crack
But Xie Linyang in his arms quieted down.
The golden flames in her eyes gradually died down, and her pupils returned to their original deep brown. Although still unfocused, they were at least no longer chaotic. The crimson-gold patterns around her body also faded, and her skin temperature began to drop.
She looked at him blankly, seemingly unaware of what had happened.
"Master...?" Meng Yao called out tentatively, her voice so weak it was almost inaudible.
Xie Linyang's eyelashes trembled, and her gaze focused on his face. She saw his pale complexion, then the bloody wounds on his shoulders and hands, and the deep affection in his eyes that had not yet faded.
She suddenly felt herself being held tightly in his arms, his arms wrapped around her waist, her face pressed against his chest, and she could hear his rapid and disordered heartbeat.
This realization made her freeze.
“Let go…” she said hoarsely, trying to push him away.
Meng Yao obediently let go, but due to blood loss and damage to his consciousness, he couldn't stand steadily and fell backward the moment he let go. Xie Linyang subconsciously reached out to pull him up, and the two of them fell to the ground together.
She pressed herself against him, her hands braced against his chest, his heart pounding beneath her palms.
Looking down, he had his eyes closed, his brows furrowed, and blood was still seeping from the corner of his mouth. He looked disheveled and vulnerable.
“Meng…Yao?” she called out to him, her voice trembling.
Meng Yao opened her eyes and gave her a weak smile: "Master... are you... alright?"
Xie Linyang belatedly examined herself. Although the Yang Sha energy was still surging through her meridians, it was no longer as violent as before. She regained control and could slowly sort and refine it.
He saved her.
Using this almost self-destructive method.
"You..." She didn't know what to say. Thank you? Question her? Or something else?
Meng Yao seemed to see through her thoughts and gently shook her head: "Disciple... has overstepped his bounds, please punish me, Master."
As he spoke, he tried to sit up, but the movement aggravated his wound, causing him to fall again. Xie Linyang then saw clearly how severe the wound on his shoulder was; it was a bloody mess, so deep that bone was visible, clearly indicating that he had been struck head-on by her spiritual energy blade.
And there were bite marks on his hands; her teeth marks were deeply embedded in his flesh, almost crushing the bones.
These injuries were all caused by her.
Xie Linyang silently stood up and took out the medicine and bandages she always carried with her from her bosom. She knelt down beside Meng Yao, tore open the tattered clothes on his shoulder, and began to clean his wounds.
When the powder was sprinkled on, Meng Yao's body stiffened noticeably, but he gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound.
"Tell me if it hurts," Xie Linyang said in a low voice, his movements unconsciously becoming gentler.
"It doesn't hurt," Meng Yao said softly. "If Master is alright, then it doesn't hurt."
Xie Linyang's hand paused. She raised her head and looked into his eyes. Those eyes, which were always gentle and smiling, were now misty with pain, yet still clear, reflecting her image perfectly.
She suddenly remembered what he had said—"Master seems to hate his disciple to death."
Even earlier, in a secret room, she confessed, "From beginning to end, the only thing I've ever wanted... has always been you."
The images and words she had deliberately ignored and suppressed now flooded back into her mind like a tide.
Looking at her apprentice, who was covered in wounds but still smiling at her, she felt a surge of complex emotions she had never experienced before.
She should be wary of him, distance herself from him, and monitor him more strictly, because she saw his future and the sins he would commit.
But at this very moment, this man who might become a demon in the future almost lost his life trying to save her.
"Why?" she finally asked. "Why do you do this?"
Meng Yao looked at her, her eyes calm: "Because you are my master."
"That's all?"
"And..." he paused, his voice even softer, "because this disciple... doesn't want anything to happen to Master."
Xie Linyang fell silent. She lowered her head again and continued to bandage his wound, wrapping the bandage around his shoulder.
Neither of them spoke again. Only the faint glow of the shattered luminous pearl and their soft breathing filled the cave.
After a long while, Xie Linyang finished bandaging the wound on his shoulder and began to treat the bite wound on his hand. Her teeth marks were deep, almost leaving permanent scars. She carefully cleaned the wound, sprinkled on some medicine powder, and then carefully bandaged it.
After doing all this, she whispered, "Thank you..."
Silence spread through the cave, and the night wind seeped in from outside, causing the remaining candlelight to flicker erratically.
"Meng Yao," Xie Linyang finally spoke, his voice calm, "I should be frank with you about something."
Meng Yao raised her head, her eyes flickering slightly: "What does Master want to say?"
"I want to talk about what just happened, and also about what will happen in the future." Xie Linyang looked directly into his eyes without flinching. "You saved me, and I am very grateful. I will remember this kindness."
“This disciple does not need Master to remember my kindness.” Meng Yao shook her head, a faint bitter smile appearing on her lips. “As long as Master is safe and sound, that’s enough.”
"But there are some things I must make clear." Xie Linyang's tone turned serious, carrying an undeniable resolve. "Meng Yao, you are my disciple, now and always. I will teach you, protect you, and pull you back when you stray from the right path..."
She paused, speaking each word clearly and slowly: "But besides that, there is nothing else. My feelings for you are only those of a teacher and student, absolutely no romantic feelings whatsoever. There were none before, there are none now, and there never will be."
The moment the words left his mouth, the air inside the cave seemed to freeze.
The color drained from Meng Yao's face at a visible speed, leaving only a deathly pale complexion.
He looked at her, and his usually gentle and smiling eyes now seemed to have cracked open with countless fissures, and something was seeping out from them—disbelief, and a kind of madness about to get out of control.
"Master..." His voice trembled, "Is there something I... have I done wrong?"
“It’s not your fault.” Xie Linyang shook his head, his tone still calm, even with a hint of cruel gentleness. “It’s just how I feel. Meng Yao, you are very good, intelligent, resilient, and capable, but when it comes to feelings, you can’t just like whoever is better.”
"Why is that?" Meng Yao's voice suddenly rose, sharp and on the verge of collapse. "Is it because of Jiang Cheng? Because of him? Does Master think that I am of humble birth and have a deep mind, and am not good enough for you? Does he think that only someone like Young Master Jiang, who comes from a prestigious family and is upright and honest, is worthy to stand by your side?"
His questioning made Xie Linyang frown slightly, but he did not back down.
“This has nothing to do with Jiang Cheng,” she said. “This is my choice, Meng Yao. Listen carefully, I don’t like you, not because you’re not good enough, not because of your background, but simply because I don’t like you. I don’t want to see you get hurt because of me; it’s not worth it.”
"It's worth it!" Meng Yao stood up abruptly, the movement aggravating her wound, causing blood to seep out from under the bandage.
He seemed oblivious to the pain, staring intently at Xie Linyang, his eyes swirling with a terrifying stubbornness. "Master was clearly moved when you treated my wounds! When you looked me in the eyes and said thank you—"
“That’s gratitude, not liking.” Xie Linyang interrupted him and stood up as well. She was a little shorter than him, but her straight back and cool eyes made her in no way inferior in terms of aura. “Meng Yao, gratitude and liking are two different things. I am grateful that you saved me, but that doesn’t mean I will develop any other feelings for you because of it.”
"Moreover," Xie Linyang's voice turned cold, "even without Jiang Cheng, I wouldn't like you. Liking someone is about respect, not forcing them."
These words were like the last straw, breaking Meng Yao's reason completely.
He looked at her, at her calm, unwavering eyes, at her tightly pursed lips, at the almost cruel clarity emanating from her entire being. She was truly unmoved, without the slightest wavering.
This realization chilled him to the bone.
Then, something darker and crazier surged up from the deepest part of my heart.
"Heh..." Meng Yao suddenly chuckled softly. The laughter started off gently, then grew louder and more manic, echoing in the empty cave with a chilling, twisted quality. "I understand... I understand everything..."
He stopped laughing, looked up, and his expression had completely changed.
That docile, respectful, and cautious demeanor vanished, replaced by an almost eerie calm. His eyes remained deep, but the warmth within them had completely evaporated, leaving only an icy coldness.
“Master is right,” he said softly, his tone eerily calm. “It was I who overstepped my bounds, it was I who…was delusional.”
Xie Linyang's heart pounded with alarm bells; she knew that expression all too well. The future Lianfang Zun in the shadowy grass had that same look in her eyes when she decided to take action against Nie Mingjue and when she plotted to kill Jin Zixuan.
Calm, cold, devoid of any emotion.
“Meng Yao—” she tried to say something.
"Master, there's no need to say anything more." Meng Yao interrupted her, slowly raising the hand that had been bitten by her.
Blood seeped through the bandages, and he slowly unwrapped them, revealing the gruesome wound beneath. Her teeth marks were deeply embedded in the flesh, and he knew there would be a scar for it.
He looked at the wound, his eyes dark and unreadable: "Master bit so hard. Is it that in your heart, your disciple is like this wound, a stain that must be painfully removed?"
"I don't--"
“You do.” Meng Yao raised her eyes, her eyes now filled with only cold obsession. “From the moment you planted the Soul Binding Pact on me, I understood that in your heart, I will always be a hidden danger that needs to be monitored, guarded against, and eliminated at any time.”
He took a step forward, and Xie Linyang instinctively stepped back, his back hitting the cold stone wall.
"I originally thought... as long as I was obedient, hardworking, and loyal, I would eventually be able to make Master see my heart." Meng Yao's voice was soft, but every word was precious. "But now I know it's useless! No matter what I do, in Master's eyes, it's not as important as a single glance or a single word from Jiang Cheng."
"I said this has nothing to do with Jiang Cheng!" Xie Linyang said sternly, trying to intimidate him with her imposing manner. "Meng Yao, calm down!"
"I'm very calm." Meng Yao smiled, a smile that was breathtakingly beautiful and chillingly cold. "An unprecedented calmness, Master. You've taught me something: some things can't be obtained through effort alone. Since we can't have them..."
He paused, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.
Xie Linyang's pupils constricted sharply: "What do you want to do?"
“Isn’t Master afraid that his disciple will go astray?” Meng Yao took another step closer, the two of them so close that they could feel each other’s breath. “Isn’t Master worried that his disciple will harm people in the future? Then his disciple will show you what a real ‘wrong path’ is.”
He reached out and gently brushed his fingertips across Xie Linyang's cheek. The touch was light, yet it carried a chilling possessiveness.
"Since Master's heart won't give me his, then I'll take something else." Meng Yao's voice was as low as a lover's whisper, yet its contents sent chills down one's spine. "I want you to remember me, to remember me forever. I want to etch the deepest mark into your life, so deep that no matter who you're with in the future, you'll still think of me in the dead of night—"
"Smack!"
Xie Linyang slapped his hand away and then slapped him across the face!
The crisp sound of a slap echoed in the cave. Meng Yao turned her head, and a red handprint quickly appeared on her cheek.
He slowly turned his head, licked the blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, and smiled: "Well done, Master has finally... stopped being so lenient with his disciple."
"Meng Yao, you're insane!" Xie Linyang's voice trembled as she angrily said, "Do you know what you're saying?"
“This disciple understands very well.” Meng Yao’s eyes turned cold, and the layer of gentle pretense was completely peeled away, revealing the cold and sharp essence beneath. “Master, listen carefully. From this day forward, I am no longer the cautious disciple under your wing, yearning for your approval. I am Meng Yao, the one destined to climb up. If you won’t give me your heart, then I will take everything you care about.”
His gaze swept over her, like a viper assessing its prey: "The stability of the Yunmeng Jiang Clan, the alliance's resistance against the Wen, the Lanling Jin Clan, the various immortal sects… I will touch them all, one by one. Either you watch me walk step by step toward the future you fear most, or—"
He leaned close to her ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "You killed me with your own hands."
Xie Linyang's whole body stiffened.
“Of course, Master can also choose a third path.” Meng Yao took a step back, her smile losing its usual gentleness, as if the crazy and obsessive person from before had never existed. “Monitor me, guard against me, and control me with the Soul Binding Pact as before. But this time, I will no longer obediently listen. Master, the rules of the game have changed—either you completely control me, or you will be devoured by me.”
After he finished speaking, he looked deeply at Xie Linyang, his eyes filled with a complex and unfathomable mix of pain, hatred, resentment, and a kind of almost desperate longing.
Then he turned and walked towards the cave entrance.
"Where are you going?" Xie Linyang's voice came from behind.
Meng Yao paused, but didn't turn around: "Go do what I should do, Master. Don't worry, I won't touch the alliance before I bring down Wen Ruohan. After all, this is what you care about most, isn't it?"
He paused, his voice lowering, carrying a hint of eeriness: "As for Jiang Cheng... if he wants you, then I have no choice but to destroy you."
Xie Linyang's expression changed: "Meng Yao, you—"
"This disciple takes his leave." Meng Yao interrupted her, raised her hand to break the crack in the barrier, and walked out without looking back.
Silence returned to the cave.
Xie Linyang stood still for a long time.
His crazy words echoed in my ears, each word clear and distinct.
She slowly slid down to the ground, covering her face with her hands.
Did she do something wrong? Should she have been less direct? Should she have been more tactful, left him with some hope, or at least... at least not pushed him to this point?
But no. Xie Linyang lowered his hand, his gaze hardening once more.
She did nothing wrong. A short, sharp pain is better than a long, drawn-out one. Since it's impossible, she should make him give up completely. Dragging things out and remaining ambiguous is the cruelest thing imaginable.
The scene in the shadow grass reappeared before her eyes: the strategist Lian Fangzun, whose hands were stained with blood, gradually overlapped with Meng Yao from just now.
Xie Linyang closed his eyes, feeling a deep sense of exhaustion.
Did she still fail to change anything? Or... did she push him into that predetermined future?
No! She opened her eyes abruptly, and the fire reignited in them.
She will end all of this herself.
Xie Linyang leaned against the stone wall to stand up and walked to the center of the cave. The Zhuoyao Golden Hairpin was still floating there, and the Yangsha Marrow flowed with a warm golden light.
She reached out her hand, and the gold hairpin fell into her palm. The warm power flowed through her veins, soothing the intense emotional turmoil she had just experienced.
She had more important things to do. The Yang Sha Marrow needed to be completely refined, the plan to fight Wen Ruohan needed to be advanced, and the alliance needed her.
As for Meng Yao...
Xie Linyang gripped the hairpin tightly, her eyes cold and resolute.
Since he wants war, then let's fight.
She wanted to see just how far this disciple, whom she had personally saved and then pushed into the abyss, could go.
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