Fortunately, this world doesn’t have literature like *Jin Ping Mei*, and Ling Chongxiao has never heard of the centuries-old tales of Pan Jinlian, Wu Dalang, and Ximen Qing.
But this world does have the ancient term “wife.”
The young man sat wrapped in a quilt, his cold, star-like eyes distant and aloof. He spoke icily, “Stop your nonsense, or I’ll cut out your tongue.”
There was a sense of ignoring the performance you were supposed to be part of.
“Just trying to lighten the mood, no need to be so harsh,” Xia Lianqiao quickly covered her mouth, smiling as she spoke.
The young man’s gaze flickered briefly over her lips before he fell silent again.
-
“So, that’s how things are,” Xia Lianqiao explained, sitting at the edge of the bed, glancing at Ling Chongxiao. “Um, can you get up now?”
Since she was playing the role of Xiao Lingbo, then Ling Chongxiao must be playing Chen Xuan, right?
No wonder she felt something was off about Ling Chongxiao. The young man’s complexion was naturally pale, but now it was sickly white.
In Xiao Lingbo’s memories, Chen Xuan had been so ill on their wedding day that he was unconscious, and even during the ceremony, his sister had to stand in for him, with the bride and sister-in-law bowing to each other.
Under the influence of the illusion’s rules, the young man’s face was devoid of color, pale as snow, clearly too weak to even get out of bed.
Hearing this, Ling Chongxiao fell silent for a moment.
Xia Lianqiao immediately understood. “Oh, oh, oh…”
Ah, the pride of a young man. To spare the ancient boy’s ego, Xia Lianqiao tactfully changed the subject. “But, speaking of which, you’re still able to sit up straight. Truly worthy of being the Sword Immortal of Zhengyang.”
She spoke with a look of admiration, her almond-shaped eyes filled with unabashed praise.
Ling Chongxiao: “…”
Instead of being flattered by her flattery, the young man pursed his lips stubbornly, forcing himself to sit up straighter, as if preparing to perform a medical miracle and walk on the spot.
Unfortunately, the rules of the illusion were too powerful. The effort of sitting up had already drained him, and now, as he tried to stand, his chest heaved, and his legs barely touched the ground before he stumbled, nearly falling.
Xia Lianqiao was startled and quickly reached out to steady Ling Chongxiao.
The young man fell straight into her arms.
The sudden touch left both of them momentarily stunned.
A bitter medicinal scent lingered in the air, mixed with the sharp, frosty aura of Ling Chongxiao’s sword.
As a sword cultivator, his body and sword were one, and anyone who came into contact with him would feel the bone-chilling, metallic killing intent.
His loose black hair brushed against the sensitive skin of her neck, soft and smooth.
Xia Lianqiao’s mind raced with the inappropriate thought that a woman’s charm often lay in her hair.
At this moment, Ling Chongxiao, with his tightly pursed lips, pale face, and stubborn silence, looked like a delicate beauty that anyone would pity.
But really, was it worth pushing himself so hard just because he couldn’t stand?
Xia Lianqiao gave him a strange look, still unable to understand the odd pride of men, especially young ones.
“Are you okay?” she asked, subtly letting go of him and clearing her throat. “Do you need me to help you?”
Ling Chongxiao was silent for a long moment before replying coolly, “Thank you, but I’m fine. No need.”
With that, he struggled to take a few steps forward and sat down at the table. Xia Lianqiao hurried after him, lifting the hem of her long wedding dress.
And so, this awkward moment was tacitly brushed aside by both of them.
This kind of “beauty’s grace” was not something she could enjoy.
To help the ancient boy regain his pride, Xia Lianqiao thought for a moment and decided to ask him a question, giving him a chance to show off. “Do you have any idea what’s going on, Fellow Daoist Ling? Like, what is that mirror? How do we get out of here?”
Though still dressed in a disheveled white robe with his hair hanging loose, Ling Chongxiao’s expression returned to its usual decisiveness as he replied coldly, “It might be an immortal artifact.”
“An immortal artifact?” Xia Lianqiao was taken aback. “Something as rare as that just pops up out of nowhere?”
In *The Path of Dao*, artifacts were ranked by their power.
At the bottom were ordinary mortal tools, followed by spirit tools powered by spiritual energy, magical tools with some sentience, immortal tools with a hint of true consciousness, profound tools with spirits like sword spirits, and at the top, mysterious Dao tools that seemed capable of manipulating the laws of heaven and earth.
“…”
Given that the current dungeon’s power level was only at the Ming Dao stage, an immortal artifact appearing was definitely overkill.
“Do you recognize what kind of immortal artifact it is?” Xia Lianqiao asked, pouring Ling Chongxiao a cup of tea.
Ling Chongxiao didn’t touch the tea, keeping his hands in his sleeves as he replied, “This might be the Mirror of Shattering Illusions. The path of immortality is fraught with difficulties, and inner demons are hard to overcome. This mirror is used to shatter those illusions. Though it’s an immortal artifact, it doesn’t have offensive capabilities—it can only trap people, not kill them. For ordinary people, it’s practically useless.”
“So it’s a support-type artifact?” Xia Lianqiao mused.
As everyone knew, cultivators often faced inner demons that blocked their progress. The stronger the inner demons, the harder it was to advance.
Ling Chongxiao wasn’t wrong—ordinary people wouldn’t even reach a level where they needed the Mirror of Shattering Illusions to overcome their inner demons.
Given that Xiao Lingbo was only at the Ming Dao stage, yet her inner demons were so severe that she needed the mirror, it was clear just how much she hated Chen Xuan.
Xia Lianqiao poured herself a cup of tea and asked eagerly, “Do you know how to break the illusion?”
Though the young man was cold, he answered without holding back, “If the person in the mirror can shatter their inner demons, they will naturally leave the mirror.”
“And if they can’t?”
“Then they’ll have to relive the past of the evil dragon and see how this fragment of consciousness traps us.”
The problem was, while Xia Lianqiao knew that Xiao Lingbo’s inner demons were likely related to “killing one’s wife to prove one’s Dao,” Ling Chongxiao didn’t. How could she explain this to him?
Even if she told him the truth, they still wouldn’t know how to break Xiao Lingbo’s inner demons.
Xia Lianqiao’s thoughts raced, and she decided to play it by ear and follow the plot for now.
The story was back on track. Bai Ji'an had broken through to the Ming Dao stage, and Li Langhuan and Bai Ji'an should be able to handle the boss fight with Xiao Lingbo without any issues.
But before that, there were still some things to figure out.
“If someone were trapped for a hundred years…”
“Wang Zhi’s rotten axe handle—time flows differently here. A hundred years in the mirror is but a fleeting dream in the outside world, hence it’s also called the Mirror of Fleeting Life.”
“Couldn’t we use the Mirror of Shattering Illusions to cultivate?” Xia Lianqiao, the seasoned gamer, had a sudden idea, spotting a potential loophole.
Ling Chongxiao glanced at her but didn’t dismiss her bold hypothesis. He simply looked at her expressionlessly and said, “It’s possible, but those with weak wills or inner demons might suffer.”
Xia Lianqiao: “…” She had a vague idea of what her own inner demons might be—probably her longing to return home. If that were the case, she doubted she could overcome them.
“In that case,” Xia Lianqiao said thoughtfully, “let’s take it one step at a time, Fellow Daoist Ling. But aren’t you worried about Li Langhuan and the others outside?”
Time was of the essence. Even if the flow of time was different, every second spent in the mirror meant a fraction of a second more danger in the outside world.
At this, Ling Chongxiao’s gaze softened slightly, like a sword flower blooming in autumn, his voice calm and cool. “I trust her.”
Those three words, though not naming anyone, made it clear who he was referring to. Xia Lianqiao couldn’t help but be moved once again.
So how did Ling Chongxiao and Li Langhuan end up like they did in the original story? Even the heavens would agree that Ling Chongxiao was secretly in love with Li Langhuan!
Not to mention, Ling Chongxiao’s looks were beyond reproach—like a celestial being from the moon, pure and ethereal. Just being this close to him made her heart race uncontrollably.
Wait…
Xia Lianqiao was startled, suddenly realizing that something seemed off.
She…
Ling Chongxiao…
The young man before her seemed to perfectly align with her aesthetic preferences, hitting all the right notes of her tastes.
His high nose and thin lips, the pale hue of his lips always pressed into a stubborn curve. His eyes were like the cold glow of a crescent moon, his complexion as pure as jade, with a long high ponytail cascading down to his slender waist.
The disheveled white robe he wore made him look pitiable, the collar slightly open, revealing a glimpse of his fair and smooth chest—clearly the elegant physique of a swordsman.
The more she looked, the more her heart raced. Her face flushed, and she found it almost impossible to tear her gaze away.
Ah, and he's a Daoist priest! The allure of his ascetic persona was simply irresistible. What fan of romance novels wouldn't fall for a cold and aloof swordsman priest?
Sensing something amiss, the young man turned his cold gaze toward her, his expression displeased. "Why are you staring at me?"
"You're so handsome, Fellow Daoist Ling." Before she could think, the words had already slipped out. Xia Lianqiao murmured dreamily.
Ling Chongxiao: "..."
The young man, unable to bear it any longer, closed his eyes coldly once more.
To have fallen to such a state and still be so frivolous—
His face darkened, and he finally lost his composure, biting out two icy words through clenched teeth, "Ridiculous."
Xia Lianqiao: "..." No, it's not like that! Fellow Daoist Ling, let me explain!
This illusion is messing with me!
But at the moment, her face was so red it could boil an egg, and she couldn't help but let her gaze wander when speaking to Ling Chongxiao, her expression clearly betraying her infatuation. It wasn't very convincing.
() If Ling Chongxiao had been cast in Chen Xuan's role, forced to bear the debuff of being "delicate and frail," then her infatuation with him might be due to the influence of Xiao Lingbo secretly falling for her husband on their wedding night.
Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the young Ling Chongxiao's lips were pressed into a tight line, as if he didn't want her to waste her breath. Yet, his jade-like neck, for the first time, was tinged with a faint pink, adding a touch of warmth and elegance to his usually cold demeanor.
Ling Chongxiao, he, was blushing!
Though she knew it was just a normal physiological reaction, and that the young man's heart was as cold as steel—perhaps even wanting to strike her down with a single sword stroke—Xia Lianqiao was still utterly shocked.
Xia Lianqiao: "..." He's so pure, Daoist Ling! How is an internet degenerate like me supposed to handle this?
Fortunately, their conversation seemed to have caught the attention of someone outside the room. The voice of the long-faced maid came through,
"Madam, has the young master awakened?"
"May this servant enter?"
This was a relief for both of them.
Ling Chongxiao's eyelashes fluttered slightly as he steadied his breathing and gave a slight nod. "You may."
With the creak of the door, the long-faced maid stepped into the room.
Xia Lianqiao couldn't help but shoot her a grateful look, thankful for her timely arrival.
The long-faced maid, however, was unmoved. She first bowed to Ling Chongxiao, her face lighting up with joy, but when she turned to Lianqiao, her eyes were filled with a condescending scrutiny, no different from a harsh mother-in-law judging her daughter-in-law.
"It's late and the dew is heavy. Since the young master has awakened, why hasn't Madam been taking proper care of him? How could you let him walk around in just a thin robe?!"
Xia Lianqiao was stunned. "Uh…"
She really hadn't noticed.
With that, the long-faced maid began coldly ushering the two of them back to bed.
By the time Xia Lianqiao regained her senses, she had already been forced onto the bed alongside Ling Chongxiao, like a duck being herded.
The young man's expression was cold, clearly holding back his annoyance. But with the debuff of being "delicate and frail" forced upon him, he was no match for the long-faced maid.
Xia Lianqiao had a bad feeling. She clasped her hands together, resting them peacefully on her chest, trying to make herself as small and unnoticeable as possible.
Once the long-faced maid left, Ling Chongxiao tried to get up. However, his body, which should have been unconscious, could no longer support any unnecessary movements after he had forcibly defied the illusion's rules through sheer willpower.
Logically, this was the moment when she should have taken the initiative to get off the bed and sleep on the floor or a table. But the mattress beneath her was just too comfortable.
And with Young Ling's current frail, Lin Daiyu-like physique, even if he wanted to do something to her, he couldn't. Besides, Xia Lianqiao was certain that Young Ling would never have any such thoughts about her.
If anything, it was her heart that was racing, her thoughts about him running wild…
Yes, most importantly, Xia Lianqiao realized with despair and embarrassment that, thanks to the damn "young girl's infatuation buff," she now wanted nothing more than to get closer to Ling Chongxiao. She even had the shameless urge to sniff the faint scent of ice and medicinal herbs that seemed to cling to him.
She didn't speak up, and Ling Chongxiao naturally didn't either.
Xia Lianqiao wasn't sure exactly when Ling Chongxiao fell asleep. The young man, being ill, naturally slept more, especially since this state wasn't under his control. His thick, dark lashes fluttered, and a wave of exhaustion washed over him. His brows furrowed, and he quickly fell into a deep, unconscious slumber.
As for Xia Lianqiao, she could only comfort herself by pretending this was like staying up all night singing karaoke with her classmates after the college entrance exams, with everyone sprawled out together, boys and girls alike.
Late into the night,
Xia Lianqiao was awakened by an unbearable pressure in her lower abdomen.
"..." She needed to pee.
She had a habit of going to the bathroom before bed every night; otherwise, she couldn't sleep.
But after the earlier distraction, she had completely forgotten and had dozed off, only to be awakened by the urgent need to relieve herself in the middle of the night.
Here was the problem.
Xia Lianqiao lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling beam, like a salted fish.
The outhouse was outside, and the only thing in the room was a chamber pot.
Clearly, Ling Chongxiao wouldn't use it in front of her.
And she couldn't use it in front of Ling Chongxiao either (even if he was asleep!).
If she wanted to go to the bathroom, she would have to climb over or step over Ling Chongxiao, get out of bed, push open the door, ask for directions, and head to the outhouse.
The key issue was stepping over him!!!!
