bookbashuk Chapter 356 Boundless Sea of Clouds
Chapter 356 Boundless Sea of Clouds
The days suddenly seemed both very long and very short. Every moment was silently magnified, yet also slipped away so quickly that they couldn't be grasped.
As expected, Fatty Li and Zhao Mengmeng arrived in the evening, only to be stopped at the mountain gate by Lu Kong and Huiming. Chen Anran, having received the message, went down the mountain to meet them.
"Master! Are you alright? Why is the mountain sealed off? What about the sect leader and the others...?" Fatty Li looked anxious, his forehead covered in sweat.
Zhao Mengmeng also stared at him expectantly.
"I'm fine," Chen Anran interrupted him, her tone as calm as possible. "Sect Leader Sister... has some insights and has gone into seclusion. I also need to meditate for a while. The sect is temporarily closed, so you don't need to worry."
"Then...how long will it take?" Fatty Li pressed.
"It's hard to say." Chen Anran looked away. "Keep an eye on the resort with Mengmeng. If anything happens... you can ask Lu Kong or Huiming to pass on the message."
Fatty Li opened his mouth, but seeing Chen Anran's obvious reluctance to speak, he swallowed his words and simply nodded heavily: "Master, don't worry! I'll take care of the shop! You...you, the sect leader, and the two other uncles, please take care!"
Zhao Mengmeng seemed to sense something was wrong and said, "Master, you must tell us if there's anything." After saying that, Zhao Mengmeng also went down the mountain.
Watching Li Pangzi's sturdy figure, leading Zhao Mengmeng down the mountain, turning back every few steps, Chen Anran stood there until their figures completely disappeared around the bend in the twilight-shrouded mountain path. He stood there for a while before turning around and walking back up the mountain. The stone steps, one after another, seemed endless.
Night fell again.
Tonight, Feng Xiaolu suggested having tea in the courtyard. She took out a set of plain white porcelain teaware that Su Wan had treasured, and also found a small jar of aged Pu'er tea from somewhere. Since there was no spiritual spring water, she used ordinary mountain spring water to boil it.
The three sat around the stone table, watching Feng Xiaolu skillfully warm the teapot, rinse the tea leaves, and brew the tea. The tea soup appeared a rich reddish-brown in the white cups, its aroma not overpowering, but rather calm and mellow.
"My senior sister used to say that this tea should be stored away for important occasions," Feng Xiaolu said softly, holding her teacup. "Now... is this considered an important occasion?"
Wei Qingyi blew on the steam rising from the tea, took a sip, and said, "Mmm."
Chen Anran also took a sip. The tea was mellow and slightly bitter, with a slow but lasting aftertaste.
There weren't many words exchanged. They simply sipped their tea quietly, listening to the rustling of bamboo leaves in the wind in the courtyard. Occasionally, Feng Xiaolu would say, "This tea is really good," or Wei Qingyi would comment on the water temperature and steeping time.
The night sky remained clear, and starlight spilled down, falling on the stone table, into the teacups, and onto their silent brows and eyes.
Daily life goes on. Eating, taking walks, tidying up old things, doing mundane tasks. Conversations are ordinary, expressions are calm. But beneath that calmness, in those occasional glances that quickly meet and then part, in the intentionally or unintentionally lighter footsteps, in that extraordinary appreciation for the taste of the most ordinary food, time is flowing forward in another silent way.
The third day arrived as scheduled.
Early in the morning, Chen Anran got up as usual and made plain noodles. Wei Qingyi finished eating quietly, put down her chopsticks, and looked at him.
"Today," she said, "I want to go to the top of the mountain."
Chen Anran tightened her grip on the chopsticks and nodded.
Feng Xiaolu looked up, her eyes a little red, but she forced a smile: "I'm going too! I haven't seen the sea of clouds at our Cloud Hidden Sect in so long!"
Reaching the highest point of Yunyin Mountain, we arrived just in time for the sunrise. The sea of clouds churned, and golden-red rays pierced the sky, dyeing the clouds into a magnificent brocade, a sight so spectacular it took our breath away.
Wei Qingyi stood on the edge of the cliff, the mountain wind blowing her long hair and clothes. She watched quietly for a long time, then turned around to face Chen Anran and Feng Xiaolu.
The sunlight gilded her with a layer of fuzzy gold.
She smiled, a faint smile, yet more beautiful than the sunrise behind her.
"I'm leaving," she said.
There was no earth-shattering sound, no trace of painful struggle. Just like her senior sister, her body began to become transparent, from her fingertips to her arms, and then to her entire body, gradually turning into faint light and disappearing.
Before disappearing completely, she looked at Chen Anran, her lips moved as if she were saying something, but no sound came out. Then, that faint light completely merged into the golden sunlight and was never seen again.
Feng Xiaolu's tears finally rolled down in large drops, but she bit her lip tightly and didn't cry out.
The sea of clouds still churns, and the sunrise remains magnificent.
But at the mountaintop, one person was missing.
Chen Anran put his arm around Feng Xiaolu's trembling shoulders and said in a low but steady voice, "Let's go home."
Life goes on. Only, three bowls of noodles have become two. And beside the stone table in the courtyard, a solitary figure is missing.
Feng Xiaolu became much quieter, but she still tried her best to eat, talk, and find things to do. She stopped mentioning the "treasure chest" and began to organize the things left behind by Su Wan and Wei Qingyi, categorizing and tidying up clothes, books, and small items neatly.
Chen Anran began to frequent the stone chamber in the mountainside more often. He didn't look at the blood pool, but instead stood for long periods in front of the bookshelves, flipping through the ancient scrolls covered in dust. Lu Kong would sometimes appear silently, handing him a specific book when needed, or answering some profound questions about formations or the nature of spiritual energy. His answers were concise and precise, as if that knowledge had already been etched into his very bones.
Huiming continued to chant sutras in the side hall every day. The sound of the wooden fish and the chanting echoed through the desolate mountains and forests, seemingly adding a touch of desolation to the scene.
The fifth day arrived in an almost suffocating calm.
Feng Xiaolu woke up exceptionally early that day. She changed into her favorite dress, combed her hair neatly, and clumsily tried to braid her hair. In the end, Chen Anran silently took over and braided it for her.
"Does it look good?" She twirled around, her skirt billowing.
"It looks good," Chen Anran said.
She made breakfast, a simple millet porridge and pickled vegetables, but she arranged it with great care. While eating, she chattered on and on, talking about how she and Chen Anran used to fight over candy when they were little, how her second senior sister always had a cold face but secretly helped her mend her clothes, how her eldest senior sister always had the scent of calming incense that made her feel at ease... As she spoke, her voice gradually lowered.
After breakfast, she took Chen Anran's hand and they strolled slowly through the sect, visiting every corner and lingering over each one. They walked to the main hall, the side hall, the herb field, to the old locust tree in the courtyard, and finally to the plaza.
Finally, she returned to her room, sat on the edge of the bed, and patted the spot next to her.
Chen Anran sat down.
"Junior brother," she leaned on his shoulder, her voice soft and slightly coquettish, "I'm a little sleepy."
"Mmm." Chen Anran put his arm around her, feeling her body trembling slightly.
"Don't be sad," she said. "My senior sister and second senior sister... are waiting for me up ahead. We're just... together in a different place."
"Um."
"From now on, you need to eat properly and sleep on time. Keep an eye on the mountain gate. If Fatty Li and his gang get into trouble, you... help them if you can, but don't be too aggressive."
"it is good."
"And..." Her voice grew softer and softer, more and more indistinct, "There won't be any troublemakers causing you any more trouble."
- We are dedicated to providing the most comfortable reading experience.