Chapter 316: Conclusion (Part 2)
Things escalated quickly, but at the 800-meter mark, classmates didn't have time to ask questions.
Looking at the 400-meter sports field in front of her, and the sports college junior ahead who was timing, Qiao Wan felt a painful headache.
How could she compress her speed to match the average level of a normal female college student? This was a problem.
After completing a run, even if she tried to slow down her pace, she still mercilessly finished in 2 minutes and 40 seconds. After finishing, her face remained unchanged, not even a hint of breathlessness. This once again stunned her classmates.
After returning to her dormitory, Qiao Wan couldn't help but think about her current reputation. She had to muster up the courage to ask Zhang Wenqing to bring her some food. She planned to sit in her dormitory and watch a movie while eating.
The young girl sat with her legs crossed on the chair, calmly staring at the computer screen. She pinned back the stray hair on her forehead with a butterfly-shaped hair clip, exuding a sense of confidence, as if she was unaffected by the chaos around her.
But online, things were not as calm. Under the Weibo post, there was almost a raging argument, mostly about whether it was real or fake.
Some people sarcastically mocked it as a publicity stunt, saying that she had already done it once before and was going crazy for attention.
"Damn it." Zhang Wenqing held her phone and widened her eyes indignantly. "It makes me so angry. Why are these people saying such nonsense? If they didn't see it, they shouldn't just make things up."
"Qiao Wan, aren't you mad?!" Zhang Wenqing looked at her incredulously.
Qiao Wan paused and looked away from the movie screen for a moment. "It's alright," she said.
The main reason she enjoyed her time in Kunshan was because she was treated like a top star. It became natural and she got used to it.
But unexpectedly, in the evening, the A City Police suddenly reposted that Weibo post with the caption, "Miss, you're really cool!" They also released a blue background police report at the same time.
Suddenly, the internet exploded.
"Oh my goodness! The police confirmed that it's true!!"
"This girl really knows martial arts!! Can you believe there are still female heroines like this in the 21st century?!"
However, as public opinion began to ferment online, the tide turned, and eventually the A City Police took action. The "pink bear heroine" didn't show up and politely declined all interviews. For the past few days, she spent her time in her dorm room, focusing on her studies and keeping a low profile.
At first, Qiao Wan was a little worried that the National Security Bureau would come to her door. But it turned out that she was overthinking it. The video didn't prove anything, except that she became more popular than before. Alumni would come up to her on the street to say hello, but her life wasn't greatly affected.
The internet, you know. After a while, the hype died down and Qiao Wan returned to her normal life.
At night, while sipping her milk tea and watching her drama, Qiao Wan was suddenly mentioned excitedly by her roommate in a Weibo post.
"Qiao Wan , look! They say they saw a dragon today at Z River!"
A dragon?
Qiao Wan was mildly surprised and opened the Weibo post. Instantly, she was stunned.
Yesterday, there was a heavy rainstorm in City A. The video showed a thick fog on the surface of Z River, with dark clouds rolling in the sky and a damp atmosphere from the rain.
As the phone shook, several red circles were marked in the sky. In those circles, a white dragon tail could be seen flying up and down, appearing and disappearing in the clouds.
The person who filmed the video is obviously an older brother, and his exclamation of surprise continues non-stop.
"Is this true?" her roommate said in astonishment. "It seems like many people saw it with their own eyes yesterday near the Z River. Are dragons really exist in this world?"
The topic of "Dragon allegedly seen in the sky above City A" quickly became the number one trending topic.
Dragon...
Qiao Wan stared blankly, lost in thought.
Is this real or fake?
Qiao Wan no longer doubted the existence of dragons in this world. The question now was whether there were dragons in this world as well.
This video made her unable to help but think of her white dragon friend. She repeatedly dragged the progress bar back and forth several times before finally closing her phone, suppressing the overwhelming doubts in her heart.
The next day, she woke up early and went to meditate on the rooftop of the tallest building on campus.
The spiritual energy in their world is very thin, and meditating and entering a deep state is almost engraved in her bones. Even when she returned to the modern world, Qiao Wan couldn't help but meditate in the morning and breathe in the fresh spiritual energy.
It was only 6 o'clock, and there were few people in the school, especially in the empty teaching building.
After finishing class, instead of taking the stairs, Qiao Wan jumped directly from the six-story high teaching building.
As she landed, she heard a cry of surprise.
"Ah!"
A boy holding a book opened his mouth wide and looked at her with terror, as if his whole worldview had been shattered at that moment.
"You... you're not the Qiao..." The boy looked like he was about to collapse!
Qiao Wan said nothing.
She pretended to be calm and patted the shoulder of the young boy, "Keep a secret for me."
Then she flew away in a beam of light.
The young boy stood still, dumbfounded, and in that moment, countless familiar names like "Wonder Woman," "Captain America," and "Iron Man" flooded his mind.
This morning's class was a group project, and Qiao Wan was assigned to her female classmate, Zhao Rouyin , who she wasn't particularly fond of.
Coincidentally, Zhao Rouyin also didn't like her much.
Before she travelled back in time, she was just like a regular college girl, talking and complaining with Zhang Wenqing, but after living for over forty years, she naturally became less concerned about many things.
They just formed a group to work on an assignment together.
Unfortunately, Zhao Rouyin, who was clearly going through puberty, always made irritating comments during group work.
"Hey, Qiao Wan, did you put on makeup today?" Zhao Rouyin exaggeratedly laughed, "You look different when you're blushing, like you have an idol's burden."
Qiao Wan frowned and instinctively touched her face.
It wasn't because of makeup, but because this body had been nourished by spiritual power, resulting in her skin becoming gradually fair and delicate.
Zhao Rouyin sighed, "Sigh, unlike me, I don't even have time for makeup in the morning. Qiao Wan, what time do you usually wake up?"
Qiao Wan instantly felt embarrassed: Wake up, little lady, your green tea scent is overwhelming!!
Then Zhao Rouyin continued to show off her boyfriend, talking about how great he was, how he didn't mind her not wearing makeup, and how he even praised her for looking beautiful without it.
Qiao Wan, not very interested, buried her head and continued with her own work.
Just then, there was suddenly a loud commotion at the classroom door.
"Who is this?"
"So handsome, is he from the Hanfu Club?"
"Hey classmates, did you all come to the wrong place?"
Qiao Wan looked up and immediately froze in place, feeling as if her brain had exploded.
That...that person...
Standing in front of the classroom door were two figures she was very familiar with.
Gan Nan was standing at the door, wearing a well-fitted white suit, dramatically holding a large bunch of roses. His white hair was neatly tied into a ponytail behind his head, and his shiny eyes were anxiously looking around the classroom. In the end, he collided with her head-on.
The other person was Meng Canglang, a young gentleman, carrying a giant blue sword on his back. He was wearing wide robes, as if he had stepped out of a period drama.
Meng Canglang and Gan Nan??
At that moment, Qiao Wan almost thought she was seeing things, but when their gazes fell on her face, Gan Nan's eyes clearly showed a series of joy, excitement, guilt, and fear.
"Sister Wan'er..." he hurriedly took a step forward, holding a bouquet of flowers.
The overly intimate address made the classmates in the class look around, and Zhao Rouyin looked at Qiao Wan with surprise.
"Do you know them, Qiao Wan?!"
"Is this your boyfriend?"
Rich second-generation??? Wait, something's not right. Such good-looking rich second-generation, and there are two of them?
Qiao Wan's mind buzzed, her thoughts in chaos. She could only suppress her overwhelming surprise and approach them quickly, saying, "How...how did you end up here?"
"Taoist Friend Qiao," Meng Canglang showed a complicated expression, speaking in a low voice, "It's a long story. This isn't the place to talk."
Their appearance and temperament clearly stood out from the crowd, and their looks were indeed very attractive.
The students in the class all had incredibly attractive appearances, even more so than celebrities. At this moment, Qiao Wan could feel the buzz and excitement spreading throughout the classroom.
But just then, the sound of a car horn echoed.
Their classroom was on the first floor, with a wide road outside the window separated by some greenery.
At that moment, Qiao Wan could hardly believe her eyes.
Parked on that road was an extravagant black stretch Lincoln!!! The car window rolled down, revealing an impatient face of Mei Kangping.
"Hurry up and come out!"
There was a commotion among the students.
"The heck, is that a Lincoln?!"
"A live one, and a black stretch Lincoln?!"
"This person is so flashy?!"
Under the shocked gazes of their classmates, Qiao Wan had no choice but to bravely walk out with Meng Canglang and Gan Nan.
But then, next to the Lincoln, she saw someone she knew - Pei Chunzheng with a baseball cap, and behind him stood Xiao Songwith a tall and slender figure, with some disheveled black ponytail peeking out from behind the cap.
Sitting in the car, Qiao Wan felt like she was dreaming, "How...how did you all end up here?"
Sitting quietly in the back seat, Meng Canglang explained in a deep voice, "Ever since you, Taoist Friend Qiao, passed away, we have been trying to find your soul. At first, we had no success, but then we thought that maybe you had returned to your hometown in the spirit world. So, we started searching in the three thousand worlds. Luckily, we finally found you. With the combined effort of everyone, we broke through the void and arrived in your world."
"Well...why do you all look like this?" Qiao Wan asked.
Pei Chunzheng stared at her without blinking for a while, then looked away with lowered eyes, "We have been in this world for nearly half a year, until rumors started spreading...about that...that video..."
Qiao Wan said blankly, "Video."
Has Mei Kangping had enough time in these six months to buy a black, extended Lincoln car and get an A1 driver's license?
Forget it, after all, it's easy for a group of old monsters who have lived for hundreds of years to figure out the rules of the modern world and buy a Lincoln car or something.
The question is, who will drive a stretch Lincoln on the street?! Even a real coal tycoon wouldn't be so extravagant, right?!
"We finally found you, Sister Wan'er." Gan Nan blushed and held out a bouquet of flowers. "I heard that the girls here like flowers, so I bought them."
The young man looked at her with a look of joy regained, and his eyes quickly misted over. "Wan... Sister Wan'er, I'm sorry, we're here to take you home."
"But..." Qiao Wan hesitated for a moment, staring at the misty eyes of the young man. "This is my home."
"Huh?!" Gan Nan widened his eyes and dropped the bouquet of flowers.
And so, the young man's eyes suddenly turned into fried eggs, watching Qiao Wan almost tearfully in embarrassment.
"Younger sister, I'm really sorry... I... I..."
He wanted to apologize. There were many things he wanted to say to Qiao Wan, but his throat felt blocked and he couldn't bring himself to speak. Thinking about the girl who had fallen like a shooting star that day, Gan Nan picked up the bouquet from the ground, tears falling onto the petals.
Even though he had become the Dragon King now, he couldn't help but be a crybaby.
She had not forgiven him. Qiao Wan hesitated for a moment, silently averted her gaze and turned to ask Meng Canglang.
"This world has a slightly different flow of time compared to our world," Meng Canglang whispered. "Right now in the cultivation realm, it's New Year's Eve, Taoist Friend Qiao. Everyone is waiting for you to come home and celebrate."
After locating the small world where Qiao Wan was, Ma Huaizhen led the sword cultivators from all over the world. With the help of the Demon Emperor, they gathered the strength of the world and shattered the void to create a "Gateway to Heaven." They relied on burning spirit stones to maintain the connection between the two worlds.
"This passageway is not very stable now, and not many people can come through." Meng Canglang explained, "This is also my first time here."
No wonder the other person didn't change clothes, Qiao Wan's doubt was slightly relieved.
Meng Canglang glanced at her, hesitated a bit, and tightened the hand on his knee, "Taoist Friend Qiao. Before the Venerable One passed away, my fellow taoist friend placed a restriction on the Venerable One's body."
As soon as the words "Venerable One" were spoken, Qiao Wan's body subtly stiffened.
Pei Chunzheng, sitting on the left, shifted his gaze, lowered his eyes and looked out the window at the scenery, his thoughts unclear.
"We have found the soul for Venerable One Miaofa and placed the Venerable One's body in the temple for worship, receiving incense from all over the world. My fellow taoist friend said that this way, the Venerable One will have a chance of survival. Not only can the Venerable One come back to life, but also resolve any remaining karma. It has been many years since the last big battle. We speculate that the Venerable One will awaken soon."
"So." Meng Canglang pursed his lips. "We want to invite you, Taoist friend, to go back home and celebrate the Lunar New Year."
"Go back." The young man looked at her earnestly. "Everyone misses you very much."
Mei Kangping, who was focused on driving in front, glanced sideways and smirked. "Forgot to mention, your father is alive. He's probably preparing the New Year's Eve dinner at this hour."
How... how could she refuse this?!
...
Just as Meng Canglang said, the world of cultivation was in the midst of winter.
It had been ten years since she had rushed into the beast tide, but for cultivators, ten years was merely a blink of an eye.
Meng Canglang patiently spoke about everyone's recent experiences, while Qiao Wan listened attentively.
She hadn't really missed out on much.
During these ten years, Mei Kangping and Meng Guangze had reconciled, mainly due to Meng Guangze's one-sided efforts to coax his brother and help Mei Kangping atone for his mistakes.
At first, it was very difficult. I was often rejected and looked down upon by others. Mei Kangping also faced many hardships, but things got better later on.
Nowadays, after Mei Kangping changed jobs, he is working hard in the cultivation world.
For the past few years, Pei Chunzheng has been traveling with his own uncle, gaining experience and searching for her spirit. After receiving news, he quietly passed through the Gateway to Heaven.
Passing through the vast crack in the Gateway to Heaven, Qiao Wan felt a dreamlike sense of unreality while walking in the streets at the foot of Chaotian Mountain.
It was already late in the day, with a thin layer of snow falling from the sky. The snow on the streets had clearly been swept away, leaving the stone pavement damp yet clean. Lanterns were hung at every doorway, illuminating the stone steps in front. The ink on the bright red spring couplets had not yet dried.
The bustling streets were filled with the sound of drums and gongs. Children were running around everywhere, covering their ears as they set off firecrackers.
Donkeys and horses walked through the alleys, while peddlers hurried along. Wherever one looked, there were stalls selling cages, toothbrushes, headgear, and books...
Carpenter, silversmith, blacksmith, bricklayer...
Tea seller, flower seller, calligrapher, porridge seller...
The busy street was filled with hustle and bustle.
When they saw Qiao Wan and her companions, they were taken aback.
One of the ladies quickly stood up, brushing off the melon seed shells from her apron, and exclaimed with excitement, "Ah! Fairy Qiao!!"
"It's Fairy Qiao!!"
Men, women, young and old, all looked at Qiao Wan with joy, unable to contain their shouts, and surrounded her in a circle.
It was... the Fairy Qiao who had saved them!
Qiao Wan was momentarily stunned, her mind going blank.
Meng Canglang said that several years after her death, these ordinary people spontaneously erected statues for her and called her Fairy Qiao. Now she has become a legend in both the mortal realm and the cultivation world.
Qiao Wan was delighted as the kind lady handed her a basket of eggs. An old man also gave her a few snow-covered cabbages. Just as she turned around, someone tugged at her dress. Qiao Wan stretched out her frozen fingers, which were as cold as carrots, and opened her palm. In her hand was a bag of candy.
"Fairy sister, this is for you!"
After expressing her gratitude to everyone, Qiao Wan held the vegetables, eggs, and a mother hen, feeling overwhelmed but determined to continue on.
The news of Qiao Wan's return quickly spread through the Chaotian Mountain thanks to a precious jade scroll.
On Chaotian Mountain, Meng Guangze was busy cooking while wearing an apron. He looked at the jade scroll and a gentle smile immediately appeared on his face. "Hurry... Ruyi, are the meatballs ready?"
At the dining table, Wang Ruyi, Chu Jiaojiao, and Yu Xingzhi sat opposite each other, hard at work shaping the meatballs. "Almost, we're almost done!"
Yu Xingzhi frowned. "And where is Xie Xingzhi?"
Meng Guangze couldn't help but chuckle. "He went down the mountain to buy soy sauce."
After receiving the message, the young man quickly gathered his white hair into a neat bun and hurriedly made his way down the mountain.
Upon hearing the news that Qiao Wan was coming back, Bai Shanhu paused for a moment and called out to Jiang Rou, who was not far away carrying a basket of medicine.
"Xin Yi is back?" Jiang Rou asked excitedly.
After the war ended, Bai Shanhu traveled around with Qiao Wan, collecting herbs and helping her compile a medicinal manual while also performing acts of chivalry. As the end of the year approached, they began to make their way back.
Glancing at the sky not far away, Bai Shanhu smiled faintly. "Let's go home."
It was time to go back.
Mu Xiaoxiao, Zhou Yan, and Lu Pihan had just disembarked from the flying boat when Xiao Boyang pushed Ma Huaizhen towards Chaotian Mountain, checking the time.
They were half an hour early compared to the time they had agreed upon with Fang Lingqing and Qi Feidao.
"How about bringing some vegetables and fruits from down the mountain? I heard that the Demon Emperor is also coming to join us for the meal, and with more people, the food might not be enough," Mu Xiaoxiao hesitated and asked.
The young girl was wearing a blue dress, with bright and lively eyes. She had a lot of vitality.
The big battle a few years ago had grown her up. Now, she was facing some difficulties in Kunshan, but luckily she was adapting slowly and regaining her previous skills.
As for Lu Pihan, he was wrapped in a white fox fur and looked much better. Ma Huaizhen's stern face also showed a hint of a smile.
Zhou Yan looked up and sighed nervously and anxiously, "Little Wan."
When Qiao Wan was mentioned, everyone used to say that she was a disciple of Yuqing Spiritual Master, the sickly sword expert Lu Pihan, and the younger martial sister of Mu Xiaoxiao. But now, she had become so famous in the cultivation world and the mortal world that no one could surpass her.
That was Qiao Wan from the cultivation world, Fairy Qiao from the mortal world, the most renowned legend.
On the mountain path, two figures were slowly making their way up the mountain.
"Master." The young monk in a white robe folded the jade slip and turned his head gently. "Xin Yi is back."
The man, dressed in a white robe, with long dark blue hair tied behind his head, had a handsome face and rarely smiled. His indigo eyes seemed to glow with a warm light. As the moonlight shone on the snow, he walked calmly, exuding an air of elegance and dignity.
Miaofa's expression remained calm, but the joints in his sleeves tightened imperceptibly.
It was at that moment that Qiao Wan coincidentally bumped into the figure on the mountain path.
For a moment, she almost thought she had made a mistake and stood there in a daze.
The image of those half-closed eyes and the fingertips suspended in mid-air appeared before her.
Qiao Wan's eyes welled up with tears, and her voice choked. "Senior... senior?"
The person turned around, the dark blue hair tied lightly with a jade hairpin, and his gaze fell upon her.
Clearly, he was dressed as someone who had already left the monastic life!!!
The man wore a fox fur coat and looked at her strange summer outfit for a moment.
Qiao Wan immediately felt uncomfortable and nervous, and her back straightened reflexively.
Um... Her... Does her current attire look too outlandish? It's just a floral dress that college girls often wear!
Miaofa took off his fox fur coat and handed it to her, saying, "Put it on."
Qiao Wan tightened her grip on the fur coat. It was quite large and almost covered her entirely.
"Senior... Cen Qingyou," she stammered.
Cen Qingyou smiled and said, "Xin Yi, you came at the right time. Let's go upstairs and have a meal."
But she didn't feel like going.
"Aren't you coming up?" She had many questions to ask, but her thoughts were jumbled, and she couldn't find the right words. So she just stood there, dazed.
"I won't go. It's not suitable for someone of my status," Cen Qingyou patted her head. "Go up with the master."
Qiao Wan clutched the fur-lined hem of her robe, burying her head as she walked cautiously beside the man. She spoke intermittently, mostly about recent events. Meng Canglang and Pei Chunzheng followed behind, not wanting to disturb them.
"You've left the monastic life?" Qiao Wan asked.
The man nodded gently, lowering his eyes as he spoke softly, "I have accumulated too much negative karma. Even if the people pray for my blessings, I cannot bring myself to be a disciple before the Buddha again."
"Sir, your attire?" Qiao Wan questioned.
"I used to dress like this before I became a monk."
...
...
...
When Qiao Wan arrived, she was just in time. There was a four-eyed, big yellow dog squatting at the entrance. As soon as the dog saw her, it whimpered and wagged its tail furiously, pouncing towards her.
Unfortunately, it collided with the big mother hen in Qiao Wan's hands, causing chaos with the chicken flying and the dog jumping around.
"Laifu!" Qiao Wan called out.
It was New Year's Eve, the night before the Lunar New Year.
Fireworks were booming on the mountains, one after another, shooting up into the sky.
Holding Laifu tightly, Qiao Wan entered through the door, only to collide with the profound and gentle eyes hidden behind a pair of single-lensed glasses.
Meng Guangze waved to her, "Little Wan, come help me with the dishes. Just now, taoist friend Bai and taoist friend Jiang sent a message saying that Jia Yin and Xiu Quan will be here in about half an hour."
"I thought that it would be a good idea for us to arrive together with Little Fang and the others."
Wang Ruyi rushed forward with red eyes, "Little Wan!!"
"It's snowing again." Gan Nan spoke behind herwith a surprised and blushing face.
Qiao Wan looked out at the falling snow outside the window, then turned to look at the warm light in the room.
The once insecure, narrow-minded, and cramped her had a wish.
"To do good deeds with all my heart, so that there will be no one in the world who needs my help, and in turn, the heavens will not abandon me." Now her wish had come true. Looking back after enduring the ups and downs of life, everyone was there, which was really great.
Firecrackers kept popping and crackling. She hesitated for a moment, took a step forward, walked faster and faster, met Wang Ruyi, held her hand, and plunged headlong into this warm New Year's Eve.
[The story is finished.]
