Siheyuan: Game of Red Dust

Chapter 337 Xiaoyao and the Sword Immortal

Xiaoyao and Yueru arrived at Baihe Village and learned that Heishui Town was plagued by zombies. At the same time, they unexpectedly found Ling'er unconscious at the home of the village chief, Han Yixian. Xiaoyao collected all the medicinal herbs for Ling'er's health and gave her the boiled medicine. After Ling'er recovered, she wanted to stay and solve the problem of the zombie. Xiaoyao accompanied him and went to the Jade Buddha Temple according to Han Mengci's instructions to ask the abbot to come down the mountain to eliminate the monster. Unexpectedly, the abbot forced Xiaoyao to become a monk. Xiaoyao had no choice but to defeat him, and the abbot transformed into a young monk. Ling'er learned the reason why the young monk forced people to become monks and woke him up. The young monk transformed into jade Buddha beads and helped Xiaoyao and others enter the general's tomb. After the three eliminated the Red Ghost King, they accidentally obtained the Earth Spirit Pearl. Ling'er was full of thoughts about the Earth Spirit Pearl, and Xiaoyao was a little worried.

Upon returning to Baihe Village to deliver the good news, Han Yixian informed them that Han Mengci had been captured, and Ling'er was required to go alone to exchange him. The group then stormed the Guiyin Altar on Guiyin Mountain and encountered Elder Shi. Unable to withstand the attack, Xiaoyao and Yueru were injured and passed out. Upon waking, they discovered Ling'er was missing. They learned that Ling'er had left with Elder Shi to save him and Yueru. Xiaoyao then set out again to search for Ling'er.

Passing through Yangzhou, Xiaoyao and Yueru arrived at an inn. Since there was only one room, Xiaoyao offered Yueru the bed while he settled for a chair. At night, Yueru tucked Xiaoyao in, sighing softly about her feelings for him. Xiaoyao heard her but remained silent. It wasn't until Yueru bolted from the room in pursuit of a thief that Xiaoyao awoke and chased her down. Although they recovered the stolen bag, they were falsely accused of being an accomplice of the female thief for having lost the purple gold gourd. Later, Yueru was imprisoned, and Xiaoyao, determined to clear her name, single-handedly captured the thief and successfully solved the case.

Later, in Toad Valley, Xiaoyao met Dugu Jiansheng and was advised to go down the mountain immediately. Xiaoyao did not listen and continued on his way; afterwards, he met Gai Luojiao and was invited to the tavern for dinner. Not long after eating, he fainted. When Xiaoyao heard Ling'er's cry in a daze, he woke up immediately and found corpses all over the ground outside the tavern. Xiaoyao found Gai Luojiao and asked about Ling'er. Gai Luojiao replied that Ling'er was taken away by Jiansheng. Yueru explained that Jiansheng was a righteous man and that rescuing Ling'er was a blessing rather than a curse, so Xiaoyao could rest assured. Xiaoyao sighed, because they were so close after so much effort, but they were separated again. Lin Yueru suggested that she wanted to go to the capital to see her aunt, and Xiaoyao agreed.

Xiaoyao follows Yueru to the Shangshu Mansion, where they learn that Liu Jinyuan is seriously ill and is being taken care of by his newlywed wife, Cai Yi. Soon after, Lin Tiannan arrives and learns that Yueru has been with Xiaoyao since leaving home. He demands that Xiaoyao break up with Ling'er and that he marry Yueru to him. However, Xiaoyao says that it's not reasonable for him to give up Ling'er. Lin Tiannan proposes that if Xiaoyao can withstand his Seven Secrets sword energy, he will stop interfering. Xiaoyao wins, and Yueru arrives at this moment. Seeing this, Lin Tiannan hopes that Xiaoyao will take good care of Yueru, and then leaves. Xiaoyao asks Yueru if she really won't go home, and Yueru expresses her feelings, willing to wander the world with him. Xiaoyao is deeply moved and promises that once they find Ling'er and everything is over, he will take her on a journey of discovery, enjoying food and having fun until they grow old.

Suddenly, Caiyi emerged from the woods, interrupting their moment of solitude. Later, because Liu Jinyuan refused to drink Caiyi's medicine, she cast a spell on him, forcing him to fall into a deep sleep. The two men woke Liu Jinyuan, who was agitated. Xiaoyao and Yueru summoned a Taoist priest from Maoshan, who discovered a demonic presence in the Liu residence. While the priest's spell failed, the residence was filled with a rich floral fragrance. Outside the residence, Xiaoyao encountered the Drunken Sword Immortal, who performed a spell that revealed Caiyi's true form. Xiaoyao, assuming Caiyi was out to harm Liu Jinyuan, led him into the forest. Xiaoyao and Yueru caught up, only to discover that it was the spider spirit, Du Niang, who had bitten Liu Jinyuan, and Caiyi was repaying her kindness. Finally, the Drunken Sword Immortal arrived and dealt with Du Niang, and Caiyi took the final step, transferring her millennia of cultivation to Liu Jinyuan in exchange for ten years of his life.

Touched by Cai Yi's story, the Drunken Sword Immortal casually mentioned returning to Shushan for seclusion. Xiaoyao immediately asked if he knew the Sword Saint Dugu, as Ling'er had been taken away by the Sword Saint. The Drunken Sword Immortal then brought Xiaoyao and Yueru to Shushan. Due to Xiaoyao's exceptional talent, the Sword Saint agreed to accept him as a disciple of the Shushan Immortal Sword Sect, but Xiaoyao had concerns. Upon learning that Ling'er had been imprisoned in the Demon Locking Tower, Xiaoyao angrily negotiated with the Sword Saint Dugu. After his failure, Xiaoyao, despite everyone's objections, decided to forfeit his right to become a Shushan disciple and force his way through the Demon Locking Tower to rescue Ling'er. The Drunken Sword Immortal, shocked, relented and taught Xiaoyao martial arts. Xiaoyao, fearing the dangers of the journey and the prospect of a one-way trip, asked Yueru not to follow him. However, Yueru pledged her loyalty, even through life and death, leaving Xiaoyao deeply moved.

At the bottom of the Demon Locking Tower, Xiaoyao finally sees Ling'er again, but now she has a human head and a snake body. This shocks Xiaoyao, who recalls his and Ling'er's memories of their time on Xianling Island. He confesses that he doesn't mind the difference between human and demon. He leaps forward to sever Ling'er's chains, saving her and promising to live and die with her. Yueru then expresses her hope that the three of them will be together forever.

Suddenly, the Hell-Suppressing King appeared, accusing Ling'er of being a snake demon. Xiaoyao countered that Ling'er was kindhearted. Ling'er revealed her true identity as a descendant of Nuwa, but the Hell-Suppressing King denied that Nuwa was not considered a deity. During the battle, Ling'er's latent power awakened, and she joined forces with Xiaoyao and Yueru to defeat the Hell-Suppressing King. Seeing this, the demons followed Ling'er's lead and discussed a way out of the tower. With Ling'er's mediation, the three, guided by the Book of Immortals, broke the seven seven-star coiled dragon pillars supporting the Demon Locking Tower at the bottom of the Demon Transformation Pool, causing the tower to collapse and allowing the demons to escape. In the Demon Transformation Pool, Xiaoyao clutched Ling'er and tried to swim to shore, but Yueru was crushed by a huge rockfall. Xiaoyao and Ling'er fell into a coma. The unconscious Xiaoyao, Ling'er, and the deceased Yueru were taken by the Sword Saint to the Miao Frontier Saint for healing.

Xiaoyao dreamed that Yueru said her mother wanted to see him. Xiaoyao said he was tired and would talk another day. Yueru said goodbye and left, and Xiaoyao hurriedly woke from the dream. Upon waking, he saw an old woman, worried about Yueru and Ling'er, and rushed to the other room to check on them. Xiaoyao was overjoyed to learn from the Saint Aunt that Ling'er was pregnant, but then he learned of Yueru's death, and he was overwhelmed with grief.

After calming down, Xiaoyao sets out to search for Ling'er's elixir—the golden-winged phoenix eggshell and the flaming-eyed unicorn horn—to save her and her unborn child. He instinctively attempts to retrieve the phoenix egg, but it's stolen by the sudden appearance of Anu. While chasing her, Xiaoyao notices Anu about to leap from a giant tree. He attempts to grab her to save her, but falls. Anu casts a resurrection spell to heal Xiaoyao's wounds. Confused, Xiaoyao mistakes her for Ling'er and embraces Anu. Anu panics, pushing Xiaoyao away, and Xiaoyao realizes it's not Ling'er. Upon learning Xiaoyao's reason for seeking the phoenix eggshell, Anu asks Xiaoyao to help her find the treasure—the Water Spirit Pearl. Xiaoyao, upon learning that Anu, even at such a young age, is seeking the pearl to end a drought, is filled with admiration. Later, he enters Taoyuan Village, defeats the greedy Taoist priest Mu, and witnesses the marriage of A Tao and Song Hewen. The village chief presents a longevity gourd, which transforms into a peach tree, revealing that the villagers are all peach tree spirits.

The two arrived in Dali and secretly entered Qilin Cave. They obtained the Qilin Elder's forgiveness and obtained the Qilin Horn and the Fire Spirit Pearl. Xiaoyao, following Qilin Elder's instructions, went to the Nuwa Temple. While worshiping, Xiaoyao noticed a striking resemblance between the Nuwa statue and Ling'er, and attempting to examine it more closely, was instead sucked into the statue. In the darkness, Xiaoyao spotted Ling'er's mother, the Witch Queen Lin Qing'er. The Witch Queen questioned Xiaoyao about his feelings for Ling'er, and Xiaoyao confessed that regardless of Ling'er's status as a human, she was still a fairy in his heart, and he would always love her. The Witch Queen, deeply pleased, cast a spell and sent Xiaoyao back ten years to complete his mission.

Xiaoyao, lost in a trance, found himself in an unfamiliar place. He encountered a woman and a little girl being pursued by soldiers. He approached to inquire about their location, but the soldiers attacked him on sight. During the struggle, he unintentionally helped Grandma and Xiao Ling'er escape. Grandma thanked Xiaoyao for his help and flew away with Xiao Ling'er on a phoenix. Xiaoyao soon encountered another group of Black Miao soldiers. To avoid a pointless fight, he donned a Black Miao uniform and journeyed to the dungeon of the Nanshao Palace to find the Witch Queen. Following the Witch Queen's instructions, Xiaoyao enlisted the help of Elder Shi and retrieved the Heavenly Serpent Staff. As the Witch Queen emerged from her cell, she encountered the Witch King and the Moon Worshiper. Thanks to a trick by the Moon Worshiper, the Witch Queen revealed her true form, forcing Xiaoyao and the Witch Queen to flee underwater. With nowhere to go, the Witch Queen helped Xiaoyao to the surface and sacrificed herself to seal the water monster.

Xiaoyao saw the water monster surface and remain motionless, and the Witch Queen had disappeared. Just then, a phoenix appeared and flew Xiaoyao to the Yuhang Mountain Temple, where he met his younger self. Little Xiaoyao asked Xiaoyao to help the old woman and little sister in the temple. Seeing that it was Grandma and Little Ling'er, Xiaoyao agreed to help and used a handkerchief to find the Palace Master of Lingyue. As the Palace Master prepared to send Grandma and Little Ling'er back to the Fairy Island, Xiaoyao asked the Palace Master about time travel. The Palace Master replied that there was a spell called the Soul-Returning Fairy Dream, and that ending this dream required fulfilling his deepest wish. Xiaoyao accidentally saw the Water Spirit Pearl in the treasure chest and traded it with Little Xiaoyao for the wooden sword. He received the Water Spirit Pearl and returned to reality.

Upon returning to reality, Xiaoyao received the hatched phoenix eggshell from Anu, only to discover a month had passed. Worried about Ling'er, Xiaoyao immediately returned to the Saint Aunt's residence and gave her two sacred elixirs. Xiaoyao explained that he had learned the story by chance, fulfilling Ling'er's wish. He also discovered the lost Water Spirit Pearl in a dream. Ling'er took the elixirs, and a few months later, she gave birth to a daughter. Xiaoyao was overjoyed, and Ling'er named her Li Yiru in memory of Yue Rugu. Xiaoyao expressed his gratitude to the Saint Aunt, who asked him to help collect 36 puppet insects from the Trial Cave. On the way, he was stopped by Gai Luojiao, but fortunately, Anu rescued him. Xiaoyao and Anu traveled to the Trial Cave together, collecting 36 puppet insects. They stumbled upon the Nuwa Ruins, where they learned summoning techniques from Anu.

Returning to the Saint Aunt's home, the puppet insect was handed to her. Ling'er, however, needed only a few days' recuperation before she went to pay her respects to her mother. Xiaoyao and Anu accompanied her as the Black Miao attacked the White Miao capital of Dali. At the altar, the Witch Queen expressed her relief at Ling'er's good husband and urged her to shoulder the responsibility of resolving the hatred between the two tribes through love. Ling'er accepted the Heavenly Serpent Staff, the Holy Spirit Cloak, and the Holy Spirit Pearl, and used the Five Spirit Pearls to pray for rain. Instantly, a downpour descended, spring returned to the earth, and the conflict between the two tribes was resolved. Everyone was overjoyed and prepared a celebration banquet.

Unexpectedly, the Earth Demon Beast emerged from the ground. Xiaoyao, Ling'er, and Anu worked together to kill it. Anu vowed to uncover the mastermind behind the attack. Ling'er seemed lost in thought, and Xiaoyao, observing this, expressed concern for her. Ling'er remarked, "What must be faced must be faced." The three then pursued her to the Nanzhao Palace, where they encountered the Witch King. The Witch King stabbed Ling'er in the back, leaving her unconscious. Xiaoyao, shocked and heartbroken, held Ling'er, bewildered. It turned out that the Witch King had already been killed by Baiyue, and the one before him was a fake. Xiaoyao and Anu teamed up to kill him. Furious, Xiaoyao pursued Baiyue for revenge. Anu arrived, but Ling'er, inexplicably awake, rushed to stop Baiyue. Although the three defeated Baiyue, the Witch King plunged into the water and merged with the Water Demon Beast, triggering a flood. A massive wave suddenly surged across the heavens and earth, submerging the towns and villages of Miao territory. Xiaoyao rescued Anu who fell into the flood, but Ling'er sacrificed herself to save the people of the world and died together with the water monster.

Li Xiaoyao's journey to becoming stronger was miserable. Although he was accompanied by many lovers and friends, he was the only one who made it to the end. Perhaps Li Weidong's entry into the world of Chinese Paladin could change all this!

Another person that Li Weidong was interested in was the big boss of our period, the Moon Worshiper. Of course, this Moon Worshiper refers to the Moon Worshiper in the film and television drama, not the one in the game.

The Moon Worshiper in the film and television series was a scientist, but his views were not widely accepted at the time, so he was considered a lunatic. He wanted to change everything, but was not accepted by the world, so he gradually became a villain. Of course, he also had a radical side. Perfect people are very rare, or even non-existent. If the Moon Worshiper in this Chinese Paladin world was the same as the film and television version, Li Weidong would recruit him into the small world, or even let him go to the real world to develop some technology. Perhaps he would be very interested.

Li Weidong also likes the Drunken Sword Immortal Mo Yixi. Mo Yixi has an open and honest character, is upright and righteous, and has light and elegant martial arts. However, as a proud disciple of Shushan, he has never been able to get rid of the troubles of "love" in his life, so he indulged in wine. The title of "Drunken Sword Immortal" also came from this, and he ultimately failed to achieve enlightenment.

"Ride the wind and sword, slay demons from heaven and earth." This was his hobby. In his mind, drinking and exorcising demons was what he had to face. Because his love for the Witch Queen hadn't yielded fruit, and he had an absurd affair with another woman, he began to sigh and feel guilty, but he was unwilling to face it. His defiance of heaven also ensured that his fate could not escape the mysterious arrangement, and he was killed by his own daughter. Perhaps this was a kind of relief for him, and it was also the path he had chosen.

Perhaps Li Weidong can change Mo Yixi's fate and make his life complete.

(End of this chapter)