Second Dream (4)

Jiang Xue He regarded his appearance as a tool to coax children.
After all, in his opinion, Di Ying had always wanted to secretly look at him.
He had no experience coaxing children; he simply felt that if he gave her what she liked, she would naturally be more obedient and stop causing trouble.
Now that Di Ying was injured, he naturally wasn’t at ease with her running around. He wanted to make her happy so he could follow her.
But Di Ying, young and innocent, didn’t even understand this good intention.
After several days of being together, she already felt that Jiang Xue He was too strange. Now, discovering he bore the Restraining Human Charm, she naturally refused to stay by his side—what if, when the ghost soul devoured him, it discovered she also had a unique attraction to the Restraining Human Charm and implicated her?
She had to escape.
Di Ying cast a small escape spell, desperately rushing towards Jiang Xue He, who was blocking her way out.
Jiang Xue He was originally sitting, dealing with her. She was too hasty, and her spells and breathing rhythm became severely chaotic, forcing him to stand up.
As Di Ying’s hand touched the door, a strong pull came from behind, drawing her back.
Di Ying was startled: This big bad guy indeed has ill intentions and wants to harm me!
Jiang Xue He patiently asked, “What’s wrong? If you must go out, how about I change clothes and accompany you?”
His dry, slender fingers brushed her wrist.
Di Ying instantly felt the faint, snow-like breath behind her press close. Her scalp immediately tingled.
Di Ying turned and pushed him away with a backhand, then faced outwards, wildly drawing talismans. The talismans hidden in her chest flew out, attacking Jiang Xue He. While momentarily blocking Jiang Xue He, Di Ying touched the wooden doorframe.
A hair tie wrapped around her slender waist, pulling her back.
Hair tie, hair tie…
Di Ying looked down. The soft, snow-white pink hair tie, wasn’t it hers?!
She stomped her foot in anger: “Traitor!”
But a hair tie wasn’t a spiritual object; how could it understand her words?
Di Ying’s attack went straight for Jiang Xue He: “You’re using my things to stop me!”
She widened her eyes, her round, almond-shaped eyes glaring at him. This person… his appearance seemed to have changed a little, but she was too angry to pay attention to the young man.
His movements were very good, unlike a novice like her.
Her flying talismans were frozen in mid-air. Jiang Xue He’s sleeves flared slightly, and his fighting style was particularly ruthless, with a sharp, soaring aesthetic around him.
But Di Ying accused him, her round eyes brimming with tears, as if he had committed some heinous crime.
Jiang Xue He was startled.
Although he was indeed heinous, it wasn’t in front of his junior sister.
Jiang Xue He retrieved the hair tie, admonishing himself, “My apologies…”
His awakening words were not yet finished when the little girl’s lively eyes suddenly shifted, her expression changing from resentful to sly.
A handful of some powder was scattered towards him. Jiang Xue He held his breath and retreated, and Di Ying had already touched the doorframe, pulling the door open.
Di Ying poked her head out the door and stuck out her tongue: “Big bad guy, you go play by yourself, I’m leaving.”
Di Ying jumped out, but bumped her head on the door.
She gasped, looking up, covering her reddened nose, realizing she had indeed bumped into a door—and the wooden door she had pulled open was just a spell to deceive her; she was still trapped in the room.
Not good.
Di Ying quickly ducked and hid in another direction, but her Senior Brother behind her was clearly not patient enough to let her continue her mischief.
Di Ying’s left hand reached for her chest, but before her hand was halfway out, her tiny wrist was seized by the young man’s slightly cold fingers.
Di Ying bent her back and knees, taking out three needles from the sole of her embroidered shoe. Before she could stab them out, her fingers were struck.
Di Ying cried out in pain, tears almost forced out.
Jiang Xue He pressed close from behind.
To prevent his junior junior sister from using any more tricks, he held her left wrist with one hand and her right fingers with the other, lifting Di Ying against the wall, pinning her in the corner.
Jiang Xue He was curious: “Am I a big bad guy?”
Di Ying: “Hmph!”
Jiang Xue He’s tone deepened slightly: “Then I’ll be bad for you to see.”
The young girl in his arms trembled instantly.
She was a petite girl, making Jiang Xue He’s presence even more oppressive. The little girl closed her eyes, pretending to be a hero, her small face pale, her eyelashes trembling slightly. She pursed her snow-white lips tightly, not making a sound, looking truly pitiful.
Jiang Xue He raised an eyebrow: Could she also be stubborn sometimes?
His heart calmed slightly.
His eyes flickered: “I’m not bad.”
After a pause: “At least not bad to you and Master.”
Di Ying thought to herself: Bad people naturally don’t say they’re bad. My Master used to say that people with the Restraining Human Charm always have some problems!
Jiang Xue He coaxed her: “If you keep your eyes closed, how can Senior Brother talk to you?”
Di Ying thought to herself: A ghost is my Senior Brother.
Di Ying, anticipating cruel punishment, naturally refused to open her eyes. Perhaps as soon as she opened them, he would scare her with the ghosts on his body. Perhaps he was in league with those who chased her… She was so naive, she actually let him help bury the bodies.
Di Ying scared herself, growing more and more afraid with each thought. Then a hand reached out to her cheek, brushing away a strand of hair from her mouth, carefully tucking it behind her ear.
His fingers brushed her cheek. In her frantic attempts to escape, she accidentally touched her trembling eyelashes.
Both of them paused.
His breath was clear and faint.
This feeling…
Di Ying’s heart pounded.

***

In Yujing Sect, the Sect Leader had ascended, and the five Grand Elders jointly handled the sect’s major affairs.
In the main hall, a Big Dipper Array was laid out. Spiritual energy soared in the night sky, drawn into the main hall.
Streams of Divine Sense were guided in.
Each stream of Divine Sense that entered the array transformed into a person. Soon, within the Big Dipper Array, three people appeared in soul form, looking towards the chillingly bright light where the five Yujing Sect Elders were seated at the array’s core.
Of the five Elders, four were male and one female.
Among the four male Elders, the youngest, who was dignified and refined, with a face like ice and a body like a snowy forest, sat affectionately beside the only young female Elder of Yujing Sect. That female Elder, compared to the others, had gentle brows and eyes, truly like a willowy breeze and a pale begonia moon.
The female Elder was clearly the most approachable: “Sirs, visiting Yujing Sect late at night, is it to light incense for the Sect Leader?”
The young, ice-faced male Elder sitting near her said coldly, “Yujing Sect is the leader of the Four Great Immortal Sects. If it is merely a visit by Divine Sense to light incense, I fear it is inappropriate.”
The arriving group stiffened.
This young male Elder was named Shen Xing Chuan, the foremost Sword Cultivator in the world today. It was precisely because of this that he could overpower everyone and become one of the five Yujing Sect Elders.
The female Elder beside him was Shen Yu Shu, Shen Xing Chuan’s biological younger sister.
She seemed to possess no great power… Everyone believed she became an Elder by relying on her biological brother’s connections.
Yujing Sect was truly a mix of good and bad now.
The Sect Leader had ascended, and among the five Elders, two were so young; their cultivation naturally couldn’t compare to others.
The uninvited guests tonight clearly didn’t truly care about these five Elders.
A pot-bellied soul laughed coldly: “My virtuous nephew and niece speak rashly. We were close friends with Sect Leader Bai for a time. Hearing of his ascension, we are immeasurably saddened. We are all old friends; what’s wrong with coming to check first?”
Elder Hua among the Five Elders’ eyes flashed: “Check first?”
The pot-bellied soul then laughed: “I heard Yujing Sect is recruiting disciples. Coincidentally, our several sects haven’t recruited disciples for many years either. We can’t let all the talented individuals in the world be taken by Yujing Sect. This time, we discussed and decided to send Sect Leader Bai off, and conveniently, jointly organize a selection with Yujing Sect.
“The Four Great Sects jointly recruiting disciples, such an important matter, will naturally attract talented children. This avoids children running around confused, unsure which sect they should join, wasting time.”
The five Yujing Sect Elders’ expressions changed upon hearing this.
Elder Hua said, “I fear it would be inconvenient to host. We still have to welcome the new Sect Leader…”
Another old voice interjected with ill intent: “Coincidentally, we can help assess which of the Elders is qualified to become the Yujing Sect Leader.”
These words clearly aimed to manipulate the position of Yujing Sect Leader.
Shen Xing Chuan immediately stood up, striking down with his hand, and a cold sword emerged, radiating chilling frost.
Elder Hua immediately scolded, “Junior Brother Shen, stop! Is this the way to treat guests?”
Shen Xing Chuan stood upright, his eyes cold as he gazed at these souls.
These souls were highly cultivated; how could they fear him?
The pot-bellied soul from before laughed: “Why the rush, Junior Nephew Shen? We are merely watching the excitement, to see if Yujing Sect truly lives up to its name, for us to admire…”
The old voice that interjected again said: “Yujing Sect has always steadily held the top position among the Four Great Immortal Sects for many years. It is said that Yujing Sect was founded by Immortal Lord Qing Mu… But we have always been doubtful whether Qing Mu Lord was truly an immortal.
“None of us have ever seen his immortal traces… It is said that immortals are undying and indestructible. Sect Leader Bai has ascended, and Yujing Sect is without a head. Should we not invite the immortal to emerge from seclusion and preside over the grand situation?”
Thus, Yujing Sect understood that these people had come to test their foundations.
Shen Xing Chuan lowered his gaze: “A thousand years ago, Grandmaster Qing Mu perished with demons while subduing them; the world knows this. How could he reappear? What are your true intentions, you yourselves know clearly.”
The old voice sneered: “Merely a visit.”
But it was clear they were dissatisfied with Yujing Sect’s leading position among the immortal sects and wanted to reshuffle the rankings.
A young man’s voice, helpless and embarrassed, interjected among them: “No need to argue, no need to argue, let’s discuss things properly…”
Elder Hua of Yujing Sect, after consulting with the other Elders, smiled: “If the various Sect Leaders wish to visit and jointly select disciples with Yujing Sect, it would be disrespectful for us to refuse. We will naturally clean and welcome you.”
The souls who had arrived tonight were stunned. Their objective achieved, they then departed one after another.

***

In the inn at the foot of the mountain.
Di Ying was cornered by Jiang Xue He, vaguely recalling her dream. In the dream, her Senior Brother seemed to be like this too…
Di Ying had a small, delicate head; he had to bend down to talk to her.
This posture pressed her tightly… Hmph, she wanted to chop off the ankles of everyone taller than her!
Di Ying was internally cursing her Senior Brother when she suddenly heard the window go “bang,” and something flew into the room from the night sky.
Di Ying’s eyes "swished" open. She turned her head and saw a paper crane carrying a very large, heavy bag, laboriously crashing through the window.
The paper crane flew into the room, saw the two people playing, and didn’t know who to approach—
This was Master’s paper crane from before.
Jiang Xue He lowered his long, thick eyelashes, his eyes gentle, yet this gentleness exuded a captivating, enchanting beauty: “Xiao Ying, I truly am your Senior Brother—the Senior Senior Brother you’ve never met.”
The night was cold and windy, the paper crane flapped its wings.
Di Ying, pressed against the wall by the young man, suddenly looked up, gazing at Jiang Xue He.