50. Nagatomo (Part 8)

"Senior Brother Lou." "Lou Tinglan!"

Ran Qinghe didn't need to ask any more questions; she already understood. It turned out that the Qingxiao Immortal Master that Bu Si mentioned was Qianji Bu.

She knew the whole story of their past, but she couldn't understand why Qianji Bu would go mad. Even if it was because of heartbreak, it shouldn't have come to this.

Because of the jade pendant that Chang Nian had given her in Tianhai Valley, Qian Jibu's demonic energy seemed to be suppressed. He avoided Ran Qinghe and hid to the side, seemingly not allowing himself to appear in front of Chang Nian or anyone related to Chang Nian in this form.

Ran Qinghe didn't care about anything else; now was the perfect opportunity to escape. She gave Mingyu and Huajin a wink from afar, and the two immediately understood. They helped the seriously injured Qingxiao disciple and, taking advantage of Qianjibu's mental confusion, quietly approached the gap in the rift.

On the ground, only a mountain of broken swords remained, signaling the temporary end of the competition.

Lou Guan, seemingly out of nowhere, descended from above the rift and appeared abruptly before everyone. With a flick of his robes, he unleashed a binding spell from the Discipline Hall, trapping Qianji Bu, who was entangled in demonic energy, in place, rendering him unable to move.

Ran Qinghe sneered, "The Second Elder has been watching the show from the top for so long, and finally he's willing to come down."

Lou Guan's smile remained unchanged: "You did very well in this training. It seems that real combat is far more effective in mastering the art than theoretical discussions."

Seeing that Shui Rong'er had also helped Fu Ji walk away in a bad mood, only the two of them remained besides Qian Jibu.

She also bluntly stated, "The Second Elder's selfish motives seem a bit excessive."

Lou Guan said, "Oh? What makes you say that?"

Ran Qinghe scoffed, "Second Elder talks a big game about real combat experience, but in the end, I didn't even fight. Does that mean I passed Second Elder's test?"

Lou Guan exclaimed in admiration, "To subdue the enemy without fighting is indeed a very difficult task."

Ran Qinghe curled her lips slightly, as if mocking: "Since it's just you and me here, I can be frank. Although I don't know how the Second Elder knew that I had the Chang Sect Leader's jade token, it's obvious that since you knew Qianji Bu was here and brought me here, you must have discovered the story between the two of them."

"You wanted to guide me to discover this, but unfortunately, my only gain from this trip is that I am now certain that the Second Elder is a person who acts out of personal favoritism while on official business."

Ran Qinghe turned to leave, but Lou Guan called her back: "What if it's for the public good, or for personal gain?"

Ran Qinghe didn't even turn her head: "I don't understand what the Second Elder means."

Lou Guan said, "No, you're very clever. Now that you've seen through my purpose, aren't you curious why I let you discover the relationship between Qianji Bu and Chang Nian?"

She stepped forward and stood beside her, her gaze lingering on the distant past as she recalled: "Qian Jibu was once the third-best swordsman in the realm. He was once full of vigor and ambition, but he has ended up like this. In your opinion, he has gone mad with demonic possession, right?"

Ran Qinghe countered, "Isn't that right?"

Lou Guan's usually smiling face turned serious: "He is like this... because he has fallen into the path of evil."

Falling into the Path? She only vaguely understood it. In short, a sword cultivator who cultivates the Path of No Emotion will fall into the Path of No Emotion if his heart is unstable.

So what? Qianji Bu's fall from grace due to heartbreak has nothing to do with her.

She glanced at Qianjibu's brow and suddenly seemed to realize something.

Lou Guan said, "The word 'love' is most likely to destroy one's Dao heart. Qianji Bu would violate the rules of the realm because of love and bring mortals into the cultivation world. He would also kill a mere mortal because of jealousy."

"So, I don't want Tinglan to end up like that." She seemed to let out a long sigh as she said this. "I know, perhaps you still have feelings for him..."

Ran Qinghe interrupted, "No."

She denied it very decisively and frankly.

"Or, let me put it another way, he has feelings for you. I saw what happened in the Mirror Realm and just thought he was kind-hearted. But do you know that this wooden hairpin in your hair has separated a wisp of his soul?"

"Therefore, I can no longer deceive myself. Since he is willing to use his soul to protect you, he has already made a move."

Ran Qinghe touched the hairpin in her hair in surprise. No wonder she had vaguely felt that it could nourish spiritual energy. So that's why.

A cultivator's soul can be considered an extension of his physical body. If she is in trouble, his soul can also help her in time. Therefore, this is equivalent to giving her a protective talisman.

She had never felt that she held any weight in Lou Tinglan's heart before, but now, she felt that the wooden hairpin was incredibly heavy.

"I understand what the Second Elder means. I didn't know that those who fall into the Dao would end up like this. Now that I have witnessed it with my own eyes, I will not provoke them in the slightest in the future."

She pulled out the wooden hairpin and handed it to Lou Guan without a trace of hesitation. "I never knew this hairpin was so precious. Now that I do, please return it to him for me, Second Elder."

"However, I find it strange that the Second Elder could have agreed to my withdrawal from Yunya Academy from the beginning, so why did he have to use the Breakthrough Pill to lure me into the academy?"

Lou Guan, his usual smile gone, said, "Sometimes, what's far away is more torturous than what's right in front of you."

"Besides, even if it were out of personal motives, I have considered taking you as my disciple. Why would I turn away a disciple with exceptional talent?"

Ran Qinghe refused, saying, "I only have one master, and I will never have a second one."

Lou Guan carefully put the hairpin away, then nodded regretfully, "Alright, I had already anticipated this outcome." She turned to leave, but Ran Qinghe called her back:

"What... will happen to him?"

Her question was naturally directed at Qianji Bu, who had nearly fallen into demonic ways.

Lou Guan walked along, his voice echoing between the two mountain walls, extremely soft and faint: "Who knows? No fallen one can ever be restored to their former state."

Her words still emphasized an indisputable fact.

*

Three days have passed since I returned from the rift.

Inside the lecture hall of Yunya Academy, the atmosphere was slightly different from usual. Sunlight streamed through the windows, bright and warm as always, yet it seemed unable to dispel the chill emanating from some people.

Lou Guang remained standing in front, her skirts fluttering. She was explaining a complex array technique, her voice steady and gentle, as if the thrilling events that had occurred in the rift were merely part of a routine lesson.

Ran Qinghe sat in her seat, her posture seemingly no different from usual, but her fingertips unconsciously twirled a corner of the book page. Her gaze fell on Lou Guan, yet seemed to pass through her and land elsewhere.

She had made an appointment with Lou Tinglan to go to the Trial Tower every day at 7 PM to practice the art of controlling spiritual power, but she declined the appointment for three consecutive days.

In the distance, the deep sound of a bell rang out, breaking the silence of the room. Everyone got up one after another, and Ran Qinghe also packed her things neatly and walked towards the door without looking to the side.

"Ran... Junior Sister." A familiar voice sounded beside her, clear and gentle as ever. But the way she addressed her sounded awkward no matter how she looked at it.

Why did he suddenly address me like that after only a few days apart?

He was dressed in a moon-white casual robe today, which made him appear even more upright and refined. He seemed to have just returned from carrying out his duties outside the hall, as the hair ribbon he used to tie his hair was tangled messily in his hair.

Upon seeing her come out, he naturally took a few steps forward, his gaze falling on her face as he carefully examined her, as if testing her or confirming her identity.

Normally, Ran Qinghe might have raised an eyebrow and replied, "What can I do for you?", or asked with a hint of mockery, "Why are you looking at me?"

But at this moment, under the gaze of Lou Guan and the other four behind her, she only paused slightly, turned to avoid his overly focused gaze, and nodded aloofly and politely: "Senior Brother Lou."

Just three words, spoken in a steady tone, without any emotional fluctuation, like an invisible wall separating the previously subtle intimacy between the two.

Before Lou Tinglan could say anything, Mingyu behind her reacted extremely dramatically, rushing forward and slapping a yellow talisman on her shoulder while chanting incantations.

Ran Qinghe's forehead twitched. She tore off the talisman and forced a smile, saying, "Junior Brother Ming, what are you doing?"

Mingyu touched her nose, and seeing that the talisman had no effect, she said somewhat guiltily, "I... I thought you had been possessed, so I..."

He said awkwardly, "Since that's not the case, I'll be leaving now... You guys chat, you guys chat."

Lou Tinglan also keenly noticed her difference. He frowned almost imperceptibly and said slowly, "I heard that your trip to the Rift was quite dangerous. It's good that you... are alright."

He paused, as if he wanted to say something more, such as asking why she hadn't gone to the Trial Tower in recent days, but in the end he only said, "If you need anything, you can come to me anytime."

His departing figure carried an inexplicable sense of loneliness, and an unease about this deliberate distance. Ran Qinghe turned back, meeting the puzzled gazes of the crowd, or Lou Guan's approving look, but ultimately said nothing.

In the following days, Ran Qinghe carried out this estrangement even more thoroughly.

Wherever Lou Tinglan appeared, she would either leave beforehand or stay with Hua Jin, Shui Rong'er, and others, never having a chance to be alone with him.

If conversation was unavoidable, she always spoke in that concise and distant tone, drawing a clear line between the two of them.

Finally, one afternoon, Lou Tinglan stopped her in the corridor leading to the library. The corridor was quiet, with only the sound of the wind.

"Ran Qinghe," he called her name again solemnly, his gaze calm yet carrying an undeniable seriousness, "Did I do something to upset you?"

Ran Qinghe stopped and looked up at him. He was standing against the light, his silhouette somewhat blurred by the light and shadow.

She chuckled softly, "Senior Brother Lou, you're overthinking it. I'm just busy with my cultivation and have no time for anything else." She even added meaningfully, "Besides, cultivators should purify their minds and desires and focus on themselves when they are on the path of cultivation."

Her words were quite blunt. Lou Tinglan remained silent for a moment. He recalled the meaningful look in the Second Elder's eyes and the words "returning the item to its rightful owner" when the Second Elder inexplicably returned the wooden hairpin to him a few days ago. He had a vague guess in his heart.

He looked at her quietly, his gaze complex and hard to decipher, containing disappointment, confusion, and perhaps even a hint of bitterness.

Finally, he nodded slightly and said, "Sorry to bother you."

He stepped aside to make way for her, but after she left without hesitation, he suddenly collapsed to his knees as if his body had lost its strength.

Lou Tinglan!

In his hazy state of consciousness, he seemed to see Ran Qinghe return and quickly catch his body as he was about to fall.