Zhu Xian: They've all been reborn

I don't know how much time has passed.

Jiang Xiaochuan sat cross-legged on the blue stone he usually sat on in the back mountain, with the Xuechuan Sword lying across his knees. His fingertips unconsciously stroked the two faint blood-red dark patterns on the sword, which were icy cold yet somehow warm.

My mind was a jumbled mess, like a ball of yarn that had been scratched by a cat.

He was thinking of Lu Xueqi and Zhang Xiaofan.

This is a bit strange.

Logically speaking... logically speaking, in his previous life, when he read that book, Lu Xueqi and Zhang Xiaofan must have had such a huge entanglement.

The first time we met at the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament, at the bottom of the Dead Spirit Abyss, on Liubo Mountain, on Tongtian Peak, at Tianshui Village... at the Heavenly Emperor's Treasure Vault... it was a love-hate relationship, unforgettable.

He was watching it on his phone in bed, feeling a mix of sadness and heartache. He wondered why these two were going through so much, yet he also found their struggle between good and evil, life and death, incredibly compelling and captivating. Fan Xue, they were such a perfect match.

But now?

Lu Xueqi was always in his sight, teaching him swordsmanship, cooking for him, her clear, bright eyes fixed solely on him. And Zhang Xiaofan?

In the kitchen and dining hall, wearing a greasy apron, his face often covered in dust, he would smile憨憨地, and the food he cooked smelled delicious for miles around. But his cultivation... sigh, it was so slow it was frustrating.

These two, let alone having any entanglement, seem to have barely exchanged a few words.

Oh, once he insisted on dragging Zhang Xiaofan along and shoving his newly invented osmanthus sugar cake into Lu Xueqi's hands to try. Lu Xueqi accepted it, picked up a small piece with her fingertips, put it in her mouth, chewed it slowly a couple of times, then looked up at Zhang Xiaofan and said, "It's so-so. It's a little overcooked and too sweet. It's not as good as the one I made for Senior Brother Jiang."

Zhang Xiaofan blushed immediately, at a loss for words, and could only nod and say, "Yes, yes, Senior Sister Lu is right."

Jiang Xiaochuan, watching from the side, kept clicking his tongue in disbelief.

This isn't right.

What about the plot? What about that sense of destiny?

How come they're like two parallel lines, never able to touch?

Is it because the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament hasn't started yet, and the gears of fate haven't begun to turn?

He scratched his head.

I have a mixed feeling that I can't quite describe.

It seems... a little disappointing? And also, it seems... a little relieved?

He didn't quite understand either. Looking at Lu Xueqi's cool and beautiful profile, and thinking about all the good things she had done for him, his heart felt heavy.

Why would anyone help him like this?

Jiang Xiaochuan has nothing to offer. He's of average talent, not particularly clever, and his looks... well, they're just passable.

Lu Xueqi is like the cleanest handful of snow on the top of Tianshan Mountain; he's even afraid to touch her for fear of soiling her.

But she did indeed, without any explanation, give him that kindness.

Sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night and thinks about it, and it all feels like a dream.

Such a great kindness, such a huge favor, how can I ever repay it? What can I possibly use to repay it?

He had also considered, perhaps...

Try to bring Lu Xueqi and Zhang Xiaofan together?

Let's get the plot back on track? Maybe if Lu Xueqi goes with Zhang Xiaofan, she won't keep an eye on him so much, and he'll have an easier time.

The idea popped into his head a few times, but each time he nipped it in the bud.

Why? Because every time he mentions that "Xiao Fanren is actually quite good, down-to-earth, and cooks delicious food," or tries to create an opportunity for them to talk alone, Lu Xueqi's gaze instantly turns cold, even more chilling than the aura of the Xuechuan Sword.

Once, he simply said, "Zhang Xiaofan made some new rose cakes. Would you like to try them, Junior Sister Lu? I'll have him send you some." Lu Xueqi didn't say anything at the time, but just stared at him for a full ten breaths. That look made him feel uneasy.

The next day, Lu Xueqi brought a food box of lotus-shaped pastries she had made herself, ten times more exquisite and beautiful than rose cakes. She slowly and methodically ate them one by one in front of him, then asked, "Whose pastries are better?"

Jiang Xiaochuan dared not say anything else, and could only nod vigorously: "Junior Sister Lu's cooking is delicious, the best in the world."

Lu Xueqi then slightly curved the corners of her lips, her eyes softening a bit.

But Jiang Xiaochuan no longer dared to entertain the thought of matchmaking.

This isn't matchmaking, this is suicide.

As for Biyao... just hearing that name made Jiang Xiaochuan feel a little uneasy.

The girl in the book, dressed in light green, with a radiant smile, who ultimately shielded Zhang Xiaofan from the Zhuxian Sword, leaving only a wisp of her soul behind.

He cried his eyes out when he watched that part. What a wonderful girl, loving so purely, so tragically.

Jiang Xiaochuan sometimes daydreams, wishing he could see Biyao.

It wasn't the kind of meeting, it was just... to see if she was doing well, whether she was being suffocated by those things about good and evil, like in the book.

If he could help her and prevent her from going down the same path as before... but that was just a thought.

He can barely protect himself now, and he can't even leave Dazhu Peak more than a few times. Where can he go to see the young master of the Demonic Sect?

What good would it do to see it?

Saying, "Hey, I know you'll die for Zhang Xiaofan later, so whatever you do, don't get to know Zhang Xiaofan"? People would think he's crazy.

Sigh, it's a complete mess.

As she was lost in thought, a fragrant breeze wafted over. It wasn't the cool, pine and plum scent that Lu Xueqi carried, but a more lively and warmer aroma, carrying a hint of sunshine and soapberry.

Tian Ling'er, like a ball of fire, leaped in front of him, also carrying this oil paper package in her hand.

"Xiao Chuan! What are you daydreaming about! Here, I just bought these in Heyang City, Li Ji's roasted chestnuts, they're still warm!"

Without a word, she shoved the oil paper package into his arms. The package was hot, and the sweet aroma of chestnuts filled his nostrils.

She sat down next to him, very close, her arm brushing against his.

Jiang Xiaochuan took it, peeled one, and found the chestnut flesh to be golden, soft, and sweet.

He mumbled between chews, "Thank you, Senior Sister. You've secretly gone down the mountain again. Aren't you afraid Master will scold you?"

"What are you afraid of? I haven't missed any training." Tian Ling'er peeled one for herself, her cheeks puffing out as she ate, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.

"Besides, I'm going to buy materials. My mother said she'll teach me the advanced method of refining Amber Crimson Silk, and I need some things."

As she spoke, she naturally reached out and used her fingertips to rub off a small piece of chestnut crumb that was stuck to the corner of his mouth.

She moved very quickly. By the time Jiang Xiaochuan reacted, her fingers had already been withdrawn, with a slight warm and soft touch still lingering on her fingertips.

Jiang Xiaochuan's face felt a little hot, and he lowered his head to eat chestnuts.

Tian Ling'er sat beside him, watching him eat without saying a word, just smiling.

Sunlight filtered through the bamboo leaves, illuminating her youthful and radiant face, making her eyelashes appear to be dotted with tiny golden stars.

He could sense Tian Ling'er's thoughts.

Unlike Lu Xueqi's unfathomable kindness, which is accompanied by a strong possessiveness, Tian Ling'er's kindness is bright and fiery, like the summer sun, impossible to ignore, and also carries a touch of a young girl's spoiled and stubbornness.

She was like a barrier, standing between him and Lu Xueqi (and that fox), trying her best to keep him within her territory.

What kind of mess is this?

Jiang Xiaochuan sighed inwardly, and the chestnuts in his mouth didn't seem so sweet anymore.

Life is like a stream; it seems slow, but before you know it, a long stretch has flown by. The leaves on the mountain turn yellow and green again, green and yellow again, going through several cycles.

There is only one month left until the "Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament," which takes place once every sixty years.

The atmosphere around Dazhu Peak was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring, and the air was filled with the smell of sweat and the sound of tense breathing.

That year, Tian Ling'er turned eighteen, and she grew more and more beautiful and radiant, like the fullest crabapple on a branch, with every smile and frown exuding a compelling youthful vibe.

Jiang Xiaochuan and Lu Xueqi were seventeen, the most innocent and beautiful age for teenagers. Zhang Xiaofan was also sixteen, he had grown taller, his honest face hadn't changed, but there was a bit more serenity in his eyes.

Just then, Du Bishu, who had disappeared for a long time, finally returned looking disheveled.

As dusk fell that day, Du Bishu dragged a small, mud-covered bundle and slunk into the newly renovated dining hall. The hall was lit, and Tian Buyi, Su Ru, and a group of fellow disciples were eating. Hearing the noise, they all looked up at him.

Du Bishu stood at the door, feeling uncomfortable under the gaze of so many eyes. His face flushed red and then turned pale, and his lips trembled as he tried to call out "Master and Mistress," but the sound was stuck in his throat, like a mosquito's hum.

Tian Buyi slammed his chopsticks on the table with a "bang," his face darkening. "So you know how to come back? Where's the stuff?"

Du Bishu shuddered, and slowly moved over, placing the small bundle on the table with trembling hands.

He took a breath, as if he had made a great decision, shook the bundle a couple of times, took out a few items from it, and carefully placed them in the center of the table.

Everyone's eyes widened instantly, staring intently at those few items, as if afraid of missing a single detail. The dining hall fell so quiet that the crackling sound of the lamp wicks exploding could be heard.

In the center of the greasy dining table lay three objects. Each one was about half the size of a fist, square, and looked as if it had been carved from some kind of particularly hard wood. They had a warm, white hue, and their surfaces were polished smooth, with small dots carved on them—one, two, three, four, five, and six.

Three dice.

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

Then, with a loud "boom," it was like a pot exploding.

He Dazhi spat out the soup he had just drunk, choking and coughing.

Wu Dayi and Zheng Dali pointed at the three dice, their fingers trembling, trying desperately to hold back their laughter, their faces contorted in pain.

Lu Daxin choked on a mouthful of rice, rolled his eyes, and pounded his chest.

Song Daren stared at the dice, then at Du Bishu, his face saying, "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Lin Jingyu frowned, her eyes full of confusion.

Zhang Xiaofan held the bowl, staring blankly, as if he didn't understand what had happened.

Tian Ling'er was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, laughing so hard she almost fell over.

Jiang Xiaochuan's heart skipped a beat. Well, it was bound to happen. His earlier tactless remark…

Tian Buyi's face changed from black to red, then from red to purple, and finally became so black that ink could drip from it.

His chest heaved violently, his finger pointing at the three white dice on the table, then at Du Bishu, his beard trembling with rage. After a long pause, he managed to squeeze out a few words through clenched teeth, his voice dripping with thunderous fury:

"Rotten wood cannot be carved!!"

The sound was so loud that dust fell from the roof beams.