Chapter 503: Thoughts

For Zhang Xiaohua, coming to Spring Rebirth Valley had been nothing more than a coincidence. He had never imagined that he would stay here for as long as half a year. And when he thought about what he had gained during this time, it could be said to be… well, bountiful indeed—more pleasing to the eye than the fruits of autumn.

Counting it up: alchemy, artifact refining, Qihuang medicine, the Heavenly Dao of the human body, Meridian-Nourishing Pills, the Azure-Water Sword… just thinking about it was enough to make Zhang Xiaohua cover his mouth and snicker to himself. Truly, even counting on his fingers, he could not finish tallying it all.

Yet—were these really the only gains?

Gazing at the drifting white clouds in the deep blue sky, Zhang Xiaohua could not help but feel wistful. Faintly, he sensed that he had failed to include the most important thing of all.

But how could he possibly count her among them?

He could scarcely grasp his own thoughts—this was even harder than comprehending the Heavenly Dao.

Perhaps today would bring some kind of resolution. After all, he would be leaving early tomorrow morning.

Zhang Xiaohua thought so.

Contrary to expectations, Nie Qianyu—who on ordinary days would come running over to Zhang Xiaohua’s place whenever she had nothing to do—did not show herself the entire afternoon, nor even by evening. It was as though she had no awareness at all that Zhang Xiaohua would be departing tomorrow.

Zhang Xiaohua had nothing in particular to pack. He lingered for a while outside the pill room, then returned, sat down cross-legged, and began to comprehend the incantation for concealing his cultivation. This thing was truly far too important. The scene from earlier in the inner valley, when he had encountered the Incense Spreading Sect’s envoy, Lady Kong, still lingered vividly in his mind. He did not believe that the seemingly cold and detached Lady Kong had merely been testing his martial arts. If his true strength had not far exceeded what he displayed, then that simple palm strike just now would surely have left him seriously injured. That merely biting his tongue had been enough to swindle a Jade Restoration Pill was, in truth, quite beyond his expectations.

This Lady Kong—ahem—really was extravagantly wealthy.

What Zhang Xiaohua did not know was that, at this very moment, Kong Que, seated cross-legged upon a pristine white carpet, was likewise beset by countless thoughts, unable to suppress the turmoil in her heart.

Kong Que truly did not understand why she had lost her composure like that just now. Zhang Xiaohua was nothing more than an ordinary jianghu youth—plain in appearance, slender of build, and from every angle, there was not the slightest reason for him to attract her. The Incense Spreading Sect had never forbidden disciples from forming attachments. Kong Que, a typical example among the inner disciples, did not even know how many outstanding talents within the sect secretly admired her. Yet most of the female disciples of the Incense Spreading Sect regarded emotions lightly, and Kong Que was no exception. Thus, up to this day, there had never appeared a disciple—whether formally or suitably—who truly moved her heart. But today, on an ordinary afternoon, a warm and sunlit afternoon, an ordinary medicine boy, a youth said to be only fifteen years old, had actually made her feel that “in this world, there is only him.” This… this was simply impossible, utterly inconceivable!

That calm smile, that neither-servile-nor-overbearing salute, and the fleeting warmth at the instant their palms touched—all of it stirred towering waves within Kong Que’s heart. And then there was that humble form of address, “this lowly one”, that lowly status, “medicine boy”, together with Valley Master Nie and the others’ obsequious recommendations—these made a powerful sense of shame and anger surge up within her. As for whether this shame and anger were directed at Zhang Xiaohua or at herself, even she could not say.

At the same time, that trace of blood at the corner of Zhang Xiaohua’s mouth aroused a faint ache in her heart, along with threads of inexplicable pleasure.

“Ah.” Kong Que let out a long sigh, lifted her eyes to the window, and saw that the sun was already sinking in the west. She thought to herself: “Entering the world—so this is what entering the world means? I devoted myself wholeheartedly to martial cultivation, hoping to glimpse the Great Dao, unwilling to be shackled by mundane affairs. Yet Master forcibly assigned this mission of leaving the valley to me, precisely to make me enter the world for tempering, hoping that I might gain something from this short journey through the jianghu. But merely this simple trip to Spring Rebirth Valley has already entangled me in such an inexplicable knot. Could it be that this young lad is the one destined for me…”

Beneath her veil, Kong Que’s cheeks flushed faintly. She shook her head to herself. “That may not be the case. This fellow is only fifteen and is already the son-in-law of Spring Rebirth Valley. What reason do I have to snatch him away? That would truly be pointless. It must have been only a momentary coincidence that gave rise to such feelings. One can only say that my worldly ties have yet to be severed, that there are still attachments in my heart.”

With this explanation, Kong Que finally felt somewhat at ease. “Mm, it must be so. Otherwise, why would the feeling at first sight differ from the feeling afterward? If there were truly karmic affinity, that sensation should not have changed.”

Spring Rebirth Valley. Peach grove. Peach Blossom Hermitage.

Nie Qianyu stared blankly at the peach trees outside the window. The resplendent peach blossoms of spring had long since turned into spring mud; countless peaches had already formed on the branches. Yet where was the fruit she sought?

Her eyes rested on the peach forest, but in her mind, scenes of day after day and night after night spent with Zhang Xiaohua kept flashing past. Many details she had thought long forgotten resurfaced unintentionally at this moment. And the more she recalled, the more bitter her heart became. A chance encounter, soon to end tomorrow. A bond that began beautifully, yet would not conclude in completeness—was this what it meant to have affinity but no fate?

She picked up the comb from the table and absentmindedly combed her dark hair. This was ordinarily something Little Orange took care of. At this moment, however, it was the best way for Nie Qianyu to sort through her worries. Only, while black hair is easy to arrange, tangled feelings are hard to untie—let alone the countless knots already tied fast within her heart.

Perhaps this knot could only be untied by him, with his own hands!

Not far away, Little Orange watched her young lady with concern as Nie Qianyu stared out the window while combing her hair. She did not know how to console her. Ever since returning last night, Nie Qianyu had been like this—spiritless, as though her entire soul were somewhere else. Aside from the welcoming banquet for the Incense Spreading Sect last night, which brought a little laughter, the rest of the time had all been like this.

Ah—who could understand Nie Qianyu’s thoughts better than she? And who could truly experience what Nie Qianyu was feeling? For an instant, in Little Orange’s mind, there also appeared the figure of a youth holding a longsword, his bearing boundlessly majestic. That silhouette was unexpectedly so captivating, firmly gripping her gaze, for a long, long time, unwilling to let it turn away.

Just as she was lost in thought, the creaking sound of footsteps on the stairs suddenly came from below. Little Orange turned her head—it was Valley Master Nie ascending step by step.

Seeing him, Little Orange hurriedly performed a salute and was about to call out to Nie Qianyu, but Valley Master Nie quickly waved his hand and gently shook his head. Seeing this, Little Orange glanced at Nie Qianyu with worry, then carefully withdrew.

Valley Master Nie walked lightly to Nie Qianyu’s side. Looking at his beloved daughter’s hollow eyes and frozen expression, his heart tightened in waves of pain. He let out a soft sigh. “Little Yu, Little Yu…”

Only after calling her three times did Nie Qianyu slowly come back to herself. Seeing that it was her father, she hastily said, “Father, when did you arrive?” As she spoke, she was about to rise to pay her respects, but Valley Master Nie tenderly pressed down on her shoulder and said with a smile, “Father just came in as well. Sit for now.”

As he spoke, Valley Master Nie himself sat down right there, beside Nie Qianyu.

“Father…” Nie Qianyu looked at her father’s manner, her small mouth puckering slightly. In her memories, back when her mother had just passed away, Father had always sat casually beside her like this, gazing at her with affection—whether she was reading medical texts or doing needlework. But as she grew older and the affairs of the valley became busier, Father had not sat beside her like this for a very long time.

Valley Master Nie smiled kindly and reached out to stroke his daughter’s hair. “Little  Yu, you’ve grown up, and Father has grown old. Ah, but… There are some matters that Father cannot handle on your behalf. Though Father very much wishes to… still, in the end, you must rely on yourself… Ren Xiaoyao… Father has already done all that he can do here.”

The three words “Ren Xiaoyao” were spoken with great reluctance. He was deeply unwilling to utter them at this moment, fearing they would stir his daughter’s emotions.

Fortunately, after hearing this, Nie Qianyu merely had her eyes redden, without too much reaction. She also sighed softly. “Father, your daughter understands what you mean. As early as when you kept Big Brother Ren behind and agreed to send him to the Incense Spreading Sect, your daughter already knew. He is a person of unknown origin—if Father had not wished to give your daughter a chance and to bestow him with favor, how could you possibly have recommended him to the Incense Spreading Sect? After all, Brother-in-law’s cousin—back then, even when Uncle Yue personally came to ask you, you still did not agree. That was practically staking the lifeline of our Spring Rebirth Valley.”

Valley Master Nie gave a bitter smile. “Father originally intended to repay Ren Xiaoyao for escorting you back safely, and also hoped that by sending him to the Incense Spreading Sect, then using our Spring Rebirth Valley’s pills and alchemy methods, he could create conditions for you. Who would have thought… ah, this Ren Xiaoyao, this Big Dipper Sect, actually returned to Spring Rebirth Valley, things far exceeding what we gave him. With that, recommending him to the Incense Spreading Sect no longer stands out at all, and moreover…”

Valley Master Nie solemnly took out a jade bottle from his robes and held it before Nie Qianyu’s eyes. “Moreover, this Ren Xiaoyao actually refined the legendary Scarlet Flame Pill, and kept only one for himself. The remaining five, all of them, he gave to our Spring Rebirth Valley!”

“Eh?” Nie Qianyu was somewhat surprised. Then a trace of a smile appeared. “That Big Brother Ren could refine the Scarlet Flame Pill doesn’t surprise your daughter in the slightest. He seems almost like an immortal—there is nothing he cannot do well. The reason your daughter did not go to the pill room at noon was also because of this. However, Big Brother Ren has always been someone who does not take losses. Why did he suddenly change his nature this time, actually keeping only one for himself?”

Valley Master Nie smiled. “Why don’t you think about it?”

Seeing her father’s half-smiling expression, Nie Qianyu’s face reddened. In a voice as small as a mosquito’s, she said, “Could it be… that it’s for me?”

“What do you think?” Valley Master Nie still answered with a question.

A trace of brightness appeared in Nie Qianyu’s eyes. “Then he should have given it to me personally. Why go through Father instead?”

Valley Master Nie laughed. “How could Father know the thoughts of young people? Perhaps his skin is thin. In any case, when Father advised him to keep the pill for his own junior brother, he instead said that such a pill should be given to the person who needs it most.”

Then his smile deepened. “And in Spring Rebirth Valley, who is it that most needs to improve their cultivation?”

Valley Master Nie had thought that once these words were spoken, Nie Qianyu would surely break into tears and laughter, perhaps even shyly reproach him. Yet after hearing this, Nie Qianyu’s face instantly turned pale. In her eyes, there even appeared a look of despair. She bit her lip tightly, saying nothing.

Valley Master Nie thought to himself in alarm: “Oh no—what did I say wrong?”