Ha, Karma! – Chapter 109

【Extra Chapter · Ancient IF Timeline】

The Bright Moon of Bygone Years (11)

Fu Lianxue and Ye Zhaoqiu left first to return to the inn and rest.

The Liao siblings would arrange the right time to let the outside world know about Liao Muchen’s resurrection.

In short, they definitely wouldn’t cause Fu Lianxue any trouble.

Fu Lianxue believed they could handle this matter, and she also had things to attend to now.

On the way back to the inn, she kept holding the treasure pearl, looking it over and over. One moment she’d bite it with her teeth, the next she’d hold it up to the sun, trying to use the light to see what was inside.

But she couldn’t see anything.

Inside the pearl, a hazy mist swirled and dispersed, making it obscure.

She had Ye Zhaoqiu look, and what Ye Zhaoqiu saw was the same as her.

Unable to find an answer for a while, she rubbed the pearl in her palm and asked, “Why did this lotus flower suddenly spit out a pearl for me?”

When the Liao siblings reunited, she had seen this lotus flower was still tightly closed, and biting it left a bitter taste in her mouth, looking completely unmoved by outsiders.

Who knew that after Liao Muchen came back to life, it had quietly bloomed.

Could this be the true opportune moment?

Ye Zhaoqiu thought for a moment and said, “Sow good deeds, reap good rewards¹; where there is loss, there must be gain.”

The ways of Heaven and its opportunities² are elusive and rare, but she felt this matter might not be unrelated to Fu Lianxue’s actions.

Because Fu Lianxue was kind, because Fu Lianxue proactively helped good people, Heaven had sent her a gift.

Fu Lianxue held the treasure pearl, her eyes shining. “If I can absorb this pearl, will I become stronger?”

Ye Zhaoqiu said, “Perhaps?”

Fu Lianxue added, “As strong as you?”

Ye Zhaoqiu paused for a moment, then said softly, “My cultivation is still far from enough.”

Fu Lianxue didn’t care. “Enough, enough, I think it’s enough!”

After saying that, she excitedly ran off.

She wanted to get back to the inn quickly, to quickly use her opportunity!

Ye Zhaoqiu walked unhurriedly behind, her eyes on Fu Lianxue’s joyful figure, but a strange feeling stirred in her heart.

It was like a sudden realization, like happiness.

So, in her heart, she was a very strong person…

Fu Lianxue ran into the inn a step ahead of her, looking straight ahead.

As Ye Zhaoqiu reached the inn’s entrance, the aroma of lotus pastries wafted from the roadside.

Sweet, it was a flavor Fu Lianxue liked.

She glanced at the empty inn entrance, then turned and walked towards the lotus pastry stall.

“Vendor, I’d like one serving of lotus pastries, please wrap them up for me.”

Sow good deeds, reap good rewards. Fu Lianxue did a great good deed today, so it was nothing for her to treat her to some lotus pastries, right?

Besides, she liked lotus pastries so much…

Ye Zhaoqiu walked into the inn with the wrapped lotus pastries.

When she returned to their room, Fu Lianxue had already taken off her shoes and was sitting cross-legged on the bed, trying all sorts of ways to absorb the treasure pearl.

Fu Lianxue raised her hand, formed a hand seal, and channeled her energy to control the pearl.

The pearl floated in mid-air. After a while, the ethereal mist hidden inside emerged from it, drifting towards her strand by strand, and merged into her heart area.

Like rivers flowing into the sea, the spiritual energy within her body became increasingly abundant.

She succeeded.

Joy leaped to her brows. She opened her eyes to look at Ye Zhaoqiu, just about to share the good news.

Ye Zhaoqiu immediately raised her hand, signaling her not to move and to continue cultivating.

This was a critical moment; she shouldn’t be interrupted.

When Fu Lianxue obediently closed her eyes and continued cultivating, Ye Zhaoqiu gently put down the things in her hand and sat quietly at the table, watching.

A light fragrance wafted through the room, seemingly emitted by the pearl.

In the fragrance, wisps of spiritual energy flowed into Fu Lianxue’s body, merging with her.

Then, even the pearl itself dispersed like mist and smoke, transforming into a final surge of power that flew into her body and completely vanished.

At this point, the treasure of heaven and earth had been completely absorbed by her.

Seeing this, Ye Zhaoqiu couldn’t help but feel happy for her.

But the next moment, she saw Fu Lianxue suddenly clutch her chest, her brows tightly furrowed. Her body abruptly lurched forward, and then she suddenly spat out a large mouthful of blood, her expression pained.

“Lianxue!”

Ye Zhaoqiu rushed to Fu Lianxue’s side in a few quick strides.

Fu Lianxue whimpered softly that it hurt, it hurt very, very much.

After the final surge of power entered, it felt as if someone was suddenly causing mischief inside her body, hitting her everywhere, making her skin and flesh ache.

“Ye Zhaoqiu, I’m in so much pain, it feels like someone is hitting me…” She was in so much pain she was about to cry.

Ye Zhaoqiu saw the problem at a glance.

She immediately steadied her, her expression solemn: “It must be that the pearl’s power hasn’t fully merged with you yet. Endure it for a bit, meditate and circulate your energy. I’ll help you harmonize the spiritual energy in your body and subdue this pearl.”

Fu Lianxue obediently followed her instructions to meditate, forcing herself to hold on a little longer.

She felt Ye Zhaoqiu’s hands on her back, a gentle power flowing into her body through them.

This power merged closely with her own, searching within her body for the rampaging pearl’s power, then seizing it, entangling it, and subduing it.

This process was very painful, it could be described as excruciating.

But for her own sake, Fu Lianxue gritted her teeth and endured it.

This was a treasure of heaven and earth she had obtained through her own efforts; naturally, she could also subdue it through her own efforts and make it her own.

Besides, Ye Zhaoqiu was helping her. She refused to believe she couldn’t do it!

She gritted her teeth and held on, closing her eyes to concentrate, not caring about the blood trickling from her lips.

After enduring for a long time and much effort, finally, she did it.

The wild and unrestrained power of the pearl became obedient, as if it had been beaten into submission by her and Ye Zhaoqiu’s combined strength, finally ceasing its struggle.

It submitted, completely at her disposal, helping her reach a higher level.

After completely absorbing the pearl’s power, the pain in her body immediately lessened.

Spiritual energy flowed through her entire body³, like spring rain silently nourishing all things, refreshing and comfortable.

In an instant, cultivation techniques she previously couldn’t understand or master suddenly became clear, and a faint fragrance drifted to her nose.

A gentle, captivating fragrance.

But she was very sleepy, suddenly overcome with drowsiness.

Tired, pained, and sleepy.

The reduced pain didn’t mean it was all gone. Things gifted by Heaven were indeed not so easy to assimilate.

Her consciousness began to blur, and she instinctively followed the fragrance.

More and more fragrant, more and more fragrant… It was as if it was seducing her, yet she couldn’t resist.

This was a fragrance that made her feel very comfortable.

She only wanted to get closer, not to leave.

Ye Zhaoqiu watched as Fu Lianxue collapsed into her arms and then became still.

In her arms, Fu Lianxue’s eyelids began to droop.

“Ye Zhaoqiu, I’m so sleepy,” Fu Lianxue said softly, as if aggrieved. “And I still hurt…”

Hearing her voice, Ye Zhaoqiu suddenly felt a pang of heartache.

This was the first time she had seen Fu Lianxue like this.

Just a moment ago, she was fine, but because of this opportunity, she had become so listless in such a short time. No wonder she felt aggrieved.

Ye Zhaoqiu took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead and the blood from her lips, her voice surprisingly gentle. “It’s okay, if you’re sleepy, just sleep. You’ll be fine when you wake up.”

After speaking, she turned to arrange the bedding, preparing to lay Fu Lianxue down so she could rest properly.

But she heard Fu Lianxue whimper a couple of times and suddenly nuzzle into her embrace. “Hold me, I want you to hold me… Rub it for me…”

Ye Zhaoqiu: “…”

She lowered her gaze to observe the meiyao in her arms.

She saw Fu Lianxue’s eyes were tightly closed, her expression vulnerable, and she seemed dazed, clearly not knowing what she was doing.

Fu Lianxue indeed didn’t know what she was doing.

In her hazy consciousness, she only felt the fragrance was wonderful, and she didn’t want to leave it.

She also felt a lot of pain—her hands hurt, her feet hurt, her chest hurt.

She wanted Ye Zhaoqiu to rub it for her, even just once would be good.

“Rub it for me, please rub it for me…”

When there was no response for a long time, her lips started to turn down as she spoke, like an aggrieved child.

“It hurts so much…”

Finally, she heard a response.

“Where does it hurt?”

She raised her hand with her eyes closed. “My hand hurts.”

Ye Zhaoqiu rubbed her hand for her.

She snuggled into her embrace a bit, then turned her back. “My back hurts too…”

Ye Zhaoqiu rubbed it for her too.

“And my waist…”

Ye Zhaoqiu did as asked.

Finally, she said pitifully, “And my chest, it hurts a lot here too…”

Ye Zhaoqiu: “…”

The imagined massage and comfort didn’t come.

She wouldn’t have it and started crying pitifully on the spot. “You’re not rubbing it for me anymore! How could you stop rubbing halfway, wuwuwu…”

A sigh fell beside her ear.

A rather helpless sigh.

Then, a hand gently placed itself on her chest, slowly and very gently rubbing the bruised spot.

“Better?” she heard Ye Zhaoqiu ask.

She nodded. “Mm, better.”

Then she continued to nestle in her arms, looking content.

“So, can you sleep now?”

“Yes.”

“Sleep then. You’ll be fine when you wake up.”

“Okay… Zhaoqiu, did you buy me lotus pastries?”

“Mm, I bought them.”

“Then I’ll eat them when I wake up, okay…”

“Okay, you can eat them when you wake up.”

Ye Zhaoqiu’s voice was incredibly doting.

It was just that one was unaware of her own actions, and the other was too dazed to notice.

Fu Lianxue really did stop crying out in pain.

She closed her eyes and obediently fell asleep in Ye Zhaoqiu’s arms.

Ye Zhaoqiu only breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Fu Lianxue’s breathing become even.

She never imagined an opportunity would wear Fu Lianxue out like this.

Fortunately, she had finally fallen asleep, peacefully asleep.

She turned to continue tidying up, intending to place Fu Lianxue on the bed so she could sleep properly. But as soon as Ye Zhaoqiu moved, Fu Lianxue moved with her, even whimpering, as if she could wake up at any moment.

She didn’t dare to move anymore, afraid Fu Lianxue would feel unwell again if she woke up. So, she had no choice but to sit there and act as her backrest.

The room was very quiet.

Outside, the sky had, at some point, become filled with the glow of sunset.

Ye Zhaoqiu looked at Fu Lianxue in her arms, then raised her head to look at the scenery outside the window.

For a moment, she couldn’t quite figure out what she was doing.

Why was she really just obediently holding her, letting her sleep?

Incomprehensible, inexplicable.

But she still didn’t dare to move.

Forget it, I’ll read a book for a while.

Thinking this, she helplessly lit a lamp with her powers⁴ and then took a book out of her treasure pouch to read, waiting while reading for this meiyao who made her feel so inexplicable to wake up.

The sky had completely darkened when Fu Lianxue finally woke up.

She turned, looked at the night sky outside the window, and stretched.

Feeling refreshed and comfortable all over.

The pearl’s power was finally no longer tormenting her, which was great!

At this moment, a sentence leisurely drifted to her ear:

“Since you’re awake, get up quickly.”

She paused, then raised her head to look at her human-shaped backrest.

She saw Ye Zhaoqiu holding a book in one hand, looking at her with a cold expression.

She had been sitting like this, keeping her company all along.

Realizing this, Fu Lianxue not only didn’t get up but also turned with a smile to hug Ye Zhaoqiu’s waist, her eyes bright as she said, “Aiya, it must have been hard for our Young Miss Ye to stay here with me all this time. I really must give you a good hug!”

After saying that, she deliberately buried her face in Ye Zhaoqiu’s embrace and nuzzled repeatedly.

Ye Zhaoqiu frowned immediately. “Stop fooling around, get up quickly.”

Then she saw Fu Lianxue suddenly stop.

Then Fu Lianxue started sniffing her.

Sniffing her chest, sniffing the crook of her neck, sniffing her face, all the way up, her expression still serious.

“What are you doing!”

Ye Zhaoqiu turned her face away in confusion and resistance, but the tips of her ears quietly turned red.

Then she saw Fu Lianxue suddenly jump off the bed, suddenly move far away from her, even run out to call for the inn attendant, and after doing something unknown, suddenly run back, close the door, and come close to sniff her again and again.

Like a little puppy.

Ye Zhaoqiu: “…”

Could it be that the pearl had also changed her species?!

Finally, Fu Lianxue stopped sniffing. She seemed to have thought of something and just stared intently at Ye Zhaoqiu.

After a while, she finally spoke.

“Ye Zhaoqiu, did you know that we meiyao, through cultivation, can smell others’ seven emotions and six desires, and smell if others like us?”

“I’ve heard a little about that.”

“Then do you know… you smell very fragrant right now.”

Ye Zhaoqiu was slightly stunned. “What?”

“Not the fragrance of your clothes, but another kind of fragrance, emanating from you, one that others don’t have, a fragrance that makes me feel very happy when I smell it.”

As Fu Lianxue spoke, her eyes suddenly lit up.

“Ye Zhaoqiu, you really like me!”

Ye Zhaoqiu: “…”

This unexpected information left her stunned on the spot.

After a long while, she finally managed to squeeze out disbelievingly, “…Absurd.”

How could she possibly like Fu Lianxue!

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The author has something to say:

Our Young Miss’s CPU is burning out⁵.

In the modern storyline and the ancient storyline, there’s always one person or one demon whose CPU has to burn out because of this~

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