Chapter 8, perhaps it is truly a love tribulation

I turned back and saw a blue and white robe sweep past the plum blossoms, brushing off the white snow from a branch of red plum. He moved too quickly for me to even recognize his figure

The sleeping quarters of Chonghua are not open to idle individuals, so at this moment, only he and I remain. Upon seeing the garden full of plum blossoms, his expression softened considerably compared to earlier. In a rather good mood, he replied to me: "It is merely one of the few things I cherish."

Chang'an saw him about to leave, desperately struggling to break free from me, rushing over, lying on the ground, crying with a face full of snot and tears: "Immortal Lord! Immortal Lord! Please do not leave Chang'an all alone here! Chang'an does not want to die! Chang'an does not want to die!"

He coldly snorted: "Is burning a qin and boiling a crane also considered an elegant affair in your eyes?"

Chang'an nodded and thought for a moment, then said: "When the Immortal Master left, his face was red"

"Immortal Sovereign." Chang'an extended a small finger and pointed behind me.

I can only plead my case in my heart

Is it truly you, the Immortal Sovereign? Revered Zhenhua?

The Three Lives Stone, the emotional entanglement of the stone

Unexpectedly, ran away

This person is the little Taoist I thought I would take advantage of last time; he resembles the little Mo Xi from my previous life, and every time I see him, I cannot help but feel a sense of heartache and affection

As I flip through these stories, I cover my mouth and stifle a laugh. Mo Xi, oh Mo Xi, in this life, you are nothing but a tsundere

I clenched my teeth and fists in silence

At that moment, I caught a glimpse of two white figures flashing past the back door of the great hall. Driven by curiosity, I focused my gaze and exclaimed, "Oh! ... Isn't that the revered Chonghua and that female Taoist nun referred to as 'Shizu'?"

I shook my head and said confidently, "No." Seeing his face turn pale with anger, I explained, "Boredom is the ultimate killer of plum blossoms. If I were not bored, I naturally would not pay attention to your plum blossoms. I have been howling by that boundary for so many days; why have you not paid me any mind?"

Every day, I would lie by the edge of the barrier, drawing circles, calling out the name of Mo Xi in a lifeless manner. Naturally, the name I was calling was that of Chong Hua.

Having been confined for several days, my days have been rather dull. Even the most beautiful scenery becomes tiresome after two or three days of gazing at it. I was contemplating asking Mo Xi to bring me some books to pass the time, but after wandering near the boundary for several days, I have yet to catch a glimpse of Mo Xi. I am utterly disappointed, profoundly disappointed.

The story of Chang'an unfolds against such a backdrop. It is said that while the young Taoist priests of Liu Bo were busy preparing for tomorrow's banquet, Chang Wu, who had been severely beaten by me last time, was bored in bed nursing his injuries and clamoring for the fruits that would be served to the guests at the banquet. Just then, he saw Chang'an passing by with the fruits and wanted to ask for one to taste. However, Chang'an, being an honest child, refused to give him any. After several exchanges of words that led to conflict, Chang'an could not help but push Chang Wu.

I take a step and stop, each step seemingly accompanied by Mo Xi. Opening my eyes, I still see the red plum blossoms standing proudly against the snow. When I turn around to look, I am startled. Mo Xi is indeed standing by the plum tree with his hands behind his back, gazing at me intently, though I do not know for how long.

This plum garden has been enchanted by Chonghua, with a spell of confinement that ensures the plum blossoms remain forever in the most beautiful moment of winter. Upon stepping in, one enters into his magical realm. Yet now, I find myself willingly confined by him

I relish the rare echoes of memories. With my eyes closed, I imagine the figure of Mo Xi from my past life accompanying me. I take a step forward, and he also takes a step forward, neither too much nor too little, just enough that I can lean back and find support in the place where he stands.

I blinked my eyes, and in my heart, I understood Mo Xi's intentions. It seems that my behavior over the past few days has led him to believe that I am truly not a monster who delights in bloody slaughter, which is why he dared to confidently throw his wayward disciple here, hoping to scare him with my notorious reputation.

How are you doing

As I was contemplating whether to cut down another plum blossom tree, Chonghua appeared with a face full of dark clouds

I cast a strange glance at Mo Xi, who was standing beside me. He stared at Chang'an and let out a cold snort: "Reflect on yourself properly." After saying this, he flicked his sleeves and turned to leave.

Perhaps it is truly a love tribulation

On that day, the weather was clear and pleasant. I suddenly felt inspired, holding a book in my hand, inhaling the fragrance of the plum blossoms, and strolling amidst the shadows of the flowers

Chang'an maintains a calm demeanor, staying quietly indoors without causing any disturbance, patiently waiting for the time to sleep

He took a deep breath, steadied his emotions, and said: "Do not touch my plum again"

This story begins with the last time I destroyed the Thousand Lock Tower and released that wolf demon. I had thought that once I set him free, he would run far away and forget the grievances here. However, I did not expect that the wolf demon was quite persistent. Not only did he not disappear, but he also gathered some demons who harbored resentment against the Flowing Wave, intending to destroy it in one fell swoop. Upon learning of the wolf demon's sinister actions, the Flowing Wave naturally could not sit idly by, so it decided to host a banquet for the leaders of various Taoist sects to discuss the major issue of resisting the enemy.

His face, which is too similar to that of Mo Xi in the previous life, made me feel extremely distressed as tears streamed down. I comforted him several times with kind words, swearing to take revenge for him, and eventually, he slowly ceased his wailing. After sobbing for a while, he asked me:

Mo Xi shook off his robe and walked away with an air of nonchalance. Meanwhile, Chang'an was left alone, lying on the ground, crying uncontrollably, his entire body trembling, with a face full of desolation

I pay no heed to Chang'an, and thus he does not dare to disturb me... This day passed quite peacefully... Well, if it were not for the incident that occurred in the evening, it would indeed be considered a very peaceful day.

The time for the Wolf Demon counterattack is approaching, and today is the day of the Flowing Wave banquet hosted for the leaders of various sects. As the sky darkened, I happened to finish reading this story. When I looked up, I noticed that the Flowing Wave Mountain was brightly lit tonight, illuminating the sky by an additional three points.

I poked his head, and Chang'an, with swollen eyes, looked up at me. I smiled kindly and said, "Shall we have a chat?"

I, Liangliang, said: "These plum blossoms are not easy to grow, but with so many plants, I should be able to enjoy them for a few days, right"

In a moment of clarity, I felt as if I had returned to the appearance of my previous life. I lazed around the house all day, and after Mo Xi returned from school, accompanied by the bright sunlight, she pushed the door open and gently called out to me: "San Sheng"

I stretched out my hand, the veins on my forehead bulging, wanting to hold back but unable to, just as I was about to curse. That little brat, however, was hiding behind a plum tree, peeking out and saying: "Um... um, tonight, you can still go inside to sleep. It's... cold outside"

However, when I was brought to his chamber, my eyes suddenly turned red, and I was almost moved to tears

You, you are being so kind to me, are you trying to quiet me down, and then, then take me?

I quietly stared at him for a while and sighed, saying: "My name is San Sheng"

I smiled brightly and waved at him

What exactly do you want to do

Ultimately, I am, after all, a benevolent spirit

On the second day, when I woke up, there were quite a few storybooks left on the floor

Mo Xi flicked her sleeves and pushed aside Chang'an, casting a fleeting glance at me, and said: "Competing with your fellow disciples, to the point of serious injury, being punished to reflect alone for one month is already a great act of leniency. Do not wail here, it is disgraceful."

He blinked his eyes and, after a long while, timidly called out to me: "San... San Sheng."

At that time, I was learning how the ancients made tea with melted snow. Naturally, I had no tea here, so I chopped down a plum tree, used the branches as firewood, and boiled the plum blossoms to see if I could make a pot of porridge from so many blossoms

He hurriedly stepped beside me and glanced at the plum tree that I had uprooted, saying: "Boiled plum?"

Mo Xi saw me step into his spell, and without further words, he turned away indifferently

At this moment, I only saw the Taoist priestess tugging at Chonghua's wide sleeves, her face filled with urgency, yet Chonghua's face was shrouded in shadow, making it difficult for me to see clearly... They struck such a pose that sparked boundless imagination...

Due to Changwu being injured, he was carelessly pushed off the bed by Chang'an. He fell face down, resulting in a bloody head injury. This scene was precisely witnessed by an elder passing by. ... Changwu cried and wailed incessantly, while Chang'an found it difficult to defend himself against the accusations ...

Having destroyed the Thousand Locks Tower, I have no intention of fleeing from the Flowing Waves. I believe that even if this lifetime's Mo Xi does not favor me as much, I cannot allow him to fall into the hands of others. At the very least, I must safeguard his purity and protect it for the entirety of this life.

I nodded with satisfaction, rummaging through the house to find the book of stories that Chonghua had sent me a few days ago, and settled comfortably under the plum tree to read. It is a tale of a talented scholar and a beautiful woman reuniting after a long separation, a story of a broken mirror being mended, which perfectly aligns with my current state of mind, and I found myself deeply engrossed in it

With the companionship of the script, my days will be much better. Living in the underworld is no different from leading a decadent and dissolute life. It is better to be here, watching over Mo Xi while enjoying the company of Hong Mei and Qing Xue, finding joy and ease in my existence

I was momentarily stunned, let out a soft sigh, and murmured to myself: "Mo Xi, oh Mo Xi, how is it that in this life you have turned out to be so useless? I was merely trying to confess my feelings to you..."

The figure departing over there paused slightly

"The flowing waves never serve anyone." With that, he turned and left

He only focused on shaking and did not respond to my words

Script. The latest script, along with sunflower seeds and green tea

In the end, it was my family member Mo Xi who boldly stated: "Close the door to my sleeping quarters. I will personally oversee it."

Liubo is a sacred place in today's monastic community, and Master Chonghua is the head of Liubo, so his sleeping quarters are naturally of exceptional quality

Immortal, Immortal Sovereign

I jumped with joy and ran over. With my arms wide open, I reached out to embrace him

I blinked my eyes and smiled joyfully: "Do you consider this a refined matter, esteemed one?"

He slightly furrowed his brow

I wiped the sweat from my brow, and I still do not remember what kind of heinous act I committed that could instill such fear in this child. The last time I struck a little Taoist priest, did I not let him go unharmed? Why does this child not know gratitude and still fear me so much?

Why go outside? Naturally, that child can't sleep at all with me nearby!

This ... ... this flower ... ... " My voice trembled slightly

I smiled with joy, the two characters "Mo Xi" were on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them back, transforming them into the two characters "Chong Hua" and called them out instead

The corners of my mouth twitched, and I truly wanted to know what thoughts his master had instilled in him. I pinched his chubby cheeks and smiled lewdly: "Of course, I want to harvest. But I only want to harvest your immortal lord, to drain him completely, to the point of exhaustion and death"

The old men of the flowing waves found themselves in a predicament, unsure of how to deal with me. They could neither confine me nor overpower me, and that night they lost quite a bit of hair in their anxiety

After much effort, I spent half a day chatting with this child, using both coaxing and trickery, and finally managed to clarify why he was punished and brought here

I was feeling bored, so I took a stroll around the perimeter of Meilin. Not seeing any flaws, I abandoned the thought and prepared to go back, wash up, and sleep.

I blink my eyes to disperse the moisture within them

I said solemnly: "It depends on what kind of wood the qin is made of; meat roasted with good wood is naturally fragrant. This crane should not be too old either. An old one is not very presentable when killed."

I gazed at his silhouette, gently reaching out to touch the white snow atop the red plum blossoms. Suddenly, a memory flashed through my mind from long ago, of an old Taoist with a white beard shaking his head and saying to me: "Emotional tribulation."

I pressed my hand to my heart and said with deep emotion: "Indeed, your appearance is quite pleasing, but it is somewhat lacking in size. Yet, in my heart, your immortal lord has long taken residence; my mind is filled with his image, my thoughts are consumed by his grace. Before I sleep, I think of his voice, and when I awaken, I think of his face. When I do not see him, my longing drives me to madness, and when I do see him, my heart races like a drum. Unbeknownst to me, I have already fallen for you, to the point of losing my senses, unable to extricate myself, and I find it hard to contain the desire to surrender myself..."

The moment I think about being able to live in the same courtyard with him from now on, I generously choose not to hold grudges

Although the night here is cold, it is not bleakly chilly. I have lived by the banks of the Wangchuan River for many years and am not afraid of this bit of cold. However, Chang'an is different; no matter how gifted a child may be, he is still human. I prepared a quilt for him in the small room and lit a fire. Then I spent the night outside, making do.

It was only after I had given up calling for him that, within a few days, he appeared

Thus, he is here

On the morning of the second day, when I woke up, I saw Chang'an gently wrapping me in a blanket. When he noticed that I had opened my eyes, he jumped back in surprise, shivering twice, and kept retreating. He stumbled and fell awkwardly. I got up to help him, but he scrambled away in a panic.

I marvel at how well the confinement techniques of Chonghua have been mastered, making it truly difficult for me to find a way to escape. Besides flirting with Mo Xi, joining in the fun is my greatest passion.

When everyone else hesitated, I was the first to nod in agreement, which caused the stranger in this world to furrow her brow

Mo Xi, even if you have drunk the Meng Po soup, you have not forgotten the clear snow and subtle fragrance, and you still remember the tranquil plum garden

However, despite my persistent calls, he still did not appear in my line of sight

Behind his magnificent sleeping quarters lies a tranquil plum garden that seems somewhat out of place with the entire Liubo. It is not winter, yet the plum garden is covered in white snow, and the red plums are in full bloom, their fragrance wafting for miles. It is evident that some enchantment has been cast upon it.

He dodged to the side, and I initially thought I would embrace nothing but air, yet to my surprise, I held onto a small figure that was trembling violently. When I pulled this little thing out from my arms, I was quite astonished: "Chang'an, what are you doing here?"