When Fang Li arrived at the foot of the mountain, he saw Fu Junling immediately.
Fu Junling was wearing all white today, and he stood with his hands behind his back in a refined and gentle manner, looking a bit more similar to the Shixiong in Yan Sui's memories. His eyes were gentle as he looked at Fang Li and said, "You're here."
Fang Li's eyes were cold as he said blandly, "Just say what you have to say."
Fu Junling sighed faintly.
He looked at the person before him with a complicated expression.
If not for a momentary misstep back then, how could things have come to this?
Four thousand years ago, when he'd fallen, he'd used heaven-defying tricks to deceive fate and leave a trace of his soul in the wheel of reincarnation in hopes that he would one day be able to reincarnate and re-enter the world.
Up until nineteen years ago.
This youth had accidentally brought the Yin-Yang Jade back to him, allowing him to reawaken the memories of his past life.
He'd finally returned.
Back then, he'd originally wanted to take the Yin-Yang Jade and directly leave the Windbearer Sect, but alas, that old man in the Windbearer Sect had been too boneheaded and had refused to give the Yin-Yang Jade to him, believing that it shouldn't appear in the world. At the time, he had only just awoken, and his strength hadn't recovered. Thus, he'd had no choice but to make use of Chong Wanshan.
Chong Wanshan was an ambitious man who liked to put on a sanctimonious appearance. Once he knew that the Windbearer Sect had such a priceless treasure, he couldn't possibly leave them be. Fu Junling had only had to let slip a tiny bit of news to incite Chong Wanshan to act against the Windbearer Sect. In the moment of crisis, the old man hadn't doubted him, and sure enough, he'd handed him the Yin-Yang Jade, telling him and A'Yan to each take half and leave.
He should've killed A'Yan right away back then and stolen the jade talisman.
Even if this youth was the person he'd adored and cherished the most in this life.
But compared to his almost ten thousand years' of memories, his hundreds of lifetimes... A'Yan's Shixiong's short twenty-something years of life was no more than a drop in the ocean, a passing thought.
Far too insignificant, barely worth a mention.
Yet it just so happened that such an insignificant, trivial memory had still affected him in the end, causing him to act at the very last second and rescue the youth who had originally been doomed to die.
He'd faked his death in front of A'Yan and spared his life, intending to wait until A'Yan had left to search for him and take back the other half of the jade talisman that belonged to him.
But he'd never been able to find him again.
This youth had always been exceedingly clever. He really had escaped and hidden himself so that no one could find him again.
A moment of soft-heartedness.
Had caused something that he should've been able to acquire in his sleep to slip past his fingers.
He left the Windbearer Sect.
In order to obtain cultivation resources more easily, he changed his appearance and entered Black Star Tower.
Five years passed.
The demon lord Yan Sui had appeared out of nowhere, his origins unclear and his cultivation mysterious. With unrivaled power, he united the demonic path and struck fear into the hearts of the people of the world.
As for the demon lord Yan Sui's identity, everyone had a different opinion.
Some said he was a devil who'd lived for hundreds of years, some said he was a vengeful ghost who'd come back to life...
But only Fu Junling knew that the youth who'd escaped from that mountain of corpses and that sea of blood back then had returned.
He'd taken the other half of the black jade talisman with him, and in the end, he'd sunk into his desires, become controlled by hatred, and had changed entirely.
At the time, Fu Junling had felt a little regretful.
In this long, long life of his, he'd seen too many people, too much of the joys and tragedies of life... The human heart was prone to change. To sink into hatred truly wasn't a rare thing, and A'Yan was no different.
This youth.
Would never again take on that appearance that he'd liked in his memories.
Those already insignificant memories would influence him even less.
Fu Junling watched indifferently from the sidelines.
Faced with the demon lord, the righteous sects were terrified, driven into a corner, until several years later, when the demon lord besieged Cloudbank Keep, and the righteous sects decided that they couldn't sit still and wait for death. With Heaven's Summit at their head, they established the Thousand Immortals' Alliance to attack the demon lord.
But he hadn't paid much attention to any of this. These people's worry and fear were unnecessary...
Yan Sui, who was recklessly using the black talisman's power, was trading for power at the price of his life. He wouldn't be able to survive for much longer, and Fu Junling had absolutely no need to place himself at risk to act. He only needed to wait patiently.
And at precisely this time.
Yan Sui brought Xie Huai to Mountainview City.
Stirring up trouble the whole way for fear that others wouldn't know.
Chong Wanshan didn't know why the demon lord had come, nor did he know why the demon lord was acting this way. He was wholeheartedly trying to defend his own reputation... to the point that he'd even tried to use money and wealth to send Yan Sui away. It was truly laughable. Yan Sui had come for Chong Wanshan's life. Fu Junling had known all of this clear as day as he'd watched Chong Wanshan's terrified and furious yet puzzled appearance, yet he'd followed along with Chong Wanshan's thoughts, smiling and saying that he was willing to meet the devil in his stead.
After such a long time, he was a little curious what A'Yan looked like now.
Atop the Gilded Tower.
He'd met the youth from back then once again.
That pure, naive, immature youth who had only known how to admire him back then had already grown into a man.
He was indolent and carefree and looked down on the world, his every gesture and action impossible to ignore.
There were many people who'd become controlled by hatred, too many who'd lost their true self and forgotten their original forms. He'd thought Yan Sui would also be like this.
But this time, he'd been wrong.
This person seemed to have changed, but he also seemed to be unchanged.
He looked like a cruel, cold-blooded devil, reckless and arrogant and tyrannical, but the genuine side of himself that he would occasionally reveal, and the little bits of pieces of when he interacted with Xie Huai, seemed to still hold a youthful innocence. He still treated people calmly and with gentleness. Even if he put on a savage, cold-hearted facade, the tender side that he kept hidden underneath couldn't fool anyone...
He was full of surprises.
Perhaps it was also precisely this contradictory side of him that had attracted Xie Huai, causing Xie Huai to fall for him.
Because even though he'd lived for such a long time.
He had practically never seen anyone like this.
Someone who could stay true to himself even after experiencing all of this, holding fast to his original intentions. Even when taking revenge, he didn't lose sight of himself, drawing a line between his resentment and gratitude...
Fu Junling felt a rare bit of interest toward him.
He watched Yan Sui and Xie Huai leave.
It was a pity.
Yan Sui was bound to die.
As for how he would die, that was his own choice.
Fu Junling wasn't going to interfere.
The day that the Thousand Immortals' Alliance attacked Hollow Ridge, he didn't go.
Later, he heard that Xie Huai had killed Yan Sui with his own hands, but he felt that that shouldn't have been the case.
But a person's death was like the extinguishing of a light. None of it was important any longer.
Only when there was no one left on Hollow Ridge did Fu Junling go up the ridge alone, but he didn't find the black talisman.
In the end, he was a little regretful.
Nine years passed.
Fu Junling had already given up on finding the black talisman again. That single misstep back then had caused his belongings to slip past his fingers.
Even if it was him, not everything could go his way.
But what he hadn't expected was that he would actually see a similar person on Hollow Ridge.
These years, Xie Huai had been living alone on Hollow Ridge. The people of the world all said that he loathed the devil, but only Fu Junling knew that Xie Huai had probably given away his true heart to Yan Sui. He was staying on Hollow Ridge not because of hatred, but because he couldn't let go.
In these nine years, Xie Huai had been all alone, not allowing anyone to approach.
How could this young man appear by his side? And be so carefully treasured by him?
Fu Junling became aware of these questions.
With just a little bit of probing, he guessed the young man's identity.
Just what kind of fortuitous encounter had Yan Sui met with to be able to be reborn even after using the black talisman? This was something that not even Fu Junling could figure out.
He'd lived for nearly ten thousand years.
And there was actually still someone that he couldn't see through.
But since Yan Sui had been able to return, then he could use this opportunity to sound out the black talisman's whereabouts. This time, he wouldn't let his heart soften again. He would be sure to take back what was his.
The reborn Yan Sui wasn't strong, but unfortunately, Xie Huai was standing guard by his side, so it wasn't convenient to act against him directly.
Fu Junling set up a plan to have Xie Huai and Yan Sui leave the ridge and easily forced Yan Sui to meet with Wu Yimei, then placed down an illusion to fish out the black talisman's whereabouts.
He understood Yan Sui far too well.
He knew what the deepest desire in the depths of Yan Sui's heart was. It should have been foolproof, but what he hadn't anticipated was that Yan Sui would actually struggle free of the illusion, causing him to fail at the last moment.
Why?
Fu Junling couldn't understand.
Am I not the person you want the most?
He had no choice but to watch Xie Huai take Yan Sui away, silently observing. He knew Yan Sui wouldn't sit still and let death take him. Perhaps he would go to retrieve the black talisman.
Sure enough, Yan Sui ordered Wu Yimei to head for the Great Sage's remnants.
At the time, Fu Junling had been a bit surprised. He hadn't thought that it would be hidden at its original location. He revealed himself at the ruins to snatch the black talisman, but in reality, it was a trap... Sure enough, his A'Yan was still so clever.
In order to make him believe it, he'd chosen a place like this to force him to reveal himself.
Fu Junling wasn't been taken too much by surprise. He revealed his identity to Yan Sui.
It was just a pity that the youth from back then was no longer attached to him and had drew his weapon against him without any hesitation.
Originally, there was no need for things to have come to this.
It was you who forced my hand.
Fu Junling looked at the person before him, his features tender as he said, "A'Yan, hand over the black jade talisman, and come back to my side... Come back, I'll protect you."
Right now, all of the major forces are on my side. There's no path left for you. I'm the only one who can protect you.
Fang Li watched Fu Junling coldly, then suddenly, the corners of his lips raised in a smile.
As expected of the Great Sage. He had nothing if not self-confidence.
What made Fu Junling think that he would be willing to return to his side?
Forget the fact that he wasn't Yan Sui anymore. Even if it were Yan Sui, would he be able to tolerate this kind of betrayal, this kind of coercion, and then, when there was no path left to walk, to wait for his charity?
What did he take Yan Sui for?
You think of all lives as insects and ants, crushing them into the dust beneath your heels, and then you show pity and mercy from high above. Do you think anyone wants that?
Fang Li said coolly, "If you have nothing else to say, please return."
Fi Junling could see his indifference and let out a soft sigh. "I know you're still blaming me, but no matter. I'll wait for you... A'Yan, Shixiong won't lie to you again."
"Don't wait." Fang Li didn't feel like bothering with him and turned and left.
If he'd known earlier that it would be rubbish like this, he wouldn't have bothered to come.
......…
Xie Huai stood alone by the palace doors, his face still.
He had no way to stop Fang Li from going to see Fu Junling. He could even guess that Fu Junling might use soft persuasion, both the carrot and the stick, to force Fang Li to hand over the black jade talisman. Fang Li cared so much about that person. Perhaps as long as he acknowledged his mistakes and said a few pretty words, Fang Li would once again be moved and be led astray by him...
Perhaps Fang Li would leave the ridge.
And he would never return again.
As soon as he thought of this, Xie Huai felt like his heart was powerless and his whole body was ice-cold. To Fang Li, he was far too trivial, barely worth a mention.
And it was about time for him to wake from this beautiful dream he'd been living.
Xie Huai stood there, unmoving.
But what he hadn't expected was that Fang Li would return very quickly. He smiled at Xie Huai, as if seeing Xie Huai was what brought him the most joy.
His features were gentle and brilliant, and he said, as if nothing had happened, "Let's keep eating."
Xie Huai's heart skipped a beat.
In that moment, a ridiculous fantasy suddenly arose in his mind. He felt like he was much more important than Fu Junling, and that Fu Junling couldn't even measure up to a single meal in Fang Li's eyes.
The thought caused the corners of his lips to rise uncontrollably. He smiled as well and said in a hoarse voice, "It hasn't cooled yet. I kept it warm for you."
Fang Li immediately smiled, as if saying, sure enough, you're the best, you're the most considerate. Then, they continued to eat together.
Xie Huai didn't ask Fang Li what they'd said.
Fu Junling's arrival didn't change anything at all.
After they'd eaten.
In the quiet bedroom that night.
Xie Huai and Fang Li held each other as they slept.
He softly embraced the person in his arms.
You also know he isn't your Shixiong any longer... So, you won't leave again, right?
Although I met you rather late, I'll stay beside you for the rest of our lives.
I definitely won't betray you or hurt you.
......…
When Fang Li awoke the next day, he discovered that Xie Huai wasn't by his side and had already gotten up.
He arrived at the courtyard.
And then he rubbed his eyes, a bit dazed, suspecting that he'd seen wrong.
Had he slept himself silly last night, causing him to see illusions?
Xie Huai had actually switched to wearing all black.
It was just, although everybody had the freedom to wear whatever they liked, ever since transmigrating, Fang Li had never seen Xie Huai wear any other color. He'd thought Xie Huai only had white clothes! How come he'd suddenly switched his white for black?
This wasn't too normal, was it?
Fang Li's spirits suddenly became apprehensive, and he peeked at Xie Huai uneasily.
They'd been stuck together like glue these days, and their feelings had been very steady, as if everything in the past was past... How come Xie Huai had suddenly gone nuts again? He hadn't done anything wrong recently, had he? He kept pondering over whether he'd offended Xie Huai somewhere, causing Xie Huai to be provoked...
But no matter how he pondered, he couldn't think of anything.
He had practically put Xie Huai up on an altar like a girlfriend!
Fang Li slowly walked over and put on a slightly rigid smile, his expression anxious. "Did you not sleep well last night?"
Xie Huai's expression was cool. "I didn't."
"Oh..." Fang Li contemplated what to say next.
Just then, he heard Xie Huai ask blandly, "I don't want to wear white anymore. Do you still like it?"
Fang Li stared blankly for a moment, thinking, what kind of inexplicable question was that? If you don't want to wear white, then don't. Even if you dress like a rainbow butterfly, I would still like it. The one I like is you, not what clothes you're wearing...
Besides. He glanced at Xie Huai's face. Xie Huai would even look good wearing a burlap sack!
Seeing that Fang Li hadn't responded immediately, Xie Huai's heart sank a bit.
The smile on his face disappeared.
Perhaps Fang Li had returned too quickly yesterday, causing him to have unrealistic fantasies, thinking that Fang Li sincerely liked him, liked him more than anyone else... Perhaps the human heart was greedy by nature, and he was no exception. As soon as he had a taste of sweetness, he wouldn't be able to resist dreaming of more.
At the beginning, he'd thought that as long as this person was by his side, that was enough. Even being a substitute didn't matter.
But now, he wanted Fang Li to really, truly like him. He wanted the him in Fang Li's eyes to be his full and complete self.
He didn't want to be a substitute anymore.
He didn't want to be given a second glance because of someone else...
But perhaps he had been thinking too much.
Xie Huai said impassively, "If you don't want to answer, then don't answer."
Fang Li's whole body shivered, the alarm bells ringing in his head.
No matter how you looked at it, that sentence didn't sound right. Even if he was a straight man, he could tell that Xie Huai was unhappy.
But just why was Xie Huai unhappy?
What did it have to do with his clothes?
Fang Li was like a clueless boyfriend whose girlfriend had suddenly started throwing a tantrum that he couldn't make heads nor tails of. He was uneasy beyond belief, but he didn't even know where to start coaxing from.
He said without any hesitation, "You look good wearing anything, I like all of it!"
But Xie Huai's expression was still cool. What a perfunctory reply.
But he didn't intend to keep probing.
Seeing that Xie Huai was about to turn and leave, Fang Li finally panicked. This problem still hadn't been solved, they couldn't leave it like this!
If it had been before, he would have just left it, but since they'd decided to be together properly, how could he leave things alone when his boyfriend was angry? He wasn't that kind of person.
Fang Li said, "Just why are you unhappy?"
Xie Huai's footsteps paused, and he turned back to look at Fang Li.
Fang Li was looking at him anxiously and uneasily, his eyes aggrieved and innocent, as if he clearly hadn't done anything wrong and didn't know why Xie Huai was angry at all.
Xie Huai's chest felt stifled.
He'd seen everything in the illusion clearly.
But Fang Li didn't know, he didn't know that Xie Huai had seen everything. But even so, are you not clear on who exactly is in your heart? How are you innocent?
If it had been before, Xie Huai might have just left it alone.
He'd finally found this person again.
There were some things that he didn't want to bring into the open, for fear that even the last bit of leeway would disappear...
But today, for some reason, he didn't want to continue suppressing it.
Xie Huai closed his eyes, the resolve to stake it all on one throw appearing in his eyes. He opened his mouth slowly, word by word. "Will you leave with Fu Junling?"
Fang Li found it even more inexplicable. That was beyond preposterous. Why would he leave with Fu Junling? That was something that would be impossible in both this life and the next. Why would Xie Huai think so?
Fu Junling was his enemy, and he'd hurt Xie Huai like this. He wished for nothing more than to slice him into a thousand pieces.
Fang Li said immediately, "Impossible!"
Seeing Fang Li answer so decisively without even thinking, Xie Huai couldn't help but be dazed for a moment.
He couldn't understand.
The youth in the illusion had clearly cared about him so much, scolding Xie Huai for his sake without any mercy and ignoring Xie Huai because of him.
But why was it that Fang Li could also be so decisive right now...
Xie Huai's voice became a murmur. "But, he's your Shixiong..."
Fang Li thought to himself, so what if he's Shixiong, he's Yan Sui's Shixiong, not my Shixiong...
Hang on, how did Xie Huai know Fu Junling was Yan Sui's Shixiong?!
He'd never told him before!
Fang Li's brow creased as he contemplated.
Suddenly, it struck him.
He seemed to have discovered what he'd missed.
Speaking of which, ever since coming out of the illusion, Xie Huai's attitude had changed drastically. At the time, he hadn't understood why Xie Huai had become like this and had thought Xie Huai was still angry about the past. Xie Huai had also acted as if he was angry about the past, threatening him that he wasn't allowed to trick him again, and bluffing that he was going to take revenge by returning everything to him in kind...
But could it be... that Xie Huai had also entered that illusion and seen Yan Sui's past? He'd misunderstood that he liked Shixiong?
Xie Huai was actually jealous because of Shixiong?
He'd thought he was being used as a substitute?
But he clearly hadn't seen Xie Huai. How had Xie Huai entered the illusion?
Fang Li's expression trembled. He suddenly thought of something, and his expression froze.
That darksteel sword that had been reminding him the whole time had been different from Yan Sui's memories. Not only had it hurt Shixiong, it had even silently kept him warm in the ruins.
But after he'd scolded it for Shixiong's sake, it had thrown a tantrum at him and had remained silent for a long time.
Fang Li had attributed all of the darksteel sword's abnormalities to his own subconscious warning him.
But if that wasn't the case?
What if the consciousness in the darksteel sword was Xie Huai, and he had done all of that to wake him up? But not only had he not been awoken, he'd even done such unreasonable things...
Recalling all of the things he'd done inside the illusion.
Fang Li sucked in a cold breath.
Just how angry must Xie Huai have been? His self-control was already at an extreme to not have run him through with a sword. This misunderstanding was far too big. How had Xie Huai spent this period of time?
Xie Huai had actually endured it and hadn't hurt him...
Fang Li's heart ached beyond belief, full of guilt and pain. It was all his fault for not noticing sooner!
He immediately said, "Fu Junling isn't my Shixiong!"
Xie Huai watched as Fang Li tripped over himself to explain. The earnestness and anxiousness in his eyes couldn't be fake. Xie Huai suddenly realized that there was something off somewhere, and he forced his heartbeat to relax as he slowly opened his mouth. "Just what do you mean by those words?"
Fang Li pondered to himself for a moment.
He could say Fu Junling wasn't his Shixiong, and he could also say that he didn't like Fu Junling, but how was he to win Xie Huai's trust?
Xie Huai had seen Yan Sui's memories firsthand. With the truth before his eyes, no matter how he explained, it would all seem like a lie.
Right now, the only way to win Xie Huai's trust was to put everything about his identity and origins on the table. Only then would he be able to explain why he possessed Yan Sui's memories and why he'd become Yan Sui.
His identity was very hard to explain, and he didn't have the System or the power of foresight anymore... But he couldn't allow Xie Huai to continue to misunderstand. With things at this point, he could only come clean.
Fang Li's expression became grave, and he said slowly, "I'm not Yan Sui."
Xie Huai's gaze was fixed on him.
Fang Li pulled Xie Huai back into the room and sat down, then made a pot of tea for himself.
This wasn't something that could be told in a few sentences.
Fang Li explained everything about how he'd come to this world, his identity as a transmigrator, how he'd had no choice but to coerce Xie Huai in order to complete the mission, the fact that he'd had a System assist him in completing the mission, and how he'd been able to know the catalyst for the Dreameater poison because he was a transmigrator... He even came clean about what the original story had been like, what changes he'd made after he'd arrived, what had happened after he'd died, and everything else.
No matter what Xie Huai asked in the middle, he didn't hold anything back.
Their talk lasted for several shichen.
From day into night.
Finally, Fang Li looked at Xie Huai earnestly and said word by word, "The one I like is you. It has nothing to do with anyone else."
Xie Huai gazed deeply at the person before him, warmth surging through his chest. All of the pain and unwillingness had vanished like clouds. It turned out that this person had also cared about him like this. It had never been just his own wishful thinking.
He had also done so much for him.
He had never wanted to hurt him.
Nor had he loved anyone else.
These had been the deepest wishes at the bottom of his heart, and now, they had all come true.
Although the reason was so strange and absurd...
Fang Li's words had been orderly and clear, his logic sound. Not only had there not been any problems, all of the puzzles and mysteries from before had finally gotten an answer. Thus, it was evidence for why he had acted in such a contradictory manner, bearing the title of demon lord yet preserving kindness in his heart, showing a side of him that didn't match his identity. Back then, he had been attracted by precisely this point, unable to resist wanting to probe even more. But if Fang Li had come as an outsider, then everything could be explained.
His reason told him that Fang Li wasn't lying to him.
But all of it was truly too absurd.
His world was only a book, and he was only a character in a book...
Then was he real right now?
Was this world real?
Were the people before his eyes real?
What was truth, and what was fiction?
Xie Huai couldn't tell the difference in the moment.
But he knew one thing. It was this person who'd stopped at nothing to change the fate that he'd originally been ordained. Even if he'd had no choice but to do such a thing in the end for the sake of completing the mission, he'd done everything he could to protect Xie Huai, trying to change everything that he originally should have suffered...
Xie Huai had never once seen wrongly the gentleness and kindness in his heart.
This was also the reason he'd fallen in love with him.
Even with so many misunderstandings separating them, what he'd seen from start to finish had been this person's true face.
After he was done speaking, Fang Li looked at Xie Huai anxiously. Although he'd explained to the best of his ability and hadn't held anything back, he was full of nervousness. He didn't know whether Xie Huai would be able to accept such an upended truth...
It was too absurd, right?
Who would believe it...
Besides, making Xie Huai into a piece of paper, compared to being a substitute, it was hard to tell which one was more cruel...
Fang Li let out a faint sigh.
He really didn't know how he could undo the knot in Xie Huai's heart without hurting him.
Just then, Xie Huai finally opened his mouth.
Xie Huai's gaze was fixed on him as he said slowly, "I believe you."
Fang Li's eyes immediately lit up. He was only one step away from swearing to the heavens, and he rushed to say, "Everything I said is true. This time, I'm definitely not lying to you."
Xie Huai's eyes softened, and he made a faint "Mn."
Fang Li finally let out a breath.
Xie Huai was the most calm and logical person. With his intelligence, as long as he analyzed it in detail, he would understand whether Fang Li had been telling the truth or not. From the looks of it, Xie Huai had believed him.
It looked like, he hadn't suffered any kind of blow, either?
Thank the heavens.
Just as Fang Li was rejoicing in his heart, he saw Xie Huai look up, Xie Huai's fathomless gaze resting atop him as he said mildly, "So, you weren't going to die at all back then, but you had me believe that you'd died and left me here alone to suffer, is that right?"
Fang Li: "..."
Oh, right, he'd also told Xie Huai about how he'd faked his death.
......
The Author Has Something to Say:
Fang Li: No matter how I explain, it's the crematorium for me T T
Author: No problem, just do it a few times and it'll be fine
Xie Huai: Seconded.
Fang Li: ???