Chapter 56 Different Paths, Different Destinies
Chu Jianshan lowered his eyes and did not dodge his sword: "Just do as you want. If you don't want to see the current result, you can always treat me as Chu Jianshan."
"Ha," Cheng Yuan scoffed, "Is that so? Even now, do you think I can pretend nothing happened!"
This was the first time Cheng Yuan had shouted at him so loudly. Chu Jianshan was stunned for a moment, and tried to take two steps forward, but was blocked by the Liuyin Sword.
"I..." Chu Jianshan wanted to explain, but found that he really had nothing to say. He owed him a lot, and that was the truth, undeniable.
"What, you're not even willing to explain?" Cheng Yuan's voice trembled slightly. "You care about me that little?"
Indeed, what's the point of explaining to someone insignificant? Silence is the best answer.
"I'm not! I..."
“How could it not be!” Cheng Yuan interrupted him, but his voice softened, and his eyes reddened slightly. “Seven years ago, you were willing to abandon me for Uncle Xie, and you faked your death for so many years. Now you’ve come back again for Changjin Mountain. But in all of this, was there even a little bit for me…”
He continued, "Even our relationship was something I forced. If I hadn't been so stubborn, you would have left long ago."
"I will never leave you!"
Chu Jianshan was a little anxious and rushed forward. The Liuyin Sword slightly cut his skin, revealing a trace of blood. Cheng Yuan was stunned for a moment, and then he subtly withdrew the Liuyin Sword.
"Believe me," Chu Jianshan said somewhat flusteredly, "I really won't leave you this time, please believe me just this once."
“When have I ever not believed you!” Cheng Yuan looked up and met his eyes. “From the moment I met you, no matter what decision you make, I will believe in you and help you without hesitation. I’ve said it before, you can even take my life! I just want you to know that I can help you, that I have the ability. I just ask that you don’t leave me out of it, foolishly unaware of anything.”
He paused, then continued, "I asked you more than once if you were hiding anything from me, and you always said no. Even then, I still believed you..."
"Master, I've been fooled by you and Bai Qianfan like a complete idiot, and I've just..." He choked up, "...do you hate me that much?"
Chu Jianshan could no longer hold back his tears, which slid down his cheeks. He was in so much pain, both physically and emotionally.
He knew what he should say to win Cheng Yuan back, whether it was being shameless or forceful, anything that could keep him there was good. But his throat tightened and he couldn't speak. His pale lips trembled, and every word was stuck in his throat, like a sharp sword scraping open his neck, the blood turning into tears that fell wildly.
Seeing him like this, Cheng Yuan's eyes welled up with tears, but he smiled bitterly and said, "Indeed, you don't need to explain anything to me. It was just wishful thinking on my part. You are the Southern Immortal Venerable and the pillar of Changjin Mountain. There are so many important things in the world that need you to accomplish. Why bother to stop for me for even a moment?"
He took a deep breath, sheathed the Flowing Sound Sword, as if making a final decision: "You were meant to be a brilliant star in the sky, so just keep shining... forever."
He turned and left without saying another word. Chu Jianshan panicked instantly. Before he could even ask him to stay, he reached out and grabbed Cheng Yuan's hand.
Cheng Yuan forcefully flung him away, and perhaps because of the great force, Chu Jianshan staggered and almost lost his balance.
Cheng Yuan yelled at him, "What else do you want to do! Are you going to keep torturing me!?"
He gritted his teeth: "This matter has reached a dead end, there's no other way out. The truth will eventually come out. If one day others find out about our master-disciple affair, then everything you have will be over, you know that!"
Chu Jianshan blinked twice, squeezing out tears. He knew, how could he not know? He knew from the day he realized his feelings. But so what? He could give up all this so-called reputation and status. If he could choose, he would rather have just been Chu Jianshan from the beginning.
The pain in my chest began to intensify, a persistent, tingling pain like being pricked by needles or burned, and even breathing aggravated the pain.
Why won't you answer me!
Seeing that he remained silent, Cheng Yuan's emotions flared up: "I don't believe you haven't thought about the consequences of this! You just...!"
"It hurts..."
Chu Jianshan only said those two words, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible, but Cheng Yuan suddenly stopped speaking. The flames that hadn't even started to ignite were extinguished completely, as if doused with a bucket of cold water.
He immediately calmed down, feeling a little flustered. He instinctively wanted to hug Chu Jianshan, but he forced himself to put his hand down as soon as he raised it. He knew he couldn't comfort him like before, but he couldn't bear to blame him anymore. In the end, he only asked softly, "Where does it hurt?"
Chu Jianshan frowned, surprised that he had blurted out those words. According to his usual personality, he should have stubbornly held on, so why was he being so... pretentious in front of Cheng Yuan?
"Chu Jianshan, where does it hurt?" Cheng Yuan asked him again, but his tone was noticeably softer.
Chu Jianshan looked up at him, tears still wet on his face, but when he heard Cheng Yuan call him Chu Jianshan again, he felt inexplicably happy.
He pointed to his chest and said in a trembling voice, "It hurts here..."
"It must be that the spirit core has been subjected to too much spiritual power and cannot recover in time." He finally hugged Chu Jianshan and helped him sit down to the side: "I will send a message to Qingyao City when we get back and ask Lin Mumu to come over. Don't worry."
Chu Jianshan nodded, then lowered his head and remained silent. Cheng Yuan squatted down in front of him and looked at him for a long time. As if resigned to his fate, he reached out and wiped away the tears from the corners of Chu Jianshan's eyes, gently coaxing him, "Don't cry."
Chu Jianshan turned his face away: "I didn't cry."
"Okay, whatever you say."
Cheng Yuan held his hand in his lap and gently stroked it. With his body shielding him, from a distance, the two didn't seem to be doing anything improper; it was probably just a deep bond between master and disciple.
"Master," Cheng Yuan called out softly.
"What?" Chu Jianshan asked.
Cheng Yuan lowered his head, and after a moment of hesitation, he mustered the courage to look at Chu Jianshan again: "I really miss you."
Chu Jianshan almost burst into tears again, having just managed to hold them back. He choked out, "I know, I've always known."
Cheng Yuan finally smiled with relief and whispered to him, "From now on... don't shoulder everything yourself anymore, leave everything to me, okay?"
Chu Jianshan wiped away his tears haphazardly, then nodded. After crying, he was somewhat dazed, his eyes lifeless, and he just nodded mechanically.
Cheng Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly. Looking at him like this, it seemed that Chu Jianshan would nod in agreement with whatever he said. Suddenly, he had a whim to verify it.
He tentatively asked, "Then... you're not allowed to hide anything from me anymore, not anything at all."
Chu Jianshan sniffed and nodded.
"You are not allowed to be reckless again, and you are not allowed to work as hard as you did today."
Chu Jianshan nodded again.
"Don't leave me behind again."
Chu Jianshan nodded firmly.
Cheng Yuan couldn't help but lower his head to suppress a laugh. After a moment of silence, he made his last request in a serious tone: "From now on... don't get so close to me anymore, so as not to cause misunderstandings."
Chu Jianshan almost nodded again, but at the last moment he suddenly realized something and stood there, staring at him with wide eyes.
"No way!" Chu Jianshan refused outright: "No, no way, A Yuan!"
He knew what Cheng Yuan meant. It wasn't simply about making him keep his distance from him in front of others, but about completely severing this illicit relationship. They would remain just master and disciple, and he would continue to be the glorious Southern Immortal Venerable.
Chu Jianshan wanted to squat down and hug him, but Cheng Yuan pressed him down on the spot: "Don't get excited, listen to me. This is a time when both sides are on the verge of war. Linyi Sect chose this time to reveal my background to the public, which is also a threat to you. If you can say that we are just master and disciple, most people will turn a blind eye because of your status. But if our relationship is exposed at this time, I'm afraid everyone will see you as an enemy."
“No,” Chu Jianshan shook his head, “I won’t let Linyi Gate take you away. I’ve said I won’t abandon you again!”
Cheng Yuan continued, "Now that my background has been revealed, the Linyi Sect will not give up. Moreover, their actions today are forcing all the sects to take action. Once this battle begins, I will inevitably be categorized as being on the Linyi Sect's side; there's no escaping it."
He resisted the urge to hug Chu Jianshan, and only held his hand: "It's good that I can protect you."
"What right do you have to make decisions for me!" Chu Jianshan asked him, her eyes red with anger. "How do you know I'm afraid of these things? I don't want this worthless identity of the Southern Immortal Venerable. I just want to do what I believe is right!"
"We've clearly...we've made it through so much time, why should you just give up like that!"
Cheng Yuan was naturally reluctant, but what could he do? Both of them had such special identities, and he dared not gamble even a little bit.
He called out in a hoarse voice, "Master..."
"Don't call me Master," Chu Jianshan said defiantly, "I am Chu Jianshan, just Chu Jianshan..."
Cheng Yuan also wished he were just Chu Jianshan. He only wanted to be the Changjinshan disciple who was taken in, not the young master of Linyi Sect.
"Alright," Cheng Yuan coaxed him, "Let's go back first, you must be very tired today."
"No!" Chu Jianshan suddenly stood up: "Let's make this clear right here! When we get back, you'll definitely try to let this go and then keep your distance from me as you see fit. By then, nothing I say will matter!"
Cheng Yuan didn't speak, but his silence was the answer. Chu Jianshan didn't want such a hasty outcome. He wanted to clarify the matter, but he started to feel dizzy after standing up for only a short while.
He staggered a couple of times before Cheng Yuan caught him. In Cheng Yuan's arms, he seemed to understand something and looked up at him: "You..."
He fainted before he could finish speaking.
Cheng Yuan held him, his emotions unreadable, and whispered, "I'm sorry, Master."
"Take a nap. When you wake up, everything will be alright."
[Author's Note]
I have a question for everyone. Now that Chu Jianshan's identity has been exposed and revealed, should I call him Chu Jianshan or Chu Qingyuan from now on? Hmm... that's a question worth considering. [Chin resting on hand]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
