Looking back suddenly, we are separated.
Chapter Forty-Six
Having completed the game, Yin Xinglu slowly looked at the newcomer, her eyes crinkling with a smile, "Are you satisfied with this performance?" Her words were full of mischievous humor.
"I dare not offend the disciple of the Xuanling Sect Master."
Yin Xinglu patted her chest as if feigning fear, moved closer, and whispered gossip, "Is she dead? Let me guess, was she pushed off a cliff?"
Xu Zuiyue glanced at her. "What's it to you?"
"Of course it's related, Sister Zuiyue! If they come back alive, I'll be the first one they want revenge on!" Yin Xinglu completely changed her arrogant and unreasonable demeanor from when they first met. "Otherwise, why would I play along with this charade?"
"On the other hand, I don't think she'll be an obstacle for you. Even if she is, she's not worth all the effort you put into dealing with her." With each word Yin Xinglu spoke, the disgust in Xu Zuiyue's eyes grew stronger. Seeing this, Yin Xinglu understandingly stepped forward and took the other's hand. "So, sister, why don't you have a heart-to-heart talk with me? Now, we're practically in the same boat, aren't we?"
"A boat?" Xu Zuiyue turned to look at the woman who was now extremely concerned about her. "You've said everything you could want, good and bad. If you hadn't had someone spread the news, how could the news of the Nine Star Pavilion and Jade Dew Pavilion's duel have spread so quickly in Chang'an City?"
"A lively atmosphere is always a good thing."
Yin Xinglu ignored Xu Zuiyue's strange temper and remained smiling, "Isn't it good that the goal has been achieved?"
"..." Xu Zuiyue was even more furious when she talked about this.
Yin Xinglu touched her lips, saying playfully, "Haven't you already gained his trust?" Hearing this, Xu Zuiyue's expression stiffened. "Of course."
"The young master of Nine Star Pavilion is an important part of the master's plan."
Yin Xinglu turned her attention back to the chessboard and casually reminded him, "If you lose, the master won't let you off the hook."
Xu Zuiyue seemed to have been reminded of some unpleasant memories, and her face suddenly turned pale. She still forced herself to say, "Heh, I'm not one of those people who are good for nothing but causing trouble. Don't waste your time trying to make fun of me."
"You should have met him by now," Yin Xinglu's voice rang out unhurriedly. "You should have encountered him in the 'Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains' painting, right?"
Xu Zuiyue didn't really want to recall what happened in the "Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" painting.
Yin Xinglu naturally sensed the other party's resistance. Although she didn't understand the reason for this resistance, she still warned softly, "His fate is the same as ours. Sister Zuiyue, since the master has chosen you to go to the Xuanling Sect, you must... never disappoint him."
It was unclear how long Xu Zuiyue had been gone before Yin Xinglu finally placed the black chess piece in her hand.
The enemy is now in the open, while he is in the shadows.
Xu Zuiyue had no way out; if she lost one game, then she would lose the whole game.
With a "click," the chess piece was placed on the board.
*
Zhou Yulin glanced down at the Go board she had drawn, then tossed the twig to the ground in boredom. The sun had set, and her unreliable master still hadn't returned, which made her a little worried.
Zhou Yulin sat cross-legged on the chair, thinking to herself that perhaps she really did have a bit of bad luck in her life. It seemed that everyone who had come into contact with her had met a less than dignified end.
The rumbling thunder was so loud that it hurt Zhou Yulin's ears.
She looked up at the sky and suddenly remembered that when the sword pierced her dantian, she seemed to have faintly heard thunder.
How much time has passed in the human world since she died?
During this time, the eldest brother fell into demonic possession and was besieged by the various sects of the immortal realm. The second brother disappeared and has not been heard from since. The third brother finally broke through the Golden Core and took on the responsibilities of the former eldest brother. As for the master, he took in a well-behaved and obedient new disciple.
In fact, it doesn't matter much whether the Xuanling Sect has one more Zhou Yulin or one less Zhou Yulin.
The world is even more so if there is one less of her, or one more of her.
Both can survive without each other.
But... she thought, it seems she really doesn't have a home anymore.
Like duckweed, we exist in this world.
She remembered that she once had a home in the Xuanling Sect.
She now wants to get her family back.
"Hey, little brat, are you crying?" Zhou Yulin was suddenly slapped on the head. She rubbed the back of her head and looked at Qing Youning, whose face was covered in dust. The woman's eyes were always gentle. "How old are you? I'm just a little late. Why are you about to cry?"
Zhou Yulin avoided mentioning that she was about to cry, and instead asked, "Why did you come back so late today?"
Qing Youning rummaged through her medicine basket, which she always carried with her, and pulled out a package wrapped in oil paper. She said triumphantly, "I went out for a while."
Actually, Zhou Yulin really wanted to say that her disheveled appearance didn't look like she had just gone out, but rather like she had been in a fight with someone.
She carefully unwrapped the oil paper, and the contents came into view.
It's a roast chicken that looks, smells, and tastes delicious.
The fragrance wafted out, "A gift from your master."
Watching Zhou Yulin devour her food, Qing Youning, having finished washing up, propped her head up with her hand and said leisurely, "My cooking is terrible, isn't it?"
"..." Zhou Yulin remained silent for a long while, "It's acceptable."
Forgive her, it's really hard for her to say the words "delicious" against her will.
Qing Youning wasn't angry. Instead, she turned to look at the moon on the cliff and sighed, "Wow, I didn't expect it to be the fifteenth again so soon."
Zhou Yulin munched on roast chicken while listening to Qing Youning recount the interesting things that had happened that day. The woman would glance at her from time to time, which made Zhou Yulin feel unusually uncomfortable.
"Master, is there something on my face?"
Upon hearing this question, Qing Youning was taken aback at first, then chuckled and said, "Yes, there's something on your face."
"You have a savior's light in your face."
It would be a miracle if Zhou Yulin believed it. Looking at this "liar" in front of her, she echoed, "Then I think the light on Master's face is even more dazzling."
Unexpectedly, the woman replied quickly and calmly, "Yes, that's me." But a heavy, indescribable emotion flickered in her eyes.
"The acting is quite convincing," Zhou Yulin quietly commented.
"When I was young, I was ignorant of the immensity of the world. Only when I grew up did I realize that the world has its limits. What cannot be saved will ultimately be saved. Some people are destined to part ways."
Hearing these seemingly profound words, Zhou Yulin felt sleepy. As she drifted off to sleep, she vaguely heard someone beside her ask, "What do you think is most important for a savior?"
Zhou Yulin regained some composure and answered without hesitation, "Of course it's the strong. Only the strong can save the world and uphold justice."
“I used to think so too.” Qing Youning shook her head, but Zhou Yulin retorted in a low voice, “Then it must be because we’re not strong enough.”
"At that time, I was already number one on the Heavenly Ranking."
Zhou Yulin couldn't tell that the woman was exaggerating.
Because no woman has ever been ranked number one on the Heavenly Ranking.
Except for that person.
“But I did a lot of things, made a lot of mistakes, and tried to make up for those mistakes. Only then did I suddenly realize that I couldn’t change anything from beginning to end.” She said these words with a sense of relief, so her gaze towards Zhou Yulin was very warm.
"give up."
"Huh?" Zhou Yulin didn't react.
"The first lesson is to give up."
In the void, she placed her hand on Zhou Yulin's chest and said slowly, "Give up your cultivation, give up everything you have gained, including—give up your life."
"Then wouldn't I be dead?" Zhou Yulin said seriously.
“Yes,” Qing Youning replied briskly.
"Then I don't want to." Zhou Yulin, recalling her experience of dying once, lay flat and said, "Please try to encourage me in a different way."
I'm serious.
Zhou Yulin said sincerely, "I'm serious too."
Qing Youning stared at her without saying a word. "Your injury is almost healed. What are your plans for the future?"
"I want to leave here." Zhou Yulin looked at the full moon in the sky. "I still have unfinished business to attend to."
"You can't get out."
Qing Youning sighed, "A net has been set up at the bottom of the cliff, and only those Nascent Soul cultivators who possess divine artifacts have a chance to escape."
Zhou Yulin stared in disbelief: "Then where did you get your roast chicken?"
Qing Youning smiled and said, "I just picked it up on the way. I guess it fell down by accident from above."
"..." What a genius.
Roast chicken falling from the sky—I've never heard of such a thing before.
Zhou Yulin glanced at the roast chicken that had been eaten down to the bones, then at Qing Youning who was all smiles, and temporarily believed what the other party said.
“We can get out.” Zhou Yulin summoned the Unfallen Jade. “I have a spirit sword.”
Looking at the sword gleaming in the darkness, Qing Youning asked seriously, "Would this thing be worth anything if sold?"
"..." Zhou Yulin smiled and reminded him, "This is my sword, Master."
Qing Youning pouted, "I was just asking."
"You are a Nascent Soul cultivator, and I possess a divine artifact."
After Zhou Yulin finished speaking, the woman opposite him fell silent.
Actually, Zhou Yulin wasn't entirely heartless.
These past few days, spent with this woman, have been a period of ease and comfort in Zhou Yulin's life. Although the woman is not a good cook, she secretly prepares some medicinal cakes on the table every day. Although life is boring, being with this person makes these boring days seem interesting.
Zhou Yulin thought she was indeed reluctant to part with it.
But the road ahead is long, and she still has many things to do.
"Let's go to bed early tonight and discuss this matter again tomorrow."
Zhou Yulin thought, this person is clearly such a grown-up, yet he still can't hide his feelings, unlike her, who, even when she's really sad, will only hide under the covers and cry secretly.
The next day, when Zhou Yulin caught sight of the woman's swollen eyes, she didn't say much. She didn't dare to, and she was afraid that she would stay there.
"hand."
Zhou Yulin, without suspicion, stretched out her hand, but Qing Youning suddenly grabbed it. A light array lit up between the two of them, and the incantation she recited was all too familiar to Zhou Yulin. It was a forbidden technique that the person had repeatedly warned against watching.
The art of blessing spirits involves cleansing one's own spiritual power and then transferring it into the spirit body of another.
Foundation Establishment, Mid-Foundation Establishment, Late-Foundation Establishment, Golden Core!
As her cultivation level broke through layer by layer, Zhou Yulin only wanted to let go of the other person's hand. "Stop! You'll die if you keep going like this!"
The Art of Spirit Blessing sounds nice, but in essence it's a one-for-one exchange. The damage it causes is irreversible, and in severe cases, the loss of spirit can lead to immediate death.
"Let go!" Zhou Yulin was even more agitated as she watched Qing Youning's face grow paler. She struggled desperately, but she had never understood more clearly than she did now that she could not change the mind of the person opposite her.
The moment Zhou Yulin broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, she felt a sense of lightness throughout her body.
"Go."
At the last moment, the almost transparent Qing Youning lifted her out of the barrier.
She stood there, watching the departing figure.
My good apprentice, I have given you all the knowledge I have acquired in my life.
I hope you can unravel this world-ending predicament.
"By the way, I haven't given you my name yet."
"My name is Qing Youning."
The voice in her mind became the final straw that broke Zhou Yulin's back.
No wonder, no wonder...
Zhou Yulin wiped her eyes, and her clothes were stained.
Realizing what was happening, tears welled up in her eyes.
Her nose stung so much that she couldn't utter a single word.
She could only watch as Qing Youning's figure gradually disappeared from her sight.
As the longing of those years grew wildly, it tore at Zhou Yulin.
No wonder she never cooked for her.
This food is really hard to eat.
But that was food my mother made.
It was her mother, whom she had longed to see for over ten years.
More than ten years of longing could not withstand a single meeting.
A single word, "Mother," pierces the sky!
Hearing this, Qing Youning, who was about to dissipate within the formation, smiled and then a tear rolled down her cheek. "How wonderful," she thought, "Little Moon has grown so much."
Senior brother, you did not disappoint her expectations and taught her very well.
"Waaaaah, you died such a terrible death!"
Beside the bonfire on the cliff, the young man in yellow brocade robes wiped away his tears and threw the roast chicken he had just bought into the fire. "Eat more in the afterlife. If you don't have enough, just let me know. I'll roast one for you every year during Qingming Festival."
Gu Ling sadly accepted the paper money Chen Muyao handed him, scattering it into the fire where it crackled and popped as the chicken roasted.
A woman's cold voice came from the corner, "Not enough."
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