Wanxi Rebirth - Chapter 113

It was Qin Suliu’s very first time visiting Xishan, yet she felt a strange, lingering sense of familiarity, as if she had lived here for quite a while.

The feeling intensified the moment she stepped into Yue Tingxi’s cave dwelling. A sudden hallucination washed over her…she saw herself wrapped snugly in the coils of a giant snake body, sleeping soundly and peacefully.

While she was still trying to process her confusion, Yue Tingxi had already pulled a soft daybed out of her storage pouch, setting it up right next to her own stone bed.

If there was one thing Yue Tingxi hadn’t quite adjusted to during her stay at Kongming Villa, it was sleeping on soft beds. She preferred hard surfaces, so her own dwelling was furnished only with rattan and stone beds. Knowing this, she had made a point of packing Qin Suliu’s soft daybed before they left, just in case the young girl had trouble sleeping in an unfamiliar place.

“Just make yourself at home, don’t stand on ceremony,” Yue Tingxi said. She wasn’t at all worried about the girl messing with her things. After spending a year together, she pretty much had a handle on the Second Young Lady’s temperament and knew she was exceptionally well-mannered.

With Yue Tingxi’s help, Qin Suliu quickly unpacked her things and changed into a pair of tight-sleeved robes her host handed her…supposedly more practical for the fruit-picking they were about to do.

“Could you tell me a bit more about your friends before we go?” Qin Suliu asked tentatively, cradling a steaming cup of Xishan Dahongpao tea.

Yue Tingxi poured herself a cup as well and sat across from her, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. “I’m a lot like you. On the surface, I seem to get along with every human and demon out there, but I actually have very few close friends. The ones I have now are people I grew up with—we know each other inside out.”

“Take Luo Yansha, for instance. She’s human. When her mother was still pregnant with her, Master Qingyu lent them a helping hand. Her mother figured that since the opportunity was there, living in Xishan wouldn’t be a bad idea…it’s peaceful here. So she came to seek refuge, and they’ve been living here for over thirty years now.”

“Then there’s Chan Ying, a silver banded krait demon. Not long after I gained spiritual awareness, she came to life in a nearby spiritual pool. She’s loved cherries since she was a little thing, so Master Qingyu named her ‘Ying’ after the fruit. When she got a bit older, the Master even invited Lord Chuiyin from the Baichuan Alliance to personally teach her how to cultivate fruit trees. The orchard we’re heading to is a joint project between her and Luo Yansha. Oh, and you might also run into Yun Ruan over there helping out…”

“Little Tingxi?”

A vibrant, crisp female voice echoed from the entrance. Yue Tingxi turned around to see a tall, white-haired woman peeking in, a bamboo basket slung over her back. “I heard you were back! When are we heading out to pick fruit?”

“Right away. I just finished setting up my little guest’s room, we just need a quick breather.” Yue Tingxi stood up and waved the white-haired woman over. “This is Yun Ruan, a white-furred Xiquan (fine-coated hound) demon.”

“Oh my gosh! A kid!!” Yun Ruan, who absolutely adored young demons and human children, shoved her bamboo basket straight into Yue Tingxi’s arms. In a flash, she transformed into a sleek white hound and bolted over, excitedly circling and sniffing all over Qin Suliu.

Kongming Villa was home to plenty of canine demons, but not a single one had ever dared to get this close to Qin Suliu.

Qin Suliu, however, didn’t mind at all. She even boldly reached out to pet the dog’s head and scratch its chin, which predictably elicited a series of delicate, high-pitched whines of delight from Yun Ruan.

Yue Tingxi did her best to stifle a laugh. Yun Ruan was technically older than her, yet she couldn’t resist acting like a spoiled pup whenever she encountered a friendly child.

Shifting back into human form, Yun Ruan treated Qin Suliu to some homemade pastries and candies. It wasn’t until their hot tea had gone completely cold that she finally hurried them along to the orchard.

The moment Qin Suliu stepped into Chan Ying’s orchard, she froze in her tracks.

…That bizarre illusion was happening again.

In this vision, she was picking fruit right alongside Yue Tingxi, and she even handed Chan Ying a storage pouch. Chan Ying was squealing with delight, her snake form happily coiling and uncoiling around the tree branches.

“What’s wrong? Is the sun too bright? Are you feeling unwell?” Noticing her hesitation, Yue Tingxi quickly walked over to check on her.

“…It’s nothing. It’s just my first time seeing an orchard this massive,” Qin Suliu said, shaking her head. She took the small fruit basket from Yue Tingxi, offering a quick explanation to put her mind at ease. “I have a pure Fire Spiritual Root, so this kind of heat won’t bother me.”

Even so, Yue Tingxi conjured a thin, shimmering curtain of water over her to block the sun and take the edge off the heat.

The honey peaches Chan Ying grew weren’t particularly large, but they were perfectly plump and yielding to the touch. Yue Tingxi plucked one, peeled it on the spot, and handed it to Qin Suliu.

Qin Suliu took a bite without hesitation. The flesh was sweet, tangy, and crisp, yet so incredibly juicy in some spots that she could practically drink it. By the time she snapped out of her daze, half the peach was already gone.

Fruit picking was essentially an exercise in controlling one’s spiritual energy. After watching how Yue Tingxi and the others did it while she finished her peach, Qin Suliu began using her own spiritual energy to guide a pair of shears, carefully helping out.

“This batch of peaches turned out beautifully. Master is going to love them!” Luo Yansha said, picking out a few especially pink honey peaches. “Once we harvest the watermelons in a couple of days, I’ll deliver them all to her together!”

“Lord Chuiyin of the Baichuan Alliance?” Qin Suliu asked instinctively.

Though Yue Tingxi had only just mentioned the name earlier, Qin Suliu had actually crossed paths with this lord a few times back at the Villa. She knew Chuiyin was a notoriously hot-tempered yet fundamentally gentle and patient grand demon.

“Wow, Tingxi really has told you a lot!” Luo Yansha said cheerfully. “Do you want to come along with me? Lord Chuiyin loves kids too, just… not quite as intensely as Sister Yun Ruan.”

Qin Suliu was about to politely decline when fragments of hazy, disjointed memories suddenly flooded her mind. It felt like Chuiyin was speaking directly to her, but she couldn’t make out a single word.

“…Sure. I actually have a few things I’d like to ask the senior,” she murmured.

She had no idea that her momentary lapse into space had once again been caught by Yue Tingxi.

Back in the cave dwelling after finishing their work, Qin Suliu was about to sort through the honey peaches Chan Ying had gifted them…deciding which ones needed to ripen for a day or two, which ones to eat straight away, and which ones to turn into peach jam.

Suddenly, Yue Tingxi spoke up. “I’m sorry, but I really dislike it when people beat around the bush or make up excuses when something is bothering them.”

Qin Suliu’s heart skipped a beat.

“So, if you’re facing some bizarre, inexplicable problem, you can just tell me directly.” Yue Tingxi walked over and crouched down so they were at eye level. “That way, I won’t have to constantly worry about you.”

Her words sounded a bit sharp, but they actually made Qin Suliu breathe a sigh of relief.

Saying the opposite of what she feels…that was the strongest impression Qin Suliu had formed of her Tingxi-jie over the past year. Yue Tingxi was incredibly straightforward about almost everything, except when it came to expressing her own deeper feelings. That was when she became stubbornly awkward.

“I really am facing a very bizarre problem, and it started the moment I arrived in Xishan.” She looked squarely into Yue Tingxi’s eyes. “But I don’t think it’s Xishan’s fault. It’s a problem with me… I’m having hallucinations.”

Yue Tingxi took a few seconds to process this, only to realize she had experienced something remarkably similar…back when she was staying at Kongming Villa.

“Then… do you want to tell me what you’re seeing first, or should I take you to see Lord Xie Zhi for a medical checkup?” she asked.

“I want to tell you,” Qin Suliu answered without a second thought.

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