Heart

"."

Looking into the complex emotions in Tianyan's beautiful golden eyes, Xu Yuan's heart trembled for a moment, and he suddenly didn't know how to respond to her.

His memory was still stuck on the Tianyan stalked him like a stalker and was tricked by him using the Charm God Tree Spirit.

Although he knew that something significant must have developed between him and her in that illusion, he truly couldn't remember it.

Compared to when he was in that cave, Xu Yuan's memories of the illusion had almost completely disappeared.

Of course, he still retains some images, but these images are more like imagined scenarios than real memories.

It felt unreal, like a dream remnant and a figment of imagination.

Almost all of them were built inside caves, and he mentioned "pale pink" to her.

It's like a young boy's spring dream, unable to clearly see the woman's appearance, and then Tianyan's beautiful and exquisite face onto it.

The lingering fear I felt back then has now transformed into a tranquility as calm as a lake.

Aside from these, the only other thing was that sense of familiarity that suddenly arose unexpectedly.

The city walls soared into the clouds, and she wore a simple, ancient palace dress. The wind and snow swirled, ruffling her long, black hair.

Logically speaking, Xu Yuan felt he should lie to her.

It's shameful, but it's useful.

The north wind above the clouds was dry and cold.

Xu Yuan felt a little cold and subconsciously wrapped his coat tighter around himself.

"I really don't remember."

As soon as he finished speaking, although the cold wind persisted, he was suddenly isolated from it.

He subconsciously glanced at the woman beside him.

Tianyan had already withdrawn his gaze, no longer looking at him, but instead watching the pedestrians on the winding official road in the distance, risking their lives for a few taels of silver:

I don't mean to blame you, I'm just feeling a little uncomfortable.

Her eyes were deep and mysterious.

"Xu Yuan, after we parted ways, I actually thought about all the things you talked about back then: the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion's residence, the Prime Minister's Mansion, the imperial court, your engagement with Li Qingyan, and even what expression I would have when I saw you again."

Her voice suddenly became very low, so low that it trembled slightly:

"But... but after seeing you, I still can't control my emotions. Every time I think about what happened in the illusion, I... I..."

In conclusion,

Her once divine eyes, as beautiful as the verdant green of a solitary mountain, had lost all their brilliance. She took a deep, trembling breath.

"Forget it, knowing your personality, you bastard, I'm sure you won't feel anything if I say these things now."

Actually, I still...

"Even if I have feelings for someone, it's only because I'm pretty."

"." Xu Yuan.

A soft sigh fell with the snow as he and she sat atop the Beifeng.

Gazing at the vast, desolate sky, Xu Yuan spoke softly:

"You seem to know me quite well. That's how people are; it all starts with looks."

Tianyan a soft snort:

"Hmph, starting with looks is just lust at first sight."

A smile appeared on Xu Yuan's lips:

"Did I say that to you in the illusion?"

"Yes."

Tianyan did not deny it, but as if he had thought of something, his tone became somewhat unfriendly. "Back in the illusion, even when you were being chased all the way, you still had the mind to seduce the chief of the Dunxing Palace."

Xu Yuan frowned slightly, his tone displeased:

"Don't think you can make up stories and slander me just because I don't remember. Although I insist that food and sex are human nature, I'm still generally sensible. How could I possibly seduce the people who are hunting me down?"

Tianyan glanced at him sideways and snorted coldly:

"She led a team to ambush us, but was captured alive in a trap. Using her identity, we escaped overseas and stayed on a deserted island for a year. What do you think happened during that year?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan hissed softly, hesitated slightly, and whispered:

"There shouldn't be anything out of the ordinary, right?"

Tianyan gave him a meaningful look, then suddenly smiled, his eyes crinkling like a radiant elf's.

"You guess?"

Xu Yuan stroked his chin:

"She won't fall in love with me?"

Tianyan vanished instantly, his eyebrows furrowing.

"When that generation's leader deduced our hiding place, she threatened to kill herself to force her father to let us leave."

Xu Yuan opened his mouth.

It really is! These nameless sisters from Stockholm.

After putting himself in her shoes, Xu Yuan suddenly realized that it seemed to be a real possibility.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan grinned:

"Wow, so I'm quite popular even in illusions."

Boom!!!

Before the words were even finished, rubble flew everywhere from the dilapidated city gate tower.

Tianyan punched a hole over ten feet wide in the solid city gate tower, then turned his gaze:

"You seem quite proud of this?"

Xu Yuan smacked his lips and coughed lightly:

"I didn't, don't talk nonsense, I'm just giving an objective analysis."

He suddenly realized something: the woman in front of him had most likely seen all the tricks he had used in the illusion over the decades.

Although he didn't remember, those memories were etched in her heart.

"Hehe... heh."

Upon hearing this, Tianyan pursed his thin lips, a mixture of laughter and tears in his eyes, and chuckled softly a few times.

"Xu Changtian, you're still the same scoundrel as ever. Mu Lanxin almost died because of you back then."

"."

After a brief moment of eye contact, Xu Yuan nodded slightly. "Perhaps, but I really can't bear to be sad for someone who has no memories."

He stared at his fingertips, gently rubbing his index finger and thumb together, and whispered:

"Do you think I should pretend to empathize, and then deliberately act all sentimental and compassionate? I only care about the people I care about; as for the rest, I don't care about that."

Tianyan narrowed his eyes and stared at him:

"You're not lying anymore?"

Xu Yuan looked up at her, his eyes crinkling into a smile:

"I just didn't want to lie to you."

Tianyan clenched his fingers tightly:

"Is it because you know you can't fool me now?"

Xu Yuan chuckled softly and patted her head.

Tianyan's eyes narrowed slightly upon seeing this, but she ultimately did not flinch. The familiar touch stirred a ripple in her heart.

His fingertips gently brushed through her long, smooth hair, tucking it behind her ear. Looking at her closely, Xu Yuan whispered softly:

"See? Even if I tell you lies, you'll believe them, deceiving yourself. Just like now, and even if I did something worse to you using the right methods, you wouldn't resist."

"."

They looked at each other, speechless.

A hint of resentment flickered across Tianyan's ink-wash-like features, as if he were hating himself, or perhaps hating the shamelessness of the person before him.

Suddenly, she gritted her teeth and raised her hand.

"." Xu Yuan.

He felt like he had gone too far.

That slap probably sent his head spinning several times.

However, the slap never actually landed.

Tianyan finally lowered her raised hand dejectedly, shook her head to break free from his grasp, and sat down on the city gate tower as if all her strength had been drained.

There was a moment of silence on the city gate tower.

He looked at her, and she looked at the snow and wind outside the city, while the snowflakes drifted aimlessly down into the world like broken jade and scattered stones.

Time flies by in an instant.

Xu Yuan withdrew his gaze and looked up at the snowy landscape with her, his voice soft:

"Tianyan, I know you must be very important to me, so I don't want to lie to you."

A glint of light flashed in Tianyan's golden eyes, but it quickly dimmed, and he sniffed through his delicate, small nose.

"You... you lied to me again."

Xu Yuan shifted slightly to the side, nudging her soft, fragrant shoulder, and smiled, glancing sideways at her:

"Think about it, if I wanted to lie to you, wouldn't it be better to just say something nice to make you happy?"

Upon hearing this, Tianyan glanced at him sideways, blinked his misty eyes, and remained silent.

Xu Yuan counted on his fingers as he spoke softly:

"Let's put it nicely, like, Tianyan, you know me. My relationship with that woman Li Qingyan was just a pretense; there was no real affection between us. It was just because of my family."

"So this is a lie?" Tianyan suddenly interrupted him.

"."

Xu Yuan glanced subconsciously in the direction of the military camp.

Princess with a Bandeau

Tianyan's words suddenly stunned Xu Yuan.

He wasn't really sure what his feelings were for that wicked woman, Li Qingyan.

Opposites attract, likes repel.

Every day is a struggle, every day is a game of strategy, every day is a test of each other's limits.

The oppressive uncertainty surrounding her made him hesitant to invest too much emotion in her, but to say he had none would be a lie.

After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan shook his head and whispered:

"I don't know, but there are definitely feelings involved."

Tianyan stared at him for several breaths, his eyes red, when suddenly the image of that serene, black-clad figure from back then flashed into his mind. He asked in a low voice:

"If Li Qingyan is like this, then what about Ran Qingmo?"

Xu Yuan looked at him and asked in a low voice:

Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?

Her breath hitched:

"The truth."

I like her.

"."

Without any hesitation.

His calm and composed gaze as he spoke caused Tianyan's golden eyes to contract slightly, and his breath trembled slightly.

They looked at each other for a few moments.

She turned her reddened eyes to the side:

"That's true. Ran Qingmo's personality is just so likable; she won't go crazy, she's so obedient, and she wouldn't lie to you."

She spoke in trembling words, blinking her bright eyes forcefully, her long, thick eyelashes trembling. By the end, she had fallen silent.

Xu Yuan gently touched and caressed the space between his ten fingers:

"I told you I didn't want to lie to you. Sometimes the order in which people appear in your life really matters. But if you want to hear a lie, I can also say I don't like her."

"."

There was no reply. After a long silence, she lowered her eyes and suddenly uttered three words:

"And what about me?"

Xu Yuan raised his eyes, thought for a moment, and asked in a low voice:

Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?

"."

Tianyan hugged his legs tightly, burying his face in them, and remained silent.

Her petite body was curled up, hugging her legs, like a wounded little animal licking its wounds alone.

Seeing her like this, Xu Yuan quieted down a little and said softly:

"Actually, I've already answered this question. I don't know what my feelings for you are, but some subconscious physical reactions and some subconscious feelings in my heart tell me that you must be very important to me."

"But if you insist on asking, you're probably a familiar stranger to me now."

"That's it?" Tianyan bit his lip.

Xu Yuan blinked and touched his chin:

"Perhaps... there are stalkers?"

Tianyan instantly raised his eyes, his reddened whites filled with killing intent, and clenched his fists:

"Xu Changtian!"

Xu Yuan raised his hand, pressed it against her head, rubbed it, and smiled, his eyes crinkling:

"Alright, I know you're not a stalker."

Tianyan raised his hand to slap his hand away, turning his eyes away:

"You do this again."

Xu Yuan withdrew his hand and chuckled softly:

"I was born this way, and I probably won't be able to change it in my lifetime."

Tianyan took a deep breath, lifted his robe to wipe his eyes, and stood up abruptly.

"Alright, let's go back. Anyway, that's why you came to see me."

After he finished speaking, there was no reply from behind, but instead a faint fluctuation of Source Qi was stirred up.

Confused, Tianyan subconsciously turned around.

Xu Yuan smiled and handed her a small, blood-red mirror:

"Take a look at her; her eyes are all red. If she goes back like this, they'll start arguing again soon."

Tianyan did not respond, but instead uttered two truths:

"Calm your mind and cleanse your body."

A gentle breeze spread around her, and the bloodshot in her eyes disappeared within a few breaths.

She looked at him and gave a soft hum:

Do you think everyone is as weak as you?

Xu Yuan shrugged, already used to it.

Soul Condensation Realm expert, huh? I'm used to it.

"Shall we go back now? Li Qingyan is still waiting."

Upon hearing this name, Tianyan gently bit the corner of his lip and suddenly said:

Actually, she didn't need you to come to me.

"Um?"

"Instant."

"."

As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished, leaving Xu Yuan alone on the towering city gate tower.

The image of that wicked woman before she left flashed through his mind, and Xu Yuan gently shook his head:

"With your skill level, you think you can just sit around doing things your way? I already know that without you even having to tell me."

Tianyan and his group only met by chance here.

The Communication Crystal within Beifeng City has now been established. Information that can be obtained from Tianyan can also be obtained from the Imperial Capital, and may even be more detailed.

Withdrawing his gaze from the military camp, Xu Yuan looked down at the bottomless city walls and clicked his tongue.

"Tsk, how are we going to get back?"

Heaven Origin Mountain, bamboo forest on the back mountain.

Summer has passed and autumn has arrived, but the lush green bamboo leaves of summer show no signs of withering or turning yellow.

The sound of swords echoed in the quiet bamboo forest clearing, and a chilling stillness swept over the surrounding green bamboo, with wisps of ice covering its lush surface.

Two figures, one still, one in motion.

The woman was dressed in black, her figure slender and graceful, wielding Ink Sword that stirred up wisps of ice crystals.

The man with the white hair and beard, and a robust build, stood still, yawning as he swung his greatsword to parry the piercingly cold blade.

Each clash of swords unleashed a hurricane that would stir up a ripple of leaves in the boundless bamboo forest.

suddenly,

"Dang--"

The still one suddenly swung his greatsword.

With a crisp sound, Ru Moqian was sent flying backward, her ink-black sword spinning rapidly as it was thrown more than ten feet away, the blade completely embedded in the soil with only the guard remaining.

And the next moment,

A voluptuous young woman appeared behind the burly old man and kicked him hard to the ground.

"Ran Jianli, are you out of your mind? How could you hit me so hard?!"

Ran Jianli over and sat on the ground, rubbing the spot where he had been kicked, a sheepish smile on his face.

"If Qingmo wants to merge with the Dao, it needs to increase its strength."

"Next time Qingmo and I spar, you'd better not, you rascal, you never know your own strength."

The voluptuous young woman turned her head to look at the graceful figure that had been sent flying backward.

The girl in black silently got up from the ground, quietly picked up her Ink Sword, and whispered:

"Master... Mistress, Qingmo Source Qi is exhausted, I'll go back to my room now."

After saying that, the girl lowered her head and walked towards her bamboo house.

The young woman and the old man locked eyes for a moment, then she kicked him in the shin, making the old man wince in pain.

"It's all your fault! I'm going to talk to Qingmo. If she's still angry, you just wait until tonight!"

"Qingmo ~ Qingmo, wait for your master's wife."