CH 38

(Sorry for the late update! I participated in the OP-03 pre-release and managed to get two wanted cards and a AA Kuro Leader!!)

A woman dressed extravagantly sat atop a plump donkey, her legs dangling freely.

The evening breeze picked up, causing the brass bell tied around the donkey's neck to chime with a series of crisp sounds. The woman gazed at the closed gates of the Pei mansion and shouted, "Hey, wake up!"

The sound waves rippled through the air, resembling a stone skipping across the surface of a calm lake.

Snap!

Water splashed in all directions.

Pei Xuan rubbed her eyes, abruptly jolted awake. "Who's there?.”

…

Originally, the night was adorned with stars and the glowing moon. However, dark clouds rolled in, obscuring the moon and robbing the stars of their brilliance. The once radiant night turned into an abyss of thick, suffocating darkness.

The butler swiftly arrived and respectfully stood outside the door. "Madam, Young Master, there is a peculiar woman outside who claims to be able to alleviate your worries."

"Alleviate?" Mrs. Pei glanced at her daughter.

Pei Xuan sat by Cui Ti's bedside, gently wiping away her sweat. The mansion's family doctor spoke out about his powerlessness against Cui Ti’s illness. 

Realizing this, she spoke with a deep voice, "Please invite her in."

The inner room was filled with the bitter aroma of medicinal decoction. Pei Xuan glanced sideways as the gauze curtain was drawn down.

A mysterious visitor had entered through the door in the dead of night.

Under the illumination, her attire was striking, as if she intended to wear every color in the world. She was unparalleled in her appearance, ageless, with dark eyes and a smile that held a profound seriousness, captivating anyone who beheld it.

Her clothes were resplendent, adorned with a fat jade crane hanging from her waist, its eyes closed.

Pei Xuan observed the woman, and in return, the woman calmly studied Pei Xuan.

Youthful and romantic, gentle and graceful, her waist remained slender as ever. The allure of integrity and inviolability hadn't waned over the years.

The faint celestial aura had transformed into an air of profound erudition. She appeared like a scholar, her eyes resembling stars, exuding a sense of clarity throughout her entire being, akin to a radiant moonlit night and a gentle spring breeze.

She smiled, "I have had the pleasure of meeting Pei Xuan."

Pei Xuan greeted her, "May I inquire as to the purpose of your visit?.”

"I am here because of your wife’s illness."

She disclosed a secret known only to insiders, leaving Mrs. Pei, who was behind a screen, astonished and pondering over the identity of this person.

Famous hermits often concealed themselves within renowned mountains and rivers, but the voice of this individual did not resemble that of a long-lived mythical creature; instead, it sounded remarkably young.

The woman's smile remained unwavering, and she gazed at Pei Xuan with an expression of delight, as if witnessing a rare spectacle.

"Senior possesses true skills." Pei Xuan had no doubts and immediately bowed respectfully, saying, "Please lend me your assistance, senior."

"It's a simple matter," she responded.

With a flick of her fingers, she brushed against the jade hanging from her waist, causing the fat crane to reluctantly twist twice, as if it were a living creature.

The candle cast a bright glow as Pei Xuan took a few steps forward, leading the way with her back turned.

The screen to the bed was lifted, and Mrs. Pei emerged to greet the esteemed guests.

The woman nodded slightly, her gaze shifting towards the bed.

The gauze curtain was unfurled, revealing a scene that filled Pei Xuan with sorrow. "This is my wife," she explained. 

"She was fine before, but after being frightened that day, she developed a high fever. The medicine didn't improve her condition; in fact, it worsened."

As Pei Xuan spoke, Cui Ti remained trapped in a nightmare, unable to awaken. She softly wept, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes. She dared not cry aloud, yet the anguish in her expression pierced Pei Xuan's heart.

In this unsettling situation, the woman's laughter seemed out of place, drawing astonished gazes from the ‘mother and daughter.’

"Senior?" Pei Xuan questioned, perplexed.

The woman looked at her deeply, as if watching something interesting.

Sensing the carefully concealed discontent within Pei Xuan, the woman approached the bed, feigning to take the pulse.

A pin drop could be heard in the room, with only Cui Ti's feeble cries and occasional whispers of "Husband."

Pei Xuan's heart felt as if it were being crushed upon hearing her desolate and despairing cries.

As the woman slowly withdrew her hand, Pei Xuan anxiously inquired, "How is she? What's wrong with my wife? Is it something serious?.”

In the stillness of her heart, the tranquility of the past seemed impossible to attain.

"The young madam isn't ill," she revealed.

Pei Xuan's eyelids twitched, her lips pursed, and the color drained from her face.

When seeking medical advice, the most dreaded words to hear are often these.

"Could the expert please elaborate? If my wife isn't suffering from an illness, then what is it?.”

"It's not an illness; it's a curse," she declared.

"A curse?" Pei Xuan gestured for her to step outside and discuss the matter in detail.

A servant girl soon came in and skillfully served tea to entertain the esteemed guest.

Once everyone was seated and the bystanders had departed, the woman continued, "The art of foul sorcery has existed since ancient times. Someone has used this method to curse the young madam, preventing her from awakening from the nightmare through her own efforts. This particular curse is exceedingly malicious, as it induces the victim to experience the most terrifying death if she stops fighting back."

"Death?"

"That's correct. If she doesn’t wake up in seven days, then her fate is sealed.”

Immortal Hehuansan is the name of the woman who rode the donkey and the supposed ‘hermit’ straightforwardly admitted that Cui Ti was cursed, but didn’t want to say it was because of her involvement.

Mr. Xining’s eldest daughter was born blind, and her deepest desire in this new life was to see her ‘husband’ from her previous life.

She fervently prayed to every deity and god in the heavens, but they all turned a blind eye to her pleas

Only Immortal Hehuansan, who was scorned by the other immortals in the heavenly court, was moved by her heartfelt suffering and agreed to listen. 

And so, she arrived as an immortal riding a crane, opening Cui Ti’s spiritual eyes and granting her long-cherished wish across two lifetimes.

But by assisting Cui Ti, when this became known, her adversaries retaliated by targeting her.

But how could this be allowed?

Not to mention that Cui Ti's life and death directly affected her survival in the impending catastrophe. Even taking a step back, Cui Ti was the one who she wanted to save and protect.

Pei Xuan's complexion turned ashen, and in a sudden motion, she lifted her robe and fell to her knees, pleading, "I implore your guidance, expert. Please save my wife!.”

"Rise, please rise," she responded calmly.

For Cui Ti's sake, Immortal Hehuansan truly disregarded everything. It couldn't help but bring back memories of eight hundred years ago—how was Wen Quxing, her lover, during that time?.

Exquisite and refined, distant from vibrant colors, with a serene and pure heart.

Once, she descended to heaven to attend a grand gathering. Upon seeing Wen Quxing, she was so overwhelmed with shame that she hid her face in embarrassment.

Unexpectedly, she became infatuated with Wen Quxing.

Since then, she had been diligently observing her every move day and night through a celestial mirror, without daring to utter a word.

Over the past eight hundred years, she witnessed her transformation from a girl just starting to cultivate into a formidable cultivator, all through the celestial mirror's watchful gaze.

However, during a battle to claim the mountain's summit, Wen Quxing fell victim to a plot devised by a demon. Unable to remain indifferent from afar, Immortal Hehuansan embarked on a journey to the mortal realm.

With Wen Quxing tugging at the hem of her clothes, crying out in pain, her heart was stirred by her suffering, prompting her to continue to stay in the mortal realm to repent her sins.

The impending doom was relentless and fierce.

It's not a happily-ever-after ending.

In this current life, it marks the eighth unsuccessful attempt for the two of them.

Despite Immortal Hehuansan's heart being in turmoil, she is quite inept when it comes to expressing love and overly particular about it.

In their first life, Wen Quxing aged, and then the aged woman met her demise without her uttering a word of affection.

In the second life, they found themselves amidst a war-ravaged era. In such a chaotic world, there was little space for them to be together.

What remained for them was an unceasing longing.

After countless cycles, they finally reached the seventh life, the very life that Cui Ti had dreamt of.

In this reincarnation, Wen Quxing had the opportunity to welcome Immortal Hehuansan into her modest abode, yet, she still couldn't escape the cruel grasp of life and death.

Contemplating this, Immortal Hehuansan let out a sigh, feigning a sense of world-weariness, while Pei Xuan's heart raced, causing her fingers to perspire.

"At this moment, there is only one way to break the curse."

"How?" Pei Xuan inquired.

Immortal Hehuansan eyes lit up mischievously as she deliberately pushed the turbulent path of love between the two. She even contemplated shattering the very essence and virtue she learned from Wen Quxing and asked, “What does the lady hold most dear?.”

"This..."

"Do you both have feelings for each other?" 

"Certainly!"

Immortal Hehuansan looked at her once again, feeling gratified that, after enduring numerous lifetimes of calamity, someone had found love, "Come closer, and I will explain everything in detail."

Pei Xuan complied, and Mrs. Pei observed the two of them whispering with curiosity.

Just as confusion clouded Pei Xuan's mind, her complexion suddenly changed. Her face flushed, leaving observers uncertain whether it was due to embarrassment or anger. "Ridiculous! How can such a cure exist?.” 

Immortal Hehuansan retorted, "Why would you find it absurd? In the Kingdom of Luo in the Western Great Ming, there was a princess who was enchanted and fell into a deep slumber. The prince arrived on horseback and awakened her with a kiss."

"What’s more, in the Ming'er Prefecture, there stands a stone statue. A man mourns for his deceased wife and weeps throughout the night in front of the stone statue. His unwavering devotion moves the world. Then, one fateful day, the stone cracks, and a revived woman emerges from within. Shortly after, the two lovers remain together for the rest of their lives."

"Pei Xuan, with your knowledge and wisdom, you shouldn't be ignorant of these tales."

If it weren't for Immortal Hehuansan's status as a mysterious expert, Pei Xuan would have expelled her long ago. She restrained himself and stated, "Senior, I'm not joking with you. My wife is sick.. This is truly an inappropriate matter!.”

"..."

She grinned unabashedly, resembling alluring wildflowers that captivate the eye, "Happiness in this world is a powerful force. If pursued to its extreme, it can even bring the dead back to life. If you don't believe me, why not give it a try?.”

Her mission was to save Cui Ti.

In Cui Ti's past life as a young woman, she worried that her husband refused to consummate their marriage. In this present life, even though the two have a physical relationship, their connection remains as fragile as a piece of paper.

What is it that they lack?

Love, love, love—never lingering, never progressing.

"Remember, there are only seven days remaining. Once those seven days pass, she will perish in despair within the dream. What does she fear? What awaits her in that dream realm? Are you willing to let it happen?.”

Pei Xuan hesitated, her reluctance evident.