Chapter 386
Chapter 386: Ye Xiuwen’s Return, News of Rong Ruihan
When Ye Xiuwen was struck by Wei Xingping and fell into the depths of the lotus pond, he thought he was a goner for sure .
His mind drew a blank in that moment of crisis . His hand was still tightly gripping onto the Rainbow Lotus Flower’s seeds when the scent of death swept over him like an all engulfing blanket .
Bang! A massive ripple echoed outwards where he struck the waters . His wounds and injuries were aggravated as he plunged powerfully through the surface of the waters . His ears rung eerily, and everything turned dark . In that very instant, he nearly passed out .
Yet he remained conscious . The marrow-piercing cold of the waters in the lotus pond caused him to tremble slightly, and his mind remained awake against all odds .
It was also this brief moment of clarity of mind which allowed him to cling strongly to the thread of hope . Ye Xiuwen immediately reached into his Interspatial Ring and pulled out a Water Repulsion Orb before placing it straight into his mouth . Just like that, fresh air immediately filled his lungs once more, providing him with a reprieve from the stifling sensation of the waters engulfing him .
However, this was all Ye Xiuwen was able to do . The surface of the lotus pond drew further and further into the distance . Ye Xiuwen no longer had the strength to swim back upwards . Fortunately, the Spirit Koi had already turned tail and escaped as soon as it lost its vision . Otherwise, Ye Xiuwen would have no chance to survive this ordeal at all .
As Ye Xiuwen gazed at the bubbles float up to the surface of the lotus pond, he vaguely made out the reddish silhouette of a person staring back down at the lotus pond .
Is it Xiaomo?
Ye Xiuwen grimaced with a slight sense of bitter astringency . He found it hard to forgive himself for all the mistakes he had made back when he was being controlled by the spirit tool .
And if he felt this way, how much more aggrieved would Jun Xiaomo feel, especially since she was the one bearing the brunt of the mistakes he made? As expected, the image on the surface of the waters must be an illusion…
With these thoughts weighing heavily on his heart, Ye Xiuwen’s mind slowly faded into the abyss of darkness .
On the side of the lotus pond, Jun Xiaomo slowly clambered back up to her feet with a poise that looked as though she were about to dive deep into the waters . As soon as the sprightly old man and the rest noticed that Jun Xiaomo were missing, they looked up and noticed what Jun Xiaomo was trying to do . They were instantly scared witless, and they sprinted straight towards Jun Xiaomo .
“Disciple-in-Law, don’t be foolish!” The sprightly old man ran the quickest, and he immediately grabbed hold of Jun Xiaomo’s arm in the nick of time, preventing her from doing anything foolish .
Jun Xiaomo was slightly taken aback when something grabbed her arm . She looked back, only to notice a wrinkled old man staring at her anxiously .
She had just recovered her memories, and her entire mind was still frazzled and confused . Thus, it naturally took her some time to recognize the person standing in front of her .
“Master?” Jun Xiaomo muttered softly .
In Jun Xiaomo’s heart, she was already Ye Xiuwen’s woman . Thus, calling the sprightly old man “Master” could hardly be considered going overboard . On the side, Chi Jingtian heard the term of reference used by Jun Xiaomo, and he felt somewhat bitter in his heart . However, he chose to keep these feelings to himself .
He knew that the foothold he had in Jun Xiaomo’s heart could never be as firm as that which Ye Xiuwen or even Rong Ruihan had . This was something he had already begun to accept as a fact .
However, acceptance of a fact was one thing, yet matters of future developments were quite something else . After all, there were many, many days ahead of their lives, and he firmly believed that he would be able to make Jun Xiaomo accept him for who he is one day .
Going with the flow, the sprightly old man sighed and patted Jun Xiaomo’s shoulder, “Don’t worry . I have faith that my disciple’s resilience is much more than just that . At the very least, I don’t think he’d fall to a mere lotus pond . ”
“But he’s already sustained grievous wounds . ” Jun Xiaomo muttered in dismay . Her heart would echo with pangs of bitterness whenever she replayed in her mind that moment Ye Xiuwen crashed into the waters .
“Don’t worry . I’d earlier given to him a Water Repulsion Orb . He won’t have any issues underwater with that . Furthermore, this lotus pond might in fact be a prime opportunity to him . ”
“A prime opportunity?” Jun Xiaomo couldn’t wrap her mind around what the sprightly old man was saying .
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“Haven’t ye noticed? The spiritual energy around the lotus pond is incredibly thick . The surface of the pond is covered with wisps of congealed spiritual energy all year round . Furthermore, the fact that this lotus pond could nurture and nourish a Rainbow Lotus Flower means that it’s not to be underestimated . Otherwise, why wouldn’t Rainbow Lotus Flowers grow in other lotus ponds as well? If my guess is right, the lotus pond’s waters might even possess rehabilitative properties that might accelerate his recovery . Let’s wait and see . He should return to us in no more than a few days’ time . ” The old man reassured her, before adding his words of caution, “Furthermore, Disciple-in-Law cannot go down there because you possess an acquired demonic body . The lotus pond is filled with thick spiritual energy, and this spiritual energy isn’t a tonic to yer body . Rather, it’s a form of poison . Thus, ye’ll have to be good and remain by the side of the lotus pond at best . Don’t do anything unnecessary . Otherwise, ye might be finished even before Xiuwen returns to us . ”
Jun Xiaomo finally returned to her senses, and she lowered her head remorsefully, “I understand . Thank you, Master . I’ve made everyone worry . ”
Chi Jingtian walked over to Jun Xiaomo’s side and placed his arm around her shoulder, “Don’t worry . With Brother Ye’s Master and Great-Grandfather around, are you really still afraid that something might happen to him? Since Brother Ye’s Master says he’s going to be fine, there’s no reason to suspect otherwise . ”
Jun Xiaomo nodded her head and finally shelved her anxiety for now . Taking up the sprightly old man’s suggestions, she resolved in her heart that she would wait by the lotus pond for the next few days before deciding what to do next .
Just like that, Jun Xiaomo waited by the side of the lotus pond for half a month . Every day, Jun Xiaomo would be unable to resist the urge to walk towards the lotus pond and gaze deep into its depth, hoping with all her heart that she would see Ye Xiuwen surface from the lotus pond once more .
One day passed . Two days passed . Half a month passed . The thread of hope in Jun Xiaomo’s heart grew fainter and fainter by the day, and the despondence in her heart grew stronger and stronger .
Jun Xiaomo’s patience was wearing thin, and she was on the brink of asking the sprightly old man to help check on Ye Xiuwen’s condition underwater . Fortunately, as soon as Jun Xiaomo woke up that very morning and opened her eyes, she immediately noticed a familiar silhouette seated at the table inside her room .
Ye Xiuwen sat silently at the table with several lotus leaves beside his arm, and these lotus leaves had a large lotus seed placed right in the center of each one of them .
As soon as Jun Xiaomo woke up, ripples could be seen in the depths of Ye Xiuwen’s eyes .
“Martial Brother Ye!” Jun Xiaomo sat up from the bed immediately . Unfortunately, she sat up too quickly, and a wave of lightheadedness washed across her mind, and she fell back down onto the bed once more .
“Xiaomo!” Ye Xiuwen couldn’t hold himself back any longer, and he immediately rushed over to Jun Xiaomo’s side and helped her up . Then, he placed a pillow behind her back so that she could sit up more comfortably .
After doing everything, Ye Xiuwen hesitated for a moment, before retracting his hand . He was uncertain of whether Jun Xiaomo has recovered her memory, and he was all the more unsure of whether Jun Xiaomo was still mad at him .
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However, Jun Xiaomo immediately grabbed hold of Ye Xiuwen’s arm . Lifting her head, Jun Xiaomo presented herself with reddened, puffy eyes, “Martial Brother Ye, is it really you? You’re alright, aren’t you?”
Ye Xiuwen’s heart trembled slightly, and he lowered his head, “Xiaomo, are you concerned about me right now?”
“Shouldn’t I be concerned about you? If it’s not you, then who should I be concerned about?!” Jun Xiaomo’s eyes turned red and puffy in an instant, “Have you remained hidden all these days because you think that I’m not worrying about you day and night?”
Ye Xiuwen immediately grabbed Jun Xiaomo and pulled him into a tight, warm embrace as he muttered softly, “I’m sorry…Xiaomo, I’m sorry…”
“If you’re really sorry, you would’ve returned earlier…” Jun Xiaomo muttered sorrowfully . The volatile amalgamation of worry and distress and fear finally exploded, and tears began to pour out of her eyes, soaking the front of Ye Xiuwen’s garments .
Jun Xiaomo was overwhelmed right now . In fact, she was afraid that all of this was nothing more than a dream, and she would still be stuck waiting for Ye Xiuwen’s return when she awakened from it .
“It’s alright . Everything is alright now…” Ye Xiuwen patted Jun Xiaomo’s back as he consoled her .
Jun Xiaomo’s reaction was well outside of his expectations . Even he felt bad for the things he had done when his rationality was compromised . Thus, he didn’t expect to ever be able to earn Jun Xiaomo’s forgiveness ever again .
Unexpectedly, Jun Xiaomo’s heart was only filled with worry and concern for his return .
This moved Ye Xiuwen, yet it also caused his heart to be awash with bitterness .
“Xiaomo, has your memory returned?” Once Jun Xiaomo’s emotions settled down and she stopped bawling, Ye Xiuwen patted her head, sat by her side and asked sincerely .
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“My memory returned in the instant that your lifeless body struck the surface of the lotus pond . ” Jun Xiaomo lowered her head as she responded . She bit down on her lower lips and paused for a moment before continuing, “Martial Brother Ye, I don’t blame you regarding Brother Rong . After all, you were being controlled by the demons in your heart, while my attitude towards Brother Rong hasn’t been the most appropriate either . Truth me told, the one I’m unable to forgive is myself…”
She hated herself for how fickle her heart was in her relationships . She knew that her feelings for Ye Xiuwen for her were as real and sincere as it got, but she was nevertheless uncertain of the extent of feelings she had for Rong Ruihan either . And it was precisely because of this uncertainty in her heart that Ye Xiuwen’s heart would be plagued by demons to begin with .
Thus, the person she hated and blamed for Rong Ruihan’s “death” was not Ye Xiuwen . Instead, it was herself .
Ye Xiuwen was heavyhearted . Even though he was somewhat apologetic for how he had treated Rong Ruihan, he nevertheless disliked hearing the words “Brother Rong” coming from Jun Xiaomo’s lips . That said, he knew deep within his heart that unless they could turn back time, it was practically impossible to ask Jun Xiaomo to forget Rong Ruihan altogether .
Forget it . We can talk about these things next time . What’s most important right now is Xiaomo’s body .
As Ye Xiuwen thought about these things, he patted Jun Xiaomo’s shoulder, “We’ll discuss these things next time . All you have to know right now is that he’s not dead . ”
“Brother Rong is alive?!” Jun Xiaomo suddenly looked up at Ye Xiuwen in disbelief .
Jun Xiaomo had already passed out completely back when Ye Xiuwen first released her from the spirit tool . Thus, she was completely unaware that Rong Ruihan was still alive . Otherwise, she would never have lost her memory from the severe mental blow his “death” had dealt her .
Ye Xiuwen sighed as he explained, “That’s right . He’s alive . The injuries on his body should have recovered substantially after such a long time now . But whatever the case might be, the most important thing is for you to focus on your own recovery . ”
As Ye Xiuwen spoke, he picked up the lotus leaves on the table and handed them to Jun Xiaomo, “Your body’s condition is worsening . It’s a good thing I’ve been able to return with the Rainbow Lotus Flower’s seeds this time . Otherwise, I’d really be at my wits’ end as to what we would do . ”
Jun Xiaomo received the lotus leaves with a heart filled with gratitude .
Ye Xiuwen’s return, coupled with news that Rong Ruihan was still alive, caused her heart to feel thoroughly released from all forms of tension . A radiant smile slowly surfaced on Jun Xiaomo’s cheeks .
“Thanks, Martial Brother Ye . ” Jun Xiaomo muttered softly, eyes gleaming with sincerity .