Chapter 48: Fast Forward
“Why are you still following me?!”
Fang Xin whirled around, her gaze fierce as she glared at the three pairs of eyes staring at her. However, her previous actions had earned her Fang Yue Lian’s unwavering loyalty, rendering her intimidation tactics useless.
Fang Yue Lian, convinced that her cousin was a good person, worried that she would face punishment upon returning to the mansion. She had followed, determined to protect her.
She set down the cat and dog she had been carrying, her expression resolute. “I’ll go back with you,” she said. “You can tell them I started the fire. It had nothing to do with you.”
Fang Xin was exasperated, but she was in no mood to argue.
She finally smiled, but it was a bitter smile. “You don’t understand,” she said. “Whether you did it or I did it, it’s still the Fang family’s fault.”
Fang Xin had been devastated when she learned that the prince intended to take her as a concubine. Her father, who had always indulged her, had readily agreed to the arrangement.
She was just a daughter, a small sacrifice to ensure the prosperity of the Fang clan.
She had protested vehemently, finally relenting only after her mother had threatened suicide. But her anger simmered, her heart filled with a desire for revenge. She had planned to burn the prince’s mansion to the ground if she was forced to enter it.
Her parents, however, knew her well. They had confined her to the mansion, hoping to persuade her to abandon her rebellious ways.
Before they could succeed, a little lamb had wandered in, offering a solution to the Fang family’s dilemma. They simply needed to send a legitimate daughter to the prince. And the little lamb, despite her illegitimate birth, was technically a legitimate daughter.
Fang Xin, the rebellious thorn in their side, had been replaced.
But this little lamb had turned out to be far more formidable than they had anticipated. She might have seemed timid and innocent, but her methods were ruthless.
Fang Xin felt a surge of satisfaction. She hated both the Fang family and the prince’s household, but her parents had raised her, and those early years of love and affection had been real.
But there was no point in dwelling on the past. The situation was beyond her control.
“Go,” she said, her voice weary. “You can’t save me.”
Fang Yue Lian, her guilt intensifying, remained silent, following Fang Xin.
They had traveled a considerable distance on horseback, so walking back wouldn’t be a problem. Fang Xin, however, wasn’t in a hurry to return, so she led her horse, its reins looped around her hand.
Fang Yue Lian followed, carrying the cat and dog.
But when they reached the Fang mansion, they were greeted by a scene of carnage.
In turbulent times, unexpected events were commonplace. One moment, they were fearing the consequences of power, the next, a different kind of power had usurped the previous one.
A sudden rebellion had wiped out the Fang clan. Fang Xin had been lucky to escape, but she hadn’t even had a chance to bury her parents.
Fang Yue Lian, her guilt overwhelming, whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Fang Xin paused, turning to face her. “Why are you apologizing?”
Fang Yue Lian burst into tears. “I’m a jinx,” she sobbed. “I bring misfortune. It’s all my fault.”
The cat and dog nudged her hand with their noses, offering silent comfort.
But as Bai Jingxue listened, her eyes widened in disbelief. It wasn’t until Lü Qingyan sighed beside her that she snapped out of her shock.
This was straight out of a tragic drama. Fang Yue Lian’s grandfather, for love, had abandoned his status as a young master, choosing to live a simple life in the countryside. That was how Fang Yue Lian’s father had been born.
Her father had married the woman he loved, and Fang Yue Lian had been born. But then, tragedy had struck. Her mother had died in childbirth, and her father, consumed by grief, had drowned in a well.
Her grandmother had fallen ill, her spirit broken, and had soon followed her son to the grave, leaving behind only her husband and granddaughter.
The empire had been in turmoil, rebellion rampant. They had been forced to abandon their land, fleeing to a new home.
They had wandered for sixteen years, finally finding a peaceful village to settle in. Then, her grandfather, while gathering herbs, had stumbled, falling down a mountain slope, his life extinguished.
Fang Yue Lian, who had finally found happiness, was once again lost, blaming herself for her family’s misfortune.
And now, she believed she had brought ruin upon her cousin’s family.
Bai Jingxue, watching Fang Yue Lian cry, her heart aching, raised a paw, wanting to wipe away her tears, but Fang Xin beat her to it.
Fang Xin, though surprised by her cousin’s tragic tale, didn’t believe in such things. She gently wiped away Fang Yue Lian’s tears, her voice soft. “It’s not your fault,” she said.
She sighed. “Even if you hadn’t come, the rebellion would have still happened. It has nothing to do with you. You’re just unlucky.”
Seeing that Fang Yue Lian was still crying, she frowned. “Besides, you’re my only family now.”
“So listen to me. We’re in this together.”
“But…”
Fang Xin, her patience thinning, interrupted her. “No buts,” she said. “Don’t blame yourself for everything.”
Her words, though directed at Fang Yue Lian, struck a chord with Bai Jingxue. She glanced at Lü Qingyan, who was happily observing the drama, oblivious to Bai Jingxue’s gaze.
Bai Jingxue turned away, sighing silently.
Fang Yue Lian, having finally calmed down, sat in silence for a long time.
In these chaotic times, when empires crumbled overnight, two young women were easy prey. She considered their options.
Finally, she tugged Fang Xin’s sleeve, drawing her attention.
Fang Xin’s face, illuminated by the moonlight, was pale and drawn. “Are you hungry? Or cold?” she asked.
Fang Yue Lian shook her head. She rested her chin on the cat and dog’s heads. “Where are we going?” she asked.
Fang Xin glanced at the mountains in the distance. “I’ve been trained in martial arts since childhood,” she said. “In these times, the only safe place is in the mountains. We’ll become bandits.”
Fang Xin was clearly a bold and daring woman, but Fang Yue Lian’s suggestion was even bolder.
“A wandering Daoist once told my grandfather that I have the potential to cultivate,” she said. “He asked if I wanted to become an immortal.”
Fang Xin scoffed. “Those are just stories to entertain children,” she said. “Don’t tell me you want to become a nun.”
Fang Yue Lian blushed, realizing how ridiculous her suggestion must have sounded. “I still remember the location,” she said, her voice soft. “The sect was called the Ejian Sect, I think. The Daoist said it was on a large mountain.”
She glanced at Fang Xin, gauging her reaction. Seeing that she wasn’t opposed to the idea, she continued, “If we could become immortals, we could escape this chaos. And if there are no immortals, we can just take over the mountain ourselves.”
Lü Qingyan, listening to this exchange, her jaw slack, couldn’t believe the words coming from this seemingly fragile girl.
But then she registered the crucial information. “The Ejian Sect!” she exclaimed.
Oh no! Someone was planning to steal Luo Nianshang’s territory!
Bai Jingxue’s eyes gleamed. The plot was finally moving towards a crucial point.
They had arrived in this strange place after falling into a well at the Ejian Sect. If this truly was a secret realm created by some ancient being, then it must be connected to the Ejian Sect.
Everything that had happened so far had taken place in the mortal realm. Bai Jingxue, though she hadn’t voiced her concerns, had been worried.
But when she saw the dilapidated sign marking the entrance to the Ejian Sect, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
The two cousins stared at the crumbling sign, their expressions a mixture of confusion and disbelief.
“This mountain is perfect,” Fang Xin said, her voice flat. “It’ll make a good bandit hideout.”
Lü Qingyan was also confused. “Did we transmigrate again?” she asked, her voice hesitant. “Is this a different Ejian Sect?”
Bai Jingxue, watching a figure approaching on a sword, said, “Let’s wait and see.”
Lü Qingyan sighed. “How long do we have to wait?” she asked. “I wish we could fast forward.”
As if her wish had been granted, a line of text appeared before her: “One Hundred Years Later.” The golden characters shimmered, then the world blurred. When her vision cleared, she realized she was floating.
She looked at Bai Jingxue, who was also floating, and was about to shout with joy when she realized she could see through Bai Jingxue’s translucent form.
“Jingxue, you’re dead!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with horror.
Bai Jingxue, her body drifting effortlessly, had also seen the text. “It’s a hundred years later,” she said, her voice dry. “Of course we’re dead.”
Despite being a soul now, Lü Qingyan’s ears still perked up.
“Oh, right,” she said, her voice filled with understanding. “You’re so smart, Jingxue.”
Then, she panicked. “I’m dead again!” she wailed. “But we’re not even married yet!”
Bai Jingxue, mortified, snapped, “Who said I wanted to marry you?”
Lü Qingyan, ignoring her, thrashed around in the air, her cries echoing through the void. “But you promised! Don’t you remember? You said you would marry me! On that bridge! You promised!”
Bai Jingxue hadn’t forgotten. She was simply embarrassed.
But then she realized they were ghosts. No one could hear them.
She looked down to see countless other souls gathered in the shadows, watching them with amusement, their whispers carrying on the wind.
Bai Jingxue, her cheeks burning, couldn’t take it anymore. “I know, I remember,” she said, her voice soothing. “Just calm down. Everyone’s watching.”
Lü Qingyan stopped thrashing, her gaze fixed on Bai Jingxue. Then, she resumed her dramatic wailing. “You only care about your reputation! I’m going to die again!”
Bai Jingxue, suppressing a sigh, shouted, “Fine! Stop crying, and I’ll kiss you!”
Silence.
Lü Qingyan floated obediently, her eyes wide and hopeful.
Bai Jingxue, despite being a soul now, felt a headache forming.
She wanted to find a hole to hide in, but as she looked down, she saw a miniature version of Luo Nianshang struggling to climb the stone steps leading to the Ejian Sect.
She was literally crawling, her white robes dragging on the ground, her chubby cheeks etched with an expression of seriousness that seemed incongruous with her age.
But she was still a child. Even her most serious expressions were adorable.
From this angle, however, Luo Nianshang resembled a plump white caterpillar.
Bai Jingxue’s embarrassment faded. She had a clear view of the path, and she spotted the Fang cousins at the top of the stairs.
They hadn’t aged. They both wore white robes, their swords strapped to their waists.
Fang Xin still had that perpetually grumpy expression, her silence heavy.
But Fang Yue Lian seemed more cheerful. She cupped her hands around her mouth, her voice carrying down the path. “You can do it, disciple! Only three thousand steps left!”
Bai Jingxue, hearing those words, felt a surge of sympathy for the young Luo Nianshang.
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