The Familiar Faces in the Mirror

The young woman’s face in the bronze mirror appeared subtly different from what he remembered.

Although half a year had passed since their last encounter, and she had transformed from an unmarried maiden in a light silk dress to a married woman with her hair elegantly pinned up, a memory still surfaced.

He could recall her shy, smiling gaze when she spoke to him, her cheeks flushing crimson beneath downcast, timid eyes.

Now, the face in the bronze mirror seemed broader. The ethereal, faint blue glow that once emanated from her countenance, like cold jade in the morning light, was absent from the reflection.

Her eyes, once like mist-shrouded cold water, were reduced by the light’s reflection to a pair of ordinary almond-shaped eyes, almost dull in their expression. Only a faint trace of her former cool elegance remained.

‘But perhaps the problem lies with me,’ He Suosi mused. ‘If one’s spirit and demeanor are intrinsically linked to the soul, then the reason Yu Anlin has become such an ordinary person must be because my soul now inhabits her body.’

‘So, I tolerated transmigrating from modern times to this desolate ancient cultivation world to become a cultivator. I was perfectly content cultivating in my own cave dwelling. Why, then, did I open my eyes only to find myself in the body of a girl I once shared an ambiguous relationship with?’

At this thought, He Suosi slammed his forehead against the vanity table.

“Thud!”

His consciousness was jolted back to reality. He then heard the maid beside him say with a calm, detached expression, “Immortal Fairy, if you are feeling unwell, perhaps you should return to bed to rest.”

He Suosi leaned against the finely lacquered tabletop and turned his head, observing the delicate-featured young maid standing expressionlessly beside him. He suddenly asked, “You already know, don’t you, little girl?”

Though the maid had shown no reaction to his transformation, such an obvious and undisguised change could not possibly have been overlooked by a personal attendant.

However, no sooner had the words left his lips than the maid, who had been standing as straight as a pillar, suddenly dropped to her knees. Her swift, decisive movement startled He Suosi.

She kowtowed, saying, “Lan Jun does not understand what Immortal Fairy means. Lan Jun is foolish; please punish me.”

Her attitude clearly revealed everything. He Suosi lightly brushed past the matter and, with a faint smile, asked, “What is the current situation here?”

He had no idea about Yu Anlin’s circumstances over the past six months, knowing only that three months ago, she had married Guangyu Immortal Monarch, the sect leader of Guangyu Immortal Sect.

As a humble grassroots cultivator, He Suosi should have had no connection to the largest immortal sect in the cultivation world. Yet, the subordinates of Guangyu Immortal Monarch, and even the Monarch himself, had committed countless offenses against him, from stealing his women to harming his brothers.

Yu Anlin was a prime example. He Suosi had developed a mutual attraction with her upon their first meeting six months ago. Yet, within a few months, the girl he fancied became the woman of his sworn enemy. Though there was never anything substantial between He Suosi and Yu Anlin, he still felt a faint green glow hovering over his head.

Because of these grievances, He Suosi had always been at odds with the Guangyu Immortal Sect faction.

As a transmigrator, He Suosi observed their archetypes and concluded that if he were the protagonist, Guangyu Immortal Monarch would undoubtedly be the final boss.

Lan Jun remained kneeling, prostrating herself as she reported, “Since Immortal Fairy entered the inner quarters three months ago, the Immortal Monarch has been preoccupied with various matters and has not returned for three months.”

He Suosi propped up his face with a slender arm, exclaiming in surprise, “Yu Anlin… I mean, I haven’t even met Guangyu Immortal Monarch yet?”

Lan Jun lowered her head and affirmed, “Yes.” Her face was obscured by the shadow of her hair, making her expression unclear.

He Suosi smiled, gently tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. He then quite naturally patted his chest, a lazy and alluring smile gracing his jade-like face. As he made this expression, He Suosi thought, ‘Is he sick? Leaving such a beautiful woman to gather dust.’

He asked, “Guangyu… Immortal Monarch, is he afraid of his wife?”

To ignore such a beauty, he must either be impotent or have another love.

Though Lan Jun was kneeling in a posture of submission, her tone was composed as she replied, “Although there are dozens of beauties in the inner quarters, and Pei Jiaren manages many of the trivial affairs, the Immortal Monarch does not have a formal wife.”

He Suosi was taken aback. “They are all confined to the inner quarters, so aren’t they all his people?”

Lan Jun seemed to hesitate. After a moment’s pause, she said, “I believe the Immortal Monarch has not… had marital relations with any of the Immortal Fairies.”

He Suosi burst out laughing. He asserted, “You’re teasing me.” While the young maid was indeed unusual, such a matter was hardly something a mere servant girl could know.

So, He Suosi helped Lan Jun to her feet, affectionately ruffled her bangs, and chuckled, “When a couple closes their doors, how could you possibly know what they do? Even if they’re not husband and wife, they must be concubines.”

At this moment, he observed Lan Jun’s expression. He wasn’t entirely unconcerned that the maid had discovered his transmigration into Yu Anlin’s body. However, given her composure and her willingness to explain the affairs of the inner residence, and his sudden predicament, he needed someone to help him cover up.

A personal attendant was the perfect choice. Thus, despite his confusion at her reaction, He Suosi decided to act nonchalant.

Lan Jun’s face showed no signs of surprise or panic. Instead, she pondered for a moment before stating with certainty, “But the Immortal Monarch has never spent the night in any of the Immortal Fairies’ rooms.”

He Suosi secretly rolled his eyes. He couldn’t fathom what this young maid was thinking. Was she analyzing the situation to encourage him to vie for favor? He Suosi, of course, didn’t care about Guangyu Immortal Monarch’s affairs. So, he changed the subject and asked, “Speaking of which, the medicine must be getting cold, right?”

The medicine Lan Jun had brought earlier sat on the round table in the center of the room, emitting a faint, refreshing aroma. He Suosi took a slight sniff, roughly identifying several of the herbs, and concluded it was a calming tonic.

Lan Jun lowered her gaze. “Immortal Fairy is much better now, so there is naturally no need to drink the medicine.”

He Suosi, however, walked over and drank the medicine in one gulp. Then he smiled, “You’ve been brewing it for a long time. It’s just a nourishing tonic, so drinking it won’t hurt.”

No sooner had he spoken than another maid’s voice came from beyond the door, announcing, “Yu Jiaren, Wang Jiaren requests an audience.”

He Suosi paused, momentarily stunned.

Lan Jun explained, “Yesterday, Immortal Fairy was tricked by Wang Jiaren into giving up a Beauty Pill, which caused you to fall ill from anger.”

He Suosi found himself between laughter and tears. He had actually been momentarily confused by the title. Earlier, Lan Jun had mentioned that Pei Jiaren managed the inner residence, so he had assumed the girl’s name was Pei Jiaren. Now, it seemed Jiaren was a title, perhaps for the beauties in Guangyu Immortal Monarch’s harem.

However, upon hearing Lan Jun’s dutiful explanation, He Suosi couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. ‘So Yu Anlin was such a sensitive girl,’ he thought.

Falling ill from anger over a Beauty Pill was something He Suosi simply could not comprehend. Just as he was about to tell Lan Jun to let Wang Jiaren in, he heard Lan Jun add, “Didn’t Immortal Fairy cherish that pill greatly? It seemed to have words on it; I often heard you muttering to yourself about it.”

He Suosi swallowed the words he was about to blurt out. Instead, he asked, “How was it tricked out of her?” He had already recalled what the pill was.

Yu Anlin was the daughter of the Azure Jade Sect Leader, renowned throughout the outside world as ‘Immortal Fairy Lin of Ice Skin and Jade Bones.’ He Suosi had once been trapped in the Azure Jade Sect due to certain events, becoming embroiled in an alchemy incident. To show off his skill, he had refined a Beauty Pill.

Though it was a simple, low-grade pill, during the refining process, he had caused other patterns to appear on its surface besides the usual pill veins. These were four characters that, when combined, read “An Ke Xiang Si” (安可相思), containing both Yu Anlin’s name and his own. The flirtatious implication was quite obvious.

He Suosi had indeed felt a strong affection for Yu Anlin back then, but that affection had long since vanished after she married.

He had never imagined that Yu Anlin cherished it so deeply.

Upon realizing this, He Suosi felt a pang of shame. Resolving to retrieve the pill, he intended to ask Lan Jun for the details of what had transpired.

Lan Jun replied, “Wang Jiaren swallowed the pill on the spot.”

Though He Suosi didn’t know who this Wang Jiaren was, for some reason, he already envisioned her as an uninhibited, tomboyish figure. This girl was truly heedless; to simply swallow someone else’s possession! He helplessly scratched his face and finally decided to let Wang Jiaren enter.

Moments later, accompanied by a peal of laughter, a petite girl burst into the room.

She was a voluptuous beauty. He Suosi personally preferred the pure and elegant type of girl, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate other beauties. Wang Jiaren had a full figure, skin as fair as mutton-fat jade, and her bosom was half-exposed.

She wore a short, wide-sleeved top of tender yellow, its material so thin that her fair, moon-like arms were faintly visible. Her red ruqun skirt fluttered with her steps, like a drifting cloud.

He Suosi, seeing this girl with a bright, spring-flower-like smile, felt his head begin to ache. The reason was simple: he knew this Wang Jiaren as well.

His relationship with this Wang Jiaren, Wang Zhongge, was much like his relationship with Yu Anlin: an ambiguous connection between a man and a woman that had never been explicitly defined.

Wang Zhongge wasn’t He Suosi’s usual type, yet she could be considered his first love in this world. She was a passionate and unrestrained girl who had aggressively pursued He Suosi upon their first meeting. At the time, He Suosi was just a fledgling cultivator, while Wang Zhongge was an immortal fairy admired by many.

This had greatly satisfied He Suosi’s vanity. However, just as he was falling in love, she suddenly vanished. He never saw her again, nor did he hear any news of her. He Suosi felt as if he had been struck over the head, with nowhere to vent his frustration. The mystery was now solved: she, too, was in Guangyu Immortal Monarch’s residence.

He Suosi immediately felt a surge of anger towards Guangyu Immortal Monarch once more. ‘What is going on here?’ he thought. ‘I had no idea until I saw for myself, but now I’m absolutely shocked. All the girls I fancied have ended up in the Guangyu Immortal Sect!’