After Being Certified by the Immortal Lord on the Path of Ruthlessness - Chapter 62

The carriage rocked and swayed along the road. The girl who had cried herself to exhaustion that afternoon was now so drowsy she could barely keep her head upright.

 

Watching her lolling head, Ye Qingge leaned slightly closer, letting her rest against her shoulder.

 

The tilting figure, like a drowning soul finding a floating log, gradually settled, and then remained still.

 

Long, delicate eyelashes drooped, casting faint shadows beneath closed lids.

 

Normally, the journey from Mount Hua to Changbai Mountain would take two days. With a spiritual power orb, it could be traversed in the blink of an eye.

 

Yet Ye Qingge chose to go slowly this time.

 

She couldn’t explain why; she simply wanted to linger a little longer with the one beside her.

 

It had always been Ye Qingge who nestled securely in Jiang Mianhao’s arms to sleep. Now, for the first time, Jiang Mianhao was soundly asleep, resting her head on Ye Qingge’s shoulder.

 

Time seemed to stand still as the person beside her leaned in, and Ye Qingge’s heart felt an unprecedented tranquility.

 

She heard the wheels crunching through the mud, the creaking of the carriage, and the calls of street vendors carrying their steaming foods, radiating the warmth of everyday life.

 

Gazing at the sleeping figure beside her, Ye Qingge couldn’t help but recall Lily of the Valley’s earnest words from that day:

 

To value another’s life more than one’s own, even willing to die for them.

 

Love is the courage to face death without fear. Love is meticulous care. Love is the quiet peace of daily companionship.

 

No wonder mortals are ensnared and tormented by the word love.

 

Yet there is nothing wrong with that. To possess love…

 

As the thought surfaced, Ye Qingge felt a fleeting surprise. Perhaps she, too, secretly craved such an emotion.

 

But the idea was immediately pushed aside.

 

Feng Ming had forsaken the glory of reaching the pinnacle for love; Jiang Yunlian had abandoned her prestigious family for love.

Fu Wanyin had forged a sword with her own body for love, transforming into a sword spirit to follow Lily of the Valley up Mount Hua.

 

Everyone is trapped by love, yet everyone seeks it; the world is bound by emotion.

 

“Do I need it?” Ye Qingge murmured softly, turning her gaze to the person sleeping beside her before quickly looking away.

 

Perhaps she did.

 

Yet she still could not fully understand herself. After a long pause, she spoke as if to the sleeping figure, yet also as if trying to persuade her own heart: “No. A goddess does not need love.”

 

The person beside her remained in a deep, serene sleep, her lips occasionally parting to murmur the name “Lu Jiu” in her dreams.

 

By the time they reached the summit of Mount Taibai, the two days in the carriage had passed.

 

Jiang Mianhao felt as if her bones were about to crumble from the long journey. She stretched her arms, groaning, then looked up at the familiar peaks.

 

“Lu Jiu, are you tired?” she asked, taking the hand of the person beside her with a small sigh. “But we’re home!”

 

Ye Qingge was tugged forward by her.

 

The house she had crafted with her spiritual power still stood atop the mountain, but now it was surrounded by scattered patches of green—humble, tenacious wild grass.

 

“Wow! The seeds I planted earlier have sprouted!” Jiang Mianhao exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement as she pulled Ye Qingge closer. “Lu Jiu, look! These are the seeds Granny Rong Qi gave me last time. She said she brought them from the place where she found me. They might even be Good Sleep Grass!”

 

Squatting by the wooden cabin, Jiang Mianhao inspected the seedlings with delight. Buried under a thin layer of snow before, the seeds had already sprouted, their tiny green leaves piercing the soil, stubbornly reaching toward the sky.

 

“It really is Good Sleep Grass!” she murmured, brushing away the lingering snow with her hands to reveal more tiny shoots.

 

Ye Qingge, however, showed little interest in the emerging plants. She offered a faint “Mm” in response, then strode steadily back into the house, her calm composure in sharp contrast to Jiang Mianhao’s bubbling excitement.

 

Jiang Mianhao, who had stayed outside, sensed something amiss and immediately followed.

 

The long-unoccupied house was coated in a thin layer of dust. With a wave of Ye Qingge’s hand, the interior was instantly restored to pristine cleanliness.

Gazing at the familiar surroundings, Jiang Mianhao’s eyes glistened with emotion. She turned and embraced the person before her. “We’re home!”

 

“Mm.” Ye Qingge wrapped her arms around Jiang Mianhao from behind, drawing her closer. “We’re home. Is there anything you’d like to do?”

 

Jiang Mianhao tilted her head thoughtfully. “I want to visit Granny Rong Qi first, and then build a house next to my little cottage for Ling Lan!”

 

Noting her wishes, Ye Qingge asked again, “Anything else?”

 

Jiang Mianhao hummed softly, pausing as if weighing her thoughts. “Not for now… my mind feels blank. I can’t think of anything else.”

 

“Alright.” Ye Qingge’s lips curved into a faint smile. “During this time, I’ll fulfill every wish you express.”

 

Jiang Mianhao blinked in surprise. “Why?”

 

Ye Qingge shook her head calmly. “We’ve been traveling for two days. I’m tired.”

 

“Okay!” Jiang Mianhao laughed softly and hugged her tightly. “Then you rest for a while. I’ll go check on Granny Rong Qi!”

 

As the person in her arms let go and turned to leave, she was abruptly pulled back.

Ye Qingge drew her closer into an embrace, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to her lips. “No rush. Lull me to sleep first.”

 

The kiss deepened, playful yet tender, and in their soft struggle, they tumbled onto the bed.

 

Outside, the world was quiet, but inside, the room radiated a gentle warmth that wrapped around them like a cocoon.

 

By the time Jiang Mianhao stirred again, the night outside the window was pitch black.

 

Lu Jiu lay asleep in her arms, and a single candle flickered softly on the table, casting gentle shadows across the room.

 

Gazing at the sleeping figure in her embrace, Jiang Mianhao felt as though she were in a dream.

 

Returning to Mount Taibai seemed almost unreal. It had been half a year since they had descended the mountain.

 

In those six months, so much had changed beyond recognition.

 

When they had left, there had been four of them, yet now only she and Lu Jiu had returned.

 

And the bond between her and the person in her arms had grown from distant familiarity to an intimate closeness she had never imagined.

 

Recalling the heart-stopping moments of the transformation night, Jiang Mianhao felt an even deeper contrast with the serene tranquility that now enveloped the room.

 

She leaned down gently, pressing a soft kiss to the forehead of the one in her arms. Whispering barely above a breath, she murmured, “Thank you, Goddess, for granting me such a wonderful Lu Jiu.”

 

Though still deep in slumber, the presence of Lu Jiu banished any drowsiness from Jiang Mianhao’s mind. She lifted a fingertip, tracing the delicate contours of Lu Jiu’s face.

 

Her finger glided from the smooth forehead down to the tip of the nose, then lingered lightly on those soft, rosy lips.

 

Jiang Mianhao gazed, entranced, at the face she knew so well. So familiar yet eternally new to her eyes. She could never tire of looking.

 

Tightening her embrace, she held the sleeping figure close, letting herself drift back into a deep, undisturbed sleep.

 

The night passed without dreams.

 

Gradually, the horizon glowed with the first rays of sunlight, streaming gently across the window paper and illuminating the quiet room.

The butterflies pasted on the window seemed to come alive under the morning sun, their shadows dancing across the room as if infused with a secret vitality.

 

Ye Qingge’s long eyelashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes.

 

The room was silent and her arms were empty.

 

The last traces of drowsiness vanished instantly.

 

She sat up abruptly, eyes scanning every corner, her mind a storm of thoughts: the red snake, the Ao Birds. Could they appear at any moment?

 

A creeping unease washed over her.

 

Had their location been exposed? Had the Ao Bird clan tracked them to Mount Taibai?

 

Or had the love tribulation been revealed? Had Jiang Mianhao been taken?

 

Speculations multiplied relentlessly, gnawing at her chest. The emptiness in her arms felt like a physical weight, leaving her inexplicably unsettled.

 

Frowning, she called softly, “Jiang Mianhao?”

 

“Here!” came a response from outside, followed by the rustling of footsteps.

 

The door to the room opened, and Jiang Mianhao leaned against the doorframe. “You’re awake!”

 

Ye Qingge nodded and hummed in acknowledgment. “What were you doing?”

 

“I just went to visit Granny Rong Qi, but she wasn’t there,” Jiang Mianhao said obediently. “Then I watered the Goodnight Grass outside and talked to them.”

 

Ye Qingge frowned, her tone tinged with impatience. “What’s there to talk about with a bunch of wild grass? Come here.”

 

“They’re not wild grass,” Jiang Mianhao replied softly, yet obediently stepped forward. “What’s wrong?”

 

Seeing that the person before her was unharmed, Ye Qingge felt her previously uneasy heart gradually settle.

 

Frowning, Ye Qingge said, “For the next few days, you must stay with me at all times. Don’t run off alone, understand?”

 

“Understood,” Jiang Mianhao replied gently, stepping closer to smooth Ye Qingge’s bangs. “Did you have a nightmare?”

 

Ye Qingge hummed in affirmation, brushing it off. “I dreamed you were captured by bad people.”

 

Hearing the worry in her voice, Jiang Mianhao rarely saw Lu Jiu in such a discomposed state.

 

Gently pulling her into an embrace, Jiang Mianhao whispered, “I won’t be captured. I have you with me.”

 

Ye Qingge said nothing, burying her head in Jiang Mianhao’s chest and closing her eyes quietly.

 

“I won’t leave you,” Jiang Mianhao promised. “I’ll stay by your side, always. I won’t go anywhere.”

 

Ye Qingge wrapped her arms around Jiang Mianhao’s waist and replied softly, “Okay.”

 

Neither spoke further, simply holding each other tightly as they leaned against one another.

 

“Mianhao? Are you back?”

 

A questioning voice came from outside the door, muffled by the wooden panel.

 

Not receiving a response, the speaker sounded puzzled. “That’s strange. I clearly saw someone crouching here earlier.”

 

“Tall Fescue, are you mistaken?” Ice Grass peered inside. “The doors and windows are tightly shut. If Mianhao had returned, wouldn’t she have opened them?”

 

Ryegrass chimed in, “Maybe she’s still asleep? Mianhao has always been a heavy sleeper.”

 

Hearing the voices outside, Jiang Mianhao whispered, “It’s Tall Fescue and the others. Can I go out and talk to them?”

 

Ye Qingge glanced toward the true forms of the grass spirits waiting outside, then released her grip. “Go ahead.”

 

Delighted, Jiang Mianhao beamed and leaned down to kiss the person in her arms soothingly. “Then get some more rest. I’ll go talk to them.”

 

Ye Qingge nodded, watching as Jiang Mianhao stepped out, then lay back down.

 

However, her spirit slipped from her body and hurried toward Qingyang Hall.

 

As the door opened and Jiang Mianhao emerged, the little grass spirits gathered at the entrance, swarming around her in excitement.

 

“Mianhao! You’re really back! You seem so different from before!” Ryegrass exclaimed, eyes wide with curiosity. “Your complexion is rosy, your spiritual energy is abundant. You don’t look sickly like when you left the mountain!”

 

Jiang Mianhao felt a twinge of embarrassment, unsure how to respond.

 

During her six months away from the mountain, her spiritual energy had remained weak and stagnant. She had relied on Lv Jiu and Lily of the Valley’s protection to stay safe.

 

Although she had gone down the mountain to cultivate, she hadn’t truly advanced until that night.

 

Ever since the intimate moments she shared with Lv Jiu, her spiritual energy had surged. Even her previously damaged foundation and true form had fully healed.

 

Seeing the silence from the others, Tall Fescue tilted his head in puzzlement. “But ordinary plants can only cultivate for half a year after leaving the mountain. How could you become this powerful? Mianhao, do you have some secret?”

 

“A secret!” Ice Grass immediately pulled a roasted candied fruit from her small bag and offered it eagerly, flattery evident in her voice. “Mianhao, teach us, please!”

 

Looking at the sweet candied fruit, Jiang Mianhao felt a little tempted.

 

“Actually, I don’t really know how to explain it,” Jiang Mianhao said, staring longingly at the candied fruit.

Noticing her gaze, Icegrass quickly and tactfully lifted the lid.

 

A sweet, rich aroma of roasted candied fruit immediately wafted through the air.

 

Just as Jiang Mianhao reached out to take it, a sudden wave of nausea surged in her chest, and she let out a dry heave.