Chapter 65#

Departure#

Yin Yuheng was stunned for a moment before he realized what Xue Ciling meant. For a while, he was actually speechless.

Quite confident, having imagined a grand drama of love and hatred for himself. Yin Yuheng curled his lips: “You’re overthinking it.”

Xue Ciling said: “Overthinking? Fine, let’s say I’m overthinking… Yuheng, come with me, okay? I did many things wrong in the past, give me a chance to make amends…”

As Xue Ciling spoke towards the end, his voice was humble and cautious. Yin Yuheng frowned, and before he could speak, he saw Lu Yan raise his eyes coldly: “There aren’t that many chances.”

Lu Yan was in a very bad mood.

Looking at Xue Ciling’s appearance reminded him of Li Guanghan and Zhu Anning, and reminded him of the time when A-Heng suffered and was tortured in the past, a surge of irritability rising in his heart.

At that time, his cultivation was insufficient, making it difficult to contend with Li Guanghan, and A-Heng also hid many things from him, refusing to let him intervene. He watched helplessly as that person, who was like the clear breeze and bright moon, was humiliated and seriously injured, unable to be saved. By the time he had the ability to protect A-Heng, it was already too late. That sense of powerlessness and pain was something Lu Yan still hadn’t let go of.

Ridiculously, now Li Guanghan says he regrets it, and Zhu Anning also says she regrets it. A-Heng’s health is already so poor, having fallen into a long sleep from which he won’t wake; what’s the use of saying sorry? Meaningless regret has no value at all.

Not everything can be made up for, just like himself, having missed the last look at A-Heng, he could never return to the beginning.

Xue Ciling’s current appearance was exactly like those who vainly hoped for A-Heng’s forgiveness. But on what grounds should he be forgiven?

“City Lord Xue, the deal is done and cannot be reversed,” Lu Yan said indifferently, “There is no turning back in the affairs of the world.”

Xue Ciling’s eyes were red, he clenched his fists and then forced them open. Lu Yan’s gaze looking at him held a high-and-mighty indifference. Xue Ciling felt as if he had been seen through by the other party, and he couldn’t help but feel a chill all over.

He didn’t dare to act crazy in front of Lu Yan, so he could only grit his teeth hard, straighten his back, and under Lu Yan’s gaze—as if looking at something filthy—squeezed out a few words from between his teeth: “…I will trade him back, I can pay double the price.”

Lu Yan raised an eyebrow slightly. Yin Yuheng beside him also smiled, averting his gaze nonchalantly.

Lu Yan said: “City Lord Xue is indeed very generous, but if you truly cherished him, you wouldn’t treat him as an item for exchange.”

Lu Yan turned his head to look at Yin Yuheng and said gently: “Let’s go back.”

Yin Yuheng nodded with a smile, didn’t look at Xue Ciling again, and turned to leave. Xue Ciling felt a pang in his heart and subconsciously wanted to chase after him, but suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and had to stop, his face as pale as gold paper.

Lu Yan gave him one last look, and invisible sword qi flashed around.

Cold sweat dripped from Xue Ciling’s forehead; he saw a flash of killing intent in Lu Yan’s eyes. But in the end, Lu Yan didn’t say anything and disappeared silently on the spot.

The spiritual pressure dissipated, and Xue Ciling’s breathing eased.

At that moment just now, Lu Yan really had a trace of killing intent toward him. Although he didn’t make a move in the end, that single strand of sword qi almost made it impossible for him to hold on—it was a warning against his attempt to step into the Three Desolate Mountains.

Xue Ciling lowered his head and saw that blood had already soaked through his clothes on his shoulder. The wounds all over his body that he hadn’t had time to treat burst open again under Lu Yan’s sword qi, the pain making it almost impossible for him to move.

These injuries would take a long time to heal.

Yuheng…

Xue Ciling moved his lips but made no sound.

Is there really no turning back? No… he still has a chance. Yuheng still likes him; as long as he admits his mistakes properly, it will surely be possible…

He had waited so long to find someone who was special to him; how could he be willing to give up?

Xue Ciling closed his eyes. Perhaps deep in his heart, he wasn’t so certain about the fact that “Yin Yuheng likes him,” but he needed a reason to make himself seem less ridiculous.

…

Xue Ciling’s appearance wasn’t worth taking to heart for Yin Yuheng at all.

He returned to the room and, before long, Lu Yan found him.

Yin Yuheng was not surprised: “Your Majesty, were you specifically looking for me just now?”

Otherwise, how could the Demon Emperor, who was busy with a myriad of affairs, happen to appear on a sparsely populated path at the foot of the mountain?

Lu Yan nodded slightly, taking it as an admission.

Yin Yuheng looked into Lu Yan’s eyes and smiled.

Although Lu Yan’s eyes were somewhat similar to Xue Ciling’s, they were much more beautiful. In those intermittent dreams, what left the deepest impression on Yin Yuheng were these eyes filled with fragmented starlight. Unfortunately, these eyes now had no luster, leaving only a dead silence of black.

It shouldn’t be like this, Yin Yuheng suddenly felt a bit sad.

Lu Yan didn’t notice Yin Yuheng’s gaze; his sight fell on the table, where a half-finished painting was still spread out.

It was a person, but unfortunately, the painting skills weren’t very good, and it was hard to tell who it was. However, the eyes were painted very carefully, and a familiar shadow could be vaguely seen.

Lu Yan withdrew his gaze unobtrusively and looked back at Yin Yuheng: “Don’t move.”

Yin Yuheng blinked and allowed Lu Yan to raise his hand and gently touch his forehead. Lu Yan quickly withdrew his hand: “The soul is much more stable.”

“Then can I use the Biluo Yin now?”

Lu Yan paused and said: “Soon.”

Yin Yuheng understood his meaning and smiled: “That’s good.”

Lu Yan had fed and cared for him for so long just so he could go save that sweetheart once his soul was stable.

Lu Yan didn’t see any unusual expression on Yin Yuheng’s face. He remained silent for a long while and finally said: “…Rest well.”

…

After leaving, Lu Yan called for Huangli.

Huangli had been responsible for taking care of Yin Yuheng’s daily life these days. Seeing Lu Yan, she bowed respectfully: “Your Majesty.”

Lu Yan hesitated for a moment but finally asked: “What has he been doing lately?”

This “he” naturally referred to Yin Yuheng. Huangli stole a glance at Lu Yan, wondering why His Majesty, who usually avoided Yin Yuheng, would suddenly ask about this today. She said cautiously: “Nothing special, he takes his medicine and rests normally every day, sometimes goes for walks, practices calligraphy, and paints.”

“Paints?” Lu Yan murmured, remembering the half-finished painting on Yin Yuheng’s table and the eyes in the painting.

…Was he painting Xue Ciling? Lu Yan tried to guess the most likely answer.

Recalling what Xue Ciling said today, Lu Yan thought, could it be that he really still can’t let go of this person?

Lu Yan suddenly felt a bit irritable. He said in a low voice: “Tell me everything he has said, done, and the people he has met lately…”

Lu Yan’s voice stopped suddenly as he saw Huangli’s strange expression. After a while, he sighed and closed his eyes: “…No, never mind, you may go.”

Lu Yan thought to himself, why am I starting to have such wishful thinking again, doing these useless things.

He really still couldn’t look at this person. Just saying a few words, in a daze, he felt like it was A-Heng standing in front of him. Rationally, he told himself not to think too much, but he couldn’t help it.

But the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. It was better not to have these ethereal delusions from the start.

…

Yin Yuheng drank medicine for another half month, and his soul finally reached the level where he could use the Biluo Yin.

On the day he left the Three Desolate Mountains for Chaoge, Yin Yuheng changed into a set of cyan robes embroidered with dark patterns, placed the Biluo Yin in his robe, and said goodbye to Huangli and other friends. On this trip, if the Crown Prince of the Li Dynasty successfully woke up, he would naturally not step into the Three Desolate Mountains again.

Before leaving, Li Hu stopped Yin Yuheng.

“Brother Bai Heng, you look good in cyan too, not at all worse than in white.”

Yin Yuheng usually wore white—when he was with Xue Ciling, the clothes Xue Ciling prepared for him were all white, said to be customized according to the preferences of the Crown Prince of the Li Dynasty. Yin Yuheng had no objection; a body double should have the professional quality of a body double. Moreover, he did look exceptionally graceful in white; standing leisurely, he had a kind of ethereal, transcendent immortal aura.

But he didn’t wear white today. That light cyan was like a trace of the tender sky reflected in a puddle after rain.

But what Li Hu really wanted to say was naturally not about the color of the clothes.

Li Hu seemed a bit sentimental: “What right do they have to treat you as a body double?”

“Brother Bai Heng,” Li Hu seemed very sad for him, biting his lower lip gently, “Are you willing?”