Chapter 14
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“Wait.” Suddenly, Meng Yunfei pressed down on the Guo Chen sword, “That’s not the real Law Flower Immortal.”
Yuchi Xiao stared at Gong Wei intently, not daring to move, “He is! Look at what he’s wearing!”
Gold is one of the important raw materials for various mechanisms refined by the Iron Sect, so the Immortal Alliance stipulates that the various sects of the Xuanmen cannot privately hoard large amounts of gold. Additionally, only the “one men, two zun, three zong” – namely, Cangyang Mountain’s Xu Shuangce, Venerable Wuyuan Ying Kai, and Law Flower Immortal Gong Wei, as well as the Sword Sect’s Yuchi Changsheng, the Medical Sect’s Mu Duozhu, and the Iron Sect’s Changsun Chengfeng – can use gold thread to embroider family crests on the uniforms of their disciples to indicate their identities, and only direct disciples of the main line can do so.
Below this, among the Four Saints, Six Families, and Eight Sects, such as the legitimate disciple of the Music Saint, Meng Yunfei, the most embroidered on the robes is silver thread.
This is not a rigid rule, and besides the formal uniforms, no one actually cares what clothes they wear privately. But this outfit of woven golden maple leaves is too iconic. Even if you haven’t seen it with your own eyes, you can hear about it from various stories about Law Flower Immortal that are popular in the streets and alleys. Besides Gong Wei, there is no one else.
“…No, I’m not saying you’re mistaken.” Meng Yunfei also stared at Gong Wei, gritting his teeth and saying in a low voice, “He’s a mirror person!”
A word awakened the dreamer. Not only Yuchi Xiao, but even Gong Wei suddenly realized: yes, this is Xu Shuangce’s conscious world, and I’m just a projection reflected from his memory. It all makes sense!
Gong Wei blinked, immediately stopped moving, and looked at them without a word.
“The mirror person has no self-awareness and only acts along a fixed trajectory. As long as we don’t provoke it, it won’t actively attack outsiders.” Meng Yunfei pressed the Guochen sword back into its sheath with a clang, forcing himself to turn his head as if nothing had happened, gesturing for Yuchi Xiao to look away too, “Don’t stare at him, don’t let him feel threatened… There, he’s already no longer paying attention to us.”
Yuchi Xiao glanced over and indeed saw the “Law Flower Immortal” standing still for a while, silently pondering something, and then slowly walked a few steps away, standing on the riverbank with his back to them, looking at the distant village shrouded in faint smoke.
At this time, the Law Flower Immortal still didn’t have long hair. The fine tips of his hair just covered his neck. Against the black and white, the skin on the back of his neck seemed to glow slightly. According to folklore, the Law Flower Immortal walks under the moonlight at night, radiant all over, seeming to merge with the moonlight. Now it seems not entirely false. The deep red outer robe, paired with the snow satin inside, outlined his slender and light figure, giving him an indescribable youthful charm.
This was actually quite dissonant because the actual age of the Law Flower Immortal was not that young. Records in the Xuanmen’s books show that when he was first brought into the Immortal Alliance by Ying Kai, he was already fifteen or sixteen years old.
He seemed to be an entity walking alone through the years, regardless of how many years passed, he was as innocent and curious as a child, and he maintained a very cautious and subtle distance from the mortal world.
Yuchi Xiao withdrew his gaze, although he knew that what he saw was just an illusion, he still felt a sense of absurdity as if life and death were reversed. He asked in a low voice, “Are we in Sect Master Xu’s most feared consciousness? How do we get out?”
The Music Saint Sect has relatively more research on illusions. Meng Yunfei thought for a moment and said, “Generally, there are only two ways to break the illusion. The first is to make the host realize that it’s an illusion… but it’s difficult, and we don’t know where to find Sect Master Xu. The second is to dissolve the core of the illusion. For example, prevent the disasters that were supposed to happen from happening. As long as the host realizes that the tragedy is different from what he remembers, he will realize that everything is just a false illusion.”
As he spoke, he stood up, dusted himself off, and frowned at his surroundings, “But this village looks very peaceful, like nothing is going to happen.”
Gong Wei’s mouth twitched slightly, thinking that the two young heroes didn’t know. The epic disaster was already on its way…
“The village.” Suddenly, Yuchi Xiao muttered thoughtfully, looking at the farmers in the distance, suddenly enlightened, “The village!”
Meng Yunfei asked, “What’s wrong?”
Yuchi Xiao ran to the village head in one step, “This place is not right!”
Meng Yunfei hadn’t reacted yet and subconsciously followed him in a mad dash. When they reached the village head, they saw a stone stele standing under a peach blossom tree, with three large characters engraved on it, “Peach Blossom Village!”
“This is bad!” Yuchi Xiao’s face changed drastically, “The ‘Yearning Pampered Slave’, this plot is from ‘Yearning Pampered Slave’!”
Meng Yunfei thought he had misheard, and asked in astonishment, “Isn’t it when Sect Master Xu met the farmer’s daughter in Peach Blossom Village, fell in love at first sight, and vowed to marry no one else but her, that ‘Yearning Pampered Slave’?”
Yuchi Xiao covered his face with both hands and nodded.
“And then the Law Flower Immortal suddenly appeared, killed the bride with a sword at the wedding, and Sect Master Xu was heartbroken, and in the end, he to himself… for that ‘Yearning Pampered Slave’?”
Yuchi Xiao’s temples throbbed, gritting his teeth and nodding.
Meng Yunfei suddenly turned around, only to see a figure in red standing on the opposite bank of the river, facing the wind, Gong Wei innocently meeting his gaze.
“…”
Meng Yunfei struggled and said, “So the Law Flower Immortal appears in Sect Master Xu’s memory because he came to kill the bride?”
Yuchi Xiao turned his head away, unable to face this sinister world anymore.
After a long silence around, Meng Yunfei finally made a soul-stirring question:
“Didn’t we agree that all the storybooks are fictional?!”
At this moment, with a creak, the door of a small courtyard in the distance opened.
The host’s consciousness world began to operate, and both of them felt a sudden tightness in their hearts. They simultaneously stepped back half a step behind the peach tree, avoiding direct confrontation with the figure in the mirror. They saw a tall man in silver armor and white clothes stepping out. He went to the backyard and led out a horse. Just as he walked to the front gate along the bluestone path, he hesitated for a moment, then turned his head to look at the cottage, seeming reluctant to leave.
It’s called “looking,” but in fact, both of his eyes were covered by white cloth, revealing only a straight nose bridge and a pair of thin lips, with extremely handsome features — it was Xu Shuangce.
Unexpectedly, he appeared to have much more vitality than he did in their memories. He didn’t look like the immortal emperor who stood above the world, cold and indifferent like eternal ice. Instead, he looked like a normal man with human emotions and desires.
Yuchi Xiao exclaimed, “Ah,” and asked in confusion, “What’s wrong with his eyes? Is he injured? This part wasn’t mentioned in the script.”
In the illusion, Xu Shuangce stood still for a moment, then let go of the horse and walked towards the cottage. Although he couldn’t see, his movements were unhindered. It’s unknown if he had other methods of sensing the Yin and Yang Five Elements, but he went straight to the door, pushed it open, and walked in. He stood at the entrance hall with his back to them and said softly:
“Little Tao.”
— The legendary Mrs. Xu!
No one knew her name, and no one knew what she looked like, but for many years, the name of Mrs. Xu was known throughout the world!
Meng Yunfei cursed silently and averted his gaze, not wanting to look anymore. However, Yuchi Xiao didn’t have such high moral standards. He immediately stretched his neck out from behind the tree. Unfortunately, it was too dark inside the house, and Xu Shuangce’s figure blocked the entrance, so he could only vaguely see a figure in a crimson dress inside the house, but couldn’t see the specific appearance clearly.
“Although what I said last night was abrupt, it came from the heart.” Xu Shuangce paused, hesitated before continuing, “I don’t know why, I have never seen your face with my own eyes, nor heard your voice, but from the first meeting, I felt a sense of past and present, as if I had been waiting for a long time.”
“I know you hesitate in your heart, so you are unwilling to return to the capital with me, but it’s okay. I will be gone for a short time, maybe a few months, maybe a year; after a year, regardless of whether I can regain my sight or not, I will definitely bring the bridal escort back to fetch you.”
He paused for a moment, his voice becoming even softer:
“Take care on this journey. When we meet again in the future, we will be husband and wife.”
A deathly silence fell behind the tree.
After a long time, Yuchi Xiao couldn’t help but ask, “Sect Master Xu, is there really nothing possessing him?”
The mysterious Mrs. Xu in the house remained silent for some reason, but the crimson dress rustled as if something was written on Xu Shuangce’s hand. After a while, Xu Shuangce whispered, “Alright.” He hesitated again before reluctantly leaving the house. As he left, he turned back towards the house and smiled.
Normally, when such an elegant and handsome young man smiled so affectionately, it would make one’s heart race — but this was Sect Master Xu.
Meng Yunfei shuddered and covered his eyes, while Yuchi Xiao’s fingers dug deep into the tree trunk, their expressions contorted as if they had just been struck by heavenly lightning.
They only saw Xu Shuangce turn around, mount his horse, and gallop away, quickly disappearing at the end of the village.
After a while, a graceful figure slowly emerged from the house and stood on the stone steps, gazing in the direction where the white horse had disappeared.
She was facing the direction where the two men were hiding, her hair long and dense, flowing from her slender neck to her chest, obscuring her face. Although her face couldn’t be seen from this angle, her slender figure was seen, and just looking at her silhouette gave rise to a feeling of yearning and longing.
Yuchi Xiao couldn’t help but exclaim, “Oh, Mrs. Xu doesn’t look like an ordinary village girl.”
Meng Yunfei said, “Although it’s just a reflection in the mirror, it’s disrespectful to peek at a woman. Let’s not look. I think this illusion is quite strange. It might be difficult for Sect Master Xu to break it on his own, and the key to breaking it lies with Mrs. Xu. As long as we ensure her safety and she survives, then Sect Master Xu can marry her smoothly…”
At that moment, the woman in the distance slightly turned her body, and Meng Yunfei suddenly stopped speaking.
Although her face was still hidden, this movement revealed a section of her neck and arm. There was a golden ring on her arm, formed by three waves of gold thread, and her skin was so fair that it seemed to emit a faint glow under the sunlight.
Suddenly, Meng Yunfei felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if he had seen a similar description just now. He couldn’t help but turn his head to look at the Law Flower Immortal across the river.
But there was no one there.
His brow furrowed, and he reached out to pat Yuchi Xiao, “The Law Flower Immortal is gone, look around—” But then his movements froze.
In the palm of his hand was a section of a cold and soft wrist.
“…”
Meng Yunfei silently turned his head, only to see that between himself and Yuchi Xiao, another person had somehow squeezed in — the Law Flower Immortal was blocking the sunlight with one hand, holding onto the tree trunk with the other, and peering towards Mrs. Xu in the distance. In his blood-red right eye, there was an unmistakable curiosity.
The next moment, Yuchi Xiao and Meng Yunfei drew their swords simultaneously, “When did he arrive?!” “Stop him!!”
With a loud bang, the tree trunk shook violently. Gong Wei rolled on the ground, avoiding the shining arcs of the Gouchen and Suqing swords, then swiftly got up and evaded, dodging the bright arc of the Gouchen sword.
The Law Flower Immortal was indeed as bizarre as the rumors suggested. Without any swords or talismans, he could easily neutralize any attack. He could escape from any desperate situation forced by Yuchi Xiao. He moved as lightly as a fish under the Gouchen sword. Meng Yunfei knew that as long as he killed Mrs. Xu, everyone would perish in the collapsing illusion. In a hurry, he summoned the ancient qin, struck the ground, and the sound waves rose sharply!
Gong Wei: “?!?!”
He just wanted to take the opportunity to sneak a peek at what Mrs. Xu looked like in Xu Shuangce’s heart. He didn’t expect to risk his own life. Seeing this, he immediately slipped away in the opposite direction. But Yuchi Xiao couldn’t let him go. He immediately wielded his sword and approached. Under the dual attack of the qin sound and sword light, Gong Wei finally didn’t feel so relaxed. He covered his ears with both hands, frowned, and was suddenly pushed back several steps by the fierce Gouchen sword aura!
The damage directly affecting the soul made his throat sweet, his vision blurred, and then his face turned black. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the sleeves on both sides and tried to snatch the Gouchen sword from Yuchi Xiao’s hand—
Meng Yunfei exclaimed, “Yuanju, be careful! Stay away from Mrs. Xu!”
In the distant courtyard, the mirror-like woman finally seemed to hear the commotion and turned her head to look at them, finally revealing her true appearance.
Meng Yunfei was stunned, Yuchi Xiao was dumbfounded, and even Gong Wei’s hand froze in mid-air.
The atmosphere became terrifyingly frozen, and the three of them couldn’t tear their gaze away from the smooth, blank “face” in front of them. After a long while, they finally heard Yuchi Xiao stutter, “What… what’s going on?”
The so-called “Mrs. Xu” had nothing on her face — no features, no expressions, not even any contours.
She had no face.
The atmosphere became extremely eerie, and the three of them stood motionless in place, facing the smooth, blank “face” in front of them.
Then Gong Wei suddenly realized — yes, she shouldn’t have a face.
When she “died,” Xu Shuangce didn’t have time to uncover her face. He didn’t know what the so-called bride looked like at all!
For a moment, Gong Wei didn’t know whether to laugh or feel guilty for being late. At that moment, the woman turned around without any reaction, entered the house, and closed the wooden door behind her with a soft click.
At the moment the door closed, a light breeze swept through the treetops, and the peach blossoms throughout the village suddenly flew off the branches, creating a flurry of crimson wind!
Gong Wei instantly realized what was about to happen, immediately pulled away, and followed the woman into the courtyard.
Yuchi Xiao realized something was wrong, just as he was about to chase after him, he was suddenly pinned in place by an invisible restraint. At that moment, the peach petals, which had covered the sky, suddenly dispersed, and the maple leaves turned golden red, falling like snowflakes; the next moment, he felt something cold land on the back of his hand. Looking up, he saw snowflakes swirling in the sky, falling gently to the ground, and in an instant, the entire village was covered in a blanket of silver.
The white, misty north wind blew through the valley, carrying snowflakes, but before the two could feel the cold, they watched in amazement as the ice and snow rapidly melted away, and in the blink of an eye, spring returned to the land. Warblers chirped melodiously as they flitted through the grass, while several carp leaped out of the water, splashing crystal-clear waves; bare branches budded and then burst into bloom, with thousands upon thousands of flowers blooming simultaneously, creating a magnificent scene of crimson clouds stretching for miles.
In the fleeting passage of time within the illusion, the seasons changed in the blink of an eye.
The villagers, whose faces were indistinguishable, worked at sunrise and rested at sunset. As the lingering daylight gradually faded, the bustling village fell into silence, and the sound of night insects chirping echoed from the distant fields.
Moonlight spilled onto the long stone path at the village entrance, and all around was silent and ethereal. Suddenly, the urgent sound of horse hooves came from the distant valley.
The two exchanged a glance, both realizing what was happening. Meng Yunfei whispered, “It’s Sect Master Xu.”
The year in the illusion had passed, and Xu Shuangce had returned to welcome his bride!
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