The Fourth Volume: Regret for the Unfulfilled First Chapter: Predestined Affinity

  "Seventeen hundred years ago, I was a small white snake in the mountains and forests. During my cultivation, I was unfortunately caught by an old snake catcher, but fortunately, I was rescued by a young shepherd boy, so I could continue to cultivate. The years in the mountains passed easily, and the worldly splendor has been for thousands of years. After seventeen hundred years of cultivation, I finally can shed my snake body and transform into human form. Originally, I had intended to cultivate in the Jade Pool with one heart and one mind. But after being pointed out by Guanyin Bodhisattva, I suddenly remembered that there was still a debt of gratitude in the world that had not been repaid..."

  Bai Suzhen spoke while paying attention to Xu Xian's expression, and saw that upon hearing she was a snake spirit, his face showed a hint of confusion, as if he had thought of something. Fortunately, there was no look of disgust on his face, so she let out a sigh of relief. He really wasn't like ordinary people!

  Although they haven't been together for long, she has unknowingly come to regard him as someone important to her, rather than just a benefactor. Even if there's no romantic feelings involved, she wouldn't want him to harbor resentment or dislike towards her. Now that she can speak openly and honestly with him, she also feels relieved, as lying has never been her strong suit.

  He apologized again: "I didn't mean to deceive you, it's just that...it's just that..."

  Xu Xian smiled and said, "I'm that little shepherd boy, right? I also figured out my master's conspiracy!" Although he had already guessed Fahai's intentions, he could only try to help her in the most natural way possible, not intentionally trying to play the role of Zhuge Liang.

  Bai Suzhen still had a mind on this past life's grudge, hearing Xu Xian say so, she wondered: "Xu Gongzi, what sinister plot is this?" Since Fa Hai didn't dare to use the golden alms bowl against her, then there was nothing to be afraid of.

  Xu Xian saw her listening intently, and she seemed to have lost a few points of her usual dignified demeanor, but gained a few points of weakness and dependence, which also brought him some joy. Her dependence was something that the original Xu Xian could never get, right? No matter how hard she tried, she could only make the original Xu Xian trust her a little more, but that trust was built on lies.

  Xu Xian smiled and said: "Since we have this fate, it's too polite to call me Master Xu. My name is Hanwen, Miss Bai can just call me Hanwen!"

  Bai Suzhen also smiled and said: "Then I'd like you to call me Suzhen from now on, Han Wen!"

  Outside the pavilion, a heavy rain wove into a curtain. Inside the pavilion, two people sat facing each other. They exchanged a smile and both felt closer to each other. Perhaps they were originally very similar people!

  Xu Xiandao said: "Su Zhen, what did you originally want to repay with?" As soon as the two words "Su Zhen" were called out, both of them had a feeling in their hearts.

  Bai Suzhen tried to remain calm and said, "I originally wanted to marry you, Han Wen, to fulfill a husband-and-wife destiny! But you..." Although she spoke as if nothing was wrong, her face had already turned rosy and beautiful beyond compare.

  Xu Xian smiled and said: "It's just that I already have a wife, if I say to Su Zhen now that I have deep feelings for her, and ask you to marry me, what would you do?"

  Bai Suzhen's face turned even redder, having spent several hours with Xu Xian, more than the number of times she had blushed in a thousand years. Stammering, she said: "Han Wen, although you have great kindness towards me, but I, I..."

  Xu Xian smiled and said, "If I were to beg you with all my might, given your temperament, there's a good chance you'd agree to me! If we were to get married, in the future when my master confines me, you would definitely go look for me. Who knows, by then you might already have children with the Xu family and wouldn't be able to bear leaving them behind. If my master absolutely won't let you see me, you two will inevitably start arguing, and at that time..."

  He spoke in this way, telling her everything that was supposed to be born, just to make her vigilant and not fall into Fahai's trap again. But he suddenly thought, was it really Fahai who made her lose everything? Fahai naturally represented the image of evil, and he had always regarded Fahai as the final boss. However, thinking about it now, the one who gave her the greatest harm was not just Fahai.

  Bai Suzhen's face flushed with heat as she listened to Xu Xian say things like "searching for a husband" and "flesh and blood", and she almost escaped into the rain curtain, only to wake up when Xu Xian finished speaking: "He wants to force me to break the heavenly rules! And then he can invite Jin Gong to take me down."

  Xu Xian said solemnly: "It is so."

  "What should we do then?" She saw that Xu Xian's analysis was thorough and reasonable, thinking of things she hadn't thought of before, and her heart grew more dependent on him.

  Xu Xian sighed and said, "This is actually a small matter."

  Bai Suzhen said in dismay: "A small matter?"

  Xu Xian nodded: "Yes, it's a small matter. Even if my master caught you, he wouldn't kill you. At most, he would lock you up for ten or twenty years and then let you out."

  What does twenty years mean to you? Being locked under the Leifeng Pagoda for twenty years, in the eyes of ordinary people, is indeed an unbearable punishment, but what does it mean to a cultivator?

  Later...【Fading Grass】Bai Suzhen nodded and said, "But it's just a fleeting moment, it doesn't count as anything!" If it's just a small matter after all, why is Xu Xian being so cautious again? For cultivators, twenty years isn't considered anything. There's a saying that goes "In the cave, you count the days, but in the world, a thousand years have passed." It's not that there's really any difference in time, it's just that the concept of time for cultivators is different from ordinary people.

  Xu Xian stared into her eyes and said, "I only now realize that your greatest enemy is not Fahai, but me!" Even he had been misled by the original plot, thinking that Fahai was always causing trouble between them, their greatest enemy. But now it seems that's not the case.

  Bai Suzhen looked at him without avoiding, and asked: "Han Wen, you are my great benefactor, and you have been thinking of me with all your heart. Why would you be my enemy?" She was also surprised why Xu Xian would suddenly say such a thing. Is there no gentler enemy in the world?

  Xu Xian sighed and said, "I finally understand. This time you came down the mountain, what you're going to experience isn't a test of gratitude and resentment, but a test of emotions. What if you develop feelings for me? What if being with me becomes more important to you than cultivation?"

  Bai Suzhen looked at the man in front of her, who was worried about himself, and couldn't help but pause. Although she heard him say that if he fell in love with her, it would be this and that, there was a strange feeling, even suffocating. How could you be so sure I'll fall for you? You're too arrogant!

  But then she thought, in just this short period of time, she had become so close to the man in front of her. If they were together for a long time, and she became pregnant with his child, could she really let go?

  Emotions? A distant topic she had never thought of. For cultivators, it's not that they are truly emotionless, the key is to be able to let go and put down, once you can't put it down, it will become a demonic obstacle, causing cultivation to make no progress or even be destroyed in an instant.

  "Then what about you?" Bai Suzhen asked. "You're also a cultivator, aren't you? Haven't you ever thought of becoming immortal and joining the ranks of the gods? Why not just find a secluded place to cultivate in peace and quiet, seeking enlightenment and true fulfillment? Why get bogged down in this mundane world?" She blushed slightly at the thought that if he were willing to go with her to cultivate, she would have plenty of time to repay him, and who knows, maybe even become celestial companions.

  Xu Xian gazed deeply at her, then suddenly smiled and said: "I originally had a deep affection for the mundane world, an affection for the Tao of humanity. But today you mentioned it, and I feel that perhaps everything can be let go. However, it's not possible! I already have her, she is more important to me than living forever or being ranked among the immortals. Today I speak these words only to warn you: first, beware of my master; second, beware of me!"

  "Is she a woman?" asked Bai Suzhen, although she had already confirmed it in her heart.

  Xu Xian nodded and smiled.

  "Is she your wife?"

  Xu Xian shook his head and said: "I may never be able to marry her, but in my heart, she is my wife!"

  Bai Suzhen hung her head and said nothing.

  The rain gradually subsided, and Xu Xian patted Bai Suzhen's shoulder, saying: "I don't know how to make you repay the kindness, but between us, everything is easy to say. You go back and think of a way carefully, I will definitely cooperate. As long as I help you repay that kindness early, becoming an immortal is just around the corner."

  Bai Suzhen's mind was in a mess for a moment, the person she admired, her benefactor had suddenly become her greatest enemy. He was still as gentle and considerate as ever, even those words were purely for her consideration, he could have easily gotten what he wanted with the method he mentioned. But he didn't, he was always thinking of her, wanting her to be good.

  It's said to be on guard, but how can she be on guard against such a person. She should have been touched, coughed and didn't dare to be touched, afraid of really falling in love with him.

  Could it be that this is really a calamity of emotions? The state of mind that I have cultivated in secret for a thousand years has actually softened just from spending a few hours with him.

  Little did she know, every kind-hearted person must have a soft heart that is easily moved. It's just that in her thousands of years of cultivation, everything she saw and heard was about cultivators who were strong enough not to need any sympathy. She had thought she could be like them.

  Yes, until this morning she still thought of herself as a steadfast practitioner. Having just passed the heavenly tribulation, she came to the mortal world with great satisfaction, intending to repay her debts and then return to heaven. But she encountered Xu Xian, encountered Fahai, and encountered the karma from past lives that even her thousand years of cultivation could not grasp.

  Xu Xian's wisdom and sacrifice left her astonished and moved, Fa Hai's strength and calculation shocked her to the core. But she herself suddenly became someone who needed protection, protected by someone much weaker than herself. If it weren't for him, she would have unknowingly fallen into Fa Hai's trap, a fate from which she could not escape. And what trapped her was precisely her own kind and sentimental heart, with her heart as the snare, more insidious and unpredictable than thunderbolts.

  Like a frog in warm water, by the time she realized it, it was already too late. Fortunately, he stopped her self-righteousness before everything started. Such a person may not be able to be a Dao companion, but can at least be a Dao friend!

  Bai Suzhen stood up and thanked him, saying: "Today, thank you for pointing out the way, but Suzhen's enemy is not Hanwen, but herself. Without a firm heart, how can one talk about being devoted to the Tao? If one is really entangled in the web of emotions, it is not the fault of others, but only because one's will is not strong. Hanwen saved my life a thousand years ago and today he saves my Dao fruit. This kindness is difficult to repay, now I can only try my best for him!"

  Xu Xian smiled and said: "Let it be!" Having done what he should do, without playing any unglorious role, that's enough. The rest can only be left to fate.

  Bai Suzhen smiled and nodded.

  The red lightning flashed, but just for a moment. The rain suddenly stopped, and a rainbow appeared in the sky, spanning across two mountain peaks. Xu Xian said, "Well, I'm off!" and strode out of the pavilion.

  Then he walked back, somewhat embarrassed to say: "That, can you trouble me to send me back!" He won't fly, so far away from home, it's already dark, even now it's almost noon, if I don't go back, my sister will kill him.

  Bai Suzhen couldn't help but smile, and the rainbow in the mountains also lost its color. So you're not always that fierce, huh! She walked over and said: "Hug my waist!"

  Xu Xian carefully looked at her waist and asked, "Like this?" Fahai had brought him here with his arm around Xu Xian's shoulders. If Bai Suzhen did it the same way, she couldn't help but let him experience her broad-mindedness, but using her hand to hold him felt impolite, not matching the kindness he had shown her.

  Bai Suzhen's face turned red, and she couldn't help but glare at him, grabbing his hand and placing it on her waist. Both of them were startled. Bai Suzhen only felt a warmth in her waist and hastily said, "Don't hold on!"

  Xu Xian didn't dare to grab, just placing his hand on top seemed to petrify him. If it were another woman, he might not be able to resist a slight touch or even a pinch, but towards Bai Suzhen, he didn't dare to offend her in the slightest, fearing that he would desecrate this goddess-like woman. He stuttered: "Or else I'll just go back!"

  "Alas!" Bai Suzhen sighed helplessly and said, "Hold on tight!" As she transformed into a white light and soared into the sky.

  "Ah!" Xuxian instinctively hugged her, and with that, he flew up, pressing his face against her soft back, rubbing his cheeks. A strange fragrance wafted over, but it was unclear whether it was perfume or body scent. With a huge sense of guilt in his heart, Xuxian's mind was burning and his body stiffened, but he could clearly feel the elasticity of her waist and the softness of her buttocks. For a moment, he didn't know if he was in hell or heaven.

  Bai Suzhen had never been so well-received, she had never had such contact with a man before, now she only felt her whole body aching, her face burning red. Especially with a pair of arms tightly wrapped around her waist, she didn't know what to feel.

  If I had known it would be so difficult, I might as well have just brought him back with me.

  Knowing a secluded place by the West Lake, slowly falling down, Xu Xian still stuck to her back. Bai Suzhen's good temper also had three points of anger, and she said with shame and annoyance: "Xu Hanwen, aren't you getting up yet!"

  Xu Xiandao said: "Give me some time!" Then slowly opened his arm and stiffly retreated a step.

  Bai Suzhen only then realized that he was intentionally being frivolous, thinking about his behavior on the boat, she had a inexplicable respect for him, sometimes feeling annoyed and amused, but overall liked him more, after getting rid of her annoyance, she knew what was left was shyness.

  "Let's part ways for now, come find me again when you think of a satisfactory way to repay me!"

  Bai Suzhen also mentioned the location of her residence, saying: "If you have time, you can come to my place for a visit! Of course, it's not like I'm some kind of town mayor's daughter!" But then she remembered that nonsense she had told Xiao Qing about being the town mayor's daughter and coming to Hangzhou to find relatives, and still felt a bit embarrassed. However, now that she could speak the truth without lying, facing her benefactor and friends with an open heart made her feel happy inside.

  Xu Xian smiled and said: "I know, it was Bai Suzhen the snake demon two years ago!" Haha, Fahai must think I'll be very surprised!

  Farewell to the departed, Xu Xian felt relieved in his heart. This encounter at least counted as gaining another friend. Yu Shifu refused to see him and had a falling out with Fa Hai, it wouldn't be bad to ask her for advice when he has time.

  But looking at the sun, I feel bitter in my heart, and my sister is probably waiting anxiously.

  She opened the door, but it was Cai Feng who opened the door. Her eyes were a little red, and she looked at Xu Xian with a wronged expression.

  Xu Xian said strangely: "What's wrong! Who bullied you!"

  Cai Feng said in a low voice: "It's okay, you can come in quickly!"

  Xu Xian walked into the hall, where his sister and brother-in-law were present. Xu Jiaorong couldn't help but scold him from time to time, and Xu Xian could only lower his head in silence. But when he turned around, he saw Cai Feng sitting on one side, looking like a meek little daughter-in-law who had been wronged.

  Xu Xian couldn't help but laugh and find it strange, asking: "Sister, what happened to you all when I wasn't home?" In his opinion, his sister was a very good person, and Cai Feng also knew the general situation, so they shouldn't have any conflicts.

  He didn't know that while he was boating on the West Lake, Cai Feng was still lying in bed reading a book. Later, she heard a knock at the door and thought it was Xu Xian returning.

  Qing Luan got up and went to open the door. When she opened the door, she found out it was Li Gongfu and Xu Jiaorong, her brother's only relatives.

  Xu Jiaorong took a closer look at Qing Luan and felt satisfied, asking: "You're my brother's wife, aren't you? You're really pretty!"

  Qing Luan's face turned red, and she hastily waved her hand, saying: "No, no, I'm just a little maid. My mistress is reading books right now, I'll let her out immediately!" She didn't dare say that Cai Feng was still lying in bed.

  Qing Luan led them to the main hall, served them tea, and smiled as she walked out of the door. She ran quickly towards Cai Feng's courtyard, lowering her voice to shout: "Miss, miss, something's wrong!"

  Cai Feng put down the book and smiled, asking: "What's wrong?" But she didn't take it to heart, after all, she was a person who had experienced many storms. Moreover, now that Tian had collapsed, Xu Xian was helping her hold on, so she still had quite some confidence in Xu Xian.

  Qing Luan panted and leaned against the door frame: "Brother Xu's sister and brother-in-law have arrived!"

  Cai Feng was shocked and lost her composure, immediately standing up and saying: "Quickly help me dress!" Although she had been calm in a thousand ways, at this moment she also became anxious. These two people were unbearable for Xu Xian, so she could only bear it herself.

  After a flurry of activity, she finally managed to tidy herself up and stood in front of the copper mirror, turning around to ask Qing Luan, "How do I look?" She was dressed in a deep red cheongsam, the bright color surprisingly giving off an elegant vibe. Her hair wasn't fully styled, simply pulled back to one side, yet it added a touch of scholarly charm. Although she had spent very little time on her appearance, she didn't look sloppy or disheveled at all. Cai Feng's dressing skills were truly impressive.

  "Great, miss! You can go out and meet guests now!"

  Zan Feng took a deep breath, and was actually slightly nervous. These two guests were not ordinary people, especially Xu Xian's sister. He had to be careful in his response. Just because Xu Xian spoiled him didn't mean others would do the same! Moreover, he had to live up to Xu Xian's indulgence towards him, and give him face!