Fleeting Dream Across Three Lifetimes - Chapter 20

Choosing to stay was nothing but clinging to life. Luo Yuan was a good man, and Qin Mohan respected him deeply, so Su Zining could not bring him trouble. Moreover, she would never let those who hurt Qin Mohan go. Never!

Su Zining lowered her head, shadows clouding her eyes, but her voice still fell low. “If I stay, I’ll only bring you trouble. Besides, I can’t bear to endure it like this. They killed Mohan.”

Luo Yuan’s eyes filled with a trace of pain, and he let out a deep sigh. “If you’ve decided, I won’t force you. But the road ahead will be very difficult. Their greed will not stop here.”

Su Zining lifted her head with a faint smile. “I know. But there are always places their greed will not dare to reach. Mohan always said you were a good master. She has lived in Lin Qingchen’s body all this time, burdened with guilt. In truth, she was the most innocent of all—Lin Qingchen’s fate had nothing to do with her. Thank you for saving us today. Both I and Mohan are deeply grateful.” After speaking, she knelt and bowed three times with reverence. Luo Yuan did not covet her Celestial artifact and even risked himself to save her. For this kindness alone, she would remember him for life.

Whenever Luo Yuan thought of Qin Mohan, his heart ached. He closed his eyes briefly, then helped Su Zining up. “These things were meant for that girl. She… she performed so well. I promised to reward her.” He looked at the fragment of the human soul, unable to continue. Even knowing she wasn’t Lin Qingchen, over the past half year he had truly cherished this little disciple. “Now… she still thinks of you. These, then, I give to you, to use when needed. A master must not break his word.” Forcing a smile, Luo Yuan handed her the storage pouch, then fell into silence.

Su Zining looked inside: many high-rank foundation-building pills, and talismans of thunder for protection. Luo Yuan’s mastery in talisman craft was profound, and these thunder talismans were extremely precious.

After bidding farewell to Luo Yuan, he tore open the void and sent Su Zining out of Wuji Sect’s territory, even adding several concealment talismans to prevent her from being detected. Standing still, he looked at Lin Qingchen’s corpse, feelings churning within him. That too had been his disciple, but he loved that poor girl more. Had she not died young, she would have been the pride of his Ziyun Peak.

He murmured, “Girl, this is all your master can do for you.” Then he erased all lingering traces of aura in the area and vanished in a streak of white light.

When Su Zining came to her senses, she was already outside the outskirts of Ying City. She carefully opened the small box in her arms. Inside, a tiny orb of light flickered dimly, stabbing her eyes with pain. She gently traced her fingers around it, afraid to frighten the fragile fragment of soul.

“Mohan, I won’t let you disappear like this. Don’t be afraid, I will save you.” Her fingers lingered tenderly around the faint soul, though her eyes ached even more. She had long known it, no matter how she tried to convince herself otherwise. Perhaps Qin Mohan harbored other intentions, yet back then, she had let her stay again and again. That itself was already compromise. But she had lived in suspicion for so many years, blind to her own heart. The moment she left, Su Zining found she could no longer endure it.

After a long time, she crouched down, pressing hard against her eyes, her voice choked. “Eight hundred years. Two lifetimes, Qin Mohan. I feel regret again.” Warm tears seeped bitterly through her fingers. When she first learned of Wenren Qiu’s scheme, she had already been filled with regret, but now it was even worse. Why must it end like this? When she trusted too much, she regretted it for a lifetime. When she trusted no one, she still regretted it. No matter what she did, it was wrong!

With the immense power of the Qiankun Fan, Su Zining shielded that fragment of soul, setting a barrier around it inside the box to keep it safe, then quietly headed toward the Su household.

The Soul-Gathering Lamp—Su family’s Soul-Gathering Lamp was Qin Mohan’s only hope, and she knew exactly where it was.

Her lips curved into a cold smile. The Su family had never treated her well. Originally, once she had left, she had no intention of holding them accountable. But now, she would return to overturn everything.

***

At this moment, Wuji Sect was in chaos. Though Lin Cuiyan and Lin Zong dared not offend Wuji Sect, they could not swallow this humiliation. The methods and cultivation of the one who intervened clearly belonged to someone of high status within Wuji Sect. The most obvious suspect was Luo Yuan. But if a Celestial artifact was involved, then not only he, but others would also have reason to act.

When Wu Chenzi heard, he frowned and glanced at Luo Yuan, who sat drinking tea, his face dark but his voice calm. 

“Shixiong, I may be protective, but you know well I despise those who steal bodies. And I merely cherished talent and cared for my disciple. She is no longer my disciple, nor is she exceptionally gifted. Why would I meddle?”

One simple sentence, neither warm nor cold, left them speechless. Lin Cuiyan grew anxious. “But in Wuji Sect, who else could take two people from under my very eyes, if not a cultivator above Nascent Soul?”

The words pointed straight at the great powers of Wuji Sect. Wu Chenzi’s expression darkened. “Elder Lin, are you accusing Wuji Sect? Tell me then, one who stole another’s body and was beaten half to death, and another who is a useless five-spirit-root—are either of them worth our intervention?”

Lin Cuiyan almost spat blood in frustration. Could he admit it was for the Celestial artifact? But thinking further, since they had already taken action, they must also know of it. So there was no need to hide. His voice turned cold. “But that five-spirit-root waste carries a Celestial artifact!”

The words were like a stone thrown into a still lake, causing great waves. The members of Wuji Sect were shaken, and Luo Yuan froze. This fool!

Wu Chenzi’s face showed both shock and doubt. “A Celestial artifact? Elder Lin, don’t spout nonsense!”

“Otherwise, Sect Leader, tell me—why would I not immediately kill a girl who hasn’t even reached Foundation Establishment?”

But inside, Wu Chenzi wondered if the Lin family was deliberately throwing out bait, hoping to draw Wuji Sect into pursuing Su Zining. His mind worked rapidly, and finally he spoke in a deep voice. “Elder Lin, whether or not there is a Celestial artifact, Wuji Sect has no reason to abduct them. Much less two at once. I know exactly what you are thinking. Su Zining has no ties to the Lin family. Even if she possesses a Celestial artifact, you have no right to seize it, and Wuji Sect would never stoop so low. Please leave.”

Lin Cuiyan’s chest tightened, and Lin Zong was helpless as well. They had found Lin Qingchen’s corpse but no trace of Su Zining. And judging by Wu Chenzi’s manner, he truly seemed unaware of the Celestial artifact; meaning someone else was hiding it.

But they still refused to give up. Alive, they wanted to see the person; dead, they wanted to see the corpse. If it wasn’t someone from Wuji Sect, then perhaps Su Zining had already left Wuji Sect. Therefore Lin Zong immediately returned to the Lin family, ordering people to search everywhere for Su Zining, while also sending men to the Su household. For Lin Qingchen’s death, someone must pay the price!

***

At this moment, Su Zining had no heart to care about the undercurrents surging everywhere. She only wanted to obtain the Soul-Gathering Lamp. A soul fragment separated from its body would easily dissipate, but Su Zining had lived long enough to know the art of nurturing souls, warming it daily with the finest spirit jade. Fortunately, among the things her mother had left her were several pieces of top-rank spirit jade, which she did not hesitate to use, pouring all their power into that little one.

The Su household was not close, and fearing attention, Su Zining did not fly her sword. Instead, like an ordinary person, she traveled by horse. By the time the Su estate came faintly into view, six days had passed. As she expected, people were already searching for her.

Through her careful nurturing, Qin Mohan’s once-dim soul fragment had become a beautiful cluster of soft radiance, pure and white like a cloud. Every day Su Zining would gaze at it for a long time, and only through its faint presence could she feel that trace of Qin Mohan still existing. Such a clean and pure soul, how could it possibly have harbored ulterior motives? Every time Su Zining thought of this, her heart ached. Alone on the road, her thoughts of Qin Mohan grew stronger. In Wuji Sect, no matter how busy, Qin Mohan had almost always been there. Though not one to depend on others, Su Zining knew that Qin Mohan always considered everything carefully for her. Yes, in Qin Mohan’s words, she was still a child, and naturally required her to worry over her more.

People always said, when something is constantly by your side, you never realize how precious it is. Only when it is gone, it feels like losing an arm; everything is uncomfortable and strange.

Su Zining pressed her lips tightly, tucked the box into her arms, and hurried toward the Su estate through the night.

She knew the Soul-Gathering Lamp was kept in the Su family’s forbidden treasury. Long ago, a pair of rogue cultivators both reached Nascent Soul stage, but the woman was struck by a devil clan elder, scattering her soul. The man forced his way into the Su estate to borrow the lamp, and in doing so revealed its existence.

Though the Su family’s heritage was shallow, they still had two Golden Core elders. If alarmed, even Su Zining could do nothing. Of course, with the Qiankun Fan in her hands, she could rely on its aid.

The Soul-Gathering Lamp was precious, but aside from its use in gathering souls, it had little power. Thus, though it was the Su family’s heirloom treasure, it did not attract much coveting. Blending into the estate, Su Zining, though never favored, had lived there for more than a decade and knew much of the grounds. Patiently lying in wait until she reached the forbidden ground, she overheard Su Haoran angrily scolding alongside a collateral clansman, Su Qingran, “That useless trash! If she ran away, she should have died far away, but instead she brings such trouble upon the Su family. Lin Qingchen is dead, and now the Lin clan comes to demand justice. Infuriating!”

Su Zining’s gaze turned cold, and a sneer touched her lips. This was better than she could have hoped.

The Su family had set many powerful formations around the forbidden ground. Having followed Qin Mohan, Su Zining had learned many strange and unusual formations, and in her past life too she had encountered them often. Though not a true expert, she could still discern much. The stone door before her looked open, yet on closer inspection, she noticed a hidden mark along the side. Channeling her spiritual power into it for a while, she revealed a thick light curtain covering the gate, shimmering faintly. To strike it directly would mean injuries at best, and certainly alerting them.

Carefully, she split off a strand of spiritual power. Five-element energy glittered in many colors, glowing beautifully on her pale slender fingertips. With a flick, the power sank into the barrier. The five-colored current streaked through it like lightning. Closing her eyes, Su Zining’s face grew paler and paler. Her divine sense was bound to her power; as it was assaulted, the pain was excruciating. But only this way could she find a weakness.

Half a cup of tea’s time later, her body was trembling violently. Suddenly she lunged forward, the Qiankun Fan flaring in her hand, tearing a gap in the barrier as she forced her way through. Half-kneeling on the ground, she gasped for breath, swallowing two of the spirit-gathering pills Qin Mohan had once given her. Rising again, she brushed the box in her arms and strode quickly ahead.

Breaking this first door was only the beginning. The Su family’s forbidden ground could not be so easily breached. Along the way, Su Zining encountered countless arrays and mechanisms. Worse, the Su family raised a horde of corpse-children inside. Though slow in movement, they were keenly perceptive, and they came in overwhelming numbers. Staring at the pale, rotting, skeletal little bodies, Su Zining frowned deeply. By the time she forced her way through that corridor filled with them, she had consumed seven spirit-nurturing pills in succession.

At last, when she broke the final restriction and pushed open the door, what lay before her made her lift her brows slightly. Three walls lined with purple-gold wood shelves, stacked neatly with ancient books, elixirs, and boxes of every kind. And at the center shelf, a radiant lamp shone brilliantly, its splendor lighting the entire chamber. Its flame coiled like mist, rising and falling, occasionally leaping beyond the wick.

Su Zining held no fondness for the Su family, but she had no intention of looting them. After all, they had raised her for over ten years, though hatred far outweighed gratitude. Taking the Soul-Gathering Lamp, she felt no burden at all.

Summoning her spiritual power, she wrapped the lamp and swiftly drew it into her storage ring. In the next instant, the chamber echoed with the endless grinding of gears—clearly, some mechanism had been triggered!