Chapter 23
An Long had a restless night, haunted by the face of that bewitching individual in his dreams. He couldn't hit or curse at the apparition, severely testing his willpower...
Jolted awake, he felt an unprecedented sense of cowardice in matters like this.
Fuming, An Long ran off cheerfully to find his little darling to heal his wounded spirit. However, he saw Yue Wu Huan in the lab reporting to Song Qing Shi. He stealthily retreated, but Yue Wu Huan spotted him and bestowed upon him a flirtatious smile. An Long immediately wanted to scale the walls and flee, fearing he might not resist the urge to summon his Gu worms against this seducer.
Song Qing Shi was puzzled, "Why did An Long run off? I thought he wanted to be friends with you?"
Yue Wu Huan smiled, "I have no idea."
An Long: "..."
Irritated, he decided to take his revenge.
As the infamous Western Forest Gu King, feared by all, how could he be manipulated by a mere Qi cultivator?
An Long carefully assessed Song Qing Shi's weak points and discreetly took out an Illusion Gu. The Illusion Gu was not malicious; it sensed a person's inner desires and nature and crafted illusions accordingly. The illusions were vivid, and often sensual daydreams. He frequently used them to handle clingy women and sometimes even treated himself to unreachable delights within these illusions.
Given Yue Wu Huan's liberal nature and rich experience, the illusions under the Illusion Gu's influence would undoubtedly be fascinating. Once sated in the illusion, he would leave An Long alone. An Long could then expose the content of the illusions to embarrass Yue Wu Huan in front of Song Qing Shi and achieve other aims. If caught later, he could play dumb and brush it off as a joke.
Stealthily, An Long planted the Gu worm into Yue Wu Huan and eagerly awaited the results.
...
Yue Wu Huan sat alone in his study, suddenly feeling a bit dizzy...
When he woke up, he found himself amidst a sea of peach blossoms, his mind clouded and disoriented. Not until he noticed the calluses from sword practice and the sword in his hand did he begin to recall his life story.
Born a mortal, he had by chance entered the realm of immortals. Initially, he had practiced under a fraud named Xie Que. After discovering the man's ulterior motives, he escaped before disaster struck. He roamed alone for years until he met an elder swordmaster who recognized his talent and taught him swordsmanship.
Although his spiritual roots were not strong, he was a genius in the way of the sword. Every sword technique he glimpsed, he mastered immediately.
After achieving his Golden Core, he slew Xie Que, and roamed the Four Seas, challenging and defeating malevolent Nascent Soul cultivators beyond his level. Breaking free from the shackles of his meridians, he ascended to the Nascent Soul stage, cementing his status as a Sword Sovereign. Praise, envy, and adoration flooded in. All hailed his graceful demeanor and unparalleled beauty, dubbing him the most dazzling star and the most radiant phoenix in the sky.
He had a penchant for vibrant colors, favoring golden-red brocades and extravagant attire. He reveled in flamboyance, in unrestrained actions, and in collecting an array of gemstones and jewelry—pearls, agate, ruby, sapphire, jade. Each gem was flawlessly hued, and he kept them stored in boxes, awaiting the day he could gift them to someone special.
He spent many years searching...
Along the way, he encountered numerous exceptional suitors—both male and female cultivators, from god-like beings to novices. Some sought a union, others mere pleasure; some loved him passionately, others quietly. Yet, he was drawn to none. Rejecting confessions, invitations, and everyone who approached, he patiently awaited the one deserving of his treasure trove.
His travels took him far and wide, accumulating more and more gem-encrusted boxes.
Yet, that person never appeared.
Finally weary, he chose a random Immortal Mountain to rest.
The mountain was a bloom of peach blossoms. Every day, he practiced his swordsmanship under those trees.
Then, he noticed that someone from another Immortal Mountain nearby seemed to watch him every afternoon. The gaze was benign, respectful, appearing only during his sword practice and never overstepping boundaries. Accustomed to being the center of attention, he paid little mind to this harmless observer.
Surprisingly, a decade went by, and that person had been watching him for ten years.
The routine never changed—respectful, unintrusive—as if regarding him merely as a part of the scenery outside their window.
Eventually, his curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to know who this person was.
Silently concealing his spiritual senses, he infiltrated the neighboring Immortal Mountain under the cover of night.
The mountain was rather austere, filled with barren rocks. There was a simple, tiled cottage next to a herbal garden filled with peculiar plants. Under the light inside the cottage was a young man engrossed in reading. He was slight of build, clad in plain, snowy garments, entirely unadorned. His disheveled hair and delicate features invoked images of some fuzzy creature, but his eyes were the most captivating—crystal clear, as if untouched by earthly dust.
Pure white, it turned out, surpassed all vibrant colors in beauty...
His heart began to race, yet he didn't know how to face this newfound feeling. Quietly, he left a crystal in the courtyard, hoping the young man would discover it and seek him out. But the young man seemed oblivious, unaware of both the crystal and his visit.
Most of the time, the young man was engrossed in his own research, oblivious to external matters.
Having never pursued anyone before, he was somewhat shy and hesitant to confess.
Instead, every day he had birds secretly place a gemstone near the young man—sometimes by a stream, sometimes in the herbal garden, and sometimes under a tree. The young man's puzzled and intrigued expressions upon discovering these gems delighted him. He stored these stones in his medicine box, pondering their presence daily, although it was unclear what he was thinking.
Regardless, the betrothal gifts had been delivered.
His interest grew by the day, as he meticulously plotted ways to make the young man fall in love with him.
He dressed more flamboyantly with each passing day, and his swordsmanship became increasingly graceful. Occasionally, he would summon a cascade of blossoming peach petals or showcase his skills by severing a waterfall in two.
He gathered a variety of rare herbs and re-planted them on the hill where the young man lived.
During the Lantern Festival, he released a thousand sky lanterns of varying colors into the heavens, each one holding a pearl. They filled the sky, outshining even the stars. He directed these lanterns toward the young man and with a stroke of his sword, extinguished them in an instant. Pearls rained down, surrounding the youth who was both startled and bewildered, while he watched from the shadows, laughing heartily.
On the Qixi Festival, he summoned countless birds to fill the young man's home, chirping incessantly throughout the day. Confused and annoyed, the young man stepped outside, only to hear the melodious notes of "Phoenix Seeking Mate" coming from the forest opposite his house.
...
He felt like a male bird in courtship, gleefully displaying his beautiful feathers each day, hoping to capture attention.
Unfortunately, the object of his affection was blissfully unaware, seemingly not comprehending the nature of love.
Later, he ventured into a hidden realm to search for treasures and encountered grave danger, sustaining serious injuries.
He lay in his house recuperating, not stepping outside for many days.
A hesitant knock sounded at the door...
The young man finally came to his hillside, face flushed, awkwardly apologizing: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to spy on you. Living alone can be lonely at times, and seeing your radiant presence brightens my day..." The young man had been aware of his endeavors and had clumsily reciprocated by placing a variety of elixirs and herbs in jars within his yard, though he had never taken notice. The youth had come to visit out of concern for his prolonged absence.
It turns out the young man had feelings for him, too.
He was so overjoyed that his wounds tore open...
The young man, highly skilled in medicine, tended to his injuries and took care of him every day.
The young man was pure and introverted, not very expressive, but incredibly gentle and meticulous, never erring in anything he did.
The young man's gaze was always so earnest that it made his heart itch with desire.
So, he dragged the young man on various adventures to see breathtaking sights: from colorful forests to unparalleled ocean sunsets, from dazzling gem mines to roaring rivers in the depths of abysses, to clouds at dizzying heights... Together, they played the roles of wandering heroes, healers, explorers of hidden realms, theater-goers, and drinkers.
The young man grew more familiar with him, finally speaking more and filling his crystal-clear eyes with his own reflection and his laughter with the sound of his own name.
At last, he took the young man's hand and cautiously asked, "Would you hold this hand for a lifetime?"
The young man's eyes curved into a smile: "Yes."
A phoenix landed on the Chinese parasol tree; the exquisite gem that had awaited a home for so many years had finally found its place.
Under the witness of heaven and earth, they became bonded partners.
In the night, he discovered even more endearing qualities in the young man.
A little agitation would cause his eyes to redden; with a touch more provocation, tears would fall.
The young man always tried desperately to hold back, yet couldn't refrain from sobbing to crying outright for long. Eventually losing his voice from crying, he would still cling to him and repeatedly say, "Wu Huan, I love you."
"Wu Huan, I love you."
"Wu Huan, I love you."
"..."
The young man repeated the phrase over and over, each time increasing his own affection until it reached the point of madness.
He gifted him the most exquisite gems in the world.
He gave him the most beautiful flowers the world has to offer.
He set out to collect herbs, gather medical texts, and acquire all that the young man loved to gift it to him.
Together, they traversed the ends of the earth, witnessing all the beauty and wonders, savoring the finest wines and foods, finally choosing a place to call home.
They were the most devoted of partners, living the happiest of lives, never letting go of each other's hands.
One night, he abruptly woke up to find the young man not beside him on the pillow. A sense of unease surged within him, as if he had forgotten something important.
A mirror suddenly appeared in front of the bed...
It suddenly struck him that he had never looked into a mirror in this lifetime, having only a vague impression of his own appearance.
It was exceedingly strange, profoundly unsettling.
Rising slowly, as though compelled by some invisible force, he approached the mirror. He disrobed and looked at his reflection.
The man in the mirror was both familiar and unfamiliar, appearing to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. He was tall and well-proportioned, his muscles honed to perfect tautness without an ounce of excess fat. His waist was remarkably slender, with lines that suggested strength. Though his features were delicate, they also exuded a masculine elegance. His captivating phoenix eyes held an indomitable nobility—impeccably clean.
Yes, his face should be just like this...
He let out a slight sigh of relief.
Suddenly, the reflection in the mirror began to distort. A vivid red mole materialized below his left eye, exuding an aura of decadence. It ruthlessly shattered any semblance of nobility, tainted all purity. His physique morphed into that of a frail young man, devoid of strength, beauty tainted by allure. A scalding mark emerged on his back, dragging him towards an abyss of defilement...
Panicked, he drew his sword and shattered the mirror.
The beautiful dream ended...
Awakening in the illusion, he was unable to calm himself for a long time. Terrified, he looked at his uncalloused hands, his fragile body, and checked his reflection again. The laughable beauty and tear mole beneath his eye seemed to mock his naive fantasies.
No power, no fame, no gems, no young man, no home...
He was still Yue Wu Huan, who had nothing but defilement.
The mirror reluctantly fell from his hand, shattering into pieces.
Everything felt so dirty, all so dirty...
He couldn't control his breath, couldn't make a sound. He couldn't control his body, and could only curl into darkness, shaking incessantly. His chest ached as though it would rip apart. His fingers scratched bloody marks onto his body. Like a dying fish, he struggled for air but couldn't inhale. Slowly suffocating, unable to call for help, he watched himself inch closer to death.
Suddenly, the door to his study burst open.
It was Song Qing Shi, sensing that something was wrong. He rushed in and held him tightly.
He struggled to call out the young man's name, to say something, but his throat could only produce a hoarse whimper.
How pathetic he looked...
He had initially thought that he gradually fell in love with this person after receiving kindness and tenderness in Yao Wang Valley.
Now he realized that since their first meeting by the river, it had already been love at first sight.
That's why he forced his injured body to move closer; that's why he meddled to prevent a beautiful misunderstanding; that's why he wanted to touch that soft hair; that's why he was ashamed and angry to be discovered soiled; that's why he hoped for this person to have a better fate than his own...
That's why he clung desperately to this individual, unwilling to let go of this gentleness.
His body started to convulse, the world plunged into darkness, and he slowly collapsed, no longer able to hold himself up.
He could no longer hear what the young man was frantically calling out.
All that remained in his mind was the most enticing phrase from his dream:
"Wu Huan, I love you."