Wanxi Rebirth - Chapter 49

Every time Yue Tingxi had close contact with Miss Qin, her instincts always wanted to pull away.

After calming down and trying to replay the events in her mind, she never quite understood them.

She decided to just go with the flow as usual. After all, her spiritual power and cultivation increased with each encounter. Her mood was good during contact, so in any case, she was the one benefiting.

Now, she no longer resisted even sharing the bed with Qin Suoliu. She would even let her tail stretch comfortably on the soft bed or drape over Qin Suoliu.

Three days had passed since studying the dual-cultivation methods of humans with her allies. In the early morning, Yue Tingxi woke up to find Qin Suoliu absent, but the Mace Ice Wheel she had stored away had appeared on the bedside table.

“Did Qingyu Mountain Master come to see me?!”

She quickly sat up, grabbed the Mace Ice Wheel, and probed it with her spiritual senses.

It was still the small wooden cabin she knew best. Two cups of steaming tea sat on the table, and there was no sign of anyone from the Salvation Scales.

It seemed to be left just for her.

Though the Mace Ice Wheel was a phantom and couldn’t actually be drunk, just seeing this hint made Yue Tingxi relax. She sat opposite Qingyu Mountain Master, carefully observing her expression, and softened her voice: “Ancient Master, good morning.”

She had braced herself for a scolding, but the Mountain Master just sighed and asked, “Have you been sleeping well these past few days?”

“Everything’s as usual, Mountain Master,” Yue Tingxi replied cautiously.

“You don’t have to be so polite with me. Just speak your feelings honestly,” Qingyu Mountain Master said, staring at her.

After considering her words, Yue Tingxi replied, “Because of the old life stories I told you, I’ve never fully understood the nature of my relationship with Qin Suoliu… but my body likes being with her, and being near her always calms me.”

Qingyu Mountain Master sighed again, this time more heavily.

“It’s not that you don’t understand; it’s that you don’t know how to face someone who truly hurt you,” she said. “After entering the Wistaria Whale’s illusion, I couldn’t observe the situation inside, but I could feel that once you left the illusion, you no longer treated her with cold distance. You truly regarded her as a close friend. However, that emotion only lasted briefly before you suppressed it.”

“You feel it’s wrong to be close to someone who once plotted against you or even tried to kill you, yet in this life, she hasn’t wronged you, so you’re conflicted and want to give her a chance.”

Yue Tingxi nodded blankly and reflected: “Earlier, you scolded me for always deceiving myself with the best-case scenario. At the time, I was indeed avoiding the truth. Whatever she said, I believed. When she claimed she was unaware of the memories that tainted the soul, I… created a reason for myself, thinking that though she, like me, had been reborn, she hadn’t yet recovered those terrible memories.”

“So I told myself to watch her, to guide her, to prevent her from going astray. Later, in the Wistaria Whale’s illusion of longing, the past secrets and obsessions were laid bare. I understood the suffering she endured and the consequences of a tainted soul, so I didn’t hate her as much as before.”

Even she couldn’t guarantee how her dark side, magnified repeatedly, would view ordinary people and events.

This life, the young lady had always treated her well. She had already forgiven her, but her past life had died with intense hatred, so this life she had remained cautious, deliberately keeping her distance. Changing her attitude naturally wouldn’t happen quickly, leaving her in a state of “awkwardness” and “inner conflict.”

“…I taught you to be too kind,” Qingyu Mountain Master sighed for the third time. “It’s fine. During these days of my own meditation and seclusion, I’ve realized that as long as you’re happy and unharmed, that’s enough. Since a tainted soul is a thing of the past, I’ll put aside my prejudice and only judge her in this life.”

Her wariness and dislike of Qin Suoliu stemmed from fear that she would harm the “Emerald Cabbage” she had carefully nurtured. After all, historically, humans and demons were different paths. She had seen countless human-demon relationships where the demon was exploited for its primordial core or body.

Her past self had been used and tortured by a soul-tainted wretch. Just recalling it caused her past self to weep uncontrollably in her arms. She had wanted to kill that wretch in her past life.

Yue Tingxi didn’t know how to respond, so she simply nodded and held her steaming tea.

“…So, you’ve only been in seclusion these past days?” She finally asked.

“The Salvation Scales couldn’t let me bear grudge against you all and insisted on sparring with me. I was either in seclusion or resting to recover. Sparring with divine artifacts is beneficial; I gained much in combat skills and mental state,” Qingyu Mountain Master replied calmly.

Yue Tingxi thought of what the Salvation Scales had said before and pursed her lips. “Even the artifacts you couldn’t defeat, I probably couldn’t refine, yet she let me refine it. That way, I can get the answer I want.”

“I don’t decide that. You can try yourself,” Qingyu Mountain Master said. “The energy in these artifacts isn’t necessarily all spiritual power. Even absorbing a little counts as refinement. No need to rush.”

“You two were talking about me?” The voice of the Salvation Scales suddenly sounded behind Yue Tingxi. “Alright, try refining me whenever you’re ready. I’ll be waiting.”

Yue Tingxi turned sharply and saw the golden-eyed woman with celestial aura appear behind her, smiling brightly.

“But now your cultivation is almost at the stage of exiting the body. Before refining me, it’s better to prepare a proper place and protective measures for the upcoming thunder tribulation,” the Salvation Scales advised.

Every time a demon cultivates as a human, a tribulation comes with each major stage. The thunder tribulation is a critical human trial.

“The power of the tribulation is considerable. Surviving it will also produce wide-ranging celestial phenomena,” Qingyu Mountain Master added. “You seem free of urgent matters now, and the Salvation Scales hasn’t sensed Lian Dog leaving the Xuan Shui Secret Realm. You should return to the mountain to prepare.”

“But if I return, the Shuo Han Flower inside Qin Suoliu…” Yue Tingxi hesitated. She even thought of her old friend’s ‘big appetite’ Bi Fang egg. “Can I go back later?”

“If you trust them, bringing them all to the mountain is fine,” Qingyu Mountain Master said. “A spirit beast egg in an ancient secret realm is extremely precious. You should let them know your identity.”

“But… Sasa is afraid of snakes…”

“Then don’t turn into a snake in front of her. Just tell her where snakes are in the mountains,” Qingyu Mountain Master suggested. “Never underestimate the tribulation, or you’ll lose your life!”

Mentioning “life” made Yue Tingxi cautious. She agreed to follow the advice, planning to discuss it with Qin Suoliu later.

She reviewed her plans: cultivation and tribulation preparation were her priorities. The rest—like capturing the spirit guide He Shen, or dealing with Li Anfeng’s movements—could wait until her cultivation improved.

Passing through the Nine-Mile Fragrant Flower Field, she picked a few flowers, carefully arranged them into a bouquet, intending to give it to the young lady.

She wondered if, since even the Mountain Master had let go of her prejudice, she should also emulate the protagonists in the books and take some extra initiative.

Adding more colors to the bouquet for visual appeal, she then went to the Qin family training grounds.

She arrived just as Qin Suoliu was correcting a female disciple’s sword stance.

As a teacher, the young lady was patient and gentle—though only with female students. Male students who misstepped often faced spiritual-force slaps. The female disciple trembled with fear but tried to follow her demonstration.

Qin Suoliu didn’t push too hard. “Your stance is unstable. Practice your fundamentals, and when you can control them, you won’t panic.”

“Th-thank you, Miss!” the disciple hurriedly said and retreated, giving way for others to practice.

Seeing Yue Tingxi, Qin Suoliu immediately walked toward her.

Yue Tingxi stepped aside, holding the bouquet: “Can we talk for a moment?”

They went to a nearby hall, and when alone, Yue Tingxi handed over the flowers.

Qin Suoliu froze. “These… are for me?”

“I passed by the Nine-Mile Fragrant Flower Field and thought you might like them,” Yue Tingxi said, quickly changing the topic. “But the flowers aren’t the main point. I have something else to discuss.”

Qin Suoliu, accustomed to Yue Tingxi’s indirectness, looked at her seriously: “What is it?”

“Qingyu Mountain Master has emerged from seclusion. She and the Salvation Scales told me the thunder tribulation for exiting the body is coming. I wanted to ask if you’d be willing to go back with me. I’ll finish the tribulation first before leaving the mountain,” Yue Tingxi explained.

She wisely didn’t mention the Luo Yansha egg.

“Of course,” Qin Suoliu replied without hesitation. “I just need a day to arrange things.”

The exam at the Immortal Alliance was still some time away. They would discreetly leave under a protective spell.

Yue Tingxi then informed Luo Yansha of her plan, suggesting she spend a few days in the mountains.

“Sure! Though I planned to seclude myself, your mountains should have peaceful places to cultivate,” Luo Yansha said.

“Exactly! I’ll show you the feng shui spots. Even quiet meditation is fine,” Yue Tingxi replied, carefully reassuring her.

The egg was quiet and moved slightly in response to Luo Yansha.

At the same time, in the Xuan Shui Secret Realm:

“It seems the world correction force is targeting me directly this time,” Li Anfeng said, seeing a spirit plant disappear again.

“7364, show me nearby lifeforms!”

By nightfall, both were busy and ended up in the hot springs together.

“I’ve arranged it. Tomorrow I’ll announce my seclusion. By dusk, I’ll disguise and go to Xi Shan,” Qin Suoliu told Yue Tingxi.

“Why dusk?” Yue Tingxi asked.

“Remember ‘Xi Shan Purple’?” Qin Suoliu asked.

“Wasn’t that a story made up by a brewer?” Yue Tingxi recalled.

Qin Suoliu smiled, explaining the childhood memory of the brewer and the naming of the wine.

Yue Tingxi realized the peach tree next to her Nine-Mile Fragrant Flower Field might be connected.

Everything was understood without words.

After sending the bouquet in the morning, Yue Tingxi observed details about the young lady, trying to think like a romance protagonist to deduce her feelings.

Cognition improved, cultivation progressed, and that night was joyful. Qin Suoliu once again fell asleep in her arms.

As she tidied her clothes and embraced her back to the bedroom, Qin Suoliu suddenly awoke mid-path, calling “Tingxi Jie.”

“Did you have a nightmare?” Yue Tingxi asked, holding her.

“…Yes. But seeing you, I feel safe,” Qin Suoliu explained after a moment.

“Then forget it. When we return, I can prepare calming incense. Bad dreams drain your energy, and we should throw them away like trash,” Yue Tingxi said.

Qin Suoliu nodded, still recalling the blood-soaked nightmare.

Was it really just a nightmare? The vividness felt almost real.

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