For two months, Lin Junqing had seen Chu Yu multiple times daily. This frequency gradually shifted, first to once a day, then to every three days, until eventually, long stretches of time passed without a glimpse of the man. When Lin Junqing had been in the Demon Sect for two months, Chu Yu suddenly sent orders for him to be escorted away.
Lin Junqing demanded to see Chu Yu, but Mo Ying simply handed him a letter and stated, “My Master has long known that your heart does not belong to the Demon Sect. Once the Martial Arts Alliance meeting commences, the sect will become a battlefield. My Master knows you dislike trouble and slaughter, so he has specifically ordered me to see you safely out.”
Lin Junqing opened the letter. In it, Chu Yu explained that the major sects had become increasingly arrogant and dismissive of the Demon Sect. He intended to deal with them personally and feared that being preoccupied with these affairs would prevent him from taking care of Lin Junqing, hence the decision to send him away early.
Lin Junqing slowly folded the letter and handed it back to Mo Ying. He remarked to the System, “Chu Yu is lying. It is clearly because he has no way to deal with the parasite. He knows he is going to die, so he is sending me away.”
The System asked, “Host, will you leave then? If you leave and Chu Yu dies of the parasite, our mission will be a failure.”
If Lin Junqing still feared Chu Yu as he once did, the System would not have dared to speak this way. However, it was clear that since Lin Junqing had realized the monstrous reputation of the sect was driven by greed, much of his fear had dissipated. Lin Junqing now understood that Chu Yu was the type of person who would repay harm tenfold but would not provoke those who did not provoke him. Lin Junqing was not a saint, and he found Chu Yu’s eye for an eye philosophy somewhat commendable.
Lin Junqing had long since resigned himself to the mission’s outcome; what concerned him now was whether Chu Yu would truly die. Why, if he had not found a cure, did he refuse to ask for the antidote? Chu Yu’s reckless disregard for his own life felt painfully familiar, echoing the Xie Lin of his past life.
Mo Ying, seeing Lin Junqing fall into silence, urged, “Young Master Lin, please pack your belongings. I will see you off immediately.”
Lin Junqing had nothing to pack except two changes of clothes. Before leaving, he quietly placed a small porcelain bottle inside the wardrobe. The System was astonished. “Host, why are you leaving the Blood Replenishing Pill behind? That is a life saving pill you carefully crafted, infused with more than just a drop of your blood.”
Lin Junqing sighed internally. “Regardless of anything else, Chu Yu only contracted the parasite because he shielded me. I cannot bring myself to hand him the antidote directly, so I am leaving it in the wardrobe. Whether he finds it or not depends on heaven’s will.”
If Chu Yu had not ordered Mo Ying to see him off, Lin Junqing would not have felt this soft hearted. Despite knowing he was dying, Chu Yu was still focused on keeping him safe. The System fell silent; it did not want Chu Yu to die either. As a system, it rarely suggested abandoning a rescue mission. It even wished Lin Junqing would give the medicine to Chu Yu personally, thinking Chu Yu might be moved to restore his Sunshine Value to a positive number.
The System pleaded, “Host, why don’t you give him the medicine yourself? Chu Yu surely believes he is doomed; if you save him, he will be grateful. Many Hosts choose to save the Child of Destiny in their darkest hour to redeem them with love. Chu Yu already likes you; if you save him, he will like you even more.”
Lin Junqing’s mouth twitched. He would have to be insane to deliver the medicine personally. He desperately wanted Chu Yu to stay far away from him. The thought of Chu Yu liking him more immediately brought Xie Lin to mind, jolting him awake. He would rather abandon the mission and flee to the ends of the earth. If Chu Yu, with his godlike luck, survived and became as twisted as Xie Lin, it would be Lin Junqing who suffered. He had enough of that slow, agonizing torture.
When Lin Junqing climbed into the carriage, he secretly prayed that Chu Yu would not discover the medicine he had hidden. He left the bottle because his conscience dictated kindness, but he refused to stay because he wanted no romantic entanglement with a man. He had a premonition that if Chu Yu survived and found him, they would be inextricably bound for the rest of their lives, just as he and Xie Lin had been.
As Lin Junqing departed, the System suddenly whispered, “I see Chu Yu. He has been tortured by the parasite until he is nothing but skin and bones. I am certain he has not found a cure. Host, do you want to see?”
Lin Junqing clenched his fists inside the carriage. “I do not want to see. Since I have decided to abandon the mission, Chu Yu has nothing to do with me. I left the antidote because the Demon Sect is not entirely evil, and we have saved each other once. We are even now. From this day forward, Chu Yu and I are strangers.”
Regardless of how Chu Yu ended up, he would not return to the Demon Sect. His internal energy had increased by fifty years, but he was only truly proficient in lightness skills. He had no desire to be drawn into the conflict when the major sects besieged the Demon Sect. The System, sensing Lin Junqing’s resolve, sighed and ceased its persuasion.
Mo Ying escorted Lin Junqing to a small town before Lin Junqing suggested he head back. Mo Ying was hesitant, torn between his desire to return and his orders, but Lin Junqing persisted. “I am an adult; I do not need looking after. I have enough money from your Sect Leader to last eight lifetimes. I plan to buy land, build a house, and hire servants. I have no intention of getting involved in the affairs of the martial arts world, so you should return.”
Though tempted, Mo Ying refused. He owed his life to Chu Yu and would not violate his Master’s orders. In the dead of night, Lin Junqing ignited a special incense that knocked Mo Ying unconscious. Knowing Mo Ying would be punished for failing his mission, Lin Junqing left a letter and a segment of the incense behind, explaining that he was settling in a quiet place and would never ask after the martial arts world again.
Lin Junqing traveled through the night, initially on foot before buying a horse and carriage in the town to head toward the sparsely populated border. Where there are fewer people, there is less trouble.
When Mo Ying returned to the Demon Sect with the letter and the incense, he knelt before Chu Yu in profound shame. “Master, I have failed you. Master Lin left in the night; please punish me.”
Chu Yu had not slept for a long time; his body was wasted by the parasite, appearing as skeletal as a ghost. Every moment, the parasite gnawed at his meridians, yet his face remained emotionless. The pain of shattering meridians was nothing compared to the pain of Lin Junqing’s departure. If he knew he would never see Lin Junqing again, he would gladly drain his own blood just to purge the parasites.
Chu Yu did not scold Mo Ying, simply signaling him to leave. He had known all along that Mo Ying would be unable to keep watch on Lin Junqing. Chu Yu opened the letter, his lips curving upward as he read Lin Junqing’s promise to stay out of the martial arts world.
“The martial arts world is far too chaotic. It is better that you stay out of it. It is a pity my life is short and I cannot shield you; if only there were a next life.”
For days, his mental exhaustion had been absolute, leading to fractured dreams. In his broken visions, he saw himself and Lin Junqing. He was wearing strange black clothes, sitting in a wheelchair that moved without being pushed. He had short hair, just like Lin Junqing. He felt his past self dying; his favorite activity in the dream was watching Lin Junqing in a daze. He even dreamt of a time when he was healthy and Lin Junqing was furious, calling him Xie Lin. That must have been his name in the past life. No wonder he had chosen Lin for his courtesy name; it was an instinctive choice, even without knowing Lin Junqing’s name. The name Lin Junqing was carved into his marrow; even in reincarnation, he could not forget it.
Chu Yu realized he must be nearing death, which was why he saw memories of a past life. Having not slept for ages, he lit the incense Mo Ying had brought back, the incense Lin Junqing had made, carrying Lin Junqing’s scent. Once asleep, he dreamt more clearly. He saw his past self going mad, demanding that Lin Junqing die with him, only to be unable to hurt him in the end. He saw Lin Junqing drinking the poisoned milk he knew to be lethal.
Watching Lin Junqing choose to die with him in the dream shattered his composure. He saw his past self swear through gritted teeth that he would never let Lin Junqing go for all eternity. When Chu Yu awoke, he clutched his eyes in a surge of overwhelming emotion. In his past life, he had not been delusional; Lin Junqing had loved him too. Why had he not remembered sooner? Why had he not been more cautious? Why had he fallen for the Medicine Immortal Valley’s trap? Why were they destined to miss each other in this life, even though they could have had a fresh start?
Chu Yu’s expression turned grim. He shattered everything in his reach, his meridians snapping one by one, yet he felt no pain. Mo Ying kept watch outside, worried but helpless. If Chu Yu fell, the entire Demon Sect would be slaughtered.
In the dead of night, unable to suppress his longing, Chu Yu made his way to the hut where Lin Junqing had lived. Breathing in Lin Junqing’s scent on the quilt, he found a moment of peace. He traced the furniture, imagining Lin Junqing still living there, touching the table, the cup, and the pillow he had used. When Chu Yu opened the wardrobe, his pupils contracted at the sight of the small porcelain bottle hidden in the corner. His hands trembled as he retrieved it.
He had always known Lin Junqing held secrets; otherwise, how could he produce antidote pills capable of curing legendary poisons? When he was poisoned for the second time, Lin Junqing had explicitly refused to give him an antidote.
Poison and parasites were different; poison was inert, but a parasite was alive. He had not wanted Lin Junqing to see him in such a wretched, ghostly state, nor did he want Lin Junqing to watch him die, which was why he had sent him away.
Chu Yu opened the bottle, unsure if it contained anything at all, only to find a single, pale red pill inside. Just catching the faint scent was enough to make the parasites within him writhe, as if encountering their natural predator.