Chapter 42 Just Friends
Yan'er had no idea what special meaning the jade pendant she was wearing had. To her, the fact that it was "given by Brother Ren" was enough to make the little girl happy and put the jade pendant on her body the moment she received the gift.
Perhaps there's still a sliver of thought in mind: "I'll show off to my older brother later."
However, Yan'er's mind was not on the jade at all. She rushed in and looked Ren Yi up and down with her eyes. After confirming that the latter did not seem to have a relapse of his old injury, she had the leisure to pay attention to other things and finally noticed Xiao Hanzhou on the other side.
Yan'er had a good impression of this Xiao family head—largely because of his face—but thinking about her appearance just now, Yan'er's expression immediately became unnatural.
To behave so rudely in front of someone you don't know well is obviously enough to make a young girl of that age feel embarrassed. Yan'er turned her face slightly away, trying her best not to look at Xiao Hanzhou, but she didn't notice the strange expression on his face when he looked at her.
However, even a quick glance was enough for Yan'er to understand that it was the Xiao family head who was injured, not Brother Ren.
Yan'er breathed a sigh of relief, but soon realized that her "fortunate" mood was not good. How could she be happy just because it was the Xiao family head who was injured?
Driven by guilt, Yan'er tried her best to appear natural, but still stammered as she asked about Xiao Hanzhou's situation.
Ren Yi, mindful of the young girl's embarrassment after losing her composure in front of strangers, answered for her before Xiao Hanzhou could speak.
The situation wasn't complicated at all; it could be explained in a single sentence: Xiao Hanzhou was injured while receiving guidance from the Sword Master, and Ren Yi brought him back to be bandaged.
Yan'er breathed a sigh of relief at Brother Ren's answer. She responded with "Oh, oh, oh," and perhaps because she was too relaxed, she blurted out, "Brother Ren, you seem to be my master's wife."
Ren Yi?
Ren Yi raised an eyebrow as he looked at the young girl.
Yan'er realized what she had just said, quickly covered her mouth, and looked around.
However, she was quite familiar with Ren Yi and knew that he wouldn't get angry over such a small matter. Her eyes darted around guiltily for a moment before she whispered, "Every time my junior brother was punished by the sect leader, it was always my master's wife who helped bandage him up."
The "little senior brother" Yan'er mentioned was the son of the Xuanqing Sect's leader and Yan Shuoyun's junior brother. The boy was a few years older than Yan'er, full of energy and mischievousness. Every few days, his father and master would give him a good beating under the guise of "guiding cultivation." According to Yan Shuoyun's explanation to Ren Yi, "After this beating, that brat will be bedridden and well-behaved for at least a month" (Ren Yi... he really is a father). However, this family had a very common "strict father and kind mother" setup. The "master's wife" Yan'er mentioned was actually the "leader's wife"—a title Yan'er adopted from her older brother. It was fortunate that Yan'er's master was a female cultivator; otherwise, with Yan'er's way of addressing her, the Xuanqing Sect leader would be green with envy.
The metaphor of "sweetheart" is quite apt...
Ren Yi couldn't help but show a complicated expression. If you really put yourself in that shoes, you'd be both a father and a mother, suddenly having such a wonderful son, a chosen one.
Ren Yi: "..."
He refused to consider that possibility.
Ren Yi coaxed and urged Yan Er out, unable to face Xiao Hanzhou for the time being. He even abandoned his original idea of asking the Chosen One a few questions to confirm the type of the main character. After all, the plot was over, and there was no point in asking about the character card type. Anyway, he would be leaving soon, so it didn't matter whether he knew or not.
Thinking it over, Ren Yi told Xiao Hanzhou to "rest well here" and then hurriedly left.
Xiao Hanzhou pursed his lips, watching the figure hurriedly depart, his face slightly pale.
Just now, when the little girl said "Master's wife", A-Yi did not refute it.
Even the last word of advice, which should have been comforting, felt like a dagger wrapped in honey.
Everyone knows that Hancang Peak is the residence of the Sword Master.
What kind of person could be among those who, acting as if they were the master of the house, could say "stay and recover"?
Xiao Hanzhou dared not think any further, but his face, which was as white as a sheet of paper, turned even paler.
The warmth brought by that long-lost concern made Xiao Hanzhou savor those words repeatedly, but the blade hidden beneath the sugar coating stabbed his heart again and again, drawing blood.
Xiao Hanzhou stayed at Hancang Peak to recuperate for the time being.
There are currently only four people in the illusion, and three of them have stayed on Hancang Peak. Ren Yi felt it wasn't good to leave Brother Yan'er alone outside.
This seems a bit like exclusion.
Especially since Ren Yi could sense that he and the other person were good friends when they met last time, it was even more difficult for him to exclude them now.
However, Sword Master's alt account wouldn't care about such a "minor matter," so Ren Yi had to use his main account to ask Yan Er.
Moreover, this wasn't entirely a personal matter. Hong Xuzi had recently been frequently lecturing to the Sword Master's alt account, and they would occasionally chat about other things. Ren Yi could clearly sense that he had a good impression of Yan Shuoyun. Although Hong Xuzi's reasons for taking on a disciple were a bit bizarre, this senior uncle had indeed considered accepting a disciple and had given Yan Shuoyun guidance a few times. Although the two didn't have the formal title of master and disciple, they had a master-disciple relationship. Since he and the Sword Master shared the same lineage, it was perfectly normal for him to live on Han Cang Peak.
Ren Yi did ask Yan Er about this matter, but did not receive a definite answer.
Yan'er sighed like a little adult, "I don't know what my older brother has been busy with lately. He's nowhere to be seen. I've gone to look for him several times, but I've never found him."
Because Ren Yi used the phrase "to convey the Sword Master's meaning," Yan Er sighed and then hurriedly said, "Brother Ren, please thank the Sword Master for me. I'll go and leave a message for my brother right away; he'll come over after he sees it."
As for what Yan Shuoyun was busy with, the only thing Ren Yi could think of at the moment was the cultivation that Hong Xuzi had instructed him on.
He couldn't help but admire this talented and hardworking cultivator, who was comparable to the chosen one of destiny. He thought to himself that the other person had good taste in making friends. Ren Yi then comforted Xiao Yan'er, telling her not to rush and to just mention it when they met, and that there was no need to move all the way to Han Cang Peak.
Yan Shuoyun was indeed working very hard, but what he was busy with was not quite what Ren Yi had expected. In the past few days, he had been so busy finding information about the Divine Soul Contract that he had practically lived in the Scripture Pavilion.
Hong Xuzi also "thoughtfully" gave his travel pass to Yan Shuoyun.
Although it's still undecided whether he's accepted a disciple or not, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a "personally taught disciple" based on this skill alone. Even if Hong Xuzi said he was "temporarily lending it to you, kid," that word "lending" carries considerable weight.
Yan Shuoyun, who also came from a sect, naturally knew this, but this time he did not refuse. Instead, he thanked him sincerely and accepted the gift.
Given Hong Xuzi's status within the Taichu Sect and possessing his access token, Yan Shuoyun had virtually no place he couldn't go within the entire Scripture Pavilion, meaning the information he needed to investigate was becoming increasingly complex. He had already been in the Scripture Pavilion for several days and clearly didn't intend to leave until he found what he was looking for. He estimated that he wouldn't see the letter Yan Er had left at his temporary residence for quite some time.
...
On the other hand, Xiao Hanzhou stayed at Hancang Peak to recuperate.
He should have been having a very good time during this period.
A-Yi doesn't remember the past and treats him like an ordinary friend. Although they aren't as close as before, compared to A-Yi's cold attitude in Xizhou, this current treatment is extremely rare. Moreover, after learning the details of the past, Xiao Hanzhou has no face to demand that A-Yi treat him the same way as before. It is precisely because he clearly knows that A-Yi doesn't remember the past that Xiao Hanzhou can allow himself to indulge in this moment of warmth.
But the grim reality behind that warmth was like a persistent shadow, constantly swirling in his heart. Whenever Xiao Hanzhou wanted to completely succumb to the present situation, the threads of the shadow would tug sharply at his heart, abruptly bringing him back to his senses.
—There will come a day when A-Yi remembers it again.
The more beautiful the illusion we are in the present moment, the heavier this fear becomes.
Yet he was so attached to the present, and whenever asked about the past, he would always brush it off with irrelevant things, as if afraid that something might trigger the floodgates of memory and make A-Yi recall everything from the past.
He greedily and despicably hoped that this period could last as long as possible.
Sometimes this thought pops into my head: if A-Yi never remembers the past, then maybe he could…
The latter kind of thought often ends with a figure as cold as frost.
The man, dressed in white and holding a sword, stood there quietly, evoking images of the snow-capped peaks, a sight that seemed unattainable and made one feel ashamed of their own insignificance.
After that incident with the Sword Master, he never appeared again, seemingly without any resentment towards A-Yi for taking care of him.
Xiao Hanzhou unexpectedly recalled the pathetic state he had been in under the other party's sword that day. He felt that rather than the other party not caring, it was more accurate to say that he was not worth taking to heart.
Just as a lofty immortal wouldn't even look at mortal ants, he probably had nothing to offer in their eyes.
—If I don't take it seriously, then of course I don't care whether I mind or not.
...
Amidst a jumble of thoughts, within just a few days, Xiao Hanzhou, who was recuperating from his injuries, had lost a lot of weight, and his injuries, which should have healed quickly, showed no signs of improvement.
Leaving aside Xiao Hanzhou's thoughts, which were so complex that even he couldn't sort them out, Ren Yi's mood was also not very pleasant.
One reason was that Xiao Hanzhou's injuries hadn't healed in a long time, making Ren Yi wonder if he had gone too far when using his alternate account. Another reason was the attitude of the Chosen One... that guilty yet cautious attitude, tinged with a hint of regret, really made Ren Yi very uncomfortable!
Having already decided that he had been cast as the ideal romantic partner, Ren Yi felt uneasy all over. The terrible experience he had experienced that time was still fresh in his mind. Now that the chosen one was being so careful and considerate, he felt pain all over his body.
After politely declining the chosen one's offer once again, Ren Yi finally couldn't help but speak up, "You don't need to do this."
Xiao Hanzhou's hand holding the medicinal food froze for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. He didn't seem annoyed by the rejection; instead, he showed an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, A-Yi, if you don't like it..."
Ren Yi interrupted him, "I know that my old injuries are because of you."
The bowl of elixirs was overturned on the ground. Xiao Hanzhou's face instantly lost all color, and his ears were filled with a buzzing sound, but his mind was unusually calm—a calmness brought about by the bone-chilling coldness in his body.
...His jaw seemed to be chattering, and his lips seemed to be trembling, but the sensations in his body were as if separated by a layer, making it impossible for him to have a definite understanding.
But Xiao Hanzhou still made sure he had asked that question, "Ayi, you remembered?"
The question that had been swirling in his mind countless times these past few days was finally uttered aloud. But he couldn't hear it, nor did he know what tone he used—calm? Humble? Pleading?
But all of this seems unimportant.
The illusory dream I had been living for days was completely shattered. The scattered fragments were even more cutting than the sword aura of the Sword Master that day. The pain was so intense that I felt as if I had lost all feeling.
Xiao Hanzhou stared intently at the young man opposite him, as if waiting for a final verdict, but the sharp, piercing buzzing in his ears made him unable to hear the local dialect or even the sound of the wind around him.
Under this almost obsessive gaze, he saw the person opposite him slowly shake his head.
Xiao Hanzhou!
His extremely tense emotions suddenly relaxed, the inexplicable noise in his ears instantly disappeared, and his stiff shoulders and back also relaxed. He could even hear the gurgling sound of blood flowing from his heart to all parts of his body.
Xiao Hanzhou staggered back a step, almost completely exhausted. But just as the feeling of "surviving a disaster" began to rise, he heard the other person continue, "You don't need to feel so guilty. Shouldn't you help me avenge my family?"
Xiao Hanzhou "..."
His limbs, which had just warmed from the flow of blood, stiffened and turned cold again, but this time he felt as if his throat was filled with ice, and he couldn't utter a single word.
...Are you vengeful?
That's true.
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