The Unmoving Bride

Although Nie Kuang, who had taken the Nine Revolutions Soul Revival Elixir, did not wake up immediately, his pulse had stabilized, and the residual toxins were being cleared by Yu Yangfeng’s prescribed medications. Everyone at Black Fortress Gate treated Shang Bieye, Yu Yangfeng, and Yan Xinmeng as saviors, not letting them do any heavy work, and even Bu Yuchen, who hadn’t participated in the events, was treated as an honored guest, simply because Duan Shiyun had informed the residents of their identities. During the time Nie Kuang was bedridden, aside from Yu Yangfeng who had to look after him, Bu Yuchen was busy playing the role of a leader, leaving only Shang Bieye and Yan Xinmeng with free time. Shang Bieye took Yan Xinmeng to explore the entire Black Fortress Gate. One day, they discovered a vast expanse of grassland at the back mountain. Yan Xinmeng was thrilled by the sight of the lush green landscape, running around like a bird freed from its cage after days of confinement. “Wow! So beautiful! Such lush, fragrant grass!” Yan Xinmeng spread her arms wide, taking a deep breath. Shang Bieye watched her joyful face and couldn’t help but smile. “Big brother, look, this lawn is huge!” Yan Xinmeng pointed excitedly. “Yes, who would have thought there was such a view inside Black Fortress Gate. Truly unexpected,” Shang Bieye admired the scenery. “I’ve always dreamed of having a big lawn in front of my house where I could barbecue, play, fly kites, and in the evening, drink tea, watch the stars, and listen to the sounds of insects and frogs. How delightful that would be! If there was a little stream running through it, that would be even better.” Yan Xinmeng’s face was full of longing. “You like the idea of a rural life?” Shang Bieye guessed from her description. “Not entirely,” Yan Xinmeng said, bending down to sit. “Not entirely?” Shang Bieye also sat down with a smile. “Yes, not entirely. I like the freedom and lack of restraint in the countryside, but I also enjoy the vigor and vitality of city life.” Yan Xinmeng plucked a blade of grass to play with. “Like at Auntie Qian’s place?” “No, not like that.” Yan Xinmeng shook her head, then pointed towards the vast lawn. “Auntie Qian’s place is nice, but the surrounding environment isn’t great. This place, with its large, beautiful green space, makes one feel at ease. If you ever get tired of the quiet, you can walk outside to see the hustle and bustle. How good is that!” “But having such a large lawn with just one house might seem a bit abrupt?” Shang Bieye imagined a single house standing on the vast lawn. “Not at all. Why would it be? With good design, it wouldn’t be,” Yan Xinmeng didn’t see any issue with that scenario. “Design? You mean like at Auntie Qian’s place last time?” “Exactly! I’ve drawn quite a bit these days, just for fun, but today I found this huge lawn.” Yan Xinmeng lay down, closing her eyes to imagine, “So I was thinking, building a house here with grass outside, and if there were flowing water…” Shang Bieye watched her with deep affection, listening quietly to her description, smiling without saying a word. Chapter Seven
Wu Yangfeng had not left the pharmacy for a full seven days, not only because he needed to prepare new prescriptions daily for Nie Kuang’s early recovery, but also because he had scoured every medical book in search of the formula for the Nine Revolutions Soul-Returning Pill. Unfortunately, all the pharmacopoeias only described how excellent and effective it was, but none revealed its recipe, which was truly a source of frustration for Wu Yangfeng. “Why is this happening? It’s strange that there’s no record of the Nine Revolutions Soul-Returning Pill’s formula in any book,” Wu Yangfeng muttered, flipping through the nearly worn-out medical texts. He searched one book after another but found nothing. “Strange, really too strange,” Yun Yangfeng mused, his head bowed in thought.