After rebirth, the eldest sister voluntarily abdicated and gave way to the wise.

Chapter 469 Emptiness

A pale white figure tumbled and leaped through the courtyard, growing faster and faster until only a blurry afterimage could be seen. Yet, the falling blossoms danced with her, their soft petals seemingly imbued with a sharp edge, each one like a blade, slicing through the flowers and grasses before precisely landing on the gleaming bamboo tips.

Scattered sunlight filtered through the gaps in the huge tree canopy, casting a golden glow. Suddenly, Jiang Liqian stopped, her bamboo branch still in place, her gaze momentarily unfocused.

She suddenly couldn't help but think of Xu Youan again.

She recalled that night under the stars and moon, when he took her to see the fiery red maple leaves, the shimmering stars, and the brightest, most radiant moon.

But in his eyes when he looked at her, there was always a hint of unspoken words that he was trying to hide.

I want to speak.

I do not wish to speak of it.

His eyes were so beautiful, as if a thousand stars were adorning them. In the dark night sky, only his eyes shone with the most dazzling and brilliant light.

And within that radiance, there is her.

Only her.

But why would such eyes hold such an expression?

Joy, sadness, struggle, resentment, pain, relief...

She hadn't paid attention before, but now that she suddenly remembered, she could even see the silver light hanging on his eyelashes clearly.

She stared blankly at the petals that kept falling onto the bamboo branches in the golden light, suddenly lost in thought.

She couldn't touch the spirit sword, so he specially gave her this bamboo branch?

However, she never told this secret to anyone...

Suddenly, the sound of a dry branch being broken came from behind. Jiang Liqian was startled and quickly came to her senses. Countless falling petals were enveloped by a powerful sword aura in the blink of an eye and attacked the person behind her.

"Oh, oh, fellow Daoist, please have mercy! This humble monk only came to ask for directions and meant no harm!" a panicked voice rang out.

Jiang Liqian turned around and saw a round golden bowl blocking her face, with all the flower petals being sucked into the bowl.

That person, however, was completely unharmed.

Jiang Liqian narrowed her eyes slightly, rolled the bamboo branch in her hand, and gripped it tighter.

"who are you?"

The golden bowl was set down, revealing a shiny head that gleamed with the golden light reflected from the sun, like a second golden bowl painted with gold lacquer.

The man wore a drab gray Taoist robe and looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old. His eyes were bright and spirited. He had two small dimples on either side of his cheeks, which would sink in slightly when he smiled, making him look less like a young monk and more like an adorable Taoist acolyte.

“Amitabha, I am a disciple of Jinshan Temple in Nanzhou, named Kongjue. Greetings, fellow practitioners.”

Emptiness?

Jiang Liqian was stunned.

She had heard of this name in her previous life. It seemed to be a rumor about the reincarnation of a true Buddha. He was the most valued and gratified disciple of the abbot of Jinshan Temple, and the only candidate to become the next abbot of Jinshan Temple. He was exceptionally talented and had a deep affinity with Buddhism. He was protected by the entire Jinshan Temple like a rare species, waiting for him to undergo tribulation and return to his true form.

However, because Jinshan Temple was in Nanzhou, and she rarely went to that area, she had never seen his true face.

Looking at him now, he is indeed exceptionally handsome, and his whole being exudes a kind and humble aura imbued with Buddhist charm. However, no matter how you look at the dimples on his face, you can't see the solemnity and majesty of a true Buddha; instead, they seem quite out of place.

Knowing that the other person wasn't a bad person, Jiang Liqian's expression relaxed, and she asked, "You want to ask for directions? What directions?"

Kongjue scratched his head sheepishly and said, "I was entrusted by the head of the Ye family, so I rushed here day and night. I wanted to see the second wife who is currently in charge of the Ye family, but I didn't expect that this place is so deep and secluded that I got lost."

It turned out to be the case.

Jiang Liqian also got lost here. The Ye family's roads are indeed winding and complex, and if you're not careful, you might end up in another place.

but……

"I don't know where the Second Madam is, but I can take you to find the young master of the Ye family, or help you find a servant here to ask them?"

Kongjue waved his hand: "No need to trouble yourself, no need to trouble yourself. The young master of the Ye family is also fine. Please lead the way, fellow Daoist. I would be extremely grateful."

Jiang Li gently stroked the bamboo branch from top to bottom with two fingers. Her eyes trembled slightly as she put it away. Then she walked over and pushed open the courtyard gate that had been closed again by the sword energy.

"No need to be so polite. My name is Jiang Liqian; you can call me by my name directly."

Upon hearing this, Kongjue's two dimples appeared and disappeared.

He strode forward and handed the golden bowl in his hand.

Jiang Liqian was taken aback and looked at him, puzzled.

"Where love blossoms, it should be returned."

Where love blossoms, should they be returned? What love? What flower?

“They’re just some fallen petals. You can do whatever you want with them.” Jiang Liqian pointed to the flowerbed next to her. “Or you can put them back where they belong.”

Kongjue stubbornly pushed the golden bowl towards her again: "Dust to dust, ashes to ashes is indeed true, but every petal here carries your most sincere feelings. How can you discard it so easily?"

Friendship?

Whose affection is it?

Xu Youan's image flashed through Jiang Liqian's mind, but she immediately felt lost again.

What... is love?

Her feelings for her junior brother were those of fellow disciples, a sense of responsibility and duty, and mutual appreciation—or something else entirely?

Are there any others...?

But what about "others"?

She doesn't understand.

Two lives.

I cannot fathom it, nor can I comprehend it.

So-called infatuated men and women, love, hate, and separation, never seemed to be on her "main path".

A sudden gust of wind swept through the courtyard, causing the petals in the golden bowl to flutter up and then drift and fall all over the courtyard with the passing wind.

They fall to the ground and turn into mud, crushed into dust.

Jiang Liqian was still in a daze when she saw Kong Jue suddenly take two steps forward, approach her with a grin, look at her face with admiration, and say: "It seems that you have little worldly ties and are unable to support your family. You are a wonderful person who has renounced all worldly desires. You are exactly the best seedling to enter my Jinshan Temple!"

"Fellow Daoist, my Jinshan Temple is the foremost place in the Southern Continent to attain Buddhahood and cultivate immortality. Why don't you come to my Jinshan Temple and become my disciple? I am not very talented, but I have some understanding of Buddhism and I am sure I can open another path to heaven for you!"

"How about it?"

Jiang Liqian unconsciously took a step back, creating distance between them. Looking at his extremely excited and eager eyes, Jiang Liqian's lips twitched, and she felt a strange sense that the atmosphere had suddenly become bizarre.

"Fellow Daoist, you must not listen to this bald monk's nonsense! He's a swindler who swindles and deceives people everywhere, especially innocent girls. He has no good intentions!" From afar, someone frantically waved at Jiang Liqian, hurriedly lifting her skirt and running towards her, her voice hoarse from shouting.

Jiang Liqian looked at Kong Jue again and saw that his expression had changed.