Chapter 156 - Another One Taken? Hokage Renji: Kill Them All for Me!
"Daoist priest, my grandmother isn't really like that!"
Taking advantage of the time her grandmother had left to prepare the ceremony, Xuehua walked quietly to Renji's side and explained in a low voice.
She herself did not know why her grandmother acted so cold after meeting Renji and the others.
This left her a little embarrassed. What she thought would happen seemed to have gone completely off track.
"Your grandmother is only worried that you might be deceived."
Although the attitude was indeed cold, Renji could still see the reason behind it.
This girl, while having some little thoughts of her own, was still very pure. If someone really wanted to deceive her, she could be fooled completely.
"My parents passed away early, and I have lived with my grandmother since I was young. She often told me not to trust what others say."
Xuehua lowered her head and spoke softly.
She had always lived with her grandmother since she was little.
Perhaps it was because of this? Still, she felt her grandmother's attitude was too cold.
"Don't dwell on your grandmother's attitude. I think it's normal for a first meeting to be like this."
Ren Tingting came forward, took Xuehua's hand, and comforted her.
The girl seemed guilty, but there was no need. They had already prepared for many possibilities before coming here.
"Yes, yes! Is there anything fun in Miaojiang? Xuehua, your ceremony is tomorrow, right? Why don't we explore Miaojiang tonight?"
Ren Zhuzhu chimed in. Compared to the grandmother's coldness, she was more interested in having fun.
After all, it was rare to come here. Who knew if they would have another chance?
"Alright, I'll take you to the ancient city! I'll just let my grandmother know first."
The unease in Xuehua's heart gradually faded. Perhaps they were right—it was her overthinking.
Maybe her grandmother truly did not mind.
"Go, but don't stay out too late. You must return tomorrow for the ceremony."
"Yes, grandmother."
Xuehua shrank her head back. It seemed her grandmother had been listening all along. Thankfully, she hadn't said anything foolish earlier, or else she would not have been allowed to go.
Watching them leave, the old woman sighed. She felt the scene she least wished to see was about to unfold.
Was this good or bad?
"Is there some special occasion today?"
The ancient city was not far away. For Ren Tingting, this was her first time there, and everything felt fresh.
She saw lanterns lighting the whole city, and everyone wore animal masks.
"Hehe, today is the Lantern Festival!"
Xuehua explained as she pulled them to a mask stall, preparing to choose masks so they could join in.
"It's not really an official festival."
"Not official?"
Ren Tingting's face showed a strange look. Could it be one of those festivals?
"It's more like a day for young men and women to meet. Most people come in pairs."
Perhaps as dates, or as friends—Renji thought this was why Xuehua called it unofficial.
"Yes, those who like each other will release sky lanterns and guess riddles."
Xuehua nodded. Still, not everyone was a couple; some came as friends.
That was why she said it was not formal.
It was more like matchmaking.
From her words, Renji reached that conclusion.
"Daoist priest, this is for you."
"Not choosing for myself?"
Renji frowned as he took the fox mask she handed him.
Weren't they supposed to choose their own?
Why did she give him a fox mask?
"Because you remind me of a fox—very clever."
Xuehua stuck out her tongue shyly, then picked up another, cuter fox mask for herself.
"And you?"
If he was clever, then why was she also choosing a fox mask?
"Because I am a fox spirit!"
"…"
What kind of strange logic was this?
Renji muttered inwardly. He glanced at her as she covered half her face with the mask. Catching his look, Xuehua blinked her left eye, then mischievously smiled before covering her whole face.
"Daoist priest, put it on quickly!"
"Very well."
Renji turned the thought in his mind, then put the mask on.
"Tch, old man, you still like this kind of thing!"
"Aren't you the same?"
Ninth Uncle grumbled. He and Ma Ma Di had chosen plain white masks with light patterns. Though a bit stiff, it felt alright.
"What do we do next?"
Ren Tingting had picked a random mask and turned to Xuehua curiously. Was it just wandering around?
"Each goes their own way, and later we regroup."
"What?"
Ren Tingting froze. Wasn't this supposed to be together?
"If not lovers, it's better to wander separately to experience the true spirit of the festival!"
With that, Xuehua spun and disappeared into the crowd, leaving the others staring at one another.
Ninth Uncle thought about leaving alone, but Ma Ma Di pulled him along.
"Cousin, let's go together!"
"Um… may I?"
Ren Qingqing hesitated, raising her hand timidly.
Though there was nothing wrong with walking with Renji, it still felt strange.
What disciple went to such an event with her master?
"Of course!"
"Hehe, master, you'll be left alone then!"
The three left hand in hand, leaving Renji standing there bewildered.
So in the end, he was the only one left?
Shaking his head, Renji didn't mind. Wandering alone was fine.
He had lived in this world for many years.
When he first transmigrated, he cultivated on the mountain, knowing the world's dangers. With his natural talent but little spiritual energy, he had focused only on improving his strength.
Later, after his senior sister's disappearance, he carried the burden of Shenxiao Sect's revival, which made him shoulder even more responsibility.
Back then, there was no time for leisure. Now, with Shenxiao Sect slightly better off, he finally experienced such a festival for the first time.
Curiously, he looked around at the masked crowd.
"Didn't you go off on your own? Why keep following me?"
Renji turned back, noticing the little fox mask behind him.
She had been trailing him ever since he left.
"Daoist priest, how did you know it was me?"
Xuehua was curious. She thought she hid well, and Renji hadn't even turned his head.
How could he know?
"With so many people, isn't being followed normal? But your bell is unique."
He had heard her bell from the start. Though the sound of bells filled the festival, he was sure it was hers.
"Oh, so it's my bell." Xuehua muttered, hands behind her back as she walked up beside him. "I just saw you alone and thought I'd keep you company."
She was the host. If others had partners, leaving Renji alone felt wrong.
Looking at her for a while, Renji finally nodded. He didn't press further, though he suspected there was more to it.
Along the way, Xuehua chatted about the outside world and secrets she had learned.
This journey had shaken her greatly—she realized how vast the world truly was.
They walked together until they reached a sacrificial platform. Flames blazed upon it, and countless youths gathered as if awaiting something.
"Soon the fireworks will start. Since childhood, my grandmother told me watching them at this time of year brings good fortune."
She explained as Renji stopped, looking toward the distant sky.
As a child, she had always watched with her grandmother, but as she grew and her training intensified, she had long neglected it.
Renji gave a slight nod and glanced at her, noticing her shifting emotions.
The fireworks burst into the sky, forming shapes of phoenixes, dragons, and more.
Men began removing the masks from the women beside them. Renji grew puzzled, turning to Xuehua for an explanation.
But she was staring intently at the fireworks.
After a moment's hesitation, seeing others doing so without issue, Renji reached out and gently lifted her mask.
Half of Xuehua's face was revealed, her eyes wide in shock as she looked at Renji, yet she could not bring herself to stop him.
"Uh… isn't this the custom here during the fireworks?"
Renji pointed ahead. Wasn't everyone doing the same? Had he done something wrong?
"It's fine, Daoist priest, I just…" Xuehua hesitated, then bit her lip, looked at Renji, and said, "Daoist priest, don't move."
She stepped forward, stood on tiptoe, and lifted the mask from his face, then held it in her arms. "This mask is mine now, Daoist priest. My mask—you must keep it safe."
A mask?
"Master, you're here too?"
Ren Tingting and the others walked up, removing their own masks as they hurried toward them.
By the second half of the festival, most people had already taken their masks off.
Afterward, Ma Ma Di and Ninth Uncle were still reluctant to leave. Relaxing like this after cultivation actually felt good.
They had even been pulled into dances by the Miaojiang people. Wearing masks, even proud Ninth Uncle had forgotten himself for a while.
"Daoist priest, time to return. You must attend my ceremony today."
Xuehua waved as she bid Renji farewell. The ritual was about to begin, and she had to prepare.
"Master, why do I feel something's off between you two?"
Ren Tingting glanced between Renji and Xuehua, sensing something unusual.
"Is there?"
"Isn't there?"
It looked like there was, yet also not.
"Let's go. Don't speculate. We must return soon, and afterward, you'll focus on cultivation."
Renji planned to keep them training on the mountain for a while.
"Xuehua, what should I say to you?"
Her grandmother gazed at her, troubled. Just before leaving she had been fine, but now… was this the fate of a Saintess of Miaojiang?
"Grandmother, I…"
Xuehua's face turned pale. She wanted to speak, but didn't know how.
She hadn't expected Renji to lift her mask. In the Lantern Festival, when a man removed a woman's mask, it meant he was interested. If the woman also removed his mask, it showed she felt the same.
After seeing each other's faces, if either wanted to repent, they could simply take back their mask and wear it again.
At first she had been startled, but there had been a chance to withdraw. Yet these days with Renji had warmed her heart.
She didn't know if it was love at first sight, the feeling of flying on his sword, or when his Samadhi True Fire burned away Wang Po's venom—and burned its way into her heart as well.
"That's why I regretted letting you go out alone."
Her grandmother was experienced. When Xuehua had returned with Renji, she had already noticed something amiss.
Xuehua was pure and innocent. Any man with a bit of skill in charming words could win her over, let alone someone like Renji.
Handsome, refined, strong, gentle as jade, head of the Shenxiao Sect—everything about him could stir a girl's heart.
When young, meeting such a person left an imprint for life.
A white moonlight remained white moonlight because even the real person could not outshine the memory of that time.
Xuehua had fallen in love.
But for a woman of Miaojiang, love was never simple, especially with an outsider.
She was the Saintess, burdened with a mission.
"Grandmother, I…"
Xuehua bit her lip, eyes misty. She knew what her grandmother meant, but her heart refused to yield.
"This is the Love Gu."
Her grandmother placed a jar before her. Its meaning was clear.
But Renji didn't know what it meant. Xuehua herself wasn't sure if he felt the same.
He was a cultivator; perhaps he needed purity and detachment. Maybe she was imagining it all. To force Love Gu on him—she could not.
Her hand hovered in the air, unwilling to take it.
"Xuehua, I've seen many like you—girls who loved outsiders, only to be broken. At first, they were as innocent as you. You've always asked why I never let you leave. It's because you're too pure.
"You were raised under my wing, never facing the world, never knowing men. A few words of affection could make you fall, and then you'd never climb out."
She had seen countless Miaojiang women throw themselves into love like moths to a flame, only to suffer tragic ends.
That was why she had tried to protect Xuehua. But she feared she could not.
Seeing her granddaughter's struggle, she continued, "And as Saintess, you bear destiny. We must guard the fragments of the dragon vein. Both righteous and demonic factions seek them. The burden on you is heavy."
She had thought once Xuehua completed her task, she would inherit the mantle of Saintess.
But now it seemed she had fallen for another. What was she to do?
"Grandmother, does being Saintess mean I cannot love? Then why did you and grandfather…"
"Because I am the example."
Her words silenced Xuehua.
All her life she had asked about her grandfather, and always her grandmother said he was dead. But now, it seemed he had abandoned her.
"When young, I too risked everything for love. But I failed. I don't want you to walk the same path."
Her withered hand caressed Xuehua's cheek, eyes full of sorrowful persuasion.
Her granddaughter was as pure as her name—snowflake, clear and flawless. She should have known: once she left, she might fall for someone. Why had she let her go alone?
Perhaps this was the Saintess's true trial—an ordeal of love.
Xuehua's calamity of emotion.
"I don't believe the Daoist priest is such a man!"
Xuehua cried out, her eyes blazing. Her grandmother's look softened with memories.
She too had once been like that.
But her betrayer had been devoured by Love Gu in the end, and she never left Miaojiang again.
"So, put the Love Gu in him. If he is true, it won't affect him. If he betrays you, then he deserves to die."
For Miaojiang women, love was for life. They could endure widowhood, but never betrayal.
"Grandmother, I said already—I don't need Love Gu. I believe Daoist priest is not such a man. Besides, he's never expressed love for me. This may only be my own feelings. I will inherit the mantle, I will shoulder the duty. Even if it breaks my heart, even if it burns me like a moth to flame, I accept!"
Her stubborn gaze met her grandmother's, prepared even for heartbreak.
Love needed no test.
"Sigh… Xuehua, you've grown."
Her grandmother sighed, unable to argue further. It was the same look she herself had once given her own grandmother.
At the succession ceremony, Xuehua stood different from before.
Renji, standing far back, met her eyes. She looked his way, her heart aching.
Yesterday, she had steeled herself. But it was only her resolve. Perhaps Renji never felt anything for her.
The wind lifted her hair, her flawless beauty stunning all.
Ren Tingting gazed at her in awe, whispering, "Master, now I understand why ancient kings would neglect their duties for beauties."
She thought herself beautiful, but compared to Xuehua, she felt unworthy.
"Ahem… Daoist friend, are you cultivating the Path of Ruthlessness?"
Ninth Uncle patted Renji's shoulder. "When I was young, I too liked a junior sister, but I lacked courage."
"She's married now."
Ma Ma Di teased, but Ninth Uncle did not flare up. Instead, he looked wistful. Yes, she had married, but not to him.
The ceremony was simple, passing the inheritance from the last Saintess to the new.
Even so, it lasted an hour.
"Daoist priest, after today I may never leave Miaojiang again."
Xuehua lowered her head sadly.
She bore the hopes of Miaojiang and could not forsake them for her personal feelings.
Perhaps after today, she would never see him again.
"Did you keep my mask safe?"
"Yes."
"Then…"
Her head lowered, regret in her eyes.
"Take this dagger. If you miss me, pour a thread of spirit power into it, and I'll come find you."
"Huh?"
She looked up in shock, instinctively taking the dagger. Renji's calm voice carried a teasing tone.
"I don't cultivate the Path of Ruthlessness. And yesterday I asked others about your Lantern Festival. They said when a boy takes off a girl's mask and they exchange masks, it's a sign of love. Sorry, I didn't know then. So, I'll leave first, Saintess Xuehua. And I won't let you lose."
Ah.
Another day of eavesdropping with Observation Haki and the Goro Goro Fruit.
Perhaps cultivation with a Dao companion wasn't such a bad thing.
Renji turned, waving as he walked away.
Xuehua's confusion turned into joy. "Daoist priest, come see me soon! If you don't, I'll come to Shenxiao Sect for you!"
She shouted with all her heart, clearing her doubts.
Clutching the dagger, her eyes sparkled. Her love wasn't one-sided.
"Your little man has left."
"Grandmother!!"
Xuehua flushed scarlet, realizing her grandmother had seen everything.
"Mm. Falling in love is terrifying."
The old woman shook her head and walked away.
Perhaps this time was different. Perhaps Xuehua would not repeat her mistakes.
"Daoist friend, impressive!"
Ma Ma Di gave Renji a thumbs-up, genuinely admiring him.
"Success follows him through life." Ninth Uncle sighed. Renji was truly a winner in life.
"Master, does that mean we should call Xuehua our mistress now?"
"Heh, I told you—I don't cultivate the Path of Ruthlessness. Eh?!"
"Master, master, when will we get to hold your and mistress Xuehua's child?"
Listening to their teasing, Renji's eyes darkened. Then he smiled slyly. "When we return, I'll make sure you all train well."
Though he smiled, Ren Tingting and the others felt a chill.
Zombie Renji: [Got a Dao companion. Sorry everyone, I've left the organization.]
Monster Renji: [Normal. Understand. Respect.]
Hokage Renji: [Kill them all!!]
Pirate Renji: [????]
King of Fighters Renji: [Patience!]
Daily Renji: [Tch. Dao companion? Pathetic. Today I'll bring back a ghost bride instead!]
So what if he had a Dao companion? That was still human. He would transcend humanity itself!
(End of Chapter)
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