"Aunt, go inside and take care of the children first, I’ll sit in the yard for a while," Xiao Xian urged her into the house.
"Alright, the air in the countryside is much better than in the city, no messy pollution. Your house is still there, and I wash and air the blankets every two weeks, they’re just like new," Zhuo Feng pointed to the house Xiao Xian lived in two years ago. Xiao Xian nodded, knowing that whether she truly left or disappeared, traces would always remain with some people and places.
The next morning, Zhuo Feng made breakfast, "Xiao Xian, your uncle made soy milk, do you remember that morning’s..."
The house was empty, the bedding on the bed neatly folded, as if no one ever returned, as if yesterday was a dream.
But at the head of the bed, a note was left: "Aunt, I know your greatest hope is that Mom and Dad didn’t die, and Grandpa isn’t dead either."
In Si Yiyi Hospital, Xiao Xian sat by "Mei Nian’s" bedside, she tidied "Mei Nian’s" hair, whispering softly: "Master Uncle, I’m going, wish me success, I hope this time you won’t miss your happiness."
Standing at the entrance of Cherry Valley, Xiao Xian smelled a slight sweet fragrance of roses from afar. Cherry blossoms were also blooming, a magnificent sea of flowers gave an illusion of being in an ethereal realm.
Xiao Xian found the ancient seal. Xiao Xian didn’t know why Cangqiong Palace’s selection was associated with this array.
She placed the letter on the seal. It turned out this seal was left by people from Cangqiong Palace, this was their test for Xiao Xian.
The letter transformed into a brightness, gradually permeating into the seal.
When the last trace of light blended into the seal, a rectangular, door-like thing appeared before Xiao Xian.
"Wele to the Space-time Mirage," a female voice echoed in her ear, Xiao Xian’s eyes widened, what she saw was?
That face, an hour ago, the face she saw.
Mei Nian? No, she was Mei Xiang, the Mei Xiang who had been missing for decades. How did she get here, Xiao Xian puzzled, dwelling on this ancient seal above Cherry Valley.
"Are you Master Mei?" Xiao Xian, nominally the disciple of Mei Xiang and Bai Juyi, should call Mei Xiang "Master."
"You finally came," Mei Xiang looked at Xiao Xian as if seeing someone else through her, "I know you have many questions, so let me explain them to you one by one."
Originally, over fifty years ago, Mei Xiang broke into Cangqiong Palace, seeking the method of immortality.
She found the method of immortality, but for that, she was forever trapped by the method.
"The door before you, named Space-time Mirage, can travel to the past or back to where you came from. The Cangqiong Palace’s test is hidden within the journey back, tell me, which one will you choose?" Mei Xiang also faced such a choice back then; in the end, she didn’t choose either, she chose to eternally guard the Space-time Mirage.
As the guardian, she has a chance to return to the past every ten years for a short stay. She chose to indulge in the past, reminiscing her love with Bai Juyi.
Xiao Xian’s heart stirred slightly, if she returned to the sect, everything from the past few years would seem like a dream, she’d still be the carefree Zhou Xiaoxian. Or maybe she merely dreamed.
"If I leave, what will happen to this world?" Xiao Xian asked difficultly.
"Things will follow a normal trajectory, Li Ye will chase Celeste, leaving Earth to go to Beast Star. Aisha will win this time’s selection in Cangqiong Palace, but her wish to revive Zhou Ziang cannot be achieved. Zhou Ziang wasn’t from here. She will choose to get a map of all rhinestones on Earth, controlling the aliens stranded on Earth, leading to a clash between different cultivators and aliens, affecting several countries globally, humanity nearing extinction. Your friends Zeng Xuerou, Zhang Yiyi, Wang Shuai, and others will fall in this war. Countless civilians will also perish, and this war will continue until Li Ye returns from Beast Star, but by then, it’ll be fifty years later." Mei Xiang looked straight at Xiao Xian, watching her eyes change bit by bit.
"If I went back in time and successfully prevented this calamity, then what?" Xiao Xian’s throat felt tight.
"If you choose to go back, help Wang Fenglei find Fiji who hadn’t died yet, and kill the newly winged Lady Serlin, Zhu Shijun will remain as director in Beijing until retirement. His daughter, son-in-law, and the true Zhu Xiaoxian will have a happy family of three. But there’s one thing: you will disappear. Zhu Xiaoxian doesn’t die, your soul can’t enter her body, and you can’t return to where you came, you’ll be forever wandering in the seams of time." Mei Xiang spoke no more, just waiting for Xiao Xian to make her final decision.
Disappearing or returning to the starting point, everything became incredibly difficult for Xiao Xian.
"How is he?" Xiao Xian’s heart felt stifled, making a decision was such an ordeal.
Where should she go?
"Are you asking about Yun Guanzi? He self-destructed in the energy-filled rhinestone, his soul already shattered, even if he reached this Space-time Mirage, he couldn’t gather energy for time travel, he’s pletely dead," Mei Xiang shook her head, "Think about it, I’ll give you one day to decide."
"No need, I’ve already decided," Xiao Xian raised her head, gazing at the cerulean July sky.
~Thanks for the six fan tickets from ’Lush Grass’~(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you’re wele to vote at Qidian () with remendation tickets, monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)
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