Chapter 59 (Revised) The old friend is gone, the past...

Li Qingyun smiled.

Can't understand?

What do you mean you don't understand? Are your ears just for decoration? Can't you even use your brain anymore?

Nobody taught you the meaning of the words "心悦" (xīn yuè)?

"What can't you understand, is it the language? Or the person?"

Li Qingyun responded swiftly and decisively.

Then, overwhelmed by the absurdity of his own immersion, he looked away, a bitter taste rising in his mouth, and a third self-deprecating murmur escaped his lips: "Ha..."

"fraud."

[fraud. ]

They came with a specific purpose from the very beginning.

I wasn't the one they wanted from the beginning.

From beginning to end, those sparse yet warm ordinary moments did not belong to Li Qingyun in the present.

The sorrowful wind blew across a heart full of passion, igniting a tinderbox left in the shadows. The fire spread, igniting a burning rage within.

Jealousy added fuel to the fire, and resentment joined in the commotion. The chariot of memories crashed into this sea of ​​fire, and there was no stopping it.

In his memories, there were only trivial experiences between the master and his disciple over the past ten years. The master, always dressed in white, preferred to walk behind so that he could quickly bring his beloved disciple back if anything went wrong.

As time went on, some unusual things began to emerge.

During his years in Zhongzhou, many noble families coveted Li Qingyun's status as a prodigy, and many brought their younger generations to propose marriage. However, before these people could even get close to Li Qingyun, they were all turned away by Chang Yubai.

Master blocked them with lightning speed and refused them with utmost seriousness. Many times, before Li Qingyun could even react, those people had already been turned away and left by Chang Yubai.

But now that I think about it, was Chang Yubai's serious preparations really to stop his beloved disciple whom he couldn't bear to let go of, or to stop his master whom he hoped for in his heart?

At that time, he thought his master was protecting him and not letting anyone get close to him or take him away.

This attention surprised and warmed Li Qingyun.

But at this moment, the source of this concern has vanished, and looking back, it has become so glaring and so infuriating.

But the memories before his eyes continued.

He knew that Chang Yubai was not a cultivator who liked to hoard treasures. The precious items that Chang Yubai took out so easily must have been given to Chang Yubai by his grandmaster for self-defense.

In other words, these are all relics of our grandmaster.

He used up 139 sheets just to get here from the Great Wilderness.

A total of 139 items were lost!

Given how much Chang Yubai values ​​his grandmaster, will he have to risk his life to repay such a large sum of money from the inheritance?

The more I thought about it, the harder it became to control my breathing.

When the emotions reached their peak, Li Qingyun had completely lost control, and the string of reason snapped.

It's ridiculous that Chang Yubai still wants to pretend he doesn't understand or know anything about things that have developed to this point.

He is a living, breathing person, not a joke to be made fun of!

He tried to shake off Chang Yubai and pull his arm back.

As he struggled, he sneered, "The other day, you earnestly advised me not to imitate the way I saw from the Wishing Stone."

"Chang Yubai, you are so selfish! You said so much under the guise of doing what's best for me, from day to night, and even Li Hongyi woke up from his nap. I actually thought you were having a heart-to-heart talk with me!"

"You don't let me imitate your master because you think I'm not worthy?"

"After meeting Li Hongyi, you remembered the past. You finally recalled all the good things about your master. Now, this imposter is no longer worthy of your attention, is that right?"

"His kindness to you is undeniable, but am I so unworthy of your sincerity?!"

I said I love you! I love you!

"You really don't understand even the slightest bit?!"

A sob quietly eroded these words.

Li Qingyun pressed on urgently, but as she forced an answer, countless sharp daggers pierced her heart. In the end, her angry questions became inaudible, replaced only by sobs and choking.

But what could he do?

He couldn't very well point his finger at Chang Yubai and say, "You've insulted me like this, so from now on we'll go our separate ways and never see each other again."

That won't work.

That simply won't work!!!

Tears streamed down Li Qingyun's cheeks as he raised a hand to wipe them away, trying to hide his damn embarrassment. Although he had his head down and could only see the ground, his mind was focused on Chang Yubai's reaction.

However, rotten wood is hard to carve, and Chang Yubai showed no reaction.

Li Qingyun was annoyed but powerless. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Chang Yubai's arm, which he was holding tightly, and a fleeting glint flashed in her eyes.

He recalled making detaching movements while he was crying.

So you failed to pull your hand back from Chang Yubai?

He thought that he had exerted too much force to vent his emotions, which had caused his skills to deteriorate. So, after calming down several times, he gathered all his strength in his arm and swung it forcefully again...

It didn't work.

Chang Yubai held him tightly, and he couldn't shake him off at all.

"Don't go." Chang Yubai's voice appeared.

Li Qingyun ignored him: "Let go!"

"If you can't stand the way I look, then why are you holding on to me like this? Who are you really holding onto?!"

He resented Chang Yubai's behavior of having his eyes on both sides and was unwilling to relinquish control of his body at this moment.

But suddenly, the smell that filled my nostrils changed.

Damp? Cloudy? Burnt? Each one is very similar, but...

Strange, it was a scent he had never smelled before.

Li Qingyun froze, stopping what she was doing.

...

Therefore, "心悦" is not an ambiguous word that Xiaoyun used to use when she was being affectionate, nor is it a term of endearment that a younger person would use to express affection to an elder.

Therefore, this confession is serious.

Chang Yubai's jumbled thoughts suddenly came together.

It's good to listen to more of what he says; the more you listen, the clearer Chang Yubai's logic becomes.

Amidst those cries of anguish, Chang Yubai finally understood the reason for Xiaoyun's departure.

It turns out, it wasn't because of the so-called plot threat.

Xiaoyun didn't leave Zhongzhou because she didn't want him anymore; it turns out she liked him so much that she mistakenly thought she had become a substitute from her past life.

Chang Yubai breathed a sigh of relief: Thank goodness, thank goodness it's not going to be... um?

Soon, Chang Yubai's brain circuits went blank.

like?

Who likes it?

Who do you like?

Who fell in love with whom?!

The topic he had subconsciously avoided was brought up again, with a deep abyss lying across his feet and what looked like a "No Deviation" sign next to it.

Aaaaaaahh ...

During the time his computer crashed, Li Qingyun had finished her tearful plea.

His inaction weakened Li Qingyun and further convinced her of the so-called substitute. Because of the substitute's misunderstanding, Li Qingyun tried to shake him off time and time again.

Chang Yubai: ...

Chang Yubai subconsciously strained, "Don't go."

Li Qingyun, still seething with anger, shouted: "Let go!"

"If you can't stand the way I look, then why are you holding on to me like this? Who are you really holding onto?!"

Upon hearing this, Chang Yubai's gaze hardened.

He was afraid of hurting Xiaoyun by gripping her too tightly, so he secretly reduced the force of his grip. At the moment he made that judgment, Xiaoyun's struggles also weakened.

Did you notice something?

Without thinking, Chang Yubai answered first: "Not a substitute, but..."

What is it?

In an instant, an invisible pressure enveloped him, making it hard for him to breathe.

Having too high a cultivation level is not always a good thing. One's actions and feelings can be connected with the heavens. If he is just a young man with low cultivation, and he grits his teeth and continues, he will only end up being crushed to pieces without knowing it, and he will only feel that he is unfortunate when he dies.

But he heard the roar of destiny.

I can't say.

No information about one's previous life should be spoken of.

It was only then that Chang Yubai remembered that he had been to this wilderness before. Less than a hundred steps to the side, there was a crack that had been cleaved by sword intent. The crack was repaired and covered up the torn-up other-dimensional space—where his master was sleeping.

Just two steps further on the land he had set foot on was a hastily constructed cenotaph, a tomb he had set up in the open to commemorate his master.

……grave?

It turns out to be a burial ground for a previous life.

It turns out that Xiaoyun didn't drift here aimlessly.

He had already realized Xiaoyun's seriousness, but at this moment, he suddenly felt afraid of that seriousness.

How should he reply to Xiaoyun?

He couldn't possibly answer with just the words "master and apprentice" or "family." Xiaoyun was angry; she wanted a precise answer, but...

But Chang Yubai couldn't understand.

Especially when the option of love appeared, a feeling that had never been born before whispered to Chang Yubai, making his already troubled mind even more chaotic.

Why did it turn into infatuation?

Can feelings really develop between a master and his apprentice?

Master and apprentice...

like……?

"Let me think about it."

He said.

"Xiaoyun, I don't understand. Let me think about it, let me think about it."

Chang Yubai suddenly tightened his grip.

He repeated the same sentence three times, but it only deepened his anxiety.

He was afraid that Xiaoyun would struggle again, so he no longer cared whether he would hurt Li Qingyun. He only wanted to build a cage during his period of confusion and trap Li Qingyun in front of him.

But he couldn't bear to part with it.

If he didn't hurry up and secure Li Qingyun's position, he feared the man in front of him might change his mind and turn it into a hollow dream.

He needs to think, but he cannot leave Qingyun until he has finished thinking.

He was terrified of the possibility of losing Li Qingyun.

[What exactly is it?]

He struggled.

Chang Yubai couldn't understand what those emotions that kept clamoring deep inside him really meant.

...

Li Qingyun frowned as she was captured.

The sensation in my wrist was becoming firmer, and the previously relaxed force suddenly rebounded, followed by a pain that felt like my knuckles were being embedded into my flesh.

Li Qingyun rarely saw his master lose his composure like this, but as Chang Yubai spoke, his rationality gradually returned.

Chang Yubai said he was not a stand-in.

He listened to what he was told.

But what about the rest of the text?

Why did you stop halfway through your speech?

Li Qingyun was itching with desire, but he waited and waited, yet he never received the answer he wanted.

Even if he tries to convince himself that the answer doesn't have to be what he wants, at least he'll get a clear answer...

No.

Just as Chang Yubai was tormented by waiting for his response, he realized that he himself was experiencing the same anxious and unbearable longing.

But he made a scene all day, wasn't it all for Chang Yubai's explanation?

What's the explanation?

What is the Grandmaster? And what is Li Qingyun?

Why did you stop halfway through your sentence?

Li Qingyun glared angrily, but when she looked up, she was met with Chang Yubai's hesitant words.

Chang Yubai repeated it three times, his face full of distress, saying that he should think about it first.

...Yes.

His master was a complete blockhead.

Chang Yubai couldn't even react to his seductive and coquettish manner, so how could he give a timely answer about matters of love?

Li Qingyun felt a pang of pity and realized that he had been too hasty.

"Okay," he said softly, "but could you let go of me?"

He wanted to say that Chang Yubai's grip was hurting him, and if it continued, he really wouldn't be able to take it.

Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Chang Yubai's eyes sweep over and meet his gaze.

Her once bright eyes were now filled with a cold glint, reflecting a gaze as sharp and menacing as a serrated dagger.

In just one sentence, Chang Yubai was driven into a frenzy once again.

Only Chang Yubai himself endured the chaos within his consciousness.

The oppressive aura descending from the Azure Sky, Xiao Yun's urging to leave, the budding stirrings deep within his heart, the fear of his past and present lives constantly overlapping... He experienced too many emotions in one day, each of them of paramount importance, yet he could not find a suitable reason to resolve them.

Emotions piled up in one place, forming a mountain, blocking all possible excuses.

He had not been troubled by chaotic emotions for a century, but now he had lost the ability to cope with chaos.

Chang Yubai's head was about to explode.

But at this very moment, Xiaoyun asked him to let go.

No, that won't do. I need to do something before I figure it out.

He frantically rummaged through his sleeves, pockets, storage ring, and mustard seed space, stuffing all the candies he could find into Li Qingyun's hands for safekeeping, trying to use the items in his hands to dispel Li Qingyun's intention to interrogate him.

Despite his splitting headache, he deliberately avoided the flavors that Xiaoyun disliked the most.

The candy piled up into a small mound, burying the two people's calves in the candy pool. Because the two people were standing upright, at first glance, they looked almost exactly like the tombstones just two steps away.

A peppermint candy with little sweetness was tremblingly stuffed into Li Qingyun's lips.

This is something Li Qingyun often uses to cleanse her mouth. Compared to those cloyingly sweet candies, mint can dilute the taste in her mouth after eating, and Li Qingyun prefers her mouth to be a little lighter.

Everyone keeps some refreshing snacks on hand during mealtimes. The master and apprentice had different tastes, and he never mentioned which flavor he was eating. However, he never expected that Chang Yubai would have his own favorite candy in his pocket, which was then precisely taken out and used at this very moment.

This was the greatest effort Chang Yubai could make amidst the chaos.

He became even more convinced that Chang Yubai really needed time to think.

At this point, the master's rationality had faded to the point that he could no longer speak coherently, yet he still remembered what kind of gift to give him to appease him.

Li Qingyun's heart ached. He sniffed, leaned forward, and did the same thing as when Chang Yubai lost control of his emotions before, hugging Chang Yubai tightly.

"I won't leave, Master."

"I'm not leaving."

"Take your time to think it over, I'm really not leaving."

Master often says that things should not be done more than three times. If something is emphasized a third time, it must be something important.

Only when he finished his third repetition of the "I won't leave" vow did the trembling in Li Qingyun's arms subside.

Chang Yubai seemed to have settled down a bit.

Actually, there's nothing left to agonize over at this point—Li Qingyun thought to herself.

He himself can't live without Chang Yubai, so even if he really wants a definite answer, why rush it now?

Seeing how distressed Chang Yubai is, it's clear that he also bears a significant responsibility towards Qingyun, doesn't he?

This is the best answer.

Li Qingyun also began to feel at ease.

More importantly, in Li Qingyun's eyes, the dead can't beat the living.

No matter how good it is to indulge one's master, or how deep the impression left on him, what good is it?

Can it compare to a living, breathing person standing right in front of you?

The dead may leave behind memories of long years, but the living can create even more memories. When the length of time is covered up, who can prove that the ancients are more important than the people of today?

He didn't believe that Chang Yubai would really abandon himself, who could be held onto tightly, for a vague fantasy.

Chang Yubai is not that kind of person.

His master was not the kind of person who would dwell on the past.

Living people will create countless futures.

After that, he will take the place of his master in Chang Yubai's heart.

He definitely can!