Chapter 377: Xu Qing's Fairy Tale

"Young man, does that expression mean you didn't receive the letter, or... are you implying the letter wasn't written by you?" Immortal Zixuan's flawless, beautiful face, framed by arched willow-like brows, revealed a playful mockery in her soul-captivating eyes.

"Senior, I..." Xu Qing steeled himself, just about to explain.

"If that letter wasn't written by you, then someone is making a fool of me. I'll have to thoroughly investigate this matter and see who in this Eight Sects Alliance dares to treat me with such contempt. Once found, I will bury them here. Such disrespect, I imagine even their masters would have nothing to say." Immortal Zixuan smiled beautifully, her voice soft, but her eyes conveyed she would indeed do as she said.

Xu Qing glanced down at where the captain was.

Not far away, the captain, who was cleaning a snake bone, recoiled. He had heard Immortal Zixuan's words. Now, he blinked, looked up at Xu Qing, and seemed a little embarrassed.

He naturally understood the seriousness in Immortal Zixuan's tone. He wanted to warn Xu Qing, but his mouth was sealed, preventing him from speaking. His divine sense was likewise blocked, unable to transmit anything. He could only blink continuously.

Seeing this, Xu Qing sighed inwardly. By now, he didn't believe Immortal Zixuan couldn't see the truth of the matter, nor that she didn't know who had written the letter. After all, she was a Void Return stage grand cultivator, on par with their ancestors. Someone like her, having experienced so much, possessed a mind far beyond ordinary. It was highly likely that Immortal Zixuan had known everything the moment she first saw the letter.

And now, to speak like this...

Xu Qing could only turn and meet Immortal Zixuan's gaze frankly.

Immortal Zixuan's exquisite beauty now radiated a mesmerizing smile. That smile was incredibly beautiful, like a sea of flowers in full bloom, and she murmured softly, "Didn't you promise to tell me about your past experiences when you returned?"

As she spoke these words, sincerity shone in Immortal Zixuan's eyes.

The captain, anxious, realized that Xu Qing might be too straightforward and expose the truth. After all, Immortal Zixuan clearly knew everything but chose to feign ignorance; exposing it now would ruin everything.

Xu Qing fell silent.

While the captain was still anxious, seven or eight breaths passed. Xu Qing, gazing at the sincerity in Immortal Zixuan's eyes, spoke softly.

"My past? I'm very ordinary. I was born in a small city in the Southern Phoenix Continent, a city called Wushuang City. My family mainly ran a message station, primarily dealing with flying messages. So we raised many, many birds: crows, sparrows, pigeons. They were all very beautiful and treated me very well. Until one day, a crow attracted an eagle. All the birds scattered, their whereabouts unknown. So I left Wushuang City, wanting to find them."

"Did you find them?" Immortal Zixuan's voice was gentle.

"I already know where the sparrows and pigeons are. I'll go get them and bring them home later." Xu Qing's expression was serious.

"I wish you well. So, along the way, what else have you experienced?" Immortal Zixuan gazed at Xu Qing, her expression very serious.

"Nothing much. I encountered many vultures; they were very fierce. I also encountered turtledoves; they were equally unyielding and difficult to communicate with. Oh, and I met cuckoos too. They were very cunning and were later eaten by vultures." Xu Qing spoke calmly.

Immortal Zixuan silently gazed at Xu Qing.

Below, the previously anxious captain also fell silent.

Only Xu Qing's voice continued to echo softly.

"Then I continued on, saw a tree with a woodpecker, and rested there for a while. Later, it rained and thundered; lightning struck the tree, and the woodpecker died too. At that moment, for the first time in my life, I saw an egret." Xu Qing looked at Immortal Zixuan and gestured with his hand. "It was very beautiful, very sacred."

Immortal Zixuan nodded gently.

"But it also died, because its mate had been eaten by a falcon many years ago. So it flew there, lingered, unwilling to leave, and eventually died of old age. I buried it. That place was dangerous, where the strong preyed on the weak. However, there, I saw a third egret, and skylarks, and parrots, and orioles—so many, many birds. Oh, and there was a mad dog in the forest. This is my story." Xu Qing, having finished speaking, smiled as he looked at Immortal Zixuan.

"What about the second egret?" Immortal Zixuan asked softly.

A look of reminiscence appeared in Xu Qing's eyes. After a long pause, he murmured, "The second egret... it also died. It was killed by a bat. I later killed that bat."

The Demonic Serpent Secret Realm fell silent.

The captain lowered his head, his expression unclear. Wu Jianwu looked bewildered; clearly, he hadn't understood, seemingly thinking Xu Qing's family was quite interesting for raising so many birds.

Immortal Zixuan gazed at Xu Qing, her eyes holding inexplicable emotions—concern and pity.

"What about you, going forward?"

"In the future, I will find the crow," Xu Qing said without hesitation, smiling. "And then I will kill it. After killing it, I want to see if I can also kill the eagle." Xu Qing was sitting on the snake bone, smiling as he spoke these words.

As he spoke, the tension and awkwardness he felt in front of Immortal Zixuan seemed to dissipate considerably. His expression relaxed, and he even asked a question.

"Senior, what about your past?"

"Mine?" Immortal Zixuan bent her legs, wrapping her arms around her knees, a posture that highlighted her graceful curves. She turned her head to look at Xu Qing. Her flower-like, oval face was as translucent as jade, and her soft, fair skin gleamed like ice and snow. Only in her eyes did the fleeting light of reminiscence slowly surface.

"My past is simple. I have no memories of my parents. What I remember most vividly is my master raising me and teaching me arts. Back then, the Mysterious Gloom Sect hadn't joined the Alliance yet, nor was it this vast," Immortal Zixuan said, smiling. "Later, many things happened, and gradually the Mysterious Gloom Sect became what it is today and joined the Alliance. Of course, my senior brother also contributed to this, but... I truly detest him. But anyway, since you asked me, I recall something I can tell you."

Immortal Zixuan's smile was beautiful, her cheeks faintly flushed, especially when her eyes curved like crescent moons. "I often have a dream. It's been many years. It used to be every day, then every year, and now it's every ten years... In the dream, it's a world of pitch black; I can't see anything around me. I can only faintly see a lamp in front of me. That lamp seems to be purple, though that's just my guess, because it's extinguished, with no flame. I can only see it vaguely. I can't reach it, can't touch it. It seems very, very far away, yet also very, very close. But I imagine it looks like a blooming flower, adorned with a purple phoenix feather. Its radiance spreads, like a blossoming flower. This lamp has always been in my dream. Every time, it's extinguished. Every time, that world has no light. Perhaps it's because of this that I've always been searching for light." Immortal Zixuan's voice was faint, gradually fading into a murmur. "I don't know why this dream feels so real, and that lamp feels so real too."

Xu Qing was startled, falling silent.

Time slowly passed. Xu Qing didn't speak, nor did Immortal Zixuan. They sat there in silence. After a long while, Immortal Zixuan smiled, her laughter like a lark's song, very pleasant to the ear.

"Xu Qing, lend me your Profound Spirit Eternal Intent Door wooden block for a moment."

Xu Qing looked at Immortal Zixuan. He took out the black wooden block from his storage bag and placed it before them. Picking up the wooden block, Immortal Zixuan merely waved her hand. Immediately, the black wooden block emitted a dark, inky glow. As this light spread outwards, an ancient, weathered wooden door materialized beside them.

The appearance of the wooden door exuded a chilling aura, pervading the surroundings. The passage of time seemed evident in the patterns and cracks etched onto its surface.

Before Xu Qing, Immortal Zixuan raised her unadorned hand. Her fingers, like green jade, lightly touched it.

Pitch black. Like a deep abyss.

This was Immortal Zixuan's inner world. Perhaps it wasn't utterly empty, but merely shrouded in black. There was no light there; nothing could be illuminated. It needed light to illuminate everything. Xu Qing vaguely understood. He knew that behind this door, he radiated light.

Soon, the wooden door dissipated, transforming back into the wooden block, which landed in Immortal Zixuan's hand. She idly toyed with it in her hand for a moment before handing it back to Xu Qing and standing up.

Her waterfall-like black hair swayed as she rose, a beautiful sight. Her exquisite form and elegant posture made one involuntarily recall the dream she had spoken of, leading to a soft sigh.

"Xu Qing, 'Parting Sorrows,' do you remember it?"

Xu Qing nodded, taking out the flute Immortal Zixuan had given him, and gently put it to his lips, beginning to play.

Gradually, the lingering flute melody echoed through the heavens and earth, like the wind.

At some unknown moment, the music ended.

At some unknown moment, Immortal Zixuan's figure had already vanished. She had left. It seemed her purpose in bringing Xu Qing here this time was merely to hear his past stories, to listen to the 'Lament of Parting' melody, and then to offer her critique.

"It wasn't very pleasant to the ear."

This remark echoed in Xu Qing's ears.

Xu Qing thought for a moment, then looked at the captain and Wu Jianwu. Both of them were shaking their heads, looking as if they truly didn't find it pleasant.

Xu Qing stood up expressionlessly, took a step forward, and left the secret realm.

Outside, it was already morning. Unbeknownst to him, an entire night had passed within the Demonic Serpent Secret Realm. In the morning light, Xu Qing was on his way to the mountain gate to pay respects to Old Sixth.

Along the way, the voice of the chubby young man, Huang Yan, came through his communication jade slip. "Xu Qing, I told you yesterday that my senior sister and I would be returning to the Southern Phoenix Continent. We're about to set off, so I wanted to say goodbye."

"Are you leaving today? Are you at the teleportation array or the port?" Xu Qing asked.

"We're not at the teleportation array; we're about to set sail. We plan to travel by sea, to enjoy some time alone." Huang Yan's laughter could be heard; he seemed exceptionally happy about returning to the Southern Phoenix Continent.

Xu Qing suddenly accelerated, heading straight for the port. It wasn't long before he approached and saw his Second Senior Sister's vessel, and Huang Yan standing there. Seeing Xu Qing arrive, Huang Yan beamed, stepped forward, and embraced him.

His Second Senior Sister also emerged from the cabin, looking at Xu Qing with a smile. "Little Junior Brother, I just returned last night after completing a sect mission, so I couldn't attend the banquet yesterday. Congratulations on becoming a Sword Bearer!"

Xu Qing quickly clasped his fists in greeting. He wasn't very familiar with his Second Senior Sister, but he was very grateful for her intervention at the Seven Blood Eyes' Sixth Peak shop back then. Even if her actions were for Huang Yan's sake, she had indeed resolved some trouble for him at that time.

His Second Senior Sister smiled, and soon, under Xu Qing's watchful gaze, her spirit vessel set sail.

From a distance, Huang Yan, on the vessel, looked at Xu Qing on the shore and shouted loudly, "Xu Qing, I have a good brother in the Commandery Capital. I told him to look after you for me! Also, remember, if it's really not fun outside, then come back to the Southern Phoenix Continent! No matter how much trouble you stir up out there, in the Southern Phoenix Continent, it's nothing!"

Huang Yan thumped his chest and declared proudly. Xu Qing didn't mind, and nodded with a smile, then clasped his fists in a respectful bow as the sea breeze ruffled his clothes.