Chapter 29
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Chapter 29: Martial Sister Bai Lian’s Straight Ball Attack
An Lan was puzzled by this.
Once, she could cut across fields, command the sun and moon, and make thousands of flowers bloom with a mere thought. Yet, since falling into the mortal world, all her magic powers had come to naught.
Occasionally, she even wondered if the Immortal Heavenly Lord An Lan was merely a fantasy. But the sealed lance reminded her that everything in the past had been real.
If it wasn’t vanity, was it that she was aging?
Before leaving the Duxian Sect for the Wushan Holy Palace, lying in the cave, she felt her water sour and her sleep restless. She even mistakenly thought someone had entered the cave.
“Is this really a sign of premature aging?”
An Lan’s heart beat slowly.
She wasn’t afraid of dying. But she cared deeply about how she would die.
She wanted to vanish in a blaze of brilliance. Even if the world ended and the Great Tao was annihilated, she wanted people to still sing her name.
If aging meant fading into obscurity as an old woman, she’d prefer to end things herself.
Bai Lian’s second call broke her wild train of thought.
“Master!”
“Well, what’s your business?”
An Lan glanced at her clothes. They were clean and proper—lapels closed, sleeves covered, no sign of exposure.
Good. I still have the dignity of a master!
Relieved, An Lan relaxed slightly.
Bai Lian smiled and said, “Thank you for your concern. It was my fault. If I hadn’t acted rashly, your plan wouldn’t have been disrupted.”
“If only you knew!”
An Lan waved her hand dismissively, avoiding Bai Lian’s eager eyes.
Feeling her words were too blunt, she added, “It’s not important. I can do it anytime.”
“Yes.”
Bai Lian bowed, and silence returned. Only the faint sound of fireworks eased the tension.
Bai Lian hesitated.
An Lan, in all aspects, was unfathomable—even her personality was only half-understood.
If she invited An Lan to the Lantern Festival now, she’d definitely be refused.
How should I say this?
Bai Lian pinched her fingers nervously.
Unexpectedly, An Lan spoke first.
“You, stand straight.”
“?”
Sudden corporal punishment?
An Lan circled Bai Lian twice.
The word “Death” hovered densely around Bai Lian, forming something akin to black plate armor. If it continued, it might even become face armor.
Is this the real ‘Death Knight’?
An Lan couldn’t make sense of it. No records from the Wushan Holy Palace mentioned such phenomena.
Does this mean the problem can only be solved in the Immortal World?
But she couldn’t go there.
Annoyed, she regretted not reading more while she was still the Heavenly Lord.
“What did you do in the Flying Fog?”
Bai Lian summarized her actions, omitting details like Qiong Zhi’s attempt to marry off the jade rabbit.
“Yaoguang Star Lord?”
An Lan shook her head. She didn’t know this rabbit. Could the new “Death” signs on Bai Lian’s body be connected?
An Lan pulled out a plate and tossed it to Bai Lian.
“Take this. Don’t return it.”
“Ah, yes.”
Bai Lian recognized it as a positioning device. She’d used it before, back when escorting her second Martial Sister to the mountain.
It’s only been six months, yet it feels like a lifetime ago.
An Lan turned to a wall picture, admiring the youthful image of herself.
Premature aging must be an illusion!
She turned to leave.
“You’ve just returned. Rest early.”
“…”
She’ll leave if I don’t act!
Bai Lian’s mind raced. She remembered countless moments: An Lan standing under the eaves on New Year’s Eve, An Lan avoiding her tears, An Lan from the Duxian Sect’s early days.
“Master!”
An Lan paused, puzzled.
“What’s wrong?”
The evening wind swept through An Lan’s dress, making her look ethereal.
Time was running out.
Without a plan, Bai Lian blurted out, “Master, today is the Lantern Festival!”
“I know.”
“New Year’s Eve has passed. In half a quarter of an hour, today will end!”
“I know.”
“If we miss this, we’ll have to wait a year!”
“I know.”
“So,” Bai Lian’s eyes sparkled, “let’s go to the Lantern Festival!”
An Lan froze. Was this an invitation?
Her mind blurred. Memories of Bai Lian alone at festive tables, waiting under rain-soaked eaves, surfaced.
“But,” An Lan said, “it’s too late.”
Bai Lian was stunned.
Too late?
“No!” Bai Lian grabbed An Lan’s hand. “There’s still time!”
What mattered wasn’t the lanterns but the atmosphere.
An Lan lowered her gaze, noticing Bai Lian’s hands—larger and cooler than hers. Time had changed Bai Lian too.
“Just this once,” An Lan murmured, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
Fireworks lit up the sky behind her.
But Bai Lian was greedy.
She didn’t just want tonight. She wanted every Lantern Festival, every moment, forever.
