Chapter 27: Fairy Fan of the Sound Sect

In the woods on the hillside, watching the figures of Wang Chu and Chuxue vanish from sight, Jiang Wan and Si Bingyan immediately reached the edge of the slope and looked down.

When they saw Wang Chu and Chuxue sitting on that strange "magical artifact," sliding down the slope, and finally coming to a stop on the main road, both Jiang Wan and Si Bingyan were dumbfounded.

After a long while, Si Bingyan was the first to speak:
"Princess, did we overthink things?"

Jiang Wan could hardly believe it:
"How is this possible? Is this guy really just here for a leisure trip?"

As she murmured to herself, Wang Chu pulled the sled, with Chuxue on his back, and began walking back up the slope.

Si Bingyan suggested, "Princess, shall we go back?"

Jiang Wan, refusing to accept the reality, said:
"No, we can't leave yet!"

Helpless, Si Bingyan had to continue accompanying Jiang Wan, hiding in the shadows to watch Wang Chu and Chuxue go skiing. The two of them went up and down, back and forth, having the time of their lives.

As for Jiang Wan and Si Bingyan, the more they watched, the more depressed they felt.

Si Bingyan sighed:
"Sigh, sometimes being a mortal isn't so bad. Cultivating immortality is truly incredibly dull."

Jiang Wan agreed with Si Bingyan’s sentiment:
"Indeed. Sliding on the snow like this and eating barbecue is far happier than staying in a room, sequestered in bitter cultivation, seeking that elusive path to eternal life."

Si Bingyan looked up at the sky:
"The purpose of cultivating immortality is to achieve eternal life, but what is the meaning of eternal life? Is it just to cast aside all human emotions and desires, living day after day in a cold, lonely, dull, and monotonous state?"

Once these words were spoken, the already dejected Jiang Wan felt even more melancholic. Finally, she lost the desire to continue spying:
"Let's go back."

Si Bingyan wore a bitter expression:
"Yes."

The two left, dejected and disheartened.

On the other side, however, Wang Chu and Chuxue were still in high spirits. It wasn't until the sky grew dim and the howling of wolves echoed through the woods that Wang Chu finally put away the sled, boarded the carriage, and took Chuxue back to the city.

...

Inside a pavilion, Jiang Wan and Si Bingyan sat opposite each other. Qiu Yeqing knelt on the ground nearby. Seeing the two who had been absent for some time, Qiu Yeqing asked with concern:
"Princess, are you alright? Where did you go earlier?"

Jiang Wan rested her chin on one hand:
"It was nothing."

Seeing that Jiang Wan was unwilling to talk, Qiu Yeqing dared not press further and changed the subject:
"Princess, Fairy Fan from the Sound Sect is coming to Ling City tomorrow to preach. Would you like to go see her?"

"Fairy Fan of the Sound Sect..."
Jiang Wan searched her memory for information regarding Fairy Fan.

"Is she that Fairy Fan who became world-renowned the moment she debuted in the Sound Sect?"

Qiu Yeqing replied:
"Exactly."

Jiang Wan grew alert:
"What is the meaning of her choosing to come here at this time?"

Si Bingyan speculated from the side:
"Perhaps it is because a large number of experts have gathered in Ling City. After all, for a disciple of the Sound Sect, the higher the cultivation of the audience, the greater the benefit of their preaching."

"Is that so..."
Jiang Wan pondered for a moment:
"Fine, let's go take a look."

"Huh?" Si Bingyan was startled. After all, Jiang Wan had never attended such events before.

"What's with the 'huh'? What's wrong with going to take a look? Perhaps among those who go to hear her preach, there might be clues regarding the Eldest Prince and Beiming."

Jiang Wan provided her reason for going. But whether that was truly the case, only Jiang Wan herself knew. The things she had seen on the snow had left a deep impact on her. She suddenly felt that sometimes, stopping occasionally to observe the scenery along the way didn't seem so bad.

...

At night, Wang Chu slept in an embrace with Chuxue once again. Unlike the previous night, when the lights went out, Wang Chu did not hear those faint sobs anymore.

Before closing his eyes to sleep, Wang Chu asked:
"Miss Chuxue, did you have fun today?"

Chuxue replied from within Wang Chu's arms:
"I was very happy. I have never been this happy before. If only I had met you sooner, how wonderful that would have been."

Wang Chu did not know how to respond to this, so after a moment of silence, he asked:
"Where would you like to go tomorrow?"

Chuxue thought for a moment and replied:
"Let's go visit the market. I've lived for so long, and I've never strolled through a market."

Wang Chu readily agreed:
"Alright, I'll take you there tomorrow."

"Mm."

Chuxue wore a blissful smile. As she smiled, she suddenly felt a piercing, heart-wrenching pain in her body. She gritted her teeth, not making a sound. But soon, Chuxue realized that the pain had vanished. A cool, refreshing energy seemed to have appeared within her body. Before she could determine the source of this power, her consciousness grew heavy, and she slowly drifted off to sleep.

When she opened her eyes again, Chuxue found that the surrounding darkness had faded, and Wang Chu was nowhere to be seen. Chuxue felt a bit panicked, desperately searching the cramped space for that figure.

Finding nothing, Chuxue felt very helpless. Wang Chu was like a torch in the frozen wilderness, bringing warmth to Chuxue. Now that the torch was gone, Chuxue only felt her body growing colder and colder.

Fortunately, this coldness did not last long before the door was pushed open. Wang Chu walked in from the outside, carrying a bag of steamed buns.

Chuxue immediately jumped off the bed and rushed forward to hug Wang Chu:
"Where did you go?"

Wang Chu set down the buns:
"I went out to buy some food. What, can't you be away from me for even this long?"

Chuxue did not let go, nor did she act coyly to deny it:
"Wang Chu, I feel like I've become friends with you."

Wang Chu laughed and teased:
"Boyfriend and girlfriend, or just good friends?"

Chuxue raised her face, looking at Wang Chu, her clear eyes revealing a hint of innocence:
"What's the difference?"

Wang Chu reached out and pinched the girl's chin, explaining:
"The former is love, while the latter is friendship."

Chuxue frowned, appearing a bit dazed:
"I don't know. I only know that if I were allowed to trade my previous hundred years for the one day I spent with you, I would make the exchange without hesitation."

Wang Chu moved his hand from her chin and placed it on top of Chuxue's head:
"Was it that bitter before?"

Chuxue said sadly:
"I didn't feel it before, because I had never experienced happiness, so I didn't know what bitterness was. But now, I know."

Wang Chu stroked the girl's hair with his fingers:
"So it was indeed very bitter."

Chuxue's nose felt a bit sore:
"At the very least, when my body had problems before, I had never experienced the feeling of being taken care of like this. I always bore it alone."

Wang Chu lowered his hand and patted her back:
"It's all in the past. Eat your buns, or they'll get cold."

Hearing this, Chuxue reluctantly pulled away from Wang Chu's chest:
"Alright."

After breakfast, Wang Chu took Chuxue to the Ling City market. On the way, passing by the city gate notice board, Wang Chu saw it was crowded with people. Curious, he took Chuxue over to take a look.

Upon walking closer, he saw that in the most prominent position on the notice board, a promotional announcement was posted. Its general content was: Tonight, Fairy Fan will preach at the Tianzui Pavilion, and all cultivators in Ling City are cordially invited to attend.