When Hua Yan came to her senses, she realized that he might have just said he wanted to see her without actually being able to. However, a few days later, she received a reply from Lu Chengsha, specifying a date and place.
He truly wanted to meet her.
Hua Yan was in a daze for a while, feeling it was very unreal — he had actually found an opportunity to come down the mountain and meet her!
That night, Hua Yan didn’t sleep at all. She tossed and turned, unable to calm her excitement.
The agreed meeting place was an inn in a small town not far from Tingjian Manor.
To receive Lu Chengsha’s reply earlier, Hua Yan had already stayed close to Tingjian Manor, so she arrived a day early.
She meticulously selected several dresses and chose one that best suited the season and her complexion. The inn had peach trees, and in early spring, the pink peach blossoms had already begun to bloom, adding a touch of color to the small town. Hua Yan thought about it and bought a set of peach blossom earrings and hairpins. She also chose a peach-colored rouge and lightly applied it to her lips. Finally, she carefully placed the black wooden hairpin that Lu Chengsha had given her in her hair.
It didn’t quite match, but Hua Yan didn’t intend to change it.
The inn had rooms at the back and a teahouse in the front, with private rooms on the second floor. Not knowing when Lu Chengsha would arrive, Hua Yan reserved a private room on the second floor. Given its proximity to Tingjian Manor, many of the patrons carried swords and practiced martial arts, with people coming and going constantly.
Fearing that her face was too conspicuous and a bamboo hat too obvious, Hua Yan wore a disguise mask this time, planning to take it off when she saw Lu Chengsha.
She sat in the private room early in the morning, keeping a close eye on the inn’s entrance from upstairs.
Hua Yan had never thought she could be so patient.
She had been waiting for over a month. Including the brief encounter in Migu Town, it had been almost half a year in total.
As a child, she was always impatient, anxious to do everything, and lacking patience. Her mother rarely praised Yu Ye, saying, “If only you could learn patience from that boy Yu Ye.”
Hua Yan thought, “Mother, look how patient I am now.”
From initially feeling the long wait to gradually getting used to it, her patience had been slowly worn down. She was fully aware that he couldn’t always be by her side.
There was even a time when Hua Yan thought, if only she hadn’t been born into the Demonic Sect, she could openly seek him out… But thinking this way felt ungrateful. The place where she grew up treated her well, much better than Tingjian Manor treated Lu Chengsha. She shouldn’t be too greedy.
Lost in these wandering thoughts, as sunset approached, she finally saw that familiar dark figure, and her heart instantly tightened.
It had been so long since they last met that Hua Yan almost thought it was an illusion. Lu Chengsha was still dressed in black with long black hair tied high, a dark blue hairband fluttering behind him. He carried a long sword on his back, his face expressionless and cold.
Hua Yan wanted to determine if he was injured but realized that unless he was severely wounded, it would be impossible to tell just by looking at him. At least, this meant he hadn’t been beaten half to death by his grandfather, which gave her a slight sense of relief.
Lu Chengsha stepped into the inn and, with a brief glance, noticed the hairpin on Hua Yan’s head. He paused momentarily before heading up to the second floor.
Yet, Hua Yan couldn’t shake the feeling that he didn’t seem very happy.
Given their current situation, it was normal not to be happy, she thought, pouting.
In an instant, Lu Chengsha stood before her. She led him into the inner room, removed her disguise mask, and turned to hug him. Unexpectedly, he stepped back, his gaze lowered, not looking at her, and his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
Hua Yan stiffened, a sense of foreboding rising within her.
Sure enough, Lu Chengsha spoke, “We… shouldn’t see each other anymore.” His words were halting, extraordinarily difficult for him.
She knew he must have his reasons.
Still, her heart suddenly felt empty.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but her mind went blank, as if she had lost the ability to speak. After a moment, she heard her own voice, “… Is this your own decision? They didn’t force you?”
Lu Chengsha hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded.
Hua Yan clutched her dress, pressing a hand to her heart, and said in a deliberately light tone, “Alright, I understand.”
Actually, it didn’t matter. During this time, she had been more worried about whether he had been severely punished than seeing him.
He had let her go in front of so many people, and Bai Yujiang had overheard their conversation. Even if it hadn’t spread, his grandfather surely knew by now. Lu Chengsha must have had a hard time recently.
She still vividly remembered the dreadful condition of his back; she wondered how he was this time.
She had caused him so much trouble. If they never met again, Lu Chengsha wouldn’t be implicated anymore and could go back to being the Great Hero Lu. That would be good.
— But it still hurt so much.
Hua Yan also took a step back, unable to help but gasp for air, the pain in her chest excruciating.
“Could you…” she said softly, “kiss me one last time?”
Lu Chengsha finally looked up, meeting her gaze. His dark eyes were filled with the same pain that Hua Yan felt, a look she had never seen in him before. She was about to speak.
At that moment, the walls of the private room, seemingly made of paper, were suddenly smashed to pieces. Eight people burst in from all directions, all similar in build, wielding swords with identical postures and movements. Their attire varied, including waiters, guests, and peddlers, clearly having been lying in wait.
The eight surrounded Hua Yan, their swords glinting menacingly. Even worse, it seemed there were more enemies outside, and they all appeared to be highly skilled.
Hua Yan was stunned.
Instinctively, she looked at Lu Chengsha, who, to her surprise, appeared even more shocked than she was.
He shouted urgently, “My grandfather promised that as long as I never saw her again, he wouldn’t kill her.”
The leader of the eight, eyes gleaming with malice, coldly replied, “We haven’t heard anything like that. All we know is that this demoness must die here tonight. There are other sects’ people outside as well. The manor lord’s preference is for you to kill her yourself. If you can’t do it, we’ll do it for you.”
—
When Lu Chengsha returned from Migu Town, he had anticipated his grandfather’s fury.
He showed no remorse, knowingly violating the rules, without a hint of regret.
As soon as he entered the Tranquil Heart Hall, Lu Zhenxing sternly questioned him, “Is what the people from Bai Yajiang said true? Are you still involved with that demoness from the Demonic Sect?”
Lu Chengsha remained silent.
Lu Zhenxing thundered, “Answer me!”
Lu Chengsha could only reply, “Yes.”
In a fit of rage, Lu Zhenxing struck him, sending him flying. Lu Chengsha made no effort to resist, crashing into the wall, tasting blood, his insides wracked with pain.
“Was my previous punishment too lenient? Or did these three months not make you see clearly that the Demonic Sect’s tricksters are only approaching you to ruin your swordsmanship? I clearly told you, you can’t trust a single word from them!”
Swallowing the blood, Lu Chengsha struggled to stand.
“Why don’t you listen to me? Why didn’t you kill her when you saw her? What are you hesitating for? Why can’t you bring yourself to do it? She is nothing but a demoness who deserves to die! To you, she should be no different from a dead person! I never taught you to be soft-hearted towards women, nor to be lost in a haze of affection. I’ve trained you for twenty years to focus solely on honing your swordsmanship, yet you can’t even resist a demoness from the Demonic Sect!”
Lu Zhenxing’s voice grew sharper and more urgent.
Lu Chengsha could not argue.
“Go kill her. Bring her head back to me, and I’ll pretend this never happened, and I’ll be able to account to Baiya Peak.”
Lu Chengsha abruptly looked up.
Lu Zhenxing barked coldly, “Don’t tell me you can’t even do this!”
The Tranquil Heart Hall fell deathly silent.
After a long pause, Lu Chengsha said, “…I can’t do it.”
“Good, very good,” Lu Zhenxing sneered, his anger palpable. “Kneel.”
Lu Chengsha knelt in the center, his body trembling.
“Do you think you’re showing backbone? Do you think you’re unafraid of death? Do you know how ridiculous you look right now? Defying me for the sake of a demoness from the Demonic Sect. What is she worth? If she knew how you are right now, she’d probably laugh out loud!”
Lu Chengsha’s body shook from the blows, barely able to stay kneeling. He bit his lip, but couldn’t help letting out three words, “She wouldn’t.”
Those two words infuriated Lu Zhenxing even more.
“She wouldn’t? What do you know? How many years have you roamed the Jianghu? What do you know of the treachery of the Demonic Sect? Utterly foolish! If she could hide her identity and deceive you for so long, and even seal her inner strength to approach you, then she’s deeply scheming and absolutely not simple. After her identity was exposed, she didn’t come to you for three months, and the first time you see her, she ensnares your soul again. Do you really think she’s as stupid as you?”
Lu Chengsha had promised her not to say anything, but he couldn’t hide it, nor did he want to.
He said softly, “I married her.”
Lu Zhenxing almost thought he misheard. He looked at him with an utterly incomprehensible gaze and said, “What did you say? Marry her? Without parental consent and a matchmaker, what kind of marriage is that? It’s nothing but shameless cohabitation!”
Lu Chengsha tried to lift his head to explain but was struck down again by Lu Zhenxing’s rod.
“Furthermore, what proper girl would do such a thing? Only a shameless demoness from the Demonic Sect would talk about marriage without a matchmaker or betrothal gifts. She might have used this trick to deceive other fools like you! If I had known, I would have had you marry that Qin family’s girl back then, to prevent you from losing your mind over every woman you meet!”
The rod struck his already scarred back, soon soaking in blood again, and sweat covered Lu Chengsha’s forehead.
But he continued to struggle, “I don’t want to marry anyone else.”
“Stubborn and foolish! Giving your sincere heart to a dog would be better than giving it to that demoness!”
Lu Zhenxing, enraged beyond measure, showed no mercy. Lu Chengsha supported himself on the ground with both hands, barely able to make a sound, only faint breathing and the terrifying thud of the rod striking his back.
“Do you still want to marry her?”
Finally, with a sharp crack, the long rod broke on Lu Chengsha’s back, snapping into two pieces. One half remained in Lu Zhenxing’s hand, while the other rolled away across the floor.
Lu Chengsha was almost completely exhausted.
Just as Lu Zhenxing was about to grab another weapon, someone in bamboo-green clothes pushed the door open and sighed deeply, “Father, stop. If you continue, you’ll really beat Xiao Sha to death.”
The only person in Tingjian Manor who dared to speak out during Lu Zhenxing’s fits of rage was Lu Zhusheng. He came over to support Lu Chengsha, smiling apologetically at Lu Zhenxing, “Father, calm down. He’s young and stubborn. Give him some time to cool off, and he’ll understand you’re doing this for his own good.”
Lu Zhenxing, harsh to everyone else, never got angry with his adopted son. He calmed his fury somewhat and left with a sweep of his sleeve.
Afterwards, Lu Chengsha was thrown into the dungeon.
The dungeon of Tingjian Manor was dark, damp, and foul-smelling. Lu Chengsha was suspended there for three days without food or water, his lips parched, his back aching, and no one dared to check on him or bring him any food or medicine without Lu Zhenxing’s orders.
But Lu Chengsha had long been accustomed to this.
On the fourth day, Lu Zhenxing finally appeared.
His face was stern and cold as he asked, “Have you reflected on your actions?”
Lu Chengsha remained silent for a moment, then hoarsely replied, “I know I was wrong.”
Lu Zhenxing asked, “Do you still want to marry her?”
Lu Chengsha stayed silent.
A hint of impatience appeared on Lu Zhenxing’s face. “If you truly wish to marry, I can arrange it for you.”
Lu Chengsha said, “…No need.”
Lu Zhenxing’s expression turned even colder. “Is that demoness from the Demonic Sect so hard for you to let go? Must it be her? Very well, I understand. I will personally go and kill her. Then, perhaps, you will come to your senses.”
After three days in the dungeon, Lu Chengsha was weak, but upon hearing this, he suddenly began to struggle. “Don’t kill her,” he pleaded, his voice low and desperate. “Grandfather, I beg you.”
Even during the harshest punishments, he had never begged for himself.
“What kind of spell has she cast on you?” Lu Zhenxing’s expression was one of utter disbelief. “The more you act this way, the more I am determined to kill her.”
Lu Chengsha lifted his pale face, his voice breaking as he said, “I will reflect, I will change, I will clear my mind of distractions, I will forget her, I won’t see her again… Just don’t kill her.”
Lu Zhenxing stared at his grandson, his anger mixed with a trace of incredulity. “Do you think I would believe that? You need to prove it.”
Lu Chengsha nodded weakly, “I will prove it… but please, let her go.”
After a long silence, Lu Zhenxing finally sighed, “Very well. But know this: if you fail to prove your resolve, I will not hesitate to end her life myself.”
With that, he left, leaving Lu Chengsha hanging in the dungeon, his heart heavy with both relief and dread.
Lu Zhenxing looked through Lu Chengsha’s gaunt face, almost as if seeing another person entirely.
“Can you truly forget her?”
Lu Chengsha’s face grew even paler, his dark eyes lifeless as he replied, “…I can.”
—
His injuries were severe. His wounds, not fully healed from before, were further aggravated. When applying medicine, his inner clothing nearly stuck to his flesh due to the blood. Lu Chengsha could sense the disciple’s cautious yet terrified demeanor. He had no strength left and drifted in and out of sleep on the bed for three or four days.
The Xiao Hei insect she had given him woke up, drawn by the scent of blood. It had devoured quite a few rats, flies, and centipedes in the dungeon.
Lu Chengsha didn’t even have the strength to kill it.
It rolled over to him, its antennae touching his cheek, round and black, as if clumsily trying to comfort him.
Lu Chengsha thought of its previous owner, then forced himself to forget, to think of nothing, just as he had done in the past. Of course, he could forget; he had to be able to forget.
He remained silent, yet could intermittently receive her transmitted messages.
— Are you okay?
— I’m fine. Did they give you any trouble?
— I miss you a little, not much, just a bit. You don’t need to worry.
— I had a nightmare, worried about you.
As Lu Chengsha regained his strength, he wanted to crush the defenseless black insect. But, just as with her, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
The Xiao Hei insect rolled around by his side.
Lu Chengsha turned on his side, gazing at the desolate moonlight under the pitch-black sky. Unconsciously, he spoke aloud, regretting it almost instantly. Surprisingly, Lu Zhenxing had agreed to let him descend the mountain for a final farewell.
Now, he understood why.
The eight senior uncles were executing the Xuantian Eight Trigrams Formation, one of the top formations of Tingjian Manor. The eight had trained together since their youth, practicing a single sword technique, their coordination seamless, making it difficult even for grandmasters to escape unscathed.
They were now mercilessly attacking her vitals at astonishing speed.
Hua Yan drew her sword to face them. Since mastering the Tiancan Sword Technique, she had never been at a disadvantage in her two previous battles. But now, for the first time, she couldn’t make any headway. The eight moved as one, covering each other’s weaknesses. Every time Hua Yan tried to attack, she was countered, trapped as if in quicksand.
Quickly, Hua Yan felt her strength waning.
Around them, people from other sects, armed with swords, watched her like hawks, ready to strike at any moment.
She remembered being surrounded and attacked in Cixin Valley, and had thought that with her improved martial skills, she would never face such a situation again. The memory made her shoulders ache slightly.
At that moment, a pitch-black longsword blocked the attack in front of her.
She heard someone shout sternly, “Are you crazy? What are you doing!”
Lu Chengsha, holding his sword, knew full well what fate awaited him, but he still chose to shield her from the attack.