Chapter 52 Part 1

“Yes.” Lian Sheng pushed open the window, calmly gazing out at the desolate, unmanned Dark Snow Heaven.

In Wisdom Water Red Mountain, other cities were probably still bustling at this hour. Only this place became a dead city as soon as night fell. Forget lanterns, people likely didn’t even dare to light firewood. Only starlight and moonlight provided illumination; no smoke from cooking fires could be seen.

Considering everything she had witnessed before, and that occasional flicker of familiarity rising in her heart, Yinyu had long suspected it. The god who had left this place was her.

In the world before, she had followed her whims, as if she had no responsibilities at all. After coming here, though she found a sense of belonging, she had also unknowingly taken on many burdens.

Yinyu propped up her chin, her fingers idly tapping her cheek. Her words didn’t match her feelings. “I was driven away by all of you. I don’t care what this place has become.”

Lian Sheng pointed toward a spot outside the window. “You used to go to that place often.”

Yinyu stood up and looked out the window. She saw a mountain so tall its peak couldn’t be seen: Immortal Gazing Mountain.

The mountain was pitch-black, blending into the night curtain. Its summit was obscured by thick clouds, as if it pierced the heavens themselves.

Earlier, when her mind had wandered, she had glimpsed this towering mountain in a trance. Back then, the spring mountains were like a smile, and the floating mists and emerald warmth stretched straight into the clouds.

Back then, she had even said to the Red-Robed Immortal beside her that she had once seen someone reach the summit from White Jade Capital.

“Went often? I’ve forgotten.” Yinyu spoke truthfully.

“You’ve certainly forgotten it cleanly.” Lian Sheng spoke slowly, carrying a hint of something thought-provoking.

Yinyu smiled. Her gaze swept unhindered from the other’s forehead ornament and eyes to her nose, finally resting on her slightly parted lips. She clicked her tongue and teased, “You seem to hold some resentment. Do you truly wish for me to remember the past so badly?”

“If I truly hoped you would recover your memories, I wouldn’t want you to stay on Little Desolate Islet.” Lian Sheng brought two fingers together and lightly brushed them across the window lattice, as if savoring a memory. “You’ve stayed at this inn before, too.”

“Which room?” Yinyu asked.

“The one closest to Immortal Gazing Mountain. It’s called ‘Spring Mountain Smile’.” Lian Sheng’s tone was flat. She closed the window and turned around, saying, “We’ll look for that Altar of the Abandoned tomorrow. Rest early tonight.”

Yinyu looked at her leisurely, thoroughly intrigued. “Do you remember everything about me this clearly?”

“You brought me here.” Lian Sheng admitted frankly.

A thousand thoughts and tangled feelings were drawn to her heart, causing her surging emotions to tremble. Yinyu asked deliberately, “What did I bring you here to do?”

This time, it was Lian Sheng who said, “I’ve forgotten.”

It was still early. If they were on Little Desolate Islet, Yinyu probably wouldn’t feel sleepy even at three in the morning. Now, with the candlelight flickering in the room and no distractions at hand to pass the time, she felt drowsy after sitting for a while and couldn’t stop yawning.

“Sleep.” Lian Sheng had already tidied the bedding.

Having lost her memories, Yinyu was now no different from a stranger who had mistakenly wandered into this place. She glanced over at the bed and pinched a corner of her sleeve. “This place doesn’t even have a washroom. How do you expect me to sleep? No bath?”

Lian Sheng shot her a sidelong glance. “You’re not usually this particular.”

Yinyu crossed her arms and sat back down on the stool, looking utterly unwilling to move. “There’s much Boss Yu doesn’t know. Surely you didn’t know that not only do I feel wretched all over if I skip a single day of washing, but I even have to sleep without a stitch of clothing.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Lian Sheng froze slightly. She put down the corner of the bedding and turned around. “I’ll cast a spell. It’ll count as having washed.”

Yinyu felt restless if she went too long without teasing. She said casually, “Wouldn’t that mean you’re attending to my bath? How embarrassing.”

Lian Sheng walked up in front of her, but her expression was one of indifference.

“What are you angry about?” Yinyu knew exactly what the other wanted to hear, and she wasn’t stingy about it. Slowly, she said, “You have the heart of a Bodhisattva. Would you trouble yourself to help me one more time?”

Lian Sheng looked at her wordlessly.

Yinyu reached out, her clean palm turned up. Her eyes curved into crescents. “How is this spell performed? Do I just sit here motionless?”

Lian Sheng didn’t lower her head in the slightest. Only her eyes dipped slightly downward. She was the very picture of an unapproachable celestial immortal.

Yinyu simply closed her five fingers and tilted her head up. “What must I do? Could you point me toward a clear path?”

Lian Sheng sighed softly. She extended only her index finger and gently pushed apart Yinyu’s closed fingers, touching the center of her palm.

A point of golden light suddenly blazed forth, seeming to carry a wonderful Zen Chant. It hummed softly in Yinyu’s ear.

Immediately, her entire body felt as if it had been bathed. All weariness and drowsiness were cleansed away completely, not a speck of dust or filth remaining on her.

Yinyu just barely managed to collect herself. Her limbs felt weak and soft; she was so languid she couldn’t muster any strength. She let out a soft breath of relief.

Lian Sheng had already stepped back. She spoke deliberately, “You don’t need to do anything. I’ll do it all.”

“Hm?” Yinyu vaguely caught a whiff of a fragrance. She pinched her sleeve and sniffed it, only then realizing that after being washed by that golden light, Lian Sheng’s scent had clung to her as well.

Lian Sheng turned around and lightly patted the bedding. “You’ll sleep here tonight.”

“And you?” Yinyu asked.

“This inn is large enough.” Lian Sheng turned, making as if to leave.

Yinyu hurriedly pinched the edge of the other’s garment. Her gaze was liquid, shifting. “Why don’t you squeeze in here? It’s no big deal.”

“It is a big deal.” Lian Sheng looked at her coolly and said sharply, “Didn’t you just say you have this or that habit when you sleep?”

Yinyu gave a radiant smile. “I’ll just bear with it.”

Her sleeve was still being held, so Lian Sheng was forced to stay. But she hadn’t expected that even after lying down, Yinyu would still be hooked onto her sleeve.

Yinyu rested her head on the not-so-soft pillow. The wooden planks beneath her were rock hard. She figured she might lie here all night with her eyes closed and still not fall asleep.

After a long while, still unable to enter dreams, she said with her eyes closed, “That Innkeeper is a bit strange.”

“He carries a faint trace of Ghostly Qi,” Lian Sheng said.

“This couldn’t be a bandit inn, could it?” Yinyu hooked the sleeve even tighter.

Lian Sheng sat on the edge of the bed, pressing down the edge of the bedding. “Is this your reason for making me stay?”

“I’m timid and easily frightened. Can’t compare to you.” Yinyu’s drowsiness was finally seeping in as she lay there, her words starting to slur. “Those people from the Kang Family all have Servitude Nails on them. You’ve been to Dark Snow Heaven before. Did you ever notice them?”

“Back then, Dark Snow Heaven was clean,” Lian Sheng said.

“It seems someone came to implant Servitude Nails after I left.” Yinyu opened her eyes.

Lian Sheng said flatly, “A Servitude Nail is a method used by Evil Devils to find substitutes to bear their pain.”

The drowsiness in Yinyu’s eyes vanished instantly. “Bear pain?”

“Since they are Evil Devils, they must have defied the Heavenly Dao. Naturally, there will be karmic retribution.” Lian Sheng glanced at the finger that had been purposely left outside the bedding to hook her sleeve. “This so-called karmic retribution is a dull, aching pain throughout the body, a general malaise. That’s why they need to find someone to bear the pain.”

Yinyu frowned. “No wonder my pain comes and goes, and no medical examination can find the cause. I wonder if the person who implanted the Servitude Nails in me, Wuxian, the Five Gates, and the Kang Family is the same.”

Lian Sheng pulled the bedding over, covered that stark white finger, and then, following the motion, covered the other’s eyes as well.

Yinyu’s vision was instantly plunged into pitch darkness. She joked, “What are you covering my eyes for? If you don’t want me to look at you, just say so.”

“Sleep,” Lian Sheng said.

An overwhelming wave of drowsiness crashed over her. Yinyu’s eyelids grew heavy, and she immediately fell into the land of dreams.

“Lian Sheng, if you don’t want me to look at you a moment longer, just say so.” The person sprawled by the Lotus Pool stirred the water as she spoke.

Ripples spread out in circles, all lapping toward the Immortal standing in the pool.

Yinyu had grown too accustomed to idleness in White Jade Capital. Even now, at the precept-strict Little Enlightenment Ruins, she had no proper form. She even still held fish food in her hand, rubbing it between her fingers with a smile before suddenly tossing it into the water.

The fish food landed right beside the Immortal in the Pool. A swarm of gold and red koi fish surged forward, their swishing tails slapping against the Immortal’s body one after another.

That Immortal wore a red dress, layers upon layers of inner and outer robes. Thus, even while soaking in the water, not a hint of her skin color showed through. She was neither angry nor annoyed, her expression so faint it seemed she wasn’t familiar with the person on the bank at all.

Yet Yinyu acted like they were close. She propped herself up and stared intently at the Immortal in the pool. “Lian Sheng, why don’t you speak? Is it because you’ve just taken form, and none of the other Buddhas have had the time to teach you yet?”

Lian Sheng’s black hair was loose, every strand floating in the water. Most of her body was submerged in the pool. Who knew if she hadn’t yet formed legs during her transformation? She wouldn’t move a single step away from this Lotus Pool.

“Then I’ll teach you to speak.” Yinyu’s smile curved her eyes. Her gaze rippling like water, she propped up her chin. Her lips parted and closed. “Repeat after me. Let’s start by learning to say ‘Ming Dang’.”

Lian Sheng still wouldn’t speak, but she turned slightly away, even averting her gaze. Clearly, she was annoyed.

Yinyu’s interest instantly waned. She fished her soaked skirt hem out of the pool, stood up, and said, “Then I’ll come visit you another day. Tomorrow I’ll come teach you something else.”

The Immortal in the Pool didn’t even say goodbye, as if she were heartless and emotionless.

The next day, Yinyu indeed barged into the Little Enlightenment Ruins again. The Young Monks inside were used to it. Seeing her come in so brashly, they wouldn’t stop her. At most, they would press their palms together in greeting.

That Immortal in the lotus pool seemed to have moved a step closer to the edge. She was still surrounded by lotus flowers, koi fish swimming back and forth beside her. Her face was obscured by a large lotus leaf, making it impossible to see her clearly.

“Lian Sheng, do you feel like learning to talk with me today?” Yinyu had secretly brought some sweet fermented rice wine. She sat down right on the ground, then pulled a white jade wine flask from her sleeve.

Technically, things like alcohol and meat shouldn’t be brought into the Little Enlightenment Ruins. But no one ever searched her. She only needed to conceal them slightly to bring them in.

The Immortal in the Pool still remained utterly silent, standing motionlessly in the water.

Yinyu amused herself by pouring a cup of wine. Sipping from the cup’s rim, she peered into the pool and drawled, “One day, if you can come out of this pool, I’ll take you to see Dark Snow Heaven. That’s where I live. There’s plenty of wine and meat there, people coming and going. It’s bustling from dawn till dusk.”

She paused, a gleam of inspiration flashing in her eyes. “Oh, right. Today I’ll teach you to say ‘Dark Snow Heaven’. That way, if you ever want to go in the future, you won’t even know how to ask for directions.”

Saying this, she slowed her speech and, enunciating each word carefully toward the Immortal in the pool, said: “Dark. Snow. Heaven.”

“Repeat after me, Lian Sheng.” She was absolutely certain the other would go to Dark Snow Heaven someday.

But the Immortal in the pool refused to repeat after her. After a long moment, she spoke on her own accord. What she said was actually: “Ming Dang.”

Yinyu was stunned. She took a small sip of wine. The wine was from Dark Snow Heaven, a brew that was extremely intoxicating. Just one sip could make her head spin. She couldn’t quite hear clearly. Coaxingly, she said, “Lian Sheng, your voice is so beautiful. Call my name again?”

“Ming Dang,” Lian Sheng said.

Yinyu lifted the wine flask and tilted its mouth toward the pool. Smiling, she said, “Such a lovely sound. Then let me give you a sip of wine. This wine is rare. I went through great trouble to bring it up here.”