Chapter 76 I met you in my most desperate moment…
While hugs are not uncommon after family reunions, these hugs seem to be getting increasingly intimate.
Li Qingyun's breath landed on Chang Yubai's earlobe, making him almost shudder, but he couldn't help but freeze in place again.
Come to think of it, this place isn't exactly respectable to begin with.
Well……
The word "bad" popped into Chang Yubai's mind instantly.
I was so happy that I forgot there was an 80% chance this meeting was a "trap"!
Although Li Qingyun may change, the scheme is definitely aimed at me!
Chang Yubai remained silent for a moment.
After a moment of silence, he solemnly broke free from the embrace, placing his hands on Li Qingyun's shoulders, trying to glean some clues from the expression of a good master or a good disciple.
"What's there to be afraid of?" Li Qingyun bluntly revealed his ill intentions.
Chang Yubai: "..."
It's not so much fear as fear.
It's just hard not to think about what happened before.
For example, he once solemnly confessed his past life to his apprentice Xiaoyun, but a few days later, Xiaoyun regained her memories of her past life.
What's the difference between this and confessing your feelings to someone's face?
Even Chang Yubai, who is usually calm and collected, wanted to cover his face at this moment, afraid that he would turn bright red and invite ridicule from the person opposite him.
Amidst the shame, my heart was pounding.
Chang Yubai turned his head away, not daring to meet Li Qingyun's gaze.
Even though he had been the master for over a decade, raising the person before him from infancy to adulthood, upon returning from the past, Chang Yubai seemed to have reverted to the mischievous and unruly disciple of his previous life.
Having someone to pamper you and being in charge of your own life are two completely different feelings. Even though the person in front of him looks young, he has already become a reliable master in Chang Yubai's heart.
Openly expressing one's feelings and boldly professing love in front of elders is not advocated by the doctrine of moderation and restraint, which is precisely the root of Chang Yubai's inability to suppress his shame.
But he was also the one who wanted to overstep his bounds.
So Chang Yubai turned his gaze back.
“I…” he began to speak.
But as the words were about to come out, Chang Yubai had a change of heart and wanted to back down.
Finally, he could only ask tactfully, "Master, do you...do you have feelings for me?"
He didn't understand why he had asked such a stupid question.
In his previous life, Li Qingyun's kindness to him was clear enough. He had clearly glimpsed the affection that Venerable Qingyun had for him through the gaps in their daily interactions. Yet, when he stood before the true form, Chang Yubai still felt timid.
He feared that it was just his own misinterpretation.
He feared that if he looked back with feelings for Li Qingyun, some of the close interactions that were originally just between master and disciple or family members would turn into what he saw as presumption and intimacy.
He feared that Li Qingyun was still affected by this life, and that her so-called affection was just a form of resentment, a desire to prove that she shouldn't have been rejected a few days ago.
Even knowing that the current ambiguous atmosphere was orchestrated by Li Qingyun, Chang Yubai still dared not take the plunge until he could figure out Li Qingyun's true thoughts.
He needed someone to give him a hand and clearly tell him whether it was feasible, and coincidentally, Li Qingyun was clear enough about his desires.
With a bond that has lasted for a century, how could Li Qingyun not know about Chang Yubai's awkwardness and avoidance in matters of love?
“It’s not something that can be explained simply by talking, Yu Bai.” Li Qingyun pressed his head against her own forehead. “Why not try to see it clearly with your heart?”
"Whether it's what you want or not, just look carefully."
Memory sharing.
This was the skill that Li Qingyun had obtained from Li Tiansheng.
This is also an indispensable part of this reunion.
Li Qingyun knows Chang Yubai too well. Chang Yubai is fond of but avoids social interactions and always needs Li Qingyun's help in navigating interpersonal relationships.
Unless one can know the thoughts and feelings of the person opposite them, and know the whole process of the other person offering their true feelings, one will not feel at ease entrusting their heart to them.
How could Li Qingyun bear to let him struggle with this dilemma?
[Then take a good look, Yu Bai.]
Look back at your past life. Was your master truly sincere towards you? Did he ever harbor any improper thoughts towards you?
It would be best to take another look, from a perspective you may not be aware of, to see which sacrifices were unavoidable.
He was willing to reveal his entire life to Chang Yubai, hoping only for peace of mind for both of them.
The moment his thoughts settled, Chang Yubai felt a warm pulling force coming from where their foreheads touched.
His body clearly sensed the breath so close at hand, yet his consciousness grew increasingly scattered and lost, as if his soul were falling into a warm, deep sea, where the warm currents were mending the deficiencies in his understanding of love.
In his reverie, he seemed to hear a whisper from his own heart.
That heartfelt voice was powerful yet filled with sorrow; its sound waves rippled across the water, piercing the silence of the deep sea, and surging toward its destination.
Ultimately, it entered his mind.
...
I once knelt before heaven and earth, and questioned the heavens, why did you give me birth only to deceive me, and give me the fate of a cursed lone star?
Later I realized that even fate has its own plans.
...
How many kinds of suffering must a person endure before seeing the dawn of transformation?
Li Qingyun was unaware.
How long does it take for a person to accept their unfair fate?
I can't let go of Li Qingyun.
The more proud a person is, the less they can tolerate having to fall into the dust and become a mere foil for those in power.
One year? Ten years? Or a hundred years? Time flies, and he continues his journey, exploring the path of martial arts. Finally, in his ninety-ninth year, he has carved out his own peak.
The ninth level of the Venerable Martial Realm.
A realm that no one in the world has ever reached.
He finally had the opportunity to confront the secrets of heaven.
But his cultivation alone was not enough, so he searched everywhere and finally found an opportunity to fulfill his wish.
Jingyuan Stone.
Ancient texts record that the Jingyuan Stone is a tool for discerning the mind. When used on a person, it reveals the deepest, most unforgettable secrets in their heart.
But Li Qingyun had little interest in looking into other people's hearts; what he wanted to see was the merciless and heartless sky above him.
He wanted to peer into the heavens.
After a year of seclusion, he refined the Jingyuan Stone and transformed what were considered worthless gems by all cultivators into a Heavenly-Rank Treasure—the Sky-Gazing Mirror.
In order to communicate with the heavens, he was willing to sacrifice his supreme cultivation of the ninth level of the Venerable Martial Realm. Even if he was just one step away from becoming a god and becoming an existence that had long been forgotten by legend, it could not stop him from pursuing the truth of the Great Dao.
Even if you receive an answer that it is fate, you should still try to understand why destiny is so biased.
Li Qingyun just wanted to get to the bottom of things.
But the answer, in his eyes, turned into a scene of despair.
—The Guanwu Continent has no future. When the protagonist named Li Tiansheng steps onto the Ascension Staircase, the world will collapse.
There are no rules in this world, only constant repetition and fixity, only stories that are based on the ending. Once someone is labeled, they can never escape that bondage for the rest of their life.
As for Li Qingyun, his loneliness was beyond anyone's help.
Even at the very end, Li Qingyun could only obediently become Li Tiansheng's foil, a significant part of Li Tiansheng's glorious achievements.
ridiculous.
On what grounds?
Why should he, despite struggling with all his might, be forced to live according to his predetermined fate?
Why should he obediently accept his fate as a cursed lone star?
"If even the heavens cannot control their own rules, then what right do they have to stand above all living beings as the heavens!"
They are nothing but puppets manipulated by the story, so why should they be respected by thousands of cultivators!
He roared in anger and at the will of Heaven, but only received thunderous fury. The Ten Directions Heavenly Tribulation pressed down on him, forcibly knocking him back to the first level of the Venerable Martial Realm.
The stronger a person is, the less they can tolerate the fall from glory.
Heaven wanted to warn him not to overstep its bounds.
But he replied, "What a joke."
The thunder seeped into his bones, and sparks flew around his lungs. He held blood in his mouth, yet stubbornly refused to speak, unwilling to let the blood stain his lips.
Those eyes were still bright, but the former ambition was gone. Anger and resentment filled those piercing eyes. In the end, the faith he longed for most did not even qualify him to be a faith.
He still wants to forge a new path.
If there is no new life, then overturn the entire continent and disturb even the heavens!
As if sensing his rebellious thoughts, the lightning tribulation returned, putting even more pressure on the already exhausted Li Qingyun. Under the thunder, even the toughest bones were forced to kneel.
Despite Qingyun's refusal, she refused to back down and beg for mercy.
Even the heavens were helpless.
Finally, only the words "Do not look up at the heavens, do not question the heavens" remained, and then he stopped paying attention to the pitiful people in front of him.
That day, thunderclouds rolled and churned, a sight that shocked the world. Everyone thought that some kind of annihilated evil spirit had been born, provoking the heavens to send down a demon.
Little did they know, he was just a pitiful person who failed his tribulation and was sent back to the starting point of the Venerable Martial Realm.
Li Qingyun's pupils were unfocused as he walked with particular difficulty across the desolate wilderness of Zhongzhou.
He's a cursed lone star, unloved by anyone. Even if the world were to end, there's no way to reverse it. Everyone will become a stepping stone on Li Tiansheng's path to enlightenment.
The curse-like words echoed in his ears. After hearing them for so long, he didn't even notice the pebbles on the road. He stumbled and fell to the ground in a daze.
But he didn't immediately stand up.
Having just endured the bombardment of the heavenly tribulation, Li Qingyun's body was at its weakest. She supported herself with her hands on the ground, but the pain of the pebbles piercing her palms instantly triggered a surge of thunderous energy within her internal organs.
He had endured physical pain countless times. In the past, he could quickly wipe the dust off his clothes and restore them to a pristine state without even frowning.
But Li Qingyun's hair was mostly disheveled. The person who valued neatness and dignity the most had no intention of caring about her image.
“If…” His eyes lost their luster and were filled with gloom, “If this world is just a predetermined performance.”
"Could my quest also be... the inevitable outcome of this story?"
If even defiance and resistance are pre-written, then what belongs to him personally?
Does Li Qingyun really exist?
Is he really acting according to his own conscience?
Stripped of the labels of "destined villain" and "lone star," what else is left of the name Li Qingyun?
An unprecedented weariness was engulfing him; even the accumulated bitterness of a hundred years of life could not compare to the chilling despair he felt at this moment.
His soul should have been clamoring with hatred, but he was terrified that this soul did not belong to him.
He dared not muster the strength to be angry or resentful. He couldn't distinguish which emotions shaped Li Qingyun, or which temperaments had propelled him to where he was today.
He ran and searched tirelessly on the Great Way, enduring countless hardships, but when he reached the end, he discovered that the Great Way had never existed.
Bitter.
It is more painful than knowing that no one truly cares for you, and more painful than having your cultivation destroyed by a lightning tribulation.
"Li Tiansheng, I hate you so much."
"How could I just be a supporting character..."
But who can prove that Li Qingyun is a real person?
But no one knew who heard his prayer, and the surrounding spiritual energy began to fluctuate violently.
Li Qingyun was startled. When he looked up and took a closer look, he was speechless. It was too late to savor the sadness in his heart.
No wonder he was short-sighted at the moment; the scene before him was simply too illogical.
Under the moonlight, colorful lights twinkled, each star representing a wisp of spiritual energy in the world.
As far as the eye could see, all spiritual energy converged towards this place, bustling about and condensing into a giant butterfly shape that blurred the lines between reality and illusion under the moonlight.
The cold moonlight also shone down, the breeze sang, and the sedges echoed, and a gentle hymn was easily played by heaven and earth.
Amidst the dazzling light, the various elemental energies crackled and shoved, each vying for a turn, afraid of missing out if they were even a step too late. They pushed and shoved, all converging towards a spot not far ahead, flowing into the central, suspended sphere of light. As more and more energies joined in, the phantom of an infant gradually materialized within the sphere.
This was the brightest night Li Qingyun had ever seen.
The brightness completely dispelled the gloom in his heart.
Everything was for the sake of welcoming the birth of a new life.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Venerable Qingyun (in anguish): I pray, who can prove that my existence has meaning?
Author: Okay, okay, look this way~
Author: Magic Activated! Balala Energy! A Little Baby Falls From the Sky!
Little Chang: (Sound asleep) (Sleeping like a baby)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
