After Death, I Became My Shijie’s Palm-Sized Birdie – Chapter 5
by Little PandaEvents of the Past, Part 4
If she spirited Wen Qiwu away, the Immortal Venerable’s expression would surely be highly amusing.
Wen Qiwu currently lived next door to Lu Qiaoyi, while the other elders and disciples of Wanyao Mountain resided further away. As a result, her living environment was remarkably quiet and secluded.
In her small courtyard stood a stone table. Wen Qiwu sat on a stone stool, with the birdcage containing Qingtuan resting on the table alongside a freshly brewed pot of spiritual tea.
Wen Qiwu slumped over the stone table, looking somewhat listless and dejected.
Her courtyard also featured a small kitchen, from which wisps of cooking smoke rose lazily. Her Shijie was inside preparing a meal for her. In the entire Cangwang Realm, she was likely the only one privileged enough to receive such treatment from the Immortal Venerable. It was all because she was the Shimei she had raised with her own hands… and nothing more.
“Qingtuan,” Wen Qiwu murmured, poking the little round bird’s head. Her expression was tinged with melancholy. “Should I not be so greedy?”
The more one cherished something, the more one feared losing it. Wen Qiwu’s feelings were like fine sand cradled cautiously in her palms; she only feared that the tighter she clenched her hands, the faster it would slip through her fingers. Moreover, if Elder Lu’s new prescription failed, a dying person like herself had no right to hope for so much in the first place.
The little round bird glanced at her, then, for no apparent reason, suddenly puffed up its feathers. From its tiny eyes, Wen Qiwu could have sworn she read a look of utter disappointment at her lack of spine.
“Qingtuan?”
The little round bird suddenly swelled another size, its feathers entirely bristling. It raised its tiny head and pecked viciously at Wen Qiwu’s fingertip.
“Sss…” Wen Qiwu instinctively pulled her hand back. Although Qingtuan was only in the Heart-Contemplation Realm, it was a thoroughly bizarre little thing. That single peck made even a Void Refining cultivator like herself feel a sharp, numbing pain in her finger. She almost wondered if this little fellow had laced its beak with poison.
Before Wen Qiwu could even inspect the pecked spot, a fair, slightly cool hand clasped her fingertip. Looking up, she saw her Shijie’s downcast eyelashes. A faint, tickling sensation stirred in her heart, making her forget the sting in her finger.
Her Shijie stared solemnly at the red mark on her finger; her cautious manner made Wen Qiwu almost believe she had suffered some catastrophic wound.
Her Shijie’s hand was still dusted with a trace of flour; she must have rushed out the moment she heard the commotion, not even pausing to wipe her hands.
“Does it still hurt?” Yun Heng gently massaged the reddened spot on Wen Qiwu’s finger. Her sleeve slipped back slightly, revealing the Fire Crystal Jade Bead Bracelet on her left wrist. The bright crimson beads contrasted starkly against her pale skin.
This was the only vibrant splash of color on the Immortal Venerable’s person. It was also a gift that Wen Qiwu had poured immense effort into carving and polishing for her Shijie when she was a child.
“I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt anymore.” Although her Shijie’s fingers were cool, Wen Qiwu felt the spot being rubbed grow warmer and warmer, completely eclipsing the lingering sting.
“I was careless.” A layer of frost instantly coated Yun Heng’s gaze as she looked at the birdcage. Perhaps realizing it had crossed a line, Qingtuan let out a soft “chirp” and turned its back to them, pointing its tail feathers in their direction.
Yun Heng picked up the birdcage, her expression dark enough to suggest she was ready to toss the little creature straight into a stew pot.
“Shijie!” Wen Qiwu quickly clung to Yun Heng’s arm, tactfully conveying that she did not want to add a dish of bird soup to their dinner menu.
A touch of helplessness seeped into Yun Heng’s otherwise cold countenance.
“I’ll add another restriction seal to the cage to limit its power, lest it doesn’t know its own strength next time.” Restraining Qingtuan’s strength was only one aspect of her concern. Yun Heng was thinking more of the risks if this magical artifact were ever used in battle; it was still not entirely safe for her Shimei to carry, and she needed to modify it further.
“The birdcage is already quite good. There’s no need to change it. Besides, Shijie, you’re busy with the Eclipse Secret Realm lately…” During this period, everyone from the Sect Master down to the elders was bound to be swamped. Wen Qiwu didn’t want to trouble her Shijie with such a trivial matter.
“It’s only a minor adjustment. It’s no trouble.” The matters regarding the Eclipse Secret Realm could be put on the back burner. Based on Yun Heng’s past experience, those other sects would likely bicker for quite some time, which gave her the perfect opportunity to perfect the artifact before she had to depart.
Her Shijie carried the birdcage away. Though Qingtuan chirped in protest, its objections were entirely futile.
Wen Qiwu couldn’t help but chuckle at the deflated little bird. Afterward, she unconsciously rubbed her finger, where the phantom touch of her Shijie’s fingertips seemed to linger.
She bit her lower lip gently, her complex tangle of emotions ultimately dissolving into a soft sigh.
Flutter… A faint, barely audible rustling of wings whispered through the air.
Wen Qiwu looked up to see a pale lavender butterfly fluttering downward. It was an exceptionally beautiful creature. While Wenshen Sect had no shortage of similar spiritual insects, Wen Qiwu’s expression shifted slightly the moment her eyes fell upon it.
On instinct, she snatched the butterfly and hid it inside her sleeve, then took a sip of tea to cover her tracks. She maintained a composed face, but the slight tremor of her eyelashes betrayed her inner guilt.
This wasn’t a real spiritual insect, but rather a messenger spell akin to a paper crane. However, a certain someone had found paper cranes too mundane for her taste and had instead fashioned them into these flamboyant butterflies.
These Transmission Butterflies were meticulously crafted by their owner—an exclusive, signature design found nowhere else in the entire Cangwang Realm. Wen Qiwu recognized it at a single glance as belonging to her pen pal: the Holy Maiden of Yuxi Sect.
They hadn’t exchanged letters in a long time. Why was Zuo Lan sending a message now?
Only moments ago, her Shijie had warned her to stay away from Zuo Lan. Yet, the instant her senior’s back was turned, she had surreptitiously accepted a message from her. Wen Qiwu, who had always prided herself on being obedient and well-behaved in front of her Shijie, felt a distinct pang of guilt.
In their correspondence, Wen Qiwu and Zuo Lan had always used the alias Yunque. When writing to Yunque, Zuo Lan would actually restrain herself a bit, appearing far more proper than she did in person. Fearing that it might be some matter of grave importance, Wen Qiwu quietly slipped back into her room and retrieved the Transmission Butterfly.
In the past, injecting spiritual energy into the Transmission Butterfly would transform it into a sheet of letter paper. Today, however, the butterfly remained completely unchanged.
Had something gone wrong with the spell? Just as Wen Qiwu was about to inspect it closely, a sickeningly sweet voice suddenly drifted from the butterfly.
“Fellow Daoist Wen~”
Wen Qiwu’s hand shook. For a terrifying second, she thought Zuo Lan had discovered that she was Yunque. But as she listened to the rest of the sweet-talking message, she realized that this Transmission Butterfly wasn’t addressed to Yunque at all.
Most of the rumors circulating in the world excessively demonized this Holy Maiden, but in truth, the only person who had ever made Zuo Lan lower herself to actively pursue was that one from the Qianyue Sword Sect. Since she was clearly not visiting without a reason, Zuo Lan must want something from her.
As for Wen Qiwu herself, she was merely a frail, sickly Void Refining cultivator who rarely stepped foot outside Wenshen Sect. She possessed nothing of value to warrant Zuo Lan’s attention, which meant that Zuo Lan’s—or rather, the Yuxi Sect’s—real target was her Shijie.
Wen Qiwu let out a sigh of relief. Without a second thought, she tossed the Transmission Butterfly out. This was the very first time she’d gone behind her Shijie’s back to do something strictly forbidden; she had to get this thing as far away from her as possible. Now, simply looking at this Transmission Butterfly made her feel a bit guilty.
Wen Qiwu proceeded to ignore several consecutive messages. This continued until one day, the other woman, without any warning, asked through the butterfly if she was in love with her Shijie.
The other party was too direct, not even giving Wen Qiwu the chance to throw the Transmission Butterfly away.
“Cough, cough, cough!”
Wen Qiwu, who was in the middle of drinking her medicine, choked and spilled half a bowl of the bitter medicinal soup onto the floor. The ingredients of this medicine were exceptionally rare spiritual herbs; the wasted half-bowl alone was worth more than the entire fortune of several ordinary cultivators.
But she couldn’t care less about the unfinished medicine, directly catching the Transmission Butterfly in her hand and shattering it to dust with her spiritual energy.
Zuo Lan’s voice was very loud. If her Shijie had been nearby, she probably would have heard it. Wen Qiwu felt her heart instantly beat at a frantic pace; only after a long while did she register that her Shijie was still in the Discussion Great Hall, discussing the secret realm with the other nine great sects.
Zuo Lan had been kicked out of the Discussion Great Hall by her Shizun and the elders. Immortal Venerable Yun Heng’s gaze had been absolutely freezing; it seemed she truly minded Zuo Lan’s attempt to cozy up to her Shimei the other day. To secure a partnership with the powerful Immortal Venerable, her Shizun naturally couldn’t allow her troublesome disciple—the source of the Venerable’s displeasure—to remain there and be an eyesore.
Oh well. Humming a nameless tune, Zuo Lan strolled away from the Discussion Great Hall. She could be remarkably petty at times; after being chilled by Yun Heng’s cold air, she wanted to go tease her little Shimei.
Sure enough, Mistress Wen, who had ignored her since the butterfly was sent, immediately sent her a reply.
Although Mistress Wen tried to mimic her Shijie’s cold, aloof demeanor to keep others at a distance of a thousand miles, she unfortunately only captured the surface without the substance. Far from deterring someone with “ulterior motives” like Zuo Lan, it only made her want to tease her even more.
“Want to know how to take your relationship with your Shijie to the next level?” Leaving the negotiations to her Shizun and the elders, Zuo Lan had her own motives for coming here. However, whatever she planned had to be done in absolute secrecy. If the Immortal Venerable ever found out, Zuo Lan would likely become the biggest spectacle in the entire Cangwang Realm.
“I can teach you~”
After this butterfly flew away, Zuo Lan didn’t receive a reply right away, but she wasn’t in a hurry because Mistress Wen would definitely come find her on her own.
Halfway there, she stopped her steps. She suddenly felt a chill on her spine, and her instincts screamed of danger—much like when she was almost ambushed from behind by a man-eating demon beast.
When Zuo Lan turned around, her hand had already drawn her natal weapon, but she hadn’t expected that the one standing behind her would actually be that sickly-looking girl.
Although she looked fragile and her strength was a whole major realm lower than her own, she somehow gave her a feeling of her life being threatened.
…As expected of Immortal Venerable Yun Heng’s Shimei. One really can’t let their guard down at all.
“Have you given it some thought, Fellow Daoist Wen?” Zuo Lan blinked, her expression playful.
Wen Qiwu’s face was solemn. After a long pause, she parted her crimson lips to utter words that completely caught Zuo Lan off guard: “I have no such intention, and I hope you’ll refrain from wild speculations.”
“Oh? But I still have over a dozen letters written by a certain someone regarding her Shijie…” Zuo Lan patted her storage bag, making a show of reaching inside as if she were actually going to pull out the letters.
Wen Qiwu was startled. Meeting Zuo Lan’s probing gaze, she realized only then that the other party had merely been testing her, but her reaction had already given her away.
“It really is you, Lady Yunque~” Zuo Lan beamed. Even before their meeting, she had suspected whether the mysterious Lady Yunque was actually Immortal Venerable Yun Heng’s Shimei. She hadn’t expected her guess to be entirely correct.
“Oh, Yunque, Yunque… choosing an alias that incorporates your Shijie’s surname, yet you still stubbornly insist you have no such intentions.” When pronouncing those last words, Zuo Lan even mimicked Wen Qiwu’s flat, solemn tone. If she got thrashed for this, she’d only have herself to blame.
Wen Qiwu’s face flushed crimson. She had to exercise immense self-control to keep herself from drawing the Nine Tribulations World-Falling Bow. It was a legendary divine weapon, and hitting someone with it would be quite painful. Ultimately, she merely let out a soft sigh.
“Please pretend you know nothing of this, Fellow Daoist Zuo.” Wen Qiwu stopped denying it. She lowered her eyes, concealing a brief flicker of dejection. After quietly murmuring that she had other matters to attend to, she turned to leave.
“You’re leaving just like that? Aren’t you afraid I might accidentally let it slip?” Zuo Lan was slightly taken aback. Every word of those dozen-odd letters had revealed a burning passion, yet Wen Qiwu’s present reaction was quite unexpected.
Wen Qiwu glanced back at her. Her clear eyes were filled with earnest sincerity as she replied, “I trust your character, Fellow Daoist Zuo.”
Had it been a weak threat or an empty warning, Zuo Lan might have felt inclined to tease her further. But the girl’s frank expression of trust made her feel somewhat embarrassed instead.
“Ahem… well, I certainly won’t spread it. But were you being serious about what you said earlier? Regarding you and your Shijie…”
Wen Qiwu didn’t answer Zuo Lan; perhaps she didn’t even know the answer herself.
“Never mind, let’s not talk about that for now.” Sensing the melancholy hanging over the other girl, Zuo Lan considerately changed the topic.
“Why don’t you come out with me to meet a friend? Staying cooped up in your room all day will make you sick even if you aren’t already.” Zuo Lan knew Wen Qiwu was unwell, but she had no idea her illness was terminal.
After a brief silence, Wen Qiwu declined the offer with a troubled, apologetic look.
“I’m sorry…”
“It’s because of Immortal Venerable Yun Heng, isn’t it?” Recalling the freezing reception she had just endured, Zuo Lan understood completely. She then made a show of wiping away non-existent tears, complaining to Wen Qiwu, “She was so fierce to me in the Discussion Great Hall just now.”
Wen Qiwu’s eyelashes fluttered as her guarded posture softened slightly. Remembering the many misunderstandings surrounding Zuo Lan in the outside world, she softened her tone as if to offer comfort. “Shijie simply has some misunderstandings about you…”
A surge of affection rose in Zuo Lan’s chest at the gentle comfort. What a sweet child; no wonder Immortal Venerable Yun Heng kept such a tight leash on her. Suddenly, Zuo Lan felt an even stronger urge to spirit her away! The Immortal Venerable’s expression at that moment would surely be a sight to behold!
The author has something to say:
Shijie: If given another chance, I would absolutely paste the words 【Zuo Lan and Demons are forbidden entry】 on the most prominent spot of Wenshen Sect’s main gates.
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