Chapter 37: Confessions of the Heart

Bai Xiaoyue was overjoyed when she heard this and exclaimed, “Truly? Little brother, having you by my side when I go down the mountain is wonderful!”

“When shall we leave, sister?” Yan Chixia asked.

Without hesitation, Bai Xiaoyue replied, “There’s no time to lose. Let’s set off now so we can return early.”

Tu Xiaomeng, seeing that Bai Xiaoyue and Yan Chixia were about to head into Qixia Town together to make purchases, felt her heart flutter with anxiety and quickly called out, “Sister Bai, Brother Yan, I want to go with you and see Qixia Town!”

Bai Xiaoyue responded kindly, “Xiaomeng, it’s too far from here to Qixia Town, and with the weather so cold and the roads in such poor condition, you’d best stay here. Join Song Tar in your studies instead—he still hasn’t mastered what he learned yesterday. Help him, and when I return, I’ll teach you both the next chapter of the Analects.”

Hearing this, Tu Xiaomeng realized Bai Xiaoyue’s words made perfect sense. She agreed readily, “All right, Sister Bai, I’ll listen to you. You and Brother Yan be careful on your journey! Song Tar, let’s begin studying now.”

“Good!” Song Tar replied, sitting at the desk and opening the first chapter of the Analects to begin his lesson.

Tu Xiaomeng took her place beside him, picked up her brush, and practiced her characters on the rough paper, ready to explain any difficult words to Song Tar whenever needed.

Yan Chixia and Bai Xiaoyue left the study together, departing from their cave dwelling, and walked side by side down the passageway toward the outside.

As they walked, Yan Chixia asked, “Sister, buying things requires money. I don’t have a single coin on me. Do you?”

“Don’t worry about that!” Bai Xiaoyue smiled. “I may not have money either, but I do have some valuable medicinal herbs. When I had just completed my cultivation and found myself with idle time and the urge to paint, I once took some herbs down to Qixia Town and bartered them for pigments, brushes, and paper.”

“Oh, sister, how clever you are!” Yan Chixia couldn’t help but praise her.

Bai Xiaoyue smiled wryly. “What choice did I have? Life’s necessities…”

As they spoke, Yan Chixia and Bai Xiaoyue exited the passage and entered the stone chamber outside. Bai Xiaoyue closed the two stone doors, then walked to the stone bed, bent down, and retrieved a wooden box filled with herbs from beneath it.

Yan Chixia saw that the box contained ginseng, lingzhi, fleeceflower root, cordyceps, and other precious medicinal plants. He was astonished. “Sister, did you gather all these valuable herbs on Mount Zhongnan?”

“Yes,” Bai Xiaoyue nodded. “These rare herbs were ones I stumbled upon while searching for food just after I had attained human form. Later, after I mastered the art of fasting, I no longer needed to hunt for food, and seldom encountered such herbs again.” As she spoke, Bai Xiaoyue picked two stalks of cordyceps, tucked them into her pocket, closed the box, and returned it to its place under the bed. Smiling at Yan Chixia, she said, “Little brother, let’s be on our way.”

Yan Chixia agreed, and together they left the stone cavern, heading down the mountain side by side.

It was the depths of winter, and all of Mount Zhongnan lay blanketed in pristine white snow. The newly risen sun poured golden light over the peaks, lending the landscape a magnificent, awe-inspiring grandeur.

“Sister, how far is it from here to Qixia Town?” Yan Chixia asked as he trudged through the snow.

Bai Xiaoyue considered for a moment. “I’m not sure of the exact distance, but each round trip down the mountain and back usually takes four or five hours.”

“I see.” Yan Chixia nodded. “Do you go down the mountain often, sister?”

“Well…” Bai Xiaoyue hesitated, her cheeks flushing suddenly. “Before I became human, I often snuck down the mountain with my mother and sisters, stealing carrots from the farmers’ gardens… Hehe, little brother, don’t laugh at me, but I adore carrots! Especially the ones just pulled from the earth—when you bite into them, they’re crisp and sweet, the flavor so refreshing it seems to fill your very heart. After I became human, I stopped sneaking into the gardens. With hands and feet of my own, I could work for what I needed, so I rarely went down the mountain—only when truly necessary, and then I’d take some herbs to the market.

“To tell you the truth, little brother, though I envy the colorful world of humans, when I actually find myself in the midst of that swirling, bustling world, I feel restless and uneasy, as though everyone is plotting something against me. When I encounter someone with a fierce appearance, I’m even more anxious and on edge! Ah, before I became human, I longed for it so much, desperate to attain it in a single leap. But once I did, living alone on this mountain, with nothing but endless cultivation day after day, I found myself lonely and bored… But now, things are different! With you visiting often, and Xiaomeng and Song Tar to keep me company, I feel happier than ever, and suddenly human life seems truly beautiful!”

“Yes, sister, I feel exactly the same!” Yan Chixia’s heart warmed unexpectedly. “When my parents had just passed away, I was plunged into despair and could hardly bear to live. But then, in Gushan Temple, I met my master. He brought me here to Mount Zhongnan and taught me the Dao. Only then did I gradually escape my pain and regain hope for life. Later, I met you, sister—you became the family I cared for most in this world. That’s when I truly felt happy, and realized that life is indeed beautiful!” At this, he suggested, “Sister, we’re moving far too slowly like this. I’d like to use the Art of Qi-Leaping to hurry along—surely you’ve learned a similar technique?”

“I have.” Bai Xiaoyue smiled. “I know the Light Body Technique…”

With that, Yan Chixia employed the Art of Qi-Leaping to race swiftly over the rugged mountain terrain.

Bai Xiaoyue followed closely, using the Light Body Technique.

However, Bai Xiaoyue’s speed could not match Yan Chixia’s, and before long a significant distance opened between them.

Noticing she had fallen behind, Yan Chixia stopped and waited until she caught up, then reached out his right hand to grasp her left, and together they flew on.

At once, Bai Xiaoyue felt herself grow lighter, a thrill of excitement rushing through her. “Little brother, you’re so fast! It seems that my Light Body Technique can’t compare to your Art of Qi-Leaping!”

Yan Chixia replied, “This is nothing, really. Sister, when my cultivation reaches the Nascent Soul stage and I master Sword Flight, I’ll be even faster—many times over. And even that isn’t the ultimate speed; my master’s Wind Riding Technique is truly swift as the wind. I firmly believe that, one day, I too will soar through the sky on the wind!”