Chapter 27: Who Can Relieve the Bitterness of Longing?

"Lingyun Mei?" Yang Xiao gazed at the beautiful young woman before him, momentarily dazed as a surge of memories flooded his mind.

He recalled that in his past life, the only woman who ever truly stirred his heart was Lingyun Mei. Yet back then, his cultivation was low, and he never had the opportunity to spend time alone with her. Let alone any hope for what might follow. All he could do was watch her from afar, keeping his feelings hidden deep within.

He remembered their first encounter, as if a fairy had descended to earth, during the Giant Spirit Sect's annual competition. At that time, she was among the sect's elite disciples, while he was merely an ordinary disciple of modest cultivation. Such disparity would extingu any spark of affection; it was impossible for them to be together or for him to be worthy of her.

But now, Yang Xiao was different. Through powerful techniques and rare pills, his cultivation was advancing rapidly, and he was on the verge of qualifying as an elite disciple himself.

Everything was starting anew, as if it were all a fleeting dream. In this life, Yang Xiao was determined to make up for the regrets of his previous one. When he realized he had been reborn, especially into the Giant Spirit Sect, his thoughts immediately turned to Lingyun Mei. He resolved to find an opportunity to confess his feelings to her in this life.

His relentless cultivation after his rebirth was driven by the desire to quickly gain sufficient strength, just so he might have a chance to meet her. He buried all these hopes deep in his heart. He had thought that only during the grand competition would he be able to see her, never expecting to encounter her so soon, and for her to come to his aid. This turn of events was utterly beyond his expectations.

The sect leader of Giant Spirit Sect, Master Lingfeng, had a junior sister known as Master Withered Glory, who lived on a small mountain beside Giant Spirit Mountain. Lingyun Mei was her most accomplished disciple. It was said Lingyun Mei had only been under Master Withered Glory's tutelage for a little over a year, yet her cultivation had surged from the first to the ninth level of Spiritual Awareness—a talent seen once in a century, perhaps even in a millennium.

A genius such as this naturally shone brightly in the sect's annual competition, easily earning one of the top places. In fact, there were only two disciples in the entire sect who had reached the ninth level of Spiritual Awareness: Lingyun Mei and Master Lingfeng's eldest disciple, Qingyu He. These two stood just below Master Lingfeng and Master Withered Glory in cultivation, far beyond what other disciples could hope to achieve.

In his previous life, Yang Xiao had first seen Lingyun Mei's brilliance during the competition, and that was when his admiration blossomed. He was certainly not the only male disciple who admired her; most of the sect's young men likely regarded her as the goddess of their hearts.

Given this, Yang Xiao knew he had no chance. After Master Lingfeng passed away, he left the sect, dedicating himself to cultivation. When he finally achieved some success, he returned once to the Giant Spirit Sect, hoping to learn news of Lingyun Mei. By then, the sect had undergone a great upheaval, destroyed by two other sects. He never saw Lingyun Mei again, though her image remained ever vivid in his heart.

Now, in this life, with Lingyun Mei appearing in the marketplace, their encounter was already different from the last. This showed that fate could be changed—he still had many opportunities to alter his destiny.

Yang Xiao was puzzled by Lingyun Mei's sudden appearance. From behind her, several other Giant Spirit Sect disciples emerged. He quickly surmised that Lingyun Mei and her fellow disciples were stationed in the marketplace. After all, the market hosted disciples from the Black Tortoise Sect, the Giant Spirit Sect, and another sect, the Hundred Marks Sect. With all three present, a balance was maintained—none could monopolize the market, ensuring its fairness.

"So it is Miss Lingyun. Is this disciple from your Giant Spirit Sect?" Elder Li Xie withdrew his pill pearl and addressed Lingyun Mei with great courtesy.

"Indeed, Yang Xiao is one of ours. I am not sure what misunderstanding occurred earlier between you and him. I hope Elder Li will forgive any offense," Lingyun Mei replied with equal politeness.

"Not at all, not at all. It was merely a minor dispute. Since he is one of your sect, it was all just a misunderstanding," Li Xie said with a smile, as though everything had been a joke.

"Elder Li, are we just going to let this go? I can't swallow my anger," Xing Wutian protested, displeased at Li Xie's sudden change.

"Young Master, please calm yourself. There are many Giant Spirit Sect disciples here. If we resort to violence, both sides would suffer heavy casualties. For your safety, it is best not to provoke conflict. The Sect Leader has repeatedly instructed me on this matter. Let us return and discuss it further," Li Xie patiently advised Xing Wutian.

With Li Xie invoking the Sect Leader's orders, Xing Wutian naturally did not wish to defy his father's wishes. He could only snort in anger and fell silent.

"Miss Lingyun, since the misunderstanding has been resolved, I and the Young Master will take our leave. Until we meet again," Li Xie said, then departed with Xing Wutian and their entourage.

Now only Yang Xiao, Lingyun Mei, and more than ten Giant Spirit Sect disciples remained. The disciples clearly looked to Lingyun Mei as their leader, standing behind her as if awaiting her instructions.

"Senior Sister Lingyun, thank you for your timely help," Yang Xiao stepped forward and spoke gratefully.

"There is no need for such words between fellow disciples," Lingyun Mei replied, as if it were only natural.

"But I have one question, Senior Sister. How did you recognize me as a Giant Spirit Sect disciple at a glance? And how did you know my name?" Yang Xiao asked, his curiosity piqued.