Chapter 146 Three Months Apart, Que Sheng Woke Up?

Wind chimes tinkled under the brown eaves, and a row of wooden carvings stood neatly by the window, beneath which Zhou Yongyin planted scallions and chives that had already grown to the height of a palm.

Dianxing walked in with practiced ease, greeted Zhou Yongyin who was watering the vegetables, and sat down naturally. She glanced furtively at Jiang Yu's room, and sure enough, the door and window were closed.

Since returning from Shen Wuke, Jiang Yu has been like this. Apart from going out once for necessary matters, there are only two possibilities: either he is nowhere to be found, or he stays in Fuyou Palace all day long.

I can't say I don't eat three meals a day, but I eat very little. I just pick up a few bites and put the rest down. Sometimes I only eat one meal a day.

But Dianxing dared not say anything to him. He would listen if Zhou Yongyin said a few words, but whether he would eat or not was another matter.

Anyway, Dianxing felt that Young Master Jiang was like a different person. He didn't know if it was because he had ascended to heaven or because some people were not around. Whenever he saw Jiang Yu alone, he was terrified. Sweat poured out of his back as if it were free, and his clothes were soaked in no time.

In fact, Jiang Yu and Dian Xing had even dared to joke with him before, but now they only wanted to finish their conversation and slip away as soon as possible. The fact that Sect Master Shen hadn't appeared for so long had already caused quite a stir among both Shen Wuke's disciples and the common people outside.

Some say that Sect Master Shen died protecting Jiang Yu from heavenly lightning when Jiang Yu ascended to immortality; others say that Sect Master Shen was seriously injured while saving Lian Que; still others say that Sect Master Shen was not human and was exposed and stripped of his true identity by Jiang Yu.

All sorts of bizarre and increasingly outrageous rumors spread far and wide, but Jiang Yu didn't say a word. Dianxing wanted to ask him if he wanted to respond, but the other party didn't say anything, so he could only pretend he hadn't heard anything.

"Grandfather, is Young Master Jiang still asleep?"

Dianxing came today because someone from Xingchenque suddenly arrived, specifically requesting to see only Young Master Jiang, and saying it was important. Dianxing couldn't refuse, and seeing that they had brought Lian Quesheng's jade pendant, she thought the matter might concern Lian Quesheng, so she hurried over to find Jiang Yu.

Fortunately, Jiang Yu had just returned from outside recently; otherwise, no matter how anxious he was, he wouldn't have been able to see him at all, let alone anything else.

"He woke up, I pulled him out of bed, he ate some food, and then went back to his room. What do you need him for?"

Dianxing didn't know what to say either. He whispered a few words to Zhou Yongyin, but the other party didn't seem to mind. "Since it's news about Quesheng, just go and tell him. Jiang Yu hasn't heard about his old friend in a long time, so he'll be a little happier."

Sometimes, having someone to care about in this world is a good thing.

The knocking stopped and started. Dianxing felt uneasy and didn't dare to look up. He just stared at the ground and admired the two ants carrying food next to his feet.

With a creak.

The door opened, and the first thing that caught the eye was Jiang Yu's white robes fluttering in the wind. He carried a strong, calming scent, which made Dianxing pause involuntarily.

"Young Master Jiang."

Dianxing quickly looked up at the person. Jiang Yu's face was very pale, almost bloodless, with dark circles under his eyes, looking like he hadn't slept for several nights. He was like snow that never melts on a mountain, so cold that no one dared to approach him.

“A disciple from Xingchenque came to deliver a message, saying that he has something important to report to you. I think the person is someone you have met before and is also familiar with Young Master Lian. I guess it is about Young Master Lian, so I came here specifically to tell you.”

"Okay." Jiang Yu nodded. "I'll be there in a bit."

Jiang Yu did everything he was supposed to do without missing a single task. After rescuing the people from the desolate mountain, he went to finish up the remaining work. When Shen Wuke recruited new disciples this year, Jiang Yu also went to watch, but Dian Xing knew perfectly well that these things should actually have been done by Sect Leader Shen, but later they became things that Jiang Yu had to do.

He resolutely took on Shen Jiuxu's responsibilities and completed them excellently and perfectly, leaving no room for criticism.

The only differences were his increasingly cold expression and his ever-growing domineering aura.

"Young Master Jiang."

Jiang Yu turned his head to look at him, and Dian Xing was stunned by his suddenly close-up features. His ears inexplicably burned. "You...you still need to get more rest and take care of your health."

The other person's eyes were deep and dark, as if they could suck people in. Dianxing didn't know what was wrong with her, so she added, "Many people outside are thinking of you."

Thank you.

"It's cold outside, Young Master Jiang. You're dressed too lightly. Would you like to put on another layer?"

Zhou Yongyin echoed Dianxing's words, "Yes, Jiang Yu, you're dressed too lightly. It would be a loss if you caught a cold. Go back and change into something thicker."

Jiang Yu smiled helplessly at Zhou Yongyin. The old man didn't tolerate him and patted him on the back, "Go quickly."

"Dianxing, you go back first, I'll be there in a bit." Jiang Yu had no choice but to agree. The news from Xingchenque must be about Lian Quesheng. It had been exactly three months since Shen Jiuxu left, but Jiang Yu felt like decades had passed. He had waited for a long time, trying to numb his mind with a multitude of things, but it was all in vain.

He had been to many places, sought out many people, and inquired about all sorts of recent, strange, and unusual events, but nothing could alleviate his longing, and there was not a single thing about any place or tree suddenly bursting with life.

He had clearly experienced being all alone before.

No wonder people often say, "It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality."

Without Shen Jiuxu, Jiang Yu was left with nothing but boredom and endless longing. He watched the elm leaves outside the window turn from golden yellow to withered brown, finally falling to the ground and being covered by the vast white snow.

That morning, on a whim, he went to shovel snow. Under the thick layer of snow, the elm leaves, which had long since melted into the soil, were exposed, completely gone, as if they had never existed at all.

It hasn't snowed in Shenwuke these past few days, but the sun has been shining for several days. However, the wind is still biting cold. Zhou Yongyin kept staring at him, so Jiang Yu had no choice but to put on a black cloak.

The extreme contrast between black and white made him appear even more unapproachable, like the bright moon hanging high in the night sky.

"Go."

Zhou Yongyin was finally satisfied. Jiang Yu slowly left the Fuyou Palace when suddenly someone shouted at him. Looking closely, he realized it was Ye Zishan.

"Young Master Jiang."

Ye Zishan skipped and hopped over, waving at the person, "Young Master Jiang, I finally see you."

No wonder Dianxing said he knew the disciples from Xingchenque; it turns out they really were acquaintances. Ye Zishan walked up to him, his face full of surprise, but he lowered his voice, "Young Master Lian has woken up! He woke up! He specifically asked me to come and tell you quietly; no one else knows yet."

"Lian Quesheng is awake?" Jiang Yu felt as if he had been through another world. Chu Jue had told him that although Lian Quesheng had survived, his body was still too weak, and when he would wake up and what would happen to him after he woke up were all unknown.

"Yes, I woke up yesterday and rushed over early this morning. Young Master Jiang, come with me to Star Palace. Young Master Lian has been waiting for you."

The door was ajar, and the window was half open. Lian Quesheng sat on the bed, leaning against a soft pillow. Perhaps because he had been unconscious for too long and hadn't eaten much, he was shockingly thin and completely lacked the elegant demeanor of his former self.

"Come in."

He heard footsteps outside, assuming it was a disciple bringing medicine. A moment of sorrow flashed across his face. From the time he woke up until now, only one day had passed, and he had already been forced to drink three or four bowls of bitter medicine.

If this continues, I'll be completely marinated in Chinese herbs.

"Can a patient who has just woken up really drink so much medicine? I need to see my master; this is completely inappropriate—"

"Jiang Yu?" Lian Quesheng's tone suddenly changed, from frustration to surprise, but he quickly realized something and his voice became low and hoarse again.

When he woke up last night, he heard Chu Jue tell him everything that happened afterward. The news that Shen Jiuxu had not appeared for a long time naturally reached his ears. As for Lian Chisu's matter, although Lian Quesheng was surprised, it was somewhat within his expectations.

"I--"

"How could you... I, I." Lian Quesheng stammered, a rare occurrence for him, unsure how to talk to his former friend. They used to be inseparable, but now they were speechless upon meeting.

"I'm sorry, it's my mother and...it's my mother and my fault, causing you and Jiuxu to be implicated for so long." Lian Quesheng hesitated for a long time before finally speaking to Jiang Yu by the bedside, "I didn't expect her to do such a thing. I had never seen Soul Eater before, and I didn't know that Xian Chen was Soul Eater. If I had known, I would definitely have told you directly."

How is the injury?

When Jiang Yu asked him, Lian Quesheng's eyes reddened. He realized he was being dramatic; Jiang Yu had only said one sentence, and he couldn't take it anymore.

"Why are you crying? Doesn't the eldest young master always hate crying the most?" Jiang Yu sighed. He didn't want any grudges or entanglements to affect the friendship between them.

"These things have nothing to do with you. I should thank you instead." Jiang Yu handed him a handkerchief. "Didn't you say you wanted to win first place in the sect competition? I won't participate next time, I'll let you have it."

"Get out of here! Who asked you to give way?"

Lian Quesheng was amused by him, picked up a handkerchief to wipe away his tears, patted the empty space by the bed, and gestured for Jiang Yu to sit down. "If you still have the nerve to participate after you ascend, then I will have to scold you along with the other disciples."

"You've ascended to immortality and you still look so haggard. You must not have taken good care of yourself." Lian Quesheng carefully looked Jiang Yu up and down, left and right. "When Jiuxu comes back, he'll definitely be worried about you. You should eat more."

Jiang Yu smiled but didn't say anything.

“Jiu Xu… how is he now? I only heard that he hasn’t appeared for a long time. What’s going on? I don’t believe he’s dead.” Lian Quesheng hesitated for a moment, but finally asked Jiang Yu, “He’s lucky and will definitely be fine.”

"I don't know either."

The simple five words allowed Lian Quesheng to sense Jiang Yu's helplessness; they contained a great deal of meaning.

"But he said he would come back, it's just a matter of time."

"Yes, he always keeps his promises. If he says something, he will definitely do it. Maybe he'll be out in a few days! And he'll be even more handsome and dashing, just like you two met in Yunshui City again."

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Author's Note: Shen Jiuxu: Another day of mystery! Thanks to the rumors from the people. [Lemon]