Chapter 12 "The Immortal Lord doesn't believe I'm a kind person..."
Yun Xianqing was sitting by the window, one hand supporting his chin, his sleeve draped over the table, his eyes gently closed, as if he were asleep. And his face was so handsome that he looked like a sleeping fairy from a storybook.
But the next moment, the hand swayed twice, and then the head slammed onto the table with a bang.
He then slowly woke up.
He glanced at Meng Chiwan, who was standing at the door staring blankly at him, then looked away, his Adam's apple bobbing as if he had swallowed something.
The next instant, crimson blood suddenly overflowed from his mouth. He reached out and casually wiped it away, staining his lips a mottled vermilion.
There was no surprise on his face. It was as if this kind of thing had long been the norm.
Meng Chiwan stood to the side, and before she could speak, she heard him say, "Miss, I'm fine."
He maintained that same calm and collected demeanor.
A sudden surge of inexplicable irritation welled up in Meng Chiwan's heart, and her tone was no longer as kind as before: "Immortal Lord, if you really have something to say, you can tell me. If it is something I can do for you, I will do my best. I saved your life, Immortal Lord, with all my might. You have no right to take it lightly."
"But what can you do even if I tell you? If Elder Fang can't find the problem, even I only have a vague understanding myself." He suddenly laughed, his tone carrying an indescribable meaning, seemingly both mocking and sighing.
"You can't even control your own life, let alone care about mine."
He said, word by word, "Girl, do you think I let go of your hand last night and didn't save you?"
Meng Chiwan paused for a moment, her thoughts about last night twisting together again, turning her mind into a tangled mess: "Whatever the Immortal Lord does is his own business, I have no complaints, besides, the Immortal Lord is not indifferent to my life or death."
"Did the Immortal Lord already know that those ghosts wouldn't actually harm me?"
"Girl, you're mistaken. Don't try to make excuses for me anymore. I can't be sure it's all fake."
“It’s not that I’m unwilling to help, but in that situation, I guess you would rather save yourself. I’m willing to be your shield, the longbow you hold in your hand.”
He continued, his voice unhurried and weak, his lips parting slightly as he spoke: “There is one more crucial matter. My health was failing, and I was unable to save you then. I wanted to shatter that illusion, but I was completely unable to do so. Therefore, I chose to let go and allow you to complete that illusion.”
"It was just a dream. I bet the girl got away scot-free. I was right, wasn't I?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Chiwan simply said, "The Immortal Lord said his health isn't quite right?"
Yun Xianqing suddenly smiled broadly: "Is this all the young lady cares about?"
Meng Chiwan guessed that he actually wanted to ask her: Do you really have no complaints at all?
She smiled faintly, but a hint of coldness flickered in her eyes, striking her cheek and making her look somewhat strange: "Yes, didn't the Immortal Lord say that if I could think of you, you would be by my side? But..."
Her eyebrows curved into a smile, and the wrinkles under her eyes were pressed in slightly, making her sound carefree. "But, Immortal Lord, I truly did not think of you back then. You were right, it was just a dream, and I was able to move on. Now I only care about how you are doing, Immortal Lord. After all, there may be many more times in the future when I will remember you."
“Miss, there are too many questions for me to answer. It must be my lack of knowledge that makes you look at me with such doubt. But if you ask me how I am feeling, I really can’t answer. If I knew, I would tell you everything I know. After all, who in this world would want to appear sickly every day?” Yun Xianqing sat casually, a red mark on his forehead from a recent bump. Although he looked unwell, his white clothes were spotless, and his handsome face still showed a touch of otherworldly purity.
Meng Chiwan took a few steps closer and sat down on the other side. She asked him, "Did the Immortal Lord fall asleep just now? Didn't you hear anything?"
"No. I haven't had a good night's sleep in a long time, so today is a rare treat. It would be even better if that hadn't happened last night. I see that you look a bit haggard, young lady." His voice was gentle, and his face was also kind.
"Then..." Meng Chiwan was about to speak, but then she didn't know what to say.
Then, Yun Xianqing chuckled and took over the conversation—or perhaps "cut off" would be a more accurate description.
"Why did you save me, young lady?"
She was stunned, as if a small pebble had been thrown into her heart, and the ripples it created were now gently lapping against the shores of her soul.
After a long while, her voice finally came from her heavy chest, sounding muffled: "Perhaps... I've been kidnapped, who knows?"
"What is it?" Yun Xianqing asked with a smile, as if she had become interested.
Her eyebrows were arched and delicate, and several beams of light pierced through her dark eyes, then reflected into another person's eyes. She said again, "Does the Immortal Lord not think I am a kind girl?"
Yun Xianqing smiled and relaxed, feeling a slight itch as if someone had gently brushed her heart with a feather: "You are indeed beautiful, and your heart is as pure as unpolished jade and gold. From the first moment I saw you, I knew I had to follow you."
His expression was serious, yet it also carried a subtle and detached air, as if he were solemnly stating something, or perhaps playfully teasing her.
The sun climbed through the window and shone on him, making him appear even more refined and handsome.
She wanted to continue the conversation and then circle back to him when she heard a knock on the door.
"Knock knock knock".
Only then did they see that Yun Xianqing had slumped back down in just a few breaths, her breathing shallow, as if she had fallen asleep.
She sighed softly, a sense of speechlessness flashing through her mind. Then, resignedly, she went to open the door.
Two boys dressed in light blue robes stood outside the door; not only were the colors identical, but even the patterns on their bodies were the same.
She guessed that it must be the attire of a disciple from some immortal sect.
However, such clothing seems to be rarely seen.
"Young lady, do you live here?" One of the young men, with sparse eyebrows and bright eyes, but with a cold aura, spoke up. He stood there like a thousand pieces of cold jade.
“Yes. I live here,” she replied confidently.
"Does the young lady know that this is a notorious haunted house? Does the young lady really not notice that there are no neighbors around?" Another young man looked like a golden-faced jade, but the aura around him seemed more gentle and warmer.
For now, we can't discern their intentions or thoughts.
“I know. But I live here and have never seen any of the ghosts or anything like that that other people are talking about. I guess it’s just hearsay, this world…” She leaned against the door and spoke earnestly, her small gestures showing a thoughtful expression as she spoke.
"Does the young lady live here alone?" one of the boys asked.
But this question felt strangely familiar to her.
She added, "No, my brother and I live here."
"Your older brother? You have... an older brother?" The more amiable boy seemed somewhat puzzled.
Meng Chiwan turned her head to look at him, but only for a moment before another young man beside her interrupted her thoughts, saying, "We are... disciples of the Immortal Alliance. We mean no harm. We just happened to hear about this place and wanted to come and exorcise the evil spirits for you. Before that... may we meet your brother?"
Meng Chiwan's hesitation deepened. She had seen disciples of the Immortal Alliance before, and had even been in close contact with Lin Jinsheng and Lin Ruyuan, but she had clearly never seen such attire before.
Besides, they seemed to know very well whether she had an older brother or not.
"My brother is ill and just fell asleep. He probably shouldn't see anyone," she said calmly.
"Don't you believe us, young lady?" Perhaps not expecting her to refuse, the young man's expression immediately turned cold, and his voice seemed to be suppressing something.
“We’re just afraid… that ghost might possess your brother and then slowly devour you… I guess you don’t want that to happen either… just let my brother and me see her.” Another boy quickly stepped in to smooth things over, but his words still implied that he absolutely had to see Yun Xianqing.
It wouldn't matter if we met once.
Meng Chiwan thought to herself. There was probably nothing left for her to take. Yun Xianqing, on the other hand, was completely destitute; besides herself, she had nothing.
But... isn't life precisely the most important thing to her?
After thinking for a moment, she said, "Then let me go and inquire about my brother's wishes. My brother... since he fell ill, his spirits have been declining... and even I..."
The boy waved his hand, indicating that she could go and ask.
Then she closed the door.
She wondered if she should just leave the door closed. But that was clearly not an option. The people standing outside weren't ordinary people. Even if their claims of being disciples of the Immortal Alliance were false, they still possessed some cultivation, something she couldn't handle.
Knock on the door again.
Yun Xianqing's voice was listless: "Miss, I heard you. But I don't want to see you. I seem to... have some issues with the Immortal Alliance..."
He paused, as if recalling something, before speaking again with a hint of uncertainty: "Some... past grievances?"
Meng Chiwan wondered to herself, "Didn't he lose his memory? Could it be that he's remembered something?"
Then he said, "My cultivation seems to be sealed, as well as those memories... I only recall them sometimes. But there aren't many, so I haven't told you about them."
He did not wish to meet anyone from the Immortal Alliance.
They didn't want to be recognized by the Immortal Alliance.
He said they had a grudge.
There was another knock at the door, as if the boy was getting impatient.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com