Xia Xianning said, “I don’t know what happened between you and Senior Brother. He’s never mentioned it to anyone. But I can sense the difference in your attitude toward him and the suppressed feelings in his heart. Perhaps he doesn’t even know the reason, because from childhood to now, your attitude has always been like this. He might think he did something wrong and always tries to please you…”
He carefully chose his words and continued, “I always thought you didn’t like him until that accident when the teacher’s wife blocked the attack from Peng Xuan.”
Then I realized we might all be wrong. During the time you were unconscious, Senior Brother was very depressed. I’ve never seen him so sad. At that time, I decided that once we revived you, I would definitely tell you these things – I can’t bear to see him like that.”
“Perhaps Senior Brother was mischievous as a child and made mistakes, but everyone makes errors. No matter whose fault it is, once corrected, it’s fine. You should speak out, tell him where he went wrong, so we can work together to improve, don’t you think?”
Xia Xianning’s words were meant to advocate for Luo Yingbai’s grievances, but he maintained a respectful and gentle tone, careful to consider things from Jiang Yugai’s perspective to avoid escalating conflicts instead of mediating.
This speech expressed his feelings and Luo Yingbai’s efforts without making Jiang Yugai feel uncomfortable.
When Xia Xianning mentioned Luo Mingbai, his tone was filled with helpless heartache and doting tenderness: “I remember the teacher’s wife once said that we cannot completely deny a person because of one mistake. You also often taught us not to be stuck in past misfortunes. Of course, these words sound simple, but for anyone, it might not be easy to actually do—”
He stopped there, standing up from the chair by the bed.
After Xia Xianning finished speaking, he slightly bowed and turned to walk out. However, Jiang Yujia suddenly called out to him from behind: “Xianning!”
Xia Xianning stopped and turned around. Jiang Yujia’s voice was slightly trembling, and her eyes were already reddened: “Do you… do you remember Xia Changjing?”
Xia Xianning was stunned: “Uncle? Didn’t he pass away many years ago?”
Jiang Yujia gave a bitter smile and pointed to the chair. Xia Xianning hesitated for a moment but still walked back and sat down.
After Xia Xianning came out from talking with Jiang Yujia, it was already dusk outside. He went to check on Luo Mingbai and found that he had disappeared. The person who was originally taking care of him said that after Luo Mingbai woke up, he went to see Xia Xianning, asked about Jiang Yujia, and knowing she was fine, he left home alone.
The disciple said worriedly: “Senior Brother Xia, Senior Brother Luo didn’t bring his phone, and I’m a bit worried. I’ll go look for him. Your injury isn’t healed, so please rest.”
Xia Xianning patted his shoulder: “I’ll go. I should know where he is.”
He drove directly to a nearby park.
The autumn night was cold and quiet, street lights flickering, with only sparse neon lights still on.
Xia Xianning locked his car, walked to a low wall, stepped on it for leverage, grabbed the top, and easily jumped over, landing silently on the ground covered with fallen leaves.
Moonlight spread everywhere, filtering through tree branches. Xia Xianning walked towards the flying car, and just as he approached, the previously motionless vehicle suddenly started, rushing down and stopping in front of Xia Xianning. Tiny lights on the car body connected into a string, dazzling like a rainbow.
Xia Xianning was not surprised, standing with his hands in his pockets, watching Luo Mingbai stretch out a hand to him. A moment later, he grasped it, pulling Luo Mingbai down.
“It’s windy up high, and I don’t want to take off my clothes and wander around shirtless,” Xia Xianning said seriously. “Come down and walk.”
Wearing casual pants and a thin sweater, he stood tall. Luo Mingbai’s eyes curved: “Of course, of course. A beauty’s request cannot be refused.”
Xia Xianning pulled him down: “It’s so dark here. Can you really see beauty or ugliness?”
Luo Mingbai laughed: “Because I know if someone can find me, it must be you.”
For a moment, both of them were silent, simultaneously recalling that seemingly real yet unreal memory from the underworld.
Xia Xianning wanted to ask Luo Yingbai what he had seen and was about to speak, but Luo Yingbai said, “Listen.”
Luo Yingbai smiled and said, “When peach blossoms have feelings, they are most beautiful just before blooming. Those who want to hear clearly do not understand the art of moderation.”
With hidden meaning in his words, he suddenly flipped his wrist, throwing a red thread that swept up a flower branch from the ground.
Luo Yingbai moved incredibly fast. The moment the branch was in his hand, he thrust it forward, leaving a silvery bright trace in the night.
With his movement, two black and white figures emerged in the night before them, and the flower branch in Luo Yingbai’s hand lightly touched the white figure’s throat.
With three parts drunkenness and seven parts a thin smile, he said, “Greetings, Yin Messengers, Bai and Hei. How are you?”
Bai Wuchang, being pointed at his vital point, didn’t show much panic, merely saying, “Lord Luo has a unique way of greeting.”
Luo Yingbai laughed, releasing the branch and saying, “I might be experiencing bad luck recently, so I’m a bit cautious. Sorry, here, this is for you.”
Something light floated in front of Bai Wuchang. When he picked it up, he saw it was a small flower that had just fallen from the branch—Luo Yingbai had actually given it to him.
The flower was fingernail-sized, its petals soft and trembling in Bai Wuchang’s palm, seeming like it would scatter at the slightest touch.
Bai Wuchang, usually proud and sharp-tongued, was the opposite of Hei Wuchang. But among the earthly practitioners, he particularly respected the good-tempered Luo Yingbai—rarely finding someone who would maintain a smile no matter how much he argued.
Now holding the small flower, he was unsure whether to throw it away or keep it, so he just held it, saying, “How polite. Being cautious is understandable. We were actually looking for you two.”
Luo Yingbai turned to Xia Xianning and asked, “Who do you think will live to the end?”
Xia Xianning replied, “We promised to live and die together. Whoever lives to the end is the same.”
Luo Yingbai smiled. Hei Wuchang finally stammered, “D-don’t misunderstand. We’re here… to bring a message from the King of Hell.”
Bai Wuchang stopped teasing and continued, “Lord Luo and Director Xia went to the Southern Jambudvipa Realm and saw the stone tablet formation. After you left, the Wheel King and Wu Guan Wang reinspected the formation and found that four stone tablets had self-activated, which has never happened before.”
Luo Yingbai remembered this incident. Those four stone tablets had reacted spontaneously to help him block danger in the Southern Jambudvipa Realm’s demonic energy. Now, even the underworld’s formation experts found the scene unusual.
Luo Yingbai asked, “Which immortals’ names are on those four stone tablets? Under what circumstances would they self-activate?”
Bai Wuchang looked at Luo Yingbai and said, “The names on the four tablets are Prince Zhu Yan, Ghost Emperor, Prince Shaoyuan, and Lady Ming Lang. The underworld’s formation was set up to suppress demonic energy by gathering these immortals’ residual intentions. So the tablets’ activation must mean they were protecting someone.”
Luo Yingbai fell silent. Even though he could have guessed the reason, he never expected these four names would be on the tablets.
