Zhu Xian: They've all been reborn

Life on Qiyun Peak continued day by day.

During the day, he cultivates, occasionally visits his master and mistress at Dazhu Peak, or is dragged around the peak by Xiaobai and Biyao. At night, he goes to different rooms according to a tacitly agreed-upon rotation.

Jiang Xiaochuan went from being embarrassed and helpless at first, to gradually getting used to it, and later, he was even able to barely keep his composure amidst the meaningful gazes and teasing of those people, although the tips of his ears always couldn't help turning red.

The "dual cultivation technique" that Lu Xueqi taught him seemed to have miraculous effects.

In just over a month, his cultivation, which had stagnated for so long, showed signs of breaking through to the sixth level of Jade Purity and entering the seventh level.

The progress was so fast that it startled and even unsettled him.

That morning, after finishing his cultivation, he stood up and felt the spiritual energy within his body, which was much more abundant and solid than before, but his brows were slightly furrowed.

Lu Xueqi was sitting by the window, wiping the Tianya Divine Sword in the morning light, the blade reflecting her cool and aloof face. Noticing his gaze, she looked up.

"What's wrong?"

"Xueqi," Jiang Xiaochuan walked over, sat down opposite her, and spoke hesitantly.

"That cultivation technique... isn't the progress a bit too fast? I always feel uneasy, afraid that my foundation is unstable."

Lu Xueqi paused in wiping the sword, looked at him, her eyes clear and calm:

"Don't worry. This cultivation method... is special by nature, and it suits your physique well. It's natural that you'll progress faster. As for your foundation, I'll handle it carefully and won't let it harm you."

She spoke calmly, yet with an undeniable certainty. Looking at her cool and composed face, Jiang Xiaochuan's unease strangely subsided.

Yes, Xueqi would never harm him.

Since she said she's fine, then she must be fine.

Perhaps I'm overthinking it.

"Um."

He nodded and stopped thinking about it.

My gaze fell on her slender, pale fingers as she held a plain white silk cloth to wipe the blade of the sword. Her focused profile looked almost unreal in the morning light.

His heart skipped a beat, and remembering the absurdity of the past few nights, his face flushed slightly. He quickly looked away and made conversation, "Um... is it your turn today?"

Lu Xueqi hummed in agreement and continued wiping her sword, as if to say that the weather was nice today.

Jiang Xiaochuan clearly saw that her movements while wiping the sword were slightly faster, almost imperceptibly, and a faint pink tinge appeared on her ears.

The restlessness in his heart rekindled, along with a vague and inexplicable anticipation.

Being with Xueqi is different from being with others.

It wasn't as intense, as alluring, as naive, or as tender as it could be, but it had a peculiar, reassuring sense of harmony, as if it were meant to be this way.

As he was lost in thought, Lu Xueqi had already cleaned the sword, sheathed it, and it made a soft "clang" sound.

She stood up, walked up to him, looked down at him, and suddenly reached out, her fingertips brushing against a stray strand of hair on his forehead.

"Come back early tonight." Her voice was still cold, but it was a little softer than usual.

"Okay," Jiang Xiaochuan replied, his Adam's apple bobbing.

……

Meanwhile, in a place that Jiang Xiaochuan, Lu Xueqi, and everyone else on Qiyun Peak could neither imagine nor understand.

The sky here is a pure blue, the clouds are light and the sun is warm and gentle but not scorching.

The air is filled with a rich and pure spiritual energy, carrying the unique fresh and sweet fragrance of grass, trees, flowers, and fruits.

In the distance are rolling green hills, and nearby is a plain full of blooming flowers. A crystal-clear stream meanders by, its babbling brook echoing through the landscape.

Everything was the most perfect natural scenery, so beautiful it seemed otherworldly, even the angles of the light and wind were just right.

A traditional Chinese courtyard with a simple and elegant appearance sits in the center of this beautiful landscape, with white walls, black tiles, and upturned eaves, blending harmoniously with the surrounding environment.

But once you step inside, you'll find it's completely different.

The floor is covered with an unknown material so smooth it reflects a person's image; the furniture has a simple and streamlined design; a huge "television" that occupies an entire wall is playing a clear, dynamic picture; and there are some oddly shaped objects in the corner that shimmer with a soft light.

Everything here exudes an extreme modernity that is incongruous with the classical appearance, and... a sophisticatedness that transcends the modern.

The giant "television" was showing the scene inside the main room on the third floor of Qiyun Peak.

In the scene, Jiang Xiaochuan is talking to Lu Xueqi somewhat awkwardly, his face slightly flushed.

Lu Xueqi wiped the sword, her profile cool and aloof, her ears slightly pink.

In front of the mirror, there was a large, soft, and extremely comfortable low couch.

Three people were sitting on the tatami mat.

On the left is a young man dressed in loose and comfortable cotton and linen clothes. He looks about seven or eight parts like "Jiang Xiaochuan" from Qiyun Peak, but he is more refined and handsome. He has less of the naivety and occasional bewilderment of the one from Qiyun Peak, and more of a leisurely and indescribable composure.

He was slightly shorter and more handsome than the one on Qiyun Peak, and his physique was also... well (I choose to remain silent). He was holding a bag of potato chips, eating them intently with a "crunch crunch" sound, but his eyes were fixed on the image in the mirror.

There is a woman in the middle.

She was extremely tall, towering over the man next to her by more than half a head. Her figure was upright and slender, and she wore a well-tailored silver-white outfit that resembled a combination of a tight-fitting suit and a long skirt, outlining her breathtakingly perfect curves.

Her beauty was beyond words; every feature seemed to have been meticulously calculated to create a flawless face, yet it appeared distant and aloof due to her clear, cold eyes, like those of an ancient glacier.

At this moment, she leaned slightly against the couch, propping her chin up with one hand, looking at the mirror with a calm and unwavering gaze, as if she were not watching the daily life of another "self" and "him," but rather a drama that had nothing to do with her.

On the right is a woman with a completely different style.

She wore an extremely daring dark red dress with very little fabric, barely covering her vital parts. Large swathes of her fair, delicate, and stunningly undulating skin were exposed to the air, her figure so good that it would make any man's blood boil and any woman feel ashamed.

Her appearance was equally stunning, with a natural allure that captivated the soul with her languid charm. Her eyes seemed to steal one's soul with every glance.

At this moment, she was leaning against the man beside the silver-clad woman in the middle, as if boneless. Well, to be more precise, she pressed her breathtakingly full and soft breasts tightly against the man's arm, her red lips almost touching his ear, her breath sweet as orchids:

"Little master~ See? I told you long ago, having two women on your left and right is such a blessing, isn't it? Look at you, how happy and carefree you are~ partying every night, tsk tsk, it makes me so envious~"

Her voice was charming and seductive, with a natural flirtation. As she spoke, her warm breath deliberately brushed against the man's ear.

The man, who was actually Jiang Xiaochuan, stiffened almost imperceptibly, but he didn't dodge or pay attention to her. He simply stuffed a potato chip into his mouth, chewing it with a crunching sound. His eyes were fixed on the mirror, but his brows furrowed slightly, and his gaze was somewhat complicated.

"Sister Hongli, stop teasing him."

The woman in silver, who was actually Lu Xueqi (or perhaps a code name should be used to distinguish her, such as "Lu Xueqi herself"? Never mind, let's just call her Lu Xueqi, since there's no one else here anyway), spoke in a cool and aloof tone.

The woman in the dark red dress, Hong Li, pursed her lips and sat up a little straighter, but still leaned against Jiang Xiaochuan.

"How boring, Little Bingbing~" Hong Li muttered, stretching out her finger painted with bright red nail polish and poking Lu Xueqi's arm—the arm had smooth and beautiful lines, yet contained the power to easily crush stars.

"Just kidding. Look at him, he's clearly obsessed, but he insists on acting like it's none of my business. So awkward!"

Lu Xueqi ignored her complaints and shifted her gaze from the mirror to Jiang Xiaochuan's face.

She reached out and naturally wiped away a crumb of potato chips from the corner of his mouth with her fingertips, a familiar and affectionate gesture.

"Xueqi..."

Jiang Xiaochuan finally spoke, his voice a little muffled, his eyes still fixed on "himself" and "Lu Xueqi" in the mirror. He watched as "Lu Xueqi" brushed "Jiang Xiaochuan's" hair and said, "Come back early tonight," and then "Jiang Xiaochuan" nodded with his ears turning red.

"I always feel... weird. Like watching someone else portray me, or even a version with added embellishments. Especially seeing them... like that. It makes me feel suffocated, like... like I've been cheated on."

He spoke somewhat incoherently, but Lu Xueqi herself understood him.

Her cool gaze softened for a moment, and she reached out to pull Jiang Xiaochuan close, letting him lean on her shoulder.

She was taller than Jiang Xiaochuan, so she did this movement effortlessly, and it even had a strange sense of harmony.

"Okay, stop looking."

Her voice softened, carrying a soothing tone, as she gently combed his soft, long hair with her fingers.

"That's 'their' business, a story of 'that world.' It has nothing to do with us. You see, even there, isn't 'me' still 'your' favorite?"

She was referring to the fact that "Lu Xueqi" from Qiyun Peak had the most nights.

"I know……"

Jiang Xiaochuan buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the cool, familiar scent emanating from her, and said in a muffled voice.

"Logically I know that's not the real me, and that's not the real you... but looking at that face, that name, doing those things... I still feel uncomfortable. It's awkward. It's like... betraying you." Even though that "you" is also a part of you.

Lu Xueqi paused for a moment, then lowered her head and placed a light kiss on the top of his head.

"Fool. You have never betrayed me. Never. Not before, and never will."

Her voice was soft, yet carried an unwavering strength.

"You've always chosen me, only me. No matter the world, no matter which 'you,' your ultimate heart will always point to me. As for them..."

She looked up and glanced at the figures of Biyao, Xiaobai, Tian Ling'er, and Linglong flashing across the "television".

"It's something I owe them. It's also something... you feel indebted to. So, I'm sending them back, back to 'us,' giving them a chance, and also giving you... a chance to make up for your regrets. Although that 'you' doesn't know any of this."

She paused, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the back of Jiang Xiaochuan's neck, a little gesture he liked.

"As for the 'me' in that world... she has a drop of my essence and some fragments of my memories, so she can vaguely sense some cause and effect, and knows that 'you' may owe them, which is why she acquiesced and even... promoted it. But her knowledge is limited, and she only thinks it is the lingering resentment from her previous life. This is good, she doesn't have to carry too much, and can experience it more purely."

Hongli, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but interject:

"To be honest, young master, you're overthinking things. It's not a big deal. Look how much you're enjoying yourself there, and those girls are happy to be with you. Why are you so upset over here? Besides, even Bingbing doesn't care, so why are you? If she really cared, would she have gone to such lengths, cutting off a sliver of her own flesh, extracting her own essence, and even using a portion of her own energy to forcibly reverse a portion of that small world's spacetime, sending those girls who are deeply in love with you back to start over? Just to smooth over that little knot in your heart? She did all that because she knows you so well, knows that you seem carefree, but you're actually more sentimental than anyone else, always feeling indebted to others, and feeling uneasy until you repay them?"

Hong Li's words came out like a machine gun, laying bare before Jiang Xiaochuan things that he had been unwilling to think about deeply, or that Lu Xueqi herself had deliberately downplayed.

Yes, the rebirth of Biyao, Xiaobai, Ling'er, and Linglong was not accidental.

It was Xueqi who made it.

He loved Xueqi deeply, and Xueqi loved him deeply in return; their love was pure and flawless.

But he wasn't heartless towards Biyao and the others; it's just that his feelings for them, after sharing life and death and going through hardships together, transformed into deep guilt and regret.

He knew, and Xueqi knew too.

That's why this "small world" came into being, why this "rebirth" happened, and why everything on Qiyun Peak came into being.

This is not betrayal, this is... compensation.

Xueqi, in her own way, made up for his regrets and fulfilled the dreams of those devoted women. The "self" in that small world, carrying fragments of his original soul (hence the similarity in personality and preferences, but incomplete memories), experienced everything in a daze, repaying the debts of his "past life".

The "Xueqi" of that small world, with a drop of her essence and a vague sense of cause and effect, guides, embraces, and... loves that "him".

Everything stemmed from the real Lu Xueqi before him, her deep-seated understanding of him, and... her indulgence.

She indulged him to the point that she was willing to "create" a harem for him herself, watching him stay with "them" all the time, just to make him feel a little better.

Jiang Xiaochuan felt even more choked up, not with anger, but with heartache, bitterness, and a mix of emotions.

He looked up at Lu Xueqi's flawless yet aloof face, so close to his own, and his throat tightened: "Xueqi...why did you...?"

"I do."

Lu Xueqi interrupted him, her fingertips touching his face, her eyes deep, surging with a love and possessiveness that was both familiar and unfamiliar to him, a love that had been tempered by countless years and the stars.

"Your happiness is more important than anything else. And, isn't this good too? The 'me' in that world can possess 'you' more completely. And we can find peace as well."

When she said "we," she glanced at Hongli beside her.

Hongli immediately understood, and with a grin, she leaned closer, hugged Jiang Xiaochuan's other arm, and rubbed against him.

"Exactly, exactly! Little Master, stop thinking about all that nonsense. Let that silly boy and those girls deal with all that fuss in that little world. Let's just live our lives peacefully. Look how nice it is here! We have everything we need, and Little Bingbing can change the weather and scenery at will. Whatever we want to eat will appear instantly, and we can play however we want. Just the three of us, quiet and peaceful, isn't that wonderful!"

Hong Li, the spirit of the God-Slaying Spear, has accompanied him in this alluring and charming manner since the day he obtained that deadly weapon. Later, she also became close friends with Xue Qi (?).

In a sense, she is also one of "them," only she is more special, more...shameless, and less concerned about formalities.

For her, the greatest pleasure was being able to stay by Jiang Xiaochuan's side, tease him occasionally, and banter with Lu Xueqi.

He took a deep breath, stuffed the last of the potato chips into his mouth, and mumbled, "I'm not watching anymore, it's annoying. Let's turn it off."

Lu Xueqi's lips curved almost imperceptibly, and with a thought, the huge "television" screen instantly went dark, turning into an ordinary mirror that reflected the indoor scene.

"Go take a shower."

Lu Xueqi patted his back, her tone returning to its cool but undeniably gentle tone, "You smell like potato chips. Then, go to bed and wait for me."

Jiang Xiaochuan's ears turned red, he said "Oh," and obediently got up, walking towards the modern, even somewhat futuristic, bathroom next to the bedroom.

Hong Li chuckled behind him, only calming down a bit after being glanced at by Lu Xueqi herself, though her eyes still held a playful glint.

As the warm water washed over him, Jiang Xiaochuan let out a long sigh of relief, feeling completely relaxed.

Looking at the face in the mirror, which resembled that of the one at Qiyun Peak but appeared more mature, he smiled self-deprecatingly.

Developing a harem? A NTR (Netorare) relationship? Cuckolding oneself?

It's really fucking awkward when I think about it.

Fortunately, Xueqi didn't mind, and even...

This feeling is complicated.

Lost in thought, the frosted glass door to the bathroom was gently pushed open. A tall, slender figure walked in, accompanied by warm steam.

Her long, silvery-white hair was slightly damp, clinging to her smooth forehead and cheeks, with water droplets sliding down her impossibly perfect body curves.

It's Lu Xueqi.

She was only wearing a loose bathrobe, the belt of which wasn't even tied properly, revealing a large expanse of breathtaking scenery.

Jiang Xiaochuan: "..."

Although it's not the first time, it still has a strong impact every time I see it.

Especially considering that I was just watching the daily lives of "another self" and "another her," this sense of dislocation became even stronger.

"Xueqi? You... how did you get in?"

He instinctively shrank back, even though the bathroom was large.

Lu Xueqi didn't say anything, walked up to him, and looked down at him.

In the misty air, her cool and aloof features seemed to soften, losing some of her divine aura and gaining more of a down-to-earth quality.

She reached out and turned off the shower, then raised her hand and touched his wet cheek, her fingertips warm.

"I'm worried," she said softly, her voice muffled by the steam.

"I'm afraid you're still overthinking things."

"I didn't..." Jiang Xiaochuan tried to explain, but her lips, which were lowered to his lips, silenced all his words.

(Several words about the passionate bathroom scene are omitted here. It's unclear when Hong Li arrived again. In any case, the battle was intense, and it ended with Jiang Xiaochuan falling into a deep sleep, exhausted and sandwiched between the two "inhuman" beings. The sheets weren't red, because they were supposed to be red tens of thousands of years ago. Hmm.)

Our gaze returned to Qiyun Peak.

Life went on as usual. With the help of the "dual cultivation technique" and Lu Xueqi (who was occasionally a novice, but they seemed to know some guidance methods), Jiang Xiaochuan's cultivation level steadily improved.

Finally, on a clear, moonlit night, he broke through the bottleneck of the sixth level of Jade Purity and officially entered the seventh level of Jade Purity.

The breakthrough process was exceptionally smooth. The spiritual energy flowed effortlessly, without any sense of stagnation or weak foundation.

This put his mind at ease. It seemed Xueqi was right; this technique was indeed miraculous and wouldn't damage his foundation.

However, the speed at which his cultivation had improved still startled him. When he asked Lu Xueqi, she simply replied, "Your physique is special and compatible with this cultivation method, so it's normal for you to progress faster. Just keep consolidating your skills." He didn't ask any further questions.

As for the night...

Choose silence.

Such days are busy, fulfilling, and even somewhat... decadent.

Strangely, a bizarre harmony permeated Qiyun Peak.

Lu Xueqi remained aloof and composed, yet tacitly approved of and even directed this arrangement; Biyao and Xiaobai continued to bicker, vying for his attention, but their banter remained within the bounds of playfulness; Tian Ling'er still blushed easily, but the happiness in her eyes was undeniable; Linglong was always gentle and tolerant, forgiving of everything; Jin Ping'er was quiet and obedient, striving not to be disliked.

Jiang Xiaochuan lived his life day by day in this complex yet simple relationship.

Cultivation involves dealing with several "wives" with vastly different personalities, occasionally visiting Dazhu Peak to show filial piety, only to be scolded by Master Tian Buyi for "lacking ambition" and "indulging in the pleasures of life," and being secretly asked by Master's wife Su Ru if his body can still handle it, while being teased by his fellow disciples with winks and smirks...

Sometimes he feels dazed, as if it were all a dream that was too beautiful to be true.

The road ahead seemed smooth, his cultivation was increasing, he had a beautiful woman by his side, and although his master and mistress had some complaints, they acquiesced. Dao Xuan's side also seemed calm (he vaguely felt that Xue Qi and the others had done something).

Those vague doubts about "past lives" and the questions about who they really are seem to have become less important under the gentle erosion of each passing day.

He is Jiang Xiaochuan, a disciple of Dazhu Peak of Qingyun Sect, and is the... well, um, the lover of Lu Xueqi, Biyao, Xiaobai, Tian Ling'er, Linglong, and Jin Ping'er.

At least, that's what Jiang Xiaochuan of Qiyun Peak thinks at this moment.

Unbeknownst to him, in some place beyond his comprehension, the real "him" was eating potato chips, nestled in the arms of the real "Lu Xueqi," watching his life with mixed feelings.

He simply woke up in the morning light, looked at Lu Xueqi's peaceful sleeping face beside him, and listened to the sound of the waterfall and the rustling of bamboo leaves outside the window, feeling a sense of peace in his heart.

Then, a new day began.

He also had to deal with Biyao and Xiaobai's argument about "who should be his sparring partner today," soothe Ling'er's occasional mood swings, drink the nourishing soup made by Linglong, and face Jin Ping'er's shy yet expectant gaze...