Chapter 61 Changing One’s Mind

Yan Chixia’s face was ashen, his eyes tightly closed, and his body lay motionless on its back in the shape of a cross, staring up at the sky.

“Yan Chixia! Yan Chixia…” She Meier cried out in distress, leaping to Yan Chixia’s side. Seeing his eyes shut, she hastily reached out to feel beneath his nose—no breath. “Ah? Dead!” In an instant, her heart turned to ice.

“Yan Chixia, why are you dead? Yan Chixia, you can’t die! Yan Chixia…” She Meier buried her tear-stained face deep against Yan Chixia’s chest, wrapping her arms tightly around his body, sobbing in utter grief. “Yan Chixia, you’re gone, and I’m left here all alone… What’s the point of living anymore? Yan Chixia… How could you be so heartless? Why did you abandon me here, all by myself?

Yan Chixia… I hate you! Hate you for appearing before me only to leave so quickly! Yan Chixia… Do you know how much I care for you? In my heart, there is no other man but you.

Yan Chixia, didn’t you say you had the Guardian Bead of Life, the ‘Solar Bead,’ and that you’d never be in mortal danger? Why did your guardian not protect you today? Tell me! You…”

Her wailing trailed off as a sudden thought struck her: Yan Chixia hadn’t been wearing his ‘Solar Bead’—he’d given it to Bai Xiaoyue before departing. Overcome with regret, she wept bitterly. “Yan Chixia… I’m so sorry! I should have made sure you wore your Guardian Bead…”

…

Mount Zhongnan, Pure Void Monastery.

After Yan Chixia, She Meier, and the Celestial Maiden of the Nine Heavens had left, Master Pure Void stood there, muttering to himself:

“How odd. Why do I keep feeling something’s not right?”

Bai Xiaoyue couldn’t help but ask, “Elder, what do you find strange?”

“Yes!” Tu Xiaomeng chimed in, glancing around with a smile. “Elder, everything here is calm and peaceful… nothing seems amiss to me.”

“Heh, heh, heh…” Suddenly, Pinecone giggled in his simple-minded way. “I know what’s missing!”

“What’s wrong? Pinecone, tell me!” Tu Xiaomeng demanded eagerly.

Pinecone replied with a grin, “Brother Yan is gone. That’s what’s missing.”

“Hmph!” Tu Xiaomeng said in disappointment, “That’s no help at all…”

At this, Master Pure Void spoke up:

“I feel there’s something strange about the Celestial Maiden of the Nine Heavens—in other words, the one who appeared here today wasn’t her true self, but rather an avatar!”

“What?” Bai Xiaoyue, Tu Xiaomeng, and Pinecone all gasped in astonishment. “Really? Elder, how did you know?”

Master Pure Void replied, “I didn’t see it with my eyes—I sensed it. It’s a subtle feeling, hard to put into words. Also, though I’ve known the Celestial Maiden for years, we’ve never been close. Why would she suddenly come today to save me?”

“Isn’t it because you once saved her nephew, Yun Tianzi, in the ‘Desolate Realm’?” Bai Xiaoyue replied.

Master Pure Void shook his head gently. “I fear it’s not that simple. Cough, cough… cough, cough, cough…”

Before he could finish, a fit of coughing overcame him.

Bai Xiaoyue hurried to his side, patting his back gently, concern etched on her face. “Elder, is the ‘Scorched Meridians’ acting up again?”

Coughing painfully, Master Pure Void nodded.

Seeing this, Tu Xiaomeng quickly said, “Elder, don’t you have one last ‘Ninefold Golden Elixir’? Where is it? I’ll fetch it from the pill room for you…”

He waved off her concern, stifling his cough. “No need. I can bear it for now.”

“Alright.” Tu Xiaomeng nodded. “Elder, just hold on a few more days. When Brother Yan brings back the ‘Heartfruit’ and ‘Revival Stone,’ you’ll be cured!”

“Yes!” Bai Xiaoyue echoed hopefully. “With the Heartfruit and Revival Stone, we can soon refine the ‘Scorch-Curing Golden Pill,’ and you’ll recover as soon as you take it!”

Master Pure Void forced a faint smile. “You speak so well! Very well, Bai Xiaoyue, didn’t you just say this monastery is your home now? In that case, you, Tu Xiaomeng, and Pinecone should feel at ease here—consider this your own home. I’m feeling a bit tired and will rest in my chamber.”

“Elder, let me help you…” Bai Xiaoyue said with a smile.

Master Pure Void waved her off gently. “No need. I’m fine for now… I’ll call you if I require anything.”

Bai Xiaoyue agreed, and after Master Pure Void stepped into his chamber, she turned to Tu Xiaomeng and Pinecone. “Xiaomeng, Pinecone, there’s still food left from the delicacies Brother Yan conjured with his Paper Talisman Art. Let’s go enjoy it, then practice together, shall we?”

Both eagerly agreed. The three settled down on the grassy field, where Tu Xiaomeng and Pinecone began eating happily.

Bai Xiaoyue, however, sat silent, lost in thought, preoccupied with Yan Chixia’s whereabouts.

Suddenly she remembered the pendant Yan had entrusted to her before leaving. She reached into her pocket, fingers gently caressing the ‘Solar Bead,’ her heart anxious. “Brother, where are you now? I know you don’t like She Meier, and it must have been hard for you to go with her to the Valley of Certain Death. I only hope you return safely and victorious…”

“Big Sister Bai, you’re not eating. What’s on your mind?” Tu Xiaomeng suddenly asked.

Snapping back to the present, Bai Xiaoyue glanced at her. “Xiaomeng, I—”

Seeing her hesitate, Tu Xiaomeng giggled. “I know! You’re thinking about Brother Yan. Hee hee, don’t worry, Sister Bai. With She Meier at his side, nothing will happen to him. I realized today just how powerful She Meier’s magic is! If nothing else, her ‘Shadow Twin Mandarin Bracelets’ alone are enough to… Oh!” Tu Xiaomeng suddenly slapped her own forehead. “Sister Bai, She Meier isn’t really one of us—why am I praising her? Am I becoming a traitor?”

“No,” Bai Xiaoyue said, waving her hand. “Xiaomeng, you’re not a traitor. Whatever She Meier may have been before, now she’s on our side—for whatever reason, she’s risking hardship to seek the Heartfruit and Revival Stone for us. I have a feeling that in time, She Meier will truly become one of us.

You’re right; her magic is formidable—she’s fully capable of tackling challenges on her own. As the saying goes, ‘Don’t be afraid of not knowing the goods, but compare them and you’ll know their value.’ Seeing She Meier display her talents today, I truly feel ashamed of my own abilities! No wonder she looks down on me. My own skills are so meager, barely scratching the surface compared to hers—there’s simply no comparison. So, I’ve changed my mind: Xiaomeng, Pinecone, from now on I won’t teach you two any more spells!”