Chapter 204: The White Peony Fairy Returns from Her Tribulation; A Future Love Tribulation Is Born from This

In the *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio* of my past life, the story told in the chapter "Xiangyu" sounds winding and vivid, appearing quite complex.

But to put it plainly, it is just a story of a scholar surnamed Huang and two flower and tree spirits loving one another.

It is just that while such stories are gentle and moving, the endings are often not very pleasant.

What kind of story did that "Xiangyu" chapter actually tell?

A scholar surnamed Huang met two sisters, one named Xiangyu and one named Jiangxue, at the Lower Qing Palace on Laoshan.

Xiangyu was a transformation of a White Peony, and Jiangxue was a spirit formed from a Naidong Tree. The three experienced all sorts of human trials, yet their love remained steadfast and unchanging.

Huang Sheng often said that when he died one day, he would surely entrust his soul here, to be born beside Xiangyu's true form—the White Peony flower.

Naturally, since it is a story about steadfastness, he would not break his promise.

More than ten years later, this Huang Sheng suddenly fell gravely ill.

His son sought him out and grieved incessantly. However, the scholar surnamed Huang instead laughed and said, "This is the time of my birth, not the time of my death; why grieve!"

He even told the old Daoist priest in the Lower Qing Palace, "One day, when a red sprout grows fiercely beneath the peony, with five leaves upon blooming, that will be me."

He then said no more. His son took him home. He soon passed away.

The following year, a plump sprout indeed emerged, with leaves of that exact number. The Daoist thought it strange and watered it all the more. After three years, it was several feet tall and as thick as an arm, but it did not bloom.

The old Daoist died, and his disciples, not knowing to cherish it, chopped it down. The White Peony also withered and died; before long, the Naidong Tree died as well.

This is the general narrative of the "Xiangyu" chapter from the *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio* in Fang Longye's past life.

Not much different from this, it seems that in this world, the ending for the three of them has not changed at all.

There were still those mediocre people who chopped down the spiritual plant transformed from Huang Sheng like weeds, and the remaining Xiangyu and Jiangxue died for love one after the other.

The difference is that there are more people who know the value of things~ The story is still gentle and moving, worthy of being called soul-stirring. It is just that Fang Longye feels nothing for it.

But as it happens, whether it is Duanhe, who is telling this story, or Long Xuan, who is listening to it, both cannot help but have tears well up in their hearts.

No, is it really worth it?

Why are you two crying~

Looking at Long Xuan beside him with eyes brimming with tears, and Duanhe, who is grieving incessantly for this.

Fang Longye is truly unable to laugh or cry, secretly complaining in his heart.

Not to mention these two, who are clearly single, yet they are immersed in someone else's story, feeling heartbroken over the joys and sorrows of others.

Just regarding this story of Huang Sheng and the two sisters, Xiangyu and Jiangxue, whether it is what was recorded in the books of his past life or what truly exists in this life.

In his view, it is not that moving, is it? Yes, at first listen, it is indeed somewhat heart-wrenching.

But if you really look into it, no matter how you look at it, it doesn't taste right; it is entirely a twisted love triangle.

He loves her, she loves her, he loves her again, yet she just doesn't love her.

It is indescribably awkward.

From the perspective of his past life, this scholar surnamed Huang is, to put it bluntly, just a scumbag who lusts after beauty!

Saying things like, "Xiangyu is my beloved wife, and Jiangxue is my good friend."

But then? He is on par with Ning Caichen, who claimed to "never have eyes for another in his life"—when this scholar surnamed Huang said this, he already had a wife and children at home.

Falling in love with Xiangyu, strictly speaking, counts as abandoning his wife and children.

As for how he treated such a so-called good friend as Jiangxue, that just makes Fang Longye chuckle.

Whose good friend is brought in just to roll in the sheets? The most critical part is that he only managed to get Jiangxue through Xiangyu.

Actually, this is nothing.

After all, the pot shouldn't call the kettle black.

Fang Longye, who considers himself lustful, does not have the qualifications to point fingers at others.

But the result.

This scholar surnamed Huang actually got away with it and became a figure of steadfast loyalty~

Just because he transformed into a plant after death, fulfilling what he said while alive? If you really want to argue, after Xiangyu died for love and withered, Jiangxue also faded away; that is even more worthy of being called steadfast! To borrow the words of the "little fairies" from his past life—scumbags get lost! Sisters kiss~ It is a pity that those who are favored are often fearless. Xiangyu only had the scumbag Huang Sheng in her eyes, while Jiangxue's love for Xiangyu was so deep, yet it was ignored~ Fine~

He admits that he, who has always had a dark mind, is completely jealous of this scholar surnamed Huang.

To have actually met someone as steadfast as Xiangyu, and to have also had a Jiangxue who was no less than her.

How many lifetimes of merit must he have accumulated!...

"Sigh! Foolish child~"

Just as Fang Longye was secretly complaining to himself.

Suddenly.

A middle-aged man's sigh drifted over.

Accompanying this long sigh, dense and fine jade stamens appeared.

Azure-colored cloud energy descended slowly, fluffy and soft, filled with the fragrance of plum blossoms.

In an instant, the surroundings became clear, as if all troubles had been swept away.

Fang Longye followed the sound and looked up.

He saw that not far away, the space was torn like a canvas, opening a portal.

Within the portal, auspicious light gathered, colorful rays lingered, pavilions stood in succession, and the lake water was a dark green, reflecting people's figures.

A few new swallows returned, cutting through the breeze that filled the sky.

There, a Daoist sat upright, with a precious desk in front of him, a Green Tripod on the desk, and smoke within the tripod; on the left side was placed an Exquisite Stone Bone, making his immortal, otherworldly bearing even more apparent.

Fang Longye shifted his gaze and saw that the Daoist had a half-acre of auspicious clouds above his crown, clear and bright as water.

Faintly, there was a swaying shadow, rustling with sound, as if a marvelous precious tree were rooted within it.

He immediately understood why he had felt that reaction when he approached this blessed land of the immortal mountain where the Laoshan Sect was located.

So, it was a fellow practitioner.

This Daoist, just like him, also practiced the Phoenix Clan's Companion Spiritual Root Secret Technique.

With a light chuckle, he flickered his form, and together with Long Xuan, he pulled the bewildered Duanhe along, stepped across the threshold, and sat down steadily opposite the Daoist.

"I am the Daoist Jingde; greetings, fellow Daoist."

Fang Longye returned a formal salute and said, "Wine Sword Immortal Fang Longye; greetings, fellow Daoist."

"I failed to come far to welcome you when you visited my Laoshan Sect; I hope you will forgive me."

"It is of no consequence~"

"Duanhe has a simple and honest nature; I hope you will excuse his behavior, fellow Daoist!"

Daoist Jingde expressed his apologies for his disciple's recent loss of composure and negligence.

However, despite this, as he looked at his eldest disciple, who was still somewhat bewildered, a look of satisfaction almost overflowed from his eyes.

Unlike Fang Longye's sentiments.

Daoist Jingde was very satisfied with his disciple's recent actions.

To be able to grieve and rejoice deeply over people and matters unrelated to oneself, and to express one's own emotions without any restraint.

This could also be considered a kind of innocent, childlike heart.

Daoist cultivation emphasizes nature and focuses on cultivating the heart. It could be said that his disciple's path to becoming a Golden Immortal was secure!

He first gave an apologetic smile to Fang Longye, then proceeded to instruct his disciple, who was still lost in bewilderment.

"Foolish child, all things arise and cease due to conditions; there is nothing more normal than that!"

"You were able to see through the causal connections that the junior who chopped down the spiritual plant transformed from Huang Sheng could not see, and you understood the sequence of events. This is naturally rare~"

"However—"

"Who is to say there are not further causes behind these causes? Within karma, there are further entanglements. Beneath the surface, is it necessarily the truth?"

"Furthermore, the old man at the frontier lost his horse—who is to say it was not a blessing? You only saw the flowers and trees wither and grieved for them, but how do you know this was not a kind of transformation?"

Hearing these words, Duanhe's bewildered eyes gradually began to brighten.

Seeing this, Daoist Jingde nodded.

He then pointed to a spot in the void and said with a smile, "Look there!"

Duanhe immediately turned his head to look, and Fang Longye, seeing Daoist Jingde's words and actions, also curiously looked over.

……

No sooner had Daoist Jingde finished speaking than the sound of jade pendants rang out, crisp and pleasant; then, a halo rippled from the void.

Amidst the glint of pearls and jewels, white cranes flew from the west, a cool breeze brushed their faces, and two slender female immortals stepped out on lotus flowers, their fair calves appearing and disappearing from view.

They wore palace dresses with delicate fabrics, their skirts fluttering; one carried a flower basket in her hand, and the other held a white peony, dripping with freshness.

They looked over with smiles on their faces.

Duanhe stared blankly at the two female immortals who had appeared, sensing the Aura radiating from them.

He suddenly looked at his master, an expression of disbelief on his face.

Daoist Jingde nodded at him and confirmed with a smile, "Your sensing is correct; these two are indeed the original Xiangyu and Jiangxue~"

"However, now you must call them Peony Fairy and Jiangxue Fairy!"

Duanhe remained in a daze.

As for Fang Longye, upon hearing this, brilliant divine light immediately appeared in his eyes as they fell upon the two female immortals who had emerged from the void.

A moment later, a look of realization appeared on his face.

"I must thank you, little fellow Daoist, for taking such good care of my sister and me previously."

Peony Fairy's dark hair was like a waterfall; she did not use hairpins to adorn it, but simply tied it up with a cord.

She shook the peony in her hand, took a step forward, and thanked Duanhe with a beaming smile.

Unlike the *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio* Fang Longye had read in his past life, in this world, there was no old Daoist; the person who had taken such care of these flowers and trees was Duanhe.

"How did this come to be?" Duanhe asked, somewhat puzzled.

"That is a long story!"

Jiangxue Fairy, who was behind Peony Fairy, had hair that fluttered like clouds; she tapped her jade feet lightly and arrived before the table, looked at Fang Longye with curiosity, and then nodded.

She then smiled at Duanhe.

……

Slanted bamboo cast secluded shadows.

On the table, a small bronze censer emitted wisps of blue smoke.

In the pool nearby, lotus flowers had just fallen, their lingering fragrance heavy, with dewdrops upon them, staining the scene with clarity.

Fang Longye held a cup of fragrant tea, sipping it slowly, his gaze deep and full of contemplation.

It was as Jiangxue Fairy recounted the tale.

Fang Longye matched her words against the few pieces of information he had previously investigated, and thus understood the sequence of events and the causal connections involved.

It turned out that the previous peony flower demon—Xiangyu—was in her former life the Peony Fairy of the Heavenly Court.

Due to her cultivation, Peony Fairy had voluntarily entered the cycle of reincarnation, undergoing many lifetimes of tribulation.

By this lifetime, she was fortunate enough to gain the favor of Donghua Dijun, who traveled the heavens, and a single thought of his transformed into Huang Sheng, specifically to enlighten her so she could attain the Dao and return.

Now, having experienced the cycle of Life and Death, the withering and growth of plants, and the realization of the human world, Peony Fairy had finally achieved full merit, returning to her former self and advancing even further.

As for this Jiangxue Fairy, she had no such background.

She was not the reincarnation of any flower goddess, but simply a Naidong Wood spirit, a causal connection formed by Peony Fairy in this lifetime.

As the saying goes, when one person attains the Dao, their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.

As Peony Fairy's best friend in this lifetime, and even a close confidante with an indescribable relationship, she naturally became a flower immortal along with her.

The kind with an Imperial Edict from the Heavenly Court~

After all, she chose to wither away and die right after Peony Fairy passed away in that lifetime.

It shows true love~ Even without talking about emotions that transcend friendship, just speaking of friendship alone, that was an unwavering, steadfast friendship~ Naturally, she would not be treated unfairly.

"Speaking of which, isn't this just like Xiaoqing beside Lady White~ Once she rose up herself, she didn't forget to pull along the little sister she played well with."

Fang Longye watched Jiangxue Fairy, who was beaming with joy and speaking incessantly about these matters, and thought to himself.

However, there was one point—Fang Longye used his peripheral vision to carefully observe Peony Fairy's expression.

He saw that whenever Jiangxue Fairy mentioned words like "Donghua Dijun," her beautiful eyes could not help but brim with an inexplicable color.

That indescribable sentiment flashed by in an instant; perhaps she herself had not even noticed it.

"Perhaps, this is the origin of Lü Dongbin teasing White Peony three times in the future?" A reverie surfaced in his heart, and Fang Longye blinked his eyes.

It is not impossible!

At least in this world, I fear the entanglement between Peony Fairy and the future Pure Yang Patriarch Lü Dongbin began at this very moment~

A toad lusting after swan meat!

This was the first thought that surfaced in Fang Longye's mind after he realized this possibility.

Hmm, undoubtedly, the toad naturally refers to this Peony Fairy.

One must know that Donghua Dijun is a top-tier being with Great Divine Ability in the Honghuang.

And this Peony Fairy?

Even after returning from her tribulation, her cultivation has advanced a step, yet she is still spinning within the Golden Immortal Realm.

The gap between the two is countless times worse than the difference between heaven and earth.

What kind of beautiful dream is she having?

As for the Love Tribulation between Lü Dongbin and Peony Fairy in the future, it might exist.

But it would only be between Lü Dongbin and her, not between Donghua Dijun and her.

Anyway, judging by Fang Longye's current knowledge, that future Pure Yang Patriarch is likely just a strand of primordial spirit incarnation of Donghua Dijun.

After all, for a great power like him, it can be said that his divine abilities are vast, and having thousands of incarnations is nothing out of the ordinary.

He has countless aliases~

However, even so.

Being able to serve as the Love Tribulation during the Pure Yang Patriarch's path to enlightenment, for her, is a huge gain regardless of how you look at it!

"Pah! Forgive me~ It is my own thoughts that are filthy, selfish, and heartless, profaning pure love~"

Fang Longye despised himself in his heart, yet the corners of his mouth could not help but curl into a smile; clearly, these words were entirely insincere~...

"Today we are fated; my Laoshan Sect is honored by your presence, and we have actually gathered four Golden Immortals. How about we hold a discourse on the Dao?"

As the group sat for a long time, they were naturally not silent, leaving Jiangxue to do all the talking. After some tea brewing and tasting, and back-and-forth exchanges, they became quite familiar with one another.

They finally let down their guard; while one cannot say they opened their hearts, they were at least conversing happily.

Therefore, once Jingde's proposal was made, it was naturally accepted by Fang Longye and Peony Fairy.

As for Long Xuan, hmm, with Fang Longye present, does her opinion matter?

"Fellow Daoist has a high opinion; this seat has the exact same intention."

"That I was able to return from my tribulation is entirely due to the protection of your precious land. I shall naturally comply with the Daoist Master~"

Long Xuan: "?"

"That's good! Since it was proposed by this poor Daoist, let me be the one to cast the brick to attract the jade!"

Seeing that Fang Longye and the others all agreed to his proposal, Jingde was naturally full of joy as he spoke.

It was not because he himself could gain much benefit from this discourse on the Dao.

In fact, he did not count on this discourse bringing him much gain at all.

After all, among the four Golden Immortals present, in terms of realm and cultivation, he was the undisputed first.

It was only because they were located at the Laoshan Sect.

A discourse on the Dao by Golden Immortals is no small stroke of fortune for his many disciples and followers~

Whether it was Fang Longye or Peony Fairy, both were well aware of his intentions.

However, neither of them cared~ After Jingde nodded in thanks, he waved his sleeves and summoned all of his disciples and followers.

Once everything was prepared.

A chime of a bell and stone chime sounded.

He adjusted the Imperial Crown on his head and was the first to begin expounding the Dharma.

In an instant, Golden Flowers fell, silver flames rose, and all sorts of principles came one after another, with gold and silver interweaving.

(End of chapter)