Chapter 45 Just Friends
Although Hong Xuzi was holding off the Sword Master on the other side, it was uncertain how long they could delay him.
Yan and Xiao knew that time was limited and they didn't have the leisure to let them savor the past. After a slight adjustment, the images in the mirror began to flow rapidly.
Yan Shuoyun had witnessed firsthand how A Yi had tried to get cold shoulders from people back then.
Seeing the person he cherished so dearly being treated so coldly, Yan Shuoyun felt that he had already refrained from going over to "spar" with Xiao Hanzhou because the situation was extremely urgent and because he had cultivated excellent self-control over the years.
Xiao Hanzhou's expression was also not good.
From an outsider's perspective, he finally witnessed firsthand how much A-Yi had done for him back then, fearing he might go astray in his cultivation, searching everywhere for spiritual artifacts that could calm the mind and spirit, and worrying that he might overdo his cultivation, racking his brains to find ways to let him temporarily put aside his cultivation and go out to relax, and searching everywhere for materials and visiting swordsmiths in various places to give him a suitable longsword, while not caring much about his own zither...
Ah Yi did all this behind the scenes, but always maintained a relaxed and casual attitude. As a teenager, he was completely unaware of all this and accepted Ah Yi's kindness without hesitation.
He is not good enough for A-Yi.
Xiao Hanzhou couldn't help but think this way, but at the same time he was also clearly aware that these things were never meant for him.
—All of this was originally intended for someone else by A-Yi.
Everything he enjoyed back then was actually stolen favors.
Ironically, he didn't appreciate it at all while he was in the situation.
Xiao Hanzhou couldn't help but ask himself if this was the reason he was now suffering the consequences.
Yan Shuoyun originally thought he could watch the whole thing calmly, but when he saw Xiao Hanzhou provoke a monster in the secret realm while trying to obtain spiritual materials, which in turn led to A Yi protecting him with his own body, he couldn't help but draw his sword.
In the mirror, Ren Yi, with his back turned, dismissed Xiao Hanzhou with a few words and sent him off to refine what he had gained from the secret realm.
But as soon as the other person left, he could no longer hold on and collapsed. In a place unnoticed by the departing person, his back was already soaked with blood.
Yan Shuoyun's chest heaved, and after several deep breaths, he finally managed to press down the hilt of the sword with the pad of his thumb. The bright, sharp edge of the sword disappeared back into the scabbard, and Yan Shuoyun slowly exhaled.
He cannot die now.
Yan Shuoyun almost uttered these words to himself in his heart.
However, what happened next made Yan Shuoyun increasingly unable to control the killing intent surrounding him.
Back then, Xiao Hanzhou did his utmost to improve his strength in order to avenge his family. He was extremely talented, possessed both perseverance and comprehension, and was ruthless to himself, so his cultivation path was always very smooth. However, to improve one's strength as quickly as possible, one needs sufficient resources. Fortunately, Xiao Hanzhou was extremely lucky. In addition to A Yi's strong support, he also had many opportunities, and through these fortuitous encounters, he gained a great deal.
However, when it comes to one's own cultivation, resources are something everyone in the cultivation world fights for. Since Xiao Hanzhou has gained benefits, others must have suffered losses. The more benefits he has taken from others, the more resentment he has incurred. In just a few years, he has offended almost every force in the cultivation world that he could.
In this situation, Xiao Hanzhou was still able to cultivate peacefully, which must mean that someone was running around for him and protecting him from his enemies.
Yan Shuoyun witnessed Ren Yi being seriously injured once again because of Xiao Hanzhou, and the knuckles of his hand holding the knife turned blue and white.
At this point, Yan Shuoyun calmed down.
He calmly thought that after this, even if Xiao Hanzhou managed to escape with his life, he would make sure that no one could leave this secret realm.
Looking at all the things that he himself knew nothing about back then, Xiao Hanzhou's face turned deathly pale.
It's not that he's not good enough for A-Yi.
Instead—
He is absolutely not worthy!
When Xiao Hanzhou witnessed his own past mishap due to his eagerness for quick success and heard the Dan Clan's medical cultivator say "a Dao bone is needed," he finally couldn't help but reach out his hand.
—No! Don't agree!!
The blade grazed Xiao Hanzhou's palm. If Xiao Hanzhou hadn't instinctively raised his hand, his entire hand would probably have been severed at the wrist.
A long, thin wound was cut into Xiao Hanzhou's palm by the gust of wind, and blood dripped down, but Xiao Hanzhou seemed not to notice.
Yan Shuoyun's cold voice came from behind, warning, "You only have one chance. Look carefully before you choose."
There is only one chance to enter the past. Even if Yan Shuoyun really wanted to tear the person in front of him to pieces right now, he had to endure until he was confident that he could get A Yi to agree to become his Daoist partner.
Thinking of this, Yan Shuoyun felt an even stronger tightness in his chest, and even the ground beneath his feet showed faint cracks.
Fortunately, after this reminder, Xiao Hanzhou finally calmed down. He curled his fingers one by one and silently lowered his arm.
For a moment, no one spoke. The atmosphere was terribly oppressive. Yan Shuoyun's lips were pressed tightly together, and his jaw was as taut as a stone.
However, the person in the mirror is completely unaffected by external influences.
This is only natural, because that was in the past.
—It is the past that has already happened and has long been established as a "fact".
Yan Shuoyun watched as Ren Yilian in the mirror agreed to the medical cultivator's request without the slightest hesitation, as if the other party only wanted an ordinary spirit stone.
Yan Shuoyun turned his face away, afraid that if he continued to watch, he would really lose his temper and kill someone.
Although he couldn't see, he still had ears. He could tell from the intermittent groans that Ren Yi was in pain from having his Dao bone removed. He could also guess from the forced ease and obvious weakness in Ren Yi's voice that he was trying to sound relaxed in front of Xiao Hanzhou.
Yan Shuoyun could resist watching, but Xiao Hanzhou could not.
He had already "not looked" once back then, so how could he not take a good look now? How could he not see all that A-Yi had done for him?
Xiao Hanzhou witnessed everything he had never known before, and his body trembled involuntarily.
He no longer had the strength to stand up, but he couldn't help but crawl a few steps toward Ren Yi. His trembling arms reached out several times before he carefully pulled the still unconscious Ren Yi into his arms.
A few water droplets left mottled dark stains on his clothes. He tried to speak several times, but his trembling lips couldn't even utter the word "I'm sorry."
Compared to everything he had just seen, this "I'm sorry" seemed so light and insignificant, so ridiculously so.
...
...
The scene in the mirror continued to move backward. Xiao Hanzhou thought that after he had avenged himself and rebuilt the Xiao family, everything would be alright, and A-Yi would no longer have to suffer for him. However, things did not turn out as he expected.
"Why did you, as the patriarch, spare the Bai family? Of course, it's because of that person..."
"...If we become in-laws in the future, it's not good to go too far."
"If it weren't for... sigh~ it would still be a youthful friendship, innocent and carefree. But to rekindle their romance now would be a beautiful story."
Xiao Hanzhou listened to these rumors that he had never heard of before, looking somewhat bewildered. He had no idea that these rumors had been circulating behind the scenes for so long.
Xiao Hanzhou couldn't help but panic.
He was unaware of the rumor, but these discussions did indeed reach A-Yi's ears. Would A-Yi misunderstand because of this?
No, that won't happen!
A-Yi dislikes these baseless rumors the most, so naturally he won't believe them.
As Xiao Hanzhou was thinking this, he heard a voice.
“Ayi, Jinliu and I have some old acquaintances, so don’t make things difficult for him.”
Xiao Hanzhou froze upon hearing the familiar voice. It was his voice, but had he ever said such a thing?
Xiao Hanzhou vaguely recalled that it seemed like it had happened before.
He noticed that A-Yi and Jin-Liu seemed to be at odds, and after witnessing the two of them together several times, Jin-Liu looked troubled.
Xiao Hanzhou didn't actually feel that A Yi was making things difficult for Jin Liu, and there was no hint of blame in his words.
He knew that Jinliu's situation in the Bai family was not good, and Ayi was a bit too straightforward, so the two of them might not get along for some reason. But now that he was the head of the Xiao family, if the people around him showed their dislike for Bai Jinliu, then Jinliu's situation in the Bai family would become even more difficult.
Looking back on his thoughts at that time, Xiao Hanzhou found it unbelievable.
Why should he so readily accept that A-Yi should be wronged?
Even disregarding feelings and only considering "gratitude",
Compared to Bai Jinliu's meager assistance when he escaped Tianhuan City, it was only a small favor that A Yi had done for him all these years, risking his life several times.
Because A-Yi never talks about it or mentions it, has he really forgotten?!
Xiao Hanzhou felt a dull ache in his heart, but the person in the mirror was completely unaware.
"Jinliu was just here."
"No need, Jinliu has already prepared it for me."
"..."
“Jinliu is going to the Neon Light Secret Realm. His cultivation is not strong enough and he may encounter danger. I will go and keep an eye on him.”
"..."
As the person in the mirror spoke again and again, Xiao Hanzhou's limbs gradually stiffened and grew cold. He couldn't help but tighten his arms around Ren Yi, as if if he loosened them even a little, the person in his arms would disappear completely.
No, that's not it.
Although he brought Bai Jinliu in a different way, he was definitely not the one the rumors about the Xiao family were spreading.
Xiao Hanzhou actually understood the reason why he treated Bai Jinliu so specially.
Everything in Tianhuan City was destroyed that night. The only thing he could connect with the warm memories of his childhood was Bai Jinliu. He returned to Tianhuan City, killed his enemies, and rebuilt the Xiao family. Inevitably, he recalled the past again and again, and naturally began to treat Bai Jinliu differently, which is why he mentioned him to A Yi time and time again.
But what were A-Yi's feelings upon hearing all this? Regardless of the reason, what were A-Yi's feelings at that time, when he truly harbored those feelings for him?
Xiao Hanzhou felt extremely cold.
It was a completely different kind of coldness from all the things A-Yi had done for him before.
Xiao Hanzhou noticed another chilling gaze fall upon him, but he had no time to pay attention. Perhaps deep down he did agree with the owner of that gaze—he truly deserved to die.
Xiao Hanzhou thought of his own confusion back then.
After he took over the Xiao family, he seemed to have become estranged from A-Yi.
Xiao Hanzhou suddenly realized that it wasn't "unfamiliarity" but rather that he had personally pushed the person away.
After the scene in the mirror rapidly shifted, it returned to the Xiao residence. In the distance, some indistinct sounds could be heard, seemingly the Xiao family's servants taking advantage of a break to huddle together and gossip.
"Hey, you know what? That person came again the other day."
"I know. This time, the master of the house even took out that piece of chalcedony from the bottom of the storeroom... Tsk tsk, it's really amazing. If only I had stumbled upon this back then, I could have taken him in, given him food and shelter, and given him whatever he wanted in a few years..."
"Shh! Watch your mouth if you talk about the patriarch like that!"
The person who had been warned earlier fell silent for a moment, but couldn't help but speak up after a while, "I'm just so angry. If you ask me, it's because the head of the family is too kind-hearted. That person only took the head of the family in for a while a few years ago, and he actually thought it was some great favor? He actually dared to ask for benefits."
"..."
"..."
Listening to these pointless remarks, Xiao Hanzhou initially didn't realize who they were referring to. It wasn't until the person who spoke first listed all the things he had given away that Xiao Hanzhou finally understood from those absurd statements that they were talking about A-Yi!
Xiao Hanzhou?!
Why? How could they? And how dare they be so disrespectful?!
Without needing anyone to remind him, Xiao Hanzhou quickly realized the reason: he seemed to have never formally introduced A-Yi to the Xiao family.
After he began to reorganize the Xiao family, A-Yi almost never appeared in front of the Xiao family members. Even he felt that the two of them had become estranged, and the Xiao family members hardly recognized A-Yi anymore.
Xiao Hanzhou felt utterly ridiculous.
He thought about Bai Jinliu's situation in the Bai family, but never considered A Yi's situation in the Xiao family.
He kept thinking, this is the Xiao family that I am working to rebuild, how can I let A-Yi suffer in the process?
But in fact, even the servants in this Xiao family dared to treat A-Yi so poorly!
Regret welled up from the bottom of his heart, a bitter taste mixed with a dull pain that left him helpless. Xiao Hanzhou felt as if the smell of blood was rising from his very lungs.
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