Zhu Xian: They've all been reborn

Qingyun Gate, Dazhu Peak.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the verdant bamboo forest rippled in the breeze, its green waves spreading out in layers. The air was filled with the sweet scent of dew and bamboo leaves.

Smoke rose early from the kitchen, mingling with the aroma of firewood and food—the scent of everyday life, peaceful and serene.

Tian Buyi paced back and forth in the open space in front of Shoujing Hall, his brows furrowed into a deep frown. He had planted the Crimson Flame Sword in the ground beside him, its tassel swaying uneasily in the morning breeze.

Su Ru sat on the stone steps in front of the hall, unconsciously folding an old piece of Jiang Xiaochuan's clothes in her hands.

His gaze kept drifting involuntarily toward the mountain path, and there were obvious dark circles under his eyes.

Tian Ling'er leaned against a thick bamboo stalk, her fiery red dress appearing somewhat dull.

She bit her lip, staring intently at the end of the mountain road, her fingertips digging deeply into her palms, leaving several clear crescent-shaped marks.

The entire Dazhu Peak was shrouded in a sense of oppressive, anxious waiting.

Several days have passed since Jiang Xiaochuan was kidnapped. Lu Xueqi went there alone, but there has been no news of her since.

The disciples sent to investigate brought back vague information, only saying that the Ghost King Sect seemed to have tightened its defenses recently.

With each passing moment, the worry and unease grew heavier.

Just as Tian Buyi was about to lose his temper and prepare to rush up Tongtian Peak again to ask for orders to launch a strong attack, several figures finally appeared at the end of the mountain path, flying through the air.

The first sword, a streak of icy blue and silver, moved erratically and slowly, even somewhat sluggishly; it was Jiang Xiaochuan wielding the Snow River Sword.

His face was still somewhat pale, and the bruise on his forehead had faded, but it was still visible upon close inspection.

He had changed into a new Qingyun Taoist robe and his hair had been tied up again, but his expression carried a deep, lingering weariness and... a kind of numb calmness.

He flew with great concentration, or rather, he forced himself to concentrate, staring straight ahead at the outline of Dazhu Peak, as if it were the only piece of driftwood he could grasp at that moment.

To his left rear, Lu Xueqi rode the Tianya sword, her moon-white Taoist robe spotless, her aloof face expressionless.

Her gaze remained fixed on the somewhat slender figure in the blue robe ahead, carrying an unmistakable protectiveness and... a complex mix of emotions hidden deep within her, known only to herself.

To the right rear, Xiao Bai was not flying on a sword, nor did he use any magic weapon. He was barefoot, stepping lightly in the air, as if the ground beneath his feet was not a towering sky, but a flat staircase.

Her silver hair fluttered in the wind, and her beautiful face carried her usual languidness. But when her silver eyes swept over the familiar bamboo forest below, a barely perceptible gentleness and... a hint of wariness flashed across them.

The wanted poster for Burning Incense Valley was still in effect. Although she wasn't afraid, she didn't want to cause any trouble or attract attention now that Xiao Chuan had returned.

It is necessary to find a suitable, less conspicuous identity to settle down temporarily.

A little behind Xiaobai, Biyao stood on a blooming pink flower. Its petals were crystal clear, with a faint golden halo around the edges. It was the Heartbreak Flower.

Her long hair was tied up with a simple jade hairpin, which made her look less spoiled and wicked and more elegant.

But those eyes, still a deep, dark green, were now secretly glancing at Lu Xueqi and Jiang Xiaochuan ahead, filled with trepidation, anticipation, and a hint of barely perceptible hostility.

She stopped using the Soul-Devouring Staff to fly; that thing was too ferocious and its appearance was... not very elegant. She didn't want to leave Jiang Xiaochuan with an even worse impression.

At least the sad flower is prettier.

Jiang Xiaochuan caught a glimpse of the shimmering, sorrowful flower at Biyao's feet out of the corner of his eye, and inexplicably felt a sense of relief.

Finally, I don't have to look at that ugly, menacing fire poker anymore.

These flowers... are quite beautiful, full of vitality, and they match Biyao's current attire.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he heard Biyao's voice, tinged with a mixture of probing and anticipation, drift over from beside him:

"Xiao Chuan, look at these flowers...aren't they pretty?"

Jiang Xiaochuan subconsciously nodded in agreement, replying, "Yes, it looks good."

Biyao's eyes lit up, and a bright smile instantly bloomed on her face, a mixture of smugness and girlish shyness. She pressed on, "Then... is the flower prettier, or am I prettier?"

That's a direct question, yet it's also a hook.

Jiang Xiaochuan was focused on controlling his sword (mainly because he was mentally exhausted and didn't want to be distracted), and when she asked him this, before his mind could even process it, his mouth had already followed the instinct and almost blurted out:

"You're beautiful."

After saying that, he was stunned for a moment.

Biyao is beautiful, with an exotic charm. Her light green dress makes her skin look even whiter and her features even more exquisite.

But... he secretly glanced at Lu Xueqi to his left and behind.

Sure enough, Lu Xueqi's aura instantly turned cold.

Despite the absence of wind, the air around the Tianya Sword seemed to freeze, carrying a bone-chilling cold.

Her cool gaze swept over Jiang Xiaochuan, then over Biyao, whose face lit up with a smile and whose eyes sparkled at the compliment.

She didn't say anything, but her tightly pursed lips and slightly tense jaw betrayed her displeasure.

Jiang Xiaochuan sighed inwardly, "Oh well, here we go again."

He couldn't be bothered with the silent undercurrents and swirling jealousy between them anymore.

He simply urged the snow-covered river beneath his feet, the sword light accelerating as it descended straight towards the familiar open space in front of Shoujing Hall.

Out of sight, out of mind; let's go home first and talk about it later.

The sword light faded, and Jiang Xiaochuan stood firmly on the solid, warm soil of Dazhu Peak.

The familiar scent of bamboo and the aroma of cooking filled my nostrils, and the tension that had been building in my heart finally eased completely. What followed was a deeper weariness and a bittersweet feeling of "I'm finally back."

"Seventh Brother!"

"Ogawa!"

"Junior Brother Jiang!"

Several shouts, a mixture of surprise, excitement, and worry, rang out simultaneously.

Tian Buyi rushed over in one stride, and slapped Jiang Xiaochuan's shoulder hard with his large, fan-like hand. The force was so great that Jiang Xiaochuan staggered, but he was quickly caught.

Tian Buyi looked him up and down carefully.

Seeing that apart from his pale complexion and a mark on his forehead, he seemed to be alright, she breathed a long sigh of relief, though her eyes were a little red.

His voice choked with emotion: "It's good that you're back! It's good that you're back! Damn the Ghost King Sect, wait for me..."

Su Ru rushed forward and hugged Jiang Xiaochuan tightly. Tears instantly streamed down her face as she stroked his hair and back, her voice choked with sobs: "Xiaochuan... my son... you're finally back... you scared your master's wife to death..."

Song Daren, He Dazhi, Wu Dayi, Zheng Dali, Lü Daxin, Du Bishu, Lin Jingyu, Zhang Xiaofan and other fellow disciples also gathered around, chattering and asking all sorts of questions, their faces showing genuine concern and relaxation.

Surrounded by this familiar warmth, Jiang Xiaochuan felt a lump in his throat and his eyes welled up with tears.

He wanted to say something, but his throat felt like it was blocked by something, so he could only hug his master's wife tightly.

He then gave his master and fellow disciples a tired but genuine smile.

Just then, he saw Tian Ling'er standing on the outer edge of the crowd, biting her lip, her eyes red, wanting to go forward but seemingly not daring to.

Her bright red dress looked somewhat thin in the morning light, and her face had lost its usual radiance, leaving only a cautious expectation and a deep-seated grievance.

Seeing Tian Ling'er like this, Jiang Xiaochuan's feelings of unease and avoidance caused by the "entanglement of the past life" were suddenly diluted by a stronger sense of affection and guilt from their childhood friendship in this "life".

Regardless of whether she was reborn or not, in this life, she is his senior sister Ling'er, the vibrant and bright Tian Ling'er who took him running wild all over the mountains and fields since childhood, always took him down with her when she got into trouble, always secretly gave him delicious food, and would sulk if he talked to other female disciples for too long.

She waited for him for so long and worried for so long.

He pushed away his master's wife's embrace and walked up to Tian Ling'er under everyone's gaze.

Then, to Tian Ling'er's astonished, flustered, and somewhat incredulous anticipation, he stretched out his arms and gently, yet firmly, hugged her.

"Senior Sister Ling'er, I'm back." He whispered in her ear, his voice filled with genuine relief.

The hug was brief, lasting only a moment.

But Tian Ling'er seemed to be frozen in place, standing there blankly.

Feeling that brief but real warmth and touch, my face flushed instantly, my heart pounded like a drum, and even my ears turned bright red.

The sadness and bitterness I felt when I saw Lu Xueqi, Biyao, and Xiaobai appear together were instantly washed away by this sudden hug.

All that remained was an overwhelming, almost overflowing joy and bewilderment.

He hugged her!

He hugged her on his own initiative!

Is it...is it...?

However, before her joy could fully develop, an irresistible force gently pulled her away from Jiang Xiaochuan.

It's Lu Xueqi.

She had already sheathed her sword and landed on the ground, standing beside Jiang Xiaochuan. She reached out and naturally separated Tian Ling'er from Jiang Xiaochuan. The movement seemed gentle, but it carried an absolute force.

Her cool face remained expressionless as she simply nodded slightly to Tian Buyi and Su Ru: "Uncle-Master Tian, ​​Uncle-Master Su, this disciple has brought Junior Brother Jiang back safely."

Tian Buyi and Su Ru quickly expressed their gratitude.

Su Ru looked at Lu Xueqi, then at Biyao and Xiaobai who had landed beside her, a hint of doubt and worry flashing in her eyes.

But right now, the most important thing is that my son (apprentice) has returned safely; we can ask about the rest later.

Jiang Xiaochuan also came to his senses and said to Tian Buyi, "Master, Mistress, I...I'm a little tired and want to go back to my room to rest first."

He was truly exhausted, both physically and mentally. All he wanted was to return to his familiar little home, close the door, pull up the covers, and get a good night's sleep, without thinking about anything else.

Seeing that he looked unwell, Tian Buyi quickly nodded, "Go quickly! Get some rest! We can talk about it after you've had a good night's sleep!"

Jiang Xiaochuan felt as if he had been granted a pardon and nodded to everyone.

He glanced again at Tian Ling'er, who was separated from him by Lu Xueqi, whose face instantly darkened but who was forcing a smile, and sighed inwardly.

He didn't say anything more, turned around, and walked quickly towards his little hut on the edge of the bamboo forest. His steps were a little unsteady, and his back clearly showed a sense of escape.

Lu Xueqi watched his figure disappear at the end of the bamboo path before turning her gaze to Tian Buyi and Su Ru, her tone calm: "Uncle-Master Tian, ​​Uncle-Master Su, I have some matters to discuss with Junior Sister Tian and... these two. May I borrow the side hall of Shoujing Hall?"

Her gaze swept lightly over Biyao and Xiaobai.

Looking at this scene, Tian Buyi felt uneasy.

The seventh brother is back, but the "trouble" he brought back seems to have increased just as much.

Lu Xueqi was one thing, but the girl in the light green dress, with her stunningly beautiful face yet a hint of wickedness, and the woman with bare feet, flowing silver hair, and a mysterious, languid air, were clearly no ordinary people.

What exactly happened on Lao Qi's "Ghost King Sect trip"?

He glanced at Su Ru, who shook her head slightly. "Never mind, let the young people handle their own affairs first."

"Go on, go on." Tian Buyi waved his hand, then added, "Junior Nephew Xueqi, Seventh Brother... just got back and was quite frightened. You... should talk things out."

"This disciple understands," Lu Xueqi replied, then looked at Tian Ling'er, Biyao, and Xiaobai, "The three of you, please."