Chapter 513: In Books are Graceful Ladies¹

Ye Wenxin couldn’t understand how Wen Susu knew about her pain. She even provided the correct method to deal with the peach blossom demon.

The peach blossom demon was also puzzling. Even if it was revenge for eating the thousand-year-old rabbit demon, she didn’t need to use such a double-edged method to stay by Ye Wenxin’s side.

For Ye Wenxin, these two questions arising simultaneously only added to the intrigue. She went into her room, waiting for nightfall. Later, she mechanically went through the motions of eating in the dining hall.

At dusk, the surrounding mist grew thicker. Even with candlelight, it was impossible to see anything nearby. This was the perfect time for snooping around, and Ye Wenxin wouldn’t let the chance slip.

After tiptoeing out the door, she quietly summoned the furballs.

“See if you can disperse this mist.”

The furballs were finally put to use as incarnations of the Colored Flags. At Ye Wenxin’s command, they began circling in place.

In an instant, the Colored Flags reappeared. The black flag led the way, waving to disperse the surrounding mist. It was enough for Ye Wenxin to see her surroundings while remaining concealed, providing additional protection.

The furballs seemed reluctant to leave after completing their task. They circled around Ye Wenxin, eager to play with her.

Ever since Ghost Mother had left with Liu Churan, the furballs received Ye Wenxin’s full affection. It made them bolder, and Ye Wenxin didn’t mind the furballs either. She patted their heads and warmly said, “You are all such good children. I’ll feed you later.”

The furballs let out a joyful cry before vanishing into the ground. They would be on standby until Ye Wenxin summoned them again.

Satisfied, Ye Wenxin continued along the path ahead. She intended to check out the situation at the library.

The surroundings were pitch dark. Many dorm rooms still had their lights on, and the occasional sound of students chatting could be heard. Ye Wenxin found this interesting, so she slowed her pace. As she wasn’t in a hurry anymore, she might as well learn more about Cosmos Academy.

Several students were telling ghost stories. Among them were incidents regarding the academy’s haunted ancestral hall, and floating books in the library. Nothing particularly scary, but the children were squealing excitedly.

Ye Wenxin smiled slightly at their reactions but didn’t believe those tales. She moved on, following the path straight to the library. She had wanted to see if the rumored kitsune and Heavenly Book lived up to their incredible reputation.

However, the scenery around her suddenly changed before she could reach the library.

Ye Wenxin appeared to have entered some sort of maze. But unlike the mazes she had seen previously, three gigantic books stood before her, resembling portals leading to another world.

Ye Wenxin noticed that these three books were written in three different scripts: this realm’s, Earth’s, and an unknown script. After pondering for a moment, she ultimately chose the book written in Earth script.

At her light touch, the massive pages turned. The scene shifted to her life on Earth. Everything felt so real, but Ye Wenxin no longer had much attachment to Earth. She only glanced around a few times before stepping back through the portal.

The portal let her pass. It seemed to exist merely to showcase some memories. With that thought in mind, she entered the portal that displayed this realm’s script. However, there was only a peach blossom tree inside. The white walls beautifully highlighted the tree’s vibrant colors.

Perhaps it was another deceptive formation. Ye Wenxin felt indifferent as she left this portal and planned to enter the book written in the unknown script. The pages turned just as before, but this time, the scene within the book was far more monotonous.

In this world, there was only a small seed on the ground. It seemed unable to take root and sprout. Ye Wenxin sensed that the words in this book might be meant for the peach blossom demon. She murmured to the air, “Is this for you?”

As if she heard her, the sharp pain in Ye Wenxin’s back flared again, expressing the demon’s emotions. Ye Wenxin couldn’t understand why the contents of this book were so weird. This time, she decided to patiently observe the seed.

While sitting, she noticed the scenery around her changing. Seasons came and went, yet the seed remained on the ground. It was atop a rocky summit, growing in a place where it seemed impossible to thrive. A year passed, and then a hundred years. As everything around it changed dramatically, the seed still hadn’t sprouted.

Ye Wenxin yawned. Even when she inherited Celestial Master Zhong’s memories, they entered her mind all at once, not drawn out like this. It felt like watching a boring documentary, tearing away at her patience.

She considered giving up on studying the peach blossom demon’s experience. But just as she prepared to get up, the sharp pain in her back struck again, unwilling to let her give up.

“Fine, I’ll give in to you this once.”

Ye Wenxin sighed. The peach blossom demon seemed incapable of speech and was timid. She wondered what kind of determination would drive her to take revenge.

While she was lost in thought, someone finally picked up the seed. Ye Wenxin froze and in her daze, she saw a vague figure. The figure murmured a few words to the seed before tossing it away. Instantly, a sea of peach blossoms appeared as the seed rapidly grew, startling Ye Wenxin.

She watched in disbelief. The blurry figure smiled. Ye Wenxin noticed that the figure was also a woman, dressed in a pink dress. Although she couldn’t discern her face, the peach blossom tattoo on her hand stood out distinctly.

Ye Wenxin didn’t know who had obtained the peach blossom demon’s opportunity before her. So, she referred to this cultivator as the Peach Blossom Fairy.

What followed was the daily life of the peach blossom tree and the Peach Blossom Fairy. The tree began to grow larger and gained sentience. The Peach Blossom Fairy would even converse with it.

She seemed like a great beauty, but her appearance was strangely obscured. Ye Wenxin listened to their conversations. She thought this Peach Blossom Fairy was entirely different from everyone she knew. Her heart was as beautiful as she looked.

The peach blossom tree gradually developed emotions and thoughts. It deeply fell in love with the Peach Blossom Fairy. However, it was ultimately just a peach blossom. One day, the Peach Blossom Fairy left, but the peach blossom tree remained as it was.

Rooted in place, it helplessly watched its beloved depart.

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Footnotes:

1. 1. The title is part of a Chinese proverb, “In books are sumptuous houses and graceful ladies.” It means be diligent in your studies, and success and glory will follow. I think it’s meant to be taken literally in this case, tho. ↩︎