Chapter 27#
Golden Crow#
The two returned to the palace. Although Lu Yan didn’t actually lock Yin Yuheng up, he still forced him to lie in bed.
Knowing Lu Yan was angry, Yin Yuheng obediently curled up under the covers.
Candles were lit in the hall, their flames flickering. The surroundings were warm and cozy, without the bone-chilling wind of the State Preceptor’s Manor. On the small table sat hot tea, its fragrance wafting through the air, brewed with various warming spiritual medicines—Lu Yan had long ago put away the cold-natured Biluochun and Tieguanyin.
Yin Yuheng was indeed tired. Having taken heart’s blood twice, it had reached the point of damaging his foundation; no matter how firm his will, he couldn’t possibly hold up. His consciousness was drowsy, and in a half-awake, half-dreaming state, someone seemed to tuck him in. Knowing Lu Yan was by his side, Yin Yuheng suddenly felt a sense of peace.
*
From childhood to adulthood, Yin Yuheng had been having a dream, a total of one hundred and thirteen times.
The scenes of the dream were always very simple, without cause or effect, just fragmented pieces.
Sometimes it was in an unfamiliar palace, sometimes on a snowy plain. The faces of the people around him were blurred and different each time, with only one person appearing every single time.
Lu Yan.
Yin Yuheng lay on the snowy plain; the sky was freezing, and the north wind blew for thousands of miles. His blood stained the white snow beneath him, and pain seeped into his bones all over his body.
He knew he was dreaming again.
Intermittent voices came from around him, no different from previous dreams.
“Destroying the spiritual terrace, stripping the celestial bones, breaking hands and feet—it’s truly not easy for him to hold on until now…”
“He was fed the Thread-Pulling Lotus. Since His Majesty won’t let him die, he cannot die…”
“He seemed to be a prince before, to end up in such a state…”
The fragmented discussions reached his ears. Yin Yuheng struggled to open his eyes, met with a cold and distant sky. He turned his head; just like in previous dreams, the faces of the people around him remained unclear.
But this time, Lu Yan was clear.
Lu Yan came walking through the snow with a sword, dressed in black. The wind blew the corners of his robes, so striking amidst the snowy plain where everything was white.
Yin Yuheng looked at him, his consciousness drowsy from pain, yet his mind still thought that Lu Yan, having become the Demon Emperor, truly lived up to the phrase “peerless elegance.”
The youth’s greenness was gone, replaced by the majesty of an emperor.
Lu Yan stopped beside Yin Yuheng, looking down at him, the tip of his sword flashing with cold light.
Yin Yuheng knew this was where the dream ended. This sword would pierce his heart—
So painful, so real.
His consciousness was on the brink of collapse; Yin Yuheng didn’t have the strength to say a single word, yet he exerted all his effort, refusing to close his eyes.
He was looking into Lu Yan’s eyes.
Lu Yan’s expression was so cold, like a heartless and desireless ice sculpture. But at the moment the long sword entered Yin Yuheng’s heart, he clearly saw a tear slide down from the corner of Lu Yan’s eye.
The tear fell silently into the snow, striking a shallow pit.
—In the vastness of heaven and earth, with many onlookers, only this person who killed him with his own hands was crying for him.
A sharp pain came from his chest, and Yin Yuheng finally closed his eyes, falling into a dark abyss.
*
In the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace sleeping chambers, Yin Yuheng slept fitfully in bed. Lu Yan had not left but stood guard by his side.
The candles had burned for a long time, and the light had weakened slightly. Lu Yan trimmed the wick, and the flame flickered a few times before brightening again.
The warm light spread around, and the whole room was filled with a cozy warmth.
Lu Yan had discovered a secret that he hadn’t told anyone else.
Yin Yuheng only slept more soundly when there was light.
Perhaps even Yin Yuheng himself didn’t realize how much he hated darkness and loneliness. Every day he wore a smile, his posture leisurely and elegant, like a gentle spring breeze. But the more they spent time together, the more Lu Yan felt that Yin Yuheng was not what he appeared to be on the surface.
Lu Yan showed a hint of fatigue.
He had encountered a sudden assassination attempt today and had actually suffered some injuries. But when he saw Yin Yuheng standing at the entrance of the State Preceptor’s Manor, his face so pale, he forcefully endured his own injuries.
He thought, I must protect him.
Yin Yuheng’s foundation was damaged, and his sensitivity to spiritual energy had dropped significantly, so he indeed didn’t notice Lu Yan’s injuries. Lu Yan didn’t say a word either, and only after Yin Yuheng fell into a deep sleep did he attend to his own wounds.
Lu Yan sat dazed in the candlelight for a while, and a flash of white light suddenly passed over him. In an instant, an extremely beautiful bird appeared on the floor.
It had black feathers, but the feathers were covered with a layer of golden firelight, bright and passionate, brilliant and eye-catching. From a distance, it looked like a small sun.
—The divine Golden Crow, its feathers forever burning with unquenchable fire. This flame could incinerate everything in the world, but if the Golden Crow willed it, the fire could also leave a person completely unharmed.
The little Golden Crow shook its beautiful wings, and golden light scattered throughout the room. It flew up and landed on Yin Yuheng’s bed.
For the Demon Race, healing in their original form was faster.
The little Golden Crow tucked its head under its wing, thinking that if this person saw him, he would surely call him a “little yellow bird” again.
Remembering that person, it suddenly turned its head warily.
Yin Yuheng still hadn’t woken up, his brow deeply furrowed, his fingers curling unnaturally, as if enduring great pain.
Was the injury acting up again?
The little Golden Crow’s eyes flickered, and after a while, it suddenly remembered something and began to groom its feathers.
It picked and chose, finally selecting its brightest and warmest feather. It pulled it out with its beak and placed it on Yin Yuheng’s heart.
The golden fire on the feather burned quietly, yet it didn’t burn Yin Yuheng’s skin.
In his dream, Yin Yuheng seemed to feel this warmth, and his brow gradually smoothed out.
A night of silence.
By the time Yin Yuheng woke up, the sky was already half-light, and Lu Yan was no longer by the bed. The candles on the table had long burned out, yet there was still warm-colored firelight around, bringing an indescribable sense of peace.
Yin Yuheng was dazed for a moment, then reached out and picked up a feather from his chest.
The feather was black, but the golden light on it was dazzling, more beautiful than the clouds at dawn.
Yin Yuheng stared at the feather for a long time, his fingers tightening slightly, pressing the feather into his palm.
*
Not many people knew about the birthday of the small disciple of the State Preceptor’s Manor.
The State Preceptor’s Manor had always been transcendent and independent. Although the nobles and officials of Chaoge intended to win them over, they couldn’t find a way. Over time, they maintained a respectful but distant attitude.
Zhu Anning didn’t care if there were many people at his birthday banquet; to him, only one person was worth caring about. He only wanted to be with his senior brother—the fewer people, the better, as he would feel closer to him. He didn’t care if the scene was lively and extravagant, or if the banquet was grand and lavish; as long as his senior brother was there, he would be satisfied even with just a bowl of longevity noodles.
If those noodles were brought by his senior brother’s own hands, Zhu Anning might go mad with joy.
Early in the morning, Zhu Anning began preparations.
His senior brother was afraid of the cold, so the location was best in his courtyard.
His senior brother had injuries and couldn’t eat spicy food.
Even though it was Zhu Anning’s birthday, in his heart, he was thinking entirely of Yin Yuheng. He thought he must be very good, very sensible, and very careful, not letting his senior brother get tired, much less letting his injuries worsen.
Li Guanghan arrived, he saw Zhu Anning’s enthusiastic appearance.
“When is senior brother coming?” The first thing Zhu Anning asked upon seeing Li Guanghan was about Yin Yuheng.
Li Guanghan frowned, feeling that his younger disciple was somewhat excessively focused on his elder disciple, but he didn’t think too much of it.
“He is the Crown Prince Regent; he can only arrive after the court assembly has dispersed at the earliest.”
Zhu Anning immediately became worried: “Senior brother is so tired even with injuries! No, when senior brother arrives, we must let him rest first. There’s no hurry to celebrate the birthday.”
Li Guanghan was silent for a moment before saying: “I have a gift for you today.”
Zhu Anning’s head was full of his senior brother, and he didn’t pay attention to what Li Guanghan said at all, perfunctorily saying: “Ah, okay.”
Zhu Anning carefully considered if there were any omissions. Suddenly, he looked up at the sky and frowned: “The weather is bad today; will it rain?”
After saying that, he remembered the State Preceptor’s Manor had an array that kept out the wind and rain, so he felt a bit more at ease.
Li Guanghan watched his busy figure and turned to close the door.
…Clearly, he should care most about Zhu Anning, yet inexplicably, Li Guanghan found himself increasingly prone to distraction when facing him.
Just hearing Zhu Anning constantly mention his senior brother, Li Guanghan couldn’t help but think of his own eldest disciple.
Having blood taken twice, he wondered if it still hurt now.
…It probably did. He was so severely injured; how could it be easy to recover?
Inexplicable thoughts surged in his heart, and Li Guanghan sighed softly. At that moment, a small Taoist boy came to report that the Sect Master of Yuanming Pavilion was waiting at the entrance.
Li Guanghan had once ordered a sword from Yuanming Pavilion as a gift for Zhu Anning.
The Sect Master of Yuanming Pavilion was indeed here to deliver the sword.
“Heavenly Jade for the sword core, Shark Pearls for the inlay—it is an excellent sword.” Shen Fengxiu’s expression was indifferent.
Li Guanghan took the sword and gently rubbed the blade.
The weather was indeed very bad today. It wasn’t quite clear within the State Preceptor’s Manor, but looking from the entrance, the sky was a deep ink color, with dark clouds rolling. Pedestrians on the street walked hurriedly, a damp wind blew through the streets, and the willow branches by the roadside were flying.
A heavy rain was coming.
Shen Fengxiu stood in the wind and took a deep look at Li Guanghan.
“Lord State Preceptor, my cultivation is not as high as yours, but I also know that cause and effect are entangled, and retribution is certain.”
“I hope that one day… you do not regret your current actions.”
Shen Fengxiu didn’t want to stay in the State Preceptor’s Manor for a moment longer and turned to leave.
Li Guanghan’s expression was cold.
…Regret?
From the moment he was betrayed by his fellow disciples and old friends and fought his way out of Penglai with his sword, he was no longer that righteous Sword Lord of the past.
His demonic heart was deep, his obsession persistent, and a never-faded resentment lurked in his heart. He loathed the entire world; what could make him regret?
The corner of Li Guanghan’s mouth curled into an imperceptible arc, his gaze very mocking. His gaze fell on the sword in his hand, thinking it was truly a good sword.
At this moment, he suddenly and abruptly recalled Yin Yuheng’s figure fighting his way out of the sword array.
This sword would surely suit him well.
Li Guanghan was stunned by this thought, and then he thought that for the current Yin Yuheng, using a sword was probably not an easy task.
Li Guanghan lowered his eyes slightly, and suddenly, he also found this sword a bit unpleasant to look at.
…An inexplicable emotion, yet impossible to shake off.
Li Guanghan closed his eyes and resumed his expressionless face.
Outside the State Preceptor’s Manor, a storm was brewing.
*
The moment Yin Yuheng stepped into the State Preceptor’s Manor, Zhu Anning came to meet him.
“Senior brother!” Zhu Anning’s eyes lit up.
Yin Yuheng was startled by his junior brother’s enthusiasm and smiled helplessly: “So excited just because your birthday has arrived?”
Zhu Anning cautiously took Yin Yuheng’s hand; it wasn’t pulled away, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
“Excited, because senior brother is here.”
Yin Yuheng chuckled, but as he lowered his head, he suddenly saw the silver bracelet on Zhu Anning’s wrist.
He remembered that there seemed to be a scar under Zhu Anning’s silver bracelet… Last time he mentioned it, his junior brother seemed very unhappy.
Noticing Yin Yuheng’s gaze, Zhu Anning became inexplicably nervous: “What is senior brother looking at?”
Yin Yuheng snapped back and smiled: “Nothing, your bracelet is very pretty.”
But Zhu Anning’s face turned pale, and he smiled stiffly: “I… I don’t really like this bracelet and was thinking of changing it.”
Zhu Anning had long wanted to take this bracelet off.
But the moment he planned to take it off, he discovered with horror that it wouldn’t come off no matter what.
He tried many methods, but the bracelet remained firmly fastened to his wrist. He even tried to use a knife to hack it off, but the bracelet seemed to be infused with special materials and was incredibly hard.
When he discovered this, a huge panic rose in Zhu Anning’s heart for no reason.
…Once the bracelet is on, it can never be taken off, just as what has been done can never be turned back.