Chapter 40: You Said the Same Thing Yesterday
The sound of rain trickled outside.
Under the dim light, Shen Shuanglian stared blankly at him.
"Why? I just want to see you living well. Is such a simple request too much to ask for?"
"Do you really have to keep breaking your promises, again and again?"
Chen Yin remained silent for a long time before he gently placed his hand on her head and softly said,
"Don't ask anymore. Be good."
Shen Shuanglian felt a pang of disappointment.
But as his hand gently patted her head, she suddenly felt as if she had returned to that summer, sitting by the flowerbed.
His hand was warm and broad, soothing her like a small, comforted kitten. Her body curled up, her crystalline eyes glistening slightly. After a moment, she bit her lip and softly said,
"If you don't want to talk about it… fine. The past can stay in the past."
Then, lifting her head with a burning gaze, she said,
"But from now on, you're not allowed to leave me."
"What if… I really leave you again?" Chen Yin couldn't help but tease her.
Shen Shuanglian thought for a moment, remembering Chen Yin's words: "A girl's tears shouldn't be so cheap."
With utmost seriousness, she replied,
"Then I'll cry for you to see."
"But you already cried for me last night."
Shen Shuanglian's face instantly turned crimson.
Chen Yin thought for a moment, then leaned down and kissed her lightly on the forehead.
In a soft voice, he said,
"Don't cry until I come back. If you manage that, I'll reward you."
"What reward?"
"You'll know tonight."
Shen Shuanglian gave a small hum of agreement, then rested her chin on her knees, gazing at him expectantly.
"Come back quickly."
"Don't worry."
Chen Yin rekindled the fire before his figure flickered and disappeared from the cave.
The flickering firelight danced. Shen Shuanglian pulled the cloak tighter, half her little head tucked inside Chen Yin's outer garment.
—Always brushing me off like I'm a child.
But in truth, ever since I met you again in this world, I haven't cried again.
Even though I still can't let go of your disappearance.
Still, being able to reunite like this… I'm already grateful enough.
<+>
Rainy days made finding wild pheasants particularly difficult.
Chen Yin ventured a bit farther and still had trouble spotting any pheasants.
Eventually, he wandered to the spot where he'd previously encountered the Violet-Mane Thunder Tiger and began scouring the area for traces of pheasants.
After a long search, Chen Yin finally spotted a few pheasants leisurely strutting around the opposite side of a mountain stream.
Just as he was about to cross over, a low growl sounded from behind him.
Chen Yin turned to see the massive Violet-Mane Thunder Tiger crouching in the woods, eyeing him warily.
At its feet was the little tiger cub whose monster core Chen Yin had taken. The cub bared its teeth and growled lowly at him but kept shrinking backward in fear.
"I'm not here to cause trouble. Don't worry," Chen Yin said to them.
Then, turning back, he continued toward the pheasants.
The Violet-Mane Thunder Tiger growled again, but this time, the sound carried no malice—more like a mix of hesitation and warning.
Chen Yin's next step felt as if it collided with an invisible wall.
—Hmm?
For the first time, Chen Yin grew intrigued.
He cautiously probed forward and found that the invisible wall seemed to be some kind of barrier—blocking entry without causing harm.
The pheasants, however, wandered freely within the barrier, completely unaffected.
How could he let his prey slip away when they were already in sight? Irritation flared in Chen Yin. With a flick of his wrist, the Changming Sword leapt from his sleeve and hovered before him.
Standing firm, Chen Yin raised the sword and lightly swiped forward.
A crisp, tearing sound—like parchment being ripped—echoed as the air before him seemed to split in two.
Chen Yin sheathed his sword and stepped forward. With that single step, the surrounding scenery shifted instantly and drastically.
The once hazy, rain-drenched mountain stream suddenly transformed into a lush bamboo forest.
There was no rain, no wind; even the air seemed frozen in stillness.
—Who would set up such a barrier in the Tiantu Abyss?
Chen Yin walked along the bamboo forest. As the trees thinned, a solitary temple emerged at the end of the path.
The temple was ancient and decrepit, coated in thick dust. A damp, musty smell of decaying moss permeated the air.
Pushing open the cobweb-laden doors, Chen Yin casually swept the dust aside. The temple was smaller than he'd anticipated, consisting only of a modest main hall housing a faded statue.
Chen Yin did not recognize the statue, but it exuded a familiar aura.
—The same aura as my scroll.
Hesitating briefly, he raised his hand, and the aged, timeworn scroll appeared in his grasp.
As soon as the scroll materialized, the previously dim statue seemed to glow faintly for a fleeting moment before fading back to obscurity.
To Chen Yin's surprise, for the first time, a line of text appeared on the scroll:
"The heavens have a spirit. All things flourish and perish, wither and bloom in cycles."
This was the first time Chen Yin had seen any writing on the scroll. He had always assumed it was merely a storage device, with its true content hidden within its space.
But now, it seemed the scroll was incomplete.
The line was clearly unfinished—there should have been more, but it had yet to surface.
Chen Yin entered the scroll's space to investigate but found no changes. After staring at the line for a long while, he slowly put the scroll away.
Before leaving, he couldn't resist glancing back at the statue.
The statue was plain and rough, barely discernible as a slender, modest human figure—possibly a monk.
An inexplicable vision appeared in Chen Yin's mind:
In an ancient, primordial land, a monk with strikingly handsome features pressed his palms together in prayer, his eyes lowered in quiet reverence as he slowly knelt toward the heavens and earth.
Then, as if the cosmos were a giant closing its eyes, the world darkened and shut itself off.
Chen Yin snapped out of his daze and turned to look back at the statue—only to find himself once again standing by the mountain stream.
Behind him, the low growls of the Violet-Mane Thunder Tiger and its cub echoed, while a few bewildered pheasants stood before him, just as confused as he was.
Chen Yin pondered for a moment, then set the thought aside.
—I've always felt this scroll hides an enormous secret.
But it probably has nothing to do with the current me.
Facing the pheasants, Chen Yin found himself locked in a silent stare-off with them.
"Well, I really should thank you. If I hadn't been chasing after you, I wouldn't have discovered that place."
"As a reward, I won't hold back." He chuckled mischievously.
The pheasants: "…?"
<+>
When Chen Yin returned, Shen Shuanglian's eyes were already red from holding back tears.
Chen Yin: "…I admit I'm a bit late, but I can explain."
Shen Shuanglian: "I can also choose not to listen."
"…I was wrong. I'm sorry."
Shen Shuanglian pressed her lips tightly together, glaring silently at Chen Yin.
Sighing, Chen Yin began plucking the pheasants and muttered to himself, "If you want to hit me or scold me, go ahead. Whatever makes you happy."
"But before that, you have to obediently drink the soup."
By the time Chen Yin finished preparing the soup, night had fallen. Carrying a small stone bowl, he approached Shen Shuanglian.
She reached out to take it, but Chen Yin stopped her.
"Wait."
Holding the bowl, he carefully scooped a spoonful, blew on it to cool it down, and then brought it to her lips.
"You're afraid of burning yourself, right? Drink slowly."
Shen Shuanglian stared at him, dumbfounded, before obediently taking a small sip from the spoon and swallowing.
"So… is this the reward you mentioned? Feeding me soup?"
"Not enough?" Chen Yin asked in return.
"…It's enough."
Shen Shuanglian finished the entire bowl of soup, even licking her lips as if savoring the taste, before shyly retreating into her cloak.
Chen Yin placed a hand on her wrist, his brows furrowing slightly. "Your recovery is still a bit slow."
"Who would've thought the spiritual energy in that monster core would be so concentrated? There's still so much residual energy."
Shen Shuanglian suddenly realized something and instinctively shrank back, eyeing Chen Yin warily.
Chen Yin sighed helplessly. "I don't have much of a choice here, do I? It's for your recovery."
Shen Shuanglian said seriously, "It hurts."
"…I'll be gentle."
"You said the same thing yesterday."
"…"
<+>
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