Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 127 - The Biyi Blossom Tree (2)

Zanxing once thought that even if Gu Baiying poked a hole in the sky one day, he would still wear an indifferent expression.

But sometimes, Zanxing felt that this young man seemed to be hiding countless secrets, just as she had mentioned to Men Dong before, he seemed to be hiding all the vulnerabilities.

And at times like this, he would also have moments of confusion about ‘fate’, to the point where he would question someone like her, who wasn’t particularly close to him.

“Nothing has changed, huh?” she murmured to herself, then suddenly spoke up, “Maybe not.”

Gu Baiying was taken aback.

She turned her chair towards him, her tone cheerful, “Yin Li did indeed perish, but before he did, he saw Princess Lizhu. Although Princess Lizhu lost her memories, before losing them, she called out Yin Li’s name. Even if it’s a tragedy, at least our ‘struggle’ has brought some solace into the tragedy. Senior Uncle,” she looked gently at Gu Baiying, “even if it’s tiny, any change is still change. Isn’t the goal of mortal cultivation to contend with fate, to not let ourselves be controlled by it?”

He didn’t speak for a long time, then finally asked, “Why do you cultivate?”

Zanxing: “Huh?”

He remained composed, waiting for Zanxing’s answer.

“For freedom.”

“Freedom?”

Zanxing smiled, “Senior Uncle, let me tell you a secret. I’m also trying to struggle against my destined ‘fate’.”

Gu Baiying chuckled, rare warmth in his laughter. He asked, “By ‘fate,’ do you mean marrying the Young City Lord of Yuecheng?”

“That’s just one aspect,” Zanxing replied. “There are many. Even if I don’t marry Wang Shao, according to the ‘predetermined fate,’ I could still marry a Li Shao or a Qian Shao. I don’t want to leave my fate in the hands of others. Cultivation is prevalent in Duzhou. Only through cultivation can I have a chance to break free from destiny.” She stood up, walked over to Gu Baiying, and returned the empty wooden box to him. “It’s difficult. There are countless visible and invisible obstacles, and sometimes, I even make things worse by trying too hard.”

“Actually, I don’t know how it will all end,” she continued, bending down and looking directly into the young man’s eyes. “But I have no regrets.”

She rarely sounded so solemn. Most of the time, she displayed a calm acceptance of whatever comes her way, whether out of ignorance or confidence.

But…

In this vast wilderness, inside the solitary thatched cottage, under the dim and warm lamplight, her casualness and determination, her “no regrets,” inexplicably lightened the mood.

After a long time, Gu Baiying simply responded with an “oh” and set the empty redwood box aside.

Zanxing looked at him. “Is that all?”

“What do you want?” He took a sip of the water Zanxing had just given him.

“I thought you might have some inner turmoil that’s difficult to talk about, which is why you patiently shared these insights with me, hoping to find comfort. Even if your bell won’t ring, shouldn’t we at least bridge the gap between us?” Zanxing continued, “Shouldn’t you share with me your deepest secrets next, like your tragic past or your insurmountable weaknesses?”

Gu Baiying was in the middle of drinking water when he choked on it upon hearing her words. He coughed several times before looking at Zanxing with annoyance. “What nonsense are you talking about? How could I possibly have weaknesses?”

“Is that so?” Zanxing looked at him. “But your expression just now was like you were facing a difficult problem, to the point of resignation.”

Gu Baiying slammed the water cup onto the table with a clang, fortunately, it was carved from stone and didn’t shatter. He looked at Zanxing, unsure if he was angry or struck by her words. He warned Zanxing with each word spoken deliberately, “Yang Zanxing, I have no weaknesses, no tragic past, and certainly no difficult problems to face. If you dare to speak nonsense again, I’ll have Xuan Lingzi expel you from the sect.”

“And what’s the reason?”

“Disrespect towards elders, and a lack of understanding of the importance of respecting teachers and the path of Dao,” he added, as if still unsatisfied. “And making unfounded assumptions about others!”

Zanxing: “…You’re just piling on the accusations.”

He sneered, “You better watch yourself.”

Seeing him getting spirited again, Zanxing figured he had come to terms with it. Gu Baiying’s demeanor just now clearly showed he was fixating on something trivial, but unfortunately, although this young man seemed impulsive and hot-headed, he guarded his inner secrets like a hawk, making it difficult to discern anything. But trying to figure out the thoughts of this young man was always a futile effort, and there was no need to dwell on occasional confusion about life.

It would all be resolved eventually.

Perhaps he himself realized that the dispute with Zanxing just now had been somewhat transparently veiled. Gu Baiying cleared his throat lightly. “Don’t disturb me. I’m going to continue practicing.” With that, he closed his eyes, paying no mind to Zanxing’s reaction.

Zanxing shrugged.

She did want to practice, but there was no spiritual energy in this wilderness, and her Xiao Yuan Pearl felt dead. Moreover, she couldn’t help but worry about the outside. Where could the owner of this thatched cottage be at this hour? Could he be staying outside? But in this wilderness, aside from the stone mountain, there wasn’t even a mound of dirt in sight. Where could they have gone to stay overnight?

Zanxing lazily glanced out the window, then froze.

“Senior Uncle,” she called to Gu Baiying, “come and look at this!”

Gu Baiying impatiently opened his eyes. “What now?”

“That tree…” Zanxing pointed outside the window. “That tree moved!”

Gu Baiying followed her gaze.

About a dozen meters from the thatched cottage, in the pitch-black night, they could only see a blurry silhouette. However, the shape of that silhouette was gradually expanding, as if it were growing.

Gu Baiying picked up Xiu Gu and headed towards the door. “I’ll go check it out!”

Zanxing quickly called for Mimi to follow.

The wilderness at night was chilly, and the towering tree stood as the only protrusion in the vast expanse, appearing particularly prominent. Zanxing took out a few lightning talismans and hung them on the tree. In an instant, she was taken aback by the scene before her.

The tree was blooming.

Its intertwined branches kept elongating and growing, and soft bone buds were sprouting from each segment of the branches. It wasn’t the kind of blooming where layers unfolded overnight, but more like the hatching of butterflies… no, birds.

First came the fluffy, tiny heads, followed by the entire bodies springing out, long tails, and then the unfurling wings. The crimson feathers seemed to be sprinkled with shimmering moonlight as they proudly perched on the treetops. The cold wind blowing across the wilderness rustled the branches of the giant tree, and thousands of fiery red phoenixes appeared like red clouds ready to take flight in the night, lively, noisy, and resplendent.

“This flower tree…” Zanxing looked at Gu Baiying beside her.

“The Biyi Blossom…” Gu Baiying also seemed stunned.