Chapter 8
It all started from the day when Qiao Wan and Pei Chunzheng had a disagreement.
At that time, Elder Martial Brother gave her some face and some time alone.
After Elder Martial Brother left, Qiao Wan wrapped herself in a blanket.
She felt really uncomfortable.
Her wounds were still fresh, and whenever she lay down, her nose would bleed a lot. Qiao Wan quickly wiped away the blood and tried to stop her nose from running. Tears and blood mixed together, creating a messy stain.
She couldn't remember how she fell asleep in the end.
Qiao Wan fell into a deep sleep, and when she woke up, she found herself stepping into someone else's dream.
These dreams were all different and strange.
She saw the famous and handsome cultivator from the cultivation world, Senior Martial Brother Tongyuan. He was sitting on the ground with his back facing her, lost in thought.
Curious, Qiao Wan went closer and saw that Senior Martial Brother Tongyuan was squatting by a small pond.
Senior Martial Brother Tongyuan was a sword cultivator, similar to her master, with a white headband, a tall nose bridge, and a stern expression that was hard to look straight at.
But now, Senior Martial Brother Tongyuan had taken off his headband, and his expression seemed a little sad.
In the reflection of the water, she could see his receding hairline clearly.
Qiao Wan: ...... Did she stumble upon some hidden secret?
Just then, Senior Martial Brother Tongyuan, the sword cultivator, seemed to sense someone behind him. He suddenly turned his head, shouted loudly, "Who?!"
Qiao Wan lost her footing and fell down.
She seemed to be falling endlessly, with no end in sight.
As she fell, Qiao Wan saw that the arrogant Zou Yangshu from the powerful Lierijiao sect was actually a crybaby. Every time he lost a fight, he would hide in his dreams and cry loudly.
The formidable Ganzhan Shangren, who was known for his fighting skills, was once beaten up by a little mortal radish head. Even though he was now skilled in exterminating demons, he could never forget the psychological trauma of being beaten up by a primary school student.
The famous Goddess Rong of the Cloud Mist Fairy Mansion was actually a busty and flamboyant woman. Because her breasts were too big, she was always troubled. Only in her dreams could she take off the burden of being a goddess and happily drink tea with her breasts on the table.
One moment, Qiao Wan politely took a step forward, and the next moment, she was hit again by various chaotic spells of knives and swords.
Qiao Wan suddenly had a revelation.
It seemed like everyone was living a difficult life.
With this thought in mind, she landed.
This time, she found herself standing on a plain that stretched endlessly to the distant sea.
The sky above the plain and the sea displayed two distinct colors.
The sky above the plain was filled with gorgeous sunset clouds, while the sky above the sea was filled with mysterious dark clouds.
At the boundary between red and black, the setting sun was gently descending.
In the center of the plain stood a giant Bodhi tree.
A white mist drifted in front of her, enveloping everything in a hazy veil.
Qiao Wan cautiously walked forward, until she reached the Bodhi tree. Through the mist, she could faintly see a man sitting under the tree.
As soon as she approached, the man noticed her presence.
"Hmm?"
The man's voice rang out, sharp and authoritative. "Who is here?!"
His voice echoed like an ancient temple bell, firm and majestic. The sound of his Buddhist chant startled Qiao Wan, causing her nose to bleed.
Qiao Wan looked up, as if peering through the dense fog, and met a stern gaze.
Through the thick mist, she couldn't quite make out the man's face, but she could sense his gaze fixed upon her, examining her from head to toe, even her cultivation.
This time, he didn't throw any blades or swords that narrowly missed her head.
She couldn't see what the man looked like, but Qiao Wan could feel a hint of the dignified aura belonging to someone from the Buddhist sect, shimmering through the mist.
This dream must belong to a senior member of the Buddhist sect.
Sensing the gaze of this senior member on her, Qiao Wan bowed and was about to speak. However, after crying for so long, her chest kept heaving, unable to catch her breath while she continued to hiccup from crying.
"I...hic...I... am..." Qiao Wan struggled to speak, overwhelmed with hiccups. "I am a...hic... a disciple... of the Kunshan Sect...hic... I...hic... unintentionally stumbled upon this place..."
Buddhist Monk: ...
This was terrible.
The more she tried to calm herself down, the louder her hiccups became.
Qiao Wan felt miserable, thinking she had never been so embarrassed before.
Thinking about the young man's flushed eyes and cold gaze, as well as the rabbit-shaped silk lantern, Qiao Wan felt wronged, and her tears fell again.
Since the man couldn't see her face clearly through the dense fog anyway, Qiao Wan decided to give up and sat down, wailing loudly.
The Buddhist Monk furrowed his brow. "Why are you crying?"
Qiao Wan: "Wuwuwu...hic..."
The Monk's brow furrowed even more, patiently asking, "What happened?"
Qiao Wan's tears flowed freely, crying even louder, and replied loudly between hiccups, "Wuwuwu...hic... I...hic... I got dumped..."
The Monk: ...
Qiao Wan: "Wuwuwu... I'm so miserable, my dad was punished by divine justice, my mom doesn't want me, my brother is a liar..."
What kind of nonsensical words was she spouting?
The Monk furrowed his brow once again.
Qiao Wan: "Wuwuwu... I was deceived in love, they all treated me as a substitute... My life is so miserable, wuwuwu..."
Though he didn't understand what she was saying, the Monk patiently waited for her to finish crying.
The girl in the dense fog cried, her nose running and tears streaming, as if she truly had something to be sad about.
The Monk pondered, his brows furrowed.
After crying for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Qiao Wan finally felt a bit better, having released all her emotions.
Realizing the Monk was still watching her, she quickly wiped her tears and regained her humble and respectful demeanor.
"I... I'm sorry," Qiao Wan sniffled and bowed respectfully, "I apologize for my uncouth behavior earlier."
The man, Feng Wangyan, replied nonchalantly, "It's okay."
Dreams are very private.
After returning to her senses, Qiao Wan felt a bit remorseful for intruding into his dream. He seemed to sense her guilt, but didn't blame her.
Not only did he not blame her, but seeing her in such a sorry state, he even spoke to her about Buddhist philosophy.
"Although I am unaware of what has caused you such sorrow," the man spoke in a deep voice, "you must understand that all suffering stems from attachments. And all these troubles and obstacles are ultimately empty. Don't imprison yourself with them, tormenting yourself."
This senior is a gentle person, even though his tone was stern, it made people hesitant to offend. Despite barging into his dream, he wasn't angry and instead accepted her, waiting for her to finish crying.
Although her mind was not focused on Buddhist philosophy at the moment, Qiao Wan still listened attentively.
This senior had a dignified and distinguished voice.
And... it was quite refreshing?
At least, now her mind was clear and her mood had calmed down a lot.
She couldn't see the senior's face clearly, only his dark blue long hair, the one thousand and eighty pearl Buddhist beads around his chest, and the green sleeve cuffs of his robe. His eyebrows and eyes were occasionally visible, emitting an aura of dignity, stunningly beautiful with a hint of sharpness, like the light reflecting off a thin red blade, revealing an alluring splendor.
Qiao Wan wanted to see him more clearly, but the fog slowly gathered and enveloped him once again.
Qiao Wan guessed that maybe the fog was intended by the senior in front of her.
After all, experts generally are not willing to reveal their true appearances.
The senior didn't want to expose his true face, and Qiao Wan obediently put away her curiosity.
No more looking, no more asking.
Suddenly, the white fog, the Bodhi tree, and the plain in front of her rapidly receded, and she woke up.
With a light sound, a cold crow flapped its wings and flew past the cave entrance.
Qiao Wan broke free from this first encounter memory and looked at herself in the mirror again.
The girl in the mirror had a large bow on her head, her dark eyes staring back expressionlessly.
Although female cultivators in the cultivation world were mostly fair and beautiful due to the nourishment of spiritual medicines, there were still few who were as disheveled as her. Even with the protection of spiritual medicines, she still had new and old scars on her face.
After all, most girls love beauty.
Qiao Wan was no exception. With a poker face, she earnestly adjusted the bow on her head and examined the scars on her face. The scars from the last battle had faded to the point of almost being invisible.
She applied medicine to herself, adjusted her collar to cover the scar on her neck, and without further delay, she sat on the stone bed and entered a state of meditation once again, inspecting her internal injuries.
Feng Wangyan was born as a Phoenix clan member, naturally possessing the Golden Core cultivation level. Cultivation came easily to him, as if everything was within his grasp.
Reincarnation is a tricky thing, and Qiao Wan admits that she struggles with envy and jealousy.
She had just gathered some spiritual energy not long ago, but after today's accident, it was all dispersed. Qiao Wan patiently used her spiritual power to slowly heal her injuries and solidify her foundation.
Perhaps because she lost blood earlier and was grabbed by Feng Wangyan by the neck, she fell asleep against the stone wall after all the commotion.
Qiao Wan never thought she would see that senior again.
After all, it had been almost half a year since she last saw him.
Instead of sleeping, she would meditate every day, and the senior obviously didn't have the luxury to sleep every day.
Whether or not she could meet the senior depended purely on luck.
If luck was good, she might see him briefly and listen to his teachings. If luck was bad, she might not see him for half a year.
Author's Note:
I haven't decided who the male lead is yet. Why do you all think he is a monk!
I mentioned a monk because this strict mentor character is really good to play with ♀.
Although a bald-headed monk is cute, this monk is different from a weirdo, he has hair QWQ.
Indigo blue is actually dark blue, like the color on Buddha's head.
