Eternal Love Within A Smile - Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Immortal Lang Yin must have been seriously injured earlier.
He only recovered a bit after absorbing the medicinal properties, and he still held back some strength when facing Li Que.
So, it seemed like the two were equally matched, but to an observer, it was clear that one was in control while the other struggled desperately.
“Brother, stop fighting! If you keep this up, you’ll attract everyone in Tiandu, and I’ll be discovered!” Xu Manman shouted.
At that moment, the outside of the house suddenly brightened, and a phoenix silhouette flashed across, landing in the courtyard.
Xu Manman exclaimed, “The Feathered Emperor has arrived!”
Li Ying’s cultivation far surpassed that of Li Que, and she also possessed the Nine Suns Li Fire.
If she were here, Xu Manman feared she wouldn’t be able to hide.
Immortal Lang Yin glanced outside, then forced Li Que back with a palm strike.
With a flick of his other hand, a flying leaf shot towards the unconscious Xu Manman lying on the bed.
Xu Manman only felt a sharp tug at her forehead, and her soul instantly returned to her body.
At the same time, the sharpness of the flying leaf tore her clothes, leaving a faint bloodstain on her arm.
Li Ying stepped into the house, saving Li Que with a swift motion.
Her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, exuding authority without anger, as she coldly asked, “I wonder how Radiant Vermillion has offended the immortal Lord Lang Yin?”
Immortal Lang Yin remained silent, but the person on the bed suddenly opened her round eyes and rolled off the bed with a smile, saying, “Wow, so many people! What are you all doing here in the middle of the night?”
Li Ying and Li Que both turned to look at her, feeling a strange sense of unease.
Would someone who has been unconscious for days wake up like this?
Li Ying scrutinized Xu Manman and asked, “You’ve been unconscious for three days and nights. Do you feel any discomfort?”
Xu Manman then realized how long she’d been unconscious and smiled, “Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I feel perfectly fine now.”
She remembered being struck by the Soul Reaping Envoy Hand and severely injured, but now she felt no pain at all, and her spiritual energy was abundant.
It seemed that Tiandu had spared no expense on her recovery.
“That’s good,” Li Ying nodded.
“I came to see you during the day and noticed that your pulse was stable. I expected you to wake up around this time, so I asked Li Que to check on you.”
As she spoke, Li Ying glanced at the immortal Lang Yin.
“I wonder what misunderstanding led the Immortal Lord to take action against Li Que?”
Li Que quickly interjected, “Immortal Lord Lang Yin was fighting outside my courtyard in the middle of the night. I heard the commotion and came out to ask what he wanted, but he said he was here to attack Xu Yanyue, so I naturally had to stop him, and that’s how the conflict began.”
Li Ying raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“The Immortal Lord is known to be sparing with words. Could there be a misunderstanding?”
This matter was indeed puzzling.
Although Li Ying didn’t know the Immortal Lang Yin well, he had lived for three thousand years and was renowned across the continent.
The rumors did not portray him as someone who would act like this…
Li Que insisted, “I didn’t misunderstand. He did intend to harm Xu Yanyue just now. Look at her arm.”
Xu Manman’s arm had been cut by the flying leaf, her sleeve torn, and a faint trace of blood had stained her clothes.
Li Ying looked at Xu Manman, then at Immortal Lang Yin, puzzled.
“Why did this happen?”
Immortal Lang Yin snorted coldly, “I don’t need to explain myself to anyone!”
With that, he flicked his sleeve and left.
“Immortal Lord Lang Yin is incredibly arrogant,” Li Que grumbled, “Even though he holds a high status, Radiant Vermillion isn’t afraid of him.”
“It must be a misunderstanding,” Li Ying gently shook her head.
“With his cultivation, if he truly intended to harm someone, the flying leaf wouldn’t have just cut her sleeve, and you wouldn’t have escaped unscathed.”
Li Que knew there was some truth to Li Ying’s words, but he couldn’t swallow his anger.
Li Ying turned to Xu Manman, “Although your injuries are no longer serious, you should still rest for a few more days. It’s late now. I’ll come to see you tomorrow and talk more about the Soul Reaping Division.”
Xu Manman smiled and said, “How could I trouble Your Majesty to lower yourself to see me? Of course, I should be the one to visit you.”
Li Ying smiled and patted her shoulder, “You’re quite good with words.”
Li Ying left with Li Que, but before she departed, she glanced suspiciously at a corner of the room, only to find it empty and without any sign of disturbance.
Once they were far away, Li Ying asked, “Li Que, was there anyone else in the room besides you and the Immortal Lord?”
Li Que replied, “Only the unconscious Xu Yanyue.”
Li Ying shook her head, “No, there was a fourth presence in the room. Not necessarily a person…”
Li Que’s hair stood on end, “Sis, don’t tell ghost stories in the middle of the night.”
Li Ying smirked, “You’re the young master of the Di Luan Clan, daring to challenge the Immortal Lord without fear of death, yet you’re afraid of ghosts?”
Li Que gritted his teeth, “Many people fear ghosts, not just me.”
Li Ying laughed, “There’s no such thing as ghosts. It’s just a story made up by ignorant people to scare themselves. If there were really ghosts, we should have seen them in the Hall of No Return.”
“But there’s a legend about the three most terrifying places in the world: the God Execution Platform in the Divine Realm, the Molten Abyss in the Demon Realm, and the Endless Hell in the Ghost Realm. If there are no ghosts, where do the Ghost Realm and Endless Hell come from?”
Li Que argued, as if he firmly believed it.
Li Ying said, “It’s just a rumor. When people die, they perish completely, their souls dissipating. Where would ghosts come from? If ghosts existed, could they hide from the Eyes of Dharma? Could they be stronger after death than they were in life?”
Li Que pressed his lips together, wanting to say more but holding back.
Li Ying gave him a sideways glance, “What else do you want to say?”
Li Que took a deep breath and said seriously, “I think… you should stay away from Xu Yanyue. She has a deep mind, full of schemes, sweet-tongued but treacherous…”
Li Ying smiled, “Not entirely wrong, but being around such a clever person is enjoyable.”
Li Que’s face darkened further, “I don’t find it enjoyable at all… If you do, that’s even worse.”
Li Ying raised an eyebrow, “Why?”
Li Que said, “She doesn’t like men, yet she flatters you. Could it be…”
Li Ying was momentarily stunned, then laughed and shook her head, “You’re such a silly brother. Your problem is that your brain is too small, yet you think too much.”
Li Que: “…”
—I’ve been hurt too much tonight…
That night, Xu Manman didn’t dare to seek out Immortal Lang Yin to embarrass herself further.
She washed up in her room and waited until dawn to visit Li Ying.
Before she even reached Li Ying’s small courtyard, she heard the sound of a melodious qin.
The music was slow and serene, like the autumn moon reflected on a still lake, a lonely boat by a dim lantern.
Accompanied by the autumn wind, it added a sense of desolation, making one feel an inexplicable sadness.
Just then, a flute sound pierced the sky, like a fledgling phoenix spreading its wings, crying out loudly, breaking through the desolation of the autumn night, summoning a red sun.
In an instant, the atmosphere became grand and majestic, and the world was filled with splendor.
The qin player’s skill was astonishing, but the flute player’s momentum was overwhelming.
With an unstoppable force, she transformed the somber qin melody into a path of brightness.
Xu Manman stood still for a long time, entranced by the duet of qin and flute. Even after the music stopped, it lingered in the air.
She walked into Li Ying’s courtyard, still longing for more, and saw the Feathered Emperor in a brilliant red robe standing sideways under a maple tree.
Opposite her, in a small pavilion, sat a thin man in white, holding a qin.
His back was straight, but his figure was very slender, and his black hair had streaks of silver.
Xu Manman clapped her hands and exclaimed, “I didn’t expect Your Majesty’s flute playing to be so exceptional, truly grand, and magnificent; it stirred my very soul!”
Li Ying glanced at her with a smile, “Were you born with a mouth that makes people happy?”
Xu Manman giggled, “Not really, but Li Que probably hates me so much he’s grinding his teeth.”
“You’ve seen right through him,” Li Ying chuckled and shook her head.
“Come over and meet someone. This is Bai Tan, someone we brought back from the Hall of No Return.”
The slender man in the pavilion stepped forward, still holding his instrument.
Xu Manman could finally see his face clearly—a very handsome and refined face, though there was an unmistakable air of melancholy between his brows.
“Bai Tan greets cultivator Xu. Thank you for saving my life.”
The man’s voice was hoarse, lacking the melodious quality of his music.
Xu Manman replied, “Oh, I don’t deserve such thanks. It was only possible with the help of the Di Luan Clan.”
“Bai Tan is a musician from the Hall of No Return. We rescued five others with him, but they haven’t woken up yet. They were all prisoners of the Soul Reaping Envoy, used as entertainment in the theater. They’re not affiliated with the Blood Sect. The Soul Reaping Envoy tried to kill them to silence them when we arrived with the Di Luan troops, but I stopped her,” Li Ying explained.
Xu Manman nodded.
“These people didn’t take the Heart Demon Blood Oath, right?”
Li Ying replied, “Correct. They had no hope of leaving the Hall of No Return alive, so the Soul Reaping Envoy didn’t force them to take the oath.”
Xu Manman discreetly studied Bai Tan and commented, “It seems Mr. Bai is a cat spirit?”
Bai Tan nodded slightly.
“Cultivator Xu has sharp eyes. I am indeed a cat spirit.”
Li Ying added, “It’s because of his cat spirit physique that he woke up earlier than the others.”
Xu Manman smiled, “It’s rare to see a cat spirit skilled in music and adept at playing the qin.”
Bai Tan’s grip on his qin tightened slightly, and he unconsciously took a step back.
His amber eyes flashed with a hint of defensiveness, his pupils narrowing into slits, and his voice deepened.
“Is it wrong for a cat to love playing the qin?”
Xu Manman was taken aback, unsure what she had said to upset him.
“Mr. Bai, I meant no offense,” Xu Manman quickly said, her tone serious.
Bai Tan’s pale lips curled into a faintly mocking smile.
“You humans always think this way—cats are supposed to catch mice, cows are supposed to plow fields. A cat that doesn’t catch mice should be killed, and a cow that doesn’t plow should be eaten. If we’re useless to humans, we have no right to exist.”
Bai Tan’s words grew sharp, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, bristling with hostility.
Li Ying frowned, stepping forward to block Bai Tan’s view.
She spoke firmly, “Not everyone thinks that way. Who you are and what you do shouldn’t be defined by others. Other people’s prejudices shouldn’t become your shackles. Mr. Bai, your qin skills are unmatched, but your music is filled with resentment and gloom, which diminishes its depth. Perhaps the one who can’t let go is you!”
Bai Tan’s shoulders trembled slightly, a flicker of confusion crossing his eyes before he lowered his gaze, muttering, “It is I who am trapped in a cage…”
Considering Bai Tan’s tragic past, Li Ying softened her tone and spoke gently, “The qin reflects the heart. I played the flute in response to your music because I heard the sorrow in it. Now that you’ve escaped the abyss, the future is long. Perhaps you should let go of the past and look forward.”
Bai Tan lifted his eyes to meet Li Ying’s gaze.
His amber-colored pupils, which had narrowed before, now relaxed slightly, his expression softening.
He said quietly, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your guidance. I’ve heard that the Feather Clan is naturally gifted in song and dance, their voices heavenly. Today, I see the rumors are true. But Your Majesty, while you said you could hear my heart’s imprisonment in my music, could you also hear that in your own flute playing, despite its grandeur, there was also a hint of helplessness? Could it be that someone as noble as you is also bound by the heart?”
A flicker of surprise crossed Li Ying’s eyes, but she quickly masked it, pressing her lips together without replying.
Bai Tan’s slender fingers plucked the qin strings, producing a few resonant notes.
“Your Majesty, some truths are easy to speak of but harder to let go of in the heart, and the body is even less free. What I can do is not necessarily what I must do, and what I am capable of is not necessarily my duty. I simply wish to live according to my own heart. Can you?”
Bai Tan’s words left Li Ying momentarily lost in thought, unable to respond.
