Shen Yue could hear their voices. She wanted to wake from her dream, but it felt as if invisible hands were gripping her legs and feet, preventing her from leaving. She could only consciously succumb.
A pair of hands holding a soft silk handkerchief gently wiped the sweat from her face. Someone slowly approached and gently lifted her head.
His fingers tightened slightly on her cheek, forcing her mouth open. Deep tooth marks were left on her tender, soft lip flesh – marks she had bitten herself.
A porcelain bowl was placed against her lips, and he fed her the medicinal juice.
“After taking the medicine, it will have a calming effect. You must not disturb her any further.”
“Alright.”
Hearing these muffled words, Shen Yue fell into darkness. The nightmare receded, and she slept soundly.
—
Xuan Cheng’s heart was uncharacteristically troubled. The once calm, placid lake of his mind was suddenly rippled with turbulent waves. He didn’t know what he was thinking, only that he was walking unconsciously. When he came to his senses, he realized he had arrived at Xinqing Hall.
The owner of this place had not returned for two hundred years. Although it remained clean, without a speck of dust, it always felt empty, devoid of any human presence.
Utterly desolate.
In fact, it used to be incredibly lively here.
He and someone else loved to linger here. In their youth, when they were still naive and Xuan Cheng was also fond of playing, he had been instigated by another person to commit many wrongdoings. Whenever a major incident occurred, they would hide in Xinqing Hall, too afraid to go out, only daring to emerge after Xi Yu had cleaned up their messes.
Xi Yu never punished them. No matter how serious their mistakes were or what jokes they played, Xi Yu never blamed them. She would silently bear the gossip from the outside world, treating them as children and protecting them under her wing.
Thinking of it now, Xuan Cheng felt an immense complexity in his heart.
He remembered one time when he and another junior disciple heard about a treasure in the Tianyan Sect – a Frost Snow Lotus that bloomed only once every ten thousand years. This was a divine artifact, blooming once a decade, fully flowering once a millennium. Because they had made a bet with disciples from the sect, they had originally planned to secretly take it out to broaden the horizons of those who had not seen much of the world, and then quietly return it at the appropriate time, without anyone knowing.
Unfortunately, they didn't know that this Frost Snow Lotus was so delicate. After leaving its cold environment, it withered in less than half an incense stick’s time. They hadn't noticed it while hiding it in their chests. It was only when they returned to Qingyun Sect and took it out that they discovered the legendary divine flower had withered and died.
As fate would have it, the Tianyan Sect discovered their tracks and pursued them. Seeing their sect’s treasure so ruined, they were enraged and almost resorted to violence. However, they managed to restrain themselves, merely binding the two of them roughly and bringing them before Xi Yu, lodging a stern complaint.
Since they were in the wrong, no one dared to utter a word. Everyone lowered their heads in silence.
Xi Yu appeased the Tianyan Sect for a long time, even sending many treasures and special concessions, before they finally calmed down.
Xinqing Hall was perpetually covered in snow, yet the cold was absent. Peach blossoms bloomed more vibrantly each day, their fallen petals covering the ground, masking the frost and snow.
A white-robed immortal, with a jade crown and ink-black hair, holding Que Hua, a white cloth blindfolding her eyes. She seemed naturally cold, but those familiar with her knew that her heart was softer and more easily deceived than anyone else’s.
However, on this day, she seemed genuinely angered.
Facing the two junior disciples who were constantly causing trouble and stirring up mischief, she did not scold or show anger. Instead, her demeanor was calm and composed, yet it carried a chill that was absent in the past.
“If you want something, you can tell me. You are not allowed to steal or rob. Otherwise, you will go to Sigou Cliff to reflect.”
In his youth, Xuan Cheng knew he had committed a great offense. He kept his head down, burying it so deeply his chin almost touched his chest, not daring to utter a single word.
In contrast, the boy beside him seemed unable to bear the chill emanating from Xi Yu. He stiffened his neck, showing no remorse, raising his chin defiantly. He was clearly spoiled.
“I didn’t intend to steal, nor did I intend to rob. I merely wanted my junior disciples to get a good look out of curiosity. Who knew this broken flower was so fragile? I did nothing, and it withered. They called it a divine flower, but I think it’s not even worth a damn.”
The boy grew increasingly indignant. He had been suppressing his temper from the start, feeling that those from the Tianyan Sect were always trying to take advantage. If Xuan Cheng hadn't held him back, the boy might have rushed forward to cause a scene, making the situation even more unmanageable.
Xi Yu’s eyebrows lowered. She scoffed, “You scoundrel! If you take someone else’s belongings without their consent, how is that different from stealing?”
The boy, perhaps truly spoiled, showed no fear of Xi Yu’s coldness. He became even more enraged, shouting at Xi Yu without any regard for etiquette.
“I did not steal! Believe it or not! If you find me bothersome, you can just kick me out! To curse me like this for a broken flower, will you also hit me in the future?!”
Even Xuan Cheng didn't expect his junior disciple to be so audacious, daring to utter such rebellious words. Xi Yu seemed to have been pushed to her limit. Ultimately, she said nothing, turned, and left.
The boy, however, remained on the spot, furiously throwing things around. Various valuable porcelain pieces were smashed by him without him batting an eye. At that moment, Xuan Cheng felt that this junior disciple’s wickedness was truly immense.
Snowflakes landed on his face. Xuan Cheng snapped back from his memories, but the turmoil in his heart could not calm.
He let out a deep sigh and walked in. Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, the corners of his mouth involuntarily curved upwards. He walked slowly, only then realizing that Xinqing Hall had changed. There were more plants and flowers, but as no one had tended to them for a long time, they had become wilted.
As he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard a faint sound. He immediately frowned. He remembered warning the disciples of the sect that, apart from those assigned to clean Xinqing Hall, no one else was allowed to step foot inside. But now…
Suppressing his anger, a subtle coldness appeared in Xuan Cheng’s eyes. He tensed his jaw and walked step by step towards the source of the sound.
As he slowly approached, the sound grew louder. Xuan Cheng finally saw who it was.
A disciple wearing the Qingyun Sect’s daoist robe was stealthily climbing a peach tree, holding a basket in his hand, doing who knew what.
Xuan Cheng said sternly, “Who is there? Do you not know that unauthorized personnel are forbidden from entering Xinqing Hall?”
The boy in the tree lowered his head and jumped down from the peach tree. He clutched the basket in his hand nervously, looking somewhat dull-witted.