IVYSCP - Chapter 22
Chapter 22
That evening, Ling Qingyue moved a reclining chair into the courtyard and settled into it, rocking gently as she gazed up at the moon and stars. Looking at them this way, she realized the Immortal Realm and the Mortal Realm were not so different after all. The moon waxed and waned just the same, and the stars glittered with identical light.
Except for one thing—above Linshui Town, a barrier from the Immortal Realm still stretched across the sky.
The great weight on Ling Qingyue's heart had been lifted, and her mood was so pleasant she could scarcely contain it. She felt no sorrow, no grief, and no urgent desire to leave. She even began studying the formation array inscribed upon the barrier above, even though she had once despised such things above all else.
But as she looked, Ling Qingyue slowly sat up straight. This barrier…
Why had it gained two additional layers since two days ago?
Hadn't Lu Yao said the evil spirit had already been captured? Why had the barrier not only remained but grown even more solid, now comparable to the Sect Grand Formation of some minor immortal sects?
An indistinct unease stirred deep within Ling Qingyue's heart.
Now that she carried Ah Xi's memories, Ling Qingyue felt an even stronger sense of closeness when she thought of the people of Linshui Town. If anything truly went wrong, she could not simply stand by and do nothing. And there was Pei Si besides—she had to protect Pei Si.
"What are you thinking about?"
Ling Qingyue turned her head and found that Pei Si had somehow already come to stand beside her without her noticing.
Was her cultivation truly this poor now, or had she simply let her guard down too much? She had not detected even a single footstep.
"Admiring the night view. Tonight's night colors are beautiful." Ling Qingyue raised a hand and pointed.
Pei Si lifted her gaze and saw the night colors she spoke of—the scattered stars, the bright moon—truly beautiful. But that was not what she had really been looking at.
Pei Si knew that what Ling Qingyue had actually been examining was the barrier overhead. That was why she had not asked "What are you looking at?" but rather "What are you thinking about?"
Perhaps Ling Qingyue had not grasped the deeper meaning behind her words. Or perhaps she was mindful of her current circumstances and concealing her true identity.
Pei Si thought the latter was more likely. After all, Ling Qingyue did not have that many twists and turns in her mind.
Pei Si lowered her gaze and studied that face, so different from before. Numerous questions pressed against her heart. She wanted to ask. She wanted to know.
Ask her why she had appeared in Linshui Town. Ask her why she was inside Ah Xi's body. Ask her why she… disliked her.
And yet she was afraid—afraid that if she asked, Ling Qingyue would realize she was actually Pei Yin and grow distant, refusing to stay obediently at her side and speak with her the way she did now.
A flicker passed before her eyes. Ling Qingyue stood up, took her hand, and guided her into the reclining chair. "Sit for a while. I haven't given you today's wood carving yet. I'll go get it."
Pei Si watched the retreating figure as Ling Qingyue trotted away, the little tuft of hair tied back with a ribbon bobbing with each step.
It was different from before. In the past, Ling Qingyue had disliked wearing her hair loose. She had tied it up high, and the ends had swept high as well. But now, perhaps because she was playing the role of Ah Xi, her hair was always gathered at the nape of her neck and draped forward over her shoulder or swept behind her back, giving her a very demure and well-behaved appearance.
"Ling Qingyue…" Pei Si murmured softly, not even noticing herself that her gaze had softened beyond measure as she said that name, or that the corners of her lips were curved in a faint smile.
Ling Qingyue walked briskly to the woodworking shed. The wood carving for Pei Si had already been prepared long ago. She had come for another reason as well—she wanted to try soul separation once more.
The previous night, she had wondered whether separating her own soul might release whatever was binding Ah Xi's soul, hoping to use the separation to see whether Ah Xi's soul still resided within this body. But now she knew she herself was Ah Xi, and there was no second soul inside this body.
Yet she still had not identified the cause of last night's soul separation backlash. Even though her cultivation level was very low at present, and soul separation might be unstable, it should not have produced such severe backlash. The moment her soul began leaving her body the previous night, she had clearly felt an immense pulling force viciously dragging at her, refusing to let her go, so intense that for a split instant, Ling Qingyue had felt as though her soul was being torn in two. She had simply blacked out from the pain.
"Soul, depart!"
Ling Qingyue tried again, this time with caution and vigilance. Inside her Spiritual Platform, her soul seemed somewhat reluctant to emerge, but under the summons, it still took a step outward.
A tearing pain instantly shot through her entire body. Ling Qingyue immediately withdrew the attempt and gasped for breath.
Her fingers pressed against her dizzy brow. Ling Qingyue's lips tightened into a firm line.
Her soul was trapped inside this body.
This was no small matter. Who had done it? And was the darkening red color of her soul also connected to this person?
She also recalled seeing the Demonic Markings that had appeared on this body in the moment she regained consciousness. Ling Qingyue extended her hand and examined it. Spiritual Energy in a pale crimson hue gathered at her palm—a faint red, not obvious.
Her own Spiritual Energy had always carried a reddish tint due to the Scorching Sun cultivation method she practiced, so she had never paid it much attention. But now, because of the Demonic Markings, a vague unease stirred within Ling Qingyue.
She traced her fingertip across her brow, then followed the path downward along her cheek and neck—the direction the Demonic Markings had spread that day.
This was a secret. Before she returned to Shangtianqiong and saw her master and senior sisters again, she absolutely could not let a second person know.
After calming herself and settling her energy, Ling Qingyue stood up, picked up the wood carving, and stepped outside.
From a distance, she saw the person lying peacefully in the reclining chair in the courtyard, and her steps grew a little lighter.
Moonlight spilled down and settled over the woman, as though draping her in a sheer, translucent veil that only made her appear more luminous and coolly elegant.
Ling Qingyue was dazzled. The moment she remembered that Pei Si was her wife, she could not help the happiness that welled up inside her. Her hand unconsciously reached for her waist, wanting to share this joy with her sword as well.
Her sword had a spirit. Though it could not speak, it could perceive her emotions and would respond to her.
Her hand closed on empty air, and the corners of Ling Qingyue's mouth sank downward in loss.
She had forgotten again. Her sword was probably still in Shangtianqiong's Sword Pavilion. When a Shangtianqiong cultivator died, their artifacts were all collected into the Sword Pavilion to await the arrival of their next fated master.
No matter. Once she returned to Shangtianqiong and retrieved Jiuge, it would not be too late to share the news with it then.
The small trace of sorrow was tucked away swiftly. Ling Qingyue spun on her toes and hopped over to Pei Si's side, presenting the wood carving. "Here."
Today's carving was a flower—one that bloomed in Shangtianqiong's elegant pavilions, exceptionally beautiful.
Pei Si recognized it too. She lifted her eyes to Ling Qingyue and raised an eyebrow lightly. "What kind of flower is this? It's quite lovely. I've never seen it before."
Ling Qingyue could tell that Pei Si liked it, and her own happiness grew. "This flower is called Moon Orchid. It's beautiful and fragrant, and it can nourish the spirit and aid sleep. If I get the chance, I'll give you a real one."
"Really?" Pei Si smiled at her.
Ling Qingyue's gaze darted away.
Asking for one would be impossible, but she could secretly go and take one and bring it back. The worst that would happen was she would be punished and sent to the Disciplinary Hall for reflection.
"Come here." Pei Si extended a hand toward her.
Not understanding, Ling Qingyue placed her hand in Pei Si's.
In the next instant, she was pulled forcefully forward. Ling Qingyue stumbled and only managed to avoid collapsing directly onto Pei Si by bracing herself against the armrest of the reclining chair.
Looking down at Pei Si from above, Ling Qingyue was so nervous her heart thumped wildly.
They were so close that the sound from her heart rang out clearly. Ling Qingyue's ears flushed hot, and she silently cursed her own lack of composure.
Before she could close her eyes to calm herself, a hand gently pressed against her chest. Ling Qingyue snapped her eyes open, her mouth opening and closing without producing a single word.
"Heart beating this fast?" Pei Si felt the pounding beneath her palm, and her voice came out soft and coaxing as she asked, "Do you like me like this?"
Before, constrained by the matter of Ah Xi, Ling Qingyue had not dared to speak openly and could only secretly tuck her feelings away inside. But now, things were different.
Ling Qingyue tilted her head, a little shy yet primly reserved, and nodded.
She did. She liked her.
Pei Si pressed her lips together. A flash of disappointment flickered through her eyes before vanishing, replaced by a kind of helpless indulgence.
It did not matter if she did not like Pei Yin. It was enough that she liked Pei Si.
Comments
Post a Comment