After My Thoughts Were Read, My Master Led Me to Change My Fate - Chapter 66

Cen Ran managed to hide it from everyone. She found a carriage, helped the severely injured Ning Songwu inside, and, unable to find a driver, took the reins herself.

But she ran into trouble the moment the carriage reached the mountain gate.

At the snow-covered mountain gate, a dozen Beifa disciples of various ranks stood in neat rows, all wearing white robes, swords in hand, guarding the entrance strictly.

A gate-keeping disciple blocked the carriage. “Senior Sister Cen Ran, are you executing a mission by order to descend the mountain? Do you have an officially stamped document or a waist token?”

Cen Ran clutched the reins tightly, her eyes darting away. “This matter is urgent. I haven’t obtained the necessary credentials yet, and there is no time to delay. Please allow the carriage to pass.”

“That is unacceptable, Senior Sister Cen Ran. You know the old rules of Beifa. Furthermore, the carriage must be searched. Disciples who have not reached the required age are absolutely forbidden from leaving the mountain…”

Cen Ran’s eyes turned red with anxiety. She considered driving the carriage through, but not only could the person inside not withstand the bumpy ride, but there were dozens of guarding disciples at the gate. Forcing her way through was impossible.

Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves, growing from faint to loud, echoed from the distance. A tall, handsome man in fluttering blue robes approached on horseback, carrying a bundle slung across his back.

It was Jing Hu. Cen Ran suddenly recalled that Jing Hu had gone down the mountain some time ago specifically to search for rare medicinal herbs for the gravely injured Ning Songwu. He was due back now.

Cen Ran jumped down from the carriage and hurriedly stepped forward to block Jing Hu. “Senior Brother Jing Hu, stop!”

Jing Hu reined in his horse. Seeing Cen Ran, his expression was anxious. “Why are you here? How is Ning Songwu? Is her condition worsening…”

“Senior Brother Jing Hu…” Cen Ran lowered her voice. “Ning Songwu is in the carriage behind me. We must leave the mountain immediately. I will explain everything later, but you must help her this time.”

Jing Hu was startled. He quickly looked toward the carriage, mused for a moment, and then reluctantly said, “Cen Ran, you are always level-headed in your actions. I will trust you for now. But I must accompany you for my own peace of mind. With just the two of you, and you driving the horse, how can you look after her? What if something happens on the road…”

“Senior Brother is right! Then I will trouble Senior Brother.”

Cen Ran climbed into the carriage, entering the compartment. Jing Hu dismounted and then took the reins on the carriage box, urging the horse to approach the mountain gate. “We have an urgent matter to attend to. Will you let us pass, or not?”

The gate-keeping disciples exchanged troubled glances. After a moment of hesitation, they had no choice but to let Jing Hu through. After all, Jing Hu frequently left the mountain on missions. He was the most senior disciple of the Sect Master’s most senior disciple. To put it mildly, he might become the next Sect Master one day. If they obstructed something truly important, they could not bear the consequences.

It would take two full days to travel from Beifa to Kunlun, even without stopping.

Jing Hu personally drove the carriage, while Cen Ran tended to Ning Songwu inside. Ning Songwu’s physical condition was not optimistic. Her low-grade fever was persistent, her internal injuries were still severe, and her heart pulse was extremely fragile.

Cen Ran held Ning Songwu, using a flask to drop pills into her mouth. Her finger accidentally brushed Ning Songwu’s lips—they were scorching hot and dry, a sign of a high fever. Jing Hu’s voice came from outside:

“Cen Ran, with such serious injuries, where is she going?”

“Master is in Kunlun. She wants to go find Master.”

The outside fell silent for a moment, then he said, “…Why?”

“Senior Brother Jing Hu, you pay so much attention to Ning Songwu. Shouldn’t you have figured it out already?” Cen Ran gave a bitter laugh.

Jing Hu was silent, driving the carriage without a word. He was neither blind nor foolish. Countless times, when he watched Ning Songwu, she would be intently looking at Ran Fanyin with a gaze of burning admiration. But he refused to believe it and never thought such a temporary, confused infatuation would come to anything. In all of Beifa, there should be no one more suited to Ning Songwu than he was.

Ning Songwu’s antics would certainly not be tolerated by Martial Aunt Ran Fanyin, which is probably why they were going to Kunlun. A trip to Kunlun this time might be a good thing, prompting Ning Songwu to completely abandon this absurd idea.

Cen Ran fed Ning Songwu some water. Looking at her unusually silent and vacant eyes, she felt heartbroken. “Ning Songwu, how does your body feel? Can you hold on?”

Ning Songwu nodded, not saying a word, still immersed in a daze.

“Listen to me. When you see Master, don’t get too emotional; your heart pulse cannot bear it. Also, don’t make any sudden movements; the wound on your chest will tear open. Be a good girl, and absolutely do not hurt yourself or make those of us who care about you worry, do you understand?”

Ning Songwu remained distracted, as if she hadn’t heard a word Cen Ran said. After a long while, she spoke faintly, “Senior Sister… what time is it?”

Cen Ran held her tightly, tears welling up in her eyes. “It’s the hour of You [5-7 PM]. One more day, and we’ll reach Kunlun very soon.”

“Master… why did she go so far away…” Ning Songwu suddenly gave a small laugh, her voice as thin as a willow in the wind. “Usually, she stays within the Rongku Pavilion and never leaves the main gate. This time… why did she go so far away…”

Cen Ran watched in horror as blood spilled from the corner of Ning Songwu’s lips. She trembled as she wiped it away with a handkerchief. “That’s enough, don’t speak! Did you forget what your Senior Sister told you? Your heart pulse is fragile. Don’t let your emotions fluctuate wildly. …Your condition is worsening. We should find an inn and rest for the night…”

“Senior Sister, do you think I’m going to die?” Ning Songwu’s voice held a sob, but her eyes remained vacant and unfocused.

“What nonsense are you talking about? You won’t die, absolutely not…”

“If I were about to die… even if I couldn’t die right beside her, if the place of my death could be a little closer to her… I would feel very happy…” Ning Songwu cried and smiled, her face trembling. “So, don’t stop. Just keep going toward Kunlun… But I’m scared. I feel like my body is being emptied… I feel like I’m going to die. I’m so scared…”

Cen Ran continuously soothed her in a low voice. “Don’t speak anymore… Don’t cry… You won’t die. You are just feverish and confused. Just sleep, and you’ll be fine. Sleep…”

“Master… Master…” Ning Songwu murmured those two words, then drifted back into a daze and fell into a coma.

Cen Ran was frantic, seeing the blood still oozing from Ning Songwu’s lips even after she passed out. She tried to wipe it away with a handkerchief, but not only could she not stop it, but blood also started flowing from Ning Songwu’s nose, as if she was going to bleed out all the blood in her body.

Thinking of what Ning Songwu had said earlier, Cen Ran panicked even more. Could she really be…

Cen Ran frantically stuffed all the precious life-saving pills into Ning Songwu’s mouth and sealed the major acupoints around her body, which barely managed to stabilize the situation. But Ning Songwu’s hand in her grasp was chillingly cold, causing her heart to pound with anxiety.

Cen Ran and Jing Hu remained basically sleepless for two days and two nights straight.

When they arrived at Kunlun, it was the afternoon of the second day.

Kunlun’s architecture was significantly different from Beifa’s style, but it was equally grand and expansive, and similarly covered by heavy snow. Scattered snowflakes were falling from the sky, and the temperature was not warm.

Jing Hu stopped several Kunlun disciples to ask for directions and learned that Cang Min and Ran Fanyin had returned five days ago and had gone into seclusion in the Hidden Cave on the back mountain of Kunlun, and had not come out since.

Cen Ran tightly hugged Ning Songwu, whose body was growing colder. She thought, No matter what, I must let Master see Ning Songwu.

The carriage drove to the entrance of the Huaxu Realm cave. Cen Ran breathed a slight sigh of relief and shook the sleeping Ning Songwu awake. “Ning Songwu, wake up. We’ve arrived.”

Ning Songwu struggled to open her eyes and weakly propped up her upper body. “Arrived…”

“Yes, Master is right behind that door. I’ll help you out.” Cen Ran laboriously helped Ning Songwu up. The extremely weak Ning Songwu put almost half the weight of her body on Cen Ran. Taking even half a step was incredibly difficult.

Jing Hu sat on the carriage box, silent.

Cen Ran struggled to help Ning Songwu out of the carriage. Just then, a girl of about twenty opened the door and walked out of the Huaxu Realm, carrying a basin of water, seemingly intending to dump it out.

Cen Ran quickly called out to her. “Miss!”

The girl, Bo Xue, heard the sound, paused, and looked curiously at Cen Ran and the frail Ning Songwu she was supporting. She seemed quite interested in the pair. “You… you aren’t Kunlun disciples. My name is Bo Xue. Is there anything I can help with?”

“Miss Bo Xue, are Senior Cang Min and Master… Honored Lord Ran Fanyin inside?”

“Yes, they came back a few days ago. My Master and Honored Lord Ran Fanyin are playing Go inside. Why?”

“Honored Lord Ran Fanyin is our Master. We need to see her about something. Could you please pass a message to my Master and tell her that Ning Songwu is here to see her?” Cen Ran pleaded sincerely.

“Of course. …The girl you are supporting is severely injured. I kindly advise you to settle her down quickly and seek medical treatment, or her life may be in danger.” Bo Xue looked at Ning Songwu’s pale, sickly face with some concern, shook her head, and, having poured out the water, returned to the Huaxu Realm with the empty basin.

Cang Min and Ran Fanyin were, as Bo Xue said, drinking tea and playing Go, just as they had for many years.

Ran Fanyin’s expression was poor. Her gaze seemed to be fixed on the chessboard, yet it also seemed to pass right through it, staring at some distant, empty point.

Cang Min didn’t mind Ran Fanyin’s occasional distraction, simply continuing with the unusually slow game.

Bo Xue entered with the basin, breaking the silence. “Honored Lord Ran Fanyin, someone is looking for you at the entrance. They say they are your disciples. …Oh, right, the name is Ning Songwu.”

Ning Songwu.

The black Go piece in Ran Fanyin’s hand dropped onto the chessboard without warning, scattering the pieces and disrupting the game. Her eyes widened. After a long pause, her voice came out slightly hoarse:

“What did you say?”

Cang Min tossed the white piece into the bamboo-woven basket and began to tidy up the scattered pieces. “A’yin, she’s here to find you.”

Ran Fanyin’s throat moved. She blinked several times, then lowered her head as if to conceal something, and also helped Cang Min tidy up the board.

Bo Xue tilted her head. “Honored Lord, will you see her?”

“…No. Tell her to go back.” There was a barely perceptible tremble in Ran Fanyin’s voice.

“Oh, okay.” Bo Xue thought the Honored Lord’s state was strange. Not just now, but ever since she came to the Huaxu Realm with her Master this time, she had been odd, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on why.

Bo Xue turned to leave again. Cang Min smoothed the surface of the chessboard and raised a hand in invitation. “A’yin, the black pieces go first.”

Ran Fanyin’s mind was in utter turmoil.

She is still injured. She has heart damage and can’t even stand up, so how did she come all the way to Kunlun in such a short time?

How is her body doing?

She… is right outside the Huaxu Realm cave entrance now.

If I just take a few steps out, I can see her.

Ran Fanyin held the black piece, unable to place it for a long time.

Cang Min simply watched the blank chessboard quietly, not saying a word. She knew when to speak and when to let Ran Fanyin think alone.

The cave entrance slowly opened. Bo Xue walked out, looking at the increasingly frail Ning Songwu, and frowned. “Honored Lord Ran Fanyin said she will not see you. Young lady, your injury is severe. Please hurry and find a doctor in Kunlun to treat her, or her life is in danger.”

Ning Songwu managed to open her eyes, her voice weak and distant. “She said… she won’t see me?”

Cen Ran was on the verge of tears. She held Ning Songwu tightly. “Did you hear that? Have you given up? Hurry and come with me to find a doctor…”

To Cen Ran’s surprise, Ning Songwu used all her strength to fiercely push her away, making her stagger. Ning Songwu herself, having lost her support, slumped down, kneeling in the snow.

Ning Songwu raised her head, her eyes abnormally red, whether from holding back tears or from the fever. “I won’t leave. I’ll wait for her here.”

“Are you insane! You’ll die here!” Cen Ran cried out.

The snow in the air was gradually intensifying. The snowflakes fell on people’s clothes, creating a fine, pure white dusting.

“Then let me… die here…” Ning Songwu smiled. “Look, this place… is so close to her…”

“Ning Songwu! You promised me you wouldn’t be reckless! You…”

“I’m not being reckless,” Ning Songwu’s hands weakly dug into the snow to support her body, her breathing growing heavy. “Wherever she is… I will always… be there…”

Unbeknownst to her, tears had already covered Cen Ran’s face.

“Master… Master!” Ning Songwu gathered all her strength to shout loudly. She knew Ran Fanyin’s hearing was good enough to hear her. “Master! Master!!…”

She did not shout anything superfluous, simply screaming those two words until her voice was hoarse and her heart was torn out.

Ran Fanyin’s hand holding the black piece trembled uncontrollably. She bit her lip tightly. The faint, constantly echoing cries in her ears felt like the most brutal torture, lashing fiercely at her heart.

Cang Min quietly watched Ran Fanyin, took the black piece from her hand, and placed it into the black piece basket. “How about we end this game here?”

Cang Min said this and reached out to take the piece basket from Ran Fanyin’s hand.

Ran Fanyin suddenly pressed down on the piece basket, refusing to let Cang Min take it. The small remaining bit of her stubbornness was in her voice. “No… keep playing.”

“A’yin, what are you thinking?” Cang Min suddenly asked.

Ran Fanyin took a deep breath, suppressing the tears in her eyes. “Cang Min…”

“Hmm?”

“Have you ever… been in love with someone?”

Cang Min was stunned by the question. After a long pause, she withdrew the hand she had reached out to take the black piece basket. Ripples appeared in her eyes.

“Yes.”

“Did you… love her so much it hurt…?” Ran Fanyin’s body trembled slightly, her voice filled with an unreadable emotion.

“It was more than just hurt…” Cang Min smiled bitterly, lowering her head to stroke the smooth red sandalwood tabletop where the chessboard lay. “I wished I could die.”

Cang Min paused, then smiled gently. “But I couldn’t die. Because I promised her I would wait for her to come home. Even though, sometimes I waited until the sky was pitch black, and she never returned. But consider this: if I had died too, and her soul found its way here, and there was no one to welcome her home, wouldn’t she be terribly disappointed?”

Ran Fanyin covered her mouth and sobbed softly.

“You love your disciple, Ning Songwu, don’t you?” Cang Min’s eyes were fixed intently on the smooth red sandalwood surface. “A’yin, you have too many constraints in your heart. What restricts you is not morality, not the relationship between Master and disciple, and not violating yin and yang. It is your own heart.”

“But this kind of feeling… it is… wrong,” Ran Fanyin said with difficulty.

“I remember asking you many years ago whether there was absolute right and wrong. There is no absolute good and evil in the world, and no absolute right and wrong. But there is absolute happiness—the happiness of being with the person you love—and absolute despair—the despair of never being able to be together again.”

Ran Fanyin simply lowered her head, covering her mouth.

Cang Min straightened her robes and stood up. “The sky is getting dark. I’m going to sit at the entrance for a while. If your little disciple dies at the entrance, I’ll be sure to let you know.”