“Cough, cough… Cough, cough…”
Jiang Tong jolted awake in the night.
He covered his mouth, his head spinning as he tried to suppress the nausea churning in his stomach.
Scenes from the Spring and Autumn Bell flashed through his mind, flickering before his eyes like a revolving lantern.
The young girl who loved pulling water weeds, who loved building small huts, and who repeatedly promised they would be reunited…
Jiang Tong trembled all over. It took a long time for the mental fog to clear.
Moonlight filtered through the small hut’s window, casting a clear radiance across the floor.
*Gong —*
The bell tolled melodiously.
Inside his Sea of Consciousness, the Spring and Autumn Bell shone brilliantly, as if reborn. Small regular script appeared around it.
**[As a Soul Fragment, you encountered a helpless young girl, discovered her potential, and continuously helped her Jian Tai transform. Ultimately, you sacrificed yourself during the sword tribulation, ignoring the warnings of the Heavenly Dao. Your soul dissipated, allowing the girl to successfully achieve a Clear Sword Heart.]**
**[You have earned my initial recognition and caught the attention of the Heavenly Dao.]**
**[The Spring and Autumn Bell has obscured the heavenly secrets for you. Please hide your identity to avoid discovery by the Heavenly Dao and subsequent death.]**
Several spots of light hovered beside the Spring and Autumn Bell, much brighter than they had been before.
As Jiang Tong reached out to touch them, the light flowed rapidly into his body.
**[Sword Heart Embryo: Your comprehension of the Sword Dao has reached its peak. If you wish, you can trigger a sword tribulation at any time to attempt transforming into a Sword Heart.]**
**[Cultivation Increase: Your cultivation has risen directly to the early Jin Dan stage.]**
**[Spirit Veins Fully Opened: Your Spirit Veins are completely cleared, and your cultivation speed has increased significantly.]**
The final spot of light caught Jiang Tong’s attention.
**[Avatar of Self-Existence: You have obtained the Avatar of Self-Existence. You may choose to participate in reincarnation in physical form.]**
**[Note: When participating in reincarnation with the Avatar of Self-Existence, the worlds inside and outside the Spring and Autumn Bell are completely independent. You cannot bring real-world items, experiences, or insights into the bell. As compensation, time inside the Spring and Autumn Bell will pause when you return to reality, and no Lingshi will be required to sustain it.]**
**[The Spring and Autumn Bell is recovering. Awaiting the second reincarnation cycle.]**
**[Entering the world after your death from the perspective of the Heavenly Dao.]**
Jiang Tong’s brow furrowed as his consciousness spun. When he came to his senses, he saw Guanye Lake under the moonlight, where brilliant fireworks were blooming.
Watching the girl weeping helplessly, Jiang Tong felt as if a knife were being twisted in his heart.
Like a fast-forwarded film, he watched the first half of the girl’s life.
In the spring of Year 280 of the Yuan Calendar, Jiang Yueliu silently dismantled the small courtyard and moved away from Guanye Lake. Under the confused gazes of the others, she returned to her small yard on the servant mountain. Gradually, that servant mountain became Condensing Moon Cliff.
That was the place where she and Jiang Tong had first met.
In the spring of Year 285 of the Yuan Calendar, the willow branches by the lakeshore sprouted and grew into lush, weeping willows.
That same year, Jiang Yueliu personally created an island in the center of Guanye Lake and planted a Tong tree upon it.
Three hundred years later, Yao Ping passed away. Yao Xining became the new Sect Leader, and Jiang Yueliu became the Mistress of Condensing Moon Cliff.
In Year 314, Jiang Yueliu joined the righteous army and played a vital role in severely wounding the Five Great Demonic Gates.
The images came to an abrupt halt, freezing on a scene of the fairy standing with a cold expression, her robes fluttering as she held a long sword, slaying the last of the evil cultivators.
Her Master had died because of evil cultivators, which was why she loathed them so deeply.
Jiang Tong felt both relieved and heartbroken. He stood up unsteadily as the dizziness in his head finally dissipated.
Step by step, he walked into the courtyard.
Master… my little disciple.
The moonlight was as clear as water. Jiang Tong knocked gently on her door, but no one answered.
He cautiously pushed it open just a crack; the room was empty.
Where did she go?
Jiang Tong slowly descended the mountain. Under the white moonlight, he walked toward Guanye Lake.
His intuition told him that Jiang Yueliu was there.
Sure enough, after walking along the lakeshore, Jiang Tong stopped in front of a stone monument.
A figure in white sat by the water, hugging her knees. She rested her face on her hands as she stared blankly at the lake, her silhouette gradually overlapping with the memory of his little disciple.
“…Master.”
Jiang Tong’s lips trembled as he uttered the word.
The white-clad figure stiffened and slowly turned her head. A trace of an indescribable emotion appeared in her cold eyes.
“Jiang Tong?”
“Master…” Jiang Tong forced a smile, his nose suddenly feeling a bit sore. “I finally found you.”
Jiang Yueliu stood up. Instead of staying where she was, she walked toward Jiang Tong and looked up slightly at the youth, who was now taller than her.
The lake water rustled, and the soft moonlight bathed them both.
“Silly boy.” Jiang Yueliu smiled. It was no longer awkward; she naturally reached out and patted Jiang Tong’s head.
“Why were you looking for me? Is your Master not right here?”
The way she looked at Jiang Tong was exactly the same as how Jiang Tong had looked at her in their previous life.
Two hundred years later, this reunion was the greatest stroke of luck.
Even if their identities had swapped and the world had changed…
‘I never forgot you.’
“Master should thank you,” she said, her eyes as serious as they had been when she was a young girl.
“You saved my life. If not for you, I might have perished long ago.”
She was referring to both the Hanpo Jade Body and the previous sword tribulation.
Jiang Tong nodded. Jiang Yueliu reached out her small hand, pinched Jiang Tong’s cheek, and laughed softly.
“You’re such a big person. How can your nose get sore just because you couldn’t find your Master?”
“I wanted to see you.”
Jiang Tong met her gaze. Under his fixed stare, Jiang Yueliu was the one to lower her head.
“Master…”
“Hmm?”
“I want to hug you.”
Jiang Yueliu raised her eyes in surprise, her pink lips parting slightly as a rosy tint crept up to the tips of her ears.
“I…”
‘It’s just the bond between master and disciple; it’s fine.’
A voice in her heart comforted her. ‘Didn’t he hug you like this in the previous life?’
‘It’s perfectly innocent; it’s fine.’
‘It’s fine…’
Jiang Yueliu lowered her head slightly and bit her lip.
After a long silence, her low voice drifted through the darkness as she raised her little index finger.
“Just… just for a little bit.”
“Just a little bit.”
Jiang Yueliu closed her eyes and took a small step forward, but Jiang Tong had already opened his arms and pulled her tightly into his embrace.
The 200-year-old girl gave a soft cry of surprise. Realizing something was different, she quickly fell silent.
‘Master and disciple, perfectly innocent, perfectly innocent…’
‘Why was I less nervous when we hugged in the previous life?’
Her Sword Heart was wavering.
She closed her eyes and pondered for a moment but found no answer. She could only lean cautiously against Jiang Tong’s chest, feeling the thumping of his heart as her body slowly softened.
“Are you a dog?” she whispered.
She felt Jiang Tong lean his head down, gently smelling her hair. His breath fanned across her forehead.
“I am Master’s puppy,” Jiang Tong said, holding her even tighter.
Jiang Yueliu didn’t speak again. She rested against his chest as her heartbeat gradually steadied, feeling very much at peace.
Her eyes flickered open, her dark pupils darting around. She wanted to ask Jiang Tong about the time he had secretly kissed her, but she ultimately decided against it.
‘Just treat it like being bitten by a dog…’
‘This is also the bond between master and disciple… right?’
Jiang Tong thought his Master was truly adorable. Now that her identity from the previous life was confirmed, she no longer acted so cold and distant; most of the time, she was like a young girl.
He wondered if that hard-earned Clear Sword Heart of hers was already wavering.
“Master.”
After a long time, only the sound of two heartbeats remained in the darkness. Their hearts were so close that they felt as one.
Jiang Tong took out the osmanthus hairpin and slowly tucked it into Jiang Yueliu’s hair.
Jiang Yueliu stared at him fixedly. When she saw Jiang Tong smile, her heart began to race.
‘It has been hundreds of years since I last read a storybook. This is strange.’
“You look best wearing this hairpin,” he said softly, momentarily dazed.
It felt as if he had returned to that day when his little disciple had nervously closed her eyes, waiting for her New Year’s gift.
“Mm.”
Jiang Yueliu paused, then smiled.
“I’ll listen to you. It looks the best.”
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