Spiritual energy resurgence? My former empress wife has also revived!

The babbling brook and the mountain breeze bring a touch of coolness to the mountains.

In the early summer, the warm breeze is quite pleasant.

Upstream, a woman dressed in an elaborate embroidered palace dress sat casually on the pebbles by the stream. The splashes of water landed on her gorgeous dress without leaving any marks.

The woman removed her shoes and socks, revealing a pair of snow-white, crystal-clear, tender feet, which were then immersed in the stream.

The cool stream water nibbled at her pink toes, making her snow-white toes tense up, looking playful and adorable.

She wasn't wearing a veil, revealing her exquisitely beautiful face.

Just one glance at her and you can't remember anything else, as if only her cool white figure remains in the world.

Her white hair, as white as snow, made her jade-like face appear even more radiant and flawless.

Her eyes were cold, so cold that they were unfathomable, as if nothing in the world was worth a second of her attention.

She sat there like a solitary peak, making people afraid to approach, yet unable to look away.

In an instant,

The coldness in the woman's eyes melted away completely, like ripples spreading across the waters of East Lake in spring.

For a moment, Qin Zijun was completely mesmerized, as if he had returned to that bleak autumn afternoon when he was a monk sitting by the stream, watching the girl skip and hop towards him.

However, the woman at this moment was no longer as carefree, but she was more mature and charming.

"Where did this little monk come from, staring at girls like that lecherous fellow? Isn't that rude?"

"Which temple did you practice at that that produced such a dissolute monk like you? It must be a place that harbors filth and corruption."

Jiang Zhi frowned, exuding an air of authority that would likely terrify any ordinary person.

Qin Zijun touched his rather long hair and smiled, "This humble monk's Dharma name is Mingxiang, and I practice at Kongxiang Temple. May I ask this female benefactor's name?"

"As expected of a philandering monk, who asks every girl he sees for her name? Oh well, I'll tell you, my surname is Jiang."

"So it's Miss Jiang. This humble monk greets you."

Qin Zijun solemnly raised one hand to her chest and bowed her head while chanting Buddhist mantras.

A hazy glint flashed in Jiang Zhi's eyes, which were as cold as a snow lotus in the Tianshan Mountains. She said softly, "Little monk, you really are a frivolous monk. Why don't you shave your head?"

"This humble monk practices Buddhism while wearing hair," Qin Zijun said with a smile.

Jiang Zhi withdrew her snow-white feet from the stream, and with a gentle shake, all the water droplets fell away.

She was barefoot, her feet light and graceful on the pebbles, moving like a fairy descended to earth as she walked step by step toward Qin Zijun.

There was magical power flowing between her feet, making it seem as if she was walking on pebbles, but in reality she was stepping on the void. She held a bamboo basket on her wrist and stood in front of Qin Zijun from a high position.

Jiang Zhi glanced at the teacup Qin Zijun was holding and said with dissatisfaction, "Don't even mention my foot bath water, even if it were my bath water, many people would never have the chance to drink a sip."

"Little monk, do you despise me? Or are you so audacious as to want your entire family wiped out?"

Qin Zijun drank the tea in her cup in one gulp and exclaimed, "The fragrance lingers on my palate; it's truly excellent tea."

"Is this tea?"

Jiang Zhi raised her eyebrows slightly.

"The water is good."

Qin Zijun said earnestly.

Jiang Zhi chuckled, as if a hundred flowers were in full bloom, all the coldness dissipated, leaving only shimmering water.

"You're still as lazy as ever, still my... little monk."

Her eyes were like a pool of autumn water, clear and deep, shimmering with a gentle ripple, as if tears were about to spill out.

But it seemed like an illusion, because Jiang Zhi had long since stopped crying.

Jiang Zhi casually sat down next to Qin Zijun and put down the bamboo basket.

The arches of her crystal-clear snow-white feet were taut, and her toes, as if teasing, gently brushed against Qin Zijun's chin.

Without any ceremony, she picked up the teacup that Qin Zijun had used, poured herself a cup of tea, and gulped it down in one go.

The cup Qin Zijun had used still carried his scent, stirring a wave of tenderness and passion within Jiang Zhi.

She never let anyone touch the things she used in her life, especially men's things.

It's not that Jiang Zhi has a severe case of mysophobia.

Since she has pledged herself to her husband in this life, she must remain pure and chaste, and not encounter any man other than her husband.

She demanded this of herself and practiced it throughout her life.

Qin Zijun laughed and said, "Does Your Majesty perhaps enjoy drinking your own foot bath water?"

Jiang Zhi retorted angrily, "Why should I explain my actions to others?"

"You little monk, you insisted on running to this deep mountain forest, making me search for you for ages. My ankles are aching from all the walking."

"Give me a good foot massage. If I do it well, I'll reward you. If I don't, I'll kill you."

A pair of snow-white feet appeared in Qin Zijun's hands. They were smooth, delicate, and soft to the touch, like exquisitely carved jade.

He held the soles of my feet as if they were rare treasures, gently pressing and kneading with his palms and fingers, displaying exceptional skill, as if he were truly a competent foot massage therapist.

Jiang Zhi's breathing was a little erratic, and her once cold eyes, which had instilled fear in countless people, were now radiant and full of affection.

Her feet felt a little itchy, and she subconsciously moved, accidentally touching something firm and hot. Her eyes were full of amusement.

The little monk is really not well-behaved at all.

This wasn't the first time Qin Zijun had played with Miss Jiang's jade feet.

During the year and a half that the two traveled to the State of Yan, they were often inseparable, but Qin Zijun would stop at every crucial moment.

At that time, Miss Jiang doubted her own charm and also wondered if her little monk was impotent, and why he always stopped at the crucial moment.

Qin Zijun rubbed her feet, while Jiang Zhi leaned against the coffee table. Both of them were somewhat dazed, lost in those distant memories.

suddenly,

Jiang Zhi asked, "Little monk, I need you to answer a question for me."

"Miss Jiang, may I ask?"

"Why...didn't you take my body back then?"

After all, she is an empress who has lived for ten thousand years. Although she has no experience in this area, she will not be shy like a little girl over this topic.

Qin Zijun paused for a moment, then sighed softly, "At that time, I already knew I wouldn't live much longer, so why did I need to possess Miss Jiang's body?"

"If Miss Jiang falls in love with another man in the future, she will not let him harbor any resentment."

Jiang Zhi's eyes were deep and unfathomable: "So, you never touched me because you thought I would fall in love with other men, and that it was better for me to remain a virgin?"

Why do you always think of others but never of yourself?

Qin Zijun smiled and said, "Because that 'she' is Miss Jiang. If I don't think of Miss Jiang, who else can I think of?"

Jiang Zhi didn't dare to look at him.

That heartbeat, which had been calm for ten thousand years, now beat fiercely at this moment.

She picked up the bamboo basket beside her, opened the cover, and a fragrant aroma wafted out.

Jiang Zhi took a steamed bun from the bamboo basket and stuffed it into Qin Zijun's hand. She snorted coldly, "You made me a widow for ten thousand years. This is your punishment. Now, eat this steamed bun."

Qin Zijun held the soft, white steamed bun in her hand, her eyes filled with reminiscence.

That year, by the stream, Miss Jiang was eating royal delicacies by herself, while watching herself eat a steamed bun here.

Qin Zijun glanced at the steaming dishes in the bamboo basket, then looked away and obediently started eating her steamed bun.

Jiang Zhi picked up her chopsticks, just like she did back then, deliberately trying to annoy her little monk, and put a piece of fish into her mouth.

next moment,

Jiang Zhi's expression changed drastically. She spat out the fish in her mouth and angrily exclaimed, "What is this? How can it taste so awful?"

Qin Zijun said leisurely, "That's how vinegar fish is made."

"Miss Jiang, why do you want to buy this?"

Jiang Zhi's expression changed repeatedly. She said in a low voice, "I asked my maid what famous dishes Qiantang has, and she said it's vinegar fish."

Qin Zijun understood.

Jiang Zhi wasn't asking what delicious dishes Qiantang had, but rather what famous dishes were available.

Her maid misunderstood; the dish she mentioned was indeed famous, but whether it tasted good was another matter.

"You knew this lousy fish was bad all along, and you were just trying to make me look bad, weren't you?"

Jiang Zhi's little feet were kicking around in Qin Zijun's arms. She rested her chin on her hand and pouted angrily.

Qin Zijun laughed and said, "After all, I am from Qiantang. The way fish is prepared in ancient times may be different from that in modern times, so fish tastes bad now. Of course, fish may also taste bad in ancient times."

"But if you insist on asking me what good food there is in Qiantang, I can only say that this place is a food desert."

He handed her his half-eaten steamed bun, saying, "Miss Jiang, you'll have to endure the elements with me and share this steamed bun."

Jiang Zhi took the steamed bun and ate it in small bites.

Her beautiful eyes darted around as she looked at Qin Zijun before her, and she said with a slight hesitation, "Little monk, I feel like there's something different about you."

In Jiang Zhi's memory, her little monk should be at the age of youthful vigor and high spirits.

He lost his life in his early twenties, when he was at the peak of his youth and vitality.

So naturally, her little monk reincarnated should also look like someone in his twenties.

But Qin Zijun in front of me was different.

Although he looked to be in his twenties, Jiang Zhi could clearly sense a sense of vicissitude about him.

It's not the weariness of old age, but rather the transcendence that comes naturally from having seen the ups and downs of life.

If one had to describe it, it would be the composure and serenity that only those who have lived for ten thousand years in the Taiqing Realm possess.

Jiang Zhi was certain that the little monk in front of her was her little monk.

Whether it's his appearance, his temperament, or the attraction between his soul and hers, it all proves that he couldn't be fake.

However, such a transcendent and otherworldly quality should not appear on her little monk.

Qin Zijun was prepared for Jiang Zhi's question.

He could certainly restore his mental state from when he was prime minister, so that Jiang Zhi would see no change in him.

But that's meaningless, because it's just an act, not Qin Zijun's true temperament and mental state.

If we were to say who Qin Zijun resembles most now, and what his core essence is, it would be 'the Primordial Great Luo Heaven'.

The incarnation of Qin Zijun in the "Primordial Great Luo Heaven" was a very late reincarnation.

It was also the culmination of his countless lifetimes of experience and memories that made his life so brilliant and splendid.

I view all living beings in the world as ants.

That wasn't just talk; it was Qin Zijun's true thought.

He transcends everything, so close to the 'Tao,' so close to the 'Immortal.'

He is an immortal in the mortal world, and he is also an immortal in the heavens beyond; this is the true him.

After a moment's hesitation, Qin Zijun slowly asked, "Miss Jiang, do you believe in reincarnation?"

Jiang Zhi chuckled and said, "Of course I believe it. Aren't we reincarnated now?"

Then, with Jiang Zhi's intelligence, she quickly understood Qin Zijun's meaning. She frowned and said, "Little monk, are you saying that you were reincarnated after you died? And that you were reincarnated with your own memories?"

Qin Zijun nodded: "Yes, I have been reincarnated before, just like I am now. So, Miss Jiang, the reason you see that I have changed is because I have experienced many things."

Qin Zijun did not say who she had reincarnated as.

Secrets make men more attractive.

So let Miss Jiang peel back the layers of an onion to see who I really am.

Qin Zijun's explanation did not surprise Jiang Zhi.

She might be surprised if it were her first incarnation.

After all, even the Taiqing Realm could not unravel the mystery of the womb.

But now, not only her, but also so many cultivators have lived a second life, so the concept of reincarnation is no longer a big deal.

Qin Zijun's answer also resolved a question that Jiang Zhi had had for many years. She sighed, "No wonder I couldn't find your soul even after searching for seven thousand five hundred years."

"So it turns out you weren't just left with your soul, but with all three souls and seven spirits intact, and your essence, energy, spirit, and true spirit were not lost."

But Jiang Zhi's simple words startled Qin Zijun: "Miss Jiang, you've been searching for me for seven thousand five hundred years?"

"That's all in the past. Now that you're back by my side, little monk, I'm content."

Jiang Zhi spoke lightly, but Qin Zijun knew all too well how she had survived those seven thousand five hundred years, and felt a pang of inexplicable pain in her heart.

But at the same time,

Qin Zijun also sensed something was wrong; it seemed that the karmic connection between him and Miss Jiang was not so easy to sever!

Jiang Zhi took out a medicine bottle from her bosom and gently placed it in Qin Zijun's hand. She said, "Inside are the Marrow Cleansing Pill, the Yuan Gathering Pill, the Spirit Condensation and Void Transformation Pill, the Nine Revolutions Returning to Origin Pill, the Penetrating Mind and Enlightening Pill, and the Void Breaking Pill."

"These pills are enough to help you cultivate to the Cave Profound Realm. Now the world has undergone great changes, and many great supernatural beings have been reincarnated and returned. This is a time of great competition."

"I was confident I could protect you for life, little monk, but after seeing that person, I'm no longer so sure."

Jiang Zhi's voice was low and deep. The person she was referring to was none other than the "Primordial Great Luo Heaven"!

However, upon seeing her young monk, she felt a sense of unease.

In Jiang Zhi's perception, Qin Zijun had not been cultivating and seemed to have no magical power at all.

But according to the information she obtained, the little monk had killed two people at the Inner Core Realm directly. How did he manage to do that?

It seems that my little monk is hiding a deep secret!

This made her even more interested in Qin Zijun.

Qin Zijun looked at the pill in her hand with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

This is mine. You're giving me my things?

Qin Zijun hesitated for a moment, then took the pills and tentatively asked, "I'll accept all these pills, then... will my karmic ties with Miss Jiang be wiped clean?"

Jiang Zhi was taken aback. With her Taiqing Realm strength, she couldn't immediately guess the true meaning behind Qin Zijun's words.

He thought that by sending these pills, he was repaying the karma for what he had done back then.

If it were an ordinary person in the Taiqing Realm, they might have such thoughts, but Jiang Zhi was not such a heartless woman.

She stood up and angrily said, "Little monk, what do you take me for? I have already pledged myself to you in this life, and I am your wife."

"No matter what you become, as long as you are still you, I will marry no one but you, so don't overthink it!"

The empress bit her lip tightly, on the verge of tears. The afternoon sun shone on her jade-like face, making her appear pale and pained.

She thought Qin Zijun had feelings of inferiority, after all, the two were now at very different levels.

Just as marriages among mortals are based on social standing and matching social classes, so too are marriages among cultivators.

But Jiang Zhi never cared about any of that. All she cared about was the little monk who loved and protected her and had her in his eyes.

Even if he is just a mortal and unable to cultivate in his lifetime, she will have no regrets about giving her life to him!