Chapter 62#
Liking#
“Lu Yan, what, have you really fallen for this substitute?”
The setting sun was like molten gold, slanting onto the terrace.
Li Guanghan’s words were piercing. Yin Yuheng endured a cough and raised his head, seeing the mocking curve of Li Guanghan’s lips and Lu Yan’s figure illuminated by the sunlight.
The Dark Feather Sword was the divine sword of the Demon Clan. The moment it was unsheathed, the sunset and evening glow were instantly plated with an even more brilliant golden-red. Lu Yan was enveloped in light, landing beside Yin Yuheng.
Yin Yuheng stared at him blankly, dazed for a moment: “Ma…”
Lu Yan didn’t look at Yin Yuheng.
He was expressionless, looking coldly at Li Guanghan: “What does it have to do with you?”
Li Guanghan sneered: “What does it have to do with me? Lu Yan, do you still remember that Yuheng is still waiting for you? Have you forgotten how he treated you back then?”
“The matters between A-Heng and me are not for you to worry about.” Speaking of the past, Lu Yan’s old grudges were also stirred, and his tone darkened, “You’re not worthy of mentioning him!”
Violent Golden Crow fire rose to the sky with the sword wind. Li Guanghan was startled and instinctively circulated his Nine Cold Dao intent to resist.
Wind and snow churned with the fierce fire, and then both dissipated.
Lu Yan pursed his lips tightly, holding his sword across his front.
“Li Guanghan, it’s not your place to make irresponsible remarks. How did you treat him back then? New and old grudges—A-Heng doesn’t care, but I do.”
Li Guanghan was startled by his fierce gaze, sensing a genuine murderous intent. He understood Lu Yan’s unspoken meaning—if it weren’t for the fact that A-Heng hadn’t woken up yet and Lu Yan didn’t have the energy to entangle with him, it would be impossible to stop here.
Lu Yan had only recently accepted the inheritance and his strength was not yet stable, while Li Guanghan was a long-renowned Sword God; facing Lu Yan, he wasn’t actually at a disadvantage. But at this moment, Li Guanghan’s hand behind his back couldn’t help but tremble slightly.
Not because of fear, but because of jealousy.
Going mad with jealousy.
He was jealous that Lu Yan could stand openly on Yin Yuheng’s side and say, “A-Heng doesn’t care, but I do.” He was jealous that Lu Yan had never hurt Yin Yuheng, and he was jealous that Lu Yan was Yin Yuheng’s reliance—
Li Guanghan knew that if Yin Yuheng woke up, the one he definitely wouldn’t want to see was himself, but Lu Yan.
Li Guanghan felt that familiar pain again. Yuheng liked Lu Yan so much, but this liking should have been his. Five years of master-disciple sentiment, five years of secret love and admiration—Yin Yuheng had once been so good to him, but… he had been trampled upon by himself to this end. If he hadn’t done those things that were less than human, would the person qualified to say “A-Heng and I” now be himself?
Lu Yan hated him, and he also loathed Lu Yan.
But Yin Yuheng’s coma forced two people who loathed each other to have no time for anything else.
…
While the two were at loggerheads, Li Hu hurriedly pulled Yin Yuheng back.
“Don’t go forward,” Li Hu whispered, “a fight between those at the Transformation Stage is not something we can participate in. They’ve gone mad for new and old grudges; once they start, they won’t care about people like us, and if we’re accidentally affected…”
Li Hu paused, noticing Yin Yuheng’s distraction.
“Brother Bai Heng? What’s wrong?”
“…It’s nothing,” Yin Yuheng came back to his senses, lowering his eyes with a bitter smile, “just a bit curious.”
Li Hu blinked: “Curious about what?”
“Curious about what kind of person the one who can make the Demon Emperor and the Sword Sovereign draw their swords would be.” Yin Yuheng looked toward Lu Yan, “I really want to meet him.”
Li Hu beside him also seemed to think of something, his eyes shifting, a trace of interest flashing through, “If you want to meet him, there’s always a chance. The Blue Sky Attraction recognizes you as its master; since he wants to save the Crown Prince of the Li Dynasty, His Majesty will definitely take you to Chaoge. Won’t you see him then?”
Li Hu carefully observed Yin Yuheng’s expression. As expected, Yin Yuheng’s gaze turned complex.
Li Hu felt that Yin Yuheng should be sad.
The two were clearly so similar, yet their life encounters were like clouds and mud. By comparison, it was easy to give rise to obsessive thoughts. Not to mention Bai Heng had a trace of affection for Lu Yan… no matter how open-minded, he couldn’t escape jealousy, right? No matter how gentle Brother Bai Heng was, he still inevitably fell into self-suffering.
Greed, anger, ignorance, resentment, hatred, and unfulfilled desires.
The more he liked him, the more his heart pained, as if walking on the edge of a precipice, liable to fall and be crushed to pieces at any time. Yet Li Hu wanted to watch Yin Yuheng sink deeper and deeper… even stepping in to give him another push.
When his feelings were deep-rooted, would Yin Yuheng still be willing to just be a substitute? Would he still be willing to save the little Crown Prince?
Li Hu didn’t dislike Yin Yuheng, and could even be said to like him. But Yin Yuheng was a knife he used to hurt Lu Yan; in the final analysis, he was just a tool, his liking was limited, and couldn’t compare to his ambition.
“There’s nothing for us here, let’s go. Don’t look anymore; no matter how much you like His Majesty, it won’t…” Li Hu deliberately whispered, then suddenly stopped his words, stole a glance at Lu Yan, and pulled Yin Yuheng, “Let’s go, let’s go.”
Yin Yuheng was preoccupied and was pulled to a quiet and deserted place by Li Hu.
Looking at Yin Yuheng’s dejected expression, Li Hu was somewhat unable to bear it after all: “Brother Bai Heng, don’t think too much.”
Yin Yuheng smiled, but this smile appeared very forced in Li Hu’s eyes.
“Let’s go back.”
*
The evening glow dissipated, and the bright moon rose in the east. Yin Yuheng sat in the room, the small window open, bringing in wisps of cool breeze. He set out brush and ink, intending to paint.
Recently he had become more and more fond of painting, to cultivate his mind, and it was very pleasant.
Jealousy? Yin Yuheng pondered as he worked.
Yin Yuheng couldn’t say what his mood was.
It didn’t seem like jealousy either, just a bit strange.
Clearly knowing that Lu Yan brought him back to the Demon Clan only to save the Crown Prince of the Li Dynasty, and if it weren’t for the Blue Sky Attraction, he wouldn’t even have the qualification to enter the Three Barren Mountains; yet for some reason, every time he saw Lu Yan, Yin Yuheng felt in a very good mood. When Lu Yan spoke to him, he wanted to smile; even when he didn’t speak to him, he felt he was cute. Sometimes with a fleeting glimpse, seeing Lu Yan’s despondent expression from afar, Yin Yuheng would actually even feel a bit of distress.
Even though Li Hu constantly mentioned the Crown Prince of the Li Dynasty beside him, he didn’t feel sad hearing it, but instead inexplicably found it interesting. If Li Hu deliberately said how much Lu Yan liked the Crown Prince, Yin Yuheng felt even more enthusiastic in his heart.
…Truly strange.
Yin Yuheng chuckled, pushed away the paper, dipped his brush in ink and started, the image of Lu Yan appearing in his heart again, along with Li Guanghan’s sentence from today, “Lu Yan, you’ve really fallen for this substitute?”
Yin Yuheng shook his head, thinking that Lu Yan now, seeing him from afar, would take a detour. If it weren’t for Li Guanghan coming to make a scene, it would really have been a long time since he’d seen Lu Yan; where would any liking come from?
Yin Yuheng had just made a few strokes when he suddenly heard footsteps outside the door. Yin Yuheng was stunned and put down the brush.
The person who came was Lu Yan.
Lu Yan hadn’t been to Yin Yuheng’s residence for a long time. When he saw Yin Yuheng, he slightly averted his eyes.
“Sorry,” Lu Yan said indifferently, “it’s been a bother.”
Was he here to apologize for the matter with Li Guanghan? Yin Yuheng’s eyes curved: “I’m fine.”
“…That’s good.”
Lu Yan gave a response and fell silent.
He stood still, seemingly wanting to say something, but hesitated for a long while without opening his mouth. Yin Yuheng couldn’t help but call out: “Your Majesty?”
Lu Yan opened his mouth, and after a long while, he abruptly closed his eyes.
“You… don’t have to like me.”
Yin Yuheng was stunned.
“Don’t have to like me,” having started, the words became more and more fluent. Lu Yan said with lowered eyes, “if I’ve given you any misunderstanding… sorry.”
Yin Yuheng slowly reacted to Lu Yan’s meaning and stared at Lu Yan with slightly widened eyes.
With Lu Yan’s cultivation, today’s conversation between him and Li Hu surely couldn’t be hidden from him. Lu Yan had detected something, so he specifically came to find him to make things clear.
Clearly a blunt rejection, yet Yin Yuheng suddenly wanted to laugh again.
“I know,” Yin Yuheng said sincerely, “Your Majesty’s heart belongs elsewhere; I’ve never dared to have any improper thoughts. The Fox young master is young and speaks carelessly, don’t take it to heart.”
Lu Yan’s stiff expression softened a bit: “It’s good that I was overthinking.”
Yin Yuheng blinked and couldn’t help laughing again: “The two are truly an immortal couple, never leaving each other. I wish Your Majesty and your beloved are of one heart, long and lasting.”
Lu Yan’s fingers trembled.
An immortal couple, never leaving each other?
Lu Yan finally couldn’t help but look up, his gaze intersecting with Yin Yuheng’s, drowning in a gentle spring breeze. At that moment, Lu Yan almost called out the name “A-Heng.”
So much alike. Yet after all, not him.
A numb pain flared up in his chest. Being gazed at by those clear eyes identical to A-Heng’s, Lu Yan slowly curled his lips into a self-deprecating smile: “Not a couple.”
Yin Yuheng was slightly startled.
“At that time, I hadn’t even said a word of liking him. At first I didn’t understand my feelings, and when I gradually understood, I didn’t dare to speak. Later there was no chance to say it out loud.”
“He was always good to me, and when he needed me, I failed to protect him.”
Lu Yan suddenly had an urge to confide. Many words he didn’t dare say and couldn’t say before A-Heng. Facing “Bai Heng,” he instead had fewer scruples.
Lu Yan lowered his head, the tips of his hair blown by the night wind.
“When he wakes up, he’ll blame me.”
Lu Yan thought, Li Guanghan was jealous of him to the point of madness, but in fact Yin Yuheng had never said he liked him. A-Heng depended on him, trusted him, and was good to him… but Lu Yan didn’t know if that was liking.
By now, Lu Yan didn’t dare to expect these things anymore. A-Heng was in a coma, and many things couldn’t be delved into either.
In a daze, a voice as gentle as the A-Heng in his memory came from before him.
“Don’t be sad,” Yin Yuheng said softly, “I think the Crown Prince surely won’t have the heart to blame you.”