The Beautiful Pariah Thought He Could Be Loved - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Why… Didn’t… You… Kill…

Months passed in the blink of an eye. The weather turned cold, leaves began to yellow and fall, and fish flicked their tails in the river. The youth lying flat on the bed still had not opened his eyes. A man knelt silently by the bedside, his head bowed against the chest of the person on the bed. His smooth black hair flowed like a river across the wooden floor.

Thump—thump—

The heart beneath Xin Qishu’s chest was beating faintly. This was He Lvqing’s only solace.

He desperately wanted Xin Qishu to wake up, yet his heart was tormented; he didn’t know how to face him. Could they ever go back to how they were before? The answer was no. How could they possibly remain together?

A voice kept spiraling in the depths of his heart: He Lvqing, can you find a way?

His communication jade glowed suddenly.

The man by the bed moved. It was Elder Han, summoning him to the main peak for questioning. He Lvqing felt lightheaded and dizzy; he closed his eyes in exhaustion. Things were far from over. Annihilating the Blood Glory Palace was only the second step. There was a mountain of tasks following it—tasks that were even more critical, capable of determining his life or death.

Their life or death.

From the moment he stepped onto Lizhi Mountain, the trajectory of his fate had slid into unknown territory.

He Lvqing was weary. In this moment, he felt he finally understood Xin Qishu’s mindset when he wanted to break the engagement with Xu Qiyao. Was life really meant to be lived like this forever? If… if he had only met Xin Qishu now, without the schemes between them, he would still choose to seize him.

He Lvqing stood up and reached back to tie up his long hair. Orange light and shadows fell upon him, casting a slanted silhouette on the ground. He gazed at Xin Qishu’s sleeping face. He knew Xin Qishu couldn’t hear him, but he still whispered: “Qishu, wait until all of this is truly over before you wake up.”

With those words, the man turned to leave, his heart pleading:

You must wake up.

…

Autumn had arrived. Some of the trees at Fayu Court remained green, their leaves swaying and shifting the patterns of light on the hall floor.

“You shouldn’t care too much about Duan Shi. You are older than him, after all. Whether in ability or temperament, you should behave with the dignity of an elder,” Elder Han said in a level tone, noting the bloodshot veins in He Lvqing’s eyes.

“Also, Yang Li is your disciple. You should show him more concern. You haven’t gone to see him once since you returned, have you?”

He Lvqing took his seat and said calmly, “I know. I will go. Has the cause of his illness been discovered?”

Elder Han: “He likely knows the reason himself, but he hasn’t told me.”

“Do you know?” Elder Han stared at He Lvqing, his words pointed.

“I wasn’t by his side when the illness struck. How could I know?” He Lvqing’s pale green eyes narrowed slightly, returning to his usual icy demeanor.

Elder Han remained silent for a moment. “The disciples say you personally took Xin Qishu to the dungeon?”

Lvqing’s gaze was like a sword. “What of it?”

“You’ve suffered and been wronged these past hundred years. Now that you’ve returned safely, settle your accounts with the past. Don’t go back to provoking him.”

“You know in your heart how Xin Qishu treated you. Since he spared you back then, why not spare his life today? His cultivation isn’t enough to stir up any trouble. In a place like the dungeon, there’s no difference between being alive or dead anyway.”

Elder Han assumed he still hated Xin Qishu.

He Lvqing said nothing. Ever since he had fallen for Xin Qishu, he no longer cared about what Xin Qishu had done to him in the past. He had never truly hated him that much.

The emotional entanglement between him and Xin Qishu was a tangled ball of yarn. One could spend time untangling it thread by thread, but it wouldn’t mean much; the yarn itself would lose its original state.

And what He Lvqing valued most now was the yarn itself.

A man strode in—the current Sect Leader. Appearance-wise, he looked like a man in his thirties. “Haha, Lvqing arrived so quickly.”

The two rose to salute. The Sect Leader waved them off and took the main seat. “Alright, sit down.”

The Sect Leader asked seemingly casually, “What were you just discussing?”

Elder Han replied, “I was advising him to see Yang Li more often and care for his disciple.”

“Yes, Yang Li is indeed a good prospect. I heard… forget it. Lvqing, Han Cheng already spoke to you, right? I called you here today because everyone is still a bit unclear on some small details regarding the recent annihilation of the demons.”

Hearing this, Elder Han asked in confusion, “Are we not waiting for the others?”

The Sect Leader waved his hand. “Why call them? Today, the two of us listening to Lvqing’s answers will suffice.”

He Lvqing said tonelessly, “Please, ask.”

“Well,” the Sect Leader paused as if embarrassed. The next instant, a strange glint flashed in his eyes, and he dropped a bombshell in a suspicious tone: “How did the pure-blood demons escape?”

This was the biggest failure of the operation.

He Lvqing answered without a hint of panic, “You shouldn’t be asking me that. In my plan, the Mo Sect was responsible for the pure-blood demons.”

“Oh, I know that, of course. But they say the pure-bloods were gone before they even arrived. Duan Shi also said he found no trace of them.”

“You have always been the leader of our Fayu Court—and even the cultivation world. You spent quite some time in the Demon Abyss; I want to hear your deduction.”

Lvqing looked at him. Is he suspecting me of leaking information? Though he thought this, he said: “The vanguard reached the border three days before the plan. After I rescued Ye Yi, he guarded the border. The pure-blood demons are numerous; it’s impossible for them to escape unnoticed.

“The Demon Abyss is vast; they must have fled into the deeper regions. The demonic energy there is highly concentrated. It’s normal if Duan Shi couldn’t enter or if his divinations were blurred.”

“Hmm… did Xin Qishu ever tell you the whereabouts of the Qingrong Flute while you were with him?”

“Never. Xin Qishu is illiterate; he might not even know what the Qingrong Flute is.”

“He’s in the dungeon, right? I’ll go interrogate him in a few days.”

Lvqing remained perfectly composed. “He was already insane when I captured him. You won’t get anything out of him.”

The Sect Leader nodded slightly, dismissing the idea. “Then forget it. You can’t trust the words of a madman.”

He changed the subject. “Is Yang Li’s illness mostly cured? Perfect. The next Immortal Competition is about to be held. You shall represent Fayu Court. See if there are any good prospects, and let Yang Li make some connections.”

Just as He Lvqing nodded in agreement, he suddenly felt something. His heart began to pound wildly. “Yes. Then I shall take my leave.”

“Don’t be in such a hurry; it’s not like there’s someone waiting for you at home.” The Sect Leader wouldn’t let him go. “By the way, have you signed the Severance of Fate document with Xin Qishu yet?”

He Lvqing pressed his lips together. “Not yet. He hasn’t had a moment of clarity.”

A marriage contract was not something one could hide. There were many magical treasures in the world that could determine if someone had a Dao companion without looking at their sea of consciousness.

The Sect Leader nodded slightly. “This can’t be delayed. Find a way to divorce early. Otherwise, if you meet a cultivator you’re interested in, it will cause trouble.

“Let me walk you around Fayu Court. It has changed a lot in these hundred years. We’ve cultivated a type of peach tree where the flowers are actually light blue.”

He Lvqing sensed something was wrong. He didn’t have much contact with the Sect Leader, but in his memory, the man wasn’t one for idle chat.

He stood up abruptly, his voice hard and cold: “I’m going back to check on Yang Li.” Before his voice even finished echoing, he had vanished from the hall.

After he left, the Sect Leader rubbed his fingers. His voice returned to a normal pitch, unlike the loud tone from before. “Have you checked his spiritual veins since he returned?”

“No,” Elder Han said.

“Before he goes to the Immortal Competition, find an opportunity to probe them.”

“Yes.”

…

He Lvqing flew back to the peak at top speed. There were no signs that the underwater array had been activated; it was a false alarm. Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, he heard a voice that wasn’t quite familiar but wasn’t a stranger’s either, coming from inside the hut.

Duan Shi.

He Lvqing’s brows knitted, and his entire aura turned frigid. Clouds and winds surged in this small patch of land around the wooden hut. With a flick of his finger, a snow-white longsword slid from its scabbard.

Duan Shi’s voice came in intermittent snatches: “…just came back from the Demon Abyss, the buildings there have all been burned to the ground.”

“Last time I saw you, you were full of life. Did He Lvqing turn you into this?”

He Lvqing kicked the door open, his blade pointing directly at Duan Shi’s chest.

Clang— Duan Shi reacted with extreme speed, as if he had long been prepared for He Lvqing’s return, pulling out a saber to block the strike. Lvqing’s eyes widened, his glass-like pupils twitching as he stared at him with intensifying killing intent.

The fact that Xin Qishu was here must never be leaked to outsiders!

After a few moments, Duan Shi retreated several steps with difficulty. He Lvqing really wanted to kill him! In desperation, he turned and shouted: “Xin Qishu, is this your saber? I found it on a mountain!”

“Do you still remember me? I’m Duan Shi from the Mo Sect, the one who threw flowers to you!”

The thick eyelashes of the person on the bed suddenly fluttered.

He Lvqing noticed instantly. The hand holding the sword lost its strength, allowing Duan Shi to escape.

Lvqing ignored him, holding his breath as he leaned forward cautiously. He was afraid it was just a hallucination.

Xin Qishu’s lashes trembled again, and his pupils rolled beneath his lids. A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes.

He was awake!

Lvqing wanted to touch him, but he didn’t dare. He didn’t even dare to speak, fearing that if Xin Qishu noticed him, he would close his eyes again.

“Xin Qishu?” Duan Shi surprisingly hadn’t fled; he simply called out the name.

Lvqing was about to turn and glare at him in annoyance when he saw Xin Qishu slowly turn his head. He saw his own reflection in Xin Qishu’s ruby-like eyes.

With just one look, He Lvqing’s throat felt as if someone were choking him; he couldn’t speak.

Xin Qishu was expressionless. His pale lips parted and moved a few times, as if saying something.

He Lvqing leaned down tremblingly to listen. His life and death were now in the hands of the person before him.

A moment later, he froze, feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. Xin Qishu had said seven simple words:

“Why… didn’t… you… kill… me?”

The sword hanging over his head finally fell. In that instant, it felt as if the world had gone dark. Lvqing’s facial muscles twitched, but not a single word came out.

“Xin Qishu, this is your sword, right?”

Their moment was interrupted by an outsider. Lvqing turned his head with resentment.

Duan Shi held a saber high for Xin Qishu to see.

Xin Qishu nodded slowly, his face appearing even paler. His lashes were thick and long, casting shadows around his eyes. Combined with his fair skin and sharp features, he possessed a unique, eerie beauty.

Duan Shi’s voice rose slightly: “Answer one question for me, and I’ll give it back to you. How about it?”

Xin Qishu’s eyes were fixed on Duan Shi. Lvqing’s heart throbbed violently. The bitterness of being ignored finally drove him to stand up in anger. He snatched the saber with one hand and grabbed Duan Shi’s collar with the other, dragging him out.

Outside the hut, He Lvqing lowered his voice: “Whatever question you want to ask, wait until later. Ye Yi is already waiting for you outside. Explain clearly to him how you found this place and how you got in.”

“Don’t even think about revealing news of Xin Qishu to anyone. Before you can speak a word, I will definitely kill you.”

Duan Shi grinned dismissively, his voice low but provocative: “He Lvqing, is this your ‘Dao’?”

His hand stiffened.

Duan Shi laughed again and said knowingly: “So, you’ve fallen in love with Xin Qishu.”

Lvqing threw him out of the array. Only after watching him disappear into the seawater did the sour ache in his heart lessen slightly.

Returning to the wooden hut, He Lvqing stood at the doorway, his feet feeling as if they had grown roots.

Xin Qishu kept staring at the ceiling, looking completely indifferent. After a long while, He Lvqing finally spoke softly to remind Xin Qishu he was there: “Qishu?”