Chapter 35#

Sending Medicine#

How does it feel to personally destroy the person you should have cherished the most?

Li Guanghan stared blankly at that sword. In an instant, he recalled the figure of the youth coming out of the sword array five years ago.

The youth was covered in blood, yet his eyes were so bright. He had difficulty walking, but the hand holding the sword never loosened. At that time, Li Guanghan had thought flatly that this child was indeed good material for learning the sword.

Facts had proven that it was indeed so. No matter what sword technique it was, the youth always learned it quickly and well. Moreover, the youth worked very hard—practicing in the heat of midsummer and the cold of midwinter, never stopping day after day, month after month. Occasionally, when Li Guanghan passed the plum tree in the courtyard at midnight, he could still see the other’s figure practicing sword moves under the tree. Plum blossoms and fine snow fell on the youth’s hair, only to be swept away by the wind of his sword. At that time, Li Guanghan had been dazed for a moment; only now did he understand that perhaps back then, his heart had already given rise to emotions and tremors that he himself hadn’t even noticed.

…Yet such a sword cultivation genius was destroyed by his own hands.

The other originally possessed the purest spiritual veins and the highest talent. Yet he had a dagger plunged into his heart, with the sharp tip churning in his chest. He himself had deceived and coaxed, watching coldly from the side as he let the other’s heart’s blood flow into the magic formation, satisfying his own selfishness at the cost of damaging the other’s spiritual platform. He had even nearly crushed the other’s wrist, destroying the right hand with which the other held his sword.

At that time, how much pain must his Yuheng have been in?

So much pain that upon seeing him, he felt afraid.

Li Guanghan closed his eyes, and those constantly accumulating emotions finally reached an uncontrollable peak. He supported himself against the table, clenching his teeth hard.

Immense pain filled his entire heart. He had too many things he didn’t dare recall; he had been escaping and deceiving himself… however, at this moment, everything he had done surfaced clearly in his mind. The emotions he had deliberately suppressed finally surged out, stirring up celestial-scale waves that nearly collapsed his entire being.

The Penglai Divine Lord, who was always indifferent and self-possessed, transcendent from the world, had deathly pale lips as his nails dug into the tabletop. Waves of remorse and pain surged in succession.

He practiced the Nine Cold Dao Intention, which was close to the Dao of Heartlessness, yet different. He had no feelings for anything in the world, except for one person who sustained that single point of light in his Dao heart.

Li Guanghan knew that his demonic heart had actually never been truly eliminated; he had always been walking on the brink of falling into the demonic path. But every time he thought of his young boy, he could calm down. Perhaps it was because the timing of the boy’s appearance was too coincidental, happening to become a point of starlight in the entire dark world, illuminating his night sky. Thus, the boy became the straw he grabbed onto at all costs. He constantly reminded himself that there was still a reason for him to stay in this world, that there was still someone worth protecting with everything he had—

The boy was his beacon.

Yet his light and redemption had been tortured to the point of being at death’s door by his own hands.

Pain and remorse caused a dull ache in his chest. Li Guanghan closed his eyes, forcing his spiritual power to circulate as he suppressed the restless demonic heart. Everything from the past played back in his mind again and again, making him realize what things he had done.

He had clearly said he wouldn’t let the other bleed again. Yet the person who had made the other bleed the most was himself.

He had clearly spoken of repaying the favor, yet the person who had hurt the other the most was also himself.

Over five years, with countless opportunities, he could have discovered the truth. But he had never thought deeply, even coldly mocking in his heart and holding the other’s sincerity in contempt…

Did his Yuheng hate him?

Thinking of this possibility, Li Guanghan’s breathing hitched.

…No, Yuheng liked him so much… liked him so much…

Perhaps he still had a chance for redemption…

Li Guanghan opened his eyes in pain and saw the medicine on the table. He grit his teeth, thinking that now was not the time to be sad. His Yuheng was severely injured; he had to go send the medicine…

Li Guanghan endured the emotions in his heart and walked toward the palace.

He thought that now he could still make amends…

At least, his Yuheng liked him so much.

Li Guanghan repeated this sentence in his heart, feeling a little more at ease.

*

When Li Guanghan arrived at the palace again, he learned that Yin Yuheng had already gone to sleep.

“He is severely injured and just took his medicine,” the youth in black stood under the corridor, his face as cold as a block of ice. “If the Lord State Preceptor has business, it’s better to come another day.”

Li Guanghan remembered this youth’s identity; he had met him once.

“Young Lord Lu,” Li Guanghan’s voice was cold, “a member of the Demon Race dares to stay within the palace city?”

“His Highness the Crown Prince is willing to take me in; what does it have to do with the Lord State Preceptor?” Lu Yan’s expression was very calm.

Li Guanghan frowned slightly: “Yuheng kept you by his side?”

Li Guanghan’s heart sank. He usually paid too little attention to his eldest disciple, to the point of not even noticing this matter… how could the dignified Crown Prince of the Li Dynasty be so close to a member of the Demon Race?

Watching Li Guanghan’s expression, the deep ink color in Lu Yan’s pupils intensified. He suddenly said: “Sometimes I truly feel it’s not worth it for A-Heng. Do you truly understand his sincerity?”

A-Heng?

Hearing this form of address, Li Guanghan only felt a sting in his heart. He endured it and said: “Yuheng is the person I cherish most. I also know his heart’s intentions. I’ve come today merely to send medicine.”

Lu Yan lowered his eyes slightly.

“…Cherish? Does cherishing someone involve letting them suffer such severe injuries?” Lu Yan said softly. “But A-Heng likes you so much, so what can be done? You only saved him once, and he has nearly given his life to you; no matter how great the debt of gratitude, it has been repaid enough…”

Li Guanghan was suddenly taken aback.

“I saved him once?”

Lu Yan looked up: “The Lord State Preceptor travels the world, so surely you don’t remember such a trivial matter. Five years ago, A-Heng was being hunted by a demon beast; by chance, you were nearby, and your sword intent scared the beast away. A-Heng has always remembered this…”

Li Guanghan listened in a daze.

Five years ago… sword intent scaring away a demon beast?

How could that be?

Five years ago was the critical moment for his breakthrough to the Spirit Severing stage. He was searching everywhere for a breakthrough opportunity… at that time, he had encountered a bottleneck on the path of the sword; for an entire year, he hadn’t made a single sword strike. It wasn’t until he came to Chaoge and made a deal with the Emperor of the Li Dynasty that he successfully used the Li Dynasty’s providence to break through to Spirit Severing.

—He was very certain that during that year, he had not moved his sword; there was absolutely no such incident of sword intent scaring away a demon beast.

Li Guanghan was dazed for a long time, suddenly feeling a bit cold.

His mind was unsettled, a thousand tangled thoughts exploding in his sea of consciousness. He had a faint conjecture, but was unwilling to believe it.

A coughing sound suddenly came from the room. Li Guanghan strode forward abruptly, pushed open the door, and walked in.

Yin Yuheng was leaning by the bed coughing incessantly. Hearing the sound of the door opening, he struggled to restrain himself and looked up helplessly: “A-Yan, I’m fine…”

Seeing the visitor was Li Guanghan, his gaze flashed, his fingertips twitching, but his expression remained unchanged.

“…You’ve come.”

Li Guanghan was stunned upon hearing that “A-Yan.” After reacting, his heart felt extremely unpleasant, and his dislike for that member of the Demon Race reached its peak. Li Guanghan forcibly suppressed it, walked to the bedside, and gently supported Yin Yuheng.

“Take your medicine.”

Yin Yuheng glanced at it, took the medicine, and swallowed it all in one go.

Li Guanghan looked at him earnestly, the pain in his heart even greater.

Someone who was clearly proud and dazzling now had to rely on medicine to sustain himself…

“I will find a way…” Li Guanghan rubbed his hair. “I will find a way to heal your injuries.”

Yin Yuheng was stunned for a moment, then looked up at Li Guanghan. After a while, he suddenly gave a dismal smile: “You’re being so good to me; do you need me to heal my little junior brother again? Or do you want to take something else from me again?”

Li Guanghan froze: “No, it’s not like that. How could you think that way?”

Soon, Li Guanghan understood what Yin Yuheng meant.

…Over five years, he had never shown too much concern or care for the other. The only time he had shown tender care was to coax the other into voluntarily piercing his heart and taking blood.

So now, facing his concern, the first thing Yin Yuheng thought of was only deception and torture.

In the other’s eyes, his sincerity was entirely feigned hypocrisy.