Chapter 75 Cold Spring (Part 1)

As if possessed, Chu Jianshan went inside, but upon seeing the half-open door, his expression immediately changed, and he turned to run away.

"Chu Jianshan, stop right there."

The room was poorly lit, with most of the person's face hidden in the shadows, as they slowly lowered the teacup that had been brought to their lips.

Chu Jianshan paused, turned around, and forced a smile at him: "A chance encounter."

Cheng Yuan opened the door and came out, standing under the eaves looking at him. "Who let you out?"

Unlike his casual attire yesterday, he was now dressed in a wide-sleeved robe. The dark robe was adorned with gold embroidery that intertwined with the light and shadow of the fabric, enveloping his tall and slender figure and adding to his imposing presence. Looking at him like this, he truly did resemble a revered ruler.

"Ji Zihua." Chu Jianshan remained calm and directly exposed him.

"Heh, I had almost forgotten about him." Cheng Yuan rubbed his wrist and walked step by step toward Chu Jianshan.

The pace was slow, yet Chu Jianshan inexplicably felt a sense of oppression.

"What... are you doing?" Chu Jianshan took a step back.

Cheng Yuan walked up to him, looked at him deeply, and then said softly, "Master."

This "Master" was devoid of any emotion, just like any other time, on a sunny afternoon when the person woke up and lay lazily on Chu Jianshan's lap.

Chu Jianshan's brows relaxed. "What's wrong?"

The gloom in Cheng Yuan's eyes suddenly dissipated slightly, and the corners of his mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.

"You actually let me call you that."

Chu Jianshan turned his head to the side and asked, "You won't call me if I don't want to?"

Cheng Yuan: "Of course not."

"That settles it."

Chu Jianshan ignored him and went straight into the house, where he poured himself a cup of tea.

"You're quite impolite," Cheng Yuan said, following behind.

After taking a sip of tea, Chu Jianshan finally calmed down and decided not to argue with him.

Neither of them spoke for a moment, but Chu Jianshan saw out of the corner of his eye that Cheng Yuan was still clutching his wrist under the table, rubbing it repeatedly as if in pain.

Chu Jianshan casually sprinkled the tea, which landed precisely on Cheng Yuan's sleeve.

Cheng Yuan frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "What are you doing?"

Chu Jianshan smiled sheepishly and pretended to apologize as he went over to wipe his hand, saying, "My hand slipped, sorry."

Just as he expected, Cheng Yuan suddenly stood up, not even letting him touch the hem of his clothes.

Chu Jianshan didn't give him a chance and grabbed his wrist directly. Cheng Yuan frowned and groaned, as if in pain, and had no strength to resist.

The cuff was suddenly lifted up, and Chu Jianshan saw a red mark on his wrist. He initially thought it was a wound, but upon closer inspection, it was a thin line embedded under the skin, trembling slightly, as if it was still contracting.

Cheng Yuan abruptly withdrew his hand, his expression not looking good. "What exactly do you want?"

Chu Jianshan asked urgently, "Was it Qiao Yi who did this?"

Cheng Yuan sat down again, his back to him, and said coldly, "What's it to you?"

Chu Jianshan also lost his temper and shouted, "You only need to say yes or no!"

"So what if it is, and so what if it isn't?" Cheng Yuan looked up at him. "If it really is him, does Immortal Venerable Chu still intend to seek justice for me? If I remember correctly, I was expelled from Changjin Mountain long ago."

Chu Jianshan calmed down, lowered his eyes and sat down, avoiding looking at him.

If it really is Qiao Yi, there should be more than just this one red thread; there could be one on his heart, his neck, or anywhere that could kill him...

He should have realized this long ago. Cheng Yuan was expelled from Changjin Mountain because of the puppetry technique. How could he now be willing to practice this evil art?

...Did he save Cheng Yuan or harm him?

"Are those people who disappeared in Qingyao City related to you?" Chu Jianshan asked.

Cheng Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly, "I thought Master would be concerned about my health first."

Chu Jianshan: "If Qiao Yi wants to control you, he won't let you die easily."

"I won't die, but it will hurt..." Cheng Yuan slowly approached him, forcing their gazes to meet.

"Master, it hurts so much."

Chu Jianshan's breath hitched for a moment, and he almost dared not look at him again.

A barely perceptible smile appeared on Cheng Yuan's lips. "What is Master feeling guilty about?"

Chu Jianshan denied it, saying, "No."

Cheng Yuan didn't make things difficult for him anymore. He straightened up and sat back down, took a sip of tea, and casually replied, "It's me."

"What?" Chu Jianshan hadn't reacted yet.

Cheng Yuan explained again: "The person who went missing in Qingyao City was me."

Chu Jianshan clenched his fingers. "Reason."

Cheng Yuan closed his eyes slightly and looked at Chu Jianshan with a playful gaze. "Master, don't forget that I cultivate evil arts. And evil arts... naturally require some living people to be sacrificed."

“They are living, breathing people!” Chu Jianshan’s eyes reddened, and his voice trembled slightly.

"I am a living, breathing human being too!" Cheng Yuan's eyes were almost overflowing with ruthlessness. "Master could still be so cruel as to torture me half to death, so why can't I?"

"Or is it that to achieve Master's great cause, someone must be sacrificed, even if that person is his own disciple, he doesn't care. When all evil is destroyed and the world is at peace, everyone will remember Chu Qingyuan's universal salvation and rescue of people from suffering. What is a mere Cheng Yuan...?"

"No..." Chu Jianshan looked flustered and couldn't say anything clearly, only repeating these two words over and over again.

"Whether it is true or not, I don't care anymore." Cheng Yuan looked at him indifferently. "Since I was wrong from the beginning, I might as well continue to be wrong."

He stood up, as if to leave. But after three steps, he clutched his chest tightly, his body giving way, and he knelt down. His forehead was covered in sweat, and his expression was one of pain.

"A-Yuan!" Chu Jianshan panicked and rushed over to support him, placing his other hand on his pulse, but there was nothing wrong.

Chu Jianshan tried to stand up so he could drag Cheng Yuan to the bed, but just as he was about to get up, Cheng Yuan grabbed his wrist with such force that he almost broke his bones.

"Don't you dare leave!" Cheng Yuan gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot. "Chu Jianshan, try running away if you dare!"

"I won't leave, I won't leave..." Chu Jianshan placed his hand on Cheng Yuan's back and rubbed it back and forth. He didn't know if it would work, but fortunately, Cheng Yuan's condition had recovered a little.

"Where does it hurt?"

Cheng Yuan didn't reply, his pale lips were almost bitten through, and he gripped Chu Jianshan's hand harder and harder.

Chu Jianshan practically half-embraced him, supporting his head with his shoulder, and said, "Tell me, where does it hurt?"

Cheng Yuan remained silent, but reached out and pulled Chu Jianshan into his arms, burying his head in the crook of Chu's neck, his hot breath hitting Chu's neck.

His body was burning hot and he was shivering uncontrollably. Chu Jianshan wanted to call someone over, but he couldn't break free no matter what he did, so he could only transfer some spiritual energy to comfort him.

After about half an incense stick's time, the person in his arms became still, and Cheng Yuan fainted.

Before he was fully awake, the first sound he heard was the rushing water. Cheng Yuan forced himself to open his eyes and saw that he was soaking in a cold spring. He had taken off most of his clothes, leaving only a single shirt, which clung tightly to his body after being soaked in water, outlining his firm figure.

Cheng Yuan looked around. It was pitch black, with only the moonlight shattered and held in the center of the spring. The surroundings were eerily quiet, and there was no trace of that person's presence.

He struggled to his feet, trying to climb ashore. But after a while, he suddenly stopped.

He'd been unconscious for so long, Chu Jianshan was determined not to let such a good opportunity slip by. He'd probably already run to Qingyao City, and it would be too late to catch up.

He leaned against the shore, looking up at the crescent moon. The biting cold of the spring water kept seeping into his body, just enough to soothe the heat inside.

rustle--

A slight rustling of grass approached, and Cheng Yuan glanced sideways. Judging from the sound, the person was coming towards him. Normally, he wouldn't let outsiders near him when he was soaking in the cold spring.

The visitor is not friendly.

Cheng Yuan pretended not to hear, and when the man was behind him, he turned around and pulled him down forcefully.

With a splash, water sprayed everywhere.

Cheng Yuan was about to push him underwater, but after seeing who it was, he froze on the spot.

"How...how could you?"

Chu Jianshan floated to the surface of the water. Cheng Yuan had used too much force, and his hair ornament had been torn off. A few messy strands of hair clung to his face, and his wet clothes were just the right amount of translucent, allowing a glimpse of his body color.

Chu Jianshan raised his eyes, but before he could speak, he was shivered by the biting cold and instinctively hugged his arms.

He has always been afraid of the cold, and even at the beginning of spring, he couldn't stand such a cold spring.

Cheng Yuan immediately realized what was happening, pulled Chu Jianshan over, and surrounded him with his body. After confirming that he was alright, he used one hand to hold onto a rock to steady himself, and with the other hand, he directly lifted him up and carried him to the shore to sit down.

Cheng Yuan stood in the water, supporting his body with both hands, sandwiching Chu Jianshan between him. In this position, Chu Jianshan was half a body taller than him, and the two looked at each other across the misty water.

With a soft thud, a drop of water fell from Chu Jianshan's hair and landed on the back of his hand.

"Why don't you leave?" Cheng Yuan asked first.

Chu Jianshan turned his head slightly away from him. He was sitting on an unstable spot and was about to slip off if he moved even slightly, so he could only hold on with his hands.

"I'm afraid you'll die."

Cheng Yuan said, "Qiao Yi wants to control me, so he won't let me die easily. These are your exact words."

Chu Jianshan glared at him: "You won't die, but you'll feel pain. That's exactly what you said."

"So...?" Cheng Yuan slowly approached him, not wanting to miss a single expression on Chu Jianshan's face.

"That's why I went through all that trouble to drag you here," Chu Jianshan shoved Cheng Yuan aside and said in a reproachful tone, "Do you even know how heavy you are!"

Cheng Yuan curled his lips and said, "Immortal Chu is truly righteous. You can forgive and forget a wicked cultivator who has harmed so many people, and you even wasted such a good opportunity to escape."

Chu Jianshan's eyes darkened as he looked at Cheng Yuan and said, "I don't believe those people were done by you."

Cheng Yuan raised an eyebrow: "Really? I don't even believe myself."

Chu Jianshan said, "If you were truly willing, why would Qiao Yi go to such lengths to control you?"

Cheng Yuan was stunned for a moment, then let out a low, cold laugh and asked, word by word, "You can believe me now, but why didn't you believe me back then?"

"I..." This sentence left Chu Jianshan speechless for a long time.

Cheng Yuan slowly walked into him, and the water in the cold spring rippled in circles.

He grabbed Chu Jianshan's wrist and whispered in his ear, "No matter the reason, you've stayed now, Chu Jianshan. Do you know what the price of staying is?"

"Will you lock me in that dark room again?"

Cheng Yuan chuckled softly, his breath brushing against Chu Jianshan's earlobe, causing him to involuntarily shrink back.

Suddenly, Cheng Yuan grabbed his wrist and pulled him down into the cold spring, landing in his arms.