Chapter 32#

Wind and Rain#

The sound of the surrounding rain went silent at this instant.

For a moment, Li Guanghan didn’t react to what Zhu Anning had said; his thoughts froze at this second. The wind howled past, whipping his long sleeves, and the silver cloud patterns on them rolled and surged.

His gaze fell blankly on the jade pendant in Zhu Anning’s hand. His vision as a Spirit Severing stage cultivator was excellent—good enough for him to clearly see the minute carvings on the jade pendant. The strength and style of every single stroke were so familiar; he had pondered over them countless times over the years and could never be mistaken.

Zhu Anning’s jade pendant and the one the young boy had given him back then definitely came from the same hand.

“Was this… carved by Yuheng?”

Li Guanghan heard his own stunned voice. On his habitually indifferent face, a rare trace of bewilderment appeared.

Zhu Anning gave an “mhm,” untied the jade pendant from his waist, and carefully placed it in the lapel of his robe close to his chest. He pressed his hand against his heart with an attitude bordering on pious before looking up at Li Guanghan with a cold gaze.

“Lying to you was my mistake,” Zhu Anning said flatly. “What I’m saying now is the truth. The person who saved you back then really wasn’t me…”

He hadn’t finished speaking when he suddenly couldn’t continue.

He saw Li Guanghan—whose back was always straight as a sword—bow his head slightly, his fingertips seemingly trembling unconsciously. Spiritual power surged out uncontrollably, churning the surrounding wind and rain. Zhu Anning was too close to Li Guanghan and was jolted by the frantic spiritual power until the pain reached his bones.

Zhu Anning couldn’t help but kneel on the ground, his fingers digging hard into the cracks between the bluestone bricks, his nails splitting and bleeding. He watched Li Guanghan, who seemed to have fallen into a frenzy in an instant, and thought of what Li Guanghan had just said and his strange attitude toward the jade pendant… and an absurd conjecture suddenly arose.

“The person who saved you back then… also gave you a jade pendant?”

Li Guanghan looked up abruptly, revealing a pair of dark, sunken pupils. After a long while, he reached out his hand, holding a lustrous jade pendant in his palm.

It was exactly the same as Zhu Anning’s.

Zhu Anning was stunned. Rainwater flowed down his hair, but he felt nothing. His whole body was stiff, his eyes wide with disbelief.

An unknown amount of time passed before Zhu Anning suddenly threw his head back and laughed loudly. He was tortured to the core by Li Guanghan’s spiritual power, yet he laughed so excitedly and exaggeratedly that he even laughed to the point of tears and couldn’t stop coughing.

“So that’s how it is… cough cough… so that’s how it is! Hahaha!”

Zhu Anning understood everything.

Eight years ago, his senior brother had been to Fengliang.

During the time he was with his senior brother, his senior brother often went out with things, and he didn’t know what for.

There were old injuries on his senior brother’s heart meridians.

All the subtle traces suddenly became clear at this moment. All the clues were linked together, the dark curtain was lifted, and the truth was exposed to the light of day.

His senior brother was the person who saved Li Guanghan back then.

In Fengliang, his senior brother had saved not only him but also Li Guanghan.

Unfortunately, eight years later, he had forgotten his senior brother, and Li Guanghan hadn’t recognized his savior either. The two of them had even become accomplices, using the most shameless and despicable means to together torture the person who should have been most cherished until he was covered in wounds.

They were saved by Yin Yuheng, and were even the two people Yin Yuheng treated with his whole heart, having once extravagantly possessed Yin Yuheng’s sincerity. Then they threw that sincerity on the ground and trampled it, insulting it at will. They hurt that gentle and modest person so much that he was no longer willing to look back.

Zhu Anning trembled with pain and laughed until he wanted to vomit.

“I’m a fool who forgot my Young Master,” Zhu Anning’s eyes were full of mockery. “It turns out you’re the same… unable to even recognize your true savior.”

“Yet you still possessed his affection!” Zhu Anning couldn’t suppress the jealousy and hatred in his tone. “Why? Why do you deserve his affection?!”

“He liked you so much… he was willing to do anything for you… how much it must have hurt when you took his blood…”

Zhu Anning couldn’t help but have a hint of a sob in his voice. He hated himself, and he also hated Li Guanghan.

Finally, he couldn’t go on.

The rioting spiritual power pierced into his flesh, deep into his marrow, hurting so much he could hardly say a word. But he still forced his eyes open and gave Li Guanghan a cold, mocking sneer.

“Senior brother… has already left…”

Zhu Anning said brokenly. These words caused the enraged Li Guanghan to snap back to his senses.

Li Guanghan didn’t care about Zhu Anning and walked away.

*

In a small pavilion not far from the State Preceptor’s Manor, Shen Liyuan had been waiting for a long time. Finally, he revealed a faint smile.

He had gotten what he wanted.

The youth walked alone out of the rain curtain, not walking fast, occasionally even staggering for a few steps. His right hand hung unnaturally, showing he had suffered a serious injury.

How pitiful.

Tortured by his teacher, betrayed by his junior brother…

It must hurt a lot, right?

The more it hurts, the better; the more despair, the better. Don’t worry, I will save you soon… completely replacing Li Guanghan’s position in your heart, making it so you can never leave me again.

Shen Liyuan gave a pathological laugh, took a few deep breaths, put on a flawless, noble, and gentle expression, and raised his hand, gesturing for the servant to push his wheelchair out. However, there was no movement behind him.

Shen Liyuan was stunned for a moment before remembering that his personal servant’s cultivation was decent and had already been sent by him to lead away the people around Yin Yuheng.

Shen Liyuan had a strange temper and had very few personal servants he was accustomed to using. He suppressed his desire to lose his temper and simply pointed at a maid: “You, come.”

A flash of fear passed over the maid’s pretty face, but she didn’t dare to resist and stepped forward cautiously.

Shen Liyuan didn’t pay much attention to her, his gaze fixed on Yin Yuheng all the while.

Closer… now is the time…

“Your Highness,” Shen Liyuan spoke gently, holding an umbrella, “it’s raining so hard, why are you alone outside?”

The youth didn’t seem to expect to meet someone he knew here. He looked up somewhat disheveled, revealing eyes full of bewilderment and pain.

“…Young Master Shen?” Yin Yuheng said blankly, and suddenly staggered. Shen Liyuan was quick to support his arm.

“Be careful,” Shen Liyuan said softly, tilting the umbrella toward Yin Yuheng. “I’m here, don’t be afraid.”

Yin Yuheng seemed stunned. It took a long time before he lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly: “Thank you…”

Shen Liyuan smiled silently.

At the moment of greatest despair, meeting the person who says “I’m here” to you… it’s like a drowning person grabbing a straw; they can’t help but rely on and move closer to them.

Shen Liyuan thought with satisfaction, Move even closer to me.

“Your Highness seems somewhat unwell,” Shen Liyuan coaxed. “Perhaps you could come to my place to relax first? I…”

Before he could finish, his expression suddenly changed, and he abruptly turned his head.

A sword light split the rain curtain, slicing past his cheek.

The young man in black held an umbrella in his left hand and a sword in his right, looking over coldly from not far away. A golden fire burned on his sword; when raindrops struck it, they turned into clouds of white mist.

“Lu Yan!”

Yin Yuheng looked up, and that bright firelight that wouldn’t be extinguished even in the rain was reflected in his eyes. Darkness receded from his side like a tide. He couldn’t help but follow the light, stepping past Shen Liyuan to walk toward Lu Yan.

Lu Yan was also walking toward him.

Lu Yan shielded Yin Yuheng with his umbrella and then pulled him into his arms. In this instant, the torrential rain was blocked out by this single small umbrella.

“You lied to me.” Lu Yan was expressionless, his tone trembling. “You promised not to get injured.”

Yin Yuheng said softly: “I…”

“Explain to me when we get back,” Lu Yan said muffledly. “And this person, what’s going on with him?”

Lu Yan looked coldly at Shen Liyuan.

Shen Liyuan was also looking at Lu Yan. His hands gripped the wheelchair armrests so hard his knuckles turned white.

Lu Yan keenly felt the other’s bone-deep killing intent toward him and slowly revealed a mocking smile, asking flatly: “Yuheng, are you going with him, or with me?”

Yin Yuheng paused and said seriously: “I’m going with you.”

Lu Yan’s expression finally softened. He raised his eyebrows and looked at the crazed Shen Liyuan, then said to Yin Yuheng: “Get on, I’ll carry you.”

Yin Yuheng was stunned for a moment, an imperceptible smile spreading across his features. He opened his arms, hugged Lu Yan’s neck, and leaned on his back.

Shen Liyuan watched their retreating figures with his own eyes, not speaking to stop them. He didn’t speak or move, yet the wheelchair armrests broke inch by inch, and wood splinters pierced into Shen Liyuan’s hands, making them bloody.

“Lu Yan…” Shen Liyuan murmured the name, his tone carrying bone-deep hatred. “It was my oversight, I moved too slowly… how could I allow other bothersome people to be by my Highness’s side… don’t you agree?”

The maid behind him showed a look of terror and replied with a trembling voice: “The Young Master is right. Do you want to kill him?”

“No, I suddenly had a better idea,” Shen Liyuan sneered. “The Golden Crow divine fire just now… he’s the Young Lord of the Demon Race.”

Shen Liyuan was full of malice: “Tell me, between Yin Yuheng and the imperial power of the Demon Race, which one holds more weight in his heart?”

*

Back at the Eastern Palace, Yin Yuheng lay on the bed, and Lu Yan closed the window.

The sound of wind and rain was isolated outside, and lamps were lit by his side.

Yin Yuheng suddenly felt a long-lost peace. Everything at the State Preceptor’s Manor was far away. He half-closed his eyes and pressed his hand against his heart.

There was a feather there.

At this moment, Yin Yuheng truly felt himself relax. He curled his lips into a smile and, before Lu Yan could speak, said first: “It won’t be like this anymore.”

Lu Yan stood by the bed and gave an “oh.”

“You told me last time that you would absolutely not get injured again.” Lu Yan leaned down, took Yin Yuheng’s right hand, and gently held his wrist. “If I had arrived any later, were you planning to secretly pop your wrist back in yourself and not let me know?”

Yin Yuheng: “…”

Lu Yan closed his eyes and cursed after a long while: “Liar.”

“…I won’t go to the State Preceptor’s Manor anymore, really,” Yin Yuheng tried to make Lu Yan believe him. “Don’t be angry anymore.”

Lu Yan looked up and stared at Yin Yuheng without blinking.

Yin Yuheng looked back with a smile.

Lu Yan opened his mouth, just about to say something, when a servant came to report.

“Your Highness, the Lord State Preceptor is waiting outside.”

Lu Yan’s gaze immediately turned cold, and he gave a huff.

*

Li Guanghan stood under the corridor, gripping the jade pendant in his hand tightly.

Emotions surged in his heart, making it almost impossible for him to maintain his expression. He pursed his lips tightly, suppressing the stormy waves in the depths of his heart.

“Someone has been sent to report; please wait for a moment, Lord State Preceptor,” an old eunuch said respectfully. His gaze fell on the jade pendant in Li Guanghan’s hand, and he smiled: “Isn’t that the jade pendant carved by His Highness?”

Li Guanghan’s gaze focused, and he turned his head toward the old eunuch.

Seeing that he was interested, the old eunuch explained: “This old servant has been in the palace for a long time and can be said to have watched the Little Highness grow up. When His Highness was young, there was a period when he liked carving these things most. However, after returning from Fengliang, he carved them less.”

“Fengliang?” Li Guanghan murmured the place name blankly. “He… when did he go to Fengliang?”

The old eunuch didn’t know why Li Guanghan was suddenly asking these things. He thought for a moment and replied: “It should have been eight years ago, when the Little Highness was thirteen. That year, the Fengliang blood slave case also occurred; haven’t you heard of it?”

…Eight years ago.

Li Guanghan closed his eyes. Yes, how had he never noticed?

It turned out… Yin Yuheng was the little boy who had saved him back then.