Chapter 742: If Heaven had feelings, it too would age (2/2)

“Li Jianxin, all you can do is go crazy, because that’s the only time you can acknowledge who she was and miss her!”

“Insanity…hehe, that’s only an excuse, a pretext to let you forget about Celestial Mountain’s ‘righteousness’ and your status as master and disciple.”

“Li Jianxin, after all these years, why won’t you agree to treatment?” By the end of her tirade, Han Yunxi was choked with emotion. “Luo Qingling’s already gone far, far away. Even if you have to courage to cast everything aside and give her the status she deserves, she’ll never know.”

Why was it that people never realized how precious things were, until they lost them?

By now, the sword sect master had long lowered his weapon. His eyes were murky no more, but filled with tears. He sank back onto the ground as sheer grief overtook him. Every single one of Han Yunxi’s words stabbed him in the heart. In its deepest, softest parts, it hurt him.

Han Yunxi knew that she was being cruel, but she had to persist until the end. After all, reality was harsher than anything the human heart could take. She lifted up Duanmu Yao and took off her face mask, revealing old, wizened visage beneath.

“Li Jianxin, take a good look. This person isn’t Luo Qingling. No matter how similar their innate talents are, she’s completely different. Letting a woman like Duanmu Yao learn the Xuan Nǚ Swordplay is simply an insult to Luo Qingling!”

Li Jianxin didn’t look at Duanmu Yao, because he himself knew the truth in his heart of hearts. Over the years, he’d doted and indulged the girl for the sole hope that someone could finish mastering the Xuan Nǚ Swordplay. That’s why when Duanmu Yao had been injured, he was only concerned with the state of her dantian. He didn’t care a thing about her ruined face.

In the empty hall, Li Jianxin sat with his head bowed, as still as a statue.

“Let’s go,” Han Yunxi intoned.

“Tomorrow, I’ll be fighting a decisive battle with Cang Qiuzi in the ranking matches,” Long Feiye tossed back before he left with her. But at the door, he paused and said, “Han Yunxi, I…”

“Hm?” Han Yunxi waited for him to speak.

But Long Feiye simply stroked her hair and said nothing more beyond a faint smile.

“I what?” Han Yunxi pressed.

“I’ll help you look at your internal injuries. Let’s go,” Long Feiye finished. But one of her statements was weighing on his heart.

‘If you couldn’t afford to love her, then why love her at all? Why did you have to hurt her after that?’

—

The seventh floor was Long Feiye’s quarters atop the mountain, its arrangement identical to his rooms at the Duke of Qin’s estate. Once they entered, Han Yunxi almost thought they’d gone back home. She suddenly recalled something and exclaimed, “Long Feiye, the estate sent news beforehand that Su Xiaoyu’s gone missing. She might have been kidnapped!”

“Don’t worry, Chu Xifeng will take care of it,” Long Feiye’s eyes flickered with a complicated expression before he took Han Yunxi’s wrist to check her pulse.

Han Yunxi wanted to pursue the issue, but stopped at the look in his eyes. She could only still her emotions and let him examine her. Once Long Feiye was sure that there were no serious repercussions, he stopped worrying. Instad, he reached down to lightly cradle her stomach. Han Yunxi tensed up at the sensation–that was a sensitive spot.

Long Feiye’s hand was very warm as it rested over her abdomen. A comforting sensation came from his touch. She could even feel a warm current flow out from her stomach to fill her entire body. Despite being exhausted and weak, she suddenly felt invigorated as if born anew. Gradually, she forgot all about Long Feiye’s hand and felt her entire body grow light…

“Thank goodness Granny You’s true qi protected you,” Long Feiye exhaled. Internally, he was still struck with fear in hindsight. “I really shouldn’t have brought you along.”

Han Yunxi was stirred up by his words. “Don’t you think about chasing me away!”

Long Feiye smiled. “Probably all of Cloud Realm Continent knows your identity by now.”

Han Yunxi hadn’t thought of that until now. Despite Celestial Mountain’s location, it was all too easy to spread news of her connections with the Poison Sect down below. Long Feiye grew serious and said, “Tomorrow’s ranking matches can only end in victory, not defeat.”

With the world aware of Han Yunxi’s identity, they would have heard of the mishaps at Celestial Mountain as well. Only by controlling its power and all of Cloud Realm Continent’s martial arts circles could he be strong enough to contend against Medical City. Otherwise, he’d be a public target as soon as he brought Han Yunxi down the mountain.

As they chatted, someone suddenly knocked on the door. Who could it be?

1. Luo Qingling (洛青灵) – Luo is a surname, Qingling can mean “youthful spirit.”