The two sat down, each offering the first bite to the other. As their chopsticks met in mid-air, Qian Cuiyu's tears unexpectedly streamed down her face. Yin Sang reached out to wipe away her tears, then pulled her into his arms.
For a moment, the room was quiet, and no one spoke. For Yin Sang, knowing that his days were numbered, this time together was all the more precious; but for Qian Cuiyu, it was bitter and astringent, a smile on her face but pain in her heart.
After an unknown amount of time, Qian Cuiyu softly called out, "Yin Sang..."
"Um?"
"If one day someone arrests me and demands that you name ten of my characteristics before they release me, can you name them?"
Yin Sang chuckled slightly, "That's too easy, isn't it? I could name a hundred, let alone ten."
Qian Cuiyu raised her head and said, "Then tell me."
Yin Sang answered without hesitation:
"You only eat the tail of fish, only the leaves of vegetables, refuse to add sugar when cooking, don't add the dot to the blade radical when writing the character for sword, like to give the things around you a poetic title, tear up books and smash vases when you're in a bad mood, the first thing you do when you wake up is to light incense, the second thing is to open the window, and you feel uncomfortable if you don't hold a pen for three days..." He stopped here.
Qian Cuiyu said, "We're still missing one."
Yin Sang gently tucked a stray hair behind her ear and said softly, "Also, you're a very stubborn person. If you like something, you'll like it for a lifetime."
Qian Cuiyu's lips trembled slightly, and she suddenly hugged him tightly, murmuring, "Yes, a lifetime... If you love someone, it's for a lifetime... But how long is a lifetime?"
Yin Sang stroked her hair and sighed, "No matter what, meeting you is the greatest blessing of my life. I have nothing more to ask for..."
“Yin Sang, if—I mean, if…” Qian Cuiyu whispered, “You’ve forgotten me, but if you see a woman who only eats the tail of fish, only the leaves of vegetables, refuses to add sugar to her dishes, doesn’t add the dot to the blade when writing the character for sword, likes to name everything around her with a poetic title, tears up books and smashes vases when she’s in a bad mood, the first thing she does in the morning is light incense, the second is open the window, and she feels uncomfortable if she doesn’t hold a pen for three days… will you think of me?”
Yin Sang smiled, "Silly girl!" His voice trailed off affectionately. Little did he know, Qian Cuiyu had already made her choice—
In any case, being alive is better than being dead.
Please forgive her for being so cowardly; she couldn't bear to watch him die, to die right before her eyes.
So when she saw the old man in the gray robe again the next day, Qian Cuiyu said, "Do you believe me? To be with him, I gave up more than just wealth and family." She also gave up her self-respect, chastity, pride... everything.
The gray-robed old man said calmly, "I believe you."
Qian Cuiyu stared straight at him and said, "I think you did it on purpose. You've been waiting for this opportunity in the dark, and then you appeared when I was most desperate, making it impossible for me to refuse."
The gray-robed old man remained silent. She had guessed right. He had indeed been paying attention to Yin Sang for a long time, trying to find ways to influence him and guide him onto the right path. However, he had never expected to encounter such an opportunity.
Qian Cuiyu smiled sadly and said, "But I don't hate you, nor do I resent you, because you were able to save him."
Her voice turned cold as she said, "But I hate God! He made Yin Sang born without a mother, burdened him with such heavy sins, and made him suffer all the pain in the world..."
The gray-robed old man interrupted her, saying, "But do you know how many people have been displaced and lost their loved ones because of the wrongdoings he committed? One cannot take it upon oneself to harm others just because one has been hurt. If he hadn't been so eager for revenge and forced himself to practice demonic arts, how could he have ended up in this predicament? Therefore, it is all his own fault!"
Qian Cuiyu trembled, and after a long while, she said in a hoarse voice, "I only know that sometimes people commit evil deeds because they are driven to a dead end." She thought of the beggar she had killed with a brick in the alley that night. According to the law that murderers should die, shouldn't she also die?
Same, all the same! The emperor wanted Yin Sang dead, so he had no choice but to strike first. But why didn't these people understand? Why could they always put on such a benevolent face and condemn him for bringing disaster to the world? For a moment, he felt bitter and angry, and could barely stand.
The old man in the gray robe sighed and said, "He is a genius that comes along only once in a century. If he can abandon evil and do good, it will be a blessing for the world."
Qian Cuiyu stood there blankly for a long while before slowly saying, "Promise me you'll make sure he lives a good life, making up for all the privileges, warmth, glory, and happiness that Heaven owes him. Can you do that?"
"Can."
Having received the promise, she knelt down. The moment her forehead touched the ground, her chest suddenly churned with blood and qi, and the sword wound that had been gradually healing reopened, causing a piercing pain to permeate her entire body.
She gritted her teeth and waited until the pain subsided slightly before raising her head, but the old man in the gray robe was gone.
Along with it disappeared, so did Yin Sang—her Yin Sang; her Mr. Mu.
After listening to Qian Cuiyu's account, Qian Bao'er remained silent for a long time before finally sighing and saying, "I never expected that Elder Xuanyuan had such a plan. It's just a pity that his painstaking efforts will probably be in vain..."
Qian Cuiyu asked in surprise, "What do you mean?"
"Judging from your pulse, young master, the internal energy that Elder Xuanyuan transferred to you did not neutralize your original martial arts; it only temporarily suppressed it. You are now in a weakened state and there is a high possibility of a backlash."
Qian Cuiyu was shocked and said in a trembling voice, "That is to say... that is to say..."
"In other words, once the young master's martial arts are restored, his demonic nature will return. With Elder Xuanyuan's inner strength gone, there is no one in the world who can rival him..."
Qian Cuiyu interjected, "And his demonic nature will eventually devour him as well, won't it?"
Qian Bao'er looked at her silently without saying a word.
Qian Cuiyu immediately threw off the covers and got up. Qian Bao'er was startled and quickly stopped her, saying, "Second Sister, what are you doing?"
"I'm going to see Yin Sang!" Qian Cuiyu didn't even bother to put on her shoes and was about to leave barefoot when Qian Bao'er hurriedly said, "Young Master is currently unconscious after taking my 'Bewitching Charm,' so it's no use for you to go now..." Before she finished speaking, the door suddenly opened, and a person stood quietly outside.
The moonlight shone from behind him, making his whole body appear as if it were plated with silver.
Upon seeing this, Qian Bao'er exclaimed in surprise, "How did you wake up?"
He simply stared at Qian Cuiyu and whispered, "Is it true?"
Qian Cuiyu stared blankly at him. He was wearing a white shirt and had long hair. He was standing on his own two legs. At this moment, he looked so much like he did seven years ago!
Tears welled up in her eyes in an instant.
"Is everything you just said true?" the young master asked again, his voice still soft, but with a tension that seemed to be brewing a storm. Qian Cuiyu trembled, speechless.
The young master took a step towards her, but Qian Bao'er quickly blocked Qian Cuiyu's path, saying, "Why don't you go back and ask your amazing master?"
Qian Cuiyu hurriedly said, "Bao'er!"
"Second Sister, do you think there's any point in keeping it from him now that things have come to this?" Qian Bao'er's words suffocated her, and Qian Cuiyu felt a sudden pang of pain in her heart as the previous conversation replayed in her mind—
For six years, she kept the biggest secret in the martial arts world, enduring heart-wrenching loneliness and grievances, all to keep him alive. She watched him rise to prominence, became famous, got engaged, and took care of his family, witnessing all his glorious achievements...
As it turned out, fate played another cruel joke on them. After six years, they still couldn't escape death! If they had known this would happen, why did they have to endure those six years?
Just as Qian Cuiyu was about to admit it, she suddenly felt as if she had been hit hard in the chest by a large iron hammer, and she immediately bent over in pain.
Qian Bao'er grabbed her and said, "Second Sister!" She then took her pulse and her expression changed drastically. Just as she was shocked, she saw the young master move his fingers like lightning, instantly pressing more than ten acupoints on Qian Cuiyu. Then, he stretched out his arm, picked her up, and walked to the bedside.
Qian Bao'er, being quick-witted and astute, immediately understood what he intended to do and hurriedly said, "No! You yourself are in danger right now. If you use your internal energy to save her, I'm afraid..."
Before she could finish speaking, the young master placed both palms on Qian Cuiyu's back and continuously channeled his inner strength into her body.
Qian Bao'er was stunned for a long time, then gritted her teeth and said, "Fine, you're willing to risk your life for Second Sister, so why can't I, Bao'er, do the same?" She then swept her long sleeves and went over, sat on the bed, and began to heal Qian Cuiyu's wounds from both sides.
Qian Bao'er was greatly surprised to find that the young master's internal energy was gentle and smooth, unlike its previous sharpness and arrogance. However, she did not dare to ask him anything and could only assist him by following his power. After practicing in this way for a full three hours, Qian Cuiyu's complexion turned from ashen to pale and looked much better.
As dawn broke outside the window, a maidservant brought in water and, seeing the strange scene in the room, hurriedly ran to inform the young master. Soon after, the Gu siblings rushed over.
Gu Mingyan exclaimed in surprise, "You—" She had only uttered two words when Gu Yucheng grabbed her hand, shook his head, and gestured for her not to disturb him. Gu Mingyan glanced at the young master, then at Qian Cuiyu. Though unwilling, she could only swallow her anger.
Qian Bao'er first withdrew her hand, exhaled, and then checked Qian Cuiyu's pulse. Her expression was not relaxed at all; instead, it became even more serious.
Why...why is there no reaction at all? We tried to save her all night, but we could only keep her alive. Could it be that even with the combined internal strength of her and Yin Sang, we couldn't heal her injuries?
Although she was very discouraged, she glanced at the pale-faced young master and softened her voice, saying, "Let's rest. I think Second Sister will be alright for now; she should be able to hold on until my master arrives..."
The young master seemed not to have heard.
Qian Bao'er pursed her lips, then suddenly said sharply, "Do you want to kill her? My second sister doesn't know martial arts. Pouring so much internal energy into her will only harm her!"
Startled by her shout, the young master jolted, and indeed slowly withdrew his inner force. Qian Cuiyu immediately went limp, collapsing into his arms. In that instant, many things rushed back to her mind—
He had healed her wounds in the same way before; he had held her in his arms in the same way before; he had waited anxiously for her to wake up in the same way before… Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his head.
Seeing that his expression was off again, Gu Mingyan rushed forward and asked, "Wuhen! How are you?"
The young master reluctantly laid Qian Cuiyu down comfortably before slowly getting out of bed. His legs felt unsteady, and he almost fell to the ground. Qian Bao'er, who was beside him, reached out to support him, her hand landing on his wrist.
"You—" Upon touching him, she was somewhat incredulous, and simply took the young master's hand to formally take his pulse, exclaiming with delight, "You! You're better!"
A miracle! Truly a miracle! At this moment, only one kind of internal energy remained within the young master's body, as unfathomable as the ocean, yet as gentle and peaceful as a spring breeze. It was neither his original evil martial arts nor the orthodox martial arts of Elder Xuanyuan, but rather a new kind of martial arts created by fusing the two together, flowing freely and unrestrainedly.
"What happened?" Qian Bao'er looked up and asked the young master, then happily said, "I understand! You truly are a once-in-a-century genius, able to spontaneously fuse two kinds of internal energy. In addition, the 'Bewitching Inducer' I gave you suppressed the pain and stimulated your body's functions to their maximum potential... Heavens, if Second Sister finds out when she wakes up, she'll be overjoyed!"
It's true... this is finally the end of their suffering, isn't it? Heaven, which has always been unkind to them, has finally shown mercy and resolved the crisis facing Yin Sang at this critical moment!
To everyone's surprise, the young master showed little joy. He stared at Qian Cuiyu on the bed for a long while, then suddenly turned and left.
Qian Bao'er called out, "Where are you going?"
He didn't answer, but simply left the room. Liu Ye was waiting outside. Seeing him come out, she quickly went up to him and said, "Young Master..."
The young master walked past him toward the stables. Willow Leaf asked, "Young master, where are you going?"
He didn't answer, picked the best horse, untied the reins, and rode away. Liu Ye was about to follow, but when she saw his face, she froze—
That's not the young master.
At least, that wasn't the young master he knew!
Why does the young master have such a gloomy face, such sharp eyes, and such a frightening expression?
In that instant, he seemed to have changed completely, exuding a sharp aura, like a drawn sword, inexhaustible in its sharpness, capable of injuring anyone who got close.
“Young Master…” Liu Ye murmured. When she turned around, she saw Gu Mingyan standing silently under a tree, her eyes glistening with tears, looking extremely desolate.
She asked, "We've lost him, haven't we?"
Liu Ye was taken aback, unsure how to respond.
Gu Mingyan shook her head and muttered to herself, "I know... I've lost him... I really... really lost him..."
As she spoke, she turned and slowly walked away. The morning light shone on her, and for some reason, Liu Ye suddenly felt that this Miss Gu, who was praised by people in the martial arts world as a pearl of the martial arts world, suddenly became dull and lackluster.
Chapter Nine
The drizzling rain was kept outside the waterside pavilion, and a cool breeze blew in as I leaned against the railing, creating a peaceful and serene scene.
Far from the hustle and bustle, beyond the soft red of the city, one can watch the tide rise from a green inkstone.
An elderly man in a gray robe sat cross-legged, and on a small red clay stove on a low table, fresh tea was just beginning to boil.
A young boy came running in hastily, his hurried footsteps breaking the silence of the room. "Sir, the young master is back!"
The old man asked with slight surprise, "Why are you in such a panic?"
The boy hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "Um... sir, the young master is acting very strangely..." Before he could finish speaking, the young master in white appeared at the door.
The old man's gaze fell on the boy's legs. His legs had miraculously healed! So… he waved for the boy to leave, then smiled and said, “You’ve come at the right time. This pot of Tiewu Guanyin tea has just boiled. Please have a seat.”
The young master stood by the door for a long time, his eyes gradually turning from sharp and piercing to peaceful before he walked in and sat down cross-legged in front of him.
The old man reached out to pour tea, and the clear, green water flowed from the spout into the polished white porcelain cup. The shimmering water reflected the young man's refined and elegant face, now weathered by the world's dust.
"I remember when I finished my training and left the mountain to bid farewell to my master, he said something to me," the old man said slowly, pushing the tea towards the young man. "My master said, 'Once you take this step into the mortal world, don't look back. Because even if you do, you will no longer be the same person you were before.' I spent a lot of time thinking about what those words meant. Later, after experiencing some things, when I looked back, I finally understood my master's good intentions."