Chapter 25#
Immortal Lord Chongwu lightly kissed the tip of his nose, like a dragonfly skimming the water, parting as soon as they touched.#
Yu Lin messily stuffed a slip of paper into Ruo Baiyu’s hand, pushed past him, and ran into the crowd.
“Yu Lin?” Ruo Baiyu froze for a moment and turned to look at him. Before his outstretched hand could stop him, he watched Yu Lin stumble away.
Withdrawing his gaze, he opened the crumpled slip of paper in bewilderment, only to see a few words written on it: Thank you for the hospitality. Until we meet again.
Immortal Lord Chongwu’s gaze followed the direction of Yu Lin’s departure. Seeing him run further and further away, he had no mind to clean up this mess. Leaving only Yu Ming to oversee the remaining matters, he used his lightness skill to chase after Yu Lin.
The bright powder concealing his scent was still working, shimmering with a faint, translucent light on Yu Lin’s shoulder.
Yu Lin stumbled and scrambled through the crowd, but too many people were packed together, surrounding the outer perimeter in layer upon layer. This sight made his eyes blur and his head spin.
His pupils were unfocused, his footsteps uneven, his vision flickering between bright and dark, and memories constantly shifted in his mind.
Now and then, his senior sister’s gentle tone flashed in his ears, or Wen Jin’s whispered advice, which then shifted into Yu Ling’s dying whispers.
His eyelashes trembled as he forced himself to look up. The execution ground was surrounded by five or six layers of people. The stench of sweat radiating under the scorching sun and the crying of children echoed in his ears, making him dizzy.
The combined foul odors suffocated his breathing. Covering his mouth and nose, he panted heavily and rapidly, unable to even walk straight.
“…Sorry.” His eyelids were drooping heavy. In his dazed state, relying on subconscious instinct, he stumbled through the crowd and pushed his way out.
As he got further from the execution ground, the crowding people finally grew fewer. He staggered forward a couple of steps, tilted his head up slightly, and greedily breathed in the fresh air brushing against his face.
But his strength was already entirely spent.
His head buzzed. He could only squint to discern the way ahead. Taking a few steps forward, he slumped weightlessly against the outer wall of the nearest building.
His feet felt as heavy as lead. Supporting himself against the outer wall, Yu Lin dragged his heavy steps, forcing his body toward a dilapidated, half-closed house ahead.
One step, two steps…
Before his body gave out and forced him to his knees, he took two weak steps forward and leaned against the ajar door.
The door slowly swung open under his weight, and he tumbled inside along with the opening door, spinning around to lean behind the wall.
Inside the pitch-black, dilapidated house, there were only a few scattered bundles of firewood. Cobwebs had long since spun across the rafters.
He had no energy to spare to look. The claustrophobic crowding had left him nearly oxygen-deprived; the massive sensory overload of sight, smell, and hearing weighed on him so heavily he could barely breathe.
“Ha…”
No lamp was lit inside, making it pitch black compared to the outside. Yu Lin turned his face away weakly, leaning against the wall as he panted with a breath as thin as silk.
Immediately after, the sound of steady, unhurried footsteps echoed, growing clearer and clearer.
The “clack, clack” of footsteps tapped against his eardrums.
But his mind was a mess right now; he could barely manage himself, groaning softly in discomfort. The urge to hide was forgotten, and he only shifted inward instinctively upon hearing the footsteps.
The person outside the door paused upon hearing his soft groan.
With a creak, the door was pushed open from the outside.
Immortal Lord Chongwu’s face darkened as he looked at the weak Yu Lin leaning against the wall. He clamped his fingers under Yu Lin’s chin, his voice tinged with anger, “Why run? Are you that afraid of me?”
“Hmm?” Yu Lin opened his eyes dazedly. Smelling the faint scent of blood in the air, he instinctively tried to evade, barely squeezing a sound out from his nose.
His face was pale, a thin layer of sweat beaded on his forehead, and his brows were tightly furrowed. Even his breathing was so light it was almost imperceptible. Trapped in the nightmare of his own hallucinations and memories, he didn’t notice who had arrived.
Immortal Lord Chongwu looked down at him. Seeing him like this, he carefully cradled Yu Lin’s arm in his hands and murmured, “You’ve grown thinner again…”
Yu Lin looked exhausted, his brows tightly knit. His appetite had always been poor, and after the bumpy carriage journey over these past few days, his entire being appeared fragile and light, as if he might drift away with a gust of wind.
He felt freezing all over. Scorched by the warmth of Immortal Lord Chongwu’s palm, he instinctively tried to pull back, but his wrist was caught in a tight, unyielding grip.
Immortal Lord Chongwu gently caressed the shallow scar in Yu Lin’s palm left from the Sword Assembly. Closing his eyes, he exhaled a deep breath, using his other hand to cup the back of Yu Lin’s head and pull him closer.
Their foreheads pressed together.
Feeling the icy temperature of Yu Lin’s forehead, Immortal Lord Chongwu opened his eyes and watched his crow-feather eyelashes tremble continuously, hesitating for a moment.
After a long moment, he lightly kissed the tip of his nose, like a dragonfly skimming the water, parting as soon as they touched.
He sighed softly, murmuring in a low voice, “Yu Lin, don’t be afraid of me.”
…
In his dream, he desperately called out Wen Jin’s name.
The Wen Jin in his dream was like a cloud of mist; no matter how he reached, he couldn’t grasp him. Shivering all over from fear, he simply couldn’t wake up.
“Xiao Lin, Xiao Lin!” Yu Yuan leaned against his bedside and nudged him gently.
Yu Lin jolted, snapping awake. The cold sweat on his palms had soaked the bedsheets he was tightly clutching.
“…Senior Sister.”
Yu Yuan wrung a damp cloth until it was half-dry and gently placed it on his forehead. Seeing him bracing his hands against the bed, she quickly warned, “Ah, don’t get up.”
Yu Lin’s eyelashes trembled slightly. “…How did I get here?”
Yu Yuan gently pushed him back down to lie comfortably, then wiped his hands clean. “Master brought you back. He said he saw you in Fuyang City.”
Yu Yuan poked his cheek in mock anger. “How can you worry me so much! Keeping me in the dark, I had no idea something this major happened to you!”
Yu Lin’s eyes darted away, stammering for a long while before squeezing out a few words, “I didn’t…”
Yu Yuan glared at him, counting on her fingers, “Entering the Spiritual Medicine Valley all on your own, getting kidnapped, and going to Fuyang City without sending any word to the sect.”
As she counted, she grew angry herself, saying through gritted teeth, “Look at you, getting so capable now, Yu Lin.”
Yu Lin immediately bowed his head, looking like he was ready to accept punishment. Drooping his eyelids, he looked exceedingly obedient, yet he carefully peeked up at her.
Yu Yuan was choked up by his submissive attitude. Only after a long silence did she say softly, “I’m not blaming you for anything… I just feel like you don’t trust us.”
Hearing this, Yu Lin immediately raised his head and hurriedly protested, “How could that be!”
Yu Yuan said nonchalantly, “Acting like nothing is wrong when you’re injured, venturing into the Spiritual Medicine Valley without telling anyone, and going off to Fuyang City without a sound. Xiao Lin, sometimes I really think you’re too solitary.”
“You weren’t like this before.”
Yu Lin listened with downcast eyes, then turned sideways to wrap his arms around Yu Yuan’s waist. After a brief silence, he said muffledly, “I’m fine, Senior Sister. I want all of you to be safe and sound. I don’t want to drag you down.”
Yu Yuan flicked his forehead, sighing helplessly, “How could you drag us down?”
“When you were little, you feared pain the most. You would wail over a shallow scratch for ages. Now, you don’t utter a single peep. It scares me.”
Even after speaking, Yu Yuan still couldn’t bear to be harsh. She reached out to hug him back and let out a soft sigh, “Ah well, the little milk bun I raised has grown up and has his own thoughts now.”
Tears rolled down Yu Lin’s face upon hearing this, leaving a damp spot on Yu Yuan’s clothing. Holding back his tears, Yu Lin carefully rubbed it away with his hand.
Creak—
Just then, the door creaked softly, and someone pushed it open to enter.
“Oh dear, did I interrupt you two?”
After coming in, Yu Xuan shut the door tightly. Seeing the two of them looking as if they were parting forever, he couldn’t help but chuckle and turned to tease them.
Yu Yuan turned around and glared at him, “You and your big mouth.”
Yu Xuan walked in carrying a tray with plain congealed rice porridge and a few side dishes, “As for the sick person, you are punished with bland food. We must make your mouth taste completely tasteless so that you won’t dare to get hurt recklessly in the future.”
Yu Lin playfully pulled the rug from under him, “What if I say I actually prefer bland food, Senior Brother?”
Yu Xuan glared at him, “How did I never realize before that you’re such a party pooper!”
Saying this, he stepped closer, helped Yu Lin sit up, blew on the porridge, and fed him spoonful by spoonful.
Yu Lin mumbled embarrassedly, “It’s not like my hands are broken.” He reached out and took the bowl from Yu Xuan’s hands.
For a moment, there was silence. Yu Yuan watched him finish eating, then suddenly asked, “What are your plans for the future?”
Yu Lin was taken aback, “What?”
Yu Yuan glanced at him, “I don’t think you will stay quietly at the Fusheng Sect. You might as well tell us what you plan to do next, so we can go plead with Master on your behalf.”
Yu Lin paused, falling silent for a long time, before saying softly, “I want to go cultivate.”
“Can’t you do that within the Fusheng Sect?”
Yu Lin shook his head, “It’s different. To be precise, I want to go on trials.”
“Do you have a place in mind?”
“The Land of Extreme Glaciers.”
In his past life, someone obtained a soft leather armor in the Land of Extreme Glaciers that was impervious to severe cold, intense heat, and a hundred poisons. The emergence of this magical artifact caused a massive sensation, driving many to fight for it.
If he had this magical artifact, he would have an extra layer of assistance in the Demon Sect’s secret realm. He also wanted to try his luck and see if he could obtain this opportunity.
Furthermore, he possessed a water attribute, and the spiritual energy attribute of the Land of Extreme Glaciers suited him reasonably well. In a world of ice and snow, the bone-chilling cold was the best crucible to temper oneself.
He also wanted to see if his potential could be stimulated within it.
Yu Yuan lowered her eyes to think for a moment, said “Very well,” then took out a storage ring and slipped it onto his finger.
“Since this is your wish, this is all I can do.”
The storage ring contained everything; there was no telling how long Yu Yuan had meticulously prepared it.
Feeling the cold sensation of the ring sliding onto his finger, and feeling the warmth of his palm being squeezed tightly by Yu Yuan, his eyelashes trembled slightly.
Afterward, the path of his trials could be described as smooth and unobstructed. Immortal Lord Chongwu was also unexpectedly easy to talk to, relenting without even requiring any cajoling.
Before leaving, Yu Lin earnestly instructed Yu Yuan, “Senior Sister, please be sure to keep a close eye on the movements of the Spiritual Medicine Valley. If there is any news, crush the voice-transmission pill to let me know.”
With Wen Jin’s current life or death unknown and safety uncertain, he truly could not rest easy.
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