It’s a cool night in mid-autumn, and the moon is full in the empty courtyard.
On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the city of Kongfang is ablaze with lights and the lantern fair is bustling with activity.
Jiang Yuebai's face was smeared with ink. He rushed out of the courtyard excitedly with a bag of jade slips, determined to deliver all the jade slips before dawn.
"Why are you here?"
Jiang Yuebai looked in surprise at Zhuo Qingfeng, who was standing outside the courtyard gate, holding a sword and frowning. It had only been a few days since they last saw him, and he had a layer of stubble on his chin, looking very decadent.
"I... still want to ask for clarification."
Jiang Yuebai suddenly felt a little guilty. On the one hand, he was busy these days, and on the other hand, he didn't know how to say it, so he simply put the matter behind him.
Since we meet again, let's take this opportunity to make things clear.
"If you have nothing to do, come with me to deliver something to everyone."
Jiang Yuebai raised the bag of jade slips in his hand, and then put them into the storage bracelet.
Zhuo Qingfeng's eyes lit up slightly and he nodded, "Your face... is offended."
Zhuo Qingfeng used a dust-purification spell, and a cool breeze swept across the ink stains on Jiang Yuebai's face.
Jiang Yuebai touched his face in a daze. He could not bear Zhuo Qingfeng's passionate gaze. He scratched his face and took a step forward. Zhuo Qingfeng took the sword in his right hand, raised the corner of his lips and followed quickly.
"It's so lively tonight. Immortal cultivators are also very good at celebrating festivals~"
The ten-mile-long street is brightly lit.
Jiang Yuebai looked around, touching the lanterns on the left, looking at the young men and women burning incense under the tree on the right, and looking up, the sky was filled with all kinds of flying lanterns.
It's dazzling and beautiful.
Bang!
On the other side of Quan Lake, fireworks were launched into the sky, the trees were bright and colorful, and the children were cheering and laughing, chasing each other as they ran towards the Quan Lake with lanterns in their hands.
Jiang Yuebai also smiled foolishly and looked backwards at the fireworks in the sky. When she lowered her head, she saw Zhuo Qingfeng standing in the crowd, his burning gaze always on her.
"Cough~" Jiang Yuebai clenched his fist and coughed lightly, restraining his smile.
"Reunion cakes~ Delicious reunion cakes~ Eat them and your family will be reunited~"
Jiang Yuebai was attracted by the shouting nearby, and she walked over. "Two reunion cakes, Zhuo Qingfeng, do you want some?"
Zhuo Qingfeng came up and shook his head, "I'm already fasting, eating anything will affect my state of mind. I'm going to enter the secret realm tomorrow, so you'd better not..."
Before he finished speaking, Jiang Yuebai had already swallowed half of the reunion cake in one gulp, with some crumbs at the corners of his mouth. It tasted so good that the little Ganoderma lucidum on his head swayed in his hair.
Zhuo Qingfeng remained silent and just looked at Jiang Yuebai.
Jiang Yuebai paid the spirit pearl, took the other wrapped reunion cake, and walked backwards in front of Zhuo Qingfeng.
"Look, I want to eat reunion cakes, but you have already fasted. You can't appreciate how delicious the cake in my hand is, and I can't share the joy of this bite with you."
Zhuo Qingfeng frowned, stretched out his long arm to take the paper bag from Jiang Yuebai's hand, picked up the cake and put it to his mouth, but hesitated and couldn't bite it.
Jiang Yuebai pulled the thread with her spiritual consciousness, and the cake in Zhuo Qingfeng's hand returned to her hand.
"Don't force yourself to prove anything. If your love for me requires you to go against your will, then it's not worth it."
Zhuo Qingfeng frowned deeper and deeper, "But I still..."
Jiang Yuebai stopped and looked at Zhuo Qingfeng seriously, "Do you know why it rained today?"
Zhuo Qingfeng shook his head.
"Then do you know why in some places the sun is blazing in July, while in other places it is freezing and snowy in July?"
Zhuo Qingfeng shook his head again.
"You don't know what I want to know, and I also don't know about your swordsmanship, sword heart, sword will and sword form. What do you think we should talk about when we meet as Taoist companions? How many common topics can we have?"
Zhuo Qingfeng opened his mouth to speak, but didn't know what to say.
"Don't underestimate me because I'm young. I know how it feels to be in love with someone. I know how two people can have an irresistible attraction from soul to body."
Jiang Yuebai really understood it from Lin Jingyue, the hermit from Wuwei Mountain, and Ye Shiming, the young general of Cang State.
She has Ye Shiming's memories, and used to think that matters of love had nothing to do with her, so she deliberately ignored the relevant parts of Ye Shiming's memories.
But this time when she went to Kong Fangcheng, first Xie Jingshan went crazy, and then Zhuo Qingfeng came to confess his love. She knew that she had to face up to this inevitable stage in life.
After Zhuo Qingfeng confessed his love that day, she re-examined and re-perceived how Ye Shiming and Lin Jingyue met, knew each other and fell in love.
Apart from the barriers of positions and identities, Ye Shiming and Lin Jingyue were both generals. They met in the same battle and got to know each other during the fighting.
Lin Jingyue was directing the military operations in the central military tent, while Ye Shiming was leading troops to fight outside.
If Ye Shiming is really an incompetent fool, no matter how powerful Lin Jingyue's strategy is, how can Ye Shiming defeat the strong with the weak and the many with the few
Ye Shiming's excellence also attracted Lin Jingyue, and there was a subtle tacit understanding between them.
They discussed tactics together on the sand table and practiced spearmanship under the moonlight. Even though they knew there was no future for them, they were still irresistibly attracted to each other.
So Lin Jingyue couldn't bear to poison her, and Ye Shiming couldn't bear to kill her.
Jiang Yuebai can feel Lin Jingyue's love from Ye Shiming's perspective. Coupled with the tragic ending, Jiang Yuebai feels like he has experienced a love disaster and can empathize with Lin Jingyue. He will not be easily attracted to anyone again, nor will he feel regretful about it.
The master was right back then. Having Ye Shiming's memories was not entirely a bad thing for her.
Under the lights of thousands of homes, Jiang Yuebai and Zhuo Qingfeng walked side by side, delivering jade slips to friends living everywhere, slowly telling them the story of Lin Jingyue and Ye Shiming, so that Zhuo Qingfeng could understand what true love between men and women is.
They walked all the way to the edge of the spring lake and stopped.
Jiang Yuebai said, "Zhuo Qingfeng, I really thank you for being willing to present your sincere heart to me. I feel very honored to be liked by such an excellent person like you. Last time, I was at a loss and scolded you. I was wrong. I apologize to you."
Jiang Yuebai bowed, and Zhuo Qingfeng hurried to support her arm.
"You don't have to apologize. I was too abrupt."
Jiang Yuebai stood up straight. "I am a wild person. I don't like to be restrained. I am also greedy. I want a lot of things. But you are a pure person. You are determined to practice swordsmanship. You and I have different personalities, preferences, and goals. We are not suitable at all."
"I hope that you can find someone who is truly suitable for you in the future, with whom you can have common topics and pursuits, and who will not drag each other down, and who is willing to stay with you for the rest of your life and advance and retreat hand in hand. Only then can you be a true Taoist companion."
Zhuo Qingfeng looked at Jiang Yuebai with a bit of reluctance and bitterness in his eyes, "Then...will we still be friends?"
"Of course!" Jiang Yuebai answered decisively, with a smile in his eyes, "Your Guiyuan Sword Sect's Zhufeng Sword Master has been pursuing my Tianyan Sect's founder Lu Xingyun all his life and was trapped by love. If you turn this page, you will have taken the first step to surpass him."
Bang!
Fireworks exploded once again in the sky above Quan Lake, with bright trees and silver flowers shining brightly against the lotus lanterns on the lake.
"I'll give you this jade slip. Take it back and look at it with the others. If we encounter it in the maze tomorrow, I may need your help."
"I'm going to Shanhai Tower to deliver something to Xie Jingshan. Thank you tonight, and then we'll say goodbye."
Jiang Yuebai ran onto the covered bridge, ran towards Shanhai Tower, and ran farther and farther...
Zhuo Qingfeng's gaze followed her, his heart aching. What Jiang Yuebai had said to him tonight, he could not comprehend for a while, nor could he let it go.
His love for her was indeed not as unforgettable and unswerving as Ye Shiming's love for Lin Jingyue in her story.
But his love for her was also the result of his longing for her and his many thoughts for seven years since they parted in Cang Yan Land. It was only when his heart was pounding at the moment of their reunion that he was truly sure that he loved her and wanted to see her all the time.
Zhuo Qingfeng closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Perhaps one day he would be able to move on from this, but now… not yet.
Holding the jade slip tightly in his hand, Zhuo Qingfeng reluctantly withdrew his gaze and left Quanhu.
Downstairs of Shanhai Building.
Xie Jingshan teased, "Tsk tsk tsk, I just saw you and Zhuo Qingfeng upstairs, are you two..."
Seeing that Xie Jingshan’s eyebrows were about to fly to the sky, Jiang Yuebai threw the jade slip to him in a bad mood.
"Can't you live without being talkative? Hurry up and memorize the diagrams and formation formulas tonight."
Jiang Yuebai turned around and left. Xie Jingshan shouted from behind, "So did you refuse or agree?"
The top of the mountain and sea building.
Xie Guihong held Ding Lanzhi in his arms and looked down at his silly son.
"That girl looks pretty good. She must be Jiang Yuebai that Jingshan often mentions, right?" Ding Lanzhi asked.
Xie Guihong nodded, "Yes, that's her. It's a pity that your good son is determined to remain a virgin for the Buddha, otherwise I could give him some advice."
Ding Lanzhi rolled her eyes at Xie Guihong and said, "Don't embarrass yourself and don't interfere in Jingshan's affairs. Tomorrow..."
"Don't worry, go ahead. I'll wait for you to come back." Xie Guihong interrupted Ding Lanzhi and gently embraced her in his arms. "Today's fireworks are all made by me personally for you. Do you like them
"It's OK~"
Don’t worry about the waxing and waning of the moon, just enjoy the good time on earth.
(End of this chapter)