Wu Lingtian’s eyes widened. He pressed his lips together and watched Fan Yi stand from the bed. He slowly unfroze and silently followed Fan Yi out. The entire way out of Ling Wan Peak’s caves, Wu Lingtian didn’t speak. He stared ahead and walked just the correct distance behind Fan Yi.
A soft sigh broke Wu Lingtian from his thoughts. He looked at Fan Yi, who was walking beside him.
“Is it that I walk too fast, or do you walk too slow?” Fan Yi asked. “Why is it that whenever I’m not paying attention, you’re suddenly behind me?”
“…My apologies. It’s a force of habit,” Wu Lingtian lowered his gaze.
“This habit needs to be changed,” Fan Yi said. “You’re my sect’s Fourth Pillar, not my attendant or my servant. Why are you walking behind me anyway? Even without your identity as my partner, we’re still on equal footing.”
Wu Lingtian looked at Fan Yi helplessly. “When has there ever been a time when the peak lords walk with the sect leader? The sect leader is always ahead.”
“Just listen to what I tell you,” Fan Yi said, “And walk beside me.”
“Alright,” Wu Lingtian agreed.
The two men exited Ling Wan Peak and began to make their way back to Frost Cliff Pavilion.
Although Situ Hong had left on sudden notice, he still said that he should be back the same day, or the next. The wait wasn’t long and Fan Yi no longer acted as if he was on the run, so Wu Lingtian wasn’t rushing either.
After their brief absence, when they returned, only Xiao Guo was wandering about the courtyard of Frost Cliff Pavilion.
When the attendants standing off to the side saw Wu Lingtian and Fan Yi, they retreated away, knowing that there was no longer a need for them to watch over the young miss.
Xiao Guo looked up at the sound and jogged over excitedly. “Wu-shushu, Fan-bóbo, how come you two are back already?”
“The business we had to take care of wasn’t difficult,” Wu Lingtian said with a small smile. He looked around. “Where’s your father?”
“Father said he needs some time to think,” Xiao Guo said with a small shrug.
Wu Lingtian scoffed. “He needs more than time to think.”
Xiao Guo silently agreed, but she said nothing to disrespect her father. She glanced at Fan Yi and then at Wu Lingtian. “Wu-shushu.”
“Hm?” Wu Lingtian looked to Xiao Guo.
“Are you feeling better recently?”
“Mn, I’m feeling fine,” Wu Lingtian nodded.
Xiao Guo stared absentmindedly at Wu Lingtian. She snuck another glance at Fan Yi and hesitantly shuffled from foot to foot.
Seeing this, Wu Lingtian smiled gently, “Fan-bóbo is a trustworthy person. You don’t have to hesitate when speaking around him.”
“Then,” Xiao Guo looked around. She pulled Wu Lingtian closer and whispered, “did you manage to find the sparrow’s egg?”
Wu Lingtian blinked blankly. He turned to look at Xiao Guo as he crouched down onto the ground. He smiled quizzically, “Xiao Guo, I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”
Xiao Guo became ill at ease. She twisted her robes slightly and glanced at Fan Yi again. “You really don’t know what I mean?”
Wu Lingtian shook his head. “Did I promise to get you something last time I visited?”
Xiao Guo pursed her lips. She looked troubled before letting out a soft sigh. “I can’t…tell you with other people around.”
Wu Lingtian and Fan Yi glanced at each other.
“…You told me yourself, Wu-shushu. You said…if I brought up the sparrow’s egg and you didn’t know what I was talking about that…that I shouldn’t tell you what I meant unless it was just the two of us.”
Wu Lingtian’s eyes widened. He seemed to suddenly understand something. “When did this happen?”
“About…four months,” Xiao Guo said.
“Four months ago? You’re sure?”
Xiao Guo nodded. “I’m positive. I even remembered the date because you told me to.”
Wu Lingtian lowered his gaze. He clearly remembered that he hadn’t visited Yu Shui Manor in five years. During that time, he had slowly fallen out of contact with Situ Hong and Xiao Xunrui. Those five years were also when he had been busiest as Rong Meihua’s right hand man, becoming more respectable than the elders of the sect and even Li Ran. However, despite those five years being the time when his reputation sored, they were also the least Wu Lingtian remembered.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Wu Lingtian straightened and turned to Fan Yi. His expression was cold and emotionless, “Sect Leader, I’m going to talk to Xiao Guo one on one.”
Fan Yi observed Wu Lingtian for a moment. The eyes, which had been warm just moments ago, were suddenly filled with distrust towards the world. However, Fan Yi smiled. “Alright. I’ll wait right here.”
Wu Lingtian’s expression softened a few degrees before he turned back to Xiao Guo and went to find an isolated place to speak.
He drew up a sound barrier, so that their words couldn’t be heard, and sat down with Xiao Guo under the shade of a wide tree.
“Wu-shushu really doesn’t remember anything?” Xiao Guo finally blurted out anxiously.
Wu Lingtian nodded. “I don’t remember what you mean about the sparrow’s egg. I also don’t remember visiting four months ago. Could you tell me what I told you?”
Xiao Guo frowned. She glanced at Wu Lingtian and slowly became guarded. “I could, but before I do, Wu-shushu said that if you said you didn’t remember anything when we met again, I first had to ask you a few questions.”
Wu Lingtian agreed easily. “Go ahead.”
“What’s your favorite food?”
“My favorite food?” Wu Lingtian was surprised by the simplicity in the question. He thought for a moment before answering honestly, “Sweet foods. Especially tang yuan.”
Xiao Guo’s expression loosened a little. “Then, before you were six, where did you grow up? And where was your favorite place to be there?”
Wu Lingtian thought for a moment. “I grew up by the Fengya border, in a town called Heixue Town. My favorite place to be was an apple stand run by an old grandmother.”
Xiao Guo frowned.
“If not that, then it would have to be the brothel, especially Qin-jiejie’s room,” Wu Lingtian said, though he felt a bit awkward saying that to a child.
Xiao Guo finally breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at Wu Lingtian as the corner of her eyes began to redden. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Wu Lingtian’s neck. “Wu-shushu…”
“What’s wrong?” Wu Lingtian patted her back. “What did I tell you?”
“You—you said that you would come visit again in three months,” Xiao Guo said shakily. “That if you remembered, it would only be three months, but then Father received news of what happened outside, so I figured it would be inconvenient to visit Yu Shui Manor even if you had remembered…Wu-shushu, you’re really not hurt are you?”
“I’m not,” Wu Lingtian sighed. “I’m fine. How much did I tell you? And why did I end up telling you?”
Xiao Guo shook her head. She took another few seconds to calm herself before sitting back down. “You said that if you told Father, he would become an obvious target, but no one would expect it if you told a child.”
Wu Lingtian was stunned at himself. While that was true, just what was he thinking?
“Don’t worry, Wu-shushu, you also didn’t tell me any vital information. As for your situation,” Xiao Guo shook her head, “I only know that you were dealing with some bad people and they were trying to harm you. You told me everything in the form of a riddle and said that if you really forgot, I should recite everything to you and you’ll be able to find what you need.”
Wu Lingtian awkwardly looked at her, “Did I specify what I would need?”
Xiao Guo’s serious expression dissolved into one of confusion. “No. You just said you hid some items and information.”
“Ah, I see. I was just wondering,” Wu Lingtian’s voice fizzled out towards the end. He let out a soft sigh and held his head. “This whole thing is a mess.”
Xiao Guo looked at Wu Lingtian sympathetically. She glanced up to where Fan Yi sat at the pavilion and then looked back to Wu Lingtian, “But you ended up where you wanted to be.”
Wu Lingtian glanced up. “Did I?”
Xiao Guo nodded. “Before you left, you told me that you hoped after this, you could finally regain your freedom. You even said you would introduce me to the person you loved.”
Wu Lingtian scoffed. “Now, why did I say such useless things?”
Xiao Guo paused for a moment before asking, “Wu-shushu, did you really forget everything?”
“…Most things. A lot of important things, I think.”
Xiao Guo was silent. She fiddled with the ties around her wrist for a moment before speaking again, “In your situation, entrusting me with your information was the best bet, Wu-shushu, so I hope you don’t blame yourself for implicating me. I’m sure when you remember…your previous state, you would also agree.”
“What was my previous state?”
“Paranoid to the point of insanity,” Xiao Guo whispered. She met Wu Lingtian’s eyes and smiled. “Though, I’m glad you were still sane enough to come find me, Wu-shushu.”
Wu Lingtian silently observed Xiao Guo and wondered just what he had forgotten about this seemingly intelligent child.
“Don’t keep thinking about it,” Xiao Guo sighed. “You should focus on the more important things—like the riddles! I spent a week straight memorizing everything so that I wouldn’t have to keep it written down.”
Wu Lingtian looked at her in surprise before laughing. “Thank you, Xiao Guo. How can I ever repay you?”
Xiao Guo thought seriously for a moment before turning to Wu Lingtian excitedly. “Does Wu-shushu really want to repay me?”
“Is there something you want?” Wu Lingtian asked curiously.
In his memory, Xiao Guo was always quiet and reserved. Even when she was a child, because of the tragic accident that befell her family, she seemed to know her place and didn’t want to cause her adoptive father anymore trouble. There were very rare instances that got her so excited—one of the few, from Wu Lingtian’s memory, was when he had given her a book on medicines that he had found during his trips.
Xiao Guo’s gaze slowly drifted over to Fan Yi. “I heard Fan-bōbo is known to the common people as a miracle doctor. When…I’m a bit older, could you let me study at Screeching Sparrow Sect as a guest disciple?”
“Can’t you learn medicine from your father?” Wu Lingtian asked.
Xiao Guo shook her head emphatically, her finely combed hair still staying perfectly in place. “My father practices spiritual medicine. What Fan-bōbo practices is mortal medicine. While medicine for cultivators is useful, I would still like to know how to treat the common people.”
Wu Lingtian thought for a moment before nodding. It wasn’t that difficult of a request and that vacation Fan Yi had promised to take shouldn’t be longer than three years. It would be another three years until Xiao Guo turned fifteen, at any rate.
“I’m sure Sect Leader would be happy to teach you. His own disciples don’t have as much interest in medicine,” Wu Lingtian said.
Xiao Guo’s eyes lit up. “Then, I’ll be reminding Wu-shushu of this promise when I turn fifteen.”
Wu Lingtian chuckled in amusement. “You have my promise.”
Xiao Guo smiled excitedly. She took a shaky breath to reorient herself and proceeded with further enthusiasm. “Thank you, Wu-shushu.”
Wu Lingtian shook his head and patted her head. “Then, are you ready to repeat everything I told you?”
Xiao Guo nodded embarrassedly. She thought for a moment. “A long time ago, there was a sparrow who liked sitting on the branches of an old magnolia tree.”
Wu Lingtian’s calm expression changed. He stared at Xiao Guo blankly.
Xiao Guo awkwardly cleared her throat, “You gave me a story.”
Wu Lingtian slowly nodded. He really wondered what he was thinking at that time.
“The sparrow enjoyed going to the magnolia tree and would often speak to it about its troubles. Some days, the sparrow would complain about its neighbor—the spiders that lived on a branch where its nest sat—and other days, it would complain about the big snake that lived at the mouth of the watering hole. The old magnolia tree listened intently, even though it could never respond and it quite enjoyed the sparrow’s stories. But the sparrow’s complaints about its neighbors really were endless! The spiders like messing with the sparrow, so whenever they get bored, they would go into the sparrow’s nest and take away a few twigs—just enough so that the sparrow may step into the holes accidentally—and hide it. Eventually, the little sparrow became so angry that it set up traps around its nest, so the spiders could no longer steal its sticks. As for the big snake that lived at the mouth of the watering hole—it really liked to gossip. It was well-known that if you wanted a secret to be kept, to never say it near the watering hole.
“As the days drew on and the years continued, the old magnolia tree finally found a way to communicate with the sparrow! The sparrow was delighted and immediately moved to the branches of the magnolia tree. The two of them would chatter from dusk till dawn and from dawn till dusk. However, every winter, the little sparrow would have to fly south—after all, it can’t survive in the cold, but the old magnolia tree was always reluctant. It didn’t like the winters, with its branches bare and devoid of color, but it began to like winters even less because the little sparrow would leave its side.”
Xiao Guo paused and looked at Wu Lingtian. “Does Wu-shushu have the story memorized so far?”
“Yes,” Wu Lingtian nodded. Although he did have the story memorized, the details swirled and swamped in his mind.
Sparrow? Magnolia tree? Spiders and Snakes? What the hell was he talking about? Could it be he really had gone insane from paranoia when he was telling Xiao Guo all of this?
Seeing that Wu Lingtian seemed to really have memorized it, Xiao Guo continued.
“One autumn, the old magnolia tree finally expressed its discontent;
“‘Little sparrow, little sparrow, could you please not leave me alone again?’
“The little sparrow became perplexed, for it also didn’t want to leave the magnolia tree, but it knew that if it didn’t, it would freeze during the winter. So, despite its reluctance, the little sparrow shook its head. ‘No, I cannot stay. If I stay, I’ll die!’
“Upon hearing the little sparrow’s exclamation, the old magnolia tree shook its branches and said ‘Die? Who told you that you would die?!’
“The little sparrow started. That was right, who exactly told it that it would die? The little sparrow thought for a moment, but couldn’t come up with a proper answer. It had always just felt that if it stayed here during the winter, it would definitely freeze to death because it had gotten so cold. When the little sparrow told this to the old magnolia tree, the magnolia tree shook its branches again.
“’Whoever told you that you would die in the winter was just lying to you!’ but the little sparrow was still unconvinced. It shook its feathers and said ‘However, once, a magpie I knew died, and everyone told me it was because of the cold!’ The magnolia tree let out a deep sigh, ‘This is why you’re still called a little sparrow, little sparrow. How could a bird as magnificent as a magpie die just because of a bit of cold? Obviously, it was harmed by someone else!’
“The little sparrow became scared when it heard this. After all, what the magnolia tree said was true—the magpie that the little sparrow knew had always been great and daring, so how would it suddenly die just because of a bit of cold? The little sparrow thought about it over and over again before finally asking what it should do. The old magnolia tree spoke kindly and said, ‘Just stay here. I’ll keep you safe and you won’t have to be afraid of being harmed’. Thus, the silly little sparrow believed the old magnolia tree and really did stay for the winter,” Xiao Guo said.
She paused for a moment and looked at Wu Lingtian inquiringly.
“I’m still okay,” Wu Lingtian nodded.
Xiao Guo smiled and continued, “The winter months were very, very cold and very, very dark. The old magnolia tree lost its flowers and its leaves and looked especially frightening. The little sparrow finally realized the old magnolia tree had been lying to it, but when it tried to escape, the old magnolia tree kept the sparrow tightly by its side. When spring came again, all the birds flew back, but the little sparrow was no longer around. At some point, another little magpie appeared and gazed up at the big magnolia tree in wonder.
“’Little magpie, little magpie, would you like to keep this old tree company?’”
Wu Lingtian stared at the winter grass in silence. When another few moments passed and nothing came, he finally looked up at Xiao Guo. “Was that it?”
“That was it.”
“That’s how it ended?”
Xiao Guo nodded. “That’s how you ended it.”
Wu Lingtian straightened and leaned back against the tree trunk. “Did I not give you any tips or hints?”
Xiao Guo shook her head. “Actually, when you first told me this story, I also asked you what would happen if you couldn’t figure out everything.”
“And what did I say?”
Xiao Guo smiled sheepishly, “You said ‘If I can’t figure out something that’s this simple, then I deserve what’s coming to me’.”
“…”
“You’ve always been your own worst critic,” Xiao Guo patted Wu Lingtian’s shoulder comfortingly. She straightened and energetically pumped her fists, “But if it’s Wu-shushu, you definitely can do it! And…”
“And?” Wu Lingtian glanced over.
Xiao Guo glanced at Fan Yi, who was watching a few birds flutter about, “You said if you ever needed help, there was a person you could go to.”
Wu Lingtian looked to Fan Yi as well. If, in his manic state, he really still trusted Fan Yi, then that means Fan Yi was someone he knew that hadn’t been involved at all. He looked down with a sigh before standing and eliminating the sound barrier. He helped Xiao Guo up and they walked back to the pavilion together.
Fan Yi looked up as they returned and smiled, “Returned?”
“Mn,” Wu Lingtian glanced at Xiao Guo.
“I’m going to find Grandpa to play chess,” Xiao Guo grinned. She waved her two hands at the men and happily skipped off.
Fan Yi observed her with a hint of confusion, “How come she’s so happy?”
“She helped me out, so I promised that she can be your guest disciple when she comes of age.”
Fan Yi was stunned. He turned back to Wu Lingtian. “My guest disciple? Not yours?”
Wu Lingtian nodded. “She wants to know more about mortal medicine.”
“A-Tian, how come you’ve already learned to sell your husband out?” Fan Yi slumped against the table slightly.
Wu Lingtian’s lips curved. He stepped forward and pinched Fan Yi’s chin, “Who’s my husband?”
Fan Yi raised a hand and twisted the ring on Wu Lingtian’s finger, “Am I not?”
Wu Lingtian chuckled. He released Fan Yi and sat down. “You are—of course, you are.”
“Then, my beloved, are you allowed to tell me what your conversation with Miss Xiao was about?” Fan Yi asked.
Wu Lingtian smiled. “I was just about to discuss this matter with you, Husband.”
“Oh?”
“How good are you at solving riddles?”
A/N: What do you all think about the riddle? Any ideas on what’s represented here?
At first I thought the magnolia and the sparrow referred to the main couple, but now I’m not sure. I still think it’s related, but I don’t know what the events of the story refer to. I feel as so confused as the protagonist.
at least you guys have a similar thought process 😂
Thanks for the chapter 💕💖💕💖
thanks for reading!!!
I think it might be about Li Ran and Rong Meihuan, or the whole Drifting Weirdo Sect, for that matter. I’m sure Fan Yi can help.
I think it’s more like the situation where Wu lingtian was in or how he got lured in maybe? Or Rong meihua was the little sparrow and Wu Lingtian is the little magpie?
👀 i like your theories, i like them– thanks for reading :DD
Lingtian is the sparrow, his sect was the magnolia tree ……. or His master was the sparrow….
i feel like the spider would be the demonic cultivators and the snake the righteous cultivators, so perhaps the sparrow is the middle-ground cultivators. unsure about the magpie ngl. and this magnolia tree represents the group who has been experimenting with souls…. >.> “You won’t die from the cold” hm…. “You won’t die from using a part of your soul for wacky experiments” ..?
wait, hold on, take a step back: what does a tree have to gain from dead birds? nutrients! life giving force… what does this group have to gain from experimenting with others life force / souls…. supplementing their own!?!?
oh im ver curious to see if i am anywhere close alxlazlxhsk
also Xiao Guo is absolutely precious and i’m love her, what a smart girl. i wish her the best in her learnings
I was thinking the same at first, about the magnolia and the sparrow as Lingtian and his master but then the sparrow died.. The magnolia is whoever behind the demonic acts.. might be someone in the Sect, an elder perhaps. Rong Meihua was the sparrow who had been lied to…the little magpie is Lingtian, the other magpie was Master Wang,, ughhh..but I still can’t let go of the thought of Yu Lan sword..
I can’t figure that riddle out so I guess I deserve what’s coming to me too! 😳😳😳