Chapter 62
After his outburst, You Yun reached for his wine cup, intending to take a few sips. The cool cup touched his lips, only for him to realize it was empty. Annoyed, he slammed the cup onto the table. The stone table in the courtyard was very sturdy, and the cup made a dull thud upon impact.
Heng Yu bent down slightly and refilled his cup.
You Yun waited and waited, but Heng Yu remained silent. He raised a hand and rubbed his temple with a slender finger. “Speak up. When did my disciple become mute?”
Heng Yu chuckled and asked calmly, “What does Master want to hear?”
Seeing her like this irritated You Yun. “Isn’t that stool there for sitting? You’re blocking my view standing there. Sit down.”
Heng Yu obediently sat down.
You Yun shook his head helplessly and asked, “What are your current thoughts on that Buddha-son?”
“No thoughts,” Heng Yu replied calmly.
She was a very rational person. Although she knew that love didn’t necessarily mean being together forever, once feelings were involved, it was easy to become unsatisfied and want more.
So, even though Liaowu was someone she admired and liked, she kept it at that, forcibly suppressing the stirrings in her heart, preventing those feelings from developing into romantic love.
You Yun thought for a moment and nodded. “That’s good. You asking for that item means you’re confident about completing your inner sect mission. What are your plans after that?”
Heng Yu lowered her gaze. She saw the bell bracelet on her left wrist and the wooden bracelet on her right, both made by Liaowu. Touching the wooden bracelet on her right hand, Heng Yu sighed inwardly.
Because overcoming his love tribulation required Liaowu to develop feelings for her, she had teased him, gotten close to him, charmed him, and flirted with him…
But from the beginning, being Liaowu’s destined partner to help him through his tribulation was something she willingly chose, so she didn’t feel like she was at a disadvantage.
But Liaowu always felt she was.
Heng Yu’s original plan was to return to the Hehuan Sect after completing her mission, focus on her cultivation, pursue her own path, and never see Liaowu again.
But after testing him twice recently, she discovered that Liaowu was even more stubborn than she had imagined. He didn’t want to let down the Buddhist sect, nor did he want to let her down. The compromise he had come up with was likely to protect her for the rest of her life.
But… it wasn’t necessary.
When he truly achieved Buddhahood, he would be free from emotions and desires. By then, she would be no different from any other being in his eyes.
That item could help him forget his feelings quickly, which would only help him achieve Buddhahood more smoothly.
You Yun waited for a while, noticing that Heng Yu was lost in thought. “Why aren’t you speaking?”
Heng Yu returned to her senses and smiled casually. “Master asked for my thoughts, so I was thinking.”
You Yun shifted into a more comfortable position. The movement caused his collar to slip slightly, revealing his delicate collarbone. He casually adjusted his collar and rested his chin in his hand, looking like a wise elder. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
Heng Yu raised an eyebrow and told him her thoughts without hiding anything. After she finished, You Yun didn’t speak immediately. He slowly picked up his wine cup, drained it in one gulp, and casually tossed it behind him. The cup landed on the grass. You Yun stood up, walked over to Heng Yu, and placed a hand casually on her shoulder.
“Disciple, you asked me for that item. Are you trying to help him achieve Buddhahood more smoothly, or… are you trying to remind yourself day and night not to fall for him?”
Heng Yu moved, wanting to turn and look at You Yun. You Yun tightened his grip on her shoulder, stopping her movement. He chuckled softly, his laughter more intoxicating than aged wine. “No need to tell me the answer. It’s enough that you know it yourself.”
“Don’t worry, it’s rare for you to ask me for something. How could I not fulfill your request? I’ll send a message to the sect later and have them send you the seed of that item.”
With that, You Yun patted her shoulder, whispered in her ear, “Take care of yourself,” and strolled back into his room. The empty courtyard became quiet again, only the rustling of the parasol tree leaves in the breeze breaking the silence.
After sitting quietly for a long time, Heng Yu raised a hand to her forehead and then started laughing. After she had laughed enough, she stood up. She smoothed the wrinkles on her dress and bowed towards the room. “Master truly is the person with the most admiration points in the sect. I was deceiving myself before.”
“I consider myself a rational person, but feelings are sometimes extremely irrational. I admit, I do want to use caring for that item to constantly remind myself not to fall for him.”
Her rationality alone didn’t seem to be enough. She needed something external to urge and remind her.
“Thank you for the trouble, Master.”
Inside the bamboo hut, Liaowu sat quietly by the window, polishing the wooden hairpin. He polished it meticulously, smoothing the surface before picking up a tiny carving knife to refine the details.
He worked until sunset, the afterglow streaming in through the window and bathing him in warm light. Only then did he put down his tools, brush the wood shavings off his lap, take out an elegant wooden box from his storage ring, and carefully place the hairpin inside.
He stood up, tidied the table and floor, closed the window, changed into fresh robes, and then left the hut with the box in hand.
A short while later, Liaowu walked through the sea of irises and arrived outside Heng Yu’s wooden cabin.
The window of the cabin was wide open. From Liaowu’s angle, he could see Heng Yu sitting at the table, reading the “Formless Formation.” She seemed to be tired, her head resting on her arm, lazily turning a page every now and then. The clivia plant he had given her sat on the windowsill, its petals unfurling languidly.
Liaowu deliberately made his footsteps heavier.
Heng Yu sat up and looked towards the window. Seeing him, she turned, leaned against the windowsill, and beckoned him with her left hand.
The movement caused the bells on her bracelet to jingle.
“Come here,” Heng Yu called.
Liaowu subconsciously quickened his pace and soon arrived in front of her, their eyes meeting across the window.
“The hairpin is finished. Do you like it? If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, tell me, and I’ll go back and fix it,” Liaowu said, bending slightly and offering her the wooden box. Seeing that her posture made it inconvenient for her to take it, he opened the lid, allowing her to see the hairpin inside clearly.
After being polished, the hairpin had a color between black and purple. It was the perfect length, with intricate carvings on the shaft and a half-opened clivia flower at the end.
After examining it, Heng Yu sat up straight, took the box, and placed it on the table. Before Liaowu could retract his hand, she grasped his right hand and gestured for him to open his palm.
Their palms touched. Liaowu’s palm was warm, while Heng Yu’s was cool.
As she traced his palm, Heng Yu noticed thin calluses on his fingertips, likely from years of fingering his prayer beads. But now, besides the calluses, there were also faint cuts and wood shavings embedded in his closely trimmed fingernails.
“Senior Brother Liaowu’s woodworking skills don’t seem to be very proficient,” Heng Yu said, looking up at him with a smile after examining his palm.
The setting sun was blocked by his figure, and Liaowu lowered his head, unable to see her face clearly.
He said, “I do woodworking in my spare time. Those faint cuts are accidental.”
Buddhist cultivators in the Undying Sect practiced asceticism, and many small items in the sect were made by themselves. Therefore, Liaowu had learned to carve at a young age. He was already skilled with a carving knife. He didn’t know why, but after Heng Yu left, he became inexplicably distracted and accidentally cut himself. However, he had a golden Buddha body, so the sharp carving knife only left faint marks that would disappear soon.
Heng Yu released his hand and said with a smile, “I really like this hairpin. Thank you, Senior Brother.”
Liaowu shook his head without saying anything. He stood there for a moment, wanting to ask her to join him for dinner. But seeing the “Formless Formation” spread out on her table, he swallowed the question. It didn’t matter; with her cultivation, she wouldn’t get hungry even if she skipped dinner. She had probably forgotten their earlier agreement to have dinner together.
“Then this poor monk will take his leave. Lord Luo, please continue with your work, and rest well after you’re finished.”
Liaowu’s voice was soft, like the gentle clinking of jade against a stream, clear and gentle.
After this reminder, he turned and left, his robes swaying slightly with his movement.
Heng Yu watched him leave, then pressed her forehead with a sigh, opening her mouth slightly before finally calling out, “Senior Brother Liaowu.”
Liaowu stopped, turned to look at her, a gentle smile in his eyes, as if asking what was wrong.
“I’ll have dinner with you.”
Heng Yu closed the “Formless Formation.” Before leaving the cabin, she remembered to take the clivia hairpin out of the box. Walking over to Liaowu, she handed him the hairpin. “Help me put this on.”
“Alright.”
Qi Refining disciples hadn’t achieved fasting yet and still needed to eat. Heng Yu and Liaowu didn’t go far; they had dinner at the Hehuan Sect’s lodgings.
The two sat in a corner, surrounded by curious Qi Refining disciples. However, neither Heng Yu nor Liaowu were easily affected. After calmly finishing their meal, they left the dining hall.
Back in the sea of irises, Heng Yu stopped in front of her cabin. She waved to Liaowu. “You should go back now. Don’t you still have evening prayers?”
Liaowu stood under the moonlight, looking as if he had gathered all the frost in the world.
He nodded at Heng Yu and strode away.
Heng Yu stretched and muttered to herself, “Alright, I’ll spend the next two days studying the ‘Formless Formation.’”
For the next two days, Heng Yu stayed in her cabin, immersed in the study of formations. Only when Liaowu came to find her on the day of the second round of matches did she stop and head to the Sword Testing Grounds.
After the first round, many weaker cultivators had been eliminated. Those who had advanced to the second round were generally quite capable.
Heng Yu’s opponent this time was Ji Zixian, a renowned cultivator among the younger generation of the Sound Sect. According to the information gathered, Ji Zixian was also at peak Foundation Establishment, with a mastery of sound wave attacks through her zither playing.
Shortly after Heng Yu and Liaowu arrived at the Sword Testing Grounds, a referee on a nearby arena announced, “Ji Zixian of the Sound Sect versus Luo Heng Yu of the Hehuan Sect. Please both come to the arena quickly.”
Heng Yu exchanged a glance with Liaowu, nodded at him, and then flashed onto the arena.
Ji Zixian followed closely behind, landing on the other side. She was beautiful, dressed in a flowing white dress, and held a large seven-stringed zither in her arms, which was clearly her weapon.
Heng Yu and Ji Zixian exchanged glances and nodded in greeting before handing their soul tokens to the referee for verification.
After verifying their identities, the referee left the arena. The moment he left, Ji Zixian raised her slender right hand and quickly plucked the strings.
The zither sounds were chaotic and discordant, but Heng Yu could sense a powerful sound wave attack heading straight for her.
Heng Yu quickly retreated, drawing her sword. Channeling her spiritual energy and releasing her aura, she imbued her sword with power, planted her feet firmly, and slashed forward.
With a series of strikes, Heng Yu executed a complete sword technique.
Ji Zixian’s plucking speed increased, her hands a blur. A complete sword technique had maximum power, but it also meant a lack of variation in attack. Heng Yu didn’t insist on completing the sword technique. She abruptly stopped her last strike and quickly moved to the side. In the next instant, she appeared behind Ji Zixian, forcing her back with a sword strike and then cutting off her escape route with two more.
Caught by these three sword strikes, Ji Zixian grunted, a trace of blood appearing at the corner of her lips.
However, even though she was injured, Ji Zixian didn’t lose focus. She slowed her plucking, and the zither sounds gradually became melodious, forming a soothing tune.
The audience below would have found this tune incredibly pleasant, like celestial music.
But to Heng Yu, it was torture. The sound waves directly attacked her soul, causing her figure in mid-air to freeze momentarily. However, due to her past life experiences, Heng Yu’s soul was much stronger than others at her cultivation level. The sound wave attack only stunned her briefly. She quickly broke free from its hold, landed in front of Ji Zixian, and thrust her sword forward.
This sound wave attack was Ji Zixian’s strongest move, yet it only managed to control Heng Yu for a few seconds. This surprised Ji Zixian, and she didn’t even have time to dodge Heng Yu’s sword strike.
In the next moment, Heng Yu’s sword sent Ji Zixian’s zither flying. Ji Zixian was hit by her own zither and stumbled backwards.
As Ji Zixian quickly formed seals to steady herself, Heng Yu, who had been prepared, completed her own seals first and closed in on her. A sound cultivator without a weapon, cornered by a sword cultivator specializing in close combat—the outcome of the match was obvious.
“I admit defeat!” Looking at the gleaming sword, Ji Zixian bit her lip and conceded.
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