After My Thoughts Were Read, My Master Led Me to Change My Fate - Chapter 74.1

It was noon the following day.

Ran Fanyin was somewhat dazed upon waking up. It had been a long time since she had slept so peacefully. She gently shook her head, her consciousness gradually returning. She felt something heavy pressed against her body. Looking down, she saw the beggar child tightly hugging her, sleeping soundly.

Ran Fanyin’s gaze softened, a rare occurrence. She gently touched the child’s head. The little one’s hair was incredibly soft, so soft it touched the depths of her heart.

“Venerable, you are awake. Should you get up now?” The maid standing nearby had been waiting for a while.

Ran Fanyin nodded and gently woke the beggar child. The child awoke confusedly, looking around aimlessly. When her eyes met Ran Fanyin’s, a bright smile instantly bloomed on her face.

Ran Fanyin got up to straighten her clothes. Only then did she realize that her sleeping posture last night had been somewhat awkward, leaving her body aching all over. She frowned slightly. The maid carefully inquired, “Venerable, hot water is ready in your sleeping quarters. Would you like to bathe now?”

Ran Fanyin nodded. Her clothes were indeed filthy. Due to various reasons, she had not been able to properly cleanse herself. But… she looked at the beggar child on the bed, who was now staring at her with wide eyes. It seemed the child could not bear to leave her.

“Watch over her, dress her and style her hair. I will return as quickly as possible.”

“Venerable, today is the third day of the twelfth lunar month. You made an appointment with Venerable Jiang Yue to meet at the Sword Forging Pool.”

Ran Fanyin paused. It seemed… there was such a matter. She had indeed promised Senior Disciple Brother Jiang Yue that she would go to the Sword Forging Pool. In that case… what should be done with this child? There were still some antiques and treasures in this room. What if they were all broken…

Forget it, finding Senior Disciple Brother Jiang Yue was more important. Ran Fanyin sighed: “Call Cen Ran to look after her. I will return later.”

After tidying up, Ran Fanyin, dressed in a clean and elegant white gauze robe, headed towards the Sword Forging Pool.

However, every time Ran Fanyin went to request a sword, Jiang Yue readily agreed without demur. Jiang Yue had forged less than ten famous swords in total, and three of them were in the Pavilion of Glory and Desolation, belonging to Ran Fanyin and her two apprentices. The depth of their affection was self-evident. Anyone with eyes could see how much Jiang Yue favored his Junior Disciple Sister.

When Ran Fanyin arrived at the Sword Forging Pool, Jiang Yue was standing with his back to her, intently watching something in the pool.

Speaking of which, Ran Fanyin’s current appearance was that of when she was twenty years old, and Jiang Yue had attained his cultivation at the same age. The twenty-year-old youth’s back was tall and straight. His hair was bound by a white jade lotus crown. The white robe most commonly seen in Beifa was worn by him with a unique charm. Jiang Yue sensed Ran Fanyin’s arrival and turned, offering a faint smile: “Ran Fanyin.”

Jiang Yue’s gentle and detached demeanor was exactly like Ran Fanyin’s. His features were, needless to say, so handsome and graceful that one could not find a match in ten thousand people. No wonder the female disciples on Beifa Mountain looked upon Jiang Yue as their dream lover.

“I returned in a hurry this time. I apologize for making Senior Disciple Brother wait.”

“Do you need to be so polite with me? Find a place to sit. Come and tell me, did you gain any insights during this trip to Mount Kunlun?” Jiang Yue leaned against the side of the Sword Forging Pool, his expression relaxed.

“It was no different from the previous trips.”

“Do you still remember the entry admonition of the Beifa Palace back then?” Jiang Yue’s voice was gentle, incredibly soothing to hear.

“Of course. The Sect Admonition states that the Beifa Palace is named ‘Beifa’ (Receiving Punishment) because humans are born into the world with many sins and are blinded by many worldly illusions. Entering the path of cultivation is the process of washing away those sins, the process of receiving punishment.”

“What the common people cannot see through is what you cannot see through at this moment. The common people cannot see through it because they are already deeply lost; you cannot see through it because you have never been lost. If you have never been blinded by worldly illusions, how can you break through and make progress?”

Ran Fanyin silently nodded, but her mind was clearly no longer focused on Jiang Yue’s sermon. The little one in the palace must be fully awake by now, right? She wondered how much trouble she would cause, seeing that she was absent…

“You are distracted. Is there something left unresolved at the Pavilion of Glory and Desolation?” Jiang Yue asked considerately.

Ran Fanyin pondered for a moment and said, “On my way back this time, I picked up a beggar child. Her mind is undeveloped. I do not know how to handle her yet.”

“How to handle her? Does Ran Fanyin need to think about it so much?” Jiang Yue chuckled, his handsome face subtly shifting. “If you like her, take her in as an apprentice. If you are too lazy to look after her, send her to any cultivator under Beifa, or send her down the mountain for a family to foster her.”

“Hmm…” Ran Fanyin pondered in silence for a long time. Her pale, slender fingers lightly tapped on the rough stone wall: “I will… take her as my little apprentice.”

Remembering the beggar child’s lovable face, which inspired such pity, and her intense reliance on her, Ran Fanyin felt that there might be no better option than for her to be taken as an apprentice under her.

“Judging by your expression when you speak of that child, I knew you would take her in,” Jiang Yue smiled. “In that case, with a new apprentice joining the sect, what gift are you preparing this time? I remember both Luosheng and Cen Ran were given swords requested from me.”

After deciding to take the beggar child as an apprentice, a warmth surged in Ran Fanyin’s heart whenever she thought of the child. She could not help but smile: “Then, is Senior Disciple Brother still able to forge a sword?”

“I may not be able to forge another sword for the next few years. What a pity. However, your gift for joining the sect should have some novelty. How can it be sincere if you always ask me to forge a sword?”

“Senior Disciple Brother is right.” It was the same situation as Wanjia Village. She wondered if there were any living beings similar to Chen Siting within this formation.

Ning Songwu remained still where she was. This area was close to the center of the formation. There were many more wandering corpses and resentful ghosts than in the surrounding area. With her senses being obscured, Ning Songwu could only rely on instinct to avoid danger.

Suddenly, that nauseating, fishy stench disappeared. A scent of green grass, along with a familiar yet vague voice from her memory, lingered in her nose.

“Why are you closing your eyes? Open them.”

A gentle voice spoke softly. Then, Ning Songwu felt someone prying open her eyelids. More accurately, it was a demon.

Ning Songwu’s mood was complex. She was not trapped in an illusion like last time; she was very aware that this was false. But Ning Songwu still opened her eyes.

The person standing before her had short, snow-white hair, large eyes, and red pupils. They blinked constantly, looking incredibly cute.

Looking at Yuan’er, who was much larger than the one in her memory, Ning Songwu’s eyes softened for an instant before turning cold: “I closed my eyes to escape.”

Yuan’er suddenly became agitated upon hearing the word ‘escape’. Her eyes were glistening with tears. She hugged Ning Songwu helplessly: “You cannot leave! It is all monsters outside! They will eat you!”

It was true that there would be danger outside, but what awaited her was not monsters but ghosts. She wondered if the self trapped here was her consciousness or her physical body.

Ning Songwu pushed away Yuan’er, who was hugging her. She saw a tree not far away and decided to try to get out using the same method as last time.

Ignoring Yuan’er’s terrified eyes, Ning Songwu ran headlong into the tree. The assaulted tree shed a pile of leaves. Blood streamed down Ning Songwu’s face.

The sensation was too real. Ning Songwu’s vision blurred, and the world in her eyes began to double. Could it be that her physical body was also trapped in the illusion this time?

Looking at Yuan’er, who was rushing over, Ning Songwu inwardly sighed: “This is much more troublesome than last time.”

Yuan’er helped Ning Songwu, who had fallen to the ground, back up. She was heartbroken and her tone was incredibly sad: “Do you want to run away from me that much? Is it because… because I am a demon?”

This sentence was too familiar. Ning Songwu felt as if she had returned to those days of depending on each other. She had to admit that the formation had won. Every illusion created struck directly at the heart.

It was utterly disgusting. The scenery changed along the way. Deeper inside were more houses, but they were silent, devoid of any human presence.

Ran Fanyin merely glanced at the scene and continued flying in the direction Chen Siting had fled. Suddenly, her heart froze, and she stopped. The scene ahead gradually warped and changed. A familiar voice transmitted over.

This scene was familiar, but it should not be happening at this time and place. This was something that had happened four hundred years ago.

In the illusion, a girl who looked exactly like Ran Fanyin stared blankly at the sky. A man, leaning on a walking stick, slowly approached her. When he reached her back, he spoke: “What are you thinking about, little one?”

Ran Fanyin looked back. Seeing it was her Master, she shook her head: “I do not know what I should be thinking.”

Ran Xiaogui sat down beside her, “Are you not trying to think for yourself?”

Ran Fanyin shook her head: “Following Master is enough for me.”

“Master will always leave. What will you do then?”

Ran Xiaogui turned to stare at her, his eyes filled with temptation: “Come with Master.”

Ran Fanyin looked on coldly at everything happening in the illusion. Because she had detected that something was wrong early on, Ran Fanyin had not stepped into the illusion. She swung her sword, aiming to destroy this illusion that distorted her Master’s image.

The immense spiritual power caused the illusion to shatter into pieces. The illusion fragments floated down like snowflakes. What was revealed beneath the illusion was still the uninhabited village and the trembling Chen Siting.

I will not let you escape this time. Ran Fanyin directly released spiritual pressure to suppress Chen Siting.

Chen Siting was resentful. She roared: “You said you would let me go!”

Ran Fanyin’s tone remained flat: “You killed so many people and imprisoned their souls, preventing them from entering the cycle of reincarnation. There is no need to reason with you.”

This matter-of-fact tone further provoked Chen Siting. Her face turned into a white skeleton, and she laughed maniacally. Her voice was already old and cracked. Now, hysterical, it was even more unpleasant to listen to: “What makes you so noble! You executioner! What do you think you are saving!”

“I am saving all living beings.”

Chen Siting was amused. Ghost fire flickered in her hollow eyes: “Saving all living beings? You are nothing but an accomplice to the wicked!”

Ran Fanyin was not angered by her nonsense. She made a grabbing motion in the air and then tightened her hand. Chen Siting’s body gradually twisted with her movement.

With a ding, Ning Songwu woke up. She found herself standing in front of the unconscious Lin Yuxue, holding a sword. The hand gripping the sword was numb. Ning Songwu dropped the sword and sighed: “Am I sleepwalking again?”

Spiritual energy fluctuations flickered around Lin Yuxue. It seemed Ning Songwu had attacked her with the sword.

Fortunately, nothing major happened. Ning Songwu noticed that Ran Fanyin was not here. She must have gone after Chen Siting. Ning Songwu recalled what had happened before she passed out.

Ning Songwu felt somewhat helpless. She did not understand why Ran Fanyin brought her, this burden, along. If she had a choice, she would only want to slack off on Chao Ci Peak.

Finding a spot, she sat on the ground, leaning against the wall, quietly waiting for Ran Fanyin to return.

The sun gradually set in the west. The sky slowly changed from a clear blue to golden yellow. Ran Fanyin still had not returned.

Of course, Ning Songwu did not want to go looking for her. If Ran Fanyin was not in danger, that was fine. If it was something even she could not handle, Ning Songwu would only be sacrificial fodder if she went.

Ning Songwu turned to look at Lin Yuxue and Luosheng beside her. They seemed to be caught in some nightmare. Their brows were slightly furrowed, and they were constantly sweating cold sweat. Luosheng even had tears streaming from the corners of her eyes.

“Senior Sister Lin, Senior Sister Luo.”

Ning Songwu tried calling them a few more times. Neither of them reacted. It seemed these two Senior Sisters were not very useful either.

Ning Songwu stepped over them and tried calling the Elder from the Lishui Sect. No reaction either.

The sky gradually darkened. Ning Songwu hugged her shoulders, listening to the incessant chirping of the cicadas and the creaking of an unlatched window being blown by the wind.

Ning Songwu did not feel afraid. She just felt tired. Drowsiness surged over her. She finally lowered her head and fell into a dream.

The sound of bells, ding-ding-dong, reached her ears.

Ning Songwu was caught between wakefulness and sleep, momentarily unsure of her whereabouts. She raised her hand to rub her eyes, only to find a rope tied in her hand.

Her hands had also become small. Looking back, she saw she was leading a small, brownish-yellow calf. A bell hung around the calf’s neck, ringing whenever it moved.

This is not Wanjia Village. No, what is Wanjia Village? Am I not supposed to be out herding the cow as per my mother’s instruction?

Ning Songwu felt as if she had forgotten something, but she could not recall it no matter what.

“Wu’er! Come home for dinner!”

A woman in rough cloth clothes shouted to Ning Songwu from a distance.

For some reason, Ning Songwu felt a pang of sadness in her heart. It was as if a scene like this had not been seen for a long time. Ning Songwu led the small yellow cow toward the woman.

The woman watched Ning Songwu slowly walk over. She grabbed Ning Songwu’s hand and said happily: “I told you not to go herding the cow. Look how tired you are.”

Ning Songwu felt the warmth in her palm and was reluctant to let go: “Mother, I am not tired.”

“You say you are not tired, but you are sweating so much.”

The woman used her sleeve to wipe Ning Songwu’s sweat.

Back home, Ning Songwu sat quietly on a stool, eating. Her obedient appearance greatly pleased her mother: “Wu’er is enjoying her meal today. It makes me feel hungry too.”

Was I not usually eating like this?

Ning Songwu felt something was wrong in her heart. She always felt that having food to eat was the best-case scenario. How could she dislike eating?

After dinner, Ning’s mother tidied the bowls and chopsticks, then wiped the table with a rag. As she wiped, she muttered: “Wu’er, do not go out these days. I heard there are monsters on the west mountain.”

Stung by the word ‘monster’, Ning Songwu subconsciously raised her hand. The back of her right hand was filthy. Ning Songwu felt as if something was missing from it.

“What are you looking at, Wu’er?”