Fleeting Dream Across Three Lifetimes - Chapter 15

Inside Ziyun Peak there was a spirit spring, its spiritual energy far denser and rarer than the other peaks. But the source was small, only a single spring eye, so it was tightly controlled. Qin Mohan and her fellow disciples received a share each month, yet Qin Mohan herself rarely used it. Instead, she diverted an ordinary spring and poured the spirit spring water into it. In the Ziyun Pavilion she had discovered a book of formations and talismans, and after studying it diligently, she laid a Spirit-Gathering Array in the spring water, which allowed spiritual power to condense within it.

The spiritual energy in the spring was rich and intense, and anyone below the Golden Core stage dared not drink it directly. Most of the time, Qin Mohan used it for bathing, tempering her meridians. Though it was not as effective as washing the marrow, the results were still excellent. That was why she saved it especially for Su Zining, believing it would benefit her greatly.

The moment Su Zining stepped into the water, she felt the dense aura expand all her pores. Endless spiritual power surged into her limbs and bones, then converged in her dantian, circulating through her meridians with a comfortable force. Having lived eight hundred years, standing only a step away from Tribulation Crossing, she naturally knew its worth. This spring might not be of the highest grade, but with the array strengthening it, even cultivators in the Golden Core stage would treasure it. And yet Qin Mohan let her, a mere five-root Qi trainee, bathe in it. She knew well that five roots were not only useless but consumed spiritual power at a frightening rate. Half an hour here would cost nearly two-thirds of the spring’s energy.

Though Su Zining had already come to terms with many things, she still disliked accepting such a lavish gift for no reason. She planned to wash briefly and leave.

Just as she was about to rise, she heard deliberate footsteps approaching, as though to announce that someone was about to enter. But she reacted a little too slowly. Qin Mohan stepped in just as a pale body slipped hastily beneath the water. Though it was only a fleeting glimpse, things that should not have been seen still entered her eyes.

Qin Mohan froze. She had not bothered to knock because they were both women, and the spring was surrounded by a milky white mist that concealed most everything, so she had thought it would not be awkward. She had not expected Su Zining to rise so quickly. That sudden glimpse left her unsettled. Yet to overreact would only make things worse, so she merely let her cheeks redden slightly, then composed herself and walked forward calmly. “Why are you getting up so soon? This spirit spring is very good for you.”

Seeing her so composed, Su Zining felt secretly annoyed, but then thought to herself that she was already of great age and should not bicker with a little girl. Calming, she said, “This spring is too precious. For me who has five roots, it’s a waste.”

Qin Mohan frowned slightly. “What do you mean waste? I know you have five roots. I’ve been saving this spirit spring for three months, and I kept it especially for you today. Though I have double roots, the capacity of my meridians and dantian to contain spiritual energy is limited, so for me it’s somewhat wasted. But for you, it’s perfect. Tomorrow is the competition, and since you’re still injured today, bathing here will be good for you.”

Su Zining opened her mouth, then said complicatedly, “Your cultivation is higher than mine, how could it be waste? This thing is so rare, yet you give it all to me… I…”

Qin Mohan smiled, squatting by the pool to look at her, dark eyes shining with gentle laughter. “I told you, my kindness has a reason. I’m no fool. Since I’m willing to give this to you, it must be because I can receive from you a treasure that makes me glad to give in return. It’s quite fair. So you can accept it, Zining.”

“But your kindness to me is plain for me to see, while I’ve never noticed you gain anything from me.” Then she recalled what Qin Mohan had once said, and deliberately tilted her head with feigned puzzlement. “You said your reason is me. Hm. If you were a man, I’d understand you wanted to sleep with me. But between women, I’ve never heard of such a thing. Could it be that when you say you want me, you mean like a man, you want to sleep with me?”

Qin Mohan’s lips parted, her face finally betraying a blush. She frowned. “You… you’re still young, where did you hear such nonsense?”

Su Zining laughed inwardly but kept her tone innocent. “From books of course. But these days, you’ve never once tried to sleep with me. Tonight you left me here to stay, could it be that you’re preparing to?”

Qin Mohan could not hold her composure. Her feelings for Zhi Mo had always been deep, but they were of trust, gratitude, and reliance, like that of teacher and friend, never tainted by such thoughts. Hearing Su Zining’s words, she kept her expression outwardly calm, but her tone sped up unnaturally. “Don’t think nonsense. I have no such ideas. You mustn’t read those books again. Focus on cultivating. Stay in the spring, I’ll go meditate. I won’t take the bed at night, you sleep on it. I won’t sleep with you…” Secretly cursing her own slip, she cut herself off, turned, and left quickly.

Su Zining finally vented her embarrassment, laughing brightly. Scooping a handful of the spring water, her smile faded into a sigh as she leaned against the poolside. Qin Mohan, Qin Mohan, this woman who had never existed in her previous life had, in this one, broken down all her long-standing walls.

***

When she came out, Su Zining felt a trace of awe. The spirit spring truly was extraordinary. She had already reached the peak of Qi Refining. With five roots, advancement was far harder than with other roots, yet she had reached this point so quickly, thanks mostly to Qin Mohan’s reckless generosity.

That night, Qin Mohan really did sit properly to one side with eyes closed in meditation, while Su Zining lay on the bed. Propping her head with one hand, she asked, “You already fought two matches today, aren’t you tired?”

Qin Mohan opened her eyes, looked at her, then smiled faintly. “Zining, are you asking me to sleep with you?”

Su Zining’s face stiffened. She turned away, shut her eyes, and muttered, “I’m tired, I’m going to sleep.”

Qin Mohan chuckled softly, watching her for a long while, then gathered her energy and sank into cultivation. Su Zining squinted slightly, then truly drifted off into sweet sleep in this room filled with Qin Mohan’s presence, not noticing how later that night, Qin Mohan’s brow furrowed in unease.

When she opened her eyes, Su Zining was still asleep. In the night her gaze seemed shadowed, weighed down with gloom. Pain flickered there as she rubbed her forehead. That unknown power was letting her glimpse fragments of what Su Zining should have experienced. Yet though Su Zining had nearly escaped all the suffering she was meant to endure, everything still seemed to press forward. Was fate urging her to aid Su Zining, or warning her that, no matter what, all roads would circle back to that destined point?

Qin Mohan could not tell, but her heart felt heavy. Since that robed man had once saved Su Zining, their interactions had only grown. And now Qin Mohan understood. The man was Wenren Qiu, the eldest son of the Wenren clan, one of the Three Great Clans, and the supposed male lead. As heir to the Wenren family, Wenren Qiu had every right to be proud. He was cold and aloof, strikingly handsome, and highly gifted. When Su Zining was besieged, he had stepped in to rescue her, ignoring the trace of diabolic aura about her.

According to the original tale, Wenren Qiu had become deeply interested in Su Zining, hence his rescue, and later chance encounters led them to share life-and-death experiences. Her rapid growth surprised him greatly. Free of narrow prejudice, he did not believe her to be a devil, and truly cared for her. In such circumstances, Su Zining placed much trust in Wenren Qiu, and with his protection she indeed lived peacefully for a while. But when Wenren Qiu discovered the Stellar Arts on her, a nearly lost supreme art known to his clan, his sympathy and pity turned into deliberate closeness.

Qin Mohan remembered how the book had described it. Su Zining’s heart stirred for Wenren Qiu. Early on, their moments were tender. Though Wenren Qiu approached with intent, he also pitied her and showed her genuine affection. Always hurt and isolated, how could Su Zining possibly resist?

Qin Mohan felt a faint sense of loss and sorrow. After all, that kind of tenderness and gentleness from Su Zining, she had always believed, seemed to belong only to her.

But things were far more complicated than she had imagined. In the end, though Wenren Qiu truly loved Su Zining, he could not let go of his ambition for cultivation. And the Wenren family was filled with schemes and power struggles as well. He needed the Stellar Arts, but he did not believe Su Zining would ever give them up willingly, so he plotted step by step. At that time, Su Zining happened to discover the truth about her parentage, which struck her hard. Not long after, others deliberately revealed that everything Wenren Qiu had done was only for the Stellar Arts, and she was captured and thrown into the Wenren family’s inferno for three long years. For reasons unknown, Wenren Qiu let it happen, leaving her to suffer endless torment. In the end, when all her hopes were extinguished, she completely fell into devilish cultivation and barely managed to escape.

It wasn’t that she was unwilling to give up the Stellar Arts, only that she wasn’t ready to confess everything to Wenren Qiu. But then, being hunted and imprisoned by the Wenren family, she lost herself in despair, suffered a backlash, and finally fell utterly into the devilish path, becoming the mortal enemy of the cultivation world. And the last pages of the book were blank. Qin Mohan had no way of knowing what happened to Su Zining in the end—whether the guidance had simply stopped, or whether the story itself had ended there.

She rose, walked quietly to the bedside, and gazed at the sleeping Su Zining, her eyes lowered, filled with tenderness and an aching sorrow.

“I hope all of this truly is just a novel, and not what you must experience.”

***

The next morning, Su Zining was in excellent spirits. Ever since her rebirth, she had still carried over the habits of her past life. With so much weighing on her heart, she had almost never slept soundly. Before, her cultivation was high enough that going without rest did not matter much, but now she did feel the fatigue. She hadn’t expected that in Qin Mohan’s room, she could sleep so peacefully.

After three days of competition, the challengers among the gray-robed disciples had been decided. Though this was a great opportunity, most gray-robed disciples had neither talent nor resources, so very few had the confidence to win.

Before Su Zining’s match, Qin Mohan pointed toward a white-robed disciple in the audience and said softly, “That is Lei Mu from Qingyan Peak. He entered the sect half a year ago, the same as you. At present, he’s at the fifth level of Qi Refining stage, with three roots of metal, wood, and earth, but of only medium to lower quality. His cultivation method is Qingyan Peak’s most basic Heavenly Gang Art, powerful but lacking flexibility, and extremely consuming of spiritual energy. So don’t clash with him head-on…”

Her eyes stayed fixed on that disciple as she spoke carefully and in detail. Su Zining couldn’t help but laugh. “You’ve already dug up all his background in advance?”

Qin Mohan glanced at her calmly. “Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.”

“Yes, I understand. I’ve also watched his matches, you don’t need to worry.” Su Zining felt a warmth stir in her heart. Though reason told her over and over not to trust her, emotionally she could not resist such gentleness, not unless she saw her betray her with her own eyes.

When it was Su Zining’s turn to enter the stage, Qin Mohan, thinking she was still only at Qi Refining, could not help whispering, “If you can’t win, just come down. At worst, I’ll take care of you.”

Su Zining paused, turned back with a smile, then as a disciple at the top called out loudly, “The nine hundred and tenth generation gray-robed disciple of Luori Peak, Zhi Mo!” she leapt lightly, landing on the stage with her sword already in hand. Bowing respectfully to the white-robed Lei Mu, who strolled on casually, she saluted him.

Lei Mu narrowed his eyes at her, not even bothering to summon his spiritual tool. With arrogance he said, “You make the first move, let’s finish this quickly.”

Su Zining pretended to fumble a little, awkwardly adjusting her sword stance as though she were nervous. Then she barely gathered a trace of spiritual power, letting it scatter clumsily around the blade, and rushed forward with almost no technique at all.

Lei Mu sneered softly, gathering his spiritual energy, waiting for her to approach so he could blast her straight off the stage.