Chapter 73

Tears welled up in Li Yi's eyes, finally turning into droplets that rolled down his cheeks. The rolling tears seemed to dissolve the stern and serious expression on his face, giving his demeanor a strange fluctuation. His face seemed to be smiling, yet also appeared somewhat melancholic. Upon closer inspection, it seemed as if he had a hint of drunkenness, lost in a blissful forgetfulness.

The bitter taste lingered so long and far, like an unresolved old matter, making one feel relieved countless times, yet also troubled countless times, never to be forgotten.

Just as the endless emotions stirred his heart, Li Yi was suddenly startled. He gradually felt his emotions becoming as elusive as a thread, hard to gather and hard to let go, as if a soft cotton ball was blocking his heart, making it difficult for him to maintain his composure. Given his cultivation level, it was impossible for his mind to be disturbed in such a way. Hesitating, he was about to calm his mind and transform his thoughts when he suddenly heard a joyful laugh, and his emotions instantly returned. The soft cotton ball blocking his heart melted away like snow in the spring sun, leaving no trace.

Li Yi opened his eyes and saw a woman in red, with her hair half-combed, running in with laughter, looking at him. It was really Xiao Lan. Behind her, two women in pink dresses hurried in, one holding a comb and the other holding a hairpin.

The woman with the comb bowed to Ling Zai Xin and said, "Valley Lord, Xiao Lan suddenly ran out, and we didn't notice in time, so we couldn't stop her."

Ling Zai Xin stepped forward and pulled Xiao Lan to her side, whispering in her ear, "You're really too naughty, do you really want to see your sister that much?" Then she said to the woman with the comb, "Hong Yao, are Senior Sister and Second Sister still in seclusion? And Little Sister, is she still collecting nectar?"

The woman with the comb was named Hong Yao, and the one with the hairpin was named Lan Zhi. Both were the guardian maids of Lian Huanchen, and after Lian Huanchen's passing, they became the guardian maids of Ling Zai Xin, with very shallow cultivation levels.

Hong Yao said, "Valley Lord..."

Ling Zai Xin interrupted, "Hong Yao, didn't we agree that when there are no outsiders, you can call me Zai Xin as before? And Lan Zhi too, you've followed Master for so long, you've seen me grow up, always kneeling before me makes me very uncomfortable."

Hong Yao and Lan Zhi bowed and agreed, but they thought, "There's clearly an outsider here, and he's a man, how can you say there are no outsiders?" Hong Yao said, "Ling Qinghui and Ling Jianlan haven't come out of seclusion today, but Ling Baixiu said she missed home and would return to the valley tomorrow after going back."

The Hundred Flowers Valley had declined by the time it reached Lian Huanchen. Lian Huanchen had only four disciples: Ling Qinghui, Ling Jianlan, Ling Zai Xin, and Ling Baixiu. The first three were orphans from the human world, while the youngest, Ling Baixiu, came from a smaller cultivation family. Her mother was an old friend of Lian Huanchen, which is why she was able to join the Hundred Flowers Valley.

Ling Zai Xin usually didn't get along with her two elder sisters but had a close relationship with this youngest sister. Hearing this, she said, "Baixiu is still childish. Didn't she just go home a few days ago? If the two elder sisters come out of seclusion, have them come to see me, and I'll introduce them to Mr. Li."

Hong Yao and Lan Zhi both nodded in agreement. Hong Yao opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by Ling Zai Xin, "Give me the comb and hairpin in your hands, and go rest."

Hong Yao closed her mouth, handed over the comb and hairpin, and left with Lan Zhi.

Ling Zai Xin pulled Xiao Lan to sit on a rattan chair, then went behind her to comb her hair. As she combed, she said to Li Yi, "Mr. Li, how does the Hundred Flowers Brew taste? I saw you cry, is it really that bad?" She laughed as she said this.

Li Yi, seeing her casual behavior as the valley lord and sensing that Hong Yao had something to say but held back, knew something was amiss but didn't want to pry. He said, "The taste of the Hundred Flowers Brew, though I've only tried it once, is truly a divine flavor, a marvel of the world!"

Ling Zai Xin was delighted by his praise and said, "As long as you're willing to drink, there's plenty of Hundred Flowers Brew." As she spoke, she continued combing Xiao Lan's hair, finishing it into a young girl's bun and inserting a wooden hairpin. She patted Xiao Lan's shoulder and said, "There, stand up and let your sister see if you look pretty!"

Xiao Lan immediately jumped up and ran to Li Yi. Ling Zai Xin exclaimed, "Oh, you little rascal, this is Mr. Li, you can't be so impolite, do you understand!"

Li Yi smiled and said, "It's fine. Since that's the case, I'll bestow her a blessing!" He reached for the green bottle of Hundred Flowers Brew, and with a flick of his finger, the stopper opened, and a drop of the brew jumped out and spun in front of him.

Li Yi looked at Xiao Lan and pressed the drop of the brew onto her forehead, saying, "The five flavors of the world, the seven emotions of the heart!"

Xiao Lan trembled as Li Yi pressed her, then suddenly smiled, followed by a look of impatience, her brows tightly furrowed. Ling Zai Xin, not understanding, didn't dare to interrupt, realizing that Li Yi was performing some kind of mind-communication technique. Then, she saw Xiao Lan's face show signs of melancholy, followed by contemplation, sadness, fear, and surprise, the seven emotions in sequence. Ling Zai Xin suddenly understood that Xiao Lan's mind was still naive, and Mr. Li was using the taste of the Hundred Flowers Brew to derive the five flavors and seven emotions, helping her open her mind.

Xiao Lan struggled through the seven emotions, laughing loudly at times, sobbing softly at others, pouting and crying, and at times her eyes filled with fear. Ling Zai Xin watched, feeling a deep sense of sorrow: "The seven emotions of humans, most of them are pain, making people cry. I wonder if it's better to be like those spirits, happy and naive all their lives, or to be human, experiencing joy, anger, worry, sorrow, fear, and surprise, all the bitterness, just like Master, ending up in such a state. I wonder what it all means."

She felt a deep sadness, but Li Yi had already withdrawn his finger, and Xiao Lan had calmed down. Her eyes now had a deeper look, and she tilted her head, looking at Li Yi with blinking eyes, suddenly calling out, "Sister!"

This call was clear but wrong, making Ling Zai Xin laugh uncontrollably, and even Li Yi's lips curled into a smile. Ling Zai Xin rushed over and hugged Xiao Lan, saying, "Oh, little girl, you're going to make your sister die of laughter. This is Mr. Li, your sister is here! You remembered to call me sister as soon as you opened your mouth, I haven't wasted my love on you!"

Ling Zai Xin hugged Xiao Lan and laughed for a while, then said to Li Yi, "Mr. Li, I have a request, I want you to give my little sister a name."

Before she finished speaking, Li Yi said, "Let's call her Yubaiyun."

"Yubaiyun, Yubaiyun," Ling Zai Xin repeated the name twice, surprised and delighted, "What a beautiful name, Mr. Li is truly remarkable. Yubaiyun, thank Mr. Li for giving you a name!"

Xiao Lan, hearing Ling Zai Xin call her Yubaiyun, repeated it, and Ling Zai Xin praised her greatly, playing with her for a while before having someone take her away.

The two then sat down to talk. Ling Zai Xin mentioned seeking Li Yi's guidance on magical techniques. Li Yi knew that the "Life and Death Flourishing and Withering Technique" she practiced was derived from the True Yang Sect's Sun Control Technique, so he gave her detailed instructions. They talked for a long time, and Ling Zai Xin felt many of her doubts were resolved. She thanked him repeatedly and had someone lead Li Yi to the guest room to rest.

Li Yi arrived at the guest room, which had only a straw mat and a cushion, very simple. He used the cushion as a pillow and the straw mat as a bed, and fell asleep. When he woke up, it was already dark. He walked outside and saw the sky full of stars, the fresh and serene scent of grass and trees enveloping the surroundings. The cool night breeze blew against his face, making him feel very comfortable.

Taking a few steps, he arrived near the 'Chao Du' wooden building. He touched an ancient tree, and a figure appeared in his mind. He heard a voice in the wind, "Yubaiyun, do you think Mr. Li is listening to us?"

Li Yi was startled. This was Ling Zai Xin's voice, and Yubaiyun seemed to be with her. With his powerful abilities, he had unintentionally overheard this, and it was awkward to eavesdrop on others' conversations. He was about to leave when he heard Ling Zai Xin say, "But Mr. Li is a senior expert, he wouldn't do that. Yubaiyun, I only tell you this secret, I really like Mr. Li!"

Hearing this, Li Yi was stunned. He then heard Ling Zai Xin's shy laughter, which clearly vibrated his eardrums. She said, "I don't know why, but I felt strange the first time I saw him. He's one of the top ten experts in the cultivation world, yet he secretly came to the Great Prison Abyss to fish and eat, it's so funny. Oh, he almost ate you, little girl, did you know?"

Yubaiyun clearly didn't understand, making a puzzled "hmm" sound. Ling Zai Xin continued, "You only say 'hmm,' but I wish I could be like you. I wouldn't think about him anymore. Master said men are all bad, the most untrustworthy. But when he drank that cup of Hundred Flowers Brew, he actually cried. With his cultivation level, he actually shed tears. Seeing that tear, I felt I would trust him no matter what... I would definitely trust him... Yubaiyun, do you think his tears were for me?"

She then said dejectedly, "I guess not, in his eyes, I'm just a naive and carefree little girl, right? Isn't that so? Tell me, little girl!"

Li Yi heard Yubaiyun make a "wah wah" sound, not knowing what it meant. Hearing this, Li Yi understood that Ling Zai Xin was confiding in Yubaiyun, and he didn't expect her to say such things. Just then, he heard a knock on the door, and two people arrived. Ling Zai Xin asked, somewhat panicked, "Who is it?"

The two people replied, "Valley Lord, it's us."

Ling Zai Xin said, "Senior Sister? Come in!"

Hearing this, Li Yi no longer paid attention to the commotion, recalling Ling Zai Xin's words. He stood quietly in the night breeze, his expression hidden by the darkness, unseen by anyone.

After a while, just as Li Yi was about to leave, he heard a faint argument from the other side.

"You can talk about that Lan Fish Demon, but that mysterious Mr. Li is clearly your lover. How dare you bring a wild man into the Hundred Flowers Valley, Ling Zai Xin, you're shameless!"

This voice was from a woman, fierce and harsh, grating on the ears. Li Yi didn't want to eavesdrop, but he was already involved, so he stood there, his cultivation level ensuring he wouldn't be detected, and he heard every word.

The woman finished her tirade, and a voice said, "Senior Sister, before Master passed away, we were both there. Master clearly told us that she had made mistakes in her life and that we should make our own decisions, just not to easily get involved in love. Do you remember these words?"

This was Ling Zai Xin's voice, addressing the other as Senior Sister. The fierce woman was likely Ling Qinghui, and Li Yi sensed another person in the room, who must be the Second Sister, Ling Jianlan, since the youngest, Ling Baixiu, was already home.

Ling Qinghui sneered and said, "Master did say those words, but when she was struck by the tribulation, only you were inside protecting her. Who knows if you gave her some mind-altering pill or used some evil technique. Master's powers were scattered, and her mind was confused. The words she said might not have been her true thoughts. In my view, they don't count!"

Ling Zai Xin, hearing her defy Master's last wishes and twist the facts, was furious and said loudly, "Master was clear-minded and spoke clearly that day, how could she be confused? Senior Sister, how can you speak such lies, do you have any respect for Master? Second Sister, you were there too, tell me, was Master as confused as Senior Sister said, and do her words count?"

Li Yi sighed, thinking that Ling Zai Xin was too straightforward. If they weren't working together, they wouldn't dare to challenge her as the valley lord, especially when Ling Baixiu was not around.