Chapter 86 A Long, Weeping Song (Part Two)

Cheng Yuan went to Changjin Mountain alone. He knew that his current identity was not suitable, but he was so eager to see Chu Jianshan that he was willing to fight his way through the crowd of people in Changjin Mountain, disregarding past feelings.

He walked to the mountain gate, where a group of people blocked his way.

"Get out of the way," Cheng Yuan said in a hoarse voice, "I don't want to hurt you."

The people from Changjin Mountain looked troubled. They didn't lower the swords they were holding, but they also didn't make way for him.

"Who is so arrogant as to dare to cause trouble at Changjin Mountain?"

As soon as the sound came out, everyone made way, clearing a path for people to pass.

Ji Shi walked over unhurriedly, holding a sword in his right hand, which was not yet drawn.

Cheng Yuan frowned slightly; there was no way Ji Shi wouldn't recognize his voice.

Upon seeing Cheng Yuan, Ji Shi slowly spoke again: "Isn't this the Venerable Master of Linyi Sect? What brings you here?"

Cheng Yuan took two steps toward him, but before he could get close, the two men beside him blocked his way with their swords. The sword light was sharp and reflected on his neck.

Cheng Yuan said, "Ji Shi, what do you mean?"

Ji Shi looked up at him: "I'd like to ask you what you mean. What right do people who were kicked out of Changjin Mountain have to come back?"

Cheng Yuan was breathing heavily, not only because his injuries made him dizzy, but also because he was puzzled by the person in front of him, Ji Shi... why was he like this?

"What about Chu Jianshan?" Cheng Yuan asked, raising the most important question.

Upon hearing the name, Ji Shi couldn't help but grip his sword tightly, wishing he could draw it and kill the person in front of him.

"How dare you mention him?"

"What's the meaning?"

"Let me ask you first. When your master's wife was murdered, you were sentenced to be struck by lightning. Wasn't that actually a setup he set up to protect you?"

Cheng Yuan didn't know why he brought this up, but he figured there was nothing left to hide from him, so he said, "Yes."

Ji Shi's eyes instantly reddened, and his hand holding the sword trembled violently.

He then asked, "Did you also stop Chu Jianshan from sending the letter requesting help to Changjin Mountain?"

Cheng Yuan was completely bewildered: "What request for help?"

"Still playing dumb?" Ji Shi moved closer to him, his voice low and menacing. "That letter is imbued with his spiritual power; it can only be taken by someone close to him. Who else could it be but you?"

Cheng Yuan didn't understand, but inexplicably began to panic, his heart pounding as if it were about to jump out of his chest. He became agitated and asked, "Does Chu Jianshan not want to come out and see me? What is he hiding from?!"

"You want to see him, don't you?" Ji Shi shouted, her eyes red. "Then go and apologize to him in person!"

The nameless sword was drawn, knocking him back three-tenths of an inch, and then the blade thrust straight at him.

Cheng Yuan had no sword with him, so he had to catch the sword with his bare hands.

His face still showed a look of astonishment as he angrily shouted, "Ji Shi... what are you doing!"

Ji Shi remained silent, relentlessly attacking Cheng Yuan without holding back. Cheng Yuan, already severely injured and unable to withstand such immense spiritual power, collapsed to his knees and coughed up blood after taking several blows.

But Ji Shi didn't stop; the nameless sword went straight for his neck.

"Ji Shi, stop." Jiang Yan's voice rang out from behind, and Ji Shi stopped his movement just before he was about to finish.

The surrounding disciples bowed and greeted, "Sect Leader."

"Sect Leader..." Cheng Yuan propped himself up and asked him, "Where is my master?"

Jiang Yan was silent for a moment, then said, "Shouldn't the Lord know best where he is?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Shi couldn't help but tear up and turned away to wipe his tears.

Seeing him like this, Cheng Yuan's unease grew even stronger. "Tell me where he is!"

"What, killing him wasn't enough..." Ji Shi turned around, glaring at him fiercely: "Now you want to take the corpse with you too?!"

Cheng Yuan froze on the spot, his pale lips trembling uncontrollably. After a long while, he managed to utter a few complete words: "...What corpse?"

Ji Shi approached him step by step, each word piercing his heart: "Immortal Chu... has perished."

"Impossible..." Cheng Yuan took a half step back, almost falling. "What nonsense are you talking about! How could he be dead... You must be lying to me, you're lying to me!"

"Then go see! Go see Cheng Yuan!" Ji Shi grabbed his collar, gritting his teeth. "He's dead, completely dead. You can rest assured!"

Cheng Yuan stood frozen in place, as if he had lost his mind.

Not long after, he suddenly broke free from Ji Shi, pushed through the crowd, and ran over.

It can't be like what they say. He's going to see Chu Jianshan. He knows where Chu Jianshan is. He knows!

His mind was a mess, but his feet never stopped moving until he stood in that familiar place and realized where he was.

Sleepless Abode.

He was panting heavily, his legs felt like they weighed a ton, and he couldn't take another step. He dared not go any further. But suddenly a gust of wind arose, rustling through the bamboo forest, as if pushing him forward.

The sleepless house had been uninhabited for a long time, and the snow in front of the door hadn't been cleared. He sank deeper and deeper into the snow until he reached the door. He mustered his courage and raised his hand, but then stopped in front of the door.

In the end, it was the wind that made the decision for him. The door was suddenly blown open, and snow covered with bamboo leaves fell down as if it were snowing again.

Snowflakes drifted into the house and landed on Chu Jianshan's coffin.

Cheng Yuan followed and walked forward, and saw the person lying inside. In that instant, it was as if all the light in the world had been taken away, leaving only boundless darkness to swallow him up.

He reached out his stiff hand and touched Chu Jianshan's cheek.

“Master…this isn’t fun,” he choked out, each word agonizingly uttered. “This kind of game is enough after one round. There’s no need to torture me like this.”

But the sensation from his fingertips clearly told him that it was cold and hard. Large tears fell, but they couldn't melt away the cold, stiffness.

"Master... I beg you," Cheng Yuan nearly collapsed, his voice breaking into fragments, "Please don't do this, I really can't take it anymore..."

"I was wrong, I was wrong, I was wrong..." He pressed his forehead against the edge of the coffin, banging it heavily again and again until blood seeped from his temples, mingling with tears streaming down his face. "I shouldn't have let you take me away... Please wake up! I'll do whatever you say from now on, even if we never see each other again, I just want you to live..."

Only now did he truly understand what it meant to be heartbroken—his heart felt like it was being gripped by an invisible hand, the pain almost making him curl up, but he still held onto Chu Jianshan's hand, stubbornly refusing to collapse.

"Master, it hurts so much, it hurts so much..." His voice was so soft it seemed to dissipate in the wind, filled with a desperate plea, "Please, don't leave me alone..."

...

He didn't remember how he took Chu Jianshan away, only that it was very dark, many people surrounded them, he was in a bloodthirsty state, and his wounds kept bleeding, much of it spilling onto Chu Jianshan.

He knelt down, holding Chu Jianshan in his arms, gently wiping the bloodstains from his face, but he couldn't get them clean no matter what he did.

When he regained his memories, he was already kneeling at the foot of the gate of Linyi.

He looked up and saw Qiao Yi sitting in the seat of honor, resting his chin on one hand, smiling without saying a word.

He had never realized before that the position of this lord was so high, so high that he had to look up to see the person on top.

"Tsk tsk tsk, how pitiful." Qiao Yi sighed, revealing a hint of feigned pity.

"You have a way to save him..." Cheng Yuan's voice was weak, but his tone was firm.

"Who told you that?" Qiao Yi raised an eyebrow.

“Nobody told me,” Cheng Yuan said, looking down at the person in his arms, “that you’re going to use Master to blackmail me, to make me willingly serve you… I’m willing, as long as you can save him.”

"Is that so?" Qiao Yi leaned forward and whispered, "What I did was something that is absolutely outrageous."

“I know,” Cheng Yuan said without changing his expression. “No matter what I do, no matter how many people I kill, even if I am condemned to eternal damnation, I don’t care. I just want my master to come back to life.”

Qiao Yi was stunned for a moment, then smiled and sighed, "You're just like me."

He descended step by step from the throne, looking down at the two people below, hesitating to speak: "There is a way..."

Cheng Yuan's eyes finally brightened a little, and he asked him urgently, "How...how long?"

Qiao Yi asked in confusion, "Aren't you going to ask me what method I used?"

"I don't care." Cheng Yuan gripped his clothes, his eyes bloodshot, looking terrifying and deranged.

"Please, I beg you, save him... I'm willing to pay any price."

Qiao Yi slowly squatted down and looked at him: "Don't worry, it's not a big price to pay, it only requires..."

He gently cut Cheng Yuan's neck, and blood seeped out little by little. "I only need a little bit of your blood."

Cheng Yuan hurriedly asked, "Then my master...?"

Qiao Yi sighed almost imperceptibly and comforted him, "Even if I have great skills, it is difficult to bring the dead back to life. I can only temporarily preserve the body from decay and try my best with all my knowledge."

"But you also need to be prepared that a person has three souls and seven spirits. It is almost impossible to recall all the souls without missing a single one."

Cheng Yuan looked at Chu Jianshan's hand, which was tightly gripping his, and tears fell into the corner of his eye and slid down his cheek. "Even if there is only a one in ten thousand chance, I will try."

Qiao Yi admired his stubbornness and turned to him, saying, "Put him on that stone bed."

Cheng Yuan carried Chu Jianshan over as instructed and gently placed him on the stone bed.

Qiao Yi faced him, suddenly raised her hand, and powerful spiritual energy condensed in her palm. The surrounding air seemed to freeze for a moment, followed by a gale carrying dust that swirled around Chu Jianshan's corpse.

Cheng Yuan had never seen such magic before. He carefully examined it and saw that something seemed to be gradually taking shape in the wind—the shape of a person.

Driven by spiritual power, this thing was sucked into Chu Jianshan's body. The next second, the spiritual power exploded, and he was forced to take a few steps back.

After the noise subsided, he rushed to Chu Jianshan, knelt beside him, and whispered, "Master...?"

He saw it clearly. After he shouted, Chu Jianshan slowly opened his eyes, but those eyes were like a stagnant pool, reflecting nothing.

According to Qiao Yi, he only forcibly recalled one of Chu Jianshan's souls. Although Chu Jianshan could open and close his eyes like a normal person, he could not see or stop the body from decaying. In short, he gave him a desperate hope.

Every fifteen days thereafter, he would perform the spell on Chu Jianshan again, but whether it succeeded or not depended entirely on the will of Heaven.

Cheng Yuan did not react at all. He simply carried Chu Jianshan back to the bedside, sat there motionless and silent, surrounded by a deep, deathly stillness.

From then on, every day, apart from exhausting his mind to circulate his spiritual power and desperately protecting Chu Jianshan's body from decay, he would just stare at him like this, without eating or drinking, becoming emaciated.

On the fifth day, Cheng Yuan finally made a slight move. He summoned his servants, his voice hoarse and almost incoherent, and simply instructed them to tidy up the garden, modeled after the Sleepless Residence. The servants dared not ask any further questions and hurriedly went to carry out his orders.

As night deepened, it was midnight when Cheng Yuan carried Chu Jianshan and stepped into the garden.

He stood at the doorway and looked out. The dragon and phoenix wedding candles were burning brightly, their flickering flames illuminating the four walls. Bright red ribbons wrapped around the beams and pillars, decorating the "Sleepless Abode" in a vibrant red, exactly as he had imagined in his dream.

The night was so quiet you could hear the soft popping of candle flames. All around was pitch black except for the brightly lit bridal chamber, where a warm red light emanated, strangely bringing a sense of comfort that brought tears to one's eyes.

Cheng Yuan carried Chu Jianshan, walking slowly and heavily inside.

As we walked through the long corridor, a sudden gust of night wind whipped through, abruptly lifting the red silk hanging in the corridor. The red silk surged and tangled in the darkness, exuding an indescribable desolation and eeriness.

Cheng Yuan personally helped Chu Jianshan change into his wedding attire. When his fingertips brushed against the exquisitely embroidered dragon and phoenix patterns on the fabric, his movements were so gentle as if he were afraid of shattering a fragile dream.

After changing, he slowly squatted down and looked up at Chu Jianshan.

In his eyes, Chu Jianshan had always seemed like a celestial being descended from the clouds, his simple white robes exuding elegance and purity untouched by worldly dust. But now, the bright red wedding gown draped over Chu Jianshan fit him surprisingly well, making Cheng Yuan momentarily forget that the person before him was already lifeless.

"Master..." Cheng Yuan called softly, reaching out to touch his face.

As his fingers brushed against Chu Jianshan's lips, he realized something was missing—a living person's lips shouldn't be so pale. So he bit his fingertip, traced the shape of Chu Jianshan's lips, and stained them with blood.

He stood up, pulled Chu Jianshan into his arms, looked at the bright red candles outside the door, and said in a soft, trembling voice, "First bow to Heaven and Earth."

He held Chu Jian in his arms and bowed deeply towards the door.

Then he turned around, placed Chu Jianshan on a chair, and faced the altar with only one memorial tablet, and said, "Second bow to the parents."

He bowed down alone, his back bent deeply, filled with endless remorse.

"Husband and wife bow to each other..."

Cheng Yuan's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, as if it might be carried away by the wind at any moment.

"Master, the ceremony is complete."

He lifted Chu Jianshan's veil, and beneath it was Chu Jianshan's face, exactly as it had been in life. His eyes still reflected the flickering candlelight; he was clearly a living person.

"Master, please don't blame me. In this haste, this is all I can do." Cheng Yuan held Chu Jianshan's cold hand and warmed it for him, while continuing to say, "In a few days, when Master wakes up, we will hold a grand celebration."

His vision blurred as he laughed, and his throat tightened: "I don't care about etiquette or morality, and I don't care what others think. I want the whole world to know that I love you."

"Whether Master resents me or scolds me, as long as I can be with Master every day, I don't ask for anything else, I don't want anything else."

He looked up, kissed Chu Jianshan's forehead, and whispered, "Master, please wake up soon."

He carried Chu Jianshan back to the bedroom. The bed was covered with a bright red wedding quilt, which looked exceptionally soft and warm.

He poured two cups of Heqin wine, wrapped them around Chu Jianshan's forearm, and drank both cups down. Then he gently took a strand of Chu Jianshan's hair, cut it off, tied it to his own hair, and wrapped it in a red cloth.

"We became husband and wife, and our love is unwavering."

He smiled and looked at Chu Jianshan, who was leaning against the foot of the bed. His face under the veil was flushed by the firelight, as if he was just sitting there quietly.

Cheng Yuan's heart stirred, and he suddenly leaned down and kissed her.

Normally, Chu Jianshan would have blushed, then become furious and unable to speak clearly, and would have chased him away by Mo Yang, not allowing him to come near. But in reality, Cheng Yuan only needed to coax him gently for a few moments, and his slight anger would dissipate instantly.

Chu Jianshan could never bring himself to be angry with him.

But when his fingertips brushed against his cold cheek, the hard, cold touch completely shattered his momentary daze.

"Master?" he called out in a low voice, his voice hoarse.

There was no response.

Cheng Yuan leaned down and pressed his forehead against Chu Jianshan's cold forehead, instantly shattering all the pretense of gentleness he had maintained and deceived himself with.

His arms encircled the body that would never respond to him again, and he trembled violently.

Red candles burned brightly in the room, their festive warmth enveloping the bed, yet illuminating only a chilling, deathly silence. The vibrant red seemed, at that moment, the cruelest irony of the world.

He once thought they had a long time left, long enough to smooth over all misunderstandings and awkwardness, long enough for him to slowly coax and apologize until Chu Jianshan could no longer hold a grudge.

Unfortunately, fate was never kind to him.

In the end, Cheng Yuan could no longer make a sound. He simply held the already cold body tightly in his arms, as if trying to pierce into his own bones.

With a crackling sound, the red candle burst open, and the curtains swayed gently.

The night is still long, and his dawn will never come.