CHAPTER 26 The Coaxial Heart Spell, who did it?

Hearing these words, Fu Changling turned and looked at his own old man with a blank expression. “If I could find myself a way in, would I still be sitting here?”

“That’s because you don’t have a strategy.”

Fu Yushu fished out a bottle from his pouch and waved it in Fu Changling’s face. Fu Changling asked, confused, “What is that?”

“The Thousand-Faces Elixir.”

Fu Yushu passed the bottle to Fu Changling, speaking a little angrily, “Do you know why I brought you back? You cannot chase after ladies in this way. Just look at yourself, making a fuss and refusing to leave the Heavenly Palace of Hongmeng, wouldn’t you have scared them? What is her relationship with you? Are you even a couple yet? Only a couple can bug each other in that manner. The both of you have only just met.” Fu Yushu emphasized on his words and said, “So you need to pay attention to four things: Abide. Obey. Be patient. And take it slow.[6]”

“So what do you mean by giving me this Thousand-Faces Elixir?” Fu Changling asked, holding the bottle.

Fu Yushu nodded. “It’s exactly that you’re thinking of. Start from the beginning and leave them a good impression.”

“But if I was found out in the future, wouldn’t this be a bad impression?”

Fu Changling instantly rebuked. Fu Yushu knocked his head with his fan and quietly scolded, “How can you be so stupid? Now, you are simply trying to blend in to foster your relationship. After the relationship has been fostered enough, when that time comes, you should tell her that it was because you love her. When you have a strong enough relationship, by the time you give them your sincere apologies and express your regret, everything will be over. If you refuse to go even now, how can you ever hope to chase after them?”

Fu Yushu snorted coldly. “I’m afraid that you will be immediately cast out right after you arrived at the gates of the Heavenly Palace of Hongmeng.”

Fu Changling said nothing. Fu Yushu’s prediction might actually come true. He did indeed get kicked out once.

He sighed. Holding the Thousand-Faces Elixir, he felt that this truly was his only choice. After giving it some thought, he turned to Fu Yushu, “Why do you think they hate me?”

“Then you should think back on what you’ve done to them.” Fu Yushu resolutely asked, “Have you ever been nice to them?”

“No…”

Hearing those words, Fu Yushu gave his son a disgusted look. “Do you know what they like?”

“Not really…”

“Do you understand them?”

“Not really…”

“What have you done to them?”

Fu Changling remained silent. Fu Yushu supported his chin with a hand and drawled, “If you don’t tell me, how would I be able to help you?”

“I…” Fu Changling felt a little embarrassed. “At first, I lied to them. Back when we were in the Shangguan Manor, I pushed them out to block an incoming sword. When they were protecting me, I ran off on my own…”

Fu Yushu gave him an expression of shock.

Having made it through the difficult part, Fu Changling was less hesitant in speaking afterwards. “And then they wanted to kill me. We were both fighting each other until we were both heavily wounded. I placed a Coaxial Heart Spell on them when they were unconscious. After that, we worked together and the process was quite enjoyable!”

“What other processes are not enjoyable then?” Fu Yushu asked with his last hope on his silly little son.

Fu Changling forced a smile. “And then, when my heart demon went into my body, I hit them…”

“You hit them?”

“I even scolded them…”

“You even scolded them?”

Fu Yushu inhaled a cold breath. Fu Changling nodded his head. After saying those things, he seemed to understand why Qin Yan loathed him.

Nobody would have a temperament that tolerated this, surely?

As the father and son sank into silence, Fu Yushu quietly sipped a mouthful of tea to soothe his nerves. After a while of weighing it in his head, he said, “My dear Changling[7], you have a long life ahead of you. Would you consider finding a new match for yourself?”

“I don’t dare ask for anything in this life,” Fu Changling sighed. “But I owe them, and I want to repay them.”

Fu Yushu said nothing. He gave it some serious thought. Then, Fu Changling carefully looked at him and asked, “Dad, am I beyond saving?”

“This… uh…” Fu Yushu pondered over it.“Must you save this situation?”

“I must.”

“Then… What if it’s beyond saving?”

“Dad.” Fu Changling kept the Thousand-Faces Elixir into his pouch and squinted his eyes, tilting his head.“Stepmom wants to kill me. If you take me back, we will be settling this with the domestic disciplines of the clan.”

Hearing these words, Fu Yushu knew what Fu Changling meant.

Yue Sihua was the eldest daughter of the Yue Clan. Their marriage wasn’t only just between them, but it also involved the pride of the Yue and Fu Clans. He could never punish Yue Sihua; even though Fu Changling was a bastard, he was also the eldest son of the Fu Clan. If Fu Changling wanted to create a ruckus about Yue Sihua’s plans to kill him, then it would make both families lose their pride.

“My dear Changling.” Fu Yushu lifted his hand to fondle the back of Fu Changling’s head, his face full of concern. “How are you so silly when you were in the Heavenly Palace of Hongmeng, yet so witty when you’re speaking with me, your father?”

“Dad,” Fu Changling played coy and smiled. “You have a rich knowledge in dating. Please think of a solution for me.”

“Let me see...” Fu Yushu gave a very twisted look. “It is possible to give you a chance to get close to them, but whether or not the both of you could make up later on… Son, I cannot say.”

“As long as I can get close to them.” Fu Changling didn’t try to push his luck. He used his hand to tap Fu Yushu’s shoulder. “Leave the rest to me and relax.”

“Alright then.”

Fu Yushu nodded. “Then tend your wounds. I will make the necessary arrangements for you.”

With his father’s promise, Fu Changling relaxed. He quickly got to his feet and massaged Fu Yushu’s shoulder. “Dad, I know that you love me the most.”

Fu Yushu froze when he heard those words.

In the past, Fu Changling would never say such things. Even if Fu Changling was used to currying favours with others, even if he was used to doing good deeds, he would never say something like, “You love me the most ”.

Regardless of how skilled someone was at earning the favours of others, they would feel rebellious in their hearts. Fu Yushu’s favouritism was an eternal wound in the heart of seventeen-year-old Fu Changling.

Fu Yushu’s silence made Fu Changling uneasy. He couldn’t help himself saying, “Dad, why aren’t you saying anything?”

“It’s nothing.” Fu Yushu smiled. “I just think that… you’ve grown up.”

“You understand things better now.”

His voice got quieter and quieter. Fu Changling’s heart clenched as he listened. He massaged Fu Yushu’s shoulder and quietly said, “Dad, what were you doing recently?”

“A huge trade.” Fu Yushu closed his eyes, enjoying the comfort Fu Changling’s massage was giving him. As Fu Changling listened, he recalled how ill Fu Yushu had been in his previous life and could not help feeling sad in his heart.

Fu Yushu’s body was never well to begin with. Afterwards, when the war between the Immortals and Demons took place, he commanded the movement of resources in the rear of the immortal realm. After experiencing the assassination of a demonic cultivator, he was paralyzed. Later on, Yunze’s spiritual air receded and he was among the first batch of cultivators who suffered from it.

Fu Changling had thought of it countless times. If the demonic cultivators from the Avici hadn’t shown up, if the war between the Immortals and Demons never happened, or perhaps Fu Yushu’s health was better than it originally was, even if he was fated to die, he would not have died so early in life.

“Don’t overexert yourself any more in the future.”

Fu Changling quietly comforted him, “Leave matters to other people. Look at Second and Third Uncle; which one of them works harder than you? Each of them are focused on cultivating and it’s you alone who runs about taking care of such trivial matters. Your eldest is not a child anymore—I’m a core formation stage cultivator now. I’m at my core formation stage now…”

“And a darn core formation stage cultivator can try to teach me a lesson?”

Fu Yushu was bothered by his words. Using his fan, he smacked Fu Changling’s ass and said, “Go back and take a rest. Stop nagging me!”

Fu Changling came out to see servant girls waiting for him when Fu Yushu chased him out. Four servant girls bowed to him in greeting and, smiling plentifully, they said, “Eldest Young Master, please follow us.”

Fu Changling followed his two servant girls into his sleeping chambers. Along the way, he admired the decor of the flying ship. The entire ship was practically royalty-like, almost eye-blinding, yet it provided its observers a sense of comfort.

The four servant girls brought him into the room. One of them poured him some tea, one warmed up his bed, one fetched him some warm water to clean his hands, and the last one brought him some clothes to change into.

The servant girls were all well-trained. The entire process was carried out quietly. Fu Changling felt awkward, but at the same time, he also felt a distant sense of familiarity. Once he fell onto his magnolia-scented bed with his hair sprawled all around him, only then did he use the strength he’s left to think: So, this was how my life was back when I was seventeen.

Old days such as these were too far behind in his memory.

He was used to the winds and rains. He was used to blood. He was used to feeling insecurity, used to scarce meals and sleeping in the streets. Even after he successfully established the Immortal Alliance and became its leader, even after he killed all the demonic cultivators, due to the lack of resources and his eventual desire afterwards to dedicate himself towards cultivation, he no longer lived a life as luxurious as this.

He realized that the most beneficial factor of his present life was that it provided him with a sense of security. It provided him with a feeling that this world was peaceful and calm.

He wanted this world to continue being this way.

Fu Changling quietly thought as he lay on the bed.

In this life, he didn’t only want to watch over Qin Yan, he also wanted to allow himself, his family, his friends, to enjoy pleasant days their whole lives.

As Fu Changling nurtured his wounds with Fu Yushu, Qin Yan and Su Wenji returned to the Heavenly Palace of Hongmeng.

The Heavenly Palace of Hongmeng was built atop the clouds. It was a rectangular courtyard-like place floating in the sky that could accommodate more than ten thousand inhabitants. There were people walking to and fro in the courtyard and it was extremely crowded. There were corridors made of wood around its perimeters, surrounding this gigantic and rectangular city. Many people were walking on the long corridors, whether they were standing or sitting, or laughing with people they were with.

Above this main court were seven little mountains that connected each other floating on top. Qin Yan’s flying ship gradually flew to the peak of the tallest mountain and landed. Disciples came running out of the flying ship.

Qin Yan and Su Wenji walked out together. Leading the other disciples, Su Wenji turned to Qin Yan, “I will first follow the others to the Hall of Salvation to take a look. Will you be following me, or will you first see Palace Lord Jiang?”

“I will see my shifu.”

Qin Yan answered stoically but Su Wenji didn’t feel surprised. He nodded and led his people away. Qin Yan turned and flew to the higher grounds on his sword.

Jiang Yebai’s living place was in the highest spot of the Heavenly Palace of Hongmeng. Due to its height, the entire courtyard was often covered in snow. When Qin Yan landed on the courtyard, a blanket of pure white snow greeted him. He stood at the doors of the little hut and bowed in greeting. “Shifu, your disciple has returned.”

“Come in.”

Jiang Yebai’s voice came from the inside. His voice was cold, almost identical to Qin Yan’s. But when one takes a closer look, they’d find that they’re not similar at all.

Qin Yan’s coldness was like the blooming flowers of an icy mountain. Cold, but having some warmth to it.

But Jiang Yebai’s voice had no sorrow, no joy; it was the sort of lonesome coldness that has long seen through all living things of the mortal world.

Yet, those words “come in”, though cold, had sounded surreal. They didn’t sound clear to the one speaking them.

Having heard these words, Qin Yan walked inside. The inside of the room looked more ordinary than it was on the outside. There was a huge black marble mat on the ground, vermillion pillars, and although the room was huge, there was nothing in it except for a small bed and a small square table, leaving it looking forlorn and cold.

Jiang Yebai was lying down on his bed, his back faced against Qin Yan, appearing to have slept.

He was wearing a silver outer robe with patterns of swirling golden clouds, white inner robes, and his hair was sprawled next to him, his silver guan placed on his side.

The entire room seemed to be filled with the scent of alcohol. There was even a jar of it next to his bed, lying on its side. Qin Yan walked in and bent down to prop it upwards, standing, then placed his sword next to Jiang Yebai, reaching out to pull the covers over him.

Jiang Yebai didn’t move. He blearily said, “You’re back? Anything happen?”

“En.”

Qin Yan lightly answered, seemed to be afraid of waking him, “Your disciple is well, rest assured.”

Speaking, Jiang Yebai reached out and held Qin Yan’s wrist.

Qin Yan didn’t move. He allowed Jiang Yebai to scan him with his spiritual energy before he watched him slowly widening his eyes and passively said, “You carry so many wounds on yourself, and you’re telling me nothing happened?”

“I was injured a little bit when roaming outside,” Qin Yan quietly said.

Jiang Yebai let go of his hand and turned to look at him. Qin Yan got to his feet and wrangled a towel from the basin of water on the side. Jiang Yebai sat up and watched as Qin Yan brought the cloth over to him to help him wipe his face. Then he picked up his hand and carefully wiped his thumb.

Jiang Yebai watched as he worked and said nothing.

He was only thirty-four at this point in time. He was only twenty when he achieved his immortalization stage. Presently, he only looked like a young man in his early twenties.

Perhaps it was because all his efforts were spent on the path of sword cultivation, so he knew nothing about living life.

He’d taken Qin Yan in when he was twenty. Back then, Qin Yan was only four years old and he had started taking care of him since. And so, even if Jiang Yebai was already thirty-four now, he had never learned how to take care of himself.

Qin Yan helped him scrub his hand clean and quietly said, “Shifu shouldn’t be drinking too much.”

“You weren’t here,” Jiang Yebai calmly said. “It was a rare opportunity.”

“Even if you want to drink,” Qin Yan turned to dip the cloth into the basin and wash it clean, then brought the basin out, “Don’t leave the jars lying around.”

“En.”

As Qin Yan was walking out with the basin of water, before he could step out, he heard Jiang Yebai’s voice coming from behind, “A-Yan.”

“Hm?”

“The Coaxial Heart Spell, who did it?”