After Death, I Became My Shijie’s Palm-Sized Birdie – Chapter 42

Contrast

I am right here—not a dream, and not your heart demon¹.

I only hope Shijie will truly be obedient. Wen Qiwu sighed inwardly.

            

She also understood in her heart that the probability of Shijie truly staying put in the sect to recuperate was perhaps only… fifty percent? Even though she had already estimated low, Wen Qiwu still felt uneasy.

If it had been before, Shijie had never once broken a promise made to her—but now… was there really still fifty percent?

Wen Qiwu stood beneath the tree, letting Shijie hold her. She knew that Shijie’s heart had never settled into the certainty that she had truly returned, so she stayed quietly by Shijie’s side.

            

Never mind. Wen Qiwu was ultimately somewhat soft-hearted. If Shijie could not follow through, she could not bear to do anything to Shijie in her current state—at most, she would simply make sure Shijie could not even think about touching the phoenix for the next few months.

Whether Yun Heng sensed a shift in her shimei’s mood, the arms wrapped around her shimei tightened slightly.

Wen Qiwu took her hand and placed it over her own heart, letting Shijie feel her living heartbeat.

            

“I am right here—not a dream, and not your heart demon.”

Yun Heng felt the strong, rhythmic heartbeat beneath her palm, and only then did that illusory sensation—of drifting through the sky, treading on clouds—gain some semblance of reality.

Giving someone hope only to shove them back into despair was far more painful than letting them linger in despair alone. She did not think she could endure it a second time.

            

“Ah Que, could you just stay here and not go to the Phoenix Lord Tomb?” She would re-establish the Protective Sect Array and forge this place into the safest haven in all of Cangwang Realm. Ah Que only needed to stay by her side—as long as she remained here, neither the Demon Realm nor the Demon Clan could harm her.

“Once I return from the Endless Tree Sea, I will stay by your side until you fully recover,” Wen Qiwu said, gently patting Shijie’s back to comfort her.

Wait until she fully recovered? What did Ah Que mean—was she going to leave after she recovered?!

            

“Could you not go to the Phoenix Lord Tomb?” Yun Heng murmured softly. On one hand, it was because that place was dangerous; on the other, it was because she wanted to remain ill a little longer.

If her body recovered, what if her shimei simply left? Yun Heng’s thoughts spiraled into wild imaginings.

“It is not solely for your sake. There may also be clues about my origins inside the Phoenix Lord Tomb, so I must make this trip.” Of course, the former was more important, and the latter could be investigated at any time, but once Wen Qiwu phrased it this way, Yun Heng no longer objected.

            

Her shimei had been picked up and brought back by Shizun, without a single thing left behind by her biological parents. Who knew what kind of callous person would abandon an infant merely days old in the desolate wilderness—this was plainly an attempt to leave the babe to die. Had Shizun not passed by, her shimei would likely have been devoured by wolves and wild beasts.

But if her shimei’s origins were unusual, then it was only natural for her to want to investigate.

“Then…” Yun Heng had not even managed to speak when a transmission sound interrupted their conversation.

            

Yun Heng frowned slightly—she had merely wanted to send that paper crane away.

The paper crane flew before Yun Heng. It had come for her.

“Lin Shu of the Qianyue Sword Sect requests an audience with the Immortal Venerable.” Lin Shu’s voice came from within the paper crane.

            

So it was that one from the Qianyue Sword Sect. Yun Heng understood—she had caused such an enormous commotion to resurrect her shimei, and now Lin Shu surely wanted to know the results. If she had succeeded, then Lin Shu could set about preparing to resurrect that Holy Maiden of the Yuxi Sect.

Yet she had not succeeded. Her shimei had returned on her own. Lin Shu was bound to be disappointed.

“What is the story between Lin Shu and Zuo Lan? And how did Zuo Lan…” How did she perish?

            

Wen Qiwu had barely sensed the passage of time from inside the phoenix egg—it was as though she had woken from a single sleep and everything had changed. The scene of Zuo Lan saying she would take her out of the Wenshen Sect after the Immortal-Demon War ended still felt like yesterday, but that bright young woman would never return.

“The place she was stationed at defending was ambushed by a concentrated assault from the Demon Realm, so…” Yun Heng also felt sorrow regarding Zuo Lan’s fate. Back then, she could still frequently receive the other woman’s scolding letters. This straightforward Holy Maiden might have restrained herself somewhat in the Immortal Venerable’s presence, but when she wrote letters to curse people, she could fill several pages without repeating herself. Since her true intent was concern for her shimei, Yun Heng had never held it against her.

Only after what happened to Wen Qiwu did Yun Heng numbly retrieve the letters Zuo Lan had sent, reading word by word in self-torment what the other had long since written as “prophecies.” Zuo Lan had said she could not sort out her own heart and would sooner or later regret treating Ah Que this way. Yes—she regretted it. She truly regretted it…

            

Thankfully, heaven had shown mercy. Her shimei had returned to her side.

But Lin Shu was not so fortunate.

So what if she had destroyed her dao and rebuilt her cultivation? The one she had missed was simply gone.

            

“Ah Que, I took one of her Soul-Swapping Grass plants before, so I gave her a letter that Zuo Lan wrote in exchange.” Yun Heng recalled this matter. In her hazy state, she vaguely remembered saying something about it to her shimei while holding the birdcage, but her memory was unclear, so she confessed proactively.

“I gave her a letter that mainly discussed Lin Shu. I did not touch anything else.”

Wen Qiwu’s elegant brows rose slightly. She had exchanged letters with Zuo Lan for many years and knew that whenever the other encountered matters involving Lin Shu, she would cast aside all refinement. Her words were inevitably passionate, so the contents of that letter were likely nothing pleasant.

            

Wen Qiwu could practically guess what that letter contained. Giving such a letter to Lin Shu was like driving a blade into someone’s wound, then meticulously sprinkling a ring of salt around it.

Could Shijie have done this on purpose?

Wen Qiwu looked up with suspicion. Shijie’s eyes reflected her image, as though she occupied the entirety of her world.

            

Regarding this letter business, Shijie’s deeply affectionate gaze held a trace of innocence.

Hmm—had she overthought it?

Still…

            

“Well done,” Wen Qiwu praised in a low voice.

To put it bluntly, what Lin Shu was experiencing now could be blamed on no one else. Aside from Zuo Lan’s accidental death, everything else had been set in motion by Lin Shu herself. Wen Qiwu had some understanding of what Zuo Lan had endured over the years, but the true bitterness in Zuo Lan’s heart was something she would never share with outsiders. Thinking of Zuo Lan’s past experiences, Wen Qiwu wanted to say—giving her the letter was the right call. She absolutely should have let Lin Shu read it!

Yun Heng’s eyes brightened. After being praised, they brimmed with delight.

            

“Don’t leave her hanging out there. Go see her.” Wen Qiwu patted Shijie’s hand.

The delight in Yun Heng’s eyes dimmed slightly. Her expression darkened, and her entire being radiated reluctance.

She only wanted to be alone with her shimei right now. Anyone who came was in the way.

            

“If you do not see her, she will likely come knocking every few days,” Wen Qiwu said helplessly.

That was true. Lin Shu was desperate to resurrect Zuo Lan—if their positions were swapped, she would probably have stormed straight up the mountain.

After thinking it through, Yun Heng could only resignedly permit her to come up the mountain.

            

That Immortal Lord was extremely anxious. The moment Yun Heng gave her consent, she arrived at the summit of Yunwu Mountain in an instant.

This was Wen Qiwu’s first time meeting Lin Shu. She was a genius who had made a name for herself in her youth, and the Sword Protector of the Qianyue Sword Sect. In certain respects, her standing was even higher than that of the Qianyue Sword Sect Master.

A century ago, she had destroyed her dao and rebuilt her cultivation, returning to the Golden Immortal Realm in barely a hundred years. Such talent was perhaps second only to Shijie’s.

            

Watching that woman approach from afar, her sharp edges sheathed and restrained, the curve of Wen Qiwu’s lips drooped slightly. Yun Heng, who knew her well, recognized this as a sign that her shimei was displeased.

Along the way, Lin Shu endured the scrutiny of a flock of birds. Yunwu Mountain had changed greatly—the blizzard that had raged outside was gone, and the entire mountain seemed vibrant with life. There were simply too many of the Feather Tribe. If the wind and snow outside had reflected the mountain master’s mood, then did this scene brimming with vitality mean that Immortal Venerable Yun Heng had succeeded?

Lin Shu quickened her pace, ultimately using the Shrinking Ground to an Inch technique to find Yun Heng. Beside the Immortal Venerable stood someone she did not recognize—and this person did not seem to be her shimei.

            

Lin Shu’s heart sank. An ominous premonition spread through her, but she still clutched at a thread of hope.

She came before Yun Heng to pay her respects. Yun Heng did not beat around the bush with her, stating directly that every method she had employed had failed.

“That demonic secret technique… can only produce a monster possessing fragments of her soul and memories. You are a smart person—you should know that doing so is utterly pointless, and will only prevent her soul from finding peace.” Over the past few days caring for Yun Heng, Wen Qiwu had made a point of researching the Demon Realm’s resurrection secret techniques. The results were much as she had expected.

            

Yun Heng said nothing, but looking into Lin Shu’s eyes, she saw what seemed like a light on the verge of shattering—just like her own past self.

She had come bearing hope, only to receive despair in return.

If even Yun Heng had failed, did she still have any chance of success? Her face showed exhaustion, but in the end, she still stubbornly sought from Yun Heng the Demon Realm’s secret technique.

            

Yun Heng only glanced at her, then her gaze fell upon her shimei. Her shimei was angry, and having made the same mistake herself, she did not dare speak a word right now.

“Even knowing that this secret technique would prevent Zuo Lan’s soul from finding peace, Immortal Lord still wishes to try?” Wen Qiwu spoke, her voice colder than the thin snow on Yunwu Mountain.

A flicker of struggle crossed Lin Shu’s gaze.

            

“Even if you are willing, Fellow Daoist Zuo would likely not agree. Someone as proud as her—how could she consent to becoming a grotesque monster?”

“‘Our paths have already diverged. From now on, each of us pursues our own dao—there is no need to look back.’ Those were your exact words, Immortal Lord. Fellow Daoist Zuo always remembered them. I trust the Immortal Lord can remember them too. You are neither kin nor intimate—Immortal Lord, do not casually interfere with another’s karma. Fellow Daoist Zuo also said she never wanted to see you again. Please respect her dying wishes.” Wen Qiwu was merely even-tempered—not incapable of speaking harshly. When she grew angry, she could twist a knife in someone’s heart over and over again.

She simply felt that Zuo Lan was somewhat pitiable. In life, her pride had been trampled before Lin Shu, and in death, she would be resurrected into such a state only to remain entangled with her. If Zuo Lan knew she had not stepped in to stop this, she would probably blame her.

            

Watching Lin Shu’s face turn abruptly pale, Yun Heng quietly took Wen Qiwu’s hand and squeezed it with a sense of relief. This contrast made clear just how gentle her shimei was toward her. Even when her shimei was most upset with her, she had never spoken truly harsh words. If her shimei treated her the way she treated Lin Shu, Yun Heng feared she would crumble after barely two sentences.

---