Heart

"......" Looking at the tangled emotions in Tianyan's magnificent golden eyes, Xu Yuan's heart trembled for a moment, suddenly unsure of how to reply to her. His memory was still stuck on Tianyan trailing him like a stalker and being outmaneuvered by him using the Meishen tree spirit. Though he knew that in that illusory realm, an extraordinary relationship must have developed between them, he truly had no recollection of it. Compared to when he was back in that cave, Xu Yuan's memories of the illusory realm had now vanished almost entirely. Of course, a few images still lingered, but rather than actual memories, they felt more like idle reveries conjured by his imagination. Deeply unreal, like an illusion woven jointly from the dregs of a dream and daydreams. Nearly all of it was built upon that phrase he had spoken to her in the cave: "pale pink." Like an adolescent's spring dream where the woman's face remained indistinct, only for him to afterward project Tianyan's peerless beauty over it. That lingering palpitation from back then had by now settled into a lake-like calm. Aside from that, the only thing remaining was that familiar feeling that surfaced unbidden now and then. The gate tower soared high into the clouds; her palace gown was quiet and plain as raw silk, while the swirling wind and snow ruffled her long, silky hair. From a rational standpoint, Xu Yuan felt he ought to deceive her. It was shameless, but effective. The north wind above the clouds was somewhat dry and cold. Xu Yuan felt a chill and subconsciously pulled his padded coat tighter. "I really don't remember." As the words left his mouth, though the freezing wind blew as before, it was suddenly walled off from him. He instinctively looked toward her beside him. Tianyan had already pulled back her gaze, looking not at him, but at the travelers risking their lives along the winding official road in the distance for a few meager bits of silver. "I don't mean to blame you. I just feel a little uncomfortable inside." Her gaze turned melancholic. "Xu Yuan... After we parted, I actually thought over everything you said back then—the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion, the Prime Minister's Manor, the sects, the Imperial Court, your betrothal to Li Qingyan, even what expression I should wear when seeing you again..." Her voice suddenly dropped very low, so low it carried a faint tremor. "But... but after seeing you, I still couldn't control my emotions. Every time I think about what happened in the illusory realm, I... I..." By the end of her words, Not a trace of divinity remained in those golden eyes, as scenic and lush as an isolated green peak. She took a trembling, deep breath. "Forget it. Saying this now, with your bastard temperament, you definitely won't feel anything listening to it." "Actually, I still—" "Even if you feel something, it's only because I'm pretty." "......" Xu Yuan fell silent. A soft sigh fell with the snow. He and she sat atop Beifeng. Gazing at the vast, desolate expanse of the sky, Xu Yuan spoke softly and gently: "You certainly know me well. People are always like that; everything begins with looks." Tianyan let out a soft huff. "Hmph. 'Begins with looks' is just acting on lust." A smile curled at the corners of Xu Yuan's lips. "Could that be something I told you in the illusory realm?" "Yes." Tianyan did not deny it. As if recalling something, her tone grew somewhat unfriendly. "Back in the illusory realm, even while being hunted all the way, you still had the mind to flirt with the head disciple of Dunxing Palace." Xu Yuan frowned slightly, his tone aggrieved. "Don't think you can make things up to slander me just because I can't remember. While I maintain that desire is human nature, I generally have my head on straight. How could I possibly hit on someone who was hunting me down?" Tianyan shot him a sidelong glance and sneered. "She led a team to surround and kill us, but was outmaneuvered and captured alive. Using her identity, we fled all the way overseas and stayed on an uninhabited island for a year. What do you think happened during that year?" Hearing this, Xu Yuan gave a soft hiss of breath. Hesitating slightly, he murmured, "Surely nothing out of line happened?" Tianyan gave him a meaningful look, then suddenly curled her eyes into a smile, as radiant as an elfin spirit. "Care to guess?" Xu Yuan stroked his chin. "She didn't fall in love with me, did she?" Tianyan's smile vanished instantly, her willow brows knitting upward. "When the Pavilion Master of that era deduced our hiding spot, she threatened her own father with death to let us leave." "......" Xu Yuan opened his mouth. It really had been Stockholm syndrome for that nameless sister. Putting himself in those shoes, Xu Yuan realized it actually seemed quite possible. Thinking of this, Xu Yuan grinned. "Hah, turns out I was that popular in the illusory realm too—" *Boom!!!* Before his words finished, shattered stone sprayed instantly from the battered gate tower. Tianyan had punched a hole ten feet wide straight into the solid gate tower. Turning her gaze back upon him: "You... you seem quite proud of that?" Xu Yuan smacked his lips and coughed lightly. "I'm not, don't talk nonsense. Just an objective analysis." He suddenly realized something: throughout those decades in the illusory realm, the woman before him had most likely seen all of his tricks. Though he did not remember, those memories were etched deeply into her heart. "Heh... heh..." Hearing his response, Tianyan pursed her thin lips and let out a few low laughs that sounded half like weeping. "Xu Changtian, you're still the same scumbag you've always been. Mu Lanxin nearly died for that back then." "......" Meeting her eyes for a moment, Xu Yuan nodded gently. "Perhaps. But I truly can't bring myself to grieve for someone I have no memory of." He stared at his fingertips, lightly rubbing his index finger and thumb together, and spoke in a low voice: "Do you think I should pretend to empathize, and then put on an act of deep, sorrowful compassion? I only care about the people I care about. As for the rest, I can't manage that much." Tianyan narrowed her eyes, staring at him. "You're actually not lying?" Xu Yuan lifted his gaze to look at her, his eyes curving into a smile. "I just don't want to deceive you." Tianyan's fingertips clenched tight. "Is that because you know you can't deceive me right now?" Xu Yuan snorted with a soft chuckle and reached out toward her head. Tianyan's eyes sharpened at the sight, but in the end, she did not dodge. The familiar touch sent gentle ripples through her heart. His fingertips brushed lightly through her silky hair, tucking it behind her ear. Looking at her from up close, Xu Yuan said in a slow, quiet voice: "You see? Even if I told lies, you would still believe them—by finding a way to deceive yourself. Just like right now. With the right approach, even if I did something far more out of line to you, you wouldn't resist." "......" They locked eyes in silence. A trace of resentment surfaced across Tianyan's delicate, painterly features—seeming to resent herself, yet also resenting the shamelessness of the man before her. Abruptly, gritting her silver teeth, she raised her hand. "......" Xu Yuan froze. He felt he might have taken the joke too far. If this slap came down, his head would probably spin a few times. Yet that slap never fell in the end. Tianyan dejectedly lowered her raised jade hand, tossed her head to break free from his touch, and slumped on the gate tower as if all her strength had been drained. Silence fell over the gate tower for a time. He looked at her, while she looked at the wind and snow outside the city, as the vast snowfall drifted over the world like washed pebbles and shattered jade. Moments slipped by. Xu Yuan drew back his gaze and joined her in looking out at the snowbound world, his tone very gentle: "Tianyan, I know you must be very important to me. That's why I don't want to lie to you." A spark of brilliance surfaced in Tianyan's golden eyes, but quickly dimmed. Her delicate, dainty nose sniffled. "You... you're lying to me again." Xu Yuan shifted slightly, nudging against her soft, delicate shoulder, and smiled from the corner of his eye: "Think about it. If I wanted to lie to you, wouldn't it be better to just say something sweet to coax you and make you happy?" Tianyan shot him a sidelong glance, blinking her mist-shrouded eyes, but said nothing. Ticking off fingers one by one, Xu Yuan said softly: "Saying something pleasant—like, 'Tianyan, you know me. That woman Li Qingyan and I are just keeping up appearances; there's no real affection between us at all, it's merely pressure from my family...'" "So that's a lie?" Tianyan suddenly interrupted him. "......" Xu Yuan subconsciously glanced toward the military camp. Chest-binding princess... Tianyan's question caught Xu Yuan momentarily off guard. He was not entirely certain what he felt toward that bad woman Li Qingyan either. Opposites attract; likes repel. Every day was a tug-of-war, every day full of schemes and mutual probing. That poppy-like uncertainty about her made him wary of investing too much emotion, but to say there was none would definitely be a lie. After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan shook his head and said quietly: "I'm not sure, but there's definitely something there." Tianyan stared at him with reddened eyes for several seconds. In her mind, that calm, ink-black figure surfaced unbidden, and she asked in a low voice: "If that's how it is with Li Qingyan... what about Ran Qingmo?" Xu Yuan looked at her and asked softly: "Do you want the truth or a lie?" Her breath hitched. "...The truth." "I like her." "......" Without any hesitation. The calm, steady gaze in his eyes as he spoke caused Tianyan's radiant golden pupils to contract, her breathing turning shaky. After staring at each other for several breaths, She averted her reddened eyes. "Makes sense... Someone with Ran Qingmo's temperament is easy to like. She doesn't throw fits, she's so obedient, and she doesn't deceive you..." As she spoke those trembling words, she blinked her glistening eyes hard, her long, dense eyelashes quivering. By the end, her voice faded into silence. Xu Yuan lightly touched his fingertips together, rubbing them gently. "I told you I don't want to lie to you. Sometimes the order of appearance really matters. But if you want to hear a lie, I can also say I don't like her." "......" No reply came. After a long silence, her eyes cast downward, three words suddenly slipped out: "Then... what about me?" Xu Yuan looked up, thought for a moment, and asked quietly: "Do you want the truth or a lie?" "......" Tianyan pulled her legs tight against herself, burying her face deep between her knees without a word. Curling up with her legs hugged to her chest, her petite frame looked like an injured little beast licking its wounds alone. Watching her like this, Xu Yuan stayed quiet for a short while before speaking in a soft, contemplative voice: "Actually, I already gave you the answer to that question earlier. I don't know what feelings I have for you, but my body's instinctive reactions and my heart's instinctive feelings tell me that you must be important to me. "Still, if you insist on asking, to me right now you're probably... a familiar stranger." "Just that?" Tianyan bit her lip. Xu Yuan blinked and stroked his chin. "Probably... a stalker too?" Tianyan snapped her head up instantly, the whites of her bloodshot eyes brimming with murderous intent as her fists clenched tight: "Xu Changtian!" Xu Yuan reached out, rested his hand atop her head, patted it, and smiled with curved eyes: "All right, I know you're not a stalker." Tianyan slapped his hand away and looked aside. "You're doing this again..." Xu Yuan withdrew his hand and chuckled softly: "Born this way. This temperament probably won't change in this lifetime." Tianyan took a deep breath, raised her hem to wipe the corners of her eyes, and stood straight up. "Fine. Let's go back. You only came looking for me for this anyway." As the words fell, no reply came from behind; instead, a faint fluctuation of Source Qi stirred. Puzzled, Tianyan instinctively glanced back. Smiling, Xu Yuan held out a small blood-red mirror to her: "Take a look in it. Your eyes are completely red. If we go back like this, another quarrel will break out in no time." Tianyan did not take it, merely uttering two True Words: "Calm Heart. Cleanse Body." A light breeze rippled out from her body, and within a few breaths, the bloodshot veins in her eyes dissipated. Looking at him, she let out a soft huff. "You think everyone is as weak as you?" Xu Yuan shrugged, already used to it. A Soul Condensation powerhouse—he was accustomed to it. "Then shall we head back now? Li Qingyan is still waiting." Hearing that name, Tianyan bit the corner of her lip slightly and suddenly said: "Actually... she didn't need to have you come look for me." "Hm?" "Shift." "......" With that single word, her figure vanished, leaving Xu Yuan alone atop the soaring gate tower. Recalling the bad woman's expression before he had left, Xu Yuan shook his head slightly: "With your level, you're still trying to play mind games? No need for you to remind me, I already knew." Tianyan had only run into them here by chance. Now that the communication crystal had been established in Beifeng City, whatever information could be obtained from Tianyan could also be gathered once they contacted the Imperial Capital—and likely in far greater detail. Drawing back his gaze from the military camp, Xu Yuan looked down at the bottomless drop below the city wall and smacked his lips: "Tsk, how am I supposed to get back down now..." *** Mount Tianyuan, the bamboo forest on the back mountain. Summer had passed and autumn returned once more, yet the lush bamboo leaves from the summer showed not the slightest hint of yellowing. The ringing hum of swords lingered over the clearing in the quiet bamboo forest. A chill cold enough to freeze swept through the surrounding green bamboos, coating their vibrant emerald surfaces with a layer of frost. Two figures—one still, one moving. The moving one was clad in ink-black robes, her figure slender and free. With each swing of the ink sword in her palm, fine ice crystals swirled through the air. The still one had hair and beard entirely white, burly in build. Standing in place, he yawned while swinging a massive greatsword to parry the bone-chilling strikes of the icy blade. With every clash of swords, the resulting gale stirred a surge of emerald waves across the boundless bamboo forest. Suddenly, *Clang—* The still figure swung his greatsword violently. With a crisp ring, the ink-clad figure was sent flying backward. The ink sword spun rapidly through the air, knocked dozens of feet away, plunging entirely into the soil until only the crossguard remained exposed. In the very next instant, A plump woman appeared behind the burly old man and kicked him hard, sending him tumbling to the ground: "Ran Jianli, are you out of your mind?! Striking her so hard?!" Ran Jianli rolled over to sit on the ground, rubbing the spot where he had been kicked, an embarrassed smile on his face: "Qingmo wants to fuse her Dao. I had to up the intensity a bit..." "Next time Qingmo spars, she spars with me. You're banned, you old bastard—you have no sense of restraint." The plump woman turned to look toward the figure that had been knocked back. The ink-clad maiden had already quietly picked herself up from the ground, silently retrieved her ink sword, and whispered: "Master... Mistress. Qingmo is out of Source Qi. I'm going back to my room." With that, the maiden kept her head lowered and walked toward her bamboo cottage. The woman and the old man exchanged a look, and she kicked his shin again, making him grimace in pain: "It's all your fault! I'm going to talk with Qingmo. If she's still angry, you just wait tonight! "Qingmo~ Qingmo, wait for Mistress!"