Zhu Xian: They've all been reborn

Tian Ling'er eventually retrieved the bell.

She crouched down in the grass, parted the blades, and saw the two silver bells lying in the soil, glistening with dew and shimmering in the moonlight. She reached out, her fingers touching the bells; they were icy cold. She picked them up, holding them tightly in her palm, so tightly that her hand ached.

She stared at the bell for a long time. Then she stood up and went back inside. She fetched water, washed the bell clean, and dried it. The bell lit up again, tinkling sweetly, its sound still so clear and melodious.

She put the bell in the very back of the drawer, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and closed it. Then she sat on the bed, staring at the drawer for a long time.

"If I don't want it, I don't want it." But then she told herself, "He gave it to me, why shouldn't I accept it?"

Jiang Xiaochuan genuinely didn't understand.

He didn't understand what the hairpin represented, what the bell represented, why Tian Ling'er was angry, or why Lu Xueqi was laughing like that.

He thought about it for a long time but couldn't figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it. Thinking too much would give him a headache and interfere with his cultivation.

He focused his attention back on his cultivation. Every day he chopped bamboo, practiced his exercises, and meditated.

Lu Xueqi still came to teach him every day, and Tian Ling'er still accompanied him every day.

He accepted both of their kindness. He ate the snacks, listened to their advice, and received their gifts.

He thought it was a good thing; everyone was happy.

Sometimes he would think of that bamboo hairpin. Crooked and ugly. He would take it out to look at it, then put it back. In the end, he never gave it away.

Days passed by, as calm as still water. Until that night, six months later.

That night, the moon was big and round. Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the room. Jiang Xiaochuan lay in bed, fast asleep. Xiaobai lay beside his pillow, eyes closed as well.

Suddenly, Xiaobai opened its eyes.

It raised its head and looked at Jiang Xiaochuan. Jiang Xiaochuan was sleeping soundly, breathing evenly, his mouth slightly open. Xiaobai looked at him for a while, then gently jumped off the bed and walked to the center of the room.

The moonlight shone on it, making its white fur gleam silver. It tilted its head back and closed its eyes. Its body began to glow. At first, it was faint, like a firefly. Then it grew brighter and brighter, like a full moon. The light enveloped its entire body, and it began to change.

Jiang Xiaochuan turned over in his sleep, smacked his lips, and didn't wake up.

The light faded, and there was another person in the room.

Her hair was silver, very long, reaching her waist. Her skin was very white, like jade in the moonlight. Her features were exquisite, with deep-set eyes and thin lips tinged with a faint red. She was naked, her figure curvaceous, with every curve perfectly proportioned.

So beautiful. So beautiful it's almost inhuman, though it isn't human to begin with.

She looked down at herself and smiled. Then she walked to Jiang Xiaochuan's bedside, leaned over to look at him. After looking at him for a long time, she reached out and gently poked his cheek.

Jiang Xiaochuan did not react.

She poked it again. This time she used a bit more force.

Jiang Xiaochuan frowned, but still didn't wake up.

She straightened up and walked around the room. She walked to Jiang Xiaochuan's wardrobe, opened it, and took out one of his clothes.

It was a loose-fitting, coarse cloth garment that Jiang Xiaochuan usually wore for practicing martial arts. She put it on, the sleeves were too long, and the hem dragged on the ground.

She rolled up her sleeves and tied her belt. The clothes hung loosely on her body, which only accentuated her figure. The front of the clothes was stretched taut, while the waist was empty, revealing a section of her fair abdomen.

She walked back to the bedside and sat down. She reached out and nudged Jiang Xiaochuan.

"Wake up."

Jiang Xiaochuan grunted and groggily opened his eyes. The moonlight was bright, and he saw someone sitting by the bed. Silver hair, white clothes, the face was blurry. He blinked, then blinked again.

"Who is it..." he mumbled, his voice indistinct.

"Me," she said.

Jiang Xiaochuan strained to focus. He saw silver hair, white clothes, and a face that was unbelievably beautiful. He stared at that face for three seconds, and then—

Holy crap!

He sat up abruptly, his head hitting the bedpost with a loud thud. He clutched his head, wincing in pain, but his eyes remained fixed on the person beside the bed.

"Who...who are you?"

"Little White," she said, a smile curving her lips.

Jiang Xiaochuan was stunned. Xiaobai? Which Xiaobai? The Xiaobai he kept as a pet fox?

He looked down at the pillow; it was empty. Then he looked at the person beside the bed—silver hair, white clothes, stunningly beautiful.

"You...you said you're Xiaobai?" He stammered.

"Yes." Little White nodded. "The one you picked up."

Jiang Xiaochuan's mind went blank. He raised his hand and punched himself hard in the temple.

Thump! The sound was muffled and solid. It sounded like a good start.

He saw stars, swayed, fell backward, and passed out.

noob:"……"

She looked at the unconscious Jiang Xiaochuan, blinked, and then smiled.

The laughter was soft, like the wind blowing through a wind chime.

She bent down and reached out to touch Jiang Xiaochuan's forehead. It was a little red; he had bumped it earlier.

She checked his pulse again; it was steady and strong.

"Still so easily frightened," she said softly, her tone full of affection.

She sat by the bed for a while, and only after Jiang Xiaochuan's breathing had stabilized did she reach out and push him again.

"Wake up."

Jiang Xiaochuan did not react.

"Wake up." She pushed again, using a little force.

Jiang Xiaochuan frowned and slowly opened his eyes. His vision was still blurry, but he saw silver hair, white clothes, and that breathtakingly beautiful face.

He blinked, then blinked again. And then—

"Holy crap! Still dreaming!"

He closed his eyes, rolled over, and buried his face in the pillow. He muttered, "A wet dream... a vixen's wet dream... nice..."

noob:"……"

She reached out, lifted the blanket, climbed up, and sat on Jiang Xiaochuan's lap.

Jiang Xiaochuan felt the weight, opened his eyes, and saw her sitting on his waist, her clothes open, revealing glimpses of what lay beneath.

"I..." He only managed to utter one word.

Xiao Bai reached down and probed...

Jiang Xiaochuan froze.

His eyes were wide open, and his mouth was agape enough to fit an egg.

He looked at Xiaobai, and Xiaobai looked back at him, her eyes curved like crescent moons.

"Sister...sister...sister..." Jiang Xiaochuan stammered, "Let's talk this out...don't...don't hit me..."

Little White laughed. A genuine, hearty laugh, its eyes crinkling. "Master, don't you recognize me?"

"Master...Master?" Jiang Xiaochuan couldn't process what was happening.

"I'm Xiaobai." Xiaobai leaned down, bringing her face close to his, her silver hair falling down and brushing against his face.

"The white fox you picked up. It's the one you mentioned, the nine-tailed celestial fox, Little White."

Jiang Xiaochuan's mind went blank again. The amount of information was too much for him to process.

A fox turned into a human?

Nine-tailed Celestial Fox?

Xuanhuo Altar? These words raced through his mind, making him dizzy and disoriented.

He stared at Xiaobai, at that face so close to his own. Beautiful, truly beautiful. But that wasn't the point. The point was—

"You...you really are a newbie?" His voice trembled.

"Genuine, no doubt about it," Xiaobai said, her fingers gently scratching his crotch.

Jiang Xiaochuan gasped and sat up abruptly.

Xiao Bai was bumped by him, and his body swayed, but he didn't fall down.

She looked at him, her eyes bright, as if she were looking at something interesting.

"Wait, wait..." Jiang Xiaochuan raised his hand, gesturing for a pause. "Let me sort this out..."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Once, twice, three times. Then he opened his eyes and looked at Xiaobai.

"You said you were Little White, that fox."

"Um."

"You said you are a nine-tailed celestial fox."

"Um."

"Isn't the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox imprisoned beneath the Xuanhuo Altar?"

"They escaped."

"How did you escape?"

"Use the Mystic Fire Mirror." Xiao Bai said casually, as if he were saying that the weather was nice today.

Jiang Xiaochuan's mind went blank again. The Xuanhuo Mirror? The treasured artifact of Burning Incense Valley? Wasn't it with the Six-Tailed Demon Fox? How did she get it? Wait, that's not important. What's important is—

"You...you've been by my side the whole time?" His voice was dry.

"Um."

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Um."

"You know about my dream?"

"Um."

"I...I was taking a shower..."

"Mmm." Xiaobai nodded, her eyes crinkling even wider. "I saw it all."

Jiang Xiaochuan's face instantly turned red to the roots of his ears. He remembered the song he hummed while taking a shower, the words he talked in his sleep, and the things he mumbled to Xiaobai—about time travel, about rebirth, about Lu Xueqi, about Tian Ling'er, about all his secrets, all his embarrassments, all his...shameful little thoughts.

It's over. It's all over. My...

He covered his face and let out a wail. The sound was muffled in his palm, like that of a wounded puppy.

Xiaobai looked at him and smiled even more happily. She reached out, pulled his hands away, cupped his face, and forced him to look at her.

"Master," she said, her voice soft and gentle, "you look so cute when you're shy."

Jiang Xiaochuan looked at her face so close to his, at his reflection in her eyes—blushing, eyes wide, like a startled rabbit. His mind went blank, his vision went black, and he fell backward.

This time it wasn't an act; I was genuinely dizzy.

noob:"……"

She looked at the unconscious Jiang Xiaochuan, sighed, and shook her head. "Still so easily frightened."

She bent down, laid him flat, and covered him with the blanket. Then she lay down herself, turned to her side, wrapped her arms around him, and draped one leg over his waist. A very familiar position.

She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

In his dream, Jiang Xiaochuan dreamt that he was being chased by a giant fox. The fox had nine silvery-white tails that shone in the moonlight.

It ran very fast, he ran very slowly. He ran and ran, until he was panting and his legs were weak.

The fox drew closer and closer, and he could smell its scent—cool and crisp, like frost on bamboo leaves.

He couldn't run anymore, so he stopped, turned around, and looked at the fox. The fox also stopped and looked at him. Then the fox spoke, and began to speak human language.

"Master," it said, its voice exactly like Little White's, "Why are you running?"

Jiang Xiaochuan shuddered in fright and woke up.

He opened his eyes; it was still dark. Moonlight streamed in through the window, making the room dimly lit.

He felt the weight on his waist, the arms encircling him, and warm breath on the nape of his neck.

He slowly turned his head and saw a face. Silver hair, white clothes, unrealistically beautiful.

Not a dream.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them again.

Still.

He raised his hand and pinched his thigh.

pain.

Not a dream.

He stared at the ceiling, with only one thought in his mind:

It's over. It's all over.