Zhu Xian: They've all been reborn

Jiang Xiaochuan wandered aimlessly through the streets of Heyang City for a while longer.

As dusk deepened, I suddenly felt a bit tired and hungry.

He touched his pocket and thankfully, he had some loose silver coins with him, which he had saved up when he went down the mountain before.

He looked up and saw the familiar, magnificent restaurant, Shanhaiyuan, not far away.

I used to come here occasionally with Lu Xueqi when we went down the mountain. The food was good, and the price was "good" too.

Alright, I'll just make do here for the night and head back to the mountain early tomorrow morning.

He made up his mind and started walking towards Shanhaiyuan.

Just as I reached the door and was about to cross the high threshold, I heard a very faint whooshing sound behind me, almost drowned out by the evening breeze and the hustle and bustle of the city.

The sound was familiar; it was the faint hum of a sword fading away, carrying a clear, unmistakable chill.

Jiang Xiaochuan froze, his foot halting in mid-air. Slowly, bit by bit, he turned around.

The lanterns hanging at the entrance of Shanhaiyuan cast a warm yellow glow, illuminating the open space paved with bluestone slabs in front of the gate.

A woman dressed in a moon-white Taoist robe, with a tall and straight figure like bamboo and an exceptionally cold and aloof appearance, stood there quietly, with the Tianya Sword emitting a faint azure halo behind her.

It's Lu Xueqi.

Her face was expressionless, her cool eyes appearing particularly deep under the light as she quietly looked at him, her gaze calm and unwavering, as if she had known he would be there all along.

Her moon-white Taoist robe was spotless. Under the deepening night and warm yellow lamplight, she looked like a jade statue that had suddenly descended to earth, completely out of place with the bustling and glamorous surroundings.

The two stood a few steps apart, staring at each other.

The aroma of wine and food wafting from Shanhaiyuan Garden, the sweet scent of cosmetics from the nearby shops, and the smell of sweat and dust on passersby all seemed to be separated by an invisible, refreshing chill the moment Lu Xueqi appeared.

Jiang Xiaochuan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found his throat was a little dry.

He wanted to ask, "Why are you here?", to explain, "I just came out for a walk to clear my head," and to ask her, "Did you see the letter I left?"...

But when he looked into Lu Xueqi's calm eyes, which seemed to see through everything, he felt that anything he said would be superfluous.

Lu Xueqi didn't say anything either.

She simply walked up to him, very close, close enough that he could clearly smell the crisp plum blossom scent emanating from her and feel the slight coolness emanating from her body.

Then, she reached out and naturally took his hand.

Her hand was slightly cool, her fingers slender, and though her strength was not great, it carried an undeniable firmness as she gently grasped his hand, which was still stiff at his side and had not fully retracted.

Jiang Xiaochuan's body trembled slightly, and he subconsciously tried to pull his hand back, but Lu Xueqi held it tightly.

He looked up at her, and she still had no expression, just looking at him with calm eyes, yet seemingly carrying a faint, unmistakable sense of... peace of mind.

Only when she was certain that he was standing there unharmed and hadn't gone anywhere he shouldn't have, did her heart finally settle down.

"I'm going back." Lu Xueqi said, her voice cold and flat, without any questioning, just a statement.

She didn't even ask him why he was there, whether he had eaten, or where he and Zeng Shushu had gone.

She simply held his hand, turned around, and made a sword gesture with her other hand.

The Tianya Sword emitted a clear, melodious hum, its azure light shining brightly as it hovered beside her.

She pulled Jiang Xiaochuan along, and with a light leap, landed on the broad blade of Tianya.

Before Jiang Xiaochuan could react, Tianya had already transformed into a blue rainbow, soaring into the sky and instantly leaving the myriad lights and bustling music of Heyang City far below, disappearing into the deep night sky.

The night wind was biting, whipping against my face.

Jiang Xiaochuan stood behind Lu Xueqi, holding her hand.

She could feel his body stiffness and slight trembling.

She didn't turn around, but slowed down slightly and activated her spiritual power to create a thin protective shield around them, shielding them from the cold wind.

Then, she held his hand and tightened it again.

Jiang Xiaochuan felt the cool yet firm pressure coming from his hand.

Looking at Lu Xueqi's straight and aloof back in front of him, and her long, black hair that was slightly lifted by the night wind.

The tension and guilt I felt from being "caught" suddenly dissipated.

Forget it, so be it.

He resigned himself to his fate, letting her lead him, carrying him, towards that unknown (yet very familiar) journey home.

There was neither pushing away nor pandering; it was simply... going with the flow.

In the shadows of the distant mountains, two pairs of eyes were quietly watching the azure rainbow that pierced the night sky.

Linglong had removed her veil, and her stunningly beautiful face seemed to glow in the moonlight. However, her eyes, which held the promise of a galaxy, were now unfathomable, reflecting the rapidly disappearing blue light on the horizon.

"Mother," the Beast God (who should be called Long Nianchuan) stood beside her, his tall figure casting a long shadow in the moonlight. He asked softly, his glassy eyes filled with confusion and reluctance.

"Why don't we stay with Dad? Why are we hiding? Dad was taken away by that cold-hearted woman."

Linglong withdrew her gaze, raised her hand, and gently and tenderly stroked the Beast God's soft black hair, her eyes filled with unfathomable tenderness and a complex sense of determination.

"Because the time is not yet right, Nian'er," she whispered, her voice like a dream, drifting away on the night wind.

"Going to him now will only scare him away and...make things even more complicated. Don't you see? Those girls are already enough of a headache for him."

She paused, looking towards the direction of Qingyun Mountain, where the azure sword rainbow disappeared.

The night breeze stirred her moon-white skirt and cascading long hair, her eyes sparkling with starlight, carrying an indescribable emotion.

There was concern, there was melancholy, and there was also a deep-seated bitterness that she herself did not want to delve into.

"Let's... wait and see. Let's see where this life leads. And let's see... who he will ultimately choose."

Her voice was very soft, as if she were speaking to the Beast God, or to herself, or perhaps she was silently questioning fate.

"What if Dad chooses someone else?"

The Beast God asked, his tone filled with childlike worry and resentment.

He clenched his fists, a fleeting, menacing aura flashing around him, which he quickly suppressed. "Mother, you've waited so long! From so long ago..."

Linglong fell silent.

The night wind howled, cutting through the mountains and forests.

She gazed at the dark night sky that had swallowed the sword light, for a long, long time, before speaking softly, her voice as faint as a sigh:

"That must be... such is fate. As long as he is safe and happy, I... will have no regrets."

That being said, deep within her eyes, which gaze into the darkness and contain the ancient galaxy, beneath the calm surface of that lake, an unusually persistent, dark blue flame quietly ignited, more profound and scorching than the sword light of Tianya.

Now that she has returned in this life, she will no longer simply watch and offer blessings as she did in her previous life.

He buried deep in his heart that feeling that had transcended the torrent of time, sprouted by accident, but was destined to have no fruit, and it eventually transformed into a drop of blood and eternal regret when he created "Nian'er".

She will wait. She will watch.

And... at the right time, gently give it a push.

After all, sometimes, fate needs a little "human" guidance and effort to guide it in the right direction.

She gently put her arm around the Beast God's broad yet still dependent shoulders and whispered, "Let's go, Nian'er. We... should find a place to 'settle down' for now. Heyang City might be a good option."

The two figures, like a veil blending into the moonlight, disappeared silently into the deep night and the shadows of the mountains and forests, leaving no trace.