I made the entire cultivation world cry

Chapter 175 Melancholy (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Xin Wushuang stood blankly outside the Pei family's courtyard gate, with half a broken egg still on her head.

Hu Qiyuan said it was best not to use magic, so Xin Wushuang forcibly suppressed even the protective aura that was naturally emanating from her body.

Cheng Lanzhi held a broom in one hand and put the other on her hip. Dressed in a neat and capable brown hunting outfit, she had a striking and heroic air about her. Every move she made exuded the unique dashing, flamboyant, and boldness of a hunter.

"Go back to your sect! Don't bother us, get out! Get out now!"

Cheng Lanzhi was so excited that her body trembled. In addition to inexplicable hostility towards Xin Wushuang, she also felt a little afraid.

Even Jiang Yi couldn't understand it. Even if it was because Xin Wushuang and Pei Zhixu were engaged, this reaction was a bit too much.

"Lanzhi, who is it that made you angry so early in the morning?"

The door to the room was opened, and Pei Zhixu, dressed in a light blue scholar's cotton robe and holding a book, walked out. He was as tall as a jade tree, with clean and bright features, and was indeed beautiful.

"Wushuang?" His eyes lit up, his voice filled with surprise. "It really is you!"

Cheng Lanzhi's face turned pale, but Pei Zhixu had already warmly stepped forward and invited Xin Wushuang into the courtyard.

"Come in and sit down, Lanzhi, boil some water and make some tea."

The courtyard was small, simple and tidy. In the corner of the courtyard stood a wintersweet tree, blooming in full glory amidst the wind and snow.

Cheng Lanzhi ignored the two of them, frowned, and went into the inner room. A moment later, there was a loud bang as the door slammed shut.

Jiang Yi felt something was amiss, so she followed to investigate.

Cheng Lanzhi paced around the room with her hands on her hips, looking extremely agitated. Finally, she went over to the wardrobe, pulled out the fine silk and brocade clothes one by one, and threw them onto the chair.

Besides the clothes, there was also an exceptionally luxurious dressing table inside the house, filled with jewelry and ornaments, all of which were very valuable, making it completely out of place in Pei Zhixu's simple courtyard.

It seems that Pei Zhixu treats his wife very well, wearing old cotton clothes himself while buying so many clothes and jewelry for her.

In the hall, Pei Zhixu invited Xin Wushuang to sit down, brought her a cloth, and gestured for her to clean the eggs off her head.

"Lanzhi is straightforward and has a bit of the temperament of a chivalrous person. Don't take it to heart."

"Hmm." Xin Wushuang silently wiped her hair, remembering Hu Qiyuan's instructions, and did not use the Cleansing Technique.

The charcoal fire inside was burning warmly, and Pei Zhixu looked at Xin Wushuang with gentle eyes.

"I went to deliver a letter for your family and noticed that the Taoist priests at the temple have changed their attitude in the past two years, becoming exceptionally warm. I suppose you've been doing well in the immortal sect these past few years? What is your cultivation level now? Have you reached the Foundation Establishment stage?"

Xin Wushuang did not answer anything else, but stood up and bowed solemnly to express her gratitude, "Thank you for taking care of my father and family over the past few years."

Pei Zhixu smiled and said, "Back then, my mother and I, an orphan and a widow, fled here. Only your parents were willing to take us in and help us, allowing us to establish ourselves here. I went to school, and my mother later passed away. Your father paid for all the money for her coffin and burial."

“I’ve long considered you all as my family, and I even consider you my own sister, especially since you helped me… Anyway, I feel guilty towards you and owe you a lot, so I should think of you. I’m just glad you don’t blame me for keeping your father’s injury a secret.”

Xin Wushuang shook her head, "You saved me, I remember, I won't blame you."

As they were talking, the door to the hall was pushed open.

Cheng Lanzhi walked in wearing a loose, bright yellow silk dress, her hair adorned with gold and silver hairpins, two loose bracelets on her wrists, and embroidered shoes. She looked like a swaggering peacock as she sat down next to Pei Zhixu and glared at Xin Wushuang.

Pei Zhixu was somewhat embarrassed, suppressing her displeasure, "Lanzhi, Wushuang rarely comes back, and you are her sister-in-law. What kind of behavior is this? Go and change your clothes!"

Cheng Lanzhi's face turned pale, and she glared at Xin Wushuang before getting up to leave and change her clothes.

The atmosphere froze for a moment. Jiang Yi looked at Xin Wushuang's expressionless face and shook her head with a smile.

As long as I'm not embarrassed, it's others who are embarrassed, and that's exactly what Xin Wushuang is talking about.

Cheng Lanzhi wants to drive Xin Wushuang away, but it's going to be difficult!
Jiang Yi sent a telepathic message to Xin Wushuang, reminding her of something. Only then did Xin Wushuang belatedly realize what was happening and get up to take her leave.

"I'm going back."

After saying that, he turned stiffly and walked quickly outside.

Pei Zhixu quickly followed, "I'll see you off."

Upon reaching the courtyard gate, Pei Zhixu asked in a low voice, "How long are you planning to stay this time? Are you going to pick up your parents, or is there something else?"

"I'll leave after New Year's Eve."

Pei Zhixu hesitated for a moment, but finally said gently, "Come visit me often when you have time."

Xin Wushuang hummed in agreement and quickly left.

Pei Zhixu watched Xin Wushuang's figure disappear before returning to the courtyard, where he met Cheng Lanzhi's eyes. Cheng Lanzhi, who had changed back into her original clothes, was standing at the door.

Pei Zhixu's face darkened. "I know what you're thinking. I've explained it to you many times, why don't you believe me? I truly treat Wushuang like a younger sister, I have no other intentions. You can rest assured." Cheng Lanzhi tensed. "You better be!"

*
After leaving Pei Zhixu's house, Xin Wushuang walked slowly along the familiar mountain path behind the village.

After entering the mountains, there was no one around. Jiang Yi removed the leaf that obscured his view and followed Xin Wushuang.

Upon reaching the depths of the mountains, Xin Wushuang stopped in front of an abandoned courtyard that was almost completely buried by snow.

The courtyard wall had long since collapsed, leaving only a few crooked wooden pillars standing stubbornly.

Xin Wushuang stared for a moment, a trace of reminiscence flashing in her eyes, but then continued to walk deeper into the area.

Finally, Xin Wushuang stopped in front of an unnamed grave mound. The stone tablet was blank, with no inscription.

Xin Wushuang knelt down, brushed away the thick snow with her bare hands, took out incense, candles and paper money from her storage bracelet, lit them and stuck them in the snow.

“This is Uncle Ya.” Xin Wushuang’s voice was very soft. “No one knows his name, and no one knows where he came from. It’s as if he suddenly appeared in the forest one day. I started learning hunting and archery from him when I was ten years old. He treated me like his own son. Before I could take care of him in his old age, he died in the mouth of a wild beast.”

Jiang Yi looked at the flickering candlelight and said softly, "If Uncle Ya were alive today, he would be proud of you now that you are a Foundation Establishment cultivator."

Xin Wushuang's tense brows finally relaxed a little, and she solemnly kowtowed three times.

“I have another master,” Xin Wushuang summoned Wanli, “she is the one who truly guided me into the Dao.”

Wanli carried them to the highest mountain peak. The cliffs were as steep as if cut by a knife, and the vines swayed in the cold wind. Xin Wushuang precisely parted the vines, revealing a hidden cave entrance.

The cave was deep and dark. After walking for a short while, they were blocked by a huge rock. Jiang Yi noticed the ingenious traces of mechanisms around the rock, which were obviously man-made dragon-severing stones.

Xin Wushuang placed her palm on the cold stone surface, and spiritual energy flowed in like a trickle without leaking out at all. Golden runes gradually appeared on the boulder, rising slowly with the rumbling sound of the mechanism being activated.

Without any light source, the scene inside the cave was clearly visible to the two: a simple hall and two stone chambers.

In the innermost stone chamber, the skeleton of a woman dressed in a decaying white robe remained in a meditative posture.

Xin Wushuang walked straight over and respectfully knelt down and kowtowed before the remains.

“Master, I have already established my foundation. I will continue to study the archery and martial arts you passed down. Today I have come to collect your remains. In the future, I will definitely send you back to the Eastern Continent to find your teachers and family.”

Jiang Yi stood quietly to the side, watching Xin Wushuang respectfully and carefully collect the remains.

From Xin Wushuang's few words, she learned that Xin Wushuang's amazing archery skills all came from this female cultivator from the Eastern Continent.

She had no intention of investigating the rest; this was Xin Wushuang's destiny with immortality, and Xin Wushuang should bear the consequences.

Jiang Yi's mind flashed to the tombstone of that mute uncle, wondering if he was related to this female cultivator.

After carefully collecting the remains, Xin Wushuang sat down.

"Actually, Pei Zhixu discovered this cave first. I was only ten years old that year, and he was fifteen. I was almost beaten to death by my second sister for making a mistake. I ran into the mountains to hide and found spiritual fruit on the edge of a cliff at the top of the mountain. When I was picking it, Wanli attacked me. At that time, Wanli was still a wild Golden Feather Eagle."

"I almost fell off a cliff while escaping, but Pei Zhixu caught me. We followed the vines to the platform outside and hid in the cave. Wanli was lingering there and wouldn't leave, so we had to go into the cave to find a way out, and that's how we discovered this place."

Xin Wushuang paused, as if recalling the scene at that time.

"Back then, I barely knew any characters. The Qi Refining chapter was written on silk, and the chapters after Foundation Establishment were in jade slips. At first, Pei Zhixu was very happy. His mother was bedridden at the time, and he thought that becoming a cultivator would save her. Then he tried to cultivate, but failed and was very disappointed. Then he discovered that I could cultivate, and Pei Zhixu..."

Xin Wushuang paused again and took a deep breath.

"...He cried his heart out, and after he finished crying, he began to teach me. In the end, I circulated my inner energy here and tamed Wanli. Later, when I was twelve years old, Pei Zhixu's mother fell seriously ill. The cultivation method I practiced could not cure her, so he went to Cangling Temple in Shiqiao Town to seek medicine, but returned empty-handed and even encountered some bad people..."

“He almost didn’t make it back alive, and he missed the chance to see his mother one last time. I later helped him kill those bad guys; that was the first time I killed someone. It was then that I realized how wonderful it is to cultivate immortality, to be able to do anything I want without having to hold back.”

“Apart from that, I have no other feelings. Pei Zhixu said that I was a born cultivator, and then he personally came to my parents’ home to dissolve our engagement. He was also the one who reminded my parents to protect me, saying that mortals would hurt me out of jealousy.”

Xin Wushuang remained silent for a moment.

“I don’t know why I want to tell you all this. I just suddenly realized that my state of mind is different. Back then, I thought cultivating immortality was good, but this time when I came back, I felt that everyone had changed. My parents and eldest brother are afraid of me, and my second sister hates me. Cultivating immortality doesn’t seem to be so good after all.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi asked, "If you could choose again, would you still cultivate?"

"meeting!"

Xin Wushuang answered without the slightest hesitation, her reply decisive and firm.

Jiang Yi smiled and said, "Then what are you still upset about? Just keep moving forward with your goal in mind."

"I will, it's just that I feel so bad. They are my family after all, and I can't avoid them. But it's okay, I can get through it, I definitely can!"

(End of this chapter)