Chapter 254 Though Dead, Still Alive (Conspiracy) "...Is it alright, like hail..."
The tone of "like a hailstone" was actually very light.
Only a faint breeze brushed against the back of Lin Feiran's hand, but just by looking into his eyes, one could tell the weight of his words.
If in the past we helped each other only because of a contract, now it is purely out of our own hearts.
If he were to return to the past, to the day Lin Feiran first entered the demon realm, and see her in such injuries, he would never have sat high on the jade platform, ignoring her and treating her merely as a fine sword.
The path of cultivation is inevitably accompanied by pain and struggle. He certainly supports her in doing what she wants and admires her figure when she fights, but when he sees her covered in wounds and hiding away from others, he will remain silent and feel pain in his heart.
He used to think these two things were contradictory, but now he feels deeply about them.
I cannot bear to see their pain, let alone their life or death.
He had never even considered that Lin Feiran might one day disappear; now, all he could think about was how to celebrate her birthday.
Lin Feiran looked at him, the needle still hanging in the air. She pursed her lips for a long time before saying, "I can't remove the curse right now. I need it."
Ru Xian wasn't annoyed by this inexplicable stubbornness. He simply changed his position, still lying face down on the couch, but brushed aside his stray hairs to reveal most of his face. He quietly gazed at her and asked.
"The reason? If you can't say, then I won't care about your feelings tomorrow, and I will remove the curse for you directly."
Lin Feiran rubbed the needle tip, clearly still pondering and hesitating. Not wanting to face Ru Xian's gaze at this moment, she leaned slightly forward, moved to the upper back of his waist, and inserted the first needle near his spine.
As if the hailstones trembled involuntarily, a chill seeped from the needle tip, and even the needle tail was covered with a layer of pale frost.
"Does it hurt a lot?" she asked immediately.
Ru Xian didn't speak. Only when she stood back on the edge of the bed and their eyes met did he raise an eyebrow: "Now you dare to look at me again?"
Lin Feiran was defeated by such a gaze. After thinking it over and over, she leaned down to his ear and told him the whole story of her relationship with her master. Finally, she said...
"He didn't even tell me the specifics of the plan, but only let me figure out the reasons behind it, so I can't tell you either. But don't worry, we will act before the curse is cast. If we fail, you will be the one to remove the curse."
She half-squatted beside the bed, resting her head on one end of his long pillow, almost breathing at the same distance. Her voice was very low, revealing an indescribable hoarseness.
"Is that alright, like hail?"
Like a sleet whispering in someone's ear.
He stared intently at Lin Feiran, his lips slightly parted, almost reaching out to put his arm around the back of her neck. But then he suddenly realized something, immediately sat up, glanced at her with slightly narrowed eyes, and distanced himself from her. His legs, which had been hanging down from the couch, did not touch the carpet, but instead rested on Lin Feiran's knees.
"Trying to coax me?"
Her silver silk undergarment had long since been pulled down to her waist, bunching up around her slender and beautiful waist and abdomen. Her long sleeves were also loosely rolled up at her wrists, so a large expanse of white, like jade, was reflected in the candlelight, even somewhat dazzlingly.
Lin Feiran immediately stood up, looked away, and stared at his somewhat cold face. She held up the hand holding the needle, puzzled, and said, "I didn't!"
She just leaned in and whispered a few words, and every word was true; there was no question of coaxing her!
The impetuous young Lin Feiran was unaware that between lovers, "coaxing" sometimes doesn't mean deceiving, and she was even less aware that she had unintentionally whispered in someone's ear, and that it was a very effective one.
Ru Xian almost blurted out a "good".
He did not doubt the truthfulness of Lin Feiran's words. Even if it was such an absurd thing as his master's consciousness still existing in the world, he would believe it as long as she said it, even if he had never seen it.
But things in this world are unpredictable if delayed, and no one can guarantee that the curse can be successfully lifted for her later.
Because of this concern, he did not intend to agree, but when she leaned in and said it just now, he felt as if he were in a dream. No matter what she said, he could not bear to refuse, and even now he still felt a light joy.
Seeing her subconsciously raise her hands, looking nervous and helpless, he couldn't help but want to laugh, but he kept staring at her. After a few breaths, he frowned and spoke.
"you……"
He had originally intended to speak coldly, but after what had just happened, his tone softened inexplicably, like the rising sun suddenly breaking through the frost. The chill that had accumulated earlier dissipated in an instant, and even the word seemed to roll out from the tip of his tongue, without the slightest hint of intimidation.
Lin Feiran realized something, held up a few needles and approached, continuing to explain.
"I have already refined that Vast Sea Deer Pill. My master is still preparing for the final step, which will be in the next few days. It won't be delayed."
Besides having already promised her master, but not being ready yet, she also had other concerns.
He could clearly feel that the more times he removed the curse, the greater the burden on Ru Xian. Last time he removed the curse, he even had to rest for a few days in advance, and his condition after the removal was not as good as before.
The final exorcism was certainly not as easy as he made it out to be, and considering what Qiu Tong had said before, she didn't dare to take the risk.
She didn't want anything to happen to him either.
Lin Feiran leaned closer, her expression somewhat unnatural, seemingly unwilling to refute him, but still managing a slight smile and a hint of apology: "...How about it, Ru Xian?"
What else can a hailstone say?
He looked down at Lin Feiran, his gaze unreadable, his pale red lips moving constantly, but he ultimately did not utter a word of no.
This was the first time he had hesitated to speak, the first time he had nothing to say, yet he didn't feel angry.
Finally, he raised an eyebrow slightly, parted his thin lips, and uttered two words: "Continue."
This is a form of tactful agreement.
He leaned over, his face hidden under his snow-white hair, and stopped speaking. He had already taught Lin Feiran the acupuncture technique before, so there was no need to teach her again. She pursed her lips, buried her head, and focused on inserting the needles. Stagnant cold air kept overflowing, and then quickly gathered into water droplets that slid down her back.
After Lin Feiran noticed this, she found a silk handkerchief and wiped away the cold water droplets while applying the needles, making sure not to touch any other places.
Half the night had passed, and only when no more cold energy leaked from his body was his meridian completely restored. Lin Feiran breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and tidied everything up before walking back to the bedside.
Although she couldn't see clearly, she knew that Ru Xian must not be asleep.
"It's all done. How does it feel?" She squatted down by the bed again and spoke to the person on the couch.
There was still no answer.
Lin Feiran unconsciously gripped the bed railing, waiting for his answer. This tiny sound amplified infinitely in the quiet room, even echoing.
After waiting a while and confirming that he didn't intend to speak, she stood up, turned around and walked to the door. Suddenly, she heard a sound behind her, but when she turned around, there was nothing unusual.
Lin Feiran looked away in confusion and then closed the door.
She didn't plan to go back to her room, but the room was extremely cold when she was receiving acupuncture earlier, so leaving the door slightly open allowed the warm breeze from Yuluo City to enter. Now that she wanted to rest, she naturally had to close the door.
She held the tightly closed wooden door, took a deep breath, and encouraged herself. Then she quickly walked to the bedside, and before Ru Xian could react, she stiffened her neck, lifted the blanket, and crawled inside.
"..."
Ru Xian didn't speak, but she heard him make a short, breathy sound, as if he were quite surprised.
Because she wasn't very skilled, she bumped into his chest when she crawled in. Lin Feiran wriggled upwards, causing her hair tie to loosen, and she emerged from the quilt with a tuft of messy hair on her head.
Her actions quickly warmed the cold blankets, and his scent added a touch of warmth.
Their eyes met, and Ru Xian finally broke her silence. He looked at her and asked, "What are you doing? Weren't you leaving?"
"I didn't say I was leaving, I was just going to close the door." She moved closer, a little awkward as she did so for the first time. "You're not saying anything, how can I just leave?"
Ru Xian glanced at her, but didn't reply. She didn't chase her away either, but simply changed from lying on her side to lying on her back, her eyes looking at the top of the tent.
Lin Feiran sat up and leaned closer to meet his gaze: "Didn't you say you'd always discipline me? Now you're not talking to me?"
Her emerald eyes shifted, giving her a disgruntled look: "All you do is annoy people, how am I supposed to manage you?"
I did promise you, but that doesn't mean I agree. It's just that you're going your own way, and I can't interfere too much. Do you want me to teach you the lesson that things will change if you delay?
Lin Feiran's expression changed slightly: "But you also know that even if you don't agree, I will still do it because it's something I want to do. I've never been a very obedient person... Don't you want to control me anymore?"
Her expression was different from usual. Ru Xian was not a person who spoke lightly to begin with, and she had intended to say something harsh, but when she met that gaze, all her emotions vanished.
Before he could speak, Lin Feiran stared at him and suddenly pounced on him. At this moment, she didn't care about the proper distance between men and women. She held him tightly with both arms, afraid that Ru Xian would say something like "I don't care about you" or "I'll leave you" in anger. She started to say some nonsense.
"People who are infuriating need to be disciplined. What's the point of disciplining someone who isn't infuriating? You've lived for so many years, why would you argue with someone who's not even twenty years old!"
Her forehead pressed against his collarbone with a forceful, almost painful pressure, but Ru Xian didn't inhale or move uncomfortably. He was pinned beneath her, his gaze slightly lowered, and he could see the top of her disheveled head.
A moment later, a soft laugh was heard.
"I didn't realize that someone who aspires to be a little hero would cheat?"
She raised her head, propped herself up, and met his gaze.
"So what if you're not twenty? Even if you're three, six, or nine, does that mean I can't argue with you? Does living a long life mean you have to become a Buddha or a saint and can't get angry? What kind of twisted logic is that?"
Lin Feiran naturally knew this was a fallacy, and she choked back, "You can argue with me, but you can't ignore me."
Ru Xian gazed at her, her snow-white eyelashes fluttering slightly as she suppressed the tenderness and affection that had escaped her lips. Her voice was slightly lower: "When did I ever say such a thing? You were the one who whispered in my ear first, and then made me anxious. Since I can't say it, can't I just keep quiet?"
Lin Feiran pursed her lips: "So you're not angry anymore? How can I make you feel better?"
"I will only feel at ease after the curse is lifted for you. As for being angry, some people have already started to make excuses and bring up their age. I will naturally show some of the magnanimity and composure of an elder and will not argue with her for the time being."
Lin Feiran finally felt relieved, but then realized something was wrong. She quietly withdrew her hand from his waist and sat up straight, saying in a low voice, "I didn't mean anything by it. Even if you are three hundred or six hundred years old, I will still like you."
Ru Xian chuckled lightly: "Since you are a cultivator, why bother about age? Nineteen is not an age of ignorance for a human. If you really care, why not help me loosen up my muscles and bones? I've been frozen for too long and it's difficult for me to move around."
Seeing that his expression had softened and that he was no longer angry, Lin Feiran sat up, pulled the silver silk robe behind his waist onto his shoulders, and began to massage him with great concentration.
She didn't actually know anything about relaxing muscles and tendons before, but after spending a lot of time with him, she became more and more skilled at it. Plus, he was already feeling unwell at the moment, so she did it even more diligently, making people sigh with pleasure.
"Although he is small, he has a pretty good grasp of strength," he commented sharply.
Lin Feiran sighed silently, realizing that the words she had blurted out in her haste would likely be the subject of much ridicule for a long time to come.
Thinking this, she began to massage even more carefully in order to prove herself. At first, Ru Xian was just joking, but now she was really enjoying it. She would point to the places that were not very comfortable from time to time and occasionally give a word of praise. The young girl at this age was encouraged and worked even harder.
Ru Xian wanted to laugh, but he didn't show it on his face. He turned around and looked at her, his gaze deepening.
After pressing for a long time, the varying degrees of force applied were nothing to Lin Feiran. When it was over, she only felt a slight soreness in her arms, which she shook off.
"Shall we sleep now?" she asked with a sigh of relief.
Ru Xian shook her head and pointed at her robe: "You think you can squeeze into my bed without changing your inner clothes? Change your clothes and take a bath before you come."
Lin Feiran was particularly obedient at times like this. She responded and went to the side room. With the help of the water servant, she soaked in the tub and picked up the bottles and jars that Ru Xian often used and poured them into the water, making it even more fragrant.
Exhausted after a night's sleep, Ru Xian's mood had finally recovered considerably. She was now feeling increasingly sleepy, so she leaned her head against the edge of the tub and vaguely heard his voice coming from outside.
"You like to eat everything, but I've never asked you what your favorite type of noodles is?"
Lin Feiran wiped the condensation from her eyes and yawned: "Is this for tomorrow's breakfast? Although I eat a lot, I'm not a glutton. I can eat any kind of noodles. If I had to say what my favorite is, it would actually be the noodles my mother makes."
"What did your mother make? What kind?"
"Which kind..." Lin Feiran stepped out of the bathtub, tied on her inner shirt, and rolled into the quilt with her body still damp and hot. "My mother is skillful. No matter what she makes, she can learn it after seeing it once. But noodles are the only exception. They always taste the same no matter how many times she makes them."
Knowing that Ru Xian had no sense of taste, Lin Feiran did not describe it in detail, only mentioning the toppings and condiments added to the noodles, and then dropped the topic.
Seeing that he had started to sit cross-legged, she asked, "Aren't you planning to sleep tonight?"
Ru Xian shook her head: "Meditate and circulate your spiritual energy. You'll be fully recovered by tomorrow. We'll leave Yuluo City in two days. What are you planning to do after we leave the city?"
Lin Feiran said, "I want to go to the Northern Plains to explore that object of divine punishment. Once my master and I have succeeded in what we are going to do, the Secret Sect will have no reason to follow and capture us."
Ru Xian smiled with lowered eyes and asked, "Why did you suddenly think of crawling into my blanket just now?"
Lin Feiran buried herself in the blanket, covering the lower half of her face, leaving only her eyes showing, and she spoke quickly.
"I don't want you to be angry, so of course I'll try to coax you."
Ru Xian was startled. Before he could speak, she buried herself completely in the blanket, not daring to look him in the eye, and mumbled, "I'm so sleepy, I'm going to sleep now."
His expression changed slightly, his eyes curved into crescents, and he raised his hand to rest on the arch of the blanket, where her shoulder should have been. He said gently, "Sweet dreams."
The person under the blanket turned around, and his hand landed on her head, then fell completely silent.
Ru Xian chuckled softly, lifted the covers and leaned in. After a few clear splashes of water, he sat back down, wiped the water from his lips, and closed his eyes to meditate.
...
It was a long, sleepless night.
Following Zhang Chunhe's usual practice, Wei Changzai dispelled the magic array he had set up before leading Qiu Tong to the windowsill. The night was thick, making the cliff below seem even more bottomless.
Qiu Tong squatted to the side. Now that her spiritual power was sealed, she was no different from an ordinary person, so she naturally dared not jump down.
Wei Changzai didn't say anything at first, but stood behind the window waiting for her to leave first, and then he would follow. But Qiu Tong didn't make a move for a long time, so he peeked out in confusion and said, "If you're going to run away, you should hurry up."
Qiu Tong said, "My spiritual power is sealed. What's the difference between jumping down and courting death!"
Wei Changzai looked at her quietly: "The difference is that I'm behind you."
Just then, the Kunwu sword sheath on his back trembled slightly, which meant that the sword spirit and the sword had separated to the maximum distance. The next moment, a very fast purple light flashed and disappeared behind him.
The Kunwu Sword Spirit clutched its chest, sat inside the sword, and breathed heavily, saying, "I was recalled before I could finish listening. They must have been halfway through their discussion."
Time was of the essence. After saying "Excuse me," Wei Chang leaped onto the window, grabbed Qiu Tong by the back of her collar, and jumped down. The two figures sank into the bottomless black cliff and disappeared as if they had vanished.
Qiu Tong covered her mouth tightly, not daring to make a sound. Wei Changzai was extremely fast and skillful, and he was able to easily use her to jump lightly on the cliff face, then flip over and land steadily in the white snow below.
Qiu Tong felt as if she had been granted a pardon. Even though a gust of snow wind filled her throat and she coughed a few times, she still couldn't hide her excitement. She whispered, "I'm out, I'm out! Quickly, please take me back to the demon realm!"
Wei Changzai, however, was not as happy as she was. His expression was even somewhat subtle. Using the reflected snow as a backdrop, he looked around, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.
"This shouldn't be the bottom of the cliff."
Qiu Tong paused, then turned to look as well. She was very familiar with Daohe Palace. The mountainside below the cliff should be full of pine trees, not covered in snow and stretching as far as the eye could see.
She suddenly remembered something and exclaimed, "This is Zhang Chunhe's 'Hidden Universe in the Sleeve'!"
Wei Changzai's eyes flashed, and he turned to look at her: "How did you know?"
"Of course it's because I came here!" Qiu Tong paused, mixing truth with falsehood, "I bothered him before and was locked up for a short time. What, don't the other disciples do the same?"
He continued to scrutinize her: "No."
Qiu Tong's gaze shifted, and she feigned a snort: "Why is he only treating me like this? He must have already figured out that I'm not human, and he's deliberately punishing me like this!"
Seeing that she had no intention of telling the truth, Wei Changzai stopped arguing. He turned his head to look around, chose a direction, and strode away: "Master must have expected someone to come, which is why he set up this trap nearby, but he probably didn't expect that the person who came would be me."
Qiu Tong quickly lifted her skirt and followed, asking, "So what if it's you who's coming?"
Wei Changzai paused, turning his head to look at her with a puzzled expression, as if wondering why she would ask such a question.
After a moment of silence, he spoke up: "I can solve this secret realm. Since I am the one who came, we can get out."
Qiu Tong: "..."
If she weren't trapped here, she would have really spoken up and given him some pointers.
Wei Changzai walked ahead at a leisurely pace. He pointed to a certain spot and said, "To escape this hidden world, you must head west to find an ancient Bodhi tree, then east, where you will find a patch of stars..."
Realizing that Qiu Tong didn't care about this and only wanted to go out with him, he stopped explaining and paused before turning to ask the Kunwu Sword Spirit.
What did you just find out?
The spirit of the Kunwu sword appeared in person and made no attempt to hide it from Qiu Tong, then spoke of the information he had risked his life to uncover.
Although he was a spirit and the magic arrays could not block his movement, most of the people in the room were highly skilled figures, so he did not enter but instead peered through the crack in the door.
He hadn't been away from the Sacred Valley for very long and didn't know much about the people of the world. He could only recognize Zhang Chunhe and the cult's holy maiden. As for the other boy and the old man, he knew nothing about them.
When he arrived, the group had already talked quite a bit, and they happened to mention his old acquaintance, Jin Lanjian.
"Take away Lin Feiran's sword? The Holy Maiden seems quite interested in that nameless longsword?"
Zhang Chunhe's voice rang out from inside the room, calm and peaceful.
"As far as I know, there is no record of that sword in the Hundred Weapons Manual. Its origin remains a mystery. I wonder if the Holy Maiden could tell me something about it? Could it be better than the Kunwu Sword?"
Bi Sheng and he sat facing each other, with a long table between them.
She took a sip of tea and looked away: "It's a sword from the present day, forged only a few decades ago, and its owner was an unknown person. How could it possibly appear on the list of weapons?"
Only then did Zhang Chunhe genuinely show surprise: "But it's on Sword Mountain in Pilgrimage Valley. In that case, wouldn't its sword master have broken through to sainthood in just a few years?"
With a thud, the celadon cup slammed onto the table. Bi Sheng's face remained impassive, but his words were full of disgust: "Become a saint? She doesn't deserve it. I don't know what method she used to make her sword fall into the Pilgrimage Valley, but she could never be a Saint of the Returning to Truth Realm."
Zhang Chunhe pondered in his heart, then asked, "Are you so sure? If it's the sword of a Saint of the Returning to Truth Realm, and it contains a sword spirit, it won't be easy to seize."
Bi Sheng did not answer, but looked to her right, where an old man with white hair and a youthful face was sitting. He was also wearing a white robe and hood, and his white hair was braided into a long braid that hung down. Behind him stood the boy named A Cheng.
He spoke, his voice surprisingly clear for his age: "When the Secret Sect fought her, I was nearby. For someone her age, to have cultivated to the state of no self was already astonishing, but to become a saint, she was still one step away."
"Teacher, have some tea." Acheng handed over the warm tea, her voice sharp as the wind, sounding less like a human voice and more like the cry of an animal.
The old man took the tea and said only, "Don't open your mouth too much, your throat bones are still growing."
Acheng nodded, and then fell silent.
The old man looked at Zhang Chunhe, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes slightly overlapping, and said slowly, "Although this is an unparalleled sword with no fame, it is still a sword after all. When it comes to this, no one in the world understands it better than Daohe Palace."
For example, we've heard of a method to break a sword?
...
"A broken sword?" Qiu Tong exclaimed in shock. "How vicious these villains are! The sword is a reflection of one's heart. They actually wanted to destroy the sword of a sword cultivator. How is that any different from destroying his very nature?"
Wei Changzai walked in the snow, his brows slightly furrowed: "What did Master say?"
The Kunwu Sword Spirit was greatly displeased: "What else could it be? He naturally told me everything. There are too many methods to break the sword. How could a sword spirit like me listen to all of this? Although I don't have any goosebumps, my hair still stood on end in fright!"
Wei Changzai asked, "Anything else?"
The Kunwu Sword Spirit remained silent for a moment: "People like them always speak in a cryptic way. They never openly discuss the important things they want to say. I can't distinguish between this matter, that matter, and he he he."
Later, only the saintess openly stated that they wanted to take away Lin Feiran's most prized possession, leaving her alone and vulnerable to capture by the secret sect.
Qiu Tong brushed the snow off her shoulder and shook her head repeatedly: "They want to destroy that sword."
Wei Changzai lowered his eyes: "Without this sword, she wouldn't have become a fish on a chopping board."
However, this sword held extraordinary significance for her, and destroying it would truly harm her Dao heart.
"We need to get out of here immediately."
Unable to travel by sword due to the power of the hidden world within his sleeve, Wei Changzai could only rely on his legs to find his way. He quickened his pace and hurried off with Qiu Tong.
The snowy road was far too long. As the two struggled to move forward, Qiu Tong couldn't help but look at Wei Changzai. Even though she knew she wouldn't get the answer she wanted, she still asked.
"How did you know I was here? Did Lin Feiran tell you I was trapped?"
Wei Changzai did not turn around, unable to escape the snow and wind: "No, I went to Qingqiu and found that you were not in the clan, so I guessed that you must have been captured and taken back to Daohe Palace."
Qiu Tong paused in her tracks: "Do you know why I was brought back?"
Before Wei Changzai could speak, the Kunwu Sword Spirit responded, "Naturally, they're bringing you back to get married. They were just discussing this matter, and they've even decided on the color of the silk fabric to use for the bridal sedan chair."
Qiu Tong pursed her lips and remained silent, standing behind him and dodging the snow wind. After a long while, she finally spoke, "Why aren't you saying anything? Do you know about the marriage?"
Wei Changzai's voice came from the wind, becoming somewhat ethereal, but it still clearly reached Qiu Tong's ears.
"I knew it a long time ago, but I didn't expect it to happen so recently."
"When was 'very early'?" Qiu Tong wondered if he had also been reborn and couldn't help but ask.
“When I was six or seven years old,” Wei Changzai continued, his voice heavy in the snow, “My master told me then that I would marry a demon named Qiu Tong in the future.”
Qiu Tong continued to catch up, eagerly walking alongside him, raising her hand to shield herself from the wind, her eyes filled with disbelief.
"You agreed?! But you've never even met me, let alone liked me, and you just agreed like that?"
He turned his head: "At least, I didn't care before. Back then, I couldn't tell what I liked or disliked."
"So you can tell the difference now?"
"I've figured it out."
Qiu Tong stopped, but Wei Changzai continued forward. After taking a few steps, he slowed down and turned back to look at her: "Aren't you coming?"
Qiu Tong never expected that Zhang Chunhe would tell him about the future. What was his purpose?
Could it be that the reason he mentioned beforehand is the reason why he and Wei Changzai have such a clear-cut relationship now? Does he still want to separate him from Wei Changzai?
She looked at the way the person in front of her was looking at her. If this was Zhang Chunhe's goal, then he had succeeded.
To this day, Wei Changzai has not developed any feelings for her.
He already has someone else in his heart.
"What about Lin Feiran? Has Zhang Chunhe told you about her...?"
"I did say that." Wei Changzai looked at her quietly. "My master said that I would be engaged to her, then break off the engagement, and finally be with you."
He said, "You and I are destined for each other."
In the midst of the wind and snow, at this most crucial moment, Wei Changzai's words struck her like a boulder falling from the sky, leaving her dizzy.
"You know, you know everything... Back in the beast's den, you saved me first..."
“We are bound by destiny. Unless it is a matter of life and death, I will save you first. This is my master’s command and destiny. Back then in the Beast Cave, I knew that she could defeat her. She is different from you. If you had been a step later, you would have died.”
His tone was almost flat, seemingly as calm and gentle as usual, yet it sent chills down one's spine.
"Then tell Lin Feiran that you and I are destined to be together..."
"Qiu Tong, you and I are destined to part ways. Nothing in this world is permanent. If not in the future, then it will be now."
Whether it's marriage or anything else, it shouldn't be imposed on you or me. We each have our own path to follow and shouldn't be manipulated by others.
After you are sent to the fox clan, please ask your clansmen to protect you. After this wedding, you will be safe.
Qiu Tong remained standing there. After thinking for a while, she closed her eyes and asked, "You like Lin Feiran, don't you?"
The question was straightforward enough, and Wei Changzai was no longer puzzled as before; he even nodded and said, "Yes."
This answer was almost a rhetorical question to her.
A warmth had already welled up in Qiu Tong's eyes. She kept her head down and walked forward, not wanting anyone to notice anything amiss. In the biting wind, she asked in a muffled voice, "Why? If you think we're destined to be apart, why did you fall for her? Is it because you grew up together?"
Wei Chang walked over, pondered for a moment, and then shook his head: "I'm sorry, with my current understanding, I have no way to answer."
Qiu Tong laughed, a short and sharp laugh, but it was definitely not a laugh. She was still half a step ahead of Wei Chang, rushing forward: "Then you'll be disappointed, she already has someone in her heart."
"I know."
Qiu Tong stopped, her eyes slightly red as she looked at him: "Really? She doesn't like you at all now! You'll only be chasing after her from now on! Is that okay?"
Wei Changzai paused for a moment, looking puzzled, then attributed it to the strong snow and wind. He took out a brocade handkerchief and gave it to her before continuing forward.
"So what? It's fine if she loves me, but it doesn't matter if she doesn't. As long as I can see her, that's enough."
From a young age, my master taught me that to achieve harmony between heaven and man, one must be ruthless.
I've been doing it, and everyone thinks I'm doing it well. Everyone thinks Wei Changzai is cold and ruthless enough, and everyone thinks I don't care about anything.
While everyone was praising me, they had no idea that I didn't understand what love was.
His figure walked across the boundless snowfield. Now, looking at him from behind, he no longer seemed as desolate as before, but rather something else.
Qiu Tong looked at the handkerchief in her hand, slowly clenched it, and then followed in his footsteps, only to hear him say.
“After she was slowly injured, I took her to the Infernal Land to recuperate. Originally, I wanted to confine her there, so that there would only be her and me in the world.”
But things didn't go as I expected. I discovered that she had someone she liked.
He was in great pain during those days because he couldn't have her, but he couldn't help feeling joy because it had been a long time since he had been in the same room with her, going in and out together, eating and sleeping together.
Upon closer examination, I was actually happier than saddened.
But at that time, he kept thinking, he couldn't have her, yet he couldn't leave her, what should he do? Lock her up here, or let her go...?
But he couldn't let go.
Wei Changzai carried two swords on his back and walked in the wind and snow. He felt a sense of harmony as one with the world, no longer experiencing the contradictions and pain he had felt before.
"That night, I was meditating on the roof, thinking about how to defeat the Demon Lord and cut off his head... Don't look at me like that. Do you think your Demon Lord doesn't have the same murderous intent towards me?"
He and I may have different temperaments, but when it comes to the desire to kill, there is no difference between us.
If I were the one spending time with Manman today, he would be the one harboring murderous intent.
Qiu Tong was speechless for a moment, even somewhat surprised. She had never imagined that Wei Changzai would have such thoughts. He should be cold yet warm, gentle yet without sharp edges.
When Wei Changzai saw that she was looking at him with that probing gaze again, he looked away and looked ahead. It was more like he was talking to himself than talking to her.
"Of course Ru Xian hates me, just as I hate him. It's just that I'm willing to coax him slowly, so he's tolerant and we haven't fought. If I were the one being coaxed slowly, I could also pretend to be magnanimous and not care at all."
"Later that night, I pondered how to get rid of him and couldn't fall asleep for a long time, but I still had a dream."
I talked with my master all night and gained a profound understanding.
He stopped and turned to look at Qiu Tong, sharing his thoughts and insights.
"I've been thinking about what exactly ruthlessness is, and how to achieve it."
My grandmaster was able to achieve harmony between heaven and man because he had great love in his heart. Under this great love, he seemed heartless, but in reality, he was full of affection. He loved everyone, but I can't do that.
But do I have to be like him?
Loving only one person—isn't that a form of heartlessness towards others?
A glimmer of light shone in his dark, black eyes, mingling with the snow and wind. He looked directly at Qiu Tong and said softly, "You see, don't you also think I'm heartless?"
"I love her, but that doesn't mean she has to reciprocate. So what if she has someone she likes? Who dares to say I have no chance from now on?"
For him, this made perfect sense; it was even a kind of epiphany. So he broke through to a higher realm that night, all thanks to his grandmaster.
Qiu Tong looked at him silently, unable to even refute him.
At this point, Wei Changzai suddenly moved closer to Qiu Tong, and a faint, snow-like fragrance wafted towards her, even colder than the wind.
"Qiu Tong, I've said so much. In exchange, can you tell me who you're looking for through me?"
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