Chapter 368: Confession

The sky, like a thin, bubbly film, covered the Daoist temple, holding back all the clouds. From afar, the towering peaks and sea of clouds looked like a miniature scene inside a glass sphere. Yet, standing amidst them, one felt only the mountains stretching like an ocean, and the sky vast and boundless.

Ning Changjiu gazed at the familiar scenery, which matched his memories, and from time to time, he felt as though an eternity had passed.

If everything had been overturned and restarted, did his experiences from a previous life still hold true?

Under a tree in the courtyard, blooming with white flowers, Siming pushed a wheelchair, standing with Ning Changjiu in the dappled light, gazing at the small stone table.

Although it had only been a dream from a few weeks ago, remembering it now felt like many years had elapsed.

"Tell me... are we considered the Master's second-generation disciples?" Siming asked.

"No matter which generation," Ning Changjiu replied, "you're behind me anyway."

Siming scoffed, "You've been demoted from the first generation to the second, and you're proud of that?"

Ning Changjiu also gave a faint sneer. "I never expected you to turn against the inner demon you've always obsessed over so quickly."

Siming sighed softly, then narrowed her eyes and smiled. "So, how do you think I should treat my inner demon?"

"You should barge into the hall and truly confront the Master, instead of just vaguely perceiving her," Ning Changjiu egged her on.

Siming's slender, jade-like fingers gently rested on Ning Changjiu's shoulder. Her voice was soft and graceful, yet hinted at a hidden threat. "I think... *you're* the one who wants to glimpse the Master's true face, aren't you?"

Ning Changjiu retorted, "Don't *you*?"

The moment Siming recalled how a mere glance at the Master had created an inner demon that had lingered for seven hundred years, her heart swelled with indignation and shame. She immediately redirected this anger towards Ning Changjiu. "You're always bringing up other women in front of me," she said. "Do you take me for a clay Bodhisattva with no temper? Hmph, I will certainly sever this inner demon. But don't forget, I have two inner demons, and I'll start with you, you devil!"

As she spoke, Siming's red lips pursed tightly, and her slender fingers curled slightly, poised to flick his forehead.

Ning Changjiu quickly interjected, "Don't disturb the Master's rest."

Siming glanced at the shrine hidden behind fragrant grasses, beyond the lotus pond. She suppressed her anger for now, then smiled faintly. "Hmph, you'll see what's coming to you when we get back."

Dusk settled, and the crimson sunset enveloped the mountains and fields. Siming stayed with Ning Changjiu for a while, watching the fish in the pond, before pushing him back to their room.

Siming fetched a small scale and weighed the medicinal herbs precisely to the correct amounts. Then, she took out the recipe given by the Master, read it carefully twice, and only then began to boil the medicine.

Meanwhile, the Eldest Senior Sister and Second Senior Brother came to visit Ning Changjiu.

The Second Senior Brother arrived first.

The Second Senior Brother, carrying an ancient saber in a red lacquered wooden sheath on his back, wore a faded blue robe and looked quite casual and unconstrained.

Siming had heard legends about the Second Senior Brother. It was said that when Zhao Xiang'er was in danger at the Nine Spirit Platform, he was the one who finally drew his saber to rescue her. Therefore, Siming did not have a good impression of him.

The Second Senior Brother certainly brought plenty of things when he came to visit his junior brother.

"Junior Brother, it's been many years since we parted ways in the Imperial City," the Second Senior Brother said with a laugh. "It's my fault as a senior brother that I couldn't look after you on your cultivation path."

Ning Changjiu, ever polite, said, "Senior Brother, you saved my life and Xiang'er's. You left in a hurry then, and I didn't get a chance to thank you. So today, I'll thank you on behalf of both Xiang'er and myself."

The Second Senior Brother nodded. "Yes, back then on the Nine Spirit Platform, you and that girl Zhao Xiang'er were truly touching," he said. "The moment I saw you two, I felt you were a match made in heaven. I never expected you would truly find happiness together. However, that girl is quite unruly. When you were together, Junior Brother, you must have been bullied quite a bit, right?"

Siming tilted her head slightly, one hand propping up her left cheek, while the other silently fanned the stove fire. The firelight did not warm her cool face.

Ning Changjiu secretly glanced at Xueci (Siming) and said, without changing his expression, "No, my Dao companion is a gentle and kind person. Besides, I am a man of my word, so Xiang'er wouldn't dare to act presumptuously..."

Siming fanned so hard that sparks flew.

The Second Senior Brother nodded with satisfaction. "That's good," he said. "Your rivalry with Zhao Xiang'er can also be seen as the Master's rivalry with the Vermilion Bird. You can't afford to lose."

Ning Changjiu shamelessly replied, "This junior brother has always been invincible."

The Second Senior Brother nodded and handed over all the items he had brought for Ning Changjiu.

Siming, who had been silently fuming, saw the items and was utterly infuriated.

"This is a Cold-tailed Fish from the Southern Sea..." the Second Senior Brother introduced.

"No!" Siming declared decisively. "Changjiu's wound hasn't healed yet; he can't eat fish, let alone anything from the sea."

The Second Senior Brother then took out a jar of wine. "This is Immortal Vine Flower Brew," he said. "It was only supposed to be brewed for twenty years, but your Senior Sister forgot about it, and it accidentally brewed for two hundred years, making it very precious..."

"Absolutely not!" Siming said assertively. "Changjiu has internal injuries; he can't drink alcohol. If you insist on giving it, I'll pour it all into the liberation pond."

"This is a Black Mountain Demon Sheep..."

"He can't eat beef or mutton either."

"This is Blindscale Fish I pickled myself."

"Spicy food is even worse!"

Siming stood with her hands on her hips, blocking the Second Senior Brother and persuading him to take all his gifts back.

The Second Senior Brother was annoyed. He looked at Ning Changjiu and asked, "Why should a cultivator be so particular about these things? Who's in charge here, anyway?"

Ning Changjiu firmly replied, "I always respect Xue'er's opinion in our home."

Siming nodded with satisfaction. Since they were presenting a united front, she would temporarily overlook that appellation.

The Second Senior Brother felt as if he had become a victim of their affection. He sighed regretfully, shook his head, and departed.

Not long after seeing off the Second Senior Brother, the Eldest Senior Sister arrived.

It had been a year since they parted ways outside the Abyss, and this was Ning Changjiu's second time seeing the Eldest Senior Sister.

The Eldest Senior Sister still wore a deep azure robe, with a dark blue satin ribbon tied around her waist from which a beautiful jade pendant hung. Her long black hair fell naturally, styled into a Daoist bun shaped like a jade ceremonial tablet that curved slightly backward and was crowned with a lotus coronet.

When she arrived, the wind ceased, the clouds stilled, and the light and shadows fell silent.

Siming was sitting by the stove, boiling medicine. She stopped her work and looked at the Eldest Senior Sister, with a subtle hint of hostility.

"Greetings, Eldest Senior Sister," Ning Changjiu said, nodding first.

The Eldest Senior Sister looked at Ning Changjiu and smiled faintly. "Every time I see Junior Brother, there's always a beautiful woman by his side, and it's a different one each time. Truly worthy of being a disciple of our temple."

The atmosphere grew awkward once more.

Siming couldn't shake the feeling that every senior brother and sister in this temple was deliberately causing trouble.

But she could feel that the cultivation level of the woman in the green dress before her was superior to her own. So, she could only clench her teeth, glaring at Ning Changjiu, and fanned the fire even harder, as if he were the one being stewed in the medicine pot.

Ning Changjiu remained perfectly composed, firmly resolving not to argue with the Eldest Senior Sister.

In this temple, offending the Fourth Senior Sister might just mean being a target for a few days with a chance to escape, but offending the Eldest Senior Sister would mean there was no hope of recovery.

The Eldest Senior Sister's face always bore a benevolent smile. She moved with graceful steps, walking up to Siming. Siming also stood up, bowed, and addressed her as "Senior Sister."

The Eldest Senior Sister's smile was elegant. She reached two fingers into her sleeve, pulled out a stone box resembling a cosmetic case, and handed it to Siming. "Remember to apply this to your husband tonight," she said. "It will help his injuries heal faster. Just remember, this item is more valuable than gold or silver, so if there's any left, be sure to return it to me."

Siming took the stone box and weakly corrected her, "I'll apply it for Senior Brother."

The Eldest Senior Sister, however, was relentless. She reached out and gently stroked Siming's silver hair, saying, "What a good sister-in-law."

Siming, being weaker when faced with a stronger presence, simply let the Eldest Senior Sister stroke her head and softly uttered, "Oh."

The Eldest Senior Sister paced a few steps in the room. "I never expected Junior Brother to come," she said, "so this room wasn't properly adorned. It's quite simple, isn't it?"

Ning Changjiu thought to himself, "Senior Sister, what are you pretending for? I lived in this house for twenty-four years in my previous life, and it was always like this, leaking rain in summer and snow in winter. I even had to cut down trees planted by Fifth Senior Brother to repair it myself, which made him so angry he wrote a denunciation against me..."

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly. "Senior Sister, you are truly kind-hearted and put so much effort into this," he said.

The Eldest Senior Sister reached into her sleeve and rummaged around. "Coincidentally," she said, "I've specially written a few calligraphic pieces that can be hung in this room to add some literary cultivation for you."

Ning Changjiu maintained his smile. "Senior Sister, you've worked hard," he said. "It just so happens that Xueci absolutely loves your calligraphy."

"Really?" The Eldest Senior Sister was slightly surprised and felt even more pleased. She handed a few scrolls of calligraphy to Siming. "Other disciples are short-sighted and don't recognize the profound subtleties of my calligraphy," she said. "I never thought Junior Brother would bring back a true connoisseur for his Senior Sister."

Siming blinked her beautiful eyes and said innocently, "Senior Sister, you flatter me. Xueci merely understands a little."

As she spoke, she casually unrolled the first piece of calligraphy. Her beautiful face, framed by silver hair, instantly flushed red.

She looked at the four characters, her jade-like fingers stiffening slightly. Her toes beneath her satin skirt involuntarily curled tighter. She instinctively recalled the scene of herself feeding medicine to Ning Changjiu yesterday, and said shyly, "Senior Sister... so... you saw it all?"

The Eldest Senior Sister paused. "Saw what?"

Siming unfolded the calligraphy and said, "If Eldest Senior Sister didn't see it, why would you write these four characters: 'Promiscuous Woman, Wicked Heart'?"

The room became incredibly quiet.

The Eldest Senior Sister's eyes narrowed. She couldn't even be sure if this "connoisseur" sister-in-law was joking.

Ning Changjiu stretched his neck to take a look and weakly said, "You're reading it upside down... Those are the characters for 'Open-hearted and Forthright'..."

Siming was thunderstruck and speechless.

The Eldest Senior Sister sighed faintly. She reached out and tapped Siming's forehead, saying with a smile that concealed a hidden sharpness, "What exactly have you two been doing in this room these past few days?"

Ning Changjiu quickly defended, "Senior Sister, Xue'er is just joking with you. Look at me in this state now; what could I possibly do?"

The Eldest Senior Sister gave a cold snort. Fortunately, she was still fairly friendly towards her junior female relative; she simply left her calligraphic works for them to properly appreciate and be influenced by.

Next, the Eldest Senior Sister took out her own written work and handed it to Siming. "If you find yourselves bored in the room, you can read this book," she said. "This is a mythological history I compiled. Although only one chapter is written so far, it should be enough to relieve your boredom."

Siming lowered her head, her face flushed, and repeatedly thanked the Eldest Senior Sister.

After the Eldest Senior Sister left, Siming's cool hands covered her burning cheeks, and she let out a long sigh of relief. At this moment, her cute demeanor had a touch of a young girl about it, causing Ning Changjiu to burst into laughter.

After the Eldest Senior Sister, her nemesis, had left, Siming once again became the boss of the room. Her expression immediately turned stern. "What are you laughing at?" she demanded. "Are there no normal senior brothers or sisters in your temple?"

"My Eldest Senior Sister is not only extraordinary in cultivation," Ning Changjiu said, "but her character is also excellent."

Siming gave a cold snort, still feeling lingering fear. "I know her cultivation is extraordinary!" she said. "Although I haven't fought her, I have a feeling... even at my peak, I probably wouldn't be able to defeat her."

This feeling was very absurd, which only made Siming even more curious about the Eldest Senior Sister's identity.

"What's in the stone box Senior Sister gave you?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Siming remembered this, opened the stone box, and frowned. "Huh, why is it all soil...?" she said. "Hmph, this thing should have been given to Zhao Xiang'er instead."

Siming touched the strangely textured soil and felt a strong vitality within it. This was the same kind of soil they had found in the Lotus Pavilion during her dream that day.

"Self-generating soil?" Siming asked, slightly surprised as she felt the earth "breathing" between her fingers.

"Oh, right," Ning Changjiu said. "Senior Sister also gave us a book of mythology. I imagine her intention is profound; many ancient secrets should be hidden within it. Why don't we read it together?"

"Hmm, Senior Sister must be trying to convey something to us," Siming said, nodding gravely. She felt the ancient text in her arms suddenly seem a bit heavier.

She held the book and came to Ning Changjiu's side. She opened to the title page, where five characters were neatly written: "The Story of Nüwa."

Ning Changjiu and Siming read the book together for a while.

"I think it's a bit fake..." Siming judged.

"Who knows how many years Senior Sister has lived," Ning Changjiu said. "She has witnessed countless historical events, so it shouldn't be false."

Siming pursed her lips. "If it's truly as this book says," she commented, "then Goddess Nüwa alone could probably level the Twelve Divine Kingdoms."

Ning Changjiu nodded in deep agreement. "If that's the case... then there's only one answer."

Siming hummed in acknowledgment. Priding herself on her exceptional intelligence, she concluded, "Perhaps the Master is Goddess Nüwa!"

Ning Changjiu nodded in agreement. "That's the only explanation," he said. "Senior Sister wrote this book to flatter the Master."

Given his previous dream, he had thought the Master was the Great Goddess Changxi. But now, it seemed he might have to reconsider.

Both of them nodded in unison.

Siming placed the book on the bedside table and hung up the calligraphy. She looked at the four characters 'Open-hearted and Forthright,' and once she internally accepted her own interpretation, she found them unsettling no matter how she looked at them. Soon, her pretty face flushed slightly.

Ning Changjiu looked at her rare display of cuteness and couldn't help but tease, "What are you thinking about, Miss Xueci?"

Siming gave a cold snort, her gaze shifting. She immediately brought up old scores. "Earlier, outside the shrine, you made me angry," she said. "I said I'd make you 'look good,' I almost forgot."

Ning Changjiu was slightly startled. He pushed his wheelchair around for a moment and asked, "What do you want to do?"

Then, Ning Changjiu saw Siming lift her skirt and come before him.

Her eyes were lowered, and she wore no makeup. A subtle, ethereal charm diffused from her pure features, like a flower in a mirror or the moon in water—exquisitely beautiful yet elusive.

The candlelight cast a faint crimson hue upon her snow-white skin. She rolled up her sleeves as if carrying flowing clouds, gently reached her hand behind her head, and removed the jade hairpin that held her hair in place. Her silver hair fell like a waterfall, swirling gracefully with her sudden dance.

She actually lifted her skirt, rose onto her porcelain-white, jade-like toes, and began to dance before Ning Changjiu, engrossed in her own performance.

Xueci, true to her name, touched the ground with her delicate toes, like a lotus tip skimming water, without a single tremble. Her calves beneath her skirt were whiter than ivory, with gracefully perfect lines, revealed as Siming spun her skirt higher. Coupled with her proud figure and peerless smile, she was truly captivating.

Ning Changjiu watched her swirling skirt and dancing silhouette, realizing she had meant her threat to "make you look good" literally.

Siming danced with increasing abandon. She unfastened her outer robe, revealing shoulders like icy cliffs. Her beautiful hair cascaded into the opening of her robe, inviting wild imagination. Her red lips curved into an even more enchanting smile. Ning Changjiu felt as if he was watching the world's most beautiful flower slowly blossom before him... But the flower stopped blooming halfway.

Siming maintained her alluring, half-covered, half-revealed appearance. She swayed back and forth in front of Ning Changjiu. Several times, when she came close, Ning Changjiu reached out to grasp her, but she nimbly dodged him, leaving him empty-handed.

"Is it pretty?" Siming asked, extending a finger to lightly lift his chin and smiling enchantingly.

Although Ning Changjiu felt humiliated, he still replied, "It's pretty."

Siming spoke as if coaxing a child, "Do you want Big Sister to hug you?"

Ning Changjiu took a deep breath and said, "Yes."

Siming leaned close to his ear, her breath like orchids. Her jade shoulders and collarbone were tantalizingly close, yet remained just out of reach.

"Then keep on thinking about it," her indifferent voice drifted from Siming's alluring lips. "This is what you get for annoying Big Sister!"

Ning Changjiu was filled with mingled grief and indignation.

Siming gracefully turned around, her steps intertwining, her satin skirt fluttering. Her fragrant shoulders remained level, exuding an elegant dignity amidst her beauty. Between the flowing folds of her robe, her silver hair was bundled, her jade-like back half-exposed, revealing her delicate shoulder blades.

Siming, in a cheerful mood, served the medicine and fed it to Ning Changjiu spoon by spoon.

Ning Changjiu repeatedly closed his eyes, indicating she should feed him the medicine in other ways, but Siming, blinking her sparkling eyes, feigned ignorance and ignored him.

Even when she lifted him onto the bed, she used spiritual power.

Ning Changjiu was helpless. He could only earnestly apologize to Siming, establishing her exalted position in their home. Only then did Siming give a cold snort and reconcile with him. She removed her divine robe, changed into a white, loose single garment, burrowed under the covers, bent her legs, lay on her side, and settled beside Ning Changjiu.

Neither of them could sleep.

Siming looked at "The Story of Nüwa" on the bedside table and asked curiously, "What exactly was Senior Sister's intention in giving us this book?"

"The book mainly records two major events," Ning Changjiu analyzed. "One is mending the sky, and the other is creating humans. First, we rule out mending the sky, so..."

Ning Changjiu solemnly concluded, "Senior Sister is most likely encouraging us to create humans!"

Siming twisted his ear. "Do you want another beating?" she asked.

"If the Master is Goddess Nüwa," Ning Changjiu said, "then the Master is also a saint. As the Master's disciples, we should carry on the lost wisdom of ancient sages!"

Siming sighed, wondering how these phrases had changed meaning in his mouth.

"If you spout nonsense again," Siming said, "I'm going to report you."

Ning Changjiu pondered. "That was indeed a joke earlier," he said. "However... the Grand Ceremony of Yin and Yang Assimilation truly does have healing effects. It's just difficult for one person to perform..."

"Do you take me for a fool?" Siming said, picking up the book and tapping his forehead with it. She smiled faintly. "Aren't you just circling back to 'creating humans'? If you like me, just say it directly, stop beating around the bush."

"Alright, then I'll speak plainly," Ning Changjiu said, looking at her, his eyes bright and earnest. "Xueci, I like you."