Senior Sister Went Mad After My Fake Death Chapter 30

“Yes, Elder, this is indeed Senior Sister Jiang Chunai’s corpse… I’ve examined it.” A cultivator bowed her head, twisting the corner of her robe, carefully explaining to the white-bearded elder.
When the Yanqiu group arrived with Jiang Chunai’s corpse, they also carried many white banners. By the time the Junior Sister brought Han Xiao, the wind was howling fiercely, emitting strange and mournful cries—
Everyone looked around. On another part of the mountain, vibrant red banners fluttered, creating a splendid sight of embroidered branches. Yes, the Wunian Sect had come again to propose marriage to Senior Sister Han Xiao. This time, the Wunian Sect seemed very well prepared.
Everyone had originally been eagerly awaiting this rare joyous occasion, but instead of the marriage between Senior Sister Han Xiao and the Wunian Sect’s young lady, they were met with a funeral.
Everyone knew what kind of person Senior Sister Jiang Chunai was. In short, Senior Sister was the sect’s universally kind person; no matter the matter, big or small, one could trouble her. In the period since Senior Sister disappeared, everyone had complained countless times—
“Where did Senior Sister Jiang Chunai go?”
“I don’t know, Senior Sister Jiang hasn’t appeared for a long time, feels like a few months, doesn’t it?”
“Maybe she encountered something down the mountain, or went out for an external mission? She has a heart to help outsiders, but she should also come back and remember us.”
…
Such words, since Jiang Chunai’s disappearance, had often spread by word of mouth among the Bright Snow Sect cultivators. Everyone missed Jiang Chunai’s kindness, but no one missed Jiang Chunai herself.
It wasn’t until Jiang Chunai’s corpse, wrapped in a white cloth, was brought before them that everyone realized this terrifying truth: Senior Sister Jiang Chunai was dead.
“Senior Sister, Senior Sister Jiang!” A woman leading the group wailed loudly: “Senior Sister Jiang’s honey-preserved plum blossoms she sent me last time were so delicious. In another two months, it’ll be plum blossom season again. I had planned to, to thank Senior Sister Jiang, send her a jar too.”
Another woman sobbed: “Senior Sister Chunai taught me so much. I joined the mountain late and never even saw Immortal Lord Yang Nian’s true face. If not for Senior Sister Chunai, I would be completely clueless.”
“Exactly, exactly! If not for Chunai, I would have left the mountain long ago…”
Sadness was contagious. One person after another, sobbing, recounted how kind Senior Sister Jiang Chunai was in life, and how many good deeds she had done. She attended to every detail, wholeheartedly caring for her fellow Senior Sisters and Junior Brothers.
Someone managed to wipe away tears, their eyes blurry as they asked the people from Yanqiu, “Where did you find Senior Sister Chunai?” She was asking the person at the front of the group—this person was dressed differently from the others. While others wore white, she wore green, and the patterns on her clothes were more complex and intricate.
However, that person reached out and made a few gestures. The Yanqiu cultivator beside her stepped forward and explained, “Senior Sister means she was found in the Cave of Severed Affections.”
Han Xiao, standing nearby, narrowed her eyes. She gazed intently at the green-clad woman. It was the mute woman, also one of the Yanqiu cultivators from those days. Though mute, she had also witnessed the Twilight Kite stirring the clouds and leveling the Cave of Severed Affections that day.
“Oh—what’s this?” A slightly cynical male voice came, and with a few light footsteps, Jing Shun arrived. He first saw Chang Xin: “Isn’t that Chang Xin? Why are you here today? Eh, ah!”
A younger disciple nearby, seeing Jing Shun arrive, immediately stepped forward and whispered a few words into his ear, standing on tiptoe. Jing Shun, who had been relatively calm, opened his mouth and eyes at the same frequency as he listened to the younger disciple, his eyes wide as an ox’s, muttering, “How could this be?” But the uncontrollable upward curve of his lips still betrayed him. When he realized his behavior was completely unsuited to the weeping crowd, he quickly widened his mouth, already curved upwards, so wide it could fit an egg, as if his earlier upward curve was an accident.
Chang Xin looked at him leisurely, nodding slightly in greeting. Jing Shun coughed twice, walked to Jiang Chunai’s corpse, feigned concern with a few questions, then reminisced about some of his experiences with Jiang Chunai, finally sighing: “Junior Sister was a righteous person, and her cultivation was not shallow. If given time, she would surely achieve great things, but unfortunately, fate was unkind. How could she have met such a tragic end?”
As he spoke, he actually forced out a few tears. “Do you remember, Daoist Chang Xin? Last year, when we were adventuring together, I even spoke to you about Junior Sister. I said you’d surely like her if you got to know her, but I never thought it would end like this…”
Chang Xin’s face showed no emotion. She gently waved her hand, indicating for him to restrain his grief. They were all adults; there was no need to be so hypocritical. His words were largely insincere, but that one part, that anyone who spent some time with Jiang Chunai would like her, was indeed true.
As Jing Shun’s lament began, the others didn’t question it. They simply joined Jing Shun in wailing for Jiang Chunai’s death. Both women and men wailed for the passing of the same person. It was as if these people were only now realizing that Jiang Chunai would never return, which was why they were crying so much.
Han Xiao remained tall and elegant, listening to the sounds of weeping, and suddenly recalled that day.
…At this point, even if she refused to admit it, it was impossible.
She had indeed killed her Junior Sister with a single sword.
What Saintess had said, at least on this point, was not fabricated. The large bloody hole on Jiang Chunai’s corpse was irrefutable proof of her killing her that day.
The fine lines under her eyes began to ache familiarly. Han Xiao remained silent, listening to the cries of the crowd, the howling wind sweeping through the white banners, yet she couldn’t squeeze out a single tear. Everyone was crying, but she wasn’t.
She vaguely recalled the confusion from that day: after killing Jiang Chunai with a sword, she had stared in astonishment at the wet tear in her palm. At that time, she hadn’t felt sad. But didn’t people cry when they were sad? Yet tears had fallen before she even learned to feel sadness, as if her body knew, before her mind, that she had killed her Junior Sister.
Han Xiao found it difficult to articulate this emotion. Earlier this year, day after day, night after night of waiting, she had already had a faint suspicion. It wasn’t until today, when the Yanqiu people brought Jiang Chunai’s corpse, that the faint suspicion in her heart was finally confirmed.
The thread, hanging by a hair, finally snapped.
She remained silent, only listening to everyone’s whimpers and sobs, recounting how kind Senior Sister Jiang Chunai was. Han Xiao stood to the side. Among everyone present, it seemed she was the only one who didn’t shed a tear.
…What tears should a murderer shed?
She didn’t need to use tears as a disguise; or rather, the time for crying had already passed. Jiang Chunai was dead. She had long anticipated it, but only now had to admit it: she had killed the Junior Sister who always clung to her with a single sword.
As for sadness and shame, it seemed they had been fully expressed during that night of the raging storm.
Saintess had been somewhat right. She had known her secret. Now, that secret was buried, along with her perished life. Han Xiao raised her eyes, gazing at Jiang Chunai’s corpse.
This was indeed cruel, but it was also a fact, she thought.
As Han Xiao looked away, a familiar face in the crowd also spotted her. It was Yan Linglong. She was still adorned with gold and silver today. The only difference was that her eyes were red and puffy, clearly having cried a round.
Of course, she had to cry. The act of ruthlessly killing her Senior Sister in the mine that day, whether accidental or intentional, Yan Linglong herself couldn’t verify. At first, she also held a certain fantasy: What if Senior Sister Chunai returned? But in reality, that fleeting thought had vanished when she saw Senior Sister Han Xiao wield the Twilight Kite to level the Cave of Severed Affections. If Senior Sister Chunai was still in the Cave of Severed Affections, she surely wouldn’t have survived.
…And she clearly knew Senior Sister Chunai was still in the Cave of Severed Affections, yet she didn’t speak up to stop it.
She looked at the cold and indifferent Senior Sister Han Xiao. Although she was still sobbing over Senior Sister Chunai’s death, a subtle sense of survival inexplicably arose in her heart.
Even if she was despicable, the Bright Snow Sect’s prodigy sword cultivator was no better: Look, everyone is crying, but Senior Sister Han Xiao hasn’t shed a single tear.
Senior Sister Han Xiao’s relationship with Senior Sister Chunai should be closer than hers with Senior Sister Chunai—they were truly from the same master. Perhaps this was understandable: Han Xiao was an unmatched genius sword cultivator, whose strength was said to have surpassed the Void Comprehension Stage. She would ascend to immortality any day now. The Wunian Sect tried every possible way to forge a connection with her. Last year, it was negotiations, but this year, they brought various spiritual pills, wondrous medicines, arcane texts, and gold and silver treasures like a flood, just to get them to marry. This month, their Mount Shu was almost drowned in the gifts and the sound of gongs and drums from the Wunian Sect.
As for herself, Yan Linglong’s eyes suddenly brightened as she pondered. No matter what, she was still the Yan family’s young lady. Moreover, Jianqing was still gravely ill, waiting for her to return and help her… Thinking this, Yan Linglong’s mood instantly brightened significantly. She clutched the corner of her skirt and quickly walked to Han Xiao’s side, cautiously greeting her: “Senior Sister Han Xiao.”
“…Hmm.” Han Xiao was silent for a moment, then replied.
Yan Linglong slowly said, “Senior Sister, today should have been a good day.”
Because today was Han Xiao’s birthday. Few people knew Han Xiao’s birthday. It was Jiang Chunai who told her when Senior Sister Han Xiao’s birthday actually was. Unfortunately, time had passed, and on this very day of Han Xiao’s birthday, Jiang Chunai’s corpse was brought before them. The little sun, always the most vibrant, had extinguished earliest.
Thinking this, Yan Linglong still sighed. She then took out a string of pale blue and glistening white beads, wanting to give them to Han Xiao. In fact, she had prepared a birthday gift for Han Xiao last year—but after that incident, Yan Linglong was anxious and never managed to give the item to Han Xiao, but this year she could.
For some reason, seeing Senior Sister’s corpse on the resting bier, a hidden emotion surged in Yan Linglong’s heart again. It was as if, after all this time, she could finally give this bead string to Senior Sister Han Xiao, and right in front of Jiang Chunai.
Han Xiao finally spoke: “Today is not a good day.”
The day of a demon’s birth, heaven and earth lose their light, the sun, moon, and stars reverse, rivers flow backward, and the sky cracks and the earth splits.
Such a day was her birthday. For humans, of course, it was not a good day.
Yan Linglong inexplicably met with a rebuff, but still forced an awkward smile, insisting on handing the bracelet to Han Xiao, introducing it: “Senior Sister Han Xiao, today is your birthday. Linglong specially found this item for you. These beads have a close connection with the Pearl of Retrospection; my father said they came from the same artisan.”
“And this tassel is also from a divine beast’s fur…”
Han Xiao remained silent. She had never refused anyone giving her things. This was why the Wunian Sect people behaved that way, sending gifts like flowing water, so much so that everyone thought her marriage to the Wunian Sect Leader’s niece was imminent.
The grief surrounding Jiang Chunai’s death had not yet ended. Junior Sister Yun Qi, who had just returned from patrolling the mountain, heard her sisters say that Senior Sister Chunai’s corpse had returned to the sect. She ran over sobbing, ignoring everything, and burst into the surrounding crowd, wailing loudly: “Senior Sister Chunai!”
“Senior Sister Chunai, you clearly promised me that when I reached the Nascent Soul Realm, I could also come to guard the Ice Soul Secret Realm,” she cried, wiping her tears, “Because I felt Senior Sister always helped me, and I also wanted to help Senior Sister… Now that I’ve finally reached the Nascent Soul Realm, Senior Sister is gone.”
Han Xiao listened, her face still like an ancient well, as if no ripple could be stirred. However, upon hearing the words “Ice Soul Secret Realm,” her lips involuntarily moved. That night, the lingering passion of intertwined limbs, her fingertips moving wetly and warmly, trembling like waves and creating fragmented sounds…
Demons were demons, but a snake’s true nature was another matter. A snake’s nature was lustful, and she was also afflicted with the Passion Lure, needing release. Everything had been so natural. In the Ice Soul Secret Realm, there were only the two of them. And on that day, Jiang Chunai learned her secret. Now this secret was again unknown to anyone.
“Senior Sister Han Xiao, last year I wanted to give you a birthday gift, but I didn’t get the chance. So I thought I must give you something this year,” Yan Linglong still insisted, saying pitifully, “I hope you won’t refuse. I’ll only give it this one time, that’s fine too.”
“To make up for last year’s,” she said.
To make up for last year’s?
Han Xiao: “You prepared last year too?”
“Yes, last year I even made a special trip down the mountain—” As she said this, Yan Linglong remembered something and immediately stopped.
She wasn’t stupid, and Han Xiao wasn’t stupid either. When they were in trouble in the Cave of Severed Affections last year, it was not long before Senior Sister’s birthday. Han Xiao returned first, while she and Jing Shun lingered outside for a month, perfectly missing Han Xiao’s birthday. Yan Linglong, realizing her slip of the tongue, waited nervously, fearing Han Xiao would ask more questions.
But until the very end, Han Xiao did not say a word, and Yan Linglong got her wish, handing the bracelet to Han Xiao.
The sounds of weeping and mourning were incessant. The white-bearded elder quickly instructed people on how to bury Jiang Chunai. At the same time, he thanked the people from Yanqiu, saying that these Nuwa descendants were truly warm-hearted.
As Chang Xin left, she specially made hand gestures, asking the female cultivator beside her, “Why does your sect seem so festive?” She felt uncomfortable all the way up the mountain carrying Jiang Chunai’s corpse. To be precise, she was carrying Jiang Chunai’s original physical body. Now, Jiang Chunai had used the water of the Pond of Rebirth to reshape her physical body, and it was undoubtedly much better. At the same time, she secretly rejoiced that Jiang Chunai was now with them in Yanqiu. Although these Bright Snow Sect people cried and claimed to deeply mourn her death, they hadn’t put in much effort.
…Especially those few people.
As Chang Xin left, she didn’t forget to glance at Jing Shun, Yan Linglong, and the others. It was fine if others were unaware, but these few people absolutely could not be uninvolved. And that genius sword cultivator. Now, she even indulged other sects, parading red banners to propose marriage and form a bond!
Fortunately, Jiang Chunai was with them in Yanqiu, Chang Xin thought.
Until a silver sickle moon appeared in the sky, Han Xiao still maintained an indifferent demeanor. She didn’t cry, nor did she utter a single word of mourning. She simply watched the busy people with her ever-emotionless eyes, showing neither sorrow nor joy.
Occasionally, a Junior Sister passed by Han Xiao, met her gaze, and was suddenly startled: Senior Sister’s dark eyes were excessively deep. The Junior Sister hurried past, unaware of what Senior Sister Han Xiao was thinking now.
Han Xiao stood fixedly on the mountain, gazing at the distant crowd.
Jiang Chunai was dead.
In fact, roughly a few months ago, or rather, last year in the Cave of Severed Affections, Han Xiao had already vaguely known this fact. It was just that her heart resisted, unwilling to accept this outcome. Saintess’s shrill echoes still reverberated in her ears.
She gazed into the distance, as if trapped in a bottomless and empty solitude. Han Xiao seemed to finally understand her emotions at that moment. She cried for the first time, felt panic for the first time, felt helpless for the first time… Saintess had given her an explanation then, but it shook her very foundation.
So that’s how it was.
The loss of control in the raging storm that day was probably for this reason. It wasn’t Jiang Chunai; it was her dismay at losing control of herself. Han Xiao still told herself this.
It was evening, the crowd had dispersed. Han Xiao’s long eyelashes fluttered, and she thought it was time for her to leave too. Suddenly, a booming voice came: “Han Xiao.” This voice was familiar to her; it was Mei Shengchi. However, her voice tonight seemed a little deeper, probably because she had seen Jiang Chunai’s corpse. Jiang Chunai and Mei Shengchi must have gotten along quite well during her time on Reflection Cliff.
Han Xiao turned around, bowing her head slightly, looking at Mei Shengchi, and said, “Cliff Master.” Her figure was tall and elegant, her aura extraordinary, and she had an extremely cold face. Some legends said Han Xiao had been just as cold to Immortal Lord Yang Nian. Just standing there, she was like snow piled on flowering trees, with a clear spirit and refined bones; no one had ever been able to break her proud spirit.
“Hmm, Han Xiao, hello. I’ve been on Reflection Cliff these past few days and haven’t seen you much.”
“Han Xiao has been in the sect, participating in daily affairs, day after day.” Han Xiao’s face was wooden, her clear black pupils still showing neither sorrow nor joy.
Mei Shengchi gave a soft scoff, walked with her hands behind her back to stand parallel with Han Xiao, and said, “Is that so? It seems Senior Sister Han Xiao’s daily affairs haven’t been affected at all.”
Han Xiao’s throat moved, but she said nothing.
“I think, no matter what, since a Junior Sister has died, and she’s not someone entirely unrelated, there should be some show of respect, right?” Mei Shengchi continued. “Humans are not plants; moreover, Jiang Chunai died in the Cave of Severed Affections.”
“And Senior Sister Han Xiao, with the Twilight Kite, stirred the clouds, and flattened the Cave of Severed Affections with a single sword… What a glorious achievement, now even carved on a stone tablet for the cultivation world to revere, isn’t it?”
Mei Shengchi’s tone tonight was very calm, but undercurrents surged everywhere. For example, with her seniority, she was calling Han Xiao “Senior Sister.”
“Now the Wunian Sect’s marriage proposal team is still staying on the mountain, just waiting for Senior Sister Han Xiao to finally agree, and a marriage that everyone will be happy to see will be formed. It’s just a pity that Jiang Chunai’s corpse appeared at such an inopportune time, covered in a white cloth, disturbing Senior Sister’s good mood.”
Han Xiao’s eyelids lifted. She said calmly, “Is Cliff Master blaming Han Xiao?”
Mei Shengchi sneered, “No, I wouldn’t dare blame the prodigy of the cultivation world.” Her heart was filled with frustration. She had calculated everything, knowing Jiang Chunai’s unique bloodline, and that she wouldn’t encounter danger in the Ghost Market. Moreover, she had talismans to protect her… By all accounts, Jiang Chunai shouldn’t have encountered much danger. Unless the demon’s strength was too formidable, only then would Jiang Chunai meet misfortune. But that’s where the strangeness lay.
Mei Shengchi had clearly still sensed Jiang Chunai’s aura of survival that day. Almost overnight, it became difficult to find again. Did the strength of the demons encountered increase so much overnight? After the incident, Mei Shengchi had also gone out to search personally, but unfortunately found nothing. By the time she returned to Mount Shu, the stone tablet carved for Han Xiao was already erected in the Merit Garden. The divine weapon Twilight Kite had completely leveled the Cave of Severed Affections. And Jiang Chunai had fallen into misfortune precisely at that time.
Mei Shengchi later regretted several times her convenience-seeking decision to send Jiang Chunai out to retrieve the Pearl of Retrospection. She was too lazy to go out herself, and she also wanted an excuse to get closer to Jiang Chunai—there was always a beginning and an end to taking on a disciple. And Mei Shengchi had never taken a disciple in her life. The only one she wanted to take could never return.
“Does Cliff Master have anything else?” Han Xiao asked softly. “If not, Han Xiao will take her leave.”
“I’m not blaming you,” Mei Shengchi said, raising her head. “The Wunian Sect’s marriage is also progressing half-heartedly, isn’t it?”
Han Xiao’s clear pupils remained unchanged. “Cliff Master, you once hoped Han Xiao would form a bond with the Wunian Sect Leader’s niece.”
Mei Shengchi choked. After a moment, she with difficulty opened her lips: “Alright, Han Xiao, you truly live up to your name.”
Han Xiao’s expression remained calm, like Guanyin seated on a lotus platform, as if Mei Shengchi was talking about someone unrelated. Yes, she had no surname. The name “Han Xiao” simply meant “cold night.”
…Because, when Immortal Lord Yang Nian exhausted all her cultivation, risking the world’s condemnation to unilaterally bring her out of the Nether Realm, it was a cold night. She gave a name to this demon who had been in chaos for so long.
Yin Zhuyun had spent her entire life for the Bright Snow Sect, and to ensure the sect remained the leader among immortal sects, she made the most dangerous decision: breaking into the long-sealed Nether Realm and bringing out the most terrifying demon from within. This was a secret that could make the Bright Snow Sect fall from its pedestal overnight, and a secret that could ruin Yin Zhuyun’s reputation. Both the sect and the people, everything about them, was linked to Han Xiao.
Apart from the deceased Yin Zhuyun and Han Xiao herself, no one knew this. Even Yin Zhuyun’s close friend Mei Shengchi was unaware. She only knew that Yin Zhuyun had brought back a young boy from somewhere, who quickly grew into an extremely steady woman. She could even be so heartless towards her kind Junior Sister.
“Yes, I did hope you would form a bond with her, and I haven’t changed my mind now,” Mei Shengchi said, looking up. “As long as your conscience is clear.” Her gaze was burning, meeting those clear pupils.
Han Xiao, however, remained silent. She couldn’t answer this question.
Mei Shengchi knew there was no point in talking further with Han Xiao, so she simply left. Han Xiao, however, remained rooted to the spot, holding a string of beads in her hand: it was what Yan Linglong had given her earlier.
Suddenly, with a crisp sound, she dropped the bead string to the ground. Her left foot stepped on the bracelet with almost no hesitation. She couldn’t answer Mei Shengchi’s question.
“As long as your conscience is clear.”
Han Xiao’s lips ground out this sentence, but she couldn’t deny it.
What if her conscience wasn’t clear?
From not far away came the joyful noise of drums and gongs, a clamor. That was the Wunian Sect disciples, who had taken up residence on a mountain peak in Mount Shu to propose marriage to their young master, performing all sorts of joyful music whenever they had nothing else to do. It was probably a bad idea cooked up by the Wunian Sect leader and Dao Lord Qiming together. Han Xiao had never relented, and they had come up with such a method to make her yield.
The joyful music of the wedding continuously drifted from the mountain peak, tearing at Han Xiao’s extremely tranquil heart. After that thing broke through the ground, it would create a patch of green shade in her heart. Looking up, starlight flowed, and darkness enveloped everything.
Jiang Chunai was dead.
The Junior Sister who always clung to her was dead.
She had killed her with a single sword.
—Her conscience was indeed not clear.
But how could her shame be dispelled? Now, the only thing connected to her was that elongated snake egg. For nearly ten months, her life had returned to its usual routine, day after day. Tomorrow would be the same, and the day after that. The lamp in the Bright Lamp Pavilion had probably already extinguished. She had never truly cared, so she should have believed that the lamp would burn forever.
But if her conscience were truly clear, she would have calmly gone to see if Jiang Chunai’s lamp was still lit that day, when Elder Zhang mentioned it. Her conscience was not clear.
Jiang Chunai’s death seemed to bring no change to Han Xiao. She continued as usual, traveling daily between her residence and the sect’s main council hall. All the disciples said, “Senior Sister Han Xiao is exceptionally gifted; Immortal Lord Yang Nian trained her as an heir when she was alive.” She was a rising star in the cultivation world. When everyone cast envious glances at the ethereal and distinguished Han Xiao, they found her still as indifferent as ever. As if being Immortal Lord Yang Nian’s heir or not was an insignificant matter. Immortal Lord Yang Nian was called an “Immortal Lord” because she was only one step away from ascending to immortality—
Why do people cultivate immortality if not to attain eternal life? No one would be unmoved in the face of achieving Dao and ascending to immortality. But after seeing Han Xiao, the sect’s cultivators understood: some people would indeed remain unmoved. Senior Sister Han Xiao was as indifferent as ever, merely attending more important occasions.
If there was any other difference, it was that Senior Sister Han Xiao seemed to have grown closer to Elder Zhang. That Elder Zhang, the medical cultivator who managed the Bright Lamp Pavilion, was the kindest and most benevolent person in the sect.
Han Xiao’s birthday was in May. And Jiang Chunai’s funeral was not yet past June. Yet, on that very day, a heavy snow fell in the mortal realm.
Jiang Chunai was Immortal Lord Yang Nian’s disciple, and Han Xiao was Immortal Lord Yang Nian’s head disciple, so she remained watching Jiang Chunai’s funeral procession. Junior Sister Yun Qi still sobbed, following Han Xiao all the way, crying, not caring whether she was familiar with Senior Sister Han Xiao or not. “Sob, sob, Senior Sister, I told you, during the seven days of keeping vigil for Senior Sister, I think I heard Senior Sister say she would come back.”
“She will come back to see us, sob, sob…”
Han Xiao said nothing, merely following beside the coffin, calmly merging into the snowstorm. At this moment, if anyone looked at her, they would see that Senior Sister Han Xiao’s usually emotionless and indifferent lower whites of her eyes now held a different brilliance. Snow fell between her long eyelashes, its icy touch seeping into her eyes with golden patterns.
When Han Xiao looked up, the fine lines near her eyelids felt warm.
—The plum trees not far away had not bloomed.
Yes, it was snowing, so plum blossoms should have bloomed.
Jiang Chunai, this winter, do you still have the leisure to make honey-preserved plum blossoms?
She still remembered the first time she received a gift from Jiang Chunai. She waited until Jiang Chunai left, then closed herself in her house, like a thief, tasted a mouthful of the honey-preserved plum blossoms, and frowned at the excessively sweet taste. But this did not prevent Jiang Chunai from later seeking her out, stubbornly insisting that she admit the honey-preserved plum blossoms were delicious.
Han Xiao admitted it was the best thing she had ever eaten. Those were not insincere words. Cultivators practiced inedia, let alone a chaotic demon like Han Xiao?
—She had never eaten anything given to her by others.
Snow fell in disarray. Everyone was astonished, greatly surprised by such a strange sight of June snow. If this were the mortal realm, June snow would signify a great injustice.
Injustice, why wouldn’t it be an injustice?
“Wow, why is it snowing today? And such heavy snow, like midwinter snow. Has Mount Shu ever had more snow than this?”
Han Xiao silently supported the coffin, unconsciously infusing spiritual energy, wanting to feel the temperature of that long-cold corpse. She only believed a fraction of what Saintess said. The time she had spent with her was definitely not a regrettable part of her life.
Snow fell in disarray. Wasn’t it like the magnificent scene they had seen that day under the Udumbara tree?
The crowd was noisy and boisterous. Han Xiao felt as if she had instantly returned to that day.
…They chattered, wondering what Jiang Chunai had written on the wish ribbon.
“Hoping to be with Senior Sister forever.”
Han Xiao slightly closed her eyes, her hand pressing on the coffin suddenly tightening.
Hoping to be with Senior Sister forever?
So Senior Sister came to see you off for the last time.
She finally, belatedly, realized her helplessness when she had shed tears then:
She could have lived in a daze for thousands of years, but at that moment, she had to recognize it clearly and distinctly.
The pain came too dully, too slowly, so that when she realized it, the countless years spent in the Nether Realm became insignificant.
Every year in the snow, there would be a woman named Jiang Chunai, who would, amidst the flying frost, bring her good things as if offering treasure.
Snow fell and covered her dark hair, so much so that Young Master You Qian of the Wunian Sect, newly arrived at Mount Shu, stared at her in astonishment, pulling at his aunt’s sleeve with concern: “Aunt, the person I’m marrying, did she really agree?”