Return (IV)

He Shu took a deep breath of the sharp wind and slowly opened his eyes.

The last trace of confusion and struggle in his eyes disappeared, leaving only a calm determination.

No longer look at the terrifying abyss, no longer think about the heavy rules of heaven.

Amid the roar of wind and clouds, he took a step forward and leaped down. His body was like a bird with broken wings and was instantly swallowed up by the violent sea of ​​clouds.

The intense feeling of weightlessness pulled at his internal organs, and the strong wind scraped across his skin, bringing tearing pain that almost shattered his consciousness.

His spiritual altar was eroded by the chaotic energy and his immortal power was rapidly lost, but He Shu's mind was clear and he even felt a strange sense of freedom, as if he had broken free from all constraints.

He concentrated all the remaining immortal energy into the wings that spread out behind him, the wings that had been overly tamed by the laws of heaven.

He Shu wants to learn to fly again by falling.

Just before he was about to lose control and crash to the ground, he used up his last bit of strength, let out a long and clear cry, and a dazzling white light burst out from his body.

However, the downward momentum was too strong. Although he flapped his wings hard and barely stabilized the trend of vertical fall, he still fell like a white meteor, slanting towards a woodland not far outside Chaisang City.

With a few crisp "crack" sounds and accompanied by painful wails, he broke countless branches and finally fell heavily to the ground, splashing a cloud of dust.

He Shu retracted his wings and stopped when he hit the tree trunk, his eyes filled with tears due to pain.

The sunlight shone on him through the gaps between the branches and leaves, and the vague noise of the city seemed to reach his ears.

After panting heavily for a while, he struggled to stand up, relying on the remaining trace of spiritual energy in his body to barely maintain his human form.

He forced himself to gather his energy, and after figuring out the direction of Chaisang City, he walked towards it step by step.

He Shu almost rolled down the last slope and staggered into the crowd coming and going in the city.

Most of his immortal power dissipated, and his originally long black hair turned gray, hanging in a messy manner, covered with dust and dark red blood, sticking to his sweaty forehead and pale cheeks.

The plain white gown had already been torn apart during the fall, and the hole from the waist to the chest was particularly hideous. The flesh underneath was rolling and blood beads were constantly oozing out.

His left arm hung unnaturally, and his walking posture was extremely strange. His severely injured body could not support He Shu's movements at all, so every time he took a step, he would tilt and shake uncontrollably, and his steps were weak and chaotic, leaving crooked blood marks on the ground.

Passersby looked sideways, casting looks of surprise, curiosity, and even a hint of disgust.

"Oh my, what's wrong with this guy? Has he lost his mind?"

Someone murmured quietly.

"He's so young, yet he has white hair and is covered in blood. He looks so horrible, I'm afraid he must have gotten into some trouble..."

A few children wanted to get closer out of curiosity, but were immediately stopped by the adults around them and pulled back.

But most people just took a quick look and then avoided it, continuing their own business indifferently.

He Shu could hardly hear the specific sounds around him, only a vague noise.

Her lips were pressed tightly into a line, suppressing a painful groan.

He was already at the end of his strength, and only relied on the remaining breath that kept him from falling to the ground.

But every part of his body was screaming, the severe pain almost swallowed him, every breath was accompanied by the dull pain of the wound on his waist, his vision was black and his ears were buzzing.

"I can't fall down..."

A thought kept ringing in his almost blank mind.

"No... He must live... live..."

He Shu ignored all the gazes cast at him and the cries of his body. He just used his eyes, which were out of focus due to weakness but still burning with a little fire, to move towards Li's house step by step in an extremely slow, difficult but determined manner.

Bookstore...

Teahouse...

Ye Mansion...

It’s almost here…

After turning the last corner, the familiar door lintel finally appeared before my eyes, like the only light in the darkness.

The string that was stretched to the extreme suddenly broke the moment it arrived at Li's house.

All the suppressed pain, exhausted strength, and blurred mind drowned him in an instant like a flood that broke through a dam.

The last light in front of my eyes faded rapidly, and darkness was about to swallow everything. The raised arm fell down weakly and hit the cold door panel with a dull sound.

The guard at the door was about to carry him away, but was stopped by a clear shout from behind:

"etc……"

The familiar voice awakened He Shu's last bit of clarity.

His cheek rested on the rough stone slab, and his distracted eyes struggled to focus on the approaching figure.

A woman wearing a light blue skirt, with a white camellia pinned in her hair.

It’s Li Qinglan…

The lively girl has now become a little gentler and is already married.

"this……"

When their eyes met, she seemed to sense a familiarity. She was startled at first and subconsciously took a half step back.

"Miss Li..."

He Shu intermittently squeezed out broken words. Li Qinglan was shocked when he heard it. He opened his slightly red eyes wide, and there were traces of tears in the corners of his eyes:

"...Doctor He! Why are you..."

"Qingshan... take me to see... take me..."

Before he could finish his words, the last breath that supported him dissipated completely, leaving only the unfinished plea, mixed with blood and dust, stuck in his throat.

——

He Shu woke up in extreme silence.

He opened his eyes with difficulty, his vision blurred for a while before gradually focusing on the familiar beams and decorations.

It was the guest room of Li's house, exactly the same as before, yet it made him feel as if he were in another world.

The sunlight came in from the lattice window pane on one side and was filtered by the fine bamboo curtain, half of it casting a soft and regular shadow on the ground, and the other half fell on the person standing with his hands behind his back by the window.

She was wearing a sky-blue spring gown with flowing fabric, and her black hair was tied up with a simple and elegant mutton-fat jade hairpin.

"Qing... Qingshan?"

The man turned around with a look of concern, but what he saw was a strange face:

"Are you awake?"

He walked closer quickly, speaking softly.

"I'll call Qinglan right now."

Not him.

The glimmer of light that had just appeared in He Shu's eyes gradually faded away.

Not Qingshan...

I watched with disappointment as the man left to instruct the servant, and then returned with a glass of warm water.

"My name is Ye Heng, and I am Qinglan's husband."

He carefully handed the cup of water to He Shu's right hand, which was still able to move.

"You've been unconscious for a whole day. Drink some water to moisten your throat first."

Before he finished speaking, Li Qinglan's voice came from outside the house:

"Husband, go check on the medicine prepared for Doctor He."

He Shu finally raised his head and saw a silver-gray figure walking quickly towards him, her dress blowing in the breeze.

The white camellia on Li Qinglan's bun is gone, replaced by a beige pearl headband.

She wore a more formal dress, and the lively childishness between her eyebrows and eyes had been replaced by a layer of quiet sadness. Even if she forced a little smile, the smile could not reach her slightly red eyes.

"Doctor He."

She stopped a few steps away from the bed and pretended to greet him casually:

"Long time no see, I hope you are well."

He Shu didn't answer immediately. He lowered his head again and stared at the ripples in the tea in the cup caused by his trembling hands.

How are you?

Obviously, they have all changed. He is in such a mess now, and she... has grown up.

Silence spread in the air, and the two people present seemed to be out of breath and stopped talking.

After an unknown amount of time, He Shu finally raised his head.

"...Where's Aoyama?"

He suppressed the faint uneasiness in his heart and asked, his voice still dry.

"Brother, he..."

Li Qinglan's deliberately cheerful smile froze on her face. She turned her head away, quickly lowered her eyelashes, and spoke in a very light voice.

“…He’s gone…”

Gone?

He Shu's head buzzed. These three words were too light and too vague. He seemed not to understand them, but also seemed to understand them but could not comprehend them. His empty and lifeless eyes stared at Li Qinglan without blinking.

It was very quiet outside the window. Occasionally, one could hear one or two distant birds singing, which made the silence inside the house even more deafening.

The color on his face gradually faded, leaving only a blank look.

He Shu's cracked lips opened slightly and trembled a few times, and there was a hint of bewilderment in his voice, like a plea:

"Gone? Did he...go on a long journey somewhere?"

"Qingshan... Can Qingshan withstand such a long journey? He..."

He Shu's words stopped abruptly.

He saw Li Qinglan's shoulders began to tremble uncontrollably, and big tears rolled down silently, hitting her clothes and leaving dark marks.

"Doctor He..."

She choked with sobs and could hardly speak a complete sentence. She took out a small wooden box from the secret compartment beside the bed and handed it to Heshu.

"My brother said that if...if you come back to find him, he will return this to you..."

He Shu's breathing suddenly stopped. The wooden box in front of him was very old, but the familiar handwriting on it was very clear.

He stiffly opened the lid.

"He said...it was him...his fate had ended...he had broken his promise..."

Li Qinglan's suppressed, low sobs became blurred in his ears.

He Shu could no longer hear anything. The burning desire that had sustained him all the way was completely shattered when the contents of the box came into view. Only the biting cold and the mess on the ground remained.

His eye sockets turned red quietly, and tears accumulated and trembled in his eyes, but they did not fall.

He Shu slowly raised his head, his eyes falling on the pearwood flat-top desk by the window.

A small copper incense burner was placed quietly on it. There was no open flame, only a very thin wisp of green smoke rising up and dissipating in the air.

The bitter aroma of herbs gently enveloped him, like the embrace of the green mountains embracing him again.

He Shuku sat there for a long time, motionless.

The wooden box rested on his knees, feeling both light and heavy.

The green satin lining the box is still bright, as if time has never passed.

A blood-stained feather ornament lay quietly inside, the color of fresh snow, flowing with silver light, but the silk rope tied to it was old, which made people think of how it was once cherished, caressed between fingertips, and held tightly in the palm of the hand.