Chapter 193 You lied to me. You lied to me.
In a mountain forest.
Tang Huairou positioned some of the disciples closer to the inner sect for backup. Furthermore, the area ahead was too dangerous for them; it was more appropriate to provide assistance to the other seriously injured disciples here.
The two people that Shen Lixia had been searching for were actually helping someone in these mountains.
Lu Changqing, who had been planning to rest, was called back and coincidentally teamed up with Wu Zhuyue to search for the injured and bring them back to the inner sect.
Aside from necessary conversations, the two remained silent throughout the journey.
Wu Zhuyue had always been used to Lu Changqing initiating conversations, but now that he had fallen silent, she didn't know what to say. She had so much to say, but without Lu Changqing's guidance, it seemed these words would remain forever inside her, until they rotted away.
The dry autumn wind, tinged with a faint smell of blood, brushed damply across my hair.
Lu Changqing lowered his eyes, took out a lamp from his mustard seed bag, lit it with spiritual fire, and held it in his hand.
This is what Tang Huairou once told her: "Light a lamp, and the lost soul will see it and will not be unable to find its way home in the long, dark night."
After arriving at Guyu Peak, she still privately called Tang Huairou "Sister" and Jinyu "Sister." Occasionally, Tang Huairou would take her to the mission hall to take on a few missions for training. During the days when she was constantly complaining about the hardships of practicing her movement techniques on the peak, the warm porridge in the evening was enough to comfort her body and mind. On holidays, her master and senior sister would be waiting for her, making even the twilight no longer lonely.
The past was too peaceful. Blood is thicker than water, so from the scent of blood, she could hear a pain that water could not bear or convey, but she couldn't discern whether there was any familiar pain within it.
It's best if there isn't one. Even knowing that the disciples currently guarding the outer gate are facing a near-certain death, she still prayed that Tang Huairou would return safely...
The footsteps behind her gradually slowed down, and Lu Changqing knew that Wu Zhuyue was preoccupied with something. When she had something on her mind, Wu Zhuyue always walked a little slower than usual; just like when she was embarrassed, she would hold her breath slightly and clench her fists, and when she lied, her pupils would tremble slightly and sweat would appear on her neck... She had been watching her for so long, but tonight she felt once again that she knew nothing about this person.
So Lu Changqing didn't say anything more, even though she knew that Wu Zhuyue was actually waiting for her, even if it was condemnation or scorn.
Don't remain completely silent.
As Wu Zhuyue pondered this, she looked down at the gray ground before her, her spiritual sense sweeping over her body, but she couldn't find a trace of life.
Time slipped by relentlessly, each step feeling aimless. Then, the boy's voice abruptly broke the heavy silence of the night.
"Lu Changqing."
Lu Changqing didn't even turn his head, just said "Mm".
Wu Zhuyue said, "You want to know..." She felt her heart was taut, experiencing such a dramatic rise and fall for the first time, as if it might burst at any moment.
"Why should I do these things?" Her voice trailed off, clearly lacking confidence.
The light in front of Lu Changqing flickered, like the moon reflected in the water, slightly dazzling the eyes.
“I don’t want to know now,” Lu Changqing murmured, “later.”
Perhaps she still wanted to know before the disaster struck.
However, all of this is inextricably linked to Wu Zhuyue. It's such a coincidence—even if someone has to play this role, why did it have to be Wu Zhuyue? If she was swept along by fate with no other choice, shouldn't Lu Changqing understand her and tell her it's alright?
In the desolate forest, the unclosed eyes of the lying corpse seemed to say to Lu Changqing, "No."
She must hate Wu Zhuyue right now.
Her gaze fell on the flickering lamplight, and Lu Changqing realized she had been lost in thought for too long; her vision had become blurry, and everything seemed like a reflection in water or a misty flower. She took a deep breath, and in the shadows where Wu Zhuyue couldn't see her, she slightly raised the corners of her lips, her eyes filled with bitterness.
No, what she probably hated even more was that after witnessing so much tragedy, she still couldn't hate Wu Zhuyue. The thought of uttering harsh words brought to mind Wu Zhuyue's cold and wary expression when she first arrived.
At first, I didn't understand why she was wary of others, but I gradually realized that it was an instinct.
Like birds and beasts, they are bound to different worlds and have no possibility of understanding each other from the beginning.
He never received a response from Wu Zhuyue, not even a hint of "liking" her.
Wu Zhuyue remained silent for a long while, then suddenly quickened her pace, her voice tinged with a sob: "I want to—"
I think I like you a little too.
So I don't want to lose you, and I don't want you to be disappointed in me.
But these words were met with a cold gaze from Lu Changqing as he turned his head, like shattered ice fragments scattered in his heart.
Lu Changqing stared at her for a moment, then turned away and said, "I-don't-want-to-hear."
“…Hmm.” Wu Zhuyue finally deflated, lowered her head, raised her hands to hug her arms, her fingertips sinking deep into the pale white fabric. “Anyway, you wouldn’t understand.”
Lu Changqing was furious, and his voice unconsciously rose: "What do you mean 'I can't understand'?"
"If it weren't for my master's support, I wouldn't be here at all."
Master?
Lu Changqing quickly realized that she wasn't talking about Yi Xiaohan.
Wu Zhuyue didn't lie to her; she just didn't tell her anything.
“I’m not from the Sixth Domain… but I’ve also forgotten where I used to live. After all that traveling, I’ve long forgotten…” Wu Zhuyue’s voice trembled slightly. “Maybe it was when you were still in school, talking with your mother at night, that I will never see her again.”
“I shouldn’t have gotten here. I can’t choose. Lu Changqing… My master has treated me very well, and I want to repay her kindness; you have all treated me very well too… Why must I have to choose between these two?”
Wu Zhuyue took a deep breath, lowered her head, and her vision blurred.
“I’m a refugee, Lu Changqing. I was only able to crawl out by sheer luck… Why did you come looking for me? Why did you ask me those questions at the beginning, and why did you always drag me into doing this and that?”
Tears streamed down her face, landing on a pair of outstretched hands. Lu Changqing gently cupped her face and whispered:
"If the teachers' wives want to punish you... I will be punished along with you."
She thought she was still willing to stay by Wu Zhuyue's side, as long as—
"Please don't..."
You're lying to me.
It seemed that just as things were turning around and their hearts were turning in a new direction, they were about to reconcile their past grievances.
But tonight was clearly much longer than expected. So, one moment it was all tenderness and affection, and the next a sword blade turned into a dark arc of light and stabbed down menacingly.
Wu Zhuyue instinctively pulled Lu Changqing back and turned to hug him tightly. She closed her eyes, thinking she was about to be overwhelmed by excruciating pain, but the blade stopped just a hair's breadth away from her, leaving the sharp tip pressed against her back.
The other person's cold, slightly confused voice came from beside my ear:
"Wu Zhuyue?"
The soldier sheathed his sword and said, "You are a student of Lady Liu Hua. She instructed us not to kill you."
Her scarlet eyes darted around, and she looked at Lu Changqing.
Wu Zhuyue quickly released Lu Changqing and then stood in front of her.
She said firmly, "If she dies, I cannot live on alone."
"You've formed a pact?" The soldier put his hands behind his back. "Yes, if it's just one person, that's fine."
"It's not a contract..."
"But don't let her get in our way," the woman casually tossed out. "Can you promise?"
Wu Zhuyue hesitated for a moment, then heard Lu Changqing behind her speak:
"dream."
She drew her sword, frowned in disgust, yet still seemed to hold a sliver of hope, and whispered to Wu Zhuyue, "Xiao Wu, don't agree to her. We will win..."
At the same time, he transmitted his thoughts telepathically: "Let's try to escape first..."
This was utterly absurd. The person before her was no ordinary soldier; his black armor was stained with countless drops of blood, each step leaving a trail of crimson. He was clearly no one she could contend with, yet Lu Changqing seemed utterly fearless. Why was she so calm and collected?
At this moment, Wu Zhuyue habitually avoided looking at her, but she saw Lu Changqing's hand, half-hidden under her sleeve, trembling.
I thought Lu Changqing was really that resolute...
But she was actually afraid.
The boy clenched his fist, bit his lip tightly, and finally nodded. Lu Changqing was taken aback, then tugged at the corner of his mouth, and a surge of spiritual energy instantly rose from his body, surrounded by a bright, watery aura.
Suddenly, a feeling of powerlessness arrived along with Wu Zhuyue's voice:
"I can guarantee that."
Wu Zhuyue reached out and supported the boy who was about to collapse from exhaustion, holding him tightly in her arms. As if afraid to look into his eyes, she buried her face in the crook of his shoulder. She could hear Lu Changqing's rapid heartbeat, her hurried breathing, and the suppressed anger that was about to erupt.
“Don’t even think about changing your mind,” she said. “Although we haven’t formed a pact, we are bound by a curse. If one of us dies, the other will also die.”
The soldier smiled and gently turned the tip of her sword back. "I see." She didn't linger, and her figure vanished in an instant. Then, from a distant direction, came the faint sound of blood splattering.
Lu Changqing's face grew increasingly pale. She regained some strength, only to find that her spiritual power was completely sealed, rendering her utterly unable to use it. There was only one way left.
The one who tied the knot must untie it. She either needs to ask Wu Zhuyue to remove the curse, or...
Kill her.
Although the latter was clearly risky, Lu Changqing felt it offered a better chance. Because Wu Zhuyue had always been so stubborn; she would never let him go. She had already made that decision.
So, after struggling to no avail, Lu Changqing gently rested his chin on Wu Zhuyue's shoulder, his lips involuntarily curving upwards, his eyes glistening with tears: "When did this happen?"
When was the curse planted without her even realizing it? When was the decision made?
When did I stop believing her?
Wu Zhuyue remained silent for a long time, until the smell of blood in the wind grew stronger, until all was quiet, before she softly said:
"On Guyu Peak, when you invited me to have tea."
Memories flooded back like a tide. Lu Changqing thought she couldn't possibly be in pain anymore, but she still felt as if a certain spot in her heart had been ripped open and bleeding again by those words. It shattered into countless pieces like glass, embedded in her flesh, and would forever remain within Lu Changqing's body, flowing with her blood.
That day happened to be the day she confessed her feelings to Wu Zhuyue. The usually gentle spring rain on Guyu Peak was no longer as sticky and bothersome as butter, and the pollen from the blooming spring flowers only made her tears of happiness flow even more intensely. Her feelings at that time were too pure, or perhaps foolish, so even though Wu Zhuyue only nodded with a smile, her eyes softening slightly, she didn't feel disappointed, but rather overjoyed that she hadn't been rejected. The following night, they slept together again, just like when they had secretly slipped out to return home before. This time there were no nail polish flowers, but Lu Changqing mustered up his courage and kissed the back of her hand.
She lovingly pressed her lips to the boy's hand, lingering on his fingertips, and playfully said just before Wu Zhuyue complained that it was "so itchy":
"My heart belongs to you now."
Why that particular day?
She was in love with Wu Zhuyue, but Wu Zhuyue did not trust her.
It would be so easy for this person to hurt her, like peeling the skin of a perfectly ripe apricot—it would be effortless.
She closed her eyes, hugged Wu Zhuyue back, and pleaded one last time, "Untie me, Xiao Wu, we can still help our senior sisters. As long as you untie me, I'll pretend none of this ever happened..."
Wu Zhuyue simply held her tighter. The chill of the sword's edge made her heart pound with anxiety once again, and the sweet, metallic taste of dust lingered on her lips. The sensation of her mother's hand pushing her upwards still lingered on her skin.
She can't lose Lu Changqing.
Lu Junan could not afford to lose his only daughter.
A long silence answered Lu Changqing; the boy seemed to have no strength left and released her grip. She pressed heavily against Wu Zhuyue's chest, her voice gradually turning cold.
"Wu Zhuyue".
"Do you know what I hate the most?"
She wanted her to watch her fellow disciples die without doing anything, to be someone who went against her own heart, to not fight alongside her senior sisters, but to stay here as a weak deserter, living a life of ignominy.
Wu Zhuyue was not protecting Lu Changqing, but destroying her.
"You know, you've always known, I've told you..."
She told Wu Zhuyue everything without reservation.
Lu Changqing said in a low voice, "I hate it when others try to control me."
"You lied to me. You've been lying to me all along..."
Her choked voice gradually calmed down, and there was no longer any ripple of emotion caused by Wu Zhuyue.
"I know." Wu Zhuyue closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, Lu Changqing. I'm sorry."
Tears streamed down her cheeks, reflecting the soft glow of the moonlight.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Yes, this is the chapter I originally planned to update on Qixi Festival.
Then I adjusted the position.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com