Fairy, Please Listen to My Explanation

Chapter 11: Soul Rejection

“…”

The air felt deathly still.

Xu Yuan slowly turned his head to look at the woman beside him.

This somewhat familiar term, accompanied by Ran Qingmo’s gaze—as clear and tranquil as when they first met—made the hairs on his neck stand on end.

He instantly understood the source of that bone-deep pain he had felt before losing consciousness.

Soul Rejection.

Absurdity, helplessness, and a flicker of realization all rushed at once.

[Those who reach the Origin Realm through martial arts can achieve fleshly immortality, capable of bodily rebirth with just a drop of blood. Those who reach it through Qi cultivation can solidify their spirit to leave their body and seize another’s body.]

This world itself permitted possession, but who could have imagined that even his transmigration would give him Soul Rejection?

Apart from the howling wind, the vast snowy plains were utterly silent.

After a long pause, Xu Yuan softly asked, “Soul Rejection?”

Ran Qingmo stared at Xu Yuan and nodded. “Yes.”

Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes and chuckled ambiguously, “Heroine Ran, what do you mean by that?”

Ran Qingmo looked directly into Xu Yuan’s eyes and said, “You… are not Xu Changtian.”

“…” Xu Yuan remained silent.

Her voice remained calm, as though stating something utterly ordinary.

Despite having his suspicions confirmed by her own words, perhaps due to the lingering disorientation from his prolonged unconsciousness, Xu Yuan found himself surprisingly devoid of panic at having his identity exposed.

Now, only two paths lay before him.

Admit it or deny it.

If he denied it, what excuse could he use to fool her?

If he admitted it, what would be the consequences?

After a long silence, Xu Yuan slowly stood up. Under Ran Qingmo’s watchful eyes, he took a swig of Flame Serpent Essence from the waterskin to warm himself. He raised his eyes to look at the immeasurably tall mountain peak above, then looked down at the endless sea of forest below the moonlight.

During his four days unconscious, Ran Qingmo and that giant white tiger had somehow managed to carry him halfway up Tianmen Mountain.

With a rough plan forming in his mind, Xu Yuan turned back to Ran Qingmo and said slowly, “Whether or not I am Xu Changtian… Does it truly matter to you?”

He didn’t deny it. Xu Yuan admitted it with great composure.

All Ran Qingmo needed was a “living” Xu Changtian—a third young master who could be used to pressure the Grand Chancellor. The specifics of how he was “alive” didn’t actually matter.

Moreover, she must have already realized this; otherwise, she wouldn’t have continued their journey to Tianmen Mountain while he was unconscious.

Ran Qingmo pondered seriously before shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter, but why don’t you understand cultivation?”

A genuine confusion flashed through her beautiful eyes as she questioned.

While Xu Changtian’s personality change before and after unconsciousness could be attributed to soul possession, why would he be as ignorant as a newborn about cultivation?

Xu Yuan sat down beside Ran Qingmo with the waterskin in hand, his heartbeat steady. He pointed to his head and explained unhurriedly, “Because I’ve lost many of my memories. Many things are just fragments.”

“Including the cave dwelling you mentioned?”

“Correct.”

“What about Xu Changtian’s own memories?”

“I don’t know. Perhaps the cultivation method I practiced was special. Among these fragmented memories, some are mine from before, and some of Xu Changtian’s have unexpectedly remained.”

“Then how did you learn about the matter of the Sword Sect?”

“…”

Hearing this, Xu Yuan stopped answering and shook his head with a smile. “Heroine Ran, didn’t we agree not to probe into each other’s affairs on this matter?”

“…”

Upon hearing these words, the beautiful eyes visible beneath Ran Qingmo’s black veil flickered briefly before she finally nodded.

Seizing this opportunity while their cards were on the table, Xu Yuan continued, “Although you probably won’t listen, I still want to offer you a piece of advice. That person is not going to change his decision because of me—or rather, because of Xu Changtian.”

Meeting Ran Qingmo’s gaze, Xu Yuan enunciated each word clearly, “If you truly wish to prevent the destruction of the Heavenly Origin Sword Sect, there are better ways. I can help you.”

The Sword Sect’s destruction was a crucial plot point in Ancient Origins. By leveraging Ran Qingmo, Xu Yuan could gain significant benefits.

However, there was not the slightest hint of wavering in Ran Qingmo’s eyes as she silently watched him.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan smiled slightly and stopped trying to persuade her. “My offer stands. If you change your mind, you can find me anytime.”

Ran Qingmo’s refusal did not surprise him.

Although he and Ran Qingmo were now in the same boat, their respective identities meant that gaining her trust was virtually impossible.

She had agreed to follow his suggestion and head to the hidden cave dwelling largely because his strength was so weak that he posed no threat to her.

Threat?

Wait a minute.

Xu Yuan’s thoughts suddenly halted.

He realized there was a flaw in his logic.

The premise for going to the cave dwelling was that his weak strength posed no threat to Ran Qingmo, but the sudden onset of Soul Rejection had invalidated this premise.

Those who reach the Origin Realm through martial arts can achieve fleshly immortality, capable of bodily rebirth with just a drop of blood. Those who reach it through Qi cultivation can solidify their spirit to leave their body and seize another’s body.

People who reached this realm could be considered peerless under the heavens.

If Xu Yuan remembered correctly, at this point in time, Ran Qingmo had not yet reached this realm.

The cave dwelling he mentioned for refuge would undoubtedly be seen by Ran Qingmo as something left behind by his previous life.

In other words, in Ran Qingmo’s eyes, Xu Yuan had transformed from a powerless, pampered young master into a mysterious remnant soul of an expert capable of threatening her.

Xu Yuan studied the black-clad woman before him, who once again closed her eyes to meditate. Numerous questions resurfaced in his mind.

Did she fail to realize this? Or did she realize but didn’t care?

No, that wasn’t right. Ran Qingmo couldn’t possibly not care.

Confidence was not arrogance.

The formations and restrictions in that cave dwelling were left by someone who had reached the Origin Realm and could indeed pose a threat to the current Ran Qingmo.

If so, why would she still dare follow him to that cave dwelling?

As this question flickered in his mind, Xu Yuan gradually felt an ominous premonition rising in his heart.

After a moment of silence,

Xu Yuan slowly lowered his head to look at the waterskin in his hands, or rather, the Flame Serpent Essence inside it.

The foundation of their cooperation was built on the fact that whoever was behind the Flame Serpent wanted him to die on the way after Ran Qingmo kidnapped him.

As this thought occurred to him, Xu Yuan realized that something must have happened during the days he was unconscious.

And this event had forced Ran Qingmo to accompany him to that cave dwelling.

Moonlight cascaded like a waterfall as silence pooled like still water.

Crunch. Crunch.

While his mind was racing with many thoughts, the sound of footsteps on snow came from the distance. Xu Yuan immediately turned to see the approaching figure, and only then did his tense heart relax slightly.

It was the large white tiger.

However, this white tiger had grown an entire size larger compared to four days ago, as if having undergone some mutation. It had probably consumed quite a few Demon Cores while following Ran Qingmo these past few days.

While humans couldn’t directly consume Demon Cores, they served as potent nourishment for demon beasts themselves.

The large white tiger trotted with a snow wolf over two meters in size clamped on its jaw.

The tiger ran to Ran Qingmo’s side and dropped the snow wolf from its mouth. It then affectionately rubbed its head against the hem of her black robe before giving Xu Yuan a human-like disdainful look.

Without eating its prey, it simply sprawled beside Ran Qingmo and began dozing.

Everything returned to silence. In the moonlit snow-covered mountain, the black-clad woman and the enormous white tiger created a harmonious and tranquil scene.

But Xu Yuan’s gaze remained fixed on the white tiger’s back.

There, in the place where he had once sat.

A bone-deep, gaping wound was clearly visible.