Chapter 74: The whole world, heaven and earth, must know.
Yan Jingyu finished most of the food on the table without any burden.
When he was leaving the Fusheng Tavern, he unexpectedly saw a familiar figure. The last time Yan Jingyu had seen Ling Dannan, he had just recovered his cultivation and had not yet ascended to immortality. Later, after he ascended to immortality, he had directly returned to the past. This was only the second time he had seen her.
She did not stay to dine, but directly packed a food box and was about to leave.
Liao Chen had just followed his gaze when Yan Jingyu’s figure had already disappeared from in front of him.
“Dan Nan.” When Yan Jingyu’s voice appeared, Ling Dannan’s expression was faintly dazed. She reacted for a moment, looked at the familiar person in front of her, and her steps paused. Her expression was much more tired than before, but after discovering that the person who had taken the initiative to call her was actually Yan Jingyu, her eyes still couldn’t help but turn red. She forced a smile. “I heard you have ascended to immortality.”
“Mm.” In Yan Jingyu’s sight, she had hid her cultivation without a change in her expression, but she still couldn’t stop the other from speaking. “You have fallen from your realm.”
He remembered that Ling Dannan had been at the peak of the Formless Realm before, only one step away from the Taiqing Realm. But now, she was only at the Huiyang Realm.
His gaze easily passed through the tributaries of fate, his eyes a little complicated.
Ling Dannan, on the other hand, let out a breath, her smile a little more relaxed. “It’s just that my cultivation is not going smoothly. It will be better after a while.”
Yan Jingyu took a step forward. “It’s for Ruan Qingchen.”
Ling Dannan’s face turned pale for a moment. She held the food box tightly, looking at Yan Jingyu with some fear. “Ruan Qingwan’s matter has nothing to do with him… you believe me.”
Yan Jingyu’s expression darkened. A light laugh came from his side. “Immortal Aunt Ling and her husband are truly a devoted couple.”
Ling Dannan’s gaze fell on him, her eyes suddenly turning cold. “Liao Chen…”
A sword shadow appeared between her eyebrows. Yan Jingyu had already said, “He is not an enemy.”
Ling Dannan instantly looked at him, her eyes filled with a bit of disbelief. “Do you know what he has said to the whole world?!”
Yan Jingyu’s expression was embarrassed. Before he could speak, Ling Dannan had already realized something. Her face suddenly turned even paler. She suddenly took a step forward. “He has insulted you so much. You don’t kill him, are you really going to form a marriage contract with him, to marry him? You are the Immortal Lord Dufang, he is a great demon of the demonic race. Have you forgotten how he destroyed the Huanxing Hall back then? Have you forgotten what he did when he forced you to fight him back then? He leveled mountains and slaughtered cities… have you forgotten all these things?!”
Liao Chen’s lips curled into a cold smile. Yan Jingyu said softly, “I haven’t…”
“Then why don’t you kill him?!” Ling Dannan’s gaze was burning. “Although he was not the one who harmed your entire clan back then, if it weren’t for him, if it weren’t for him forcing you to fight before Uncle Yan ascended to immortality… how would he have given others an opportunity? Do you really think he is innocent? Maybe, all of that was a conspiracy between the demonic race and the Zuoqiu family!”
Liao Chen just sneered, his gaze fixed on Yan Jingyu. He did not explain, nor did he defend himself. His eyes held a hint of contempt and disdain, as if Yan Jingyu were still just his enemy.
Yan Jingyu did not turn his gaze to confirm with him. His voice was gentle. “Even if that matter was the doing of the demonic race, I believe he has nothing to do with the tragedy of my family.”
“…You are simply crazy.” Ling Dannan’s eyes were full of disbelief. She held the food box. “You are Yan Qi, he is Liao Chen… Liao Chen!! You are mixed up with him. Aren’t you afraid of your reputation being ruined in your later years?!”
The contempt in Liao Chen’s eyes had already turned to calm. He directly moved his gaze away from Yan Jingyu’s face and spoke. “Reputation ruined in his later years? May I ask, Immortal Aunt Ling, you are with the younger brother of the enemy who killed your best friend. Do you not know how others are talking about you?”
Ling Dannan looked at him directly without any fear. “You are not worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Qingchen.”
Liao Chen laughed out loud. “This Lord is indeed not worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Heavenly Master Ruan. After all, this Lord is all alone and has not been stained with a single drop of the Yan family’s blood from beginning to end…”
“Qingchen has never either!” Ling Dannan looked at Yan Jingyu in a panic. “Jingyu, you believe me…”
“On what grounds do you want him to believe you?” Liao Chen left the railing of the celestial walkway and took a step forward, saying softly, “On the grounds that Ruan Qingchen is your husband? Or on the grounds that Ruan Qingchen knows nothing about the annihilation of the Yan Clan?”
“I have no need to explain the matter of Ruan Qingchen to you.” Ling Dannan did not yield an inch. “This is a matter between us and Jingyu…”
“Ha?” Liao Chen suddenly laughed. “You only dare to tell Yan Jingyu. You really are two of a kind with your sister Ruan Qingchen.”
Ling Dannan’s face changed. “What do you mean?”
“Ling Dannan, don’t you tell me that Ruan Qingchen knew nothing about what Ruan Qingwan did. You only dare to tell Yan Jingyu, isn’t it because Ruan Qingchen is taking advantage of your feelings for him, and you are taking advantage of Yan Jingyu’s soft heart for you? Do you dare to say that you have never thought in your heart of letting Yan Jingyu forgive you…”
Yan Jingyu pulled him over. Ling Dannan’s face was extremely pale, her eyes flickering. Yan Jingyu had already directly transmitted his voice to Liao Chen. “Let’s stick to the facts. Don’t disturb other people’s Dao hearts.”
He looked at Ling Dannan. “I know Ruan Qingchen is innocent, but just as you believe in Ruan Qingchen, I also believe in Liao Chen.”
Ling Dannan was led by him to look into his eyes. The specks of golden mark and the flowing silver like the bright moon made her emotions calm down a little. She said subconsciously, “Ruan Qingwan is a madwoman. When she was still a man, she wanted to transplant your Heavenly Mandate Eyes to Qingchen, wanting you to become his younger brother. Qingchen’s eyes were gouged out, but the transplant of the Heavenly Mandate Eyes failed. Ruan Qingwan came up with another plan and conspired with Yu Qiuye, not hesitating to be a woman forever, just to create Ruan Qixi… she has an obsession with you. Even if she can’t become your apprentice, she must have some other bond with you…”
“Qingchen did indeed know, and because of this, he has always hidden his identity in front of me, only saying that his name is A-Chen, and never telling me his relationship with Ruan Qingwan… he was afraid of getting me involved… Jingyu, he was indeed wrong. He was wrong to deceive, but he has already received his retribution. His core was dug out by the demonic race, and he does not have much time left…”
She suddenly knelt down. Yan Jingyu, caught off guard, looked at her tear-filled eyes. “Jingyu, I thought of killing him. His eyes are blind, his cultivation is low, and he has only learned that half of your Heavenly Mandate art. That day, in the chaos of Yaoguang Valley, it was I who let him be besieged by the demonic race, it was I who watched as his core was taken away by the demonic race… but, but when he was lying on the ground calling my name…”
In that instant, Yan Jingyu’s gaze passed through her memory and saw the demonic race and the immortal race who had gone mad with killing in Yaoguang Valley.
He saw Ling Dannan’s cold-eyed observation, saw her calmly dodging the hand that Ruan Qingchen had reached out to her several times.
He saw her retreating straight, letting her own husband be besieged by the demonic race, watching as his abdomen was pierced and his core was dug out alive.
Yan Jingyu had known long ago that with Ling Dannan’s cultivation, it was impossible for her not to be able to protect Ruan Qingchen. That day, on the Shishen Hall, when he heard someone say that Ruan Qingchen’s core had been taken, he had realized that it must have been Ling Dannan’s indulgence.
Ruan Qingchen fell to the ground, his expression full of bitterness. He had clearly also realized it. Perhaps from the moment Ruan Qingwan had called out “younger brother,” he had understood Ling Dannan’s thoughts.
He had deceived Ling Dannan. Ling Dannan was Yan Jingyu’s best friend. She would absolutely not let him live.
The panicked crowd stepped over his body. The white gauze on his eyes was also stepped on and fell off, revealing a pair of eyes with only empty sockets. Blood and broken flesh sprayed on the ground.
He fumbled forward in the darkness, his voice murmuring, “Don’t be disappointed in me… I didn’t harm Yan Jingyu, Dan Nan… I’m not a bad person… you didn’t love the wrong person… I’m sorry…”
Someone else stepped on him. A swift sword intent suddenly shot out from Ling Dannan’s glabella, piercing a demonic race member who had come to finish him off.
Yes, Ling Dannan’s heart had softened. She wanted to find out what was going on.
She carried her broken husband back to her residence, directly threw him on the ground, and said coldly, “If you can’t explain clearly, I will personally finish you.”
This was the fate she had walked.
Yan Jingyu’s gaze fell on his friend in front of him. He slowly squatted down. Ling Dannan continued, “I know you won’t forgive him. I know he has hidden many things… but he is not so bad that he must die at my hands, Jingyu…”
Her eyes were red as she looked at Yan Jingyu, her lips constantly trembling. “I will not cultivate anymore in the future. His sins, and my sins… we will atone for them together. I have already tied a symbiosis contract with him. I will eventually fall from my realm and become a mortal. I will take him away from Hutian and enter the world to be an ordinary couple. I know you are soft-hearted, but I never thought of using your soft heart…”
“I know.” Yan Jingyu held her arm. “I will not touch him…”
“Whether you touch him or not, my mind is made up.” Ling Dannan still looked at him. “All these years, you have suffered a lot. Liao Chen may have helped you before, but he is by no means a good person…”
“I will not persuade you to change your mind.” Yan Jingyu helped her up. “You also don’t persuade me, okay?”
Ling Dannan’s eyelashes fluttered. She finally forced a smile. “It’s just like when we were children. Neither of us could persuade the other.”
“But we both know that it’s for each other’s good.”
Ling Dannan still had many things she wanted to say in her heart, but at this moment, she understood Yan Jingyu’s persistence. They both had their own choices, and they had both decided to face their own choices.
She had chosen to be with Ruan Qingchen, so she had to face the guilt in her heart towards her best friend. By choosing Ruan Qingchen, she had in a way given up on Yan Jingyu.
And Yan Jingyu had chosen Liao Chen, which in a way was also giving up on renewing their old friendship.
…One hundred and thirty-three years, they had all changed too much, had more important people and things. Their old friendship was just a dream.
Actually, she knew very well that they could not go back to the past. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the three of them had all caused great harm to Yan Jingyu. The gap of one hundred and thirty-three years was already difficult to bridge…
Ling Dannan picked up the food box again, brushed past him, and then turned her head to look. “In any case, I hope that your immortal path will be smooth in the future, and you will be carefree.”
Yan Jingyu smiled. “Me too.”
Ling Dannan suddenly raised her hand, and the longsword between her eyebrows was directly pulled out. She twirled a set of sword flowers with one hand. In the potted soil by the celestial walkway, the maple leaves were shredded by the sword intent. She carried the longsword on her back and walked straight away.
“Goodbye.”
Yan Jingyu’s expression was calm. Liao Chen slowly came to his side. “Isn’t she a whip user?”
“Her swordsmanship is very good. She usually holds a whip just because she doesn’t want to kill people.” Yan Jingyu watched her walk down the celestial walkway until she was gone, then slowly turned around. “To have fallen from her realm to this point, perhaps only by staining her hands with blood can she protect the one she wants to protect.”
The sword intent crushing the maple leaves also proved her determination.
Just as she had said, she knew that Yan Jingyu was soft-hearted, but she had never thought of using his soft heart. To become a mortal was a path she had chosen for herself and her husband, and she did not need anyone’s sympathy or pity.
Liao Chen seemed surprised. “This girl is actually so stubborn… then are you really going to watch her become a mortal?”
“This is her own choice.” Yan Jingyu knew Ling Dannan’s thoughts. Her guilt could only be digested by herself. Any help from him at this moment would only make her feel even more guilty.
Although Yan Jingyu had always felt that they were not wrong, in their hearts, not recognizing Yan Jingyu was wrong, the accidental harm caused was wrong, and pushing him to the point where he could only be with Liao Chen was wrong. The matter of Ruan Qingchen, for Yan Dannan, was even more wrong on top of wrong.
She knew that she could no longer face Yan Jingyu, so she decided to stay away from the immortal path.
Perhaps the worldly atmosphere of the mortal world could make her think some things through.
“At this rate of her falling, I’m afraid she only has thirty years of lifespan left.”
“You don’t have to test me.” Yan Jingyu gave him a white eye. “I said, this is her choice. I won’t secretly help.”
Liao Chen relaxed a little. He was indeed worried that Yan Jingyu would worry too much about Ling Dannan’s affairs. But he didn’t know that Yan Jingyu himself had already seen through life and death, so how could he care about the life and death of others?
For Ling Dannan, the various rumors in the immortal sects now were actually extremely unfavorable. To escape to the mortal world might be a better choice.
With the crime of betraying a best friend on her, it would probably be very difficult for her to ascend to immortality in this life.
“I didn’t expect that one day you would say you believe me in front of Ling Dannan.” Liao Chen’s tone was tinged with a hint of lightness. Hearing Yan Jingyu say this to his old friend—knowing what kind of impression these words would leave on Ling Dannan, yet still saying them—made a strange sense of satisfaction rise in his heart, and his entire mood became much smoother in an instant.
Yan Jingyu glanced at his light steps, and also his shoulders that were unconsciously moving slightly with his steps, and said deliberately, “What, your life is complete?”
Liao Chen was in a good mood, so he didn’t hold it against him. “What about Zeng Huacai and Qin Zhongyou’s side?”
“Dan Nan will tell them.” Yan Jingyu thought for a moment, then pulled his sleeve again. Liao Chen paused slightly. He heard him say, “The wedding… what are your plans?”
“Of course it has to be a grand affair.” Liao Chen said, as if it were a matter of course. His gaze swept over Hutian City, remembering Yan Jingyu’s birthday banquet back then, and said straightforwardly, “This Lord wants to see Hutian’s streets empty, the Demonic Domain a sea of people, guests from all directions lining the roads to welcome, and heroes from all realms bowing in congratulation. This wedding, the whole world, heaven and earth, must know—”
Yan Jingyu couldn’t stand his arrogant appearance. “Do you know how many spirit stones it will cost to invite so many people?”
“Spirit stones…” Liao Chen laughed. “This Lord has his ways to make them willingly come with gifts.”
“Maybe, we’ll even make a profit.”
