CHAPTER 23 .•° ✿ °•. Why did you show me A Sword Of Blooming Spring?

“Oh my god!”

At the same time Yun Yu saw Fu Changling, he couldn’t help yelping, “How did he get struck into this sorry state?! Is he… Is he even still alive?”

Qin Yan said nothing. He’d fixed his gaze on that set of withered bones at his feet. Only after a long time, he said, “The heavenly tribulation core’s test is a test of a person’s heart. If his will to live is strong, then regardless of what happens, he will live.”

“Does that mean Fellow Cultivator Fu is very afraid of death?”

Yun Yu smiled. Qin Yan said nothing. The gathering dark clouds in the sky had dispersed and a trickle of light fell upon Fu Changling, gentle and warm. Then, a drizzle began.

“Order the disciples.” Qin Yan lifted his gaze at that rainy tribulation and lightly said, “Perform an enlightenment where we stand.”

After he finished speaking, he knelt and lightly pried Fu Changling’s hand away from his robe.

Fu Changling fought to open his eyes. He saw that person prying his hand away from his robes before sitting down next to him.

The rainy tribulation poured, bringing the enlightenment of an ascension cultivator towards the heavenly tribulation with it. Within its perimeter, all the cultivators fell into sitting states of meditation, comprehending the baptism of this heavenly tribulation.

Fu Changling had no strength. He sprawled on the ground, quietly studying the person at his side.

As the rainy tribulation fell upon Fu Changling’s body, his flesh and blood gradually regenerated. He was like a person wrought anew. From inside out, every drop of blood and every piece of flesh, was new.

After a long time, the rainy tribulation came to a stop. Qin Yan opened his eyes and met Fu Changling’s gaze. He quietly got up after a long while, then ordered his people, “Take him back first.”

Hearing these words, Fu Changling smiled.

In the end, Qin Yan wouldn’t abandon him.

His heart fell into peace and he closed his eyes. He felt like he was aimlessly walking on clouds, like he was bouncing in and out of sleep. He heard the jabbering of many people around him. As these people were talking, they lifted him up and then seemed to have placed him somewhere.

When he woke up again, his wounds were bandaged. He was lying on a very soft bed, all around him quiet. He observed his surroundings and realized that he was in a very elegant room. The window was opened and through it, he could see the flowing white fog outside.

Yun Yu was leaning on the side as he dozed off. Fu Changling turned his gaze northwards to the roof of the bed and scanned his body using his spiritual consciousness.

His golden core was once again cracked, but it wasn’t as severe as the last time. Despite those cracks, it could still sustain a little bit of spiritual energy flowing through it.

The golden core he’d formed was the same as the one in his previous life. It was a ninth-ranking golden core. Even cracked, it could still sustain powers a foundation establishment cultivator was capable of.

He soothed his breath and moved his body.

The wounds on his body were properly tended. It seemed like a medicinal cultivator had paid him a visit.

After confirming the status of his body, he pushed himself up into a sitting position. Just as he got up, he woke Yun Yu up. Seeing that he’d woken up, Yun Yu happily said, “Fellow Cultivator Fu, you’ve woken up?”

“Fellow Cultivator Yun?”

Fu Changling sat up and weakly smiled. “How long have I been sleeping?”

“It’s already been two days.” Yun Yu quickly added, “Shixiong sent a message to Patriarch Fu but Patriarch Fu is bound by duties at this moment. After he’d asked Shixiong about the current situation at hand, they’ve agreed to meet in Clear Water Town. Now we’re almost arriving in Clear Water Town. How are you feeling?”

Fu Changling nodded his head and asked, “Where is your Shixiong?”

“Oh, Shixiong is playing a game of chess with Young Master Su. I’ll call him over.”

Yun Yu ran out as he spoke. He ordered the disciples guarding the door to call for Qin Yan and then he came back and pulled out a cattail hassock to sit next to Fu Changling, curiously looking at him. “Fellow Cultivator Fu, did my Shixiong and you encounter anything strange in the hidden realm? How did you form a golden core so quickly? Did you find any relics? Or any ancient manuscripts? Did any worldly masters guide the way or take you in as a disciple? You can tell me and I won’t tell anyone.”

Fu Changling listened to Yun Yu speak. He wasn’t sure what to say, but after a long while, he sincerely advised him, “Fellow Cultivator Yun, try not to read too many drama scripts.”

“You can just call me Yun Yu.” Yun Yu waved his hand and continued, “Those drama scripts, as they said, are the life experiences of our seniors. They could be referenced; there’s no need to be so disdainful of them. In fact, something seems to be weighing on my Shixiong’s mind ever since he came out of the hidden realm. It seems like he encountered something grave. It’s quite impossible for you to say that you guys hadn’t encountered anything, surely?”

“Then, even if something’s weighing on his mind, it’s not something so joyous such as discovering ancient manuscripts or having a worldly master to guide the way, surely?”

Fu Changling got dressed as he pointed out the errors in Yun Yu’s logic. He pretended to nonchalantly ask, “What makes you say that something is weighing on your Shixiong’s mind?”

“His mind drifts off.” Yun Yu looked at Fu Changling and sighed, emphasizing on it. “Happens frequently.”

Fu Changling listened to him and a series of turbulent emotions rolled in his chest.

He hoped to see Qin Yan quickly, but he didn’t know what he should say when he did see him.

He had too many things to say to him, but these words, regardless of which part they were, appeared to be inappropriate to say out loud.

Controlling his emotions, he adjusted his hair and soothed his nerves before sitting at the side of the table and began chatting with Yun Yu.

As the both of them were chatting, someone’s footsteps sounded outside.

The sound that came in first was a walking stick. Tap, tap, tap, it rang.

Followed behind it was a green walking stick made of jade poking through the door. A blind young man with white silk over his eyes came walking in.

This young man wore snow-coloured long robes with sewn patterns of red spider lilies, making him look both vibrant and eccentric. He was born extremely handsome, his aura warm and elegant, carrying a graceful bearing whenever he went. He had obviously received the best of education since he was young at a noble birth.

After his figure came into sight, Qin Yan appeared behind him around the corner. Qin Yan standing one step behind him wasn’t because both of their statuses were different. He was constantly paying close attention to the young man in front of him, obviously worried for him. So it was easier for him to keep watch if he stood a little behind.

Fu Changling’s gaze stuck fast to Qin Yan. Once the two of them walked through the door, Fu Changling was still in a blank stare. The blind young man bowed in greeting at Fu Changling and smiled, gently speaking, “This humble one is named Su Wenji. I have long heard of Young Master Fu’s name.”

“Young Master Su.” Fu Changling returned to his senses upon hearing that and quickly adjusted his emotions. He jumped to his feet and asked after him, bowing in greeting to Su Wenji, then Qin Yan, and only after a while did he say, “Fellow Cultivator Qin.”

“How does Young Master Fu feel?”

Su Wenji asked, tapping the ground with his jade walking stick. He found a place to sit. Qin Yan followed behind him and sat next to him, pouring him a cup of tea before putting it three cun away from Su Wenji’s arm.

The reason Fu Changling noticed it was three cun was because, in his last life, on a year when the Immortal Alliance tried to come to a truce with Qin Yan, Su Wenji had followed him. When Qin Yan saw Su Wenji, he poured him a cup of tea and in the few times he did, it was similar to the present: they were all three cun apart.

Fu Changling watched these three cun, and finally confirmed that Qin Yan wasn’t simply putting it at a random distance. This had been Su Wenji’s habit.

He was always so nice regardless of who it was.

“Young Master Fu?”

Seeing that Fu Changling hadn’t answered him, Su Wenji repeated. Fu Changling once again came back to his senses and discreetly moved his gaze off that cup. Apologetically, he said, “My apologies. I’m still a little high in the clouds having just woken up. I beg your forgiveness, Young Master Su.”

“No harm done.” Su Wenji shook his head and said, “We have already allowed the medical cultivators to look over Young Master Fu’s wounds. Your external wounds are nothing serious, but your golden core… is damaged, I fear.”

He spoke with consideration as if he was contemplating how he should word it. Fu Changling tapped his palm with his golden fan and calmly said, “Young Master Su, there is no need to hold anything back.”

Having received these words, Su Wenji no longer held back. “Then I shall be frank. Brother Fu’s golden core is of the ninth ranking, a god’s given gift. But since it has cracked, in the future you cannot overexert it. Otherwise, your crack will worsen and you might lose your golden core.”

“Does that mean that Fellow Cultivator Fu could not cultivate in future again?” Yun Yu instantly interfered upon hearing those words. Qin Yan glared at him coldly and Yun Yu instantly clasped a hand over his mouth, quickly taking a step backwards, implying that he wouldn’t speak without consideration again.

Fu Changling flashed a smile at Yun Yu and comforted him, “It doesn’t matter.” And then, he spun the little fan in his hand before looking back at Su Wenji. “I am grateful for Young Master Su to have told me all of this. My grievances this time have troubled you. Here, I sincerely thank Young Master Su,” Fu Changling then bowed at Qin Yan, “as well as Fellow Cultivator Qin. In the future, if both of you have anything you might need from Changling, please do not hesitate to seek me out.”

Su Wenji nodded and after they chatted for a while, Su Wenji seemed to feel weary. He apologetically said, “Yesterday night, I spent too long looking at the stars. A-Yan,” Su Wenji turned to Qin Yan and ordered, “Please take good care of Young Master Fu.”

“Go sleep.” Qin Yan spoke, “You shouldn’t have come to begin with.”

Su Wenji smiled, said nothing more, and after bowing farewell to Fu Changling, he turned and left. Before he left, Fu Changling suddenly called after him, “Young Master Su.”

Su Wenji stopped his steps. Fu Changling lowered his gaze and said, “Yesterday, when you were observing the stars, what did the astrological phenomena say?”

Had it been the past, he would never have asked this question. Because he didn’t believe in fate.

But now, his perspective on fate has changed and he has begun to pay closer attention to it.

Listening to his inquiry, with his back faced towards him, after a long time, Su Wenji said, “Follow your heart and all may end up well.”

After he finished speaking, he tapped his jade walking stick on the ground and called for Yun Yu. “Yun Yu, help me back.”

Hearing these words, Yun Yu looked a little curious. But he still went forward and guided Su Wenji, blatantly speaking, “Don’t you know your way? Why would you need my help?”

Su Wenji coldly said back, “Shut your mouth.”

After the both of them left, only Qin Yan and Fu Changling were left in the room. The both of them sat around a small table. Fu Changling kept his head low and gave himself a cup of tea. His voice was calm and emotionless as he said, “Fellow Cultivator Qin, you seem quite close with Young Master Su.”

“He’s been my companion since we were young.”

Fu Changling’s actions paused. He wanted to say something clamorous but no words came out.

After something weighed on his chest for a while, after a long time, he forced a smile and lifted his gaze at Qin Yan. “Surely, you have something to ask me since you’ve stayed behind?”

“Indeed.”

Fu Changling pursed his lips and nodded his head. “I too have questions I want to ask you.”

“What?”

“In the hidden realm,” Fu Changling tilted his head, “Why did you show me A Sword Of Blooming Spring?”