Chapter 387 Fu Yan, Li Yuan, Mu Feng
As dusk deepened, a cool mountain breeze blew, ruffling the meticulously worn Taoist robe of the chief disciple of the Fu Sect.
Fu Yan stood at the foot of the mountain and slowly raised her eyes.
The mountains before him were not the usual towering peaks and precipitous cliffs of his Fu Sect, but rather exuded a meticulously tended, vibrant, and languid charm.
Maple leaves are ablaze with color, and the spring water gurgles gently.
The highest mountain in front of him was shrouded in layers of barriers. Six distinct and powerful forces intertwined, completely isolating all the sights and auras within.
Upon receiving the invitation, Fu Yan was just about to depart for the mortal realm.
As the Heavenly Dao gradually returned to normal, its blessings not only benefited cultivators but also nourished many demonic beasts and evil spirits.
In the wilderness, wolves hunting rabbits is an inevitable law of nature. And in the human world, where there are cultivators, there are also demons dwelling; this is the law of nature.
Therefore, when he has nothing to do lately, he often travels around to subdue demons.
But today, it was this very invitation, issued jointly and politely but distantly, that successfully stopped him from taking the plunge.
The moment Zhu Qi handed over the invitation, Fu Yan's first thought was of the day the great battle had just ended.
The black energy had raged for over ninety years, and the combined efforts of everyone to suppress it were long over. Just as he was about to give up in despair, Huali descended from the sky.
Fu Yan stood at the source of one of the ten black energies, staring blankly at the figure in the water mirror, his mind unusually blank, devoid of anything else.
So much so that when it was all over and he came to his senses, he realized he had done something that would never have happened to him before—
He exhausted his meager spiritual power and tore through space with his bare hands, just to get to where she was.
Coming to his senses, Fu Yan looked down at his Taoist robe, which was already covered in dust and dark red bloodstains, and his disheveled hair ornament, which he could feel without even touching it...
The dignified top disciple of the Talisman Sect couldn't even conjure up a single Dust Removal Technique...
A look of embarrassment flashed in his eyes.
Fortunately, I only intended to catch a glimpse of it from afar, and now that I have seen it, I feel at ease.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, the girl who had seemed so far away suddenly appeared through the crowd and looked directly at him.
Fu Yan's steps were completely rooted to the spot.
The girl remained clean and beautiful even after the battle, especially her almond-shaped eyes, which shone with an astonishing brightness. Seeing her walking towards him, Fu Yan awkwardly tried to cover the dirt on his body and subconsciously stepped back.
But the girl was faster, slapping him on the shoulder. "I just happened to see you."
Her tone was light and cheerful, as if it were just a chance encounter on the street, "Weren't you at some other array point? How come you got here so quickly?"
Fu Yan lowered his eyes: "...Looking for someone."
"Okay, I'll just say a few words, it won't interfere with your business."
The chief disciple of the Fu Sect trembled slightly. He wanted to say that he had found it now, but... he felt it was inappropriate.
Just then, a tattered, faded ancient book was shoved into his arms with a "thud".
"I've been wanting to give it to you for a while, but I kept forgetting. I suddenly remembered it when I was using the gold card as a talisman, and I didn't expect to run into it like this. What a coincidence."
"This belongs to your sect, right?"
Fu Yan lowered his head and froze on the spot.
"This is... the 'Tale of the Myriad Talismans Sect'?" This is a secret manual of the Talisman Sect that has been lost for over a thousand years. The talismans within are exquisitely crafted, making it highly sought after by many.
Such a precious treasure, and she didn't even look at it... just returned it to him like that?
"I've read them all." Huali broke through the filter with one sentence and said sincerely, "It's just that the last few chapters are too difficult. I've been trying to memorize them for a long time but I still can't understand them, so I thought maybe only you guys can understand them."
Fu Yan: "......"
Seeing the little stickler's expressionless face, Huali immediately shifted the blame: "But I have to explain first, I didn't steal it. I found it at the residence of one of Demon King Soli's favorite concubines named 'Willow.' The grievance has its source, and the debt has its debtor, so please don't disbelieve me."
"Here, it's returned to its rightful owner. We're even now."
After the girl finished speaking, before Fu Yan could even react, she turned and ran towards the Demon King and the others in the distance, like a bird returning to its nest.
When he looked up again, he only had time to catch a glimpse of the girl's skirt disappearing into the crowd.
Fu Yan stood there stunned for a long time, her fingers slowly closing.
She... could have chosen not to return it to him.
This item has been missing for so long that the Talisman Sect has long since given up the search. Even if it were exchanged for mountains of gold and silver, no one else would know...
But she just casually sent it back, without even giving him a chance to thank her.
At that moment on that day, the heart of the chief disciple of the Fu Sect felt as if it had been struck by something, a mixture of bitterness and excitement turning into the bewilderment of unfulfilled desire.
So now, having received this invitation, he has come again.
Even though he knew he shouldn't have come.
But the faint thought that had never been completely extinguished in his heart, hidden beneath the strict Taoist robe and the responsibility of the sect, was like the lingering snow disturbed by the spring breeze, quietly loosening a little.
He wanted to see for himself whether she was beaming with joy, whether she was... truly happy and content.
Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Fu Yan straightened his already perfectly smooth sleeves, making sure there was nothing improper about them, before climbing the steps.
In the instant he turned his head, he bumped right into a figure on the other side who had just arrived at the foot of the mountain.
It is Li Yuan.
He was much thinner than when Fu Yan last saw him.
Back then, the black energy was too overwhelming. In order to suppress it and buy more time, Li Yuan had no choice but to dig out the dragon pearl and sacrifice his essence, blood, and soul, which greatly damaged his cultivation.
At that moment, he was looking up at the mountains.
His thick, curly hair, like seaweed, was casually draped behind him, with a few strands brushing against his pale, almost transparent face, and complex, unreadable emotions swirling in his eyes.
—Unwillingness, stubbornness, and a near-desperate longing.
Some people are born as insignificant as dust. What good is a powerful being who has transcended tribulations? After crossing the River of Oblivion, the sacrifice is still the mute who should have disappeared silently!
But why... the offering that should have been buried deep in the ground has now taken flight and soared into the sky, even touching the moon that he has always longed for?
This is unreasonable.
This should never be...his end.
The two looked at each other in silence, a tense silence filling the air.
Finally, Fu Yan was the first to withdraw her gaze and turn slightly to the side.
Li Yuan glanced at him, then took the lead and walked towards the stone steps shrouded in twilight that led to the entrance of the mountain barrier.
During the silence, he suddenly spoke, his voice low and hoarse with a touch of obsessive rasping, as if questioning Fu Yan, or perhaps questioning his own heart:
Will you give up?
"I...won't. Even if...not the only one. As long as I can be by her side, even if I'm just one of them...I'd be happy to do it."
The stubborn words of the Lord of the Vast Sea contained a despair so low it bordered on humility.
Fu Yan's steps never faltered, his voice steady and clear:
"To me, admiring one person and protecting all living beings are not contradictory things."
“She is a ray of light that illuminates my path. Having seen the light, I know better how to walk my own path.” The chief disciple of the Fu Sect shook his head slightly. “I will not be confined to my own thoughts because of one person, nor will I forget the heavy responsibilities on my shoulders because of one person.”
Liking something doesn't necessarily mean you have to possess it.
Protecting is also a way of being.
After listening, Li Yuan slowly curled his lips into a faint, mocking smile. "Coward."
"If that were the case, you wouldn't be here."
As soon as the words were spoken, a figure slowly straightened up under the huge maple tree beside the barrier.
Mu Feng was the first of the three to arrive, and by this time his aura had already blended into the twilight and vegetation.
When he saw Fu Yan and Li Yuan, Shao Jun showed no surprise. He simply nodded slightly to the two of them and then looked toward the mountain gate.
As dusk fell and the stars began to appear, Mu Feng stepped forward, preparing to gently knock on the barrier, as the appointed time was approaching.
Just as he raised his hand—
"Ao Bai, hurry up! Otherwise our new house will be completely ruined!"
"If they even bump into the edge of a chair once, I'll fight them to the death!!"
"Meow meow meow meow meow!" In the three-story villa, with only one corner missing, the Meow King died there with a "crunch"!
A clear, slightly panicked sound, accompanied by meows, suddenly came from behind them.
The voice was so familiar that the three of them almost instinctively turned around in unison.
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