Zhu Xian: They've all been reborn

Master Shuiyue stood at the very front, her moon-white Taoist robe gleaming like a cold light in the twilight. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes were icy.

Tian Buyi stood next to her, his chubby face as black as the bottom of a pot, his mustache twitching.

Su Ru stood beside Tian Buyi, her face pale and her lips pressed tightly together.

Tian Ling'er stood behind Su Ru, her eyes red and her face streaked with tears. When she saw Jiang Xiaochuan, her eyes lit up, and she wanted to rush over, but Su Ru held her back.

Standing around him were the eldest senior brother Song Daren, the second senior brother Wu Dayi, the third senior brother Zheng Dali... all the senior brothers from Dazhu Peak were there. Each of them had a solemn expression.

Jiang Xiaochuan's mind went blank.

It’s over.

He glanced at Lu Xueqi instinctively. Lu Xueqi had just sheathed her wooden sword and stood up straight.

She glanced at the scene before her, her expression unchanged, but her eyes deepened.

"Master." She walked up to Master Shuiyue and bowed.

Master Shuiyue didn't look at her; her eyes were fixed on Jiang Xiaochuan.

"Where did you go?"

The voice was flat, but each word sounded like a stone hitting the ground.

Jiang Xiaochuan opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Let's go back to noon, to Xiaozhu Peak.

Master Shuiyue came out of the meditation room and didn't see Lu Xueqi. She frowned and asked a passing disciple.

Where is Xueqi?

"Master, I didn't see it," the disciple said.

Master Shuiyue searched the mountaintop. The Moon-Viewing Terrace was not there. The Quiet Chamber was not there. The Bamboo Grove was not there.

Her unease slowly grew. Lu Xueqi was exceptionally talented and cold-hearted; she had always kept a close eye on her. Today...

She circled the area on her sword but couldn't find her. She returned to Little Bamboo Peak and waited another hour. The sun was setting, but Lu Xueqi still hadn't returned.

Master Shuiyue's expression grew increasingly grim.

She recalled Lu Xueqi's recent behavior. She frequently went to Dazhu Peak, specifically seeking out Jiang Xiaochuan for sparring. Today…

A thought popped into my head. Absurd, yet reasonable.

She rode her sword and flew towards Dazhu Peak.

Let's go back to morning, to Dazhu Peak.

Tian Ling'er got up and went to find Jiang Xiaochuan. No one was in the room, and the blankets on the bed were neatly folded.

She thought he had gone to the back mountain, so she went there to look for him. The bamboo forest was empty, with only the sound of the wind rustling through the bamboo leaves.

She panicked a little. She went to find Song Daren.

"Senior Brother, have you seen Xiao Chuan?"

"No," Song Daren said. "They disappeared first thing this morning?"

Tian Ling'er nodded. She searched every inch of Dazhu Peak: the kitchen, the courtyard, the woodshed, and even the outhouse.

No. Not anywhere.

She sat on the stone steps outside Jiang Xiaochuan's house and waited.

One hour passed, then two. The sun rose higher and then set in the west. Jiang Xiaochuan still hadn't returned.

The panic in her heart grew wildly like weeds. Scenes from her past life resurfaced. Lu Xueqi and Jiang Xiaochuan stood on the Rainbow Bridge, the moonlight was beautiful, and the wind was gentle. He leaned against Lu Xueqi, and she wrapped her arms around his waist.

No. We can't do that.

She rushed to find Tian Buyi and Su Ru.

"Father! Mother! Xiaochuan is missing!"

Tian Buyi was drinking tea when he suddenly spat it out. "What?!"

Su Ru also stood up. "What do you mean 'disappeared'?"

"It's been gone since this morning!" Tian Ling'er cried. "I can't find it anywhere!"

Tian Buyi and Su Ru exchanged a glance, their expressions changing.

They searched the summit again, but still couldn't find it. Tian Buyi's face was so dark it could drip water.

"Where can this child go?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a streak of light descended. Master Shuiyue dismounted from his flying sword.

"Junior Brother Tian," she said, her voice cold, "Where is my disciple?"

Tian Buyi was taken aback. "What?"

"Lu Xueqi," Master Shuiyue said, "she's gone. I suspect... she's come to Dazhu Peak."

Tian Buyi's mind went blank. He turned to look at Su Ru, whose face was also pale.

The two of them thought of something at the same time.

"Seventh Brother..." Tian Buyi murmured.

They waited in front of the Hall of Tranquility. They waited for the sun to set, for twilight to descend. Their hearts sank deeper and deeper.

Until those two streaks of light fell.

Dusk was falling. The last glimmer of light on the horizon faded away.

The open space was deathly silent.

Master Shuiyue looked at Jiang Xiaochuan, who lowered his head, not daring to look at her.

Master Shuiyue's oppressive aura was overwhelming, inexplicably giving him the feeling that he was the one who had abducted the daughter she had carefully nurtured.

Tian Ling'er bit her lip hard, tears falling again. Tian Buyi clenched his fist, then relaxed it.

Lu Xueqi stood before Master Shuiyue, her back ramrod straight. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes were calm, as still as a frozen lake.

The wind blew, and the bamboo leaves rustled.

Jiang Xiaochuan felt that this might be the longest moment of his life.

The twilight spread like ink diluted with water, little by little.

The wind seemed to freeze in the open space in front of Shoujing Hall.

The bamboo leaves stopped swaying, the insects stopped chirping, and only the sound of breathing, coarse, fine, and chaotic, mingled together.

Master Shuiyue stared at Jiang Xiaochuan, his eyes like two icicles, making Jiang's scalp tingle.

Jiang Xiaochuan lowered his head, staring at the tips of his shoes. The shoes were covered in dust from Heyang City, a mixture of yellow earth and some unknown debris, making them filthy. He wanted to wipe them clean, but dared not move.

"Where did you go?" Shuiyue asked again, her voice even flatter and colder than before.

Jiang Xiaochuan opened his mouth, his throat dry. He heard himself swallow, a loud, alarming gulp.

"He...Heyang City." The voice was so soft it was like a mosquito's buzz.

"Whose idea was this?"

Jiang Xiaochuan remained silent. He stole a glance at Lu Xueqi. Lu Xueqi stood there, her back as straight as a bamboo, her chin slightly raised, her face expressionless. Moonlight shone on her profile, half bright, half dark.

"It was my idea," Lu Xueqi said, her voice clear and melodious, like jade beads falling on ice. "I took him there."

Master Shuiyue's gaze shifted to Lu Xueqi's face. She didn't speak, just stared at her for a long time. So long that Jiang Xiaochuan felt his legs begin to weaken.

"You took him there?" Shuiyue finally spoke, her voice devoid of emotion. "How did you take him there?"

Lu Xueqi raised her hand, and a wooden sword appeared in her palm. She didn't speak, but her meaning was clear.

A collective gasp filled the air. It came from Tian Buyi, Su Ru, and several of his senior brothers. Jiang Xiaochuan didn't need to look up to see the expressions on their faces: shock, disbelief, and…fear?

A nine-year-old child can control weapons? And carry people? What level of cultivation does that require?

Master Shuiyue narrowed her eyes. She took a step forward, very close to Lu Xueqi. Close enough to see the fine hairs on her face and the barely perceptible light deep in her eyes.

"What level is Jade Purity?" Shuiyue asked, her voice very low.

"The fifth floor," Lu Xueqi replied, her voice not loud, but each word sounded like a stone hitting the ground.

Another gasp rippled through the room. This time it was louder and more chaotic. Jiang Xiaochuan heard Tian Buyi hiss, like he had a toothache. He heard Su Ru gasp. He heard the buzzing of his fellow disciples whispering amongst themselves.

Fifth level of Jade Purity. One year since entering the sect. Nine years old.

These words, strung together, struck everyone like a bolt of lightning. Master Shuiyue's face paled, not from anger, but from shock. She looked at Lu Xueqi as if she were a monster.

"Who taught you?" Shuiyue's voice trembled slightly. "I haven't taught you the method of controlling artifacts yet."

"I figured it out myself," Lu Xueqi said, looking directly at Shuiyue without flinching. "I watched Master fly swords a lot, and figured it out on my own."

"Nonsense!" Shuiyue's voice suddenly rose. "Flying on a magical artifact, is that child's play? What if you accidentally fall? How old are you? He..." She pointed at Jiang Xiaochuan, "He's only at the first level of the Jade Purity Realm. You took him so far; who can take responsibility if something happens?!"

Lu Xueqi didn't speak. She lowered her head, looking at her toes. The moonlight cast a small shadow on her eyelashes.

"It's my fault," she repeated, her voice lowering. "It has nothing to do with him. I insisted on taking him. If Master wants to punish someone, punish me instead."

Jiang Xiaochuan suddenly looked up. He saw Lu Xueqi's lowered profile and her tightly pursed lips.

The panic and fear he felt suddenly vanished. Vanished completely.

"No," he said, his voice a little hoarse. "It was me who wanted to go. Junior Sister Lu... Junior Sister Lu just took me there."

Master Shuiyue turned her head and looked at him. Jiang Xiaochuan felt a chill run down his spine from that gaze and lowered his head again, but he still said, "I want to go down the mountain and see Heyang City. Junior Sister Lu... meant well."

"Kindness?" Shuiyue sneered. "Kindness allows you to go down the mountain without permission? Kindness allows you to disregard the sect rules? Kindness allows you to..."

"Senior Sister Shuiyue," Su Ru spoke, her voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable authority, "It's good that the children are back. Whatever you need to say, speak slowly."

Master Shuiyue glanced at Su Ru, then at Tian Buyi. Tian Buyi's face was dark, and he didn't speak, but his beard twitched as if he was suppressing a fire.

"It's good that they're back?" Shuiyue repeated these four words, the coldness in her voice making Jiang Xiaochuan shiver. "Junior Sister Su, do you know where they went? Heyang City! Dozens of miles away from Qingyun Mountain! What if something happened on the way? What if they encountered demonic cultists? What if..." She didn't finish her sentence, but everyone understood.

Jiang Xiaochuan's heart tightened. He really hadn't thought about these things. He was only thinking about having fun, about candied hawthorns, about storytelling. Danger? He hadn't considered it.

Lu Xueqi raised her head and looked at Shuiyue. "Master, this disciple knows her mistake. I am willing to accept punishment."

"Punishment?" Shuiyue looked at her, her eyes filled with complex emotions. There was shock, anger, disappointment, and... a hint of barely perceptible pride? Jiang Xiaochuan wasn't sure; that look was too fleeting, gone in an instant.

"Of course you must be punished," Shuiyue said, her voice regaining its calmness, but colder than before. "Going down the mountain without permission, disregarding the sect rules, and..." She paused, "and even teaching fellow disciples how to control artifacts without authorization?"

"I didn't teach him anything," Lu Xueqi said. "I just took him flying for a while."

"That's true..." Shuiyue was about to say something when Tian Buyi interrupted her.

"Senior Sister Shuiyue," Tian Buyi spoke, his voice as deep as stone, "Now that they're back, leave this matter to me. Seventh Brother is my disciple, and it's my fault for not disciplining him properly. I'll punish him accordingly."

Master Shuiyue glanced at him, then at Lu Xueqi, and finally nodded. "Alright. But you take care of your disciple. I'll take care of my disciple."

She turned to look at Lu Xueqi. "Come back to Xiaozhu Peak with me."

Lu Xueqi didn't move. She glanced at Jiang Xiaochuan, her eyes calm, as still as a deep pool. Jiang Xiaochuan felt a pang of unease under her gaze and instinctively wanted to say something, but Lu Xueqi had already turned and followed Shuiyue away.

The wooden sword rose into the air, transformed into a streak of light, and disappeared into the night.

Jiang Xiaochuan stood still, looking at the sky.

The moon came out, round and yellow, like a pancake.

His mind was blank; he wasn't thinking about anything.

I stared at the moon, and after staring for a while, my eyes started to hurt.