Chapter 24

#Who Says We Can’t Return to Our Youth?

The day I reconnected with Xiaxia, I racked my brain trying to reconstruct every detail of my reunion with Xie Zhuo back then.

I told her which grove to bring her bamboo basket to tomorrow to hunt for bamboo shoots. I also told her she’d run into a bloodied Xie Xuanqing there, and then a flash of silver light would attack them. At that moment, Xie Xuanqing would shield her. I instructed Xiaxia to go along with his act—nestle in his arms, and once he passed out, drag him to a nearby cave.

In my memory, Xie Xuanqing would remain unconscious for about ten days. That would give Xiaxia and me enough time to plan our next move.

Tomorrow, all she had to do was stick to the original timeline.

But I couldn’t ignore one wildcard—Xie Zhuo.

He might try something to prevent Xiaxia from encountering Xie Xuanqing.

He didn’t have the Yin-Yang Fish, so in theory, he couldn’t communicate with his past self. Logically, he should be coming after Xiaxia. But I stayed up chatting with her late into the night, and there was still no sign of him…

He was probably up to something else.

Out of caution, I told Xiaxia to keep the Yin-Yang Fish active all night.

But nothing happened, and soon enough, dawn broke peacefully.

Xie Zhuo didn’t do anything to her.

The calmer it was, the more uneasy I felt. I grew even more vigilant, constantly monitoring what was happening on Xiaxia’s end through my mind.

Early in the morning, I pushed her to head out—without telling anyone.

I told her to hide in the snow bamboo grove about two li away from where Xie Xuanqing would appear. When the “auspicious hour” struck, I’d cue her to head to his location.

That vast snow bamboo grove held all of us: Xiaxia hidden in a secluded spot, me crouched in another, and possibly Xie Zhuo lurking somewhere, plotting who knows what.

While we waited, Xiaxia quietly messaged me through the Yin-Yang Fish:

“Honestly, I don’t think I need Xie Xuanqing’s blood to get through my Tribulation. If I just cultivate properly, can’t I rely on myself to survive it?”

I couldn’t help but scold her:

“Are you dumb or something? Haven’t you realized the key issue isn’t whether you survive the Tribulation, but whether you drink his blood?

“If you don’t drink his blood, then you never form a blood oath with him. And without that blood oath, when he uses the Pangu Axe to tear through space and time and drag me five hundred years into the future, that oath disappears. At that point, he’ll raise his blade and cut me down without hesitation. In other words, you’ll literally see the end of your own life—dying at the hands of Xie Zhuo five hundred years from now!”

“But I could choose not to form the blood oath, then train even harder over the next five hundred years. Maybe I could beat him then!”

“Who in Kunlun can use the Pangu Axe to tear space-time?”

“Queen Mother of the West can.”

“And how old is she?”

“Thousands of years old!”

“And you think you can do it in five hundred?!”

Xiaxia went silent.

I checked the time. “It’s about time. Go. And remember—act natural. Xie Xuanqing’s pretty sharp. Don’t let him get suspicious.”

“Yeah, yeah, got it. Why am I getting so naggy lately…”

Just as she said that, I heard a sudden thump in my mind. Her vision went black, then another thud, like her body collapsed into the snow.

I was startled. “Xiaxia!?”

No response.

Xie, you bastard! You really couldn’t keep your dirty hands off! I knew it—here it comes!

I rolled up my sleeve, used muscle memory to bring a dagger to my wrist, ready to cut and lure Xie Zhuo over, when suddenly a voice came from the shadows:

“Wasn’t knocking her out like that a bit much?”

That voice—bright and clear—was none other than Mengmeng from five hundred years ago!

“It’s for her own good.”

A deep male voice followed—one I hadn’t heard in a long time, yet still familiar in my ears!

It was Wu Cheng, my once most reliable lieutenant! That big lug—what was he doing knocking me out at a time like this!?

“You got a tip saying Jiuxia was in the grove practicing some demonic technique. But you found no proof, didn’t confront her, and just knocked her out…”

“You didn’t see it! Cold as hell out here, and she’s muttering to herself non-stop—something about blood oaths, Queen Mother of the West, thousands of years—she sounded possessed!”

Wu Cheng sounded like he’d just discovered a huge secret.

“She even said she was nagging herself! If that’s not possession, then it’s gotta be madness!”

Me: “…”

I couldn’t even explain.

My voice couldn’t travel through the Yin-Yang Fish into their minds either.

All I could do was listen helplessly to the rustling in my mind—I figured that dumb brute Wu Cheng had hoisted me up. The sound changed, a little muffled, but still clear enough:

“Let’s bring her back to the Immortal on duty to check her out.”

Mengmeng asked, “What if Jiuxia isn’t possessed…”

“Then even better!”

“But if she wakes up, won’t she beat you up!?”

“Hahaha! My boss ain’t that petty! I’m doing this for her own good! If she’s possessed, we cure it. If not, I’ll take a couple beatings—no big deal.”

I was so pissed I ripped the Yin-Yang Fish off my ear and flung it into the snow. I nearly stomped on it, but restrained myself, just cursing in my heart.

Damn you, Xie Zhuo! What a scheming piece of work!

His timing, his players, his plan—absolutely precise!

He fed Wu Cheng a false report saying I was about to go berserk. Wu Cheng, loyal and honest but dumb as a rock, would obviously come running.

As my lieutenant, he held the Kunlun Command Token, which let him easily locate Xiaxia. I’d told her to hide in the most secluded spot of a vast, uniform-looking bamboo grove—no way Xie Zhuo could find her. But Wu Cheng could!

Once Wu Cheng took Xiaxia away, what ghost was Xie Xuanqing supposed to meet today?

And thanks to the “king doesn’t meet king” rule, I couldn’t even go snatch her back myself. Wu Cheng took her—not Xie Zhuo—so threatening to die to force Xie Zhuo out wouldn’t work either…

After running through the situation in my head, I cursed again.

Dog bastard!

I paced through the snow, gnawing on my fingers, the ground creaking beneath each step.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck me.

Xiaxia got taken—but wasn’t there still another Xiaxia right here?

I was Xiaxia!

So what if I was five hundred years older?

I didn’t even have that many wrinkles! Barely put on any weight in five centuries!

Desperate times, desperate measures. Who says you can’t act young and reclaim your youth?

Without hesitation, I dug a hole, melted the snow, and used the water’s reflection to tie my hair like it had been five hundred years ago. I patted snow water onto my cheeks to make them look rosy, then formed a hand seal and switched into the clothes I used to wear.

I looked toward the spot where Xie Xuanqing should appear in my memory, took a deep breath, and marched forward—bold, proud, and fearless.

As if stepping onto the battlefield that belonged to me alone.