Xia Lianqiao still remembered the plot from the original novel about Xiao Xiang Great Marsh. Looking back now, it was nothing short of a grand battlefield of emotions.
After fighting side by side against the evil flood dragon, the male lead, Bai Ji'an, and the female lead, Li Langhuan, had grown closer, their bond deepening, and their actions becoming more synchronized.
And just at this moment, the second male lead, Ling Chongxiao, made his reappearance, forcefully inserting himself between the two leads, acting like a meddlesome troublemaker and a lovelorn underdog.
When the two leads were having a heart-to-heart under the moonlight, he would call Li Langhuan over to discuss cultivation.
When Li Langhuan was teaching Bai Ji'an how to cultivate, he would proactively challenge Bai Ji'an to a sparring match.
Of course, in terms of charm, Ling Chongxiao could never compare to the domineering male lead, Bai Ji'an. He was merely a foil to highlight Bai Ji'an's superiority.
Li Langhuan, unaware of Ling Chongxiao's true identity, was troubled by his ambiguous attitude.
It wasn't until Ling Chongxiao's identity was revealed that Li Langhuan realized he was none other than her stern and reserved adoptive father, Ling Shouyi.
It turned out that Ling Chongxiao wasn't entirely emotionless.
This also set the stage for her later act of sacrificing herself to repay his kindness, taking a fatal sword strike for him.
From the very moment she first laid eyes on Ling Chongxiao, Xia Lianqiao had set herself a small goal for this phase: to meddle as much as possible in the interactions between Li Langhuan and Ling Chongxiao.
Jumping down from Bai Ji'an's back, Xia Lianqiao quickly composed herself, gave herself a little pep talk, and then ran over to interrupt, "Fellow Daoist Ling!"
The young man's eyes were cold and distant, and the moment he saw her, he immediately put on an icy, unapproachable demeanor.
Xia Lianqiao could clearly see Ling Chongxiao's aloofness, likely because he was annoyed at her interrupting his reunion with Li Langhuan.
But even so, she had to steel herself and press on, "What are you and Langhuan discussing?"
Li Langhuan smiled, "We're talking about some cultivation insights. Would you like to join us, Lianqiao?"
Pretending not to notice Ling Chongxiao's cold expression, Xia Lianqiao shamelessly agreed.
Ling Chongxiao lowered his eyes, pretending not to see her.
She then leaned in closer to Ling Chongxiao, putting on an admiring expression, and lavished him with praise, "I heard Fellow Daoist Ling is breaking through to the Enlightenment Realm. Truly, heroes emerge from the young! If you could explain a thing or two to me, it would be the honor of my life!"
Despite her best efforts to flatter him, Ling Chongxiao remained unmoved, as cold and unyielding as a millennia-old iceberg.
She was essentially trying to warm up to a cold shoulder, but she had to keep her spirits up and continue.
Excitedly, she stumbled through her awkward praise, "It's been so long since I last saw you, Fellow Daoist. I've missed you dearly."
Ling Chongxiao pursed his lips coldly, responding to her direct approach with utter indifference, "Fellow Daoist Xia, please watch your words."
The young man's expression grew even colder, but his high-tied black hair fell over his shoulders, and the tips of his jade-like ears turned an unmistakable shade of red.
Wow, he's blushing again so quickly! Xia Lianqiao was inwardly shocked. She couldn't help but think that the young man was like a particularly beautiful clam.
The shell was as white as jade, tightly shut, but if you managed to pry it open, the flesh inside would be soft, tender, and sensitive—poke it, and the ears would turn red.
Xia Lianqiao teased, "Why are your ears so red, Fellow Daoist?"
Ling Chongxiao: "..."
"Your ears are really red," Xia Lianqiao added fuel to the fire, "like a boiled shrimp."
At this moment, Li Langhuan delivered the finishing blow, blinking innocently and exclaiming in amazement, "Fellow Daoist Ling, your ears really are red!"
The young man finally couldn't take it anymore. His icy demeanor shattered, and like a cat with its fur bristling, he coldly flicked his sleeve and walked away, muttering, "Nonsense."
Whether it was because she had interrupted Ling Chongxiao's reunion with Li Langhuan or because she had truly teased him to the limit, Ling Chongxiao spent the rest of the journey pretending not to see her.
After their experience in the illusion, Ling Chongxiao's attitude had softened somewhat, but now it was back to square one, with the young man once again wearing an expressionless, solemn mask.
But for Xia Lianqiao, teasing the aloof and unattainable "flower on the high peak" was addictive. Who knew how boring ancient times could be? Her daily routine consisted of reading storybooks or pulling out paper and pen to write novels to pass the time.
Nominally, they were novels, but in reality, they were thinly veiled fanfiction. After all, openly shipping Bai Ji'an and Li Langhuan was a bit too shameless—before, they were just fictional characters, but now, shipping them felt like real-person shipping.
First, she created a white-robed wandering swordsman who used a folding fan as his weapon, then a cheerful green-clad swordswoman, and finally a young Taoist swordsman who secretly had a crush on the swordswoman.
And thus, she could indulge in a messy love triangle. Of course, to anyone who knew the real people, the inspiration for the characters would be glaringly obvious.
Now that Ling Chongxiao was around, she had a new hobby—teasing Ling Chongxiao.
The young man was like one of those squeaky duck toys she had bought for her dog at home—squeeze it, and it would squeak.
Watching Ling Chongxiao lose his composure became her daily, enthusiastic challenge.
The sense of accomplishment when the young man finally cracked was even more satisfying than beating a game. No wonder the books, movies, and games she had seen always paired the aloof, unattainable young man with a mischievous, cheeky elder.
That night, the group lit a bonfire and rested by the marsh. The next day, they headed east toward a nearby village—Xiangshui Village.
Xiangshui Village was a small hamlet that Xia Lianqiao had passed through with Li Langhuan and Bai Ji'an on their way here.
Although this world of cultivation was magnificent and mysterious, that was only true for the cultivators themselves.
Because of the existence of cultivators, the authority of mortal kingdoms had eroded.
While cultivators were few in number and most wouldn't waste their cultivation time on mortal conflicts, even one cultivator who had reached a certain level of power but had no hope of ascending to the Great Dao could easily destroy an entire country.
Wars raged everywhere, and the land was divided into small states reminiscent of the Warring States period. Beneath the dazzling display of magical arts lay piles of bones by the roadside.
Along the way, Xia Lianqiao had seen many unburied corpses left to rot in the wilderness, while demons took advantage of the chaos to wreak havoc.
Xiangshui Village had once been a relatively isolated village. The demons of Xiao Xiang Great Marsh gathered deep within the marsh, and the villagers simply avoided the area, living in peace.
But for some reason, in recent years, these demons had started appearing near the village, abducting villagers and livestock.
The compass Li Langhuan carried pointed to the Jade Dew Nectar being somewhere near the marsh. Since they were passing by, they decided to stay in Xiangshui Village for a while and help the villagers clear out the troublesome demons.
As the first rays of morning sunlight pierced through the thick fog that perpetually shrouded Xiao Xiang Great Marsh, Xia Lianqiao and her companions finally returned to Xiangshui Village at dawn.
The villagers, who rose with the sun and rested at sunset, were already up and working in the fields. When they saw the group, their faces lit up with joy, and they put down their hoes to gather around.
"The immortal masters have returned!"
"Did the immortal masters succeed in vanquishing the demons?"
"Are the immortal masters hungry or thirsty? Would you like to come to our homes for breakfast?"
At the village entrance, the kind-eyed Granny Li, her loose teeth gnawing on a piece of dried sweet potato, held another piece in her hand and beckoned to Xia Lianqiao, "Lianqiao, come here, do you want some dried sweet potato?"
Of course, the crowd also noticed the sudden appearance of a cold, aloof, and strikingly handsome young boy among the three. Ling Chongxiao's ethereal yet icy beauty immediately captivated everyone.
The village women, who loved matchmaking and gossiping, had never seen such a contrast before. They gasped in unison and quickly gathered around him.
"Where is this young immortal from? He’s so handsome!"
"What’s your name? Are you married? How old are you? Where do you cultivate, young immortal?"
Xia Lianqiao, having grown up in the countryside, was completely at ease in Xiangshui Village. Seeing Ling Chongxiao being surrounded and unable to escape, she found it amusing and decided to push him into the crowd, thinking it better for him to suffer than herself.
Under Ling Chongxiao's furious gaze, she bit into the dried sweet potato and dashed away like the wind.
"Langhuan, Bai Ji'an, I’m going to see Brother Meng."
She ran past the village entrance, turned right, passed the ancient willow tree standing in the middle of the road, and after a short distance, arrived at her destination.
A fence made of reeds enclosed a neat little courtyard, with three large bamboo houses and two smaller ones arranged in a row.
The courtyard was divided into several well-tended medicinal herb beds, with unknown herbs growing lush and vibrant. In the distance, pear, bayberry, and apricot trees stood heavy with fruit, while climbing flowers adorned the walls.
As Xia Lianqiao approached and knocked on the bamboo door, footsteps were heard from inside, and soon a pale yet gentle face appeared.
The man had jet-black hair and a refined appearance. He wore a faded green robe, exuding a warm and peaceful aura, accompanied by a faint medicinal scent. Seeing her, he smiled softly, "Lianqiao, you’re back?"
"Bai Ji'an and Langhuan are still behind, surrounded by the villagers," Xia Lianqiao said quickly, untying a small pouch from her waist and handing it to the young man. "Here, Brother Meng, I brought back the herbs you asked for."
A moment later.
Ling Chongxiao sat stiffly at the table, his black hair disheveled and his white robes smudged with dirt. His expression was dark and stormy as he watched Xia Lianqiao introduce the young man.
"This is Meng Zizhen, Brother Meng. He’s the village doctor, and we’re staying at his place for now," the girl explained earnestly.
Meng Zizhen nodded gently, pushing a plate of snacks toward Xia Lianqiao before turning to Ling Chongxiao. "This young man must be the Ling Chongxiao you mentioned earlier?"
He smiled, "Truly an impressive figure, a hero among youths."
Ling Chongxiao’s expression remained icy. The young boy glanced at him and Xia Lianqiao, his gaze sharp and cold, like a sword slicing through vibrant flowers, chilling as a ghostly frost. He gave a slight nod and said nothing more.
Ling Chongxiao’s obvious coldness caught Meng Zizhen off guard, but he simply smiled and didn’t take it to heart.
Bai Ji'an stepped in to smooth things over, "Brother Ling has lived in the Zhengyang Sword Sect since childhood and rarely interacts with outsiders. He’s here to search for herbs."
The Xiangshui Marsh was rich in medicinal plants, and among them was a rare water pine fungus, a crucial ingredient for refining elixirs.
Since their paths aligned, Ling Chongxiao decided to travel with them.
While the four chatted and laughed, Ling Chongxiao suddenly pursed his lips, stood up, and said, "I’m going out for a walk."
Xia Lianqiao, who had been snacking on the treats Meng Zizhen gave her, was startled by Ling Chongxiao’s abrupt action. She felt a mix of surprise and concern.
Although Ling Chongxiao was usually aloof, he never lacked proper manners. Why was he acting so rudely today?
After a moment’s hesitation, Xia Lianqiao wiped her hands on a cloth and stood up as well. "I’ll go out for some fresh air too."
Ling Chongxiao hadn’t gone far. Xia Lianqiao caught up to him in just a few steps, spotting his cold, white-robed figure.
"Brother Ling!"
Ling Chongxiao glanced at her and gave a slight nod but said nothing. Instead, he continued what he had been doing, pacing around the courtyard in a peculiar manner, as if following some celestial pattern.
"Is there something unusual about this courtyard?" Xia Lianqiao didn’t interrupt him immediately, waiting until he finished before asking.
Ling Chongxiao frowned, a red mark appearing between his brows like a drop of blood.
His voice was as cold and sharp as shattered ice, sending chills down one’s spine.
"There’s demonic energy here."
The way Ling Chongxiao spoke, his voice icy and piercing, made the statement sound like something out of a horror movie.
Xia Lianqiao felt goosebumps rise on her back. She swallowed hard and asked in a low voice, "Demonic energy?"
Ling Chongxiao remained silent, tacitly confirming her question.
Xia Lianqiao pondered, "Langhuan checked the village before we arrived and didn’t find any signs of demons."
Moreover, she didn’t recall this part from the original story. "The Path of Cultivation" was simply too long, and she had mostly forgotten the early plot, only remembering the romantic parts.
Considering Ling Chongxiao’s true identity, Xia Lianqiao decided to trust his judgment. She looked up at him and asked, "Do you want to investigate?"
Ling Chongxiao frowned, "The demonic energy is faint, almost imperceptible. It might be hard to track."
Xia Lianqiao thought for a moment and then asked, "Should I call Brother Meng over?" As the host, Meng Zizhen had the right to know if there was demonic energy in his home.
Ling Chongxiao looked at her and said, "Thank you."
Upon hearing about the demonic energy, Meng Zizhen was also surprised. Li Langhuan asked if anything unusual had happened recently, but Meng Zizhen shook his head.
"Nothing strange, really. If anything, there’s been something good."
Bai Ji'an raised an eyebrow, "Something good?"
Meng Zizhen nodded gently and smiled, "I’ve always been in poor health, but over time, I learned medicine and became a doctor. Two years ago, I was so ill I could barely get out of bed, but then, for some reason, the illness healed on its own. These days, I’ve been feeling stronger and healthier. Isn’t that a good thing?"
Li Langhuan was puzzled, "If there were a demon causing trouble, it would likely drain one’s energy, making them weaker. But Brother Meng’s health has been improving. That’s strange."
Although Meng Zizhen’s health had improved, his constitution was still weak. Standing outside in the wind for too long made him cough incessantly.
Covering his mouth with one hand, Meng Zizhen chuckled between coughs, "Maybe it’s a benevolent demon."
Bai Ji'an smiled, "That’s not impossible."
Still, the presence of demonic energy in the courtyard couldn’t be ignored. To be safe, they decided to investigate Xiangshui Village thoroughly the next morning.
As the sun set, Meng Zizhen personally cooked dinner for everyone.
"It’s just simple fare. I hope you all don’t mind."
Although cultivators had abstained from grains for many years, it didn’t mean they couldn’t eat them at all—it just required some effort to expel them from their bodies later. When they encountered hospitable villagers along the way, Li Langhuan, Bai Ji'an, and the others often didn’t refuse their kindness to avoid being impolite.
While everyone was eating, two dogs and a tabby cat sat under the table, swishing their tails and waiting.
Ling Chongxiao took a few bites but spent most of the time gazing down at the large yellow dog by his feet, his eyelashes barely moving.
This yellow dog was the kind Xia Lianqiao had seen before—a purebred rural dog with a yellow coat and a white face.
The other one was white, looking plump and fluffy.
“These are the companions I keep to ease my loneliness,” Meng Zizhen said with a doting smile, glancing up at the group. “I also have a few chickens, ducks, and rabbits in the yard. You must have noticed them over the past few days.”
Xia Lianqiao, who had always adored cats and dogs, firmly believed that the world couldn’t do without puppies and kittens. She barely ate much herself, instead picking up a piece of meat and making coaxing sounds to attract the animals.
Perhaps because she had once pet countless cats and dogs around her school and nearby neighborhoods, she carried an aura of a “cat and dog whisperer.” The animals approached her meekly, and she petted them with practiced ease, clearly enjoying herself.
As the cats and dogs gathered around her, Xia Lianqiao noticed Ling Chongxiao’s gaze following them.
Wherever she lured the animals, Ling Chongxiao’s eyes would trail after them.
Soon, Xia Lianqiao sensed something amiss. Wait, could it be that Ling Chongxiao wanted to pet the cats and dogs too?
Though Ling Chongxiao tried to maintain a cool and distant demeanor, his lingering gaze and awkwardness couldn’t escape the keen eyes of a cat-and-dog enthusiast like her.
The young man struggled to keep a straight face, but his dark eyes followed the animals’ every move, much like a kitten chasing a laser pointer.
At that moment, her playful heart stirred once again, eager to tease Ling Chongxiao!
