Volume One, Chapter 78: The End of Miss Bai

Qingman’s eyes darkened, her face contorted with anger. Yet, once Bai Suoyi spoke, she had no choice but to comply, dragging Mu Ling away with her.

The two gazed at each other, their reflections mirrored in the depths of each other's pupils. Then, Qin Yu felt an external force pulling her into a world of pure white.

Bai Suoyi, clad in white, seemed almost to merge with her surroundings. This was Bai Suoyi’s spiritual realm.

“Senior Bai, since you recognize us, why not acknowledge Xiao Qing? She has searched for you for thousands of years.”

Bai Suoyi gently shook her head. “The past is like drifting dust. Since it’s behind us, let it go.”

“If you truly wish to let go, why endure the pain of separation day after day?”

Bai Suoyi was struck by her words, her expression faltering.

Qin Yu clasped her hands in apology, her tone sincere. “I mean no disrespect, Senior. I simply feel that the good you wish for her pales in comparison to the good she desires.”

Bai Suoyi was touched, turning to Qin Yu with a faint smile. “I didn't call you here to discuss my affairs.”

“Is Senior referring to the matter of the Five-Colored Stones?”

Approval flickered in Bai Suoyi’s gaze. She nodded lightly. “The monk Wule is not the mastermind; he is merely a pawn. I only learned this after my soul was summoned here posthumously. They forced me to relive my agony repeatedly, hoping to uncover the whereabouts of the remaining Five-Colored Stones from my memories.”

Qin Yu tightened her fists. “What allure do the Five-Colored Stones possess, that so many covet them?”

“The Five-Colored Stones were forged from the body of Lady Nuwa, imbued with divine power. That alone makes them the object of countless dreams.”

Qin Yu pondered silently.

Imbued with divine power, they could be worshipped.

The Five-Colored Stones were the finest vessels in existence.

“You’ve told me all this—aren’t you afraid that I, too, might covet the stones?”

Bai Suoyi looked at her and asked, “Are you?”

Their eyes met, and both smiled.

All was understood without words.

“In those days, I recovered only half of the Five-Colored Stones. I cannot sense the other half, so I could only hide what I had.”

Bai Suoyi fixed her gaze on Qin Yu, reciting, “The stone sinks in the salty sea, bearing the small boat. Repeating endlessly, the island will then appear.”

Qin Yu memorized the sixteen characters.

“There is one more thing. When Lady Nuwa mended the heavens, I was very young, but I recall my mother mentioning that Lady Nuwa used divine power to forge many Five-Colored Stones.”

Qin Yu pressed her lips, thinking. “Senior suspects…”

Bai Suoyi sighed softly, her tone grave as if imparting her last wishes. “I only hope I’m overthinking. But the enemy hides in darkness while you stand in light. Always keep your guard up.”

An uneasy feeling crept over Qin Yu.

“Senior, I can bring you out. Come with us.”

Bai Suoyi smiled and declined. “I am tired. I wish not to meddle in the disputes of the mortal world any longer.”

Everyone has their own choices, and Qin Yu could not force her.

Upon leaving Bai Suoyi’s spiritual realm, she noticed Qingman sneaking glances in their direction. When Qin Yu looked back, Qingman quickly diverted her gaze, her clumsy acting needing no exposure.

In the mirrored world, Bai Suoyi had died, awaiting her next cycle.

“What did she say to you?” Qingman stared hard at Qin Yu, her eyes filled with envy and jealousy.

“She just whispered a few secrets,” Qin Yu replied.

Jealousy blossomed wildly on Qingman’s face. “Did she mention me?” Her voice trembled with cautious hope.

Qin Yu was about to answer when Qingman covered her ears. “Forget it, don’t tell me! You’ll only say things I don’t want to hear!”

The ground beneath their feet began to shake, and the cerulean sky overhead turned murky.

The constraints of the mirrored world lifted, and Qingman and Mu Ling returned to their true forms.

“Bai Suoyi is about to begin her next cycle!”

Fierce winds swept in, spinning the heavens. Sensing danger, Mu Ling immediately slipped into the space.

Qin Yu steadied herself, summoned the Changyi Sword, its hilt glowing with a pale blue light.

She looked up and saw the sun and moon coexisting in the sky.

Qin Yu gripped her spell and broke the formation!

Sword energy surged toward the moon.

The sky split open, and the Milky Way poured down through the fissure.

She sheathed her sword, seized Qingman by the hand, and flew on her spell!

Just one step from the exit, Qingman suddenly let go, snatching the green bamboo painting from Qin Yu’s bag.

“I’ve already lost her once! I can’t abandon her again! I must stay here to keep her company!”

In that moment, Qingman understood with unwavering certainty what she truly wanted.

The fissure closed. Qin Yu saw tears shining in Qingman’s smiling face—not twisted features, but the expression of any ordinary person.

She watched Qingman’s lips move: “Thank you.”

She had found her own path and gained humanity.

Qin Yu felt a tightness in her chest and spat a mouthful of blood.

[Qing and Bai: The Green Snake Chapter]

“Hey, this is my territory!”

The familiar phrase sounded in her ears for the third time.

Qingman suddenly opened her eyes, only to find she had become a blade of grass at the cave entrance.

At that moment, she saw Bai Suoyi’s worried face more clearly than ever.

It turned out Bai Suoyi had come to save her, not by chance, but deliberately.

Even though she herself had only recently escaped with her life.

Inside the cave, the green snake fainted.

Bai Suoyi was about to enter, her hurried steps nearly trampling a newly sprouted foxtail grass.

“Foxtail grass, foxtail grass, why do you grow right in the middle of the path? Aren’t you afraid of being stepped on and killed?”

As she spoke, Bai Suoyi used magic to move her aside.

In the breeze, the foxtail grass nodded gently, almost adorably, making Bai Suoyi cover her mouth and laugh.

Later, Qingman became a flower, a tree, even a little mouse.

Their first meeting nearly caused Bai Suoyi to swallow her in one bite.

In each cycle, Qingman met Bai Suoyi in a different form, accompanying her through tears, laughter, and countless experiences.

[Qing and Bai: The White Snake Chapter]

When Bai Suoyi sensed that familiar aura, her nose tingled.

She pretended not to recognize her, afraid this foolish snake would lose hope, but the snake returned anyway.

“Foxtail grass, foxtail grass, why do you grow right in the middle of the path? Aren’t you afraid of being stepped on and killed?”

Desperate to interact with the foolish snake, Bai Suoyi searched for topics to speak about.

Every day as she passed the cave entrance, she glanced at her.

Seeing her lively and vibrant, Bai Suoyi felt comforted and happy.

Her once hopeless cycles became filled with anticipation because of the foolish snake’s presence—she looked forward to every meeting.

Xiao Qing, this time, we will be together forever.