed after one cup like before, Baili Changyue stroked her hair and asked gently, "You’ve become a drinking champion now?"
Baili Gelin laughed. "Sis, you don’t know—people here in the Eastern Sea, men and women alike, can really hold their liquor. A woman who can drink is a good woman!"
The group burst into laughter. As they drank and recounted the events of the past five years, they unknowingly finished three or four jars of wine. Li Fei, seeing how everyone had become drinking experts over the years, couldn’t keep up and had to set her wine aside, touching her face—it was burning hot.
"Drunk?" Lei Xiuyuan’s hand suddenly brushed against her cheek. Li Fei nodded silently, instinctively leaning against his shoulder. "Xiu Yuan, drink for me. You never get drunk."
Without a word, he downed her bowl of wine in one gulp, letting her rest against him while he poured another drink with one hand and gently caressed her face with the other. Indeed, her skin was scorching from the alcohol.
"Rest for a while," he patted her.
Li Fei shook her head. She quietly watched Baili Gelin across the table. Changyue gazed at her with tender joy, and Gelin silently accepted the affection. Ye Ye joked around with her, perhaps drunk, reverting to childhood habits of flicking her forehead. She let him, grinning all the while.
Li Fei had imagined many scenarios of their reunion—perhaps Gelin would cry uncontrollably from excitement or laugh wildly from happiness. But her joy now was perfectly measured, as if deliberately contained within a boundary, not a single trace overflowing. Compared to the forced smiles of five years ago, she had matured immeasurably.Watching this, Li Fei herself began to feel uneasy. Their sudden arrival didn’t bring Baili Gelin happiness—instead, it seemed to disturb her peace. The knots in her heart ran far deeper than Li Fei had imagined, not something that could be easily forgotten with a few letters or jokes.
Just as the drinking reached its peak, the tavern’s door curtain was suddenly pushed aside again, and a tall man from the Eastern Sea walked in. His skin was dark, his eyebrows slanted sharply upward, and his imposing presence exuded an air of martial prowess.
The tavern’s patrons instinctively glanced at him a few more times, sensing his extraordinary demeanor. The moment Baili Gelin saw him, she immediately waved with a smile. “Senior Brother Lu, you’re here too?”
A fellow disciple of Ge Lin’s? Everyone turned to look. The man cast a glance at Baili Gelin, then indifferently turned away as if he hadn’t heard her.
“Senior Brother Lu!” Baili Gelin gracefully walked up to him, taking hold of his sleeve. Her voice, usually charming and soft, now dripped with tenderness. “Won’t you join us?”
The man mercilessly pushed her hand away and said coolly, “No need. Please restrain yourself, Junior Sister Bai Li.”
He strode deeper into the tavern without another word. Baili Gelin tilted her head, watching his retreating figure with a faint, ambiguous smile. Noticing everyone’s eyes on her, she giggled. “That’s Senior Brother Lu Li. He’s a bit eccentric. If he won’t come, then forget it.”
With that, she lifted the door curtain to leave. Chang Yue quickly asked, “Where are you going?”
Ge Lin made a gesture indicating she needed to relieve herself. Chang Yue sat back down, reassured, but after a moment of silence, murmured, “She’s changed so much.”
Ye Ye, slightly drunk, propped his chin on his hand and chuckled. “How has she changed? Isn’t she still as mischievous as ever? Even her senior brother dares not acknowledge her.”
Li Fei couldn’t sit still any longer. She suddenly stood up, swaying slightly. “I—I need to go too.”
Without waiting for anyone’s reaction, she staggered out of the tavern. Outside, the nearly full moon hung in the sky, large as a silver basin. In the distance, the mountains loomed dark and shadowed, while nearby, every house was adorned with lanterns, illuminating the surroundings as bright as day. Baili Gelin leaned against the wall, staring blankly at the swaying tassels beneath the lanterns.
Seeing Li Fei emerge, she smiled softly. “You here to relieve yourself too?”
Li Fei, her head swimming from the alcohol, felt her heart pounding erratically. Steadying herself, she suddenly said, “Ge Lin, I’ve missed you so much.”
Baili Gelin replied gently, “Ah, I’ve missed you all too. Every day.”
She turned her head toward the distant, shadowed mountains. After a long silence, she whispered, “If only there could be two identical people in this world.”
Was she referring to Ye Ye? Had she truly forgotten nothing?
“Li Fei, here in the Eastern Sea, I’m all alone. I know no one, and nothing is familiar. Do you think that’s pitiful?”
Li Fei shook her head. “It’s not pitiful… Ge Lin, I just want you to be happier.”Baili Gelin sighed deeply: "My sister, Ye Ye, and I—we're family. But in this home, I feel lonelier than when I came alone to the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly, always left by myself. I kept thinking, I must be a good, obedient little sister to my elder sister, and remain the troublesome little girl who always worries Ye Ye. But that day, when Ye Ye jumped down, willing to live and die with my sister, I finally understood why I always felt so alone. Today, seeing my sister and Ye Ye again, I suddenly realized these past five years have left nothing behind for me—I'm still just as lonely as ever. Why isn't there another person in this world who truly wants me? I've searched and searched, but never found them. I thought I might like those men, yet I could discard them so easily. I'm a bad woman, aren't I? Yes, I've already become a bad woman."
She suddenly looked up at Li Fei with a smile. "Li Fei, I'm so glad you're here to listen to my nonsense. It's wonderful that you could come with me."
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