The two stood facing each other, with Lu Huaitian between them. It was the first time they had genuinely looked each other in the eye.
Hua Yan was momentarily stunned. Lu Chengsha’s eyes were clear and distinct, the clarity unchanged, and he seemed a bit taken aback as well. He instinctively wanted to look away but couldn’t bear to do so, turning his gaze back.
Lu Huaitian had originally called Lu Chengsha to say something, but upon seeing his expression, he turned around to see the woman in red standing there elegantly.
She still had that beautiful appearance, but now her expression was somewhat vacant, her red lips slightly pursed, with a hint of grievance and hurt. She looked vastly different from the demoness he had seen on the rooftop of Tingjian Manor back then, evoking great sympathy.
This was truly an entangled and unending fate.
The disciples of Tingjian Manor dared not speak, merely watching the two with mixed feelings.
The stories about these two, even if not witnessed, had been heard a thousand times. The celebrated righteous Lu Chengsha and the demonic Heavenly Fire demoness, their tale had been embellished countless times, becoming more poignant and bizarre with each retelling.
No one had expected to see their reunion, and they held their breath.
When the two stood there, strange emotions seemed to arise, and an odd sense of longing filled the air. It didn’t seem like they hadn’t seen each other for years, yet the desperate desire to take another look was very real.
Some regretted their lack of literary talent; if they could capture this moment in words and sell it, they might make a fortune from people’s curiosity.
Lu Huaitian thought to himself, if he told Lu Zhenxing about this, he would probably be furious.
He coughed to break their gaze and said, “Chengsha, you…”
But anything he said seemed inappropriate.
In front of everyone, he couldn’t ask if he had enough money or if he wanted more, nor could he ask if he would visit his grandfather for the New Year. Although their family didn’t celebrate it, the absence of one person was still felt.
The Lu family had few disciples of this generation. Compared to Lu Chengsha, the others seemed insignificant.
This led him to wonder if Lu Chengsha had really made such a terrible mistake.
What Lu Huaitian didn’t expect was that Lu Chengsha spoke first.
His voice was tense, knowing his words were inappropriate, but he continued, “…This time, it’s really not the work of the demonic sect.”
No one expected to hear Lu Chengsha defending the demonic sect.
In another time and place, it is likely that some of the more hot-tempered disciples of Tingjian Manor would have questioned him harshly. They would have asked if he had been bewitched by the demonic sect, if he had already joined them, and why he was speaking on their behalf. However, considering he had just killed nearly half of the masked men single-handedly, saving countless disciples who might have been injured or killed, questioning him now would seem ungrateful.
Especially since the demonic sect leader was still holding Young Master Yu hostage, waiting for someone to deliver the antidote, adding to the confusion.
A timid voice spoke up, “Perhaps it’s a ploy by the demonic sect, staging this to make us lower our guard… only to trap us later…” The speaker himself realized the contradiction in his statement as he finished.
If they wanted to trap them all, there was no better time than now. So many had been poisoned by the tea. Given that the demonic sect leader had mastered the Tiancan Sword Technique, although calling him invincible was an exaggeration, with his current inner strength, no one could stop him if he decided to go on a rampage.
Alternatively, he could have waited a bit longer, appearing after they were severely weakened from fighting the masked men.
“Even if this time it wasn’t the demonic sect, does saving us once erase all the past wrongs? What about all the evils the demonic sect has committed before? Have you all forgotten the atrocities at the Miyin Dragon Cave?”
“We’ve lost so many disciples to them. Surely we all remember that grudge!”
“And that demonic witch before…” The speaker trailed off as the demonic witch herself, Hua Yan, walked over.
Hua Yan, counting on her fingers, said, “You ambushed me once in Cixin Valley, then lured me out to assassinate me at an inn, and at Tingjian Manor, you tried to kill me many times. Pray tell, what unforgivable crime have I committed?”
The disciple, under her fierce glare, was at a loss for words. Holding his sword at his waist, he looked wary and nervous, unable to think of anything for a moment, stammering, “You… you deceived Lu Chengsha’s feelings!”
Hua Yan was momentarily dumbfounded by this accusation.
Then, with hands on her hips, she retorted, “Why don’t you go ask Lu Chengsha yourself if I deceived his feelings? He’s right over there. Go ask him now.”
The disciple hesitated and said, “You said it yourself back then, you…”
Hua Yan, not missing a beat, lied smoothly, “That was then. Now is now. I’ve genuinely fallen for him now. Is that not allowed?”
Before the disciple could respond, the others were left speechless, never having heard such an argument before. Feelings could change like that?
Someone said, “Who would believe you? One moment you say it was deceit, the next you claim it’s genuine. Only a fool would believe your nonsense!”
At that moment, someone unexpected spoke up.
Lu Chengsha, his gaze no longer on Hua Yan, looked somewhere else coldly. His voice was clear, slightly chilly, and easily recognizable. As everyone watched Hua Yan, he said, “I believe her.”
This successfully drew everyone’s attention.
However, this time, their expressions were even more complex.
“Lu… Young Hero Lu, you aren’t being deceived by this demoness again, are you?”
“You were already tricked by her once. Do you want to be fooled a second time?”
“This… this… it’s really…”
But Lu Chengsha continued, “She didn’t deceive me.”
His tone was especially earnest, as if stubbornly arguing with everyone.
The crowd fell silent, unsure of what to say. Earlier, they could have called him stubborn, hopeless, bewitched by the demonic sect, and destined to fall into evil. Now, they couldn’t say a word.
The disciples were at a loss for words, and then an elder of Tingjian Manor, who had been slowly meditating, spoke up, “What a tangled fate. Why do you favor this demoness so? Any other woman, as long as she’s not from the demonic sect, we can discuss with the old manor lord.”
This elder had always cherished talent. He was speaking out of concern and didn’t expect Lu Chengsha to respond. With Lu Chengsha’s usual temperament, he wouldn’t normally answer.
But it seemed that in these two years away, Lu Chengsha had changed. He now knew how to argue and what to fight for.
Lu Chengsha said, “Why can’t it be her?”
The elder immediately replied, “She’s from the demonic sect.”
Lu Chengsha said, “I know. But she hasn’t asked me to commit any evil deeds, and she isn’t a bad person.”
The elder said, “You judge her not to be a bad person based on just this one instance?”
“Not just this one instance, but many times.” Lu Chengsha struggled to find the right words. He wasn’t good at persuading people, but he had to try, “Since I met her, she has always been good. She is not inherently deceitful, not cruel, not murderous, and has not done evil. She is not like the demonic sect people you described to me. Why should a person’s character be judged solely based on their background?”
“But she clearly deceived you before!”
Lu Chengsha said, “She had no malicious intent. She only spoke the truth. I would treat her the same as any other demonic sect member.”
No one expected to see Lu Chengsha arguing with someone, especially an elder.
Among the surprised was Hua Yan herself.
She knew that this matter would take time and couldn’t be rushed. She was prepared for the long haul, but seeing Lu Chengsha’s continuous and determined efforts, she couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions.
She felt a sour ache in her heart.
Lu Huaitian stepped forward and said, “Alright then, since your mind is made up, there’s no need for further persuasion.”
Hua Yan’s eyes lit up. “So, I can be with him?”
Lu Huaitian replied ambiguously, “That’s not something I can control.”
…Well, it seems convincing that stubborn old Lu Zhenxing is still necessary.
Hua Yan’s eyes burned with hope. “Then can I see him?”
Lu Huaitian paused slightly and said, “Since he has been expelled from Tingjian Manor, why do you need to ask me if you want to see him?”
Hua Yan anxiously replied, “It’s because your father… he doesn’t agree…” Her tone softened.
In the distance, many people from Tingjian Manor were watching in surprise, whispering among themselves.
“Could it be that the demonic witch wants to reform for Lu Chengsha?”
“She just saved Miss Ling. Maybe she really does want to…”
“She won’t be using the same old trick to toy with Lu Chengsha’s feelings again, will she?”
—
The antidote from Wang Chuanyang had been retrieved. Yu Ye had indeed made thorough preparations, placing more than a dozen bottles of antidote in a secret compartment. Each bottle contained dozens of pills, more than enough for everyone. However, they were still somewhat suspicious and had a few disciples from Cixin Valley check them one by one before distributing them.
Xie Yingxian was not worried that Yu Ye would tamper with the antidote. Yu Ye was now in a position where his only option was to cling to life. If the antidote was fake, it would not harm Xie Yingxian at all, but Yu Ye would immediately face dire consequences.
Yu Ye had already applied acupressure to stop the bleeding, but the pain from the wound on his right arm was relentless. Xie Yingxian’s sword had cut to the bone, just a bit deeper and it would have severed it. He was in such pain that his face turned pale, yet he couldn’t treat the wound. He could only watch helplessly as time passed, his hand’s tendons beyond repair. Even if it healed, his right hand would never function as it used to.
He dared not utter a word in protest. Every time he spoke, Xie Yingxian would inflict another cut.
This pitiful situation should have elicited sympathy, but even Ling Aoxue had been knocked unconscious and taken away by Ling Tianxiao. The others only looked at him with disdain, considering it fortunate if they didn’t spit on him.
Aside from those stubbornly refusing the demonic sect’s antidote, most had taken the medicine and were gradually regaining their inner strength.
Seeing this, Yu Ye cautiously asked, “Can we proceed now?”
Xie Yingxian finally lifted his hand. He had kept his sword on Yu Ye’s body, its cold gleam stained with blood, a constant threat.
Yu Ye’s right arm had gone numb. He quickly and gently applied the medicine, then took a sheep-gut suture and some spirits from his waist to sew himself up. His face turned even paler as he worked.
Xie Yingxian, bored, toyed with his sword and said, “Do you think Jiang Louyue will still protect you?”
His voice was very low, only the two of them could hear.
Yu Ye said nothing, just gritted his teeth and continued stitching his wound.
Xie Yingxian switched to transmitting his voice directly to Yu Ye’s mind, “How about one last deal? Everyone knows you poisoned these righteous heroes and intended to kill Ling Tianxiao’s daughter. Even if I don’t kill you, you’ll have a hard time leaving the Five Sects Conference alive. I can give you a way out, and I’ll avoid causing trouble for Yufeng Hall in the future. You help me capture Jiang Louyue.”
With deft hands, Yu Ye’s stitching was fine and precise. Soon, he had stitched up the bowl-sized wound on his arm, then proceeded to handle his other wounds, his forehead dripping with cold sweat. After finishing, he gasped for breath and gritted his teeth, “Xie… Ying… Xian.”
Xie Yingxian responded, “Why call me? Surely someone like you wouldn’t be asking how I could collaborate with you right after attacking you. Aren’t you the most flexible? I’m offering you a way to survive; you should grasp it tightly.”
Yu Ye closed his eyes briefly, trying to calm his emotions.
He knew that if Xie Yingxian said this, he wouldn’t let him die, and he should at least play along for now. But this was Xie Yingxian, the person he could never surpass no matter what!
Yu Ye was obedient and diligent, while Xie Yingxian was rebellious, lazy, and unruly, yet everyone always sided with him!
The woman he saw as his mother, no matter how well she treated him, always truly cared only for Xie Yingxian. No matter how hard Yu Ye studied and trained, she would praise him, but if Xie Yingxian merely glanced at a book, she would be overjoyed and almost want to hug him.
He knew she was Xie Yingxian’s mother, but he couldn’t help feeling jealous.
Even his former fiancée, Hua Yan, often showed excessive affection towards Xie Yingxian. Yu Ye always feared that Hua Yan would eventually leave him for Xie Yingxian, who constantly hinted, directly or indirectly, that if he wanted a wife, Yu Ye wouldn’t stand a chance!
He sought compensation from other women, trying to be the perfect person, hoping to become irreplaceable in someone’s heart, but it was self-deception.
Who would want to live like that?
But going all in had no good outcome either.
After calming down for a while, Yu Ye said, “Fine, I agree. But I have one more question.”
Xie Yingxian replied, “Hmm? Go ahead and ask.”
Yu Ye’s face showed no smile, only bitterness, “I betrayed the sect and repeatedly plotted against you. Do you feel no resentment or pain towards me?”
Xie Yingxian smiled slightly and said, “Who takes a mere clown seriously? Don’t you agree?”
***
Most of the righteous heroes had regained their inner strength, and others were gradually stepping forward to clean up the aftermath. Whether the Five Sects Conference should continue was now a bit awkward, as the primary agenda had become somewhat irrelevant.
With their recovery, the remaining members of the demonic sect were now in danger, given the obvious disparity in numbers.
Some privately discussed, “The demonic sect leader and the demoness protector are both here, and they haven’t brought many people. We rarely have such an opportunity with all the sects gathered. Why don’t we…”
However, this suggestion was immediately met with opposition.
“What are you thinking? We are righteous! Regardless of the demonic sect’s past misdeeds, they came to save people this time and didn’t take advantage of the situation. Attacking them now would be dishonorable!”
“What’s the point of talking about honor with the demonic sect? Have they not committed enough atrocities? One after another…”
“You’re not wrong, but if we act without distinction between right and wrong, how are we any different from the demonic sect?”
After several rounds of argument, no one dared to make a move.
Fortunately, Xie Yingxian had no intention of giving them more time to hesitate. After waiting a while, he grabbed Yu Ye and said, “I’ll take this traitor of our sect. Farewell, everyone.” He truly did not seek any credit.
The rest of the demonic sect members followed closely, disappearing into the sky as swiftly as they had arrived.
When everyone came to their senses, they realized he had taken the main culprit with him!
Looking around, they noticed that Lu Chengsha was also nowhere to be seen.
Hua Yan lingered at the back of the group. Her lightness skill allowed her to be at the forefront, but she slowed her pace, staying at the rear. She called out to the dark figure not too far away, “Sha Sha, don’t you think your family seems to have softened a bit?”
Lu Chengsha thought for a moment and nodded, “Yes.”
Hua Yan then said, “Can you move a little closer to me?”
Lu Chengsha was still hesitating mentally, but his body had already moved slightly towards her.
Hua Yan continued, “You said we could hold hands!”
Lu Chengsha: “…”
Hua Yan urged, “So, put your hand out, quickly! I won’t look at you, I promise!”
She was staring straight ahead with a serious expression, and the next moment, her hand hanging by her side was tightly grasped by another large hand belonging to the swordsman.
Hua Yan’s heart tightened, and she unconsciously bit her lip.
Lu Chengsha’s cool fingers covered the back of her hand, and then, as if in mutual understanding, they slowly interlaced their fingers, holding each other’s hands.
They felt as if they were doing something secretive and mischievous, both a bit nervous and guilty, their tightly clasped hands slightly sweaty.
Yet, unexpectedly, they were very happy.
Ahead of them, the sky was clear and vast, a deep blue. After all the commotion, it was still the afternoon. The bright sunlight of the afternoon was warm but not scorching. Hua Yan raised her other hand to slightly shield her eyes from the light. She squinted, but this time, she could clearly see the road ahead.