Chapter 71 The Path of Ruthlessness
Space and time contracted infinitely at this moment.
The whole world rushed away, leaving only the burning heat on my lips so vivid.
Her consciousness seemed to vanish as if it didn't exist. Her heart suddenly jerked violently, and Su Yunyu stood frozen in place, completely forgetting what to do.
It was just a blank space, letting Xiao Shuying's shadow fall over him.
Her lips were captured, and a hot breath swept over her, invading every inch of her senses. Those hands gripped her waist tightly, with absolute control, allowing no struggle whatsoever.
"Waaah..."
Overwhelmed by emotion, she let out a soft whimper, like a small animal, and her eyes reddened. Seeing this, the other person couldn't help but tighten their grip.
Just as the enemy was about to launch their attack, Su Yunyu suddenly realized what was happening, her eyes widened in shock, and she almost instinctively pushed Xiao Shuying away.
He held her tightly, but she couldn't push him away immediately. His hands were locked so tightly that even after Su Yunyu pushed his chest away, she found herself still trapped in his arms.
"you……"
Su Yunyu's breathing was unsteady; she gasped a few times, whether from the kiss or from anger, it was unclear. In any case, her eyes widened, glaring at him with barely concealed anger.
"What are you doing"
Even as he spoke, he didn't forget to break free from Xiao Shuying's grasp, but Xiao Shuying seemed to ignore his struggles. Her usually clear eyes were now filled with a storm, and even her voice was hoarse.
"Master, you should understand what I am doing."
I've had enough. I've had enough of having to suppress my feelings every day and night, even though the person I want is right in front of me.
I've had enough of Feng Mingye's almost indecent advances just now. It's time, it's time to confess everything.
His eyes were like red-hot knives, scalding with an unbearable, chilling intensity, burning Su Yunyu's face inch by inch.
Su Yunyu was so shocked by Long Aotian's gaze that she dared not meet his eyes, and even felt a little frightened. Strange, when did Long Aotian become so unbearable for her?
"I……"
Su Yunyu was on the verge of exploding with rage. He was, after all, a straight man, and now he had been forcibly kissed. It was as if his integrity had been defiled!
Just as he was about to speak, 111 in his mind belatedly burst into cheers:
[Aaaaaaahh ...
Su Yunyu's ears hurt a little, and she couldn't bother to respond to Long Aotian for the moment, so she asked 111:
"What do you mean, 'ah'?"
[Holy crap, you're only one step away from completing your mission! You've already won over Long Aotian! Aaaaaah!]
What task, what mission?
Shouldn't the issue be that he, as a straight man, was kissed?
etc.
Su Yunyu immediately suppressed her surging anger, pondered for a moment, and then had a sudden realization:
Yes, his psychological warfare plan is complete, so now he can let Long Aotian willingly die.
Thinking of this, Su Yunyu immediately changed the subject, suppressed her displeasure, and slightly raised her eyes to look at Xiao Shuying, intending to prepare herself.
He stared straight into Xiao Shuying's dark, night-like eyes, his mind went blank, and he forgot what he was supposed to do.
Xiao Shuying, however, lifted her hand that was originally gripping Su Yunyu's waist, stroked his slender back, and leaned closer to ask softly:
Why was Master distracted just now?
Why did you suddenly stop, as if you were interrupted?
What is your consciousness and mind still focused on? Who is drawing your attention?
Unconsciously, Xiao Shuying tightened his grip, causing Su Yunyu to gasp and try to use her spiritual energy to slap his hand away, but she stopped herself when she thought of her plan.
No, I must be patient.
He still needs to entice Long Aotian to willingly die.
Su Yunyu lowered her eyes to calm herself down, forcing herself to appear ambiguous. Then she grabbed Xiao Shuying's hand, slowly moved it to his wrist, gently lifted it up, and pressed it against her cheek.
Just as she clearly felt Xiao Shuying's body stiffen, Su Yunyu tilted her head, bringing her cheek closer to his hand, her expression a half-smile, a hint of unspoken longing in her eyes:
"I'm wondering why you kissed me."
As they spoke, the close proximity allowed a clear view of Su Yunyu's slightly damp, red lips, which moved slowly, revealing her pearly teeth and a hint of her tongue.
Perhaps because it had just been held in his mouth, it seemed even more vibrant than usual, especially his watery eyes, which, though still cool, were like snowflakes slowly melting...
This touching scene caused Xiao Shuying's eyes to widen slightly, gradually becoming deep and unfocused. All sounds faded away at that moment; she could neither hear them nor wanted to hear them.
All that could be seen was Su Yunyu's thin lips, which had been moving, stopped moving again, and a look of doubt appeared in her watery eyes.
It wasn't until Su Yunyu realized that Xiao Shuying hadn't listened to anything she said, and then angrily and forcefully shoved his hand away, that Xiao Shuying panicked.
Startled and at a loss, he reached out and touched Su Yunyu's cheek, lowering his head slightly and speaking in a humble voice:
"Master, I was lost in thought just now. May I say it again?"
"..."
The sudden closeness made Su Yunyu feel uncomfortable, but for the sake of the plan ahead, she managed to suppress her instinctive reaction and asked again:
Do you know the meaning behind what you just did?
He first feigned ignorance and asked Long Aotian what he meant. Once Long Aotian confessed his true feelings, he could then begin to act.
As expected, upon hearing this, Xiao Shuying's expression became more composed, as if afraid of being perceived as frivolous. She straightened up, her gaze focused, and spoke each word as if uttering a vow that was unique in heaven and earth:
"Master, I know I love you."
“No,” he quickly rejected the word, changing his answer:
"Liking sounds too impulsive, I love you, Master."
Su Yunyu felt an indescribable mix of emotions. She had received such a solemn and weighty word of love from Long Aotian.
If a girl had said those words, Su Yunyu thought she would have been incredibly moved, but when the stiff Long Aotian said them, she didn't react at all!
Seeing Xiao Shuying's gaze fixed intently on her, Su Yunyu disregarded any complicated feelings and simply followed the plan. She pushed Xiao Shuying's hand away, turned her back, took a few steps away, and feigned indifference, sighed.
"You can't have these feelings for me."
Su Yunyu herself found her act pretentious; if there were a moon in the sky, she could have ridden the wind and flown away by now.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Shuying's expression tightened, a thousand speculations flashing through her mind. Why would she say that? Did Su Yunyu only have a master-disciple relationship with her, and was he causing her trouble?
Unconsciously, her fingers dug into her palms, and she felt as if her breath was being clenched, making it hard to breathe. Xiao Shuying took a few steps forward and asked urgently:
"Why not? Does Master not want me to have these feelings?"
If Su Yunyu rejects him...
The thought of this possibility made Xiao Shuying feel a constant buzzing in her head.
Hearing Long Aotian's somewhat urgent question, Su Yunyu couldn't help but smile. She felt quite pleased, thinking that after so many lifetimes of hard work, she was finally about to see the dawn of victory, and her smile became even brighter.
However, with Long Aotian still behind her, Su Yunyu had no choice but to suppress her agitation. She remained silent for a moment, then clutched her chest and coughed violently a few times.
"Cough cough cough—"
To make it more realistic, he coughed until his eyes welled up with tears. When Xiao Shuying strode over and gently stroked his back, Su Yunyu's eyes flashed, and he vomited a mouthful of blood before collapsing into Xiao Shuying's arms.
His breath was weak, his face pale; the man who had just been alive now looked as if he were about to break apart. Xiao Shuying hadn't yet recovered from this sudden turn of events, but instinctively held Su Yunyu tightly, her voice slightly shaky:
"Master, what's wrong?"
As he spoke, he grasped Su Yunyu's drooping wrist and extended his spiritual energy into it, wanting to see where Su Yunyu had any hidden injuries. Just as he was probing, he heard Su Yunyu let out a soft sound:
"Don't be angry if I tell you."
Let me give you a heads-up, because what I'm about to say is something most people wouldn't accept; it's a trap with deadly intent.
Xiao Shuying, who should have been completely insightful, seemed to have lost her mind at this moment. She was so overwhelmed by the pain of the blood on Su Yunyu's lips that she didn't have time to think further and asked:
What exactly happened?
Why would he vomit blood when he clearly had no internal injuries?
Why did Su Yunyu's tone sound like it was foreshadowing something?
Why is he so uneasy?
Su Yunyu gasped for breath, seemingly utterly weak, and pulled her hand back from where it had been gripped. She clutched her chest, her brows furrowing slightly as if enduring some kind of pain. After a long while, she whispered:
"I cultivated the Path of Ruthlessness, and I just suffered a backlash."
Ruthless path, backlash.
Xiao Shuying was taken aback at first, then realized why there was a backlash. Just as a glimmer of light appeared in her eyes, Su Yunyu said again:
"In truth, I feel the same way about you, but since the principle of ruthlessness applies first, are you willing to die first to deceive Heaven's punishment?"
"..."
A silence fell, as if something secret was unfolding.
A hidden restlessness, a hidden unease...
Xiao Shuying knew that he had lived ninety-nine lifetimes and there was no word or human heart he couldn't see through, but at this moment, he found it difficult to understand what Su Yunyu was saying.
The phrase "first die" kept repeating in my ears. The word "death" was too prominent, too obvious, as if all the supporting subjects were just appendages to it.
He suddenly realized that in his previous life, Su Yunyu had always wanted him dead.
I thought I would never encounter this word again in this lifetime, but why did I have to hear it now?
During his silence, Su Yunyu's heart was pounding. She feigned weakness, her eyes half-closed, but secretly glanced at his expression, thinking that since she had gone to such lengths to pretend to confess, Long Aotian should be able to accept dying first, right?
If he doesn't accept it, then he has failed again.
Just as Su Yunyu was about to clasp her hands in prayer, Xiao Shuying's voice seemed to carry a hint of difficulty:
"Master..."
"What kind of death is required first?"
No refusal!
Su Yunyu's eyes lit up immediately, but she still maintained a weak appearance. She raised her hand and grasped Xiao Shuying's hand, which had been suspended in mid-air, and held it tightly, saying:
"You can die by destroying your own consciousness. Then I will use a secret method to bring you back to life in a different body, so that we can deceive the Heavenly Dao."
In fact, if Xiao Shuying had asked about the secret method, Su Yunyu thought she might have given herself away.
But he had a feeling that Long Aotian wouldn't ask, because love can be blind.
As expected, Xiao Shuying's gaze lingered on the blood at the corner of Su Yunyu's lips. She gripped Su Yunyu's hand tightly, her strength greater than before, as if she wanted to crush Su Yunyu's bones. But she quickly released her grip, her gaze shifting to Su Yunyu's eyes, and smiled:
"Okay, I'll listen to Master."
In an instant, 111 in Su Yunyu's sea of consciousness, after being on tenterhooks for so long, let out a joyful scream:
[Ahhh, host, we're about to succeed! We can be free! Ahhhhh!]
Compared to his excitement, Su Yunyu was much calmer. She didn't know why, but hearing Long Aotian's decisive agreement made her feel a little annoyed.
Seriously, does Long Aotian really trust himself that much? He'll just throw his life away whenever he's told to.
He was prepared for yet another failure, and even more, and he was ready to continue his entanglement with Long Aotian for dozens of lifetimes. But today, it's all over...
Strange, is he reluctant to part with it?
At first, he treated Long Aotian as a two-dimensional character, but after experiencing so much, he could no longer regard a living person as a fictional one.
When Su Yunyu was inexplicably irritable, Xiao Shuying's gaze slowly swept over every inch of his face. There was no hesitation in her heart, but she couldn't bear to let him suffer the backlash of the Heartless Path again.
Before meeting Su Yunyu in this life, he suffered from bullying and cold looks, and the pain of broken meridians. Even if he was later favored by the heavens, he would still be bitter, cold and lonely.
But now he doesn't want to be alone anymore, and he doesn't want his loved ones to suffer any more.
If his own death could truly prevent Su Yunyu from suffering further backlash, then he would do so willingly.
Xiao Shuying seemed to want to say something, as if she had a lot to say, but then she thought that she wasn't really going to die, so she simply closed her eyes and focused her consciousness on her spirit.
The divine sense is the most important thing for a cultivator. Unlike the sea of consciousness, which only damages the soul, the divine sense is the core. If it is destroyed, the master will surely die.
Although Xiao Shuying had never heard of any secret method in the world that could allow someone whose divine consciousness had been destroyed to be reborn, he believed what Su Yunyu said.
The wind blades, formed from spiritual energy, inch by inch destroyed every corner of the divine consciousness. The intense pain was a hundred times more severe than the pain of having one's meridians severed in the past. This was the body's instinctive reaction to refuse death.
Xiao Shuying endured it all, biting her lower lip until it bled without uttering a sound, and continued to stubbornly use her spiritual energy to destroy the divine consciousness.
The pain was so intense that I wished I could just die.
Even though her consciousness was fading and her survival instinct was calling out strongly, Xiao Shuying was only thinking about Su Yunyu.
He cannot... cannot disappoint his master.
The process of destroying the divine consciousness was not long. At least, from the moment Su Yunyu saw Xiao Shuying's body trembling to the moment his body gradually became transparent, it was only a few seconds.
As Long Aotian gradually became transparent and was about to disappear from this world, Su Yunyu stood up, her eyes somewhat dazed.
He wanted to speak up and stop them; if he did, there might still be a chance to salvage the situation, but...
But he is not the soul of this world, nor will this world be his final destination.
And so, letting the cold wind whip across her skin, Su Yunyu stood rooted to the spot, silently watching Xiao Shuying's deeply furrowed brows and his fading body.
One point, two points, three points.
As the last gust of wind swept by, he was left all alone between heaven and earth.
That damned Feng Mingye, what kind of godforsaken place did he throw him into? It's so empty.
After watching Long Aotian disappear, Su Yunyu's first reaction was to numbly curse Feng Mingye.
There wasn't really much anger involved; it seemed more like a transference of emotion. Yet, 111 in the sea of consciousness shouted with great joy:
[Host, you're amazing! Long Aotian is dead! Our mission is complete! Complete!]
As she spoke, she even started crying.
[Waaaaah, it's finally finished! Do you know how I survived these past ninety-nine days? Waaaaah, I can finally stop working!]
[But host, I'm still quite reluctant to part with you. By the way, why aren't you smiling?]
Su Yunyu didn't react to the chattering of 111, her gaze remaining fixed on the spot where Long Aotian had just been. A slight smile played on her lips.
"Great, he's finally dead."
Although she was smiling, her brows and eyes were still tightly furrowed, her gaze lowered, and she felt a sense of emptiness in her heart.
For the first time, Su Yunyu felt that she might have been a little cruel. Destroying her own consciousness must have been incredibly painful, and she would have had to overcome her survival instincts.
If only I had shown some concern for Long Aotian beforehand, at least I wouldn't be so gloomy now.
At this moment, 111 suddenly asked in confusion:
[Strange, Long Aotian has been gone for a while, why hasn't the task been completed yet?]
Su Yunyu was lost in her own thoughts, seemingly unaware, until 111's incessant chatter in her mind gradually faded and became increasingly jarring:
[The mission...the mission seems to have...failed.]
etc.
The mission... failed.
Su Yunyu suddenly stood up, looked around, and a layer of unease enveloped her heart. She frantically tried to contact 111 in her mind.
"What's wrong? I can't hear your voice."
However, the voice from 111 was still like being heard through frosted glass; it was unclear, and only a few words could be faintly heard.
[Long Aotian...no...]
Nothing
Su Yunyu grew increasingly anxious, her eyelashes trembling frequently. Just as she was about to return to the Tianxuan Sect to observe the situation, the air around her suddenly tightened—
In an instant, the sky and the earth seemed to spin rapidly, and the air floating in the middle turned into a huge vortex that was rapidly converging in one place. The center of the vortex was the place where Xiao Shuying had just disappeared!
Su Yunyu's pupils shrank suddenly, as if she realized something was wrong. Thinking of the celebratory words she had just uttered, she had a bad feeling and threw her sadness to the back of her mind, wanting only to run away.
If Long Aotian really didn't die, then not only did he fail to complete his mission, but he would also have to face an even more difficult Long Aotian to kill.
He had to run first!
Just as Su Yunyu used his spiritual energy to fly upwards, a barrier blocked his way.
A body gradually shifted from transparent to solid, extending a pair of hands with black sleeves hanging down, tightly encircling his waist. A breath came from behind his ear—an extremely light yet extremely deep, unsettling sound.
"Master, I'm not dead, are you happy?"
-----------------------
Author's note: Making a plate of dumplings just for a plate of vinegar is just [doge emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
