Thousand Dusts Ferry Me - Chapter 79

This book “Complete Collection of Ancient and Modern Child-Bearing Miraculous Arts” stated that in the land where the sun rises, there grew a type of fragrant grass that bore fruit called Hundred Seed Fruit. The fruit was golden in color, shaped like a goose egg, and its seeds were called Hundred Seeds.

When mature, the Hundred Seeds were about the size of a fingernail, colored like jade. If split open, one could discover a hollow space in the middle about the size of a soybean.

Using a silver needle to pierce the Yifeng acupoint behind the ear – left for males, right for females – to obtain a drop of blood, then while keeping the seed intact, inject both people’s ear blood into the hollow space within the Hundred Seed.

Afterward, soak it in spiritual spring water until the Hundred Seed sprouted, then transplant it under a Fusang tree, watering it daily with spiritual spring water. After a hundred days, it could bear one Hundred Seed Fruit, and after another hundred days, this fruit would ripen.

The fruit at this time was vastly different from ordinary Hundred Seed Fruit.

The shape remained oval, but the color was deep jade green with fine, dense patterns on the surface. It weighed about eight or nine catties, more than ten times larger than before.

Its shape, size, and color were very similar to a watermelon. There had been people who accidentally entered the land where the sun rises and returned saying watermelons grew there. What they actually saw should have been this type of Hundred Seed Fruit.

After picking this watermelon-like fruit and placing it under the Fusang tree for three days, the fruit skin would crack open on the third day, and a baby would emerge from within. This baby was no different from a child carried for ten months and also needed its umbilical cord cut.

The book’s author concluded with a sigh, saying that if everyone could use Hundred Seeds to nurture children, it would spare countless women in the world much suffering.

Unfortunately, when injecting blood into the Hundred Seed, one couldn’t break the seed, meaning the blood had to be injected through the air – something beyond ordinary people’s capabilities.

After reading, Yun Qing muttered to herself, “He couldn’t really be a big watermelon, could he…?”

“Yun Qing? Yun Qing?” Jiang Baiyu called her name softly while extending his hand, his pale fingers waving in front of her eyes.

Yun Qing came back to her senses and said, “I suspect Master might be the child of Yixin Zi and Huayang Zi.”

Jiang Baiyu was startled. “Child?”

“Yes, look here.” Yun Qing wanted to hand him the book, but Jiang Baiyu took the initiative to lean over, supporting himself on the table with one arm, his face almost touching her head.

Being so close, the fragrance from him was very noticeable, making her lose focus for a moment.

Jiang Baiyu quickly read what was written in the book, then turned his face to look at her. “Are you certain?”

Due to the angle, when she lowered her gaze slightly, it fell on his lips, and because they were so close, she could see every line on his lips clearly.

With such dry weather, his lips were surprisingly moist.

No… what was she thinking…

Yun Qing looked away and placed one hand on his shoulder, gently pushing him back.

“Sit properly.”

Jiang Baiyu looked down at the hand on his shoulder – well-proportioned with flesh and bone, and on her snow-white wrist was the bracelet he had made for her.

Half his shoulder felt tingly.

His throat felt dry, so he casually picked up his tea bowl for a sip, then asked, “What exactly is going on?”

“Master once personally admitted that he was a green, oily big watermelon. I only thought he was joking at the time.”

Jiang Baiyu pondered for a moment and said, “If your master truly is the child of Huayang Zi and Yixin Zi, that would indeed make more sense. That mysterious immortal wasn’t targeting their disciples, but their offspring.”

“Right, he wanted to kill a family of three. From this point, we can also deduce that Yixin Zi and Huayang Zi are indeed deceased. If they were alive, they shouldn’t have allowed their child to be hunted like this.”

As Yun Qing spoke, she closed the “Complete Collection of Ancient and Modern Child-Bearing Miraculous Arts” and asked him, “Did you come looking for me for something?”

Jiang Baiyu raised an eyebrow and glanced at her sideways. “Can’t I come find you without a reason?”

“Of course you can, it’s just… aren’t you a busy person?” Yun Qing said in a joking tone. “You’re about to become sect leader, and your major sect has so many rules. It won’t be easy for me to see you, the sect leader, in the future.”

When succession to sect leadership was mentioned, Jiang Baiyu’s brow drooped slightly, and he shook his head. “As you know, I don’t want to be any sect leader at all.”

Yun Qing rested her chin on her hand and smiled at him. “If you don’t want to be sect leader, what do you want to do?”

“I want to follow you—”

Yun Qing’s heart suddenly jumped.

Jiang Baiyu paused and added, “All of you.”

Yun Qing really wanted to ask Jiang Baiyu what he meant, whether he was trying to seduce her.

The two fell silent, and a strange emotion flowed quietly between them, until laughter from outside the window broke this delicate silence.

Fu Xue knocked on the window frame while laughing, “Senior Sister, come out for a snowball fight! Let’s bury Cheng Suiyan!”

Yun Qing laughed, “Alright!” She stood up and ran out like a ghost trying to escape.

Cheng Suiyan had exceptional arm strength, giving him a great advantage in snowball fights. Fu Xue and Ci Li together couldn’t beat him, so they came to find Yun Qing for reinforcement.

Yun Qing ran out to join the melee, and even with three against one, they barely managed a draw.

Jiang Baiyu stood under the eaves with his hands behind his back, smiling as he watched them. Seeing Yun Qing take two snowball hits, he couldn’t bear to watch and moved his fingers slightly to cast a small spell.

Not far away, a crooked-mouthed, lopsided snowman that someone had built somehow swayed to its feet and began hopping toward Cheng Suiyan with large bouncing motions. In the blink of an eye, it had jumped right in front of him.

Cheng Suiyan was shocked. “The snowman’s become a spirit! What kind of ghostly place is this Huayang Mountain? A snowman that was only built an hour ago has already become a spirit!” He spoke while running.

The snowman hopped along in pursuit, its crooked mouth and lopsided eyes looking quite lecherous. As it chased, it suddenly jumped more than ten feet high and sat down on him with its bottom.

“Indecent assault!” Cheng Suiyan never imagined he would have the opportunity to say these three words in his lifetime, and that the one assaulting him was a snowman. White snow cascaded down his body like a waterfall, and he himself became a snowman.

The other three burst into laughter.

Cheng Suiyan had already realized Jiang Baiyu was behind this mischief. He shook off the snow, bent down to form an especially large snowball, and ran toward Jiang Baiyu while holding it with both hands. “Baiyu! Can’t play fair, eh? Let me show you what I’m capable of!”

He ran in front while Yun Qing and Fu Xue chased behind with giggles. Seeing Cheng Suiyan’s fierce approach, Jiang Baiyu dodged with a laugh, and several people ended up in a tangle.

Somehow, Jiang Baiyu slipped and happened to fall right in front of Yun Qing. Without thinking, Yun Qing caught him, holding his waist as their eyes met.

His hand instinctively rested on her shoulder, his brilliant eyes slightly narrowed as he looked at her with a half-smile.

Cheng Suiyan’s snowball was raised high, about to come crashing down, when Fu Xue and Ci Li suddenly grabbed him – one lifting his shoulders, the other his knees – and threw him into the snow.

The three of them then wrestled together in a tangle on the snowy ground.

Yun Qing released Jiang Baiyu and calmed her somewhat irregular heartbeat, laughing as she watched the three snow-covered figures rolling around on the ground.

She said, “Childish.”

Jiang Baiyu agreed, “Right.” His tone sounded quite normal.

Yun Qing asked again, “How did you slip just now?”

“I don’t know. I saw you and slipped.”

****

After the snowball fight, it was time for lunch.

Jiang Baiyu had people bring a beast charcoal copper stove and had thin slices of mutton cut, along with wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, snow lotus root, vermicelli, tofu, various meatballs, and all kinds of fresh vegetables. He also warmed two pots of wine.

All the food and drink filled an entire table in the pavilion.

Several people enjoyed hot pot and wine around the stove, taking in the snowy mountain scenery. This was the second snow of the year. Looking far into the distance, both heaven and earth were pure and spotless, with vast seas of clouds and beautiful mountain colors that naturally opened one’s heart.

Jiang Baiyu’s wine was some unknown fine vintage. Yun Qing felt its rich aroma, and the liquid seemed to have legs of its own, running down her throat. Getting excited from drinking, she unconsciously finished it all and stretched out her hand toward Jiang Baiyu. “Bring more wine.”

Jiang Baiyu was at a loss for words. “There’s none left.”

“You’re lying,” Fu Xue said, “If you don’t bring wine, we’ll, uh, beat you up.” She even shook her fist. Well, this one had also had quite a bit to drink.

Cheng Suiyan chimed in, “That’s right, we’ll have the snowman assault you.”

That wine had originally been Jiang Binghe’s treasured hundred-year-old Crane Knee Wine, probably saved for celebrating when he ascended to immortality. There had only been two pots total, and now there really was none left.

Jiang Baiyu had no choice but to have someone warm another pot of Qinghua Wine. Though it couldn’t compare to Crane Knee Wine, it wasn’t bad either.

He held a white jade wine cup and brought it to Yun Qing’s face, smiling as he looked into her eyes. “Try it?”

Yun Qing reached to take it, but he didn’t let go, feeding her the cup directly. Watching her red lips part slightly as she slowly drank all the wine in the cup, his ears turned red beyond his control.

Ci Li pointed at them and said with a heavy tongue, “Young people, hehe.”

After finishing the meal with wine, four of the five people walked unsteadily. Ci Li was so drunk his ears were showing, and Cheng Suiyan found them cute, so he secretly touched them and got punched, giving him a black eye.

Yun Qing walked in front while Fu Xue lagged behind, calling out with a heavy tongue. “Senior Sister, wait, wait for me. Can’t keep up.”

Without turning her head, Yun Qing skillfully reached back with one hand. Catching hold of a hand, she gripped it while making a sound of surprise. “Fu Xue, how did your hand grow so much bigger?”

Jiang Baiyu: “……”

Even when drunk, she was still flirting – truly a natural rogue.

He silently let her lead him, then gripped her hand in return.

Then he lowered his eyes with a soft laugh, heat involuntarily creeping up his face. Fortunately, everyone was drunk, so no one noticed his abnormal behavior.

Yun Qing walked ahead, and when he gripped her hand in return, she closed her eyes and smiled.

Hanlu Zi stood on the building holding a precious sword, looking down.

The weather had cleared, and pale golden sunlight spread across the crystal world. The swaggering young people were even brighter than the sunshine after the snow had stopped.