Chapter 11: Yunhai Brings Opportunity (11)
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While Yan Yi was still lost in his thoughts, Bai Chunsheng suddenly realized something.
Since this “Yan Jingqiu” hadn’t died, and this place was the border between the Ancient Forest Spirit Realm and the Yunhai Small World, then who could Yan Yi be— the answer was already clear.
Bai Chunsheng suddenly tentatively called out, “Yan Yi?”
“Mm,” Yan Yi responded.
Bai Chunsheng: “…”
It was obvious who he was.
Even though Yan Jingqiu, who had lost his memory and had his realm dropped to the Nascent Soul stage, didn’t know what had happened, he wasn’t someone this group of seemingly mediocre cultivators could resist.
Yan Yi snapped out of his self-doubt.
Regardless, this beautiful demon cultivator seemed to have an extraordinary connection with him. And he constantly remembered the advice he received before losing his memory. Since he was told not to “repeat the same mistakes,” it was natural to distance himself as much as possible from past events and objects.
But contrary to his wishes, it wasn’t him seeking the other, it was the other seeking him.
Bai Chunsheng wasn’t aware of Yan Jingqiu’s contemplations; he thought that the post-amnesia Yan Jingqiu seemed somewhat displeased with the consequences of the silver bangle on his foot. For Bai Chunsheng, this was undoubtedly a good thing; he didn’t like the item at all. He had only seen anklets on a certain type of bird, which were used as markers for domesticated animals.
Bai Chunsheng asked, “Do you want to take it off?”
If it weren’t for the fact that he couldn’t take it off himself, he would have done so long ago.
“No,” Yan Yi refused.
Bai Chunsheng was taken aback. “Why not?”
After careful consideration, Yan Yi replied earnestly, “I believe I wouldn’t do anything unnecessary. If I did it, there must be a reason why I chose to do so.”
“Moreover, I don’t even know who you are,” Yan Yi squinted his eyes. “What is our relationship?”
This was a good question, and Bai Chunsheng found himself momentarily stunned by it.
What was his relationship with Yan Jingqiu?
What else could it be? They couldn’t be considered enemies, at most they were mutually disdainful and disliked each other. They had exchanged many barbs whenever they met. If it weren’t for Bai Chunsheng being the last descendant of the White Phoenix clan and Yan Jingqiu being the leader of the righteous path, representing their respective families and sects with every action they took, they would have clashed numerous times already.
That being said, Bai Chunsheng couldn’t afford to be so straightforward about it.
After all, he was still recovering from his injuries, with pursuers who could appear at any moment. His current moment of respite relied mostly on Yan Jingqiu, who had inadvertently taken him in due to amnesia.
If Yan Jingqiu were to learn about their past animosities, at best, he might kick Bai Chunsheng out, and at worst, he might even attempt to decapitate him with a sword. Fortunately, Yan Jingqiu had amnesia. With careful maneuvering, Bai Chunsheng might even be able to deceive Yan Jingqiu into protecting him until he fully recovered, which would be ideal.
After much consideration, Bai Chunsheng had reached a conclusion.
But when it came to saying it out loud, he felt extremely embarrassed. His fair face flushed red, his eyes darted away, and he mumbled, “You could say we’re intimate friends.”
Their relationship, known to be strained by everyone, made it likely that Yan Jingqiu had already heard about him being Bai Chunsheng from Shen Yuying.
Since he intended to deceive Yan Jingqiu, Bai Chunsheng couldn’t reveal to him that he was the renowned Sword Sovereign. Fortunately, everyone believed that Yan Jingqiu was dead, and “Yan Yi” had always worn a mask in the Lian Guang Secret Realm, so no one had seen Yan Yi’s true face. They only thought of him as the second Sword Sovereign.
“When I first met you, you claimed to be a solitary cultivator practicing in seclusion. We’ve known each other for nearly three hundred years. You’ve always been controversial, with plenty of enemies. Being chased by enemies from all over the world, we met in the secret realm, and I saw you in distress. I once helped you cover up a bit. But when our relationship was discovered… I was expelled from my family by my grandmother.”
Bai Chunsheng said whatever came to his mind, making himself sound as pitiful as possible because of Yan Jingqiu. He even blamed Yan Jingqiu for his unwillingness to meet the eligible female cultivators from the Cuiwei Palace and his dispute with his grandmother, which led him to leave home in a fit of anger.
As he continued fabricating the story, his lies became more fluent, and he even stopped blushing: “Memory loss is a common ailment for you. Perhaps it’s due to your cultivation technique. Every few hundred years, you tend to go crazy for a while, but you always recover.”
“Bearing a resemblance to the Yan family’s Sword Sovereign and sharing the same surname has led to many misunderstandings,” Bai Chunsheng said, pinching his nose and pretending to feel nauseated as he praised Yan Jingqiu. “I know him, and he knows about you.”
“Ah,” Bai Chunsheng feigned a look of regret and said deliberately, “Unfortunately, the Little Immortal Sovereign passed away not long ago. Otherwise, you could have gone to the Yan family and asked him.”
Bai Chunsheng even convinced himself with his own lies: “A few months ago, we had an argument. You threatened to sever ties with me, and I was heartbroken, so I returned to the Ten Thousand Demons Sect.”
Yan Yi did indeed lose his memory, and at this moment, he knew nothing about his past. But he was naturally suspicious, so how could he be manipulated by Bai Chunsheng?
He vaguely felt that something was off, but couldn’t quite put his finger on it. After all, Yan Yi had some self-awareness; making enemies around the world or betraying benefactors seemed like something he could have done himself.
However, he couldn’t understand why their close relationship had been discovered, leading to Bai Chunsheng’s grandmother also driving Bai Chunsheng away.
Normally, driving him away alone would have been enough.
But if both of them were driven out together,
It would seem more like a pair of lovers eloping against societal norms.
Yan Yi: “…” Something doesn’t seem right?
Yan Yi speculated inwardly but showed no sign on his face, warning himself not to overthink.
He knew Bai Chunsheng had many flaws, but he didn’t care about his past or like digging into details, so he didn’t say any more on these matters.
Yan Yi could tell Bai Chunsheng was in trouble just by looking at him. After pondering for a moment, he said bluntly, “I suppose what you said might be true. However, even if you had a connection with the me before I lost my memory, that has nothing to do with me, Yan Yi, now. I just want to focus on my cultivation in peace and avoid getting involved in any whirlpools.”
Clearly showing that he didn’t want to deal with the matter, Yan Yi’s implication was for Bai Chunsheng to leave as soon as possible and not disturb his meditation.
In his desperation, Bai Chunsheng exclaimed, “But we were once considered intimate friends, even willing to risk our lives for each other!”
He had indeed shared life and death with Yan Yi, so technically he wasn’t lying.
Yan Yi smiled, but he knew that if their relationship was merely based on a life-and-death bond, he wouldn’t have given away the silver bangle.
Clearly, he suspected Bai Chunsheng was hiding something and not telling the whole truth.
Seeing Yan Yi’s contemplative expression, Bai Chunsheng felt a sense of relief. Yan Yi paused for a moment, then softened his tone, “Since we knew each other before and there’s the silver bangle as evidence, that much cannot be faked.”
However, Yan Yi continued, “But that has nothing to do with who I am now.”
“Since I’ve lost my memory, I have no curiosity about my past.”
“You mentioned earlier that you once saved me? Yet it was I who rescued you from those few demonic cultivators. Seeing your reluctance to associate with me just now, it seems we both share the same sentiment.”
Yan Yi said calmly, “Why don’t we part ways here?”
Yan Yi’s reasoning hit home with Bai Chunsheng, and his cold attitude stung him deeply. Bai Chunsheng, already someone who cared deeply about his reputation, reached his limit.
In a fit of anger, he sneered, “So be it then, farewell! I won’t bother you any longer!”
Bai Chunsheng stepped off the black canopy boat and realized that the sky had already darkened.
Except for the faintly glowing moon on the horizon and the ever-burning candlelight at the prow of the boat, the rest of the world was enveloped in silent darkness.
His left abdominal wound began to throb faintly. Since being knocked unconscious by Yan Yi, Bai Chunsheng had been drifting along with Yan Yi’s boat on this seemingly endless river. He had long lost track of his whereabouts.
The once peaceful and tranquil world now carried an ominous sense of danger.
As a cool breeze blew by, Bai Chunsheng regained his composure and suddenly realized his predicament.
His severe injuries had already robbed him of most of his ability to defend himself. Moreover, Bai Chunsheng couldn’t forget the lurking threat from the Dragon Clan of the Abyssal Waters Realm. As long as he remained alive, if the Dragon King wished to settle within the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, it would always be under dubious circumstances.
But Bai Chunsheng couldn’t leave Yan Yi, nor could he bring himself to swallow his pride and ask for help.
Bai Chunsheng hadn’t been beaten down by reality to the point where he couldn’t stand up, so he still retained some sense of dignity.
Once words were spoken, how could they be taken back?
Seeing Bai Chunsheng step out of the cabin, Yan Yi followed behind, leisurely lifting the veil. Leaning against the wooden boards, he watched Bai Chunsheng intently.
Bai Chunsheng heard the movement behind him and knew it was Yan Yi. He thought to himself that he was the unparalleled pride of the heavens, and even without Yan Jingqiu’s help, he could still turn the tide and ride the waves against the wind.
Adversity was just temporary; if they expected him to bow his head, they had another thing coming.
Just moments ago, he had crossed the line with his lies, and from now on, he would never be able to lift his head in front of Yan Jingqiu again.
He would never stoop to asking for help from this shameless scoundrel Yan Jingqiu.
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
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