Chapter 75: Scene 17: Reply after years (Part 1)

"Okay, okay." Jiang Yu's eyes revealed a teasing smile, and she smiled with curved lips, "Our junior brother is still the one who knows how to care for others."

Jiang Yu is the eldest disciple of Liu Shuang, the master of Liuli Peak. He entered the sect a few years earlier than Chu Xinglan and has watched him grow up.

Her junior fellow apprentice has had a cold and aloof personality since childhood and doesn't like to get close to others.

Other junior brothers and sisters would always take advantage of their spare time to go to the town at the foot of the mountain to play, and some even committed rebellious acts such as breaking off classes. Only he could endure the loneliness and go to the back mountain to practice swordsmanship day after day, year after year.

I heard that the cliff was covered with sword marks he carved. From the beginning when he was young and immature, he could only leave a faint mark. But now he has become profound and mature, and each mark still retains the traces of sword spirit. I am afraid that only he knows the hardships and efforts he has put in.

The young man held a long sword, and his white clothes were whiter than snow. Even if he just stood there and did nothing, he deserved all the praise in the world.

His face was so deceptive and seductive that even though they knew that his personality was as cold as ice and that "keep away from strangers" was written all over his body, there were still female cultivators who rushed in headfirst without hesitation, wanting to pluck this famous high-altitude flower.

The result... is not worth mentioning.

Jiang Yu thought that her junior fellow apprentice was born without the ability to love, and that he would be a bachelor for the rest of his life. However, she never expected that he would do something big when he did.

So...he directly brought his fiancée back to the sect.

Jiang Yu smiled and looked at the girl behind Chu Xinglan.

Although she had seen countless beauties famous for their beauty in the upper world, she was still attracted to him unconsciously at first sight.

The first reaction is:

……pretty.

...How can she be so beautiful?

Even though she is young and her facial features haven't fully developed yet, and her eyes and eyebrows are a little pale...she is still very beautiful and eye-catching.

Jiang Yu came back to her senses. She nudged Chu Xinglan with her arm, and said with a hint of sourness, "You are so lucky."

Chu Xinglan replied without changing her expression: "Thank you for the compliment, Senior Sister."

…

Return to Yuanzong.

Chu Xinglan and Ruan Chao walked side by side.

Everyone who passed by them would show the same look of shock, and even if they walked a long distance away, they would turn their heads to look at the two of them.

Under the gazes of so many people, Nguyen Chao had to tremble with his hands and feet while walking, and his face was unconsciously getting hot.

Chu Xinglan noticed his abnormality. He frowned and looked at his fellow disciples who were far behind them with a bad expression: "Why are you following us instead of practicing at this time? The sect competition will be held in a few months, and you still have the mind to wander around. You really don't have any sense of crisis at all."

The people behind him didn't expect to be caught so suddenly and were immediately thrown into confusion.

When they heard Chu Xinglan mention the sect competition again, they looked like elementary school students being reminded by their teacher that they would be taking their final exams soon. They all showed expressions of despair.

"Hello, Senior Brother Chu. Goodbye, Senior Brother Chu!"

"Happy wedding, Senior Brother Chu! May you have a long and happy marriage, Senior Brother Chu!"

"Hey! Why are you speaking out your mind?"

The little sister who had just entered the sect finally reacted. She immediately covered her mouth in panic, blinked her big eyes, and asked in a low voice what to do.

Someone suggested: "...Run away while the senior brother isn't paying attention!"

Although they deliberately lowered their voices, the distance was not very far, so I could still hear what they said clearly.

Seeing Chu Xinglan's gaze becoming increasingly cold, everyone laughed dryly and changed the subject, "Let's go and practice now! Prepare for the sect competition, and definitely not hold our sect back!"

After he finished speaking, everyone scattered like birds and beasts.

I was afraid that if I was a step slower, my senior brother’s Fragmented Shadow would be unsheathed.

The surroundings finally quieted down.

Chu Xinglan slowed down his tone and explained to Ruan Chao: "Don't be afraid, Chao Chao. They are just a little... curious about you, and their personalities are also quite... lively. They don't have any bad intentions."

Ruan Chao touched his blushing cheeks and asked, "Why does everyone in your sect know about the relationship between us?"

Chu Xinglan felt a little guilty: "It must have been my master who told them."

“He was the only person I told.”

Ruan Chao glared at him unhappily, "I don't care who says it, anyway, I don't want to be watched like a monkey anymore. You have to resolve this matter quickly."

Chu Xinglan naturally agreed and made promises repeatedly.

"Chao Chao, don't be angry." The boy who was cold and indifferent in front of his fellow students habitually lowered his posture when facing Ruan Chao, and his tone was also a little flattering, "I'll take you to see where I live. It's nearby."

Ruan Chao stared at him with a cold face for a while, but finally softened his attitude and said "OK" condescendingly.

Chu Xinglan's residence is in Ruyun Peak.

As the name suggests, the peak is almost so high that it reaches the clouds.

"That's Liuyun Waterfall." Chu Xinglan pointed to the rushing water flowing down from a high place and introduced it to Ruan Chao, "It flows down from the spring at the top of the mountain."

"There are also many beautiful silver fish in Liuyun Spring, which emit a moonlight-like radiance at night. If you see them, you will definitely like them."

The Nguyen Dynasty’s concern was not whether the fish looked good, but rather, “Is it edible?”

Chu Xinglan was silent for a moment.

"Some of the fish in the spring have developed intelligence. If you want to eat them, I will go and catch them for you."

The two reached a consensus on eating fish.

Walking all the way to the top of the mountain, you will see a dazzling peach blossom forest.

It is the season when peach blossoms are in full bloom. When the breeze blows, the pink petals are blown down, like a dancing butterfly, so beautiful.

Ruan Chao stretched out his hand and took the pink petal.

Chu Xinglan was a little surprised: "The peach blossoms are actually blooming. When I left, there were no buds yet."

"Is this peach blossom? I have never seen peach blossom before."

The climate in Lingyuan City is dry and cold, and the summer is very short, which is not suitable for the growth of peach trees. Therefore, Ruan Chao has never seen peach blossoms since he grew up.

The petals in the palm of my hand are so soft that they seem like they would be crushed if I applied a little force.

"Does the peach tree bear peaches?"

Compared with the flashy and beautiful flowers, the sweet and delicious peaches obviously attracted the Nguyen Dynasty's attention more.

Chu Xinglan: "...These are just ornamental trees. The fruits they bear cannot be eaten."

"But if you like, we can also plant a few peach trees."

When Nguyen Chao thought about planting trees, which required digging holes and watering, and then pruning branches and catching insects and preventing drought after the trees grew up, he found it extremely troublesome and his obsession with the big peach faded a lot.

Chu Xinglan knew him very well, and when he saw his lack of interest, he knew what he was thinking.

He ruffled Ruan Chao's hair and said with a smile: "I will plant the trees and do the work, you just watch from the side."

Hearing that he didn't have to work, Ruan Chao regained his interest: "Then I'll hand you the tools and cheer you up."

The tree planting problem was also perfectly solved.

Chu Xinglan took Ruan Chao to his residence.

He poured a cup of tea, took out a box of snacks he had bought earlier from his storage ring, and placed it on the table.

"Wait for me here. I'll go see the master and come back soon."

Although they get along with each other more casually within the sect, there are still some rules to follow. The first thing a disciple does when he returns from a trip is to pay a visit to his master.

Ruan Chao responded with a "OK".

He looked around and saw many wooden boxes under Chu Xinglan's bed and many jade slips on the bookshelf.

"Can I have a look around your room?"

"Of course."

Ruan Chao pointed at the conspicuous boxes and asked, "Can I open those boxes at will?"

Chu Xinglan turned away: "...There's nothing special in it, just the letters you wrote to me over the years."

"If you want to watch it, just open it and watch it."

He leaned over, randomly pulled out one of the many boxes under the bed, eliminated the formation on it, and handed it to Nguyen Chao.

Chu Xinglan obviously treasured these things. He stroked the box gently with his fingers, his eyes full of cherishment.

"You have to be careful when you open it, and be gentle. Over time, the paper becomes very brittle and can be wrinkled or torn if you're not careful."

Ruan Chao took the box and nodded: "I will."

Chu Xinglan turned back every three steps: "Then I'm leaving."

Ruan Chaochong waved at him and said, "Let's go, the sooner we go, the sooner we can return."

After Chu Xinglan left, the room became much quieter, and the only sound that could be heard was the chirping of birds in the treetops outside the window.

It seemed that he was the only one left on the huge summit of the Cloud-reaching Peak.

Although the scenery here is beautiful, it is very deserted. Once people leave, they can't help feeling lonely.

Ruan Chao sat in the chair in a daze for a while.

Because it was too boring, I finally opened the box.

Sure enough, it was full of his letters.

The exact date was written on the envelope in elegant handwriting.

The eighteenth year of Tianji.

This box contains all the letters he sent to Chu Xinglan four years ago.

Four years ago...it had been a long time ago, and he had no idea what he had written at that time.

He curiously pulled out a letter dated late June of the eighteenth year of Tianji, and remembering what Chu Xinglan had said, he opened the envelope very carefully and pulled out the yellowed letter paper.

"Chu Xinglan personally said:

How is Brother doing lately? Is he eating well? Is he sleeping well? How is his training progressing? The sect competition will be held in a few days. Brother is so amazing, he will definitely win the championship (it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t win, in Chao Chao’s heart, Brother will always be the most amazing.)

Don't throw away the yellow paper in the envelope. It's the talisman I asked for in person at Xiangguo Temple. The monks told me that as long as I donated more money, the talisman would become more effective and all my wishes would be fulfilled. But I think they were lying to me. If there really was such a magical talisman paper in the world, then no one would need to work hard.

But then I thought, what if, what if it was true, so I impulsively donated all my pocket money."

There was a small annotation after this sentence, and Ruan Chao squinted his eyes to read it carefully.

——Chao Chao is so stupid that he actually believed such lies. Next time, you can give him more spirit stones... Just give him the spirit veins that I stole in the secret realm.

The softest part of my heart seemed to be touched, and a slight sourness emerged.

Nguyen Chao closed the letter and opened another one.

"I went to the market today and bought a beautiful bunny lantern. It looks exactly like the one you gave me before! It's a pity that I can't show it to you now."

——I didn’t expect that after so much time, Chao Chao still remembered... There are also many exquisitely crafted lanterns in the upper realm. I can collect them and give them to him next time.

…

"... On the 15th day of the seventh month, the Ghost Festival, everyone in the mansion said that this day was the day when the gates of hell would be wide open. It was not suitable to go out after the hour of You, or you would run into ghosts! They lit candles and told many ghost stories, which was so annoying... I had nightmares all night and didn't sleep well at all! Brother, do you think there are really ghosts in this world?"

——I heard that the Wuliang Sect has placed commissions in various sects, and the reward is a spirit tablet that is immune to ghosts and gods. Although it is a bit of a waste, it is still useful.

…

Nguyen Chao read several letters in succession and felt very complicated.

It was as if someone had thrown a stone into the lake of my heart, causing ripples to appear in circles.

Chu Xinglan would make comments at the end of almost every letter, as if he was having a conversation with him from a distance, or simply recording it. For Ruan Chao, it was just a small thing he shared casually, but he would remember it in his heart and then think about what to give him next time.

original……

Ruan Chao touched his chest. This is what it felt like to be valued and missed by others.