In their shabby house, were seated a mother and a daughter having a dinner meal. The room was dimly lit by a flickering oil lamp.
The mother, though weary, smiled gently as she picked up some food with her chopsticks into her daughters bowl.
The daughter was mindless, off into a space of her own. She held the chopsticks and poked at her food.
With her left hand she felt the pendant on her neck. It's cold touch gave off a bright warm feeling.
Ruan Qing's would occasionally smile back to her mother, but her heart felt heavy.
Although she had went to the river yesterday, she had discovered that the bamboo chair had also vanished.
Ling Xi was truly gone.
"Qing'er," her mother spoke softly, "You've been quiet today. Is something on your mind?" Her voice full of concern.
Ruan Qing didn't answer immediately. She wanted to tell her mother everything, but the weight of her mother's eyes held her back.
"I-I'm fine, Ma," Ruan Qing said after a moment, offering a small reassuring smile. "Just thinking about some things."
Her mother studied her for a bit more before scolding her, "Well don't think too much," she said. Then with a bit of hesitation and a lot of determination, "...You don't have to get married right now....if you don't want to." Her voice slowly dying out as she spoke.
Ruan Qing blinked and looked at her mother who was already stuffing her mouth with food, thus disengaging from any awkward conversation.
"Thanks...Ma." She smiled, this time it was genuine. Her heart felt a bit lighter, and she ate a hearty meal. "Iths delicioush!"
Ruan Qing said brightly with a mouth full of food. Her mother scolded her again while laughing, "Aiya~ Eat or talk, stop trying to do both!"
They both laughed and joked through the night.
As they did, outside of their house and on a high tree, laid Li Xing. His eyes softened as he remembered a scene from his past.
Back when he was much more arrogant, reckless, and still viewed the world in black and white.
Atop a hill that had a peach blossom tree that bathed in the soft light of the golden sun. The petals slowly brushing against the wind.
Li Xing stood underneath its branches as he gazed out toward the sun. His long hair fluttered in the breeze. The faintest scent of peach blossoms lingered in the air around him.
His sword by his side as he practiced.
Sharp cuts marked the ground where ever his sword touched.
"Brother Li!" a gentleman's voice spoke from behind, full of elegance.
The man who approached was dressed in robes of pristine white, embroider with golden patterns resembling flowing clouds.
He held his fan by his side, crafted from the finest silk.
Everything about him exuded sophistication and grace, as though he had stepped out of a painting.
"Brother Li, you're here."
Li Xing smiled and nodded, "Brother Xu."
This man was Xu Zhi.
Xu Zhi's gaze landed on the serene surroundings. The peach blossom tree, the distant clouds, ad the soft golden glow. "It's rare yo find you in such a tranquil place. It suits you."
Li Xing brow raised slightly, "and yet, you found me. To what do I the pleasure, Xu Zhi?"
"Do I need a reason to visit an old friend?" He gestured toward the tree, "Though I must admit, it's strange to see the legendary Li Xing admiring peach blossoms. Are you becoming sentimental in your old age?"
"As if." he scoffed, "I'm not the type to worry about anything other than my sword and what it slashes through. Anything else will only slow my sword down."
Xu Zhi chuckled lightly, "Perhaps. But even the coldest mountain is warmed by the sun. No matter how you try, you can't escape it."
Li Xing felt that something was strange and stared at Xu Zhi. He noticed his gaze was mindlessly looking at something. Following his gaze, his vision passed through the celestial realm and into the mortal realm.
It was a middle aged woman sitting by the window, her appearance worn but dignified. Her hair was streaked with gray, tied back neatly.
She wore plain white robes and not many jewelry.
Her eyes looked to the sky with a tinge of sadness.
Li Xing scoffed at what he saw. "Ah, so that's it. A mortal girl has caught your attention?"
Xu Zhi smiled innocently and nodded.
Li Xing shouted out from the top of his lungs, "To think that the Xu Zhi that only knew about the world in mind! Would one day fall in love."
Xu Zhi worriedly said, "brother Li, stop embarrassing me. That's not it. Also she isn't my lover."
"So what is it?" Li Xing practiced his sword again as he talked. "After you've finished your mortal trial, the first thing you do is come here to talk to me about love? You're supposed to be the smart one, yet you're asking me? Me!?"
"Not entirely."
"Then what is it?" Li Xing put down his sword. "Can you stop beating around the bush and just say what you want to say?"
Xu Zhi sighed and gave in, "...Fine."
"When I was going through my mortal trial, I met her..." He paused and gazed back to her, "....Jia Xue."
With a wave of his arm, countless images of his life together with Jia Xue appeared. They floated like fragments of a dream.
His eyes seemed to shimmer with memories from the past.
In these fragments, Jia Xue was a young lady with delicate features. Her laughter lighting up the scene as they walked through a bustling village.
In another, Jia Xue held a single lotus flower, its petal reflected in the clear water.
Each image seemed more vivid than the last, capturing moments of joy, peace, and fleeting happiness.
But as the scenes continued, they grew heavier.
"He's just a commoner! How can you fall for him?" Jia Xue's father roared in anger at her as he slammed his fist onto the table, the teacups rattled.
"I love him." Her voice shaky and weak. "No matter whether he is a commoner or not!"
However these words only made her father even angrier.
Slap!
The sound echoed through the ornate hall. A slap struck straight to her cheek. The force made her stumble to the ground.
"As my daughter, the daughter of the prime minister!" his trembling finger pointed at her, "You actually dare to say such a humiliating thing? Have you forgotten your place? You were born to uphold this families honor, not disgrace it by falling in love with a lowly commoner!"
Jia Xue's chest rose and fell as she steadied herself, her slender frame trembling.
She raised her head to meet her father's fiery gaze.
"Father, honor means nothing to me. From a young age, I did everything you wanted me to do, I became a well dressed doll for you!" Her eyes were red with tears, "I don't want to live such a life until I die!"
"You!"
Too angry to say more, he said one last sentence as he sat down. His hand gripped the chair rest and yelled out, "Fine. Fine!" He slammed the table. "Go and be with him then! But from now on, I've never had a daughter! Don't you dare go spreading word that I–am your father!"
Jia Xue stood back up, her eyes lifeless, "I would rather be a beggar by his side....than a bird in a cage!"
Her father's hand twitched, his fury almost exploding. "You are foolish, Jia Xue! Love blinds you! The man you chose only loves your background, not you!"
"He's not that kind of man. And he's not like you!"
He no longer argued as he nod his head furiously. "If you insist walking on this path then you leave me no choice. Men!"
Servants from outside the room rushed to the door. Jia Xue looked in fear, "What are you going to do!?"
"You are my daughter and you...you will marry the man I've chosen for you. I don't care who it is as long as I approve of them, just wait to be married off!" He ordered the servants, "Hurry and get the young lady to her room!"
Jia Xue's eyes widened in horror, her voice cracked as she screamed, "No! You can't do this!" Desperate words tumbled from her lips. " I-I'm already his woman!"
A deafening silence fell over the hall. All the servants stopped their actions and looked to each other in confusion.
The blood drained from the prime ministers face. "What...what did you just say?" he demanded. His voice was low and in disbelief.
Li Xing who was viewing these fragments looked over to Xu Zhi in shock. However Xu Zhi had closed his eyes.
His hands gripping to his robes.
Li Xing blinked multiple times before he processed it and returned to the fragments.
"...." a long silence ensued. Jia Xue no longer talked.
He looked at the servants, a sharp intent flew the air as he spoke in a low and threatening voice, "I want this man dead!"
The servants flinched, but they knew they couldn't defy him. After all, he was the prime minister.
"Yes, Prime Minister."
Jia Xue's head shot up, her face pale with horror. "No!" she screamed, her voice raw and desperate. She crawled forward, grabbing hold of her father's robe. "Please, father, don't do this! I beg you!"
He yanked his robe out of her grasp, "You've already disgraced yourself, Jia Xue. You've brought shame upon this family. I will not let this humiliation continue!"
Tears streamed down Jia Xue's face as she scrambled to her feet. "Y-you can take everything from me! My name, status, even my future, but don't take him! I'm begging you father!" She banged her head on the stone floor countless times. Each time, the force would cause her to bleed profusely.
Her father's eyes finally softened and as he saw his precious daughter, a pearl he had cared for all his life, begging while bleeding.
Even after everything, even after her shameless act...he found himself unable to....
He gripped his hand into a fist. His words defeated and emotionless towards Jia Xue. "I want you gone by dawn!"
With no more words, he left. As he passed by her to the door, he didn't even bother looking at her.
Jia Xue cried quietly as her personal maid walked to her side.
"Miss, you're bleeding!"
She quickly held a handkerchief to stop the bleeding.
However, Jia Xue couldn't be bothered about this right now. She looked at her maid and for once begged her.
Jia Xue took off her jade bracelet. "Chunhua, take this bracelet and find Xu Zhi! Tell him what happened here. Tell him that I'll be waiting by the east gate!"
Chunhua looked hesitantly at Jia Xue before agreeing.
Hours went by as Jia Xue packed her belongings. She decided to not take anything of value or anything that belonged to her father.
Jia Xue stood by the gate of the east exit, waiting for Xu Zhi in the rain with a bamboo umbrella. Her thin cloak clinging to her frame as rain poured relentlessly.
Her eyes were fixed on the road.
Suddenly, the faint sound of hooves echoed in the distance. A small carriage. Her heart leapt, her eyes straining through the rain to catch a glimpse of the approaching figure.
It was a lone rider.
Her maid, Chunhua.
As it stopped by her she looked happily at Chunhua. "Is Xu Zhi inside?"
However to her suprise, Chunhua looked gloomily at her. She shook her head.
Dismay and despair crushed her spirit, but she still rushed to the front of the carriage to open the doors.
No one.
There was no one in there.
It was empty.
Jia Xue looked back to Chunhua, "Did you not talk to Xu Zhi!?"
Chunhua from behind her spoke with a wavering voice, "When I went to his home, I couldn't even find him! Not to mention that, everything that had belonged to him were gone, it's almost like he never existed. M-miss, that bastard Xu Zhi left you a letter."
She passed the opened paper with the bracelet to Jia Xue.
Jia Xue read it and couldn't believe her eyes.
[Don't look for me.]
[Xu Zhi]
It was a harsh and cold line with nothing more.
"N-no, no, this couldn't be his! M-maybe father–"
Yet, as she looked at this letter with trembling hands, she could tell that the handwriting was exactly Xu Zhu.
It's elegant and familiar strokes of ink.
It was Xu Zhu's handwriting.
Her breath caught in her throat as memories.
He left?
Tears began falling.
She jumped out of the carriage without her umbrella, running towards the direction of Xu Zhu's home.
"M-miss!?" Chunhua could barely react in time.
Jia Xue ran through the rain, her feet splashing in the mud. She didn't stop to think, her heart pounding with fear and pain.
Above the dark clouds, Xu Zhu was looking at Jia Xue's figure as she ran. His hands trembled and he found his voice stuck in his throat.
Jia Xue foot tripped in the mud and the force made her fall down.
Her cries echoed to Xu Zhu's like a viper in his heart, tighter and tighter.
The conflict in his chest was suffocating.
As he tried to go to Jia Xue to help her up, but as he did, chains of lightning appeared to hold him back.
A restriction that he himself had applied when he had first appeared in the mortal realm.
This was a precaution against himself, in case...he regretted his actions.
That's why he knew that there was nothing he could do to get out of these chains.
Jia Xue stood back up, her legs shy. She looked towards the sky with hate.
It was as if she was staring right at Xu Zhu. However, she was a mortal, how could she see through an immortals illusion.
A bitter laugh escaped her lips as she screamed out against the rain, "Why? Why did you lie to me!?"
The pain, the regret...it was too much to bear.
Each droplet felt like icy needles against her skin, but she didn't move, didn't waver.
The rain continued to fall, but Jia Xue no longer care about it.
Xu Zhu held his shaking hand out and was able to point his finger towards the sky.
A minuscule amount of spiritual energy flew out. As soon as it touched the clouds, the rain stopped and the clouds dispersed.
He looked at Jia Xue's shaky figure and for the first time in his life, a tear fell from his eye.
When the tear fell, it landed in his hand. It hovered in his hand and began to transform into the form of a liquid umbrella. It began to solidify.
The fragments of the past began to evaporate into thin smoke.
Li Xing sighed and muttered to himself, "The heartbreak trial. This was your mortal trial."
He looked towards at Xu Zhu. "Why do this to yourself?"
Xu Zhu opened his eyes with a fake smile, "I am the Sect master of Yuanhua Sect. This...was inevitable. The only regret I have...is her."
He held his hand up and a bright silver light from his ring brought out the umbrella.
Li Xing looked at the mighty magic treasure. "Whenever a immortal goes through a heavenly breakthrough, they have a chance to create a magic treasure as it absorbs the spiritual energy around them. All magic treasure's are said to be extremely powerful with its various effects. But the form..."
Xu Zhu looked the magic treasure up and down with a mocking smile, "That's right...At the time, all I wanted was a umbrella to shield her from the rain and sadness."
With a wave of his hand, it landed right in front of Li Xing.
"What do you mean by this?"
Xu Zhu spoke, "I've come to ask you a favor."
"No!" Without a bit of hesitation, Li Xing refused.
"Don't worry, I won't ask for much."
"Not for much?" Li Xing pointed at the umbrella. "Each immortal can only create a single magic treasure once in their lifetime, and you're using it as a favor? No matter what your favor is, I refuse! Either way, it has to do with your lover in the mortal realms after showing me all those memories!"
"D-don't tell me you want me to search for your descendant?!"
"That's not it. Me and Jia Xue...we never crossed the line."
From the long long years of knowing each other, Li Xing had come to understand Xu Zhu. He wasn't the type of person to lie.
Even more when he knew that the end result would leave to their seperation.
Xu Zhu kept speaking, "I want to trade this umbrella for an opportunity."
He kept going, "After Jia Xue left the capital, she met a kind hearted man–a physician. Because of me, she stayed out in the harsh rain and...developed an illness. When he proposed to her, even though she had nothing, he was still willing. Moved by his kindness, she agreed to marry him."
"Now, I'm simply a relic of her past, something that should be forgotten. But that doesn't mean that the pain I caused her to simply go away."
"With this umbrella, I want a favor."
"As the Yuanhuan Sect leader, I can't intervene in mortal affairs. I hope that brother Li can keep her descendants safe."
Li Xing became confused, "What was that about an opportunity?"
Xu Zhu responded, "If one day, her descendants wish to cultivate–"
"No." Li Xing flat out refused.
Xu Zhu continued, "If one day, they wish to cultivate, I hope you can accept them as a disciple."
"I said no. I don't accept disciples."
"Then...if one day they wish to cultivate...can you recommend them?"
"Aiya–I really can't!"
"Brother Li." Xu Zhu got on one of his knees and begged.
"What are you doing!? Get up!"
"If you don't agree to it, then I'm going to get down on both knees and beg you. Where ever you go, I'm going to grovel at your feet–"
"A-alright! Fine I agree!" Just imagining the scenes of the future was truly frightening. Knowing Xu Zhu, he would do as he said.
"But I won't accept any disciples!" Li Xing thought for a moment, "What about reccomending them to Yuhuan Sect?"
"No!" Xu Zhu also straight up refuted, "Yuhuan Sect...is too cold."
Yuhuan sect's motto: [One for all]
Every member of theirs were cultivated with the mentality that they should give their lives for the greater good.
Even if their loved ones were right in front of them, they had to choose the world over them.
This was also why, the young sect master had to go through a heartbreak trial.
Their cultivation techniques and philosophy was centered around the world.
Li Xing sighed. He put away the purple umbrella into his ring. "Alright I agree. But if you ever threaten me again, I'll consider this favor as void!"
Xu Zhu smiled, "Thank you, brother Li."