The people of Qingshi Town all knew that on Mount Yunqi, which was shrouded in clouds and mist all year round, lived a couple as perfect as immortals.
No one knew when they had arrived; one day, they simply appeared in this remote little town.
The man possessed an aloof and ethereal temperament, while the woman was exceptionally lively.
Not only did this couple have striking good looks, but they were also incredibly kind-hearted. If any household was troubled by evil spirits, they only needed to let the couple know, and they would arrive as promised to help.
Look, Lady Ji and her husband have come to buy peach blossom wine again.
Aunt Li nudged the person beside her.
A man dressed in a dark, ink-colored long robe was waiting patiently in front of the stall. He held two bags of pastries in his hands, his gaze fixed tenderly on the woman beside him. The woman was happily watching the neighboring stall owner's craftsmanship, her laughter crisp and clear.
Once they finally got the peach blossom wine, the two held hands and walked back up the mountain together.
Ji Zhaoxi and Xie Qingyan had been living here for a year.
Xie Qingyan had built a small bamboo house. The first floor featured a spacious kitchen and a long veranda. The second floor was their bedroom; pushing open the window, one could see the lights of the town below and the stars in the sky.
Xie Qingyan attached great importance to this house. Like an ordinary mortal, he went into the forest to select sturdy timber, chopped the wood himself, and built it with his own hands. The windowsills were carved with patterns that Ji Zhaoxi loved.
He always felt that something made by his own hands was entirely different from something conjured by magic.
Taichu Temple had been quiet for a long time.
Master Changsong originally thought Xie Qingyan and Ji Zhaoxi were just playing house. He believed they wouldn't be able to endure a life without the temple's protection and would return after being away for a while.
However, a year passed, and Xie Qingyan truly had no contact with Taichu Temple whatsoever.
Master Changsong regretted his past actions. If he had agreed back then, perhaps things wouldn't have escalated to this point.
Zhixuan, on the other hand, frequently wrote letters to Ji Zhaoxi and Xie Qingyan. He wrote about trivial matters, such as how new disciples had arrived at the temple, or how the stall Ji Zhaoxi liked had moved away.
Whenever this happened, the Parrot Ghost would stand on the table.
I said from the beginning she wouldn't be able to adapt to life in the capital; she's a village ghost. The Parrot Ghost pecked at its feathers. Help me write this sentence in.
Zhixuan's mouth twitched, but he still added the Parrot Ghost's words into the letter.
Zhixuan also frequently received replies, and sometimes he even received a few paintings depicting Ji Zhaoxi and Xie Qingyan's home.
Zhixuan knew at a glance that these were definitely painted by Ji Zhaoxi; his senior brother didn't have the patience to paint for him.
When Xie Qingyan left, it caused a massive uproar. Such behavior was undoubtedly rebellious and unorthodox, but none of them had ever expected that the person to do such a thing would be Xie Qingyan.
Zhixuan had now become the senior brother, but he lacked the patience of his predecessor. He was too lazy to teach the disciples and too lazy to go out catching ghosts every day.
What he did most often was sit in the courtyard with the Parrot Ghost, gossiping about the people in the capital.
Next time I go that way, I'm going to visit Miss Ji and Senior Brother.
Then don't forget to bring this bird along.
It also missed that village ghost a little.
Of course!
The following year, the apple orchard of Squire Zhao in Qingxi Town was full of fruit.
He was overjoyed and took his servant with him to donate incense money to Taichu Temple.
However, when they tried to find Xie Qingyan, they were informed by the disciples inside that Xie Qingyan had already returned to secular life.
Squire Zhao and his servant were utterly shocked.
In the end, Squire Zhao spent quite a bit of money, using his connections from the village all the way to the capital, and after much painstaking effort, finally got news of Daoist Xie.
Xie Qingyan had returned to secular life because of a woman.
Squire Zhao and his servant read that piece of paper over and over again, their faces written with disbelief.
Later, Squire Zhao asked someone to pass on a message, saying he wanted to send a few chests of gold to Xie Qingyan, adding that they couldn't let his wife suffer and should buy her some new clothes.
In Squire Zhao's eyes, Xie Qingyan was an incorruptible Daoist priest who naturally wouldn't have much money on him, so that woman must be enduring hardships by his side.
As a result, he received a letter written to him by Xie Qingyan.
The letter was very concise. It first thanked Squire Zhao for his concern, explained that he was not lacking in money, and finally provided some methods for protecting the fruit trees.
Daoist Xie is still as kind-hearted as ever. Squire Zhao said, his eyes brimming with tears.
The servant sighed, If only Daoist Xie had come to our village.
Their village had beautiful mountains and clear waters; it was actually quite a nice place.
Just as the two were sighing over life, Sister Qin was quietly looking at the contents of the letter from the side.
She couldn't mistake the ghostly aura on the letter; that was definitely Ji Zhaoxi's ghostly aura.
To think that what she had said back then was true, she had actually gotten together with a Daoist priest.
Following the ghostly aura, Sister Qin trekked over mountains and waded through waters, overcoming numerous obstacles. After an unknown number of days, she finally arrived at Mount Yunqi.
She couldn't enter the bamboo house, so she could only show off her beautiful singing voice a short distance outside.
Ji Zhaoxi quickly ran out. Seeing Sister Qin floating in the air, she was overjoyed. Sister Qin!
Sister Qin floated back and forth around her, examining her. Seeing that her ghostly aura was abundant, she finally felt relieved.
Sister Zhaoxi, Sister Qin came this time to give you a book. This book contains the essence of several of our village sisters, and you must study it carefully.
Sister Qin solemnly pulled out a copy of The Complete Guide to Female Ghost Singing.
Even when you are far from home, do not forget the songs of us female ghosts. You must practice diligently and hard.
Ji Zhaoxi was so moved that her eyes welled with tears. Thank you, Sister Qin.
She hadn't expected Sister Qin to bring her a secret manual.
Sister Qin patted her on the shoulder and said seriously, Do you still remember what I told you before?
Ji Zhaoxi nodded vigorously and said in a crisp voice, One day without practice, hands and feet grow slow; two days without practice, half the skill goes; three days without practice, all your sweat is in vain; four days without practice, you'll be sent to see the grandmaster!
A satisfied smile finally appeared on Sister Qin's face.
Then I'll be going.
Ji Zhaoxi held onto her reluctantly. Sister Qin, why don't you rest for a few days before you leave?
Sister Qin's mouth twitched. No thanks, Sister Zhaoxi.
She didn't have a hobby of dealing with former Daoist priests.
She also hadn't expected that Sister Zhaoxi had actually succeeded in winning over that Daoist priest.
She was indeed impressive.
Thus, under Ji Zhaoxi's watchful eyes, Sister Qin quickly floated away and soon disappeared from sight.
Xie Qingyan and Ji Zhaoxi had forged a Concentric Knot contract.
It locked Xie Qingyan's life and protected Ji Zhaoxi's soul, binding Xie Qingyan's mortal lifespan to Ji Zhaoxi's ghostly lifespan.
That day, when Ji Zhaoxi was releasing water lanterns, the wish she wrote on it was that one day she could be liberated by Xie Qingyan.
Xie Qingyan didn't say anything at the time, but the thought of forging the Concentric Knot contract began right then.
Moreover, he did have selfish motives; a human's lifespan was shorter than a ghost's.
He knew how lovable Ji Zhaoxi was. He couldn't accept the idea of her falling in love with someone else after he died; he could absolutely never let her go.
Even in death, her soul had to bear his mark.
Outside, the heavy rain pounded fiercely against the green bamboo. Mist filled the mountains, making the emerald peaks look as though their colors were fading. Inside the house, however, candlelight flickered, and the air was filled with intimate sounds.
"Xie Qingyan, you always do this..." Faint sobbing echoed through the room.
She was blindfolded by an ink-black silk ribbon. The loss of her sight infinitely magnified her other senses. She listened to the endless patter of rain outside and the crisp ringing of the bell tied to her ankle.
Sometimes, she really didn't know who the real ghost was.
A cyan outer robe and a light crimson dress lay scattered and intertwined on the floor, while a pair of small, pristine white socks rested forlornly to the side.
Xie Qingyan leaned over, his scorching breath repeatedly brushing against the back of her ear. His voice was incredibly hoarse: "Xixi, don't cry..."
But he was only coaxing her with his words.
The crisp ringing of the bell in the room never ceased, almost drowning out the sound of the rain outside. Ji Zhaoxi felt humiliated to the extreme. She instinctively tried to cover her face with her hands, which were already dotted with kiss marks, but in the next second, he caught her wrists and pinned them above her head.
The corners of Xie Qingyan's eyes were tinged with red. He showered her face with delicate kisses, his tone carrying a hint of grievance. "Xixi, I like looking at you."
Her slender legs were exposed to the chilly air, but a pair of large, well-defined hands instantly covered them, pulling her back into the warmth of the bed curtains.
The fragrance in the room grew increasingly heavy. The sound of the rain outside and the chiming of the bell inside mingled together, laced with the faint, gentle coaxing of the man.
At the foot of the mountain, the small street vendors looked out at the rain in dismay.
"It just keeps pouring. How are we supposed to do any business?" Uncle Li let out a heavy sigh.
Looking at Aunt Li, who was still sulking beside him, he said helplessly, "You can't blame me for this. Who knew it would suddenly start raining halfway here?"
Aunt Li was so annoyed she refused to even look at him. "Before we left the house, I told you we shouldn't come today, but you insisted. If you were even half as good as Master Xie, I wouldn't be this angry."
Uncle Li let out an exasperated laugh. "How many Master Xies do you think there are in this world?"
Aunt Li rested her chin in her hands, staring silently at the puddles on the ground. The atmosphere instantly grew quiet.
Suddenly, a soft chuckle came from beside her, and a twin pink lotus flower, glistening with dewdrops, was held out right before her eyes.
"Don't be mad anymore. A lotus flower for a beauty."
Aunt Li's ears turned red. She gave a soft hmph and took the pink lotus.
"So cheesy."
