บท 63: No Need for Facades

Not being able to ignore it, Jianyu couldn't help but open his eyes once more, and what he saw left him bewildered. The golden eyes belonged to a young woman, and her face was flushed with a deep crimson hue. It was Xiao Xiang, who seemed as if she was about to faint from embarrassment.

...

About half an hour ago

...

Lei Qiang rushed to Jianyu's side, her heart pounding with worry as she held him up. She quickly retrieved the pill Xin Dongyang had given her for such situations, hoping it could help alleviate Jianyu's suffering. With trembling hands, she tried to gently place the pill in Jianyu's mouth, but something extraordinary happened.

As Lei Qiang was about to feed the pill to Jianyu, his body, which had been writhing in pain and torment, suddenly stopped its convulsions and calmed down. The smoky, chaotic qi that had been escaping from his body began to dissipate, and the blood oozing from his orifices gradually ceased.

Wondering what had caused this sudden change, Lei Qiang looked around the room in confusion. It was then that she noticed Xiao Xiang's eyes, which were now glowing with a mysterious golden light. Her gaze was fixed on Jianyu, and it was evident that she was the cause of his sudden development.

Lei Qiang could hardly believe her eyes. She thought Xiao Xiang's physique was one related to perception, but this...

It was clear that Xiao Xiang possessed a rare and powerful talent, one that could be of great help for Jianyu's current situation.

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Lei Qiang decided to ask Xiao Xiang to stay with Jianyu, while she went to consult Xin Dongyang regarding this matter. Her decision to have Xiao Xiang stay with Jianyu not only showed her trust in her but also placed the responsibility on her shoulders to care for Jianyu, a tactic to make her grow involved in this matter.

However, what Lei Qiang hadn't fully considered were the implications of leaving two young individuals of the opposite sex alone in a room. Thankfully, the woman in black who had accompanied them to the room offered to stay behind and guard the entrance. Lei Qiang then entrusted the pill Xin Dongyang had given her for Jianyu to the woman in black before leaving the room to seek guidance and answers.

...

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...

Xiao Xiang found herself in an unexpected situation, providing a lap pillow to the unconscious Jianyu. She sat there, slightly dumbfounded, and later snapped out of her daze after a few moments. As she looked at the peacefully sleeping Jianyu, her cheeks grew warmer.

Despite the traces of blood on him, his unhealthily pale skin, and the dark circles under his eyes, there was an undeniable allure to his appearance. His dark hair and pale skin created a striking contrast, and his closed eyes were adorned with long, delicate eyelashes. Even his dry-looking lips had a rosy hue.

As she continued to gaze at his physical appearance, she felt entranced, lost in her admiration, not even noticing the painful sensation in her eyes until tears welled up and fell onto Jianyu's face.

Xiao Xiang was still not accustomed to seeing the world through the method her master had taught her, which pushed her eyes to their limits and caused her a lot of pain. However, she couldn't tear her gaze away from Jianyu's face. To her, this sight was more beautiful than the azure skies or the emerald forests. Just like his soul, there was a strange charm in his physical appearance that she couldn't explain.

"Mmm..."

Just as she lost herself in the sight, Jianyu made a sudden sound and his eyes slowly fluttered open, causing Xiao Xiang to freeze in panic. As Jianyu sleepily opened his eyes, Xiao Xiang finally had the opportunity to see the amethyst jewels hidden beneath his eyelids. Their eyes met, but Xiao Xiang didn't look away, wishing to savour the sight before her. That was until...

"Hyii!" Xiao Xiang let out a strange noise as she felt the warmth of Jianyu's hand against her cheek. His hand cupped her face, and he refused to let go, closing his eyes again.

Trapped in a torrent of embarrassment, Xiao Xiang's mind practically short-circuited. Her face turning as red as a tomato.

Just as she was caught in this utterly unexpected and intimate moment, Jianyu woke up and stared blankly at Xiao Xiang, who was practically steaming at this point. He then looked at his hand on her face and back to her face, clearly perplexed. It was a rather awkward and unexpected situation.

"My apologies," Jianyu said as he raised his head from her lap, slowly getting up and distancing himself from her. The room was filled with an awkward silence.

"About this..." Looking at Xiao Xiang Jianyu began to ask about how this had happened, however, before he could choose the right words Xiao Xiang cut him off,

"Master message deliver me to...!" In her embarrassment Xiao Xiang stumbled upon her words, which looked even stranger as despite the crimson hues on her face she only faintly showed any expression on her face.

"So..." Jianyu was about to respond when he remembered something and used his hand to feel his face which lacked any expression, a side effect of the "Untethered Heart Mantra". It detached him from his emotions and resulted in a lack of expressions without intent.

'I have to be careful regarding this from now on... Well... she shouldn't be able to see it, so I guess there isn't much of an issue...'

Jianyu put on his "usual" smile and looked towards Xiao Xiang, 'But, even if it's tiresome, wearing the right emotions at the right time is important.'

"Do you mean that Grand Elder Yin asked you to deliver a message for me?" His smile remained fixed on his face as he asked in a clear and soothing tone.

"Yes..." Xiao Xiang had seemingly calmed down by now, with only a faint blush on her cheeks remaining as the trace of the previous incident.

"..." Jianyu waited for her to provide the message, but there were no further responses from Xiao Xiang, leaving an awkward silence hanging in the air.

Seeing that there were no initiatives from her, prompted him to continue, "Umm... So about the message?"

"Yes!" Xiao Xiang, startled by the reminder, hurriedly took out a jade slip from her storage ring. Her blush deepened further, which contrasted with her almost non-existent expressions.

'Is this what they call a kuudere? Now that I think about it, didn't that brat speak about this kind of thing as well?'

/It's about the contrast, mister! About how at times they can show a truly genuine smile that is usually never seen!/

'Wait, wasn't that kid like 8 or something at that time?'

A pleasant smile began to form on his face, but he didn't notice a crucial detail regarding his current situation, something he should've easily noticed.

'Hm...' Sending his spiritual sense through the jade slip, Jianyu was surprised to see that it was an invitation for a simple meeting. However, what truly surprised him was the fact that the grand elder sent a formal invitation, despite the Yin and Xin families being tied by the engagement. Moreover, the invitation was not only polite but was far more respectful than what a core formation realm disciple should be receiving.

'Which means...' Joining the dots, he came upon a vague and unreliable yet definitely possible conclusion, 'She's trying to discuss the memories of the future or perhaps just attempting to pry information from me.'

"Um... If you don't mind me asking, what does it say?" Xiao Xiang asked as she sensed Jianyu retrieving his spiritual sense from the jade slip.

Looking away from the jade slip, Jianyu responded with a smile, "Nothing much. Grand elder Yin is simply asking me for a meeting."

"Is that so?"

"Yes," he lightly nodded, continuing, "How about going there together? That is if you're alright with it, Miss Xiang." He suggested, wearing the right emotion.

"Yes, that would be fine with me." Xiao Xiang's voice and expressions still seemed emotionless, but Jianyu noticed that she was constantly scratching her right hand's index finger with her thumb, 'A habit of some sort?'

"Xin Yue," Jianyu called out to the woman who was standing outside the door's entrance.

"Yes, Young Master!" Xin Yue, the woman in black, answered enthusiastically as she entered the room.

Jianyu requested, "Show Miss Xiao around Lunar-Frost Peak and introduce her to Xin Guang and Mo Suyin while I freshen up." He pointed to himself, pointing at the bloodstains covering his body.

"Yes!" Xin Yue agreed and promptly began to escort Xiao Xiang on her tour of the peak.

...

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...

After my arrival at the Serene Waters Peak, I was led to the palace of the Yin Family Matriarch. The room where I would meet her was dimly lit, and the floor appeared to be made of water. Surprisingly, it didn't wet my feet or cause me to sink into it, only ripples appeared upon it's surface as I walked.

I respectfully bowed and greeted her, "Disciple Xin Jianyu greets Grand Elder Yin."

"Mhm," She responded with a subtle nod, her expression maintaining a solemn air.

'Asking Xiao Xiang to stay behind... As expected, she...'

"Today, I requested your presence to ask you a simple question," she declared. The emphasis on the word "simple" was quite clear, though her expression hinted that the matter might be far from straightforward.

"Please, feel free to ask anything," I responded with a smile. It was a troublesome situation, but maintaining a facade was necessary.

'Even though she can surely see through it...'

"Without further ado, I'd like to pose a question," she began, her words casting a deeper shadow over the already dim room.

"Do you..." As she spoke, a pressure began to bear down on me. Yet, within the calm state induced by the "Untethered Heart Sutra," I discerned that this pressure wasn't fatal. There was no need to panic.

|...plan on...| However, my tranquility was short-lived as I focused on the entity before me.

The colossal creature appeared to be composed of pure darkness, and dark liquid oozed from its form. Its eyes were replaced by two ominous azure wisps.

Standing before it, I felt an immense pressure bearing down on me. It's piercing gaze seemed to penetrate my very soul. Though it's eyes resembled the color of the sky, all I could see within them was an unfathomable darkness.

The sheer presence of this entity filled the room with a cacophony of countless overlapping water torrents. "Urgh...!" The noise sent searing pain through me, even though I should have been detached from my emotions and could easily ignore such levels of pain.

It's mere presence brought me madness

It wasn't the noises that caused this— it was the mere presence of this being, a lesser manifestation of Yin Meili's true form.

A form created in correspondence with and acknowledgment of her and her family's Dao.

|...hurting Feng'er?|

"No... I never even considered that..." The words tumbled from my lips, as if they had a will of their own. Anger began to swell up within me, but it was soon erased as if it had never even existed.

"Mhm." The darkness receded, and the creature was no longer present. Yin Meili nodded just as she had in the beginning, but this time, it was accompanied by a smile.

"Forgive me for testing you," she said with an apologetic tone, "I was simply worried for my family."

'A threat...' While her words seemed genuine, however, the underlying meaning of her words was definitely that of a threat.

"There's no need for senior to apologize," I spoke courteously, though I no longer made an effort to put on a fake smile.

'Facades and courtesy are wasted on a madwoman anyway.'

"Take this as an apology for today!" Saying this she threw a black Gourd bottle toward me, which I promptly caught.

"Many thank-"

Cutting me off, Yin Meili spoke, "You may leave now."

...

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...

'Someone who puts a lot of importance in family' That was my impression of Yin Meili, 'Quite similar to how grandfather described her...'

As I walked back to Lunar-Frost Peak alongside Xin Yue, who discreetly followed me, I continued to think, 'It seems like she thinks I hold a grudge against Xifeng and want to get rid of her,' I contemplated, 'Or perhaps she believes I plan on killing her to...'

I stopped in my tracks as a thought blossomed in my mind, '...eliminate my inner-devil?'