Chapter 62. This time, the young man did not turn back.
Wei Jiyu clearly understood Lin Shuchun's reaction and asked Meng Chiwan, "Can he see us too?"
Meng Chiwan nodded.
Wei Jiyu asked, "You recognize him?"
This time, Meng Chiwan did not rush to answer, but instead used her eyes to trace Lin Shuchun's appearance once more.
Lin Shuchun had a faint smile on her face, and her empty, unfocused eyes seemed to light up, like a river of spring water that had never been frozen.
Almost instantly, Meng Chiwan felt that she had actually known him for a long time, even though this was only their first meeting.
He was so similar to Lin Yudong's description that she could recognize him at a glance, even as he grew older and his appearance changed, and he even had a full head of white hair.
When the fallen petals disappeared, it said something that Meng Chiwan still remembered even after all she had been through: "That was a face I had looked at for years, watching him grow up little by little. Lin Shuchun. Chun'er. That's what I called him. At that time, he was dressed in white, carrying a sword, about to head to the Immortal Sect. Suddenly, I dared not look at him, no matter how much the demon in my heart clamored."
The boy in white robes carrying a sword is no longer a boy. He has gone through countless long years to become the smiling figure he is today.
The demon dared not clamor, for it still possessed a conscience, and for the person before it appeared too kind, so kind that it seemed capable of forgiving all the injustices of the world and the many sufferings inflicted upon it.
“I recognize him. I know him,” Meng Chiwan replied earnestly.
But Lin Shuchun didn't hear this, because Liu Yuan had eaten and drunk her fill in no time, and the two were ready to set off for Lingjiang Palace.
Lin Shuchun walked to the door, picked up the umbrella that hadn't dried yet, leaving behind only water stains on the ground.
Liu Yuan followed behind him, watching his slow and deliberate movements, and suddenly asked him, "Someone told me that Lingjiang Palace has a magical artifact that can rapidly increase one's cultivation level. Do you know what it is?"
Lin Shuchun seemed to be silent for a moment, then her voice faded into the sound of rain: "...I understand."
Liu Yuan's expression became visibly excited, and she reached out and grabbed Lin Shuchun's wrist: "Where is it? Can you take me to find it?"
Lin Shuchun didn't react much, only smiled slightly, and then calmly freed his wrist, saying in a calm tone: "We never call them magical artifacts."
"Call it whatever you want, I just need to know it can increase cultivation." Liu Yuan didn't care. He was always mean and selfish at heart.
Lin Shuchun's smile remained unchanged, but Meng Chiwan clearly saw a hint of disappointment flash in his eyes, like a glass of water that had gone cold and would never boil again.
"Why have I never heard of such a magical artifact before..." Wei Jiyu was also somewhat puzzled. "Is it a magical artifact from Lingjiang Palace in recent years?"
Meng Chiwan suddenly turned around and glanced back.
Yun Xianqing followed her at a leisurely pace, neither getting too close nor too distant, as if he were guarding against someone.
She suddenly wondered what Yun Xianqing was trying to tell her after going through so much trouble. He said he would put on a good show for her, so he answered almost every question Liu Yuan asked, which was completely out of character for Yun Xianqing.
She was so confused that she stopped walking.
Wei Jiyu patiently stopped and waited for her.
The next instant, Meng Chiwan heard Yun Xianqing's unhurried voice: "What does Chiwan want to know?"
She turned her head again and saw that Yun Xianqing was already standing on her, patiently waiting for her response.
His expression was so gentle that it seemed he would tell her the truth no matter what she asked, and there would be no more deception.
But Meng Chiwan only glanced at him and said nothing.
Forget it. What's the point of questioning someone who might not tell the truth out of ten sentences? Wouldn't that just be asking for humiliation?
Even if no one tells her, she can find the truth on her own. Isn't that what Yun Xianqing has been hoping for?
She knew that Yun Xianqing was waiting for her to uncover something. Perhaps it was a hidden past, or perhaps it was an utterly boring story.
Originally, it didn't matter; she was just completing a mission. But now she had unexpectedly encountered Lin Shuchun, and she had to find a way to speak to her.
At the very least, I need to convey the message that Lin Yudong asked me to pass on.
Seeing that she was ignoring him again, Yun Xianqing seemed to have thought of something, pursed his lips, and said, "Chi Wan, I won't lie to you anymore."
Meng Chiwan didn't even glance at him, and just followed Lin Shuchun and Liu Yuan attentively.
Lin Shuchun led Liu Yuan for a long time. The group of cultivators who had followed Liu Yuan earlier caught up with them, but they just followed silently, without saying much or asking why Liu Yuan had fallen into such a state.
They seemed to still be wary of Liu Yuan for something. It was just unclear what exactly they were wary of.
Liu Yuan resumed his domineering manner, ordering the cultivators around to do this and that for him. Fortunately, he was preoccupied with magical artifacts, so he didn't do anything out of line again.
Lin Shuchun remained good-natured towards everyone. When Liu Yuan instructed the cultivators to buy things for the two of them, he accepted them with a smile and then thanked them and expressed his gratitude, which contrasted sharply with Liu Yuan's self-righteous attitude.
After walking for a long time, Liu Yuan finally noticed something was wrong.
As they passed the same shop again, he finally looked at Lin Shuchun, his expression turning grim: "Did you get the way wrong? Why do I feel like we've been going around in circles?"
Meng Chiwan also stopped in her tracks. She had already noticed this when she walked through this place for the second time.
“I’m not mistaken,” Lin Shuchun said. “We’re almost there, just a little bit more.”
Liu Yuan was skeptical. She glanced at the cultivator behind her and said, "Wait here and don't move."
The cultivator nodded, and Meng Chiwan clearly saw that the cultivator's face was exactly the same as the face of the corpse she had seen at Liu Yuan's house. In other words, he should be the last survivor.
She remembered that he seemed to have died from the Buddhist markings on his body.
She was really curious about what he had finally encountered, but she still had to follow Liu Yuan.
The group continued to follow Lin Shuchun, and after walking for an unknown amount of time, they saw the familiar signboard and shop again.
A corpse was hanging from the signboard above the shop.
Meng Chiwan looked closely and recognized him as the cultivator Liu Yuan had asked him to wait here.
"What's going on?" Liu Yuan suddenly turned to Lin Shuchun and shouted.
Meng Chiwan looked at Wei Jiyu, who was also frowning, wondering what the situation was.
Lin Shuchun, though yelled at, didn't seem annoyed: "Now it doesn't matter, you have your ticket to enter Lingjiang Palace."
Liu Yuan was stunned by his words: "What do you mean... Is human life a ticket to the game?"
Lin Shuchun remained noncommittal: "Didn't you say you wanted to obtain the magical artifact? That would only require paying a higher price. Even if everyone around you dies in the end, are you still going to get that artifact?"
Liu Yuan stared at the corpse, remaining silent for a long time. A thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his expression seemed somewhat defeated, no longer the spirited man he had been at the beginning.
He turned to look at the ashen-faced cultivators behind him, who seemed to be struggling. But then, as if remembering something, he finally nodded: "I must have it, I absolutely must have it. Take me there."
His tone was firm, as if he were convincing himself.
"Alright." Lin Shuchun took one last deep look at Liu Yuan's face, which had finally made up its mind, and nodded without saying anything more.
After that, Liu Yuan didn't give any more orders to the cultivators behind her; the group simply walked forward in silence.
This time, however, the surrounding roads finally started to show some differences, no longer just a repetition of a few scenes.
Every place they passed through was absolutely beautiful.
In particular, there was a place where fallen leaves covered the hillsides, and the petals brushed against the shoulders of the group.
Meng Chiwan reached out and took a petal. The pale color was quickly blown to the ground by the wind. She looked up and saw Lin Shuchun suddenly stop in place, with a few petals tangled in her hair.
He seemed to have thought of something, but in the end he still stepped out of the flower forest step by step, and with each step he took, countless petals were trampled into the mud.
He walked step by step, never looking back, never stopping, and never wavering again.
"Let's go," she heard him say.
But Meng Chiwan suddenly remembered the fallen petals tree in the Lin family mansion, and in an instant she understood why he had stopped.
Will she one day remember Mount Garan, and the version of herself before she met Yun Xianqing?
That's just how people are. That's just how people are.
I always fondly reminisce about the past, trying to use those memories to dilute all the misfortunes I encounter now.
But misfortune is misfortune. It doesn't turn into happiness just because of any memories.
After crossing that mountain and finally stepping onto a barrier, Liu Yuan stopped.
He asked Lin Shuchun, "If I go back on my word now, can the dead come back to life?"
Lin Shuchun looked at him, just looked at him, and said nothing.
But Liu Yuan knew the answer.
Above the barrier was a huge plaque.
Unlike other immortal sects, Lingjiang Palace is desolate and cold, with no people coming and going, no noise or bustle, only endless loneliness, as if piled up with snow that has not melted for millions of years.
It's like the underworld, a place where people come and go but no one can see it.
"Can."
The moment he stepped into the barrier, Lin Shuchun suddenly spoke.
Liu Yuan turned her head but did not stop; her body had already entered the barrier.
Lin Shuchun smiled, his full head of white hair fluttering in the wind, his eyes filled with dust. In his hazy state, he simply smiled and nodded gently.
But Meng Chiwan seemed to hear the sound of winter. It was utter silence, the sound of life fading away.
It seemed that something that would cause her unbearable sorrow was about to happen.
She couldn't help but call out again, "Lin Shuchun."
This time, the young man did not turn back.
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