Chapter 147: A Restless Li Xiaoyao
Tang Xuejian and Lin Yueru were, after all, young women. As soon as the conversation shifted toward love and emotions, their thoughts were quickly swept away by Aunt Ma's story.
Before long, both of them had red-rimmed eyes and were constantly wiping away tears.
Li Xiaoyao rolled his eyes and muttered helplessly, "You two weren't the ones who suffered—what are you crying for?"
The two girls immediately turned around and shot him a fierce glare.
Li Xiaoyao wanted to say more, but Jing Tian pulled him aside and managed to silence him after much coaxing.
Chu Yang cupped his fists and interrupted Aunt Ma, asking, "Excuse me, Madam, did a young woman in purple visit here yesterday?"
Aunt Ma, who had just been smiling warmly, suddenly turned cold. She glanced at Chu Yang indifferently and shook her head. "There's no such girl in purple here."
"This inn barely gets any guests. Forget young women, even ghosts don't show up. If you're not staying the night, then pardon me—I've got nothing more to say."
Chu Yang declared in a clear voice, "I am Chu Yang of Shu Mountain. I ask the descendant of Nuwa to come forth. This concerns the life of my senior brother. I hope the lady will forgive my abruptness."
Aunt Ma grew flustered and began to scold, "You junior! So rude! I already told you—there's no—"
Before she could finish, an ethereal voice drifted down from the far end of the inn's second floor, making everyone feel suddenly alert.
"Aunt Ma, it's all right. They're our people."
A door opened, and a wave of fragrance swept through the air. The scent was a complex blend of lavender, lilies, jasmine, and many other flowers—diverse yet perfectly harmonious. It instantly captured everyone's attention.
Even Chu Yang found himself momentarily dazed by the aroma.
While everyone was momentarily spellbound, a woman in a purple gauze dress emerged from the room. The moment Li Xiaoyao saw her, his pupils contracted sharply.
This woman looked seventy to eighty percent like Zhao Ling'er—anyone claiming they weren't related would be lying.
"That woman looks way too much like Ling'er! Could she be her long-lost sister?"
"No… there's white hair at her temples—maybe an aunt or something?"
Lin Yueru whispered into Li Xiaoyao's ear.
Li Xiaoyao suddenly looked toward Chu Yang. He had just heard him mention "a descendant of Nuwa," which confirmed that this woman was indeed Zhao Ling'er's kin.
"I'll explain everything to you later. Right now, we need to confirm my senior brother's condition."
Chu Yang stepped toward the second floor, while Zixuan gazed at Li Xiaoyao with a complicated expression.
"Senior Zixuan, how is my senior brother?" Chu Yang asked.
"Come inside. You'll see for yourself."
Zixuan led Chu Yang and the others into the room. Under her guidance, they saw Xu Changqing lying unconscious on the bed.
Xu Changqing's body radiated a peaceful golden glow, but a cloud of dark energy hovered over his face—light and darkness battling fiercely within him.
The black mist was clearly the manifestation of evil thoughts—no doubt the work of the Evil Sword Immortal.
But what was that golden light protecting Xu Changqing's body?
Li Xiaoyao stepped forward to touch Xu Changqing, but Zixuan stopped him and shook her head. "His condition is unstable. It's best not to touch him."
Li Xiaoyao asked anxiously, "What exactly is wrong with Brother Xu?"
When he called Xu Changqing "Brother," Zixuan's brows furrowed unconsciously, though she quickly composed herself after a few breaths.
Instead of answering, she turned to Chu Yang. "How did you know Xu Changqing was here? And how did you discover my identity?"
Chu Yang replied, "Senior Brother and I descended the mountain together to train in the mortal world. Before we left, the sect leader warned me that he might encounter a difficult emotional trial and told me the full story of his three lifetimes of love."
Zixuan was silent for a long time, then said wistfully, "I didn't expect Daoist Qingwei to trust you so much."
Chu Yang looked at the unconscious Xu Changqing and shook his head. "Senior, you settled in Fengdu just to search the Underworld for Senior Brother's reincarnation. Your determination is admirable, but also... pitiful. You've sacrificed too much."
"Pitiful..." Zixuan murmured, her eyes dimming with sorrow.
Tang Xuejian, overwhelmed by their cryptic exchange, finally burst out, "Can you people speak clearly for once?! What's actually wrong with Master Xu?!"
Snapped out of her daze, Zixuan collected herself and began to explain calmly, "I encountered Xu Changqing near Leizhou. He was fighting against an evil spirit calling itself the Evil Sword Immortal."
"The Evil Sword Immortal was incredibly powerful—on the verge of becoming a Demon of the Outer Realms and transcending the Six Realms. Xu Changqing was no match for him, and neither was I. I could only use the Sacred Spirit Pearl to temporarily repel the evil force."
"I took advantage of his distraction and escaped with Xu Changqing. We fled here and only after settling in did I discover that part of the evil spirit had invaded his body, nearly turning him into a demon."
"This evil presence is unique—conventional exorcisms are useless. I can only suppress it with the Sacred Spirit Pearl to keep him in his current state."
Zixuan's explanation confirmed Chu Yang's earlier suspicions—everything had indeed been caused by the Evil Sword Immortal.
Chu Yang smiled faintly. "Senior Zixuan, you may withdraw the Sacred Spirit Pearl now. Leave the rest to me."
Zixuan didn't comply immediately. She warned solemnly, "As I said, ordinary exorcism techniques won't work. Even Shu Mountain's secret arts are useless. This evil originates from Daoist Qingwei and the others—Shu Mountain's techniques can't counter it."
Chu Yang calmly replied, "I know what I'm doing. Please, just trust me."
Zixuan stared at Chu Yang for a long moment, then silently retrieved the Sacred Spirit Pearl from Xu Changqing's body.
Immediately, the black mist surged and began to spread across Xu Changqing's body. A chilling malice filled the room, making everyone feel uneasy just being near him.
Zixuan cried out, "If you have a method, use it now! Any later and even the Sacred Spirit Pearl won't be able to suppress him—he'll fall to the dark path completely!"
Just then, Xu Changqing shot upright. His hair came undone, and he looked like a vengeful ghost. His blood-red eyes swept across the room, filled with murderous intent.
"Nice look. Too bad you're not my senior brother's type. Now, if it were me..." Chu Yang joked with a grin.
Before he could finish, Xu Changqing lunged at him, bloodlust in his eyes.
As the others screamed, Fengdu suddenly manifested in front of Chu Yang. Yellow Springs Water surged forth, forming a prison that trapped Xu Changqing inside despite his violent howls.
Evil thoughts and curses share the same essence. If the Yellow Springs Water could dispel curses, it could just as well dissolve evil thoughts.
As the black mist was engulfed, it let out increasingly pained wails. More accurately, the evil will within Xu Changqing was screaming—like a living thing being burned away.
Zzz—Zzz—Zzz—
Like pressing a searing brand into snow, the evil thoughts dissolved completely within the Yellow Springs Water.
Xu Changqing returned to normal. However, the Sacred Spirit Pearl had been mostly depleted. When it returned to Zixuan's hand, its glow had dimmed, as though it could extinguish at any moment.
Still, seeing Xu Changqing recover, Zixuan felt only relief—no grief. Compared to his life, even a priceless treasure like the Sacred Spirit Pearl meant nothing.
"Brother Chu's sword technique is particularly effective against that filth. Next time we meet him, we must destroy him."
"That evil presence came from the Evil Sword Immortal himself. As I destroyed the remnants inside my senior brother, he likely sensed it. From now on, he'll probably avoid me."
"What a shame..."
"There's nothing to regret. Our goal was never the Evil Sword Immortal, but restoring the Demon-Sealing Tower. So long as he doesn't interfere, that's good enough."
Although Xu Changqing's complexion improved, Zixuan's grew increasingly pale. More white hair appeared at her temples.
Chu Yang stepped forward and transferred some life force into her, sighing. "As a descendant of Nuwa, you should have lost your demi-god body after giving birth and aged like a normal human. But you used the Sacred Spirit Pearl to change all that."
"Now that the pearl's power is waning, it can no longer preserve your youth. You will slowly revert to a mortal state."
"Senior Zixuan, do you regret it?"
Zixuan smiled through her tears. "If it's for him, I'll never regret anything."
Chu Yang sighed. "Your obsession runs deeper than any I've seen. Admirable, yes—but was it really worth sacrificing your daughter?"
Zixuan's face turned deathly pale, and she quickly shook her head. "It wasn't like that. I stayed in Fengdu all those years, waiting for him. I had no idea what was happening in Nanzhao. By the time I returned, it was already too late."
"Qing'er turned herself to stone to seal the Water Demon Beast. I wanted to rush to Baye and fight to the death, but the previous Holy Maiden stopped me. She knocked me unconscious and sent me out of Nanzhao."
"She said I'd given up the responsibilities of a Nuwa descendant and had no right to interfere anymore—not even to return."
"I never wanted things to be this way. It's my fault. I failed Qing'er—I sealed her away for decades with Puppet Soup and even took her Sacred Spirit Pearl. If she'd had that pearl, maybe her fate would've been different…"
At that point, Zixuan covered her face and broke into sobs.
Chu Yang didn't know how to comfort her. Since ancient times, the Serpent Staff, Sacred Spirit Pearl, and Sacred Spirit Cloak had been sacred heirlooms passed down among Nuwa's descendants.
The Sacred Spirit Pearl, especially, had been nurtured by every generation.
As Zixuan had said—if the former priestess had possessed the full set, perhaps she wouldn't have needed to turn to stone to seal the Water Demon Beast.
One could imagine the immense guilt Zixuan bore as a mother. How could she not regret it? She was simply lying to herself.
Li Xiaoyao had also figured out Zixuan's identity from her confession. He felt like lightning had struck him—completely stunned.
Ling'er's mother's mother?
That makes her… Ling'er's grandmother?!
Then Senior Brother Xu…
That would make him Ling'er's grandfather!
What the hell!
Li Xiaoyao's legs went weak. All this time, he'd been buddy-buddy with Ling'er's grandfather.
"What are you spacing out for?"
Chu Yang smacked the back of Li Xiaoyao's head and said irritably, "Didn't I tell you back when we met the Demon Lord? The past is the past. You didn't take it to heart at all!"
"No matter what happens, Xu Changqing will always be Xu Changqing—nothing more, nothing less."
"That's for you, Li Xiaoyao—and for you too, Senior Zixuan."
Zixuan gazed at Chu Yang, eyes brimming with tears.
"If you can accept that Xu Changqing is just Xu Changqing, and still love him, then I'll wholeheartedly support you two being together. But if you only see him as a replacement for Gu Liufang or Lin Yeping, then you're just torturing both of you for nothing."
"Let him go. Let yourself go. While Ling'er is still alive, you still have a chance to make amends. You may not have been a good mother, but at least be a proper elder—fulfill that last responsibility."
Zixuan stood frozen on the spot, lost in thought.
During that moment, Lin Yueru and Tang Xuejian quietly approached Chu Yang. They'd been completely baffled by the conversation and asked him to explain everything from the beginning.
So Chu Yang recounted the entire story of Xu Changqing and Zixuan's three lifetimes of love—from Gu Liufang to Lin Yeping to the present Xu Changqing.
When the two girls learned the relationship between Zixuan, Qing'er, and Ling'er, their stunned reactions mirrored Li Xiaoyao's earlier shock.
"From now on, you better behave yourself around Master Xu," Lin Yueru warned him with a smirk.
"No more slapping backs and calling him brother—you're a whole generation below!"
Li Xiaoyao could see the schadenfreude all over her face.
Damn this wicked woman!
So annoying!
What made it worse was that he couldn't even argue back.
A while later—
Xu Changqing slowly regained consciousness. Images of his battle with the Evil Sword Immortal flashed through his mind, and his expression tensed up. But the moment he saw Chu Yang, he relaxed.
"Junior Brother, was it you who saved me?"
"It wasn't me. It was Miss Zixuan over here."
"Miss Zixuan?"
Xu Changqing seemed to recall more details. He struggled to sit up from the bed and cupped his fists toward Zixuan. "Thank you for saving my life, Miss. Xu Changqing will never forget this kindness. May I ask…"
Their eyes met—and his words abruptly stopped.
Because Xu Changqing saw the tear stains on Zixuan's face. In that instant, an inexplicable emotion spread through his heart.
This young woman feels so familiar… like they've met somewhere before?
The more Xu Changqing thought about it, the stronger the unease in his chest grew.
Standing to the side, Tang Xuejian and Lin Yueru were nervously curling their toes against the floor, silently willing Xu Changqing to remember something—anything. They wanted Zixuan's patience and steadfast love to finally be rewarded.
But then again, maybe letting go wouldn't be such a bad choice either. A love that had stretched across three lifetimes… over time, it had started to feel more like a curse.
"There's no need for thanks, Daoist. I merely happened to pass by. The one who truly saved you was your Junior Brother. When it comes down to it, it's really because you're blessed with good fortune."
Zixuan wore a gentle smile, the tear marks all but hidden behind it.
"No matter what, I still owe Miss Zixuan my heartfelt thanks," Xu Changqing said.
He didn't appear to have remembered anything. He remained polite, properly courteous as always.
Tang Xuejian and Lin Yueru couldn't help their disappointment. Crestfallen, they quietly stepped out of the room.
Li Xiaoyao had been sitting on pins and needles the whole time and hurried to follow the two girls out.
"Changqing still has important matters to attend to. I'll have to repay Miss Zixuan's kindness another time—I hope you won't take offense."
"You flatter me, Daoist. I didn't do anything worth repaying."
After exchanging a few more polite words, Xu Changqing left the inn with Chu Yang and Jing Tian.
They hadn't walked far when Xu Changqing suddenly stopped in his tracks and said softly, "Junior Brother, you're a man of great knowledge. You should know how to repair her Spirit Pearl… and help her recover her demigod form."
Trailing behind them, Jing Tian froze in shock.
Xu Changqing remembered everything!
(Support me and read ahead on Patreøn: patreøn.com/craxxtranslation. Thanks for your support! Don't forget to send Power Stones—300 Power Stones = +1 bonus chapter!)