Zanxing had once thought that even if Gu Baiying poked a hole in the sky one day, he would still wear an indifferent expression.
But sometimes, Zanxing also felt that this young man seemed to hide countless secrets, just as she had once told Mendong – he kept all his fragile sides completely hidden.
Just like now, he too would have moments of feeling lost about “destiny,” to the point where he would voice his doubts to her, a martial niece who wasn’t particularly close to him.
“Nothing has changed?” she murmured, then suddenly spoke up. “Not necessarily.”
Gu Baiying was startled.
The woman turned her chair to face him, her tone light: “Yinli did indeed turn to ash and smoke, but before he turned to ash and smoke, he saw Princess Lizhu. Princess Lizhu did lose her memories, but before losing her memories, she also called out Yinli’s name. Even if this was a tragedy, at least our ‘struggle’ brought a bit of comfort to the tragedy. Master Uncle,” she looked at Gu Baiying gently, “even if it’s tiny, a little bit of change is still change. Don’t mortals cultivate immortality to contend with heaven for the Way, to prevent themselves from being manipulated by fate?”
He didn’t speak. After a long time, he asked: “Why do you cultivate immortality?”
Zanxing: “Ah?”
He waited leisurely for Zanxing’s answer.
“For freedom.”
“Freedom?”
Zanxing smiled: “Master Uncle, let me tell you a secret. I’m also trying to struggle against my destined ‘fate.'”
Gu Baiying laughed, and for once, this laugh contained no mockery. He asked: “Your so-called ‘fate’ refers to marrying the Young City Lord of Yue City?”
“That’s just one aspect,” Zanxing said. “There are many others. Even if I don’t marry Wang Shao, according to the ‘predetermined fate,’ I would still marry Li Shao or Qian Shao. I don’t want to put my destiny in others’ hands. Duzhou has a flourishing cultivation culture. Only through cultivation can I have a chance to escape my predetermined fate.” She stood up, walked in front of Gu Baiying, and returned the empty wooden box to him: “This is difficult, with countless visible and invisible obstacles. Sometimes it even backfires.”
“I don’t know what the ending will be like either. Perhaps in the end everything will return to the starting point,” she bent down and looked directly into the young man’s eyes. “But I don’t regret it.”
She rarely had such solemn moments. Most of the time, she displayed a kind of accepting tranquility, not knowing whether it was ignorance or confidence.
But just…
Just in this vast wilderness, in the lonely thatched cottage, under the dim and warm lamplight, her casualness and determination, that phrase “I don’t regret it,” somehow made one’s mood inexplicably lighter.
After a long time, Gu Baiying said, “Oh,” and put the empty red wooden box aside.
Zanxing looked at him: “That’s it?”
“What did you expect?” He picked up the water Zanxing had poured for him earlier and took a sip.
“I thought you had some knot in your heart that was difficult to mention to others, so I patiently spoke such reasoning to comfort you. Even if your bell refuses to ring, at least our distance should have gotten closer, right?” Zanxing said, “Shouldn’t you now share your biggest secret with me, like your tragic past or insurmountable weaknesses?”
Gu Baiying was drinking water when he heard this and choked, coughing several times before looking at Zanxing angrily: “What nonsense are you spouting? How could I possibly have weaknesses?”
“Really?” Zanxing looked at him: “But your expression just now looked like you encountered a very troublesome problem, to the point where you were almost ready to accept fate.”
Gu Baiying suddenly slammed the water cup onto the bed with a “clang.” Fortunately, this cup was also carved from stone, so it didn’t break. He looked at Zanxing, whether from embarrassment, turning to anger, or having his thoughts exposed, and warned Zanxing word by word: “Yang Zanxing, I have no weaknesses, no tragic past, and it’s impossible for me to encounter troublesome problems. If you dare to talk nonsense again, I’ll have Xuan Lingzi expel you from the sect.”
“What would be the reason?”
“Disrespecting elders, not understanding the importance of respecting teachers and the Way.” As if still not satisfied, he added: “Presumptuously speculating about others!”
Zanxing: “…That’s trumped-up charges.”
He sneered: “You’d better be careful.”
Seeing that he had the energy to argue again, Zanxing figured he had thought things through. Gu Baiying’s appearance just now clearly showed he had gotten stuck in some mental dead end. Unfortunately, although this young man seemed impulsive and irritable, he guarded his inner secrets watertight, making it difficult to glimpse any clues. However, young people’s hearts were always hard to fathom. Occasionally, feeling lost about life didn’t need to be investigated too deeply.
Everything would be resolved anyway.
As if he also realized that his earlier argument with Zanxing had been somewhat of a cover-up, Gu Baiying coughed lightly: “Don’t disturb me, I need to continue cultivating.” After saying this, regardless of Zanxing’s expression, he closed his eyes.
Zanxing shrugged.
She wanted to cultivate, too, but there wasn’t a trace of spiritual energy in this wilderness. Her Xiaoyuan Pearl was dead, and her heart was worried about what was outside, so how could she be as single-minded as Gu Baiying? The owner of the thatched cottage hadn’t returned yet. It was so late – could they be staying elsewhere overnight? But in this wilderness, apart from that stone mountain, not even a small hill could be seen. Where could they have gone to stay overnight?
Zanxing looked out the window with nothing to do and was stunned by what she saw.
“Master Uncle,” she called to Gu Baiying, “come look quickly!”
Gu Baiying opened his eyes impatiently: “What now?”
“That tree…” Zanxing pointed outside the window: “That tree moved!”
Gu Baiying looked in the direction she pointed.
The tree about ten meters from the thatched cottage could only be seen as a blurry shadow in the pitch-black night. However, the shape of that shadow was gradually expanding, as if it were growing.
Gu Baiying picked up his Embroidered Bone spear and chased outside: “I’ll go take a look!”
Zanxing hurriedly called for Mimi to follow along.
The wilderness was somewhat cold at night. The giant tree was the only protrusion in the boundless wilderness, making it particularly obvious. Zanxing took out several illumination talismans and hung them on the tree. In an instant, she was startled by the scene before her eyes.
This tree was blooming.
Those interlaced branches were constantly stretching and growing. On each section of the branch, soft buds emerged from within. It wasn’t the kind of layered blooming that happened overnight, but like butterflies breaking out of cocoons… no, it should be said like birds.
First were the fluffy, small heads, then the entire body emerging, long tails, and finally the spreading wings. Those crimson feathered wings seemed to be sprinkled with crystalline moonlight, standing proudly on the branch tips. Cold wind blew across the wilderness, making the giant tree’s branches rustle. Thousands upon thousands of fiery red phoenix birds in the night were like red clouds about to take flight – lively, clamorous, and gorgeous.
“This flower tree…” Zanxing looked at Gu Baiying beside her.
“Twin flowers…” Gu Baiying was also stunned.