Ranran's mind became tumultuous when she heard that accusation. She had previously heard briefly from the Medicine Immortal about the reason why the YuanYang Emperor was demoted to the mortal realm.
But she never expected it to be like this, a complete misunderstanding!
After the Xuan Tian Holy Mother came over in a rage, it then became a miscarriage of justice, like that of Dou E.
*窦娥冤 The Injustice to Dou E, related to Snow in June
When the YuanYang Emperor was demoted to the mortal realm to undergo training, he coldly looked at the large fruit being held by the nearby fairy boy.
The fruit's skin was soaked in heavenly dew, growing brightly red and quite adorable! However, the wide-open mouth he had drawn on it last time was still visible, seemingly mocking him.
*this author is really not keeping proper notes, just the previous chapter the writer said the fruit was unripe and green, now its red and cute … I don't know which is the right one
Mu Qingge did favor red in her lifetime haha
Despite suffering a great injustice, the Imperial Emperor did not argue. Instead, at the moment of falling into the mortal realm, he suddenly leaped forward and snatched the silly laughing fruit from the fairy boy's arms and plunged straight into the mortal world…
The Xuan Tian Holy Mother was so shocked that she almost fell down too but she could not hold onto the rebellious Imperial Emperor.
And so, the YuanYang Emperor and the unlucky red fruit descended together into the mortal realm to face their tribulations…
Ranran felt dizzy and disoriented as she fell with the Imperial Emperor, surrounded by mist and clouds.
This kind of confusing dream really do not feel good at all!
When she regained consciousness, she found herself lying on a boat surrounded by endless green lotus leaves, and she now had hands and feet, but was wearing bright red clothes.
Ranran was puzzled because even in a dream, this red color was definitely not her style!
She also had a wine gourd in her hand, appearing to be leisurely boating and drinking on the lake…
She couldn't help but looked into the lake, where a charming and lively woman's reflection appeared… Her lively brows and eyes were quite similar to Xue Ranran herself. Yet Ranran recognized her at a glance. It was her from over twenty years ago, wasn't it?
Back then, she wasn't Xue Ranran yet but the carefree Mu Qingge…
Just then, her boat suddenly collided head-on with another approaching boat.
The impact was strong, directly knocking a young couple out of the opposing boat's cabin.
Ranran looked closely and saw a remarkably handsome young man, despite looking only fifteen or sixteen. His face already showed a divine charm, with clear brows and bright eyes exuding youthful vigor…
As she stared blankly, Ranran had only one thought in her mind: Shifu was so charming and cute when he was a youth…
Yes, although the young man was much younger, Ranran immediately recognized him as the young Su Yi Shui. He was indeed fresh and tender!
Even in her dream, Ranran felt like she was staring so hard and about to drool.
But before she could wipe her mouth, she noticed a young girl next to the young man was actually holding onto Su Yi Shui's arm!
Ranran glared angrily but found the girl familiar. She looked like Wen Hongshan before she had been disfigured and twenty years younger!
Although Ranran had long known they had almost been married, the delayed jealousy hit her even harder.
She wanted to shout loudly, telling Wen Hongshan to release her claws and let go of her husband.
But when she actually spoke, it came out in a casual careless tone, "This young gentleman looks really good. I feel inexplicably happy just looking at him. Our meeting at West Lake must be fate… I am Mu Qingge from Xishan. How about you become my disciple and return to West Mountain with me to cultivate immortality?"
Although the words came out of her mouth, but they were completely out of her control!
Although she knew what she said was sincere, when heard by a stranger that just met, it sounded like a dandy flirting with a respectable lady!
Indeed, the young man's face turned frosty after hearing such disrespectful words. Although he was at first stunned when he saw the woman in red, after the initial amazement, there was an instinctive dislike, especially towards her red clothes, making her look like a round red fruit as she squatted there on the boat… just really displeasing to the eye!
After hearing her frivolous words, he coldly said, "I am a disciple of Jiuhua Sect. There's no need to take another master. Thank you for the kind offer from Xishan's leader…" With that, he shook slightly underfoot, separating the boats that had collided, displaying his formidable spiritual power.
Ranran felt a sudden joy, a sense of wanting talent as if she had struck gold: "Your foundation is really good! What can you learn from Jiuhua Sect's hypocritical gentleman spouting righteousness? It's a pity, it's a pity… It's better to change your path early and come to my West Mountain!"
The young man's face became even colder after Mu Qingge's disrespectful words. Wen Hongshan also shouted angrily, "Mu Qingge! You collect handsome young men everywhere, your bad reputation precedes you! However, Yi Shui is pure and not someone you, a devil, can provoke. Leave now and don't make trouble for yourself!"
said with a smile, dodging while the young man, angry and roaring, pulled out his sword and aimed it at her, intending to kill his newly minted master. Ranran could only helplessly stay in Mu Qingge's disguise, leaping and frolicking inside Mu Qingge's skin, teasing her new disciple little Shui. But what she really wanted to do, was find a corner to shed tears, lamenting the long and tumultuous master-disciple relationship ahead.
Next, Su Yi Shui became increasingly silent and expressionless after he had to switch his apprenticeship to Xishan, due to the power of the soul oath.
Xue Ranran watched her enthusiastically come up against Su Yi Shui's cold shoulder many times, and watched her try hard to please her rebellious disciple Su Yi Shui time and again, really wishing to wake up right away and cool down with a bowl of melon shaved ice!
Her disciple Zeng Yi seemed unable to bear it and privately asked his master why she tolerated the disobedient and rebellious Su Yi Shui. But as Mu Qingge was putting the ice lotus for Su Yi Shui's injuries into the pool, she sighed, "I don't know why, but I always feel like I have done him wrong in my past life."
Zeng Yi shook his head and turned to persuade Su Yi Shui not to always oppose his master.
After that, the scene shifted, and Mu Qingge, after saving an old woman bitten by a snake in the mountains, was led into an illusion and saw a blank book placed on a life-transcending stone.
When she opened the pages, the blank paper was filled with the past fate of Mu Qingge and Su Yi Shui, as well as their future.
It was clear from the book that as long as Mu Qingge severed her connection with Su Yi Shui in a timely manner, they wouldn't meet again in this life, and she could focus on cultivating immortality and ascending to the heavens again. But Mu Qingge had quickly skimmed over her own fate and carefully examined Su Yi Shui's fate chart. He was burdened with heavenly punishment and the tribulations of the mortal world. Any misstep would lead to his fall and inability to ascend to the heavens again.
However, if she could change his fate chart, erase his imperial destiny, and then offer her life as a sacrifice, he could get enlightenment early, ascend as a demon's son, and return to the heavenly realm as a demon immortal and live a long life. Xue Ranran could feel the turmoil Mu Qingge was experiencing in her heart.
That day, she tore out a page from the heavenly book, watched the fate chart on the page change with her various different plans, and she pondered for a very long time. Finally, she went to Dragon Island, entrusted the Dragon Island's goddess to bury the page containing the heavenly book. She made up her mind. In her past life, she had fallen from a tree by herself and caused the YuanYang Emperor to suffer unjustly. So, in this life, she should compensate him with an unparalleled bright future instead.
Su Yi Shui looked at her and hesitantly reached out as if to touch her cheek, but in the end, he just lightly touched her hanging long hair. In the next moment, the situation changed drastically. She had been surrounded by disciples from the three major sects. They questioned her about the demon son carrying the spirit spring, and she just smiled slightly and said, "You group of mobs, how can you be my opponents? If you're not afraid of death, come at me!"
Unfortunately, because she had helped Su Yi Shui resist the control of the spirit spring, Mu Qingge had long expended most of her vitality. Just as Su Yi Shui had rushed over anxiously, she had just repelled an attack from Mu Ranwu, but in the moment of distraction, Mu Ranwu tightly hugged her and stuffed a spirit jade to her hand, causing her to cough up blood after she was struck and her soul to almost dissipate.
She smiled as she watched Su Yi Shui's veins bulging, as he ran towards her frantically, shouting something in his mouth, probably unwilling to see her die at someone else's hands instead of his?
Her disciple Shui'er was truly incomparable in the mortal world! Even when he roared in anger right now, he still looked so handsome and charming. She was about to perish. What if he really encountered a demon lord who coveted his beauty, and he couldn't protect himself?
As she was taking her last breath, Mu Qingge used the last of her spiritual power to transform into a melting-face curse, sealing his handsome face…
As for when the curse would be lifted? That would be when he meets the person who truly stirs his heart, when his own thirst becomes unbearable…
By then, her little Shui'er would surely be the most capable demon immortal in the heavenly realm, being with the one who could stir his heart under the Yaochi divine tree, together for ten thousand years…
Ranran knew clearly that this was just a dream, but it was too vivid of a dream, coupled with an immersive state of mind, causing her to involuntarily shed tears, letting her scattered soul gradually blur.
After who knows how long, a gust of wind blew, and she found herself hanging from a half-dead tree again, only this time, she was much weaker, and there was a fruit beside her, much larger than her, desperately absorbing her spiritual energy.
It wouldn't be long before she couldn't hold on anymore. Looking around at the scenery, this seemed to be the Jue Mountain above the Juefeng Village! Here, it was silent and deserted, not a place ordinary people could approach…
But just then, a strange masked man dressed in old robes and long hair suddenly appeared under the tree. He raised his head, unable to see his facial features clearly, woodenly sizing up the two fruits, one large and one small.
After a long time, he spoke softly, "Weren't you always free-spirited? Never willing to compromise yourself, why did you end up being bullied like this after hanging on a tree… But it's also good, Wei Jiu has been sending people to pour grudge water on you. If you fall earlier, you can avoid the persecution of many malicious people… Unfortunately, you can't stray too far from the reincarnation tree… Didn't you always say you had no karmic fate with parents? How about I find you parents who truly love and cherish children? This time, you don't need to worry about doing things early, don't need any malicious sisters, just be an only child, grow up happily being loved by parents…"
After saying that, he turned and went down the mountain towards the Juefeng Village below.
When she could no longer hold on, falling from the tree with the fruit, she heard the clear cry of a baby coming from her mouth. That clear cry, piercing through layers of fog, attracted a woman with a loving face, "Who would be so heartless? Actually leaving a newborn baby in the wilderness! What a sin! What a sin! Don't cry, I'll take you back right away, be good…"
Ranran recognized that the woman holding her was her mother, Qiao Lian. She took off her patched outer garment, carefully wrapping up the baby Ranran, and then slowly descended the Jue Mountain step by step.
This dream was so long and chaotic that when Ranran woke up, the sun was already high. She blinked slowly, looking at the familiar canopy bed curtains above her head, then quickly turned to look at Su Yi Shui beside her. Thankfully Su Yi Shui was still lying there by her side, but he seemed to have been awake for a while, gazing at her quietly.
Ranran pressed her face against his chest, feeling his beating heart, and said softly, "I… had a dream…"
Su Yi Shui spoke in a low voice, "Was it a dream of the Bodhi tree by the Yaochi, and you crashed into me?"
Ranran raised her head abruptly, staring at him in surprise, "How… did you also have the same dream as me?"
Su Yi Shui said mildly, "That wasn't a dream, but the Three Life Mirror brought by the Medicine Immortal, which showed us our past three lives…"
Ah? Ranran finally understood the intent of the Three Life Mirror sent by the Holy Mother.
It turned out that all the grievances and affections between her and Su Yi Shui originated from the accidental fallen fruit by the Yaochi. Was the Xuantian Holy Mother hoping that this would sow discord between them, and so they would part ways?
Thinking of this, Ranran braced herself and said softly, "We exchanged vows in front of heaven and earth, although they are not as powerful as soul oaths, they are still binding. You can't be petty… and seek to settle such old scores with me!"
Su Yi Shui clamped her chin, coldly saying, "If you dare to act, you must be prepared to face the consequences. You, just a tiny little fruit, have messed up my fate chart, and caused me to suffer so much in the mortal world, how can it be dismissed with just a few casual words?"
Hearing him being so harsh, Ranran felt a wave of sadness, her nose and eyes reddening, "Then… what do you want?"
They say that a broken mirror can be mended, but in her case, it seemed like a mirror was going to break her marriage.
Could it be that the former YuanYang Emperor now knew all about this past and wanted to settle old scores with her?
Su Yi Shui looked at her tearful expression coldly, but couldn't bear it for long before he hugged her tenderly, pinching her red nose, "What can I do? The Celestial Sovereign said, without understanding love, how can one show compassion? He already intended for me to experience the mortal world, even if you hadn't fallen on me, he would have found other excuses to make that happen. But as for you, tell me honestly, did you already fall for me back when you were in heaven?"
Ranran wanted to deny it at first, but he sealed her mouth with his warmth, and when they separated, he whispered softly, "No denying, you can only have loved me…"
Ranran extended her slender arms, wrapping them around his neck, recalling the part of the dream where they were in the secret room in the capital, Su Yi Shui wanted to dissolve the master-disciple relationship with her, severing their ties.
At that time, she had exhausted her vitality for him, but he was still so ruthless, wanting to cut ties with her.
But Su Yi Shui murmured, "Without leaving West Mountain, aren't you still my master? Then how can I propose to you and become your husband?"
Ranran, wide eyed with surprise, "You…Didn't your affection came about with gratitude only after my death? Did you already…"
Su Yishui smoothly pressed down the woman he had loved for two lifetimes onto the bed. He whispered softly, "Don't you know how captivating you are? If I don't subdue you, won't you attract and trouble more young men?"
In a moment, the scene of the former master of Xishan subduing the little demoness unfolded again, and the window filled with flowers once again sounded with laughter and soft moans…
When the Medicine Immortal appeared again, it was three days later. Watching the pair below West Mountain catching fireflies to put into their paper lanterns in the sea of flowers with their son, he vaguely understood that the Xuan Tian Holy Mother's divine mirror had been brought in vain.
The former Immortal Fruit and Imperial Emperor had both experienced the mortal world, and understood the taste of love. But while everything else could be predicted, the word "love" was difficult to write clearly in the Heavenly Book. Once a karmic relationship is entangled, it's hard to break free from.
Ranran saw the Medicine Elder visiting again, and was not surprised. She smiled and handed him a box of sweet pea pudding she had made herself. These were cakes often made by mortal children to celebrate their mother's birthday, and this box was for the Xuantian Holy Mother.
"Master Immotal, as the gates of heaven are not yet open, and I am now a mortal, I cannot ascend to see the Holy Mother. Please pass her this box of cakes as a token of my filial piety. Please convey a message for me, telling her not to blame herself anymore for not being able to protect her unborn child during her ascension years ago. I appreciate everything she has done for me, and perhaps in the future, Yi Shui and I can have fate to cultivate and ascend to immortality. When that time comes, I will personally make fortune cakes for her again…"
Ranran's mind was astute, naturally understanding the Holy Mother's inner conflict. She, like Duntian, suffered daily self-reproach.
This was the Holy Mother's demons, which is why she redirected her anger towards the Imperial Emperor, finding it hard to forgive him.
She made this box of fortune cakes herself, hoping that even the cooling pea-yellow cakes could help ease the inner conflicts of her mother from her past life. The Medicine Elder nodded in agreement and took the box.
However, Ranran noticed keenly that Medicine Immortals's forehead mark seemed to have changed. It had shifted from the green mark of a lower immortal to the purple mark of the Higher immortals.
Upon inquiry, she learned that he had replaced Purple Light Immortal and became one of the eight Higher Immortals. It seemed that Purple Light Immortal Lord had violated some heavenly rules due to insufficient training and would soon descend to the mortal realm to face calamities.
Ranran was somewhat speechless, and realizing that even immortals could be influenced by the pillow talk of their wives. She wondered if the Medicine Immortal's swift rise was related to his ability to read the situation and take the right stance. The next afternoon, as Ranran set up a table in the courtyard and called her husband and son to eat, Shen'er pointed at the clouds in the western sky with chopsticks, saying, "Mother, look quickly, doesn't that cloud look like the fortune cake you made the day before yesterday?"
Ranran looked up at the western sky, at the piled-up clouds… It did look like a fortune cake, as if someone was slowly eating it, the cloud-made cake disappearing bit by bit, as the person couldn't bear to eat it, and couldn't bear to swallow.
Ranran leaned against Su Yi Shui's embrace, smiled contentedly, and whispered something in her son's ear. Shen Er stood on the table, puffing his little belly, and shouted loudly, "Grandmother Xuantian, eat heartily with big bites, my mother will make more for you in the future!"
Su Yi Shui also whispered a few words to his son, and Shen'er shouted again, "Grandfather Heavenly Sovereign, my father said he doesn't care about your position anymore! But he will love and care for your daughter well, and be your good son-in-law!"
The childish voice echoed far and wide through the mountains and streams, shattering the broken clouds in the sky, creating a captivating rainbow…
"The Chronicles of the West Mountain Sect" records:
After a hundred years of cultivation with her husband, the West Mountain Sect Leader Xue Ranran vanquished demons and evil spirits, purifying the mortal world, and then her traces faded into obscurity. Her son inherited the leadership of the West Mountain Sect. The details of their celestial fate are not something outsiders should speculate about.