Chapter 41 My Heart Is Swaying – It Was Cheng Xi
Jiang Geyun said, "I hope Your Highness will give me some guidance."
Su Heng took a few steps closer to her. Seeing that her face was expressionless, but her posture suggested a desire to retreat, he smiled silently.
Before Jiang Geyun could ask further, Su Heng explained casually, "Chao Wujiu is a painting fanatic. You have already witnessed the wonder of his paintings, but you may not know how peculiar he is as a person."
Su Heng paused after speaking.
Jiang Geyun readily agreed and asked, "What's so special about it?"
Su Heng said, “There are countless ways to seek the Dao, but in the end, one must be ‘pure’. Chao Wujiu was not of high birth and came into contact with painting quite late. Once he did, he became obsessed and painted to the point of blindness.”
"This obsession happened to lead her to enlightenment, but instead of broadening her mind, it plunged her into a state of pursuing the ultimate in painting."
Jiang Geyun was unsure of his inclination, so she followed her own heart and said, "To be so utterly pure is indeed admirable."
“Exactly,” Su Heng said in a flat tone, without any respect. “It is said that Chao Wujiu even sealed away all thoughts unrelated to painting, leaving only instinct and the obsession and techniques of painting.”
Jiang Geyun understood and asked, "Is this the place where she sealed those... 'chaotic' emotions and memories?"
She didn't completely agree with Chao Wujiu's approach, but couldn't think of a more suitable word for the moment, so she could only say it this way.
Su Heng said it was a guess, but he probably wouldn't have said it unless he was very sure. He nodded and said, "I think that's right. I thought it was just an exaggerated story, but after meeting the previous 'Chao Wujiu', I realized that it was more than just a story."
“His memories have been stripped away, and even Chao Wujiu himself probably doesn’t know where he is. Even if he wants to let us go, he is powerless to do so.”
This fact is legendary.
The villain spoke with such certainty that Jiang Geyun was still somewhat skeptical.
She thought for a moment, carefully choosing her words, and said without any judgment, "It's common for people to have obsessive thoughts."
It could even be described as a "good thing," which made Jiang Geyun somewhat envious.
Human life is so short—even if you take into account the fact that the world in this book offers the chance to seek immortality and extend one's lifespan, everything in the world eventually comes to an end.
In that case, it is certainly a good thing to have something you sincerely want to pursue and to be able to pursue it, to seek the infinite in the finite and the constant in the chaotic.
Jiang Geyun's past life was mostly about survival, leaving her no time for anything else.
She had too little in her hands, so she could only look ahead and behind.
For her, following the rules is not a derogatory term. Being able to live a life like ordinary people is already a good thing. Dreams or obsessions are simply out of the question.
After transmigrating into the book, Jiang Geyun experienced many things, keeping her extremely busy. She still didn't have much time to think about what she really wanted to do without any preconditions.
If she weren't as perceptive as the average person, that would be one thing, but she always seemed to be able to sense subtle things. She knew exactly what state she was in, knew she wasn't satisfied, and also knew... she didn't have time to think about it.
Could it be that something has already taken root in her heart, and she just hasn't realized it yet?
Jiang Geyun thought about it vaguely.
Su Heng smiled and said, "But she once accidentally killed someone because of this."
Jiang Geyun paused.
Instinct told her that this might be the breakthrough.
So she pressed on, asking, "How could this be?"
Su Heng said, "A senior predicted that Chao Wujiu would commit a grave mistake due to his madness, and in order to stop Chao Wujiu, the two agreed to a magical duel."
"...This matter was ultimately resolved because that senior was mistakenly killed. Chao Wujiu was filled with remorse for this, and that wisp of memory must have been sealed here by her."
Jiang Geyun lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment.
Su Heng looked down at her without interrupting.
It wasn't until Jiang Geyun suddenly looked up and asked, "Your Highness mentioned this matter, did you also think of it..."
Before she could finish speaking, she looked up and met a pair of eyes that were waiting for her.
She instantly realized that he shared the same thoughts as her.
The two were trapped in this incomplete painting whose location even Chao Wujiu himself did not know. If they wanted to leave, the fastest and safest way was to make Chao Wujiu outside the painting aware of what was happening inside the painting, so that he could release them.
The guards outside the painting might also be sifting through possible fragments of the artwork.
Su Heng's words led Jiang Geyun to the topic of "special memories," perhaps implying that a wisp of special memory could be brought back to awaken Chao Wujiu's consciousness, so that the two could leave.
This memory cannot be something trivial, because if it resurfaces, it won't attract Chao Wujiu's attention; the timeframe also cannot be too early, such as the young Chao Wujiu that the two of them just saw, because she has no memories related to painting at this moment, let alone where the incomplete painting is.
It must be timed precisely after Chao Wujiu begins sealing his memories, and it should have the strongest possible impact.
Death caused by obsession sounds like the best option.
But does Chao Wujiu really feel remorse for the death of others?
Jiang Geyun asked, "After mistakenly killing that senior, did Senior Chao Wujiu ever waver?"
Su Heng nodded and said, "Of course, after killing the senior, Chao Wujiu was filled with remorse. However, the senior's calamity was also due to this, and he was ultimately powerless to reverse the situation. He had few relatives and only left a junior surnamed You whom he cared for in the past. Chao Wujiu took good care of her."
Jiang Geyun realized something was wrong and asked, "But Senior Chao Wujiu has already had his memories stripped away, so how will he take care of that junior?"
Su Heng said, "...Perhaps it was through her juniors; this matter is insignificant. Lord Jiang asked how much this matter weighed in Chao Wujiu's heart, and my answer is that it was heavy enough."
When Su Heng paused, Jiang Geyun suddenly realized that although her thinking along the way was due to her own efforts, it was also inseparable from Su Heng's guidance.
She was able to get here because of his guidance, and he did not directly impart knowledge to her, but laid out all the known conditions in front of her, allowing her to find her own way to the destination.
Jiang Geyun took a deep breath and couldn't help but ask, "How does Your Highness know such a secret?"
She regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth.
The villain had acted as an encyclopedia in her eyes countless times, so she was somewhat used to it, and in the heat of the moment, she asked this question.
This isn't something that can be easily known.
Besides, no matter how the main villain found out about this, as long as it's believable, it won't affect the two's actions, so why bother asking?
What if we happen to anger Su Heng?
Su Heng was surprisingly tolerant of her, and simply smiled upon hearing this.
He said, "Speaking of which, this young man surnamed You is from Lianzhou. Lord Jiang returned from Lianzhou before, didn't he?"
The question was thrown back at them, and it involved Jiang Geyun's past.
...It seems he doesn't want to answer.
And it also gave Jiang Geyun a taste of what it's like to not want to answer.
Jiang Geyun mumbled, "Haha, yes... So, Your Highness, what should we do next?"
Su Heng let her change the subject and replied gently, "Find it."
Jiang Geyun followed Su Heng's gaze to the seemingly endless corridor and countless doors in front of her, and her scalp tingled with fear.
But there's no good solution right now.
She sighed inwardly, but calmly said aloud, "Then we shall do as Your Highness says."
Soon, the two stood in front of the next door, not far from the room they had just escaped from.
Jiang Geyun's gaze was fixed on the door not far away. When she saw what was in front of her clearly, she was suddenly surprised.
She had initially thought that the surging blackness was a veil covering the original object, similar to a gauze made of a special material, but upon closer inspection, it was not.
They are the essence that constitutes things here.
These silently surging, breathing black substances constitute everything in this space, including the doors, the floor, and the ceiling.
The few strokes of ink depicted everything so realistically that she only realized it now.
Jiang Geyun felt a greater sense of reality that this place was indeed the world depicted in the painting.
It's amazing how a virtual world can feel so real...
Su Heng stood in front of the door and turned to look at Jiang Geyun, who had not followed him.
Jiang Geyun moved over and watched as the main villain knocked on the door.
Secretly, she asked the system: "System, do you know what to do?"
The system replied: [Under investigation.]
Jiang Geyun was deeply surprised. Hearing this, it seemed as if the system was about to do something important.
She couldn't help but ask: "How so?"
The system spoke in a consultative tone: "Host, have you ever heard of a room where you can't leave without doing something specific? I'm researching whether we can create one. What do you think?"
Jiang Geyun fell silent.
Jiang Geyun didn't think it was very good.
Jiang Geyun decided to search for them one by one with Su Heng.
The villain patiently knocked on the door, and the two waited for a while, but there was no response.
All the doors in this space are the same style, like the wooden doors of a cottage that people would live in when they retreat to the countryside, and they seem to have a strong possibility of being forced through.
As Jiang Geyun pondered, the door in front of her finally opened from the inside out.
A familiar face appeared behind the door.
The girl asked Wu Jiu listlessly, "What is it?"
Su Heng said, "I apologize for disturbing you, senior, and for asking for a painting."
Behind him, Jiang Geyun nodded silently.
Using this question to assist in the initial judgment is quite appropriate.
The girl said impatiently to Wu Jiu, "Huh? What do you mean, 'request a painting'? I don't know what you're talking about. I just want to sleep. I only love sleeping. Don't bother me if you don't have anything to say!"
After he finished speaking, the door in front of him was slammed shut.
...So Chao Wujiu even sealed away his thoughts about sleeping?
Ruthless person.
Su Heng, unperturbed by the rebuff, turned to Jiang Geyun with a smile and said, "Lord Jiang, let's go to the next room."
...
This process is repeated.
This space was inherently dark, making it impossible to discern the time, whether it was the sun or the moon.
After an unknown amount of time, the two encountered all sorts of "Chao Wujiu".
Some were extremely irritable, attacking before even seeing the two people; some were completely immersed in their own world, sitting on the ground hugging their knees and muttering something; some were not even human and could not communicate at all.
Yes… Jiang Geyun blushed instantly when she thought of the strange noises the two of them heard in front of that door, and stopped thinking about it.
Jiang Geyun once suggested that the two of them could search separately.
This suggestion was naturally rejected by Su Heng.
This corridor is quite mysterious. Anything left in the corridor before entering the room will be gone when you come out again. If the two separate, it will be difficult for them to meet again.
Besides that, he only had that umbrella. If a crisis were to occur, Jiang Geyun alone would probably be unable to cope.
Jiang Geyun had to admit that the villain was right, so she put aside the idea.
She was exhausted from her long journey and even forgot to ask why she only bought one of these great umbrellas.
Seeing that Jiang Geyun looked tired, Su Heng, who was walking ahead, slowed down and reached out his hand to her with a light smile.
Jiang Geyun unconsciously placed her hand on it.
Su Heng lowered his eyelashes, and before Jiang Geyun could react, he had already grasped her hand and led her forward.
The two of them had fought together against all sorts of "Chao Wujiu" countless times, and Jiang Geyun had entrusted her back to him countless times and been pulled away from his attack range countless times.
The originally clear boundaries are gradually becoming blurred.
Unbeknownst to her, the boundary that was only broken in times of crisis, which was not between the two of them in a state of hostility, was also silently breached in this peaceful moment.
For a moment, the thought that popped into her mind was that even the villain's hand felt slightly cold.
This scene seems somewhat familiar.
When was there a similar scene last time?
Yes, back at Yunling Manor, she also dragged Cheng Xi along on her journey.
What was she trying to do with Cheng Xi back then...?
Wait, are you pulling me along?
Jiang Geyun sensed that the two of them were now holding hands.
She gasped, stopped abruptly, and pulled her hand away from Su Heng's.
Su Heng glanced back at her, his eyes filled with pure confusion, as if he were completely unaware, only a slight smile escaping from his eyes.
The two people were standing on either side of the threshold.
Su Heng had already entered the room. He turned around and looked at Jiang Geyun with a question in his eyes. At first glance, it seemed that Jiang Geyun was inexplicably unwilling to enter the room.
Jiang Geyun put her hands behind her back, her fingers intertwined behind her back.
Just as she was racking her brains to come up with an explanation, the door in front of her suddenly slammed shut!
There was another bang, both light and heavy.
Jiang Geyun was speechless.
With his eyes closed, Su Heng's surprised and unresponsive expression remained vivid in his mind's eye.
hiss……
Ignoring the strange noise and long string of gibberish that the system suddenly emitted, Jiang Geyun leaned against the side helplessly and fell into deep thought.
The separation has become inevitable and irreversible; there's really no need for the system to act this way.
Their goal is to leave this place and obtain the painting from Chao Wujiu himself to solve the mystery of the mission, not to be lovey-dovey here... not to go on an adventure here!
...Look how much the system has corrupted her brain.
Since we've parted ways, let's each go our own way and find our own paths.
After clearing her mind, Jiang Geyun quickly rallied, calmly walked to the next door, held her breath, and secretly hoped that she wouldn't encounter anything too vicious.
...
They opened some doors on their own, but the progress is not optimistic.
Jiang Geyun couldn't help but sigh inwardly: How could a person slice themselves into pieces like this! Chao Wujiu, how do you have so much material!
It was another door, but this time it looked like it had been opened before.
Jiang Geyun stepped forward, numbly pushed the door open, and peered inside.
It was still Chao Wujiu, but... there was someone else beside her?
She glanced at the man and saw that he was dressed in blue. She was about to breathe a sigh of relief and slowly step forward.
Suddenly, she realized something and immediately looked closely.
Another person standing beside Chao Wujiu in the room—it was Cheng Xi!
Is this some kind of place where "whatever you wish for comes true"?
"My lord!"
Jiang Geyun called out urgently, rushed into the room, and ran towards the two of them.
As soon as she stood still, before she could catch her breath, Jiang Geyun grabbed Cheng Xi's arm and hurriedly asked, "Why are you here, my lord!"
Cheng Xi was also full of surprise.
He looked down and checked it carefully.
Jiang Geyun tilted her head back and let him examine her closely, then smiled at him with a calm demeanor.
She was looking at him too.
He was as gentle as when they first met, his face indifferent and without any sharp edge, making her feel as if she had returned to a pool of warm water, gently and softly enveloped, and her heart was instantly at peace.
The time the two were apart was neither long nor short. It is unknown whether Cheng Xi's memories of Yunling Manor have returned after leaving the manor.
Speaking of which, how did she say goodbye to him back then?
Once he was sure she was alright, Cheng Xi's smile faded, and his gaze turned serious.
He said calmly, "Just as my wife said, we will meet again someday."
...Jiang Geyun remembered.
Cheng Xi wanted to stay with her, but she already had her own plans and was worried that something might happen to him if he stayed. So, preoccupied with how to argue with Hua Biezhi, she pushed him away.
His sincere heart was twisted into a ball and sent away by her, which seems, probably, indeed... worth being angry about.
Jiang Geyun's composed smile cracked.
After a pause, she tugged at his sleeve helplessly and whispered, "I'm sorry for making this decision without asking for your opinion."
Cheng Xi sighed softly and withdrew her sleeve.
The next second, his fingertips brushed across Jiang Geyun's forehead, smoothing back the stray strands of hair. He lingered lightly for a moment, then asked with concern, "It's alright. Why are you here, my lady? Are you injured?"
Jiang Geyun lowered her eyelashes and let him do as he pleased, thinking to herself, "Just as I thought."
Cheng Xi is indeed a gentle person; she won't care about these things.
She lowered her head and said, "I came to the capital with the Night Watchman and happened to come to Changxing Ward. I didn't expect to wander into this place. This place is very dangerous. Are you alright, my lord?"
As she finished speaking, Jiang Geyun looked up and gazed at Cheng Xi with concern.
Her movement of raising her head was still a little too slow, enough for him to withdraw the gloomy gaze that had been lingering on her face and hair, and replace it with a gentle smile.
Cheng Xi said tactfully, "My father asked me to do something, and by chance, I ended up here."
She had learned about the siblings' background from Su Guang.
After Cheng's mother passed away, Cheng's father, who was in charge of the Cheng family, and his mistress, who had been brought into the family, would probably not make things easy for the brother and sister.
Although she had never actually met the current Cheng family, Jiang Geyun had already imagined a grand drama of power struggles within the family and began to feel sorry for the people in front of her.
Chao Wujiu, who was observing from the sidelines, suddenly said, "Although no one asked, I was the same. I just inexplicably came in."
The girl's eyes and brows betrayed an unquenchable anxiety as she rubbed her temples and glanced sideways at the two people in front of her.
Jiang Geyun then remembered that there was another key figure in front of her.
She coughed lightly twice, suppressing her joy at the reunion, and began to consider the situation before her.
The deduction she made earlier was based on her research with the help of the main villain. The two people here must be completely unaware of this. She could tell Cheng Xi later, but what about Chao Wujiu in front of her...
Jiang Geyun casually asked, "My lord, do you remember the name of the abbot of Yunshui Temple?"
Cheng Xi lowered his eyes to look at her. He did not press her for an abrupt question, but said gently, "The abbot's name is You Qianqiu."
"Touring" through the ages?
She guessed right.
Upon hearing the keyword "Lianzhou," Jiang Geyun already had a guess.
She didn't know the abbot's name, only vaguely remembering the little stories about the abbot that Su Guang had told her.
In that legendary story, the abbot had experienced various trials in the Great Zhou Dynasty, leaving behind many good names. In the end, he collected the remains of his predecessors in the capital and returned to Lianzhou, where he devoted himself to protecting the people of Lianzhou.
Upon hearing the name, Chao Wujiu raised an eyebrow, seemingly wanting to say something, but ultimately said nothing.
Seeing Chao Wujiu's expression, Jiang Geyun couldn't help but think to herself, "How come this person still has some sense of secrecy?"
Indeed, this is a complete memory placed inside the fragment, so it should be smarter than the original body and other instinct-related slices outside.
Having seen too many bizarre "Chao Wujiu" figures, even though the girl in front of her didn't recognize Jiang Geyun, Jiang Geyun felt somewhat familiar with Chao Wujiu on her own.
She gently coaxed Chao Wujiu, "Young lady, do you remember the abbot's name?"
"This has nothing to do with you," Chao Wujiu said coldly. "I should be asking you why you suddenly brought up this person. What are you trying to do?"
Seeing that Chao Wujiu's indifference couldn't hide his concern, Jiang Geyun formed a plan.
Jiang Geyun smiled and said, "Master You is the most capable person we know. Being caught up in this crisis, I wanted to send her a message asking for her help, but..."
She deliberately put on a troubled and conflicted expression.
Chao Wujiu pressed on, "But what? What happened to her?!"
Jiang Geyun said, "There are unclean spirits haunting the temple, and Abbot You is probably too busy to deal with them."
One of her favorite little tricks is to graft facts onto things.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Xi seemed about to say something.
Jiang Geyun immediately grasped his hand and gently shook it.
He paused for a moment, then said with concern, "Indeed, that thing probably has a hundred years of cultivation. Even before it has appeared, it can already cause hallucinations in those around it. I wonder if the abbot can resolve this."
Hidden beneath his sleeve, his hand relaxed for a moment, then slowly intertwined with hers.
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Author's Note: This man is about to compete with himself. [Sunglasses]
Also: I'm in such a rush! Why am I still doing this purely for fun and trying to speed up the progress bar?! Anyway, the next chapter definitely needs some progress bar-speeding mechanics and the end of this little dungeon!!
Youyou: The title "Heart Shaking" comes from the lyrics of Zimi's "The Sutra of the Sangharama." When I listened to it, I felt a strong sense of the heart swaying as a traveler on a journey. It's not panic, but a "shaking" feeling—not the wind, but the heart's flutter.
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