Wanxi Rebirth - Chapter 63

Gray Moth, as always, gave no response.

But in the next moment, Qin Suoliu felt a tearing pain surge through both her body and soul.

She couldn’t breathe; her lungs and trachea felt as if they were severed.

Her thoughts froze; her mind went blank. Her entire being seemed to splinter apart starting from her skull.

“……Suoliu? Miss? Ah-oh!”

Qin Suoliu suddenly woke up, gasping for air as if she had just escaped drowning, arching her body and inhaling deeply.

“What happened all of a sudden?!” Yue Tingxi was startled and quickly patted her back. “Your face turned so pale—is this related to dual cultivation?”

After catching her breath and inspecting internally, Qin Suoliu replied, “It seems Gray Moth responded to my request, but only presented me with a vivid illusion.”

“What did you ask for?” Yue Tingxi probed, checking her meridians to see if there was any real injury.

“……I wanted to isolate myself from the interference of the World Consciousness,” Qin Suoliu lowered her gaze. “Even if it’s just for a few breaths, it would be enough.”

As for what she had learned from that inquiry, she didn’t need to say more; Yue Tingxi could roughly guess.

“It’s fine; it’s only temporary. No need to take risks,” Yue Tingxi said, stroking her head with a hint of pity. “But… this actually gave me an idea, one we could probably achieve now.”

“I’d like to hear it,” Qin Suoliu looked at her attentively.

“Gray Moth made you feel pain through an illusion, right? Then we could also use Gray Moth to create a special illusion,” Yue Tingxi thought aloud. “If there’s something important… or if you simply want to restore your emotions, you could enter the illusion and perceive it all, right?”

“We are already cultivators in the Out-of-Body stage, back in the mountains. If you don’t intend to seek help from the Qingyu Mountains people or Xie Zhi, I can take you to consult the great demons who held me as a child,” she continued, already imagining the possibilities. “The initial illusion can only accommodate your soul, but as we deepen our understanding of this field, theoretically, it could even create something on the scale of the Mustard Seed Ice Wheel…”

Qin Suoliu carefully memorized her words while simultaneously communicating with Gray Moth.

After finishing cultivation and returning to her dwelling, she invited Yue Tingxi to project her spirit into Qin Suoliu’s sea of consciousness, so they could jointly construct a soul-level illusion.

At first, Yue Tingxi hesitated. For humans, demons, or spirits, the sea of consciousness is extremely fragile; one must guard against intrusion during interactions.

Yet Miss’s sea of consciousness opened freely to her; Yue Tingxi entered as if into an unowned space, unimpeded.

She quickly saw a purple-clad woman, who instantly teleported before her and took her hand.

In that instant, Yue Tingxi felt a profound connection form between her soul and Miss’s.

It was as if she could sense Miss’s emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.

But the downside was that with their souls linked, nothing in their memories could be hidden.

The more she cared about something, the more she would immediately see everything related to it.

Before Yue Tingxi could react, darkness overtook her vision. When it returned, floating dark-golden characters hovered before her eyes.

She immediately became alert and looked around, then heard Qin Suoliu’s voice: “Why me?”

Then came a reply, its gender ambiguous, the speaker’s true identity blurred:

[All things have causes and effects. You are entangled in the world’s karma; therefore, I chose you.]
[If you agree to assist, I shall entrust my envoy to you.]

“What else do I need to do besides killing the intruder?” Qin Suoliu asked.

[Once you eliminate this person, you will understand.]

“I cannot comply,” Qin Suoliu replied firmly. “At first, you only wanted me to kill an intruder from beyond this world. But if later you ask me to turn my blade against innocent people within this realm… I will not comply without knowing the truth.”

Yue Tingxi was momentarily taken aback. So, originally, Miss had refused the World Consciousness?

[It’s not that you are not to be informed; you simply are not qualified to know the truth yet.]
[Whether you see my request as an order, a mission, or a trial, this is probably our last chance to completely eliminate the source of suffering.]
[Now, you can still return to moments before everything happened, to see your still-living family and your loved demon. After this life, my power will be nearly depleted, and I cannot guarantee being able to restore time again.]

“……Seems I have no choice,” Qin Suoliu sighed. “Alright, I will become your pawn, helping you eliminate intruders and carry out all your wishes, even at the cost of my life. In return, I need your power to shield me from the influence of other demon souls, and to protect my loved ones.”

Yue Tingxi watched as a silvery-gray light coalesced into a small, delicate Gray Moth.

[This is part of the divine power left in this world by the god who governs the World. Even intruders cannot break the protections, barriers, or seals it establishes.]
[I temporarily lend you control of it. Its incarnations can follow anyone you wish, fully unleashing its power for your use.]

Hearing this, Yue Tingxi’s vision darkened again. When it returned, the floating text was gone, replaced by the wide-open eyes of Qin Suoliu herself.

A single glance, and their souls exchanged information instantly, sharing what each could see.

“…So you wanted to know how much I hate you?” After a moment of silence, Yue Tingxi muttered helplessly.

In the past, she had truly wanted to kill Qin Suoliu.

She had planned to use Miss’s hand to push the two lifetimes’ worth of manipulations down on Lan Gou, forcing him into a hopeless plight, and then to harm Qin Suoliu—if Miss were to fall into demonic corruption again.

If not, she would interfere subtly, ensuring she had her revenge.

Now… seeing Miss silently nod, Yue Tingxi squeezed her soul’s face fiercely. “Forget it! Don’t dwell on it! Let’s see something pleasant instead!”

Glancing at Gray Moth hovering nearby, she caught it and asked Qin Suoliu, “How should we use its power?”

“The core array is laid by Gray Moth. We only need to plan the scenes in the illusion in advance,” Qin Suoliu said. “What do you want to see, Tingxi?”

It might have been an illusion, but Yue Tingxi felt Miss’s voice smiling, heartfelt and tinged with emotion.

She was momentarily stunned, then her mind filled with a field of Nine Li Xiang flowers.

A brightly dressed little girl twirled joyfully among the flowers, arms wide open.

Although she hadn’t thought of it at the time, this memory had always lingered in her heart, of someone she might never see again.

Finding just a flower field too plain, she added peach, loquat, and lychee trees, then the spirit springs where they had practiced dual cultivation in the mountains.

Soon, Miss’s bedchamber, the fish-viewing pavilion, and even the Qin Mansion’s training grounds appeared in her mind.

[So my home has so many places?]

No sooner had she thought this than Miss’s immediate thoughts flowed over.

“Yes, sleeping in the bedchamber, dining at the fish pavilion, practicing in the training grounds—or you can choose any scene in the Mustard Seed Ice Wheel that you like,” Yue Tingxi said.

“Speaking of which, this illusion is mainly for you to stay in, with maybe me as an extra. Do you have ideas for what you want to see?”

She then received Miss’s burning gaze.

…Her earlier illusion must have been real. Miss seemed truly restored here.

Otherwise, why would she feel Miss’s gaze implying desire and attention?

“Next time, just let me try projecting my spirit here directly. Saves me all that suffering,” Yue Tingxi muttered.

Miss had extraordinary patience; the Gray Moth’s illusion had made her gasp for breath. She must have been uncomfortable inside.

“Sorry, this has no precedent. I didn’t know either,” Qin Suoliu apologized. “Also, this means all our secrets will be fully revealed to each other, and I…”

“I have nothing I can’t hear, nothing I can’t tell you,” Yue Tingxi replied calmly. “Some things, if spoken, hurt feelings and chill hearts. We hide them instinctively because saying them wouldn’t change much.”

She stepped forward and hugged Qin Suoliu’s soul tightly.

In that instant, countless emotions surged, blending into one—hers and Miss’s.

Yue Tingxi forced down the sting in her nose and asked in Miss’s ear, “Can I try all these attempts from these past days?”

She wanted to see Miss’s true reaction, to know if she truly liked her, or felt joy.

She also wanted clarity on her own feelings, to see if they had progressed from before.

“You can do whatever you want,” Qin Suoliu smiled. “But to be safe, we should first create the illusion. Don’t want me suddenly turning into the Unfeeling Path midway.”

The planned illusion slowly took shape in Qin Suoliu’s consciousness. Yue Tingxi’s entire memory of the surroundings was filled in by Miss, carefully arranged.

The process took far longer than expected.

Imagination alone wasn’t enough. One needed deep memories, proficiency in “soul creation” techniques acquired at the Out-of-Body stage, and sufficient spiritual energy to outline and detail the scenery.

Yue Tingxi only had a rough impression of the Qin Mansion, so they divided the work: Qin Suoliu handled the mansion’s various scenes, and Yue Tingxi reconstructed the mountains’ flora, ponds, and other familiar features, placing them according to Miss’s guidance.

Feeling tired, they both exited the sea of consciousness to rest, resuming the next day.

Their physical cultivation was delayed, but with the springs and bedchamber constructed, they focused on soul cultivation. After waking, their foundations seemed firmer, so they simulated everything in the illusion without using their bodies.

Miss favored “Purple of Xi Mountain,” so the sky in the illusion remained purple by day and retained some purple sunset at night.

The Milky Way was deep blue, stars twinkling, and thin white mist drifted across the mountain peak.

“I’ll accompany you as a pawn of the World Consciousness,” Yue Tingxi said one day. “I’ve seen your memories. Being a lone sword is free, but dangerous. You can’t cover everything alone.”

“…I originally didn’t want you involved,” Qin Suoliu murmured. “But now I know leaving you alone is the worst plan.”

“Yes, and don’t think I’d be left alone seriously! A half-trained ‘Unfeeling Path’ is already enough to annoy me!” Yue Tingxi poked her face. “You must have felt at your worst that I abandoned you!”

Otherwise, why wouldn’t she tell Yue Tingxi about such important matters in advance to share the burden?

She had even imagined Miss secretly leaving after Lan Gou’s death to serve the World Consciousness endlessly.

Qin Suoliu sighed, then held Yue Tingxi’s hand tight.

“The World Consciousness never promised I could survive unscathed…”

“Then let’s be companions on the Yellow Springs road. If there’s a chance to reverse time again, I’ll ask it to retain the memories of this world and come to the Qin Mansion to see you!” Yue Tingxi solemnly promised. “The worst is death—perhaps in hundreds of cycles, I have already died countless times because of the World Consciousness?”

“When did you learn this mischief from Sister Chan Ying?” Qin Suoliu pretended to be angry, nipping her finger. “I’ll tie your snake body into knots too!”

But after the teasing, she leaned into Yue Tingxi’s ear: “Please stay by my side, be my sword and support, Tingxi.”

If the World Consciousness’ final mission was destined to be a dead end, she wanted Yue Tingxi with her until the very end.

Seven days later, the person who had endured not visiting her “cabbage” for a full week, Qingyu Mountains’ guardian, was about to secretly observe the spring when the protective mountain formation was knocked on by the expected visitors.

“I am Qin Clan’s Lan Kongming, escorting the esteemed Yue Tingxi’s friend, Luo Yanzha, here for assistance.”

Among the voices, a few bixie chirps were mixed in.

Qingyu Mountains’ guardian had already checked Bixie’s condition. The little creature could now eat normally and didn’t require constant feeding of fire spiritual energy. She knew it was the plan of Miss’s mother.

Had Lan Kongming come alone, the guardian might not have allowed entry.

But she had met Luo Yanzha several times and knew this person had a close bond with Yue Tingxi and Qin Suoliu, pure-hearted and likable to demons.

Furthermore, she was weak and innocent—no need to let her suffer due to private grudges.

“If you’re only escorting, enter,” the guardian said calmly. “If you try to abduct any demon or person under my eyes, don’t blame me for being rude.”

In human terms, Lan Kongming might count as a “mother-in-law.” Curious, the guardian wanted to meet the mother of the little fox spirit she had raised.

“I’ll go inform the children first,” Xie Zhi said, disappearing via instantaneous movement.

On the mountain path to Xi Shan, Luo Yansha carried Bixie, still a bit confused.

Hadn’t Yue Tingxi and Miss just returned from the mountains? Why sneak back?

She had been doing chores at the kitchen hall when servants led her to meet Qin’s mother, receiving the task.

But hearing the guardian’s words, it seemed like Qin’s mother might have caused a problem first.

Sensing her master’s anxiety, Bixie remained quiet once in the mountains, nuzzling Luo Yansha occasionally, gently pecking her hand to divert attention.

Having raised chicks before, Luo Yansha understood immediately and began grooming the little creature, touched.

“You can go find other demon friends for now,” Lan Kongming said near Yue Tingxi’s dwelling.

Being a business-savvy person, Luo Yansha understood Qin’s mother wanted a private discussion; even if she followed, she probably couldn’t say much.

So she obediently replied “yes,” then secretly ran to a spot she thought Lan Kongming couldn’t see, set down Bixie: “Chan Ying, remember? Take mother to her! Sister Yun Ruan can come too!”

Bixie, perhaps wary of Lan Kongming, chirped softly, surrounded by fire spiritual energy, becoming a mountable giant bird, lowering a wing for Luo Yansha to climb on, and took off toward Chan Ying’s residence.

After hearing Xie Zhi, Yue Tingxi was relieved that she and Qin Suoliu had been cultivating in the sea of consciousness; soaking in the spring was just to restore depleted energy.

Otherwise, she would have had to quickly cast the Purification Curse and check her clothing.

“Our illusion is almost ready. The reception hall should hold three people, right?” she asked Qin Suoliu, looking at Xie Zhi. “Can your soul enter?”

Xie Zhi could “see” more than they remembered; they weren’t worried about her entering the illusion.

“If you need me, I’ll go in,” Xie Zhi said with a smile. “Remember, this is your home field. Communicate well; don’t quarrel.”

“If we quarrel inside the illusion, would you mediate?” Yue Tingxi teased, pulling Qin Suoliu along after leaving the spring.

During the seven days of constructing the illusion, they had discussed how to convince Lan Kongming before the planned possession of Bashé.

But to verify their plan worked, they still needed to face Lan Kongming herself.

Miss’s hand was cold in reality, but Yue Tingxi held it tightly, feeling secure.

Soon, they arrived at the entrance of Yue Tingxi’s dwelling, seeing Lan Kongming who had been waiting, arguing with Qingyu Mountains’ guardian.

The guardian was relatively polite toward the “mother-in-law,” bringing her small round table, redwood chair, giant taro leaf umbrella, and tea set.

During the argument, she restrained her strength to avoid breaking the tea set.

Yue Tingxi and Qin Suoliu brought Xie Zhi; by then, the elders’ quarrel was nearing its end.

“Good timing, the little ones are here too. Speak to them yourself,” the guardian said, bowing to her beloved cabbage, then vanished along with all she brought.

Lan Kongming, having anticipated this, calmly stood, examining the two with interlocked fingers.

Qin Suoliu stepped forward: “Mother, I’ve built a soul-level illusion with Tingxi. If you wish, we can communicate as before.”

“I heard from Qingyu Mountains’ guardian,” Lan Kongming nodded. “But soul-level communication requires a quiet room.”

“Then come to my home. It’s hot outside,” Yue Tingxi quickly offered.

Surprised, Lan Kongming did not come merely for tea. In Luo Yansha’s shaded dwelling with an ice array, she rested briefly, then suggested entering the soul-level illusion.

Qin Suoliu agreed, reminding: “Whatever you see will be things Tingxi and I truly experienced.”

Still, she asked Gray Moth to block Yue Tingxi’s memories, only showing select important past events.

Lan Kongming intended to quietly watch, but when she saw Qin Family destroyed by undead armies, and her surviving daughter cast into the demon realm, she lost some control but endured, silently making her soul bleed.

—This was not a mere “nightmare” as her daughter had described lightly. These were events her daughter truly experienced!

“Two years after last life, the spirit masters probably acquired demon relics from the Ghost Realm. Otherwise, how could they command such a massive army of corpses, and how could… open the demon realm’s seals…” Lan Kongming murmured.

By now, she understood why her daughter had said, “We can wait, but villains cannot.”

Spirit masters are like cockroaches: once discovered in the human realm,

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