Bingxue and Changqing, Mirror

Penglai Immortal Island, White Jade Palace Gardens.

White Deer Immortal lay on a chair, staring at the water mirror in front of her. After Chen Renfeng returned, he picked up a pot of wine from the table, took a sip, and felt a comfortable clarity throughout his body. It was indeed a fine immortal brew.

Chen Renfeng then took a bunch of grapes and handed them to the White Crane behind him, rewarding her for the arduous trip. In truth, she had also accomplished quite a bit for herself.

Ever since arriving at Penglai, Chen Renfeng had been preoccupied with Chen Qing and Bai Xue in the Jade Pendant's small world, worried about the Immortal Stones' tribulation and afraid of missing any major events. He also pondered when he would break through to the Golden Immortal realm so he could traverse the barriers between the immortal and mortal realms himself.

Gradually, he became engrossed in the scene displayed in the water mirror.

The scene showed a wooden house on the solitary mountain peak of Luoqie Lake. A little girl was lying in bed, pulling up her covers, while a young Taoist priest slept with his head on the edge of the bed.

The little girl's forehead was sweating, her hands clenched tightly, as she struggled to break free from a nightmare.

"Mom!" she suddenly cried out, her eyes flying open as she sat up, her gaze darting around.

The young Taoist priest jolted awake, stood up, glanced at the little girl, then rubbed his eyes and yawned!

The little girl stared at him and exclaimed, "Hey! Who are you? Have we met before?"

The young Taoist priest casually sat back down on the edge of the bed and asked with a smile, "My name is Changqing, what's yours?"

Seeing the dimples appear on his tanned face and his clean eyes, the little girl blurted out, "My name is Bingxue, why are you in my house?"

"This is your house?" Changqing asked doubtfully.

"Yes! This is the wooden house on Luoqie Lake's solitary mountain. Every year when they catch the big green fish in winter, my mother brings me here to play," Bingxue said with innocent romanticism.

"Big green fish?" Changqing asked in surprise.

"Yes! There are so many big green fish in the lake. My maternal grandfather and uncles bring hundreds of thousands of soldiers to catch them, it's so much fun," Bingxue said, gesturing as she spoke.

"Hundreds of thousands of soldiers?" Changqing asked, puzzled.

Seeing his disbelief, Bingxue declared loudly, "My maternal grandfather is King Ziqi, and my mother says he has millions of subjects."

Changqing reached out and touched her head, smiling, "You've been asleep for three days and three nights, you must be dizzy from hunger. I'll go get you some porridge!" Changqing walked out towards the kitchen.

Bingxue struggled to get out of bed and put on her shoes to walk outside.

It was a suite. She walked into the outer room and was stunned by the scene before her.

The man in white who had carried her up the mountain was sitting cross-legged on the ground, with a Taoist behind him supporting him with his hands. The man in white was sweating, and mist was rising from his head.

Beside them lay another man, his shoulder wrapped in many layers of white bandages, with blood seeping from beneath them. Bingxue, with her keen observation, looked at the man's face and cried out in shock, "Uncle Abu... Uncle..." She then rushed over.

The man was awakened by her cry. His face was pale, and he smiled, "Bingxue, it's you. You're back, where's your mother?"

"My mother, my mother... I don't know," Bingxue replied.

She looked around again and pointed at the white-clothed man meditating, "Uncle Abu, he carried me into the mountain, and I fell off a cliff when we escaped."

Just then, Changqing entered with a bowl of porridge. He saw Bingxue helping her Uncle Abu up and quickly went over to lend a hand.

Suddenly, Bingxue cried out in shock, "Uncle Abu, your arm, your arm is gone..."

Abu shook his head helplessly. He glanced at the white-clothed man, his expression changing drastically, and asked, "Brother Su, why are you here? What happened to you?"

Su Xue did not reply. The Taoist behind him spoke, "If you don't want him to die, then be quiet. He is at a critical stage of healing."

Hearing this, Bingxue pointed at Su Xue doubtfully and asked, "Uncle Abu, who is he?"

Abu shook his head helplessly.

Changqing, however, exclaimed, "Huh, my master and I met you by the roadside and thought you were father and daughter. You look so alike."

Bingxue became angry upon hearing this, "Don't talk nonsense. My father is the Third Young Master of the Marquis Manor, Gao Mingqing, not this beggar."

Abu's heart sank upon hearing this, and he reprimanded, "Bingxue, stop talking nonsense. Don't mention Gao Mingqing again."

Bingxue looked at her Uncle Abu in astonishment. He had never scolded her before.

Abu knew his tone had been too harsh, and he said gently, "Help me up, we'll go wait outside for your mother. Don't disturb Brother Su's healing."

It was now the afternoon. Bingxue helped her Uncle Abu outside, with Changqing following behind to assist.

They waited until evening, three days later, when hundreds of ships sailed in from afar and anchored about a mile away from the solitary mountain island.

"Uncle Abu, ships... so many ships," Bingxue exclaimed, jumping and pointing excitedly.

Abu got up from a rock and looked. There were long white cloths on the masts of the ships. A sense of unease weighed him down, and he took a deep breath. He said slowly, "Your maternal grandfather and the others have arrived."

"Grandfather is here, great! Great! I'm going to meet him!" Bingxue said, jumping and running down the mountain.

Abu wanted to stop her, but his shoulder only moved slightly, causing him to grit his teeth in pain. He then sat back down on the rock.

"Young man, please go and look after Bingxue," Abu said to Changqing, who was nearby.

Changqing heard him and chased after her.

Half an hour later, cries of grief echoed from the foot of the mountain. A troop of soldiers, wearing mourning bands on their heads and carrying white banners, led the way. Behind them followed nine bare-chested men, also wearing mourning bands, carrying a plain wooden coffin. In the rear, a dozen or so weeping figures scattered ghost money. This funeral procession headed towards the eastern peak of the solitary mountain island.

Abu looked uneasy. Suddenly, someone shouted, "Abu... Abu, where are you injured?"

Abu, Bai Bing's younger brother, looked towards the sound. His elder brother Alu and second brother Age were escorting their father, King Ziqi, who was rushing over. The King held the unconscious Bingxue in his arms.

The father and his four sons met, recounting their experiences of the past few days, and sorrow arose.

A moment later, Bingxue woke up. She looked at everyone and suddenly burst into tears, "Mom! I want my mom!"

King Ziqi sighed and said, "Let's go! Let's go see Bai Bing off together."

Bai Bing's tomb was built on the summit of Lone Mountain, facing Luoqie Lake. As the coffin was lowered into the grave, King Ziqi, Bingxue, and their family circled the pit and scattered a cup of soil for Bai Bing. The soldiers, clad in mourning white, began to fill the grave.

Suddenly, a white figure flew in and leaped into the pit. With a palm strike on the coffin lid, it pushed forcefully, opening the lid.

He saw Bai Bing, dressed in burial clothes, lying peacefully inside.

Su Xue's chest felt as if it had been struck by an elephant. He collapsed by the coffin and wailed loudly.

Bingxue finally managed to stop her tears. Seeing her mother's remains, she too jumped into the pit and collapsed, wailing loudly.

Seeing this, King Ziqi was displeased and shouted, "Pull them out!"

As a few soldiers were about to jump down, Su Xue repelled them with his true qi. The other soldiers immediately drew their weapons.

Abu shouted, "Everyone, stop!"

The soldiers sheathed their weapons. Abu persuaded, "Brother Su, she's dead. She's gone. Can you let her rest in peace in the earth?"

Su Xue stopped crying and asked coldly, "How did she die?"

Before Su Xue could answer, Bingxue suddenly stood up and lunged at him. Her fists struck his body as she cried out, "Go away! Don't touch my mother, you beggar!"

Su Xue didn't dodge or block, letting her hit him.

Abu, enduring the pain in his shoulder, shouted sternly, "Bingxue, stop! He's your father, don't be disrespectful."