Разные пути ведут к одной и той же цели (жениться на человеке равного социального положения)

Глава 17

Every now and then, swifts would skim across the sky, leaving behind two or three desolate cries.

I wandered aimlessly through the mountains, following a mountain path until I unexpectedly reached the end. I simply stood on the edge of the cliff, on the rocks, looking down at the towns and villages below. Through the misty fog, it looked like an ink painting, or like fireworks in a fleeting dream.

In such a vast expanse of rain, it's actually perfect to have a drink, then get drunk on these rocks, lying down and watching the torrential rain on thousands of mountains, near and far, coming and going, and then suddenly, life is like a dream that has passed.

I lowered my head and smiled wryly, standing there for what felt like an instant, or perhaps half a lifetime, until I heard a noise behind me.

Turning around, I saw a white umbrella emerging from the dense branches, with a few casually blooming peach blossoms painted on the corner of the umbrella, which looked as if they were blooming in mid-air in the rain.

The hand holding the umbrella handle was exceptionally beautiful, with distinct knuckles, slender and long, as if carved from white jade.

The subordinate's sleeve was partially visible, wide and large, in the color of a light blue lotus, with thin ink lines of intertwined branches and chimeras on the cuffs.

Then a tall, slender person, holding a peach blossom umbrella, opened the delicate branches and walked out. As if not expecting anyone to be there, the person glanced at me, their slender eyes, as if painted with fine brushstrokes, slightly upturned.

I looked at that person, pursed my lips, and tightened my grip on the umbrella handle.

The rain, tinged with the colors of the mountains, drifted obliquely onto our umbrellas.

Twenty-two cups of immortal wine

Immortal Wine – Immortal wine does not intoxicate, but benefits my mortal body. Its taste is both cool and refreshing, its aroma both enchanting and intoxicating. A chaotic dance unfolds before my eyes, sending me soaring to the heavens.

...

A single umbrella casts a misty rain over a thousand mountains.

I held up my umbrella and spoke calmly, "...Palace Mistress Qing."

Qingjiu didn't speak for a moment, only looking at me from a short distance away. Because I was standing on higher ground, he tilted his head slightly, his black hair falling over his collar and shoulders. In the rain, the person in front of me appeared even more sparse, clear and cold like autumn water, untouched by worldly affairs.

I glanced at the cliff behind me and suddenly laughed, "Is Palace Master Qing thinking of repeating what she failed to do in the mountain cave back then?"

The hand holding the umbrella handle seemed to twitch slightly, and Qingjiu said in a low voice, "...I didn't expect you to really be Qingguyi."

“That’s right,” I said with a cold laugh, looking down at him. “So unless the Thousand Years Sect and your Heavenly Pivot Palace fight each other in the future, you will never have another chance to kill me. Of course, I am not worth killing now.”

But he suddenly said, "...and it's much more powerful than I imagined."

I was stunned and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

Raindrops fell on the purplish-red hem of her dress, leaving dark watermarks that looked like dark petals falling on it.

Suddenly I understood, and I burst out laughing. "In the end, you and Yin Liuchuan are really kindred spirits. You so-called prodigies can at most treat other geniuses as equals. To you, everyone else is no different from grass or trees. There's only the distinction between useful and useless, worth keeping or worth killing."

My voice was calm and unhurried, slowly fading into the rain.

"You always think that self-sacrifice in times of crisis is a foolish act, something only hot-blooded mortals would do. But those who truly stand at the top of this martial world can see through the so-called true meaning of the martial arts world, which is nothing more than self-interest. So, although I will not forgive you for trying to kill me in that mountain cave, I can understand that it was just a natural choice to protect yourself. Moreover, everything you have done is the result of weighing your interests, without any emotional factors involved."

"You think that everyone who is as talented as you and stands at a high position will make the same choice as you. In fact, Yin Liuchuan, whom you met, is indeed that kind of person. You are both cold-blooded creatures who look down on the world with ruthless eyes."

As I spoke, I couldn't help but laugh again. I simply sat cross-legged on the rain-soaked rocks, not caring much about the water wetting my clothes. I didn't even look at Qingjiu's reaction, and just continued speaking slowly.

"But now, you suddenly realize that it's not like that at all. I, a fool who would risk my life to save people, and even after you tried to kill me, still insisted on saving you, am actually the heir of the Thousand Years Sect, and can even be considered a genius. You find it strange. We are clearly your fellow traveler. We should know these cruel truths, have witnessed the desolation of the martial world, and know that ordinary and humble lives are like weeds. Why would I do something so foolish?"

“Qingjiu, ever since I met you, all I’ve seen is your celestial perfection. I’ve always been inferior to you, and it’s been so frustrating,” I said, tapping the rough rocks with one hand. Suddenly, I looked at Qingjiu and smiled. “But now I’m in an incredibly good mood. Even if you look perfect and mature, you’re still an eighteen-year-old boy. I’ve finally seen your childish side.”

Qing Jiu just pursed her lips and looked at me, her eyelashes trembling slightly. This person was as pale and cold as a painting, even her fingertips were pale and bloodless. She was beautiful, but she looked heartless and not like a human being.

I turned to the side and tossed the umbrella in my hand downwards. The blue oilcloth umbrella fell lower and lower in the rain until it was just a little bit of green in the mist.

The rain was fine and soft, falling all over my body.

“Looking at it like this, doesn’t it resemble a mayfly?” I said to myself, without waiting for a reply, and continued, “Mayflies are insects that live only a day and die at night, and they don’t know what spring and autumn are. Perhaps in your eyes, those people down the mountain are no different from mayflies that can be crushed with a pinch.”

"But do you know? Everything has its destiny, yet heaven and earth are eternal. In this immortal rain, the so-called chosen ones and the mediocre, the so-called martial artists and the unarmed, you and I, are all mayflies. Let alone living to the morning and dying at dusk, a lifetime is not an exaggeration. In a hundred years, we will all turn to dust. What difference is there between heroes and those who die mediocrely and those who achieve great things?"

I was already soaked to the bone, but I continued to speak calmly.

"Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs. But I feel that heaven and earth do not discriminate among all living beings, and regard all living beings as equal as straw dogs. This is the great benevolence of heaven and earth. Aren't we martial artists asking heaven and earth about the great principles with our swords? Only when you understand that all life in this world is equal can you cultivate a perfect sword heart. This is my greatest gain from two years of wandering in the mortal world."

I stood up, twisted my hair, jumped off the rocks, and laughed again: "When I stand in the rain, I love to ramble on like an old woman about heaven and earth and life and death, and I have the heart of a bodhisattva, so I'll share all my thoughts. I respect you as an outstanding person, which is why I'm telling you all this. Of course, I also have the selfish thought of eliminating one person who would kill me. Even if you, the Great Palace Master, feel you've gained nothing, please forgive me for rambling on for so long. If I offend you in the future, please let me off the hook."

Looking at Qingjiu, his face looked somewhat pale, probably because his leg injury had just healed. His fingers gripped the umbrella handle tightly, and he remained silent, but his eyes were slightly closed. His long eyelashes drooped down like egret feathers, and in the rain they looked like soft, drooping blades of grass. It was impossible to tell whether he was angry or indifferent.

So... it was all for nothing after all.

I sighed, waved my hand, said "Never mind," and walked past him, intending to go down the mountain.

A voice came from behind him. He suddenly spoke, and his usually ruthless voice seemed to have a hint of warmth in it, "...Eight thousand years of jade age, withering and flourishing overnight."

I turned around in surprise, only to meet his gaze as he looked down at me, a gaze as gentle and serene as a peach blossom falling silently onto flowing water. His eyes held a faint glimmer, like a lone wild goose.

Qingjiu's voice was low, but it sounded different from usual: "No matter how cruel the human world is, it can't compare to the ruthlessness of heaven and earth. Since ruthlessness only seems ridiculous, it's better to be more compassionate."

As she spoke, Qingjiu looked at me and suddenly smiled faintly. The smile was so clear and gentle, like a glimmer of light resting on a water lily, possessing a timeless beauty in the misty rain.

For some reason, I was speechless for a moment, just staring blankly at Qingjiu. And it seems that most of the time, I can only look at him like this.

Another defeat... Damn it.

Just as I was feeling a surge of annoyance, Qingjiu moved the peach blossom umbrella over my head. Raindrops immediately soaked his hair and clothes, and he smiled at me in the rain, the smile reaching deep into his eyes.

"Thank you... for buying my clothes."

I felt something strike my chest for no apparent reason. Some subtle, implicit fragments flashed through my mind like lightning. In that fleeting moment of brilliance, I seemed to see something, but it was ultimately just a phantom, a faint fragrance, gone and irretrievable. My whole body seemed to tremble, or perhaps not; it was just a momentary, normal beating of my heart.

I snatched the umbrella away and said fiercely, "You're quite the calculating one. Such a huge favor, and you think a mere umbrella is enough?"

Qing Jiu released her hand and chuckled softly, "Consider it a little interest." She even tilted her head childishly, "...I seem to owe you more and more."

So, rainwater really is a holy medicine that purifies all things...?

"Hmph, good that you understand," I said with a smile, "Then this creditor will take his leave first."

Without looking at him again, I turned and walked down the mountain.

It felt like an illusion, but I could sense a faint fragrance of peach blossoms lingering between the umbrellas, which inexplicably reminded me of a few months ago when I was sitting under a peach tree, and when I turned around, I saw someone walking towards me amidst a shower of petals.

The endless drizzle tirelessly weaves a colorless cloth between heaven and earth, and the fallen petals and withered leaves are the loose threads.

I feel like I've done something stupid again.

...

When I returned to the inn soaking wet despite holding an umbrella, Li Yiyao was initially surprised. After asking the waiter to boil a bucket of hot water, she looked at me with suspicion and asked, "Where did you go? You got all wet even with an umbrella."

"I'm going to take a stroll up Qishan Mountain."

"There's nobody here, what's the point of browsing..." Li Yiyao muttered, then suddenly looked at the umbrella in my hand, "Huh? You didn't take this umbrella with you when you went out."

"Yes, that's right..." I scratched my head, intending to compensate the shopkeeper for the umbrella later.

Li Yiyao suddenly grabbed his shoulders with her eyes shining, "Gu Yi, tell me, did you encounter the legendary mountain spirits?!"

“Li Yiyao…” I groaned weakly.

"Let me see this umbrella. It has peach blossoms painted on it. You must have run into a peach blossom spirit, right?"

I leaned against the wall, barely breathing.

“Let me see…” Li Yiyao leaned closer, looking at me with a scrutinizing gaze. “Your face is flushed, and you’re soaking wet…” Suddenly, a glint of light flashed in Li Yiyao’s eyes, and she whispered mysteriously in my ear:

"Did you have sex with that handsome male peach blossom spirit, cough cough, did you...?"

My body went limp, and I plopped down on the ground.

"Tsk tsk, looks like that was intense. You look so weak and exhausted. Take a hot bath and get some rest later—"

“Li Yiyao,” I looked up at the woman who made me want to slap her, “...Autumn is coming soon.”

"Yeah... so what?"

"The walnuts are already bearing fruit! Why hasn't your brain sprouted yet?"

Li Yiyao asked curiously, "What does my brain have to do with walnuts?"

I said with deep emotion, "If your brain were as big as a walnut, I would have no regrets in this life, and I could die with a smile on my face."

Li Yiyao clapped her hands and suddenly said, "I understand! Thank you for buying the clothes!" She laughed and patted my shoulder.

I was overjoyed and about to speak when she said, "You want me to go to Qishan Mountain and find a handsome male walnut spirit!"

I froze completely, my face cracking as if a thousand troops were charging.

Li Yiyao grabbed the peach blossom umbrella, saying, "Lend me the peach blossom spirit's umbrella, the demonic energy on it will easily attract demons." Then he rushed out the door, leaving me with a majestic and awe-inspiring back view.

"Hehe, little walnut spirit, just wait for your grandma..." The voice faded into the distance.

I lay on the ground, badly injured, looking out at the endless rain, feeling that it was all my blood and tears.

...

"Eight thousand years of jade age, withering and flourishing overnight; I ask Heaven, what is the purpose of this life?" — *In Search of the Supernatural*

This work was created by Shuxia Yehou, a leading figure in the domestic fantasy genre.

Twenty-three cups of Yuanzheng wine

Yuanzheng Wine - Ten years of Yuanzheng Wine, our joy deepens with each passing year. Thank you for sending this fine wine to a sorrowful soul; its clear, sweet aroma is truly delightful.

...

The next day, the clouds cleared and the rain stopped, and the martial arts tournament resumed.

As per the original rules, the next group consisted of veteran martial arts practitioners. Although they lacked the youthful passion of the past, their skill level was significantly higher, making it quite rewarding to watch.

My image as a tough woman who fought Yin Liuchuan that day was deeply ingrained in people's minds and shone brightly. When I entered the venue, I could feel many people looking at me. I could hear the words "Qing Gu Yi" in their words. Some people hesitated as if they wanted to go up and chat with me. Although my youthful vanity was satisfied, I was still not used to it.

On the stage, Old Man Yu and Qing Jiu were tied.

On stage, Zhou Bapi lost to Qu Chunran.

On stage, everyone was defeated by Eun Hyun.

Offstage, I happened to run into Qing Jiu, who gave me a box of pastries as a way to make ends meet. I smelled the fragrance of peach blossoms in them. Could he have been a peach blossom spirit in his past life?

Offstage, I happened to run into Yin Liuchuan. He spoke of his ninth concubine as if no one else was around, startling countless onlookers. I fled in shame and anger.

Offstage, I happened to run into Qu Qingqing. Qu insulted me with her words, so I revealed her undergarment with a sword. I saw that her face was the same color as the undergarment, and I laughed and walked away.