I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World-Chapter 264 - 231: Strolling Together Under the Yue
Cool autumn night, half clear, the bright moon shines in the empty courtyard.
On Mid-Autumn Festival night, Kongfang City is ablaze with lights, the lantern fair bustling with excitement.
Jiang Yuebai, with ink on her face, excitedly grabs a bag of jade scrolls and rushes out of the small courtyard, determined to deliver them all before dawn.
"Why are you here?"
Jiang Yuebai looks in surprise at Zhuo Qingfeng standing outside the courtyard gate, tall and holding his sword, frowning. In just a few days of not seeing him, a layer of stubble has grown on his chin, making him look quite disheveled.
"I... still want to come and get an explanation."
Jiang Yuebai suddenly feels a bit guilty. These days, she’s been busy on one hand, and on the other, she didn’t know how to say it, so she simply threw the matter to the back of her mind.
Since they met again, it was better to take the opportunity to make things clear.
"If there’s nothing else, accompany me to deliver some things to everyone."
Jiang Yuebai raised the bag of jade scrolls in her hand, then put them into her storage bracelet.
Zhuo Qingfeng’s eyes lit up slightly, and he nodded, "You have something on your face... sorry."
Zhuo Qingfeng cast a Dust Cleaning Technique, and a cool breeze swept over Jiang Yuebai’s ink-stained face.
Jiang Yuebai, stunned, touched her face, feeling uneasy under Zhuo Qingfeng’s passionate gaze, scratched her face, and took a step forward. Zhuo Qingfeng held his sword in his right hand, the corners of his mouth curved up, and quickly followed.
"It’s so lively tonight, even cultivators know how to celebrate the festival~"
The street lights up for ten miles.
Jiang Yuebai looked around, touching the lanterns on the left, watching the young couples burning incense under the trees on the right. She looked up, the sky was filled with various flying lanterns.
Dazzling, beautiful beyond compare.
Bang!
Fireworks rose into the sky from the Quan Lake side, fiery trees and silver flowers lit up, children cheered and laughed, carrying lanterns as they chased each other towards the lake.
Jiang Yuebai also smiled foolishly, watching the fireworks in the sky while stepping backward, and when she lowered her head, she saw Zhuo Qingfeng standing in the crowd, his passionate gaze always on her.
"Ahem~" Jiang Yuebai lightly coughed into her hand, restraining her smile.
"Reunion pastries~ delicious reunion pastries~ Eat them and may the moon and people be united~"
The peddler’s call caught Jiang Yuebai’s attention. She walked over, "Two reunion pastries, Zhuo Qingfeng, do you want some?"
Zhuo Qingfeng came up and shook his head, "I’m fasting, ordinary food affects the state of mind for cultivation, I’ll be entering a secret realm tomorrow, it’d be better if you don’t..."
Before he could finish, Jiang Yuebai already took a bite of half a reunion pastry, crumbs on her lips, and it tasted so good that the little Ganoderma at her hairpin swayed.
Zhuo Qingfeng was silent, only watching Jiang Yuebai.
Jiang Yuebai paid with a spiritual pearl, took the wrapped other reunion pastry, and walked backward in front of Zhuo Qingfeng.
"See, I want to eat a reunion pastry, but you’re fasting, so you can’t understand how delicious the pastry in my hand is. I can’t share this bite of happiness with you."
Zhuo Qingfeng frowned, extending his arm to take the paper package from Jiang Yuebai’s hand, brought the pastry to his mouth, but hesitated, unable to bite down.
Jiang Yuebai, with a thread of divine sense, pulled the pastry back to her hand from Zhuo Qingfeng’s.
"Don’t force yourself to prove anything. If your feelings for me require you to go against your own will, then it’s not worth it."
Zhuo Qingfeng’s brows furrowed deeper, "But I still..."
Jiang Yuebai stopped walking, looking seriously at Zhuo Qingfeng, "Do you know why it rains sometimes?"
Zhuo Qingfeng shook his head.
"Then do you know why some places have a scorching sun in July while others have snow and ice?"
Zhuo Qingfeng shook his head again.
"You don’t know what I want to know, and I don’t know about your Sword Cultivator’s Sword Heart or Sword Intent Transformation. Do you think if I became your Daoist Companion, what would we talk about when we meet? How many common topics could we have?"
Zhuo Qingfeng opened his mouth, but didn’t know what to say.
"Don’t look at me as though I’m young. Actually, I understand the feeling of truly liking someone, knowing what kind of two people can create irresistible attraction from soul to body."
Jiang Yuebai truly understood this from Wuwei Mountain Man Lin Jingyue and the young general of Cang Country, Ye Shiming.
She has Ye Shiming’s memories and used to think matters of love were irrelevant to her, so she deliberately ignored the related parts in Ye Shiming’s memory.
But this time in Kongfang City, first Xie Jingshan went crazy, then Zhuo Qingfeng came to confess, she realized, she must face this inevitable stage of life.
That day, after Zhuo Qingfeng confessed, she re-examined and perceived the acquaintance, understanding, and love between Ye Shiming and Lin Jingyue.
Indeed, she thought they had once been in love.
Setting aside the barriers of position and identity, Ye Shiming and Lin Jingyue were both military generals, meeting because of the same battle and getting to know each other during the war.
Lin Jingyue strategized in the central military tent, while Ye Shiming led soldiers into battle outside.
If Ye Shiming were truly incompetent, no matter how brilliant Lin Jingyue’s strategies were, how could Ye Shiming have triumphed against stronger foes with fewer troops? 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
Ye Shiming’s excellence also attracted Lin Jingyue, and there was a subtle understanding between them.
They discussed tactics over the sand table together, sparred in spear technique under the moon, and even though they knew there was no future, they couldn’t help but be drawn to each other.
Thus, Lin Jingyue couldn’t bear to poison him, and Ye Shiming couldn’t bear to kill her.
From Ye Shiming’s perspective, Jiang Yuebai could feel Lin Jingyue’s love, and combined with that tragic ending, Jiang Yuebai felt as if she had experienced a tribulation of love, empathizing deeply, and wouldn’t easily fall for someone again, nor feel regret over it.
Her master wasn’t wrong those years ago—having Ye Shiming’s memories wasn’t entirely a bad thing for her; it allowed her to understand the complexities of love early on and not be burdened by it.
Amidst the myriad lights of the city, Jiang Yuebai walked alongside Zhuo Qingfeng, delivering jade scrolls to friends living in various places, slowly narrating the story of Lin Jingyue and Ye Shiming to help Zhuo Qingfeng understand what true love between a man and a woman entailed.
They walked until they reached the edge of Quan Lake, where they stopped.
Jiang Yuebai said, "Zhuo Qingfeng, I’m truly grateful to you for bringing your sincere heart to me. It’s an honor to be liked by someone as exceptional as you. It was wrong of me to lash out at you last time, and I apologize for that."
Jiang Yuebai clasped her hands in apology, and Zhuo Qingfeng hurriedly reached out to support her arm.
"You don’t need to apologize. It was I who was too abrupt."
Jiang Yuebai stood straight, "I’m a bit wild and don’t like being constrained. I’m also greedy, wanting many things. Meanwhile, you’re a pure person, with an unwavering heart for sword cultivation. Our personalities, interests, and goals are fundamentally different, making us unsuitable for each other."
"I hope you’ll find someone someday who truly suits you, someone with shared topics, shared pursuits, someone whose actions won’t hold each other back, willing to spend a lifetime together, standing by each other’s side, advancing and retreating as one. That is a true Daoist companion."
Zhuo Qingfeng looked at Jiang Yuebai, with traces of reluctance and bitterness in his eyes, "In the future... will we still be friends?"
"Of course!" Jiang Yuebai replied resolutely, a smile in her eyes. "Your Guiyuan Sword Sect’s Sword Lord Zhufeng spent his life pursuing our Heavenly Interence Sect’s ancestor Lu Xingyun, troubled by love. If you move past this Chapter, you’ll have taken the first step beyond him."
Bang!
Fireworks exploded in the sky above Quan Lake once more, with sparkling flowers of fire reflecting against the lotus lanterns on the water.
"Take this jade scroll and look over it with the others. Should we meet in the maze tomorrow, I might still need your help."
"I have to go to the Mountain and Sea Building to deliver something to Xie Jingshan. Thank you for tonight, and goodbye for now."
Jiang Yuebai ran along the corridor bridge, heading towards the Mountain and Sea Building, running farther and farther away...
Zhuo Qingfeng’s gaze followed her figure, a sourness in his heart. The things Jiang Yuebai said to him tonight, he couldn’t fully comprehend or let go of just yet.
His feelings for her didn’t run as deep or persistent as Ye Shiming’s for Lin Jingyue in her story.
But his liking for her had also been a lingering infatuation, born from that parting in the Land of Azure Flame, through seven years of longing and thoughts, finally realizing at that moment of reunion that he truly adored her, wanting to see her every moment.
Zhuo Qingfeng closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Perhaps one day he could move past this Chapter, but for now... he couldn’t.
Clutching the jade scroll tightly in his hand, Zhuo Qingfeng reluctantly withdrew his gaze and left Quan Lake.
At the foot of the Mountain and Sea Building.
Xie Jingshan teased, "Tsk tsk, I saw you with Zhuo Qingfeng from upstairs just now. Aren’t you two...?"
Seeing Xie Jingshan’s eyebrows nearly flying off his face, Jiang Yuebai tossed the jade scroll at him with irritation.
"Can’t you survive without being cheeky? Hurry up and memorize the diagrams and array formulas inside by tonight."
Jiang Yuebai turned to leave, and Xie Jingshan called from behind, "So did you reject him or accept him?"
On the rooftop of the Mountain and Sea Building.
Xie Guihong embraced Ding Lanzhi, leaning over to look at their silly son below.
"That girl seems pretty nice. Is she the Jiang Yuebai that Jingshan often talks about?" Ding Lanzhi asked.
Xie Guihong nodded, "Yes, that’s her. It’s a pity your good son is determined to live dedicated to Buddha, or else I could give him some advice."
Ding Lanzhi rolled her eyes at Xie Guihong, "Stop embarrassing yourself and meddling in Jingshan’s affairs. Tomorrow..."
"Don’t worry, I’ll be here waiting for you to return," Xie Guihong interrupted Ding Lanzhi, gently pulling her into his embrace. "I made all the fireworks you saw tonight myself. Do you like them?
"They’re alright~"
Don’t mention the changefulness of life; let’s rejoice in the good times of the world.
