Sick Beauty [Rebirth] Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Recklessness 

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Ye Yunlan was sitting cross-legged on the cloud bed, his forehead and back were soaked with cold sweat, with a few strands of black hair stuck to his cheeks. 

The palms of the person behind him were pressed up against his back. A huge surge of spiritual power rushed through his meridians. The powerful cultivation base suppressed him so he was unable to move. 

Time became extremely long, like viscous sea water flowing by. 

After a long time, the talent behind him withdrew their spiritual power. 

The restriction that suppressed his movement was released, and Ye Yunlan’s body softened. He barely supported his figure on the cloud bed with his hands.

After a long delay, he turned his head to look at the person behind him and said in a husky voice: “I never knew that the dignified Sky Sect Sect Master, the Supreme Immortal Dao, would also forcefully heal the unwilling.” 

Qiyun Jun furrowed his eyebrows slightly. 

“I don’t understand,” his voice was cold, “We should have never seen each other before, where does your fear of me come from?” 

A cultivator of the Transcendence Realm touched the realm of heavenly law and could sense the feelings of others towards him. 

If a mortal called his name directly, even if it was thousands of miles away, a cultivator of the Transcendence Realm could feel it. 

Ye Yunlan tried his best to calm his mind. 

His long eyelashes were lowered, his pupils slowly darkened, and he replied, “Immortal Venerable seems to have misunderstood one matter.” 

Qiyun Jun: “What matter?” 

“Immortal Venerable and I have never met before. What I fear is naturally not Immortal Venerable.” Ye Yunlan said, “I just heard that Immortal Venerable cultivates in Heartless Dao. As we all know, those who cultivate Heartless Dao see the world, but don’t see the common people.” 

Qi Yunjun: “So what?” 

“What I fear is precisely that. Heaven and earth are ruthless,” Ye Yunlan said indifferently, “Heaven and earth are ruthless, only willing to distinguish between pure and impure, but not good or bad, not black and white, often making the innocent suffer. It teaches the innocent person to bear the crime. So how can a person not fear?” 

Qiyun Jun’s expression was slightly cold. 

He could hear that this person’s words seemed to be saying that he was afraid of the world being ruthless, but in fact was secretly mocking him. 

The last person who dared to speak such words in front of him was sent for reincarnation a long time ago. 

As a sword cultivator, he had never been a gentle-tempered person.

It was just. 

Qiyun Jun looked at the pale face of the person in front of him. 

This person was really afraid of him. When he was healing him just now and had his hands pressed up against this person’s back, he could feel his thin back soaked with cold sweat, trembling. When he looked back at him, even his eye sockets were trembling and had some redness. 

This person didn’t cry, but the teary mole at the end of his eye looked like a silent tear of blood. He looked…so fragile. 

He tried to explain, a rare moment for him: “The so-called black and white, guilty and innocent, are just judgments by the world, one-sided words.” 

“The reason why heaven and earth are ruthless is just because the way of heaven is fair.” 

The way of heaven is fair. 

Ye Yunlan listened, but he couldn’t help but curl his mouth into a sneer. 

He seldom smiled and this smile was full of ridicule, yet it was still amazingly gorgeous, like a red plum crushed by the cold wind in the white snow. 

“So this is what Immortal Venerable thinks.” 

He stopped continuing the subject. He looked away and turned towards the entrance: “Could I dare ask Immortal Venerable, how long do you have to keep me for healing?” 

“Seven days.” Qiyun Jun said, “The divine fire essence in your body has leaked out. It requires my spiritual power to continuously penetrate your meridians for seven days before it can be suppressed. Then every other month, this needs to be done in order to ensure that the injury does not repeat itself. So, I would need to penetrate through it again to strengthen the meridians.” 

“Immortal Venerable does not need to bother.” Ye Yunlan said blankly, “For a disciple whose cultivation path has been broken, is it worth the effort?”

Qiyun Jun: “I said I owe this karma. What I promised will be done.” 

Ye Yunlan responded blankly: “It turns out that I am just a tool for Immortal Venerable to complete his karma.” 

Qiyun Jun furrowed his eyebrows wanting to explain, but found that Ye Yunlan had not made a mistake. 

He was really just using Ye Yunlan to accomplish and finish this karma. 

“I already know what Immortal Venerable needs.” Ye Yunlan lowered his eyes and looked tired. “For these seven days, I will stay here to be healed as Immortal Venerable wishes.” 

“If there is nothing wrong, Immortal Venerable please leave.” 

Qiyun Jun was silent for a moment, but finally didn’t say anything. Before leaving, he said one thing: “You are not healed, so rest well.” 

When his figure disappeared from his field of vision, Ye Yunlan slowly loosened his tightly clenched fists.

His palms were full of sweat. 

He raised his head and looked up at the dome of the Yuntian Palace. The words left by the other party before leaving have completely changed in appearance. It creeped into his mind like a ghost, echoing again and again. 

——Your injury has not healed, so rest well. 

——Your demonic thoughts have not disappeared, so self reflect. 

Self reflect… Self reflect… Self reflect… Self reflect… Self reflect… Self reflect… 

Ye Yunlan shook his head, staggeredly got off the cloud bed, then walked out of the palace.

A cold wind blew on his face. He shivered with the cold, but he felt much more awake. 

He rubbed his painful temples and decided to take a walk outside first. 

Yuntian Palace was huge. The entire thing was constructed of white jade, with carved columns and jade carvings. It had the aura of an immortal’s home. 

It’s just that it was too lonely. 

Ye Yunlan walked for a long time, but could not even see a shadow of a figure. 

The sky was snowing. 

Ye Yunlan was walking in the corridor paved with jade when he heard his footsteps echoing in his ears. 

Just like the echo he heard when he was locked up in the Pagoda Tower when he climbed layer after layer. 

He closed his eyes. He pulled his thoughts away from those dim and hazy memories. 

Suddenly, a large swath of bright colors came into view in front of him. 

Ye Yunlan stopped and saw a peach blossom forest not far away. Large tracts of bright red were dotted among the white jade Buildings. It was incompatible with the cold and dead Yuntian Palace. 

He hesitated, then stepped into the peach forest. 

Unlike the drifting snow outside, the peach forest was warm as spring. Someone must have arranged a time reversal formation. 

When the wind blew, peach blossoms fell on him one after another. He closed his eyes and smelt the delicate fragrance of peach blossoms.

A small petal fell on his cheek, very softly. 

It seemed similar to a place he had been before, bringing back some memories from long ago to his mind. 

Back then, he also saved Rong Ran in such a peach blossom forest. 

When he was young, he was blind and abandoned by his relatives. So, he lived in the mountains and forests, living in a valley full of peach trees. 

One day, when he was walking through the peach forest, he was caught by something. 

He squatted to touch and felt blood on his hand. 

It was a seriously injured person, dying. 

He rescued the person and took care of them carefully. 

This person was Rong Ran. 

However, after Rong Ran woke up, he lost all his memories, even his own name. 

They lived together in the peach valley for three years. 

They depended on each other, just like family. 

Although Rong Ran had lost his memory, he still understood a lot more than him. 

He taught him to use wood and stone to make fires, build homes with grass and trees, and hunt animal skins for clothing. He no longer needed to live in caves and he no longer had a lack of food. 

Although he was the one who saved Rong Ran in the beginning, it was him who was taken care of later. 

Rong Ran often hunted some delicious wild animals and roasted them with him, while he would go to the mountains and forests to pick fresh wild fruits for the other party.

At this time, the palm of the other party would always touch his head and gently rub it. 

Although he couldn’t see Rong Ran’s face, he felt that Rong Ran must be a good, very good person.

Such a peaceful life lasted until a night of thunder and heavy rain. 

Rong Ran disappeared. 

He only left behind a bottle of pills and a piece of jade. 

It rained for nine days and nine nights. 

At first, he waited in the wooden house he and Rong Ran built together. Later, he stumbled into the rain to search. 

But no matter what, there was no trace of footprints. 

Blindness would magnify a person’s perceptions. 

He ran in the rain, listening to the patter of rain hitting his back. At first he felt that it was noisy, but then later it became deafening, knocking against his heart. 

Since then, he no longer liked rainy days. 

He especially didn’t like listening to the sound of rain. 

After nine days, the rain stopped. 

He still couldn’t find Rong Ran, so he could only sit alone in the muddy peach blossom forest and open the pill bottle that he had been holding tightly in his hand for a long time. 

The pills were fragrant. 

He thought that this should be what Rong Ran left for him to eat. 

Even though at that time, he didn’t even know what the pill was, he poured the pills into his throat.

The pills melted in his mouth. Real quickly, he felt his exhaustion being swept away. The blank sheet of darkness that was his world slowly had light appear – 

He could actually see things. 

After being able to see things, the first thing he did was to look down at the jade left by the other party. 

——It was ink jade. 

The ink jade was engraved with very simple lines. Two ancient characters were vertically engraved in the middle. 

He couldn’t read it. It was not until later, when he stumbled out of the peach valley and went to the mortal world where he asked someone did he find out that the two words were “Sky Sect”. 

Sky Sect, the number one sect of the immortal dao. 

The reason he went out of the valley was to find Rong Ran, thus he went to Sky Sect without hesitation. 

After several months of trekking, he finally arrived. 

In the process of going to Sky Sect, he encountered a lot of dangers, but the ink jade was a peculiar thing. Whenever someone wanted to hurt him, it would emit a strong light. After the strong light disappeared, the thoughts of those who wanted to hurt him disappeared. 

He didn’t know where those people had gone. When he later asked Rong Ran, he would just rub his head and tell him that he didn’t need to know. 

He climbed the three thousand long steps up to the mountain gate. 

At the end of the long steps, he met Rong Ran. It was the first time he could see the other side’s face clearly. 

It was as gentle and beautiful as he imagined. 

Rong Ran was stunned when he saw him. He immediately recognized the ink jade around his waist, and walked over with joy.

“You finally came.” Rong Ran’s voice was like a spring breeze.      

“——I have been waiting for you for a long time.” 

……

Ye Yunlan suddenly noticed that there was someone staring at him. 

He opened his eyes, looked sideways and looked around. He found that the man in the white-clothed crane cloak was standing under the peach tree not far away with his sword. It was unclear how long he had been looking at him. 

The sword intent on the man’s body had not disappeared, the meaning of solitary coldness overflowed from his body. This was clearly the appearance of having just finished practicing the sword. 

This was actually the place where Qiyun Jun practiced his sword normally. 

Ye Yunlan frowned. He stared at the long sword in the other party’s hand. 

Xuan Qing Du Er sword. 

Back then, in the Buddha pagoda, he had felt the sword aura that the other party wielded countless times. However, he had never seen the true appearance of this fierce sword that was famous all over the world. 

After being severely injured by the divine fire, his eyesight has been poor. From such a distance, he could only vaguely see the simple shape of the long sword in Qiyun Jun’s hand. The scabbard was engraved with a bright red, but he didn’t know what pattern it was. 

On the hilt of the sword, there was an ink jade hanging. Looking at the shape, it vaguely…looked somewhat familiar.

Ye Yunlan wanted to take a closer look, but heard Qiyun Jun speak: “This is not a place you should come to.” 

He had already wanted to leave. Staying here was just due to a bit of curiosity about the Xuan Qing Du Er sword. So hearing this, he withdrew his gaze: “I will not disturb the cultivation of the Immortal Venerable, I will leave now.” 

Qiyun Jun stood there, staring at the thin white shadow gradually disappearing. 

He looked down at the peach blossom in front of him and raised his hand to touch a small petal on it. 

He had seen someone in the peach forest from a distance. In a daze he thought he had actually reunited with the illusory figure in his dream. 

He only realized it was an illusion when they came closer. 

Suddenly he remembered that there was snow all year round in the Yuntian Palace. Except for the hall and this peach forest, all the other places were bitterly cold. 

Ye Yunlan could not use his spiritual power to protect his body. Moreover, he was hurt and could not bear the cold. 

Maybe he shouldn’t have told him to leave. 

However, this thought went around in his mind for only a moment, then disappeared. 

    ——

Ye Yunlan walked in the deserted white corridors. 

The cold wind passed through his robes and his face was even paler than the snow piled outside.

Suddenly there were footsteps in the distance. 

He looked up. The visitor was dressed in a blue outfit. It was Rong Ran. 

“Ah Lan, it took me so long to find you.” Rong Ran walked to him quickly. He was complaining, but there was a smile on his face, “But being able to get out of bed and walk around, it seems that Master’s healing was indeed effective. Now, I don’t have to worry. Ah Lan, you must not know how worried I was when you were in a coma in Senior Brother Helan’s house before.” 

Ye Yunlan was indifferent, “Is that right?” 

Rong Ran’s smile was slightly stiff, then he was speaking in a concerned manner again: “Ah Lan, are you used to being in Yuntian Palace? Master does not like being disturbed and Yuntian Palace does not allow outsiders to enter and leave at will. If you need anything, you can tell your Senior Brother here and I will do it for you.” 

“No need.” Ye Yunlan raised his eyes slightly to look at Rong Ran: “Senior Brother Rong, I had said this before, I didn’t want to come here to heal.” 

“Ah Lan’s reluctance is because of Master?” Rong Ran softly persuaded, “Actually, although Master cultivates the heartless dao, he is very good to me and the other Sky Sect disciples. He is not as unkind as what the outsiders say. Ah Lan really doesn’t have to put up such resistance.” 

“It isn’t like that.” Ye Yunlan said, “I just feel that the life-saving grace of Senior Brother Rong who took care of me over the years has already been paid off. If you help me in this way, I am afraid I can’t accept it.” 

Rong Ran: “Why would Ah Lan think like this? I take care of you, willingly. It has nothing to do with repaying one’s saviour. Why should you take it to heart?” 

“But Senior Brother,” Ye Yunlan said lightly, “There are many things I have already decided for myself. I don’t need to bother Senior Brother to advocate for me anymore.”

Rong Ran’s face turned pale. He finally understood what Ye Yunlan meant. “Ah Lan suddenly saying this, could it be that Senior Brother did something wrong that made you angry?” He thought for a while, then anxiously explained, “You were vomiting blood and unconscious at the time. Me sending you to Master’s to heal your injuries, it was only because I was forced to do so. I wasn’t disrespecting your wishes… Ah Lan, you don’t know how worried I was then…” 

Ye Yunlan walked past him. 

“Ah Lan!” 

Rong Ran raised his voice and shouted. 

“Are you going to have a temper with your Senior Brother because of this little thing?” 

Ye Yunlan just walked forward and didn’t look back. 

Rong Ran stood there and waited for a long time. 

However, this time, Ye Yunlan was no longer the same as before, relying on him for everything. Before, as long as he showed himself being a little off, Ye Yunlan would take the initiative to approach him and please him. 

But when he turned around, he couldn’t even see Ye Yunlan’s back.

Five fingers slowly squeezed into his flesh. Rong Ran suddenly realized one thing- 

The Nightingale he had raised for so many years had flown off. 

    ——

Shen Shu was waiting for someone. 

He had always been good at waiting, very patient. 

Finally, he saw the familiar figure coming from among the wind and snow. 

His black hair was flying, while his white clothes fluttered in the wind. 

He couldn’t help but think of the scene when the man flew over like a white gull in the blazing fire that day and hugged the seriously injured him into his arms. 

The flame hit the man’s back, and blood dripped on his face.

It was hot, he thought. 

How can human blood be so hot? 

It burnt the tip of his heart and made him toss and turn, staying awake throughout the night. 

“…Shen Shu?” 

He heard the person’s cold clear voice. 

Shen Shu ran over to meet Ye Yunlan’s surprised gaze. He handed him a handful of bluebell flowers that he had been holding for a long time. 

The blue flowers were covered with some snow. It was tranquil and beautiful. 

Ye Yunlan hesitated for a moment, then took the flowers, “How did you get into Yuntian Palace?”

It was enough to sneak into He Lanze’s courtyard before, but this place is Yuntian Palace. With so many restrictions, even he couldn’t easily get in, so how did Shen Shu get in?

“Wang Yun peak…I’ve been there a few times before and Yuntian Palace is on the top of Wang Yun Peak.” Shen Shu’s voice was hoarse. His speaking speed was still very slow, “It’s just…I couldn’t get in at first, so I waited outside for a few days.”

Ye Yunlan: “Wait?” 

Shen Shu nodded, “Waiting for someone.” 

“Waiting for someone?” 

“Waiting for someone…to go inside.” Shen Shu explained, “I waited for someone… in a blue outfit. I followed him and came in.” 

A person in blue…Rong Ran? 

Ye Yunlan: “The last time you snuck into the yard to see me, could it be that you followed in secretly like this?” 

Shen Shu nodded. 

Ye Yunlan: “…” 

He reached out and touched Shen Shu’s head, slightly surprised. 

Regardless of whether it was Shen Shu being able to track Rong Ran without being noticed or Shen Shu being able to sneak a glance to figure out how to go through so many complicated restrictions, it all depended on powerful observation skills together with a strong memory ability. It must also have required extremely keen and innate perception of battle formations. 

He was a genius. 

Ye Yunlan was aware of this, then remembered the Demon Lord of his previous life. 

The Demon Lord was also a person who was very good at formations.

Originally, he didn’t know this. At the time he was sent to the Demon Sect, the other party had already cultivated  a nine-turn celestial demon body. His strength was respected within the Demonic Dao, and he didn’t need to use formation skills as a support. 

It was not until later when the Demon Lord broke through 90,000 restrictions outside the Buddha Pagoda to rescue him, that he knew that the other party would not lose to a formations expert in terms of formation skills. 

Ye Yunlan was in a daze. 

Shen Shu raised his face allowing Ye Yunlan to touch his head. His eyes focused on Ye Yunlan. His appearance was very well-behaved and quiet, but he felt the other party’s movements slowing down. 

He saw Ye Yunlan’s beautiful eyes reflecting his shadow, but the other person’s eyes seemed to be looking through him, looking at other people. 

Shen Shu’s eyes became dark. He stretched out his hand and pulled Ye Yunlan’s sleeve. 

“…Immortal Lord.” 

Ye Yunlan came back to his senses, “What.” 

Shen Shu: “Since I brought flowers here this time, can Immortal Lord…give me a reward?” 

Ye Yunlan thought that Shen Shu was only thirteen or fourteen and still had a child’s temperament, wanting to be praised for doing things. 

So he asked, “What reward do you want?” 

Shen Shu: “I want Immortal Lord… to hug me.” 

Ye Yunlan was startled.

Shen Shu tightened his grip on his sleeves. He cautiously asked, “Can’t you?” His voice was hoarse, “Just like…the time when Immortal Lord rescued me?” 

Ye Yunlan thought about the boy he held in his arms, covered in blood. 

At that time, the young boy was curled up in his arms with his bloody hands gripping his shirt tightly. 

…It was as if he was the only support in this world keeping him afloat. 

With a soft heart, Ye Yunlan leaned over to embrace Shen Shu. 

The hot body temperature of the teenager passed over. He felt warmth within his stiff body in the cold weather. 

Very warm. 

He couldn’t help but hug him tighter. 

Shen Shu stood on his tiptoe, and also stretched out his hands to wrap around his thin shoulders. 

The boy’s breath sprayed on his neck, making him itch. 

After a long time, he heard the husky voice of the teenager. “Immortal Lord… is so fragrant.” 

Ye Yunlan didn’t realize that there was any fragrance on his body. However, the Demon Lord, during the times of them mutually being in disarray, passionate, and bewildered, he had also often held him and said that he was fragrant. Now having it mentioned by Shen Shu, somehow his face became a little hot.

He let go of the boy and got up: “It’s not early, you should go back. Yuntian Palace is not like the other places. If you break in without permission, you might get in trouble.” 

“I’m not afraid.” Shen Shu said.

 … bold little wolf cub. 

“I know you are not afraid,” Ye Yunlan said, “but if you act like this, it will make people worry about you.” 

Shen Shu: “Immortal Lord…would worry about me?” 

Ye Yunlan pursed his lips and did not answer the question: “I rescued you from the secret realm, so I don’t want to see you acting recklessly and tormenting yourself.” 

“Reckless, I don’t know what you mean by reckless,” Shen Shu said, “However, I will listen to Immortal Lord.” 

“Then go back. You don’t have to come here again these next few days.” Ye Yunlan paused and added, “After seven days, I will leave here too.” 

Shen Shu nodded obediently. He turned around and walked a few steps, then turned back: “After Immortal Lord leaves here, will he go back… to the place before?” 

Ye Yunlan was silent for a moment, then replied: “I have my own residence.” 

Shen Shu’s eyes lit up, “Immortal Lord’s own residence……Where?” 

Ye Yunlan remembered that his residence was arranged by Rong Ran when he first entered the sect. It was very remote and there were no other disciples around. Usually, only Rong Ran would make a special trip to visit him.

The remote place also suited his needs, so he didn’t need to bother to replace it. 

Ye Yunlan: “Yanhui peak, the green bamboo forest.” 

Shen Shu listened, thought about it, then said, “Then I…I will go to Immortal Lord’s residence and wait. I will prepare a…surprise for Immortal Lord.” 

“At that time, can Immortal Lord give me another reward?” 

Surprise? 

Ye Yunlan looked at Shen Shu looking up at him seriously without blinking. His heart became soft again.

He gently wiped off the snowflakes falling on the boy’s cheeks with his fingers, and said, “Okay.”

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