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Capítulo 58

Lian Haichao waved his hand at those who surrounded Yue Ruzheng, and everyone sheathed their swords and retreated to the side.

Yue Ruzheng's clothes were soaked with cold sweat, and her hair was tangled in knots, making her look extremely disheveled. Lian Haichao said to Lian Junqiu, "Consider this divine pearl a gift from Junchu to Miss Yue. Prepare a boat to take these two esteemed disciples of Yinxi Xiaozhu out to sea."

Lian Junqiu's expression was complicated, and she could only nod silently. Lian Haichao rolled up his sleeves, called out "Junxin" again, and walked out of the courtyard. Lian Junxin was forced to follow him with resentment.

Suddenly, the courtyard, which was originally crowded with people, was reduced to only four people.

Shao Yang clutched his chest, struggled to walk to Yue Ruzheng, and whispered, "Ruzheng, we've obtained the divine pearl. We can go now."

Yue Ruzheng stood there as if she had lost her soul, her eyes glazed over.

Lian Junqiu looked at Yue Ruzheng, stepped forward, and said softly, "Miss Yue, please."

Yue Ruzheng shuddered, then turned around slowly, her face pale and her eyes dim, to look at Tang Yanchu standing to the side. He, however, kept his back to her, showing no intention of turning around.

Shao Yang leaned on his sword for support, one hand on Yue Ruzheng's arm. A self-deprecating bitter smile appeared on her lips as she clutched the small box tightly and followed Lian Junqiu out of the courtyard. Just before taking the last step, she held her breath and slowly turned to look back.

The night was deep blue, the waning moon was thin and weak, and on the empty and quiet steps, Lian Junchu, dressed in white, stood with his back to her, seemingly gazing at the high and silent Forget-Love Pavilion, bathed only in the moonlight, lonely and silent.

This is the last scene Tang Yanchu left in Yue Ruzheng's heart.

Later, whenever I thought of him, that unbearable figure gradually solidified into a watercolor silhouette, fading from deep to light, and was painted deep in my memory.

Lian Haichao's request to Tang Yanchu sounded simple: to acknowledge his ancestors, become a descendant of the Lian family, and stay on Qixing Island forever.

He agreed to the request, but stipulated that he must return to Nan Yandang Mountain once before completely changing himself. He took a boat across the sea and embarked on his journey back to the mountains alone.

From the moment he stepped ashore until he returned to Pingyang, Tang Yanchu walked without sleep or rest. For two days and two nights, he not only didn't rest, but he also barely ate anything. Except when he was extremely exhausted, he would lie down by the mountain stream and drink large gulps of the icy water.

When he drank water, he buried his face in the deepest part of the stream until he could barely breathe. Then he struggled to lift his head, letting the water run down his face and soak his clothes.

At night, he walked alone on the dark mountain path. There was no moonlight or wind, only the sound of his footsteps echoing through the valley.

In the early hours of the third day, he finally returned to the mountain courtyard he had been away from for many days.

The orchids I planted when I left have withered, their petals scattered all over the ground. Because of the rain, the petals are covered in mud and are no longer as pure and beautiful as before.

He staggered into the courtyard, pushed open the door with his shoulder, and stood in the empty house.

On the table were clothes that Yue Ruzheng had forgotten to put away.

He entered her room. On the bedside table was a peach wood comb that Yue Ruzheng had used, with her long hair still attached to it.

He returned to his room, where his light gray short jacket lay on the bed, stitched by Yue Ruzheng.

He went back out again, and in the kitchen, there were the bowls and chopsticks she had used, and the firewood she had chopped.

He walked out, dejected, and stood in the courtyard. There was the stool she had sat on, the flowerbeds she had planted, her laughter, and her tears...

Every place, every corner, bears her scent, her traces... nowhere to hide, nowhere to conceal herself.

Tang Yanchu stood there, stunned. The sun gradually rose, so bright that he could hardly open his eyes. He slowly turned around and dragged his heavy steps back into the house. As he stepped over the threshold, he tripped. This final blow caused him to lose all his support, and he fell to the ground again. But this time, no one rushed to help him up.

He gritted his teeth, trying to prop himself up, but the two days and two nights of travel had exhausted him, and he could no longer struggle. He lay quietly on the ground, watching a ray of sunlight shine through the crack in the door, not far from him. But he could never reach it.

His vision gradually blurred, and warm tears slowly welled up in his eyes. He breathed rapidly, trying to hold them back.

Ten years have passed, and he vowed never to cry again. He vowed never again to be a useless person who only knows how to shed tears.

However, this bittersweet feeling plunged him into boundless pain, and then, a heart-wrenching sensation suddenly coursed through his entire body. He gasped for breath, tears streaming down his face, dripping onto the ground.

He raised his amputated arm, biting his sleeve, trying his best to suppress his sobs.

But he couldn't control himself; it was as if he had returned to that nightmarish year.

He watched as his arms were stuffed into a box and taken away as a wedding gift. He saw his mother stop breathing, collapsing before him, unable to help her. He saw his body strangely mutilated, never to return to its former state. He saw everyone staring at him with strange eyes, as if he weren't one of them. He saw Lian Junxin grab his sleeve and slap him across the face. He saw the torrential rain pouring down, and he lay helplessly in the grass, unable to even crawl… From that moment on, he could no longer carry things like a normal person; from that moment on, he could no longer go out and meet people with confidence; from that moment on, he could no longer, and would never, believe in a future that belonged to him…

He cried uncontrollably, his body curled up and convulsing. He really wanted to just lie on the cold ground and never get up again, never remember that time when he once had dreams.

When Tang Yanchu left Nan Yandang, she had already shed all her tears.

He came to the kitchen for the last time. The place where Yue Ruzheng and he used to cook together was now dark and silent.

He stood there for a long time, then used his feet to pull out a bundle of firewood and pushed it into the yard. Afterward, he walked unsteadily back to the room where Yue Ruzheng had lived, knelt on the bed, and used his teeth to bite down on the ink plum blossom painting hanging on the wall, struggling to take it down.

The courtyard was still bathed in the clear moonlight, silent and still.

He sat alone on the ground and lit the bundle of firewood. The firelight quickly stained the dark corner red, reflecting on his pale face. In the flickering light and shadow, Tang Yanchu leaned down, glanced at the plum blossoms in the painting, and then pushed them into the fire.

The flames roared and quickly engulfed the plum branches, leaving only ashes scattered and falling to the ground.

Parting in this world is often fleeting. Seeing the plum blossoms, I am suddenly filled with longing. How many times have we dreamt of holding hands by the small window? Tonight, I find no trace of them in my dreams, and wander aimlessly. The cold seeps into my quilt, yet I remain unaware.

The ink, damp with sorrow, barely covers the seal. The zither lies empty, no geese fly. A carefree wanderer strolls through the alleys, finding only ancient trees bathed in the slanting sunlight. The old promise of a small boat, the heart's desires now gone! The song of "Ode to the Spring Grasses of Huainan" ends, and the grasses grow lush and green again. A wandering traveler, tears soaking his clothes.

--Jiang Kui, "Jiang Mei Yin"

(End of Volume 3) Author's Note: This chapter is over 6000 words long. I originally wanted to split it into two chapters, but then I thought I'd just post it all at once... Splitting it might reduce its impact. After finishing Volume 3, I'll give myself two days to rest, and everyone should have a buffer. Because there will be a time gap afterward, reading it immediately won't feel the same... You're free to do whatever you want these two days. Of course, I don't mind if you reread previous chapters or leave me a message, hehe~ I'll be revising the layout of the previous chapters, because I didn't understand web novels back then, and many were densely packed, which some friends said affected reading. So seeing updates isn't me faking updates... Volume 4 will continue on Friday, where the turning point begins. I hope everyone can keep reading and witness the characters' journey...

Volume Four: Ta Sha Xing

Chapter Forty: The One Who Knows the Flavor of the Martial World Best in His Life

The plum blossoms at Yinxi Xiaozhu are as lush as brocade, each bud opening and blooming in full glory, and then withering and falling away. Those petals of various colors, such as pale yellow, pink, white and deep red, fly one after another over the mountain stream, over the green plain, and over Yue Ruzheng's long hair.

The green calyxes bloomed and withered, the snow fell and melted, but she never showed her radiant smile again.

All she knew was that her life had an indelible stain. And secrets don't stay hidden forever. Although no one else knew about her previous acquaintance with Tang Yanchu, the matter gradually spread after she brought the Divine Pearl back from the Forgetful Pavilion.