inspire-indiana Chapter 486: The name is not there, the grief is rare
Chapter 486: The name is not there, the grief is rare
"You went to Fuyang City before you came back?"
The quiet bamboo courtyard suddenly became lively because of Xu Qizhou's arrival. Xue Lan opened the various gift boxes on the table and asked questions.
The woman just unpacked a pitch-black gift box containing several plain white garments. They lacked any spiritual aura and seemed to belong to the mortal world.
“Junior Sister Cui is guarding Fuyang City, so I’m afraid she won’t be able to attend this Ascension Ceremony. I must go and see her.” Xu Qizhou said softly, a hint of regret in his voice, but it vanished in an instant.
The young man pointed to the oranges that Xue Lan had placed on the other side:
"Why are you putting oranges out when there's no one around? Are you offering them as a tribute to heaven and earth?"
Xue Lan turned to look at the inner demon beside her, smiled awkwardly, and picked up the orange to give to Xu Qizhou:
"Nobody's here, it's just lying around. Go ahead and eat."
There are now four people in the courtyard. The inner demon, who is not seen by outsiders, obediently got up and gave Wu Shuang her seat, standing behind Xue Lan and watching this person open the congratulatory gift.
"Let me see what Zhu He sent me... Oh!"
Zhu He was straightforward, and the box he gave was not decorated in any fancy way, but contained nine magic cores neatly arranged inside.
Each piece was carefully wrapped with a talisman.
"Zhu He saved it up. He originally said he would save up a whole sack for you. But recently, something happened on the battlefield in the desolate region. After most of the high-level demons were killed, their demon souls disappeared."
"A magic core without the support of a magic soul will soon lose its luster, and he didn't manage to collect enough for a sack."
Xue Lan was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and the woman looked at Xu Qizhou opposite her:
"The demonic soul has disappeared?"
Xu Qizhou nodded:
"It did not vanish into the world, nor was it taken away by the Thousand Realms of Ghosts."
"It's as if they were led away by someone."
Xue Lan's expression turned somewhat serious.
"They were led away..."
Xue Lan lowered her eyes slightly and suddenly remembered He Zhui, who had not appeared during the battle in the Northern Region.
It all made sense.
Given He Zhui's relationship with her, it was absolutely impossible for her to leave Jin Guang to struggle alone in Beiyuchuan. That's why she disappeared during the battle in Beiyuchuan.
Most likely, something went wrong in the Thousand Realms of Ghosts, and it might be related to the disappearance of the Demon Souls of the Desolate Region.
Xu Qizhou heard the person opposite him muttering:
"Looks like I'll have to find a way to go to the wasteland."
"Don't even think about it!" the young man interrupted Xue Lan.
“If you were still a disciple of the Xuanhuang Sect, you could go to the Desolate Region, but not now.”
Xue Lan continued opening boxes. Ji Jinjin, like Zhu He, gave her a box of extraterrestrial iron. Xue Lan was overjoyed; finally, she had materials to repair the Soft Gold Weaving.
The woman carefully put away the extraterrestrial iron, her tone tinged with amusement:
“I am the owner of Wan Gong Fang, not some rare treasure that needs protection.”
"Isn't it rare enough?" Xu Qizhou looked at Xue Lan:
"You're the only lower-level shopkeeper to appear in ten thousand years."
Xue Lan smiled and nodded, unable to refute Xu Qizhou, and continued to unpack the box.
The pale blue wooden box was opened, and Xue Lan saw the sacrificial robe that she had previously placed at Jiangyun Sect to ask Min Chang to repair.
There was a small box under the sacrificial robe. When Xue Lan opened it, she found a small ball of moon silk inside.
Xue Tong saw that the woman's gray eyes seemed to light up for a moment.
"Sister Min Chang likes me the most."
Thinking of Min Shang, Xue Lan also thought of her apprentice He Xusheng.
The woman stopped what she was doing and, unusually, asked a serious question:
"I heard from Xiaoshan that this year's Ascension Ceremony plans to establish a new torch relay sequence? Do you know which children will be selected?"
Xu Qizhou was slightly taken aback.
The young man looked at Xue Lan and felt that it was a bit strange that the word "child" came out of this person's mouth.
"In terms of cultivating immortality, you're still a child!"
Xu Qizhou glared at Xue Lan:
"Going out for a trip, and coming back looking all old and decrepit!"
Xue Lan smiled slightly, offering no further explanation.
Xue Tong looked at Xu Qizhou with a hint of sadness in her eyes.
The Xuanhuang Sect and everyone in the lower realm who were unaware of the situation all thought Xue Lan was just a child.
He's a clever young man who likes to forge weapons at will.
Xu Qizhou teased Xue Lan, then took a piece of paper out of his sleeve:
"This is the list of those to be included in the torch relay."
Xue Lan took the list and scanned it with her divine sense. Sure enough, she saw He Xusheng's name on it.
As a successor of the Water Lotus of the Jiangyun Sect, one naturally has the qualifications to enter the lineage of inheritors.
The woman's consciousness flowed like gentle water across the thin paper, lingering over each childish name.
At the very end of the list, Xue Lan saw several familiar names:
Xue Lan, Lin Su, Yan Chengxue, Long Siyin.
The woman placed the list on the stone table:
"Brother, what's going on?"
Xu Qizhou looked in the direction the woman was pointing:
"This is the intention of our seniors."
"The head of the Wan Gong Fang has a great responsibility, and you and Lin Su are both selected disciples."
"Yan Chengxue and Junior Sister Long are related to both the Thunder Kui Formation and the Long Sword Sect's defense lines."
The young man looked at Xue Lan solemnly:
"The elders believe that you are qualified to remain in the line of fire until the demons are completely defeated."
Xue Lan understood Xu Qizhou's meaning.
The Wan Gong Fang is indeed crucial to the survival of the Yuanming Realm. She and many of the master craftsmen within it are preparing for a momentous event that could upend the entire world.
But she didn't want to be protected like that.
She remained silent when her destiny was severed by the Xuanhuang Sect, but this time, she refused.
Xu Qizhou looked at the woman opposite him and a faint smile appeared on his lips. He raised his hand and conjured a pen.
"I think I'll pass!"
Xue Lan picked up her pen and touched her own name, erasing that part.
"Let's find another talented child."
"Xue Lan!"
Xu Qizhou called out Xue Lan's name, his tone somewhat stern.
Xue Lan looked up at him, her words carrying a rare hint of sadness:
"Senior brother, I'm afraid you won't be able to stay."
Xu Qizhou's heart skipped a beat.
"What nonsense!"
Xue Lan remained silent as the woman handed the list, with her name erased, to Xu Qizhou.
What do you mean by talking nonsense?
Xue Lan thought to herself.
Her fate was sealed long ago through a series of elaborate schemes, like a skin stretched taut over a drum.
If we can't keep them, someone will be heartbroken.
The muffled winter thunder overhead gradually faded, and fine snowflakes fell slowly, leaving a thin layer of white marks on Xue Lan's shoulders.
After a long silence, the woman spoke:
"Senior brother, have you seen Qinghe?"
"Let's go see Qinghe."
Xu Qizhou knew Xue Lan was trying to get rid of them, and the young man sighed and said:
"Don't think too much."
The young man led the sword spirit out of the bamboo grove courtyard, and their figures disappeared into the bamboo forest ahead.
Bloodline suddenly heard the voice of the person next to him:
"The splendor of the world revolves through countless autumns, and dreams come and go, but when will they ever be fulfilling?"
“When the snow falls in years to come, old friends will visit, but their names will be gone, and the sorrow will be hard to find again.”