Inside the main hall, Yun Jue remained standing in the same spot, staring straight at Jiang Fei.
Her choice was Xin Qi.
The person she was looking at was Xin Qi.
She didn't even spare him a single glance.
Xin Qi's eyes seemed to be filled with disbelief. After a while, he slowly stepped forward, took Jiang Fei's hand with his thin, bony hand, and then solemnly intertwined his fingers: "Okay, I'll take you away." He murmured softly.
Jiang Fei remained unresponsive, letting him lead her by the hand, only nodding.
Yun Jue lowered his eyes, staring at the two people's tightly clasped hands, trying his best to suppress the anger in his heart, until his magic power leaked out without him realizing it, and his robes surged wildly.
This shouldn't have happened.
Having survived the ordeal, he should restrain himself, calm his mind, and be free from desires.
But why... repeatedly unable to comprehend the Dao, unable to understand the Dharma, even after achieving immortality, is still inferior to the most fragile mortal.
Now, the way Jiang Fei shakes hands with others is like a nail piercing his eyes; he can't bear to look at it.
Jiang Fei had already turned around and walked calmly toward the door with Xin Qi.
But the next moment, she stopped in her tracks.
Yun Jue grabbed her other hand; his fingertips were still trembling slightly, but he was using all his strength.
Jiang Fei turned her head to look at him: "Immortal Venerable, is there anything else?" Her voice was like a stagnant pool, devoid of any emotion.
Yun Jue's lips moved, his Adam's apple bobbed, but after a long silence, he could only manage to squeeze out a single sentence from deep in his throat: "Yun Wunian..." It was him.
That mortal Yun Wunian was merely an avatar of his in the human realm.
He desperately wanted to tell her those words, but they were stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter another word.
Jiang Fei glanced down at the hand he was holding and then released Xin Qi's grip on her hand.
Xin Qi's hand froze in mid-air.
Then, Jiang Fei slowly covered Yun Jue's hand and slowly but firmly pried his fingers apart one by one: "Immortal Venerable Yun Jue, please have some self-respect."
After saying that, she turned around and walked towards the door with Xin Qi.
"Feifei..." Rong Shu, covered in blood, called her name softly on the ground. Just those two words seemed to have exhausted all his strength.
Jiang Fei paused for a moment, but ultimately left without turning back.
But the moment she stepped out of Qianjin Tower, her weakened body, ravaged by the loss of her heart, lost even more vitality. Unable to hold on any longer, she fell into a deep sleep.
"Feifei!" Xin Qi hurriedly embraced her, his voice hoarse and unpleasant, and a continuous stream of life force flowed into her body from his palm.
In the next instant, it transformed into a ball of crimson light and vanished outside the Thousand Gold Pavilion in the blink of an eye.
Inside the main hall.
Yun Jue stared at her retreating figure, walking side by side with others, long since disappeared. His body stiffened and felt cold, as if a raging fire was burning in his chest, impossible to quell, and he wanted to destroy everything around him.
The spiritual energy within his body surged wildly, his lungs were filled with resentment, his golden immortal light was tinged with crimson, and his eyes faintly glowed with a red light.
who is he?
Is it Yun Jue, or Yun Wu Nian?
What does he want?
Immortal body or...
Yun Jue suddenly raised his eyes, suppressing the crimson in them. The next moment, his figure vanished from Qianjin Tower.
Rong Shu remained lying on the ground, his gaze fixed on the direction of the door, waiting for a figure to suddenly appear and call out to him with a smile, "Rong Shu."
But he waited for a long time and nothing came of it.
Jiang Fei left, she departed.
Jiang Fei, who nestled in his arms last night and told him she was "afraid of making him cold," and who had murmured to him during the day that she "wanted to drink hot porridge," now, after discovering the whole truth, doesn't want him anymore.
“Heh…” Rong Shu wanted to laugh, but the sound that came out was like a sob.
After an unknown amount of time, he withdrew his gaze and looked at the heart she had carved out herself. He stared blankly at it, then climbed towards the heart step by step with difficulty. Finally, he trembled as he picked up the heart, curled up, and embraced it in his arms.
A sob or a low howl came from his throat, but in the end, he just opened his mouth and couldn't make a sound anymore.
Rong Shu's favorability rating: 100.
...
Jiang Fei heard the system report on Rong Shu's favorability rating on the morning of the second day.
Someone was whispering something in her ear, until finally only a hoarse, unpleasant voice kept calling her "Feifei, Feifei".
A surge of vibrant life force, which had been flowing into her cold lungs, continuously sustained her life.
After an unknown period of time, the life force ceased, and Jiang Fei felt inexplicably much more comfortable.
She slowly opened her eyes, and what she saw was a curtain swaying gently in the breeze, and a ray of light shining through a half-open window.
Jiang Fei squinted, and after adjusting to the light, slowly got up.
The room's furnishings were very familiar, but it was empty at the moment, with no one in sight.
The sounds of lively vendors hawking their wares and the clatter of horses' hooves drifted in from the half-open window.
Jiang Fei got off the bed and walked to the window. In the distance was Wunian Mountain, hidden in the clouds and mist. At his feet were people selling their wares, and cultivators were also passing by in a hurry. It was more prosperous than before.
Visit Fangzhen.
The room she woke up in was the guest room of the Youfang Inn where she and Xin Qi used to stay.
Jiang Fei raised an eyebrow, surprised that Xin Qi would bring her here. However, she had some unusual thoughts and after pondering for a moment, she slowly walked out of the guest room.
The waiter was the same one as before, and he kept glancing at her after seeing her.
Jiang Fei nodded to him and then left the inn.
When Xin Qi returned to the inn after collecting the sweet dew and spiritual herbs, he found the bed empty.
The bamboo tube and the medicinal herbs in his hand fell to the ground.
Feifei...
Xin Qi turned around almost immediately and ran outside in a panic, his weak body nearly revealing his true form as a demon.
He will not let her leave again.
This is where their fate began, where they first met.
If we start over, it's not too late.
"Feifei!" Xin Qi called her name, his voice low and hoarse.
Many people around him turned to look at him, seeing the handsome young man in red looking as disheveled as if he had lost his soul.
Xin Qi completely ignored the stares of those people and continued searching through the crowd: "Jiang Fei..."
Don't leave him again.
“Feifei…” Xin Qi’s voice stopped abruptly, and he stopped walking abruptly, staring blankly at the woman’s figure not far away.
She was standing in the middle of the road, her face growing paler, yet still radiating life.
A person whose heart has been ripped out can never regain life.
At this moment, she was staring blankly at the stall selling licorice plum juice.
—That was their shared past.
“Feifei,” Xin Qi walked to her side, his heart finally calming down, his voice still tinged with lingering fear, “Want some?” he whispered.
Jiang Fei finally looked at him, her gaze deep and dark, calm and still, like a stagnant pool.
Xin Qi's breath hitched, and his chest ached. He dared not listen to her answer any longer and turned to walk towards the licorice plum juice stall: "Two tubes, please."
The proprietress responded warmly and deftly filled two bamboo tubes with licorice plum water.
Xin Qi turned around happily, holding the licorice plum juice: "Fei..."
The sound stopped, and all he saw was Jiang Fei's expressionless back as she turned and walked towards the inn.
I didn't wait for him.
Xin Qi lowered his eyes, staring blankly at the two bamboo tubes in his hands. He got up and quickly walked a few steps behind her, following closely behind. "This is what you like to drink." He carefully handed one of the bamboo tubes to her.
Jiang Fei glanced down at the bamboo tube and said calmly, "Does Young Master Xin also like things from the human world?"
Xin Qi's fingers trembled slightly: "I like it, Fei Fei."
Over the long years, he had drunk countless cups, but none could compare to the sweetness they had shared together.
Jiang Fei looked up at him: "But I don't like it anymore."
After saying that, she walked past him and into the inn.
Xin Qi was left standing alone at the entrance of the inn. After a long while, he coughed twice, tilted his head back and drank the plum water in one gulp before following them.
When he returned to the guest room, Jiang Fei was already resting. Her lonely figure lay on the bed, her back to him, her body radiating resistance and thinness.
He knew she was awake, but she just didn't want to talk to him.
It's okay, he can keep waiting.
Xin Qi picked up the fallen spiritual herb, held it in his palm, absorbed its essence, and felt that his life force had been slightly replenished. Only then did he sit down at the table, quietly watching her back without moving.
It seemed that just being able to see her as soon as he opened his eyes was enough to make him content. That day, Jiang Fei did not go out again until nightfall.
Noticing that her breathing was no longer unsteady, but even so weak as to be barely audible, Xin Qi gently stood up and walked to the bedside, lay down beside her, and held her cold body in his arms. He placed his hand on her palm and continuously channeled life force into her body.
In that instant, Xin Qi felt as if his soul had been ripped out, and his chest was wracked with excruciating pain as if his body and soul were being separated.
But there was still a bottomless pit inside her, and she could no longer generate any vitality.
We cannot give up; we would rather exhaust the last bit of life force in our bodies than give up.
Only when her breathing gradually calmed down did Xin Qi withdraw his hand, interlocking his fingers with hers, burying his cheek in her shoulder, warming her with his own body heat, even though... it was to no avail.
Only at this moment would she not resist him or push him away.
Only then will he feel that she is right beside him.
The next morning, when Jiang Fei woke up, she saw Xin Qi's face, which was even paler and weaker than the day before. His hand was still around her waist, and his face was full of exhaustion.
Jiang Fei shifted slightly, and Xin Qi suddenly opened his eyes. When he saw her clearly, he breathed a sigh of relief and forced a smile: "Feifei, good morning."
Jiang Fei stared at him calmly, slowly removing his hand from her waist and sitting up.
Xin Qi's smile froze for a moment before she finally sat up with her: "I've heard there's a Lantern Festival here in a few days, it'll definitely be lively then..."
“Young Master Xin,” Jiang Fei looked up calmly into his eyes, “why bother?”
Xin Qi froze, his eyes showing a moment of confusion and panic: "It's alright..."
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Fei continued, "Between you and me, it began with a deliberate act of exploitation and ended with the sword you stabbed me with."
"Why don't you let yourself go, and let me go too?"
Xin Qi stared blankly at her, as if he hadn't heard what she was saying, and after a long while murmured, "No good."
“Feifei, we met here,” he forced a fawning smile, “Let’s start over, okay…”
“Xin Qi,” Jiang Fei interrupted him again, then reached out and took off her outer garment, revealing the wound on her chest, “I’ve even ripped out my heart, so I won’t have love or hate anymore.”
Xin Qi stared blankly at her empty chest, slowly approaching her, gently touching the scar. His eyes suddenly reddened, and he embraced her, his voice choked with emotion: "It's okay."
"It doesn't matter whether you love me or not, just let me stay with you."
"Feifei, please."
...
In the human realm, in Liu'an City.
Yun Jue walked quietly through the streets. He didn't know why he had come here, but... he felt he had to come.
Several months have passed in the cultivation world, while decades have already passed in the human world.
Liuan City still retains its former prosperity, with bustling streets and a constant stream of pedestrians.
Yun Jue gradually stopped walking and looked at the pastry shop across the street. The shop owner had changed.
In the past, every evening when Yun Wunian returned home, he would choose some of Jiang Fei's favorite pastries without hesitation.
There was also a storybook shop next door. The shop's signboard had long since become weathered. In the past, Jiang Fei loved to read the popular storybooks inside.
Yun Jue slowly walked towards the village at the foot of the mountain.
The village has grown much larger now, and the familiar faces are long gone. The villagers all look at him with eyes full of unfamiliarity.
Until we reached the foot of the mountain, we saw a house that had been empty for decades in the distance.
Under the shade of a tree not far from the gate of the house, a teacher is telling stories to the children.
The children asked about the uninhabited house.
The man stroked his beard: "In there once lived a beautiful brother and sister."
"A young man surnamed Yun has an auspicious cloud birthmark on his face and possesses extraordinary wisdom; there is also a beautiful young woman surnamed Jiang..."
Yun Jue listened quietly, those things that clearly existed in his memory seemed like a distant past.
He walked slowly toward the courtyard.
"Young master?" The schoolteacher approached without anyone noticing.
Yun Jue turned around and looked.
The gentleman bowed politely and said, "I noticed this young master looks very familiar. May I ask if you are a descendant of Young Master Yun and Miss Jiang?"
The secret of the cloud is still unsolved.
The gentleman smiled sheepishly: "When I was young, I bullied that Young Master Yun. Later, Miss Jiang taught me a good lesson, and afterwards I worked hard and was fortunate enough to inherit your mantle..."
Yun Jue looked at him.
I remember now. Back in the academy, there was that boy who bullied Yun Wunian. Later, Jiang Fei grabbed the boy by the back of the neck and threw him in front of Yun Wunian, telling him to "fight back." He didn't do anything.
Jiang Fei even pinched the boy's cheek.
He looked at the teacher's face, which was already wrinkled and white-bearded, and nodded slightly.
The schoolteacher chuckled and continued, "Young Master Yun and Miss Jiang disappeared overnight, and everyone around them speculated for quite a while. Now that we know they're alright, it's good. Back then, Miss Jiang really threatened me for Young Master Yun's sake..."
He walked away as he spoke.
Yun Jue remained standing there, and as he thought of the woman threatening the child, a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.
The next moment, he suddenly realized what was happening, stopped smiling, turned around, and walked into the long-abandoned mansion.
The walls of the courtyard were long gone, and little remained of the things in the yard, but the old elm tree still grew lushly, and the recliner under the elm tree had long since rotted away.
The red silk that once hung on the branches has now been washed by wind and rain and turned into simple white strips of cloth.
Yun Jue stared blankly.
At that time, he almost married Jiang Fei.
They are only missing the "bowing to each other" to be considered a true couple.
Yun Jue pushed open the door and entered the room, raising a cloud of dust.
He entered Jiang Fei's room. The soft couch in the outer room was covered with a thick layer of dust. Jiang Fei had once lazily lay on it, and he had also sat there, with Jiang Fei resting her head on his knees.
And then... she kissed him.
Yun Jue's breathing became slightly erratic, and he quickly looked away and went into the inner room.
This should have been the bridal chamber after that wedding banquet.
The red silk had faded, leaving only desolation and dust.
Yun Jue walked slowly to the bedside, sat down, and got covered in dust.
In a daze, he seemed to see a woman covered with a red veil sitting beside him.
The next moment, Yun Jue seemed to sense something, turned around and lifted the dust-covered blanket, revealing a money bag underneath, containing more than ten spirit stones and a marriage certificate.
The birth chart reads "Yun Wunian," along with her handwriting: Xiao Wunian's birth date.
Yun Jue's hand holding the Geng Tie trembled violently as memories of the human realm flooded back.
He unconsciously reached up and clutched his chest, where a churning pain surged.
His gaze fell on the three characters "Xiao Wunian".
Xiao Wunian.
He hadn't heard her call him Xiao Wunian in so long.
Jiang Fei...
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