CHAPTER 15

He took the person into his arms after writing these words, feeling at ease and at peace with himself.

After a while, the person in his arms suddenly moved, and Fu Changling immediately responded. He tried to awaken Yan Ming by making a frantic "ahh, ahh" sound.

Yan Ming finally spoke up, simply saying, "Water."

Fu Changling quickly handed him a water sac, and after Yan Ming had taken a few sips, Fu Changling helped him up.

Before Yan Ming had a chance to recuperate, Fu Changling carried him on his back and let him guide the way to the edge of the town.

As Yan Ming leaned against his back, Fu Changling could feel his heart racing. He wondered if Yan Ming had just awoken and if he was aware of what he had done. He wanted to ask numerous times, but in an instant, he couldn't bring himself to do so.

That night they casually built a fire on the outskirts of the town and sat down by it, each taking a sip of the wine from his spirit pouch.

He assumed Yan Ming didn't know how to drink, but that night he realised otherwise.

They talked while drinking-he mostly wrote, while Yan Ming read what he had written.

After he'd had a little too much to drink, he began to babble. He looked down, sighed, and scribbled on Yan Ming's palm: "It's a pity."

"Pity about what?"

"I don't like winter. I like spring." Fu Changling took a sip of wine and continued to write: "Come to think of it, it's a pity that the last drink I have before I die is on a winter's night."

Yan Ming didn't say anything. After quite a while, he said calmly, "You won't die."

Slowly, he added, "I said I'd get you out."

Fu Changling was stunned. After a while, he heard Yan Ming say, "Don't think too much. I'll give you a gift."

Fu Changling was mystified, but Yan Ming stood up and took a couple of steps forward, seemingly drawing his sword. A moment later, all he heard was the long sword being wielded and the sword wind sweeping across the landscape. The blizzard then abruptly ceased, and the temperature began to climb in an instant, bringing forth thousands of blossoming spring flowers along with lush foliage. The breeze blew the fresh fragrance across Fu Changling's face, causing his eyes to widen briefly.

"This is a secret trick of my sect. My Shīfù used to cheer me up like this. The flowers are blooming right now, but unfortunately, you can't see them. When we get out," Yan Ming said as he returned to his side and sat next to him, finishing the last sip of wine, "I'll come and find you after I've finished my task. I will heal your eyes, and we'll have another drink together when the spring arrives and the flowers are in bloom."

At these words, Fu Changling smiled, and he said, rather excitedly: "A promise is a promise."

Yan Ming responded, "A promise is a promise."

They spent a few days on the outskirts of the town while both recuperated from their injuries.

Thanks to the Spirit-Gathering Pagoda, they had the opportunity for a showdown with the Lord God in the Xuanji Secret Realm.

They couldn't find the rules, and the only way out was to break right through the Xuanji Secret Realm's exit.

So they divided the task: Fu Changling was in charge of destroying the formation, while Yan Ming was in charge of attracting the Lord God's attention.

After they had almost recovered from their injuries, it was also the day of the sacrificial ritual.

Just as planned, Yan Ming was responsible for attracting the Venerable One's attention, and he was responsible for finding a way to destroy the formation.

They had made all the necessary preparations, but the enemy proved to be considerably more powerful than they had anticipated.

Even though Yan Ming was one of the strongest Jindan-level cultivators, he was unable to stand against the throttling of a secret realm rated as an "ominous realm".

So, Fu Changling could hear Yan Ming's muffled grunts over and over.

Fu Changling knelt on the ground, trembling all over. His eyes were closed as he felt the formation on the ground, his fingertips, and the veined pattern he touched all wet with blood.

He kept reminding himself to stay calm and refrain from thinking about anything. He knew Yan Ming was guarding his back. He could feel the other person's blood splattering on him and hear the muffled sound of something piercing through the other person's body.

He forced himself to remain composed, but on the inside he was already overtaken by emotions.

It was in such a scenario that he fully comprehended the seal formation at the exit of the Xuanji Secret Realm, forcing his advancement to the Jindan level. He then took the Spirit-Gathering Pagoda, borrowed its spiritual power, and sent it continuously to the formation.

He could feel his own blood and spiritual power filling the veined pattern of the formation bit by bit, and he could also feel his Jindan cracking because the in-pour and out-pour of spiritual power were too intense.

However, he couldn't stop, not for his own sake nor Yan Ming's.

Yan Ming, who was next to him, became aware of something strange about him and could not help but yell, "Changling, stop!"

He couldn't stop.

Whatever the outcome, whatever the cost, he had to get Yan Ming out of there.

Yan Ming must live. He has to live.

His mind was consumed by this thought, and it was at that instant that a gust of strong wind shot up into the sky, and unable to support himself any longer, he slumped forward.

A pair of hands caught him the moment he fell. The other person seemed to be yanked away by a strong force and didn't have time to say much, but he just held onto him tightly and handed him a spirit pouch while yelling, "Fu Changling! Get out of here alive! You must stay alive! I'll come find you!"

Fu Changling couldn't help but smile at these words.

Little by little, the other person's grip on his hands was wrenched away from him with considerable force. The moment the other person took hold of him, Fu Changling began writing on his palm, and just as he finished the last stroke, the other person's grip on him completely slipped.

He wrote—I'll wait for you.

This was his adolescent love. It was pure and innocent enough to make his heart flutter every time he looked back on it.

Fu Changling caressed the jade pendant, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.

This love, which began with a profound sentiment of friendship, did not have a good ending.

Because he had forcibly formed a Jindan in the secret realm, he was greeted by a lightning strike straight at the entrance of the Shangguan Clan as soon as he came out. He could only take out the spirit pouch that Yan Ming had given him and discard all of his magic tools.

By a stroke of luck, he managed to survive the lightning strike.

However, Yan Ming's belongings were completely obliterated by the lightning. Only after the heavenly tribulation, standing alone in the ruins where the lightning had struck him, did he realise that his world had entirely lost all traces of Yan Ming.

So all he could do was wait.

Although he had formed a Jindan, it was cracked, and a cracked Jindan was as good as a ruined one. During those days, he just sat at home and recuperated daily, then sent people to places all over to seek out this young sword cultivator named Yan Ming.

However, even after a lengthy search, he was unable to find that person.

Given his skills, if he hadn't been hiding in seclusion in the deep mountains, he would have been well known. The entirety of Yunze had been searched, but he couldn't be found, and even later, when Fu Changling became Huayang Jun, he was never spotted either. There were only two possibilities: either he was living in seclusion in the mountains or the name Yan Ming itself was a cover name.

He had no clues and could only wait day after day.

At first, he waited with high hopes, but then he grew resentful. In the end, he was utterly disheartened, simply believing that this person had either lied to him or was already dead.

Whichever the outcome, he should no longer think of him.

However, a year later, on a drizzly autumn night, all of a sudden, he heard a noise. He put on an unlined garment and got up. By then he was as good as a mortal, and the night rain was so bitterly cold that he couldn't help coughing twice.

When he stepped out of the inner chamber, he noticed a Flower of Renascence in full bloom at the window.

Fu Changling froze.

Supposedly brought forth at the foot of the Cliff of Ten Thousand Bones, the legendary Flower of Renascence has the effect of regenerating the bones of living corpses. Since its effectiveness defied the ways of Heaven, it was naturally incredibly rare.

His long-dead feelings reawakened, and he dashed out the door, yelling, "Yan Ming! Yan Ming, show yourself! Yan Ming!"

There was no response.

He stood in the rain for a long time, looking for the youth clad in white, but he was nowhere to be seen.

If he could see him again, he believed he would be able to recognise him with a single glance.

But there was no goodbye.

It seemed as though they were separated by high mountains and wide waters at this point. Until Fu Changling's death, a whole forty-two years later, it was as if this person had never come into his life and had never been seen again.

He promised to come back, but he never did.

And as Fu Changling kept watch, he felt that it didn't matter whether he came back or not.

After all, when he restored his Jindan with the Flower of Renascence, when he gained fame in the battle at the Junzi Platform, when the demon cultivators of the Karma Prison came to attack, when Qin Yan fell into the demonic path, and when the entire Fu Clan perished at the hands of the demon cultivators, the world was in upheaval, and there was great chaos in Yunze.

The out-of-reach first love faded over time, and he could no longer recall the sound of Yan Ming's voice as distinctly.

All he remembered was the tone of his voice—cold as the snow on the high mountains, probably just like Qin Yan's.

But it seemed that most sword cultivators shared this trait.

Holding the jade pendant, Fu Changling drifted off to sleep.

Early the next morning, just as the sunbeam landed on him, he was kicked awake and then heard Wu Sisi's displeased voice saying, "What's wrong with you?!"

In a stupor, Fu Changling turned to look back, and upon seeing Wu Sisi, he was so scared that he hugged the quilt and retreated towards the corner of the wall. After realising who was there, he smacked his forehead and exclaimed, somewhat upset, "My goodness, you don't even knock when you enter a man's room in the morning?!"

"Qin Yan opened the door for me," replied Wu Sisi, bold and straightforward. The digression from the topic didn't make Wu Sisi forget why she had come, and she yanked Fu Changling by the collar, saying angrily, "Where is the pagoda? Qin Yan told me you went to rob the Linglong Pagoda, and you let the person in possession of it get away?"

"Let me explain..."

"What's there to explain? What exactly do you mean when you claim the other person is a good person? I think you're just taken with his good looks, don't you?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Fu Changling replied, his headache worsening. He thought a woman's intuition was simply terrifying, so he swiftly raised his hands and exclaimed, "I absolutely don't think he's good-looking. I am confident I will obtain the pagoda. Don't worry about it. I'll go find him today, and everything will be taken care of."

These words made Wu Sisi loosen her grip on his collar. After a moment's hesitation, Wu Sisi slowly lowered Fu Changling's collar and urged, "There isn't much time left, so don't waste it. There are further tasks to complete."

"Don't worry, Jiě, my dear Jiě," Fu Changling swore, "I'll bring you back the Linglong Pagoda today."

Hearing this, Wu Sisi completely withdrew her hands, tapped the bed board, and turned around, saying, "Be quick."

Wu Sisi turned around and walked out after saying this. Qin Yan had already finished freshening up and was standing at Fu Changling's bedside. Fu Changling gazed up at him and quickly got up and said, "Okay, okay, okay, let's go out now. I've got to hand it to you people."

Fu Changling got out of bed, freshened up, and led Qin Yan outside. As the two stepped out onto the street, Qin Yan, with his sword in hand, observed the people passing by and only said, "Where should we look for him?"

"I've cast a tracking spell on him," Fu Changling yawned, "and I know exactly where."

As Fu Changling said this, he led Qin Yan all the way through the alleyways and to an inn. Fu Changling handed a spirit stone to the waiter and walked with Qin Yan to the backyard in a straightforward and upright manner. When they arrived at the backyard, Fu Changling suddenly got a little nervous and turned to Qin Yan, saying, "You look too aggressive and could easily get into a fight. Why don't I go up to talk to him first, and you wait for me here?"

"Remember to ask for the pagoda," Qin Yan instructed, without adding anything more. Fu Changling nodded before turning around and heading upstairs, then he stood in front of Yan Ming's room. After much hesitation, he finally knocked on the door and said cautiously, "Umm, Yan Gōngzi, my name is Fu Changling, a Yunze cultivator, and I am planning to leave the secret realm, so I need to work with you on some matters. I wonder if you would be so kind as to open your door so we can talk?"

No sound of activity could be heard from the inside. Standing at the door, Fu Changling sighed and said, "Yan Gōngzi, I know we have had many misunderstandings, but please rest assured that I am truly a good person. Heaven and earth can perceive my intentions towards Yan Gōngzi, and the mountains and rivers can attest to this."

"To tell you the truth," Fu Changling was talking by himself, his thoughts jumbled and nonsensical, and as he spoke, he could not help recalling his past, "when I saw Yan Gōngzi last night, I could not help but think of an old friend whom I had admired many years ago. You are the spitting image of him. I figured if you could give me a chance, we could become good friends..."

The door opened before he could finish, and Fu Changling looked up. Seeing Yan Ming standing at the door with a cold expression, Fu Changling smiled in pleasant surprise. He didn't expect the other person to open the door so easily and said gladly, "Yan Gōngzi?"

Without uttering a word, Yan Ming directly grabbed Fu Changling and dragged him through the door.

A moment later, Fu Changling was thrown out of the window, and with a loud "ah" sound, he landed right in front of Qin Yan.

Qin Yan looked down at him, and Fu Changling looked up. Upon seeing Qin Yan, he froze at first and then laughed awkwardly. "A blunder..."

Without listening to his explanation, Qin Yan turned around with his sword in hand and proceeded straight up the stairs. Fu Changling quickly climbed to his feet. He'd just been beaten, and it hurt when he moved, which slowed him down. He gasped and exclaimed hastily, "Qin Yan! Wait! I'll give it another shot! Qin..."

Before he could finish his words, Fu Changling saw Yan Ming being thrown out of the window, exactly like him just now.

Then the youth in the white robe with crane embroidery stepped through the window and descended lightly from the second floor, clutching a carved black sandalwood box in one hand and a long sword with a tinge of crimson on its blade in the other. The tip of the sword was pointed straight at Yan Ming's neck, who had just gotten up.

Yan Ming was breathing heavily and glaring angrily at Qin Yan, who was expressionless in front of him. Fu Changling's heart immediately tightened, and he quickly advised, "Umm, Qin Yan..."

"Bundle him up," Qin Yan said flatly, leaving Fu Changling dumbfounded. "Ah?"

Qin Yan turned his gaze to him, his eyes full of warning. "I said, bundle him up."

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Author's Note:

Q: What is your impression of your first love?

Fu Changling: Top-notch seducer—cold on the outside but flirty on the inside. His subtle seductiveness is the most lethal. No other lands' bodies of water are worth mentioning, for I have seen the raging sea. The clouds elsewhere are pale in comparison to the vibrant clouds of Mount Wu. I've only ever loved two people in my life, and aside from someone like Qin Yan, who is so exceptional that I can't look him straight in the eyes, there's only Yan Ming.

Qin Yan: ...

...❦❧❦❧❦❧❦❧❦❧❦❦❧❦...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***