Spectating the Angsty Romance of the Master and Disciple from the Sect Next Door Chapter 122

Li Jin’an blinked helplessly, gazing almost entranced at the crystal-clear tear on the back of her hand. Her thoughts instantly became a jumbled mess, and she froze, unable to recover for a long time. She lowered her head, her vision filled only with that single tear. All her senses, her entire world, blurred into nothingness, leaving only that tear.
—Did Xie Huaixue cry?
After a long moment, Li Jin’an slowly raised her head, meeting Xie Huaixue’s clear eyes, which seemed washed by the meltwater of a high-altitude glacier.
Neither of them spoke first.
She wondered if it was an illusion, but Li Jin’an felt that Xie Huaixue was exceptionally fragile at that moment. Her pristine white robes couldn’t conceal her exhaustion and sorrow.
“Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough…”
After fully realizing that Xie Huaixue had cried, Li Jin’an frantically wanted to cough. Her throat itched terribly. Her slender fingers gripped the corner of the bed, her other hand clutched her chest, and she coughed strenuously, her cheeks flushed, as if she were trying to cough out her very heart.
Xie Huaixue gently patted her back, helping her calm her breathing. Li Jin’an clutched Xie Huaixue’s wrist, her crimson eyes staring intently at her, her expression on the verge of tears. “Sovereign, Sovereign…”
Xie Huaixue’s hand, helping her with her breathing, paused. She lowered her eyelids, her expression as calm as deathly stillness. Li Jin’an gently closed her eyes.
Never before had she felt the cruelty of this space-time turbulence as keenly as now. It was as if it was executing her spirit and body simultaneously, a slow and agonizing torture.
In the current timeline, the Five Sects, Four Clans, and Nine Great Immortal Gates had launched a joint war, counterattacking the demon realm, vowing to inflict such pain on the demon race that they wouldn’t be able to recover for at least several centuries. Xie Huaixue, merely at the initial Unity stage, infiltrated the demon realm alone, forcibly slaying the previous Demon Lord at the mid-Great Ascension stage, along with several demon generals and commanders. Her single battle shocked the world. The demon beasts, who had been stirring due to the conflict between humans and demons, immediately quieted down, instantly suppressing all their improper ambitions and diligently acting as neutral observers, lest the righteous path of humanity, having found their rhythm fighting demons, decide to slap them too.
Some mighty immortal beasts of long life couldn’t help but sigh upon seeing this scene. Humanity was truly blessed; even the younger generation was terrifyingly ruthless. They heard there was another junior on par with Xie Huaixue. Humanity was truly formidable.
From then on, no one in the world was unfamiliar with Qingxiao Immortal Venerable. The blood feud also somewhat subsided.
What should have been a triumphant and joyful event changed completely when Yinyue Monarch’s injuries worsened. Joy turned into sorrow. Even Qingxiao Immortal Venerable, renowned across the continent of Canglan, had moments of helplessness. She could not snatch her master’s life back from the grasp of heaven and earth, only watch helplessly as her master’s soul returned to the vastness.
At that time, Li Jin’an was frantically exploring secret realms to improve herself. To prevent her from going mad, Chixin Sword Lord and Jingting Daoist did not inform her about Yinyue Monarch’s situation. Yinyue Monarch, whose life was nearing its end, suggested this. Chixin Sword Lord was too preoccupied to pay attention to her whereabouts, Jingting Daoist tacitly agreed, and Xie Huaixue went along with it, everyone tacitly hiding it from Li Jin’an. It wasn’t until Li Jin’an emerged from the secret realm that she learned of Yinyue Monarch’s demise…
What happened afterward, Li Jin’an couldn’t actually recall. She had long forgotten how she had broken down and gone mad. Due to overwhelming pain, a cultivator’s powerful memory would automatically become inactive at such times, blurring out that period of memory. Later, even when Li Jin’an finally accepted the fact of Yinyue Monarch’s demise, she was unwilling to recall it.
Who knew this damn space-time turbulence would kick her back to this moment?
Acceptance did not equate to moving on. Yinyue Monarch’s demise was like a drizzling rain falling upon Chixin Peak and Lunar Peak, desolate and somber, dim and gloomy, ceaseless.
Heaven and earth may end one day, but this sorrow, ceaseless, knows no bounds.
Lunar Peak and Chixin Peak would never see clear skies again.
Tonight, a small boat comes to bid you farewell; from this day, life and death part ways.
Li Jin’an gasped rapidly, looking up. She clutched Xie Huaixue’s hand, pulling her closer, and with veins bulging on her fingers, she pointed at the corner of Xie Huaixue’s eye, saying with a choked voice: “I know, I know…”
She didn’t say what she knew, just kept repeating “I know.” Perhaps she was saying that she understood the bitterness and unwillingness in Xie Huaixue’s heart, that she understood Xie Huaixue’s exhaustion, her sadness and sorrow…
“Mm.”
Xie Huaixue actively grasped Li Jin’an’s wrist. Seeing their intertwined red and white sleeves, she gently inhaled.
Sensing the tightening grip on her wrist, Li Jin’an unconsciously tugged at the corner of her mouth, only then realizing how terribly dry her lips were.
“Water.”
Xie Huaixue released Li Jin’an’s wrist to pour her some water. Li Jin’an glanced at the white jade cup offered to her. Without moving her own hands, she drank heavily from it, with Xie Huaixue holding it for her. She refilled and drank cup after cup, finally suppressing the itching sensation in her throat.
“Come sit here,” Li Jin’an said, wiping her mouth with her sleeve, and gestured to Xie Huaixue. For some reason, she just couldn’t stand Xie Huaixue standing there so quietly, as if the entire world had nothing to do with her.
Xie Huaixue sat beside Li Jin’an as instructed. Li Jin’an unceremoniously leaned onto her, her movements utterly practiced. In fact, such familiarity was normal; Li Jin’an couldn’t even remember how many times she had leaned on Xie Huaixue. The atmosphere quieted. They leaned their heads together, neither speaking, enjoying the rare silence.
“We’re like little beasts, soaked by the rain and shivering, huddling together for warmth.”
Li Jin’an looked at Xie Huaixue’s exquisitely beautiful profile, let out a self-deprecating laugh, and remarked with a touch of finding joy in suffering. Reality was already bitter to the extreme. If they continued to wallow in self-pity, it would truly be like two bitter gourds growing on the same vine, both miserably sour. The kind that could make each other bitter just by looking at them.
“Yes, very much so.” Xie Huaixue curved her lips, agreeing with her words.
Li Jin’an, however, couldn’t laugh. She didn’t dare imagine how sad Xie Huaixue must have been, the one who experienced that heavy snowfall on Qingxiao Peak alone, without her company. Just thinking about it gave her a suffocating feeling, as if someone was choking her, making it impossible to breathe.
For a moment, Li Jin’an felt that returning to this moment was quite good. At least she could still be by Xie Huaixue’s side, not completely useless. Bearing pain together was always better than enduring it alone. Perhaps the drizzling rain in Xie Huaixue’s heart could stop sooner.
“What are you thinking about now?”
Xie Huaixue did not answer.
Li Jin’an paused, then suddenly heard shallow breathing beside her ear and realized Xie Huaixue had fallen asleep. She gently put her arm around Xie Huaixue’s shoulders, cradled her in her embrace, and with spiritual energy, levitated her, slowly lowering them onto the bed. She used her powerful willpower to suppress the itching sensation that had returned, so as not to cough aloud.
—She hoped Xie Huaixue would have a good night’s sleep.
It would be best if she didn’t dream at all, not even good dreams. Just a simple, peaceful sleep would be enough.
With that thought, Li Jin’an also closed her eyes.
…
So hot.
Who audaciously burned her bed? Which brat is playing with fire next to her? Tan Yanyi or Ling Qiu?
Otherwise, why would she feel like she was pushed into a sea of fire?
Wait! Hold on! Isn’t she a fire spiritual root cultivator?
Suddenly, something cold entered her body.
Ah, that’s better.
Li Jin’an, in her sleep, relaxed her furrowed brow and affectionately rubbed her face against the warm, cool hand beside her, a natural master of coquetry.
“…”
Opening her eyes, the familiar sight of Qingxiao Peak’s cave dwelling bedroom still greeted her. Li Jin’an raised a hand to rub her throbbing forehead. She had thought this sleep would take her to the next timeline, but she was still here.
So, that feeling of her whole body burning just now wasn’t a dream?
“What just happened to me? Did my master kick me into lava?” Li Jin’an couldn’t help but let her thoughts wander as she speculated.
“Your whole body was hot. I channeled some ice spiritual energy into you. Sword Lord did not kick you into lava,” Xie Huaixue replied, placing a piece of ice jade on Li Jin’an’s forehead.
Li Jin’an sighed contentedly. Afraid of Xie Huaixue’s worry, she said casually, “It’s nothing serious, just a little emotional. Don’t worry about me.”
In truth, she didn’t know what was happening herself. Could a fire spiritual root cultivator spontaneously combust? Perhaps it was a sequela from rapidly traversing the space-time turbulence.
Li Jin’an, who understood her importance to Xie Huaixue all too well, had no desire for mischief from the first timeline. She no longer thought of startling everyone. She only hoped that Xie Huaixue hadn’t noticed any anomalies, and that she could simply accompany Xie Huaixue well within the limited time they had. That was all.
Li Jin’an, who had always vowed not to rest until she had turned the world upside down, had finally learned to be content with what she had, though this was not by her own will. Saying this, Li Jin’an even tried to get out of bed, an inexplicable competitive urge flaring within her, trying to prove to Xie Huaixue how terrifyingly strong she was now.
Xie Huaixue raised a hand to press down on her shoulder, a genuine smile finally gracing her face. She said helplessly, “I’m not worried. You just lie down properly.”
Li Jin’an’s eyes instantly widened. She looked at Xie Huaixue in disbelief. “You’re not worried about me?”
Ancestors above, is there any justice left in this world? Her Dao companion isn’t even worried about her anymore. What’s next, abandoning his wife and daughters? What kind of worldly suffering is this? Hmm, Qi Lingzi, Tan Yanyi, and Ling Qiu, those three silly children, are considered their daughters. A family, whole and complete, how wonderful. There’s no love left, no love left.
Li Jin’an, disheartened, flopped back onto the bed, her hands resting peacefully on her chest. She closed her eyes. “Don’t worry about me, I’m beyond saving.”
After several rounds of tossing and turning, her red robes were still dazzlingly bright, but inexplicably wrinkled. And at this moment, the crumpled Li Jin’an just lay there stubbornly on the bed, almost ready to throw a tantrum and roll around.
Xie Huaixue leaned down, covering Li Jin’an’s ears, and said seriously, “I am very worried about you.”
Li Jin’an’s heart and eyes simultaneously felt a pang of soreness. Thankfully, her eyes were still closed at this moment, preventing her from bursting into tears right after Xie Huaixue. Although crying would be perfectly understandable in this situation, Yinyue Monarch absolutely wouldn’t want to see this scene. Regarding her demise, Yinyue Monarch had always been calm and composed. She had long since given away her private treasury to various people under different pretexts; it was always others who couldn’t accept the matter.
Xie Huaixue, despite appearing aloof and distant, was in fact merciless when it came to tugging at heartstrings. Using an expression of indifference and detachment to say such heart-stirring words… it was more than just seduction. It was just five words, yet they made Li Jin’an’s heart twist painfully.
Li Jin’an suppressed the urge to cry, suddenly opened her eyes, and puffed out her cheeks. “Mm, Xie Huaixue, you’re so annoying.”
Hearing this, Xie Huaixue said, “I wouldn’t dare lie to you. Every word comes from my heart.”