T.N: Huuuge chapter today. Enjoy! 🙂
It was a voice that Feng Qingyun thought he’d never be able to hear again, such a pleasant sound that instantly pulled his chaotic thoughts back to the present. He turned his head in complete bewilderment, shocking Bai Ruolin, who was busy combing his hair: “…Brother?”
Feng Qingyun looked at her for a long time without blinking, all the way until the poor girl’s scalp went numb. There she was, the one he had raised with his own hands, standing in sheer confusion in front of him. Not the woman who had broken down and pitifully cried, begging Mu Hanyang to save him, nor the fearless warrior who picked up her sword, determined to die with a cold face…
It was the Bai Ruolin who was alive and carefree, his beloved and spoiled little sister.
After a long time, he finally managed to move his head away and close his eyes, saying in a difficult voice: “I’m fine… Ruolin, what did you say about tomorrow?”
Now Bai Ruolin was even more shocked, if that was humanly possible. Obviously, she didn’t believe for a second that her brother was indeed fine: “Tomorrow is the Dao ceremony between you and the Sect Leader… Are you confused, Brother Qingyun?!”
Feng Qingyun took a long time to realize what she was talking about, and his heart jumped suddenly. He was afraid that what he ended up experiencing was not reincarnation but…
… Rebirth.
It looked like he returned to the eve of his marriage ceremony three hundred years ago. Even though Feng Qingyun had been a cultivator for hundreds of years, he was still shocked in the face of the Heavenly Dao, completely confused for a moment. As far as he knew, there was no forbidden skill in the world that could reach the level of bending both time and space, unknown to even the immortals who ascended in ancient times.
But…
“As for the way of ascending that I still owe to you… I’ll tell you next time.”
… Long Yin must have known something, or rather… He had long known that the collapse of the sky was not the end but a new beginning.
Feng Qingyun frowned slightly, completely immersed in thought, making Bai Ruolin feel even more scared. For a moment, she even doubted whether her Senior Brother had been possessed by something. In fact, it was not strange for her to think that. After all, at that moment in their previous life, Feng Qingyun had been so happy that he almost forgot his own name.
He didn’t even notice the forced smile on Mu Hanyang’s face the next day, nor did he pay any attention to the frowning and thoughtful eyes of those who attended the ceremony. However, for the present him, the next day’s ceremony didn’t matter at all. What he cared about was that there were only three hundred years left before the collapse of the sky, just a flick of a finger for cultivators.
If he didn’t hurry up… The end of the world would repeat itself, and everything would still be meaningless.
Bai Ruolin was still immersed in her suspicion of whether her brother had been possessed or not, but before she could speak, Feng Qingyun suddenly stood up.
“…Brother?!”
“Where is Mu Hanyang?” Feng Qingyun casually found an excuse, playing with the memories of his previous life. “Tomorrow is our ceremony. Why didn’t I see him today?”
When Bai Ruolin heard those words, her face suddenly turned bad. She pursed her lips and reluctantly answered: “… Maybe he’s busy drinking with some friend of his again.”
However, Feng Qingyun pretended to be as oblivious and concerned as in his previous life: “I’m going to find him.”
Seeing that, Bai Ruolin no longer suspected he was possessed.
…………….
Although Feng Qingyun had not yet figured out why he could return to the past, he still went to the back mountain of the Xiān Gōng Sect, the place where he had died in his previous life. Back then, everything that surrounded him had been swallowed by the collapsed Heavenly Gate, and nothing could be seen.
In fact, the back mountain of the Xiān Gōng Sect only contained a stone pathway leading to the Heavenly Gate from both sides, a simple flight of stairs that were built according to the rules of the Heavenly Dao. However, while the stairs belonged to the Yang, the Heavenly Gate was pure Yin[mfn]Yang- mortal world, Yin- spiritual world[/mfn].
Ordinary people couldn’t see the Heavenly Gate when they looked at the stairs from the front, and they couldn’t see it when climbing from the back either. Legend had it that in ancient times, only cultivators who could see both at the same time could truly ascend.
But at present, that rumor was meaningless. As soon as Feng Qingyun gained a human form, he could see the two at the same time, and six hundred years have passed since then. Except for briefly feeling the Heavenly Dao and touching the edge of the road before his death, he didn’t even see the shadow of being able to ascend.
However, when he arrived at the place he clearly remembered, it was empty, with not a trace of that cave ever existing. Feng Qingyun frowned slightly, unwilling to believe the place where both he and Long Yin perished didn’t exist. He immediately released his divine consciousness to explore, but with his cultivation stuck at the Foundation-Building stage, he was still unable to find anything. In the end, the mountain remained completely solid no matter how he looked at it, with no signs of any type of opening.
He couldn’t help but turn confused and, just as he was at a loss, a subtle spiritual power fluctuation appeared around him. Feng Qingyun stopped and suddenly looked over, only to see a man sitting on the top of the mountain.
Mu Hanyang.
In fact, the words Feng Qingyun had previously used to fool Bai Ruolin were not empty. On the last night before their marriage ceremony, Mu Hanyang had indeed disappeared. At that time, Feng Qingyun was so anxious that he searched all over the Xiān Gōng Sect but still couldn’t find him.
The other party insisted on hiding his divine consciousness until the end, returning in the morning completely wasted. And in the face of his sibling’s relentless questioning, he just shook his head and refused to say anything, falling asleep just like that.
However, the current Feng Qingyun, the one who knew how they’d end up in the future, no longer cared about Mu Hanyang’s life or death. He simply wanted to take advantage of the Sect Leader’s disappearance to look for secrets in the back mountain, only to bump into Mu Hanyang, who had chosen that exact same spot to drown his sorrows in alcohol.
In a way, they were still connected by fate…
… And Bai Ruolin’s words had been true. On the eve of their marriage ceremony, his beloved Senior Brother was busy getting drunk, probably accompanied by one of his many friends.
To be frank, Feng Qingyun intended to end that boring and completely useless Dao ceremony before it even happened, with no desire to ever appear in front of Mu Hanyang’s group of followers and suffer under their humiliating stares. Seeing him now, he wanted to leave without looking back, but unexpectedly… Despite always being surrounded by people, Mu Hanyang was now completely alone, getting drunk by his lonesome self.
And it wasn’t just that. Feng Qingyun stopped walking away, surprised to notice that his good brother seemed to also be talking to himself, acting and looking just as if he was crying and begging his wife to not abandon him.
Feng Qingyun hesitated for three seconds but, in the end, his curiosity still got the better of him. He came closer to look, confirming that Mu Hanyang was indeed sitting alone on the top of the mountain, holding a jar of wine and talking to… An illusion created with spiritual power.
The image of his sweetheart he drew with his own hands.
The moment he saw that illusion clearly, Feng Qingyun seemed to be struck by lightning, suddenly freezing in place. His own fiancé, on the night before their wedding, personally drew the image of the “woman” he carried in his heart, confiding in her.
When he first learned that Mu Hanyang already loved someone else on their wedding night in his previous life, Feng Qingyun could only be sad. However, right now, the second that “woman” showed her face and he finally knew who she seemingly was, there was no jealousy left in his heart. After a short moment of absurdity, there was only boundless irony and anger that rose straight from the depths of his soul.
Mu Hanyang was the person with the highest cultivation in the Xiān Gōng Sect, the absolute leader of the Righteous Path. As long as he wanted to hide his traces, he was naturally not afraid of being peeped at, completely oblivious to the fact that somebody might even try to do that. But what he didn’t know was that Feng Qingyun had the experience of reaching the peak of the Foundation-Building stage in his previous life. Now, although his cultivation was insufficient, he could still easily hide his consciousness.
Therefore, Mu Hanyang hugged the jar of wine without noticing his Junior Brother’s presence, looking bitterly at the illusion of a woman wearing a wedding dress and a phoenix hair crown.
“Miss Yu…” As soon as that name came out of Mu Hanyang’s mouth, Feng Qingyun suddenly closed his eyes, as if the boundless emotions in his heart were about to break through the heavens.
“I… I’m going to wrong you again.” Mu Hanyang said with difficulty. “I’m about to marry my younger brother tomorrow. Master told me before she ascended… His feelings for me are true, so I can’t let him down. Otherwise, she’ll expel me from the sect…”
Feng Qingyun heard the sound of his heart cracking to pieces. He no longer wanted to listen to the words that traveled to his ears. Until that moment… It was only before he died that he finally regretted loving Mu Hanyang.
But now, everything was different.
It turned out that it was all wrong from the very beginning. Every time his brother responded to his feelings, it was only because Master told him to do so, simply to protect his place as the Sect Leader of the Xiān Gōng Sect.
“My friends have prepared a banquet to celebrate my wedding. I must… Be like the light breeze[mfn]what he’s saying here is 永远光风霁月 (guāng fēng jì yuè), an idiom that translates to “light breeze and clear moon”, meaning “having a noble and benevolent character, an open mind and heart”[/mfn].” Mu Hanyang held the jar of wine and looked at the person he had always fantasized about, the woman he fell in love with at first sight. “Miss Yu, I can’t have any stains, and I can’t… Let anyone down. I must live up to Master’s expectations of me, live up to my brother’s affection, live up to all of my friends’ trust in me, as for love… I can only wrong you, girl.
Feng Qingyun looked down at his fingertips.
Be like the light breeze… So that was it.
It turned out that Mu Hanyang’s sweetheart was actually “her”.
No wonder, no wonder.
It was only now that Feng Qingyun finally understood why Mu Hanyang looked for “her” all the way to the Underworld, and why he did not dare to mention “her” in front of others…
… Because his conscience wasn’t clean. After all, he obviously pushed “her” to death with his own two hands.
He was clearly a loser in that game called love, but he could pretend so well on the surface.
How utterly ridiculous.
Feng Qingyun left the back mountain and returned to his bedroom without lingering. That night, he directly fell asleep wearing his day clothes, without meditating for a second. And unlike before, he had a dream that was completely different from the one he had in the past, on the eve of his wedding.
He dreamed of the “fantasy” he least wanted to recall.
He dreamed of “her”, the red wedding candles at night, and the dragon.
…………..
A hundred years before that fateful Dao ceremony was held, back when Feng Qingyun was just a cultivator in the Qi Condensation stage, the entire cultivation world was shocked by the news of a mysterious secret realm opening. Powered by the promised treasures inside, various cultivators entered it one by one, with young Feng Qingyun being one of them. However, once inside, he stumbled across a strange little secret place, following the instructions on an ancient scroll.
And just like that, because of a moment’s lack of notice, he was involved in an illusory world.
When he woke up again, Feng Qingyun forgot both his name and surname, forgot how to use his cultivation, and even forgot that he was a demon rather than a human.
In fact, it was a very dangerous situation.
Feng Qingyun, who fell into that strange fantasy world, forgot everything and only knew that he was a man, and yet… Everyone who saw him called him Miss Yu[mfn]Can’t say I did not see it coming but alas, it will still be funny when that surnamed Mu also realises who his beloved “Miss Yu” actually was[/mfn]. He originally wanted to refute, but for some reason, an inexplicable voice rose in his subconscious, telling him to not open his mouth and not let anyone know his true identity… Just like some role he was forced to play for reasons that completely eluded him.
In the end, he had to lower his eyes to cover the ripples in them and obediently respond to that name. After experiencing ups and downs for what felt like a lifetime, he came to Fulong Village with his mother, Widow Li.
That pair of mother and daughter fled from the wilderness to the Fulong Village, a place that was worthy of being called a famously rich village. The people inside were extremely kind and hospitable, cleaning up a house for them to live in and never lowering themselves to bully a pair of poor women.
With gratitude, Feng Qingyun soon settled in Fulong Village with his “mother”. As if in a dream, the sun rose and the moon set, and they both gradually integrated into that rich and peaceful small village. Perhaps the villagers already regarded the two of them as their own people because, less than a year later, the secret of wealth that belonged to the Fulong Village came to light…
…In the mountain behind the village lived a real Dragon God.
Feng Qingyun was stunned and opened his eyes slightly: “…Dragon God?”
“Hmm.” The matron in charge of the village’s weddings, funerals, and daily affairs nodded mysteriously, quickly adding: “It’s just that every five years, the village needs to send seven “sacrifices” so that the Dragon God can continue to bless us, otherwise… We’ll all be punished by God, let the whole village be buried together.”
Feng Qingyun started sweating when he heard those words, and his heart was shocked, making everyone believe he was afraid. “Don’t panic, Miss Yu. When the time comes to find sacrifices for God, we won’t choose you. Don’t worry,” the matron quickly smiled and comforted him.
And in the following years, the villagers did indeed keep that promise. Just like that, Widow Li made a living by killing pigs, and Feng Qingyun lived with her in Fulong Village. If only he tried for a second, he would have realized that Widow Li looked exactly like his Master, the woman who should have already ascended a hundred years prior… That person was obviously the swordswoman Zhong Yulan.
It was common in the cultivation world to be called a Sword Master. Some used the name of their swords, for example, Feng Qingyun himself. Wielding the Linshuang Sword resulted in him being called the Linshuang Sword Master. Others simply went by their name, such as Mu Hanyang who was known as Hanyang Sword Master.
It was only Zhong Yulan who did not need a title. After all, she was the strongest Sword Master in history and the last person to ascend in nearly a thousand years. And for most people in the cultivation world, “master” was just a title, but for Feng Qingyun, it also meant “mother”.
Feng Qingyun missed her almost every day, never daring to neglect the sect she had left behind. And now, one rebirth later, he could finally call her mother again, even though it was in a dream about encountering her in an illusory world.
…………..
Years passed by in a hurry in that fantasy world. Under the guidance of some unshakeable plot, Miss Yu “fell in love” with Mo Lang, a young man from the village who fetched water for “her” and cared about “her” every day. Seeing that the two were inseparable, the village head took the lead and negotiated the marriage with Widow Li.
Some things must have been destined. Feng Qingyun obviously had no memory of his life outside that illusory world, but he still thought deep in his heart that Mo Lang looked exactly like his beloved Senior Brother.
However, it was simply the preview of a terrible reality.
A few days before the wedding preparations began, Feng Qingyun was ordered by his mother to go to the village head’s house. However, as soon as he walked to the door, he heard the sound of a conversation between two people in the room: “From needing to do that every five years, to once every three years, and now every year!” The village chief said bitterly. “A full… A full seven of them at a time!”
The other person said something.
“There is really no one left in the village!” The village chief sighed and answered them. “I can only send one sacrifice this year. I don’t know if the Dragon God will be angry.”
Feng Qingyun looked outside, only to see that it was a very cloudy day, clearly not a good omen. After he pushed the door in, the village chief’s face suddenly changed, as if he was afraid of scaring the little “girl”, so he quickly asked a lot of questions in a soft voice and finally sent him back.
Just like that, his wedding was set on the first night after that year’s sacrifice. It seemed that the customs of Fulong Village were different from those outside, with weddings only taking place after it was completely dark. However, Widow Li and her “daughter” moved to that village years ago, so they had to follow the local customs, agreeing without asking any questions.
However, on the night of his wedding…
… Feng Qingyun sat in a sedan chair wearing a blood-colored wedding dress and a phoenix hair crown, stuck in place. There was a lot of noise outside, and it looked like the group of people who were supposed to receive him was also a little chaotic. Feng Qingyun lifted the curtain and looked outside, only to see that year’s designated “sacrifice” run down the mountain covered in blood, falling right in front of his wedding procession.
Someone in the crowd exclaimed: “Ah Wu! It’s Ah Wu, coming back alive!”
“The Dragon God is dying… The Dragon God is dying!” The young man named Ah Wu grabbed the nearest man and said with extremely bright eyes: “I couldn’t kill him with one blow… But he couldn’t even stop me! He’s going to die!”
His words were filled with happiness, acting excited about the death of the God who had “tormented” his village for hundreds of years. But Feng Qingyun felt something indescribably strange in his heart as if something was wrong for no reason.
“Good, good, good boy!” The village chief rushed over from nowhere and helped him up with a smile. “Tonight is Miss Yu’s wedding. Don’t disturb people’s happy things. Come here, and let’s talk about it.” Then he helped the young man aside, and the wedding procession continued. Everything seemed to have happened, and yet, nothing at all. In the darkness, countless people hugged and celebrated happily.
The sedan chair soon arrived in front of the Mo family. Feng Qingyun looked outside through the curtain, only to see that the lanterns hanging on the main door of the Mo family were as red as blood.
The wedding sedan chair was settled, and that “groom” of his, the one who looked exactly like his Senior Brother, personally helped him off. Everything was normal, just a little bit strange…
… All the way to the worship hall.
Mo Lang‘s parents died early, so he had to specially invite the village head and Widow Li to act as witnesses.
“A bow to heaven…”
However, before the matron of ceremonies could even finish her words, a man suddenly rushed in: “Village chief! Grandma said that tonight, the Dragon God asked for a new sacrifice!”
The air of the whole wedding suddenly stagnated.
When the village chief heard those words, he couldn’t care about anything else. He quickly stood up and asked: “Are you serious about this?!”
“Seriously!” The man was out of breath, but his eyes were just as bright as Ah Wu’s were before, terribly excited. “Grandma said… If things work out, it will be tonight.”
Feng Qingyun stood in place and frowned slightly under the veil that covered his face. There was an almost fanatical expression on everyone’s faces, and in addition, people couldn’t help looking at each other, seeing a trace of excitement in their eyes. The Dragon God had been badly injured by Ah Wu, but he still asked for a new sacrifice…
It was rumored that God was very vengeful. The entire village should have been punished by now, condemned to accompany him in death. But they had waited and waited, and there was still no trace of divine punishment. It seemed that the dragon’s powers had indeed been weakened, so weak that he could no longer punish the whole village. The only thing he could do was ask for a new sacrifice to accompany him in the last moments of his life.
But after all, the Dragon God was still a God. Anyone could see that there was no way for that newly selected sacrifice to ever return alive.
In the end, the village chief didn’t care whether the wedding was more important or not. Hearing the words of that man, he hurriedly took him out, leaving only one sentence behind: “It’s still Miss Yu’s big wedding, let’s speak outside.”
However, the wedding still failed to be completed. Half of the guests had already left, so there was no one to witness the union. As for Feng Qingyun’s “groom”, he quickly helped him up and whispered: “Miss Yu, it’s about the survival of the whole village! I have to ask what happened and wrong you. Go back to the room and wait for me for a moment, I’ll come back to you immediately.”
And just like that, Feng Qingyun was sent to a room to wait, all alone. When the moon was already on top of the tallest tree, there was finally the sound of hurried footsteps coming from outside the door. “Miss Yu…” On the night of his wedding, that man wore a wedding dress and looked highly expectant and drenched in happiness, but what he said made people shiver: “Brother Zao should have gone this time, but he has a family depending on him, a sick mother and young children… The village chief went to ask for the will of the Dragon God again. They say the sacrifice could be replaced, but…”
Feng Qingyun whispered under the veil: “But what…?”
“It’s just…” His “groom” frowned and finally said, carrying the wish of the entire village: “He appointed you to go.”
“…”
“So… Can you go and save the whole village, Miss Yu?”
Can you die for the common people, Qingyun?
It was night, and the moonlight was scattered on the road of the village, as cold as ice. The wedding sedan chair, which had already been used in the evening, staggered and set off again. But that time around, there was no gong or drum, with only four people carrying it silently, walking slowly along the mountain’s road.
And inside the sedan chair, a bride silently clenched the sharp, silver hairpin in his hand.
In the night, following the road of no return to see his dragon.
……………………..
As usual, up to five chapters in advance are available here. Happy reading!
