Chapter 46

Once again, it was the fragrance of osmanthus in August. In a few days, it would be the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Qingyun Temple, the Incense Pavilion.

The moon was full, and the wind filled the building.

Ye Qingxuan lay back on the eaves of the pavilion, gazing at the bright moon and the sparkling stars before him. The sweet scent of osmanthus from the courtyard and the lingering sandalwood from the Incense Pavilion filled his nostrils.

This was one of Ye Qingxuan's favorite places, second only to the "Unnamed Courtyard" he had taken from his second senior brother.

But every Mid-Autumn Festival, this place was his absolute favorite.

In the courtyard stood an osmanthus tree that was hundreds of years old. The golden osmanthus flowers clustered together, reflecting a star-like glow under the bright moonlight.

A gentle breeze blew, and the flowers fell like a shower, as if rolling up ten thousand points of starlight, carrying an intoxicating fragrance and drifting around Qingxuan.

With a light gesture, a petal of osmanthus fell, leaving a lingering fragrance in his hand...

He loved this moonlit night, and he loved the fragrance of osmanthus...

Nine years ago, on such an enchanting night, he came from another world and was reborn in this one.

It was also on that night that he took on the identity of this world and the blood feud on his back.

Everything was fate, and not a bit was left to human will.

Pouring a cup of clear wine, the moon in the sky was reflected in the cup; inhaling a breath of the clear wind, the intoxicating fragrance of flowers filled his nostrils...

The fragrance of the flowers lingered, and the wine flowed down the throat of the sorrowful man.

Sigh—

A long sigh, but he didn't know when he could enjoy such a carefree life again, such a carefree and transcendent existence.

"Little junior brother, you are truly carefree—"

As the sleeves fluttered, a Taoist in green robes slowly descended, not minding the dirt and disorder on the pavilion roof, and sat cross-legged next to Qingxuan.

It was his free-spirited and unrestrained second senior brother, Qingyan.

In his previous life, one of the characters Ye Qingxuan most admired was Lu Xiaofeng, known as the "Four Eyebrows." While he didn't know what Lu Xiaofeng was like, his second senior brother's behavior and demeanor were very similar to Lu Xiaofeng, especially his two small mustaches, slightly curled, which, though not like eyebrows, were extremely charming.

Even if Lu Xiaofeng were reborn, his second senior brother might not be far behind.

Unfortunately, while his second senior brother was extremely carefree in character, he was far less so in matters of the heart, completely like a dull monk, unable to distinguish east from west. He was well into his thirties and had never had a woman by his side.

"Second senior brother, it's so late, why haven't you rested yet?"

Qingyan smiled but didn't answer, instead snatching the wine flask from Qingxuan's hand, pouring it into his throat, and then spitting it out, laughing, "On such a beautiful night, little junior brother, how can you let such sour wine go down your throat?"

What could be done if the wine was bad? He had searched the entire Qingyun Temple, and only the warehouse managed by the third senior brother had this low-quality wine, which was barely passable.

Ye Qingxuan sighed slightly, "I'm not drinking the wine, but the loneliness—"

Qingyan was taken aback and laughed, "Little junior brother, so young, yet so melancholy, it's not a good thing—"

He took off the wine gourd from his waist, took a sip, and a clear and fragrant aroma spread.

Ye Qingxuan's blurry eyes instantly brightened.

He snatched the gourd, took a sip, and the fresh and smooth bamboo fragrance filled his throat. The wine flowed down his throat, suddenly exploding in his stomach, turning into a warm current, and a different fragrance, the scent of orchids, emerged.

One wine, two fragrances, truly a masterpiece.

"Good wine, good wine—"

Seeing his junior brother's intoxicated expression, Daoist Qingyan smiled proudly, "This is the 'Bamboo Orchid Fragrance' from the Moon Viewing Tower in Luoyang, Central Plains, a famous wine of the world. I lingered for many days and only managed to get this one gourd..."

Ye Qingxuan pouted, disbelieving, "If there's wine, it can be bought, and if there's money, it can be paid... Could it be that even my senior brother can't afford the wine money?"

Qingyan laughed heartily, "The wine can be bought, and the money can be paid... But this aged 'Bamboo Orchid Fragrance' is limited in supply. If you don't have a certain reputation in the world, they won't sell it to you."

"So, senior brother had to gain some reputation to buy this gourd of wine?"

"Um, that's right..."

"What did you do?"

"I killed a gang leader, someone named Jiao something... Anyway, it was enough..."

"Jiao Qingtong, the 'Ten Thousand Mountain Swordsman'?"

"Yes, it seems to be that person..."

"You killed a 'Earth Absolute List' expert for a gourd of wine?"

"Is he on the 'Earth Absolute List'? No wonder his sword skills were so powerful..."

"You're crazy..."

"It was worth it—"

Daoist Qingyan pointed at the wine gourd in Qingxuan's hand.

Qingxuan looked at the wine gourd, then at his second senior brother Qingyan, and thought about the unfortunate "Ten Thousand Mountain Swordsman." Finally, he shook his head and sighed, "Still crazy... but..." He took another sip of the wine, sighing and hesitating, "Sigh— it was worth it—"

For a gourd of wine, his second senior brother killed an expert on the "Earth Absolute List." The news was truly—ridiculous. Then Ye Qingxuan asked doubtfully, "So, doesn't that mean senior brother has made it to the 'Earth Absolute List'?"

"Um, no—"

"Why not?"

"I didn't leave my name, and I directly took the head to the 'Moon Viewing Tower' to exchange for the wine—"

Ye Qingxuan was silent. His second senior brother didn't want to be listed on the "Earth Absolute List," probably fearing that his lineage would be exposed. It was a pity that his second senior brother, with his extraordinary talent, could have risen to fame in the world, but had always held back to avoid exposing his identity.

The blood feud was like a sword hanging over their heads, constantly reminding everyone to be extremely cautious.

He didn't know when this inexplicable pressure would end.

In the quiet of the night, the osmanthus flowers fell, and the green mountains were empty.

The moon startled the mountain birds, and they chirped in the spring ravine.

In the face of such beauty, the two of them were silent for a moment, passing the gourd and drinking the wine.

"Second senior brother—" Qingxuan broke the silence first.

"Hmm?"

"Today, I met a child, who I heard was brought into the temple by senior brother—"

Ye Qingxuan had a hard-to-describe feeling about the child, a sense of closeness, not just because his name, like his own in his previous life, contained the character "Feng," but also because he was moved by the deep loneliness in the child's eyes... He used coldness as a facade, but it couldn't hide the sorrow in his heart, his coldness was heart-wrenching!

"Oh, is that so—" Daoist Qingyan also sighed.

"That child... has great talent—"

"That child is a pitiful person, oh, and his background is similar to yours..."

Daoist Qingyan sighed deeply and began to recount the story of Xiao Yunfeng.

By the time Daoist Qingyan finished telling the story of Xiao Yunfeng, an entire hour had passed.

"Oh, another fate burdened with a blood feud." Ye Qingxuan thought of his own fate, his voice tinged with sarcasm, and then sighed, "This child, he has a heavy heart—"

"That child—witnessed his family being killed, saw his mother and sister suffer humiliation, and himself... sigh... filled with self-pity, his heart filled with sorrow, his heart meridians damaged by excessive grief—unless he resolves his inner conflicts and carefully nurtures himself, he might not live past twenty years old..."

"He—has a heavy killing aura—"

"That's what I'm most worried about, and why I initially didn't want to take him in. This child has a heavy karma, and his personality makes it hard to change, adding countless killing calamities to his future... For our already precarious sect, it's uncertain whether it's a blessing or a curse—"

"Having a heavy karma doesn't necessarily harm our sect. The blood feud of our sect is there, and without the means to kill, how can we avenge the countless souls of our sect? But... he has a strong defense, making it hard to get close— I wonder how we can help him resolve his inner conflicts—"

"Oh? Does little junior brother have a way?"

"Not yet—" Ye Qingxuan sat up, stretched, "But he's just a child, communication is easier, he won't be overly guarded, and with time, it will be easier to connect—"

Daoist Qingyan smiled strangely, wondering when he had forgotten that his little junior brother was still a child under ten years old.

"Then— I should thank little junior brother in advance—"

"Don't be silly— the rest of the wine is mine—"

Qingxuan lightly leaped, covering a distance of ten feet, and landed in the courtyard.

Daoist Qingyan's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "Good lightness skills."

He also leaped, landing gracefully beside Qingxuan, his movements not as elegant but much more relaxed.

Ye Qingxuan frowned and asked, "Second senior brother, what level of cultivation have you reached?"

Daoist Qingyan smiled slightly, and with a clang—

A dragon's cry, Daoist Qingyan drew his sword, a moonlight-like radiance covering the blade, the sword glow extending more than half a foot, flickering. With a shake of the sword, it pierced the stone table in the courtyard, sinking more than a foot deep.

Qingxuan was greatly surprised, unable to suppress a cheer in his heart.