The door was pushed open, and Yu Xinian immediately sat up and looked at the visitor warily.
It was Han Shuchen.
He was wearing a coat, holding an oil lamp, and walked over quietly.
“What are you doing?!” Yu Xinian exclaimed.
Han Shuchen seemed to be startled. When his hand shook, the small flames flashed and almost went out. He hurriedly covered it with his hands.
“I remember that you were most afraid of thunder and lightning, so I came here to check up on you.”
“I’m not afraid.” Before he could finish his words, Yu Xinian immediately retorted.
Han Shuchen looked at him putting up a front, chuckled, and said perfunctorily, “Alright, alright, Xinian is the most courageous, but I’m afraid it won’t work. Can I sleep with you tonight?”
Yu Xinian turned his head away and did not answer.
When Han Shuchen saw this, he knew that he had agreed. He put the oil lamp on the table and lay down on the couch beside him.
Then he smiled and said to him, “Go to sleep.”
Yu Xinian lay down with his back to him. The thunder outside the window was still there, but he was really not that scared anymore.
He closed his eyes, but did not fall asleep. He just quietly lay there and soon heard Han Shuchen’s steady breathing.
Yu Xinian curled his lips, looking a little scared.
He closed his eyes and was about to fall asleep, but then he thought about Han Shuchen sleeping there so carelessly. He wondered if he might catch a cold?
After struggling internally a few times on the bed, he finally got up and found a thin blanket to cover him with, then went back to the bed and fell asleep.
–
Time flew, spring passed and winter came.
In a few days, it will be Yu Xinian’s crowning ceremony.
Han Shuchen was even more excited than him. He had made arrangements early. He was very busy, buying gifts one day and preparing a banquet the next.
Yu Xinian looked at him and really didn’t understand why he still cared about such unimportant things.
It was obvious that his current situation was already declining.
Although it looked like the Hengyue Sect’s master and disciple were harmonious and happy on the surface, Yu Xinian could clearly see that Pei Qian was very dissatisfied with Han Shuchen.
There had always been countless frictions and conflicts between them over the years. In the final analysis, they were still at odds with each other.
Pei Qian pretended to be kind on the surface, but was actually ruthless. Han Shuchen was a completely different kind of person from him, with a kind heart and a gentle character.
Pei Qian was probably depressed as well, wondering how he could raise such a soft and benevolent apprentice.
Thinking that the Hengyue Sect would be handed over to Han Shuchen in the future, Pei Qian was probably extremely depressed.
Thinking of this, Yu Xinian laughed, then his expression changed and he held his temples.
“Is your head hurting again?” Han Shuchen saw this and asked, walking over.
He reached out to rub his temples, but before he could touch him, Yu Xinian slapped his hand away.
Yu Xinian stood up and looked at him with disgust.
Han Shuchen was stunned and scratched his head in embarrassment, with a puzzled look on his face, “Did I offend you again? My bad.”
Yu Xinian didn’t say a word, and stumbled around and walked into the house.
Here we go again…
Every time he got a headache, he couldn’t help but feel a strong sense of dislike towards Han Shuchen, and dust-covered memories in his mind were constantly being brought back to the surface.
Forcing him to recall the past.
Yu Xinian threw himself on the bed, pressing his head against the cold bed board, trying to get rid of those annoying memories.
But he still couldn’t help but think back.
Surrounded by blazing flames and piles upon piles of corpses, they were all dead and he was the only one left.
A huge shadow enveloped him.
He turned around and saw a long sword slashing straight at him.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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The next second, the sword was removed, and he was hugged into an embrace reeking of decay.
At that critical moment, it was Pei Qian who saved him.
Han Shuchen wanted to kill him.
And Pei Qian saved him.
–
It was Yu Xinian’s crowning ceremony.
He didn’t like to interact with people, so Han Shuchen didn’t invite too many people.
Guests were coming and going outside, and it was all festive. Yu Xinian was sitting in the house, frowning slightly, as if in pain.
The window was suddenly opened from outside, revealing Han Shuchen’s face. He supported his chin with his hand, observed him for a while, and smiled helplessly, “Today is your crowning ceremony, so just smile.”
Yu Xinian ignored him, stood up and walked out.
The smile on Han Shuchen’s face slowly disappeared, looking a little aggrieved.
The crowning ceremony begun.
Han Shuchen stood on the stage and looked at him with a smile, his eyes filled with joy seeing his disciple all grown up.
Yu Xinian walked to the stage step by step.
His head hurt, there were all kinds of sounds roaring inside, with corpses piled under his feet, and every step seemed to bring up a trail of blood.
He finally arrived in front of Han Shuchen.
After a lengthy blessing, he lowered his head and let Han Shuchen crown him.
The first one was a cloth crown, by which one could participate in politics and discuss matters.
The second one was a white deerskin military crown, by which one could protect their family and country.
The last one was a nobility crown…
Before the crown was put on, Han Shuchen’s hand suddenly came to a halt. He looked down and saw a dagger piercing his chest. It was engraved with complicated inscriptions and stained with blood.
He stabilized his body, put on the last crown with all his remaining strength, and then stumbled backwards.
When the crowd saw this, it broke into an uproar and everyone stepped forward to stop Yu Xinian.
But he seemed to be possessed by an evil spirit. He was covered in blood, but he seemed to be unaware and could only use his sword to kill.
The people around him fell down, and he was no better. His own body was soaked in blood, but he still refused to put down his sword.
Just as he was about to stab a female cultivator with his sword, Han Shuchen suddenly blocked the attack from the side for her, and then fell into his arms.
The sword pierced through his body and blood spurted out.
The dagger from Han Shuchen’s chest had not yet been pulled out, and it pressed hard against his body.
Yu Xinian’s heart suddenly hurt.
His consciousness returned slightly, and then he heard Han Shuchen say to him, “Xinian, wake up.”
That dagger was no ordinary weapon. It could destroy the soul.
Han Shuchen’s spiritual power was decreasing quickly, but he still transferred the remaining spiritual power into his body.
It seems like he did something wrong.
But before he could think clearly, he was tied up by the Immortal Binding Rope, and then an old voice sounded.
He only heard the word “beast” and fainted.
When he woke up again, he was tied to a pillar with an immortal rope, his upper body was naked, and Pei Qian was sitting not far away, with a smile on his plump face, wiping the dagger in his hand.
Yu Xinian looked at the dagger still stained with blood in his hand, and instantly remembered what he had just done.
“How is he?” Yu Xinian’s voice was hoarse and urgent.
Pei Qian sighed quietly, stood up and walked to him, pretending to be sad.
“Already killed by you.”
Yu Xinian’s pupils instantly dilated, staring at him in disbelief, “Impossible, how could he die?”
Pei Qian stretched out the dagger in his hand in front of him and said, “An ordinary dagger cannot hurt him, but the one you used was Xiao Yuan.”
Xiao Yuan was a treasure of the Hengyue Sect. According to legend, it was forged by the sect leader of Jian Sect. As the name suggested, it could be used to destroy the soul.
Yu Xinian’s lips trembled slightly. He closed his eyes and said repeatedly, “I didn’t want to kill him, I didn’t want to kill him….”
Pei Qian interrupted him, “Whether you wanted to or not, he is already dead. Huaien, you killed your Shizun first and hurt your fellow disciples later. You have to give everyone an explanation.”
As he spoke, Pei Qian caressed his body, with false regret in his tone, “It’s such a pity for such a good body.”
Yu Xinian raised his head and glared at him fiercely. He gritted his teeth, and said, “It’s you! It’s you who is causing trouble. He is my Shizun, how could I kill him?”
“Shizun?” Pei Qian sneered, “Have you ever called him Shizun in these years? Have you done any filial or respectful things to Shuchen? He loves you dearly, but you are so ignorant. Isn’t it already known to everyone who is the wolf? You obviously have so many excuses.”
“However, it is indeed not enough.” Pei Qian said, reaching out and pulling off the mask from his face.
“That is enough now.” Pei Qian looked at his face, his eyes full of wonder.
He admired it carefully for a while and then continued, “You are a member of the Fusang Clan. You were rescued by Shuchen and brought back to Hengyue. Who would have thought that instead of being grateful, you hid murderous thoughts and would steal my Xiao Yuan dagger to kill Shuchen when he was undefended.”
Pei Qian said and sighed, but there was no trace of sadness in his eyes.
He sighed hypocritically, “What a pity for my stupid disciple.”
Yu Xinian felt all the blood over his body boil with anger, and it almost felt like he was on fire.
He wanted to retort, but was speechless.
The entanglement of those images in his mind for so many years left him unable to refute, “I have never had the intention of killing.”
Pei Qian came over, put a brand new dagger in his hand, pointed it under his ribs, and said, “You are already dying anyway, so don’t waste this golden core.”
As he said that, he applied force and tore into his flesh.
Yu Xinian was in so much pain that he almost fainted, but he bit his lips and didn’t utter a sound.
The moment the golden core left his body, he seemed to hear a shattering sound.
Then, everything went dark.
He went back to that day, when he was running away, but accidentally tripped and fell. And then, a huge shadow enveloped him.
He turned around, and a long sword slashed straight at him.
At that critical moment, he was taken into someone’s arms.
He tried to open his eyes, and saw that the person was Han Shuchen.
Then, the scene changed and he stood with his head bowed. The person in front of him handed him a leather face mask and said, “After putting on the mask, there will be no more Yu Xinian in the world, but I will always remember your name.”
He raised his head, and the person standing in front of him was still Han Shuchen.
His memory, which had been altered by others, was shattered and put back together again, revealing the original.
The person he once hated so much was the person who treated him best over the years.
Yu Xinian opened his eyes and found himself lying on the ground, his body feeling empty. The bleeding had stopped.
Pei Qian turned his back to him and was walking out, holding his golden core in his hand.
Yu Xinian struggled to get up, and his eyes fell on Xiao Yuan not far away.
He crawled over and took the dagger into his hand.
Then he knelt down on the ground and shouted, “Shizu.”
Pei Qian turned around, a little surprised, “You woke up too quickly.”
With tears in his eyes, Yu Xinian looked at him and begged, “Shizu, please save me. I don’t want to die. As long as I can live, Huaien is willing to serve Shizu from now on.”
Pei Qian raised his eyes slightly and said with a doubtful tone, “Why did you suddenly decide that?”
Yu Xinian blinked and his tears flowed down, “I killed my Shizun and injured my fellow disciples, they will definitely not let me go. I really don’t want to die.”
Yu Xinian’s appearance was extremely gorgeous, but now he looked like pear blossoms sprinkled with dew. Pei Qian was convinced for a moment and turned back.
He raised Yu Xinian’s chin, caressing his face ambiguously with his thumb, and said with an awkward tone, “This is not easy.”
Yu Xinian leaned into his arms and softened his voice, “Shizu must have a way.”
“Then it depends on your performance.” Pei Qian said, reaching down.
Ever since Han Shuchen stopped listening to him, he had been planning for many years. Seeing that things were finally going his way, he naturally couldn’t let Yu Xinian go at this time.
Before he dies, he might as well make himself happy.
It’s not like he hadn’t had such desires over the years, but after that incident, Han Shuchen paid close attention, and he could never find the opportunity to do anything for all these years.
“You are such a treasure.” Pei Qian said with emotion in his voice.
He pressed Yu Xinian under him, but before he could move, his body suddenly paused, and then blood spilled from his mouth.
Pei Qian raised his hand and wiped the corner of his lips, and then felt a stinging pain coming from his back.
He lowered his head and saw that Yu Xinian had changed his face and pushed him away fiercely.
Then he took back his golden core, put it back into his body, and sealed Pei Qian’s meridians.
He rummaged in the room for a while, and soon found a life-extending pill and stuffed it into Pei Qian’s mouth.
“I won’t let you die.” Yu Xinian looked at him expressionlessly and said word by word, “I will make you live a life worse than death.”
–
“What about Zhang…Pei Qian?” Jian Xiuyun asked tentatively.
Yu Xinian’s eyes were cold and he said calmly, “I turned him into an orc and threw him into the abyss.”
Jian Xiuyun was stunned, and suddenly remembered that the monster he encountered in the abyss during the previous ten-day examination was a half-human, half-animal body with a human aura.
That couldn’t have been Pei Qian…
Jian Xiuyun didn’t dare think about it further.
Yu Xinian put on his mask again and turned around, “Elder Jian, many things in this world only look pure and clean on the surface. Just like the scenery outside, when the snow melts, all that will be exposed is mud.”
After that, he walked out.
Jian Xiuyun looked at his back, opened and closed his lips several times, and finally said, “Yes.”
Yu Xinian paused and then heard Jian Xiuyun continue, “But there is still a layer of clean snow on the mud. What should they do? Just like Han Shuchen, he didn’t deserve to die.”
Yu Xinian’s body seemed to tremble slightly for a moment, but it soon calmed down.
He didn’t answer and strode out.
When he walked out of the bedroom, it was still snowing outside.
Yu Xinian raised his eyes and looked at the vast expanse of white, and suddenly thought of the man in white.
Pei Qian said that when they wanted to attack the Fusang Clan, Han Shuchen disagreed.
But Pei Qian naturally wouldn’t listen to him and even locked him up.
By the time Han Shuchen broke free and rushed over, it was already too late, but having said that, even if he time-traveled, nothing would be changed.
Facing the sky full of fires and mountains of corpses and seas of blood, he could only save Yu Xinian.
With guilt weighing down on his heart, he became that boy’s master.
Taught him calligraphy and martial arts, kept him safe and sound, made him happy, and finally died at his hands.
The snow seemed to be getting heavier.
An attendant came over to hold an umbrella for him, but he refused.
Yu Xinian straightened his mask and walked into the snow alone.
He wasn’t sad, he just couldn’t help but feel regretful when he thought about it.
Han Shuchen never heard a single “Shizun” from him until his death, and Yu Xinian had no way of knowing in this life what courtesy name he had chosen for him back then.
Yu xinian had some feelings for Han shuchen?
Not necessarily romantic, I guess
😭
Another tortured Shizun in this novel… the author seems to love this trope.
That last line is just so sad 😭