Xiao Yifeng slowly opened his eyes from the confusion, and what met his gaze was a sea of fire stretching across the mountains.
The flames before him seemed endless, consuming everything in the village, with thick smoke billowing up.
The acrid smell of smoke and the wolf corpses scattered on the ground jolted him fully awake.
In front of him stood a woman, with jade-like bones and icy skin, dressed in a white palace gown as pure as snow.
In this sea of fire, she looked like a celestial maiden descending to the mortal world, her robes fluttering.
The beautiful face of the woman in white was slightly furrowed with worry as she looked at him.
"I’m actually not dead. Hanyan, how are you here? Did you save me? I love you so much..."
Seeing this stunning woman, Xiao Yifeng was shocked, his face showing disbelief as he spoke, then he dashed towards her.
The woman, whose white clothes were as pure as snow, was taken aback when she saw him running towards her as soon as he woke up.
She was so astonished that she forgot to react, letting him embrace her, standing there helplessly.
"I can't believe I'm not dead and can see you again, this is wonderful. By the way, where's Qingyan? Did you save her too, Hanyan?"
Xiao Yifeng asked excitedly, looking around for something.
"How do you know my name? What nonsense are you spouting? I don't know you, let go of me."
The beautiful woman struggled anxiously, trying to free herself from Xiao Yifeng's grip.
"Hanyan, it's all my fault. I didn't know Qingyan was still alive. I just wanted to help her escape, that's why I self-detonated. I didn't mean to break our promise. Huh, why have you grown so much taller..."
Xiao Yifeng thought she was angry with him and held her even tighter.
Then he suddenly realized something was wrong, looking up at Liu Hanyan in confusion.
He finally noticed that this woman was so tall, he only reached her thigh.
The beautiful woman before him blushed, looking troubled, her frown as beautiful as his wife's, with that familiar serene fragrance.
Who else could she be but his wife, Liu Hanyan?
"I don't care who you are, don't think I won't act just because you're a child. Let go immediately, or I won't be polite." The woman in white said coldly.
"Hanyan, don't you recognize me? I'm Yifeng, your husband." Xiao Yifeng said urgently, seeing she was really angry.
The beautiful woman finally reached her limit, a powerful icy aura spread from her like a blooming ice lotus.
Xiao Yifeng was sent flying several meters by the aura, crashing onto the hard ground, feeling a wave of pain throughout his body.
"Hanyan, how could you do this to me? Are you trying to murder your husband? I didn't mean to leave you alone." He looked at the woman in white in disbelief, speaking sadly.
"Xiao Feng, what's wrong with you? What nonsense are you talking about? Hurry and apologize to the fairy! Fairy, please don't mind, he was just momentarily shocked..."
A young voice came urgently from the side, sounding immature yet orderly.
Xiao Yifeng turned his head at the sound, seeing a very handsome little boy not far away, with some blood and ash on his face, looking at him in shock.
Xiao Yifeng's eyes widened, Ye Jiusi?
Why does he look like a child, what's going on?
Just as he was about to speak, overwhelmed with emotions, he felt a pain in his chest, spat out a mouthful of blood, and fainted.
***
He didn't know how long had passed when Xiao Yifeng suddenly woke up, sitting up abruptly, gasping for air, his hands trembling slightly. He shouted, "Hanyan!!!!"
Before waking, his mind was filled with memories of his past life, his experiences with Lin Qingyan, the power struggles in the Astral Holy Palace, and the love-hate entanglement with Liu Hanyan.
The stone gate standing between heaven and earth kept appearing, and finally, at the end of his life, was the life-and-death struggle with Lin Qingyan.
All sorts of bizarre and terrifying nightmares.
Xiao Yifeng calmed himself, looking around, seeing it was a simple room with two small windows.
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The room was simply and cleanly furnished, with only a few pine tables and chairs, a kettle, and cups.
It looked like an ordinary guest room in an inn, or a shared room for disciples learning from a master.
He was lying on the only bed in the room, with several young boys sitting around the table chatting.
Ye Jiusi was watching over him by the bedside, a faint worry between his brows.
Seeing Xiao Yifeng awake, Ye Jiusi's face softened slightly, asking with concern, "Xiao Feng, are you alright? Why did you suddenly go crazy, clinging to the fairy who saved our lives?"
"Jiusi?" Xiao Yifeng said incredulously.
Ye Jiusi nodded heavily, his handsome little face showing a sad expression.
He said sadly, "Although everyone in Xiao Family Village is gone except for us, I know you're sad, but don't scare me."
Xiao Yifeng opened his mouth, with countless questions in his heart, but the words turned into silence.
The village is gone? Xiao Family Village?
Xiao Yifeng looked at him blankly for a while before realizing, he quickly stretched out his hands, not small, with some calluses left from a poor child's work.
But compared to his hands, scarred from battles in the future, these hands were too delicate.
He pulled up his left sleeve, seeing a deep scar on his left arm, stitched like a centipede.
It was from when he accidentally hurt himself doing farm work as a child, but it was washed away by cultivation later.
I've gone back to the past!
This was after his village was attacked by wolves, when ten-year-old him and Ye Jiusi were saved by Liu Hanyan, now on a ship heading to the Heaven-Inquiry Sect.
Suddenly someone knocked on the door and opened it, quieting the children.
A beautiful and elegant woman entered the room, asking, "Which one is Xiao Yifeng? Our hall master wants to see you, come with me!"
Ye Jiusi looked at Xiao Yifeng nervously, worried the fairy would hold him accountable.
Xiao Yifeng forced a smile, saying, "It's okay, I was just momentarily shocked and went a bit crazy. I'll go apologize to the fairy, I'll be back soon."
Under Ye Jiusi's worried gaze, Xiao Yifeng followed the guiding maid out of the room.
In the corridor, it was clear this was a three-story ship, looking no different from a large ship on land.
Yet this ship was smoothly soaring through the sky, clouds drifting by, with no sense of movement on board.
His mind raced, had he transmigrated back after death?
At this time, Liu Hanyan didn't know him, and he hadn't married her.
The safest course was to pretend he was momentarily shocked into madness, but he had already called out Liu Hanyan's name, which was hard to explain.
Because Liu Hanyan was known by her Daoist title, Fairy Guanghan, in front of outsiders, few knew her real name.
And according to his past life experience, if he didn't make some changes now, he would likely be sent off the ship, to be a servant disciple in the outer sect.
Ye Jiusi, due to his exceptional talent, would be taken into the Heaven-Inquiry Sect as a true disciple.
He struggled among the servant disciples for years before finally entering the most desolate Boundless Hall as an ordinary disciple, struggling for years to become a true disciple.
Thinking of the chaotic future, Xiao Yifeng knew time was pressing, he couldn't afford to cultivate slowly anymore.
No matter what, he needed to gain enough strength in a short time.
Since he had already called out Liu Hanyan's name, he had to make her believe he was her husband.
He needed to join the Heaven-Inquiry Sect quickly, gain enough power to protect himself and Liu Hanyan.
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan