Chapter 24

Xu Manman had a very long dream. In the dream, she was still small and thin, the youngest junior sister at the Siyi Sect.

“Recently, many people have come to join the Siyi Sect, and they are all young and beautiful female cultivators.”

“Don’t you understand? They’re all here for the Immortal Lord Lang Yin.”

“Young people don’t know better. In stories, these kinds of love affairs rarely end well.”

“But they’re just overthinking it. How could an immortal care about mortals?”

“I think the Immortal Lord is quite fond of our junior sister. He guides her in cultivation and even buys her things.”

“Last time, when I spoke harshly to our junior sister, the Immortal Lord made me kneel and apologize to her.”

“Junior sister, the Immortal Lord treats you so well. Could it be that he likes you?”

Xu Manman, who was eating, suddenly heard her name mentioned. She looked up with a silly smile.

“Senior brother, I’m not attractive. I wouldn’t dare dream of something like that.”

“You’re right to think that way. I heard from Master that the Immortal Lord is only staying at the Siyi Sect because he owes him a favor. Who knows when he’ll leave.”

“Junior sister, don’t fall for the Immortal Lord. It won’t end well.”

Xu Manman chewed her food slowly, watching the leaves fall outside the window, and gently nodded.

Xu Manman had always been self-aware. She knew she had no outstanding qualities. When others treated her well, it was mostly out of pity or because she deliberately sought their favor, not because they had any particular affection for her.

Master favored her, likely for the same reason.

As for the Immortal Lang Yins special treatment, it was probably because of her Master.

But no matter the reason, she cherished their kindness.

Master once asked her with a smile, “Manman, what do you think of the Immortal Lord?”

Xu Manman replied earnestly, “The Immortal Lord is truly wonderful, always caring for his disciples.”

“The Immortal Lord is like a heartless flower. Even if he treats you well, don’t take it to heart,” Master said seriously.

“I know that at your age, it’s easy to develop feelings for someone like him—handsome, highly skilled, and always looking after you.”

Xu Manman’s face turned red immediately, and she shook her head repeatedly.

“Master, I wouldn’t dare have any disrespectful thoughts toward the Immortal Lord.”

Master sighed and patted her on the head.

“You’re a smart child. Don’t let yourself get hurt.”

Xu Manman couldn’t understand why Master often reminded her that the Immortal Lang Yin was heartless. In all her years, she had never met anyone more thoughtful than him—not even Master, who understood her as well as the Immortal Lang Yin did.

Although the Immortal Lang Yin often spoke bluntly and seemed unfeeling, pushing her hard in cultivation and often forgetting boundaries, she never dared to express her dissatisfaction or grievances, keeping them hidden behind a forced smile. Yet the Immortal Lang Yin always seemed to see through her thoughts.

“Your body can’t take it anymore, and you’re hurting inside. Why do you keep smiling?”

His handsome face showed a hint of confusion.

“Are you trying to deceive me, or yourself?”

Xu Manman, shivering from exhaustion, still managed to force a smile.

“Immortal Lord, I’m not hurting. I can keep cultivating…”

The Immortal Lang Yin shook his head and suddenly scooped her up, carrying her towards the medicine hut.

“You’re still lying,” he said, his voice low.

“In front of me, there’s no need for lies or forced smiles. I only want you to be truly happy.”

Xu Manman looked up at the Immortal Lang Yin in a daze, tears welling up and blurring her vision.

She quickly lowered her head and responded softly, “My aptitude isn’t good. I have to work harder than others… I’m afraid of disappointing you…”

“Have my words been too harsh?” The Immortal Lang Yin pondered for a moment.

“Nian Yi said that mortals often find my way of speaking hard to accept.”

Xu Manman couldn’t help but smile slightly.

“Even immortals might find it hard to accept…”

The Immortal Lang Yin glanced at her.

“Then I’ll try to speak less in the future.”

“That’s not what I meant!” Xu Manman hurriedly explained.

She realized that the Immortal Lang Yin wasn’t being sarcastic or insincere; he was stating the truth.

“Then what do you mean?”

The Immortal Lang Yin looked directly at her, his dark eyes like an untouched sheet of white paper—deep yet clear.

Xu Manman swallowed nervously and heard herself say in a trembling voice, “It’s not your problem, Immortal Lord. It’s mine… I’ll try to talk more in the future…”

“Hmm.”

The Immortal Lang Yin’s lips seemed to curve slightly.

“Don’t hide your sadness in your heart.”

Does the Immortal Lang Yin really have no heart?

Could Master be mistaken?

Xu Manman’s consciousness drifted in and out of the dream, finally awakening slowly. She opened her eyes and found herself lying on a delicately carved huanghuali bed. After a moment’s hesitation, she suddenly sat up, only to feel her body lighten, as if she had bounced up, and her head hit the top of the bed.

However, there was no expected pain, and the bed didn’t crack. Her head passed through the bed’s top without obstruction, floating near the ceiling.

Xu Manman was shocked and quickly calmed herself down. Looking down, she saw her own face with closed eyes.

Am I… dead again?

Xu Manman anxiously leaned over her body, almost face-to-face with herself. She felt the breath in her body and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Luckily, not dead, just unconscious.

She knew she had been gravely injured by the Soul Reaping envoy. Her last memory was being held by the Immortal Lang Yin, who used his spiritual energy to protect her wounds and expel the poison.

Then she completely lost consciousness.

Now, in this state, her soul had likely separated from her body.

Xu Manman found it strange. Soul separation was extremely dangerous. Unless one had cultivated into an external dharma form, the soul was incredibly fragile, easily dispersed by a breeze. Even the soul of a Nascent Soul cultivator wasn’t much stronger than a baby.

But now, Xu Manman felt that her soul was quite solid. She had once cultivated into an external dharma body and knew how it felt. Now, even though she was only at the Golden Core stage, her soul was far more solid than her external dharma form ever was.

Could it be because she fused with the original body’s half Golden Core?

Xu Manman was confused. She lay back down, trying to merge her soul with her body, but it didn’t work.

—Do I have to get someone to hit me again, like last time?

Xu Manman mumbled for a while, unable to return to her body, so she floated out of bed, half walking, half drifting towards the door.

Halfway there, she paused—why walk through the door when I can pass through walls?

Thinking this, she turned around and headed straight for the wall.

As expected, she felt no resistance and passed through the wall, seeing the outside scenery.

The afternoon sun was warm, but there was still a slight chill in the air. It was late autumn, and the once-blooming garden had become much more desolate, with only a few clusters of vibrant hibiscus flowers still in full bloom.

Xu Manman squinted her eyes as the sunlight fell on her, feeling a bit of heat but still manageable. Normally, a Golden Core cultivator whose soul had left the body couldn’t withstand the wind or sunlight. The slightest movement in nature could be as deadly as a sharp blade to a fragile soul. Only those who had cultivated an external dharma form and mastered a bit of the heavenly laws could merge with the world, possessing the power to summon wind and rain or move mountains and fill seas.

Xu Manman speculated that the original body’s cultivation method must be extremely special, capable of directly strengthening the soul. However, such a method was unheard of…

Hearing some commotion from the south, she turned and floated in that direction, passing through walls and corridors. Along the way, she occasionally saw young women in similar dresses hurrying by with their heads down. After a moment, she realized that these were the uniforms of palace maids in the Imperial Palace of Tiandu City, and the women were the palace maids of Daxing Palace.

About four hundred years ago, the last unified empire on the continent, the Daxing Dynasty, fell into decline and disintegrated. Various warlords, each ambitious and claiming kingship, divided the continent into seven nations. However, the seven nations did not respect each other and were unwilling to bear the stigma of being traitors, so they agreed to jointly support the last prince of the Daxing Dynasty as emperor, known as Emperor Chengxuan.

During her travels in the mortal world, Xu Manman had been to Tiandu twice—once during her Nascent Soul stage to make a name for herself and form good relationships, and once after becoming a Daozun, to discuss the grand project of building the Cardinal Tower with the kings of the seven nations. She hadn’t stayed long in the palace, but she still had some memories. Seeing the palace maids’ attire now brought back those memories.

The leading palace maid was dressed more formally and appeared older, with a slightly stern expression. The eight palace maids following her had their heads lowered, holding trays in their hands, walking in small, silent steps, trained to perfection.

Xu Manman stood by the wall, watching the group of palace maids hurriedly pass by. Suddenly, she caught a faint scent of medicine from the trays. The eight trays held different items; some were porcelain bottles, others were lacquer boxes, all of which looked valuable, indicating that the medicines inside must be even more precious.

Xu Manman managed to identify two or three of the scents as the group passed, and these were rare and valuable herbs—thousand-year-old lingzhi and ten-thousand-year-old blood ginseng.

Who was so severely injured that they needed these rare herbs?

Curious, Xu Manman followed them. After passing through two corridors, she saw the palace maids stop.

The leading maid stood respectfully at the door and announced, “Immortal Lord, the medicines have been gathered.”

A moment later, a slightly deep male voice came from inside, “Come in.”

Overjoyed at hearing the voice, Xu Manman didn’t wait for the maids to open the door and floated through the wall.

Inside, the room was filled with steam, with a large pot of water boiling, making it look like an ethereal wonderland shrouded in mist. Xu Manman squinted and saw Immortal Lang Yin sitting cross-legged on the bed. The mist softened and blurred his handsome features. As she floated closer, she noticed that his complexion was poor and his breathing was weak.

When did the Immortal Lang Yin get so seriously injured?

Xu Manman was shocked. She had no idea how long she had been unconscious and, in her current state, had no way to ask anyone.

“Immortal Lord! Immortal Lord! Can you sense me? I’m right here!”

Xu Manman shouted, waving her arms in front of Immortal Lang Yin, trying to get his attention.

The Immortal Lang Yin’s brow suddenly furrowed, as if sensing something. He slowly opened his eyes, his long eyelashes fluttering as he looked around, but seeing nothing, he closed them again and sighed softly.

“Immortal Lord, could it be that you’ve been so severely injured that even your perception has diminished?” Xu Manman sighed in despair.

How could she return to her body now?

Her current thought was to have Immortal Lang Yin strike her to see if that would work. Immortal Lang Yin was the person she trusted the most, and he was also the most powerful with an extremely sharp sense of perception. Even though she was now just a wisp of a soul, the Immortal Lang Yin should be able to detect any anomalies in the room. But to her surprise, the Immortal Lang Yin, having been gravely injured, couldn’t sense her presence at all.

Would she have to wait until the Immortal Lang Yin healed?

Xu Manman crossed her arms and sighed helplessly.

By now, the palace maids had all left, and Immortal Lang Yin had risen from the bed and walked over to the large pot of water. Xu Manman floated after him, sniffing the air and discerning the medicinal scents.

These were all powerful tonics for replenishing energy and vitality. Even a touch of it would make an ordinary person suffer from nosebleeds. If the Immortal Lang Yin intended to consume the entire pot, he must indeed be gravely injured…

It wasn’t until she saw Immortal Lang Yin start to undress that Xu Manman realized she had misunderstood. The Immortal Lang Yin wasn’t going to drink the potion—he was going to soak in it!

Though it was a bathtub, the medicinal ingredients were extremely precious. Even in other sects, they would be sliced into small pieces and savored slowly before swallowing. Yet the Immortal Lang Yin was using them for a bath!

Xu Manman’s eyes widened as she watched Immortal Lang Yin remove layer after layer of clothing, revealing a chest as smooth and firm as jade. Her gaze unintentionally wandered downward…

Startled, Xu Manman quickly turned her back, feeling her face flush with heat.

“Immortal Lord, I didn’t mean to peek!”

Xu Manman stammered, covering her eyes.

She heard the sound of water as the Immortal Lang Yin entered the bath, and Xu Manman cautiously opened one eye.

The potion was so dense in color that it must have obscured any view, so it should be safe to turn around…

And besides, the Immortal Lang Yin couldn’t see her…

Xu Manman swallowed nervously and slowly turned around.

Immortal Lang Yin was submerged in the water, his eyes slightly closed. The steaming potion quickly turned his skin a soft red. He furrowed his brow, and then, in an instant, his figure vanished, replaced by his original form. A thousand-petaled hibiscus flower floated in the water, its leaves spread wide, petals trembling slightly, with roots extending deep into the water. The surface of the water began to swirl, as if all the medicinal properties were being drawn into the flower.

Xu Manman suddenly remembered that the Immortal Lang Yin was, after all, a flower; absorbing the medicinal properties through his roots was the fastest and most effective way.

The hibiscus flower greedily absorbed the medicine and spiritual energy, and the whirlpool in the water grew larger and stronger. As the suction power intensified, its range expanded. By the time Xu Manman realized something was wrong, it was too late.

The suction caught hold of her soul, as if it had found some treasure, and irresistibly pulled her toward the bathtub. Xu Manman was terrified, wanting to escape, but she was now just a fragile soul, unable to resist such force. Before she could even cry out for help, she was sucked into the vortex and instantly absorbed into the flower’s core.

Xu Manman never expected to be “eaten” by Immortal Lang Yin in such a manner.

She felt as if her head had been struck by a heavy blow, leaving her dizzy. She struggled to open her eyes and found herself groping for support to stand. She was pleasantly surprised to still have consciousness but was puzzled about her surroundings.

Looking around, she realized she was in a room elegantly furnished, with distant sounds of opera singing drifting in. She walked toward the door, leaning against the wall, and after passing a screen, she saw Immortal Lang Yin.

He was half-reclining by the window, the afternoon sunlight streaming through the partially open shutters, illuminating a corner of the room and softening his cool, handsome features. Even his eyelashes seemed to be dusted with a faint golden hue. His eyes were slightly raised, gazing distantly at the opera stage far away, but there was a distracted look in his eyes. The graceful figure and enchanting voice of the performer on stage were reflected in his eyes, but they didn’t seem to reach his heart.

Xu Manman stared in a daze for a moment before calling out in surprise, “Immortal Lord!”

But Immortal Lang Yin seemed not to hear. Xu Manman ran up to him, waving her hands in front of his face, but his dark eyes didn’t reflect her image, only looking through her at the distant stage.

The brilliant performance elicited applause from the audience, yet he remained indifferent; not even his breathing changed.

The door to the room opened, and a middle-aged man entered, bowing low. Judging by his attire, he seemed to be the owner of the opera house. His face was full of smiles, and his demeanor was extremely humble. The woman following behind him was still in costume, with a graceful figure and alluring eyes. She was the lead performer from the stage earlier.

“Immortal Lord, did you enjoy today’s performance?” The opera house owner asked with a smile, stepping aside to introduce the woman beside him.

“This is Meng Wanli. She’s the one who’s been singing the past three days. Go ahead, greet the Immortal Lord!”

Meng Wanli gracefully curtsied, her face tinged with a charming blush. She hesitated before glancing at Immortal Lang Yin, her voice sweet and melodious like a nightingale.

“Meng Wanli greets the Immortal Lord and thanks you for your support these past few days.”

Immortal Lang Yin slowly returned to his senses and said indifferently, “That won’t be necessary.”

Meng Wanli’s expression instantly became uneasy, and the opera house owner also looked panicked. They had assumed that the Immortal Lang Yin had been watching the opera for the past few days because he was interested in Meng Wanli, and the entire opera troupe had already begun to dream of rising to prominence. But now they realized that the Immortal Lang Yin seemed to have no such intentions.

He hadn’t even glanced at Meng Wanli.

The opera house owner anxiously asked, “Immortal Lord, are you dissatisfied with our performance?”

Immortal Lang Yin replied, “I’m just a bit puzzled.”

The opera house owner grew even more nervous.

“Did we not perform well?”

Immortal Lang Yin changed his posture and picked up a booklet of opera scripts from the table. Xu Manman leaned in to see, noticing titles like (Rescue from the Mortal World), (Eternal Regret), (The Butterfly Immortal’s Transformation), and (The Pear Blossom Fan)…

“Every one of these operas ends in separation by death,” Immortal Lang Yin said, his brow furrowing slightly.

“Not a single couple ends up together.”

“These are all ancient stories passed down for centuries, and we’ve adapted them based on the legends,” the opera house owner said, uneasy, afraid of saying anything that might offend the Immortal Lord.

“I’ve listened to three days of operas. Each one made people cry, yet every performance was sold out.”

Immortal Lang Yin asked in confusion, “Do they like it or not?”

Sweat began to form on the opera house owner’s forehead as he forced a smile. “They do like it. They cry because they are moved by the undying love in the stories, hoping to find such deep affection for themselves.”

Immortal Lang Yin rested his chin in his hand, deep in thought. “So, they feel pain but still like it. I see… Mortal emotions are so strange—they like things that make them cry.”

He seemed to understand, yet remained perplexed.

Meng Wanli, the lead performer, glanced at the opera scripts and, gathering her courage, asked, “Immortal Lord… are you troubled by love?”

The opera house owner was startled and scolded her, “How dare you! How can you ask about the Immortal Lord’s matters?”

Meng Wanli quickly knelt down, pressing her forehead to the ground, trembling with fear.

Immortal Lang Yin lowered his gaze to her, as if recalling who she was, and with a slight change in his expression, he said, “Stand up and speak.”

Meng Wanli rose cautiously, not daring to lift her head to meet his eyes.

“I ask you, what does it feel like to love someone?” Immortal Lang Yin inquired.

Meng Wanli carefully chose her words.

“Perhaps… it’s wanting to see them but fearing to meet, hoping they will know but fearing they will find out, thinking about them day and night, tossing and turning restlessly.”

Immortal Lang Yin lowered his eyes in thought, then asked, “If you don’t see the person, your heart feels empty; if you do see them, your heart aches, your pulse quickens, there’s both joy and sorrow—is this what love feels like?”

Meng Wanli cautiously lifted her head, catching a glimpse of the Immortal Lang Yin’s godlike face, and couldn’t help but be mesmerized. She couldn’t help but wonder what kind of goddess could make the Immortal Lang Yin care so deeply.

“That… would most likely be love,” Meng Wanli answered, lowering her gaze respectfully.

“Then how can one alleviate this heartache?” Immortal Lang Yin asked.

“The heartache may stem from longing for what one cannot have. As long as the feelings are mutual, the heart won’t ache,” Meng Wanli replied.

Immortal Lang Yin suddenly understood, as if he had solved a puzzle that had troubled him for a long time. The confusion in his eyes cleared, and he even showed a faint smile.

With a sweep of his hand over the table, several gold ingots appeared, leaving both the opera house owner and Meng Wanli wide-eyed in amazement.

Immortal Lang Yin stood up and said gently, “Thank you both for clearing my doubts. Consider this your reward.”

The opera house owner immediately knelt down, exclaiming, “Thank you, Immortal Lord, for your generosity!”

Immortal Lang Yin replied, “No need for such formalities. I’ve avoided her for so long, fearing that seeing her would cause me pain, but not seeing her for so many days has left me feeling empty… Today, I finally understand how to break this cycle. It’s time to return.”

As he was about to leave, Immortal Lang Yin paused at the door, turned back to Meng Wanli, and asked, “In the operas, men and women always exchange tokens of love. If you were her, what would make you happy to receive?”

Meng Wanli replied sincerely, “If it’s a gift from the Immortal Lord, I’m sure any woman would be delighted.”

The Immortal Lang Yin nodded slightly.

“That may be true… No matter what I say or give, she always finds joy so easily, but I hope she can always remain so.”

Meng Wanli sighed softly, unable to hide her admiration, and said gently, “To be so cherished by the Immortal Lord, that woman will surely enjoy long-lasting peace and happiness. If the Immortal Lord wishes her to understand your feelings, why not give her something unique that she can carry with her every day, something that will remind her of you whenever she sees it?”

Immortal Lang Yin’s eyes brightened, and he smiled in a way that made the room seem to shine, his cold and distant aura completely dissipating. The sight left everyone in the room momentarily dazed, forgetting the time and place.

At that moment, Xu Manman realized this wasn’t just a dream of the Immortal Lang Yin—it was his memory.

She didn’t know why she had been drawn into his memory or how to leave. Spying on someone’s private thoughts felt wrong, yet there was a secret thrill in it…