Chapter 43: The Future Because she had not had time to stabilize her cultivation after her breakthrough and was even struck by Ming Cang"s oppressive aura, Di Jiufeng was in a mess of a state. Her spiritual powers were exhausted, nascent soul dispirited, even her dantian showed some faint signs of dispersal. After failing to discover any hidden wounds, Di Jiufeng began to meditate.
Because she was worried about her disciple, all alone in the Pure-Heart Precipice, Di Jiufeng did not plan to heal herself fully before she would go. But because her wounds really were too severe, by the time her dantian had recovered, her nascent soul had been reborn, and half her spiritual energy had been restored, a month had already pa.s.sed.
Her eyes flying open, Di Jiufeng did not delay. She sent her spiritual energy into Shen City right away.
This was what she had discovered while dealing with those elders. As long as she envisioned some place in her mind, Shen City could take her there.
Closing her eyes, she envisioned Ning Guang"s face. Pouring out the strength of her longing, Shen City glowed with light.
Using Shen City, Di Jiufeng went straight into the Pure-Heart Precipice"s prison cell. Ning Guang was sat cross-legged in the corner, all the demonic energy in the surrounding air ma.s.sing around her, roiling with bared fangs and brandished claws. Whether she wanted it or not, after the ancient witch"s original power awakened, demonic energy would automatically pour into her body. She did not even need to cultivate, and her demonic cultivation would still grow at a steady rate.
To Ning Guang, this should be a good thing, but she was not a bit happy.
Fear followed like a shadow after the shape. Qing Yu"s words were like a maggot in the foot, kissing at bone. It was always in the back of her mind that strong demonic energy would erode Di Jiufeng"s life force, until she became no more than a beautiful corpse.
Ning Guang was lost in thought, and did not discover that a person had appeared behind her.
When Di Jiufeng walked over to her and called her softly, Ning Guang finally came back to her senses with a start. She hurriedly retracted her demonic energy and looked at Di Jiufeng, fl.u.s.tered and anxious like she was caught red-handed, knowing that attempting to hide it would only make it worse.
"Shi, Shifu… where did you… no, you have Shen City." After a brief flash of panic, her held breath slowly recovered.
Di Jiufeng did not know what she was panicking about, and asked in a bewildered tone, "Ning Guang, what were you doing? Why so alarmed?"
Ning Guang had already gotten her emotions under control and said calmly, "I am cultivating the demonic path, Shifu, you know this. Other than you, no one in this world would allow me to cultivate the demonic path."
There was nothing wrong with Ning Guang"s words. Di Jiufeng thought, and did not suspect further.
Ning Guang, seeing her decline to pursue the subject, let out a held breath. She did not want to kill her Shifu, but did not want to leave her either. This warmth was not easy to come by, it was a unique thing she could exhaust the rest of her life seeking for and fail to find. She was already on the edge of falling into the endless abyss. If she let go of this singular chance at redemption, the only thing awaiting her would be eternal d.a.m.nation.
Ning Guang did not want that, but if the price would be her Shifu"s life, that was also unacceptable.
She could not make a decision either way. She would have to take it one day at a time.
But Di Jiufeng did not know what she was thinking. She only heard the words she spoke, nodded, and said, "You are correct. Since this is Han Hai Pavilion"s territory, even if this is the forbidden lands, we must be cautious in all our actions. Ning Guang, I did not come too late, did I? Has anyone bullied you these last few days?"
Ning Guang gripped her hand. Gentle as a stream, she pulled her to her side. "Shifu, no matter how late, as long as you come, it is not too late." Perhaps because she knew how many uncertainties and obligations there would be in the future, Ning Guang wished she could only collect every precious moment.
She couldn"t resist reaching out and holding Di Jiufeng tightly in her embrace. "Don"t go, stay with me."
This sudden embrace left Di Jiufeng a bit at a loss, but she reacted soon after. Her heartbeat flying, a scalding heat rolled up from the places where their skin touched. Di Jiufeng"s back stiffened, her face hot, tears welling up in both her eyes. Her breaths came out in short violent gasps, each carrying a ball of fire.
"Ning Guang, you, you…" Her hands, uncontrolled, grabbed Ning Guang"s sleeve. Di Jiufeng felt like her heart was going to jump into her throat. She was panicked and confused, yet liked being like this for some reason, even hoped that she could get a bit closer, a little bit closer.
Di Jiufeng was so embarra.s.sed by her own thoughts, her cheeks were about to catch fire.
That boiling heat numbed each of her nerves to the tip, even making her a bit dizzy in the head. Di Jiufeng could not speak, her stiff back leaning into Ning Guang"s embrace.
Sensing the tension in the body in her arms, Ning Guang"s brows softened. "Feng, tell me, tell me you will stay with me today." Her hoa.r.s.e voice held an enticing tone, slowly sounding by Di Jiufeng"s ear.
Ning Guang deliberately moved closer, hot breaths puffing by Di Jiufeng"s ear, making her whole body numb, giving an uncontrollable shiver.
She had already lost the power to think and replied, "Of course I, of course… I will stay with you." Wrapped in this cold fragrance with Ning Guang"s scorching breath by her ear, Di Jiufeng felt as if her soul was about to be dragged out of her body.
Seeing her bashful look, Ning Guang could not resist smiling. "Feng, I thought you were so brave…" Saying this, she lowered her head to press soft lips to her earlobe. Di Jiufeng shivered.
She held tighter and tighter, twisting Ning Guang"s sleeves into a ball.
"I don"t, I… I…" She could not speak any more. The whole of her mind was stolen away by those lips on her ear. Di Jiufeng furrowed her dark brows, tears welling up in her eyes, dark red lips trembling. Finally, she couldn"t resist letting out a light moan, "Ning, Ning Guang…"
Her fragile body was soft all the way through, bonelessly leaning against Ning Guang.
Because of this pair of lovers, this d.a.m.ned place for imprisoning felons could never again feel cold.
Ning Guang used every trick to mesmerize her heart, making Di Jiufeng incapable of thinking of anything but her alone. She knew Di Jiufeng would not go, but using her own methods to make her stay was more satisfying.
The two were tangled together, confiding in each other, until night fell, when Di Jiufeng finally laid down on Ning Guang"s lap. Hair like dark water spread out on the skirt of Ning Guang"s robes, black and white intertwined, a beautiful contrast.
This long-lost peace, though the place was not right, still made Di Jiufeng feel content.
She took Ning Guang"s hand and tilted her head, moist peach-blossom eyes piercing through the silent grey fog to fall on Ning Guang"s face. "Ning Guang, when all this is over, let"s find somewhere to live in seclusion.
Let"s find a little mountain village, the kind that is all common people. We can adopt so many children, the ones with no homes and no family to return to. You can teach them sword cultivation and I can cook for you all, even though I do not know how, you can teach me."
Ning Guang paused, looking at Di Jiufeng with lowered eyes. That pair of eyes deeper than the black night flowed with boundless affection.
"If you want, then we will go. But, I do not like children and I do not like other people. Feng, what if it is only us two? We can find somewhere with no people, only us, and stay together our whole lives."
"But how lonely would that be?" Di Jiufeng liked excitement. She had not asked before because she had not been thinking of the future. Because to her, the only future was stopping the ancient witch from destroying the world. She lacked a sense of reality. Even as Ning Guang grew up at her side, she did not believe in this illusory world.
How long ago was that?
It was during the Inner Disciples" Grand Compet.i.tion, when the main plotline"s mission had moved onto the right track, when her return trip was no longer far out of reach, when she had suddenly discovered that she had an attachment to this world. She cared about Ning Guang and did not want to leave her, so she had begun to think of every way to not complete the mission. But at that time, she still could not see the future.
In that confusion, hidden in the fog, the future she was unable to grasp was one she had never imagined in her wildest dreams.
Until she fell in love with Ning Guang.
When she could no longer hide her feelings, those hopes she had never before had all came alive. She began to fantasize what sort of future she would have with Ning Guang.
"Ning Guang, do you really not like children? You were so cute when you were younger. But, if you really do not like them, then it does not matter, we can find somewhere with unparalleled scenery and take Shen City there, we can live there, just us two. When it gets lonely, we can go out to take a stroll, and go back when we get tired, what do you think?"
Swaying their interlocked fingers and seeing her smile and nod, Di Jiufeng smiled along with her.
It was like she could already see that future. Jade gra.s.s as far as the eye could see. They could first plant a ring of sunflowers, then clear out some flowerbeds. The mountains would be covered not by bamboo and pine, but fruit trees of every season. They could also raise some animals, chickens, ducks, and fish; sheep, pigs and cows, then they would not be short on food any time of the year. When they were bored, they could even roast some sunflower seeds to crack.
Di Jiufeng couldn"t resist smiling, but for some reason, seeing her smile, Ning Guang couldn"t resist clenching her fingers tight.
"Feng, in the future, no matter where you want to go, I will stay with you. But if one day… one day…"
"One day what?" Di Jiufeng asked.
Ning Guang did not reply, and only clenched her hand tight. A while later, she finally let out a sign, determination in her eyes like she was burning her bridges after the crossing. "I do not know, I have not thought it through, but Feng, there is one thing I want to ask you. What if I…" am the ancient witch.
"It"s an emergency, Ning Guang… ah, Jiufeng, you"re here."
Ning Guang"s lip twitched, but before she could finish, Qing Yu"s voice sounded out. Di Jiufeng was shy and hurriedly crawled up from Ning Guang"s lap, but the hand dangling by her side secretly took Ning Guang"s fingers.
"En, I am here. I only came today. Qing Yu, what did you want to say?"
Notes
This chapter was translated by Lily.