An Old Friend Returns (Part 1)
Chapter Thirty-One
Xie Yuan had no choice but to climb over the wall, but she didn't expect that as soon as she used her light-footed skill to flip over, she would come face to face with the three people standing neatly below.
She chuckled awkwardly a few times, waved to the crowd below, her red robes and dark hair billowing in the cool night breeze, creating a beautiful arc. "Master, Senior Brother, long time no see! How have you been? Hahahahahaha..."
When old friends meet, each has their own thoughts and feelings.
But without exception, they all remained silent.
——
Song Ling stood outside the wall without moving, quietly watching her back as she had done countless times before.
He had witnessed this scene many times before, but in the past he could only be an outsider observing her life. Now, this was the first time he had come to Jingyu Manor in this capacity and participated in the scene he had imagined countless times.
That's what he thought about back then.
If only he were the one who would always be by her side.
If he weren't Song Ling, but just her junior brother or a disciple she took in while traveling the world, that would be fine.
If only I could stay on Luoqi Mountain and enjoy the vast landscape with her instead of just staying there.
if........
There are no "ifs".
He quickly dismissed the possibility.
because.
If he didn't exist as Song Ling.
He had no chance of meeting her.
They wouldn't realize that he was trapped in an endless cycle of death.
The rules required him to obey his predetermined fate.
However, even without those memories from before the cycle.
Without exception, he died by his own hand each time; nothing ever led to his destined end.
therefore.
The cycle repeats itself.
The cycle continues.
Until he followed the rules and met his inevitable end...
——
As the first incarnation of Song Ling.
He went mad after she died.
Two years later, he committed suicide at her grave.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself back in the cave where he had been locked when he was three years old. This time, he was absolutely certain that he was trapped in a vicious cycle that would never end.
Although he was in a daze and couldn't remember the previous cycles very clearly, he could only vaguely recall fragments of his experiences that would occasionally flash through his mind.
But this time was different.
He found that he remembered it perfectly.
Especially everything related to her.
He remembered that she gave him a name.
His name is Song Ling.
No longer the Song who was filled with resentment and anger, only thinking about how to take revenge and kill everyone...
...........
He should have remained forever in the cold, desolate, dark abyss.
A touch of red, which will never be extinguished, appeared out of nowhere.
After she left, he went to many places, met many people and killed many people, but he found that his heart was always empty and he could not find a place for him to stay. The pleasure of killing and revenge could not compare to the occasional moment when he thought of the little things he had done with her in Luoqi Mountain on countless nights. Only then did he realize how good she had been to him.
How happy Song Ling is.
But people always learn to cherish things only after they've lost them, and he was no exception.
He realized that he had been reborn back to when he was three years old.
He was overjoyed, because it meant he could see her again.
Being able to reunite with her again was a rebirth for him, no longer a source of pain and resentment.
He waited and waited and waited.
I waited for who knows how long.
The number of corpses in the cave increased day by day; the number of people killed was already countless.
But she never came...
Why, why, why, why...
Does she not want him anymore?
He was filled with anger, resentment, and bitterness at being betrayed...
On the verge of succumbing to demonic possession.
He, however, was caught in those constant flashbacks to past fragments.
He vaguely recalled a sentence she had once told him he must remember.
“Ah Ling, I know your situation doesn’t allow you to easily place your hopes on others, and I don’t think you’re wrong to do so.”
"However, if you encounter even more difficult situations in the future, if you feel that everything has changed..."
Whether you believe it or not.
"And you must remember that."
"Your master will always stand behind you."
This seemingly insignificant statement, as light as a feather.
Yet she sustained him through 611 cycles of reincarnation without her.
——
Xie Yuan looked at her bowl with embarrassment as it gradually became a small mountain in front of her, piled up by her master and senior brothers, one after another, with each of them taking a bite. There was also the seemingly carefree senior brother Li Shui, who had gone from being an observer to joining in with great interest at some point.
This was Xie Yuan's first time meeting this legendary senior brother, who had been killed by his master for over a hundred years, in both her past and present lives.
Who would have thought that this legendary senior disciple, who supposedly cultivated cunning arts, would be so handsome and dashing...
Could it be that Master is also a sucker for good looks?
Only accepting good-looking people?
It's no wonder she thought that way. Back then, the novels described Li Shui as a born freak, incredibly ugly, only able to appear in public with a silver mask, and even said he was actually a woman—hermaphrodite was mentioned...
She initially thought that her master said he would only take her to meet the senior brother she had never met before when there was an opportunity, because he was afraid she was too young and would be frightened by him...
So, when she later wrote to Li Shui, she very considerately made sure not to mention anything about his appearance...
"Stop, stop, stop! I'm not a pig, I can't eat that much. Can you please stop putting food on my plate? How am I supposed to eat this?"
Xie Yuan, holding the bowl, stood up with a helpless expression and stopped the "farce".
As soon as she stood up, Song Ling, who was sitting next to her, also immediately stood up.
The three people above him gave him an indescribable look.
Xie Yuan: ...I give up.
She sat down silently again.
Because he considered that Song Ling might not be used to such a happy reunion, and might not know how to behave, after all, from his perspective, he was an outsider.
Therefore, Xie Yuan seemed somewhat distracted when exchanging pleasantries with her master and senior brother.
The scene was roughly this: she was chattering away while enthusiastically serving food to Song Ling, while the other three were enthusiastically serving her food as well...
——
"Ah Yuan, it seems you haven't had a chance to introduce this young boy beside you to your master and senior brothers yet."
Zhu Qi, as the master, was the first to break the eerie atmosphere.
All three of them could tell that this stunningly handsome young man was definitely not ordinary.
Even with his current level of cultivation, he still couldn't see through him.
Although he appears outwardly virtuous and upright, at this age he is already burdened with a history of murder...
To possess such terrifying cultivation at such a young age.
Who exactly is this young man?
Regardless of how Ah Yuan was reborn, even if she was, why would she be willing to bring this young man back to Jingyu Manor...?
This has profound implications.
——
Why didn't Xie Yuan introduce it immediately?
Firstly, this is the first time she has brought someone back with her.
Secondly, I suddenly didn't know where to start without sounding too shocking.
If it were just an introduction of Song Ling's identity as a disciple, even if the master and senior brothers were surprised, they would only be surprised at most.
If the apprentice is also the person she loves, that would be very exciting.
After all, this world still adheres to all sorts of old-fashioned and feudal rules, such as respecting teachers and elders and caring for the young.
She may not have any connection to it, but that doesn't mean everyone thinks the same way she does.
Doesn't this also mean taking into account the psychological resilience of our master and fellow disciples?
Xie Yuan glanced at Song Ling beside her, who was eating absentmindedly without saying a word.
Well, he didn't seem to think she would talk about anything other than her apprentice.
"Master, senior brothers, this is a long story, don't rush me," Xie Yuan said somewhat guiltily, picking up another sweet rice ball and stuffing it into her mouth, her cheeks puffed out. "Didn't you all say back then that I wasn't cut out to be a master?"
"After the martial arts competition, I went to the Southern Frontier alone. By chance, I met him when he was only three years old. There were some minor incidents in between, and I took him as my disciple. It's that simple, not complicated at all."
"So how did she end up losing her life?" Xie Jue looked at his junior sister, whom he hadn't seen for many years, with a complex expression. They had been childhood sweethearts and had grown up together. He had always believed that no one could make someone as bright and vibrant as her stay.
It seems that she was born to belong to freedom and to the world, and would not be entangled in worldly affairs.
“Master, senior brother, my death back then was a choice I made after careful consideration. It was not influenced by anyone else’s thoughts, nor was it an impulsive act.”
"Even if I went back ten years, I would still make the same choice without hesitation."
Xie Yuan's words were not only meant for everyone present, but also for Song Ling.
She didn't know why Song Ling couldn't get over her death. Sometimes she felt that in his eyes when he looked at her, besides resentment and grievance, there was also a guilt that even she couldn't understand.
But in her view...
Her death was simply fulfilling the responsibility that a master should bear.
Xie Yuan genuinely considered him her disciple. She didn't necessarily want him to be a good person, but she hoped he would have more than one choice, instead of being destined to be a villain and die at the protagonist's hands, as depicted in the original novel...
Song Ling's hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly, and she dropped one onto the table.
All four eyes immediately focused on him.
"Feel sorry."
Song Ling's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she looked at Xie Yuan with a bit of a loss.
"There's nothing to apologize for." Xie Yuan smiled, picked up another clean pair of shoes and placed them in his hands. "Use these."
Li Shui listened with great interest and did not forget to express his opinion: "Junior Sister, how did you get reborn after ten years? I have seen many of these kinds of techniques that go against the laws of nature, but there are no traces of possession or sacrifice left on your body."
"Don't even mention you guys, I don't even understand how I was reborn."
Xie Yuan sighed sadly, but she knew Song Ling knew.
Her death back then.
Their spirit and soul perished, returning to the heavens and earth.
Song Ling was unwilling to say, but she could actually guess.
What worries her is...
What price did he pay to bring her back to life?
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