CH 97

“No.”

While Jiang Qingyue was still stunned, Ren Shuhan tightened his grip on his hand and said calmly, “If he can’t be with me, then I won’t join the Cold Mountain Sect.”

This time it was Jian Ci’s turn to be dumbfounded.

He knew his role was that of a cold and decisive master, while the protagonist was supposed to be somewhat rebellious, showing ambiguous behavior towards childhood friends in the early stages. However, when it came to major decisions, the disciple didn’t have the right to decide.

Although the plot didn’t involve driving Jiang Qingyue away this time, it wouldn’t be long before he had to leave within a couple of days. After all, he was the antagonist, superficial and picky. With the Cold Mountain Sect having few resources and little money, they couldn’t afford to keep him.

But now, Ren Shuhan’s tone was firm, as if he were the one in charge, while Jian Ci felt insignificant!

Finally, Jian Ci shifted his gaze to Ren Shuhan’s face.

This was the first time he had really looked at this person.

Although he still had the features of a young man, his figure was slim and straight. His eyebrows were like ink drawings, his eyes were bright stars, and when he looked directly at Jian Ci, there was no trace of the infatuation described in the original text, only a calm inquiry.

He definitely wasn’t the Ren Shuhan from the original text, Jian Ci thought, and neither was he the Jian Ci from the original text.

This fact seemed like a hidden secret belonging only to the two of them, which made Jian Ci feel a slight sense of camaraderie and then calmed his anger.

“Fine,” he said, “if you want to keep him, then you’ll have to support him yourself. The Cold Mountain Sect doesn’t support idle people.”

“No problem.”

After Ren Shuhan finished speaking, he casually reached out to the side where a pile of gifts from the Jiang family for Jian Ci was placed, and took away a few of the most valuable items, holding them close to himself.

Jian Ci: “…”

Jiang Qingyue: “…”

Was this appropriate?

Jian Ci couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all. Finally, he swept his sleeves and chased Ren Shuhan and Jiang Qingyue to a secluded cliff, only giving Ren Shuhan a sword and a book, instructing him to practice on his own.

At first, Ren Shuhan was dissatisfied, but after reading the contents of the book, he didn’t say anything. He practiced swordsmanship in the courtyard every day, even teaching Jiang Qingyue personally.

Every morning, he would run around the mountain, fetch water, wake up Jiang Qingyue, chop firewood, cook, practice martial arts for half a day, and study for the other half. And so, a month passed.

Then Jian Ci came again, throwing a bow and a quiver of arrows to Ren Shuhan.

After practicing archery for another month, Jian Ci sent throwing darts, followed by another month. In total, Ren Shuhan spent three months on the Cold Mountain. Finally, Jian Ci sent a message through a young boy: “You’ve finished your apprenticeship. You can now accept tasks for the sect.”

Jiang Qingyue was surprised: Is that it?

He felt reluctant to leave, but Ren Shuhan felt that he had achieved enough. So he left Jiang Qingyue behind to wait in the Cold Mountain Sect and took his sword down the mountain, ready to kill a villain in the town who had been reported to the Cold Mountain Sect for bullying men and women.

“Wait for me to come back and I’ll bring you delicious and fun things,” Ren Shuhan said, patting his head before leaving.

But when Ren Shuhan returned with the bounty, he was told that Jiang Qingyue had already returned to the Jiang family.

Jian Ci said, “The Cold Mountain Sect is simple and can’t compare to the Jiang family’s grandeur and wealth. He couldn’t take care of himself alone, couldn’t adapt to the lifestyle, so he chose to leave on his own. If you don’t believe me, you can go ask him yourself.”

Where could Qingyue’s home be at the foot of the mountain?

Ren Shuhan rode his horse, turned and descended the mountain, returning to the Jiang mansion. From afar, he saw Jiang Qingyue leaning against the door holding a lantern, smiling and waiting for him, as if he was confident that he would come back to find him, yet also indifferent to whether he would come or not, but he would wait forever.

This scene was etched in Ren Shuhan’s memory for many years.

It was the first time he had a clear understanding of the concept of “home” — it wasn’t the small courtyard in the Jiang mansion, nor the humble hut on the remote peak of Cold Mountain, nor any of the promised houses or courtyards, but wherever Jiang Qingyue was.

Wherever he was, that was where home was.

Even though there was still some distance between them, Ren Shuhan dismounted and approached. The closer he got to Jiang Qingyue, the slower his pace became, unsure of how to handle such a tender moment, afraid of saying the wrong thing or making the wrong move.

Jiang Qingyue’s white attire seemed incredibly soft, tempting Ren Shuhan to imagine the beautiful body beneath the fabric. The long hair scattered over his shoulders seemed to emit a faint fragrance, making Ren Shuhan want to reach out and touch it.

But in the end, he restrained himself, only discreetly squeezing his right hand behind his back. He stopped in front of Jiang Qingyue and asked softly, “Have you been waiting long?”

Jiang Qingyue shook his head and gently raised his hand, intending to wipe away the sweat on Ren Shuhan’s forehead. However, for some reason, he stopped halfway and tucked away the handkerchief.

Ren Shuhan felt a bit disappointed.

“You’re finally back,” he turned and led Ren Shuhan into the house, “I’ve made your favorite soup for you.”

Naturally, the Jiang Mansion welcomed Ren Shuhan’s return. The small courtyard where he used to stay was still kept, as everything used by an immortal in the future would be considered honorable. So when Jiang Qingyue returned, the Jiang Mansion readily agreed to let him stay, taking good care of him and even wanting to procure a larger mansion for Ren Shuhan. However, it took Jiang Qingyue a long time to decline the offer.

Everything in the courtyard was the same as when they left for the mountain.

Dinner was served, and the candlelight illuminated Jiang Qingyue’s face, creating an incredibly warm and beautiful atmosphere. Ren Shuhan couldn’t contain his emotions anymore and wanted to ask him if he would like to start a family with him…

Not just remain childhood friends, but become a lifelong pair. However, when he opened his mouth, it came out as, “Why do you want to leave the mountain?”

In fact, Ren Shuhan had thought about this question himself and didn’t really want to ask.

Because the answer would inevitably be that he wasn’t comfortable living on the Cold Mountain alone. As long as Jiang Qingyue agreed to his request, it wouldn’t matter where they lived specifically, and the reasons behind it would no longer be important.

Ren Shuhan felt that Jian Ci’s description was nonsense, so he skipped Jian Ci’s peculiar remarks and asked again, “Did anyone bully you while I was away these days?”

Jiang Qingyue shook his head and smiled, “No, just like what Master said.”

But that wasn’t the truth.

He didn’t want to leave. Even if there was a one in ten thousand chance that Ren Shuhan wouldn’t come looking for him, he wouldn’t leave. But his body didn’t listen to him, and he couldn’t say what he wanted to say.

After struggling for a while, he could only make the best use of his limited freedom, cooking meals in the courtyard of the Jiang Mansion, waiting for the boy who was his childhood sweetheart to return, and then waiting at the door, looking out, hoping he would come.

Ren Shuhan was the same.

He had many things he wanted to say, but in the end, he didn’t say any of them. He quietly finished his meal, tidied up the dishes, bid farewell to Jiang Qingyue, and returned to the Cold Mountain Sect.

The book Jian Ci gave him was just some very basic swordsmanship. Ren Shuhan thought that he was trying to tell him that mastering the basics was more important than anything else. So he had already memorized everything in the book and didn’t need to rush back to the Cold Mountain.

But he still left.

Ren Shuhan couldn’t explain his behavior and could only attribute it to “shyness”… Perhaps in another two years, when he had made some achievements in his cultivation, he would be able to communicate more confidently with his beloved?

“I have four days off every two months,” he said to Jiang Qingyue before leaving, “I’ll definitely come to see you whenever I have free time.”

Jiang Qingyue nodded and watched his figure recede into the distance.

After that, Ren Shuhan returned for the first time four months later, then a year later, and then four years later.

He waited at the door for five years.

Jiang Qingyue was a nobody, and no one cared about him in the Jiang Mansion. So every evening, he would stand at the door with a lantern, afraid that Ren Shuhan might not be able to find his way back, but also as a hope to keep himself going.

Over the years, Ren Shuhan brought him many precious items. No matter where he went or how far he traveled, he always brought back the best treasures he could find. Even though he couldn’t articulate his feelings well, he stuffed clothes, elixirs, weapons, and other items into Jiang Qingyue’s arms.

“I’m just a mortal; I don’t need these,” Jiang Qingyue would say. But Ren Shuhan wouldn’t listen, so he had to accept them all and carefully store them away like treasures.

“Even as a mortal, you need to cultivate martial arts to keep yourself healthy,” Ren Shuhan said happily during his last visit. Unable to contain his excitement, he couldn’t help but tell him, “And don’t stop cultivating. I heard that in the Immortal Realm, even mortals without spiritual roots can cultivate immortality.”

Jiang Qingyue was astonished. “How is that possible?”

“Why not?” Ren Shuhan was very excited that night. Instead of returning to the Cold Mountain, he stayed with him, sharing many stories about the Immortal Realm. “I heard that there are some extremely rare treasures in the world that, when consumed by ordinary people, can grant them spiritual roots.”

“But that’s too difficult,” Jiang Qingyue said as he prepared the bed for Ren Shuhan, urging him to rest early and not to think too much. “It’s dangerous for you to wander outside, so don’t force yourself because of these unfounded rumors.”

Ren Shuhan sat up straight, grabbed his wrist, and asked him to sleep next to him like they did when they were young. His eyes seemed to sparkle as he spoke, “I know it’s difficult, so I’ve been searching for so many years and traveled so far without telling you. But in the past two years, I’ve been dealing with some demonic cultivators and found that some of them without spiritual roots can use their family background to cultivate by devouring the golden pills of others…”

Jiang Qingyue shook his head repeatedly, gripping his wrist tightly. “How can you do such a thing? Please don’t talk nonsense. What are you thinking?”

Ren Shuhan looked at his hand, hesitated for a moment, blushed a little, and said, “No, I have a new mission now. The target is a notorious demon. After I kill him this time, I’ll hurry back and bring you his golden pill!”

Jiang Qingyue listened in amazement. “…Is that even possible?”

“Why not?” Ren Shuhan was afraid that Jiang Qingyue had prejudices against demonic cultivators, so he persuaded him for a long time. “Don’t listen to the bad things people say about demonic cultivators. In the Immortal Realm I’ve seen, strength is respected above all. No one cares if you cultivate as a demonic or immortal cultivator. Everyone has their own path. Some demonic cultivators even become dao companions with immortal sect disciples…”

After saying this, Ren Shuhan paused for a moment before continuing, “Mortals will eventually face birth, aging, sickness, and death. When you have a golden pill, we can explore the Immortal Realm together. At least we’ll have twice the lifespan of ordinary people in the future. Isn’t that good?”

It sounded good, but Jiang Qingyue still disagreed.

“You’ve been traveling farther and taking on heavier missions year after year,” he said, gripping Ren Shuhan’s sleeve. “I spend my days here in constant worry, waiting for you… When will this kind of life end? I don’t want you to take risks anymore.”

Ren Shuhan just looked at him, wanting to cup his face and kiss his lips, but instead, his raised hands only covered him with the blanket.

“Go to sleep,” he said softly. “I’ll think about it again. Master rarely allows me to stay out overnight, so I should rest early—I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in years because I’ve missed you too much.”

Jiang Qingyue buried his face in the blanket, feeling the warmth emanating from Ren Shuhan next to him. It was a rare sense of security. Thinking that he would persuade him tomorrow, he soon fell asleep.

But in the middle of the night, he suddenly woke up.

Ren Shuhan was still sleeping next to him, breathing evenly.

Jiang Qingyue watched his own body move inexplicably, silently got up, and took out a knife from the nearby cabinet.

OMG I guess they are being “controlled” by Jian Ci/his protagonist aura??? This is painful to read T_T

Thank you for reading