Ranran watched the young men and women releasing lanterns on the riverbank, exchanging glances and feelings with each other, but they couldn't find anyone resembling the Medicine Immortal.
Elder Jiu with his wine-soaked nose and messy beard, was too deeply ingrained in people's minds. Even though he had boasted that his biological brother was a handsome man, it was hard to believe, and there seemed to be an element of exaggeration in his words.
So Ranran mainly focused on finding an old man amidst the crowd.
However, although there were some elderly people on both sides of the river, they were all servants or coachmen, and no one was lighting lanterns on the banks.
According to what the Golden Dragon goddess had said, she hadn't left the island in a hundred years. Even if the Medicine Immortal had a habit of lighting lotus lanterns, he might have changed his habit over the long years.
Thinking of this, Ranran felt a bit discouraged, not knowing where to start anew. Were Wang Suizhi and the others destined to be transformed into water demons?
On the other hand, Qiu Xier was caught up in the atmosphere on both banks and bought two lotus lanterns, squatting on the riverbank with elder senior brother to light them.
Since their adventure inside the array on Red Flame Mountain, their relationship had grown stronger day by day. They could be described as *inseparable. While lighting the lotus lanterns together, Qiu Xier even kissed senior brother on the cheek, causing him to laugh foolishly.
*如胶似漆 literally like glue or paint – sticking very close together
Su Yi Shui glanced at Ranran's glum expression and asked, "Do you want to light a lantern? I can buy you a few."
Ranran shook her head, lacking interest, and said, "No need. These are all for praying for love and relationships, it's no use for me to light them…"
Actually, Su Yi Shui didn't really think that putting glued paper lanterns in the river would achieve anything either, it was just a lame gimmick to amuse the young girl.
He just casually asked and Ranran gave him a casual reply. But after that, her response started to make him increasingly uncomfortable after he mulled over it.
They were so intimate now, and yet she seemed indifferent to matters of marriage? Was she using him as a practice tool, discarding him after use without any concern?
Mu Qingge's negative traits seemed to have persisted even after her reincarnation!
With these thoughts in mind, he silently went to the vendor and splurged on a hundred lotus lanterns, along with some paper and ink from a small jar. He asked Ranran to write down her wishes on each one before releasing them into the river.
Ranran looked dumbfounded at the pile of lotus lanterns brought over by the vendor and uncertainly asked Su Yi Shui, "Will lighting these attract the Medicine Immortal?"
Su Yi Shui pointed to the small pieces of paper inside the lanterns and said, "Write down what you want to say to your sweetheart."
Once again, Ranran was dumbfounded. There were a hundred of them; writing on all of them would fill several pages of love letters…
"Where would I find a sweetheart, and what should I write?" she couldn't help but mutter quietly.
Was Su Yi Shui considered her sweetheart? He was someone with incomplete memories. He probably didn't even know if his feelings for Mu Qingge stemmed from love or guilt towards her?
Ranran knew she liked Su Yi Shui, but she also felt that the level of understanding between them was far from the deep connection between third senior sister and senior brother.
Her words "Where would I find a sweetheart" made Su Yi Shui's handsome face fall completely.
"You always kiss me even though you don't like me, are you playing with me?" Remembering how she had behaved like this before, teasing and flirting with him in public and then chatting and laughing with his seniors, calling Su Yu "Xiao Yu" nonstop, she seemed really fickle!
Ranran felt that the previous kisses had been due to the influence of the Spirit Spring. As for the kisses after his memory loss, they were simply accidents that occurred during their teaching sessions. But if he arrogantly assumed that she could only love him, it was too presumptuous!
Ranran didn't feel like arguing with him and simply gave him half of the lotus lanterns, saying, "Why should I write all of them? You can write to your sweetheart too!"
Su Yi Shui stared at her and coldly replied, "Many people admire me. Which one do you want me to write to?"
Ranran glared at him and said, "Then… give these lanterns away to someone else!"
Su Yi Shui immediately retorted without hesitation, "No way!"
In the end, after an argument, they both sat on the steps of the riverside pier, each holding a brush and writing on the paper before putting it into the lotus lanterns.
But just as Ranran finished writing on one and released it into the river, Su Yi Shui unexpectedly scooped it back up with a wave of his big hand and opened the paper to read.
"I hope he can improve his temper in future and not always grab people by the neck at the first sign of disagreement…"
These words didn't sound like they're written for a lover; they sound more like well wishes for a murderer.
Su Yi Shui threw the lotus lantern into the river, glaring coldly at her.
Ranran mimicked him and retrieved the lotus lantern that Su Yi Shui had just put into the water. On the paper were dynamic and graceful writing: "Virtuous and reserved, with refined manners…"
What did this mean? Was it hoping for his future immortal companion to have the demeanor of a noble lady?
Su Yi Shui spoke up, "Since no one gave you a lantern for Qixi, I wrote some well-wishes for you."
Ranran was about to burst into indignant laughter. Was he implying that she wasn't reserved enough, and lacked elegance and refinement in her usual behavior?
Su Yi Shui stated matter-of-factly, "You smile at people even when you're not familiar with them. Don't you know you have a pair of captivating eyes that unwittingly attract others? You also don't consider the age of the other person. If they are naive and impressionable youths, being smiled at by you so casually might lead to romantic fantasies."
Ranran didn't expect her congeniality and ability to be liked by others, could be seen as frivolous behavior. She immediately retorted, "Well you don't smile at people, but its not like you have not seduced other women! Wen Hongshan, and also Mu Ranwu, they're all malicious! You should write: 'Those who like me, need to have hearts as treacherous as snakes and scorpions, with bodies as resilient as steel, otherwise, they won't last long in chaotic battles!'"
Su Yi Shui hadn't expected this young girl, once stripped of her obedient and filial disciple facade, to be so sharp-tongued! Unfortunately, everything she said was true, making it hard to argue.
For a moment, the two of them locked eyes, brewing their frustrations. Then like children having a tantrum, they used their pens as swords, "blessing" each other with many sentences. The result of seeing each other's "blessings" so much was that both of their faces turned quite dark, completely missing the atmosphere of the tearful reunion of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl on Qixi Festival.
Finally, Su Yishui couldn't take it anymore. He snatched Ranran's brush and snapped it in two "Am I really that insufferable in your eyes?"
Ranran retorted, "I'm not that bad. I only wrote about how you like to say one thing but mean another and your terrible temper…"
Su Yi Shui, with cold eyes, handed her another lotus lantern, "Write something good this time…."
Ranran looked at his sulky handsome face and felt that in her past life, she really managed to depict this ferocious beast so vividly in her Playing Classics. With that thought, she picked up her brush and quickly drew long tiger whiskers on Su Yi Shui's face.
Su Yi Shui hadn't expected her to be so mischievous; he was about to go over and pull Ranran's hairbun.
Ranran chuckled as she fell into Su Yi Shui's arms, reaching out to touch his ink-stained cheek, gradually turning serious as she murmured "A human is not god, how can they be perfect. Even if you are bad, in the eyes of someone who truly loves you, you are still one of a kind…"
Su Yi Shui gazed deeply into her clear eyes and suddenly felt that all the words written on paper were not important anymore. At this moment, her eyes were full of him, and he knew that even twenty years ago, when he turned into the demon's son possessed by the spiritual spring, there was one person who never gave up on him…
In her eyes, was he that unique person?
As these thoughts ran in his mind, Su Yi Shui had already lowered his head and kissed her cherry lips which lingered with the sweet fragrance of date cake.
As their lips and tongues intertwined, the heart fluttering entanglement of two lifetimes didn't need words or eye contact, they could feel it through their heartbeats and exhilaration.
When they separated, Ranran looked at Su Yi Shui's ink-stained handsome face and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Su Yi Shui turned her little head to look at the lake surface, showing her her own ink-stained face. During their kiss just now, Ranran's fair cheeks was also stained with ink.
"Oh no!" Ranran couldn't help but let out a cry of distress, quickly splashing water on her face. Meanwhile, Su Yi Shui asked solemnly "How about it, do you feel much better now?"
She couldn't help but look up at him. She finally understood why he was teasing her like this today. He must have noticed her being troubled and guilty about Wang Suizhi and the others, so he picked a fight with her to divert her attention.
Su Yi Shui wet his handkerchief and wiped her face while saying "Everything is preordained. You've done your best. If it doesn't work out, it's also fate. If you could do everything perfectly, you'd be more powerful than immortals. Then what's the point of cultivating and understanding the Dao?"
Ranran didn't say anything, she just planted a wet kiss on his face and then quickly lowered her head to wash her face.
As she washed her face, upstream there were groups of lanterns flowing down with the water, their flickering lights reflecting on the lake, creating a dazzling scene. Ranran glimpsed at the lotus lanterns they had just released, suddenly dispersing in two different directions.
It seemed like an invisible force was pushing them apart. Squinting her eyes, Ranran carefully observed that among the group of lanterns, some were different from the rest, drifting faster towards the mouth of the river compared to the other lotus lanterns.
And her lotus lanterns seemed to have been pushed by those golden lanterns just now, so it floated towards both banks.
Su Yi Shui, who was washing his face, also noticed these lotus lanterns which seemed to carry spiritual energy.
After exchanging a glance, the two quickly stood up and headed towards the direction where the lotus lanterns were drifting from.
As they moved further ahead, they saw a piece of exposed land in the center of the river, where a man in a gray robe with cascading long hair sitting on this oasis, folding lotus lanterns with his own hands and then placing them into the river.
When those paper lanterns entered the water, they seemed to be imbued with energy, immediately spinning and rushing towards the mouth of the river.
When those paper lanterns entered the water, they seemed to be imbued with energy, immediately spinning and rushing towards the mouth of the river.
Su Yi Shui and Ranran jumped onto the small island just as the man finished placing the thousandth lotus lantern and was about to leave.
Ranran quickly called out "Are you the Medicine Immortal?"
Hearing this, the man turned his head and glanced at Xue Ranran, then squinted his eyes, probably also noticing Ranran's unusual destiny.
And Ranran quietly looked at the Medicine Immortal's face, thinking to herself: If he really is the Medicine Immortal, then could Elder Jiu be a child his parents brought home to fill the quota?
This man was really too beautiful… Ranran racked her brain but could only think of the word "beautiful".
But he was different from Wei Jiu's feminine beauty. He exuded a clean and pure beauty, like the Western Mountain Ice Lotus, making people feel calm and not daring to tarnish it even a bit.
Looking at this face, then recalling Elder Jiu with his messy hair and beard, it really takes some imagination to associate these two as brothers.
However, that person actually nodded slightly and then looked over the two of them, saying, "One of you two, seem to be an old acquaintance of mine."
Xue Ranran had been deceived by the Fake Old Immortal of Tianmai Mountain, so she naturally wouldn't trust him easily. She smiled and said, "I am acquainted with your younger brother, he misses you very much…"
The Medicine Immortal smiled slightly, gazing at the vast river waves, and said softly, "This doesn't sound like something he would say. If he really missed me, he would have ascended to immortality long ago. I'm afraid there are too many fine wines in the world, making him *forget his original plans… Mu Qingge, are you trying to probe me with these words, are you afraid that I'm fake?"
*乐不思蜀 is an idiom that originated from the Three Kingdoms period, referring to someone who is so contented or immersed in pleasure that they forget about returning home or their responsibilities.
Ranran didn't expect him to see through her past life with one glance. It seemed that this person in front of her did have some connection with Elder Jiu. At least he seem to understand exactly what kind of person Elder Jiu is.
According to Elder Jiu, she had also been good friends with this Medicine Immortal twenty years ago. Judging from his appearance alone, he indeed met her aesthetic requirements for handsome men at that time.
When Ranran explained the purpose of their visit, the Medicine Immortal suddenly sighed, "You actually know I possess some Green Dragon's blood? And both of you have the aura of dragons, probably from visiting the Dragon Island… Fengmou refused to give you the Green Dragon's blood, so she told you to come find me?"
Fengmou? Ranran shook her head, "I don't know anyone named Fengmou."
The Medicine Immortal said mildly, "That's the name I gave her. She said she didn't have a name and let me call her whatever I liked. Her eyes contained a golden light like the sun, resembling a golden phoenix, so I named her Fengmou…"
The Medicine Immortal said mildly, "That's the name I gave her. She said she didn't have a name and let me call her whatever I liked. Her eyes contained a golden light like the sun, resembling a golden phoenix, so I named her Fengmou…"
Hearing this, Ranran immediately realized who he was referring to as Fengmou.
On Dragon Island, only the goddess's eyes had a faint golden color. She remembered the scar on the goddess's face, seemingly related to when she had left Dragon Island. Could it be that hundreds of years ago, when she left Dragon Island, she met the Medicine Immortal?
But why did the goddess forbid mentioning her to outsiders?
Sure enough, the Medicine Immortal then asked, "Is she…well now?"
Ranran clasped her hands and said, "We were entrusted to not discuss matters regarding the goddess, please forgive us." As for the Green Dragon's blood, Ranran briefly gave an account of the incident about how the Green Dragon had been drained.
The Medicine Immortal was quite shocked. After a moment, he looked at the lotus lanterns drifting towards the mouth of the sea in the distance and said with a wry smile, "Even if you didn't say anything, I could guess. I come here every year to release lanterns, and these lotus lanterns drift towards Dragon Island… I thought she didn't receive them. But since you've come to find me, it must also because she guided you. But if she received them, why doesn't she respond to me and release a lantern out? Does she still refuse to forgive me?"
At this moment, Su Yishui spoke up, "Many years ago, a golden dragon appeared in Mount Bi, transformed into a young girl and fell in love with a cultivator. However, the love between humans and dragons is against the natural order, so in the end, they were forced to separate. And that dragon, lost five hundred years of cultivation in order to protect the cultivator from Heavenly Tribulation…"
The Medicine Immortal looked affected. He stood silently on the oasis for a while before saying, "Yes, that person who fell in love with the dragon girl was me. Back then, in order to collect the Green Dragon's blood, I devised a plan for several water rats to go to the island. As a result, she came out of Dragon Island to capture me. After that, we met and fell in love. After she blocked the Heavenly Tribulation for me, she said she was tired of love and wanted to return to Dragon Island… never to meet with me ever again."
When he heard this, Su Yishui raised his eyebrows slightly. The Medicine Immortal glanced at him and with a snap of his fingers, a jade bottle appeared in his hand, which he handed to Ranran, saying, "Give this to the *Old Wine Immortal, he knows what to do."
After saying this, he turned to Su Yi Shui and said, "You must be Su Yi Shui, right? You seemed to have something to say just now, why don't you say it directly."
Su Yi Shui did not intend to say much, but considering that the Medicine Immortal did not make things difficult for Xue Ranran, he said, "You know where Dragon Island is, if you truly wanted to see her, I believe you have a way to get there. Why bother folding lotus lanterns here every year, relying on the river and the tides?"
Since losing his memory, he lacked the maturity and tolerance that had accumulated over twenty years. His words were sharp and incisive, and tend to be spot-on.
The Medicine Immortal smiled wryly, "Do you think I haven't tried to find her? But she doesn't want to see me. What can I do even if I go?"
Su Yi Shui said coldly, "A woman who was willing to sacrifice five hundred years of cultivation and ruin her appearance for you, said she doesn't love you anymore, and you believed her? Was it because she said it decisively, or did you choose to go along with it? If you were in love with someone from the Dragon Clan, you cannot ascend no matter how high your cultivation is. Perhaps it wasn't her who cut off the love, but she saw that your dedication to cultivation surpassed your love for her. To avoid you having to make a choice, she made the decision for you."
The Medicine Immortal was moved by these words, his heart actually lurched for a moment. After becoming immortal, he hadn't experienced such emotional fluctuations for a long time.
The Medicine Immortal was moved by these words, his heart actually lurched for a moment. After becoming immortal, he hadn't experienced such emotional fluctuations for a long time.
He asked softly, "Did she tell you all this?"
Su Yi Shui shook his head, saying indifferently " I merely guessed. As a man, if you can't protect the woman you love, whether you become immortal or not, is pointless. If you love someone, whether they're human or ghost, in heaven or on earth, you should stay by her side! "
Su Yi Shui hadn't finished speaking, when a cold female voice interrupted, "Such mundane views, it's better left unsaid. Your cultivation is shallow, how do you know how difficult it is to become immortal? Medicine Immortal, if matters here are done; we should return to the immortal cave…"
Ranran followed the voice and saw a woman with a purple aura above her head approach the Medicine Immortal. She reached out naturally and took his arm, and seemed to be the Medicine Immortal's immortal companion.
The years to become immortals were long, and often like-minded immortals would become partners, living in the same cave, cultivating together. Although they were not as loving as mortal couples, they were still companions in chess, alchemy and cultivation.
Ranran felt that Su Yi Shui's words were too direct, fearing that he might offend the Medicine Immortal if he said any more, so she pulled his sleeve and bid the Medicine Immortal and the female immortal goodbye, and left with him. The Medicine Immortal's hearing was exceptional. Even though they had walked quite a distance, he could still clearly hear Ranran lecturing him in a low voice, "What's the use of saying so much? His relationship with the goddess is already in the past. Now that he has a new immortal partner, do you want to incite him to be unfaithful?"
Su Yi Shui coldly snorted, "I just hope he won't pretend anymore. Since the love is over and he already has an immortal companion, what's the meaning behind releasing those lotus lanterns to Dragon Island every year? I just hope that next year, he'll give peace to the one on the island…"
Hearing this, the Medicine Immortal felt a few painful twinges in his heart again. The Jade Lotus Immortal, who lived with him in the immortal cave, transferred some vitality to protect his heart meridians, saying, "You've forgotten that during the Heavenly Tribulation back then, you were cursed not to develop feelings. You'd better come back with me for cultivation. Don't take the words of a rash youngster to heart."
The Medicine Immortal watched Su Yi Shui's departing figure and pondered, "Back then, I found it strange when I heard that Mu Qingge's soul was shattered and yet managed to be reincarnated by shifting her soul to a tree. Even as an immortal, it's impossible to perform such a feat against the heavens. How did that Su Yi Shui do it, to negate death with only half a golden core? Apart from having his destiny altered, doesn't his life chart seem a bit peculiar?"
But the Jade Lotus Immortal didn't care about the resurrection of a mere mortal woman, she was more concerned about the Green Dragon's blood being drained.
The blood of the Green Dragon was extremely spiritual, just a few drops could achieve a great deal. And now, an entire Green Dragon's blood had been drained. What did the person who offended the divine intend to do? This was what they needed to urgently get to the bottom of, as immortals.
"Let's go." the Jade Lotus Immortal urged again.
Back then she had accompanied the Medicine Immortal in cultivation, but later a golden dragon appeared, causing the Medicine Immortal to leave her. Fortunately, after some twists and turns, everything returned to the right path. Now she lived together with the Medicine Immortal in the same cave, becoming immortal partners.
She won't allow the Medicine Immortal to act recklessly because of old feelings. That dragon tribulation… had long ended!
The two who obtained the Green Dragon's blood didn't even have time to inform Qiu Xier and the others. They hurried back without stopping to the Qiongqi Village.
When they arrived at the cave where the cursed people temporarily resided, they found the entire mountain surrounded by a large number of soldiers.
As the two of them leaped to the cave entrance, they discovered that the entire entrance had been blocked off with earth and rocks.
This was a method devised by Elder Jiu. By mixing lime with the soil and blocking the cave entrance, it temporarily isolated moisture to prevent those transformed from smelling the mountain spring's aura and becoming frenzied.
However, only Elder Jiu and Yuchen were guarding the cave entrance, and Zhou Feihua was nowhere to be seen.
According to Elder Jiu and Yuchen, among the soldiers below, there were also a few people from the Yi Ren Hall. Initially, they wanted to use True fire to burn down the mountain. Zhou Feihua appeared to stop them and fought with them, revealing her whereabouts, which was then reported to the court.
Later, an edict came, specifying that Zhou Feihua should go to meet the emperor. As long as she agreed, they could temporarily refrain from setting fire to the mountain.
Zhou Feihua, in order to protect the cursed people who were unable to be moved, went down the mountain, to meet the emperor.
Time was of the essence. Ranran didn't have time to explain the various dangers they encountered on the way or about meeting his brother. She just handed the Green Dragon's blood to Elder Jiu and urged him to quickly detoxify these cursed people.
The people surrounding them at the foot of the mountain seemed loud and boisterous, but it was only due to their inner fear. Only by restoring these people to their original state as soon as possible could they dispel the apprehension of the soldiers.