Chapter 44 Between the Two of Us, Who Do You Choose? "I Like Senior Brother!"...
Jun Lintian hid deep in the shadows of the trees, listening to every word of the conversation.
The words, "This is the second time you have expressed your affection to me," clearly reached his ears.
In that instant, he felt as if his heart had been suddenly gripped by an invisible hand, and then plunged into a cold, deep pool.
It wasn't a heart-wrenching pain, but a slow, pervasive, dull chill that quietly spread from the heart along the blood vessels to every part of the body.
Just as Jun Lintian was about to be swallowed by this unfamiliar vortex of emotions, a clear yet somewhat helpless call entered his ears.
"Senior brother!"
It was Shi Liuying.
She keenly sensed her senior's presence, just like that time in the Gobi Desert; she could sense that something was wrong with his emotions.
Although she still didn't understand the source of this emotion, her instincts told her that her senior brother was here!
She didn't know when she developed this habit, but as long as her senior brother was around, she instinctively felt that there was no problem that couldn't be solved.
This call pulled Jun Lintian out of his emotional turmoil.
He took a deep breath, suppressed the bitterness surging in his heart, and forced himself to regain his usual calm and composed demeanor before slowly emerging from behind the tree where he had been hiding.
As Shi Liuying watched him approach, she sensed that something was off about her senior brother's current state.
His face was still handsome and his posture still upright, but deep within his always clear and resolute eyes, there seemed to be a very faint, almost imperceptible haze.
She inexplicably recalled a small dog she had once seen by the roadside, soaked by the rain, its eyes wet and filled with a sense of abandonment and bewilderment.
The thought startled her, and she quickly shook her head to dismiss the disrespectful association.
The silver-haired, silver-eyed immortal frowned slightly at Jun Lintian's sudden appearance.
He silently observed the young man before him.
The spiritual energy flowing around the opponent was pure and solid, and his aura was as steady as a mountain, which made it difficult for him to see through his strength for a moment.
After a brief examination, a genuine look of surprise flashed across his eyes, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "Truly, the younger generation is to be feared. I never imagined that such a prodigy as you would suddenly appear in the world of cultivation."
Jun Lintian's emotions had not yet fully calmed down. Upon hearing this praise, he could only suppress his complicated thoughts, adhere to etiquette, and nod slightly: "Senior is too kind."
Since his junior sister and this immortal lord seemed to have a prior connection, even to the point of "expressing her affections a second time," he, as her senior brother, should, no matter what, keep an eye on things for her and not let her be deceived by someone of unknown origin.
Thus, under Shi Liuying's somewhat bewildered gaze, Jun Lintian began an extremely detailed and rigorous "interrogation".
From the Immortal Venerable's Daoist title, lineage, and sect, to the length of his seclusion and why he appeared here, he spoke in great detail, his tone calm yet carrying an unyielding insistence.
After a series of questions and answers, the other party's identity became clear—it was none other than Lingxu Sword Master of the Sword Sect, who had been in seclusion for over two hundred years and existed almost exclusively in legends and historical records.
Jun Lintian's doubts deepened.
Lingxu Sword Master has been missing for two hundred years, remaining in seclusion.
How long has Shi Liuying been a disciple?
How did she get to know this elderly man who had lived for countless years, and even develop the relationship to the point of confessing her feelings?
He turned to Shi Liuying, his brows furrowed, his tone more serious than ever before, filled with undisguised worry: "Junior sister, tell your senior brother the truth, how exactly did you meet this senior? What he just said... do you understand the meaning behind it?"
He paused, his sharp gaze sweeping over Lingxu Sword Master, his voice deepening, carrying a hint of protective coldness: "You are still young and inexperienced, don't be fooled by his words."
"If he is truly disrespectful to his elders, deceiving you with his status and cultivation, and has done anything inappropriate to you... you need not be afraid, just speak frankly."
"Even if the opponent is a Sword Master, I, your senior brother, have the ability to seek justice for you!"
Lingxu Sword Master is no ordinary person; he's an old monster who has been infatuated with Chi Yang for many years.
How could the complex emotions in Jun Lintian's eyes, which were almost impossible to conceal, escape his notice?
That emotion, a mixture of concern, scrutiny, and a hint of suppressed pain... who could know it better than him?
That was clearly the look a man would give when looking at his beloved.
In an instant, when Lingxu Sword Master looked at Jun Lintian again, his gaze was completely different.
They are no longer being viewed as a promising junior, but rather as an equal, or even threatening, competitor.
The cool and lingering aura surrounding Lingxu Sword Master suddenly changed, transforming into a chilling sword intent that silently pressed down on Jun Lintian, carrying a probing meaning.
However, what slightly shocked him was that the pressure that was enough to make an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator lose his composure was completely ineffective on Jun Lintian. The other party did not even flinch and stood there steadily with clear and firm eyes.
Although Shi Liuying did not fully understand the silent confrontation between the two men, she was exceptionally perceptive to the changes in the atmosphere.
Almost instinctively, she took a step forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with Jun Lintian, her spiritual power hidden, presenting a silent posture of support and protection.
Her action was like a spark that ignited a fuse, instantly enraging Lingxu Sword Master, who was already agitated by the "betrayal."
The pent-up frustration of hundreds of years, the anxiety of waiting, and the resentment of seeing his "beloved" protecting others erupted in an instant.
His silver-gray eyes were fixed on Shi Liuying, and a faint redness involuntarily rose at the corners of his eyes. On his handsome face, a complex expression of both dominance and grievance was revealed, and his voice carried an uncontrollable accusation.
"Last time it was a mindless little black dog! Then it was a clueless little blue fish! And now, it's a living, breathing human being!"
His voice grew louder and louder, filled with disbelief and indignation: "How many more times do you have to cheat on me before you'll stop!"
He took a step closer, his eyes stubborn to the point of obsession, and his voice even trembled slightly: "You told me, you said you'd changed! You said you'd never fall in love with just one woman again!"
Shi Liuying was completely bewildered by his barrage of accusations.
Looking at the imposing swordsman before her, who seemed on the verge of tears, she panicked instantly. She frantically waved her hands, desperately explaining, "No! I didn't flirt! I don't know any little black dog or little blue fish! I... I only have this one rabbit!"
Heaven have mercy, she has no romantic relationship with any dog, fish, or even the person in front of her!
She looked pleadingly at Jun Lintian beside her, her voice full of anxiety and innocence: "Senior brother, I didn't, I didn't bully him!"
She then turned to Lingxu Sword Master, looking at his reddened eyes. Recalling Su Wan's earth-shattering wailing that day, alarm bells rang in her heart. She said, almost pleadingly, "Don't cry! Please don't cry!"
She was genuinely afraid of tears, because once the floodgates were opened, they would flow like a torrent, or like the endless rain during the plum rain season.
She couldn't even imagine how much strength it would take for such a powerful figure to cry without caring about his image.
Jun Lintian watched as Shi Liuying tried to dissuade Lingxu Sword Master from crying, and remained silent for a moment.
His hands, hanging by his sides, clenched slightly, then relaxed again, before he spoke slowly in a tone devoid of emotion, even bordering on gentle: "You actually care whether he cries or not?"
Upon hearing this, Shi Liuying looked at Jun Lintian. He still wore that gentle smile, as warm as a spring breeze, and his eyes remained clear.
For some reason, Shi Liuying felt that her senior brother at this moment was like a delicate but fragile glass vessel, as if it would shatter at the slightest touch, exuding an aura of “fragility”.
Looking at his smile, she felt a strange tightness in her heart, and for a moment she felt both confused and anxious, and fine beads of sweat actually appeared on her forehead.
Shi Liuying was like a middle-aged, incompetent husband who couldn't bring home his salary and dared not go home. She opened her mouth, but didn't know how to explain.
Lingxu Sword Master witnessed the interaction between the two, and the anger and bitterness of being betrayed burned in his heart, making his internal organs ache.
He stared intently at Shi Liuying and spoke in an unquestionable tone, almost coercingly: "Choose."
He recalled the last time, when Chi Yang was between him and the two animals, he ultimately chose him.
This gave him immense confidence; he believed that the outcome would not change this time either.
"Choose one between the two of us."
He added, his voice trembling slightly, yet he forced himself to remain calm.
“State your choice.”
Shi Liuying was caught in the middle. She looked at the Sword Master, whose eyes were slightly red and who looked like he was saying, "If you dare not choose me, I will cry." She also looked at her senior brother, whose smile was gentle but who seemed like he was about to be heartbroken. She felt like she had a splitting headache.
Choose one? Choose what? Choose someone who won't cry?
But...she didn't want anyone to cry!
No matter who it is, if they were to hug her stomach and wail like Junior Sister Su Wan, the scene would be too terrifying, that's absolutely unacceptable!
Her hesitation, in Jun Lintian's eyes, became a dilemma, causing the faint hope in his heart to gradually fade away, and the loneliness in his eyes to deepen.
However, in Lingxu Sword Master's eyes, it became the same dilemma before making a choice as before, which made him more determined and his confidence swelled.
Taking advantage of the momentum, the Sword Master Lingxu, almost with the air of a victor, raised his voice and demanded a clear answer: "Say it out loud! Between the two of us, who do you like more?!"
like?
These two words, like a ray of light in the chaos, instantly illuminated Shi Liuying's mind, which was a complete mess.
If it's about liking someone, that's really easy to tell! There's absolutely no need to hesitate!
She immediately looked like a referee at a sports meet who had finally seen the finish line, raising her head sharply, straightening her back, and her eyes regaining their former clarity and determination.
Under the determined gaze of Lingxu Sword Master and the sorrowful look in Jun Lintian's eyes, she reached out without hesitation, grabbed Jun Lintian's slightly cool wrist, raised his arm high, and declared in a clear and resounding voice:
I like my senior brother!
The moment the words left his mouth, all was silent.
Jun Lintian felt a loud "buzz" in his ears, as if thousands of bells and drums were beating simultaneously in his sea of consciousness, shaking his very soul.
The warm and firm touch from Shi Liuying's palm on his wrist felt like a current of heat, unexpectedly coursing through his limbs and bones, and finally crashing into his heart.
The heart that had been submerged deep in the icy pool, almost ceasing to beat, seemed to be injected with scalding vitality, and began to beat wildly and uncontrollably, one beat after another, heavy and rapid, pounding against his chest like a drum, making his eardrums throb.
He instinctively reached out and grasped that warm hand, his fingertips trembling slightly. He looked down at the girl beside him, his eyes filled with immense, almost unreal shock and bewilderment, and a faint, disbelieving glimmer of hope struggling to break through the soil.
Meanwhile, the confidence and expectation on the face of Lingxu Sword Master froze and shattered instantly, turning into disbelief and astonishment, followed by overwhelming anger and a deep-seated pain.
He stared intently at their clasped hands, a storm brewing in his silver-gray eyes. His face was ashen, and he spat out the name he both loved and hated, his voice trembling with brokenness, through gritted teeth:
"Chi, Yang—! You...you actually chose someone else!"
Chiyang?
Only now did Shi Liuying finally manage to sort out a bit of the chaotic situation.
She held Jun Lintian's hand tightly without letting go, raised her head, and said to Lingxu Sword Master with utmost seriousness and clarity, "Senior, you have really mistaken me for someone else. I am not Senior Sister Chi Yang."
However, at this moment, the Sword Master Lingxu was completely unmoved by any explanation.
His gaze was fixed on those clasped hands, his eyes filled with despair and madness at being "betrayed," and his aura began to fluctuate violently, showing signs of spiraling out of control.
“You chose someone else…you actually chose someone else…” he muttered to himself, his eyes gradually becoming vacant.
Just at this critical moment, a fiery red figure rushed over like a whirlwind. Before the person arrived, the voice preceded them, accompanied by the crisp and rapid sound of bells: "Chi Yang is here! Chi Yang is here! Oh my god, why did you run off by yourself? I was looking for you to complete the storyline!"
She rushed over breathlessly, and seeing that Lingxu Sword Master was clearly not in good condition, she jumped up and down in a panic: "I am Chi Yang!"
At the same time, a sharp and piercing system alarm sounded in Chi Yang's mind:
[WARNING! WARNING! The target, Sword Master Lingxu, has suffered a severe emotional blow, causing serious cracks in his Dao heart, which is on the verge of shattering. There is an extremely high risk of demonic possession! Once possessed, he is highly likely to choose the ruthless path of severing all emotions and desires, at which point his strength will surge and his temperament will drastically change, causing unpredictable turmoil to the current stability of the world! Host, please take immediate emergency measures!]
Chi Yang turned pale with fright when she saw Lingxu Sword Master's distraught and chaotic aura.
The Myriad Manifestations Sect no longer has any new protective formations that can be disrupted.
Ignoring everything else, she rushed forward, grabbed his shoulders, and shook him frantically: "Wake up, Ling Xu, wake up! Look at me, I'm Chi Yang, don't do anything rash!"
[System: Please immediately provide the target with strong sensory stimulation to awaken their fallen consciousness! Suggested method: For example...]
Before the system notification had even finished, the anxious Chi Yang didn't think twice and slapped Lingxu Sword Master's handsome face twice across the face!
Time seemed to stand still for a moment.
Lingxu Sword Master was knocked to the side, and a clear finger mark instantly appeared on his fair cheek.
He seemed stunned by the blow, his eyes glazing over for a moment.
[System: ...Host, grant them a passionate kiss! Guide them naturally into dual cultivation! Use the power of Yin and Yang harmony to stabilize their near-collapsed mind. This system can temporarily provide the Heaven-Rank Dual Cultivation Technique, "The Secret Record of Qiankun Intercourse," as assistance!]
A jade slip exuding an ancient and mysterious aura fell into Chi Yang's hands with a "thud".
Chiyang: "..."
She looked down at the jade slip whose very name sent chills down her spine, then looked up at the Sword Master whose cheeks were swollen and whose eyes were no longer empty, now filled with "I do." She felt completely numb.
Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, she jumped back a step, waving her arms wildly, her face filled with resistance and fear, her pleading eyes instantly turning to Shi Liuying:
"Junior sister! Save me! Save me! I don't want to, I don't want to cultivate with him! I can't do this!"
She tossed the jade slip in her hand to Shi Liuying as if it were a hot potato.
Shi Liuying instinctively reached out and caught it.
The jade slip felt warm to the touch, but what attracted her attention even more was the familiar light screen frame floating above it, visible only to her, and the cold text commands of the system within the frame.
Upon seeing this familiar "system" operation, Shi Liuying's panic and helplessness when facing tears vanished instantly.
She is more adept at dealing with evil systems than with emotionally broken humans.
Shi Liuying felt immediately at ease.
She held the jade slip in her hand, and with her other free hand, she gently grasped the air, and a completely transparent pen with a glimmering tip appeared in her hand.
She stared intently at the faint halo above Lingxu Sword Master's head, which represented the power of system intervention, and the command about "severing the seven emotions and six desires" that was being generated within it. Without hesitation, she raised the transparent pen and gently traced it across the halo as if correcting a typo.
Where the pen tip passes, the power of rules flows quietly.
The cold words "severing all emotions and desires" were forcibly distorted and covered up, turning into—[stewing seven pounds of squid].
The moment the command was altered, the violent, chaotic, and out-of-control aura surrounding Lingxu Sword Master abruptly stopped, as if a pause button had been pressed.
The storm that had been gathering frantically in his eyes suddenly dissipated, replaced by an extreme sense of bewilderment and...confusion.
He blinked his still reddish silver-gray eyes, as if a long-dormant processor had finally started running again. His gaze darted back and forth between Shi Liuying and Chi Yang, and finally, with lingering grievances and a hint of uncertainty, it slowly settled on Chi Yang's innocent yet panicked face.
As if he had finally recognized the person, or as if he had completely deviated from his original path, he asked in a low voice, with a thick nasal tone, a wronged look, and utmost seriousness:
"It's...it's because my cooking wasn't good enough that you...that's why you chose someone else's food, right?"
He clenched his fists tightly, a look of sudden enlightenment and determination appearing on his face, as if he were about to go into seclusion to comprehend some supreme Dao, solemnly declaring:
"I will prove myself! My squid will definitely... definitely taste better than all of theirs!"
Chiyang: "..."
Looking at the Sword Master before her, a man of aloof temperament and unparalleled beauty, yet bearing red marks on his cheeks and vowing to become a culinary master, she couldn't help but twitch her lips uncontrollably, momentarily at a loss for what expression to make.
But in any case, he no longer turns evil, no longer shouts about becoming a demon or severing his emotions and desires, which is a great thing!
As for why the Sword Master suddenly became obsessed with cooking... well, who says that a Sword Master who is renowned throughout the land can't also be a good cook? As long as he doesn't go crazy, everything is fine!
With the crisis averted, Chi Yang breathed a long sigh of relief, patted his chest, and felt a sense of exhaustion, as if he had survived a disaster.
Seeing that things had calmed down, Shi Liuying handed the scroll "Secret Record of the Interaction between Heaven and Earth" back to Chi Yang.
Chi Yang took the jade slip, her eyes sparkling as she glanced at Jun Lintian beside her, whose ears were still flushed suspiciously and whose expression was somewhat dazed. A sly and ambiguous smile appeared on her face.
Instead of taking back the jade slip, she stuffed it back into Shi Liuying's hand, winked at her, and chuckled in a low voice, "This good thing is better left for you, Junior Sister."
She leaned closer and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "That lousy system is despicable, but in this kind of area, the things it produces are truly top-notch."
"This cultivation technique is said to be a unique copy lost during the ancient war between gods and demons. It's incredibly profound and its power is astonishing!"
His tone was full of implications.
Shi Liuying was confused, but seeing Chi Yang's insistence and hearing that the technique was powerful, she didn't think much of it and casually put it into her mustard seed bag.
After Chi Yang pulled Lingxu Sword Master, who was still muttering to himself about researching how to cook squid, away, only Shi Liuying and Jun Lintian remained in the spot.
A subtle silence filled the air.
Jun Lintian looked at Shi Liuying, his heart still pounding erratically. The earth-shattering declaration and the lingering warmth on his wrist kept replaying in his mind.
He hesitated for a long time, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, before finally mustering his courage and asking in a low voice, tinged with barely perceptible trepidation and hope:
"Junior sister... what you just said... is it true?"
Shi Liuying was just thinking about finally getting some peace and quiet when she heard this and looked up in confusion: "What?"
Jun Lintian met her clear, pure gaze, his ears turning even redder, his voice growing deeper and hoarse with nervousness: "You said... you like..."
His mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts.
She said she "liked her senior brother" rather than "chose her senior brother".
Does this subtle difference mean...?
He dared not think too deeply about it, fearing it would be another false alarm.
Shi Liuying then understood what he was asking, and her face immediately lit up with a bright, straightforward smile. She nodded vigorously, her voice clear and firm, without the slightest hesitation:
"Yes! I like my senior brother!"
She answered frankly and naturally, as if stating that the weather was nice today.
However, this pure and direct response, when heard by Chong Cang'er, who was standing quietly not far away and taking in everything, was like a sudden thunderbolt.
He stood alone in the deeper shadows, his fox-like eyes, which always carried a hint of melancholy and indifference, now obscure and churning with complex and indescribable emotions.
Looking at Shi Liuying's bright smile and the unspoken intimacy between her and Jun Lintian, he felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his heart, sending a sharp and intense pain that made it hard for him to breathe.
He clenched his fist tightly in his sleeve, his knuckles turning white. In the end, he said nothing and did nothing, but just looked at that smile deeply, almost greedily, before turning away abruptly.
As silently as it had arrived, it disappeared into the deeper darkness, its silhouette desolate and lonely.
Shen Hanzhou, who had been hiding behind Chong Cang, trying to keep a low profile and be a background figure, now had his mouth agape enough to fit an egg, and his eyes wide like copper bells. He looked at Chong Cang as he left, and then at Shi Liuying and Jun Lintian over there. It was as if a thousand fireworks were exploding in his mind.
This...this...this...Shi Liuying likes her senior brother?!
But Elder Chongcang's reaction... he... he... he seems to like Liuying?!
He has discovered yet another incredible, earth-shattering secret!
Seeing Chong Cang's obviously strange departure, the simple-minded Shen Hanzhou hesitated for a moment, then mustered his courage and cautiously followed. A few steps away, he tentatively and with a hint of sympathy asked in a low voice:
"Elder Chongcang... are you alright?"
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Author's note: Red envelope [pat on the head]
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