novelraw Chapter 116: BaiShe and Ling’er’s Rendezvous
Chapter 116: BaiShe and Ling’er’s Rendezvous
*Lower Realm... Blue Star City... Merchant Quarter.*
Space tore brutally above a deserted alley, revealing a dark fissure from which a passing pressure emanated. Xuan BaiShe emerged first from this spatial void, his feet touching the paved ground with supernatural lightness.
He remained still for a moment, his silver eyes scanning the environment with detached curiosity. Right behind him, Xuan Ling stepped through the portal in turn, her graceful silhouette and golden eyes betraying constant vigilance.
Indeed, the air in this lower realm was disconcertingly poor in spiritual energy compared to the domains of the immortal families of the Upper Realms.
Qi was scarce, almost nonexistent, which gave cultivators of their rank the impression of breathing air void of any vital substance. Yet for the thousands of mortals bustling a few streets away, this atmosphere was the only world they would ever know.
BaiShe smoothed his black robe adorned with silver turtles, its precious silk contrasting violently with the dust of the surrounding walls.
He seemed completely untroubled by the absence of spiritual energy, adopting his usual posture of a nonchalant young scholar, his hands clasped behind his back. Consequently, he motioned for Ling’er to follow him toward the main artery of the city, where the hubbub of the crowd was beginning to be heard.
Emerging into the market square, they were assailed by a mixture of smells: charcoal, cheap spices, and human sweat. It was a world of noise and chaos, so far from the icy serenity of the Supreme Dao Sect’s Pavilion.
BaiShe stopped in front of a street vendor’s stall grilling pieces of meat over blazing embers.
The greasy smoke rose in swirls toward the late afternoon sky, and the sound of fat crackling on the fire seemed to be the only music in this district.
The vendor, a man with a face weathered by the sun and hands stained with soot, froze at the sight of the two strangers. Although BaiShe and Ling’er had concealed part of their aura, their mere presence exuded a nobility and physical perfection that could not belong to this world. The intimidated vendor stammered a few inaudible words as he handed them a terracotta plate.
"Look at these mortals, Ling’er... they have no Dantian to cultivate, yet their joy at a simple meat skewer is purer than an Elder’s joy at a divine pill," observed BaiShe in a melodious, almost melancholic tone.
Ling’er remained at his side, her arms crossed beneath her chest, observing the crowd with a suspicion that never left her. She knew that beneath the mask of this caring brother hid a predator capable of sacrificing entire worlds for his own benefit. Yet seeing this monster take an interest in the trivial lives of mortals created a dissonance within her.
’Is this seeing BaiShe’s true face?’ For her now that she had confessed that she knew his real identity, he had no need to hide his true face...
"We shouldn’t waste our time here... I have many other important things to do," she retorted, pouting, turning her eyes away to mask the turmoil caused by BaiShe’s proximity.
BaiShe let out a slight laugh, a crystalline sound that seemed to suspend time around them for a fraction of a second. "You are always so serious, little sister. Logic dictates that to understand the complexity of the Dao, one must also understand simplicity... And what is closer to simplicity than the ephemeral lives of those who do not seek immortality?"
"And what next, am I suddenly going to have an enlightenment here?"
"Who knows?"
He bought two spicy meat skewers, handing a few copper coins to the merchant whose hands trembled with gratitude.
He offered one to Ling’er, who hesitated for a long moment before taking it with her fingertips. Accepting this gesture from him felt like a form of betrayal of her past life. Nevertheless, the smell of grilled meat eventually overcame her resolve. She was curious enough about what it might taste like.
As they walked among the stalls of fabrics and local crafts, Ling’er took a bite.
The taste was strong, devoid of any medicinal purity, but it possessed a human warmth she had not felt in a long time... It was the taste of imperfection.
"Nothing humans made was perfect, and that is what makes their beauty, don’t you think?" commented BaiShe.
"Hmph."
She caught herself enjoying this moment of calm, far from the sect’s expectations and the pressure of her own destiny. However, her tsundere mood resurfaced as soon as she noticed BaiShe watching her with a knowing smile.
"It’s... edible," she murmured between bites, her cheeks tinting with a discreet pink.
"Edible? Such ingratitude toward that kind merchant," teased BaiShe.
Suddenly, he stopped and faced the young woman. Ling’er froze, her heart skipping a beat.
Her instinct screamed at her to step back, to put distance between herself and this dangerous being, but her body refused to obey.
BaiShe slowly raised his right hand. His long, slender fingers approached Ling’er’s face. The young woman closed her eyes, but what she felt was unexpectedly gentle.
BaiShe’s thumb delicately brushed the corner of her lip, wiping away a small speck of spicy sauce she hadn’t noticed. The contact was brief, but the warmth of her brother’s skin seemed to burn her own.
"You really are a clumsy little sister," he said softly, his silver gaze plunging into Ling’er’s golden pupils with an intensity that seemed to probe her soul.
Ling’er felt the blood rush violently to her face. She blushed furiously, unable to stammer out any insult to push him away.
Her mind was in complete turmoil. How could this man, who had killed her without a shred of remorse in another life, have such tender gestures right now? Was this a new form of manipulation? Or had the regression cycle truly changed something in her brother’s nature?
"Don’t... don’t touch me!" she finally exclaimed, stepping back abruptly, while rubbing her cheek with her sleeve as if to erase the sensation of his touch. "I can do it myself!"