Chapter 85
Chu Xianyue paused, exchanged a glance with Xie Wen, and then slowly lowered the candlestick, staring at the door in the dim light. They were currently in an inconspicuous little mountain village at the foot of Sword Sect Mountain, called Qinglian Village. Chu Xianyue and Xie Wen had been staying here for several days. He was always careful when entering and leaving, rarely showing himself, so those who knew him wouldn't know he lived here.
They lived in a remote area and had never interacted with the surrounding farmers.
Who could be knocking on the door at this hour?
Chu Xianyue didn't immediately open the door; he seemed to have a general idea of who was outside. He paused for a few seconds without moving, and didn't light a candle, as if he wanted the person outside to think that no one was in the house, and then leave on their own.
However, the person outside the door didn't seem so easily fooled. After a few seconds of silence, he started knocking again, this time much louder than before, revealing that he was even more irritable than before.
Chu Xianyue still got up to open the door. The moment the door opened, the faint light from outside rushed in along with the cold winter night wind.
Yun Yan stood against the light at the doorway, and her pupils trembled slightly when she saw Chu Xianyue open the door.
The two looked at each other in silence for a long time before Chu Xianyue gestured for him to come in.
Yun Yan's feet seemed glued to the ground as he took that difficult step, but he only took one step. He remained standing at the doorway and did not go in.
Yun Yan called out "Master," and Chu Xianyue responded. He then asked about his senior sister, or rather, Xie Wen. Xie Wen sat up on the bed. The dim light from the window shone through the white paper window onto Xie Wen's face, making her complexion appear even paler than the paper. Xie Wen smiled and said, "Junior brother, it's been a long time."
Yun Yan looked at her former senior sister Xie Wen through the dim and silent room, her heart filled with indescribable complex emotions. The early winter wind kept brushing against Yun Yan's back, billowing her robes, but Yun Yan did not reply to Xie Wen's words.
Yun Yan couldn't help but feel resentment towards Chu Xianyue and Xie Wen for leaving back then, and he could no longer bring himself to say "long time no see." He was clearly the one who had been abandoned; saying "long time no see" was just a lie. In truth, after his senior sister and master found each other, they never wanted to see him again.
He had finally become an outsider. In any case, now he could finally accept Chu Xianyue and Xie Wen, accept their love and their being together. There was no room for anyone else between them, not even Yun Yan.
The three of them could never go back to the way they were before.
However, no matter what, Yun Yan didn't want to lose Chu Xianyue and Xie Wen. They were the two people Yun Yan was closest to in the world, and he couldn't bear to part with them, which was what caused him pain.
Yun Yan stood at the door and said to Chu Xianyue, "Master, the elders all hope that you will return to the Sword Sect. As long as you are willing to go back, they will never interfere with anything you do again. Master, the Sword Sect cannot do without you!"
The matter concerning Chu Xianyue, of course, refers to Xie Wen, and his willingness to defy the world to protect a woman. The elders believed that Chu Xianyue left because of their obstruction.
That's not the case. From the moment he was certain he would fall in love with her, it was destined that he would leave the Sword Sect.
Chu Xianyue said, "Yunyan, the Sword Sect has enough with you now."
Chu Xianyue never considered going back when he decided to leave.
At this moment, Yun Yan already knew the answer, but he still couldn't help taking a step forward, as if he wanted to ask something more. However, the words stuck in his throat like a stone, unable to come up or down, making his eyes well up with tears. In the end, Yun Yan said nothing, turned around, and said, "Take care, Master and Senior Sister."
His slender figure disappeared into the dim light. After he left, the north wind kept banging against the doors and windows, making a crackling sound, and the silence suddenly became noisy.
Xie Wen also felt that this was too cruel to Yun Yan.
But there was nothing she could do.
This is destined to be an unsolvable dilemma.
The wind howled sharply and was biting cold, but Xie Wen seemed oblivious until Chu Xianyue slammed the door shut, at which point she snapped back to reality. Her gaze fell on Chu Xianyue.
As she watched him light the candlestick, the darkness was instantly dispelled. The candlelight suddenly rose, and Xie Wen, who had been a little unaccustomed to it at first, squinted, her vision reduced to a slit. Through that slit, Xie Wen saw Chu Xianyue walking towards her.
He placed the candle beside him, got up, and stepped over Xie Wen on the bed to secure the window, which had become loose due to the cold wind.
The pleasant sandalwood scent emanating from him enveloped Xie Wen, and she suddenly felt a sense of peace. From her perspective, she saw his sharp profile, carrying the chill of wind and snow. For some reason, Xie Wen felt that this chill was gentle and tender. Like goose feather snow, though cold in itself, it was willing to gently caress your face.
Xie Wen tugged at Chu Xianyue's sleeve. Chu Xianyue had already secured the window and turned to look at Xie Wen. It was unclear whether Xie Wen's cheeks were flushed from the candlelight or were naturally red.
He looked at Xie Wen, assuming she had been wronged.
This love, which was unacceptable to the world, made her feel very wronged.
He felt guilty towards her and always felt indebted to her.
So, Chu Xianyue leaned down, his broad body pressing down on her and enveloping her. Chu Xianyue said that she shouldn't blame herself for what happened to Yun Yan; it was all his fault.
Xie Wen was slightly taken aback. She patted Chu Xianyue on the back and said, "It's not your fault. Alright, alright, no one is at fault. Let's not dwell on this anymore."
Her soft whispers reached Chu Xianyue's ears, like a breeze brushing against them, making him feel itchy and tingly. He couldn't help but hug her tighter and tighter, but even that seemed insufficient.
Xie Wen couldn't do anything about him. She just thought Chu Xianyue was cold and wanted to hug her for warmth, so Xie Wen asked, "Are you cold?"
"Want to sleep together?"
After saying this, Xie Wen clearly felt Chu Xianyue's back stiffen for a few seconds before Chu Xianyue released her. Xie Wen gestured to Chu Xianyue, moved in a little to make room, and then lifted a corner of the quilt, indicating that he should crawl in.
The bed was narrow, the narrowest he had ever slept in, but he didn't feel cramped at all.
On this early winter night, the cold wind kept slapping against the window. They huddled together on the same bed, their embrace growing stronger as the temperature rose. Both of them broke out in a sweat, and the place where they were embracing became sticky and damp.
Yet they still didn't want to separate.
Xie Wen lay awake in the darkness, nestled in Chu Xianyue's arms, unable to see his expression. She suddenly murmured, "Chu Xianyue, are you scared? When we were still in the memory scroll, I was suddenly taken away by Jin Huaran."
At that time, she didn't think about whether Chu Xianyue would be afraid.
Chu Xianyue's voice was muffled and somewhat hoarse, "I was scared. But there was never a moment that scared me more than when Jin Huaran took you and jumped into the black hole."
"And what about you?" Chu Xianyue asked in return.
Xie Wen was stunned for a moment, then heard Chu Xianyue say, "When he took you away and you were powerless to fight back, you must have been very scared, right? When you stabbed him in the heart, weren't you afraid that you would feel pain too?"
Looking back now, Xie Wen said with relief, "I feel okay. Actually, I don't know where I got so much courage back then, even planning to die together with Jin Huaran. It's a pity I still couldn't stop him."
At this point, she felt him hug her even tighter, and said in a low voice, "It's not your fault."
"Xie Wen, next time before you have such an idea, please think about me, okay?"
After a long silence, Xie Wen finally said, "Mm." She twisted her body, put her arms around Chu Xianyue's waist, and said in a slightly coquettish tone, "Don't be angry, I won't do it again. Really."
Xie Wen probably knew that they didn't actually have many more years left, which is why he made that promise. In about ten days, these peaceful and tranquil days would be gone.
Chu Xianyue patted her head, kissed her forehead, then lowered his head to find her lips, held them, and sucked on them for a moment.
Xie Wen finally got a break and, while being kissed by him, vaguely asked Chu Xianyue, "By the way, after I left, you were still in the memory scroll. What else did you see?"
Chu Xianyue seemed to realize something and paused. His sucking on her tongue also stopped. Xie Wen then bit his lip in surprise, as if to ask, "What's wrong?"
Not long after, he seemed to come to his senses and continued to bite her lips, this time with greater force and intensity, as if he were relieving something. In the dimly lit room, heavy breathing filled the air, and the temperature rose.
Gradually, Xie Wen's lips and tongue became numb. He didn't know how much time had passed before he finally let go of her, saying, "I saw you as a child."
"I saw you being driven down the mountain by the people of Yunyin Divine Mountain, wandering and homeless all the way. Later you met your older sister. You depended on each other for survival."
Xie Wen felt ashamed for some reason. Didn't that mean he had seen how pathetic and miserable she had been before?
Xie Wen tried to laugh it off, saying, "Sigh, there's nothing interesting about my childhood."
Chu Xianyue buried his face in her neck and said, "I will definitely be by your side from now on. I definitely will."
He couldn't be by her side before, but he will definitely never leave her again.
Xie Wen laughed twice, but as he laughed, tears silently streamed down his face.
The tears fell softly on her pillow, and Xie Wen tried to mask the faint sobs with laughter. Little did she know that in the dead of night, someone else was shedding tears just like her.
But he was only feeling sorry for the path she had walked alone in the past.
Chu Xianyue took care of Xie Wen in this small house for a few days. After her previous injury, Xie Wen seemed to have developed a super healing ability. After only a few days, she was able to land.
She would sit in the courtyard for a while while Chu Xianyue went out on business. This area was remote, so Xie Wen couldn't see the turbulent crowd on the other side.
She had no idea how popular she was among the people in the other realm. Not long ago, the human world was plunged into chaos because of the winged race. As the last winged person remaining in the world, she naturally had to bear the wrath of all humanity.
Xie Wen had a moment of peace in this place. She knew that after the world questioned her identity as a member of the Feather Clan, all her peaceful moments were given to her by Chu Xianyue.
However, it seems that peace will never return after this.
These last two weeks are destined to be anything but peaceful.
*
As dusk fell, Chu Xianyue returned to his cottage in Qinglian Village, travel-worn. From afar, he saw Xie Wen standing at the door, watching him with utter silence. To avoid being noticed, Chu Xianyue donned a black cloak and descended from the azure twilight to stand before Xie Wen.
He first touched Xie Wen's hand, which was icy cold, then rubbed it against her cheek. He frowned slightly, then casually took off his white cloak and draped it over Xie Wen, wrapping her up tightly. He then hugged her tightly, trying to warm her with his body heat.
"Let's go inside, it's cold outside," he said after a long silence.
Xie Wen was led back to the room by him, seemingly oblivious.
Chu Xianyue settled Xie Wen on the bed, then took out some things from his bosom, including perfume and other trinkets, mostly things that young girls would like.
Xie Wen didn't know what he had been doing these days, but in this world, he could easily guess that he was saving people and the world. Xie Wen knew that he always came back wearing different clothes each time he went out, although they looked the same, Xie Wen could not escape his notice.
Why did he change his clothes? Either there was too much blood, or they were tattered. What was he trying to hide? Nothing more than the numerous wounds beneath his clothes.
Xie Wen suddenly felt like crying again. Staring blankly at the trinkets, she suddenly looked up at Chu Xianyue and asked, "Do all the people outside want me dead?"
The ancient hatred between humans and winged people lies on her body, and perhaps only her death can resolve this deep-seated blood feud!
"You don't need to hide it from me anymore. You don't need to endure this immense pressure and hide me here anymore," Xie Wen said. "I can't hide forever. I need to go out and stand in front of them myself, hear what they have to say, and see how they intend to deal with me."
Chu Xianyue's hand trembled slightly, and the smile in his eyes shattered little by little. "You want to leave? You want to leave me? Didn't you promise me last night that you would stay with me for all eternity and never be separated? Where do you want to go? Do you want outsiders to deal with you?"
"Those people outside are a bunch of idiots! In this time of great disaster, all they do is cause trouble and whine incompetently. If it weren't for me, would they still be alive today? They want to touch you? Don't even think about it! Let's see if you can survive these next two weeks! Only a bunch of incompetent people would try to shift the blame for the disaster onto innocent people! Ah Wen, you haven't done anything wrong, why are you going to apologize to them? You're not going anywhere. Nobody will punish you!"
His tone grew increasingly harsh, and a fierce glint rose uncontrollably in his eyes. He held Xie Wen tightly, seemingly angry because of her words about leaving. He felt she had lied to him again; she had clearly promised not to leave him. The fact that Xie Wen could voice this thought now proved that she had harbored this idea for some time.
Chu Xianyue was furious, but Xie Wen's eyes remained calm, almost like a stagnant pool. Chu Xianyue angrily grabbed her waist, stared into her eyes, and when he saw that she was still thinking about something else, his blood boiled with rage. He forcefully pulled her head down and leaned in to kiss her.
He held her lips, skillfully prying them open, sucking on her tongue. Their hot breaths mingled, and Xie Wen was forced to tilt her head back, forced to meet his demands. Perhaps because she was even weaker from her recent injury, she soon found herself breathless. Yet he wouldn't let go, constantly stealing her air. Xie Wen could only cling to Chu Xianyue's collar, like a dying fish on the shore, tightly gripping a fishhook.
-
A thick fog still hung over the mountain village in the early morning, and the calls of birds rose and fell, sometimes loud and sometimes soft, all lost in the fog.
However, beneath this ambiguity and tranquility lies a turbulent undercurrent, a violent upheaval.
If you're not careful, it will swallow you up.
That day, Xie Wen didn't leave his room until almost noon.
Chu Xianyue had already cleaned her body and changed her into clean clothes.
We prepared some simple dishes and sat down to eat together.
Xie Wen still had some sweat on her forehead. He raised his hand to gently wipe it away, and asked with some pity, "Are you still feeling unwell?"
To be honest, she felt much better than yesterday. She had heard before that dual cultivation could enhance magical power and heal injuries, but she had never believed it. Today, she felt as if she was truly glimpsing its wonders. Looking in the mirror, she felt that her complexion was much rosier, and she was no longer as weak as before. The spiritual power she had lost was gradually condensing and gathering within her body, which made her feel at ease.
After a long silence, Xie Wen nodded and replied to Chu Xianyue, "The wound has healed somewhat."
He patted her head, his eyes calm, and said, "If it works well, try it more often."
Xie Wen lowered her head, recalling the scenes that made her blush and her heart race. She bit her lip, still feeling a pang of longing. She thought, if he liked it, she liked it too. Let's indulge ourselves like this once, and keep it as a final memory.
Chu Xianyue was unaware that Xie Wen could also discern his situation through the silent blood beads. Hong Hong'er would tell Xie Wen what Chu Xianyue had done and endured during those days when he left so casually and returned "full of spoils," what the outside world was saying about him, and how they were pressuring him to hand over the remaining Feather Clan member.
Unbeknownst to Xie Wen, he silently bore all the pressure and shielded her from all the storms.
But Xie Wen didn't want him to do that. He truly gave up everything—his reputation, his status—to protect her.
Xie Wen didn't want to see him like this.
Besides, this is Xie Wen's own business.
She should face it and bear it herself, even if it means being shattered to pieces. So what?
Because her people had already left her.
Xie Wen was just a step behind.
Before long, the barrier will shatter, and everyone will suffer the same fate.
Xie Wen looked up and smiled at Chu Xianyue. He used his finger to brush away the tiny bits of food from her lips. Perhaps for a moment he vaguely sensed something was off about Xie Wen, but he didn't dwell on it. Because he knew Xie Wen had promised him she wouldn't leave.
He believed it.
But he forgot that she had lied to him more than once. She was such a proud and stubborn person; how could she spend her whole life hiding and acting like a coward?
He should have known that even if he were to fall and be shattered to pieces, she would still stand firmly in his way.
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