Past

"... All Swords Valley?"

Staring blankly at him for a few moments, Tianyan gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, her breathing slightly rapid. "How did you know?"

Xu Yuan rolled his eyes:

What do you think?

"Records of the Grand Historian?"

"."

Xu Yuan smacked his lips, his eyes turning somewhat amused:

Do you know how many years have passed since the events in the illusion?

As he spoke,

Xu Yuan revealed a hurt expression and sighed softly:

"You'd rather believe in these unfounded things than believe that I've regained my memories, is that it?"

time,

It can smooth everything over.

Ten thousand years ago,

The Heavenly Tianyan Divine Art, which once intimidated all the powerful forces under heaven, has now become a little-known secret in the Great Yan Dynasty.

Yantian Art is like this, then one can only imagine how ancient the All Swords Valley is.

Seeing his dejected expression, Tianyan gently bit his lip with his small, white canine teeth, but the next moment, he let out a cold snort:

"Hmph, Xu Yuan, what are you pretending for? I'm suspicious because not a single word you say is credible!"

Well, the "washboard saintess" has already learned her lesson from being tricked.

Xu Yuan wasn't embarrassed at being exposed; his dejected sadness instantly transformed into a chuckle.

"You can't blame me for this. We were enemies when we first entered the secret realm. What if I treated you sincerely and you suddenly stabbed me in the back?"

Tianyan seemed to recall something, his eyes turning slightly cold:

"I have never done anything to wrong you; it is you who has wronged me."

"I can't beat you, so can't I at least have a backup plan? Besides, Tianyan, you know me. I, Xu Yuan, have never been a righteous person like a refined gentleman."

"Despicable person."

"So isn't it normal for despicable people to use scheming and plotting?"

"."

Tianyan trembled with anger, his small chest heaving. He took a deep breath, his voice icy cold:

"You are as shameless as ever."

"Shamelessness is also a skill."

Xu Yuan didn't seem to care at all. Instead, he stared straight into her eyes and laughed, "On the contrary, if I weren't a little shameless, you might still be chaste right now~"

You bastard!

Buzz!

A flash of shame and anger crossed Tianyan's eyes as he raised his fist and punched it towards his lower abdomen.

Xu Yuan felt a chill run down his spine.

The Holy Maiden's fists are far more powerful than the little punches your girlfriends from your past life would land on your chest.

However, the jade-like hand did not ultimately touch his body, hovering an inch above him.

Thankfully, the saintess couldn't bear to part with the washboard.

Xu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and looked up, only to meet Tianyan's slightly mischievous eyes.

It shimmered like stars in the dim light of the rain.

She was smiling.

Tsk, the Washboard Saintess has gone astray; she's even started lying now.

Her slender fingertips gently traced the sharp lines of his muscles, her voice soft and gentle, tinged with complexity:

"You're right.

"If you were truly a virtuous person, I wouldn't have fallen in love with you."

"."

Xu Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips, but he held it back and said softly:

"Huh? With my appearance, after nearly twenty years of hardship, you still wouldn't be tempted?"

Tianyan stopped, staring at his handsome face for several breaths:

"They'll probably only see you as a friend in need."

See?

The "righteous gentleman" archetype has been phased out of the meta, while the "good guy" archetype is relegated to the "friend zone."

As Tianyan spoke, he withdrew his gaze from scrutinizing his face:

"To me, appearance is nothing but a withered skeleton."

"But if you're not good-looking, I won't waste my time on you."

"..." Tianyan suddenly clenched his fist.

"However, I didn't expect that you, Tianyan, would be the type to prefer marriage before love. Is it because of physical attraction?"

"Bang!"

The fist slammed down.

"Cough."

Xu Yuan coughed up a mouthful of swill, his cheek twitching slightly from the pain, his eyes filled with anger.

"Hmph."

They locked eyes for a moment,

With a soft hum, Tianyan withdrew his hand, got up from Xu Yuan, and knelt down to sit on the edge of the bed.

Xu Yuan chuckled softly, propped himself up, and while pulling out the wood chips embedded in his flesh to stop the bleeding, he said quietly:

"I haven't fully recovered yet. If you keep provoking me like this, what if my Will Soul gets possessed and I become an idiot? Will you take care of me then?"

"I can't afford to support you, the Third Young Master of the Prime Minister's Mansion."

Tianyan glanced back at him and said, "But it's better if you become an idiot. At least that way you won't go out and flirt with other women."

After saying that, she looked away and sat upright on one side of the bed.

Xu Yuan chuckled, ignoring the pain of wood chips embedded in his flesh, and moved over to embrace the girl.

I told you not to touch me.

Tianyan's clear voice rang out, and Xu Yuan's movements froze instantly.

It wasn't that he didn't want to move, but that he couldn't; Tianyan had frozen him in place again.

At one moment,

Xu Yuan stared at her slender back, so close to his, and suddenly felt an urge to learn the Heavenly Word Mantra.

I'll exact my revenge for this time of immobilization!

Hmm? That sounds kind of exciting.

After all, this is very similar to a physical time freeze play.

"Filthy."

Even though his back was turned, Tianyan could still sense the change in his expression, and his voice was filled with disgust. "Disgusting."

"Wouldn't you be even more disgusting in the illusion?"

Xu Yuan thought to himself, but didn't want to say it out loud. Only then did he realize that Tianyan had simply frozen his body.

Tianyan remained silent for a moment, his small figure not turning around, his tone calm:

"That's because of the Demon-Enchanting Cherry Blossom Poison."

"Oh?"

Xu Yuan revealed a perfectly timed look of doubt:

"Suppressing the Demon-Enchanting Cherry Blossom Poison once should be enough, right? But why do I always have to use my internal energy to recover at the end?"

"Can you shut up?!"

Tianyan jumped to his feet, his fair cheeks flushed red, and he glared at him angrily.

Xu Yuan blinked, his expression innocent.

Tianyan trembled with anger again, and said fiercely:

"If you say another word, I'll extend your stay by one day."

"So what if you have high cultivation level?"

"What did you say?"

I said I was sorry.

"Snort."

"."

Silence fell as the rain pattered down.

A long silence followed.

Tianyan sat back on the edge of the bed, his back to Xu Yuan, his posture upright, and asked in a calm voice:

"You really remember All Swords Valley?"

Xu Yuan remained silent.

"Um?"

"."

"Say!"

"."

"Xu Changtian!"

"If I speak now, will you use the Fix Word Mantra?"

"You find it funny to make me angry?"

"Shouldn't you be used to it by now?"

"."

Tianyan didn't speak again. He flipped his left palm, and the iron pestle he had used to punish Bai Muxi appeared directly in her hand.

"Xu Yuan, I'm not joking with you."

"."

Xu Yuan glanced at the iron pestle, which was about a foot thick, then at Tianyan, and his eyes twitched.

This Little Ice Block is even more ruthless than the Big Ice Block; at least the Big Ice Block knows how to use a wooden stick.

Thinking,

Xu Yuan said solemnly and earnestly:

"In the seventh year after entering the secret realm, we were hunted down and fled to the All Swords Valley."

Tianyan remained silent, gripping the iron pestle tightly in his hand, awaiting his next words.

"Um"

After a moment's hesitation, Xu Yuan noticed a hint of expectation in Tianyan's eyes:

"Yes, this is also the place where I first slept with you."

"Click."

The hard, specially treated iron pestle snapped in two.

Tianyan hung his head and trembled, suddenly thinking that he might as well castrate this bastard.

Vulgar, rude, disgusting, despicable, and shameless!

What does it mean to sleep?

How could such a grand Prime Minister's Mansion have such a crude and uncouth Third Young Master?

Is it really that hard to say the words "we're committed to each other"?!

"Hoo-hoo. Ha."

Calming his murderous urges, Tianyan maintained a composed and dignified demeanor.

"You actually remembered?"

Xu Yuan chuckled softly and said leisurely:

"Ha, that's for sure. After all, I almost died in that perilous place trying to save you."

Tianyan's trembling body stopped instantly. Looking at his calm expression, he looked away and spoke in a barely audible voice:

"If I hadn't taken pity on you, I wouldn't have given you, you scoundrel, the chance to bully me."

Today's 2k3

I can't finish writing the next chapter, the epilogue, and it would be painful to have to end the story like that.

We'll send them together tomorrow.