Chapter 43. Gazing into the depths of my beloved's heart, from beginningless time...
The night was still and the dew was light. A few gusts of evening wind swept past the curtains outside the bedroom, leaving a layer of water droplets as the damp rain passed by.
Thunder rumbled in the clouds below the mountain, while the clouds above the mountain grew heavier, indicating an impending rain. Thunder Valley was an unpleasant place; no matter where you went, it made you uncomfortable.
Chang Yubai raised his hand, his spiritual energy overflowing outwards, isolating him from the layer of cold, damp air.
The faint candlelight by the window illuminated his face, making his calm and expressionless countenance stand out in the darkness.
And there's that faintly gathered brow.
Li Hongyi's words were loaded with meaning, but if what this guy said was true, then how did Li Tiansheng come about?
You can't just pick one up off the street and use it as a baby.
The doubts of those outside the window couldn't penetrate the room; the candlelight flickered dimly, like an invisible frost covering the place, making one feel listless.
"What do you need me to do?" Lian Wumiao seemed to understand the rambling words, and she could even sense all the hidden bitterness in Li Hongyi's voice.
Before a century had passed, the elegant and gentle demeanor of the Venerable Piaomiao was already beginning to take shape.
Lian Wumiao was the elder Li Tiansheng relied on most often, and according to Li Tiansheng himself, he was also the one with whom he could most easily relax and unwind.
If it weren't for those subtle forms of favoritism, Chang Yubai wouldn't have been so sure of betting on other people's family affairs.
Lian Wumiao no longer needed to know any more reasons; her eyes did not deceive her. Li Hongyi cared for her as always, but it was time for the two of them to separate.
"What can I do for you, Li Lang?"
"...Remember me."
Lian Wumiao was stunned.
"Miaomiao, remember me." Li Hongyi's voice was very soft, without any effort. "Even if it takes a hundred years, a thousand years... whatever you do to remember me, just don't forget me."
Don't let the Guanwu Continent forget him.
This was Li Hongyi's most sincere desire.
Then, he put on an outer robe and left again.
The night was not yet deep, and even if he turned around and went down the mountain now, it would still be in time.
Li Hongyi's robe was loose and casual, suggesting he wasn't in a hurry to leave.
"Finished talking?" Chang Yubai walked over slowly.
"...You really were eavesdropping, huh?"
"You didn't say you couldn't."
“That makes perfect sense.” After saying that, Li Hongyi paused for a long moment before bursting into laughter. “What, were you waiting for me?”
Chang Yubai nodded.
"What do you want to know? Your little lackey isn't here, is he?"
"My apprentice."
“My apprentice wouldn’t be tattling at this age, acting like a little kid who’s always clinging to me.”
"That's because you're all alone, with no one to get close to you."
"...That's going too far."
Unable to win an argument with Chang Yubai, Li Hongyi looked around and leaped into the air, heading towards a quiet, secluded pavilion, with Chang Yubai following closely behind.
The two sat down. One was dressed calmly in a white robe, his eyes fixed on the person opposite him; the other was dressed simply, his gaze shifting and avoiding eye contact.
"Would you like some tea?" Chang Yubai suddenly asked.
Li Hongyi looked left and right, but saw no one to offer him a cup of tea. Before he could voice his question, a sound of stone clashing rang out from the table.
"What is this?" Li Hongyi's eyes widened in disbelief.
"A teapot? You've never seen one like this before?"
"...Why do you carry a teapot with you at all times?"
Chang Yubai retorted, "Is it a disease to only bring a teapot?"
With a wave of his hand, a brand-new packet of tea fell onto the table.
Li Hongyi: "..."
Li Hongyi: "Interesting, I'll do that next time too... Wait, why did you put in so many sugar cubes?"
"Tea without sugar is bitter."
"What kind of nonsense is that! Isn't the point of drinking tea to appreciate its aroma?"
"I like sweet drinks, is there a problem with that?"
"It's alright, please go ahead."
Finally, a palm-sized piece of sugar was stuffed into the teapot, a pool of clear spring water was poured in, and with the aid of spiritual energy, a pot of hot tea was brewed.
Chang Yubai then took out two more cups.
Li Hongyi: "..." What kind of junk do you keep in that mustard seed space?
And so, a bizarre conversation ensued around the teapot at night.
Li Hongyi was speechless. When Chang Yubai handed him the teacup, he took it without thinking and even took a small sip. As a result, after finishing the teacup, he looked up at the sky and wondered if there was something wrong with his tongue.
"Ahem, let's get down to business." Li Hongyi put down his teacup, even pushing it away from himself, as if afraid he might unconsciously pick it up and take another sip.
"Don't waste it," Chang Yubai reminded him.
"oh……"
Li Hongyi obediently took out the kettle and poured the whole cup of tea into it.
Chang Yubai: "..." Genius.
"What did you want to tell me?" After this farce, Li Hongyi's sadness had mostly subsided. She let the evening breeze, carrying moisture, pat her cheeks, but no longer felt bitter.
Chang Yubai enjoyed his sweet tea: "Aren't you concerned about Xiaoyun? I'll tell you about the situation."
“All his skills were taught by me, and the techniques he learned were given to him by me. The technique he wanted to learn was special, requiring him to study and improve it year after year, but I gave him the complete version.”
"Oh, and for the past ten years or so, I've been taking him to explore all sorts of secret realms. You've probably experienced those secret realms before... well, they're pretty close to death, but I always manage to pull him back from the brink."
"besides……"
Chang Yubai meticulously explained how he had nurtured Li Qingyun into the powerful person she is today.
The timeline is not coherent, but fortunately the information is complete, enough for Li Hongyi to piece together the more than ten years from when the master and apprentice met to when they grew up.
Li Hongyi's lips twitched: "So the problem lies with you."
It turns out that this guy was too protective of his own, which seriously affected Li Qingyun's progress, causing Li Qingyun's cultivation to progress too slowly.
The complete version of Yuanjue has been brought out; this is beyond Li Hongyi's control.
"Um, have you ever met Li Tiansheng?" Li Hongyi asked softly.
Chang Yubai: "..."
Chang Yubai: "Let's change the subject."
Li Hongyi was speechless at his blatant evasion.
"That guy isn't some monster, is it really that big of a deal?" Li Hongyi muttered to himself, keeping his voice down.
Although Chang Yubai didn't hear what he was muttering, there were still a few possibilities.
“You’re his father, of course you don’t think there’s anything wrong with him,” Chang Yubai complained under his breath.
"Cough cough cough!!!" Li Hongyi almost choked to death on his own saliva.
"Hmm, shouldn't we change the subject?"
"I've changed my mind, I'm going to file a complaint," Chang Yubai replied crisply.
Li Hongyi admired them; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to be master and apprentice, they really had the same temperament.
"Then may I ask, Your Majesty, what has this rebellious son done?"
"..." Chang Yubai was about to speak when suddenly a spiritual pressure descended from above.
He looked up warily, but there was no one attacking him, nor did he notice any unusual movement.
Then, Chang Yubai realized something, his bright eyes pointing straight to the sky, finally identifying the source of the obstacle that had been blocking him.
God made him shut up.
"See? I can't tell." Li Hongyi smugly poured himself a cup of tea.
Then, silence fell the moment it touched his lips.
"It sank to the bottom." Li Hongyi was somewhat doubtful about life.
"Hmm? Wouldn't that taste even better?"
"It's even sweeter now!" Li Hongyi exclaimed, adding another sugar level to her kettle.
Chang Yubai's good mood was ruined by the weather, so he simply stopped asking and drank to his heart's content.
Li Hongyi simply placed the kettle in front of the teapot. Chang Yu drank a cup of sweet tea, and he would accompany her with a cup of sweet water. Anyone who didn't know better would think that the two were drinking fine wine and seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely.
Li Hongyi, who had been drinking before, suggested having a drink midway through the meal, but Chang Yubai refused, saying, "Drinking is not a good habit."
He must set a good example and not teach Xiaoyun bad habits.
Li Hongyi, the master of bad habits: "Tch."
Two little brats.
They drank and slept soundly through the night, without a single dream. As dawn broke, the two finally ended their silent drinking session.
"Don't be too sad." Chang Yubai patted his shoulder comfortingly. "So what if you can't touch women? You can still touch men."
"Did you stay up too late and get confused?" Li Hongyi asked with a smile. "Go to sleep, or it will affect your physical development."
"No, I'm way too old."
"Really? That's quite unexpected."
"Li Hongyi".
"Um?"
Chang Yubai did not say it explicitly.
But when Li Hongyi looked over, Chang Yubai's eyes had already given him the answer.
Li Hongyi wanted to speak, but he didn't know what to say.
Chang Yubai's message was very clear—Li Hongyi, you are not alone.
Li Hongyi is not the only one in this world who knows the truth; he is not alone now.
"...If only it could always be like this," he thought.
Chang Yubai had already left, and the teacups and cups had been cleared away. Only Li Hongyi's empty kettle remained on the table, and a faint fruity fragrance could still be smelled from it.
It looked as if he had been drinking fruit wine alone all night.
"Looking dejected first thing in the morning?"
Some time later, Li Qingyun actually arrived.
I came alone.
Li Hongyi was somewhat surprised, but then realized that he hadn't come to see him, so he reminded him, "The White Emperor has already returned."
"I know, my master called me when I got up."
"?" Are you a three-year-old? Do you need your master to wake you up?
Li Qingyun could tell from his expression that this guy was not on the same wavelength as him: "Someone like you who doesn't have family around wouldn't understand. Being woken up is proof that you are cared for."
Okay, that's a lie. Li Qingyun just wanted to create a hazy atmosphere while she was still sleepy.
This trick can't be used too often. After all, Li Qingyun's biological clock logic has always been far superior to Chang Yubai's. If she sleeps in late once or twice, Chang Yubai will care and wake her up. But if she keeps sleeping in, then the two of them will both be staying in bed.
The thought of Chang Yubai's blockheadedness made Li Qingyun's gaze involuntarily sharpen, her eyes sweeping over everything in sight like a knife.
Li Hongyi: "Then, you were looking for me?"
Is it true or false?
"Can't I come to you?" Li Qingyun sat down directly opposite him. The stone bench had been wiped dry by the morning dew and was now ice-cold, with no trace of Chang Yubai's body heat from the night before.
Li Hongyi couldn't understand what was wrong with the master and apprentice. Why did they avoid each other like the plague before, but now they were sticking to him?
Chang Yubai could understand; they had common topics and could chat more... But before they could even begin to chat, fate wouldn't let them say a word!
But why did Li Qingyun leave?
Li Hongyi's gaze swept over the gleaming jade pendant around his neck, and she suddenly paused: "Wait—"
Li Qingyun, who was on the other side, was a master of action. By the time he started talking, Li Qingyun had already touched him.
So that's why they came to see my mind... Li Hongyi understood.
You little brat, I told you a black heart can't suddenly turn into a red heart.
"What did you see?"
Li Hongyi could probably guess what his obsession was.
But Li Qingyun's reaction was a bit excessive.
They stood frozen in place like idiots.
Hearing Li Hongyi's words, Li Qingyun slowly came back to her senses.
"No! The Wishing Stone must be broken. Let me touch it again!"
Li Qingyun did not believe in evil.
Li Hongyi was speechless, but he could have anticipated this reaction, so he stretched out his hand to show him again.
It's still the same.
Li Qingyun's eyes widened, her gaze filled with incomprehension.
"Why...the Wishing Stone..."
“The Jingyuan Stone isn’t broken,” Li Hongyi said. “You’re not mistaken.”
"..." Li Qingyun received a positive answer and could be considered to have come to her senses.
The bend was so steep that it almost hurt his back.
Li Qingyun thought she could see Li Hongyi's pitiful past, perhaps related to some woman, perhaps the moment he became a lonely man, or perhaps, Lian Wumiao, Chang Yubai, or herself.
In fact, Li Qingyun wanted to know more about whether Li Hongyi had feelings for Li Tiansheng. Since he couldn't listen to these things, surely it wouldn't be a problem for him to see them?
But no.
There was nothing there.
When he urged the Jingyuan Stone to touch Li Hongyi, all he saw was complete darkness.
The person in front of me sat calmly, completely certain of his past and future.
The image that left the deepest impression on Li Hongyi was the endless darkness.
Without beginning or end.
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