Wanxi Rebirth - Chapter 40
Yue Tingxi sat up and looked at the woman beside her, unsure what to say.
No matter the little liar’s original circumstances, she had now regained her memories of her previous life. In a way, she was a “familiar enemy” who shared a life-and-death grudge with her.
Yue Tingxi also recalled that, when she had been conflicted before, she had recounted her past-life experiences as if they were a dream to the young mistress, Qin Suoliu. At that time, Qin Suoliu had suggested that she kill her, but in the end, she could not bring herself to do it.
Now, having seen Qin Suoliu’s experiences in the demon realm and understanding why her “soul had become corrupted,” even though Yue Tingxi still felt murderous intent, she could convince herself to bury it deep in her heart.
After a long moment of eye contact, Yue Tingxi gathered her spiritual power, first dispelling her own silencing spell, then asked, “In your past life, did you only recognize me on the Demon-Sealing Platform?”
At that time, her demon core had been removed, and her demon form fully revealed. Presumably, the disguise spell applied by Lan Zhaoyao was naturally dispelled then.
“…No.” Qin Suoliu bit her lip until it bled at the thought of that scene. “I first recognized you when you were struck down by Lan Zhaoyao’s sword, exposing your demon form in public.”
Lan Zhaoyao’s disguise had been meant to conceal her true demonic identity until the right moment. Since the enemy had already discovered the truth, there was no reason to continue hiding it.
“The second time was on the Demon-Sealing Platform?” Yue Tingxi finally understood why she had held her and cried. “When you saw me from afar during the challenge, you couldn’t believe it. Only when I was near death and thrown beside you did you touch my face and truly confirm it?”
Qin Suoliu lowered her head, gripping her wrist, her breathing becoming fast and erratic. Yue Tingxi continued, “You even cried. Were you regretting it at that time?”
“I was regretting it, but also… confused.” Qin Suoliu forced herself to look into Yue Tingxi’s eyes and was surprised to find no disappointment—only pity—giving her courage to continue. “I didn’t know why it came to this… I shouldn’t have done this; we shouldn’t be like this.”
“Back in the demon realm, all I wished was that once I returned to the human world, I could avenge the destruction of the Qin family, eliminate the culprit, and then come to Xishan to let you guide my soul.”
“…I’m no Buddhist, just a mountain-dwelling demon. How could I guide your soul?” Yue Tingxi sighed softly. “So, have you now found the reason the Qin family was wiped out?”
“I have some clues, but I cannot confirm yet,” Qin Suoliu replied. “Most likely, I noticed Lan Zhaoyao’s change. Back then, I was still betrothed to him, and considering I would eventually marry him, the usurper decided to eliminate the entire Qin family.”
“But at the time, I hadn’t thought of that. Moreover, since Lan Zhaoyao violated the alliance between Qingxu Sect and the Qin family first, I ignored Qingxu Sect matters in anger and was lax in guarding against him. By the time I realized the truth, it was too late…”
“It’s not too late now!” Yue Tingxi’s voice choked as she instinctively put a hand on her shoulder. “Everything can still be fixed! The Tongyou Master has been controlled, and the forces behind him are being investigated. No matter what, the whole Qin family is on alert now. At worst… you still have me and Lan’s daughter—we’ll help you.”
Fearing she would receive only a “thank you” from Qin Suoliu, she immediately shifted the topic: “I’ve actually always wondered—why didn’t you eat me back then?”
As soon as she spoke, she saw a look of unprecedented shock and helplessness in Qin Suoliu’s eyes.
“Even with my demon core removed, my demon body still contained a hundred years’ worth of spiritual power; otherwise, I wouldn’t have survived the torture so long.” Yue Tingxi forced a faint smile. “If you had eaten me and absorbed my soul, maybe you could have fought.”
“But you preferred to die together with me, to explode into a bloodbath rather than eat me.” Seeing Qin Suoliu trembling, Yue Tingxi grew even more confused. “Why? Since you recognized me, wouldn’t fulfilling my last wish be better?”
Qin Suoliu opened her mouth but didn’t know how to explain, finally asking, “Would you eat ‘Aou’?”
Yue Tingxi froze. In her mind appeared the little girl spinning with arms outstretched in the Nine-Li Fragrant Flower Field, calling her “Sister Tingxi,” practicing with the twin blades, growing up into a poised, independent young lady… Whether the little “Aou” or the current domineering Qin Suoliu, she would never eat her.
Seeing Yue Tingxi’s expression, Qin Suoliu smiled and shook her head: “Then I won’t eat you either. Besides, I don’t want greedy scum to take your body after you die. Better to explode cleanly.”
“…I see.” Yue Tingxi exhaled lightly, recalling how, after her death, she had read the Book of Worldly Matters and could not understand this choice, even making up her mind to come to the Qin Mansion in part to figure out why someone would act this way.
Now, the truth she most cared about was revealed. She didn’t know what else to ask and was suddenly overcome by the dizziness from soul depletion. She said, “Sorry, I need to rest a bit.”
Qin Suoliu quickly agreed and rose to leave, but hesitated, then asked the most important thing: “If Sister Tingxi wanted to punish me… anything is fine, right?”
Yue Tingxi, just closing her eyes, froze.
Hearing this, she sat up with a complicated expression, staring at the anxious woman.
“…I have nothing to punish you for,” she said. “If I must say, in the past life we were mortal enemies; in this life, merely small grievances from deception. Since the truth is out, let’s consider it closed. If you wish to make amends, I will accept it, but I do not plan to punish you.”
“Then… if I do something to make you feel better, relieve your heart… may I try?” Qin Suoliu asked.
Yue Tingxi was indeed irritated. After seeing Qin Suoliu pleading to be killed if she strayed again in the illusion, her annoyance lingered.
“I don’t know! Go rest! Don’t bother me!” She forced herself to wave her hand.
Qin Suoliu, however, did not leave and sat back down beside her.
“I asked Gray Moth to place a sealing spell on the cabin door, making this place as safe as my sleeping quarters,” she said softly. “Sister Tingxi can release your snake tail; just remember to retract it before leaving.”
Her presence was close, and the sensation—though not in her ears—tingled on Yue Tingxi’s cheek.
This made Yue Tingxi even more restless, so she let half of her snake body loose, stretching it across the floor of the room.
Yet her discomfort did not ease.
“Thanks, but please move a bit further away!” She had to remind her firmly. “I’m very irritated and feel out of control. Let me be alone for a while, or else…”
Before she could finish, Qin Suoliu knelt and gently wrapped her hands around part of her snake body.
“…Qin Suoliu!” Yue Tingxi couldn’t help scolding.
“If I knew how to ease it, may I try, Sister Tingxi?” Qin Suoliu whispered.
Having stayed long in the demon realm, she was very familiar with the habits of various demons and knew both how to provoke and soothe them.
Yue Tingxi had no choice. This woman’s stubbornness twenty years ago was already known to her; if not allowed, she would never get peace.
“Do as you wish.” Yue Tingxi lay back on the soft bed and closed her eyes.
Soon, she felt her scales being touched warmly, like stroking a small animal. The hand moved along her body, starting from her back, eventually reaching her belly. The warmth seemed to increase, possibly from her using fire spiritual power.
The sensation was strangely uncomfortable, swinging between “pleasant” and “intolerable.” Every time she tried to stop it, a rush of comfort made her squint and clench her lips.
Her tail lightly tapped the floor and, unconsciously, coiled around Qin Suoliu, looping once and then again.
Qin Suoliu, in turn, lifted her hands to respond to the tail, even pressing her face gently against the cool scales.
In this strange comfort, Yue Tingxi quietly fell asleep, feeling as if she were dreaming of her past life.
But the dream’s content was different: she was trapped in the sect master’s quarters, outside there were sudden shouts and clanging of weapons. She could not move but heard someone kick the door open and a shadow carrying her away.
“Kidnapping the bride! Kidnapping the bride!” someone panicked.
She heard elemental magic whistling, blocked by a cold force. The one carrying her walked steadily, breaking through. Then came a thousand sword wails, and finally the familiar chime of twin blades.
In an instant, she seemed to recognize who had rescued her. But then she heard a short, muffled groan, warmth splattering on her face, the sound of something piercing flesh, and the metallic stench of blood.
“…It’s you?!” Lan Zhaoyao cried, shocked and angry. “Why are you here! So stealthy… are you looking to die?!”
“Cough… damn it… it’s you! It’s always been you!!” Qin Suoliu weakly shouted through blood. “Why are you still alive?! Why do you disturb her peace?!!”
Another sword sound, and the dream abruptly ended.
Yue Tingxi woke with a start, shouting, “Qin Suoliu!”
From beneath the bed came a soft response. She sat up carefully to see that her tail had wrapped Qin Suoliu tightly.
But Qin Suoliu made no effort to escape, letting herself be entwined. Her mouth opened with difficulty.
Yue Tingxi, terrified by the tail tip, hurriedly retracted her snake body, helped Qin Suoliu up, her mind blank.
“Sorry, I…” She almost apologized, then remembered how Qin Suoliu liked being wrapped by her tail since childhood. She could have distanced herself when the tail went astray, but hadn’t. So she changed her words: “Why are you still here?!”
“I can only sleep safely next to Sister Tingxi,” Qin Suoliu explained. “Seeing the person I feel guilty toward alive and well, and watching her sleep, calms me.”
Yue Tingxi frowned. “Aren’t you afraid I might strangle you in my sleep?”
“That’s my punishment,” Qin Suoliu said, smoothing her clothes and smiling.
“Stop tempting fate!” Yue Tingxi said. “If you die, you won’t see Lan’s punishment day!”
Mentioning death, she recalled the chaotic, ominous dream. Qin Suoliu had rescued her during a forced marriage, then seemed blocked by Lan Zhaoyao, severely injured… Then what happened next? Dreams vanish quickly if not recorded immediately.
Anyway, it wasn’t a good dream, so she let it go.
—
Once Qin Suoliu fully recovered, Yue Tingxi left the rest cabin with her.
Lan Fengqing had been guarding the cloud ship. Qin Suoliu said the girl’s concentration had always been strong, and with Gray Moth’s isolation, she could endure days without fatigue.
Seeing them, Lan Fengqing’s eyes lit up. She returned the bag of herbs Yue Tingxi had and said playfully, “I didn’t expect Qin Sister would give this to you! You must be very important to her.”
Yue Tingxi’s mind went blank. That day, following intuition, she had given Lan Fengqing a bag likely full of spiritual stones, which turned out to be this one!
Awkward, since this bag was actually Lan Fengqing’s property. She had tried to help Qin Suoliu withdraw from the marriage quickly, compensating from her own reserves.
Since the two had been close since childhood, Lan Fengqing was especially generous. Yue Tingxi had been startled when inspecting the bag with spiritual perception.
“I truly am her guest; she owes me a favor,” Yue Tingxi said lightly. “Twenty years ago, she accidentally entered the deep mountains and I happened to save her.”
“Twenty years ago?” Lan Fengqing was surprised. “So you’re the great demon who lived in Xishan! My brother… he’s my original brother! Not that damn usurper! He and Qin Sister went to Xishan twenty years ago and were saved by you.”
Yue Tingxi didn’t expect such sensitivity to “twenty years ago” and was unsure how to respond. Lan Fengqing then knelt formally and bowed.
“My brother always wanted to repay the favor someday, but disaster struck before he could. From now on, I will repay it. Whatever my benefactor asks…”
“No, no! Not necessary!” Yue Tingxi had been scared by “repayment” in her past life and helped her up. “I just acted out of kindness; anyone would do the same.”
Before Lan Fengqing could speak, Yue Tingxi exchanged a look with Qin Suoliu and said, “You’ve worked hard in the illusion and resting. We must be near the ruins. Qin Sister, take your rest!”
Lan Fengqing started to decline.
“No need, I…”
“Fengqing, I have important matters to discuss,” Qin Suoliu said, escorting her away.
Yue Tingxi then took the cloud ship’s controls, releasing spiritual perception to gauge arrival at the ruins layer.
During this, she thought about Gray Moth and Qin Yingguang.
Honestly, during a month at the Qin Mansion, she hadn’t noticed any connection. Qin Yingguang, though talented, was a normal cultivator and didn’t know Gray Moth’s origins. She simply copied her sister and used Gray Moth, always carrying it.
But in the recent illusion, Gray Moth had used Qin Yingguang’s form, not Lan Kongming’s, suggesting a link.
Yue Tingxi considered from a high-level cultivator’s perspective.
She imagined having a small world and choosing a vessel to act. Which vessel would she choose?
After deliberation, she wrote on a blank spirit parchment:
-
- Best fit my aesthetic
-
- Closest to my personality and preferences
-
- Must use this form to accomplish something
She checked the third point and concluded: in the Iris Whale’s illusion, the strange one was Qin Yingguang.
Normally the second daughter of the Qin family, sister of Qin Suoliu, she became the elder sister in the illusion, believing it wholly.
From Yue Tingxi’s experience with young demons and the “Ancestor” Qingyu Mountain’s lectures, if a younger sister wants to be an elder, it’s either advantageous or out of concern for the elder’s hardship.
Despite how incredible this seemed, she connected “Gray Moth” and “Qin Yingguang” on her parchment.
A hypothesis first; verification would come after leaving the ruins.
—
“So, Sister Tingxi, you’re the great demon who saved my brother and me twenty years ago? A black-tailed snake demon, right?”
Lan Fengqing couldn’t wait to ask.
“Your memory is excellent,” Qin Suoliu smiled helplessly. “Now you know why I felt ‘inadequate.’”
“I don’t think so.” Lan Fengqing sat down. “Sister Tingxi is easy to talk to. Demons are simple in emotions. Some must vent during the spring moon, or else the human world wouldn’t have so many fox or snake demons luring humans.”
“That’s different!” Qin Suoliu frowned. “Sister Tingxi has long abandoned such worldly desires…”
“But what if you were special to her from the start?” Lan Fengqing interjected. “For example, she only releases her demon form and relaxes fully with you, only sleeps peacefully next to you… That means she likes you too. Even if it’s only friendship now, it can grow if you try.”
Qin Suoliu could not refute. In the Qin Mansion, many nights, she had moved Yue Tingxi’s tail. Just now, while asleep, Sister Tingxi had unwittingly coiled around her.
Lan Fengqing smiled, satisfied.
“If you like her, try more. Be proactive. Some cultivators even become partners with demons. If a human wedding is too showy, you can follow Xishan demon customs—worship in the mountains, then her elders…”
“Stop! We just reunited. Don’t jump to marriage!” Qin Suoliu hurriedly pushed her to bed.
“Fine, fine,” Lan Fengqing stifled laughter, scanning the bed and Qin Suoliu. She sniffed lightly. “You smell like Sister Tingxi. Did something happen while resting?”
“I was accidentally coiled by her tail, that’s all.” Qin Suoliu remained calm.
“Really? Why did she coil you, and why did you accept it?” Lan Fengqing couldn’t help laughing. “Next time, if three of us sleep together, I’ll sleep on either side to see who she coils!”
Qin Suoliu picked her up and threw her onto the bed, closing the screen: “Sleep now.”
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