Chapter 69 Jealousy Made Yin Lisheng Gay?

After the Yan Nanqiu incident, the Immortal Sect Grand Competition naturally could not continue.

Fu Yunshu took the Mirror Moon Flower. It was something Gu Zhinan had been looking for for so many years. No matter what, he had to get it back first.

Fu Yunshu also mentioned the matter of Yu Lingzi and Master Chi Du to Song Wenzhuo, who said he would send someone to investigate. However, it was clear that he was not in a good mood at the moment and did not have the energy to focus on it. Fu Yunshu was not in a hurry. After instructing Yin Lisheng to put the Blood Soul back into the Sword Tomb, he returned to Tingxue Peak with him.

Back at Qingyuan Sect, in the quiet room of Tingxue Peak.

The candlelight cast a dim yellow glow, illuminating Fu Yunshu's bare shoulders and back, revealing her porcelain-white skin that resembled a piece of fine, warm jade.

The black aura of the Soul-Destroying Curse had mostly dissipated, but his old wounds, which had already cracked open, were now covered with new, crisscrossing marks, making them look glaringly obvious.

Yin Lisheng knelt beside the bed, a soft cloth soaked in medicine in his hand. His movements were very gentle, carefully wiping away the bloodstains around the wound. Although his mind was wandering, his fingers were extremely steady, and there should be no slackening in the slightest.

"Master," he began, his voice low, "did you... already know about Sect Leader Song and Peak Master Gu...?"

Fu Yunshu closed his eyes to regulate his breathing. Hearing Yin Lisheng's words, he simply hummed in response and said nothing more.

During the years when Gu Zhinan was unusually obsessed with the Mirror Moon Flower, there were many complaints within the Qingyuan Sect. Even though he didn't care much about these matters, he was still aware of Song Wenzhuo's subtle protection. There was also the atmosphere between the two that was difficult for others to intrude upon.

He wasn't unaware of it; he just didn't point it out before because he didn't want to meddle in the private affairs of his juniors.

"Master," Yin Lisheng called out again, his voice even softer, with a hint of probing, and a deeper yearning that he himself might not fully understand.

"So... what's your opinion on this kind of relationship?"

Yin Lisheng asked tactfully, but his fingertips unconsciously curled, betraying his nervousness. He looked at his master's back so close to his eyes, its lines beautiful, the pale skin peeking out from beneath his dark hair, and his heart inexplicably quickened.

Fu Yunshu slowly opened his eyes. The candlelight flickered in his cool gaze. He didn't answer immediately, as if he was thinking, or perhaps just feeling the cool touch of the wound on his back.

After a while, he spoke, his voice calm, as if stating a simple fact: "Cultivating the Tao is about seeking freedom of one's true self. As for the word 'love,' as long as it comes from one's true heart, conforms to morality, does not violate ethics, and does not harm others, that's enough. Whether one is male or female, same-sex or opposite-sex, what does it have to do with others?"

He turned his head slightly, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of his apprentice's tense jaw and darting eyes, and a vague suspicion formed in his mind.

Fu Yunshu turned his head as if he had been burned, and said seriously, "Wen Zhuo and Zhi Nan are in love and support each other. This is their destiny. Since this love has not endangered the sect or harmed others, we outsiders don't need to say anything more, and we shouldn't judge them with worldly prejudices."

"But I think the most important thing is that they understand each other."

As Yin Lisheng listened, the taut string in his heart seemed to be gently plucked, rippling outwards.

He won't bring disaster to the sect, nor harm others... So, does his increasingly clear yet shocking affection for his master count as one of these things? Will it cause harm to his master?

Yin Lisheng dared not think any further, but his movements became even gentler and more careful, as if handling the most precious porcelain in the world. He carefully applied the ointment to the wound, then wrapped it tightly with layers of clean gauze. Throughout the entire process, neither of them spoke another word.

After the bandage was properly applied, Yin Lisheng said in a low voice, "Master, it's all done. You... should get some rest."

"Hmm." Fu Yunshu responded, closed his eyes again, and his breathing gradually calmed down.

Yin Lisheng silently put away the medicine utensils, blew out the extra candles, leaving only one by the bedside. He stood by the bed, and in the dim light, quietly watched his master's peaceful sleeping face for a while. The cold features were softened by the light and shadow, and the long eyelashes cast faint shadows under his eyes.

The throbbing, bittersweet emotions within him surged silently like an undercurrent in the stillness. In the end, he said nothing, but quietly withdrew and gently closed the door behind him.

After the soft click of the door closing, only Fu Yunshu's even breathing remained in the quiet room. After a long while, her eyelashes, which had been closed, trembled almost imperceptibly.

What does 殷离声 mean?

Fu Yunshu sat up blankly, staring at the candlelight on the bedside table, his thoughts wandering.

Was he just curious, or had he actually fallen for a man? But wasn't his official love interest Duan Xuan? The main couple's relationship hadn't even started developing, and the male lead was already suspected of being gay? If it's true, then who did he fall for?

After much thought, Fu Yunshu concluded that the closest man to Yin Lisheng, besides herself, was Yan Nanqiu.

Fu Yunshu: "..." No way...

What's with all of them doing this, one or two at a time?

Fu Yunshu irritably extinguished the last bit of light, hugged his chest, and lay down facing the wall to sleep.

Even when he lay down, he couldn't help but think about it.

During the years that Yan Nanqiu was Qiu Nan, although he and Gu Zhinan were master and disciple, Gu Zhinan basically left Yan Nanqiu to his own devices. The two of them would only see each other a few times a year, which was one of the reasons why Fu Yunshu felt that there might really be nothing between the two of them.

If they were truly in love, even if they had amnesia, it's impossible that they hadn't sparked any feelings for each other all these years, right?

On the contrary, Yan Nanqiu and Yin Lisheng often spent time together, and in fact, they had known each other for a little longer than Fu Yunshu.

Fu Yunshu: Ahhh, stop thinking about it!!!

He forced himself to fall asleep, and the moment he closed his eyes, he was asleep.

Han Qi silently rolled her eyes in Fu Yunshu's mind.

This is blatant self-deception!

Even Fu Yunshu himself probably didn't realize that when he thought that Yin Lisheng might like Yan Nanqiu, the first thought that popped into his mind was jealousy.

The following day, Qingyuanzong was making preparations in full swing for the marriage ceremony of Song Wenzhuo and Gu Zhinan, but not everyone was accepting of the matter.

"I disagree!" A woman's angry voice broke the tranquility of the side hall.

At this moment, Ning Xuexi, the peak master of Danfeng, stood in the hall with an icy expression, her chest rising and falling slightly.

She was beautiful and usually treated people with gentleness and tolerance, but at this moment her almond-shaped eyes were filled with obvious annoyance and resentment.

Ning Xuexi didn't dislike Gu Zhinan; on the contrary, before Gu Zhinan lost his memory, they had an extremely close relationship, like brothers. It was precisely because of this that she felt even more sorry for Song Wenzhuo.

Peak Masters Wen Xun, Ye Xiuzhu, and Du Zhun were all present, and they exchanged glances upon hearing this. Wen Xun frowned slightly, Ye Xiuzhu coughed lightly in an attempt to smooth things over, while Du Zhun stood silently to the side, his eyes filled with worry.

“Junior Sister Ye, the sect leader has already announced this matter publicly…” Wen Xun tried to persuade her.

"So what if we announce it in public?" Ning Xuexi interrupted him, her voice slightly raised with excitement. "For him, Wen Zhuo has shielded us from so much criticism and suffered so much injustice over the years! And Gu Zhinan? He's completely focused on that damn Mirror Moon Flower! For that flower, he's risked his life time and time again, putting sect affairs aside and completely forgetting our old friendship!"

She grew angrier as she spoke, her eyes reddening slightly: "Yes, he has amnesia, we don't blame him, but over the years, which of us hasn't tried to help him find the Mirror Moon Flower, which of us hasn't tried to comfort him? Wen Zhuo has been completely open with him! But what has been his response to Wen Zhuo? Distancing, silence, and running away day and night!"

“I thought that he had finally changed his mind over the past few decades, since he hadn’t been going out much, and things were going in a good direction.”

"So what was the news that came back yesterday? Gu Zhinan and Yan Nanqiu are having an affair. Everyone knows who the 'Nan' in his name refers to. It turns out that the whole year's unrest was caused by that devil Yan Nanqiu! What does Gu Zhinan take us for? What does he take Wen Zhuo for?!"

"Junior Sister Ning, be careful what you say!" Ye Xiuzhu hurriedly stepped forward and lowered her voice, "Senior Brother Gu may have his reasons, and besides... besides, his memory has not yet been restored, and his affair with Yan Nanqiu may not be as the rumors outside are."

Du Zhun stepped forward and patiently said, "Junior Sister Ning, the sect leader has made up his mind. You know how he feels about Senior Brother Gu. Getting angry now will not help and will only hurt the harmony."

"Harmony?" Ning Xuexi sneered, her gaze sweeping over them before finally looking towards the inner room. "I was too concerned about this 'harmony,' which is why I watched Song Wenzhuo sink deeper and deeper! For Gu Zhinan, who was completely devoted to Mirror Moon Flower and whose heart was still occupied by someone else, he didn't hesitate to lie in public and bear all the criticism. Do you think it was worth it? He is Song Wenzhuo!"

Her voice was filled with heartache and resentment: "We grew up together since childhood, and in my heart, you are all my family. But after Gu Zhinan lost his memory, does he still see this 'family'? Where does he place us and Wen Zhuo in his heart? I'm so angry! I feel wronged for Wen Zhuo!"

Seeing her agitated, Wen Xun stepped forward and gently pressed her shoulder, his tone calm yet firm: "Junior Sister Ning, we understand your feelings, but this is the sect leader's own choice. Don't you know what kind of person Song Wenzhuo is? He has a scale in his heart and knows what he is doing. Since he has made his choice, we should just silently support him."

The curtain to the inner room was gently lifted by a hand.

Song Wenzhuo came out. He had changed into casual clothes, his expression calm, but there was a hint of fatigue in his eyes, clearly indicating that he hadn't slept well the night before. He looked at Ning Xuexi, whose eyes were red and who was still angry, and a trace of heartache flashed in his eyes.

"Xuexi," he called out gently.

When Ning Xuexi saw him, her anger and grievances seemed to find an outlet, but she swallowed them back and stubbornly turned her head away, refusing to look at him.

Song Wenzhuo walked up to her, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly said, "I understand everything you said. I know you feel indignant for me and care about me."

He paused, looking at the gradually brightening sky outside the window. His voice was soft, yet clear to everyone: "After Gu Yuan lost his memory, he did change a lot and became quite distant from everyone. Over the years, I have watched him toil and struggle for vague and unrealistic goals, even disregarding his own safety... I have also been puzzled and resentful."

He turned back, his gaze falling on Ning Xuexi's face, with a calm and composed expression: "But later I gradually accepted it."

“I have known Gu Yuan since childhood. I think his obsession with finding the Mirror Moon Flower to refine the Nine-Turn Essence Pill must have a reason that is more important to him than life itself.”

"As for Yan Nanqiu..." Song Wenzhuo's eyes darkened, then regained their clarity, "I don't know what happened between them. After all, even they themselves don't know the truth."

“But,” Song Wenzhu chuckled softly, his voice tender, “I am very certain of one thing.”

"That big idiot Gu Yuan likes me."

"We are mutually in love, and that's enough."