Zhu Xian: They've all been reborn

Tian Ling'er bit her lip, glanced at her father and mother, then at Biyao and Xiaobai, and finally followed in Lu Xueqi's footsteps.

Biyao took a deep breath and followed. However, when she passed by Su Ru, she paused slightly and gave the gentle and beautiful woman a very light and quick nod, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

Xiao Bai gave Tian Buyi and Su Ru a lazy but harmless smile, and then followed them leisurely.

Four women, each with a distinct personality, are brought together by the same person to temporarily enter the same room for a "negotiation" that is destined to be anything but easy.

A few hours ago...

Tongtian Peak, Yuqing Hall.

After listening to Lu Xueqi's brief but crucial report (which omitted core secrets such as rebirth, only stating that Biyao was deeply obsessed with Jiang Xiaochuan and was willing to stay in Qingyun under the guise of "visiting a friend," and promised to restrain the behavior of the Ghost King Sect), Dao Xuan Zhenren held the jade slip representing the Ghost King Sect's "friendly" signal between his fingers and pondered for a long time.

Besides Dao Xuan, only Master Shuiyue was present in the hall.

"Xueqi, are you sure that Young Master Biyao really won't cause trouble in Qingyun?" Daoxuan asked slowly, his gaze sharp.

"The Ghost King Sect and my Qingyun Sect have a long-standing feud. This move is tantamount to inviting a wolf into the house, and the risk is extremely high."

"This disciple is willing to stake my life on it." Lu Xueqi's voice was cold, yet resolute.

"Biyao ascends to the heavens, all for Junior Brother Jiang."

During this period, if the Ghost King Sect makes any unusual moves, she will be the first to object. Moreover,

She paused, then looked at Shuiyue.

"Master once said that in the previous generation of the Demonic Sect, there was also a person as devoted and passionate as Lady Jinling, who caused a tragedy because of love."

Although Biyao's actions were stubborn, they may not be without room for maneuver.

If we can use this as an opportunity to temporarily stabilize the Ghost King Sect, or even... resolve some of the grudges, it may not be a bad thing for Qingyun and for all living beings.

It's better than forcing out a second Lady Jinling, or even... a worse outcome.

Dao Xuan's eyes flickered slightly. He naturally knew the story of Lady Jinling.

If Biyao's obsession with Jiang Xiaochuan is truly that deep, perhaps... it can indeed be used to buy some time.

Although the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament of Qingyun Sect has revealed outstanding talents, it still requires time to recuperate and digest what it has learned.

A full-scale war with the Ghost King Sect is by no means the best course of action.

He looked at Shuiyue: "Junior Sister Shuiyue, what do you think?"

Master Shuiyue appeared calm, but a slight ripple stirred within his heart.

She could naturally tell that Lu Xueqi was hiding something, and that Biyao's "obsession" with Jiang Xiaochuan was probably far from ordinary.

But Xueqi must have her reasons for daring to make a guarantee. Moreover... thinking of the increasingly aged figure in the ancestral hall on the back mountain, whose eyes had regained some sparkle because of her frequent "visits" lately, Shuiyue sighed softly in her heart.

It's a pity; once it's missed, it's missed.

It's always good to avoid creating new regrets.

"What Xueqi said makes sense," Shuiyue said slowly.

"Since Biyao is the Ghost King's only daughter, she is of great importance."

They arranged for her to stay in Qingyun, ostensibly to visit a friend, but in reality, as a hostage.

The Ghost King is hesitant to act rashly, fearing the consequences, and will likely not dare to make any moves in the short term.

As for what will happen in the future... that requires further consideration.

Right now, the priority is to stabilize the situation and allow the disciples to focus on their cultivation.

Dao Xuan Zhenren nodded, finally making his decision:

"In that case, let's do as Xueqi says."

The order was given that Biyao, the young master of the Ghost King Sect, would temporarily reside at Xiaozhu Peak under the pretext of visiting a friend, and would be looked after by her junior sister Shuiyue and Xueqi.

In all matters of daily life, you shall be treated with the courtesy due to a guest minister, but you shall not leave the Qingyun territory without permission, nor shall you cause trouble within the gate.

Anyone who violates this rule will be immediately expelled and treated as a provocation by the Ghost King Sect!

"Yes, Senior Brother (Master Uncle)." Shuiyue and Lu Xueqi replied at the same time.

Behind the mountain, the Ancestral Master's Shrine.

The ancient ancestral hall, surrounded by towering pines and cypresses, appeared exceptionally quiet in the afternoon sunlight.

The faint scent of incense lingered in the air.

When Shuiyue entered the ancestral hall, Wan Jianyi was slowly sweeping fallen leaves in the courtyard with a broom.

He was still tall and straight, but his hair was as white as snow and his face had aged considerably. Only his eyes, when he occasionally looked up, still showed a glimpse of their former sharpness.

Upon seeing Shuiyue, Wan Jianyi stopped what he was doing and smiled slightly at her. His smile lacked its former youthful exuberance, replaced by a serene peace born of experience. "Junior Sister Shuiyue, you've arrived."

"Hmm." Shuiyue nodded, walked to his side, naturally took the broom from his hand, put it aside, and then took out an oil paper package from her sleeve and handed it to him.

"I bought it down the mountain; it's freshly made osmanthus cake, and it's still warm."

Wan Jianyi took it, opened the paper package, and a sweet fragrance wafted out.

He picked up a piece, took a bite, chewed slowly, and gazed into the distant sea of ​​clouds, his eyes filled with a sense of longing.

"I heard that during this Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament, that disciple from Dazhu Peak named Jiang Xiaochuan was kidnapped by a girl from the Ghost King Sect?"

Wan Jianyi suddenly spoke, his tone calm, as if he were talking about something ordinary.

Shuiyue was tidying up the incense burner on the offering table when she heard this, she paused slightly: "Senior brother, you've heard about it too? It was Xueqi who went alone to bring the person back. The young master of the Ghost King Sect, Biyao, also came along, saying she was... visiting a friend."

"Oh?" Wan Jianyi raised an eyebrow, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.

"That's quite unusual. The Ghost King's daughter has come all the way to Qingyun Mountain to visit a friend. Is she... visiting that Jiang Xiaochuan?"

"Yes." Shuiyue didn't hide anything. "Xueqi vouched for us, and Senior Brother Daoxuan also agreed. We'll be staying at Xiaozhu Peak for the time being."

Wan Jianyi remained silent for a moment, swallowed the last bite of osmanthus cake, and patted the crumbs off his hands.

His gaze returned to Shuiyue's face, her eyes deep and penetrating, as if she could see right through people's hearts.

"Xueqi is just like you. Once she's made up her mind, nothing can change it. But love is the most hurtful and tormenting thing." He sighed softly, his tone carrying the wisdom of someone who's been through it all. "You... seem to be coming here often lately."

Shuiyue lowered her eyes, looking at her bare hands, and whispered, "I... I just came to take a look."

Wan Jian smiled and didn't ask any further questions.

He walked to the corridor, sat down on a bench, and patted the spot next to him.

Shuiyue hesitated for a moment, then walked over and sat down beside him. There was a half-person distance between them, neither too close nor too far.

Sunlight filtered through the pine needles, casting dappled shadows on them.

The wind blows, and the pines rustle in the breeze.

No one spoke again; they simply sat quietly, enjoying this rare, undisturbed tranquility.

In the air, besides the scent of incense and plants, there seemed to be something else: a faint warmth called "companionship."

The pine tree remained in that secluded, quiet room, repenting day after day.

His sins require him to atone for the rest of his life.

After a long separation and their respective pain, the two former fellow disciples in the ancestral hall seem to have finally found a new and peaceful way to get along.

Some relationships don't necessarily need to be dramatic; a gentle, steady flow and quiet companionship may already be the best compensation that fate can offer.

Dazhu Peak, Jiang Xiaochuan's little house.

The doors and windows were tightly closed, and the curtains were drawn tightly shut.

The room was dimly lit, with only a few rays of sunlight filtering through the curtains, illuminating the fine dust particles floating in the air. There was a faint, comforting scent in the air, belonging to the house and the old bedding.

Jiang Xiaochuan buried himself completely under the covers, face down, and remained motionless.

He has been in this position for almost half an hour since he returned to this room, kicked off his shoes, threw off his coat, and plopped down on the bed.

My body is tired, but my mind is even more tired.

But I just can't fall asleep.

Those chaotic images and sounds churned uncontrollably in my mind.

Lu Xueqi's cold eyes and the words, "Can you give me a chance?"

Biyao's desperate tears and accusatory songs.

Xiao Bai's solemn confession and the gentle tenderness beneath her languid demeanor.

The instant brightening of Tian Ling'er's eyes when she was embraced, followed by their immediate dimming; the worried faces of her master and mistress; the concerned inquiries from her fellow disciples…

And then there's... those "past lives" that they mentioned so casually.

Lu Xueqi sang "Preference", Biyao sang "Dream of Immortal Swords"...

Those songs from another world were like a key, unlocking a long-sealed corner of his heart that even he himself had forgotten.

He had a vague feeling that what they were saying might be true. Otherwise, the absurdity of it all would be inexplicable.

If they are all reborn, coming to him with memories and feelings from their past lives, then what about him?

Who does he think he is?

An object that has been "reserved"?

A container that holds their obsessions?

What meaning does his life, his choices, his feelings have in this world?

The thought chilled him to the bone, and a surge of resentful anger welled up within him.

But after the anger comes an even deeper sense of powerlessness.

What can he change?

Resist? Escape?

Where can we escape to?

Those women, which one of them wasn't highly skilled, incredibly capable, and extremely stubborn?

Can he escape?

He remembered Lu Xueqi's words, "Give it a try," and Xiaobai's words, "Let nature take its course." It seemed... that was the only way.

Let them do whatever they want, he's too lazy to think about it or make a choice.

That's it... let's leave it at that.

But can we really just "leave it like this"?

He suddenly remembered something extremely important, but had been temporarily forgotten due to the chaos of the past few days—the plot!

Or rather, the "future" of this world!

The chaos of the Beast Gods ten years later!

That was a catastrophe that swept across the world and caused immense suffering to all living beings!

What about the Blood-Dripping Cave beneath the Dead Spirit Abyss of Kongsang Mountain and the first volume of the Heavenly Book?

On Liubo Mountain, the Kui Niu was born, and good and evil confronted each other.

What about the Six-Tails and Three-Tails that were suppressed in Koike Town?

Furthermore, the Ghost King Sect has always coveted the Dragon-Subduing Cauldron and the Four Spirits Blood Array!

If Biyao changes, will the Ghost King still carry out that crazy plan?

What about the other sects of the Demonic Cult? The Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, the Joyful Union Sect, the Hall of Longevity... Will they still unite at some point to attack the Azure Cloud Sect?

Most importantly—how exactly were they reborn?!

One question after another, like cold stones, crashed into the still waters of his heart, which had just been settling down, stirring up even greater turmoil and unease.

He originally thought he was just an unlucky guy who accidentally got caught up in a "love affair," but now he realizes that he may have been caught in a much larger, more dangerous vortex that concerns the future of the entire world!

And those few reborn individuals are the center of the vortex, or... the key?

He suddenly jumped out of bed, sat up, panting heavily, and his forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat.

Sleepiness had long since vanished without a trace.

No, we can't just let things stagnate like this. He needs to know, he needs to find out!

At the very least, we need to know the reason for their rebirth, how the "plot" of this world has gone astray, and what the future may hold!

He threw off the covers, got out of bed, hastily put on his shoes, walked to the door, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

The afternoon sun was a bit dazzling, the bamboo shadows swayed, and a gentle breeze caressed my face.

He squinted to adjust to the light, then strode quickly toward Shoujing Hall.

Lu Xueqi and the others should still be "discussing" there, right?

He needs to go and ask.

At least, ask to get to the bottom of it.

As for what to do after finding out... we'll see.