Chapter 352: 206, You and I are both in the snow, this life can be considered growing old together (6k4)_4
At this moment, a KNOCK KNOCK came from outside the door.
"Please come in..."
Xu Xing collected himself, his gaze once again calm.
The door creaked open.
Wu Miao had changed into a new set of clothes, more luxurious than her previous simple attire. She wore an azure bamboo-patterned double collared dress, elegant and dignified, which highlighted her voluptuous yet graceful figure. Underneath the dress were her delicate lotus feet, wrapped in white socks and tucked into embroidered shoes. However, Wu Miao still wore her bamboo hat. Her lightly powdered makeup, faintly visible beneath the white veil, made her appear even more ravishing.
Wu Miao stepped gracefully to the Eight Immortals Table and poured Xu Xing a cup of Spirit Tea. "Friend Yao," she said, "you’ve arrived as promised. I am truly delighted. It seems this lavish attire wasn’t a waste after all."
"Since Lady Xu invited me to dine at the Cloud and Flower Building to discuss selling Spirit Talismans..." Xu Xing began, then continued, "I am no arrogant hermit, but a merchant. Punctuality is a matter of course for me."
Xu Xing raised an eyebrow.
He had a bad feeling. It seemed Wu Miao had sensed his true identity, much like he had sensed the difference in the Yin Chai’s replacement. Sometimes, one didn’t need to rely on aura or appearance to discern another’s identity; a mere feeling could be enough. He just didn’t know where he had made a mistake. Was it a slip of the tongue earlier? Or perhaps... an unguarded expression or gesture...
Wu Miao sat opposite Xu Xing and sighed a few times. "Friend Yao," she began, "at the stall earlier, you asked me why, after waiting seventy years, I wouldn’t wait another thirty."
"Do you truly wish to hear the reason, Friend Yao?"
She stared intently at Xu Xing, not wanting to miss a single flicker of emotion on his face.
A breath, then two, passed in silence. Neither of the two in the room spoke.
"Never mind," Wu Miao said, deciding to be direct. "I know Xu True Disciple holds no affection for me. Waiting seventy years was to prove my devotion and my commitment to our agreement. The remaining thirty years... those are for my own self-respect."
Wu Miao removed the bamboo hat from her Qiufu, no longer concealing her face, and looked directly at Xu Xing.
"Crow Saintess..." Xu Xing began, "May I ask where I revealed my identity?"
He shook his head, flicked his sleeve robe, and withdrew the spell cast on his face. He instantly changed from the guise of a middle-aged cultivator back to his former appearance as a youth in a green robe.
"Xu True Disciple, you must have forgotten that you once used the alias Chang Kun," Wu Miao said, pointing out the flaws in Xu Xing’s cover. "Chang Kun is Xu True Disciple’s sworn brother. And this time, you claimed your surname was Yao..."
Having said her piece, she looked at Xu Xing. "The hundred years are not yet up. I wonder, Xu True Disciple, are you willing to marry me, or not...?"
Her implication was clear: if Xu Xing was unwilling to marry her, she would not pester him and would leave willingly.
"Crow Saintess, you should know..." Xu Xing said after a moment’s silence. "At the auction in the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, my initial intention wasn’t to rescue you. It was only after seeing Elder Zheng take action that I intervened and saved you..."
If it had been Golden Rainbow Ancestor Yan Luanqing willing to be his spouse, he might have agreed without a second thought. Having a Nascent Soul Daoist Lord as a spouse would bring countless benefits. But Wu Miao... She was currently only at the Returning Core realm. They had only met twice, with no love between them. Naturally, he had to weigh the pros and cons; he couldn’t let emotions dictate his actions. If sheer devotion could guarantee affection in return, this world would be teeming with devoted fools. A spouse was different from a mere concubine.
"You and I are not related," Wu Miao said, shaking her Qiufu. "Xu True Disciple, your careful consideration before saving me showed prudence, not cold-heartedness. One should judge actions, not intentions; by intentions alone, no one in this world is perfect."
"It seems Xu True Disciple has misunderstood me somewhat..." Wu Miao paused, tucking a strand of hair from her forehead behind her soft, warm ear. "The Starfall Sect hasn’t given up on me; at least, not yet. Twenty years ago, they invited me back to assume the Sect Leader position..."
As she spoke, her face flushed a rosy hue, making her appear lovely and alluring.
"It’s common knowledge that I have become Lady Xu," Wu Miao said, each word deliberate. "Does Xu True Disciple truly wish for me to return to the Sect only to be mocked for still being a virgin?"
"This..." Xu Xing hesitated.
It was common knowledge that she had been Lady Xu for so long. If he let Wu Miao go today, and another man married her in the future, how could he preserve his dignity?
"The matter of a spouse can wait," Wu Miao’s breath was like orchids as she drew closer to Xu Xing. "With the Flying Feather Immortal Palace revolution, even the Starfall Sect wouldn’t dare to act so recklessly... That is to say... Xu True Disciple, you don’t have to be responsible for me. My Profound Female Physique can also help Xu True Disciple improve his cultivation..." she said softly.
"Crow Saintess..."
At this moment, with the beautiful woman in his embrace uttering such provocative words, Xu Xing found it hard to contain his desires. He could suppress them with his cultivation, but there was no need to deliberately endure it any longer.
「...」
Leaving the Cloud and Flower Building, Wu Miao put her bamboo hat back on. She glanced at the snowflakes drifting down onto the street, then stretched out her jade palm to catch a few.
Then, clear tears streamed from her eyes.
"Xu True Disciple, farewell forever." She took a deep breath.
She had waited for seventy years. The reason she wasn’t willing to wait another thirty was that she didn’t want to lose face for herself or tarnish the reputation of the Starfall Sect. But... Xu Xing had saved her life. Now, with the Flying Feather Immortal Palace in turmoil, Xu Xing was in imminent danger and forced to live under an assumed name. How could she abandon him and simply walk away, disregarding his life?
"In this life, we can be said to have grown old together."
Transforming into a streak of rainbow light, Wu Miao vanished into the horizon. She glanced back one last time at Xu Xing, who stood in the falling snow, a beautiful arc curving the corners of her lips.