Ephemeral Dreams, Many Illusions 7

Jiang Xue He glanced at Di Ying.

Only then did she recall that his master was that unlucky fellow, and she couldn't help but feel a little annoyed: "Of course."

Hearing this, Jiang Xue He still didn't dare to harbor any intentions. His hand was cold and stained with blood. She subtly flinched a little, but her Senior Brother's hand remained still.

Jiang Xue He asked, "Still can't escape now?"

Di Ying thought for a moment: "Let me ask Second Senior Brother."

She then leaned against Jiang Xue He's chest, completely unguarded, and right in front of him, she activated a Sound Transmission Talisman to inquire about Second Senior Brother's situation. She meticulously described her and Senior Brother's heroic posture while fighting Bi Fang, telling Second Senior Brother that Bi Fang had fled in shame and would probably seek him out, warning him to be careful.

Jiang Xue He lowered his gaze to look at her.

After the recent chaotic battle, she was a little disheveled, her hair and clothes stained with some blood and dust. But Di Ying was in high spirits, and when she spoke of her battle with Bi Fang, she was even more brimming with pride, her eyes shining.

A Sound Transmission Talisman could only convey a limited message. She gave a perfunctory account of his situation, omitting many details, yet when it came to her heroic combat posture, she wished she could explain every move in detail, making others aware of how formidable she was.

What a proud little girl.

Jiang Xue He smiled.

As she pinched the Sound Transmission Talisman to transmit her message, he couldn't help but lean closer, his fingers gently smoothing the strands of hair clinging to her cheek, tidying them for her.

Amidst her busy thoughts, Di Ying slightly dodged: "Your hand has blood, don't rub it on my face..."

But her look of disgust paused for a moment, as she noticed her Senior Brother's fingers on her cheek were clean and pale, with only a few isolated wounds on the back of his hand, devoid of any dust or blood.

Jiang Xue He coaxed her: "I won't rub it on you. Go on, finish what you're saying."

Di Ying's heart skipped a beat.

She continued to converse with Second Senior Brother via the Sound Transmission Talisman, still intent on describing how formidable she was. However, Senior Brother's hand kept touching her cheek and hair, making her feel somewhat flustered and distracted, her mind involuntarily following his hand.

He leaned down and gently blew a speck of dust from her eyelashes.

Di Ying was startled, suddenly looking up and meeting his dark, tender eyes.

Jiang Xue He: "What's wrong?"

Di Ying stammered: "You, you can't be like that, like that..."

Jiang Xue He: "Hmm?"

Di Ying's mind raced, her gaze constantly drawn to his face, which was much more handsome than before. She tried to convince herself not to look too much, but the more she tried to calm down, the more she couldn't help but steal glances at him.

Di Ying's heart was a chaotic mess, flustered and agitated.

After a long while, she finally blurted out: "You can't seduce me!"

Seduce.

Jiang Xue He's fingers, resting on her bangs, stiffened.

How did she come up with that word?

Jiang Xue He's lips pressed together slightly. Di Ying immediately grew impatient: "You, you're teasing me!"

She said in a panic: "From just now, you've been teasing me. You, you promised before not to force me, why are you treating me like this now?"

Jiang Xue He: "......"

He showed no change in expression: "Did you learn these things on the mountain? And after learning them, you say—Senior Brother is seducing you?"

Di Ying's face flushed, her eyes flickering.

But her attitude remained consistently willful: "I, I also like to read books when I'm bored. I've read several romance novels..."

Jiang Xue He: "Read what?"

Di Ying was about to speak, but then suddenly became wary, glaring at him: "I won't tell you, if I tell you, you'll take away my romance novels again."

Jiang Xue He raised an eyebrow.

Di Ying saw the curve of his raised eyebrow, finding it incredibly beautiful.

She was momentarily lost.

She didn't know if it was because she had read a few scholar-beauty romance novels and was now captivated by beauty, or if Senior Brother was indeed much more handsome than before, and she was simply enchanted by his looks.

She hesitated, and Jiang Xue He said: "I don't intend to take your romance novels, it's to check your studies. After we return, I'll see what you've cultivated. Your romance novels... if they're not a problem, I have no intention of taking them."

Di Ying: "Really?"

Jiang Xue He gently nodded.

Di Ying: "Swear it!"

He chuckled inwardly.

He sighed softly: "Just now you said I was seducing you, now you're acting like a child."

Di Ying was unconvinced, then heard him lean down and ask: "Would I seduce a child?"

Di Ying: "......"

She couldn't answer, then heard Jiang Xue He say: "I am your Senior Brother. You have always eaten and lived with me, accustomed to intimacy. I was a little careless and forgot that you have come of age, grown up, and many things are no longer appropriate.

"It was like that before, but thinking about it now, it truly isn't right. Senior Brother apologizes to you."

Di Ying blinked, her heart fluctuating, swaying foolishly.

She was a little confused... but she knew she didn't mean for him to apologize.

However, Senior Brother withdrew the hand that had just been stroking her hair, embraced her, and then gently pushed her away a little. She sat between his legs, and his upper body leaned back slightly. He was elegant and slender, she was delicate and petite. Even so close, Jiang Xue He had firmly created a person's distance between them.

Di Ying: "......"

Jiang Xue He said: "I didn't seduce you, nor did I force anything upon you. I merely protected you as your Senior Brother. If you don't wish it, Senior Brother will no longer act this way."

He lowered his gaze.

His long, thick eyelashes concealed his expression.

Di Ying, however, perceived a hint of sadness and melancholy, hearing his hoarse voice in the cold, desolate world: "Had I known this, I shouldn't have asked you that day if you wished to be with me. Our good Senior Brother-Junior Sister relationship has instead created a barrier, making you constantly wary, fearing me greatly."

Di Ying hastily said: "I didn't! I wasn't afraid of you! I see you as my Senior Brother..."

She leaned over to hug him, rubbing against his chest.

She looked up, pouting playfully: "See, I ran out to see you. I'm not afraid of you, don't be sad."

Jiang Xue He lowered his gaze to look at her.

His eyes were calm and gentle, the same way he always treated her. But now, they held a touch more melancholy, which made Di Ying uncomfortable.

She couldn't bear to see his spirits fall, but he quickly adjusted his mood and slowly changed the subject: "Has Second Junior Brother not replied to the Sound Transmission Talisman yet?"

Di Ying was stunned for a moment, realizing he wasn't continuing their previous conversation. Her heart felt clawed, but if she were to continue, she wouldn't know what to say either.

Di Ying then nodded somewhat sullenly, saying perfunctorily: "He's probably on the run, too busy to check the Sound Transmission Talisman. But Bi Fang is injured, and Second Senior Brother is very formidable, so I'm not too worried about him."

Jiang Xue He: "You're wearing Second Junior Brother's outer robe. Was that to help him lure Bi Fang?"

Di Ying nodded.

Jiang Xue He gently said: "How can there be a Senior Brother here, yet you are made to be the bait? Give me the clothes."

Di Ying was puzzled: "Do you want to take Second Senior Brother's clothes with you? But that Bi Fang suffered injuries, and his target is Second Senior Brother, so he might not even come back. Besides, even if that small Bi Fang does return... aren't you and I together? Whether the clothes are on me or on you, isn't it the same?"

Jiang Xue He looked at her: "...You want to be with me?"

Di Ying was startled for a moment, then became displeased: "What do you mean? Do you not want me by your side? Didn't you say you were my Senior Brother and wanted to cherish me? Are you hiding some secret from me that you don't want me to know?"

She was aggressive, a fire burning in her heart. She pounced forward to grab his collar, making a ruckus.

Jiang Xue He, however, had a good temper. He allowed her to rant and rave for a while, then leaned to the side and, not too heavily, coughed once, spitting out a mouthful of blood at just the right moment.

Di Ying was stunned, then immediately dug out medicinal pills and ointment from her Storage Bag: "Senior Brother, you're injured, let me help you apply the medicine."

Jiang Xue He gently said: "First, take off that man's outer robe for me."

Di Ying angrily retorted: "At a time like this, what does an outer robe matter?"

Jiang Xue He leaned down: "Take it off?"

His voice was like the melodious song of an oriole, his tone gentle and soft, making her mind feel like mush, confused and muddled, and she agreed.

After applying the medicine and taking off the clothes, Jiang Xue He put away Bai Lu Ye's outer robe and turned to look at the girl in the pale yellow dress who was getting up.

Because he had coaxed her into taking off her clothes, after she reacted, she became a little petulant. But with her childish nature, Jiang Xue He knew, as he walked behind her, that she wasn't truly angry with him.

For Di Ying was standing outside the Lock Spirit Formation, assessing the fake general trapped within.

The fake general roared and cursed, constantly using spells to attack the formation. But the ancient battlefield's layout conformed to the Bagua and Five Elements, and Di Ying's formation was ingeniously designed and sturdy, so the fake general truly couldn't escape.

Aside from this, Di Ying could still hear the faint cries of ghosts and sparse military songs in the world.

As Jiang Xue He walked over, she immediately leaned close and hugged his arm.

Jiang Xue He lowered his gaze and glanced at her.

Who was it that said he was seducing her earlier? Why was she clinging to him herself?

He was about to tease her a few times when he saw Di Ying change the subject herself, asking: "Why is it still Liu Ye City? You've been here for half a year. Last time I asked, you said you left, so why are you back?"

Jiang Xue He paused.

He said: "My cultivation base has some problems."

Di Ying immediately looked at him.

He rubbed the top of her head, his expression serene. Di Ying suddenly had a feeling and quietly asked: "Is it a problem with the Jing Ren Curse?"

He nodded.

Di Ying then grew angry on his behalf: "That Jing Ren Curse is too hateful, always tormenting you. One day, I want to help you completely remove it."

He knew the Jing Ren Curse couldn't be removed.

But Jiang Xue He smiled: "Then I shall wait."

As he spoke, his gaze shifted from the Lock Spirit Formation array on the ground, no longer looking at the fake general, but towards the distant, grayish-white horizon.

It was already past midnight, heading towards dawn. In a little while, the sun would rise.

The surrounding ghost shadows grew faint, the military songs that mortals could hear weakened, and a ray of golden sunlight spilled out from behind the clouds.

With the sun out, Di Ying was no longer afraid of ghosts. She bravely let go of Jiang Xue He's arm and went to retrieve the Lock Spirit Formation, capturing the fake general into her demon-capturing Spiritual Treasure.

She was busy without pause, while Jiang Xue He stood calmly in the world, gazing at the desolate wasteland and the rising sun.

From all this, he sensed a subtle familiarity.

Jiang Xue He didn't let go of any clue.

He stood in the world, silently gazing. Di Ying, in her busyness, secretly watched him. Senior Brother was always gentle, but only when deep in thought would he become serious like this, his expression more indifferent and stern than usual.

A moment later, Jiang Xue He was slightly dazed. Immediately after, the indifference on his face faded, but his expression remained subtle.

Di Ying asked: "What's wrong?"

Jiang Xue He turned to look at her, and he smiled: "Nothing. I just suddenly realized that not far from here is Duan Sheng Dao valley."

Di Ying immediately stood upright.

Jiang Xue He recalled: "From here, go three li south, and you'll encounter a wide river. Follow the river into the gorge. After passing through the gorge and dispelling the mountain-guarding formation, you'll find a hidden valley, which is Duan Sheng Dao.

"But now... Duan Sheng Dao is long gone."

Apart from Li Bu, everyone else in Duan Sheng Dao had been killed by him.

Standing on the ancient battlefield now, watching the ghost souls gradually disappear from the world, he felt a sense of time being dislocated.

Blood, Spiritual Energy, swords, talismans... memories of old days, all rushed towards him.

His gaze fell upon the rows of tombstones on the ancient battlefield, and he remembered that day when he was in the formation, being painfully cleansed of his marrow and stripped of his bones, watching those ghost souls devour his flesh, his mortal body.

Many of those ghost souls, a portion of them, came from this ancient battlefield where he now stood.

That day, when he came to Liu Ye City, he hadn't realized, or perhaps had intentionally forgotten... that this place was truly very close to Duan Sheng Dao.

He silently felt the coldness and cruelty of time.

Suddenly, a soft, delicate hand reached out and placed itself in his cold palm.

He looked down.

Di Ying: "Here, take my hand."

Jiang Xue He looked at her for a moment: "How can that be? It wouldn't be proper for me to seduce you."

Di Ying was stunned, truly not expecting him to say such a thing. She couldn't help but glare at him.

She endured her temper: "My hand is cold, why don't you help me warm it up a bit? Can you please not bring up what I said before?"

Jiang Xue He's expression softened slightly, suppressing a smile.

He gently clasped her hand.

Her hand was soft and delicate, neutralizing the bone-chilling cold he felt in this world.

He couldn't help but tighten his grip a little more.

When he noticed, he exerted a little force, checking her wrist. But Di Ying didn't get angry with him, nor did she say he was holding her too tightly.

She leaned close to him, stammering: "This place... seems not far from Tianshan either."

Indeed, if it was close to Duan Sheng Dao, then it was naturally also very close to Tianshan.

Even... very close to where she grew up as a child.

But that last part, Di Ying didn't want to mention.

Jiang Xue He naturally didn't know.

He thought she was missing Tianshan, so he said: "After my matters are handled, shall I return to Tianshan to see how your former Master is doing?"

Di Ying thought for a moment, then nodded confidently.

She felt that she could now defeat those small-fry dream-spell users who coveted Tianshan, and her former Master wouldn't have to hide pitifully.

She became excited, looking up: "Then don't tell him beforehand, I'll give him a surprise!"

Jiang Xue He nodded.

Di Ying then hesitantly asked: "...So, do you want to go back to Duan Sheng Dao to take a look?"

Jiang Xue He smiled and shook his head.

He said gently: "Xiao Ying, don't worry about me. I have no regrets in this life, nor do I look back at past events. Duan Sheng Dao, to me, is still distant... I stopped caring long ago."

Di Ying asked: "Then what do you care about?"

He glanced at her.

Perhaps that gaze lingered for too long, for Di Ying's heart couldn't help but beat a little faster.

She didn't shy away from his gaze.

But he looked away.

He said: "Naturally, I care about you."

Di Ying was both delighted and a little disappointed.

She raised her hand and scratched his palm a little. He was puzzled but indulged her nonetheless.

After dawn, Di Ying followed Jiang Xue He, traversing this ancient battlefield.

She inquired about what Senior Brother was doing here.

Jiang Xue He then led her to the dense expanse of tombstones and told her:

"This place, at the junction of Dong Zhou and Zhong Zhou, descending from Bei Zhou, often suffers from Foul Ghost Tides invading the mortal realm. The Wushen Palace of Zhong Zhou is busy sealing and expelling Foul Ghosts. In this mortal realm, the Wushen Palace occasionally fails to respond in time, so mortals without cultivation must learn to protect themselves.

"Liu Ye City is a crucial stronghold in this mortal realm, protecting the surrounding cities and resisting the Foul Ghost Tides.

"The City Lord is of the Liu Clan. Many of the Liu family's children have died in wars, and now only a frail Miss Liu remains. Miss Liu is resourceful; over the past few years, it is thanks to her strategies that this mortal realm has remained intact amidst the Foul Ghost Tides.

"Miss Liu..."

His voice paused for a moment.

Di Ying keenly noticed and asked: "What's wrong with her?"

Jiang Xue He slowly explained in terms Di Ying could understand: "Miss Liu has an unusual constitution, making her very attractive to humans, demons, and ghosts. Perhaps because of a long period of peace, many humans and demons, once relaxed, began to harbor intentions towards her."

Di Ying began to get confused: "What intentions?"

Jiang Xue He: "Didn't I capture this demon today because it wanted to abduct Miss Liu?"

Di Ying: "Oh, so it wanted to force Miss Liu into marriage, right?"

Jiang Xue He nodded: "Miss Liu, bothered by the constant harassment, summoned cultivators from all directions to drive away the evil demons. But Miss Liu's constitution... makes me very curious..."

He fell into contemplation.

Di Ying grew more and more confused: "Then why did this demon pretend to be a general? And why did it want to take people to the ancient battlefield?"

Jiang Xue He regained his composure and explained: "Ten years ago, Liu Ye City experienced its most tragic battle. Under normal circumstances, Foul Ghosts would mostly be sealed by the Wushen Palace, and the mortal realm would only have to face a portion of the actual pressure. But ten years ago, there was a change in the Foul Ghost Tide, and it appeared in Liu Ye City... Before the Wushen Palace could send help, humanity had to confront the Foul Ghosts themselves.

"At that time, many people in Liu Ye City died. That battle was very famous, and most famously, Miss Liu's fiancé at the time, Ye Cheng, led a hundred thousand soldiers to die together on the ancient battlefield."

Di Ying was shocked.

She looked down at the tombstones.

Jiang Xue He: "The tombstones left here bear names... Many people, however, left nothing behind."

Di Ying felt a sudden sympathy for the never-before-met Miss Liu: "How old was she then?"

Jiang Xue He: "About the same age as you are now."

Di Ying was startled.

She lowered her head in thought, wondering what if the person she loved hadn't... No, she didn't have anyone she loved.

She clasped Jiang Xue He's hand tightly.

Jiang Xue He: "But that battle, there's some controversy..."

Jiang Xue He continued: "Foul Ghosts are too powerful for mortals without cultivation. To buy time for the Wushen Palace, Miss Liu's fiancé, Ye Cheng, used a sinister art at the time—Human Sacrifice.

"A hundred thousand soldiers died, but I don't know how many died at the hands of their own families. Miss Liu told me that Ye Cheng was tied up by his family, and when he regained consciousness, his soul was gone, and his body was imbued with the Foul Qi gathered from tens of thousands of people through that sinister art. At that time, Ye Cheng was regarded as the 'Ghost General.'

"Miss Liu said that Ye Cheng was also a victim. Later, his method resisted the Foul Ghost Tide until the Wushen Palace's aid arrived. Ye Cheng, as a vengeful ghost, dissipated into the world... Miss Liu, defying public opinion, insisted on erecting gravestones and burying relics for Ye Cheng and the soldiers who participated in the Human Sacrifice.

"From then on, the ancient battlefield was frequently haunted by ghosts... Some say it's the unappeased vengeful souls of the Human Sacrifice, weeping and wailing every night. Miss Liu's constitution is frail, and the Liu Clan has been unable to bear children, seemingly facing extinction... This is retribution."

Di Ying frowned: "Nonsense."

In this matter, good and evil are relative. After death, vengeful souls lose their consciousness, so how could they seek revenge on the Liu Clan?

Miss Liu's frailty could only be innate.

Jiang Xue He said: "This demon, disguised as a general, must have drawn on the Yin energy and Foul Qi of the ancient battlefield to become a demon, which is why it is so obsessed with Miss Liu. However, Miss Liu..."

He murmured softly.

Liu Qing Mi's appearance should have long since been that of a dead person.

Why, despite her fragility, did she still exist?

And also...

Jiang Xue He recalled how Liu Qing Mi, when telling him the story of the Human Sacrifice, had been casual, smiling faintly... She was always gentle and refined, but in that instant, a subtle coldness and mockery had appeared in her eyes.

What was she mocking?

The strange Liu Clan, the whereabouts of the Meng Mo Pearl, and the problem with his own body... The answers, perhaps, all lay here.

Di Ying didn't know what Senior Brother was thinking.

Di Ying merely looked up, at the ghost shadows that vanished from the world after the sun came out.

Completely invisible.

Her heart, however, felt a pang of bitterness.

She suddenly hesitated: "Senior Brother."

Jiang Xue He: "Hmm?"

Di Ying: "Can I stay here a little longer... I, I want to guide these wronged souls, cleanse their karma, and help them re-enter the cycle of reincarnation."

Jiang Xue He suddenly looked up at her.

She wasn't very confident.

Jiang Xue He smiled and clasped her hand tightly: "Alright."

Another night passed, and Di Ying was still troubled by her fear of ghosts and the vexation of dream spells.

She hesitated back and forth, and Jiang Xue He accompanied her throughout.

He also had his own doubts about this ancient battlefield. At night, seeing her slow to act out of fear, Jiang Xue He took her hand and walked among the tombstones, searching for traces of these people's lives on the gravestones.

The sky gradually darkened.

The two stood before a tombstone. Di Ying leaned against Jiang Xue He, listening as he recited the life of the deceased inscribed on the stone, when the sound of horse hooves came from behind.

In a moment, he heard a soft, melodious female voice: "Young Master Jiang, Miss Di."

At the same time, the Sound Transmission Talisman in Di Ying's embrace lit up.

Di Ying, while retrieving the Sound Transmission Talisman, turned around and saw a beautiful woman in a cloak being helped down from a horse, gracefully walking towards him.

The beauty had skin like ice and bones like jade, a delicate figure swaying like a willow in the wind, and a captivating appearance.

She stared, mesmerized.

She forgot the Sound Transmission Talisman in her hand. The talisman at her fingertips burned, and Ye Chuan Lin's voice rang out: "Xiao Ying, I've already set up the formation. If you need it, I can enter the formation and immediately rush to your side to assist you. This surely won't delay your time, will it?"

She and Jiang Xue He instantly looked towards her Sound Transmission Talisman.

Almost simultaneously, both Jiang Xue He and Di Ying felt a strange sensation in their hearts.

Di Ying flew into a rage: "Why didn't you tell me Miss Liu was a beauty?!"

Jiang Xue He: "Why are you communicating with Chief Ye?"