When the two of them settled down in a secluded pavilion, Chang Songzhu had already figured out that it was Yuan Lian’s divine sense watching over her.
At the Nascent Soul stage, one could manipulate divine sense, though it was not very flexible. As one’s cultivation level increased, the range that divine sense could cover expanded. Chang Songzhu understood that Yuan Lian’s cultivation level must be quite high, so she wasn’t too surprised.
She was actually very curious, but on the surface, she had to maintain a calm and composed demeanor: “Go ahead and speak.”
Kuang Yuming paused for a moment before speaking, “I don’t even know where to start… I joined the Wanyi Sect in the Canghai Realm when I was six. Haha, don’t look down on us just because we’re stuck in the outer sect now. In the Great Thousand World, someone like me could still be considered a prodigy. As soon as I entered, I became a disciple under Master Qu Ting Zhenjun and met my senior martial brother Feng Yunqing and senior martial sister Yun Lian.”
Chang Songzhu wasn’t really interested in Kuang Yuming’s past, but when she heard this, she immediately perked up: “Is the senior martial brother you’re talking about the one who is…”
“Yes, he’s the fiancé of Senior Martial Sister Yun Lian… or perhaps, they can already be called dao partners.”
He tried to remain calm and objective: “When I first entered the sect, my master had just become the sect leader. He only taught me my lessons and cultivation. It was my senior martial sister who took care of me in every detail… Even when I cried for my parents as a child, it was my senior martial sister who comforted me…” Kuang Yuming’s eyes reddened a bit. “I knew back then that my senior martial brother and sister were a couple.”
“They were neighbors separated by a wall in the mortal world and later came to Wanyi Sect together…”
“Everything went smoothly. My senior martial brother and sister had a great relationship, missing each other even with the slightest separation. We all thought they were a rare pair of celestial lovers… To be honest, I secretly envied them.”
“Until one time during the Immortal-Demon War, my senior martial brother was accidentally injured and on the brink of death, saved by a woman.”
Kuang Yuming’s expression turned gloomy: “To be honest, I’ve thought countless times since then that it would have been better if he had died that time…”
At this point, Kuang Yuming’s expression could be described as gritting his teeth: “That bitch… that woman was Wu Yihan, a demon cultivator. At that time, immortals and demons were irreconcilable. She took a liking to my senior martial brother but didn’t dare reveal her identity, so she pretended to be an orphan girl who lost her parents in the war…”
He didn’t even call him senior martial brother anymore: “Feng Yunqing initially felt guilty and grateful, so he had no choice but to agree to take her with him and help her find a place to settle. They spent a long time together, and somehow, feelings developed between them—of course, Feng Yunqing didn’t admit it, but anyone with eyes could see the ambiguity between them. This matter spread like wildfire, even reaching our master’s ears.”
Even after all these years, Kuang Yuming was still furious when he mentioned this: “Our master sent us to bring Feng Yunqing back to clarify the matter. That bitch acted all weak and pitiful, crying and refusing to let him go. In the struggle, her identity was exposed… Well, that was it. No one cared about any ambiguity anymore. The two paths were at odds, and naturally, they couldn’t let go of such a demoness who had killed many of us in the war. As a result… I don’t know if Feng Yunqing was out of his mind, but he actually let her go at the critical moment…”
“For decades, the matter between these two was like a farce. Even during battles, they would argue about their love affairs as if no one else was around… Those who didn’t know might think they were a pair of lovebirds beaten apart, but who knew there was my innocent senior martial sister caught in the middle.”
“This matter had actually reached my senior martial sister long ago, but she had known Feng Yunqing for many years and couldn’t easily doubt him. Feng Yunqing also insisted that he had no personal feelings for that bitch, so my senior martial sister believed him.”
“Until the two of them were about to reach the peak of Qi Condensation and were on the verge of advancing to the Nascent Soul stage, our master decided to host their wedding…”
That was an exceptionally tragic event.
One of the twin prodigies of Wanyi Sect was invaded by a heart demon. To avoid falling into demonic cultivation, she was struck by heavenly lightning and her soul was scattered. Everyone was too shocked to speak. It was just a tribulation of three-nine days. If it weren’t for Wu Yihan’s interference, Yun Lian would never have had an accident.
Fortunately, Wu Yihan didn’t get away with it either. After Yun Lian’s death, Feng Yunqing’s state of mind was greatly affected. He made a mistake when facing the heavenly lightning. He barely survived, but he had no strength left to protect Wu Yihan. Her cultivation level was far from being able to withstand the tribulation, and her physical body was destroyed, her soul platform shattered on the spot.
“And your senior martial sister?” Chang Songzhu asked urgently.
“Feng Yunqing might still have feelings for my senior martial sister. The first thing he did after waking up was to use the marriage contract to gather her soul, trying to save her,” Kuang Yuming sneered. “You wouldn’t believe how ridiculous it was. He searched for seven days and nights but couldn’t find a trace of my senior martial sister’s divine soul. Instead, he accidentally discovered the remnants of Wu Yihan’s soul. That bitch was, after all, my good senior martial brother’s savior. What could he do? Of course, he collected her soul and carried it with him, nourishing it with spiritual energy at all times…”
“Damn!” Chang Songzhu was so engrossed in the story that she couldn’t help but curse: “Adulterous couple!”
“Adulterous couple! Yes! They’re an adulterous couple!” Kuang Yuming seemed to have found a kindred spirit, and the two of them cursed Feng Yunqing and Wu Yihan until they were blue in the face. As a young master from a noble family, Kuang Yuming didn’t know many curse words, so he learned whatever Chang Songzhu said and used them all on Feng Yunqing.
After Yun Lian’s death, although the sect was very dissatisfied with Feng Yunqing, he was indeed exceptionally talented. Losing one disciple, they couldn’t afford to lose another, so they turned a blind eye to Feng Yunqing—after all, Wu Yihan was shattered into pieces, and relying on such a small amount of spiritual energy to nourish her, it was impossible to fully restore her even if Feng Yunqing ascended to Earth Immortal.
Thinking of this, Kuang Yuming felt even more uneasy—who knew that they would encounter Ancestor Yan Hang descending to select disciples.
The Divine Realm was indeed different. The spiritual energy here was abundant, and the resources for immortal plants and pills were far more than in the lower realm. Kuang Yuming was now worried that one day Feng Yunqing might really get lucky and obtain some rare treasure that could repair a broken soul. If he really managed to heal that bitch, Kuang Yuming feared he would be so angry he’d vomit blood.
“But…” Chang Songzhu hesitated, “According to what you said, your senior martial sister should already be… why do you still think you can find her?”
Kuang Yuming gritted his teeth and said, “I just don’t believe it. If that demoness can be saved even after being shattered like that, why can’t my senior martial sister? There’s no hope in the Canghai Realm, but there must be a way in the Divine Realm!”
Chang Songzhu hesitated to speak—she had grown up in the Divine Realm, and even though she was only at the bottom, she knew the common sense. Even in the Divine Realm, trying to save a soul that had been scattered for days without success through a marriage contract was nothing but a fool’s dream…
But when she saw the tears in Kuang Yuming’s eyes, she felt that she couldn’t bring herself to say those words no matter what.
Kuang Yuming had long been dissatisfied with the sect and his masters in the lower realm, but due to his status, he could only swallow his grievances. Apart from giving Feng Yunqing the cold shoulder, he couldn’t do anything. Now that he finally had someone to talk to, his emotions became uncontrollably intense.
After calming down for a while, he sincerely said to Chang Songzhu, “So, please, you must ask the person who taught you swordsmanship… if she has any news about my senior martial sister? Even if it’s just a fragment of her soul…”
Chang Songzhu’s lips moved, and she nodded, “I-I will…”
*
Yuan Lian closed her eyes to rest.
The conversation between Kuang Yuming and Chang Songzhu had lasted from noon until dusk, and now the sun was setting, and the sky was getting darker.
Yuan Lian knew most of the old stories they talked about, except for the part about how Feng Yunqing and Wu Yihan met, which she wasn’t very clear about. However, Yuan Lian wasn’t particularly interested in that.
The reason she had Chang Songzhu listen was that she really wanted to know how this somewhat clichéd past appeared in the eyes of others.
The result… was both expected and unexpected.
As mentioned before, Yuan Lian knew what she had done, but she couldn’t feel the emotions from that time.
It was like when Kuang Yuming sadly mentioned the past with his senior martial sister. Yuan Lian remembered those things exactly, but she didn’t find anything particularly moving about them. Yun Lian was too insignificant for Yuan Lian Xianzun herself.
It wasn’t until Kuang Yuming recounted the scenes from back then that she seemed to truly remember the child she had comforted and taught.
What did it feel like?
Yuan Lian didn’t know what the real “Yun Lian” would think if she were here, knowing that the junior martial brother she had watched grow up was in such pain and sorrow.
As for Yuan Lian herself, she might still not be able to empathize, but she could at least sense a faint and subtle sigh rising from the depths of her heart.
And then there was Feng Yunqing…
Yuan Lian originally wanted to take this opportunity to experience this difficult-to-understand love again, but before she could ponder it, Chang Songzhu started chattering away, pouring out all the emotions she had held back in front of Kuang Yuming through Yuan Lian’s divine sense.
…To say she had a lot to say was an understatement. Yuan Lian had planned to be melancholic about this tragic love story for a moment, but she was completely distracted by Chang Songzhu’s chatter.
“Xiao Lian, Xiao Lian, did you hear that just now?”
“What exactly is going on? Is Kuang Yuming’s senior martial sister your long-lost sister or something?”
“Is there any hope for his senior martial sister? It’s just too pitiful…”
“I didn’t know such things happened in the lower realm. Why would they mess around with all this nonsense instead of focusing on cultivation? I thought they were always worried about resources… It’s like a shallow pond full of turtles…”
Chatter, chatter, chatter. Yuan Lian helplessly opened her eyes, rubbed her forehead with her hand, and then directly pulled Chang Songzhu to her side.
Chang Songzhu blinked and suddenly found herself in a different place, completely bewildered, not even realizing she was now several peaks away.
“Xiao, Xiao Lian?”
Seeing her about to speak, Yuan Lian decisively used spiritual energy to seal her mouth.
Chang Songzhu looked like a little donkey with its mouth tied, blinking innocently at Yuan Lian: “?”
Yuan Lian vaguely heard a soft laugh.