frank
When Xie Lanchen saw her coughing up blood, his face turned deathly pale. Without thinking, he casually threw the twin lotus he had finally obtained to the ground, then steadied her swaying figure. His voice was filled with panic and anger that he himself did not realize: "Do you really have to be so stubborn! Do you think the backlash from forcibly breaking the seal is a joke!"
Yunwei managed to stand up with the help of his arm. She swallowed the metallic taste rising in her throat, her breathing slightly disordered, but she still forced herself to remain calm and said, "I'll be fine after a short while of adjusting my breathing."
This forceful attack on the restriction has damaged her meridians, which are not easily healed, but the current situation does not allow her to show weakness.
"Are you alright?" Xie Lanchen was almost amused by her nonchalant attitude, but he didn't loosen his grip at all. Instead, he held her even tighter, his gaze frighteningly dark. "Do you think I'm blind? If you hadn't forced your way in, I would have had my own way of dealing with it! Who asked you to interfere..." Before he could finish speaking, he felt a wave of fear and regret, hating himself for his injuries that had dragged her down and forced her to take such a risk.
Before the boy could finish speaking, Yun Wei's vision suddenly went black, and she uncontrollably knelt down on one knee, supporting herself with one hand as she gasped for breath, her forehead beaded with cold sweat.
Xie Lanchen's face was extremely ugly. He could no longer care about anything else and immediately sat cross-legged opposite her. He said in a deep voice, "Concentrate and do not resist." After saying that, he quickly formed a dark blue hand seal in front of his chest and slowly pushed it towards her heart.
Yun Wei suddenly looked up. He was actually going to use the deep connection of the Covenant of Life to forcibly transfer most of the backlash to himself.
While this method could alleviate her immediate crisis, it was extremely taxing on him, especially since his severe abdominal injuries had not yet healed and his spiritual power was already low...
"No, you..." she said urgently, raising her hand to stop him, but the boy grabbed her wrist tightly.
Xie Lanchen raised his eyes, his face even paler than before, fine beads of cold sweat appearing on his forehead, but his cobalt blue eyes shone with an astonishing brightness as he stared at her stubbornly. "Now you know to stop me?" He tugged at the corners of his mouth, his smile pale and weak, tinged with a hint of defiance, "Too late... You're always like this... acting on your own, time and time again... Now, you owe me even more."
He gripped her wrist with tremendous force, each word dripping as if he were pouring out everything that had been pent up for years: "Seven years ago, you rescued me from the jaws of a wolf demon, gave me hope, and then carelessly abandoned me in that man-eating place outside the gate, leaving me to suffer endless bullying and have those humiliating words etched upon me... This is the first one."
"Later, you used me to help you take human form, forcing me to form this life-and-death pact with you, binding my life and death to yours... This is the second thing."
“Now, you’ve forcibly broken the taboo for me, ending up in this state, forcing me to bear the backlash for you… Tell me, isn’t this the third time?” He stared into her eyes, his gaze deep, seemingly filled with resentment, anger, and something else entirely. “Tell me, how should this debt be settled? How will you ever repay it?”
Yunwei stared at him blankly, momentarily forgetting to break free.
That's how he calculated it.
All the good and bad, the favors and the debts, are mixed together, turning into a tangled mess.
But the pain of the backlash he was experiencing at this moment was real, his pale face was real, and the stubborn, almost extreme emotion in his eyes was real.
What was the boy really thinking? He hated her, yet he saved her time and time again; he said he owed her, but his actions contradicted his words.
Yun Wei thought for a moment, then slowly said, "It was my oversight to place you in the outer sect back then. I never expected that people there would be so treacherous, causing you to suffer. It was my fault." She paused, her gaze falling on his chest, "That old scar... I will remove it for you."
Xie Lanchen was stunned by her words. He unconsciously loosened his grip on her wrist, and the emotions surging in his eyes seemed to be abruptly interrupted by her words, leaving only a bewildered and helpless state of mind.
He seemed surprised that she would admit her "mistake" so directly, and even more surprised that she would notice the scar and offer to remove it for him.
The boy remained silent for a long time. After a while, he lowered his eyelashes to hide the emotions in his eyes, but suddenly grabbed Yun Wei's wrist with his other hand and pressed it against his chest.
Yunwei's fingertips trembled slightly.
Through the fabric, she could feel a slightly raised, rough old mark beneath it.
Over the years, he had clearly been highly regarded by his father, and he never lacked spiritual herbs or sword techniques. With his cultivation level, it would not be difficult for him to completely remove this scar.
He kept it...was it to remind himself of the humiliation of the past? Or...?
"Remove?" Xie Lanchen repeated softly, his voice hoarse. "You're only bringing this up now... Don't you think it's too late, Senior Sister?" He raised his eyes, his gaze intense, as if a thousand emotions were surging within him. "Those years, I was trampled on every day in the outer sect. My body ached, but my heart ached even more. I always thought that maybe tomorrow, maybe the next moment, you would appear like you did when you saved me back then, even if it was just to glance at me and ask me, 'Are you in pain?'... But you didn't, not even once."
He chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "Can't you... can't you care about me a little more? Even just half as much as you do for others, no, even a tenth... Stop pushing me away and ignoring me, making me feel like I'm the only one trapped in the quagmire of the past, okay?"
Yunwei lowered her eyes as she listened to his almost candid words.
A seemingly sound decision back then could leave such a deep scar on his heart, accumulating such heavy resentment and longing.
I realized that I had been too focused on swordsmanship and sect affairs in the past, and had neglected the feelings of those around me, especially him, the boy whose fate had been changed because of her.
She felt the touch of the scar beneath her fingertips, and a mix of emotions welled up inside her.
Oh, right... twin lotuses.
This lotus is born from the essence of heaven and earth, and it truly has the miraculous effect of purifying miasma and healing old wounds.
Thinking of this, Yun Wei gently withdrew her hand and, under Xie Lanchen's astonished gaze, picked up the still lustrous twin lotus on the ground and carefully broke off a lotus petal.
"It might be a little chilly," she whispered, then gathered a wisp of spiritual energy at her fingertips and gently pressed the petal onto the fabric of the boy's chest, corresponding to the location of the old scar.
The lotus petal touched the fabric and transformed into a soft white light, quietly seeping in and merging into the skin.
A moment later, Yunwei moved her hand away.
"alright."
Xie Lanchen's body stiffened slightly, and he subconsciously raised his hand to touch his chest. The skin was smooth to the touch, and the marks that had haunted him for years had truly disappeared without a trace.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, his Adam's apple bobbed a few times, and his eyes churned with emotion, but in the end he said nothing.
Just then, a spatial fluctuation occurred around the two of them, and the familiar voice of the old man rang out in the air: "The time has come!"
The scenery before their eyes blurred and distorted instantly. The next moment, the two were standing side by side on the Guiyun Sect's square. Spiritual light flashed around them, and one disciple after another was teleported out. Some were overjoyed, while others were dejected.
Elder Wang stood on the high platform in front, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and began to read out the list of those who had advanced.
A series of names were read out, including her and Xie Lanchen.
Finally, he read: "...Ningxi River, Zhangyuan."
Upon hearing the name, Yun Wei looked up and saw Ning Xihe being teleported out as well. Although he looked slightly tired, his eyes were clear and resolute.
Ning Xihe seemed to sense something, looked at her, smiled slightly, and nodded in greeting.
Ning Xihe is resolute and possesses remarkable swordsmanship. If it weren't for his father's delay back then, his achievements would never have stopped here. Yun Wei thought to herself.
As a woman myself, I understand best the hardships and struggles of women who have to endure so many constraints to survive and improve themselves.
Elder Wu, standing to the side, had a grim expression as he stared intently at Yun Wei, his heart churning with rage: This nameless woman's life is so incredibly resilient! The sneak attack with the spirit-suppressing talisman failed, the wolf demon's siege also failed, and she managed to evade all his attempts! If this woman isn't eliminated, she will surely become a major threat in the future!
After announcing the list, Elder Wang solemnly said, "Those who have advanced should rest well, recuperate, and prepare for the final round of 'Path of Inquiry' the day after tomorrow. This path tests one's Dao heart, directly pointing to one's true nature and obsessions. It is extremely dangerous, so you must be cautious and never be careless."
The crowd responded in unison, "Yes, Elder!"
Yun Wei turned to Xie Lanchen beside her and saw that his face was still pale, especially the bloodstains on his robe around his waist were still wet. She said, "Your injury needs to be treated as soon as possible. I will help you apply medicine when we get back."
Xie Lanchen stared at her, his eyes filled with unmistakable tension and stubbornness: "And what about you? Where are you going? Are you going to settle scores with that bastard Zhao Changsheng again? In your current state, how can you fight with anyone again?" He remembered the way she coughed up blood in the forbidden area, and his heart clenched.
Yun Wei met his gaze and said calmly, "Some debts must be settled sooner or later. Zhao Changsheng used a spirit-suppressing talisman to ambush me and caused you to be seriously injured. This matter cannot be left unresolved."
I know what I'm doing and won't act recklessly. Yun Wei thought to herself.
The boy frowned, his tone growing increasingly impatient: "Sense of propriety? Every time you say you know your limits, you end up getting hurt."
"Alright. I'll handle my own affairs. Your injuries haven't healed yet, so you should focus on resting."
She knew Xie Lanchen was worried about her, but she never liked to rely on others, especially to settle old scores.
"You!" Xie Lanchen was speechless with anger, a faint blush rising on his pale face. "Our lives are intertwined, we share a bond! If something happens to you, how can I possibly escape unscathed?"
These words slipped out of his mouth, tinged with a hint of defiance, as if he were only so tense because of the life-sharing pact.
Upon hearing this, Yunwei looked at him quietly for a moment, until Xie Lanchen looked away uncomfortably, before slowly saying, "I know you're worried about the Covenant of Life. Don't worry, I have my own considerations and won't implicate you."
She had already found clues about how to break the contract in ancient books and had secretly deduced the method, so she had a general idea of it.
The reason for keeping it a secret before was that the great cause of revenge had not yet been accomplished. Returning to the Cloud Sect, uncovering the truth, and personally killing the enemy would require the help of the young man at every turn.
She knew he was stubborn and unpredictable. If he knew there was such a way out, he might just back down decisively, and all her plans would be in vain.
But now... she knows that Xie Lanchen will stand by her without hesitation.
This path of revenge is fraught with thorns and uncertain of life and death. She has decided to walk it alone. If she fails in the end, her soul will be scattered and she will perish. Why should she drag him down with her to eternal damnation?
After a while, she came to her senses and saw that he was still staring at her angrily, so she softened her tone a little: "Your injuries can't be delayed, it's important to go back and heal first."
Xie Lanchen was speechless, his chest heaving as if he were choked by something. He glared at her fiercely, but finally seemed to give in, gritting his teeth and whispering, "...Whatever! You won't listen to anything I say anyway..."
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