Qin Wanyuan stared at the empty doorway, her thoughts drifting to Lin Que’s past.
She hadn’t cared much before, but now after what the system had said, her heart felt like it was being scratched by a kitten, itching and restless.
As she waited in anxious anticipation, Lin Que returned, carrying a porcelain bottle. He opened it to reveal two steaming, freshly refined pills inside.
“Take the pills first. After that, get some rest for tonight.”
“Mhmm.”
Qin Wanyuan nodded obediently and took the medicine. Just as Lin Que had said, the pills gave off a rich, honeyed fragrance.
“So sweet~ They’re delicious~” she said, cupping her face in her hands, eyes full of joy.
Having experienced regression, she no longer feared bitterness or hardship. But in front of Lin Que, she couldn’t help but act a little spoiled.
After taking the healing pill, the sword wounds on Qin Wanyuan’s body began visibly scabbing over. With both internal and external treatment, she’d likely be almost fully recovered by morning.
As night deepened, the two extinguished the candles and lay in bed together, wrapped in each other’s arms, gazing at the bright moon outside the window.
Looking at her beloved’s profile and his deep eyes, Qin Wanyuan smiled contentedly and said,
“Come to think of it, Lin Lang, you really are amazing. Not only are you a master of the sword, but you also know so much about alchemy and healing. Even Qian’er’s illness was cured by you.”
“I guess you could say I became a decent doctor after being a longtime patient,” Lin Que replied with a light laugh. “I don’t think I ever told you this, but I once went through a serious calamity that left me with no cultivation at all. It was after that I began to study alchemy and medicine.”
It was also from that time… that I got the system.
But Lin Que didn’t say that part out loud. The little demon system….this too had become one of the secrets buried deep in his heart, one he couldn’t speak of.
“There was something like that…?” Qin Wanyuan blinked in surprise. In their past life, she had spent sweet, blissful days with Lin Que and had rarely delved into his history.
That was because Lin Que almost never brought it up himself, and she hadn’t wanted to dig into old wounds.
So in Qin Wanyuan’s eyes, Lin Que had always been a mysterious and powerful man. He was gentle and without flaw.
But this life had taken a different turn. Lin Que was unexpectedly opening up about his past; he was mentioning not just old hardships but even a former Dao companion.
Looks like what the system said was right. As long as I follow the mission, I really can learn more about Lin Lang’s past.
[The host’s understanding is correct. In the past, your eyes were filled only with admiration and longing for Lin Que like a devout believer. And that, ironically, is the emotion most distant from true understanding.]
[To love someone is not simply about abandoning everything to follow behind them, but about standing at their side and facing the coming storms together. Would you not agree, Host?]
“……”
Qin Wanyuan didn’t particularly like the system, but she had to admit….what it said made sense.
If she had been a bit stronger in their past life, if she hadn’t lost herself in their sweet days together… then maybe, on the day the demonic sect attacked, she could have stood by Lin Que’s side.
Instead of being knocked unconscious and taken away and leaving him to hold the rear alone, facing a horde of demonic cultivators by himself.
Admiration is the emotion most distant from understanding…
Qin Wanyuan’s gaze darkened as she finally realized just how far she had once been from truly knowing Lin Que. Even though they had been Dao companions, intimately bonded in body and soul, she had never truly understood him.
This time… it will be different.
With that conviction in her heart, Qin Wanyuan closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.
Of course, she didn’t forget to use the two talismans before bed.
As she entered the dream, it felt as though she was both falling through clouds and gently lifted at the same time.
When she opened her eyes again, she found herself, without knowing when, standing in her master An Xiaoyao’s secluded courtyard. Her master was walking slowly toward the courtyard gate not far away.
“Greetings, Master…” Qin Wanyuan greeted instinctively, only to realize that the figure didn’t respond. She kept walking straight past her without acknowledgment.
It was then that she remembered. She was inside a dream.
This dream is incredibly lifelike… and my senses aren’t hindered at all.
That must mean… this is the shared memory between Lin Lang and Senior Sister Jiang?
She glanced around and finally noticed a young girl practicing swordsmanship in the center of the courtyard.
The girl looked to be in the prime of youth. Her beauty was cold and ethereal. As her sword danced through the air, it carried not the elegance typical of a young maiden, but a sharp almost chilling aura of death.
So this is what Senior Sister Jiang looked like back then? Just like Master said…she was already cold as ice before entering the Heartless Valley.
But… her looks really are flawless. No wonder Lin Lang fell for her.
It makes sense. if a young man were to meet such a cold and stunning senior sister in his youth, of course he’d be drawn to her.
At that thought, Qin Wanyuan found herself curious: how had such an icy woman ended up becoming Lin Que’s Dao companion?
Was it that she had slowly been moved by Lin Que’s gentle nature over the years and her frozen heart melted with time? Or had it been love at first sight?
Circling around Jiang Moqing, Qin Wanyuan glanced curiously around the courtyard but found no sign of Lin Que.
Where could Lin Lang be?
Just as she was wondering this, An Xiaoyao finally spoke to Jiang Moqing:
“Qing’er, stop and rest for now. I have something to discuss with you today.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Moqing sheathed her sword and turned toward An Xiaoyao, giving a respectful salute.
Though her personality was cold, she was not lacking in courtesy. Toward her master, Jiang Moqing showed clear respect.
Seeing her respond so properly, An Xiaoyao turned slightly toward the courtyard entrance and called out softly,
“Que’er, come in.”
The moment she heard that, Qin Wanyuan perked up. Her eyes lit up with interest as she turned eagerly toward the entrance.
She was indeed very curious….what did Lin Que look like when he was still just a boy?
If one were to guess based on his current appearance, he must have been a sunny and cheerful boy. Maybe even a little mischievous.
However—
The person who walked in from outside completely defied her expectations.
It was a boy around twelve or thirteen years old. He wore a formal robe that had been patched in several places and was so frequently washed that it had faded. His eyes were cold and piercing, radiating an aura that warned strangers to stay away. There was even a faint sense of killing intent about him.
In his arms, he carried an iron sword that nearly reached his chest.
The sword was of fine quality. It had been clearly crafted for someone of wealth. Its scabbard even had inlaid slots for jewels, though the gems themselves were long gone.
Still, the sword was just a mortal weapon, and with no regular maintenance, it was now in a worn and battered state. Faint black bloodstains remained on its surface.
It was hard to imagine how many battles the blade must have seen to end up like this.
Beside the boy followed a young girl dressed as a maid. She trailed behind him carefully, trying to offer support, but the boy declined with just a look.
“Qing’er, this child’s name is Lin Que. He’s come all the way from Yangjin City, eighteen thousand li away, in search of the Dao. Que’er, this is my senior disciple, Jang Moqing. From now on, she’ll be your senior sister.”
An Xiaoyao briefly introduced Lin Que and Jiang Moqing to each other, then added with a touch of admiration, “But Que’er is truly remarkable. That journey of eighteen thousand li would take nearly a year on horseback, yet he managed to make it here with only a young maid by his side.”
Upon hearing this, a flicker of emotion passed across Jiang Moqing’s usually cold and expressionless face.
Qin Wanyuan, on the other hand, was visibly stunned.
A twelve-year-old mortal child, traveling eighteen thousand li in search of immortality, accompanied only by a maid… Just how much determination and ability must that have taken?
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