How to Easily Capture a Long Aotian [Quick Transmigration] 24

Chapter 24: The Unwed Wife of the Favored Son of Heaven (Part 4)

Yu Lin knew he had entered an illusion.

After entering the city gate together, he found himself in a bustling market street, noisy and full of vendors.

A peddler was hawking, “Wind-eating, dew-drinking—the immortal among drinkers! An opportunity not to be missed!” His voice was loud and clear.

It was summer, and a gentle breeze blew through the city. The trees were lush, and sunlight fell through the gaps in the branches and leaves. The city was filled with the chirping of cicadas.

Yu Lin followed his voice and saw him holding a delicate bamboo cage. A jade-green cicada was quietly lying inside.

Most cicadas in the world were dark brown. It was rare to see such a clear, jade-green cicada. Just as Yu Lin was about to take a closer look, a wave of dizziness washed over him.

When he woke up, he was standing in front of a residence in the city.

The residence was simple in appearance, with earthen walls and a wooden door in the middle. By the door was a cluster of lush green fences.

The fence was well-built, and a few clusters of orange-yellow flowers were planted inside. The small flowers fluttered in the wind, clustered together like a cloud from the sky.

A tree grew by the flowers, a very beautiful tree. It was tall and straight, with lush green leaves, as beautiful as if it had been painted.

Yu Lin looked at it, raised his hand slightly, and after a familiar wave of dizziness, he was sitting on a branch.

Yu Lin lowered his eyes, realizing that this was a memory, a memory that was not controlled by an observer.

In the memory, a gentle breeze was blowing. It was summer, and the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and the smell of dew.

With a “creak—,” the wooden door in front of him opened, and a young Taoist with handsome features, a stern expression, and a blue Taoist robe walked out.

Yu Lin looked at him and sat steadily on the branch, watching from this angle.

The Taoist’s life was very simple. Besides meditating and cultivating, all his time was spent taking care of this tree.

He looked unapproachable, but he was actually very meticulous. One day, it rained heavily. He ran out with an umbrella, his gaze searching for something on the branches.

Yu Lin lowered his eyes to look at him, his gaze slightly dazed, almost thinking that he could see him.

The next second, he was picked up by the waist and moved to another branch.

He was a little dazed. He subconsciously raised his hand, and the hand resting on the tree was held in someone’s hand.

Xie Yibai’s eyes were bright. He raised his eyebrows and glanced at the person below, then half-knelt to look at him.

As he was looking, he suddenly reached out, pinched his face, and asked, “Is he good-looking?”

“…”

Yu Lin was silent for a moment, shook his head gently, and looked at him seriously, trying to make him feel his sincerity.

Xie Yibai looked at him, and after a while, for some reason, he suddenly took a deep breath, opened his hand, and gently covered his face.

He muttered in a small voice, “I can’t take it…”

He was annoyed again. “…I can’t help it.”

Yu Lin listened to his words and couldn’t help but laugh, his eyelashes blinking lightly.

His eyelashes brushed against Xie Yibai’s palm. Xie Yibai felt a little itchy, and the fingers resting on his face moved slightly.

Then Yu Lin felt his lips being gently rubbed, and then he was pressed back against the tree trunk.

A light temperature fell, like paper. The hair on his neck was cold, and it merged with the slightly heavy breathing by his ear.

Yu Lin’s shoulder felt a weight. In the pleasant, crisp soap scent that seemed sun-dried and clean, he was lifted up by Xie Yibai.

The future Sword Venerable’s face was still a little thin. The tips of his ears were red, and he only dared to say these words after covering his unwed wife’s eyes.

He asked softly, “Little young lady, then in the future, don’t look at anyone else, just look at me, okay?”

His vision was a vast expanse of darkness. Yu Lin looked up, and his cheeks were burning from the scorching heat by his ear.

He wanted to nod, but then he remembered that he was now wearing women’s clothes, and he was a little hesitant.

In his hesitation, the body of the person holding him stiffened slightly, and the fingers resting on his eyes slowly fell.

Xie Yibai moved back slightly, his palm clenching and then loosening. He looked at him and forced a smile under the daylight.

“It’s okay.” he said, his lips pressed lightly together. After a moment of silence, he suddenly took Yu Lin’s hand and placed it on his own cheek.

He smiled and said, “Take a look at what you don’t like. We can just fix it.”

Yu Lin was stunned by his words. “Fix…?”

“En.” Xie Yibai held his hand and pointed to the bridge of his nose, his eyes dark, and he nodded slyly. “Fix. It can be fixed. The Heavenly Master can fix it, and the Seven Orifices Scholar can also fix it…”

“I saw it in the Records of Strange Tales of the Nine Provinces.” he said, was silent for a moment, and then smiled again. “Whatever you don’t like, I’ll fix it to your liking, okay?”

As he spoke, he flicked the buzzing Ding Canghai, and glanced at the cold-faced Taoist under the tree without a trace, and frowned slightly.

“…” Yu Lin was stunned for a moment, realizing the meaning of his words. He was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He quickly shook his head, disrupting the dangerous thoughts in his mind. “No need. You’re… fine as you are now.”

“No need to fix it.” he said, his fingers lightly resting on the side of Xie Yibai’s face. He touched it and said, “You’re very good-looking.”

He then turned his head and asked with a feigned calmness, “Is this an illusion?”

Looking at the tree below, “Is this the master?”

“No.” Xie Yibai held his fingers, with a smile on his face, and held them even deeper and tighter.

Behind him, Ding Canghai, who had been dejected, soared into the air, the tip of its sword buzzing. It circled around Yu Lin and pointed directly at a place hidden by the leaves.

“It’s it.”

“It?”

Yu Lin pushed aside the leaves and saw a lush green jade cicada crawling on it, its wings trembling slightly.

Yu Lin was puzzled. “It… is it the one I saw at the market?”

“The market? En.” Xie Yibai held his hand, thought for a moment, and nodded slightly.

Under his command, Ding Canghai jumped up and down, left and right, as if it were an extension of his arm. He said, “It should be. This is the only Wind-drinking Immortal in this place.”

He explained, “The Wind-drinking Immortal is a branch of the demon race. Their spiritual power is extremely strong, and it’s difficult for them to attain the Dao. It takes a hundred years to transform, and they haven’t appeared for many years.”

Xie Yibai was thoughtful. “The last time one appeared… was more than twenty years ago, in the Jiangzhou area… with an evil cultivator, they slaughtered the Xiaoyao Pavilion, shaking the world. They were surrounded and killed. I didn’t expect there to be another one here.”

As he spoke, Ding Canghai seemed to be providing a soundtrack, jumping between the tree trunks with a clatter, and creating a sharp sword flourish.

“It…” Yu Lin’s gaze was attracted to it. He looked over, and it suddenly stood up straight.

“It seems to be able to understand my words.” Yu Lin raised his hand slightly, and the hilt of Ding Canghai suddenly came over, pressed against his fingertips, and rubbed against them with satisfaction.

“It’s very smart.” Yu Lin said, his fingertips lifting slightly, and he touched the cold body of the sword.

The body of the sword trembled slightly between his fingers.

Yu Lin found it fun and scratched its hilt again, and laughed.

He didn’t notice that Xie Yibai by his side had suddenly stiffened, then tensed up, and leaned back as if nothing had happened.

***

Yu Lin and Xie Yibai sat on the tree and looked down. They found that the young Taoist’s daily routine was to take care of this tree, day after day, year after year, without feeling bored.

Time passed quickly in the illusion. The ice and snow of winter melted, and it was spring again.

This year’s spring was particularly different. The grass was green particularly early, the willows were fresh and clear, and the jade cicada on the tree also chirped lightly.

At that time, the cold-faced Taoist was watering the tree.

Hearing the sound, he looked up slightly, and a little smile appeared on his usually expressionless face. Then he turned his head away, and his cheeks were cold.

He was actually crying.

Yu Lin and Xie Yibai sat side by side on the branch and looked at him.

Yu Lin had been eating the corn candy that Xie Yibai had secretly given him. Seeing the tears on his face, his expression was slightly dazed, and he suddenly couldn’t swallow the candy in his mouth.

He frowned slightly, and after a long while, he gently poked Xie Yibai’s arm and asked, “What’s wrong with him?”

Xie Yibai sat cross-legged, his eyes closed in meditation. Hearing this, his gaze was sharp and fell on the young Taoist’s tightly wrapped, slender neck.

He looked over, observed carefully, and after a moment, shook his head and said, “His Dao heart is broken.”

He tapped his knee lightly and turned his head slightly. “Curious? Little young lady, have you heard of the matter of the evil cultivator of Jiangzhou?”

“…” Yu Lin’s gaze was dazed.

He had just arrived not long ago, the map was not open, and he didn’t have a complete plotline in his hand. All he could see was how to cause trouble and be beaten by Xie Yibai.

He didn’t have a complete worldview yet.

Xie Yibai was not surprised. He smiled and touched his head. “It’s a long story.”

He pondered, “If I’m not mistaken, this matter has to start with the last Wind-drinking Immortal and a sect called the Xiaoyao Sword Pavilion.”

Xie Yibai sat cross-legged on the branch, his ponytail swaying lightly in the wind.

His eyes were dark and bright. “Seventy years ago, there was a sect in Jiangzhou called the Xiaoyao Sword Pavilion, which was the number one sword sect in the world at that time. All the disciples in the sect were unparalleled and powerful sword cultivators. The Xiaoyao Sword Pavilion was therefore at its peak.”

“But this sect is very strange.” Xie Yibai said, “The most outstanding disciple in the sect came out in a chaotic world, went down the mountain to eliminate demons, and then returned to the mountain gate, and there was no news of him after that.”

Xie Yibai supported his chin. “I had wanted to pay a visit when I was not yet down the mountain.”

He smiled, his features flying, full of spirit. “To see the so-called whale-drinking, sea-swallowing, number one in the sword dao.”

He reached out and flicked Ding Canghai. The sword bone hummed, pointing straight to the clouds. He didn’t think there was any problem with an unknown young man pointing his sword at the number one in the world.

As if he were born to step on the snow on the mountain peak, to be the one above all, the number one in the world.

The sunlight in the illusion flickered, and the sunlight fell through the leaves, making his eyes a little dazzling.

Yu Lin listened to his words, and his heart pounded.

He turned his head to look at him, his eyes curving, and then he squinted slightly from the sunlight.

He smiled. “En, it should be so.”

To challenge the Xiaoyao Sword Pavilion with a sword, this idea was extremely arrogant at that time. Even his old man had laughed at it.

Seeing Yu Lin smile, Xie Yibai supported his chin and turned to look at him. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll lose?”

Yu Lin shook his head and wanted to say, “You won’t.” After thinking for a moment, he said softly, “It’s okay if you lose.”

He curved his eyes. “There are many things in the world. You don’t have to do everything well. It’s okay if you don’t do them well.”

Xie Yibai looked at him, his heart slightly hot. He supported himself on the tree trunk with one hand, and with the other, he placed it on his eyelids to block the dazzling sun.

He shook his head. “But I only found out after I came down the mountain that there is no more Xiaoyao Sword Pavilion in this world.”

Yu Lin was puzzled. “Why?”

Xie Yibai frowned. “It is said that a prodigy was particularly attached to the mortal world, became an evil cultivator, betrayed his sect, and broke into the sword pavilion with a Wind-drinking Immortal, and killed all the disciples.”

He was thoughtful. “This matter caused a sensation and shook the world. Since then, all immortal sect disciples have to kill any evil cultivator they see.”

The Mount Cangsong that Xie Yibai came from was the leader of the righteous sects and had no good feelings for evil cultivators.

He glanced at the tree below. “The evil cultivator got his name from this. The one below, his demonic energy is soaring. Little young lady, look at the clothes on him. They also seem to be the totem of Jiangzhou.”

The leaves on the tree were blown up by the wind. Yu Lin turned his head slightly and looked down at the tree, surprised. “You mean, that disciple and the Wind-drinking Immortal from that year are hiding here?”

“Perhaps.”

Xie Yibai’s expression did not change. Ding Canghai behind him buzzed slightly, wanting to be drawn.

The jade cicada chirped lightly on the branch. Yu Lin frowned, just feeling that something was not right.

He pressed his lips together and said, “But they… could there be another side to this story?”

Xie Yibai frowned and glanced at the person under the tree.

The young, cold-faced man was surrounded by black energy, but he just reached out and gently touched the tree.

Looking at his movements, Xie Yibai was silent for a moment, then suddenly sighed and sat down cross-legged. “Forget it. It’s just a wisp of a soul… I’ll let him go.”

***

In the illusion, there was no sense of time. The cold-faced Taoist did not know what he was waiting for and took care of this tree even more meticulously.

Perhaps because of that cicada’s chirp, the expression on his face gradually became richer.

In the past, when residents came to ask him to exorcise a demon, he would get up coldly and take his own sword.

But now, he would give them a look and say one word, “En.”

Looking at the flattered expressions of the city residents, Yu Lin couldn’t help but let out a light laugh.

Then the finger resting on the side was gently squeezed for a moment.

Xie Yibai came over, his eyes flashing, the light brilliant, and he asked with a smile, “Little young lady, what are you laughing at?”

“…” Yu Lin pressed his lips together and looked at him, feeling that something was not right. After a moment of silence, he said softly, “I was thinking about how the other fellow disciples are doing.”

The immortal sect disciples were connected. Seeing Xie Yibai’s relaxed look, there should be no danger, but he was a little curious about what they were doing.

Hearing this, Xie Yibai slowly sat back down and supported his chin. “They…?”

“It’s fine.” He glanced into the distance and shook his head. “It’s not a bad thing for the little brats to train a little.”

Yu Lin: “…”

When Xie Yibai called others “little brats,” his eyes were dark and bright, and the ponytail on his own head was still swaying lightly, which always made people want to touch his head.

Yu Lin looked up, glanced at the tip of Xie Yibai’s hair, and compared the distance, finding that it was a bit far.

And in the plot, Xie Yibai’s personality was competitive, and he seemed not to like people stepping on his head.

Xie Yibai noticed his movement, was slightly stunned for a moment, and a light flashed in his eyes.

After a long while, he lowered his head and asked lightly, “Want to touch it?”

He took Yu Lin’s hand and placed it on his own head in an instant, and said agreeably, “Go ahead.”

His eyes were smiling. “Touch it as much as you want.”

After obediently letting Yu Lin touch his head for a while, Xie Yibai suddenly stood up.

He flicked Ding Canghai, his gaze sharp, and glanced in the direction of the void.

The silver body of the sword rose in response.

Yu Lin retracted his gaze from under the tree and looked up. “What’s wrong with them?”

Xie Yibai shook his head, stepped on the tip of the sword, turned around helplessly, and held out his hand to Yu Lin. “Little young lady, the little brats have run into trouble. Want to go and help?”

Yu Lin nodded, followed him and stood up, and placed his fingers in his palm.

A stream of light flashed, and the two of them crashed into a deeper illusion.

***

Shannan City seemed to have been made into a huge formation, and the eye of the formation was in the residential area.

Outside the residential area, the surroundings were shrouded in black fog, and the demonic energy was soaring, and demons were rampant.

The streets were lined with shops, teahouses, and wineries, and one could get a glimpse of the past liveliness. But at this moment, it was empty, the walls were dilapidated, and it was desolate and cold.

A clanging sound. The immortal sect disciples were running wildly in the black-fog-shrouded market, followed by a string of ghosts and demons.

Hu Guangsan was the fastest. Half of his scholar’s hat had fallen off, and his feet didn’t stop for a moment.

He hurriedly passed a corner of a broken wall, and his eyes caught a glimpse of something, and then he suddenly stopped.

Seeing the beautiful young lady standing at the corner of the wall, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he shouted, “Younger Martial Uncle! Is Younger Martial Uncle Xie here! Help!!”

Yu Lin heard the movement, looked up, and in the vast black fog, he turned his head slightly and poked the person standing quietly by his side.

Xie Yibai looked up and glanced over. With a flick of his fingertip, Ding Canghai came out in response.

A silver sword light slashed down, the sword light sharp, dispelling the black fog, and a sharp and pressing sword energy fell in the crowd.

Seeing this, a group of immortal sect disciples ran over, panting, and all cupped their hands in salute. “Thank… thank you, Martial Uncle.”

As they spoke, they did not forget to open their Qiankun bags with their dusty faces and sort out the corpses on the ground.

After sorting, they raised their hands with a clang and threw the demons with their own spiritual energy traces into the Qiankun bags.

“…”

Xie Yibai turned his head and saw, and raised his eyebrows slightly. “A trial?”

He started to laugh again. “Hey, just put them in. Don’t cover your faces. Let me see… Bishui Academy, Tianyin Sect…”

The young people who were called out blushed from his laughter and all looked up, covering their faces with their sleeves.

After thinking for a moment, they cupped their hands again and pitifully asked the other person present for help.

Yu Lin’s Qiankun bag was being held by Xie Yibai, and he was stuffing spoils into it with a clang. Receiving the signal for help, he blinked lightly.

He looked at the disciples present and was a little puzzled. “Why are there a few people missing?”

Hu Guangsan was squatting at the corner of the wall and panting. Hearing this, his expression changed. “Oh no!”

He suddenly looked up, his brow tightly furrowed. “Younger Martial Uncle Xie, hurry to the Wangyou Tavern!”

He was panting. “Senior Brother Mu and the others are guarding it. There’s an evil cultivator here who is using people to practice his sword!”

Xie Yibai squinted slightly, turned to look, his face cold. “Using people to practice his sword?”

He reached out, and Ding Canghai’s cold light flashed, and it fell into the vast fog.