Chapter 118 - The Harem Rescue Project

Even if Senior Sister Lin has died, her soul should still belong to her. Xiao Lanle looked at the jade slip adorned with a red knot in her hand, slowly tightening her grip. Let it be called willfulness or selfishness—she wouldn't allow Lin Qianshuang to drink the Meng Po Soup and forget everything, even if Lin Qianshuang was truly gone. The vision in the mystical pearl revealed a mist-shrouded suspension bridge, with a red bridal sedan chair hovering mysteriously in the air, moving without touching the ground. A man in black robes walked ahead of the sedan, holding a soul-calling banner and a ceremonial bell, seemingly guiding the way. This person in black looked somewhat familiar. Xiao Lanle's soft, enchanting eyes suddenly emitted a cold glint. With two fingers forming a seal, a streak of sword energy seeped from the long sword on the table. The flying sword immediately soared through the air, landing adeptly in front of her feet, nudging her garment with its hilt, signaling her to ride it. Why this sense of gloominess? Compared to the past, she was no longer the same Xiao Lanle. Xiao Lanle now was destined to become the leader of the Penglai Immortal Sect, someone capable of manipulating the fates of mortal lives. With swift grace, she mounted the spirit sword, briefly caressing its cool blade. Her refined face brimming with spirit, she smiled and said, "Su Wen, let's go together and bring Senior Sister back." Her vision was suddenly engulfed in darkness. Lin Qianshuang felt a constant swaying around her, as if she were on a carriage. Reaching out, she touched the black fabric in front of her, through which a sliver of light slipped. Her fingers found a piece of soft silk. She pulled back the silk and held it in her hand; the high-grade red fabric bore intricate celebratory patterns with golden tassels—a bridal hood. Sunlight filtering through the mandarin duck curtains in the dim red sedan was almost blinding. Lin Qianshuang, adorned in exquisite red bridal attire, sat inside. She thought of standing but was restrained by talismans warding off evil and spirits fastened at the entrance of the sedan, which pushed her back. She lifted the sedan's window to look outside, only to find a sea of white. The mist was so dense it obscured the view, yet a low-flying egret cut through the clouds close to her. She must be upon a high mountain. Lin Qianshuang deduced that Xu Zheng, a disciple of the Lingxiao Sword Sect, had intended the union to occur between the two sects. Now, she must be en route to the Lingxiao Sword Sect. After a cultivator's death, their ancestral tablets and life essence lamps in the sect are removed, and their names struck from the disciple registry. The sects do not recognize ghost marriages, so Chen Shangqing most likely wouldn't bring her spirit to the Lingxiao Sword Sect. Instead, she might be taken to a foot of the sect's mountain. Lin Qianshuang, having attempted to escape the bridal sedan several times to no avail, resigned herself to her situation. She dismantled the cumbersome phoenix crown and complicated attire hindering her breath and casually reclined within the sedan. The protagonist led the way from the front, leaving her with no chance to escape. She might as well enjoy the platter of peanuts and red dates by her feet. She glanced at the dish; the red dates were round and smooth, the peanuts plump and white. Lin Qianshuang found the date too sweet and shelled a peanut to taste. To her mild surprise, she smiled, savoring its delightful flavor. Thinking it would take a while to finish, she decided to empty the entire dish into her storage jade slip. After all, leaving the peanuts in the sedan was a waste. She might as well keep them to relieve the boredom of the ghost marriage, snacking on them later when she felt like it. A faint qi approached, making the bronze bell embellishing the sedan’s corners only a slight jingle. Was someone coming? Lin Qianshuang keenly sensed the disruption. The half-shelled peanut she held vanished when the mystical pearl gently touched her face, landing in her empty palm. In the air behind her, the silhouette of a concealed person appeared, embracing her from behind. The polished surface of the mystical pearl reflected an image of Xiao Lanle clad in a gentle lilac robe, making her look refined and poised. Her graceful figure pressed closely against Lin Qianshuang's back, her arms seemingly pulling her into a tighter hold. "Junior Sister Xiao, you made it out safely from the sect leader's trial? That’s a relief." Lin Qianshuang smiled, slowly attempting to ease her way out of Xiao Lanle’s embrace, only to be pulled back into it. Caught off-guard, she found herself sitting in Xiao Lanle’s lap this time. Lin Qianshuang was effectively being held as if she were a child. Feeling embarrassed, she struggled to free herself, saying, "Junior Sister, this isn’t quite appropriate..." "Senior Sister, you're speaking too loudly. Do you want the man in black outside to hear us? If he discovers us, I won’t be able to rescue you." Xiao Lanle’s delicate face bore a hint of fatigue. Her expressive eyes were fixed on Lin Qianshuang’s profile as she whispered softly, blowing a gentle breath on her cheek. Seeing Lin Qianshuang’s mildly uncomfortable expression, Xiao Lanle seemed delighted, a playful and mischievous smile crossing her face. "..." Lin Qianshuang was speechless. She knew the mystical pearl, originally a cheat artifact belonging to Liang Jingxuan, wouldn't let Xiao Lanle be discovered. However, Xiao Lanle, holding her so tightly and letting an unruly hand wander around her waist, was clearly taking advantage. "Please, Junior Sister, be serious. The current situation isn’t in our favor." Lin Qianshuang was just about to pry Xiao Lanle’s hands away when she turned and found herself staring into Xiao Lanle’s face, which gazed at her as if she were a heartless cad indebted with love. Xiao Lanle snuggled against Lin Qianshuang's neck, petulantly saying, "Senior Sister, from now on, don't call me Junior Sister. I like it when you call me by my name. If you keep saying 'Junior Sister,' I won't let you go." Xiao Lanle clung tighter, her voice softening as she murmured, "Senior Sister, I truly thought you'd left this world. Yet, here you are, a living soul, still tangible... I was ready to reunite your soul when I found you, but you're alive, and nothing could be better than that." "..." Lin Qianshuang sighed and turned her face slightly, unwillingly mumbling, "Xiao Lanle, let go." "Qianshuang, look, when I call you, it's just two characters. But you call me with three, so distant." Xiao Lanle pouted, counting on her fingers while her lively eyes fixated on Lin Qianshuang's lips as she spoke. As the head resting on her shoulder inched closer, Lin Qianshuang couldn't help but feel a touch of nervousness, her body unconsciously leaning away with a forced smile. "Lanle." Xiao Lanle pursed her lips, her arms around Lin Qianshuang's waist now looped around her neck. With her body slightly elevated, she feigned sadness, lamenting, "Qianshuang, are you unwilling? Our bond as sect sisters is deeper than most can imagine. You used to call me by those two characters so effortlessly. Now you can't even bring yourself to say something endearing?" How could she be unwilling? It just felt odd, that's all. It's just a name, she had said it before. Was it worth being so particular about? Even someone as dense as Lin Qianshuang felt the atmosphere grow too intimate, like fireworks slowly heating up, ready to explode in a vibrant burst within her heart. Calming herself, she called out, "Lanle." "Not enough, say it again." "Lan..." The "le" never left her lips, silenced by a gentle kiss. It was merely a soft, tender touch between their lips, like the cotton candy of a summer day, plush, sweet with a delicate melting. Before Lin Qianshuang could recover from surprise, Xiao Lanle's lips had moved away from hers, lightly kissing her brow and temple with a gentle, watery tenderness that didn't provoke discomfort or unease. "I thought you'd died—a wandering spirit I could touch only... But the moment I heard of your death, I kept asking myself, with my father gone and you too, Senior Sister, why should I survive the sect leader trials and emerge into a world so empty, with only me left behind?" Her eyes, akin to the first thaw of winter snow—a clear and pristine clarity—twinkled with budding tears, full of poignant beauty akin to withering flowers, stirring a sense of sadness. Feigning sorrow, Xiao Lanle buried her head in Lin Qianshuang's embrace, crafting a fragile facade, but mused internally: Senior Sister seems thinner, not as delightfully plump and soft as she once was. When we return to the sect, I must feed her well, plump her up by ten pounds—round and appealing to the eyes. Sniffing Lin Qianshuang's subtle fragrance, she touched the back of Lin Qianshuang’s hand, her voice tremulous with feigned fragility: "I’m grateful, Senior Sister. Finding you once more... I had meant to reclaim your soul, but here you are, still in this world." "It’s wonderful, Qianshuang." Lin Qianshuang watched Xiao Lanle weep sorrowfully; her own heart tightened with grief. The sect leader murdered, a beloved proving to be unworthy, a mother lost to a father’s machinations, strange treasures causing unrest, nearly driving her to madness—and she must purposely stay hidden by the city lord for revenge. Xiao Lanle has likely navigated every tragic trope, exhausting all the painful scenarios. She sighed, lowering the hand on Xiao Lanle’s arm to pat reassuringly upon her back, pulling her into a strong embrace. Gently, she whispered, "Lanle, you’re mistaken. If you were to leave, who would oversee the Penglai Immortal Sect? Could the foundation the sect leader worked tirelessly to build truly fall into the hands of those greedy and waiting to pounce? The murderer still roams free, and your path doesn't end here." Lin Qianshuang fixed Xiao Lanle with a serious, determined gaze. Resting a hand on her shoulder, she declared, "Lanle, you will become an excellent sect leader, perhaps even the finest in the cultivation world. You’ll become this world’s one and only alliance ruler!" Stopping her feigned cries abruptly, Xiao Lanle raised her head, confusion in her gaze as she asked, "Shuangshuang, the sects intend to form an alliance named the 'Celestial Alliance.' You weren't at the cultivation summit that year. How do you know this?" Lin Qianshuang became aware of her slip, recovering quickly as she said, "I’m from Tianshu City. There’s nothing I don't know in terms of information." Tianshu City. That old monster, Mu Weiyin, again. Tianshu City's intelligence is exceptionally comprehensive, always requiring equivalent exchanges. How was she involved with Mu Weiyin? Xiao Lanle recalled the intimate conversation she had overheard in the sect leader's secret realm, her eyes darkening. She dabbed her tears with a silk handkerchief and stuffed a shelled peanut—plucked from Lin Qianshuang’s possession—into her mouth just as she was about to speak further. She had no desire to know their dealings, all the intelligence they shared. She laughed coldly to herself, thinking, Senior Sister, has your relationship with the city lord become so "intimate" now? The sudden peanut shell stuck in Lin Qianshuang’s throat, choking her momentarily. Just as she gathered her breath to expel it, the bridal sedan came to a smooth halt. Under the dim canopy of the bridal sedan, Lin Qianshuang experienced a sudden halt that shook her slightly out of her daze. She coughed, swallowing the lingering taste of peanuts forced upon her moments ago. The outside world seemed muted by the thick veils, blocking direct sunlight and sound, yet there was an undeniable disquiet in the air. Xiao Lanle, who had been nestled against her, stirred and sat upright. Her playful demeanor from moments before seemed to dissipate, replaced with a sharp alertness. "Shuangshuang," she murmured, "it looks like we've arrived." Lin Qianshuang blinked away any lingering tiredness, shifting from the lap she had been both unwillingly and yet comfortably ensconced in. "Arrived where?" she managed to ask, voice hushed yet curious. "The outskirts of Lingxiao Sword Sect," Xiao Lanle replied. Her eyes combed the interior, filled with a kind of vibrancy. "This is where I slip away and let them think you're continuing alone." As she spoke, a mischievous grin resurfaced on her lips; it was the expression of someone about to carry off a well-timed prank. Lin Qianshuang, knowing Xiao Lanle’s whims all too well, couldn't help but shake her head with a touch of exasperated affection. Before either could move to execute their plan, the air outside shifted. Sounds penetrated the veil: footsteps, murmurs, the faint clang of metal against stone. Xiao Lanle's eyes narrowed momentarily as she reached for the mystical pearl, her fingers deftly brushing across its cool surface. The pearl began to glow faintly between her palms. But the quiet was cut short by a loud, authoritative voice from outside the sedan, "Present the bride! The ceremony is about to commence." Xiao Lanle mouthed a silent oath, her casual demeanor faltering for a split second. "Time is against us," she whispered to Lin Qianshuang. Her eyes locked with Lin Qianshuang’s, promising mischief and loyalty. "Remember, Shuangshuang, the alliance... We need to do this together." With a final nod, Xiao Lanle retreated into the swirling mist summoned by the pearl, her figure dissipating like the last whisper of a vanished dream. Lin Qianshuang adjusted the rich red veil back over her head—now aware of its weight, both literal and metaphorical. She exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she’d held. As she braced herself, the sedan's entrance opened to a flood of harsh daylight. The world outside pulsated with activity and the expectant air of ceremony. Her vision adjusted slowly, revealing scores of disciples and elders aligned solemnly atop the mountainous path leading to Lingxiao. It was a path of destiny, chaotic yet seemingly serene from afar. Lin Qianshuang had the lingering taste of sweetness from Xiao Lanle’s not-quite-innocent jest, mingling oddly on her tongue with a tang of apprehension about what lay ahead. Somehow, amidst all the uncertainty and orchestrated pageantry, her partner in chaos was right. Standing at that threshold, draped in red, and steeped in uncertainty, Lin Qianshuang remembered her purpose. The whispers of an impending celestial alliance edged into her thoughts, and she steeled herself. Yes, alliance indeed. One step forward, into this world she would tread, defying fate’s woven tapestries, to reach whatever lay beyond the hollow cascade of stopgap ceremonies and whispered tomorrows.