I Reborn on the Night I Divorced the Sword Deity, My Childhood Friend - Chapter 3

There were no winners in this confrontation.

Yuan Muzhou departed. Clad in his crane-patterned cloak, he stepped into the wind and snow outside Yunmiao Pavilion without looking back. As he walked past Shen Junyu, he did not offer him a single glance, much less a word. He brought only a faint, cold draft with him.

Shen Junyu remained in his original sitting position, never once turning around. The wheelchair stayed in the center of the hall until the candles before the statues of the Three Pure Ones on the opposite altar had burned halfway down. Only then did Shen Junyu slowly raise his hands to push the wheels, moving bit by bit toward the inner bedroom.

The furnishings in the bedroom were extremely simple. Everything within sight belonged to Shen Junyu; there was not a single item belonging to Yuan Muzhou. Shen Junyu gazed at this familiar place for a moment and suddenly realized that the signs had been there all along. He had simply been unwilling to believe them. It was truly laughable.

Exhaling softly, Shen Junyu steered his wheelchair toward an old chest in the corner of the room. He unlocked it and lifted the lid. First, he took out the black wooden box from the top layer. This was the New Year’s gift he had intended for Yuan Muzhou. Now, there was no longer any need to give it.

Beneath the black box was a stack of complex star charts. In the upper right corner of each chart, a name and birth date were written. These were the natal star charts of the ten elders of the Sword Sect. The charts were the work of Shen Junyu, but the handwriting for the names and dates belonged to Shen Siyuan.

If Yuan Muzhou had been willing to listen to one more sentence from Shen Junyu, or if he had turned back into the room at this moment to look at these charts, he would have immediately discovered a truth that would be difficult to believe. However, his departure had been too resolute, leaving no opportunity for a turn of events.

Shen Junyu set these star charts aside. Beneath them were layer upon layer of dense annotations and diagrams regarding the cultivation methods of the Sword Sect. The critical points of every technique were marked with their feasibility and danger levels. Even some fragmented techniques had been deduced and completed.

Yuan Muzhou had actually seen these annotations before. However, the versions he had seen were copies made by Shen Siyuan. At that time, Shen Junyu still held a pure illusion regarding their relationship. He felt that Yuan Muzhou worked too hard and did not want him to know that Shen Junyu was doing this work despite his illness. Therefore, he had allowed Shen Siyuan to transcribe them before handing them over to Yuan Muzhou.

When the matter of the ten elders’ Destiny Star Divinations arose, Shen Siyuan had begged him again. Although Shen Junyu hesitated, he had habitually agreed. He felt it was for the benefit of both the Yuheng Sect and the Sword Sect, and since these matters seemed trivial, he never thought much of it. Back then, he simply believed this would prevent Yuan Muzhou from feeling guilty. He thought that as long as they had their feelings for each other, it would be enough.

Thinking back now, he had merely been providing the advantages for someone else to claim. By the time he sensed something was wrong and wanted to reveal the truth, it was already too late. Yuan Muzhou felt that listening to a single word from him was a waste of time.

Aside from these technical annotations, only three items remained at the bottom of the chest: a broken butterfly jade pendant, a cyan-blue celestial silk hair ribbon, and an exceptionally magnificent Phoenix Feather Sword. Its scabbard was shaped like phoenix feathers and shimmered with flowing golden light.

Ultimately, Shen Junyu threw the jade pendant, the hair ribbon, the black box, the star charts, and the cultivation fragments into the brazier. He only kept the Phoenix Feather Sword, which was once his natal spiritual sword.

The fire surged. Shen Junyu rested the Phoenix Feather Sword on his knees and watched his old belongings turn to ash in the flames. The last trace of attachment in his light brown eyes vanished along with the light of the fire. Since the heart of the man had changed, why should he cling to the past?

The flickering candlelight reflected off Shen Junyu’s pale profile as he leaned over the desk. It revealed a sense of calm determination. Shen Junyu had never imagined that the words he would write upon opening the stationery at this desk would be “Letter of Divorce.”

He thought he would be overcome with grief or unable to continue writing. Yet, when he set the brush to paper, his habitually weak and trembling hand was surprisingly steady. Perhaps it truly should have ended long ago. When the final stroke was completed, Shen Junyu gazed at his own handwriting. He felt it was the most beautiful script he had written in many years.

After a moment, he gave a self-deprecating smile and set down the brush. He did not even bother to find an envelope; he simply placed the letter of divorce in the most prominent spot on the desk. Finally, he resolutely picked up his natal sword and steered his wheelchair slowly into the wind and snow outside Yunmiao Pavilion.

For the past hundred years, Shen Junyu had lived in the spring-like climate of the pavilion, untouched by the elements. Everyone believed he had been raised as a delicate flower in a greenhouse. Yet, the moment the biting northern wind blew snow against his face, a nameless sense of satisfaction welled up within him despite the bone-chilling cold.

In the distance, atop Lingyun Peak, Yuan Muzhou was admiring the moon and snow with Shen Siyuan. Suddenly, his heart trembled slightly. A strange sense of liberation surged through him, like a gentle rain moistening the earth, and his mind felt suddenly clear. He was somewhat surprised.

Beside him, Shen Siyuan could not help but ask, “What is it, Big Brother Yuan?”

Yuan Muzhou was silent for a moment. His expression relaxed as he looked up at the bright moon. “It is nothing. It feels like a sudden enlightenment.”

Hearing this, Shen Siyuan smiled. “Then I shall congratulate you first, Big Brother Yuan.”

Yuan Muzhou replied, “Yes.” Perhaps he had truly and completely resolved his inner turmoil.

By this time, Shen Junyu had completely left Yunmiao Pavilion. He did not alert a single guard when he departed. For someone who had been immersed in the art of star divination for centuries, the flawed barrier of the Sword Sect required no effort to bypass. He could see through it at a glance.

However, on this night of heavy snow, the path to the Infinite Cliff was difficult. Shen Junyu fell three times during the journey. By the time he stood staggering at the edge of the cliff, his knees were scraped raw and stained with blood. Fortunately, his hands and feet were frozen numb, so he did not feel much pain.

Supporting his frail and broken body, Shen Junyu held his long sword and stood atop the high cliff. He looked up at the moon through the wind and snow. At this moment, he felt the world was vast and magnificent. The howling wind disheveled his dark hair, and snowflakes stuck to his face, yet he was unwilling to close his eyes for even a second.

He had not seen the moon like this for many years. The moonlight was truly beautiful. The snow was beautiful as well. Even the pain brought by the wind was a sharp and fresh sensation to him. How much had he missed during these hundred years?

For a brief moment, Shen Junyu felt a trace of lingering attachment. But this attachment quickly turned into a look of relief. He knew that after tonight, there would be more unknowns and beauty waiting for him. He would gamble his life against the heavens for this one chance.

His thoughts were like lightning. Now without a hint of hesitation, Shen Junyu used his sword to pierce his own heart and leaped from the top of the cliff.

In that instant, an infinite blood-red light erupted from his chest. Like threads of silk, it wound around his body and converged into an extremely complex and dazzling pattern. It was a forbidden technique of the Yuheng Sect that had been sealed for ages. This technique came from the upper realm and could reverse time and space, but the price was unimaginably high.

Shen Junyu had known of this forbidden technique for a long time. However, he had never thought he would one day use it. Back then, he had still clung to the last bit of false tenderness from Yuan Muzhou. He had also feared the uncontrollable nature of the alteration and the unpredictable price.

But now, he no longer had any ties to this world. He certainly did not care about the so-called great price. The red light bloomed wildly, turning half the sky above the Infinite Cliff as red as blood. Thunderclouds gathered in the sky and exploded with a roar. The members of the Sword Sect left their dwellings in alarm to investigate.

Amidst the surging red light and the gathering thunder, it seemed as if something from the void had heard the call. A vast eye, as deep as a sea of stars, suddenly opened in the heavens. Everyone in the Sword Sect saw this eye and felt a sense of horror.

Yet, Shen Junyu, covered in blood and falling through the gale, smiled faintly. He whispered, “Take me away.”

The eye gazed down at Shen Junyu with a peculiar sense of scrutiny. Shen Junyu met the gaze without fear. In a trance, a voice as loud as thunder echoed in his ears.

“As you wish.”

The earth shook and the heavens turned. At the moment Shen Junyu completely lost consciousness, he did not notice that amidst the crashing thunder, a figure in a gray and white cloak was rushing up from Lingyun Peak against the wind, desperately reaching out a hand toward him.

Spiritual energy was like mist. The fresh scent of flowers and trees, mixed with the damp smell of earth, spread through the air. The mountains, forests, and waterfalls were typical sights within a secret realm. However, in the sky, the sun and the moon shone together in brilliant splendor.

A figure in white lay by the rocks under a waterfall, unconscious. Half of his body was soaked by the spray, and half of his dark hair was submerged in the water. After an unknown amount of time, the long lashes on that pale and gentle face flickered. He slowly opened his eyes.

The ripples of light and mist were dizzying. His light brown eyes remained motionless, staring blankly at the pool reflecting the sunlight. Even as his lashes were dampened by the mist, he did not close his eyes. Finally, his fingertips resting on the rock moved.

This single movement seemed to trigger a mechanism. The young man, whose body had been as stiff as a puppet, finally clenched his hands and stood up abruptly. He stumbled due to the sudden effort.

When he looked up and took in his surroundings, he was briefly dazed and appeared surprised. But then, a very calm smile appeared on his thin lips. The forbidden technique had succeeded.

He, Shen Junyu, had finally come back to life. He was back in his prime, during his most high-spirited years. At this moment, all the unease and shadows of the past vanished. All that remained was relief.

Standing up, Shen Junyu slowly stretched his arms and moved his long, fair fingers. He began to circulate the smooth spiritual energy within his dantian. The unprecedented sense of ease almost made his heart ache with a desire to cry. It had been a hundred years, and he was finally a normal person again.

Suddenly, Shen Junyu frowned and stopped the circulation of energy. He reached down and pulled open his collar. Looking down, he saw a blood-red mark on the skin below his collarbone, just above his heart. It had not been there before. The shape of the mark looked exactly like the eye from that night.

Through this mark, Shen Junyu could sense a slight and slow loss of his vitality. Was this the price of the forbidden technique? Soon, Shen Junyu calmly closed his collar and stopped paying attention to the mark. Since he had been given a second chance at life, he would find every possible way to live his best life. He could afford to pay such a small price.