Chapter 497: Chapter 489: Live Freely From Now On
When Qin Liuxi awoke, it was already New Year’s Eve. Outside, heavy snow fluttered chaotically, but inside, the room was warm and cozy.
Stepping out of the bedroom, Feng Xiu sprung up in excitement. "You’re awake?" he asked.
"Mm-hmm." Qin Liuxi stretched lazily and, seeing the worried look in her disciple’s eyes, went over and ruffled his hair.
The Qinglan Temple Master looked over anxiously and asked, "Is Buqiu doing well?"
"Rest assured, a disaster that lingers for a thousand years sees me quite well," replied Qin Liuxi, glancing at Feng Xiu as she spoke. Disaster?
Feng Xiu looked up at the portrait of the Holy Daughter. Ah, why does the portrait seem to lack Spiritual Energy?
Qin Liuxi ignored him, observing Si Tu sitting disheveled in front of the array, staring blankly at the still unconscious Si Lengyue. "You all go and rest. I’ll take care of things here," she said.
Si Tu looked over eagerly and asked, "Miss Xi, when will Yue’er awaken?"
"She’ll wake up when it’s time," Qin Liuxi assured him as she entered the array. She checked Si Lengyue’s pulse, finding it steady, and her heart eased.
She then examined her Divine Soul, and her eyebrows raised slightly, her lips curving into a faint smile.
Indeed a little blessing resulted from the blood of a witch. The Divine Soul was nurtured quite well, no longer as weak as before.
"Tonight is New Year’s Eve, right?" Qin Liuxi asked the group. "Let’s go down and prepare dinner, I’m hungry too."
Just then, the Old Clan Chief walked over and heard her words. Quicking up his pace, he said, "Master, the meal is already prepared."
"You go ahead," waved Qin Liuxi with her hand.
With her personally guarding, nothing big would go wrong with the Seven-star Life Extension Lamp Array. Everyone went down to enjoy the New Year’s Eve dinner, while Qin Liuxi herself sat cross-legged beside Si Lengyue, performing the Grand Circulation.
Perhaps it was due to the resolution of the Blood Curse, but she could clearly feel the increased abundance of Spiritual Energy in this clan’s territory compared to before. It was no longer lifeless, but lively as if all things were awakening.
Squeak squeak.
After completing a Grand Circulation, Qin Liuxi heard a crisp bird chirp. Opening her eyes, she saw a multicolored bird fly in, circling the lamp array a few times before perching on her knee, tilting its bird head to look at her, and affectionately pecked at her hand.
Qin Liuxi smiled, took out a small bottle, and fed the bird a sugar bean, making the bird’s chirping even more cheerful.
When everyone came back after eating, they saw Qin Liuxi playing merrily with that symbol of good luck and couldn’t help but be speechless.
It was customary to stay awake through New Year’s Eve, but Qin Liuxi had sent away those who had guarded for several days. She herself stayed by Si Lengyue’s side.
At midnight, a cold fragrance wafted to her nose. Qin Liuxi opened her eyes and saw the Seven-star lamps swaying gently. From somewhere, the sound of firecrackers announced the arrival of the new year.
"Happy New Year, Si Lengyue."
Si Lengyue slowly opened her eyes and was momentarily dazed by the gaze of Qin Liuxi’s eyes, bright as stars. Once her spirit regained focus, she curved her lips: "Little Xi, happy New Year to you too."
She moved slightly, and Qin Liuxi helped her up, touching her pulse and said, "You have a deep and steady pulse, but your body has suffered greatly, and your Divine Soul is still not stable. You need to recuperate carefully."
Si Lengyue spread her hands out to look at them. Everything seemed unblemished, the sensation of being burned by flames now felt like just a dream.
But she knew it wasn’t a dream.
She had truly felt the taste of being burned by the blaze, skin splitting and flesh bursting, bones as if reduced to ashes, her body as if smashed to pieces by a giant hammer, turning to dust, dispersing at the slightest wind.
At the thought of that sensation, Si Lengyue’s face went pale, her body trembling.
She never wanted to taste that burning again.
Yet now she saw her intact hands, slender and fair, even more beautiful than before, the skin soft without a trace of burns, seemingly reborn.
"Have I been reborn?" Si Lengyue asked, looking at Qin Liuxi.
Qin Liuxi nodded, tidying her hair and said, "Naturally, young lady, you have won this battle. From now on, you can live freely."
Live as you wish.
Si Lengyue heard these four words and showed a light-hearted smile, gratitude shining in her eyes: "Thank you."
She had given herself, and the Si Family, a new life.
Qin Liuxi waved her hand dismissively: "Don’t say these cheesy things; I find them nauseating and don’t like to hear them."
"Alright, I won’t speak of it." There was no need to say, only to do.
Si Lengyue looked somewhat tired, so Qin Liuxi said: "You’ve just awakened; don’t overexert your mind. Go rest first; we can talk later. There’s plenty of time."
"Mhm."
"Yue’er, has Yue’er woken up? I think I heard Yue’er’s voice." Si Tu’s voice came from outside. He quickly appeared before the two of them, and when he saw his daughter truly sitting up well, he burst into tears: "She really is awake, my wife didn’t lie to me this time, wuuu..."
Si Lengyue and Qin Liuxi exchanged a helpless look.
Dad (Si Crying Bag) is such a crybaby!
"Dad."
"Yes, daddy’s here." Si Tu hurriedly crouched down, cautiously reaching out to touch her face, the warmth and smoothness bringing a smile through his tears: "Warm, alive, for real."
Qin Liuxi looked at his streaming snot, turned her head slightly aside, unable to bear the sight.
Si Lengyue was also a bit embarrassed and said: "Dad, please wipe your nose; stop crying."
Si Tu wiped away the tears and snot haphazardly and said: "Dad’s just happy, so very happy. You don’t know, I dreamt of your mother just now. She said you’d woken up and that we should be well; she’ll watch over us from above."
Si Lengyue: "Mom still dotes on you; she didn’t even come to my dream."
"Of course, I’m her man; if she doesn’t dote on me, who would she dote on?" Si Tu said somewhat proudly, looking at his daughter’s pale face and asking, "Yue’er, are you really okay now?"
"The Blood Curse has been lifted; you can truly be at ease."
Si Tu wanted to say more, but Qin Liuxi interrupted: "If you keep nattering on and on in the deep of night to someone who’s just woken up, even if she’s fine, she’ll get worse."
Si Tu immediately fell silent.
"Go rest." Qin Liuxi helped Si Lengyue up and assisted her into the inner chamber to lie down, saying: "Sleep, there’s nothing more important than regaining your strength."
Si Lengyue was indeed extremely fatigued, and with her mind finally relaxed, she nearly fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.
Qin Liuxi lit a stick of calming incense, then turned around to see Si Tu staring at her, prompting her to ask: "What is it?"
"Are you this good to everyone?"
Qin Liuxi scoffed: "Do you think I’m a human heater?"
"What?"
"Spreading warmth to anybody?"
Si Tu: "..."
Qin Liuxi stepped outside.
Si Tu muttered: "If you’re this warm, would Yue’er even think about marrying some stinky man and having kids? That won’t do!"
Qin Liuxi didn’t hear his muttering. She left the Holy Daughter’s former residence, stretched lazily, and took a step forward. Her feet felt as though they were caught by invisible hands and, with a thud, she plunged forward into the snow.
Pah.
Qin Liuxi spat out a mouthful of snow, shuffled her body a bit, and looking up at the pitch-black sky, cursed: "Can you be a bit more original? It’s always the leg."