Chapter 20
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Chapter 20: When Will Little An Lan and Bai Lian Cut the Candle by the Western Window Together?
"Does it hurt?"
Su Youwei noticed Hong Yi rubbing the spot where she had just pinched her.
Hong Yi’s cold face slightly turned away, with delicate corners of her eyes slightly raised.
Although she appeared to be only an underdeveloped girl of about ten years old, at this moment Hong Yi suddenly revealed a mature and charming allure that made Su Youwei’s heart beat faster.
"What are you doing in front of so many people?"
Su Youwei hurriedly replied, "No one is looking at us now, they are all looking at the fool."
Hong Yi deliberately tightened her red robe, "Just because no one is looking, you think you can touch me?"
"It’s not like it’s impossible."
Despite saying that, Su Youwei’s voice was very low.
As a result, Hong Yi still heard the words.
Hong Yi punched her head impolitely, but the force was not excessive.
"Be serious and go check on the Fourth Martial Sister and Tong Yao’s injuries first."
"Yes."
Su Youwei suddenly woke up and now was not the time to play with Hong Yi.
In fact, she had many questions to ask Hong Yi, and Hong Yi’s strange behavior in the face of the Witch Queen made it difficult for her to ignore.
However…
Let’s postpone these matters for now!
The Duxian sect has fallen to this point, and there is still a lot to attend to. It wouldn’t hurt to have a proper conversation with Hong Yi after finishing those matters.
Su Youwei and Hong Yi approached Tong Yao together.
Tong Yao, who had just obliterated the Witch Queen with one swipe of her Dirty Knife, laughed with a face as radiant as blooming orchids. She waved the knife in her hand, seemingly unafraid of being stabbed by it.
"What are you doing? Put the knife away quickly."
Su Youwei’s expression changed slightly.
Although Tong Yao was feeling proud, she still obediently put away her knife, "White Hair, I told you I could take her down. Now you see how capable I am!"
"Who are you calling White Hair?" Su Youwei was suddenly angry.
However, this kind of retaliation was not painful or itchy for Tong Yao.
Su Youwei continued, "If it weren’t for me stepping in to take your beating, you would have been played to death by that woman. And if it weren’t for Hong Yi timely tossing the Ten Thousand Poison Pearl over, you wouldn’t have been able to get rid of that woman."
Tong Yao immediately hummed twice, her mouth almost curled up to the sky, "You see, you admit that I got rid of that woman myself, indeed between you and me, I am more powerful."
"That’s not the focus of attention!" Su Youwei frowned, took a deep breath and said, "Forget it, I won’t argue with you about this. How about your injury?"
Tong Yao said recklessly, "Injury? What injury can I have? That woman’s attack didn’t hurt me a bit."
"…"
Su Youwei was inexplicably angry.
She found Tong Yao annoying on ordinary days, but never as annoying as today. She was so angry that she wanted to repeat what she did to Hong Yi on Tong Yao.
Damn it.
I’ll spare you for today.
After glaring fiercely at Tong Yao, Su Youwei asked, "What’s the deal with the seal in your hand? Why did it suddenly become the new Ten Thousand Poison Pearl after being attracted by the Ten Thousand Poison Pearl? And what about this underneath…"
As she looked down smoothly, her entire body froze.
There was no green light below, and even the bottomless abyss had disappeared!
What’s going on?
Tong Yao just said, "I don’t know what’s going on here. The Netherworld Seal was passed down from the predecessor of the Hades Hall. Instead of asking me, you might as well ask the person next to you."
Hong Yi?
"I will ask her later," replied Su Youwei with a nod.
She hesitated for a moment, then suddenly leaned her head towards Tong Yao and asked, "Are you really okay? You’re not just trying to be brave, are you?"
Tong Yao seemed to be frightened by this gesture, she took a step back suddenly, and then looked slightly annoyed at Su Youwei.
"Why are you being so so disoriented and indecisive?"
Oh, why am I so disoriented and indecisive?
Su Youwei had to put in a lot of effort to decide not to cross paths with Tong Yao, the "great hero" who saved the Duxian sect.
"Since you’re okay, I’ll go check on my Fourth Martial Sister."
"Go ahead."
Tong Yao was eager to send Su Youwei and Hong Yi away, as she returned the Ten Thousand Poison Pearl.
As soon as the two left, she immediately went to check on the Younger Martial Brothers and Sisters who were still dizzy.
"The disaster has passed, everyone should pull themselves together. Those who are injured should heal themselves quickly, and those who are not injured should help me clean up the collapsed Qingyu Peak."
"Yes!"
"Elder Martial Sister Tong is so calm and reliable!"
"Stop blowing, stop blowing, hurry up and do your work!"
Amidst the commotion, Tong Yao wielded great power to restore the destroyed mountains.
Then, she walked expressionlessly into the small makeshift house she had built for herself.
In the darkness, she silently scrutinized the other Ten Thousand Poison Pearl in her hand, until someone called out her name from outside, causing her to speak softly.
"It is not easy to adapt in a short period of time."
A peculiar gleam circulated in Tong Yao’s eyes, accentuating her maturity.
…
Bai Lian realized she had overestimated her own abilities.
After killing the Witch Queen’s last strand of soul, she rushed to the Duxian sect with her last breath, hoping to eliminate the remaining strand of the Witch Queen’s soul before causing further harm.
However, she was still affected by the pain from deep within her body halfway through the journey.
The blazing flame of her soul had gradually weakened, and her originally excited body and mind suddenly became sluggish after a short and rapid climb to the summit.
Yes, it’s like people who don’t exercise going for short runs!
At the time of the sprint, she was only slightly tired, but once she finished running, all kinds of pain set in.
"If I still feel this way, even if I arrive at the Duxian Sect in time, I would still be nothing more than a toy delivered to the Witch Queen."
Bai Lian pressed her forehead hard.
She wanted to cheer herself up and squeeze more out of herself.
However, the soul was still different from water. No matter how hard she tried to squeeze it, she couldn’t squeeze out any more.
In fact, even the water in a sponge will come out when pressed hard enough.
"Medicinal Pills, that’s right, I also have some Medincinal Pills for tranquilizing."
Bai Lian stopped on the cliff, leaning against the rock, gasping and reaching into her chest.
After a brief search, she took out a white jade bottle.
As a woman who was mostly afraid of death, she always carried many healing Medicinal Pills with her!
However, Bai Lian still made a mistake this time.
Like eating candy, she swallowed all the Medicinal Pills in one go.
The medicine dissolved in her stomach and quickly overflowed like running water, without being absorbed by her body.
"Leaked?"
Bai Lian, who refused to believe it, took out several bottles in a row, but the results remained unchanged.
Only then did she realize the tremendous impact that the near-burning of her soul had on her.
She was not only unable to walk, but as a deep fatigue emerged from the depths of her heart, her vision began to blur.
At first, her eyes were like veiled with mist, making everything indistinct.
Gradually, the mist became denser and denser until everything in front of her turned white.
"No!"
Bai Lian reached out her hand with great force.
She tried to rush out of the mist, but ultimately only plunged herself further into it.
In the white world, Bai Lian stood still in a daze.
After a long while, she suddenly raised her hand to rub her eyes, but found nothing.
Have I lost my eyes?
She suddenly thought of the Snow Spirit Lord.
At that time, the blind Snow Spirit Lord fell into her arms, reaching out and grabbing wildly, repeatedly shouting "I can’t see" – a scene that deeply shocked her.
Now, who could she turn to express her inner fears?
She couldn’t find anyone here.
Even if she wanted to give up everything and seek help from her master, she couldn’t do it.
The Jade Message Slip was gone, the soul fragment could not be sensed, and even her own soul seemed to have disappeared.
Standing here, she was like an empty shell that had lost its soul.
"Why did it suddenly become a situation of waiting for others to rescue instead of wanting to return to the Duxian sect to save Martial Sisters?"
No, she cannot be trapped here.
The Witch Queen is a lunatic, and reasoning with a lunatic is impossible!
The longer she delays here, the greater the danger for Martial Sisters and other fellow disciples.
The brutal cg scenes from the game floated before Bai Lian’s eyes one by one, like flicking through an art book.
Bai Lian was getting increasingly anxious.
These images were already repugnant enough, and she didn’t want to experience them firsthand again.
She began to run towards the direction she thought would lead her out.
But no matter how she ran, she couldn’t escape the endless white mist. Later, she finally realized that she was only running in her own consciousness.
Bai Lian crouched down, sitting with her hands clasped around her knees, tightly curled up like a ball.
She was very anxious and wanted to save her Martial Sisters, but she couldn’t do anything now.
To gain something, something must be sacrificed.
All of this was the consequence of burning her soul, which she had known for a long time, but had not expected to happen at this moment.
Snap!
Bai Lian stood up and hammered the ground hard, without even feeling any pain.
How useless, what kind of Immortal Emperor? When a true Immortal Emperor arrives, even if she uses all her trump cards, she can only vent her emotions like a helpless and trapped animal hitting the ground.
She suddenly knelt on the ground, the loose white dress naturally spreading out.
From above, she looked like a white lotus blooming on the misty lake surface.
This white world, vast, desolate, lonely, boring, seems to have been stamped with an eternal mark.
Bai Lian sat still, without any movement.
"When will I truly die?"
She had almost forgotten the passing of time. She suddenly felt a tremble in her chest after an unknown amount of time had passed.
She pulled out a Jade Message Slip from her chest as if grasping a lifeline.
Jade Message Slip?
Regardless of why it appeared here.
The message was sent by the Third Martial Sister, who said that after experiencing many hardships, she and Hong Yi, the Fourth Martial Sister, and Tong Yao worked together to defeat the Witch Queen.
The Duxian sect was in chaos, but in reality, no one actually died. Even if someone was temporarily disabled, they could be cured with Medicinal Pills.
Oh, I see.
Bai Lian nodded and a smile suddenly appeared on her face.
Isn’t this a happy ending?
That’s great.
It seems that she doesn’t need to worry anymore, as she has done everything she could.
The only regret may be that she could not witness the brilliance of the growth of her Martial Sisters.
Thinking this, her body began to melt like water.
From the ground she was standing on, to her feet, to her dress, to her hands, she gradually sank into the pool.
At the same time, the surrounding white mist was gradually swallowed by the darkness surging around her.
The entire world began to crumble.
In the midst of this collapse, Bai Lian seemed to return to the darkness she had seen that day.
In the darkness, she, who was barely conscious, heard the voices of those two people again.
"Where are you from?"
The dazed and silly "Bai Lian" asked, "Where from?"
"Well, meaning, where were you born?"
"The…the Land of Immortals, that’s what they said."
"They, who are they?"
"Many, many…people."
"I didn’t understand."
"I don’t understand either."
"Hmmm… so do you want to go back?"
Bai Lian waited for a long time before hearing that "Bai Lian" say, "I don’t want to."
"Oh, why not?"
"Scared."
"Actually, I’m scared too. I don’t like this family. They want me to marry an old man in the town and become his concubine so they can get a lot of money."
Bai Lian was stunned for a moment.
She remembered that the girl who was speaking referred to herself as An Lan when she was talking to "Bai Lian".
"Alright, let’s not talk about that. You mentioned earlier that the place you were born is called the Land of Immortals, is it where the immortals reside?"
"It seems so."
"Are there many immortals there?" The girl’s voice suddenly rose.
"I assume so."
"Immortals, oh they are so incredible. I’ve heard that they can fly. If I could fly, would I be able to leave this place?"
"I don’t know."
"You came from the Land of Immortals, so are you an immortal?"
"No, I am not."
"I see."
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became heavy.
Just when Bai Lian thought the conversation was over, that "Bai Lian" suddenly spoke up, "You seem…downhearted?"
"A little bit."
"Is it because I’m not an Immortal?"
"No…um."
"Do you wish I were an Immortal?"
"Um, then you could teach me how to become an Immortal."
"I am not an Immortal, but they have discussed how to become one in front of me."
"Oh?"
"I can teach you."
"Really?!"
The girl stood up in amazement and accidentally knocked over a stool.
"Bai Lian" responded, "As a trade, you can teach me: why are human beings human?"
The girl said gloomily, "I don’t understand that either, I may not be able to teach you."
"It’s okay, I may not be able to teach you either."
"Then…pinky promise?"
"Pinky promise?"
"Let me teach you. Reach your hand out. Hmm, I can’t see. Place your hand on my shoulder, yes, just like that."
That’s it.
The small hand grasped the wrist and slid all the way to the little finger.
Finally, the two little fingers tightly hooked together.
Tug.
Bai Lian could clearly feel the subtle force and warmth emanating from the little finger.
All of this felt very real, as if it had truly happened before.
"Master."
Bai Lian stood there stunned, and after a while, the warmth on her little finger finally faded away.
She found that the scene in front of her had changed, no longer pure white or pure black, but a dilapidated rural thatched house.
In the corner, a window made of soil was propped up, and outside the window was a dark night. Several large green leaves extended in front of the window.
The wind was blowing.
The rain was falling.
From the green leaves, the eaves, and the field diked, there were occasional crackling sounds that were distant and near.
Is it the deep autumn rainy night?
Suddenly, a voice came from behind Bai Lian, "I can’t find my shoes. Can you bring them to me?"
She turned slowly and saw a beautiful little girl sitting on the edge of the bed.
The old clothes, covered with patches, couldn’t conceal the radiance emanating from her body.
This girl’s appearance is exactly the same as hers in the Past World!
The difference was that the girl’s eyes were open, but they lacked any hint of light within them.
As she had stated herself, she was unable to see.
Bai Lian looked around and found no trace of another "Bai Lian". Therefore, she walked up and picked up the shoes that had run off to the corner and placed them next to little An Lan’s feet.
"Thank you."
Little An Lan swiftly fit her feet into the shoes, and though she couldn’t see, went smoothly towards the window.
How many times had she stumbled before?
Bai Lian pondered to herself.
"The rain is heavy."
"Unfortunately, I have never seen what rain looks like."
"Once I become an immortal, I will be able to see it."
"Every day feels full of anticipation."
"Hey, Bai Lian, why aren’t you talking?"
"I…" Bai Lian opened her mouth but immediately closed it again.
Her voice now was different from the younger Bai Lian, but little An Lan didn’t seem to notice the difference.
"I love listening to the rain. It makes me feel very peaceful, and the damp, cool surroundings are also very comfortable. But it’s scary when there’s thunder while it’s raining."
Bai Lian said, "There’s no thunder today."
"Hmm, Bai Lian, come to the window."
"?"
Despite being confused, Bai Lian still walked over.
She stopped by the window and saw little An Lan carefully climbing onto the windowsill.
Bai Lian hurriedly said, "Come down quickly, you’ll fall."
An Lan didn’t move, "If you come up, I won’t fall."
After much hesitation, Bai Lian still climbed up as directed.
An Lan sat on the left, Bai Lian sat on the right, and their hands were held in the middle.
The rain outside was dripping steadily.
Small puddles collected along the windowsill.
The green leaves outside the window were weighed down by water droplets.
The candle inside the window dimmed gradually, almost extinguishing.
"Wait until my eyes are normal again, then let’s look together, okay?" said little An Lan softly.
"Hmm."
Bai Lian nodded vigorously.
Her consciousness departed from little Bai Lian’s body at this moment, and she stood in the center of the room, silently watching the two thin and weak figures huddled together.
She recalled that poem-
You ask if I’ll return, but I cannot say,
Rain on the hills of Ba swells the autumn pool by night and day.
How I long with you to cut down the western window candles,
And talk of rainy nights and hills of Ba.
[Can you teach me why humans are humans?]
I think.
Now, I have partial knowledge of the answer.
Bai Lian clasped her hands in front of her chest, and a white light shone from it.
The two intertwined pieces of the Future Mirror finally merged completely at this moment.
Therefore.
The room disappeared.
The autumn rain disappeared.
The mountains disappeared.
What remains for Bai Lian is still a pure white world.
"If I were to die now, or return to the past, or simply accept my fate, then Qing Luan, who gave half of her life to save me, would also perish, wouldn’t she?"
I don’t want it.
Furthermore…
In this way, she would not be able to return to that place to fulfill her promise with her master.
"The Monument of the Next World!"
With a gentle call of "Bai Lian," a burst of white light flowed from her chest, enveloping her completely.
At this moment.
The girl emerged from her dream.
