Once the couple returned safely to the Celestial Master's Mansion, Li Xuan would fade from their lives, and the past in Jinling City would become nothing more than a distant memory, hardly worth mentioning.
Having secretly made up her mind, Chu Qingyi bit her red lips lightly. Her chaotic thoughts cleared like clouds parting to reveal the sky, transforming into a resolute determination to leave and an unwavering belief that she must persuade Li Ye to depart as soon as possible.
She glanced out the window, where the first light of dawn had appeared in the east, and a hazy mist enveloped the world.
In a little while, the sky would brighten completely, and she would go to bid farewell to Huo Linger.
Her turbulent emotions finally settled, and she simply remained in the bathtub, quietly waiting for daybreak.
The next day.
As soon as the sky brightened, with the orange-red sun just peeking over the horizon and even the lowest-ranking servants in the branch pavilion still asleep, the impatient Chu Qingyi had already dressed and hurried to Huo Linger's residence.
"Senior Huo Linger, I have made a breakthrough and plan to return to Jinling City today. I've come specifically to bid you farewell," Chu Qingyi said loudly after knocking on the door and receiving no response.
Inside the room, Huo Linger lay naked on her side, smiling as she gazed at Xia'er, who was still sound asleep. The bed was in disarray, a testament to the wild passion the two beauties had shared the night before.
Awakened by the noise, Xia'er opened her beautiful eyes drowsily, her sleepy appearance utterly endearing.
"Sister, is that the very pretty young lady? If she finds me here, you'll have a hard time explaining it. I should leave quickly," Xia'er said, sitting up and hastily pulling on her clothes.
Seeing her flustered demeanor, Huo Linger couldn't help but chuckle. "No need. She knows all about us, so you can rest easy."
With that, Huo Linger willed her clothes onto her body in an instant, leaving no trace of the previous night's revelry.
Barefoot, she walked to the door and opened it, her eyes filled with a seductive smile as she said softly, "Ah, it's little Qingyi. Why the rush? Why not stay for lunch before setting off? There's nothing special in this branch pavilion, but the chef's skills are passable, wouldn't you say, Xia'er?"
Once the door opened, the scene inside was laid bare. Chu Qingyi felt extremely awkward as she looked at Xia'er, who was huddled under the covers with only her head visible, and offered a faint smile.
Xia'er returned the smile, equally embarrassed.
Senior Huo Linger, upon learning of her visit, had not hidden Xia'er's presence but instead openly invited her in, clearly unbothered by Chu Qingyi knowing about her night of passion with Xia'er.
Taking in the scattered clothes on the floor, the messy bed, and the likely naked Xia'er under the covers, Chu Qingyi quickly pieced together just how debauched the night must have been for the two of them.
The reason Huo Ling'er showed no restraint was likely because she already knew that her divine sense had been spying here yesterday, thus feeling no need to conceal anything.
Realizing this, Chu Qingyi's delicate face flushed slightly, just as she met Huo Ling'er's meaningful gaze. Feeling guilty, she quickly averted her eyes, not daring to meet her stare.
"Oh? This Fuyuan Pill is truly a rare treasure. Not only did it heal the innate immortal energy within your body, but it also allowed you to break through. Tsk tsk, our little Qingyi's luck is truly unmatched." Huo Ling'er pretended to be astonished, examining Chu Qingyi from head to toe.
"It's all thanks to Mother's Fuyuan Pill. Otherwise, this injury might never have healed," Chu Qingyi replied with a faint smile. "However, I won't stay for a meal. There are urgent matters to attend to in Jinling City, and I plan to set off immediately."
"Oh? Little Qingyi is in such a hurry. Has something major happened? If you need my help, just say the word. I'll do my best to assist."
"It's just a family matter, so I won't trouble you, Senior. By the way, if you see my grandmother, please send her my regards."
"Certainly."
After exchanging pleasantries, Chu Qingyi left the pavilion and breathed a sigh of relief.
For some reason, she always felt that Huo Ling'er's gaze was strange, as if it could see right through her thoughts.
But now was not the time to dwell on such things. Returning to Jinling City was the most urgent matter.
Steadying her mind, she swept her divine sense across the branch hall and finally located Li Xuan's position before hurrying over.
From the pavilion, Huo Ling'er watched her retreating figure with a faint, knowing smile.
A family matter... How interesting.
She picked up the teacup on the table and drained it in one gulp.
"Xia'er, Sister is craving your body again. What should I do?" she murmured seductively, swaying her delicate figure as she approached Xia'er.
Before long, the room echoed with the soft, breathy moans of the two beauties.
By the time Chu Qingyi rushed to Li Xuan's residence without stopping, the latter was sprawled on the bed, snoring loudly enough to make the nearby small tree tremble.
He lay on his back in a spread-eagle position, carelessly lost in sweet dreams, his mouth wide open as he breathed heavily, emitting a foul odor.
Even in his sleep, the flesh rod between his legs stood tall and proud, tenting his trousers with considerable size, like a ferocious beast straining against its bonds, fiercely pointing toward the sky.
Seemingly sensing the discomfort of his confined member, his tender little hand slipped into his trousers and scratched instinctively.
Chu Qingyi looked at the soundly sleeping Li Xuan with a complicated expression. If not for the dire circumstances, she would have gladly left this young man here and never looked back.
But after all, he was Li Ye's son. It would be inexcusable for him to disappear after accompanying her on a journey.
Moreover, from her perspective, although Li Xuan was a bit too bold and lustful, he had treated her well. No matter how resentful she felt, she couldn't abandon him alone.
"Wake up," she said, her back turned to Li Xuan, her indifferent tone subtly infused with a hint of immortal energy, enough to rouse him from his slumber.
Sure enough, the seemingly ordinary words struck Li Xuan's ears like a thunderous bell. He jolted awake instantly, leaping up from the bed like a startled sparrow.
"What... what's wrong?!" He looked around in panic, mumbling to himself, his limbs flailing awkwardly and out of sync.
"Now, immediately, right away, pack your things and return to Jinling City." Chu Qingyi remained with her back to him, speaking coldly without even turning her head.
"Now... now? Isn't that a bit too rushed?" Li Xuan was utterly confused, like a monk lost in a fog. He stared blankly out the window—the sky had just begun to brighten—and couldn't understand why she wanted to leave at this moment.
"If you don't want to go, you're welcome to stay in this branch hall for as long as you like. I'll return alone." With that, Chu Qingyi showed no hesitation, taking graceful steps as she headed downstairs.
"No, no, no! I'll go, I'll go right now, okay? Please don't leave your son behind!" Fully awake now, Li Xuan's drowsiness vanished completely. He hastily slipped on his worn-out cloth shoes and shuffled along behind Chu Qingyi.
The two of them walked out of the branch hall one after the other. Faced with the bustling streets and alleys before them, a very practical problem now lay before them, waiting to be resolved.
Chu Qingyi had undergone a tremendous transformation. Her immortal power had long since been restored, and her strength had reached an even higher level. Now, there was no need for her to make the journey back on foot. By flying on her sword or activating her immortal techniques, she could reach Jinling City in less than half a day.
But here was the problem: what about Li Xuan?
She glanced helplessly at Li Xuan, who was following closely behind her, and couldn't help but feel troubled.
If they traveled on foot as they had on the way here, it would take at least two or three days. During that time, the two of them would inevitably have to share the same roof. Given Li Xuan's mischievous nature, who knew what trouble he might stir up again?
Moreover, she was now eager to return home and couldn't wait that long.
"What... what's wrong, Mother? Aren't we going back? Why are you standing here without moving?" Li Xuan asked tremulously. The palpitations from last night hadn't yet subsided, and unaware that Chu Qingyi's injuries had greatly improved, he thought he had somehow offended her again. Instantly, he was as frightened as a soul-stricken quail.
"Follow me." Chu Qingyi offered no explanation. After uttering those words, she strode toward the city gate.
Li Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and hurried after her.
Once they had successfully left the city, the flow of passersby gradually thinned. She found a secluded grove and, after carefully surveying the surroundings to ensure no one was around, cautiously summoned the immortal sword she hadn't used in a long time.
Immediately, a majestic immortal aura wafted through the air, and an extraordinary immortal sword appeared before her.
The blade shimmered with a deep blue glow, looking quite mystical under the sunlight. Its sharp edge was even more intimidating, exuding a cold, clear gleam. The hilt was carved with the pattern of a golden dragon, giving off a sense of sacredness and ethereality.
On the hilt, two characters were inscribed in bold, flowing strokes: Hongmeng.
This sword was named Hongmeng, one of the secret treasures of the Celestial Master's Mansion. Legend had it that during the time of Pangu's creation of the world, a transcendent sage had devoted his entire life's efforts to forge this immortal sword, capable of slicing through iron as if it were mud, its edge as sharp as autumn frost.
When Chu Qingyi first began to distinguish herself, her father, Chu Tiannan, had bestowed this sword upon her. In the days that followed, she and the sword became inseparable companions, and the latter became an important friend in her life.
Now, this long-unseen old friend had reappeared before her. Though they couldn't communicate with words, both understood the emotions they shared.
The extraordinarily intelligent Primordial Sword emitted a continuous hum, as if overwhelmed with excitement at being reunited with its master.
"Primordial..." Chu Qingyi gazed at the sword in a daze, her delicate hand gently caressing its blade.
Li Xuan, standing not far away, looked utterly stunned. His impression of immortals was still stuck on the scene from a few months ago, when he had gazed up at a sword-riding immortal soaring through the sky. Back then, he had scoffed outwardly, but deep down, he was filled with envy.
Now, a celestial sword had suddenly materialized before him, radiating waves of bone-chilling cold. It startled him so much that he stumbled back three steps, his legs trembling uncontrollably. He leaned against a large tree, barely managing to steady himself.
Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, he stammered, "Qing... Mother, are we... are we supposed to... step on this sword... to go back?"
As he spoke, he couldn't help but imagine the scene that might unfold in a moment, which left him so terrified that he could hardly string a complete sentence together.
The next second, his fears were fully confirmed. He watched as the long sword suddenly expanded, large enough to accommodate several people standing side by side. Chu Qingyi then leaped onto it with effortless grace, standing firmly and calmly without a hint of panic.
This left Li Xuan utterly dumbfounded. Just the thought of standing on it was terrifying enough, let alone the prospect of the sword carrying them high into the sky.
That was... thousands of meters above the ground...
His legs went weak with fear, and he slid down the trunk of the tree, collapsing in a boneless heap. Even his forehead broke out in a fine, cold sweat.
"Get on," Chu Qingyi said, finding his thunderstruck expression rather amusing.
"Qing... Mother, can't we... find another way home?" Li Xuan swallowed hard, his words faltering.
"No," Chu Qingyi replied, crossing her arms as if watching a show.
"But... I'm afraid of heights. What if... what if I fall?" Li Xuan pressed his trembling legs, trying to calm them down.
"There is another way," Chu Qingyi teased, clearly enjoying herself. "I'll ride the sword back, and you can walk home alone. If you encounter wolves or tigers on the way, you might manage to fend them off. But if you run into a demonic beast... well, I doubt you'd survive." She was curious to see what tricks the young man might try next. If he really chose to walk back alone, any accidents along the way would be none of her concern.
"Ah, this... this... I'll go, I'll go..." Li Xuan pouted, on the verge of tears. Forget demonic beasts—even ordinary wolves or tigers would leave him trembling with fear, likely devoured before he could even put up a fight.
He didn't want to end up dead and dismembered after only a decade or so of life.
Forced into action, Li Xuan shuffled toward the celestial sword, trembling with every step. The closer he got, the more intense the cold became. Despite it being midsummer, he felt as though he were in the depths of winter, the chill piercing to the bone.
"Hurry up," Chu Qingyi said calmly, though inwardly she was growing impatient, especially as she watched him dawdle and hesitate.
Urged on, Li Xuan stumbled, nearly tripping over a small stone.
He struggled to control his shaking legs, his face a picture of pitiful misery, as if he might burst into tears at any moment.
Even though he was unwilling, he still made his way to the side of the long sword under Chu Qingyi's cool gaze.
But the next moment, he faced another dilemma: how was he supposed to get on?
He cast a pleading look at Chu Qingyi, who pretended to know nothing and shifted her gaze into the distance.
With no other choice, Li Xuan hunched over, placed both hands on the longsword, gritted his teeth, and began climbing upward.
But the sword seemed utterly unwilling to be touched by him. Each time he was about to climb on, it emitted a low hum, catching him off guard and sending him tumbling face-first into the mud.
After several such attempts, he finally managed to scramble onto the sword, though he could only cling to it like a wild dog, not daring to move an inch.
"Hold on tight!" Chu Qingyi shouted. After months apart, she was thrilled to be reunited with her old companion.
As soon as her words fell, a sharp "whoosh" pierced the air as the Primordial Sword tore through the sky, hurtling toward a specific direction.
"Ahhh!" Li Xuan, now far from the ground, screamed in terror. His legs trembled uncontrollably, and he could only cling desperately to the hilt, silently praying he wouldn't fall.
The more frightened he was, the more curious he became. Unable to resist, he glanced downward—and nearly lost his soul at the sight. The buildings below had shrunk to miniature versions, and the pedestrians scurrying through the streets looked no larger than soybeans.
The cold wind howled past his ears, whipping his hair back and blowing away every speck of dandruff from his roots. He imagined it drifting down somewhere, where unsuspecting people might mistake it for a light snowfall.
Shaken, Li Xuan quickly averted his gaze, gripping the sword tightly and not daring to relax for a moment.
As the two soared through the sky on the sword, their figures were clearly visible to the ordinary people below.
"Look, look! Immortals! There are immortals in the sky!"
"Mother, why can those two fly?"
"Because they're immortals, my child. Immortals can do anything—soar through the heavens and traverse the earth!"
"What nonsense! The one lying flat looks like a dog to me. Only the one standing is the immortal!"
"I think so too. It must be a dog. After all, immortals ride swords with grace. No immortal would be that pathetic."
...
Chu Qingyi's unintentional act sparked lively discussions among the people below, who debated what creature was clinging to the back of the sword.
Unaware of these conversations, the two high above heard the voices from the ground as nothing more than the faint buzzing of mosquitoes.
It was just as well Li Xuan couldn't hear them. Otherwise, he would have leaped around like a wild monkey, cursing their lack of discernment for comparing a living person like him to a wild dog.
And so, after an hour of sword-riding with Chu Qingyi, Li Xuan gradually grew accustomed to the sensation of being high in the air, no longer as terrified as before.
Summoning his courage, he raised his head to observe the surroundings. Truly, as the ancient poem goes, "You can't see the true face of Mount Lu when you're standing on it." He had never before viewed the landscape from such a height, and now that he did, he found it uniquely fascinating.
The rolling mountains, draped in dense, towering trees, were painted in lush shades of emerald green. At their feet lay a tranquil lake, mirroring the peaks. Leaden clouds cast a gray-blue hue over the water, which remained so still it resembled a hazy celestial mirror, undisturbed by even the faintest ripple.
Just as Li Xuan was captivated by the scenery before him, for some unknown reason, the sword suddenly began to tremble violently. Caught off guard, he frantically grabbed Chu Qingyi's ankle in his panic.
Her body stiffened abruptly, her mind thrown into disarray. The already unsteady Hongmeng Sword, following her wavering focus, grew even more turbulent and veered off its original course, hurtling straight toward a verdant mountain.
"Ahhh! Qing, Mother, why is the sword suddenly moving like this?!" Li Xuan cried out in terror, his mind in chaos as he desperately clung to Chu Qingyi's ankle, fearing he might fall at any moment.
"Be quiet! If you keep shouting, I'll throw you off!" Chu Qingyi snapped angrily. The high-altitude air currents were inherently unpredictable, and the Hongmeng Sword had just collided with a sudden, intense cold current, causing its spiritual energy to become chaotic and unstable.
After finally managing to steady the Hongmeng Sword, she was startled by Li Xuan suddenly grabbing her ankle from behind. Her concentration shattered, and in her momentary confusion, she lost control, causing the sword to deviate from its path.
Scolded, Li Xuan immediately fell silent, his thick lips pressed tightly together, not daring to utter another word. Yet, his young hands still clung stubbornly to her ankle, refusing to let go.
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