Chapter 40: You Said the Same Thing Yesterday
The sound of rain filled the cave.
In the dim light, Shen Shuanglian stared at him, her eyes wide with hurt.
“Why? I just want to see you alive and well. Is that too much to ask?”
“Must you… break your promises again and again?”
Chen Yin remained silent for a long time. Then, he gently placed his hand on her head and said softly,
“Don’t ask. Be good.”
Shen Shuanglian felt a pang of disappointment.
But as his hand rested on her head, she was transported back to that summer day in the flowerbed.
His hand was warm and large, comforting her like a small kitten. She nestled closer, her glistening eyes trembling slightly. After a moment, she bit her lip gently.
“If you don’t want to talk… then forget it. Let the past be the past.”
She looked up at him, her gaze intense. “But from now on, you’re not allowed to leave me behind.”
“What if I do leave you behind again?” Chen Yin couldn’t help but tease her.
Shen Shuanglian thought for a moment. She remembered Chen Yin’s words, “A girl’s tears shouldn’t be so cheap,” and said seriously:
“Then I’ll cry for you to see.”
“But I already saw you cry last night.”
Shen Shuanglian’s face flushed crimson.
Chen Yin thought for a moment, then kissed her forehead softly.
“You’re not allowed to cry before I come back. If you can do that, I’ll give you a reward.”
“What reward?”
“You’ll find out tonight.”
Shen Shuanglian hummed softly and rested her chin on her knees, her eyes fixed on him expectantly.
“Come back soon.”
“Don’t worry.”
Chen Yin rekindled the fire, then swiftly left the cave.
As the fire flickered, Shen Shuanglian snuggled deeper into Chen Yin’s robe, burying her face in its warmth.
…He’s always treating me like a child, trying to appease me with empty promises.
But the truth is… after meeting you again in this world, I haven’t cried anymore.
Although I still can’t let go of the pain of your sudden departure…
I’m grateful enough for this reunion.
***
Finding pheasants in the rain was a difficult task.
Chen Yin ventured further out, but he still couldn’t find any trace of them.
He decided to return to the place where he had encountered the Purple-Whiskered Thunder Mane Tiger, hoping to find some pheasants there.
After searching for a long time, he finally spotted a few pheasants leisurely strolling on the other side of a ravine.
As he was about to approach them, a low growl sounded from behind him. Chen Yin turned and saw the massive Purple-Whiskered Thunder Mane Tiger lurking in the nearby forest, its eyes fixed on him warily.
Beside it was the cub whose demon core he had taken. The cub bared its teeth and growled at him, but its body instinctively cowered.
Chen Yin said to them, “I’m not here to cause trouble. Don’t worry.”
With that, he turned and continued towards the pheasants.
The tiger growled again, but there was no aggression in its voice, only caution and warning.
As Chen Yin took another step forward, he felt as if he had hit an invisible wall.
…Hmm?
Chen Yin was intrigued.
He reached out to touch the invisible barrier. It seemed to be some kind of formation, preventing him from entering but not causing any harm.
The pheasants, however, were leisurely strolling behind the barrier.
He couldn’t just let his prey escape. Chen Yin summoned his Eternal Light sword and held it before him.
With a swift and effortless motion, he slashed at the air before him.
Rip.
A crisp sound, like tearing silk, echoed through the air as the space seemed to split open. Chen Yin sheathed his sword and stepped forward. In an instant, the surrounding scenery changed drastically.
The rain-shrouded ravine transformed into a lush bamboo forest. There was no rain, no wind, as if even the air was still.
…Who would set up such a formation in the Heavenly Path Perilous Domain?
Chen Yin walked deeper into the bamboo forest. As the bamboo thinned, a solitary temple appeared at the end of the path.
The temple was ancient and dilapidated, covered in dust and moss, a damp and decaying smell permeating the air.
Chen Yin pushed open the cobweb-covered doors and waved away the dust. The temple was smaller than he had expected, with only a single, modest main hall, where a faded statue stood on an altar.
Chen Yin didn’t recognize the statue, but it emanated a familiar aura.
…The same aura as his scroll.
Hesitantly, he raised his hand, and the ancient scroll appeared, floating before him.
The moment the scroll appeared, the faded statue seemed to flicker with a faint light, but it quickly vanished.
A line of text suddenly appeared on the scroll.
“Heaven has a spirit. All things live and die, decay and flourish in cycles.”
This was the first time Chen Yin had seen writing appear on the scroll. He had always thought it was just a storage space, with its true contents hidden within.
But now it seemed that the scroll was incomplete.
The sentence was clearly unfinished. There should be more, but it wasn’t appearing.
Chen Yin entered the scroll’s space to investigate, but nothing had changed. He stared at the sentence for a long time before finally putting the scroll away.
Before leaving, he couldn’t help but glance back at the statue.
It was a simple and crudely carved figure, vaguely resembling a slender monk.
An image suddenly flashed through Chen Yin’s mind.
In a primordial land, a handsome monk with gentle features clasped his hands together, his eyes lowered in prayer as he bowed towards heaven and earth.
Then, like a giant closing its eyes, the world slowly faded away.
Chen Yin blinked, dazed. He was about to look back at the statue again, but he found himself back in the ravine.
Behind him were the growls of the mother and cub tigers, and before him were the startled pheasants.
Chen Yin pondered for a moment, then dismissed the thought.
…He had always felt that there was a great secret hidden behind the scroll.
But it probably had nothing to do with him now.
He stared at the pheasants before him, their eyes meeting in a silent standoff.
“Thank you for leading me here. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have found this place.”
“As a token of gratitude, I won’t hold back.” He chuckled.
The pheasants: “…?”
***
When Chen Yin returned to the cave, Shen Shuanglian’s eyes were red and puffy from holding back tears.
Chen Yin: “…I know I’m late, but I can explain.”
Shen Shuanglian: “I can also choose not to listen.”
“…I was wrong. I’m sorry.”
Shen Shuanglian pressed her lips together and stared at him silently.
Chen Yin sighed, preparing the pheasant while speaking to himself, “You can hit me, you can scold me, whatever you want. Just do what makes you happy.”
“But before that, you have to drink this chicken soup.”
By the time Chen Yin finished making the soup, it was already completely dark. He walked over to Shen Shuanglian with the stone bowl.
Shen Shuanglian was about to take the bowl when Chen Yin said, “Wait.”
He scooped a spoonful of soup, blew on it carefully to cool it down, and brought it to her lips.
“You’re afraid of it being too hot, remember? Drink slowly.”
Shen Shuanglian stared at him blankly for a moment, then gently took the spoon in her mouth and swallowed obediently.
“So, the reward you promised is to feed me soup?”
“Isn’t it enough?” Chen Yin countered.
“…It’s enough.”
Shen Shuanglian finished the entire bowl of soup, even licking her lips with her tongue, before retreating back into the warmth of the robe.
Chen Yin placed his hand on her wrist, his brow furrowing slightly. “Your recovery is a bit slow.”
“I didn’t expect the spiritual energy in that demon core to be so potent. There’s still so much residue.”
Shen Shuanglian suddenly realized something and instinctively recoiled, looking at Chen Yin warily.
Chen Yin said helplessly, “Well, there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s for your injuries.”
Shen Shuanglian said seriously, “It hurts.”
“…I’ll be gentle.”
“You said the same thing yesterday.”
“…”
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