Living up to you Chapter 38

Chapter 38

When Ling Xi returned to the northern city, the sky had slightly brightened.

Nan Zhi hasn’t returned. That house was quiet like a tomb. She used her spiritual power without care and casted a spell to let the house became a bit warm and a bit more warmer. When fine drops of sweat appeared on her forehead, she still felt cold.

Ling Xi walked aimlessly inside the house; from the living room to the bedroom, from the bedroom to the study. It was as if only when she didn’t let herself stop would she be able to ease the cold emptiness and anxiety in her heart.

She suddenly thought about the paintings that Nan Zhi painted for her when she was in the devil realm.

Right, Nan Zhi remembered the her of every year so clearly and painted them so well as if every year’s Ling Xi was carved into his heart.

Not right, there is no “as if”, it was a fact.

Every year’s Ling Xi lived in Nan Zhi’s heart.

It must be so.

Ling Xi started rummaging through the paintings in the study. She wanted to see those paintings. She wanted to prove that she was right.

When they came out of the devil realm, they especially brought those paintings. Ling Xi found the paintings without much effort in a painting tube beside the table and unfolded them one by one.

Eleven-year-old Ling Xi.

Twelve-year-old Ling Xi.

Thirteen-year-old Ling Xi.

…

See, Nan Zhi painted her so perfectly. The love that oozes from the brush was like water and almost made her eyes misty.

Eighteen-year-old Ling Xi.

She slowly unfolded. In front of her suddenly turned dark.

—

When Nan Zhi returned, Ling Xi had slept for whole three days and nights.

She didn’t know whether Nan Zhi had called her for a long time. When she woke up, she couldn’t hear and couldn’t see if his lips were moving. She could smell the morning mist mixed with grass, but she couldn’t see the morning light that give people hope. The whole world only consisted of misty shadows and thin dim light.

However, she could feel Nan Zhi’s sleeve, could feel his cold breath that was as clean as the ice and snow on a plateau.

“Nan Zhi, I woke up.” She said this although she couldn’t hear her own voice.

Then, she was carried by a pair of hands which where trembling slightly.

She leaned on his shoulder and gently patted his back, “I just fell asleep.”

She still couldn’t hear any sound. She said, “This northern city is too cold. You were not here, so, I slept for a few more days. Nan Zhi, shall we go to the Eastern Sea?”

She didn’t hear an answer. She only felt that Nan Zhi carried her. When she could see clearly, she saw the blue sea.

They found a vacant farmhouse by the sea. It felt completely new with some arrangement. Flowers and plants were still planted in the front yard. Because of the warmth of the spring, the various kinds of flowers bloomed beautifully. The days were not much different from the northern city. It was just that Ling Xi no longer went to the market and joined the fun of watching a play. Most of the time, she leaned against the window and listened to the sound of the waves.

She was very satisfied with the decision to come to the Eastern Sea. At least, when she couldn’t hear, she could use the excuse that the waves were too loud to hear clearly. Most of the time, Nan Zhi wouldn’t repeat. Perhaps, it was because he wasn’t accustomed to speaking.

What Ling Xi felt weird about was that in the past when she could hear and see, Nan Zhi didn’t like talking. Now, that she was gradually losing her five senses, his words had increased. Often, she would watch the sunrise over the sea in his arms. He would be talking about something, but she couldn’t hear. So, she remained silent. To the extent that when she could hear, she also remained silent lest he feels that something was not right.

When she couldn’t see, she would pretend to be asleep.

Nan Zhi would still disappear occasionally. She just smiled silently. Didn’t he remember it all? There was no need to look for memories, then…he must be looking for something else.

She didn’t ask where he went.

The two planted flowers, listened to the sea, watched the sunrise and sunset, picked shells at the beach or built blockhouse out of sand and draw each other’s faces on the beach.

As the summer approaches, Ling Xi had learned seventy to eighty percent to paint like Nan Zhi. Even when she couldn’t see, she could skillfully draw Nan Zhi’s face.

Such days were pleasant and sweet. Ling Xi no longer dreamed the baffling dream. When she was conscious, she would pray for such days to wait and wait a bit more.

That day, Nan Zhi went out again. Ling Xi was very bored. She went out and fiddled with the flowers and plants. Unexpectedly, darkness appeared before her eyes again. She couldn’t see clearly again. She was already very accustomed to these. Smelling the flower fragrance outside is also good. Usually, she would pass two hours on the flowers and grass. Today, she was pulled in less than an hour.

“Nan Zhi, did you come back?” She asked laughingly.

She thought that she couldn’t hear an answer, but the next moment, her five senses recovered. She saw that Nan Zhi was cleaning her face. His complexion was gloomy like the clouded sky outside. He said, “It’s raining.”

Ling Xi pushed away his hand, turned and smiled, “I know. I was afraid that it would drench the flowers and plants.

She pretended to wipe the rain from her face, but in fact, she was wiping her tears.

The sense of touch also began to disappear.

The next day, Nan Zhi brought her to Cangjia Mountain.

Cangjia Mountain was worthy of being the most spiritual place. The immortal air was everywhere and made Ling Xi’s body turn a lot for the better. The blindness and deafness also didn’t happen so frequently anymore. This made Ling Xi very happy and a smile hung on her mouth the whole day.

It stood to reason that with Nan Zhi’s current identity, he couldn’t safely stay at Cangjia Mountain. However, Cang Yu didn’t say much about it. Instead, he specially vacated a place with immense immortal air on the main peak and gave it to the two of them. He didn’t visit them often, but on the first day that Ling Xi went up the mountain, he gently stroked her head and sighed.

The weather was getting warmer. The times that Nan Zhi wasn’t at Ling Xi side became more and more. However, since the last time at the northern city when Ling Xi sat alone by the bed all night long, he never went out at night. Even if he went out, he would come back very quickly. This night, Ling Xi waited until the moon reached the sky, but she didn’t see Nan Zhi return. Instead, she saw the sneaky Qing Kui.

Playfulness emerged in Ling Xi. She wanted to tease him, so, she hid behind the dark frame behind the bed. She heard Qing Kui whisper after he entered, “Ling Xi, Ling little Xi, Ling Xi…”

Ling Xi hid in the dark and snickered while she covered her mouth. She saw that after Qing Kui called a few times, he revealed an anxious expression. His eyes even became red as if he was about to cry. So, she laughed out loud and answered, “Senior brother Qing Kui, I’m here.”

The moment Ling Xi came out, Qing Kui grabbed her hand and said, “I will take you away.”

Ling Xi was puzzled, but she was unable to resist him. She could only let herself be pulled. Unfortunately, they didn’t run for a long time before Ling Xi was exhausted and fell on the ground. It was misty in front of her eyes and the voice in her ears gradually faded away. She seemed to have heard Qing Kui scold something and then she was carried by him.

The moonlight was very bright. Even Ling Xi was able to see the light in the night. She lay on Qing Kui’s back. It reminded her of that year she was punished at Xuwang Cliff by Cang Yu. It was Qing Kui who had carried her step by step to see the scenery of Cangjia and said that Cangjia’s sunset is the most beautiful in the six realms.

She couldn’t help but want to talk to Qing Kui even if she couldn’t hear herself and also couldn’t hear Qing Kui’s answer.

“Senior brother Qing Kui, I used to be stupid and liked to call you second senior brother and felt that you were more stupid than me. I was very happy teasing you.”

“Last time when you carried me, eldest senior brother was no longer here. Master blamed me, beat and scolded me. At that time, I thought that the sky was about to collapse. I thought that the worst thing was not more than this. Now that I think about it, those pain was not even worth mentioning. If you feel pain in the future, you should also think that perhaps many years later when you look at the road you have walked on, you will feel that it was only that.”

“Senior brother Qing Kui, thank you for giving me the Chinese flower. Thank you for giving him two hundred years of cultivation to let him grow faster. I…like him very much.”

Ling Xi talked intermittently. Occasionally, she would hear Qing Kui’s answer, but it was also intermittently, “Ah Chou”, “the fifteenth of July”, “fool”. She originally wanted to continue, but Qing Kui suddenly stopped.

Cangjia Mountain was rarely so cold.

The cold wind blew across her cheeks contained murderous intent. Qing Kui’s whole body was tense as if he was ready to attack any time. Ling Xi frowned. Although, she tried her best to see clearly in front of her, she only saw a vague figure.

“Nan Zhi?” Ling Xi asked.

The murderous intent lessened a lot and the cold wind softened.

“Nan Zhi, let’s go see the sunrise of Cangjia Mountain.” Ling Xi grinned.

Qing Kui’s body stiffened slightly. Ling Xi came down from his back and walked to Nan Zhi with the help of her feelings and held his hand accurately.

Nan Zhi walked, she followed. After a few steps, she suddenly turned around and said, “Senior brother Qing Kui, take care!”

—

Ling Xi has never seen the sunrise of Cangjia Mountain. She had only seen the most beautiful sunset of the six realms only once. It was that time when Nan Zhi broke through the seal and showed her. How beautiful would that sunrise be?

Unfortunately, she tried to keep her eyes wide open, but she could only see a faint light.

The wind on the top of the mountain was so strong that it blew up their fine black hairs. On this day, the clouds were heavy. the sun had only emerged when the sky was covered with red and spread to everywhere. The blue surface of the sea shimmered and stretched out the bright morning light.

Ling Xi leaned on Nan Zhi’s shoulder, chuckled but didn’t say anything.

Nan Zhi frowned slightly. His always calm eyes showed worry, but he also remained silent.

When the sun shone above the Eastern Sea, the earth woke up from the dark night’s deep sleep. The warm colors of birds and the flower fragrance emitted vitality.

Ling Xi seemed to have fallen asleep. Nan Zhi carefully brushed away her hair and carried her, but she suddenly grabbed his hand and whispered, “Nan Zhi, can you stay with me in the sun for a moment?”

“Alright.”

Nan Zhi put down Ling Xi and let her lean in his arms.

Time was lengthened by the silence. Like the strings of zither, if you don’t touch them, they would stay still and get dusty. Although, the clouds were heavy this day, the sunlight was exceptionally brilliant. It shone on Ling Xi’s face making it almost transparent, but her cheeks were slightly pinkish and didn’t appear to be sick at all. She lowered her eyes and couldn’t see the bright scenery in front of her.

When the sun was high in the sky, her forehead oozed of fine sweat and her lips were slightly pale.

Nan Zhi wanted to carry her again, but was stopped by her, “Nan Zhi, accompany me to watch the sunset of Cangjia Mountain again, please?”

“Alright.”

Nan Zhi carried her and sat in a different direction where their eyes met were still blue. The sky and the sea were the same color. The two figures that depended on each other were like two stones carving on the top of Cangjia Mountain and never changed as the sun rises and set.

But the worry on Nan Zhi’s always cold and expressionless face became more apparent as the sun went down.

The sunset dyed the sea red. The crimson color reflected on half of the sky. The sunset was magnificent, but nobody watched it.

Ling Xi had her eyes open, but there was no life in her eyes. The luster in her was dim. Nan Zhi frowned. Even though, he was staring at the setting sun, but it was apparent that he was in no mood to watch it. The worry on his face was getting more and more apparent. So much that even the air in the sky was a repressed emotion.

Until when the sun sank to the bottom of the sea, Nan Zhi quickly picked Ling Xi up, turned and left.

“Nan Zhi, are you going to look for this?” Ling Xi suddenly said. Nan Zhi’s steps seemed to have suddenly become heavy and he stopped.

Ling Xi took off her purse of tail feather and took out a transparent pearl from it.

“The Soul-Suppressing pearl had always been with me.” Ling Xi smiled faintly. Her cheeks were glowing red, “Also…that ray of soul of Chen Xi.”

When she uttered “Chen Xi”, Ling Xi felt Nan Zhi’s body tremble slightly. The arms holding her were stiff and tightened their hold.

“You must’ve already prepared the other things, right?” Ling Xi said lightly, “So, stay with me for a few more hours, please?”

She asked cautiously, fearing that Nan Zhi wouldn’t agree. She couldn’t hear whether Nan Zhi had answered her or not. She only noticed Nan Zhi didn’t move anymore. He put her down and sat next to her.

She didn’t know whether she should be happy or sad.

She shouldn’t know about today’s matters and shouldn’t know about Nan Zhi’s decision provided that she didn’t believe in that illusion.

That illusion that she didn’t know whether it was to confuse her eyes or to alert her.

But she believed it after seeing that gorgeous jacaranda.

• What she means by this will be explained in the next chapter.

Although, many things were different from the illusion; for example, she had never faced senior sister with the sword, for example, Cangjia was still here, for example, Nan Zhi had never told her with his own mouth that she stole Chen Xi’s body and occupied Chen Xi’s name.

So, she was gratified even if her ending was different routes to the same destination.

These days, he must’ve gone to the netherworld to get the Soul-Locking water. Soul Attractor, Soul-Suppressing pearl, Chen Xi’s ray of soul, her body that looks exactly the same as Chen Xi’s and perhaps some other spiritual objects that she didn’t know about. However, he must’ve gathered all together.

Everything was ready, all he needed was an east wind.

• Everything is ready, all one needs is an east wind: lacking only one tiny crucial item.

That east wind was tonight, the fifteenth of July.

The most yin place, the most yin month. The best time to call out a soul.

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