Chapter 21 Chapter 21 "Chen Qian, do you like Chu Liangxiu...
What meets the eye is the overwhelming white, heavy snow, distant mountains, and the human world.
And the mourning hall in front of me is hung with white cloth spirit banners.
Seven-year-old Chen Qian seemed to have just woken up from a nightmare. He didn't know what had happened. He looked around in panic, at a loss.
Shen Xinghe placed his broad hand on his head and patted it gently.
"Be good, Qian'er, come in with daddy."
There were calluses on Shen Xinghe's palms. They were hands that had been holding swords for years. They were warm and powerful, and they immediately soothed his anxiety.
He felt peaceful in his heart and was led by his father into the mourning hall obediently.
Below the glaring black word "葬" (Deity) is a transparent ice coffin.
A Niang was lying inside, her exquisite and beautiful face seemed alive, with a layer of tiny ice crystals on her eyelashes and a faint curve at the corner of her mouth.
"Dad, why is Mom sleeping here?"
Shen Xinghe's face was heavy, his voice was rough and hoarse, and his throat was trembling. He held Shen's hand tightly and said, "Mother is gone."
"Where did she go? Did she go to the upper realm?" Chen Qian asked doubtfully, thinking of his parents' obsession with the Great Dao and ascending to heaven. "Has my mother become an immortal already?"
Shen Xinghe smiled bitterly, with coldness in his eyes.
Chen Qian raised his head, and the coldness in Shen Xinghe's eyes was clearly visible. He was a little scared and subconsciously tried to break free.
Shen Xinghe touched his head with his other hand. It was a soothing and loving gesture, and the vague fear in Shen Qian's heart suddenly dissipated.
Shen Xinghe picked him up and sat on the huanghuali wood chair beside him. Chen Qian sat obediently on his father's lap with his head buried in the man's arms.
"Qian'er." The man stroked his head again and again, "Didn't my mother ascend to heaven?"
"Hmm? What's that?"
"My mother is dead."
Shen Qian's eyes widened, and it took him a long time to understand what "dead" meant.
Tears suddenly welled up in his eyes and he burst into tears.
The man patted his back and hugged him tightly. Shen Qian felt wetness on his head.
In the midst of great sadness, Chen Qian suddenly remembered that if his mother were still alive, she would definitely be unhappy to see him crying like this.
Even when she is unhappy, A Niang is gentle and loving.
She would say, Shen Qian, you are too cowardly.
She will be very disappointed.
When Chu Liangxiu was disobedient, her parents would beat her and make her cry loudly. Compared with Chu Liangxiu, Chen Qian felt that he was happy.
His parents never beat him.
But because of this happiness, when he saw the disappointment in his mother's eyes, he would feel guilty and unable to sleep all night.
Chen Qian thought of her mother and suddenly stopped crying, leaving only low sobs and tears falling.
Shen Xinghe did not blame him for being cowardly. He rubbed his back again and again. Shen Qian's emotions were gradually calmed down, and he raised his red and swollen eyes.
"Dad, Mom is gone, what are we going to do in the future?"
His father held him silently and looked at the gray sky beyond the eaves.
The heavy snow fell, covering up the footprints we had left. All the roads disappeared, leaving only thick snow.
"Don't be afraid, I still have my father."
Chen Qian couldn't help but put his arms around his father's neck, and his heart felt strangely at peace.
Yes, and Dad.
My father is gentler, kinder, and more loving than my mother.
He had never been disappointed in Shen Qian, and he had never said anything that would make Shen Qian uncomfortable. Compared to his mother's indifference, his father gave him more warmth and love.
Shen Xinghe put down Shen Qian and squatted down to look at him: "Let's work together as father and son to fulfill our mother's last wish, okay?"
If I fulfilled A Niang's last wish, she would be more satisfied with herself, right? And less disappointed in herself, right?
Shen Qian's eyes sparkled and he nodded heavily: "Okay!"
…
In the secret room, the seven-year-old boy was covered in blood and dying.
A dim light covered the small area, blood-stained white cloth was scattered around him, and a nauseatingly strong smell of blood floated in the air.
The boy was shirtless, his chest was open, and his beating heart could be seen inside.
His face was as pale as gold paper, his forehead was covered with cold sweat, and his eyes were dull as he stared at a point in the void.
Shen Xinghe sat next to Shen Qian, in the shadows where the lights could not reach.
Shen Qian looked away and could only see a familiar black shadow.
He stretched out his hand: "Dad, it hurts, it hurts so much..."
Shen Xinghe was concentrating on carving the small object in his hand. He didn't speak and didn't respond to Shen Qian.
Shen Qian's hand was only inches away from him, and he wanted to grab his father's robe and tell him that he was in pain.
Maybe his voice was too soft and his father didn't hear it.
But his arms were too short, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't reach the edge of the clothes.
Chen Qian's hand fell down with a dull thud. He gasped for breath, his breath smelling of blood, and stared blankly into space, thinking that he should wait a while, thinking that his father would come to see him after he finished his work.
Just be patient and wait.
But every inch of bone in my limbs was screaming in pain, time seemed to be infinitely stretched, and every breath seemed to last billions of years.
After an unknown amount of time, Shen Xinghe moved.
He turned around, revealing a face full of deep admiration and respect.
"You can't use spiritual power on the Qingxin Lock, otherwise it will affect the effect. You've suffered."
In the dim light, Chen Qian could see that it was a small copper lock with no patterns and rust on the corners. A damp and evil feeling came over him.
"Qian'er, you are a rare genius in this world. Daddy can accompany you, teach you, and discipline you now, but I'm afraid that when you reach a higher level in the future, you will forget Mom's wishes. So Daddy has come up with a foolproof plan, so that Daddy can accompany my son forever and work with him to complete the path that Mom has left unfinished."
Chen Qian wanted to say, I will be obedient and always listen to my father.
I want to say, Dad, I’m in pain, I’m scared, please take that thing away from me.
Before he could utter a word, Shen Xinghe cast a silencing spell.
The broad and warm hands stroked the top of Shen Qian's hair again and again.
"It will only hurt a little bit, but you'll forget it all once you get through this. Don't be afraid."
Shen Qian's eyes shook violently, and Shen Xinghe smiled with satisfaction: "So good."
A low roar like a dying beast was heard from the secret room, the tables and chairs were kicked over, the lights went out, and endless darkness enveloped the place.
…
My father is dead.
The body was buried with A Niang.
Representatives from all the major sects attended the funeral of Xuanqing Sect's leader.
Amidst the commotion, Chu Liangxiu's mother placed her hands on Shen Qian's shoulders in a gesture of protection and support, while Chu Liangxiu's father stood by, answering the mourners on Shen Qian's behalf.
Seven-year-old Chu Liangxiu pursed his lips and secretly held Shen Qian's hand.
Her palms were cold. The ice and snow mental method made her blood cold, her hair lighten, and her skin so white that it was almost transparent.
Shen Qian shivered from the cold.
Chu Liangxiu turned his head to look at him, and there was moisture in his eyes, which instantly turned into tiny ice flowers.
She didn't let go, but held on tighter.
There was a familiar voice in Shen Qian's soul. It was the man who was supposed to be lying in the coffin.
"Chen Qian, do you like Chu Liangxiu?"
Shen Qian said calmly in his spiritual consciousness: "Of course."
Perhaps because of her parents' advice, Chu Liangxiu hadn't picked a fight with Chen Qian these days. Instead, she followed him closely. In the past, when she and other junior brothers and sisters went to the kitchen to steal delicious food, she never asked Chen Qian to come, but she made an exception recently.
My father's voice was filled with satisfaction: "She's quite good. Since you like her, use her to sharpen your mind."
Chen Qian: "Okay."
Several years passed, and Chen Qian and Chu Liangxiu had countless fights.
Amidst the green mountains and clear waters, the pink and white petals of several cherry trees danced in the wind. Chen Qian swung his sword, and Chu Liang's sleeves fell to the ground. It took him a while to get up.
His father's voice appeared in his soul.
"You are truly worthy of being my son. Even Chu Liangxiu's stunning beauty couldn't disturb your heart. Over the past few years, you have tempered your Dao heart with love, and the results are truly remarkable!"
"Father." Chen Qian's tone was indifferent and cold, with a subtle morbidity and sarcasm, and he said slowly, "I am a genius."
Chu Liangxiu called out, "Junior Sister is here too. Perfect, I'd like to have a sparring match with you."
Chen Qian's eyes met with a figure in red across the dense branches.
The twelve-year-old junior sister likes to wear red clothes, and her face is as bright and lush as a spring stream in March.
Chu Liang put him down with his sleeves and focused on fighting with Yao Ning.
Although Yao Ning was extremely talented, he was still a child after all. Chu Liangxiu never held back when fighting, and he beat the child into a miserable state in just a few moves.
There was a smile in Chen Qian's eyes.
The voice asked him, "What are you laughing at?"
The smile disappeared, Shen Qian's face darkened, and he looked away: "Nothing."
…
On the bank of the Huai River, when Chen Qian saw the marriage lamp in Yao Ning's hand, he suddenly realized that the child from that year had grown up.
Shen Xinghe's voice became excited. "She's not bad! This woman is deeply in love with you. Use her to sharpen your heart of Taoism, and you will know what it means to follow the laws of heaven and earth, to regulate yin and yang, and then to go against the norm and conform to the Tao, and go against the convention and conform to heaven..."
"Father." Shen Qian interrupted him, his voice gentle but unquestionable, "She can't."
"Why?"
"No reason."
The voice fell silent.
Chen Qian has grown up and is no longer the naive child he used to be. His extraordinary talent and powerful strength have made him tough. Even though there is a Qingxin Lock hanging in his heart that locks his life and soul, he remains calm and will not tolerate any disobedience.
"Do you like her?"
Shen Qian sneered: "Like?"
In the dark alley, the veins on his hand that was pinching Yao Ning's neck were bulging, and the delicate woman in his palm seemed like she would die at any moment.
Chen Qian asked his father in his heart: "Do you like A Niang this much?"
Chen Qian let go of his hand and said self-deprecatingly: “With parents like you and A Niang, plus this cold and boring life, I don’t deserve to like anyone.”
Before the voice in his soul could respond, Yao Ning suddenly attacked and pushed him against the wall.
Surprise showed in his eyes.
The little sister's voice was bewitching, her eyebrows flying, her eyes bright as the stars: "Anyway, I don't mind you being cold and boring, will you marry me?"
The Qingxin Lock vibrated, and my heart ached. My father's voice rang out again: "It's better if you don't like it. It's just a tool anyway.
"It's good to be ruthless, but I'm afraid you'll forget everything and won't even remember your mother's dying wish.
"You don't cultivate the Way of Mercy, but you must be merciless. This woman is obsessed with you, so you just watch her stubbornly and stubbornly, which will help you strengthen your resolve..."
"Father." Chen Qian interrupted again, "I don't want to."
In the flesh and blood of the heart, the light of the Qingxin Lock burned brightly, severe pain spread throughout the body, and Shen Qian's eyes were empty for a moment.
Shen Xinghe was trying to control him.
He doesn't need a rebellious son. Chen Qian must listen to him, take every step in the right place, and ascend to the upper realm in the shortest time.
The light in Chen Qian's eyes changed, and he suddenly exerted force and pushed Yao Ning away.
He turned and left, the spiritual current in his body silently flowing towards his heart. Thunder and lightning formed a cage, which was suddenly drawn into his heart cavity and engraved into his flesh and blood.
The severe pain was accompanied by a sense of cold pleasure.
"Father, you've been nagging me for so many years." Chen Qian's eyes were cold, "It's time to shut up."
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