Chapter 75 The Second Kiss "Zhe Qing, let me tell you a secret, it's about..."
...
The sunlight on the horizon was extremely dazzling; in my memory, the sunlight at Arabezuka had never been so intense.
It was so warm that even with my eyes closed, I could feel the brilliant orange-red lights dancing before my eyes.
In a daze, it was as if he were visiting the desolate tomb for the first time. The moment he set foot on this land, he felt disgust and rejection from the depths of his soul and from the very core of his being.
He is the son of the Celestial Clan, possessing the purest and noblest Celestial blood. He was born to vanquish demons, so how could he stoop so low and fall into demonic ways?
But there was no way to defeat him. The demon in human skin was like an unreachable mountain; he looked up but couldn't see the summit. To defeat him, he would have to become a demon stronger, colder, and more cruel than himself.
But the kind and generous heart in his chest became the biggest stumbling block. He was unwilling to love, and his hatred was not pure. He even despised himself. A man should be decisive and courageous in the world. How can he think back and forth and hesitate?
With such a gentle nature, could his father, in his spirit, still be proud of him if he saw him so disappointing?
Finally, standing on this desolate and barren land, he no longer hesitated and made up his mind to wield his sword and become a demon.
That was the first time he had been injured since birth—he had once been a child cherished and protected by his father, never having suffered any injury or shed a drop of blood, but his first injury was when he cut out his own whole heart.
The blood from that day, just like now, seemed endless, seeping into the ground beneath me, and the damp, unbearable smell of blood lingered in my nostrils.
"Heng'er, you must be an upright and courageous person."
"Heng'er, you are your father's only hope."
"Heng'er..."
"Heng'er..."
"How about your father adds a character to your name? The highest virtue is like water, and the character is composed of the radical for water. I hope that in the future my son's heart will be as vast as the rivers and seas, and that he will embrace the world with a broad mind."
"From now on, your name will be Mu Qingheng."
***
Mu Qingheng moved his slender fingers on the muddy ground, where blood was mixed with dirt, and his fingers unconsciously brushed against a patch of filth.
He slowly opened his eyes, the blinding sunlight making him momentarily disoriented. He squinted and tilted his head to the side.
So he wasn't dead after all.
Mu Qingheng blinked blankly. He had just had a dream in which he, as a child, came alone to the desolate tomb and resolutely and fearfully cut out his own heart. Just like now, he was bleeding profusely and lying on the ground, barely breathing.
He risked his life and did what he believed was right.
I don't know if I'll ever open my eyes again, and it doesn't matter whether I will or not.
But just like back then, he woke up by sheer luck once again—alone and reborn from the ashes, with only the howling wind blowing against his icy body.
Mu Qingheng slowly sat up, supporting himself with one hand on the ground. He first touched the skin on his chest, where the wound, which had been bloody and mangled, was now almost completely healed.
He raised his hand and touched his throat again. The previous blow had pierced his entire neck, but it had stopped bleeding and the wound was almost closed.
With this undeniably fatal wound healed, Mu Qingheng's expression turned solemn. He almost immediately went to check his left hand—the red line that had been on his wrist last night had now crossed his elbow and reached the middle of his upper arm.
Mu Qingheng watched for a while, then slowly lowered his arm.
This place holds too many memories. He silently turned his head to look to the left, where a bottomless abyss lay at the end.
Gui Chengzi's voice, a half-smile, seemed to echo in his ears: "If you were a smart person, you should have chosen the first option. Cultivating little by little would not only allow you to gradually stand at the pinnacle of the Six Realms, but also enjoy a lifespan of ten thousand years that everyone envies. But what use is this supreme spiritual power to you right now? Young man, don't be too confident. This red line that's getting closer and closer to death will make you regret it sooner or later. I'm not joking. Once the red line pierces your heart, even if a god were to be reborn, there's absolutely no way to save your life. Whether you go to heaven or earth, not even a trace of your soul or breath will remain. I'll confirm one more time, are you sure you want to choose the second option?"
Mu Qingheng slightly curled the corners of his lips. He didn't regret it, not even now.
He understood that controlling the red line was not a problem if he acted properly, but his situation was special and he didn't need such a long lifespan in the first place.
All told, he has already suffered three fatal injuries—Yun Zejing blocked an attack for Yun Jiuyan, he took a palm strike from that monster a few days ago to save Mengmeng, and just now… The injury just now was extremely dangerous; his heart was stabbed countless times, and his throat was also pierced. The red thread only reached the middle of his upper arm, which can be considered a blessing from heaven.
He survived three near-fatal injuries, and was extremely grateful to Gui Chengzi. Without him, he would have died long ago, and how could he have fulfilled his wish and died peacefully?
Mu Qingheng leaned on his bamboo cane and slowly stood up from the ground. He first glanced at the door—Mengmeng should have already left. Now that the memory node had jumped to this point, no matter where it stopped, he was no longer worried about her safety.
Turning his head to gaze at the endless cliffs in the distance, Mu Qingheng lowered his eyes in thought.
His lifelong wish was to kill the murderer who killed Mengmeng in his previous life. Now that the villain had fallen off the endless cliff, he was not in a hurry to leave. He would simply switch from defense to offense.
If that person isn't dead, he can climb up and plot the murder himself; if there's still no movement, he can stay here alone and wait peacefully until the moment he closes his eyes, and then his life will not have been in vain.
Thinking this, Mu Qingheng returned to his room, first finding a clean set of clothes to change into. Since he had nothing else to do, he sat behind his desk and took out the disguise mask he hadn't worn for the past few days to start repairing.
Actually, a corner of his silver mask was also broken. Mu Qingheng touched it, didn't pay much attention, and casually put it aside. He carefully and attentively repaired the thin disguise mask and then meticulously covered it on his face.
After changing his disguise again, he pressed the edges of his clothes to make sure everything was in place. Just as he was concentrating on his task, he suddenly noticed something amiss with the sound of the wind outside the door—
The newcomer possessed extremely strong spiritual power. Could it be that the monster that had returned? Mu Qingheng's brows furrowed, and without thinking, he casually tossed out the silver mask beside him. The mask, imbued with extremely strong spiritual power, flew out!
He didn't expect to harm the monster with just a mask; he just wanted to catch it off guard. The next moment, Mu Qingheng rushed forward, his palm gathering extremely strong spiritual power. However, when he saw the face of the person who came, he released all his power and his eyes widened slightly in a daze.
misty?
*
Mu Meng stood by the stream for three breaths, and after confirming that her memory after that night was indeed blank, she simply stopped thinking about it. Anyway, she was still in the desolate tomb, and Zhe Qing couldn't possibly leave her alone, could he?
Thinking this, Mu Meng turned back to look for Zhe Qing's whereabouts.
There were many empty courtyards in the desolate tomb, but Mu Meng did not have much trouble finding people. Zhe Qing's spiritual power was too strong. She only needed to sense it slightly to know where the person was and headed straight for the courtyard.
Just as they reached the courtyard gate, a magical artifact of unknown origin suddenly flew out from inside—
The spiritual power was too strong, and Mu Meng didn't dare to take it head-on with her bare hands. She quickly dodged to the side, but the spiritual weapon was too fast. Even though she dodged in time, it still cut off a strand of her hair.
This time she saw it clearly—what is this…isn’t this a mask to cover her face? Why did he throw this at her?
Mu Meng was filled with doubt. When she looked up, she met Zhe Qing's murderous gaze. However, in an instant, all the hostility in his eyes disappeared, and he returned to the gentle and harmless look she knew.
Mu Meng was even more puzzled: "Zhe Qing, what's wrong with you? Why are you so wary? Could there be some other enemies here?"
As she spoke, she looked around—was there anyone there? She had just carefully sensed the surrounding area, and there was no sign of anyone for miles around.
Zhe Qing seemed not to have come to her senses, staring blankly at her, before finally moving her lips and asking, "Mengmeng?"
"Yes, it's me. What's wrong?"
No way, she can't remember anything after that night. Could Zhe Qing also have amnesia? And it seems to be more serious than hers. Could it be that she just recognized her?
Just as Mu Meng was about to speak, Zhe Qing suddenly pursed his lips, snapping out of his dazed state, and gave her an apologetic smile: "Mengmeng, I'm sorry, I... I just... I didn't expect you... to come back so quickly. I thought it was someone else, so I acted rashly. Were you hurt?"
He spoke as he walked toward her, his expression full of worry.
Mu Meng waved her hand dismissively: "Of course I'm not injured, I'm perfectly fine. I'm not that weak. But are you alright?"
After all, just a moment ago, Zhe Qing had shielded her from an attack, covered in blood. "You were so badly injured before, are you alright? Let me see."
Without waiting for Zhe Qing's reply, she carefully examined him, then took his hand and checked his pulse: "Thankfully, his internal energy is stable, his spiritual power is abundant, and most of his previous injuries have healed. However..."
Mu Meng narrowed his eyes, staring at the scar on Zhe Qing's neck: "Zhe Qing, what happened to the wound on your neck?" The black aura that day was essentially a malevolent energy, and the wound on his neck was clearly caused by a sharp blade.
Zhe Qing raised her hand to touch it, and smiled nonchalantly, "I'm fine, I just accidentally scratched myself, it's nothing serious."
As he spoke, he looked at Mu Meng again, finally noticing a small strand of her cascading black hair broken in the middle. "Mengmeng, I'm sorry, I... I didn't mean to."
Her tone was helpless, carefully concealing her sadness, as if cutting off a few strands of her hair was a heinous crime.
Mu Meng smiled helplessly and gently patted his shoulder. "It's alright, don't blame yourself. I'm fine. It's just a few strands of hair. What's the big deal? Could it be more important than you?"
She spoke so naturally that Zhe Qing was stunned in disbelief, her lips parted slightly, but she couldn't utter a word for a long time.
Mu Meng almost laughed at his reaction, but she pursed her lips and held it back, her heart softening. After thinking for a moment, she asked again, "By the way, Zhe Qing, I was just asking you something. My memory seems a bit strange, like there's a gap in my memory. Were we together the whole time? I don't remember... How many days have we been here?"
Out of curiosity and confusion, her clear, big eyes widened, making her look exceptionally cute.
Looking into her eyes, Zhe Qing's expression unconsciously softened with affection, and he couldn't help but chuckle softly, "Yes, we've been here for three or four days. Your memory is confused because your brain has been damaged by the strange energy. Who would have thought that you, such a bold little girl, would rashly rush into that dark aura to fight it? It's also my fault; I should have warned you beforehand."
Although it was just an ordinary explanation, coupled with his soft voice and inexplicable affection, Mu Meng bit her lip and slowly and subtly shifted her gaze away from him.
That's strange. Is it because Zhe Qing changed his clothes today? Black makes him look even more handsome. Why does his face look so oddly good-looking?
Or perhaps it's just her imagination...
Mu Meng felt her cheeks burning after thinking for a moment, and quickly shook her head to clear her mind. She still had important questions to ask. "So... I have no memory of the past three or four days? What have we been doing these past few days?"
Zhe Qing's answer was concise: "To recuperate."
"Recover from the injury? How do I recover from the injury?"
Zhe Qing smiled slightly: "You've been taking care of me all along."
Is that so? Mu Meng blinked gently. They had been alone together for three or four days, and she had absolutely no recollection of it—it seemed a bit of a pity.
Zhe Qing, too, said too little. Why didn't he say more? It was just a matter of three or four days, and he summarized it all in a few words?
However, even if he were to speak, he could probably only talk about how to heal the wounds, along with some words of gratitude. He certainly wouldn't be able to think of a single detail she wanted to hear.
Thinking this, Mu Meng looked at Zhe Qing expectantly: "Zhe Qing, when will my memories from the past few days be restored?"
Zhe Qing paused for a moment, hesitated, and finally wrung her hands and lowered her head: "Mengmeng, my memory has been uneventful these past few days. It's better if you don't remember. It's better not to go through any trouble."
"So it can be restored? It doesn't matter if it takes some trouble, just tell me directly."
"..."
"I understand," Mu Meng nodded. "So you know the method, but you don't want to lie to me and say you don't."
Seeing Zhe Qing remain silent, she knew she was right—Zhe Qing was indeed stubbornly adorable. He was eloquent, and even if he calmly said "I don't know," she would definitely believe him. But he set strict bottom lines for himself, and he couldn't tell a single lie.
Mu Meng shook her head and smiled, her heart softening; she didn't want to make things difficult for him. Although she was very curious, if he wanted to know, she would find a way herself. So she didn't press him further and changed the subject:
"Zheqing, you saved my life in this battle, and now you are my savior. How can I repay your kindness?"
Zhe Qing started waving his hands repeatedly after hearing half of it, and immediately declined after hearing the whole thing: "Mengmeng, don't say such things. What life-saving grace? I didn't do anything. Please don't take it to heart."
Mu Meng was not surprised at all by his appearance. If it were someone who could joke, he would probably immediately laugh and say, "Why don't you repay me with your body?" But Zhe Qing... it was simply unbelievable that he could make a joke of this level.
What should we do if he can't bring himself to say it?
Mu Meng stood with his hands behind his back, his dark eyes darting around as he slowly circled Zhe Qing. Zhe Qing, bewildered, stood frozen, her gaze following Mu Meng's movements.
Mu Meng stopped and smiled at him, "Zhe Qing, you were injured by that monster's black aura back in Yunze Realm, so you should know how powerful it is. This time you risked your life to shield me, weren't you afraid of losing your life?"
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Zhe Qing said gently.
Mu Meng was not satisfied with this answer: "How can you say for sure about such things? If the injuries are too severe, death is inevitable. You must promise me that if such a situation occurs again, you will not do it again."
Zhe Qing hesitated, lowered her head slightly, and looked both stubborn and uneasy. "Mengmeng, this... I can't guarantee you anything for now."
Mu Meng tilted his head, suppressing the laughter that was about to leak out, and pretended to be serious. "Then what should we do now? You won't let me repay this kindness, and you won't let me keep it in my heart. You also won't promise me anything in the future. If we encounter any danger again, you will risk your life to save me—won't I owe you one debt after another?"
Zhe Qing chuckled helplessly, about to speak, but Mu Meng raised his hand to stop him: "Look, you won't agree to any of my suggestions, which puts me in a difficult position. How can one person always be the one making sacrifices in a relationship? How about this, I'll tell you a secret."
Not knowing whether Zhe Qing was interested, Mu Meng introduced in a very methodical manner: "This is a very important matter, and so far, no one else knows about it except me. However, this secret is also very relevant to you."
After saying this, Zhaiqing's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and a hint of tension appeared on her usually calm face.
Although he remained calm and didn't speak, Mu Meng could tell that Zhe Qing's appetite had been whetted, and his expression clearly showed that he wanted to know.
Mu Meng beckoned to him mysteriously, "Come closer, I'll tell you."
There were clearly only the two of them here, so they could have just said what they wanted to say. But Zhe Qing was used to being obedient and did whatever Mu Meng said, so she didn't think too much about it and moved a little closer.
Mu Meng frowned slightly in disapproval: "Move closer."
Zhe Qing's gaze was pure and clear, and without any doubt, she moved closer.
Mu Meng smiled and took the initiative to move closer, now the two of them were only a few inches apart.
She raised her hand, her slender arm hooking around Zhaqing's neck, then tiptoed and placed a feather-light kiss on his scarred face.
She smiled and whispered in his ear, "Zheqing, I like you very much."
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