Zhu Xian: They've all been reborn

The door to the side hall of Shoujing Hall was ajar, and faint, indistinct voices could be heard coming from inside.

It sounded like an argument, yet also like a discussion; the tone wasn't particularly intense, but there was a palpable sense of tension beneath the surface.

The air was filled with a faint scent, a blend of Lu Xueqi's cool plum blossom fragrance, Biyao's subtle sweetness, Xiaobai's warm and sweet aroma, and the sun-kissed sachet that Tian Ling'er often wore.

Mixed together, they created a peculiar and unsettling atmosphere.

Jiang Xiaochuan stood at the door for a while, took a deep breath, raised his hand, and tapped the door three times with a light touch.

"Knock, knock, knock."

The sounds inside stopped abruptly.

A moment later, Lu Xueqi's cool and calm voice came: "Come in."

Jiang Xiaochuan pushed open the door.

The afternoon sunlight slanted in through the open window, casting bright, grid-like shadows on the clean floor, with tiny dust particles dancing in the beams of light.

Lu Xueqi sat on the chair to the left of the main seat, her back straight, her hands folded on her knees, and the Tianya Sword lying quietly on the low table beside her.

Biyao sat opposite him, her light green dress appearing somewhat thin in the light. Her hands unconsciously twisted the sash of her dress, and her deep green eyes locked onto him the moment the door opened.

Xiao Bai leaned lazily against a soft couch by the window, her bare feet bent, her silver hair flowing down, playing with a bamboo leaf in her hand that she had picked from somewhere, its edges gleaming with gold.

Tian Ling'er sat on the embroidered stool next to Xiao Bai, leaning slightly forward with her hands on her knees. Her fingers curled unconsciously, and her gaze swept over his face with worry, expectation, and a hint of barely perceptible tension.

Four women, four pairs of eyes, all fell on him. The air seemed to freeze a little more.

Jiang Xiaochuan closed the door behind him, shutting out the sound of the wind and the faint birdsong from the bamboo forest outside.

He walked to the center of the room and stood in the light and shadow that the sunlight had cut through, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the four people one by one, and finally landing on Lu Xueqi.

"I have something to ask you," he said, his voice dry from tension and exhaustion, but he tried to keep it steady.

Lu Xueqi looked at him quietly, her cool eyes showing no surprise, as if she had expected him to come.

She nodded: "Ask."

Jiang Xiaochuan licked his slightly dry lips and, without hesitation, dumped all the questions that had been on his mind in the room onto the table, speaking faster and faster:

"The Chaos of the Beast Gods, what will happen ten years later?"

Is the Blood-Dripping Cave beneath the Dead Spirit Abyss of Kongsang Mountain, containing the first volume of the Heavenly Book, still there?

Will the confrontation between good and evil at Liubo Mountain and Kui Niu happen again?

How are the Six-Tails and Three-Tails doing in Koike Town?

Can you guarantee that the Ghost King Sect won't secretly carry out the Dragon-Subduing Cauldron and the Four Spirits Blood Array?

Will the other sects of the Demonic Cult—the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, the Joyous Union Sect, the Longevity Hall—join forces to attack the Azure Cloud Sect, just like they did before?

He paused, his chest rising and falling slightly with his rapid breathing, his gaze fixed on Lu Xueqi, and asked the most crucial, and also the most unsettling, question:

"And, most importantly—how exactly were you all reborn?!"

A series of questions crashed into the silent air, carrying with them obvious anxiety and a sense of panic shrouded in a vast unknown.

He was like a traveler standing on the eve of a storm, trying to grab onto anything he could to steady himself, even if it was thorns.

Lu Xueqi waited for him to finish speaking, then remained silent for a moment before slowly opening her mouth. Her voice remained calm and even, carrying a strange power that could soothe restlessness:

"The chaos caused by the Beast God is nothing to fear."

Jiang Xiaochuan was taken aback.

Nothing to fear?

That was a catastrophe that nearly destroyed the world in the original story!

Lu Xueqi seemed to sense his confusion and continued, her tone as calm as if she were simply stating that the weather was nice today:

"In my past life, I mastered five volumes of celestial scriptures, cultivated the three arts of Buddhism, Taoism, and Demonism simultaneously, and even wielded the Immortal-Slaying Ancient Sword. Though the Beast God was powerful, I was confident I could handle him. In this life..."

Her gaze swept over Biyao and Xiaobai before returning to Jiang Xiaochuan's face. "With the few of us working together, we can prepare earlier and have a greater chance of success. You don't need to worry."

Five volumes of heavenly scripture?

The Three Cultivations of Buddhism, Taoism, and Demonism?

To take charge of the Immortal Slayer?

Jiang Xiaochuan gasped, his eyes widening in shock.

He knew Lu Xueqi was very strong in her past life, but he never expected her to be this strong! It's terrifying!

This is practically cheating!

No, it's a trap within a trap!

"That...that Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament..." He suddenly recalled Lu Xueqi's "unfathomable" performance on the stage, instantly killing Zeng Shushu in one move and defeating Tian Ling'er in two moves...

"I was just pretending," Lu Xueqi replied curtly, her cool face expressionless.

"Control your strength and restrain your cultivation, lest you... be too shocking and attract unnecessary trouble and investigation."

"Pretending..." Jiang Xiaochuan looked at her beautiful face, which was serious as she uttered the word "pretending."

For some reason, the heavy anxiety and panic in my heart suddenly deflated a little, and I even felt like laughing.

This feeling... is a bit absurd, yet also... inexplicably reassuring.

It's like you think the sky is about to fall, but then the seemingly weakest guy next to you quietly pulls out a golden cudgel that can hold up the sky from behind his back, and calmly says, "It's okay, I'm used to it."

"Pfft." Xiao Bai couldn't help but chuckle, her silver eyes curving into a smile as she looked at Jiang Xiaochuan's dumbfounded yet amused expression.

"Look how scared Xiao Chuan Chuan is. Xue Qi's skills are only good enough to fool you juniors."

Jiang Xiaochuan's face flushed slightly, and he glared at Xiaobai. However, her interruption did ease the tension in his heart a little.

After laughing enough, Xiaobai leisurely added, "As for the things you're worried about... the Six-Tails and Three-Tails under Xiaochi Town, I rescued them when I was first reborn and found you (you were probably eight years old?). Now they're living a carefree life in a beautiful, secluded place, so don't worry about them."

Biyao chimed in, a hint of barely perceptible smugness in her voice: "I retrieved the first volume of the Heavenly Book from the Blood-Dripping Cave in the Abyss of the Dead not long after my rebirth. It's with me now."

She didn't go into details about how she got it, but judging from her expression, it obviously didn't take much effort.

"As for the Dragon-Subduing Cauldron and the Four Spirits Blood Array, don't worry, I've already spoken to my father, and he won't touch them. At least, I won't let him touch them."

Tian Ling'er looked at Jiang Xiaochuan and added softly, "In her past life... Biyao later unified the Holy Sect and achieved peaceful coexistence with the righteous path. Although the process... was a bit bumpy, the result was not bad. In this life, with our prior preparations, it should be even better."

As Jiang Xiaochuan listened to their back-and-forth conversation, he effortlessly defused or even brought under control the "plots" and "calamities" that he had thought would cause earth-shattering upheavals and widespread suffering.

The panic I felt because of the "unknown" melted away quickly, like ice and snow under the sun.

Instead, there was a deeper, almost numb astonishment, and a sense of absurdity that... "So the clown is actually myself."

So he's the only one worrying about this, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

They've already set up the chessboard, placed the pieces, and probably even rehearsed the ending countless times.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but found himself speechless. It seemed... there was really nothing more for him to do?

"Then... what about rebirth?" He persisted, pressing for the core question again, his gaze sweeping over the four faces. "How exactly were you reborn? There has to be a reason, right?"

Lu Xueqi's eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly, and her interlaced fingers tightened slightly.

She raised her eyes to look at Jiang Xiaochuan, her gaze deep and calm, yet carrying an unfathomable distance.

"I know," she said slowly, her voice soft but carrying a resolute air that cut off any further questioning, "but I don't want to say."

She paused, and under Jiang Xiaochuan's astonished gaze, added, her tone returning to its usual coolness: "As for why they were also reborn, I... don't know."

These words were perfectly watertight, but... utterly insincere. She knew it, but didn't want to say it.

This guy practically has "I'm a riddle teller" written all over his face.

Jiang Xiaochuan looked at her, at the undeniable calm in her eyes and the emotions hidden deep within him that he couldn't understand. The restlessness that had just subsided in his heart began to resurface.

It's happening again! She keeps everything from him!

Did they treat him like a fool, making him run around in circles, and then dismiss him with a casual "I don't want to talk about it"?

Xiao Bai looked at Lu Xueqi, a hint of understanding and complexity flashing in her silver eyes, but she didn't expose her. She just smiled lazily, smoothing things over with a teasing tone:

"Perhaps... it's the power of love? Who knows? The ways of heaven are unpredictable, and the laws of cause and effect are mysterious. Given a second chance, there aren't that many 'whys.' Anyway, I'm back, and that's it."

The power of love? Jiang Xiaochuan's lips twitched.

This reason is even less reliable than Lu Xueqi's "I don't want to talk about it".

Lu Xueqi seemed not to hear Xiaobai's teasing. She stood up and walked to Jiang Xiaochuan. She was a little taller than him, and looked down at him with her eyes slightly lowered.

Sunlight shone from behind her, casting a hazy glow around her and making her aloof and stunning face look somewhat unreal.

She reached out, not to hug him, nor to pull him, but very gently, very lightly, to stroke the still slightly messy stray hairs on his forehead.

Her fingertips were slightly cool, yet her movements were exceptionally gentle, carrying an indescribable, almost indulgent, comforting quality.

"Don't think too much about it, Ogawa."

She spoke softly, her voice carrying a hint of tenderness and an undeniable certainty.

"You once said that if the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up."

She paused, withdrew her hand, and looked at him calmly, as if stating a simple fact: "Now, we are the tall ones."

Looking at her face so close to his, and hearing her say "There are tall people to protect you," Jiang Xiaochuan felt a gentle jolt in his heart, a bittersweet feeling, a strange sense of security as if he were being completely protected.

Yes, now, they are all incredibly powerful, holding the initiative, and they don't even care about the cataclysmic disaster.

His meager knowledge and needless worries seemed... somewhat laughable in their eyes.

He suddenly felt a little tired, not physically, but mentally. The tension in his heart, the feeling of trying to grasp something, to bear something, suddenly loosened and collapsed.

What followed was a deeper weariness and a kind of... resigned acceptance.

"Heh..." He twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a self-deprecating, slightly mocking smile. His gaze swept over the four "tall men" in front of him, and his tone carried a hint of defiance and probing that he himself was unaware of.

"Have you never considered that perhaps... there was no such thing as a past life at all? That it was all just a dream you created yourself... a dream that was exceptionally real and exceptionally long? Because you couldn't get what you wanted, or your obsession was too deep, you imagined it, indulging in self-pity and self-torture?"

After he finished speaking, he stared intently at their reactions. He wanted to see panic, hesitation, and the helplessness of having their illusions shattered.

However, no.

Lu Xueqi simply looked at him quietly, her eyes clear and calm, without the slightest fluctuation.

Biyao's deep green eyes flickered, a trace of pain flashing across them, but it was quickly replaced by a deeper stubbornness, and a bitter yet knowing smile even appeared on her lips.

Xiao Bai raised an eyebrow, a hint of "I knew it" and a touch of helplessness flashing in her silver eyes, and gently shook her head.

Tian Ling'er bit her lip, her eyes slightly red, but she stubbornly met his gaze and shook her head.

Not a single person wavered or doubted his words.

Their silence, their calmness, and the unmistakable, soul-deep certainty in their eyes shattered his pitiful illusion of grasping at the last straw of "normality" more powerfully than any heated argument.

have to.

Jiang Xiaochuan's initial probing and resentment vanished.

He slumped his shoulders resignedly, letting out a long, weary breath.

"Fine." His voice lowered, carrying a numbness of having completely given up the struggle.

"That's all for me. I'm going back to sleep."

He turned around, wanting to leave this suffocating and powerless place.

Anyway, they'll hold up the sky if it falls, they'll cover for the plot if it falls apart, and they can talk about the mystery of rebirth if they want.

He was exhausted and all he wanted to do was return to his familiar little bed, where he could temporarily escape everything, and continue his unfinished "playing it off" project.

"Ogawa!"

Tian Ling'er suddenly stood up and blocked his way.

Her eyes were still red, her face showing urgency and a hint of reckless courage. She reached out and grabbed his sleeve with considerable force.

"Don't go!" Her voice trembled, yet remained unusually clear. "Let's...let's talk! Let's have a proper talk! About...about us, about the future! You can't keep hiding like this!"

Jiang Xiaochuan stopped, without turning around or pulling his hand away. He simply stood there silently, his back to them.

He could feel three other gazes behind him, as if they were tangible, falling on his back.

Want to talk?

What are we talking about?

How to "share" him?

How to "go with the flow"?

Or should we discuss how to help this "short guy" find a pitiful space and... dignity of his own amidst the gaps between these "tall girls"?

He didn't want to talk about it.

He was afraid to talk about it.

All he wanted to do was escape.

Xiao Bai's languid voice came from behind, this time with less of a teasing tone and more seriousness and a barely perceptible sigh:

"Xiao Chuan Chuan, running away won't solve anything. You can't...keep hiding like this forever."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was like a needle, gently piercing the fragile protective shell he had tried to build with "giving up" and "sleeping."

Jiang Xiaochuan's body stiffened slightly. His fingers, gripping the door frame, turned slightly white from the force.

Yeah, how long can they hide?

Hiding back inside, pulling the covers over my head, and pretending nothing happened?

But what happens after you wake up?

Lu Xueqi is still here, Biyao is still here, Xiaobai is still here, and Tian Ling'er is still here.

They won't disappear just because he runs away.

Their feelings, their obsessions, and the earth-shattering "truths" and "futures" they brought will not vanish because of his indifference.

He'll have to face it eventually. It's just... he's not ready yet.

Or rather, it will never be truly ready.

He turned around slowly, very slowly.

His gaze, somewhat vacant, somewhat weary, and carrying a hint of resigned calm, almost self-destructive, swept over the faces of the four stunningly beautiful women before him, women who had exhausted him.

In the side hall of Shoujing Hall, the afternoon sun was still bright, and dust still danced in the beams of light.

Outside the window, the sound of the bamboo forest rustling in the wind remained unchanged. But the air inside seemed to have solidified into a gel, so heavy that it was hard to breathe.

To talk or not to talk?

How should we discuss this?

What are we talking about?

Jiang Xiaochuan stood there, like a bewildered statue that had lost all its strength.

The four women surrounding him waited quietly, waiting for his next move, his next word, or... his next breakdown.

Time seemed to stretch out infinitely at this moment.